"Yup. I'm definitely not becoming a beast tamer."
Kazuma stated firmly.
"But you were so excited when we first left on this trip. What happened? Did your spineless nature finally kick in after witnessing all of the battles? This kind of brutality is common though, especially in the life of an adventurer."
Darkness asked with a slightly worried expression. She then took another bite of her cookie that was shaped like a Rookie Killer's paw.
How dare she call him spineless with such a concerned face. Was she actually concerned for him? But no matter, he would let it go.
The people around them had been giving them annoyed glances ever since the petrification event earlier.
"Yeah, you even dragged poor Chomusuke into your shenanigans. You better apologize to her by treating us to some more snacks when we get home."
Megumin added as she popped a deviled egg into her mouth that was themed after a Dragon egg.
The mage's solution didn't add up, but again, Kazuma opted to let it go in favor of preventing another scene. He was far too mature to let these girls get to him.
"This is so like Kazuma, if you ask me. Finding something in this world that relates to something you liked in your home country, then immediately calling it quits when the going gets tough. Typical hiki-NEET behavior."
Aqua commented while stifling her laughter. She was about to take a bite into her cupcake when a light flashed and the dessert disappeared from her hand.
"Ah! Give it back, you thief!"
"I was going to let go of the fact that you conveniently forgot your money at our seats and made me pay for our snacks, but now I change my mind! I'm confiscating this cupcake!"
Kazuma barked and held the pastry out of Aqua's reach when she tried to get it back.
"I'm sorry! I'll properly pay you back, I promise! That was the last Giant Toad cupcake and they won't be making anymore until next year! Please, Kazuma-saaan!"
Aqua begged, now on her hands and knees. The people around them began to stare at the boy with cold expressions, and the girl's teary eyes became hopeful when Kazuma seemed to be considering her apology.
Munch!
"AH! Kazuma, you jerk! How could you eat my cupcake!? I'll make you face divine punishment for this!"
The goddess wailed and lunged for his throat. But to her surprise, the boy swiftly ducked under her grapple and rolled a few feet away.
"Gulp! Heh… I knew the Escape skill would come in handy. Also, that cupcake was actually amazing for something that's themed after a smelly toad. Too bad they're not making anymore."
Kazuma snickered as he dusted his clothes off. Chris had taught him a few more Thief skills before they had departed from Axel, he just hadn't had the chance to use them yet.
"Fu…Fufufu… I thought something like this might happen. After all, those cupcakes were the top sellers at that vendor. Which is why I secretly went back and bought a second one!"
Aqua declared while presenting the secret pastry in her hand, her expression triumphant as if to say "I bested you, hiki-NEET!".
Kazuma stared at the girl with a flat expression before he simply raised his hand and activated Steal again.
Aqua blinked and looked up to see that the cupcake was no longer in her possession.
"WAAAAHHH! Kazuma, nooooo! Please! I'll buy you something from the vendor!"
"No way! They only had Fire Salamander skewers left, and I saw someone literally breathe fire after eating that hellish thing!"
Kazuma barked as he evaded Aqua's swipes with his newly revealed skill.
Megumin and Darkness shared a glance, shrugged, then went back to watching the arena while enjoying their snacks.
It looked like Naruto was finally entering the field.
"It's time for the final round of the semi-finals! I hope you folks are ready, because our next contender is our long time challenger Roaric, who seems to be using the brand new Scroll Balls as well! Quick to adapt as ever, I see!"
Ryozo announced while gesturing towards the lone demi-human on one end of the field.
Roaric stood with his arms crossed, ever stoic in his appearance. Upon hearing his name, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out the small green magic item that contained one of his six beasts. He then looked his opponent dead in the eye, his piercing gaze seemingly glowing like a predator homing in on its prey from a distance.
"His opponent will be the Golden Rookie from Axel, Naruto Uzumaki! Let's see what a battle between Scroll Ball users looks like, shall we?"
Aomidori followed and gestured towards the other side of the field where Naruto stood. She then ordered the demon to move her close to her husband, deactivating the magic voice projector so they could speak in private.
"This Naruto fellow proved to be quite formidable in his last match. I think he may have a chance to be the first outsider to win the Nuzloft Challenge. I can see it now… His story shall go down in history."
The Arch Wizard commented with an ominous tone, but she grew confused when the chief started laughing.
"Aomidori, my dear… I will forever love your eccentricities. But unfortunately for the Golden Rookie, he chose the wrong year to participate."
Ryozo stated, earning a pout from his wife. But he continued, knowing she was waiting for him to elaborate.
"Strong as the adventurer may be, I have seen the teams of both parties. It seems someone has been snooping around the Forbidden Cave without my notice."
"The Forbidden Cave!? And you allowed that man to participate with such a thing!?"
Aomidori exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. The beings that dwelled within the cave that she and the chief had deemed forbidden from those unworthy of the title of Conqueror were quite terrifying.
Even to a seasoned Crimson Demon such as herself, just one creature that lurked inside that mountain could prove to be a fatal encounter.
The first time they had entered the cave all those years ago, even her husband, with the various powerful beasts he had acquired during their travels, fought the residence to a standstill.
To think Roaric had not only tamed such a beast, but even dared to bring it into their village. What was her husband thinking!?
"I know what you're thinking, my love. How could this chief so irresponsibly allow such a creature into the sanctum of our village… But fear not, for I have seen Roaric's hold on the creature myself. It is sound."
Ryozo responded while placing a hand on the woman's shoulder reassuringly, which seemed to be enough for her as she nodded and moved back to her position.
The fight would soon begin, and they would need to be ready.
'You were always one to strive for power, old friend…'
The chief thought while eying Roaric with a sad smile.
Naruto stood at the edge of the wheat field, an orange orb in his hand.
It was now the semi-finals, and he was going to face Roaric. He still didn't fully understand why the man hated him so much, but the shinobi was going to show he meant business and win.
'I should give Sasuke some more time to rest… Guess I'll start with this guy.'
Naruto thought and looked up at his opponent from across the arena. Roaric was still glowering at him, waiting for the ninja to make his first move. The shinobi couldn't help but smirk.
Beast taming may not be a game, but it was still fun. Fighting while in perfect sync with his monsters was exciting, and it made him want to battle more. It was a new way to test his fighting skills, unlike fighting the low leveled monsters around Axel.
"I hope you're ready, Roaric. Because my team is going to leave you petrified!"
Naruto shouted and tensed his arm in preparation to throw.
Roaric didn't respond, but the shinobi presumed the man simply grunted as he raised his arm as well.
Bummer... Joe had said that introductory line was good too. Oh well.
"Looks like our combatants are ready to fight! May the best tamer win!"
Ryozo declared, and with a swipe of his hand, both Naruto and Roaric released their first monster.
"Let's go, Spook!"
"Crush them, Spike."
The orange capsule popped open, and Naruto's Zombie Maker appeared. The spirit took one look at its surroundings before it panicked at being out in the open with so many bright lights.
"Hey, calm down Spook! Don't worry about all of the people, just focus on the enemy's…"
Naruto's words trailed off as he tried to calm his monster upon laying eyes on Roaric's beast.
It was a large rat, one that even exceeded the demi-human in size. But what made it strange was the spikey ball at the end of its tail. It was both hilarious and terrifying to look at.
"Naruto starts with his Zombie Maker, while Roaric brings out his Morning Rat! This could prove to be a bad start for our returning challenger, as physical attacks are useless against the evolved spirit!"
Ryozo announced, which only added fuel to the shinobi's grin.
"You hear that, Spook? You got this in the bag! Go get 'em!"
Naruto shouted, his Beast Bond flaring, which spurred the ghost to fly forward while cackling with laughter with the shinobi following after into the field.
Roaric pointed towards the ruins at the center of the field, and the giant rat instantly ran forwards.
Spike was the first to emerge from the tall grass and positioned itself next to a structure, its dark eyes scanning the area for the opposing monster.
But when the Zombie Maker failed to appear, it tried sniffing into the air. When that failed, the rat looked back at its master for further instruction.
Roaric's eyes narrowed. Fighting spirits were a pain, especially when your own monster had little means of fighting back. Spike wouldn't win this matchup, so they would have to exhaust their enemy as much as they could before the end came.
"Now!"
Naruto shouted as he landed on top of one of the structures.
To Spike's surprise, Spook materialized out of the wall from behind the beast and lashed out with its ghastly claws.
The Morning Rat squeaked in pain as a gash appeared on its back, and it swung its mighty tail in retaliation. The spikey mace-like end crashed into the stone structure, completely shattering the thing.
But it was no use, as Spook remained completely unharmed. The attack had simply fazed right through its cursed body.
Spook cackled some more before lashing out with its claws again.
The Morning Rat did its best to evade, but each successful attack caused it to slow down more and more. Hiding was pointless as well, as the Zombie Maker could simply float right through the obstacles.
Eventually, Spike succumbed to its wounds and collapsed onto the ground. Spook hovered over the corpse of the rat and cackled as though it heard a terribly funny joke.
Roaric wasted no time and pulled out his next Scroll Ball as the bond with the Morning Rat was severed.
"King."
He said as his supposed ace, a large Griffin that he'd used to dominate his first battle appeared.
Naruto raised an eyebrow at his opponent's decision. No matter how powerful that Griffin was, it still wouldn't be able to harm Spook.
But the Zombie Maker's reaction upon seeing the noble beast made him nervous.
Spook was naturally playful, and seemed to be scared of everything. Which always seemed strange to Naruto considering the amount of immunities the monster had. He wrote it off as a potential act to get other beings to lower their guard.
But the fact that Spook wasn't even shivering, just slowly backing away from the ruins was rather unsettling.
"It seems your Zombie Maker has some good instincts."
Roaric spoke up for the first time since the start of the battle.
"Heh… Spook is scared of everything! But unless your Griffin is secretly a Wizard or a Priest, then you still can't hurt us!"
Naruto responded and commanded his ghost to charge.
Despite its better judgment, the Beast Bond gave the Zombie Maker the courage to push forward. Its ghastly hands morphed into elongated claws as it yipped with newfound determination.
The two aerial creatures passed by one another in a burst of speed, each delivering their respective attack before slowing to a stop.
Blood dripped from the Griffin's side, although the beast didn't seem too bothered by it.
On the other hand, Naruto's eyes widened when he saw the state of his own monster. One of Spook's arms was dissolving, which caused the spirit to start panicking again.
"W-what…? How-"
"Griffins are powerful beasts, which is why I always use one as my starting partner in this challenge. King, in particular, has an affinity to light. So no matter what he faces, be it ghosts, golems, or even a dragon, he will cause serious damage."
Roaric explained as he slowly emerged from the wheat field, his glowing yellow irises locked on his opponent.
Naruto didn't know if he was feeling his own fear, or if Spook's fear was affecting him due to their Beast Bond. But a single thought ran through the minds of both man and spirit.
Run.
Spook dove towards the ruins. If they could find cover, they could somehow get the upper hand in all of the obstacles.
But of course, Roaric was one step ahead of them and ordered King to cut them off.
The Zombie Maker was fast, but a Griffin wasn't considered a top tier monster for nothing. King stuck himself between Spook and the ruins before beating its powerful wings. With a burst of speed, the mighty beast lashed out with its talons.
Spook screeched in fear and doubled back, opting to dive into the fields. The ghost managed to encase itself in the wheat just in time, mere inches away from being sliced apart.
King landed on the ground with a thud, a gust of wind causing the tall grass to flatten briefly. This allowed the Griffin to catch a glimpse of the ghost a short distance away.
Raising one of its wings, the Griffin made a quick turn with its body. The resulting movement caused a breeze so sharp, a blade of wind was formed that cut right through the field.
"Duck!"
Naruto shouted, and through their shared vision, Spook glued itself to the ground just as the wind blade ravaged all of the wheat around it.
Its hiding place now compromised, Spook began to panic once again. Its expressive features contorted with fear as the Griffin pounced.
King lashed and thrashed, causing pieces of wheat and dirt to scatter all around it. But its claws connected with nothing as Spook rose from the ground a few meters away and quickly fled to the ruins.
Roaric sucked his teeth. This was why he hated fighting ghosts. But it was no matter, they only had so many places to hide.
Spook fazed through one of the structures for cover, but it wasn't long before King bulldozed through the place and completely demolished it.
"Woah!"
Naruto shouted as he was forced to jump out of the way when the Griffin smashed through the pillar he'd been perched on. Landing on the ground next to his opponent, the shinobi growled.
"Hey, I thought it was against the rules to attack the other Beast Tamer!"
"A tamer must be prepared to get caught up in a high level battle. You were in King's way. Nothing more, nothing less."
Roaric responded with what almost seemed like a shrug, and if Naruto didn't know any better, the man looked like he was suppressing a smirk.
This guy…!
It was now a reverse of the previous bout as King chased after Spook, structure after structure collapsing until the ruins were reduced to nothing but rubble.
Spook, now without anywhere to hide, let out a shrieked sound as the Griffin stalked towards it. There was nowhere to hide, and it wouldn't be able to make it to the field in time.
They were cornered.
"...and so your luck ends here."
Roaric stated, and the Griffin raised its talons to end the game of cat and mouse.
Just one slash would be enough to send the restless spirit to the afterlife.
But to their surprise, a large spikey ball smashed into King's side. The beast screeched as its right wing was pulverized, but it fought through the pain and hopped out of the way as a second swing crashed into the ground where it once stood.
"Phew… We made it on time. Good job, Spook! Now it's time for our comeback!"
Naruto shouted and pointed towards the injured Griffin, ordering Spook and the now zombified Morning Rat to attack.
Roaric's eyes were wide, his face twisting with anger. He'd been standing on the other side of King, and with the Griffin so focused on attacking, they both failed to see the zombie's approach.
'But when…'
The demi-human thought as he watched his ace defend itself from an attack on two fronts. It was then he realized what had happened.
The chase.
While King had been pursuing Spook from structure to structure, the Zombie Maker had been passing over Spike's corpse. It must have been imbuing the rat with its mana each time it passed.
"So… You're not all luck after all."
Roaric muttered, earning a smirk from the shinobi.
"They don't call me unpredictable for nothing! Now, let's finish this Spook!"
Naruto exclaimed, and his Zombie Maker took to the air with three blue fiery wisps sparking to life around it.
At the same time, the zombified Morning Rat took a stance in front of King and prepared its flail-like tail.
The Griffin didn't stand a chance as both monsters unleashed their attacks. The wisps came first, each descending at different intervals.
Even in its weakened state, King managed to evade the first flame. But the second its leg and the third its side, which caused the noble creature to lose its balance.
Then came the spikey tail which made a solid "Crack!" when it smashed directly into the bird's skull.
Roaric's eyes closed as he felt his bond with King shatter. So this was how it would end…
"Alright! Now we have one more to go! It'll be three against one too!"
Naruto cheered, his Zombie Maker visibly relaxing as it sank to the ground and landed on top of the Griffin's body.
"I wanted to crush you with my own power… But it seems you left me with no choice."
Roaric suddenly said, earning a strange look from the adventurer.
Ryozo and the crowd were going ballistic, but Naruto remained focused on his opponent.
Something about what the man said made him uneasy, and a feeling of dread was building up in his gut. Wasn't that Griffin his ace? Naruto also had a supreme advantage, as they would outnumber whatever monster Roaric sent out next.
Also, what did he mean by "my own power"?
Roaric pulled out his third and final Scroll Ball, looked at it with what Naruto could only describe as contempt, before he threw it in the opposite direction.
The orb landed in the tall grass before bursting open, and what came out silenced the entire stadium.
It was massive, twice the length of even Naruto's Basilisk, and donned a metallic hide. The beast, if you could even call it that, looked like a giant metal serpent. Something clicked, and two red lights flashed on its head which simulated eyes.
"Death."
Roaric revealed the name he'd given the titan he'd released.
A loud hum reverberated throughout the stadium as the iron titan opened its mouth-
"T-that's…!"
Megumin jumped up from her seat, her crimson eyes brighter than Kazuma had ever seen them.
Why was this girl acting so surprised?
Kazuma understood the crowd's reaction, as this was probably their first time seeing such a thing in person.
Sure, it was big. But it was common in many fantasy tropes to have "ancient technologies" from lost times present in fantasy stories back in Japan. Just look at the Mobile Fortress Destroyer.
…Maybe he really was becoming desensitized to these things. Did he need a vacation?
"Wizard Predator."
Megumin said, earning the boy's attention again. It seemed she was going to go into detail.
"Much like the Mobile Fortress Destroyer, that thing was made during a lost time and likely destroyed its creator. Even us Crimson Demons avoid confronting them, as it is entirely immune to magic. Hence its name."
The young girl explained while gripping her staff so tight her knuckles turned white.
'T-that's terrifying…!'
Kazuma thought as he turned back to look at the metal serpent in question. He didn't know too much about the Crimson Demons, but if they were all as powerful as Aomidori and they still avoided these things…
How could Naruto's monsters possibly match up to that?
"Heh… Hahaha!"
Megumin suddenly started laughing and flipped her cape, causing it to smack the boy in the face as she was standing right next to him.
"I, Megumin, wielder of the ultimate magic that is Explosion, hereby accept your challenge! Let's see if your so-called 'magic immunity' lives up to its name, Wizard Hunter! Blackness shrouded in-Hey! Lemme go, Kazuma! As a Crimson Demon, I cannot turn a blind eye to such a challenge!"
"What challenge? You're a spectator! Like hell you're going down there! Are you stupid? Did all of the explosions these past few days melt your brain!?"
Kazuma barked as he restrained the Arch Mage of his party who was currently kicking and screaming. That is, until he activated Drain Touch.
"EEEK!? H-h-how dare you sap my energy! Give it back, Kazuma! I promise to behave during the rest of the match!"
Megumin pleaded as the fear of missing out on using Explosion magic at all today trumped her desire to test it on the Wizard Killer.
"You will sit and behave for the rest of the tournament! Then, maybe I'll think about returning your mana."
Kazuma replied with finality, and the mage obediently sat down. Good. Now they could properly enjoy the show.
Or at least as much as one could enjoy watching monsters tearing each other apart.
"Oh, look at that. It's mouth is starting to glow. The humming sound is getting louder too… Hey, should we-"
"Run! Get out of there, Spook!"
Naruto shouted just as a red beam of pure energy burst out of the mechanical beast's mouth.
Spook yelped and tried to fly to the side, but the heat ray was too fast. The Zombie Maker, along with the two corpses next to it, were completely incinerated.
The Wizard Predator snapped its iron jaws shut, cutting off the beam from doing further damage to the field.
Naruto clutched at his heart and gasped for breath, the bond between him and Spook had shattered. It felt like his heart had been stabbed… Was this the side effect of the Beast Bond?
Although their time together had been short, he had developed a bond with the Zombie Maker.
Spook had been very mischievous during their short training hours that morning, and Naruto had been looking forward to pulling off some pranks with the ghost in Axel.
But he failed, and now Spook was gone.
'Thank you for fighting for me, Spook… I'll make sure to avenge you.'
Naruto thought as he looked up at the glowering monster, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a strategy. Even with the raging crowd, he remained laser focused on his target.
He could only use two more beasts, he had to choose wisely.
Jerry and Octi-Boxy had the size and strength, but they were too slow and would likely lose to that mana attack.
Princess had the speed, but Naruto doubted the Lizard Runner would be able to damage that thing's metal hide.
That left Sasuke and that monster… But Naruto had been hoping to use it against Joe in the finals if he could help it.
So, making his decision, Naruto pulled out an orange capsule from his backpack and threw it into the field.
The orb burst, its inner Sealing Jutsu unraveling to reveal the large burnt orange Basilisk that the shinobi had swept his previous opponent with.
"Let's go, Sasuke!"
Naruto shouted and flared his Beast Bond with the giant lizard.
There was a collective movement in the audience as they all equipped their Status Specs.
Sasuke's glowing yellow eyes locked onto the Wizard Predator, its frills standing on end as a low growl gurgled in its throat.
The Petrification Gaze wasn't working… Did that thing even have eyes?
The lack of petrification seemed to unnerve the Basilisk. But Naruto remained calm, his determination filling the reptile with confidence through their bond.
They could win this, so long as they didn't get hit by that beam.
"I figured you would bring out your Basilisk next. It's a shame such a powerful beast is about to be slaughtered before it could reach its full potential."
Roaric commented as he walked over to Naruto, that same expression from earlier still present on his features.
"You seem to hold a lot of respect for monsters, unlike that Leech fellow you're working for. What's up with that guy anyway? Why do you work for him?"
Naruto asked, partially because he was genuinely curious, but also to buy time so he could build a strategy for Sasuke.
Roaric remained silent for a few seconds, his eyes locked on the reptilian beast.
"...I was arrogant, and now I'm paying the price."
The demi-human said before raising his fist into the air, then pointing his thumb down.
The humming noise returned, and the Wizard Predator opened its mouth again.
"Go, Sasuke!"
Naruto ordered, and the Basilisk ran forward. While not as fast as Spook, Sasuke was no slowpoke and slammed its body into the metal beast with all of its mass.
Death was pushed back, its aim now completely thrown off as it fired its attack. The laser went straight up, burning right through the top of the tent.
Sasuke then attempted to bite down on its opponent, but even the Basilisk's teeth couldn't so much as dent the metal plates. The reptile yelped in pain as it pulled back from its failed attack.
Naruto winced and unconsciously brought a hand to his own mouth. More than a few of his monster's teeth had shattered from the impact. That armor was tough…
It was now Death's turn, and the mechanical snake made an attempt to wrap its body around Sasuke. The Basilisk slammed into the head of the snake before it could make its first round, causing it to slide back which gave the lizard enough room to squeeze out.
Unfortunately, this left Sasuke open as Death sunk its jagged fangs into its tail. The larger titan pulled back with an unbelievable strength to drag its prey back into its constriction attempt.
Sasuke's claws dug into the ground, but it was a losing battle.
Pop!
To the surprise of both parties, the Basilisk's tail snapped right off.
With the sudden lack of resistance, Death's head flew back and crashed into the wheat field.
'Well… I didn't see that coming. But we'll make it work!'
Naruto thought while smiling wryly as he looked at the severed tail that was still wriggling in the metal beast's mouth.
"Enough of this nonsense. You delay the inevitable, boy."
Roaric said and brought his thumb down again, prompting the Wizard Predator to start charging its mana attack once more.
Naruto's face paled. Sasuke was too far to stop the attack this time, which left them with one option.
"Quick! Underground!"
The shinobi shouted, and Sasuke began to furiously claw at the ground. Would they make it in time?
The humming intensified before Death fired its mana laser, the red beam headed right towards the Basilisk.
Boom!
Due to the soft piles of dirt Sasuke had shoved to the side in its escape attempt, the impact of the beam caused an eruption of dust.
The audience held their breath in anticipation. Did the Basilisk escape? Or had it been incinerated?
The dust dissipated to reveal nothing but a gaping hole in the ground.
"It has to charge its attack again! Now's our chance!"
Naruto yelled, a grin forming on his face as the earth next to the Wizard Predator cracked. The Basilisk resurfaced and pounced onto the back of the metal serpent, successfully pinning its head to the ground.
With a mighty roar, Sasuke repeatedly smashed its opponent's head into the ravaged land.
But as powerful as the Basilisk was, the iron hide of the Wizard Predator proved to be too durable.
'What is that thing made of… Adamantite?'
Naruto thought when a sliver of light caught his eye, and a wave of dread hit him like a brick.
In the midst of the brutal beating the mechanical beast was taking, its tail was slowly rising from the other side of the Basilisk.
"Sa-"
The name barely left Naruto's mouth as the tail shifted into a blade and drove right into Sasuke's stomach.
The Basilisk wailed in pain as its entire body was lifted off of the ground, the makeshift knife plunging deeper and deeper.
In a desperate act to free itself, the reptile shot out a Petrification beam from its eyes. This proved to be a fatal mistake.
The green lasers bounced right off of the Wizard Predator's face and right back to Sasuke.
Within seconds, the Basilisk's entire body was petrified.
Bzzzzt!
Naruto could only helplessly watch as his monster was brutally shattered by the enemy's mana blast, the beam reducing the Basilisk's form to dust and carrying the ashes off into the sky.
Pain shot through Naruto's chest as the bond between man and beast was severed.
They were so close… Now Sasuke was gone too.
"Don't forget what I told you, rookie."
Roaric started, bringing the shinobi out of his thoughts. The man was staring down at the younger boy with cold eyes.
"You have potential, I see that now. But you underestimated the Nuzloft Challenge. This is the first time you've experienced the loss of a bond, I presume. This is why you and the chief's son will lose. You're both too young and inexperienced when it comes to Beast Taming to know what true loss feels like, and it will cloud your judgment. Now, send out your last monster. Out of the respect you have earned in this battle, I will make its death quick."
The beastly man finished before turning back to look at his own monster, his eyes reflecting something familiar to the shinobi.
There was more to that man than he was letting on, but Naruto would have to worry about that later.
Fight now, grieve later.
'Okay, I can use one more monster. But can I really use that one? It's immune to magic…'
Naruto's thoughts trailed off when something started pulling on his senses. Whatever it was drew him to his bag, and he reached inside and pulled out the Scroll Ball that contained the last monster he had caught.
Even while sealed away, it was still able to reach out to him.
"You want out, huh… Alright... Let's go, Kiki!"
Naruto shouted and threw the Scroll Ball a few feet in front of him. The orb hit the ground and burst open, and a ball of white fur squoze out.
The crowd went silent for the second time in the fight.
Roaric's eyes went wide, which was surprising in of itself considering the lack of emotion the man had been showing.
"You… What is your luck stat?"
"It's pretty high, I guess. Why?"
Naruto responded with a shrug, prompting the larger man's left eye to twitch.
"Because… That monster is-"
"Kikiiiii! It's here!"
Darkness jumped up from her seat and shrieked, shocking her teammates from the sudden outburst.
The knight had been so quiet during the fight until now, they had assumed she'd fallen asleep again.
"It looks like a fox, but… No, wait. It has multiple tails!"
Kazuma noted as he studied the appearance of Naruto's final monster.
It had the appearance of a very fluffy white fox, but Kazuma counted not just one, but eight tails with colored tips!
Without a doubt it was a Kitsune!
In Japanese folklore, Kitsune were mischievous fox spirits that took the shape of beautiful women to play pranks or to seduce high ranking men.
Could this be the fox girl he was hoping to find in this godforsaken village!?
'Wait… That Kitsune is about to go up against that giant metal monster that's apparently immune to magic!'
Kazuma thought, his face turning green.
"Come on, Kiki! Beat that tin-can!"
"Oh! Kazuma recognizes how cute that fluffy fox is too, huh? We're cheering for you, Kiki!"
Darkness's eyes sparkled as she and Kazuma cheered together.
"The small face, the soft poofy fur, and those precious little paws… Ah! I just want to smother her!"
The knight cooed while hugging the air with a glazed face.
Megumin stared at her party members with a bizarre expression. It was clear Kazuma had some scummy thoughts swimming around in his head, that much was to be expected.
But what caught her so surprised was the fact that Darkness seemed genuinely infatuated with the magical creature… In a normal way!
"Who are you, and what have you done with Darkness? Are you perchance the Kitsune!? I heard that they can disguise themselves as beautiful women... How dare you turn into one of my companions and act so cute and out of character!"
The Arch Mage barked and pounced on Darkness, causing the Crusader to balk.
"I-implying I'm not normally cute!? How dare you, Megumin!"
"How would anyone consider your usual tendencies to be cute!?"
While the two girls wrestled on the floor, Kazuma ignored them and continued cheering for his fox girl. Hopefully his cheering would reach her! He was about to become a rich man, right? With his status as an accomplished adventurer and his mansion, one would also consider Kazuma Satou to be a man of high status, right?
Completely unbothered by the revelation of the Kitsune and her party member's antics, Aqua rested her hand on her chin and sighed.
When was Naruto going to use Jerry?
"Heh, I knew Kiki was something special! Hahaha!"
Naruto said and let out a hearty laugh, and his monster held its head up high as if to say "Of course!".
"..."
Roaric was speechless. It was honestly amazing how lucky this boy was, and he didn't even seem to realize it.
Finding a Kitsune in the Ancient Acres was rare enough in of itself, but to think Naruto had found one that had eight tails! As a first encounter, no less!
But-
"As amazing as this is, it still doesn't matter in the end… Even a mythical Kitsune with many tails cannot compete with a Wizard Predator, which is immune to magic."
Roaric said, his head lowered in sorrow. He would have loved to have fought this magical creature with his own power, but their fate was already sealed.
Kiki trotted forward a couple steps and growled up at the Wizard Predator.
"That's Kistune for 'I don't care! We're gonna win'! Show them what you can do, Kiki!"
Naruto exclaimed before pointing towards the metallic leviathan, and his monster turned into a blur of speed.
Roaric's eyes couldn't keep up as the fox disappeared and reappeared in different parts of the field. As expected of a mythical monster, but its speed was useless in the presence of the Wizard Predator that was immune to all things magic.
Death's mechanical maw opened, releasing a grinding noise that could be interpreted as a roar. It then swung its tail horizontally in a wide scale attempt at catching its nimble foe.
Half of the wheat field was completely swept away as the iron appendage brushed over the land.
Kiki reappeared in the air above its opponent's head, having jumped over the slow attack. One of its tails flicked downward, and a bolt of lightning struck the Wizard Predator with a loud "crack!".
"So it's true… With each tail the Kitsune sprouts, comes a mastery of an element."
Roaric said as he took note of the different colors on the tips of the Kitsune's tails. It just used the yellow tail to produce a thunderbolt, which left seven other elements the creature wielded.
"Amongst other things."
Naruto added cryptically, a mischievous smirk growing on his face when Roaric looked at him.
The smoke from the bolt of electricity disappeared, showing that the mechanical snake remained unharmed. Its metal plates were glowing a soft green hue before the color was replaced by a harsh red as it opened its mouth wide.
"Time to move!"
Naruto yelped, ushering his Kitsune to use its other powers. Being suspended in the air, they were vulnerable to that mana beam.
But not for long!
Kiki flicked its grey tipped tail, which created a powerful gust of wind that propelled it out of the way just as the red laser shot out of the Wizard Predator's jaw. The beam burned right through the roof of the magical tent.
The fox landed safely on the ground before flickering out of existence once more.
Roaric and his metal beast looked back and forth, both trying to catch more than a glimpse of the magical creature.
Crash!
A flaming boulder smashed onto the side of the Wizard Predator's face. It lashed its knife-like tail out in response, but it hit nothing but dirt as a second boulder hit the other side of its head.
'Lightning, wind, earth, and fire… What else can you do?'
Roaric thought with narrowed eyes. The fight was dragging on longer than he preferred, but he wanted to know what the mythical Kitsune was capable of before wiping it out.
It was a rare occurrence that a monster held an affinity toward even a single element, with light being the rarest and most powerful. That's why King had been his ace.
The thought of a monster holding an affinity towards eight different elements was truly terrifying.
The iron snake coiled into itself to better defend against the smoldering rocks. It then spun outward in a spiraling motion in a surprising burst of speed for something so large.
"Youch!"
Naruto yelped as he and Roaric shielded their eyes as dust and chopped up wheat blew past them. A rock had hit him square in the head.
When they opened their eyes, Kiki was nowhere to be found.
"I told you tamers weren't safe in high level battles, Golden Rookie."
Roaric commented, seemingly unfazed by the scrapes he'd obtained from the debris on his own form. He then felt something wash over his feet, and the demi-human looked down to see water trailing towards the center of the arena.
"Oh, I know. I'm completely prepared this time. Are you?"
Naruto responded with a cheeky grin when he suddenly exploded in a poof of smoke.
Taken aback from the weird Skill the hero candidate had just displayed, Roaric looked around in pursuit of both his opponent and their monster. But when he turned around, his eyes widened.
"Oh, hell-"
The Beast Tamer began to say as he was swallowed up by a large body of water.
Kiki rode atop of the wave, her blue tipped tail glowing brightly as it crashed into the Wizard Predator just before it could fire off its next mana beam.
But the attack didn't stop there as the light blue tipped tail flicked forward, and the water surrounding the metal serpent instantly froze.
A cold mist shrouded the arena, causing the temperature to drop profusely.
For added measures, Kiki raised its seventh tail which was glowing a vivid green, and roots erupted from the ground which proceeded to wrap themselves around the frozen serpent.
Roaric coughed the water out of his lungs and looked up to see Naruto watching the battle with that same grin on his face. It seemed he'd let his guard down AND his opponent saved him… What a blunder.
'Water, ice, and nature too…'
The man noted as he picked himself off of the ground. The Kitsune had commanded the water from the stream, and froze the Wizard Predator in place.
It pained him to admit, but Roaric would have lost to this mythical being. Even King wouldn't have stood a chance against the Kitsune's sheer speed and versatility.
"It seems I was wrong about you, Naruto Uzumaki. I acknowledge your abilities to tame beasts."
Roaric said, his eyes losing the viciousness that had been present since the start of the battle. But his expression remained hard, for regardless of how he felt, the outcome of this battle would remain the same.
Naruto raised an eyebrow and was about to question his foe, but the ice suddenly started shaking violently.
The Wizard Predator, encased in its icy prison, began to glow a molten orange.
"Overcharge."
Roaric stated the name of his "monster's" most powerful ability. An attack that redirected all of the magic the protective shield had absorbed back at its opponent in a burst of heat. He and Naruto would be far enough to avoid any fatal injuries, but the Kitsune would be wiped out.
Naruto felt a collection of mana that was comparable to even that of Explosion magic. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought Megumin was secretly piloting that thing from the inside.
It seemed his opponent was pulling their trump card.
"Kiki! It's time to turn out the lights!"
So they would do the same!
Kiki appeared at the edge of the crumpled ruins and raised its eighth tail, which was colored black. A large amount of mana condensed into a dark sphere at the tip of its tail which seemed to be causing the very air around it to become distorted.
The more mana that was condensed, the stronger the distortions became.
Kiki's most powerful technique, which Naruto dubbed "Dark Abyss", because the attack absorbed anyone and anything it came into contact with without any signs of stopping until the fox stopped the attack.
"Let's see you resist this!"
Naruto shouted and signaled for their attack, prompting the Kitsune to launch the mass of dark energy toward its opponent.
At the same time, the ice encasing the Wizard Predator erupted with a flare of heated mana.
Ice melted, water evaporated, and vines were incinerated as the scorching heat wave expanded outward from the mechanical beast.
The attacks collided, resulting in a shockwave that shook the entire arena.
Aomidori shouted something incomprehensible, working together with her summoned demon to create a large purple barrier that encased the arena to shield the audience.
Fiery mana clashed with shadows, each element fighting for dominance over the other.
What was left of the wheat field turned to ash while chunks of earth were ripped right out of the ground and sent hurtling into the air. But everything seemed to slow down, and the chunks of rock and dirt began to shift towards the fire.
The flames themselves started swirling and appeared to be shrinking in size until it was a thin twister with the Dark Abyss at the center.
Roaric opened his eyes when the blinding light became bearable to find that he had been encased in what looked like a golden… mouth? He then looked at Naruto himself to find that the boy's form was covered in the same glowing hue. The god-like aura felt powerful, but at the same time it radiated warmth and made the man feel safe.
It was breathtaking.
"Is this… The rumored power you used to destroy the Mobile Fortress Destroyer?"
"Yup. Say hello to Kurama, the demon fox I have sealed inside of me. You're lucky he wasn't eligible for this tournament."
Naruto responded with a snicker, earning a grunt from the tailed beast before the golden chakra dispersed and the shinobi's form reverted back to normal.
Roaric had anticipated this man's strength to be impressive, but this was beyond anything he could imagine. As expected of a hero candidate.
But like he had stated before, none of that mattered in the Nuzloft Challenge.
"Looks like our attacks canceled each other out."
Roaric noted as he and Naruto watched the Dark Abyss absorb the remnants of the Overdrive before disappearing itself.
Kiki was panting, likely running low on mana.
'That attack really drains her…'
Naruto thought with a frown and looked at the Wizard Predator, which didn't seem to be faring any better.
The mechanical beast was red hot and steaming from the heat it had expended.
The shinobi frowned. With that kind of heat, Kiki wouldn't even be able to touch it. She probably only use a few more skills before running out of mana completely which would leave her defenseless.
He didn't want to lose, but he also didn't want to lose Kiki… It was hard enough losing Spook and Sasuke.
Also, Darkness seemed to have taken quite a liking to the little fox. She'd probably be really sad if Kiki was slain.
'I already proved myself to Roaric… Maybe that's enou-'
Naruto's thoughts cut off when his eyes met with Kiki's, and a strange sensation washed over him.
Another illusion? No… It was more powerful than that. It was Kiki's emotions traveling into him through their Beast Bond. Pride, determination, satisfaction, triumph… These were the feelings that Naruto felt while staring into the golden irises of the Kitsune.
Naruto chuckled and shook his head. Of course Kiki would want to finish this fight. They were pretty similar in that way, which is why they bonded so easily. Even without the Beast Bond, Naruto felt that he and Kitsune would have become great partners like he and Jerry.
Sensing its master's mirrored resolve, Kiki turned back to its opponent to see a blazing hot knife the size of a tree hurtling towards it.
The fox yelped and jumped out of the way and managed to escape being cleaved in half, but the sheer heat of the metal singed its fur. Having used so much of her energy, the fox was beginning to slow down.
Kiki's light blue tail glowed, and a magical veil of ice coated its form to combat the intense temperature.
'We need to do something about that knife.'
Naruto thought when he heard a clicking noise. He squinted his eyes and saw a very small, but also very distinct crack in the metal. A ball of excitement welded up in his gut.
"They're looking pretty hot, Kiki! Cool them off, will ya?"
The shinobi shouted while fanning himself with his hand.
The Wizard Predator stabbed the ground where the Kitsune had been standing, to which the fox retaliated with a flick of its light blue tail.
An icy wind washed over the blade, cooling it off a good amount until it was completely covered in ice.
Snap!
When the Wizard Predator retracted its tail from the ground, more than half of the metal snapped right off.
Naruto didn't really get it, but the hot metal seemed to become weaker after suddenly becoming cold. There was no magic barrier right now either, this was their chance!
Roaric sucked his teeth. After using Overdrive, the magic barrier turned off while the beast cooled down. He needed to end things quickly before they caused any more irreparable damage.
The demi-human raised his fist and made a thumbs down, prompting a loud buzzing noise to reverberate from the Wizard Predator's form as it opened its mouth.
Naruto cursed. He was hoping they'd get more time to wear down the mechanical beast before it could use that mana beam again, but it looked like his opponent wasn't going to let the battle drag out any longer.
"Give it all you've got, Kiki!"
The shinobi shouted, and the Kitsune landed on the ground and planted its paws firmly.
Taking in a deep breath, the light blue tipped tail began to glow violently until its icy hue covered the fox's entire body. It then let forth a beam from its mouth that seemed to summon a full blown blizzard.
Death fired its mana laser, and once again, there was a powerful clash of magic.
Luckily for Naruto and Kiki, the Wizard Predator seemed to be lower on power as the energy it was outputting was pitiful compared to its earlier showcases. But it was still strong enough to combat, and even push the fox's attack back.
Inch by inch, the laser grew closer to the Kitsune.
A bead of sweat rolled down Naruto's cheek, his anticipation growing as he watched his beast struggle to maintain its attack.
Roaric lowered his head. It had been a glorious battle, one that he would remember for the rest of his days. But it was over.
. . .
A profound stillness suddenly enveloped him. All was quiet, except for the faint echo of a droplet hitting a body of water.
The arena was gone, the crowds were gone, even Naruto was gone. All that was left was Roaric in an endless sea of darkness.
He felt an inexplicable feeling of tranquility, despite the obvious alarming situation he found himself in.
Wherever he was, it felt sacred.
Thank you.
Roaric now found himself standing in front of the Kitsune.
Its soft, celestial voice protruded into his very mind. Telepathy.
Ye who have suffered many hardships in this life, fret not. Thy burden shall be lifted.
The voice of the Kitsune continued, its nine tails swishing back and forth behind its body.
…Wait, nine?
Roaric blinked and found that he was back in reality, standing next to Naruto whose eyes were wide. Did he see a vision too?
Turning back to the fight, the demi-human's jaw dropped in awe.
Kiki's body was now shrouded in a brilliant yellow light, with countless particles dancing around its form. A ninth tail now populated on its frame, and it held a golden colored tip.
At that moment, the icy blue stream coming out of its mouth turned yellow. It was as if Kiki's body turned into light itself as she was seemingly absorbed into the beam.
Resembling Yunyun's signature spell, Light of Saber, Kiki's light-like form cut right through the mana laser and pierced through the Wizard Predator's skull.
Now with a gaping hole in its head, the mechanical beast twitched as the lights in its eyes flashed on and off. It then fell to the ground with a loud crash, the buzzing sound trailing off for good.
Both contenders, along with the entire audience, were at a loss for words.
The first to recover was Ryozo, who was currently holding his wife on his back as she seemed to be suffering from mana exhaustion.
"T-there you have it, folks! With an unbelievable display of strategy and wit, Naruto Uzumaki is moving onto the finals!"
The man was basically frothing at the mouth as he announced the results.
This brought the audience out of their shocked states and they roared with cheers.
Naruto let out a long sigh. That had been a stressful match for sure. He was going to miss Spook and Sasuke, but he was glad Kiki made it out alright.
Speaking of, where in the world did that Kitsune go? He still felt their Beast Bond, although it was faint…
Looking up at the roof of the tent, Naruto flinched when he saw the fox-shaped hole.
...He wasn't going to have to pay for that, was he?
"Naruto Uzumaki."
The shinobi was pulled out of his thoughts when Roaric spoke to him. The man had a smile on his face, albeit small. But it was kind of offsetting given the constant glares that seemed to be the default on that guy's face.
"That was an amazing battle. Though I won't go into detail, you and your Kitsune have spared me from a fate that I have long since accepted. Just as I do in my defeat. May we battle again sometime."
Roaric said with a short nod of his head before he turned away and walked towards the waiting rooms to gather his belongings.
Naruto grinned. He didn't really get it, but it looked like Roaric didn't hate his guts anymore. That was good.
"Alright, everyone! Due to unforeseen circumstances, we're going to go on a short break so my poor Aomidori can recover from her mana exhaustion. In the meantime, please check out Nuzloft's world famous Fire Salamander Kabobs! We're having a sale!"
Naruto heard Ryozo announce as he walked towards his waiting room. He was getting pretty hungry… Maybe he'd feed Jerry the fish Aqua gave him now.
A/N: Woohoo~ Another chapter at long last! School has been kicking my butt… I've placed myself on a strict schedule which has been leaving my brain fried. But here you have it, folks! Let me know what you think of the conclusion of the semi-finals!
On a side note, the poll is looking quite interesting. Visit my profile if you haven't voted on it already! :D
Also, I've been having a blast updating the story on Wattpad. I wish I could post pictures here on Fanfiction… There's a really good picture of Yunyun I generated with AI art, one of Aqua crying while covered in slime, and a rivalry shot of Naruto and Megumin that looks really cool! But I digress. Link in my profile. lol
Spirit out!
