Next chapter is here for your enjoyment. A lot of people were confused as to why Hashirama and Madara were under Mito's control so I will just remind everyone that the Hashirama and Madara with Riley are just physical manifestation of the two men, born from soul fragments that had placed in their respective children that eventually found their way into Riley. Riley then subconsciously used her power to give the two men form. The two with Riley aren't the real Hashirama and Madara, only parts of them. The ones with Mito are their actual reanimated souls.
Broken Angel
Chapter 89
"Thousands of demons and devils are pouring into Kirigakure as we speak. I'm heading out there, right now." Riley stated to everyone in the room. Gaia stood opposite of her with a hard look on her face. Nearby stood the Raikage, looking equally as upset. Riley's family, her comrades, Arturia, Gaia's Advisers, and A's advisers all stood nearby, along with Yugito and Bee.
"You cannot go alone Riley." Fleur was the first one to say, breaking the silence almost as soon as it descended. Katie and Daphne both offered nods to that. Luna was quiet and simply stared at Riley with her big blue eyes. Kaede looked thoughtful. Gaia had her focus entirely on Riley pinning her with a powerful stare that would have cowed lesser individuals, and Arturia stood just a bit straighter at hearing of the prospect of Riley going to fight an army of demons, by her self.
Madara simply let out a sigh and shook his head while Hashirama shared a look with Tom and Kushina.
"She's right Riley. You spent all of that time training your ass off in preparation for a demonic attack just like this one. You said it yourself, you weren't strong enough." Katie added her eyes full of worry.
"You shouldn't go alone Riley. We should go together. The Legion can make it there quickly and launch a counterattack of our own." Daphne offered up, earning a shake of the head from Riley.
"This attack is being perpetrated by the Akatsuki. Who knows what the fuckers are planning for the rest of the Elemental Nations. I need all of you to return to the Legion and the Wind army and prepare for battle. The war it seems, is back on in full swing. I'll focus on repelling the attackers in Kirikagure, you prepare for what comes next." Riley responded, her eyes locking onto Gaia, whom stared back, unflinchingly.
Riley knew what Gaia was thinking. She didn't need a bond with the woman to know that the Kazekage did not like the idea of Riley going out to Kiri alone to face this threat.
"Riley… you aren't going alone. At least take your grandfathers with you." Katie tried to offer, earning several nods from her fellow mates.
"Yes take them, and Arturia. The four of you would make an excellent team." Daphne added, earning the slightest of nods from Arturia, whom looked like she was trying not to say something to force Riley into taking her with, but obviously wanting to go to protect her.
Despite herself and Riley's assurances in the past, Arturia couldn't get past her oaths, she had sworn to serve Riley, and Riley was telling her to leave and prepare for future battles. There was wisdom in her foresight, despite Arturia not liking the idea of leaving Riley alone to face this threat. She held an internal debate with herself while the group was arguing with Riley as to whether or not she should try to influence Riley's decision or follow her commands as she had sworn to do.
"No. If this attack is being perpetrated by the same Devil responsible for what happened in Ame, then you'll need all the help you can get if another attack starts. I can't be in two places at once. I need my full power to deal with this threat, meaning we have to split our forces equally." Riley responded, throwing a side glance towards Katie who looked ready to argue some more. None of Riley's mates liked the idea of her going in alone, even though she wasn't technically alone with the Darkness and Kurama by her side.
"But Riley..." Katie tried but Riley cut her off by focusing her full attention on her beloved mate.
"It's not him. I would know if he were here. That Devil is going to need a lot more preparation in order to cross. I don't know exactly how the Akatsuki are doing this, but they'd need to step it up about a thousand times in order to even make it possible for that thing to cross over. It's not him, but I think these invaders might be parts of his army." Riley said to her, answering her question before it had even left Katie's mouth.
"What makes you think there will be another attack elsewhere?" Gaia asked, her arms folded across her chest, and her face, stone cold and one hundred percent focused.
"You still hold part of the One Tails don't you? So long as there are Jinchuriki out there, the Akatsuki will continue to launch attacks. They may have heard of our meeting here in Kumo which places Kumo in the firing line. If they haven't though, another attack could be in the works for Suna." Riley responded. Gaia's eyes widened ever so slightly at the implication but, her face remained stone cold. A himself looked contemplative, and he even turned and whispered something to one of his advisers, who quickly darted out of the room, more then likely to make sure that Kumo's borders were being secured.
"Riley..." Fleur tried again, but the look Riley shot her, stopped her words before they could leave her mouth.
"I know." Riley stated in almost a whisper. It more so sounded like she sent it across their bond, and only mouthed the words to Fleur.
"If you're right and this is the Devil you've been preparing for then things are much more perilous then we first anticipated. We must react, now. Otherwise we may face annihilation." Hashirama warned.
"Hashirama is right. Riley can deal with this attack. We have to be prepared to face the attack that comes the moment she is gone. If the Akatsuki are smart, and we all know they are, then they'll use this attack to draw Riley away from the Jinchuriki here. Another attack is almost guaranteed to occur no sooner then when Riley steps foot into the Land of Water. It's what I would do if I were them." Madara offered up, earning a nod from Riley and Hashirama.
"If you know this is a trap, then why are you walking right into it?" Mabui inquired, directing the question right at Riley.
"A successful ambush only works when you know what kind of foe you are dealing with. The Akatsuki are setting a trap for a Kage level threat. What they'll get is something so much greater." Riley responded with a smirk.
"I just don't understand how this many demons could be pouring through so easily. The amount of preparation and energy needed to tear a hole in our dimension is astronomical. The Akatsuki must have had this in the works for years." Tom stated, earning a sigh from Riley as her smirk fell. That was one of the first things she intended to figure out once she arrived in the Land of Water.
To summon demons, you needed to know the proper rituals. You needed to know some form of space-time magic in order to commune with a being on the other side, and you needed a powerful burst of magic in order to tear a hole through reality. That kind of power was usually only found in the form of sacrifice, by taking a living thing and ripping out it's life force and using the raw magic and soul to punch a hole between dimensions. Summoning demons was not easy and opening a portal for more then one to pour through was even harder. The gateway that the Akatsuki had created would have taken the souls of a substantial number of individuals, thousands at least.
Add on top of that, that they would need someone with the know-how to create the portal and contact a being on the other side. Obito could use the demonic tablet, but that left the ritual itself. There was one person that was already working with the Akatsuki that could pull something like that off.
"I don't think this was part of Obito's original plan. This has Mito written all over it." Riley responded earning a nod of agreement from Madara.
"Mito?" Gaia inquired with a curious look, one mirrored by many of the non Legion personnel in the room.
"Mito Uzumaki. She's alive, and she's working with the Akatsuki. She may even be the one pulling the strings. I don't know what she wants, or why she wants it. But I know she's involved somehow. This isn't the first time she's used demons to initiate a slaughter like this." Madara informed them all, earning many dark looks from those who recognized the name.
"Your wife is alive?" A asked, directing the question at Hashirama.
"Yes. Unfortunately. She was a hellcat when we were married. We argued over a lot of things, and I didn't particularly like her. But I never would have guessed she was capable of the things she's done. She hid her darkness well. So well that we never saw past the icy exterior to the beast that lay within." Hashirama replied with a shake of his head and a sigh of frustration.
"I understand the logic of you taking one point and allowing us to prepare for the next attack, but you'll still need backup." Kushina stated focusing Riley with her own pointed look. One that may have been effective had Riley grown up with a mother that truly gave a damn. Unfortunately, Riley was naive in that department and thus was unable to interpret the warning look that only a mother could give.
"We can't waste resources on watching me kick ass. We need everyone prepared for the next assault. I guarantee they're going to initiate another strike as soon as this one is finished, possibly even before that. I'll head to Kiri, join up with their forces and fight with them. That should be more then good enough." Riley responded.
Silence permeated the room, as many looks were shared. Riley's mates were adamant that she not go alone, and so were her family members, but they could all sense Riley's annoyance with their insistence that she needed help, and they all knew that if they pushed too hard she may just leave anyway, without waiting to come up with a plan.
"Riley. You're right. This is more then likely an opening volley, and another attack will soon follow. We need to split our forces to cover as much ground as we can. The next point of attack will be directed somewhere on the mainland, away from the Land of Water. It could even be here in the Land of Lightning. We need to return to our forces and prepare to move." Hashirama offered his agreement with Riley, earning a nod from his granddaughter in the process.
"With that being said..." Hashirama continued. "I agree that you need some backup. Kurama and the Darkness are a good start but they're more squadmates then backup. You need a support team to offer aid if anything goes awry preferably people who can quickly evacuate Kiri citizenry and civilians while the battle is going on."
Riley made a face at that and let out a loud sigh. A tense moment passed as many in the room expected her to snap at the First for joining in with the others in trying to convince her to not go alone. Instead she simply shook her head and offered him a look.
"Who did you have in mind?" Riley asked after a moment.
"Take Kakashi and Guy. The two make an excellent Tag team and they can keep up with you. If the Akatsuki is leading this attack then both are capable of going one on one with members of their organization and Kakashi can counter Obito's Kamui." Hashirama offered, earning a nod from Riley.
"Fine. I'll bring them with me. The rest of you need to prepare for whatever they've got planned. This attack is the perfect distraction for something else. Like a major assault in another part of the continent." Riley responded.
"We'll be ready. You just stay in contact, and keep us informed of your progress." Hashirama replied.
"I will." Riley informed him as she turned to head out.
"Riley." She heard Fleur call out to her. Riley turned just as Fleur crossed the distance and pulled Riley into a kiss.
The two held the kiss for several second before separating.
"Please… stay safe. These things… they can hurt you. No heroics. Stop them, and come back to me." Fleur whispered, obviously unnerved with the prospect of Riley going to fight an actual army of demons. These creatures were like Riley, and though they lacked her power, they made up for it, in dealing with her kind on a regular basis.
Riley offered Fleur a nod, in the back of her mind, she was a bit worried. Worried that this may turn out to be the prelude to the Archdevil's invasion, but she couldn't let that stop her. She needed to go on the offensive and put a stop to the Akatsuki's plans, right now. No more waiting.
"I'll stay safe. I'll be back soon." Riley whispered back as she pulled her worried mate into a hug. As she held the Veela in her arms she sent a glance to her other mates, whom all shared in varying degrees of worry. Katie was the first to make a move. Crossing the distance as Riley pulled away from Fleur, and taking the Veela's place in Riley's arms.
"Come back soon." Katie stated, earning a nod from Riley.
Luna was the next to follow, not saying anything just offering Riley a hug and kiss on the cheek. Daphne then followed her, whispering in Riley's ear as she did.
"I hate when you make us do this." She stated as she pulled Riley tightly into an embrace.
"I know." Riley replied as she pulled back and brushed some hair from Daphne's face. Riley then turned to Kaede and stepped over to her. Kaede held a look of concern, while not as familiar with Riley's strengths and weaknesses as the others she still didn't like the idea of her beloved mate going off alone to fight demons.
She accepted the hug from Riley when it came, Riley whispering in her ear as the two embraced, that she would be back soon.
Gaia was the last one of the group, and Riley was much less direct about her display of affection, recognizing that they were standing before the Raikage and not wanting for Gaia to appear weak. Instead Riley approached Gaia and placed a hand on her shoulder. Gaia seemed to understand what Riley was trying to convey and reached up to hold the arm that Riley had placed on her.
The two stared into each others eyes for several long moments, sharing in an unspoken mental conversation before Riley broke contact and turned to head off.
She offered Arturia a smile as she passed her. Despite not saying anything, Riley could tell Arturia wanted to speak up, probably to ask Riley to at least take her with.
"Stay safe." Riley whispered as she passed by, just loud enough for Arturia to hear it.
Arturia offered a nod, her eyes following Riley as she headed towards the exit.
"We'll have to try again with this whole 'getting to know each other' thing, next time I'm in town. Until then, keep out of trouble." Riley called out, throwing a glance back at Yugito before disappearing in a blackish red flash.
"Strongest fighter the world has ever seen, and she still worries me every time she leaves." Katie muttered.
"Love does that." Fleur reassured her, her eyes were locked on where Riley had just been.
"What will you do now?" A inquired, turning to the Kazekage.
"I need to get back to my forces. If Riley is right, then an attack could be in the works for Suna. I need to make sure my forces are prepared on that front. Forgive me for being so direct Lord Raikage but I advise that you make similar preparations. Riley is most likely correct and this is the beginning of a major assault." Gaia offered to the Raikage.
"I agree. If you are heading out to rejoin your forces then take Yugito with you." The Raikage offered earning a surprised look from those around him.
"My lord, you can't be serious! I'm needed here to defend Kumo." Yugito replied her eyes reflecting her surprise.
"While I'm sure we could use her help, why may I ask are you offering up one of your strongest fighters?" Gaia inquired, as she eyed the Raikage curiously.
"Yugito is meant to serve as the link between our villages. Kumo is dedicated to securing an alliance between our nations. The best way to start forming such a thing is through cooperation. So… take Yugito with you. She'll help you in battle against the Akatsuki, and serve as Kumo's representative in whatever battle you may find yourselves in. I need to begin securing Kumogakure, but I understand the necessity to go on the offensive. Yugito is my means to do just that. One Jinchuriki to defend the village, one to go on the offensive. Once I finish securing my borders I can start sending more troops to aid you but for now, she is the best I can offer on such short notice." A explained earning a nod of understanding from Gaia.
"My Lord..." Yugito stated, drawing his attention. The Raikage focused his gaze onto her. An unspoken conversation was held as the two locked eyes. After a moment, Yugito nodded her head. "I understand. I'll serve Kumo to the best of my abilities and I'll do what I can to draw the enemies attention away from Kumogakure."
"Good. Stay safe out there. I'll have backup headed your way as soon as we're sure everything here is secure." A offered to her, earning a nod from Yugito.
"Alright then, Lady Kazekage, I'm all yours." Yugito stated.
"If that's how it's to be. Meet us at the village gate in one hour. We'll travel by Portkey back to my forces." Gaia informed her.
"Yes ma'am." Yugito replied and then quickly disappeared to go and get ready to leave.
"We'll keep Riley in our thoughts, but we have to move." Gaia sent over to Riley's family as she turned to head out. Hashirama and Madara shared a look but nodded in agreement, while the rest of Riley's mates let out almost a collective sigh, one mirrored by Kushina.
"There is so much about her that comes from you, Lord Madara, but one thing she definitely got from Minato, in fact it may be the only thing she got from him, is that damn hero complex. She says she doesn't want to be a hero, but she never hesitates to do what's right, even when it's inconvenient for her." Kushina noted, earning a snort of amusement from Madara.
"Yes well, Minato got that from his mother. A woman too kind for her own good." Madara responded with a nostalgic gaze.
"True heroes are the ones who don't do it for fame, or money. They help people because it's who they are. Riley is a creature of instinct, capable of so much darkness and evil, yet when innocents are suffering, she cannot help but to act. It's part of her humanity. She helps people because she wants those she loves to know that she still cares. She helps people, because it makes those she loves, smile just a bit brighter when they see her, and for Riley, that's worth the measure of the whole world." Hashirama added, earning several smiles from Riley's mates and even her mother.
"I love her for it, and I hate her for making it about us. But you're right. She'll come back through those doors, stained in blood, and smelling of smoke, and we'll fly into her arms without a seconds hesitation because we know what she was out doing, and we can't help but be proud of her." Katie said, her eyes drifting over to Fleur whom offered a sad smile in return, and a nod of agreement.
"She's a person. Just like everyone else. She has her good days and her bad days. She'll move heaven and earth for those she loves, and she'll gladly face down an army of demons to protect a world she cares nothing for, all so she can make it better for those of us that do care for it." Kaede noted, sagely.
"Very true." Hashirama agreed with a smile.
"Well, we shouldn't dally. The next attack could come at any moment, and despite the gravity of the situation, smart money is her being back in an hour or two, and all this worrying was for nothing." Madara stated, breaking everyone out of their silent pondering of reflection.
"Good luck and stay safe out there. Kumo will be ready for whatever attacks may come. Please keep an eye on Yugito while you're out there. She can be a bit hotheaded at times, but she means well." A informed Gaia, whom offered him a nod as she headed out, followed closely by her family and advisers, as well as Riley's group.
-Meanwhile-
"This is gonna suck isn't it?" Kakashi noted as he and Guy supplied themselves with weapons from Riley's stash in Kamui.
"An army of nefarious demons is slaughtering innocent people in Kiri. We'll simply have to rebuff them and show them that such actions will not be tolerated so long as we're around." Guy replied with his signature smirk.
"Good to see nothing ever dampens your spirits eh Guy." Kakashi noted with an eye smile.
Guy simply gave him a thumbs up in reply.
While the two men were making sure they had everything they would need for battle, Riley stood off to the side, staring out into the distance, conversing with Kurama and the Darkness.
"This assault is a blatant violation of the laws of reality. This many demons should have never entered into this world. I can feel it in my bones. Father's mandate. I'm almost being instinctively called to repel them, and destroy the breach." Kurama said to Riley.
"They seek to take what does not belong to them. They want this world for their own. This will not come to pass. They will drown in their own blood for this transgression!" The Darkness hissed, evidently angered that other demons were seeking to take what belonged to it, and it's family.
"This attack is unprecedented. I don't think there's ever been a point in history where this large a portal has been opened to the other side. Even here in my own pocket dimension I can feel the reverberations. Almost like a churning tide before a great storm. Magic itself is crying out in pain. Demonic Youki is pouring through, penetrating into the lay-lines, and into the magic of our world, corrupting it." Riley responded, her face scrunched up as she sifted through her senses. It was so odd being able to feel what was happening out in the real world while within Kamui. Riley had to wonder if perhaps it was her connection to her mates or perhaps her new Ootsutsuki chakra that gave her this ability.
Much to her own surprise, nothing much seemed to happen after taking in the chakra from the Sage, other then meeting with the man himself, of course. Riley wanted to take some time to ponder this and search herself to see what, if anything, had been changed, but now was not the time. She needed to focus on this threat, and deal with it.
Sensing movement behind her, she turned her gaze towards Kakashi and Guy.
"Ready?" Riley inquired.
"As ready as we'll ever be." Kakashi replied, Guy nodding alongside him.
"Alright. We hit the ground, make it to the village join up with the defenders and you two work with them to protect their retreat. I'll go on the offensive and draw their attention away from the civilians as I push towards the portal." Riley told them, earning nods from both.
"What about the Akatsuki?" Kakashi inquired.
"I'm not wasting time playing with those assholes. If I see any of them, I'm killing them as fast as physically possible. This situation is spiraling out of control, and we can't waste time playing their games. Ignore their taunts and don't try to engage them in a long battle. If you two catch one alone, go at them with your full power and take them out quickly. If you run into more then one, send me a message and I'll come back and deal with them myself." Riley answered.
"Alright. Deal with the portal, defeat the Akatsuki, and save as many people as we can. Simple and straightforward, just the way I like it." Guy stated.
"Alright then. Let's do this." Kakashi stated as Riley reached out and placed a hand on both men's shoulders. Within moments they were standing on a beach on the edge of the Land of Water.
"Time to run." Riley said as she dashed forward in a burst of speed. She was followed closely by both men. The three man cell rushed forward into the mainland of Land of Water. Despite not being sensors, Kakashi and Guy could clearly feel an aura of dread hanging in the air. It was almost like a weight was present and the Earth itself was holding still, as if to maintain it's stability.
The trio moved quickly, as Riley decided to use her Byakugan to speed the trip along.
Activating it, she felt a sudden surge of power pass through her. It felt almost like her magic swelled with the sudden activation of that particular power.
"What the…." Kurama muttered as he too noticed the spike in her power that seemed to accommodate the activation of the Byakugan. A spike that hadn't occurred before.
For a moment Riley felt herself wondering about this, but the oppressive feeling of demonic energy in the air, broke her of her silent musings. Instead she started to extend her gaze forward, and much to her own surprise, her vision shot outward at an incredible rate, much further and faster then she could see previously.
Again she felt her curiosity begin to bubble up, but she quickly squashed it, and focused on the task at hand. A part of her suspected that this may have had something to do with absorbing the Ootsutsuki chakra of the Sage himself, so she chose not to worry too much about it.
She extended her incredible sight range as far as she could go before using Kamui through the Byakugan to drop an activated Hirashin kunai several kilometers ahead of their group. She then reached out, touched Guy and Kakashi, flashing the three forward a sizable distance.
Riley repeated the act several times as they continued to rush forward, covering the distance from the coast of the Land of Water, all the way to Kiri in only ten's of minutes.
After about the tenth time of this, the trio appeared in an open field with a view of large black pillars of smoke rising several miles ahead of them.
The three were silent as they came to a halt, the oppressive feeling of demonic energy weighing heavily on the two humans, while Riley was fighting to keep the demonic grin off her face.
Kakashi it seems, could sense Riley's agitation and heightened emotional state because he took the opportunity to place a hand on her shoulder.
"Do me a favor Kakashi?" Riley inquired.
"Sure." Kakashi replied, giving her a curious look.
"Don't tell my mates how much I enjoyed this." Riley responded as she through a glance back at the two men. Both felt their bodies tense, at the blood red glow of Riley's eyes. Unlike all the other times they had seen that red glow, this one seemed different somehow. It was like a red light was shining in Riley's eyes. Unlike other times when she would use the Byakugan, the pupil of her eyes didn't turn white. Instead it remained black, and instead her eyes simply glowed very brightly. Kakashi himself couldn't quite tell, but to him, it almost looked like a sort of pattern had taken shape beneath the rings of tomoe of her Rinne Sharingan.
The veins around her eyes, still bulged out, signifying that her Byakugan was active, but her pupils were still black.
After a second Kakashi just chose to nod, and mutter 'sure'.
"Alright… let do this." Riley stated as she and the others rushed forward towards the towers of smoke.
It wasn't long before the trio arrived at their first obstacle. A barrier.
The powerful dome barrier surrounded the entire city and seemed to be fueled by demonic energy. Riley and her companions quickly passed through the barrier with the help of Riley's intangibility.
From there they continued forward.
The edge of Kiri was a chaotic hellstorm if ever there were one. People were running through the streets, screaming in terror, they were shoving one another trampling over those that fell, it was utter lunacy.
What Shinobi were around were trying to direct the flow of traffic to the edge of the city, but it was obvious that these Kiri ninja were little more then basic genin. Kids scared out of their wits who didn't know what they were really doing.
Riley and company landed on some rooftops and sent their gazes out further into the city. Large pillars of smoke rose from some of the largest structures and just from looking at it, it seemed that in some places, entire streets were set aflame. The smoke mixed with the mist bathed everything in an eerie orange haze, making it seem like the sun was setting, when in reality it was nearing noon.
"This isn't good." Kakashi noted as he lifted his headband to reveal his Sharingan.
"Kiri's forces must be holding the enemy in the main section of the city." Guy added, earning a nod of agreement from Kakashi.
After several seconds of quiet pondering Riley hopped down and landed next to one of the Genin directing traffic.
"Hey kid!" Riley called out him over the screams.
"Please ma'am you have to keep moving with the others we don't have tim..." He was saying when he finally turned to Riley and spotted the shining red brilliance of her Rinne Sharingan.
"Wh-Who are you?" The kid muttered out as he took a fearful step back.
"My name's Riley. Riley Uchiwa. I'm here on behalf of the Cysgodol Legion of Britain. Where is the Mizukage?" Riley asked.
"You're the Hero of the Burning Leaf? I uh… she should be in the center of the village, fighting the enemy. I'm not exactly sure." The kid replied.
"Alright then. Let's get going." She stated to her two companions before jumping back up to the rooftops to head into the town.
The trio raced forward past the crowds of terrified people, the ominous presence in the air, was almost like a physical weight now. Both men could feel it almost as clearly as one could feel the wind blowing. As they moved further along, the number of shinobi rose further and further until it was almost like a solid formation of ninja guarding the road. A few offered them glances but didn't move to stop them as they moved towards the center of Kiri where the majority of the fighting was taking place.
"Loki where are you?" Riley sent out to her familiar.
"Engaged with the Mizukage. Devils, and undead leaf ninja. Reanimations I believe. I think they were raised using the second Hokage's jutsu. And If I'm not mistaken, I believe many of these individuals fell when you destroyed the city." Loki sent back.
Riley came a sudden halt at that. Her eyes wide in disbelief.
"That shouldn't be possible. Those souls should be trapped in your soul well. Any souls you devour don't go to death. They stay with you. Your familiar must be mistaken." Kurama informed her, earning a grunt from Riley that didn't do much to reveal her state of mind on the topic.
Her worry was evident though. Kurama was right. Those she had devoured shouldn't be able to come back to life, not without her releasing their souls.
"Riley?" Kakashi inquired when he noticed her stop and her body tense up.
"There are undead Leaf ninja here. Prepare yourselves." Riley responded earning surprised looks from Kakashi and Guy.
Both shared a glance with one another before continuing forward along with Riley.
A few moments of running passed by before the trio was pulled to halt by the squad of Kiri Anbu.
"Halt! Where the hell do you people think you're going?" The team captain demanded.
"I'm off to save your sorry asses, so move." Riley responded with a devilish grin. It took a moment but it seemed the team of Anbu recognized Riley's eyes as they all tensed up but seemed to understand that there was no way they could stop her, and even if they could, they shouldn't since she seemed to be heading in to fight against the invaders.
"Alright then." The Anbu captain stated as he stepped aside. He was about to inform them where the portal was that was allowing the creatures through when a woman's scream pierced the air.
The Anbu team spun around, drawing their swords as they did. Out of a nearby alley a devil emerged, with a woman impaled on his sword. The creature stood about as tall as the average man. It had blackish red skin, with glowing red symbols on it's body. On it's forehead was a strange S shaped marking that glowed just a bit brighter then the other symbols. The creature had black pupils, with blood red sclera. The creature had two long horns that rose out of the top of it's forehead and curved backwards, and it's hair was a greasy matted blackish red, almost the same color as Riley's.
The devil was covered, head to toe, in blackish red armor, that seemed to be formed from some sort of twisted hellish metal. It looked cumbersome and unwieldy, yet in the same breath, the creature moved with incredible ease, while wearing it.
With a powerful swing the beast sent the woman on it's sword, flying through the air. Her body hit the corner of a building with a sickening crack, bones breaking from the force of the hit. She fell to the ground, lifeless, her face frozen in a scream of terror.
The devil was soon flanked by two more of it's kind, similar in appearance to it. The three devils focused on the squad of Anbu as the crowd of people screamed and tried to push as far away from the attackers as possible.
Before the two groups could engage each other, Riley passed by the team of Anbu, a twisted grin adorning her face. The trio of devils had an almost comical reaction to her appearance. Their darkened eyes widened in surprise and fear and they started to back away.
Before they could run, all three burst into black flames as Riley bombarded them with a burst of Amaturasu.
The team of Anbu watched, mesmerized by the display of raw power as the three devils crumbled to the ground and their bodies slowly burned away into nothingness.
"Keep the civilians safe. I'll join up with the Mizukage and repel these invaders." Riley ordered her two companions.
"How do we get them past the barrier? If too many bunch up against it, it'll create a bottleneck that'll lead to huge casualties." Kakashi reminded her.
"This barrier isn't being fueled by anything other then ambient dark energy from within it. Meaning if we overpower it, it'll collapse." Riley responded as she withdrew her wand and raised it into the air.
A moment of silence seemed to consumed the world, as everyone around her felt Riley channel a huge amount of magic.
Then stabbing her wand into the air, Riley released a beam of sickly green magic into the sky.
Wind tore out from her body forcing those nearby to shield their eyes and faces, even as they stared in awe at raw magic on display.
Elsewhere in the city, the Mizukage stood opposite of Kisame Hoshigaki. By her side was one of the last loyal members of the Seven Shinobi swordsmen, Chojuro, as well as her top adviser, Aoi. On her shoulder was perched a dark phoenix of incredible power. The bird had appeared almost out of nowhere and according to Aoi, it was a demon of some sort, yet it appeared to be willing to fight by their side. It had already proven it's ability to easily overpower Kisame's water style with the blackened flames it could produce.
Kisame was flanked by the reanimated forms of his swordsmen comrades, all of them armed with their signature swords, save for the old leader and Zabuza Mamochi.
All eyes turned towards the beam of energy erupting into the sky.
"What in the hell is that?" Zabuza Mamochi hissed out, earning a shake of the head from Kisame.
"I've felt this raw power before." Kisame began as the smile fell from his face. "She's here." He continued as he returned his attention to the Mizukage.
Elsewhere at the same time, Obito stood just outside of the portal, waiting patiently as a steady stream of demons and devils marched out, each branded with the signature mark of their dark master. His eyes turned towards the beam of energy that tore up through the sky and hammered into the top of the barrier. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he began to recognize the dark magic that was flooding the area.
"So… you've finally made it." Obito mused as a shifting in the portal occurred behind him and out of it came the Gedo Statue, now with another eye open. Signifying that the Six Tails had been successfully removed and sealed by Obito's demonic ally.
The battle against the Six Tails had been short lived when forced to face off against the power of the statue with other tailed beasts already sealed within it, on top of the army of demons and undead that rapidly forced the Six Tails Jinchuriki on the defensive.
Then it was easily overpowered with the aide of the undead forms of the previous two Mizukage.
"The Uchiwa Clan leader has finally arrived." Obito noted as he turned his gaze over to his paths, one of which was Minato Namikaze, now armed with a Sharingan and a Rinnegan.
Minato's eyes gave nothing away as he continued to stare out at the chaos.
Obito let out a sigh at Minato's apathy. It was obvious he wasn't going to get a response from his one time sensei.
Within moments, Obito watched as the barrier began to glow brighter and brighter until it finally started to evaporate.
"She overloaded the barrier… so fast..." Obito thought to himself with concern. She truly was as powerful as a tailed beast. That girl was definitely not to be triffled with. Her power was of great concern to him, as she not only surpassed a Kage in terms of skill, but her raw power was unlike anything he'd ever seen before outside of the Tailed Beasts.
"We'll allow Kisame to continue with the assault, now that the barrier is down, the amount of casualties on the enemy's side will start to drop significantly." Obito stated aloud to his paths. He then quickly drew them all into Kamui and then disappeared himself.
Back with Riley, she let out a snort and threw a glance back at Kakashi and Guy.
"Barriers down, get them out of here and watch for the Akatsuki. I'll close the portal." Riley commanded earning nods from the two men as she dashed off into the hellscape waiting before her.
Within seconds of running, Riley came across her next batch of demonic adversaries. A clutch of devils, similar in nature to the ones Riley had burned, were tossing living people into a flaming building. With a demonic snarl, Riley targeted them, appearing in front of the lead devil and jabbing her wand into it's chest, releasing the Body Bursting Curse, point blank, with zero warning.
His body quickly bloated and then erupted into a foul shower of black blood and disfigured, sickly organs. The surrounding devils let out snarls of rage and went for their weapons, but Riley was much faster, disappearing in a burst of speed, flying by each and every one of them, decapitating them all in the time it took a person to blink.
A cluster of survivors sat nearby, watching in awe as the dark creatures fell. Riley shot them a glance but chose not to waste time directing them. She needed to keep advancing, and kill as many of these things as she could.
She found herself on the rooftops again, racing through the city as the feeling of carnage and chaos filled her senses. It was like euphoria washing over her, almost like she was back in the Wind Capital during that crisis, but so much more potent. Her grin never faltered as she slammed into another crowd of devils, evaporating one with a super-condensed bolt of lightning and then releasing a hail of fireballs onto another.
Riley cut through every monster in her path. Some much more powerful then others, but that mattered little when faced with something strong enough to destroy planets.
It was as she was cutting through another devil with the Sword of Kusanagi, that she ran into the first undead shinobi.
It was a Hyuuga, his eyes a dark milky white, and his skin was heavily cracked. He heavily bore the appearance of those reanimated by the Second Hokage's jutsu, as described to her by Hashirama, a number of years prior.
"Mito." Riley hissed, knowing full well that the woman definitely had a hand in this. The Hyuuga member stared at her for a second, confusion present in his eyes, it almost seemed like the man recognized her, but his look didn't last long, he rushed forward at great speed, attempting to engage her with the Hyuuga signature Taijutsu.
"Let's see if this works." Riley thought to herself as she sidestepped the man's strike and jabbed her wand into his side. "Avada Kadavra."
Sickly green magic exploded out of the end of her wand, and for a moment, the Hyuuga froze. His body then started to glow and brake down revealing a living manifestation of magic that mimicked the man in appearance. The man's spirit stared down at her as the body he was forced to inhabit dissolved into nothingness. He offered her a smile of gratitude before fading away into the afterlife.
"It worked." Kurama hummed.
"Removing the soul from the body, ends the reanimation. The second Hokage's jutsu was designed to ensure that so long as a single piece of the body remained the reanimated person would stay attached to their inhabited body. The Killing Curse, ejects the soul out of the body it inhabits. The only defense against such a thing, is powerful raw magic like demonic energy, or if you happen to have a soul that is far too heavy to simply be ejected by a single curse, like me." Riley mused, as she stared down at the ashes of the reanimate for several long moments, as she pondered on whether or not she recognized this individual. She realized that she did, if only barely. His soul should have been in her own Soul Well. Meaning that it shouldn't of been possible for another person to raise him from the dead.
Concern flooded her features while Kurama let out a growl from within her, as did The Darkness.
"Perhaps the Second Hokage's jutsu can circumvent even a demon's soul well?" Kurama suggested after a moment of silence.
"No… I have a feeling something else is going on here. We can't worry about it now. Once this battle is over, we'll take a look at my soul and see whats up, but until then, we need to remain focused." Riley though back as she finally she returned her gaze forward, just as a troop of about a dozen devils came rushing onto the street, straight at her.
With vile twisted snarls, they charged her, some of them armed with bows, or spears, launched their projectiles right at her, intend on doing some sort of damage with their demonic weaponry.
As a spear flew right at Riley she twisted to the side to avoid the projectile and quickly plucked it from the air, twisting it in her hand and admiring the incredible weight of the object. Despite being the size of a standard javelin, the twisted demonic spear weighed close to ninety pounds. Enough weight to kill almost any living thing in the world if thrown with the proper precision. Riley had noticed that many of the invaders weapons weighed much more then they should have. Whatever metals were used in their creation was obviously much more dense then metals on Earth.
With a smirk Riley spun the javelin in her hand a few times before launching it towards the charging crowds of devils.
With a single handsign, Riley utilized the Shadow Shuriken Jutsu to split the single throwing spear into about thirty copies which all sailed through the air at incredible speed.
The devils armed with shields dropped to a knee and used their shields to protect as much of their bodies as possible while the rest jumped high into the air.
The ones that went airborne were quickly dispatched as Riley unleashed a storm of wind blades right at them with a wave of her wand. Watching them split apart and their bodies rain down on their comrades caused Riley's demonic grin to grow just a bit larger.
Her smirk remaining, she charged into the remaining crowd of devils who were still rising from their defensive maneuver to avoid her earlier attack.
Riley tore through them with monstrous precision, she ripped off limbs, split skulls, punched out their internal organs. These beings were tough, much tougher then a human being, but they had weaknesses. They seemed to require their hearts, so any major damage to that, killed them instantly. They also seemed to only be able to sustain a certain amount of shock, or perhaps damage was the better word before they died. Removing a limb did a good job of wounding them but often times they could still fight almost like they were unhurt. To put them down fully, one needed to do a large amount of damage. Hit them so hard that all of their organs ruptured. Hit them so hard their bones explode within their bodies. Burn them, crush them with Earth or Water style techniques, cut them to tiny pieces. They were strong, not invincible.
With a savage growl Riley tore the skull off the last devil on the street and finished it off by driving her foot into it's chest plate.
She then continued forward, wrath and bloodlust spilling from her every pore, ensuring that all who came near her knew that she was in an unimaginable state right now. A state of being that only something non-human could be in.
She made it to another street just in time to see a large swath of devils and undead finish gutting what remained of a platoon of Kiri ninja. The large force turned to her, almost in unison before charging.
Riley let out an inhuman snarl and dashed forward into the crowd, tearing through them as she did. She knew she was getting close. The source of this demonic attack was just ahead.
-Elsewhere at the same time-
Lightning lit up the blackened skies of Amegakure. Sat atop the tallest building in the city was Mito. She was in the midst of heavy concentration using her magic to power a seal that collected the souls of all those who died in the immediate vicinity of her power, and by extension the nearby reanimations, like Hashirama and Madara. Souls flocked into the seal, dozens at a time, it wouldn't be much longer before both men had killed enough people to begin the ritual.
The entire time, she could feel them both attempting to break free from her control. Their wills were impressive to say the least. Had Mito not made special preparation in 'fixing' Tobirama's technique, those two would have easily broken free from her control long ago.
Mito heard the signature sound of Obito's space-time ninjutsu just off to her side. She could feel him and his paths appear next to her, and the man himself step up by her side.
"I expected a quick victory in Kiri, but not that quick." Mito noted, not opening her eyes or breaking her concentration.
"The Six Tails was successfully captured and sealed by our friend on the other side. However Kiri still stands, the Hero of the Burning Leaf arrived and destroyed the barrier, freeing Kiri's citizenry. I chose to pull back, rather then face her in combat at this time. I left Kisame to finish them off." Obito explained.
A silent moment passed by as Mito took that all in. "You know he's going to die, right?" She stated after a moment.
"He is simply a pawn. A powerful one at that, but disposable, all the same." Obito responded as he stepped forward and gazed upon the massive seal matrix that sat before Mito, harnessing the power of those killed nearby.
Mito didn't say anything to that, just offered him a hum of agreement. A few silent seconds went by before Mito spoke again, when she did, this time it was to Minato.
"Lord Fourth, how does it feel to know that your eldest daughter is so grown up? She's come a long way since defeating the Angel of Carnage." Mito hummed with an unseen smirk.
Minato was silent from where he stood next to the rest of Obito's paths. His gaze did slowly turn to Mito, and there was obvious hatred in his eyes for the woman who had violated his death, and deaths of so many other people, for her obviously sinister agenda.
"She's going to kill you both, I hope you realize. You don't have the faintest clue what you're dealing with." Minato stated as a smirk formed across his face.
"Ah, so he finally speaks." Obito hummed with amusement. While he had been intentionally keeping the rest of his paths quiet because he didn't care for what they had to say, he was curious to speak to his old sensei, and engage in a bit of banter with the man.
"You have a great deal of confidence in her, despite the fact that she couldn't save you." Mito noted, her unseen smirk seemingly growing larger.
Minato stared down at Mito, wanting nothing more then to cut her down and end this abominable act, but his body wouldn't respond to such desires. Instead he just stood motionless.
"You're right, I should be a bit madder at her for not saving us from the angel's wrath, but here's the thing, I think I'll be able to look past it, when she guts the two of you." Minato responded with a smirk of his own, watching with just a bit of enjoyment as Obito's gaze darkened a bit.
"Interesting words Lord Fourth. Perhaps we should take a peak in that head of yours and find out what's so funny." Obito growled, his Sharingan and Rinnegan shining ominously.
"Go ahead. It wont save you. Just like it didn't save me." Minato responded with a chuckle.
At this Mito actually opened her eyes and turned a glance towards the man. She stared right at him for several moments, taking in his devilish smirk, almost like he was goading the two of them with a secret. Deciding to call his bluff, she did just that and with a handsign, invaded into his mind.
The image she was greeted to was something not even she was expecting. It was of Minato's last battle. The destruction of Konoha. Standing before him was a figure in a dark tattered cloak. In the distance behind the figure was the Nine Tailed Fox. With a mighty swing of it's arm, the Fox brought the image to life, bringing it's hand down on a city block, reducing it to rubble with an earth shaking tremor.
That's when the darkened figure came into focus, and Mito recognized the person's face and eyes, instantly. Riley Uchiwa, with the darkened wings of the Angel of Carnage, sprouted from her back.
"I knew it. I knew that thing wasn't an angel." Mito hissed as her gaze grew darker, and Obito turned his attention to her, an obvious question in his eyes.
"Now you understand… you, and you're minions… are fucked. Just like I was. And I'll tell you Mito… she never ever got serious in our battle. You and Obito, combined a hundred times over, are nothing before her might. You're both dead, as dead as I am. You just don't know it yet." Minato stated, his smirk growing even larger as Obito threw a skin peeling glare at his old sensei, before returning his gaze to Mito.
"So… that's what's going on..." Mito hummed to herself as she closed her eyes and returned to her concentration.
"What did you see?" Obito asked.
"Nothing that changes our plans." Mito responded. On the inside she was reflecting on what she had just learned. 'I knew of her abilities with the Rinnegan but this changes things a bit. I'll have to take steps to ensure that she cannot acquire my soul. She cannot know of the boy's location, not until my plan is complete.'
-Elsewhere in the Land of Earth-
"Our forces will begin marching immediately, my lady. We'll be back in the Land of Wind within a week." The Highest ranked General of the Land of Wind's army informed her, earning a nod from Gaia.
After quickly making it back to her army via portkey, made by Tom, Gaia quickly went to work mobilizing her forces to return to Suna. She then met with the various leaders of her army, the Sky Ninja, and the Legion.
"Reports are already coming in from my scouts over the Land of Grass. Kusagakure is mobilizing. Something is destroying cities just across the border in the Land of Rain." The Sky Commander informed Gaia, Itachi, and Tom.
"Amegakure was destroyed, there shouldn't be anything that can just destroy cities within the Land of Rain." Itachi stated with a shake of his head.
"Perhaps new tenants have taken up residence within the city. It could be the Akatsuki, returning home to launch another attack." Tom stated, earning a nod of agreement from Gaia.
"Yes I believe that to be a possibility as well. I'll be dispatching half of my forces with the Wind army to return to Suna and prepare it's defenses. Lady Chiyo will lead them in my absence. I will take the remainder of our forces and head south towards Ame. If the Akatsuki have returned there, then we need to ensure that we cut off their avenue of attack. We cannot risk them launching a flanking attack while our forces return home." Gaia stated to her fellow commanders.
"We'll come with you then. The Legion will go with your forces and confront the Akatsuki and whatever they're planning in Ame. What of the Sky Ninja?" Itachi inquired as he sent a glance at the Sky Commander.
"We'll join you as well. It would take too long to sail back around the continent to reinforce Sunagakure so we might as well remain where we are and continue operations here." The commander of the Sky ninja replied, earning a nod of gratitude from Gaia.
"Very well then. General, Lady Chiyo, see our forces safely back home. Make sure that Suna and the Wind Capital are secured. We'll deal with the Akatsuki here. Hopefully my presence away from Suna will ensure it's safety for the time being." Gaia commanded, earning a nod from both individuals.
"I will make sure that the village remains standing until you return, my Lady." Chiyo pledged with a look of determination.
"I trust that you will. Until then Lady Chiyo, good luck." Gaia offered, earning a nod from her elder before the woman turned and departed.
Once Chiyo was gone, Gaia dismissed the rest of her men and allowed her fellow commanders to leave and mobilize their forces. Once the room was empty, she called in one of her men and had him go and fetch the rest of her fellow mates.
Several minutes later and Riley's mates stood front and center.
Gaia had intended to call them here to ask them what this feeling was that she could feel flowing into her from somewhere far off, but from the looks of their faces, it was obvious that they were feeling it too.
"Okay, I was going to ask if you knew what hell I've been feeling for the last few minutes, but it seems that you're feeling it too." Gaia stated as she took note of four of the five of them shifting uncomfortably, while Kaede looked almost curious, as her eyes darted here and then there.
"It's Riley. When she had sex with you, it forged a bond between you and her. We all share one with her and it let's us feel her emotions through it. Usually it's only when she's close or in contact with us that we can feel her emotions clearly, but if she ever feels anything intensely, and she doesn't close the bond before hand, we can feel it too." Daphne explained trying to suppress a shiver of anxiety that was crawling across her skin.
"So you can feel this… this dread… I don't honestly know how to fully explain it. It almost feels like Euphoria, mixed with shame, and anger." Gaia stated with a shake of her head. Honestly it felt a lot like how she used to feel before meeting Riley. The anger and euphoria she would feel when she killed someone who threatened her existence, this was a lot like that.
"Yes. The feeling evokes different responses from all of us. Katie and I both can't help but tremble when Riley gets like this. Luna just gets quiet, and Fleur well… she's Veela so we forgive her for it." Daphne noted as she sent a glance over at Fleur whom was just as shifty eyed as the rest of her fellow mates, though she did send a look at Daphne, one that told her now was definitely not the time.
"For what?" Gaia inquired with a curious look.
"For being horny. I think Kaede feels much the same, just add in a dose of bloodlust. Fleur being a Veela is much more instinctual so she can't help but be aroused whenever Riley is exuding a domineering aura. Whenever Riley shows off her raw power it's a huge turn on for any Veela, and it's an instinctual thing, which is why Daphne says we just have to forgive her for it and move on. A quarter of her brain power it currently being used to try and convince her body to go find Riley, so that our beloved mate can put a baby in her." Katie offered as an explanation, earning a blush from Fleur and Gaia, for it.
"Now is certainly not ze time for such zings! Riley could be hurt or even killed out zere fighting zese monsters. All of my brain is focused on wishing she would return soon so that I can stop worrying." Fleur shot back in response earning a nod of agreement from Katie.
"Yeah… I get that too." Katie agreed with obvious worry.
"I see. So I'm guessing you're feeling much the same?" Gaia asked, focusing her question onto Kaede.
"Maybe. I can't say for certain how my feelings compare to theirs. All I know is that I'm itching to flex my vectors, more then usual that is." Kaede responded. Her answer earning a small smile from Katie, showing that she was probably right in her earlier description.
"So this happens all the time?" Gaia stated with a far off look. She had always known that Riley held her own inner darkness, and after learning the truth about what Riley truly was, Gaia half assumed she had an understanding of what she was dealing with. Only now did she start to realize that who she was as a child and who Riley was now were not so different.
In a moment of sadness and quiet resolve, Gaia swore to herself to finally repay her future wife for what she had done for Gaia when they were younger. Riley had helped set Gaia on the path to finding peace, and now it was Gaia's turn to do the same.
With a stoic look Gaia rose to her feet and glanced around at the five women before her.
"Do you think she's alright?" Gaia asked the question they were all thinking.
"Well with this feeling, unfortunately I think she's having the time of her life." Katie sighed, Daphne nodding in agreement with her.
"This will take some getting used too." Gaia noted.
"We have been dealing wiz it for years and yet still it takes us by surprise when it happens. I don't like feeling her this angry, and bloodzirsty. It is just so unnatural for the woman I love." Fleur stated with a far away look.
"They're quite devoted to her, ya know that. Despite her invulnerability, despite her demonic traits, despite it all, they're terrified of what's going to happen to her. And so are you for that matter. You realize that she can't be killed, right?" Shukaku questioned his host, deciding to take it's mind off of how much it wanted to be out there fighting by Kurama's side, putting an end to this threat.
"I don't 'know' that. Everything can be killed. Their worry is proof of that. The number of things that can kill Riley may be much smaller then what could kill me, but that doesn't change the fact that she is still vulnerable. She has weaknesses, everything does. So I think I'll follow their lead, and hope for her safe return sooner rather than later." Gaia responded, earning a thoughtful look from her resident Bijuu.
Shukaku was quiet for several long seconds before letting out a sigh. On the outside, all six women stood in silence when suddenly they were hit with a rush of emotion. Rage, anger, bloodlust, passion, excitement, and glee, all rushed in to overwhelm their senses at once.
Gaia actually had to brace herself on her desk to avoid falling over. She was quick to shoot her fellow mates a look of surprise.
"Holy shit." Katie muttered as she rubbed her head.
"That hasn't happened in a while." Daphne mumbled as she tried to blink away the emotional backlash of all those feelings hitting at once.
"What was that?" Gaia asked.
"Riley. Feeling alive. She's fighting something powerful." Luna was the one who answered with a far off look.
Silence descended on the group after that. All they could do right now was prepare to move and wish their beloved mate the best of luck, and a speedy return.
-Elsewhere in the world-
Kabuto watched quietly as Orochimaru's team finished it's final preparation for leaving. Their destination was the ruins of Konoha. News had already started filtering in about the attacks in the Land of Rain. Reports stated that just one man was responsible in every case. No one knew exactly what was happening but Orochimaru suspected that the Akatsuki were launching their plan into action.
With the Akatsuki drawing everyone's attention Orochimaru intended on using the opportunity to slip past the guards stationed around the giant earthen sphere that held the Angel of Carnage and take the chance to study the beast.
Orochimaru had several plans in the works to utilize the angel's power. What he didn't know, was that there wasn't anything up there, not if Kabuto was correct about his theory, regarding the angel. While the team prepared to move, Kabuto prepared to slip away. He knew if Orochimaru was moving to utilize the angel then that would bring him into direct conflict with the Uchiwa Clan leader, and in doing so, would ultimately lead to his death.
Kabuto passed through the main chamber of Orochimaru's hideout as he headed for his own room. In a darkened corner at the far end of the room, Kabuto felt eyes on him. He knew it to be the eyes of Orochimaru's pet. The giant serpent abomination that he had either found or constructed. All Kabuto knew was that if he locked eyes with the creature, he would surely drop dead from fright, as had so many others when they had earned Orochimaru's wrath.
Instead Kabuto kept his walk purposeful. He intended to gather his supplies and be ready to make a run for it, the moment the opportunity presented itself. Everything was spiraling downward at this point, and the young genius knew that if he was caught in the middle of it, he'd be killed along with all the rest.
-In Kiri-
Riley's grin was absolutely monstrous. She could not control the rush she felt as she engage a trio of powerful devils in combat. These three were obviously leaders of this assault force, and their skill showed it.
Each one was covered head to toe in pitch black plate armor, and each one was adorned with a glowing red S symbol on their foreheads, along with eyes of literal flame.
"Come on, that can't be all you've got!" Riley snarled as one of the three dashed at her with Kage level speed. It was armed with a large warhammer that shattered the Earth with each swing, lifting up great chunks of rock as it did.
"Yield Child of Wrath!" The Devil roared as it's hammer rushed towards Riley's head, only for her to duck the strike and drive a fist into it's gut, sending it back.
Riley had just enough time to return to a standing position when another of the trio appeared before her driving at her with a long spear. Riley sidestepped the strike, the spear just cutting her hand.
Poisonous blood dripped from her wound, a wound that was healing nearly as quickly as her regular injuries. These devils were armed with powerful and potent magic. Magic meant for slaying demons. Despite not being nearly powerful enough to destroy her, the fact that they could actually make her bleed, sped Riley's heartbeat up in excitement.
This one continued it's offensive, jabbing at her with it's spear while Riley continued to dodge. Behind it, the third of the trio was armed with a mace and was busy weaving demonic incantations.
With a howl and downward slash of it's mace, pillars of red, yellow, and orange, lightning arced forward, racing straight towards Riley.
The spearmen before her doze to the side, away from the oncoming strike. Riley's grin grew ever more as she channeled Hachiman. The red mist appeared around her, and right as the oncoming attack was about to hit her, it broke apart against her barrier and she felt a powerful surge of her magic, rush forward and re-channel the attack into a blast of energy that shot forward, tearing across the battlefield, evaporating two of the three devils in a mighty explosion.
The only one remaining when the ashes cleared was the spear armed devil, which let out a roar of rage and defiance as it charged at her again.
With a dept hand, Riley batted away it's spear and drove a black chakra rod into it's chest, spearing it's heart and causing the devil to go wide eyed in surprise.
"Too slow." Riley snarled as it fell to the ground. With the last of the three higher ranked devils dead, she was free to turn her attention to the portal. It stood nearby towering over her, and allowing steady stream of devil and some demons to pour through.
Before the creatures that came through had just been ignoring her as she battled the portal's guardians, but now that they were dead, a small army of demons was charging towards her.
Riley was quick to march towards the portal. In a poof of smoke, her grandfather's gunbai fan appeared in her hands. With a single wave of the fan, a hundred devils were sent flying through the air, some of them flying back through the portal.
Once she was within about fifty yards of the portal she stopped. Her godly eyes analyzing it, it's structure, it's makeup, everything there was to see. It took her several seconds to estimate the amount of power she would need to break the portals support structure and force it to shut, but once she did, she quickly channeled a Rasenshuriken into her free hand.
More devils poured out of the portal as this happened, intent on stopping her, but they couldn't clear the distance in time to stop her from hurling the shuriken of wind staight at one of the pillars supporting the portal.
Riley watched in morbid fascination as the portal was consumed by the blast, the whole thing disappearing in a rotating sphere of wind.
It took several long seconds but almost in unison, every dark creature in Kirigakure let out a wail of rage and pain as the supports for the portal erupted and the portal itself began to collapse. Without a steady stream of souls feeding into it, or the support pillars to stabilize it, a massive portal like that couldn't maintain itself.
Riley watched as the portal folded in on itself and then exploded in a burst of dark magic. Silence quickly followed its destruction but it only lasted for a few seconds before an unearthly chorus of roars tore out from the world around her. Turning her gaze away from the portal Riley's eyes lit up with glee as the remaining devils swarmed in around her.
-To Be Continued-
Alright eleven chapter left. Hope you all enjoyed. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for future storylines as the sequel eill begin right after i finish with this. Ja ne!
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