Personal Note: I didn't really realize it's been a year since the last chapter, I apologize about that. I haven't really been in the best mental state for a while, and everything I wrote kinda just felt like another addition to the pile, instead of something I really enjoyed working on.
I probably finished this chapter like, 10 months ago? I have about 17 chapters I could release, a mix of new fics and updates, but I haven't been well honestly. I am getting help, so that's at least something. I figured I at least owed this chapter to those who are still waiting. And if you dropped this for one reason or another, I'm sorry I couldn't live up to the expectations. Except those that are just rude as shit, go punch sand.
Don't know if it'll get updated again, or if anyone cares if it gets updated again, lmao. Anyhow, until next time I suppose.
Story Note: I know I haven't been super consistent about where exactly we are in the timeline, and well, that's because I wasn't sure myself. When I wrote the outline, I said like a month before canon starts. So yeah, we're probably a few weeks away from when canon is supposed to start. Might've been moving a bit slowly because let's be honest here, like who gives a shit about canon. We've all read ten different variants of Riser vs Rias or shit like that.
If y'all are interested in joining a community of readers and several talented authors, consider joining AizenTheGoat's Discord server.
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改行
-Chapter 15-
Live for the Fight.
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The last couple of days had gone way better than the former blond could've predicted. Generally speaking, they'd done pretty well for themselves. Despite the rather awkward way that Saeko had been introduced to the supernatural, she was actually doing more than well adjusting to it.
Probably because she'd had the sacred gear for a while, and always suspected something was wrong with her, but then getting to learn she was more than alright was likely a key factor in how good her mood had been since.
Veldora and Kurama, the heavy hitters on the team, well… The most destructive of them, at least. They seemed to get along just fine, even if the former Bijuu often thought about strangling the son of Tannin.
The thought made him chuckle as he looked over Kuoh Park from on top of a hill, the cloak with the Sitri insignia slightly swaying in the chill evening air as he looked over the place.
This was where everything was going to go down in a couple of hours. Sona had personally overseen it, and all parties had agreed to this specific spot, and now… He just had to wait.
He hated waiting, always had. And there wasn't much to do about it, the match was scheduled for midnight after all.
"You seem rather calm considering there is supposed to be a huge battle here later."
Naruto blinked at the sudden remark as he turned around and watched the father of Saeko climb up the hill, a slight grunt escaping his lips as he took a stand on his right, "Hmm, well, technically it's not here. It'll be like a similar space created identically to this one. It'd be rather difficult to explain to normal people why there are dragons flying around."
A chuckle escaped Kage's lips as he crossed his arms over his chest, "I suppose that is indeed the truth."
"Anything I can help you with?" Naruto questioned with a curious expression.
The man remained silent for a couple of seconds, "Perhaps, I was just wondering about some stuff. I walked over to your place, but your… Queen, I think it was, told me you had gone out here to process some thoughts about the upcoming game."
Naruto nodded slowly, "Oh, yeah. Just trying to get an overview of the overall field we're going to fight in."
"Would that not be considered cheating by your opponent?" Kage asked next.
With a shake of his head, Naruto responded, "We've both been told when and where. We're allowed to make the preparations that we need, since in a real fight, there isn't really any cheating. Of course, there are probably some ground rules, but this is totally fine."
The older man seemed content with the answer, "So what are you thinking?"
"About the fight?"
When the man nodded, Naruto continued.
"Well, there is three main battlefields. The pond on the left, the fountain in the middle, and the woods on the right. Given that both peerages have someone that almost guaranteed got a type of transformation… they're going to fight on the left side. The knight are most likely going to try and take advantage of the woods on the right." He answered.
Kage looked amused, "Why?"
Scratching the back of his head, Naruto thought it over, "Well, the pond is on the left. Trying to have three people undergoing a transformation fight in the woods seems bad. It's restrictive. So they will most likely make use of the open space, while the knights can take advantage of the woods by using the terrain. The trees for cover, branches for high ground, stuff like that."
Nodding his head, Kage couldn't help but admit the boy was probably right. Though, there was one thing he was not mentioned yet, "You forgot the fountain in the middle. I hope you know that is a poor move."
"I haven't forgotten. I'm just unsure, that's all."
"Perhaps I can help give some perspective?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto looked toward the fountain with a minor indicating nod of his head, "The middle of battlefields is typically a key point in a war. That's at least what my father told me. If you control the middle, you control how forces can regroup or send reinforcements to all the other battlefields."
The man hummed, "And you don't think you can take control of it?"
Naruto let out a couple of laughs, "I think I'm more than capable. I just don't know if I should be there, instead of in the woods. Your daughter is not used to supernatural battles yet, but at the same time, I don't want to undermine her ability to adapt and overcome such a challenge."
Kage sighed, "My opinions differ since I'm both a father and a teacher of the sword. While I don't want my child to get hurt, there is one saying that you can't ignore. Failure is the greatest teacher."
"You want me to set her up to fail?" Naruto asked with a skeptical look.
The man looked confused as he shook his head, "No, but you got to realize that holding her hand throughout it all is only going to be a limiter in the future. She won't learn to go beyond her limits if you're constantly there to save her."
Naruto sighed as he thought it over, "Just letting her loose… Isn't going to help either, not that I think that the match is predetermined, but I feel like I should be a guide for her. I'm supposed to be the leader after all."
"What you say is correct, but you forget one thing," Kage answered as he gave the younger man a look. Inwardly being a bit surprised that a 'devil' was acting so humane, it was almost as unsettling as it was reassuring.
The dark-haired boy raised a brow, "Which is?"
Kage cleared his throat, "If we look at it like kendo, this is a match or even a tournament. Both would suffice for the image I'm trying to paint. You do not train during the competition but for the competition."
"So you're saying I didn't teach her enough?"
With a shake of his head, Kage clarified, "No, I'm saying that it's a result of unfortunate timing. You didn't have time to properly teach what scale the battle would be, and how she should prepare for it. That's not on you, but it'd be worth keeping in mind, before a second match."
Naruto sighed as he leaned up against a tree and closed his eyes, "While I could probably go in there on my own and win, it's not how it's supposed to be. I want everyone to get something out of this, and not just the credits of being part of the winning team."
"Experience is indeed important," Kage mused, before a question resurfaced in his head, "I have a question for you, something I've been wondering about for a while now. It's up to you whether or not you want to answer it."
"Sure, go ahead," Naruto responded with a curious expression on his face.
The man didn't say anything for a bit. Mentally trying to find himself a way to properly formulate a question that wouldn't be insulting, but given that this was an entirely new world to him as well… He didn't know what would be considered appropriate.
In the end, he decided to just say fuck it. The boy had appeared humane enough and was pretty easy going, plus, the people he got in his peerage was pretty open-minded, so he put his money on the boy being open to the kind of question he had in mind.
Clearing his throat, Kage asked him, "How powerful are you really?"
Naruto stared at him for a bit before he burst out laughing, "That's it?"
"What do you mean with 'that's it'?" Kage questioned with a thoroughly annoyed expression.
Wiping a tear away from the corner of his eye, Naruto calmed down enough, "Sorry, sorry. It's just that you looked so serious and calculating, like you were going to ask me something like… I don't know, if I had killed someone before."
"Have you?" Kage asked, with a miniscule amount of humor present in the tone of his voice.
Naruto shrugged, "That is a tricky question to answer."
"What?"
Waving his hands, Naruto leaned forward and walked toward the edge of the hill, "To answer your first question, hmm, in terms of raw power I'm probably not as powerful as I used to be." He mused.
"As you used to be?" Kage asked with a surprised tone.
'Crap…' Naruto inwardly cursed, realizing he'd probably given away too much already. Then again, the man had said he didn't have to answer if he didn't want to be, but that would likely not ease the worries in his head.
He wasn't obliged to tell the man anything, yet at the same time, having kept it a secret from everyone since he was reborn… Well, with the exception of Kurama, it was tiring.
No one really knew who he was aside the former Bijuu, and it wasn't like he intended to keep it a secret forever. Maybe, well, perhaps he was scared to see how they'd react.
Couldn't be easy knowing that your friend, sibling, or something else… Isn't really who you thought they were.
"Are you able to keep a secret?" Naruto asked in a soft tone.
Kage nodded his head slowly, "I am. Though, is it a secret that'd harm my family in any way?"
Shaking his head, Naruto replied, "Probably not. At least not in any way that I'm aware of. It's more of a personal thing that I haven't really told anyone about yet, because I'm not sure how to go about it."
The older man remained silent for a bit before he got an idea, "You can consider me a test subject then. You have my word that I'll remain silent about it, unless, it should prove to be a threat to me or my daughter. If that is to be the case in the near future, I'll have to do what I can to ensure our safety."
"Which is fair." Naruto chuckled, "Well, it's going to sound outlandish but… I'm not really from here. This world. And I don't mean in the sense that I'm a devil and all that."
Kage looked surprised, "You're from a completely different world?"
Naruo nodded in a slow manner, "Hard to explain, because I'm not sure how. To answer both your questions from earlier, I'm probably not as strong as I used to be in that world yet. And whether or not I have killed anyone? You could say that. The world I'm from, is… less forgiving than this one."
"What happened?" Kage asked with interest.
The former blond chuckled sourly, "There was a great war. Our enemy aimed to enslave the world, in simple terms at least. It was a bit deeper than that, but our goal was to stop them. We were a world that was built upon conflict, but we managed to find common ground and ally ourselves against one common enemy."
Seeing where this was going, the older man frowned, "Did you lose?"
Naruto shook his head, "We managed to win, but that wasn't the end of it. Something from my past came back to haunt me, a… friend, who lost his way, aimed to kill me because he believed our system was broken. I guess he was right. What happened to him, should never have happened. In the end, I couldn't bring myself to kill my friend, but he was too far gone, and I died as a result of my own actions. We never managed to undo the damage our former enemy had done."
"What exactly did they do to your world?"
The dark-haired devil smiled bitterly again, "It was a technique that'd use the moon to reflect a technique on our world, put us all inside one big illusion. Well, a dream world. They cast the technique, and through luck a few of us managed to avoid it. My friend and I took down the enemy and sealed her away, but when we were supposed to undo the technique that was used to capture our world, he wanted to fight. And I lost. I can't know what happened after, it's very possible I doomed everyone and they're still trapped."
The father of his knight stood with a blank expression before he sighed softly and placed a reassuring hand on the young man's shoulder, "Were you much older than you are now?"
Naruto shook his head, "I had just turned seventeen."
"To die at such a young age. I'm very sorry to hear all that happened." The man spoke softly.
He shrugged, "As I said, that world wasn't forgiving."
"You haven't told anyone else about it yet?" Kage asked as he took the hand away.
He shook his head again, "Not yet. I don't know how I'd do it. Though my queen knows about it, he's from the same world. Ironically enough he used to be a giant demon fox that was sealed inside me so I could keep the world safe from him. Now we're best friends."
"That's a… unique friendship." The man chuckled.
Naruto nodded with a grin, "Sure is. He can be grumpy and annoying, but I know he got my back." The Sitri paused, "I just don't know how to tell anyone else. My family, peerage, and friends. They know me as Naruto Sitri, what would they say once they know I'm just an imposter?"
"But are you really an imposter though?" The man questioned.
"What do you mean?"
The older man sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, "You speak of them as friends and family. Sounds like to me that you've accepted them long ago. I can't say how everyone would react, but as long as you're genuine and accepts who you are now… There isn't much else you can do, and the rest is up to them."
"Well, I guess I'll have to do it sooner than later. Though, I think I will wait until after the game. We need to win after all, and being distracted isn't going to help." He smiled.
Kage raised an amused brow, "You sound plenty distracted already. Isn't that going to be a problem?"
Naruto gave him a stare before smirking, "Normally? Probably, yeah. Don't worry though, I'm the strongest. We'll be fine, even if I have to beat them all on my own."
"Don't rely too much on yourself, you got a team after all."
The former blond grimaced at that, "I know, I know…"
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The next couple of hours passed by in a flash. The 'pep talk' with Saeko's father had helped him a ton already. For some reason, it felt good that at least one person knew who he was, and while Kurama for good reason was already aware, it didn't feel like it fully counted.
With the reaction he'd gotten from someone of Kage's caliber and heritage, he'd felt more confident in potentially telling people the truth in the future.
Also with how devils already used their knowledge and technology to reincarnate people of other races, perhaps it wasn't too farfetched. The weirdest part of him was just that he was from another world, but then again, this world in itself was anything but normal with dimensional gaps and dragons controlling aspects of reality itself flying around in a dimensional gap existing outside space and time.
When the time for the rating game came along, Naruto was now wearing the cloak he'd been gifted by his father. The idle wind swayed the fabric as he crossed his arms over his chest.
They just had to wait for Seekvaira to get here now. He and Sona were already there, and his peerage was gathered around him. A bit away from them, stood Kage and Lord Sitri who were engaged in a small conversation before the game started.
It was clear that there was a bit of a nervous atmosphere among them, but he figured it was normal. It was their first time participating in something like this, but he was confident they had what it took.
"Naruto, may I have a word?"
The dark-haired devil raised a surprised brow as he turned around to see the latest addition to their team eyeing him with curiosity, "Sure, what's up?"
Saeko gathered her hands at her front as a thoughtful expression fell upon her features, "I spoke with my father. He let me know that he and you had a talk about me, and I'd like to speak with you about it."
"In regard to the game?" Naruto asked to clarify.
She nodded, "Yes, he mentioned that I should treat this like a kendo tournament and that you holding my hand wouldn't be as much in my favor as we'd perhaps thought it'd be."
The Sitri let out a gentle sigh as he rubbed his neck, "Sorry, it appears I have a lot to learn still."
Saeko just smiled as she touched his arm, "Don't worry, we'll learn together as we go."
Deciding to interrupt the moment, Veldora swung an arm over each of their necks and grinned at the master of the peerage, "So if she goes solo in on the action, what will you do? Going to kick ass with Kurama and I, ha?"
"Eavesdropping is not nice," Naruto replied with a twitching brow, "And no… I realize that I'm the one here that knows the most about these games because I'm already a devil. I'll hold the backline and observe, give the three of you a chance to learn, but if anything looks the least out of order I'll come and help."
An almost aggravated sigh could be heard from the peerage's Queen as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Despite how much I hate to say it, you're right. I'm not fond of admitting defeat, but you're the strongest here with the most versatile way of getting around. And if you're set on letting us learn the devils' sport you'd serve better as backup…"
Naruto just smirked at him, "Don't worry, I'll save your ass if you get hurt."
"Don't make me hurt you brat…" Kurama grunted.
Before the time user could retort, a bright light-blue magic circle illuminated the area. As it cleared, Naruto smirked at the sight of his cousin as she walked forward with her two peerage members in tow.
Which was also the first time he got a proper look at them.
The one on her right, which he assumed to be the Queen. A young man with black hair named Alivian, and oddly enough wearing a butler's uniform, but he wouldn't let that fool him. Much like Veldora, this guy was a dragon.
Perhaps not one with a reputation as great as Tannin's, but it'd still be dumb of him to disregard him as a threat just because he wasn't as well known.
The one to her left had to be her knight, a young woman with long chestnut-colored hair named Bafeel Furcas, who was also wearing a suit… He was starting to wonder if Seekvaira had a thing for that type of outfit, but he just shrugged it off.
While his cousin's queen was unknown to him, the knight wasn't. He'd been sparring with Sairaorg Bael countless times, and they were friendly with each other.
So he'd met his peerage. And thus, in conclusion, he knew that the woman in question was the younger sister of Sairaorg's own knight. Which would likely be to his advantage, because he knew how they fought.
Their family was practically a clan of horse tamers, so they often fought as a traditional knight would.
"You're finally here, I was almost scared you'd run off." Naruto teased with a grin.
Seekvaira just flicked her long hair over her shoulder as she returned a smirk of her own, "Scared? That'd only make one of us then."
He snickered as he looked at her peerage again, "I thought you had a thing for mechs, not suits."
The young lady's face flushed as she pushed up her glasses, "Shut it you delinquent… It's just proper fashion and attire for my house's status and work, nothing more."
"Uh huh, and I dye my hair…" He said with a smirk, not believing a word she said.
Before their bickering could get worse, Sona cleared her throat, "How about we leave that for the game?"
"Fine by me," Naruto responded with a casual shrug of his shoulders.
"Agreed," Seekvaira added yet shot a glare in his direction.
Sona nodded her head, "Alright if the two of you would go stand with your respective peerage. The arena is ready for the game to start, so unless our spectators would like to say some words of encouragement, all that's left to do is get started." She finished as she readjusted her glasses.
As if it was their cue, Lord Sitri, and Kage made their way over to Naruto's peerage, the young leader scratching the back of his head as his father smiled at the sight of his son wearing their family crest.
"I'd wish you luck, but I know you don't need it. I'm very proud of you, son." The man said in a gentle tone as he placed a reassuring hand on the young man's shoulder.
Naruto looked a bit surprised as he scratched the back of his head, "Thanks… I'll win, no doubt about it."
He chuckled, "I don't doubt you will, now go on and show your cousin a fair fight. I've been looking forward to seeing you in action, I know you have several tricks up your sleeve." Josiah smirked.
As his father left, he turned his glance to Seekvaira and nodded his head in respect, "I wish you luck, may it be a good match."
Seekvaira looked a tad bit surprised as she bowed her head, "Thank you, Lord Sitri."
"Both peerages ready?" Sona's queen, Tsubaki, asked.
The two cousins shared a look before they nodded at them, and soon enough, both peerages were engulfed in two blue magic circles.
Sona spoke up next, "Rules are simple. Participants will be forcefully retreated by the rating game system when they can no longer fight. The first to eliminate the entire enemy peerage, or take out their king, wins the rating game. Any question?"
The two of them shook their heads, making Sona give a small smile, "Have fun out there then."
The Agares heiress turned to him, "May the best king win," Seekvaira smirked over at him.
"Oh, he will." Naruto quickly replied before the two of them vanished from sight, leaving the spectators behind to observe the match from a safe space.
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As Naruto's peerage appeared on top of a hill on the far north of the arena, he gazed out over the park of Kuoh. Or well, the recreated space that resembled the park at least.
"So, what's the plan?" Kurama asked as he stepped up beside him.
The former blond hit his fist against the palm of his hand subtly, "We wait. Use your senjutsu, if you sense that queen of her peerage… You and Veldora will go that way, if you can also sense the knight, that's where Saeko will go."
"And you'll remain here, and oversee," Saeko concluded.
Naruto nodded, "That's right. Wish I could take part in more of the action, but it's just an unofficial game, the experience is much more worthwhile for you guys. I've been taught about this for as long as I can remember, so it won't be much worth for me aside from a little extra battle experience."
With a smirk, Veldora began jumping in place, "Don't worry boss, I'll just have to fight hard enough for the both of us. Bet I could take them all on myself."
"Muscle brain…" Kurama sighed, making the young woman beside him slightly chuckle at their antics.
The former blond shook his head as he crouched down and began to watch the park.
For the first couple of minutes, there was nothing to see. It was quiet, awfully quiet. Like there wasn't even a game going on in the first place. It made him wonder what his cousin was planning out there.
They knew that his peerage had the advantage in numbers, but she was also aware that he was rather brash in a lot of situations and probably more likely to be the one to storm head-first against the target.
If he had to guess, they were trying to surround them before they could spread out and make use of their numbers.
"I think we should go with our plan." He suddenly spoke up.
Kurama nodded in agreement, "So muscle brain and I go for the waters down there, and Saeko tries to match the knight in the woods?"
As he stood to his feet, Naruto nodded in return, "It'd be what makes the most sense. If her queen goes full dragon transformation, the woods would be too restrictive of a space to work in."
"What if we're wrong though?" Saeko asked with a hint of worry.
The dark-haired man smirked, "Then I'll use my time magic to switch you around. I can practically teleport by accelerating time, putting me in a place I'd first be in after like ten seconds."
Veldora grinned, "We'll leave it to you then, come on now my glorious partner. We can't leave the enemy waiting!" The blond dragon roared out laughing as he grasped onto Kurama's collar and began to drag him along.
"Let go of me you imbecile!" The youkai shouted out as the two of them began to disappear down the hill, leaving the last two members of the peerage behind to stare at them with amusement.
Naruto clutched his stomach as he tried to stop himself from laughing. Despite how this was supposed to be at least just semi-serious, his team never failed to amaze him.
As he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, he turned to Saeko with the calmest smile he could muster, "You ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," She replied and tightened the grasp on the katana at her side.
The young king just smirked and placed a calming hand on her shoulder, "Relax, you got this. Just remember your opponent is from a family that utilizes horses. So in a way, it'll be a two-against-one situation."
She smiled gratefully, "Anything else you can tell me?"
"If she is anything like her older brother, fast. She'll use the height advantage horseback would give her, so if you can play to your strengths, you will win. Remember. With your sacred gear, speed is your field of advantage." He grinned at her.
Saeko just began grinning back as she visibly relaxed more, "Thanks, I needed that. And I'll make sure that I'll have the advantage in speed."
He nodded and removed his hand, "Then go get 'em."
"Say no more." She laughed softly as she began to run down the hill, building up speed before leaping from the hillside as she unfolded her new devil wings, using them to glide flawlessly through the air and into the depths of the forest.
Naruto shook his head as he sat down on top of the hill and crossed his legs.
His red eyes would wander over the park as the terrible silence was soon interrupted by the ground shaking like an earthquake was passing through.
A smirk lifted his lips as he switched his gaze toward the pond, and his eyes watched the transformed dragon of Seekvaira's peerage beginning to ascend toward the skies. It was quite a sight.
The creature's large wings unfolded as he roared, the intensity of the sound enough to shatter the crack of the earth and shatter the trees nearby.
As he watched, he had to chuckle at the sight of his transformed pawn charging headfirst into the dragon, now also transformed. A trail of crackling lightning followed along as he all but headbutted his opponent with a ray of supporting magic shot from the ground.
It was like watching titans clash in the sky, and giants battling on the ground. Which it was.
Didn't make it any less impressive.
As he sat there and watched, he rested his palms in his lap as he watched a fully transformed Kurama leap into the air, using Veldora's back as a springboard before clutching the large claws of his fox form into the wings of the enemy dragon.
"That gotta hurt…" He sweatdropped as his queen began to drag the large reptile through the air, allowing an opening for Veldora to slam a large fist straight into Alivian's face.
Kurama would then let go and drop down toward the ground, but not before breathing three giant orbs of foxfire from his mouth, two of them narrowly missing Alivian, but the last one exploding like a sea of azure flames directly against his back.
Their enemy was now enraged, and it clearly showed. He was flying faster, moving to counter the chaotic duo, and seemed to be successful at times.
But the overpowering firepower of his two pieces would be too much for him to handle in the long run, no matter how skilled he was. Unless of course, he had some kind of ace hidden away…
It was a bit exciting actually, perhaps this match could still get even more interesting.
He was more than confident that his two close friends would win, and while Saeko was new, he had complete faith in her.
It made him want to go and watch her fight.
Sasuke had been a swordsman back when they fought, and there had always been some elegance about using a blade that he just never learned himself. It was always quite the sight to behold.
Well, he'd learned a bit but he was nowhere near the finesse of the likes of Sasuke or even Saeko.
'Hmm, this actually makes me a bit jealous. All this fighting makes me want to take part too.' He chuckled with a mild smirk.
Maybe he was becoming a bit of a battle junkie after all. Perhaps… he always had been.
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Saeko landed on the ground as she withdrew her wings, her right hand resting on the handle of her blade as she began to jog through the dark woods. Ahead of her, she heard the sound of rustling leaves.
She had no way of knowing where Bafeel would strike from, but all she needed to know was that, compared to her, her opponent would be riding on horseback. And since horses weren't exactly quiet, she just had to pay attention to her surroundings, and not let her guard down.
She could feel a faint smile creep up on her lips. Her body was filled with a refreshingly clear excitement, and the cool night air seemed to revitalize her tired body.
She reached out a hand to feel a nearby tree trunk.
Her eyes caught a small twinkle of light, and she realized it was a dead leaf, catching the moonlight.
She didn't know where Bafeel was.
She had no way of knowing what her opponent would do.
All she could do was fight when the enemy decided to strike.
But Saeko's smile didn't disappear. She was having fun. In fact, it felt as though she was in her element.
That was the very first time Saeko had ever felt this way. She'd felt excited before, but this was different. It was nothing like a kendo tournament where a couple of hits with a bokken would determine the victor, this was a game based on life and death, a true thrill of battle she could enjoy repeatedly in the company of the peerage that'd welcomed her.
She truly felt grateful to have met the king of their peerage. Despite what the church said about the devils, it hadn't been true. She'd been given a spot in a place she felt like she belonged, and she'd do everything in her power to maintain the trust that'd been put in her and enjoy the benefits to the fullest.
Her smile didn't disappear. Saeko found it hard to contain her joy. She could feel her heart pound, and she was filled with an overwhelming amount of vitality.
She had to win.
And so, she advanced without holding back her speed. Her pace quickened, and the distance between herself and the rustling leaves shrunk.
Suddenly, a small rock flew at her from the side. She leaned her upper body back and dodged, just as Bafeel appeared from the undergrowth on the back of her horse that trambled against the ground, clad in bright metal armor that matched that of its master.
As if she was taken out of a fairy tale, her suit had been replaced by the heavy armor of a knight.
Saeko drew her blade, and it connected with Bafeel's, the woman's armor clanking together as she swung her arm with all the force she could muster.
"Oh, how scary," Bafeel said, swinging her sword in a wide arc, then drawing it back. "You have the look of an opponent that knows their way around a sword."
"I've studied kendo since I was a child, you know," Saeko said.
"Kendo? Interesting. So you say, but I'm still going to beat you." Bafeel grinned and rushed at Saeko.
Saeko readied her blade. She could feel it shake as she braced for impact, but she didn't give in to the sensation, and instead thrust forward with a front kick.
Bafeel was surprised. "Kick? You'll never be able to win that way!"
"That's not what I'm aiming for." Saeko twisted her body, swinging her blade in a wide arc to evade the oncoming attack. As her body leaned back, she swung her right leg behind her and used it to sweep Bafeel's horse with all the magic she could reinforce to strengthen her leg so that her bones wouldn't shatter upon impact.
The horse collapsed to the ground with a loud cry. Bafeel rolled onto the grass.
Saeko aimed her blade at Bafeel as she landed, and the woman quickly lifted her blade to deflect it.
Bafeel stood up, her feet apart to keep her balance, and swung her sword again, this time aiming for Saeko's neck. "That was a dirty move!"
Saeko took a step back and moved to block with her blade. Her eyes were wild as her lips quirked upward into a grin, "If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying. Everything is to win, so I won't lose. My master will be victorious, not yours."
"We'll see about that!" Bafeel charged at Saeko.
Saeko slid to the side and swung her blade horizontally.
Bafeel blocked it.
They both leaped back and once again they were staring each other down.
Saeko gripped her sword in both hands.
"You know, I like your style," Bafeel said. "But you won't win this way." She looked up at Saeko, then nodded to herself as if she'd made a decision. "All right, I'll end this here. Let's finish it."
"You're finished!" Saeko shouted.
"So you think!" Bafeel charged at Saeko, swinging her blade with all her might.
Saeko stood her ground and raised her sword.
As Bafeel's sword neared the purple-haired young woman, Saeko's eye began to glow. The activation of her sacred gear had begun as everything around her slowed down.
'This is it... I win!' She thought to herself as the woman's neck was completely exposed in her vision.
Ready to leap into the air to deliver the strike from above, Saeko cried out in surprise when the ground suddenly shook and exploded around the armored woman, a veil of dirt covering her form.
'Huh?'
The grass rustled loudly and, as the dust cleared, she saw Bafeel still charging at her. 'What? Did she use a magic spell?'
Then, the woman's face appeared as she thrust her blade up toward the confused Saeko's face.
Saeko tried to jump to the side, but she was too slow. The woman's blade collided with hers and the two swords hit each other, making a loud metallic clang.
Saeko gasped, her eye stopped glowing and the world went back to normal as she found herself staring at Bafeel, who'd grabbed her sword by the handle with both hands and was pressing lightly it into her cheek, drawing a couple of drops of blood as she gritted her teeth. Her own sword tried to push back against the heavy broadsword.
'Impossible...' Saeko thought to herself as she stared at the woman in front of her, her eyes wide open in disbelief. 'How?'
The two remained frozen for a moment. Then, Bafeel's expression changed as she suddenly broke out into a grin, "Oh, that was close! But you really gave it your all there, didn't you?"
Bafeel pulled back her sword and raised it up into the air, preparing to bring it down on Saeko.
Saeko's face showed no fear, only determination.
She felt the grass rustle underneath her feet.
And she leaped.
Bafeel's eyes widened in surprise as Saeko jumped into the air. The agility of a knight without armor was truly beautiful.
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Lord Sitri chuckled out loud at the display as he gathered his arms together with a thoroughly impressed expression on his face as he turned to Kage, "You have a very formidable daughter."
The infamous sensei nodded his head in gratitude, "I thank you, but it's your son's guidance that has brought her this far."
"Yet you've laid the ground foundation in her training. My boy has brought her up to devil standards, but it's the skills you've made her hone that have brought her even further above those mere standards. Truly magnificent." Josiah smirked.
Kage smiled lightly, "Can't forget the other knight. Devil families are something else. Such speed, precision, it's elegant."
Josiah just smirked, "You sound intrigued, care to join yourself perhaps?"
The man chuckled and held up his hand in a polite refusal, "This is my daughter's place, and I as her father have duties elsewhere as it is."
The Lord of House Sitri just kept smirking, "Perhaps, but speak to my son should you change your mind. With such skill and expertise in the art of the sword, you could teach many generations of devils the correct way to wield blades of various kinds."
"You're most kind." Kage simply answered as the two of them turned back to watch the fight, yet he still had a couple of questions, "Is this how this… rating game, usually takes place?"
Josiah shook his head, "No, it's quite different. Well, the game is similar. There are a lot of different versions you can play, but the foundation is the same. Peerage against peerage, usually in an arena with a lot of spectators."
Kage hummed, "A type of entertainment?"
"You could think of it like the kendo tournaments. People take interest in the sport, and also at becoming the very best at it." Josiah idly laughed, knowing damn well his son was one of those people.
The sensei crossed his arms over his chest, "Seems like the ideal place for my daughter then. She was captain of the kendo team."
Feeling a bit challenged, Josiah cleared his throat, "My son is also aiming to become the best in the games. He might not be the official heir due to certain circumstances due to his parentage, but he is the brightest to enter the scene."
Kage just chuckled at that, "Seems like both our children feel at home in an arena."
"That is very true. For better or for worse, this is where they truly shine."
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As her opponent stood there, dumbfounded, Saeko thrust her sword at Bafeel. The woman managed to react in time to block it, but the sheer force of the strike pushed her sword off course.
Bafeel's sword hit the ground next to her horse's leg as Saeko's sword went past her and continued its way toward the sky.
'Yes!'
Saeko landed on the ground, having jumped even further forward, and turned to face Bafeel.
'I win!'
She thought to herself as she readied her sword, preparing to end her match right here and now to claim victory.
Yet, she had forgotten one part of the match. In her thrill of battle, the horse had gotten back to its feet. Galloping across the ground, Saeko was forced to let go of her definite blow that'd ensure her the victory to not get trampled over by the huge iron-clad beast that made its way in front of its master.
The head of the animal had tried to crash right against her side to knock her to the ground, but with enough reaction time, Saeko had thrown all her weight backward to dodge it.
She rolled across the ground as the grass began to fill her hair, and she got into a kneeling position while Bafeel reclaimed the seat on her horse.
The woman's face was expressionless as she stared at Saeko. "That was a good fight. I enjoyed myself."
Saeko felt a drop of sweat roll down her cheek.
Bafeel seemed to notice her reaction. "Did you really think you were going to win?"
Saeko didn't answer. She only stood up and prepared her blade by her side, steadying her breathing to reclaim her focus.
"Oh? You really are quite serious." Bafeel nodded. "But now it's my turn to go all out." She held up a hand to stop Saeko from coming at her. "Please stay there, don't come closer."
"..."
Saeko's eyes grew wide as she watched Bafeel draw her sword from her back, and the woman's form blurred before her on the back of the horse.
The horse's feet kicked up dust as Bafeel advanced with blinding speed. Saeko could hear the grass and leaves being torn apart under the animal's feet as the distance between them vanished, and she instinctively lifted her sword and remember Naruto's words. She had to trust herself and trust in her ability to fight.
Her eye began to glow again as she activated her sacred gear, once again Bafeel slowed down.
The same trick wouldn't work twice, and she knew it. This time, she'd be prepared if she tried to swipe the horse with a quick move. The only way to win against that type of duo was to bring the horse down... permanently.
And she knew the armor wasn't as definite as it appeared. With a clean enough strike, with enough power and precision, she'd be able to cut through it. There were gaps between the metal plates guarding the large beast, if she could narrow the space down and strike...
She could take the horse's legs off.
'Oh, I've finally got you now!' Saeko took a deep breath. She readied herself and watched the woman come toward her, but her mind was focused on her attack plan. 'This is it!'
She held her sword in one hand and leaped forward into the air. As the horse charged at her, Saeko raised her sword up and brought it down with all her might as she approached it.
But... the two never clashed.
As if the sky was cracking apart, the two lost focus at the sight and just narrowly missed each other.
The sudden jerk made the horse fall over again as Bafeel fell to the ground, and at the same time, Saeko crashed into the dirt where she'd planned to go through with her plan.
With quick moves, the two got back to their feet and stared up at the heavens with wide eyes.
"T-This is not you, is it?" Saeko asked with her blue eyes for the first time showing that she was starting to get unsure of herself and unsure of what was happening in this very moment.
Bafeel shook her head as her voice began to lack the edge it had before, "No… This is… I don't even know."
The skies above them had a huge crack in them, as if space and time were ripped apart in the far distance a black void appeared.
And it wasn't the only place.
In several places in the rating game arena, space got distorted, as if the very fabrics of reality had been ripped apart.
It remained like that for a minute, the two beginning to wonder if the arena was failing…
But that was when the void began revealing several figures.
As if it was an invasion army, several winged people started storming through the cracks in space and into the arena. Devils and demons alike filled the airspace above them.
"What the hell is going on?!" Bafeel whispered harshly.
Saeko's grip tightened around her sword as she remembered the various lectures she'd gotten on devil society. There was only one faction in the Underworld, that could decide to pull something like this off…
The old satan faction.
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Naruto's red eyes were wide as he stormed to his feet. His gaze narrowed down on the intruders flying through the air. There were so many of them, and they kept on coming.
Their arena swarmed, their game interrupted, and he couldn't figure out how it could happen.
His fist clenched tightly. Just like Saeko, he realized that he knew who was behind this. He wasn't stupid, it was the only thing that made sense.
"Naruto! Someone is invading the arena, I don't know how, or who… What should we do?" He heard Sona speak from outside the arena, but he couldn't bring himself to answer.
He was pissed.
But why attack now of all times? What did they stand to gain from attacking an unofficial rating game? The questions filled his mind.
It truly didn't matter when he thought about it.
His demonic energy flared as the pressure built around him, the ground cracking like a spiderweb beneath his feet as the cloak with the Sitri insignia swayed wildly behind him.
With all their plans down the drain, and the rating game's purpose blown away.
It seemed like he got to fight after all.
改行
So I guess shit hitting the fan now, lol.
I think this makes the story hit the 100k word mark. At least on FFN, for some reason it counts it differently on Ao3, not sure why that is or if it's FFN's doc manager that makes something different.
Needless to say, that got me pretty hyped. Let me know what you all thought about what's been going on.
Had a lot of fun writing out that fight scene with Saeko, letting her go a bit unhinged, and getting some more experience in the field even against someone that's been in the devil game longer than her. Bafeel is from an actual devil house after all, and Saeko is a newly reincarnated devil.
I'd like to think she did really well.
Anyhow, until next time. (If you thought this note was kinda weird when compared to the one at the top of the chapter, it's cuz I wrote it like 10 months ago, and figured I'd just keep it lmao.)