A/N: Revised as of 5/21/2024.

Petrified Forest…

It was the night before the tournament, and Naruto had just managed to capture his fifth monster. A Basilisk, and it was strong!

"Alright, so far we caught Spook and now this guy… Now I only need one more monster to qualify! We're almost done, Darkness!"

Naruto cheered and turned around while raising his hand to give his traveling companion a high-five.

"Ah."

A bead of sweat rolled down the shinobi's cheek when he saw Darkness's petrified form. She'd been adamant on distracting the large beast, and despite his warnings, she hadn't looked away when it was going to use its petrification beams.

He wasn't worried though, as the effects didn't last that long. Couple that with Darkness's resistances, she'd probably break free in a half hour or so.

Opting to carry the petrified Crusader over his shoulder, Naruto proceeded to head towards the mountain. He remembered the south forest was filled with bug and plant monsters, but he wanted his final member to be something even crazier than the Basilisk.

So, to the north!

'Once I capture this last monster, it'll only leave me with a couple hours to train… But I'm sure we'll be fine.'

Naruto thought as he stepped onto the lake and started making his way across. As he neared the mountain, he began to ponder what kind of beast he would find.

'I hope it's a dragon! Imagine all of their reactions!'

'Judging by your monster book, Dragons are supposedly one of the most powerful creatures this world has to offer.'

Kurama thoughtfully added.

'I'm sure a fight with one would be entertaining, but the looks on the tamer's faces would also be priceless… I'm beginning to see why that devil toys with humans so much.'

'Please don't become another Vanir… One is plenty.'

Naruto responded with a bitter smile. He was now officially on the mountain, and the shinobi decided to climb to the top.

Dragons liked high places, right?

'What? Can't handle another prankster in your midst, kid?'

'What's that supposed to mean? Vanir is a trolling menace. Also, he's mean to Wiz.'

The trail was becoming more narrow as he circled around the mountain, and the forest that was located to the north came into sight.

What was it called again… The Ancient Acres?

'Sounds like you're jealous.'

'Huh? Me? Jealous of that suspicious devil? Don't be ridiculous, Kurama.'

Naruto was nearly half way up the mountain when a glimmer of light caught his eye.

Deep in the heart of the Ancient Acres, a small golden flame shimmered in between the trees and seemed to be getting brighter. With the clear moonlit sky and countless stars shining down on the surface, he almost missed it.

But there was something about the light that drew his attention. Almost like… Something was calling to him.

Naruto hesitated. The sensation felt similar to that of an illusion.

'Want me to take care of it?'

'No, I don't want you to scare all the monsters away.'

Propping Darkness up against the side of the mountain, Naruto put his hands together to form a seal.

'Release.'

With a slight surge of chakra, the sensation disappeared.

Interesting.

Naruto looked up towards the peak of the mountain, then looked back at the flickering flame deep in the Ancient Acres.

'Sorry, Dragon. Maybe next time…'

With that thought, he walked back over to Darkness and sighed. He could always leave a clone to watch her and come back later… But what if a monster showed up and destroyed his clone?

Naruto gave her form a few knocks.

. . .

She seemed sturdy enough.

–A few seconds later–

"Woohoo!"

Naruto shouted as he slid down the side of the mountain with Darkness's petrified body acting as a pseudo board. He slid left and right, making sure to avoid going over any particularly rough terrain.

The foot of the mountain drawing close, Naruto spotted a large smooth rock that was slightly curved upward.

Smirking, the shinobi leaned to the left until he was drifting towards the ramp-like structure. He then braced himself to jump, his chakra sticking his feet to Darkness's body, and then he zipped off of the smooth surface high into the air.

"Yeahhh!"

Naruto shouted as he felt the wind whipping his face, and even threw in a flip for added fun.

After leveling himself, the ninja positioned Darkness back onto his shoulder just as his feet hit the ground. He kicked off of the dirt a few times, letting his momentum die down each time he made contact with the gravel until he was able to comfortably run without fear of dropping his friend.

Slowing to a complete stop, Naruto let out a satisfied sigh.

THAT was fun.

'Too bad she wasn't awake for that one. I can only imagine her reaction…'

Kurama mused as Naruto placed the petrified Crusader onto the ground and looked over her body for any signs of damage.

Other than some dust and some grass stains, Darkness appeared to be completely fine.

As expected of the party's tank.

'She'll never know… But I somehow feel like it'd be more disappointing for her not knowing… Which would be a good thing for her?'

Naruto responded while patting the dust off of the knight's form. The mind of Darkness was still very strange to him, although not nearly as so compared to the past.

The sound of bushes rustling caught the shinobi's attention.

Naruto whirled around and dropped into a stance, his hand grabbing a Scroll Ball from his leg pouch. His eyes then began to widen as the golden light he had seen from the mountain began to fill the surrounding area.

At that moment, the petrification encasing Darkness's body began to crack-

Present…

"Ah!"

Darkness gasped, her eyes snapping open. She looked back and forth as her mind caught up with what was happening. She was watching the fight, then she closed her eyes for a second…

Wait, why were there priests walking around the audience? How were they turning those statues into people?

No, that didn't make any sense. Those people must have been-

"Ahhh! Was I petrified again!? Kazuma! Did Kazuma do something weird to me while I couldn't fight back!?"

"Why is it that your first thought is to make such wild accusations!? No, I did NOT touch your stone cold body that was harder than usual! I was petrified too!"

Kazuma barked in response.

"H-how dare you call a lady's body hard!"

Darkness barked back, her face flaring up with anger. She was about to pounce on her impudent party leader, but the roars of the cheering crowd drew her attention. She would teach that man some manners some other time.

"Who's battling? What did I miss?"

"Some guy named Darran just won his battle. It was pretty close, but their Silver Wolf was very nimble and took the victory at the last second. I approve of such methods."

Megumin answered while pointing towards the winner, who was currently waving to the crowd as he and his Silver Wolf walked back towards the waiting rooms.

Darran was a man in his early thirties and was wearing brown leather armor with a fur pelt hanging over his shoulder. His long black hair was tied in a ponytail that fell all the way to his mid-back.

"I see…"

Darkness looked up towards the flying green demon that held the show hosts in its palms. Just how much did she sleep through?

"With only one monster left, the winner of this match goes to Darran! What a back and forth match that was!"

Ryozo announced while gesturing towards the retreating man.

"Alright everyone, this concludes the first set of matches! Brace yourselves while we take a break to allow our challengers to prepare for their next battle!"

Aomidori added and directed her demon to lower them back to the ground. Stepping onto the grass, the Crimson Demon pulled out a wand and raised it into the air.

"I still can't believe the power she has… Can all Crimson Demons do that?"

Kazuma asked as he watched the hostess change the very nature of the field right before their eyes.

Large bushes sprouted from the ground, and a stone spire rose from the very earth itself. Broken trees were uprooted and tossed to the side like they were toothpicks, and bricks that were laying to the side of the field lifted off of the ground and began to build a wall.

What would have taken Kazuma and the entire construction crew weeks to accomplish was just casually put together with a swipe of Aomidori's hand. She had reconstructed the arena after Naruto's fight as well.

Magic sure was convenient.

"Why are you acting so impressed, Kazuma? That's considered basic level stuff in the Home of the Crimson Magic."

Megumin commented while waving her hand dismissively.

"Are you able to do that?"

Kazuma asked, then snickered when the little girl averted her gaze. She was probably still bitter over what Aomidori had said earlier.

But if this really was considered basic in Megumin's home village, then maybe he should visit that place sometime… Maybe he could learn some really cool magic there.

"Hey, since we're going to be waiting for a little bit, why don't we go and buy some snacks? I heard there were some monster themed sweets that are only sold during this tournament and I really wanna try some!"

Aqua suggested while pointing towards a food vendor stall that had a rather long line.

Megumin audibly gulped and turned to Kazuma with a hopeful expression.

"Ugh… Alright, but it'll be Aqua's treat."

"Why!? Are you still mad about earlier? You were just going to give those things away! You should be grateful to me for making a profit!"

Aqua ranted while protectively holding the pouch of coins close to her chest.

Ignoring the girl that was going to be treating the party to sweets, Kazuma turned to Darkness to find that she was still awake and watching the arena's ongoing transformation.

"Want to come with us, Darkness? Maybe they'll have some coffee to help you stay awake."

"I don't know what coffee is, but if it'll help me stay awake… Although I'm feeling quite energetic now."

Darkness replied with a confident smile, and stood up to follow her party members to wait in line. She would definitely stay awake this time to cheer for Naruto and that monster.

Kazuma hummed, not entirely convinced.

"Just ask if you need another slap to wake you up."

"No thank you."

In one of the breakrooms, Joe stood by the flaps that led to the arena with his eyes closed. He took in a deep breath, and released it.

He was next up, and would be facing Darran. Which meant if he won, he would either face Naruto or Roaric.

The boy was both excited and disappointed about this turn of events, for he wanted to battle both of them.

It's not that he didn't want to battle Darran, the man was a skilled Beast Tamer.

But Roaric was strong. Potentially the second strongest tamer in the village. The demi-human tamed beasts with a skill that rivaled his own father, having come in second place each and every year.

Then there was Naruto, a newbie who blew the crowd away with his surprising tactfulness and powerful Basilisk. Joe had been on the edge of his seat the entire fight!

They'd promised to meet in the finals, and as such they'd formed a rivalry.

In the end, Joe decided he'd root for Naruto.

"Hey, Joe! It looks like you're next. You better not lose, because we're going to face each other in the finals!"

Joe turned around to see Naruto grinning at him. So much confidence for someone who only just became a beast tamer… It made Joe want to battle him even more.

"Yeah! You too! You're gonna be taking on Roaric, so watch out. That guy's a real beast!"

The red eyed youth responded with a confident grin of his own. He then raised his fist towards his rival.

Naruto bumped the boy's fist just as they heard the sound of the chief's voice.

"Alrighty, folks! It's time to start the semi-finals! Can we get our next contenders to come out?"

Ryozo's enthusiastic voice rang out, which was followed by a rise from the crowd.

Joe spun on his heel and took in a deep breath.

"Let's do this!"

He pushed the flaps apart and walked through the short tunnel. As he had expected, the arena had undergone a dramatic change.

The stream was still there, but it now ran through what appeared to be an ancient ruin. There were walls, run down huts, and it was all surrounded by a small field of wheat. A large rocky hill protruded from the ground on the side.

'Wow… Mom's awesome.'

Joe thought as he marveled at the structures his mother had thrown together, his mind already formulating various potential strategies for his monsters.

Hide in the tall grass, take the high ground on the spire, confuse the enemy in the ruins… There was a lot of potential.

On the other side of the ruins stood Darran, along with his monsters. A Silver Wolf, a Hawkite Runner, and a Rookie Killer.

Joe smiled sadly upon seeing the large black cat, but quickly shook away the feelings. He entered this tournament knowing full well he could potentially lose, and a loss in the Nuzloft challenge meant death.

Knowing how attached he was to his monsters, Joe's father had been against him taking on the challenge at first fearing it would break his spirit. But the young boy had been adamant, and his mother supported his decision claiming that Crimson Demons graduated from their academy as soon as they learned magic anyway.

Joe was ready for this, and would see it through to the end.

"For the first round of the semi-finals, we have Joe taking on Darran! What beast will they be starting with first?"

Ryozo broadcasted through his magical megaphone, the demon Aomidori had conjured keeping them suspended above the arena.

"Looks like we got our rematch after all, Joe! Let's go, Bane!"

Darran shouted out to his opponent before commanding his first monster forward.

Joe resisted a grimace as the Rookie Killer, Bane, stalked into the field. So that's how he was gonna play, huh?

His opponent chose to lead with the Rookie Killer in an attempt to throw him off emotionally, knowing full well this was Joe's first Nuzloft Tournament.

"You're gonna lose again if you underestimate us! Let's go, Volt!"

Joe shouted back and threw a Scroll Ball into the field. There was a flash, and something kicked the magic item back over to the boy.

"Ready or not, here we come! Go get 'em, Volt!"

Joe commanded, and the wheat began to shuffle as something circled around the ruins.

The chief started announcing things to the crowd, but the combatants were no longer listening to anything else as they tapped into the senses of their monsters through their Beast Bond.

It was time to battle!

The trails of rustling wheat were closing in on each other, both monsters using their own heightened senses coupled with the added viewpoints of their masters.

Flash!

The moment the trails collided, there was a spark of light. The Rookie Killer then burst out of the field and landed next to the ruins, its fur frazzled and on end.

The feline hissed at the crops where it had just escaped.

"What's the matter with you, Bane!? I didn't raise a scardy cat!"

Darran complained as his monster paced back and forth at the edge of the meadow.

It was then a small furry creature crawled out of the wheat field, it's beady eyes glaring daggers at the Rookie Killer.

"A rat? You're scared of a tiny little rat, Bane!? Don't let that bite-sized thing push you around!"

Darran balked upon seeing the mustard colored rodent. He then directed his beast to attack, and against its better judgment, Bane pounced.

But it was no rat.

"I told you not to underestimate us, Darran! He's a Voltaic Squirrel! Zap 'em, Volt!"

Joe revealed with a smirk, then commanded his beast to counterattack.

Quicker than most eyes could see, the Voltaic Squirrel leapt above the giant feline's head. Upon making contact with is head-

Zap!

There was a flash of light, and Bane yelped in surprise from the taser-like jolt that attacked its senses.

Darran was shocked too, to say the least. A Voltaic Squirrel was an electric variant of the normally weak Flying Squirrel that were usually found in the Petrified Forest. But having such a small body, it couldn't produce that much voltage.

Certainly not enough to take down a Rookie Killer.

"Shake it off, Bane! Snap that rat in half!"

"Escape into the ruins, Volt!"

The two Beast Tamers shouted out to their monsters, and the squirrel dashed into one of the desecrated buildings.

Joe took off into the field, fighting through the tall wheat stalks to get through to the ruins so he could get a better view.

When he broke through, he saw Bane was stalking the structure Volt had retreated into. The beast was far too large to fit inside, which was why he had chosen to lead with his smallest monster.

He planned on taking full advantage of this arena.

"We got you cornered, Joe! Take that structure down, Bane! We'll crush the rat without even touching it! Hahaha!"

Darran, who also ran through the crops to get a better view, taunted as he pointed towards the small building.

The Rookie Killer swiped at the base of the stone hut, causing the already unstable structure to wobble violently until it began to collapse.

Dust shot up into the air, obscuring the tamer's visions. But they could still see through the eyes of their monsters.

Unfortunately for Darran, this was exactly what Joe had wanted.

"Now, Volt! Aim for the chest!"

Zap!

A light flashed within the mound of soot and debris.

"What!? How did-Gah! My eyes! This damn dust!"

Darran winced in pain when he tried opening his eyes. But it was because the bond between him and his Rookie Killer had started fading.

Joe grinned as the dust settled, and he opened his eyes to see Volt standing on top of Bane's twitching form.

That was a little trick he'd learned from Naruto's battle. Dust made a good concealment for a quick attack, and he drew not just the enemy monster, but the tamer itself into close quarters so as to allow Volt to get in undetected.

Not even a Rookie Killer could withstand a thousand volts of electricity directly to its heart.

"D-damn it… Looks like I really did underestimate your squirrel. But don't think you can fool us twice! Let's go, Drumstick!"

Darran growled in frustration, but relented and called forth his next beast.

The Hawkite Runner, a large flightless bird with long legs and bushy eyebrows, came charging through the field and into the ruins.

But to Joe's surprise, the creature ran right past the corpse Volt was sitting on, opting to circle the collapsed structure.

Its speed increased until a small twister began to form from all of the dust.

"Fighting fire with fire, huh? But don't forget Volt is not just any squirrel! Up, Volt!"

Joe commanded as he shielded his eyes from the dust, and his Voltaic Squirrel leapt into the air.

The squirrel spread its arms which allowed for its flaps to catch the intense gusts of wind.

Unfortunately, that's what Darran was waiting for.

"Take to the air, Drumstick! Kick that squirrel into next week!"

The older man shouted, and the Hawkite Runner ceased its circling and ran straight towards a wall.

The flightless bird leapt off the ground, then proceeded to kick off of the wall straight towards Volt's gliding form.

"Volt!"

Joe screamed when he opened his eyes to the sight of the bird's clawed foot smashing into his monster midair.

Volt let out a pitiful squeak as all of the bones in its tiny frame were shattered from the impact.

"Wrryryyyy!"

Drumstick screeched as the two monsters smashed into the ground.

Joe fell to his knees, tears threatening to come out of the corners of his eyes. His heart wretched as the bond between him and Volt shattered.

Rook… Now Volt.

The rush of the previous battle must have dampened his feelings, but now two of the monsters he'd bonded with were gone and it was hitting him hard.

They had trained together, fought together, ate together, and even slept together nearly every night.

'This is why dad was against me participating… This is hard.'

Joe thought and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. But even though his heart ached for his fallen monsters-no, his friends, the young Beast Tamer took a stance and forced a smile on his face.

He was going to push through this, and win.

"Drumstick!"

Darran shouted when he too felt the bond between man and beast shatter.

What happened!? Did Joe's monster get one last hit in? But that was impossible! With a body that small, surely Drumstick's attack should have killed it instantaneously!

"Volt used up the rest of its energy to shock your monster. Even in his dying breath, Volt wanted us to win… Thank you, friend…"

Joe nearly breathed out as he reached into his bag and pulled out his next Scroll Ball. He was sure his mother and father, along with everyone in the crowd, were all watching him. He felt their eyes, their concern, their doubts.

To prove that he was ready, not just to everyone watching, but to himself, Joe brought forth his most cherished partner.

"Let's go, Zard!"

Joe shouted as his Lizard Runner was released from the magic item.

Zard landed on the ground with a thud and blinked a couple times, taking a brief moment to observe its surroundings. The reptile then turned to face its master and let out a low hiss.

Joe placed a hand on Zard's side, brushing the rough scales of his best friend. Steeling his resolve, he gave the beast a firm pat.

"Time to avenge our friend!"

The boy declared, and the Lizard Runner roared before charging forward.

"Let's go, Quicksilver! Time to finish this fight!"

Darran shouted and thrusted his hand forward.

In the crop field surrounding the ruins, a large Silver Wolf came rushing in.

Zard and Quicksilver ran straight for the other with no hesitation, both monsters recognizing the other from a previous bout. Only this time, it would be a battle to the death.

The two clashed in a flurry of tooth and claw.

Zard lunged forward to bite the wolf, but Quicksilver, befitting of its namesake, was far too nimble and hopped from side to side before sinking its fangs into the reptile's leg.

The Lizard Runner hissed in pain, but quickly fended off its attacker with a swipe of its tail.

Quicksilver pulled back, but the tip of Zard's tail clipped the wolf's right eye, earning a satisfying yelp.

The beasts were now in a standstill, blood dripping from their respective wounds.

Zard stood firm with glowering eyes, but his injured leg trembled slightly. Judging by the amount of blood trickling the wound, the bite must have nicked an artery.

Darran took this as an opportunity.

"Circle it!"

The wolf stalked around the lizard, and slowly picked up the pace until it was nearly a blur.

"Don't move!"

Joe commanded when his monster made a motion to keep facing its opponent. If Zard kept moving, he would lose too much blood. They just needed to buy a little bit of time…

As it was commanded to do, Zard remained still. It's slitted eyes stared directly into Joe's own crimson orbs. There was trust in those eyes. Trust that was built over the years they'd been together.

"What's the matter, Joe? Do you guys give up now? I know you raised that Lizard Runner from an egg. If you forfeit the match now, you can save him!"

Darran bargained when the younger Beast Tamer remained silent.

Joe's response was a grin. It was strained, and he had to wipe the trickling sweat from his brow.

"Well… I offered. Finish him off, Quicksilver!"

Darran ordered and made a cut-throat gesture with his thumb. With an injured leg like that, a Lizard Runner didn't stand a chance against his hound.

The Silver Wolf lunged for its target, this time aiming for the throat.

But to Darran's surprise, Zard broke into a sprint towards the hill. Quicksilver landed on the ground and immediately gave chase.

"How-"

"You must have forgotten, Darran! Lizard Runners heal fast!"

Joe shouted with a hearty laugh before he took off running to catch up with the monsters.

Darran cursed under his breath, but pursued after the kid. He'd been too cautious, but they still had the advantage in speed.

It was true, as Quicksilver was slowly catching up to Zard. The wound must not yet be fully healed.

The monsters cleared the ruins and started making their way up the rocky hill.

Quicksilver made a move to advance on Zard's right.

"Keep to the right!"

Joe shouted as he and Darran reached the foot of the hill.

Zard leaned to the right most edge of the slope, which forced its pursuer to remain directly behind else risk putting the Lizard Runner in their blind spot.

"Clever trick, taking advantage of Quicksilver's injured eye. But you're running out of hill to run on!"

Darran remarked, growing more excited by the second. This was what made battling Joe so fun! The kid always had a trick up his sleeve, and surely something awaited them at the top of the hill.

Zard, seeing the top of the slope was near, dug its heels into the ground and skid to a stop.

Quicksilver lunged for one final attack, and it was as though time had slowed to a crawl.

Darran was shouting, the crowd was roaring, and even his father was raising the anticipation.

But all was silent in Joe's mind. His eyes were solely focused on the Silver Wolf, who was aiming for the nape of Zard's neck.

Beast Vision flaring, the pair's shared senses allowed Zard to see what was coming. So even from behind, the Lizard Runner was able to whip its head back and snap its teeth-

Directly onto the enemy monster's upper jaw.

Just like that, time resumed to its usual pace as the pained howls of the Silver Wolf echoed throughout the arena.

"No! Fight back, Quicksilver! Break free!"

Darran's shouts were nearly pleas as he helplessly watched his ace monster get thrashed around at the top of the hill.

Zard smashed Quicksilver's form onto the ground left and right before tossing the crippled canine over the ledge like a ragdoll.

Darran's eye twitched, and his jaw hung loose as the bond between him and Quicksilver was vanquished.

"I-it's my loss… You win, Joe."

The crowd erupted in a mass of cheers.

The battle was over.

"That was a heated battle, but we have our winner folks! Joe and Zard will move onto the finals!"

Ryozo declared and gave a round of applause himself. He was proud of his son's ability to persevere, even after facing such a heavy loss.

"That child of ours is strong. If only he loved magic as much as he loved monsters…"

Aomidori commented with a sigh, but she relented a smile full of pride herself. After all, Joe was his father's child.

Both parents watched as their child ran up the hill and hopped onto the back of his monster.

"We did it, Zard! You did amazing! Now we're in the finals!"

Joe cheered and squeezed his arms around the Lizard Runner's neck, earning a rumbling sound from the monster.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm just so excited! We're one step closer to becoming the Conqueror. One step closer to surpassing dad."

The boy said while looking up towards the flying demon that held his parents.

But before that, he had one more challenge… One more person to battle before he had any right to consider himself a winner.

"While the cleaning crew works their magic, can the next two contenders please come onto the stage."

Aomidori requested while the man in a white cleaning uniform slowly led a green slime through the field and into the ruins.

Joe smiled sadly as he and Zard passed Volt and Drumstick's corpses. He was really going to miss his Voltaic Squirrel, but he was thankful that his friend worked so hard for their victory. The little guy took down two of the enemy's monsters, despite having been at a severe size disadvantage.

Zard suddenly stopped and looked towards the fallen monsters, then back at Joe. Its reptilian eyes staring intensely.

Joe grimaced, but he then looked at the incoming cleaning slime and frowned.

"...You're right, Zard. Volt was your friend too."

With that said, the boy directed his ride towards where Volt lay rested.

It was painful to see the flying squirrel in its current state, but he didn't dare turn away as Zard gently scooped the broken monster into its jaws.

A/N: Hello everyone, back with another update! Hope you're all well and enjoying life where life permits~

A pretty heavy chapter, if I do say so myself. The path of a Beast Tamer is a difficult one… Joe has my condolences. What a tough ten-year-old.

Anyways, next chapter is the long awaited Naruto vs Roaric! What is Naruto's sixth monster? What monster is Mr. Leech making Roaric use? What in the world did Aqua say to Naruto!?

Spirit out!