Welcome to the next chapter!
makotoxvalerie; Thanks for the vote.
Darkwubs; Thanks! Yeah, he's finally got his Evil Pieces, and is gonna begin forming his group now. Thanks for the vote. Glad you liked the fight between them. Yeah, he revealed a few things, and more will be coming quite soon. He'll be meeting her pretty soon. Yeah, Rias could be for sure.
ShadowUzumaki55; Thank you! He has done yeah. They gave it their all. Vali and Naota are a couple now~ His linege shall be revealed pretty soon. Thanks for the vote.
Silver crow; Thanks! Yeah, she is. Thanks for the vote. Ravel surely did yeah. His linege shall be revealed pretty soon. Serafall and Gabriel have quite the relationship. Glad you liked the fight. We shall learn more about who could be his fiancee pretty soon. Maybe later in the LN's an Asmodeus is going to be revealed or something, Ingvild was previously unknown so maybe another one could be shown. Thanks for the harem suggestions. Mirana would be strong with them. Valerie will show some good stuff. I've got some ideas for that part of the story. Ophis would be yeah.
Guest 1; Thanks for the vote.
Guest 2; Thanks for voting.
kurenai lui; Thanks for the vote.
Guest 3; Thanks very much!
Guest 4; Thank you for the harem suggestions!
Valtryek-sama; Thanks for the vote.
helios darkus; Thanks for voting.
Hikaru Yu; Thanks for the vote.
Guest 5; Thanks for the votes.
Akeno fan; He diid yeah, and his group shall grow as the story goes on. Glad you liked the clash between them. He and his fiancee is gonna be a fun ride~ Isane has yeah. Thanks for the vote.
Guest 6; Thanks for the votes.
Godofwar01; Yeah, its a pretty interesting idea, thanks for the suggestions.
Guest 7; That would be a cool clan he could be apart of.
Guest 8; Thanks for voting.
Guest 9; Yeah, could happen. Thanks for the vote.
DxD Fan; Thanks for the votes.
With those reviews finished, its time to start the chapter!
Chapter 8
Sometime had passed since Vali had joined the group, following her Kuroka and Shirone also joined the group.
And a new peerage member he had in mind, he was going to be meeting later on to speak with her family.
Right now however, Naota had just woken up, when he saw Serafall hovering above him in bed, and her eyes looked wide.
"Nao-chan! Vali-chan told me everything!"
Naota gave a small intrigued smile.
"What about?"
Serafall showed a cute face.
"About you and her kissing!"
Naota lightly chuckled.
"Well, she is my Queen, and she desired affection. I also, found myself being happy when Vali-chan and I were close together like that. And since then, we share such affection when the desire comes up. Hehe, its a weird new sensation for me, I didn't know that a simple kiss could be so good~"
Naota mused, and lightly flushed as he thought about Vali and him sharing a kiss between them.
Serafall pouted.
"Mouu, I feel like Gabriel is at fault somehow. She is a master manipulator, maybe she helped Vali-chan find her feelings before I could steal Nao-chan away, and now Vali-chan is going to be quite forward…"
Naota almost laughed with her logic.
"Eeh, how would she contact Vali-chan?"
Serafall gave a military like stare as her eyes locked onto Naota's own.
"She is super crafty Nao-chan! Don't be fooled by the Angel sweetness, beneath that lies the heart of a scary woman who would do anything to get her way! Even using profanity! She is that wild she'd definitely do that!"
Naota couldn't hold it back, and snickered.
Serafall gave a cute puppy dog look to her face, so Naota leaned closer, and hugged her tightly.
She happily smiled, and hugged Naota right back.
"Ooh Nao-chan, such affection is good for me~"
Naota patted the Maou on the back, pulling back ever so slightly, yet still being in one another's embrace.
"Honestly Serafall-sama, you're too adorable. I'll always have special affection for you."
Serafall giggled sweetly, looking down at the young man in an adoring manner.
"If you're the one saying it Nao-chan, then I'll definitely be happy~"
Serafall lightly kissed the top of his head, allowing his face to sink deep into her chest.
Serafall then leaps up and takes Naota by the hand.
"Lets go Nao-chan! We're burning daylight here!"
Leaving no choice, Naota was dragged out of bed, as Serafall laughed happily.
As that was happening, dashing through a mountainous area, with many obstacles in her path, a cute pale young girl that had features of a doll with light blonde hair, and deep red eyes was being chased.
She could hear footsteps behind her, almost taunting the young girl with how far away they were, yet seemed to get close at times when she thought she could be safe, so she never could let her guard down.
"C-Come on, there has to be somewhere…"
The girl had wounds across her body.
She tried to turn into a flock of bats, an ability that she possessed, but thanks to the wounds on her, she wasn't able to get very far in her bats form, and only covered a few meters distance, before she had to transform right back.
She fell to her knees, panting hard.
"Damn it all...come on…"
She breathed rapidly, sweat drenched her brow.
Her eyes looked over the area she was in, and saw what looked to be a few abandoned buildings in the distance.
So, she pulled herself to her feet, despite knowing that it was an obvious place to hide, she didn't have the luxury of choice, anywhere else she was a sitting duck, at least if she could find shelter, she could have a moments peace.
So she soldiered on.
She made it to the buildings, and managed to hide inside one of them.
She didn't know what it was, and she didn't even know what to think.
"D-Damn, I can't believe that...they managed to track me...but this place, it seems empty, maybe I can stay here…"
She looked around, feeling blood coming from her wounded stomach.
She placed her hand to her wounded stomach, trying to stop the flow of blood.
Her eyes looked tired, and afraid.
She thought she was alone, when she heard a voice.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are."
The girl shivered at the voice.
It sounded like a young man around her age, perhaps a little older.
She looked through the hole in the wood she was hiding behind, and saw a white haired boy casually swinging his blade left and right. From those sword swings, energy released from the blade, and cleaved through various things.
Panic came over the young girl, silencing her voice the best that she could do.
But then she suddenly saw the wall to the side of her break down, and her eyes locked onto the boys chasing her.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
She screamed, and grabbed a half broken table, launching it at him, who sliced it apart, but gave the girl precious moments and she used them to run as fast as she possibly could do.
"I always did like it when they run."
The boy chuckled, and brandished his blade, prepared to strike at any moment…
Meanwhile, Naota was busy recruiting a new member of his peerage.
That next person to join is going to be Ravel, at least that's what Naota hoped for as he currently was in a meeting with Lord, and Lady Phenex, Ravel herself, and finally, Riser, who was in the background making comments such as "I protest to this!" and "Ravel's not joining him!" but it seemed that everyone was ignoring him, so Naota followed along with that.
"To get this clear in my mind..." Lord Phenex began, his eyes going up and down Naota's form. "You intend to have Ravel join your group. For her various skills, including, but not limited to, organizational skills, her ability to make plans for those within your group, her general Phenex capabilities, and so on and so forth."
Naota nodded without pause.
"Yes, that's right. I realize that it is an important decision, that's why I wished to converse with you, and of course Ravel-san here." Ravel beamed. "Though it seems that your son, isn't so pleased about it huh…"
Riser kept giving glares to Naota, only to be glared at by his mother, causing him to whimper, and turn his head away from the sight.
"Please ignore Riser, he's simply being overprotective again."
Lady Phenex said in a sweet manner, though Riser looked quite worried about his mother.
Lord Phenex scrunched his eyebrows together.
"Anyway, it seems that you've thought about this rather interestingly. You wish to benefit the Phenex clan as well as your own family. It is a rather adult way to think about it."
Naota nods a strong nod.
"Yes, it would be for the best if we come to a decision together, and mutually we both gain from this. For the sake of not only my group, but for the benefit of Ravel-san as well. I also wish to have her future be thought of as we make this talk continue."
Lord Phenex looked impressed by what was being said.
He could see that Naota wasn't someone that was not forward thinking, he was the opposite, and he was smart, using his knowledge to assist him in his movements to gain new peerage members.
"Yes, Ravel's future is also important. But more importantly than that, I wish to ask you a question, and I'd like an honest answer." Naota gave an affirming nod, so Lord Phenex took in a deep breath, before exhaling his thoughts. "Ravel, would she be safe within your group? Can you guarantee that to me right here and now?"
Lady Phenex raised an eyebrow to her husbands question.
Riser smirked, believing that this was his father doubting Naota.
However, all were surprised by Naota's answer.
"No, I cannot guarantee that."
Riser began snickering.
But then Naota continued.
"But, I can promise I'd lay my life on the line to protect your daughter. All members of my peerage are apart of my important family. Ravel-sans safety cannot be secured being in my group, but that is also true for life in general. What I can guarantee is that Ravel-san would grow in my group, and our bond would only continue to grow closer. I'd learn from her, and she in turn would learn from me."
At his honest answer, Ravel flushed incredibly.
Lady Phenex looked happy to see Naota was thinking rather strongly, and also realistically.
Riser looked super excited, believing that his parents would be against Naota saying that, and chuckled deeply.
However, Lord Phenex silenced him as he also began to chuckle, but for different reasons than Riser.
"Haha, that is a very honest answer, young man. I'd be wary if you had said her safety would be secured, as that isn't true to any kind of group that will be in fights. But, I do appreciate your words, and how you'd protect my daughter with your life. Ravel is my important child, and I wouldn't let her go to just anyone."
Naota bowed his head in appreciation.
"Yes, I understand Lord Phenex."
Lady Phenex cooed when seeing Naota acting mature, she thought it was quite cute.
"And it seems that Ravel, has also softened to you a good deal. She is a rather intelligent girl, and I know in the past she has struggled to find her way in the world. But since meeting you, I've seen her grow and become a very strong young girl. And no doubt, if she goes with your group, she is going to continuously grow."
Naota also appreciated her words, seeing a mothers love for her daughter always was a good thing in his eyes.
Lord Phenex nods a single time.
"Very well then, it seems my wife and I are on the same page. Reading what you already have sent me, and interacting with you, along with seeing Ravel's reactions, I can clearly see that you are going to be an influential figure in the Underworld. And to Ravel personally, I have seen her growing since she's been with you. And your answer, hearing you would do your best for my daughter, it has convinced me, you hold honesty in your eyes, and your voice."
Naota smiled softly.
His eyes glanced at Ravel, who couldn't hide her red face.
They then continued speaking for over half an hour, to finalize the details between them. It was a big deal for someone of Ravel's status to join a group like Naota's, so they all wished to be on the same page with one another.
Eventually, they came to an agreement save for Riser, but everyone was ignoring Riser, while Lord Phenex clapped his hands together a single time.
"Ravel, if you're to join this young man, I expect to see the pride of Phenex within you. And allow your talents to flourish with this young man."
Naota saw Ravel smiling with happy tears in her eyes.
"Y-Yes, I'll do my best father!"
Lady Phenex giggled.
"Indeed Ravel, you're going to shine with Naota-kun here. I can see it already, you're going to be amazing for sure. And with this deal, the future between our families is going to be a bright one."
Ravel appreciated everything that was being said, and she was so happy that Naota would be able to be her King. She had envisioned it before, and now she was going to be able to stand beside Naota, and show her own worth as an individual.
The next day, Naota whistled to himself as he was walking down the corridor in his home, when he heard what sounded like a loud banging sound.
Naota raised a brow, and went to investigate.
"Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"You said you wanted to fight, so fight."
Naota walked outside to see Vali chasing Kuroka with her hands firing off a few shots of demonic power. Kuroka screamed, and put up powerful barriers while Vali blasted through them with a good deal of force.
Amused, Naota walked towards the pair of them.
"I said spar! Not death match nyaaaa!"
"This isn't a death match, I'm not using my Sacred Gear."
"That doesn't make me feel better, you know nyaaa!?"
Naota watched Kuroka wave her fingers through the air as Vali landed close by.
The ground around Vali began turning to mud, and Vali began to sink deep into the mud.
"Hmmm, so is this one of your abilities? Huh, this is an interesting technique. Especially if used to catch enemies off guard."
Vali placed her hands down into the mud, activating her demonic power, and unleashed a torrent of energy down into the ground. The ground and the mud blew up, scattering high into the air, and rained down upon all three of them.
Naota activated a barrier to block the mud, while Kuroka did the same thing, and Vali simply allowed her energy to flow around her so nothing touched her, and also she extended her Devil wings to fly upwards into the sky.
Kuroka cringed when seeing Vali floating before her.
"So, erm...sorry to interrupt, but what's going on?"
Kuroka hearing Naota, rushed behind him, and clung to the young man for dear life.
"Naota-kun! I only asked for a spar, and she suddenly went into fighter mode nyaaa!"
Vali folds her arms.
"How else would you spar?"
"S-Spar with…I don't know, less force!"
"I am using less force."
Kuroka shook side to side.
"T-This is less force?!"
"Of course, I haven't used my Sacred Gear yet. I was saving that for the next level."
Naota looked between them with some amusement.
"So, asking Vali-chan for a spar, Kuroka-san?"
"Yeah…" Kuroka scratched her cheek. "I, wanted to become stronger for the group nyaa. I mean Shirone is being trained by you, and I can't fall behind my adorable sister, so I wanted to show my strength as well. Vali-chan seemed to be the best decision, a decision I'm now regretting nyaaa…"
Vali raised a brow at that.
"Strength comes from having battles that push your limits. If you don't push yourself, then you wont become much stronger."
Naota agreed with what Vali said.
"Its true Kuroka-san. Though, I can see why that situation might've been a bit frightening." Kuroka nods with teary eyes. "If you're serious about training, then I'll definitely be able to help you grow in strength Kuroka-san."
Kuroka moistens her lips in desire.
"No kidding nyaaa? That sounds good to me~ Speaking of good, how did it go with Ravel-chan and family?"
"Aah yes, Ravel-san is going to be in the peerage. Probably by the end of the day." Kuroka cooed as Vali furrowed her eyebrows, going into deep thought. "With her, our group is growing even more~"
Kuroka inclines his neck.
"I'm glad nyaaa. I like Ravel-chan, she's adorable, and would fit well. Also, may I say about the peerage? If you're looking for new people, can we also make suggestions?"
Naota chuckles.
"All suggestions are welcome Kuroka-san. This is also your family too."
Kuroka blushed at the thought of this being her new family, as Vali walked closer.
"I have a few ideas for peerage members." Vali moved towards Naota's face, and peered into his eyes. "Are you seeking anything in particular?"
"Well, I do have ideas. I've thought about those that would cover us in various ways. We need fighters up close, ranged, supporters, and those that excel in techniques and the likes. Have you thought of any Vali-chan?"
"I do, but I haven't found anyone that fits my criteria. I think it would be good if we gained one more Longinus user, and also those that can fight without Sacred Gears. There could be abilities out there that can stop our Sacred Gears after all."
Naota slowly nods his head, he liked the way that she thought.
"I see, yes you're right about that Vali-chan. Lets search together~"
"Exactly."
Naota smiled.
He was glad to see that members of his group were forming friendships.
Also seeing Vali especially speak with others, knowing that she didn't always feel the most comfortable speaking with others, to him it was amazing to see Vali opening up with the others in the group.
Even seeing Kuroka wishing to grow in strength, he was happy to see, especially given that he knew the reason was to help and protect Shirone, though he also was aware that she was growing to love the group, so he also assessed that she probably was doing it for that reason as well.
The time to make Ravel his peerage member came about. After speaking with the Phenex, and coming to a few agreements, Naota stood in front of Ravel, and she in turn gained a small redness on her face as his eyes showed a comforting look.
Ravel felt her heart pounding.
She was nervous.
But not a bad kind of nervous, she was ready for this.
She had dreamed and thought about it many times.
To be able to travel alongside Naota, to be able to fight alongside him.
To see what he is going to achieve.
Seeing what he already had achieved.
It was some of the best things that she could think of.
So staring at Naota before her, she knew that she was ready, but before that, she knew she had to say something that laid within her heart.
"Naota-sama, can I share something with you?"
Naota raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
Ravel took a moment to compose herself.
When she was ready, she spoke in a tone that sounded sweet, full of vigour and life.
"When we first met, I was thinking about me, and my future. At the time, I was seeing those around me already deciding to gain Evil Pieces, and to move forward in their own directions. I even watched my Onii-sama's, and what they were doing. Each achieving new things, and making the clan proud."
"Ravel-san…"
Ravel nods strongly, putting her hands together.
"I wondered, where I would be. What can I do, and to make my clan proud. That's when I met you. When we first met, I didn't know anything about half breed Devils, I didn't know much about you beyond the rumours and lies. So I was surprised when you saved me. And when I delved into what you did, I was rather astounded to see how hard you've worked, all on your own. How you managed to gain favour with those that otherwise would usually have turned you away. You inspired me, Naota-sama. To take control of my life, and to find what it is that I can do, where I belong, and who I can help."
Naota was taken aback by her words.
He thought they were rather sweet, and kind.
He was surprised to see that he inspired her so much, but he was glad all the same.
Ravel then continued.
"So Naota-sama. Lets continue on together, always. Lets fight together, lets do anything that we need to do, so we can travel to distant lands, to see so many things. To be together...and to show everyone what we are made of. I'll happily follow you Naota-sama anywhere, because I believe in you wholeheartedly."
Naota felt touched by her words.
Ravel showed her real feelings, so Naota took both of her hands, and held them kindly.
Ravel blushed a storm when feeling his touch.
"Ravel-san, you really are someone I'm glad to have met, and I'm glad you decided to become apart of my group. I know together, we're going to accomplish many great things. We'll show everyone who we are as a group and like you said, lets explore the world together. You, me and everyone together. As a family."
"A family...yes, I'll be apart of your family from now on Naota-sama."
Naota nods strongly, as Ravel leans forward, and presses a kiss against his cheek.
She felt shy to try for the lips yet, but for the cheek, she thought it would be the best.
Naota felt his face turning a slight tinge of pink.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that-"
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to suddenly do such things! I-I just…"
When Ravel began to freak out, Naota calmed her with a small joyful laugh, patting her head gently.
"I really liked it Ravel-san."
Ravel's blush deepened by the moment, feeling warmth and fuzzy feelings spreading throughout her body.
Naota retracted his hand and summoned his Evil Pieces and began rummaging through the different pieces that he had, deciding which would be the best one that she would excel in.
Then he settled on one piece in particular, and pulled it out for Ravel.
"How do you feel about the Pawn Ravel-san?"
Ravel tilts her head for a few moments, then nods strongly.
"If you think that's the best Naota-sama, I have no complaints. It only means that I can use all of the other pieces abilities."
"Exactly! I think this is going to be for the best Ravel-san~ So, ready?"
Ravel nods without any regrets.
She was so ready for this that she couldn't contain her excitement.
Naota then began the ritual once he handed off the pieces to her.
Ravel held the Pawns to her chest, and awaited for the ritual to be complete.
Soon enough, the pieces sank through her clothing and through her chest, Ravel felt a warm sensation spreading through her being. She could feel safe, and secure, as she now could feel a new power flowing through her being.
"And...that's it Ravel-san, welcome to the peerage...no, welcome to the family."
Ravel gave a bright teary eyed smile.
She was so happy, and she no longer had to contain it, rushing Naota and hugged him tightly.
He responded by hugging her close to him as well.
He knew now that this was going to be for the best.
Now, he had Ravel in his group, he was glad that his group was growing bigger and bigger by the moment.
Somehow, she didn't know how, but the Vampire girl had managed to put distance between her would be killer, and herself.
Albeit, she had wounds that slowed her down, and her body felt sore as well.
She had found a hiding space, it was a small cave that she found to be empty.
"I can't sense him...maybe I should send bats out…? But if I did, then perhaps he'd find me...hmm, I have to do something to protect myself…"
The girl had tried to contact her homeland, to no success.
She wondered if the Exorcist had somehow managed to block communications, that's all she could think of at that moment in time.
She felt her stomach rumbling, she didn't know when the last time she had eaten was.
She also felt her body weakening with each moment that passed.
"If I don't get out of here soon, I wont be able to get away from here, I'm going to die…"
She was fearful.
She didn't want to be ended by an Exorcist.
She wanted to be free from this place.
But that wasn't to be when the entrance to the cave suddenly was darkened by a new presence.
The Vampire girl hid behind a rock and did her best to kill her presence. Trying her best to not breathe loudly, trying to calm down her heart, and body reactions so she didn't make any noise and also making sure that she didn't allow her fear to get the better of her.
Footsteps came through the cave, the girl could hear them coming closer by the moment.
"Please...Please go away…"
She thought, controlling her trembling hands.
But it was rather difficult.
With each step, she felt like it would be the end.
"Hmmm, looks like no one is in here…"
She heard the male Exorcist call out, causing the Vampire girl to feel relief.
She heard footsteps moving away from the area she was in, and she inhaled silently.
That's when the rock she hid behind suddenly was blown apart, causing her to let out a cry.
"Aaaaaah!"
She cried, flying backwards, and hit the back wall of the cave.
Recovering from it, she saw the same boy that had been chasing her, brandishing his blade.
"Looks like I've found you."
Panic came through her heart, and her mind.
The Vampire girl pulled herself to her feet, and saw that there was a way out through the other way of the cave, so the Vampire girl took her chances, and ran as fast as she could, after she blasted a power upwards that caused the ceiling to cave in around the young Exorcist.
It didn't stop him for long, as he used his blade to carve through the rock and stone, revealing him being safe and sound.
"Now I've got you, Vampire girl. Causing me much strife, its time to end this."
With this blade humming with power in his hand, he was about to end the Vampire girls life, and showed a wild expression on his face as he did so...
A small time later on, Naota sat with his peerage members, and was going through various requests that he had gotten together with Ravel.
Kuroka was eating some delicious looking food, Shirone adorably sat on Naota's lap and curled against him, while Vali was eating some ramen.
"Remember Nao, the fighting ones for me."
Vali chimed up, Naota snickered, and pulled out a request.
"Ooh, then how about a wild pack of Minotaur?" Vali perked her ears as Naota went over the details. "...Hmm, seems like a good one to me. Would pose a challenge for High Class Devils, it says Vali-chan. Interested in it?"
Vali stood up, walked over, and took the request form from Naota, and silently went over it.
"Well, it could be an intriguing challenge for me, I haven't fought a Minotaur yet, and a pack of them you say. Yes, I'll go for this one then."
Naota clapped his hands.
"Great~ Then Kuroka-san, any preferences? We've got a wide range of ones today."
Kuroka tilted her head side to side.
"Hmmm, well, I'd love to go to one where there's little to no fighting. I don't really have a preference beyond that right now nyaa. Gotta relax the body after that last battle nyaaa~"
Naota nods, and searches through the requests.
"Then, how about one where its a female cosplayer looking for a companion to cosplay different anime couples together. It says its for a photo shoot, and the pay seems pretty good to me."
Kuroka bounced in place.
"Ooh, cosplay nyaa~ That does sound fun~ So, can be a boy or a girl?"
"Yeah, it doesn't say any specific people, only requesting someone from our group, regardless male or female."
Kuroka leapt up, and took the request Naota gave her.
Then Naota looked down at Shirone.
"And what about you Koneko-chan~?" He cooed to the girl who meowed right back when Naota patted her head. "Got any requests you wanna do?"
"...I don't mind, as long as you pick Naota-san. I trust in you, Naota-san."
As she said it, Shirone met eyes with Ravel, who scowled as a response.
Wearing victory on her face, Shirone snuggled against Naota, Ravel breathed sharply in and out of her nose.
"I see...well, there is a cooking one, and they need a taster for it. How about that one Shirone-san? You've always said you love trying many foods. It seems this one is candy themed according to who wrote it in."
"Tasting new foods, candy themed, I do like candy...sounds good, I'll do that one."
Naota lightly smiled, then turned to Ravel.
"And finally you, Ravel-san? Got any preferences today?"
"Hmmm, I've been going over them, and there is one that wishes to have help with financial planning, I think that would be my expertise being put to good use. Any objections?"
"Nope, you go for it Ravel-san~"
Ravel nods, and soon enough, Naota watches his peerage members leave.
After they had left, Naota shuffled through the remaining requests to see if there were any good ones for him to do. He didn't mind if it was fighting or using any other skills like decursing items, he simply wished to achieve something that day.
That's when he came across a request which he found intriguing.
"Hmmm, Vampire...and Exorcist...being on a Devils land, that's intriguing...alright, I'll go for this one~"
Standing tall, Naota got the details from the request, then made his move.
Meanwhile, back in the human world, the young girl with blonde hair managed to escape for a small time, but with her injuries, she didn't manage to get very far.
In fact, she thought that she could escape, when she felt the presence of the boy coming right back behind her.
"N-No, stay away!"
She yelled out, pulling herself to her feet, and began to run.
Behind her, a young man with a long sword aimed it right for the young girl.
"Vampire, I suggest you stop immediately, I wont tolerate your movements anymore."
The young girl panicked, and turned to see the boy raising his sword high into the sky.
Fear crept into her heart, and mind, the blade gathered what looked to be a demonic kind of energy.
"T...That wont kill me."
The girl called out, the boy chuckled and revealed a blade of light.
"No, but this will Vampire."
The girl panicked, seeing the blade of light.
It wasn't a holy sword, but it didn't have to be.
She could feel the lethal energy from that blade, and then the other demonic blade he was wielding.
"...W-Why wont you leave me alone?"
"You act as if you're innocent Vampire. I know the truth. You came to a Church territory with your group, and you fed off humans for your own deeds."
"N-No, I didn't! I wasn't on any mission to the church lands!"
"It seems that you're trying to deceive me, or perhaps you're trying to get out of this situation for yourself. I suppose that I could give you a chance to escape...but, I simply don't wish to. You bore me, girl. Now, prepare to meet your doom."
The girl looked frightened, allowing her hand to go outwards, and she released a blast of power.
But the blade moved before him, blocking the strike with easy.
She went to turn, but her foot caught on something on the ground.
Some kind of rubble.
She fell face first into the dirt, and looked worried.
She then turned right back towards the boy, seeing that he was beginning to swing down his demonic blade.
A bright aura of energy shot off of the blade, and headed right for the young girl.
Widening her eyes, she looked frightened and scared.
She wished that this would end.
She couldn't hold on any longer, and her body began to fall down to the ground…
When suddenly she heard a small chuckling sound.
"Nice sword Exorcist-san~"
She opened her eyes fully, seeing someone stand before her, and cleaved the energy blast in two, stopping the attack fully.
She glanced at the young man who saved her, and saw a long spear resting on his shoulder.
The blade was pointing towards the white haired individual.
Naota looked at the Vampire girl, seeing her covered in wounds, as the white haired boy spoke up.
"...So, the rumours are true. A Devil with True Longinus."
The white haired boy spoke up, understanding the situation instantly, and called for backup.
Naota turned and showed a strong smile.
"And you, looks like you've got a good sword, a few in fact. So, that blade you're holding, demonic energy coming from it, so its a Demon Sword for sure...hmmm, and this level of power, it couldn't be Gram, could it? Yeah, looks like the one I've read about in the book on Demon Swords. Haha, this truly is lucky for me~"
The white haired boy began to chuckle.
"It might be. Sorry but I don't wish to fight you. I'd like to take out that Vampire behind you. Please move out of the way, before I have to cut you down as well."
Naota glanced at the young girl, seeing her trembling in fear.
Along with that, he saw the wounds scattered across her being.
Understanding a few things, Naota turned back to the man, and shook his head.
"Sorry, it seems that this girl came to this territory that also sides with the Devils. If you'd like to leave now, we don't have to brawl. But, apart of me does wish to go up against Gram even a single time."
The boy scowled, brandishing Gram tightly in his hands.
"It seems as if you're not going to move. Very well, your opponent is Siegfried. It doesn't matter much telling you my name as you wont be alive to remember it. Even if you have that Longinus, I'll remove you from this world today."
Siegfried gave apologetic eyes, at least it appeared to be like that, as he shot himself across the ground, raising his sword high and gathered a dense aura.
"Ooh, strong words. Hope you can back those up, Siegfried-san."
Naota could feel the incredible power behind Gram, and he was excited to see what was to become of this.
Twirling his spear, Naota clashed violently with Gram, and caused a dense shockwave that broke through the ground and spread all around them. The energies of holy and demonic sprung from their weapons, and blasted chunks of the ground apart instantly.
"It seems you aren't for show."
"Fufu, I'm quite the surprising guy."
Naota chuckled, pushing the boy away, and then came down with his spear, unleashing a torrent of pure light that ate through anything that was in its way.
Siegfried tried to retreat, but it was clear that he wasn't able to get fully away, so he raised Gram, and clashed with the holy light of True Longinus, Naota was highly impressed to see that the sword was capable of holding back an attack like that from True Longinus.
"Famous sword indeed, aah that Demon Sword looks cool…"
Naota mused, as he stabbed the ground, unleashing his light that caused a debris wave to fire off at Siegfried. He finished dealing with Naota's light attack, and saw the debris wave come for him, and he chuckled.
"Did you think that a simple distraction like that would stop me?"
Siegfried revealed a blade of light, and used that to deal with the debris wave, as he thrust Gram backwards, where Naota appeared, and exchanged slashes against one another, the blades producing sparks lighting up the area.
Pulling back, Naota spun his spear, and came at Siegfried from the left. Using his strength, Naota dug his spear against Gram's strong blade. Siegfried felt his body moving from the impact, showing that even without the spear, Naota was rather physically strong, even physically stronger than the trained Siegfried was.
Gritting his teeth, Siegfried pushed Naota away, and swung his blade twice, releasing two highly powered waves of destructive demonic aura, Naota in turn allowed his light to flourish, and shot off two big torrents of light, clashing with the demonic aura and cancelling one another out.
"Not bad, but you're not using your Sacred Gear, why is that? If you have one, I thought it would make sense. Even if it is a supportive power, but you aren't."
Naota had guessed he had a Sacred Gear based on what he felt, and he also had a sneaking suspicion that he was doing this because he was trying to do a subtle attack, or an ace in the hole, to catch him off guard and strike when he least suspected it.
When seeing Siegfried narrowing his brows, it confirmed it for the young man that was the case, at least that he had a Sacred Gear he wasn't using.
"You don't have to worry about that."
Siegfried violently came at Naota, and swung his sword downwards, Naota blocked with his spear, and pushed Siegfried back, only to come at him with a strong thrust of his spear, Siegfried used Gram to block the strike, but the physical movement of Naota sent Siegfried flying across the ground, to the point he had to use his swords and stab them into the ground to stop his momentum.
Naota didn't stop either, and as Siegfried stopped himself, he released a number of torrents of light right for Siegfried to catch him up and take him down.
"Battle prowess, and sharp reflexes. You're talked about in the church with a few rumours about your prowess. Seems like I am getting a front seat show."
Siegfried expressed somewhat joyfully yet also somewhat irritated, as he tried to dodge the numerous light attacks Naota gave him.
But it did little good for him, as while he did dodge the initial waves of light, he saw that Naota was tactically able to cause the light to bend when he fired it, and it came from a different direction all together, so Siegfried had to do something drastic.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Siegfried impaled the ground with his blade, and unleashed all of the power that he could.
Doing that, it created a strong wave of energy and began blocking the shots of Naota's. Though it only blocked two, with the last one managing to pierce his shoulder, blood rapidly shot out of the area, and he let out a scream.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
Then Naota leapt forward, and came down with his spear. Siegfried moved Gram in the way to intercept the attack.
However, his grip weakened on the blade, allowing Naota to clash with the blade, and disarmed Siegfried, the blade went flying out of his hand and pierced the ground close by, Naota carried on and wounded Siegfried's right hand side, forcing him down into the ground.
"You are pretty good, but the drawback of Gram seems to be eating away at your stamina. More than it should be. I suppose you've not managed to master Gram yet? Its a shame, I'd love to fight a fully powered Gram user."
Naota expressed his thoughts, as Siegfried clutched his bleeding wounds, gazing up at Naota with eyes of hatred.
"You...managed to cut me…? You managed to actually slice me...with True Longinus that's being corrupted in your hands...hahaha!" His demeanour changed from shock, to one of amusement, and had a look in his eye that Naota knew wasn't good. "This is going to be a good fight for me...is what I'd say if I had the strength. But it seems you've figured stuff out about me, and wounded me."
"Yeah, seems so. Its disappointing, but it also cannot be helped."
Siegfried held his light sword firmly in his hands, while his wobbly legs were restricting Siegfried's movements.
"Disappointing...perhaps you've thought it was like that, but I'll show you exactly what I am made of boy."
Naota saw that Siegfried had another arm come out from behind him, with a sword aimed right for Naota's throat and swiftly tried to take the young man down.
So Naota nailed Siegfried in his torso with his foot while parrying the blade with his True Longinus, sending Siegfried across the field, his body dragging up the dirt as he moved through it. Blood erupted out of Siegfried, and his blood stained the ground around him.
"Nice try, but I read your killing intent a mile off. So, that's your Sacred Gear….hmmm, an arm like that...hmmm, it doesn't appear to be a Longinus...but it is a Sacred Gear...and I suddenly felt a spike in your power, like it had...ooh, could it be Twice Critical?"
Siegfried was taken aback when Naota said that, he didn't expect Naota to be aware of that.
"K-Knowledgeable on Sacred Gears are you…?"
Siegfried croaked out, coughing up some blood from the injuries Naota inflicted.
Naota nods a little.
"Spent time with a guy obsessed with them. Learned a bit from him. Though yours is different to the one that I've read about. It usually manifests as a gauntlet or something akin to that on your arm, but yours is an actual new arm. So, its a sub-species perhaps?"
As Naota said it, he sensed the reinforcements that Siegfried had called.
He began assessing the situation.
"Looks as if he's got a good few of them with him. But this girl needs to be healed, yeah she's the priority...once I have gotten her away, I'll come back and deal with them, should only take me a little time." Understanding right now who the opponent would be, and the girls injuries, Naota took towards her. "Sorry that our fight ends here, but its for the best that we go from here."
Naota got to the girl, seeing that she was barely conscious.
Her eyes went up to his own, and she looked rather desperate.
So he lightly pats her face, and smiles as a transportation light bathes them in its brightness, all the while whispering "Its alright, I've got you now." and vanished into thin air.
Siegfried, witnessing what he did, equal parts astonished him, and frightened him.
So much so that Siegfried wished to fight him again and had apprehension about fighting as well.
But, his anger was growing at the humiliating loss towards a Devil no less.
It fueled the fires inside of him...
Naota moved back to his home, and got some medical care for the young Vampire girl, and as he did, he also went back to deal with the exorcists.
When he returned home, Ravel was already back, so he and her discussed what was going on, while a doctor came to check over the young girl after Naota and Ravel had used some Phoenix Tears upon her.
"So, this Vampire girl was able to survive a fight with someone wielding Gram? That's pretty good."
Naota nods, folding his arms as he rest his back on the door frame.
"Yes, you're right. Aah, it was a good fight Ravel-san, I'm sorry you missed it. Vali-chan's probably gonna be annoyed, but I hope her request is going well." Naota examined the Vampire girl once more. "What I wanna know is how these circumstances came to be? She didn't seem like a ruthless Vampire. Of course, I could be wrong, since I only saw a small part of the interactions, and she didn't interact with me yet."
"But an exorcist must've known that it was a Devils land, so I don't see why they'd go for it so readily. Even to chase down a Vampire. Was the exorcist perhaps cocky Naota-sama?"
"Yeah, a bit full of himself sure, but he also seemed to understand limits as well. His name...Siegfried, makes me wonder if he has any connection to the one who originally wielded Gram? It would make sense if they were."
Naota said, as Ravel furrowed her brows.
"I see your line of thinking...yes, that does make sense. Regardless, did they leave the land?"
"They did, I got confirmation after I teleported with Vampire-chan there that they got out of there quickly enough. Saw it myself once I transported back, it seems they didn't wish to deal with Devils as I told them what land they were on. Even spoke to their leader, she was a nice woman."
Ravel nods, and looks over the young Vampire girl.
"What are we going to do Naota-sama? Vampires don't necessarily get along with Devils easily. In fact, if she's a Pure Blooded Vampire, then she'll have some thoughts about us, she might get aggressive."
Naota could see where she was coming from, and thought about it deeply.
"Very true. That's why lets be as kind as we can. Along with that, lets prepare in case she does become aggressive. Though most people would be scared when being in an unknown land full of people that they'd usually consider enemies. So, lets do our best to ease this situation, so we can get her back to her family."
Ravel nods in agreement, and the pair wait for her to wake up.
Soon enough, the girl began waking up.
When her eyes hit the light around her, she saw that it was daytime with the light peaking through the window.
"Aah!"
Instinctually, she let out a cry, and tried to pull away, when she felt a pain rippling through her body.
She also noticed that all of the curtains in the room had been closed.
Confusion came over her, when she heard a voice.
"Good, you're awake."
The girl turned her head, meeting Naota's eyes, while Ravel stood close by, curious as to what was going through the Vampires mind.
She looked over them, and for a few moments tried to recall what happened.
Soon enough, it came flooding back, with the girl jumping to her feet, gritting her teeth in pain and aimed her trembling hand towards Naota and Ravel.
"I, I am a noble Vampire, you Devils shall return me to my people immediately."
She demanded haughtily, Naota and Ravel shared a look before Naota exhaled.
"Please calm down, we have no intention of causing issues. We want to help you get home, but first we'd have to know more about you. Like your name maybe?"
The girl didn't know what to do, and furrowed her brows.
"Y...You shall do as I say, for I am your superior."
Ravel looked on in disbelief, Naota on the other hand thought something more was going on by how she looked.
"Demanding things isn't exactly the best way to go about it."
Ravel mused, the girl didn't look happy.
"D-Did you not hear what I said? I am a Vampire of the noble House of Karnstein, my name is Elmenhilde Karnstein, of the Carmilla Faction. Now that we've got that out of the way, contact my faction immediately, and we may overlook your kidnapping of myself."
Ravel folded her arms, getting slightly annoyed, while Naota noted Elmenhilde's shaking hand, and he began figuring out more about her.
"Please calm down, we are here to help you. That's all we want to do."
As Ravel said that, Kuroka casually came skipping into the room cheerfully.
"Hey Naota-kun, Ravel-chan nyaaa~" Kuroka's eyes took in the girl, who gave suspicious eyes. "Aah, hey is this a Vampire-chan? Damn, she's kinda like a pale Ravel-chan isn't she?" Ravel blinked in surprise, looking at Elmenhilde and then herself in a nearby mirror trying to make that connection. "Arararara, its alright Vampire-chan, I'll make sure that you're taken care of~"
The girl looked unsure of what to say, Elmenhilde huffed.
"So, are you going to contact my Faction? Or do I have to call the authorities myself in your kidnapping of me?"
Kuroka looked baffled, turning to Naota, who shrugged his shoulders with an unsure look on his face, Ravel on the other hand didn't look pleased.
"As we said, first we'd like more information about you. And we didn't kidnap you, Naota-sama saved your life."
Elmenhilde locked eyes with Ravel, who in turn looked right back with a strong gaze.
Naota could see that this was going to be an interesting situation to deal with.
"Seems like she's scared." Naota noted, his eyes glancing at the different body reactions she was giving. "Yeah, she's shaking, her hands are tightened to try and stop it. Her legs are wobbling like jelly, poor girl must be frightened out of her mind, especially after being on the brink of death from that exorcist trying to kill her. We are Devils after all, and our factions don't always see eye to eye with one another. Maybe this is her first experience with Devils, and she doesn't know how to deal with this...right, I'll have to do my best to make sure that she is able to keep calm and be able to express herself…" Naota's eyes glanced at Ravel, and saw she looked unhappy with Elmenhilde. "Hehe...looks like this is gonna be a fun time~"
Naota stretched his arms, while Kuroka cocks her head left and right.
She then turned to Naota with a beaming smile.
"Naota-kun, I finished my contract~"
"Ooh, well done Kuroka-san, got a good review?"
"You bet your sweet butt I did." As she said it, Vali suddenly came into the room, Kuroka lost her breath when seeing Vali's eyes upon her form. "Mehehehehe, its okay Vali-chan~ We know what you like after all~ I wouldn't come between you and Naota-kun's fun times~"
Vali furrowed her brows, then saw Elmenhilde, and adopted a light smirk.
"An enemy for me to fight?"
Elmenhilde cringed, as Naota slapped himself in the forehead.
"A Vampire girl that I rescued...eeh, lets gather everyone, and I'll explain what happened." Naota looked to Elmenhilde then approached her. She looked unsure as Naota got before her. "I know it must be a worrying time for you, but I can assure you, its alright. No one is going to hurt you here, I promise."
Elmenhilde didn't know what to do. What she should say about this.
All she could think of was that a Vampire was in the house of Devils.
She had to be careful.
Yet, she didn't sense malice from any of them at all.
Even Vali, when challenging her to a fight, didn't offer malice.
Elmenhilde wondered what kind of world she had gotten herself into.
Meanwhile, Diodora was sitting in his room, and staring at the different news articles that Naota had gained over the time that he had begun rising in popularity.
He also thought of Zephyrdor, while not caring much about him, he did find the boy useful in a way, so seeing how Naota had managed to incarcerate him, did cause him great anger.
And he knew that Naota would be a very big problem for him in the future, knowing that if he didn't sort it out now, then Diodora would be either taken down, or he'd be like Zephyrdor.
Either way, it didn't turn out well for him.
"Damn half breed, why did you have to come to the Underworld? These blithering Devil idiots don't know what I've been doing, yet you are always trying to get in my way. I have to find a way to end this boy before he is able to..."
However, in the middle of his mental rant, a voice carried through Diodora's ears.
[You hate that boy, don't you?]
Diodora scampered to his feet, his eyes shooting around the room to see who it was.
But, saw no one.
"W...Who? Who's there?"
A chuckling could be heard, a deep one at that which caused Diodora to feel cold on the inside.
[You want revenge against him, don't you? I know you do.]
"E-Even if that's the case, how do I know this isn't some sort of set up? Or maybe you're the half breed huh! Are you using some weird ass ability of that damn spear?!"
Diodora showed his angry side.
However, the voice allowed a very deep laugh to transmit through Diodora.
[Heh, you can ignore me. However, if you listen to me...then I could offer you power, and a way to get rid of that boy once and for all.]
Diodora liked the sound of it.
Yet, he was hesitant at the same time.
Because he wasn't aware of who this was, he was cautious about all of this.
However, he had to admit, the idea of finally getting one up on Naota...it really did make him feel excited.
Along with that, if getting rid of him helped him in his own goals, then he was all for it.
"...Alright, I'm listening."
In the end, his rage at someone he felt was inferior powered him to listen to who it is that wished to also get rid of Naota...
End chapter!
So this chapter focused on a few things, one being the introduction of Elmenhilde! Along with her, Siegfried also got an introduction and had a fight with Naota. As that was going on, Ravel joined the peerage officially this chapter, showing what she felt about Naota as they interacted over the time they've been together. Vali and Kuroka also are beginning to begin a friendship with one another, even if Kuroka got a bit worried when training with Vali. Shirone is settling with Naota, and being rather comfortable now to sit on his lap. And at the end, it seems someone has contacted Diodora! And they're out for Naota! Who and why, that shall be revealed in the future.
Now onto the peerage! The split between Arthur and Irina really is quite divided. So I'll leave that for the time being. I had a suggestion about Xenovia being the Knight, and perhaps Elmenhilde taking the other Rook place as she could fit that role, or perhaps having Rossweisse join, and be the Rook, which could work pretty well. Regardless, if Irina and or Arthur are in or out of the group, they will play good roles in the story.
Speaking of, I think, and others also have suggested, that Rossweisse be a good choice to have in the group regardless, she's pretty strong and can fit into basically any role with how diverse her magic is.
I've been thinking about having Valerie be the other Bishop and have Kuroka be worth a few Pawns, for now they'll stay where they are, but I think that would be a good swap.
Anyway, thanks to everyone that's voted so far! And soon, the peerage shall be completed~
Well, until next time, thanks for reading!
Naota's peerage
Queen; Vali.
Rooks; Koneko, Xenovia.
Bishops; Kuroka, Ingvild (mutation).
Knights; Lint, Free.
Pawns; Ravel (x2), Elmenhilde (x1), Le Fay (x1), Valerie (piece number undetermined), Rest Free.
Naota; Serafall, Sona, Vali (fem), Kuroka, Koneko, Ravel, Akeno, Xenovia, Le Fay, Ingvild, Lint, Elmenhilde, Valerie, Isane, Rias, Asia, Irina, Rossweisse,
