"A little bit here… a little bit there…" Cid murmured as he gave one final touch to the large, intricate circle filled with runes to the brim, "And we are ready to go!"

Naruto only looked at him in confusion.

"Basically, other worlds have their own languages," one humble Eminence started explaining, "This thing right there," a wave in circle's direction, "will fix that so you can speak with other people."

"O-Oh, alright?…"

It was probably not alright for him, but it's fine! After all, Cid was hellbent on going back and spending some time with girls!

Moreover, he also needs to check out some other stuff related to chakra, for example, Sage Mode. You know that it requires nature's chakra to work, right? So-o-o… His fantasy world didn't have chakra. Like at all. Not a single ounce of it. Everything was about magic. And that made Cid wonder: if there's no nature chakra, then it's nigh impossible to use Sage Mode, right? Well, logic says so…

In practice, however, it might actually be a bit different… But that would require testing, and for that he would still need to go into chakra-less world, of which he knows two: Earth and Fantasy world. Guess where he goes? Yeah…

"Dad?" Naruto's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"It's fine, I was just making last preparations," he squinted, "Are you ready?"

"Yup!" and showed a small backpack.

Yeah, Naruto still didn't have much stuff on him…

How would they go back, though? Well, Cid placed multiple altars in this world to make connection with his Pylon (or how should he call it now, considering that Pylons are world-limited, while altars are built for the exact purpose of traveling between worlds?) System, so he would easily be able to go back, especially considering some of them are hidden really deep, like inside planet deep. You know, just to be sure nobody can mess with them.

"Alright, then… Let's go!"

It was yet another great day in Oriana's kingdom… or queendom?

Ever since Rose Oriana took the matters into her own hands, country's situation slowly started to go for the better. Previously corrupt, bribed, or even outright cultist officials were weeded out and replaced with people who truly wanted to change Oriana for the better. Military, never a strong suit of country of arts, slowly, but surely increased its prowess with the help from Shadow Garden's instructors.

Though at some point, probably driven by fear after seeing her personally behead every corrupt noble, people started calling her 'Tyrant Queen'… And honestly, she didn't mind. So long as her country stands proud and stays strong.

Though there was one thing she missed a bit…

She took a small photo of her and one unassuming raven-haired boy and blankly stared at it with a large smile.

"Ah, Cid, my love…" she gently pressed it against her cheek and closed her honey-like eyes in bliss.

Cid Kagenou, or, as some people knew him, Shadow. On one hand, just another average boy who you can find easily on the street. On the other hand, almighty ruler of worldwide organization that defeated the Cult of Diablos.

However, Rose herself was more drawn to Cid Kagenou than Shadow. Strange, isn't it? A mighty man that could grant the whole world to you, and yet she chooses simple unassuming boy… Good thing she learned they are both and the same, or the confusion would continue to persist…

"Rose."

A familiar voice reached her ears. Annoyed, she raised her head and met the cold gaze of tall, voluptuous pink-haired elf.

"Victoria."

Victoria, or 559. She was one of the organization's strongest fighters, personally blessed by Shadow himself, one of the two non-Shades to receive the touch of his power, with the second one being… Rose herself.

"I see you are working hard to make a country suitable for Divine Lord," Victoria spoke indifferently.

It may have sounded harsh, but Rose knew that Victoria was simply that cold by her nature, only showing her warm feelings in presence of Shadow. Still didn't make it any less pain to deal with, though.

"Indeed, and after I am finished, I will offer him my hand."

Victoria was also a deep fanatic of Shadow, to the point where she was hellbent on establishing Churches in his name… Though, to be fair, his organization was almost fully made of 'believers', as Victoria called them, they just weren't as crazy in that regard as she was.

"Sacrilege!" naturally, Rose's speech riled Victoria, "Only Seven Shades, his chosen apostles, are worthy of being granted the privilege of being his lovers!"

"Not even you?"

"…Not even me, unless he personally decides I am."

They had this talk the third time this week, and at this point Rose could easily say which way it would go; Victoria will enter her fanatic mode, pull out the plushie and large pillow with Shadow's picture on it, and start going around with them, giggling madly.

To be fair, if Victoria ever tried to actually pull the seductress trick on Shadow… Rose had doubts she would be able to win against the elf. Even she herself admitted that Victoria was undeniably gorgeous and beautiful, to the point where Rose herself felt awe just from looking at the elf… In the first three days of their meeting, anyway. After that she grew irritated with Victoria's antics, who thought it was her sacred duty to make sure Seven Shades Teachings — apparently their Holy Book, — were followed properly by Rose and her country. Why? Rose doesn't know, either.

"Why are you even following me, anyway?" Rose sent an annoyed look towards Victoria.

"Isn't it obvious?" elf even looked taken aback, "You and me are the only ones outside of Seven Shades who have received his blessing."

"Yes, doesn't mean you are free to get on my nerves now, though," Tyrant Queen sighed in frustration.

"That's the only way I can be sure that you are worthy of his attention," Victoria shrugged and sat down on the luxurious chair, leaning on its back and showing off her no less luxurious chest, "And as of now, I don't have complaints."

Rose felt a headache coming in. Victoria was a great ally and asset, don't get her wrong, but… The elf was too prideful. Too full of herself. She had all the ways to back it up, of course, but it didn't make any of it less frustrating to deal with, especially considering Victoria decided Rose Oriana had to be supervised to make sure Divine Lord's name is not stained by actions of those he deemed worthy… Yes, it was a quote. That's exactly what Victoria said on their first meeting after Rose became Queen of Oriana.

"…How do religion deals go?" either way, Victoria was there to also make sure Church of Shadow was being led properly as the (self-proclaimed) voice of Shadow. That, and to remove all traces of Cult's influence.

"We have found yet another spy from Cult," elf pressed her arms under her chest, face turning serious in an instant, "They were hiding in some middle-level noble households. Owners objected, and I had to take action," she shrugged indifferently.

Yes, action. Rose knows exactly what kind of action Victoria took: rushing right into the household where there are hundreds of enemies probably, then slaughtering them all alone, and in the end praying to Shadow. Fanatics…

Not to say Rose herself wasn't one, though. She just liked Cid's side more. You won't believe how much cuter the contrast between tall and imposing Lord of Shadows and average unassuming Cid Kagenou makes him…

A ray of purple light shone through the window.

"Divine Lord?!" naturally, Victoria immediately recognized the familiar light and jumped from the chair, only to fall on her knees in praying position with insane smile.

To be fair, Rose was not that far off, either; after all, considering all the feats Shadow Garden members told her about, plus the fact it was her beloved Cid, too… The only reason she managed to not fall was the fact that being a Queen gave its own… pride. That didn't stop her from ordering to gather soldiers, though.

Meanwhile, the light slowly shifted into a symbol of rose, before morphing once again, this time into four-pointed star with an eye in the middle of it. A minute passed, two…

And a familiar figure clad in darkness went out of the dimensional rift, followed by another, smaller figure.

The first thing awed onlookers heard was…

"…This is why I hate gods."

You know, maybe this little boy really was the Protagonist.

What made Cid think so?

Well, you know, the fact that he was currently being chased by some kind of strange ghost-like figure with long white hair and a knife in its mouth.

"Stop right there, trespasser! This child is the Fortune Bringer of my world! You have no rights to take him!"

Yeah, apparently the kid really was important for the world, to the point where that thing that introduced itself as Shinigami — yeah, the connection with Japan grows and thickens — jumped right after him into the portal. And because of it their normal Interworld near instantaneous transfer has now transformed into a chase scene.

And yes, Cid did feel a lot of souls in the stomach of that thing. Almost makes you wonder what did it need them all for… Really interested? Alright. It digested them.

Slowly, but surely that thing took away the parts that made person, well, person: Astral Body, Sentience, Sapience… all of that slowly disappeared to feed this monstrosity.

And, you know, other times he would probably not even care about it. Like, humans eat animals, this thing eats human, it just needs to choose correctly so to not get destroyed itself, right? Unfortunately, this is one such case where it chose incorrectly.

To prove this Cid sent a small magic slash towards it… And it only got a small cut. Really resilient.

"Man, and here I thought it would be a simple trick to take the kid with me…" he sighed.

The kid in question was currently unconscious because Interworld… was not the place for people that are not ready. Yeah.

"You have chosen your fate, trespasser! The Road to Heaven was right in front of you, yet you willingly walked away to seek for the Gates of Hell!-"

"You are annoying," Cid informed the thing.

It gasped in return.

"Courting death!"

Man, now why are these phrases so familiar to him…? Where has he heard them before?…

Cid dodged lazily and grasped the thing's arm with his own.

"Hey, wanna know something-?"

"Frog that wants to taste a swan's meat!" the thing went completely off the rails, "Just who do you think you are?"

"Oh, you wanna know who I am?" Cid smiled happily.

For some reason, the thing did not like it and started trying to break free.

"That's very simple," he leaned in and whispered, "I'm Atomic."

The thing looked at him in confusion.

"Huh?"

In the next moment it was blown to pieces, and all the souls that were previously in its belly immediately rushed free, some dissipating into the air, others flying in other directions.

Cid didn't even bother trying to reach for the souls despite Hams' wails of protest; trying to seek something in Interworld was… not the easiest task. He could get one, maybe two, but all others would be long gone by that, and he would waste time in the end.

That's why he simply sighed and went back on track, aiming to return to his fantasy world.

A moment, two, and the vacuum of Interworld is replaced by cloudy sky as the capital of Oriana stood in front of him.

The onlookers watched as he exited the portal in awe while he looked down at the ground in thought. And in the end, he has come to a simple conclusion.

Gods always try to do some strange stuff to him. Gods are kinda arrogant. And now, they also start pissing him off…

"…This is why I hate gods."

I kinda like writing about characters as if they are new to the work. I mean, technically they are, but that doesn't diminish the fun from trying to introduce them, even if there are knowledgeable readers. And in case someone who only knows one fandom comes across the work? Well, at least I tried to give them a vague understanding of the character. That's nice, right?