Chapter Forty-Six - The Threat of Monsters

There were genuine moments where Naruto found amusement in something. Looking back on the Kage Summit before he was sent to the past, he cackled at the look Onoki had when he shared the dirty secret deals he made. Even if he felt anger and disbelief in the moment he could still find enjoyment now that it was over.

But now, he was greatly amused in the moment even if the woman in front of him was anything but that.

"What's so funny!" Ajisai slammed her hands on the table.

"I'm sorry," Naruto giggled as he tried to reign in his laughter. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to insult you but I just find this so ironic."

Ajisai scowled as she sat back with crossed arms.

Naruto grabbed the book on the table and pulled it closer to him, cracking a grin as he looked at the red cover. It is blank as most of the wording has been faded to time but he can see the black imprint in the bottom right corner close to the book's neck. It is this mark that has him so amused.

"All Uzumaki books are printed with a symbol that is infused with chakra to never fade," Naruto explained and showed Ajisai the mark on the book, getting her attention. "This symbol is for beginner books. Meaning, this advanced seal theory book that has helped you develop your seals is just that; for beginners."

Ahisai's eyes widened at that and she began stuttering. "What? But I could have sworn the formulas and ideas were more advanced than any other seals I've seen!"

"You're not wrong," Naruto chuckled at the woman's flustered reaction. "This is a beginner book by Uzumaki standards. However, this is very well a grade below the skills of Jiraiya of the Sannin, who is regarded as the world's greatest seal expert currently alive."

"I thought I was beginning to master seals," Ajisai breathed out in shock as she sat back in her chair in defeat.

Naruto was pretty sure that a rain cloud could have formed over the brunette's head with how depressed she was. He rapped his knuckles on the table a few times before sighing and hung his head for a moment.

"Alright, listen," Naruto looked at the woman's eyes as he spoke. "I will do you a favour. Since you seem to have grasped this book very well, something I am sure most could not begin to comprehend, I will give you the next level seal book that I have in my possession and that I had used to train with personally."

Ajisai's eyes widened at the Prince's statement and she was shaking with how excited she was. "What do you want in return?"

"Just a few conditions but nothing too hazardous."

Ajisai wasn't sure why but the blonde divine Prince's smile made her stomach drop and do flips at the same time. Her cheeks were tinged pink, though, and she blamed it on the embarrassment from earlier still. "Why do I not want to trust you?"

Naruto laughed and shook his head. "Do not worry, I'm very welcoming for the development of new seal masters, especially since only my Level Five soldiers actually know enough knowledge on seals to be considered proficient by my clan's standards."

Ajisai raised an eyebrow at that.

"Anyway, my conditions," Naruto cleared his throat into his hand. "My first condition is to accept a Divine Mark, mine to be specific. This will allow me to monitor progress and reward you accordingly as a follower of mine - my pantheon should that ever develop. It will also mean that should you die in your experiments, because your soul would travel to my realm of heaven as opposed to the Sage's, I can rebirth you back to the moment of your death."

Ajisai was surprised by that aspect of power, even more so since the blonde had yet to shed his mortal form. Imagine when he fully obtained godhood and was no longer bound to weak flesh, but then again that meant he would not be able to walk the earth with them.

"Second condition is that you will be quizzed by a person of my choice and you must meet adequate knowledge and skill of the entire seal book before moving to the next level."

Ajisai nodded her head in understanding. She wasn't going to gloss over any aspect of the art just because it was too hard or too difficult. She wanted to be a master of her chosen skill and to do that she had to meet the skills and standards of the masters that actually developed the art beyond imagination.

"Lastly, to show your knowledge of the theory and skill, you must create a seal of your own, whether it be an original or a modified version of an existing array is up to you, before I recognize you as worthy of more in-depth books under my clan's creation. Should you succeed that and show I can trust you, and I will know the honest truth by my Divine Mark, then you will even be trusted with the secret theories and arrays."

Demon is one of three major powers in Gaal; the other two powers being Marsh, and the Moonlit Pact between Claw and Wolf. During and after the defeat of remnant Sora shinobi and the subsequent subjugation and conversion of Sky's people, Naruto, and the Uzushio people as a whole, were primarily in contact with Marsh. Their queen, Anat of Canan, is also seen as a goddess associated with sacrifice, fertility, and sex - although Naruto was unable to confirm such rumours as he used a Soul Servant messenger to communicate with nation leaders.

Anat was open to foreign trade and communication - even moreso when seeing the power in the blonde leader's hands - but of course she wouldn't be so welcoming out of the goodness of her heart. She demanded that she will ally and follow an agreeable doctrine only so long as she gains an heir to her line with Naruto - as his power was beyond even her and she wanted a powerful child.

As for the Moonlit Pact, the two countries of Claw and Wolf are led by two equally powerful High Kings. The two leaders had the command of their lesser Jarls and their men and because of their equally balanced power but stronger enemies, they agreed to a defensive alliance that served their people well. However, they had a very large distrust for outsiders and because of this they were unwelcoming of Naruto's Soul Servant emissaries.

Claw is led by High King Torag the Troll Hunter, and he leads twelve tribes of men, trolls, and beastmen. He has four children, the oldest and youngest being girls and the two middle children being boys. Torah's strongest warrior, his Champion, carries the World Beast Surtr; a warrior giant of lava and destruction, said to bring the end of the world.

Wolf is led by High King Bjorn the Steel Giant - a human despite the misleading title and not particularly tall either. He leads thirteen tribes of men, beastmen, and tree-folk that number a few thousand more than Claw's tribes. Bjorn has one daughter from a previous wife and is his declared heiress, and two sons from his current wife. She holds the World Beast Fenrir, the Chained Wolf, who is tied to Surtr's destiny. Once Fenrir escapes his leash and is freed, he will swallow the moon and release Surtr from his bonds and that will herald the end.

The truth of the prophecy, however, is that Surtr and Fenrir are loyal to Kaguya from the time she ruled modern day central Fire. The bit where Fenrir swallows the moon is actually the whole vision of Kaguya's release from her prison, and Surtr's destiny is to be her sword. Together, and with many other World Beasts in and out of Uzumaki control, she would bring back her iron grip on the world.

Or so Uzumaki archives say, but Naruto took all of it with a grain of salt.

Demon, Naruto's main issue on the Gaalic continent, is deeply sowed with attacks from demons and incursions from the skinchangers. The former have always been thwarted or pushed back by Shion's ancestors who had the miracle of farsight and it was for that there was ever a cult created. The skinchangers would need to go into hiding once the cult gained a military and could no longer live in peace out in the open.

Their World Beast was captured and sealed away by Shion's great great granduncle, resulting in his death without an heir. After his death his nephew, Shion's great grandfather, built the second largest nation under the rule of a religious-type technocratic monarchy. They had little experience or encounters with Uzumaki until the rise of Ashina and he travelled to Gaal to look for new knowledge and test possible new loyal families. Other than the problems arising from Uzumaki sealing high ranking demons into masks, there were no other problems between Uzumaki and the Future Cult.

Naruto had expected to finally turn his attention to this troubling continent and bring it under his heel, finally squashing all problems coming from that direction of the world. The fateweavers of the world had different plans, however, even if they cannot weave his life personally anymore. They knew what he cared about.

"Naruto."

His shoulders stiffened as he stared out his window. "Jiraiya."

Turning his chair to look into his office, he is met with the appearance of his godfather sitting in the guest chair. He looked more haggard, dark circles under his eyes, and there was a strained smile on his face. Naruto could feel the difference in the man, more depressed than joyous as he used to be, but he knew that the man was not here to catch up on events.

"What do you need, Jiraiya," Naruto decided to stay respectful and welcoming for now.

"Straight to the point, I understand," the elderly man sighed as if a large weight had finally settled on his body and he leaned forward in a show of exhaustion and weakness. "I understand you and Onoki's granddaughter have a relationship going on."

"And?"

"Orochimaru has convinced the Tsuchikage that he can give them power that rivals yours," Jiraiya looked into his godson's eyes to see them shine a deadly golden and the faintest crackle of ruby light flickered above his head. "The claim to rival a Divine's power is not an easy claim and while I believe it to be untrue, I cannot deny that such a lofty promise could bring disaster to others not with divinity."

"So you think that Iwagakure will use this promised power to wage war on their neighbours?" Naruto cupped his chin at the Sannin's claims. "What proof do you have?"

Jiraiya reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture before setting it down in front of Naruto without a word.

Naruto grabbed the picture and brought it to his face and what he saw sent a cold shiver down his spine. In the picture is a tall woman in black armor, contrasting her deathly pale skin, and her white hair waved above her head as if she was suspended in water. She carried a long pike, a five-foot long handle and another one and a half foot long serrated blade. A tall tower shield reaches above her shoulder from the ground but the designs are foreign to his knowledge.

"That's Kurotsuchi," Jiraiya surprised Naruto with a wave of his hand. "It is hard to see it in the picture but the power is granted by the ring on her right hand. From what I had learned from my informants, this is but one of three S-rank and above powers granted by Orochimaru. I do not know where he found them but-"

"What is her name?" Naruto interrupted Jiraiya. "What is the name of the being in the ring controlling Kurotsuchi?"

"Krixia," Jiraiya answered simply while watching his godson closely. "Krixia is her name from what I was told. The second ring is Karnage, and the third is Arbais."

Naruto nodded his head, writing the names down for research later in the Uzumaki Library. He is sure he didn't get the spelling right on all of them but he hoped Levy could notice them and point him in the right direction. "What does Kakashi plan to do? Has he contacted any of the other villages?"

"We have a dozen or so teams of Chunin and above going to Suna to establish a working command structure," Jiraiya rubbed his chin in thought. "Wind has Bear, Bird, and Rain to act as buffers so we did not need to do too much for them for now. The latter of the three villages has somehow been safe from Iwa's attacks and instead Grass is being attacked by Arbais. Our main concern is with Waterfall as they are a direct neighbour to Earth and they are facing Karnage and his legion of demonspawn."

"So, Krixia is heading south or west?"

Jiraiya nodded his head. "Last I heard, she was moving through Bear and towards Hoshi."

Naruto nodded his head and stood to his feet before making his way to the door. "Thank you for letting me know, Jiraiya. If you need to, rest in the village with my permission but do not stay too long. I will go and handle Kurotsuchi's affliction and then the rest."

"Naruto," Jiraiya called after the blonde.

Naruto turned around and raised an eyebrow as he regarded the man that did not turn around.

"It means nothing now, I am sure, but know that I am sorry for how I treated you for all those years," his voice was quiet and hoarse as he spoke. "I'm proud of who you have become even though that is not for me to feel."

Before Naruto could say anything back, the man disappeared with a brief after-image. He stayed there for a few moments, unsure of how to exactly process the man's words or actions, but settled on a small pained smile. In another life, you would have been a beloved father figure for me. It is sad how this turned out but maybe it is for the best.

There was always a balance and there can be a multitude of things that could happen to make sure his happiness with the man was offset with the feeling of loss and sadness.

Uzumaki Archives

Naruto entered the pavilion entrance to the Uzumaki library through the teleportation marker he had placed there for when he was in a rush. He was definitely in one now since he needed to get as much information on his targets as possible and then save the continent. Again.

When I get to you, Onoki, I'm gonna make sure you understand how much you fucked up.

"Prince-sama, how may I serve you?"

Naruto smiled at seeing Levy appear from further in the library, a smile on her face as she approached. She was designed to know whenever he arrived, her inner core that was tied to the Chaos leyline always sensing when he entered the Archives' threshold.

"I need you to tell me everything you know about three entities," he told her as he grabbed the paper in his pocket and read the names. "Krixia, Karnage, and Arbais."

Levy's eyes glowed an ominous light, blankly staring forward. This was how she accessed the internal seal network that kept track of all scrolls and books inside the library. With the seals inside the covers of the tomes and scrolls, she could also access what was inside such collections.

"Night Queen Krixia, born 655 BN - Before Ninshu," Levy began speaking as if she was reading from a book and considering the look she had it was likely to be the case. "The wife of an influential council member and advisor to the Emperor of Memories located in modern River and western Fire. Due to her husband's station, she had everything but desired more control. Growing up under her family's crest - a bound woman held upside down and surrounded by penitent servants - she vowed to never be like that."

"She was a woman of outstanding charm and spirit, and was trained in martial practices; using a sword-staff and tower shield she battled vagabonds and rebels. She was so loved by the lower classes that she was sought in council by her husband and the Emperor when it came to social matters of the empire. She would die in battle in 625 BN while holding back an opposing army outside her nation's capital - giving enough time for the reinforcing army under her husband's banner to arrive. She was given a saintess's burial."

"She would become the Saintess of Protection in the Empire of Memories. However, she would become a fallen angel in her battle against the demons under the control of the first Farsight of the Future Cult who tried to conquer Gaal. Ever since then, she was then known as the Night Queen and is the enemy of the Future Cult. The Uzumaki have sealed her in an undisclosed location so she may never wage her war on mortals again."

Naruto rubbed his chin of that knowledge, disappointed nothing was said of her power as the Night Queen. Clearly it alluded to her being immortal, whether that also meant invulnerable was unknown, and she was of divine nature. She must also be very skilled with weapons considering her long life on the field and further as an angel. He would have to treat her as a Level Four threat at minimum but very well could be Five.

"The earliest reports of Karnage the Anarch is from the Second Heavenly War between the gods and the demons. Unlike the demons under Samael or Agrat Bat Mahlat who were not cruel in nature but disagreed with the gods, the demons under Karnage were everything terrible about creation. And they sought more."

That did not sound promising.

"Karnage is the Anarch of Destruction and wielded such destructive power that he stood on equal ground with the likes of Samael, Yaldabaoth, and the chief gods. His sword had the power to wound souls similarly to the function of zanpakuto, thus it allowed him to mortally wound or kill many gods and their soldiers - something never before seen or dealt with by the gods."

"He was a successful warrior and had led his armies to the gates of Paradise, the very home of the Father and Mother, and the Forest of Eternity. He sought the knowledge and power of the various fruit trees tended by Mother's Gardners. He almost succeeded, but in a fight with the Gardners he was cast down with most of his power being stripped and locked in the Forest."

"He was able to kill one Gardner and wound two others, a testament to his power. He now slumbers in the Kanaka Volcano, waiting to be awoken by anyone foolish enough to stumble upon him."

Great! Naruto sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course Orochimaru would be the one stupid enough to wake up a demon with such power.

"Back when the World Tree still existed, tales of the Fae that inhabited its roots all focused upon one central figure. Arbais the Stonethorn is the closest to a queen the Fae ever had and she was the guardian of the world's forests. She is one of many that are worshipped by the elves of Gaal but while once she was thought of as a caring spirit of the woods she is now a vengeful disaster."

"The reason for the latter belief is because when the World Tree was taken by Kaguya Otsutsuki, most of the magic that inhabited the forests dwindled considerably. That left Arabia weak and hungry, as she fed off of the World Tree's chaos that had yet to be converted into chakra, and she turned to consuming the power of others."

"Once all magic in the forests had dispersed over a decade, she fell into a coma under the old roots at the base of the World Tree's old location. She was unable to be disturbed until a significant amount of Chaos could sate her needs."

I wonder how Orochimaru found enough magic to awaken her and then seal her, Naruto thought to himself before focusing on the bigger picture. "I have my work cut out for me. Levy, please transcribe all of that into separate papers for each of those three."

"Understood, Prince-sama," Levy bowed before leaving further into the library to do as she was told.

Meanwhile

"The Uzumaki Prince is on the move," Black Zetsu said as he rose from the ground. "He leaves for Konohagakure!"

"Your plan actually worked," Pein sounded surprised despite the level tone he maintained.

Orochimaru chuckled as he nodded his head, a coy smirk on his face as he looked back at his former leader and current partner. "Yes, as I said it would happen. Onoki would not pass up an opportunity to strengthen himself and his village beyond the others, especially now with the Uzumaki moving around with such undeterred confidence. He would choose his granddaughter to use one of the cursed powers, as he wants her to succeed him, and I also know that she and the Uzumaki Prince has a thing going on even if they do not interact beyond the private letters they send each other."

"And now he moves to save her and defeat and capture the other two rings you gave," Pein finished saying the plan the Sannin had formed when they first made the partnership.

"Precisely," Orochimaru agreed before motioning his hand vaguely to the man. "That leaves Uzushio defenceless for you to enact your revenge for your lost friend."

Pein said nothing even as he wanted to retort that he wasn't seeking revenge. He thought of it more as divine punishment than revenge, as the Uzumaki were standing in the way of a true peace that can only be achieved through mutual pain and under the protection of a group of divinely strong individuals. Once the Uzumaki are once more destroyed, and their Prince killed by the Wandenreich Emperor, that will leave the Akatsuki to finally be unopposed in their plan for peace.

"What about you," Orochimaru asked the dark corner as he kept his smirk. "I'm sure you are glad to finally have your plan finally continuing."

Pein also looked at the corner the Sannin spoke to and he could see the orange swirling mask of a familiar man that appeared to him and his friends over a decade ago. The man has short black hair, much shorter than the long hair he used to have, and from the hole in the mask he can see a singular sharingan eye staring back. He wore the Akatsuki robe as he used it to blend in the organisation for all these years without everyone knowing his true identity - his true name and appearance only being known by Pein, Konan, Zetsu, and Izumi.

"The plan is still in its first phase," the man spat out as his eye regarded the amused Sannin's face with disdain. "We are missing the Ichibi, Nibi, Sanbi, Nanabi, Hachibi, and Kyuubi. We need to capture at least three of them to awaken the husk of the Jubi, the creature of which is the only way to bring to life the Divine Rabbit Goddess. She is the best way for peace to come to the elemental nations as under her there were no wars or conflicts in her life."

"The only ones we know the location of for sure are the Ichibi, Nibi, Nanabi, and Hachibi!" White Zetsu was panicked as he informed the group of their problem. "The Sanbi and Kyuubi are missing, the latter of which is no longer sensed within the Uzumaki boy!"

"The Nibi would be under strict protection with what is happening from Iwagakure, and the Hachibi would not be too far from her as he is training her in using all of the biju's power." Black Zetsu was much more composed and calculating of solutions for their problems. "The Ichibi is the Kazekage and will be hard to get to with the village mobilising along their border against Krixia, and the Nanabi is trying to fight against the demons of Karnage."

"Have Sasori and Deidara go and intercept the Uzumaki before he reaches Krixia," Pein told the plant with a wave of his hand. "If the Prince is in danger, the Ichibi's host will not be too far behind. I'm sure the Sanbi and Kyuubi are hiding in or near the Uzumaki capital so I will capture them if I find them. Orochimaru and Madara, try to capture the Nanabi. So long as we get one or two of the four targets then we will have less to worry about if we need to target the Kumo biju."

One hour later, Konohagakure

Naruto arrived at the gates of Konoha with a brief flash, landing at an invisible mark he had placed long ago should he need to arrive at the village. His sudden arrival had gained the attention of the guards, two Chunin with the military police pin on their black flak jackets.

"I am here to meet with the Hokage," Naruto informed the guards as he approached the gate.

"Ah- er, right, of course," the younger of the two nodded before looking at his companion in confusion. "What's the protocol for this?!"

Naruto cracked a smirk at the kid's harshly whispered question, even feeling a chuckling rising from his check at the clueless shrug of the other guard. "I can wait here while one of you goes and notify the Hokage, or your commanding officer, for further orders if you wish. Would that be better?"

The boy seemed relieved at this, almost like he was glad a foreigner wouldn't feel insulted by being told to wait. "That would be appreciated, sir. It should not take too long."

"That would not be necessary."

Anko arrived on the other side of the gate, a smirk on her face as she stared at Naruto. She now wears a mesh long-sleeve shirt under an orange crop top and a black skirt that reaches her mid-thigh. Her black boots reach up to her mid-shin, just under her knee, with black mesh stockings that meet the end of her skirt. Her overcoat she always wore is now coal-grey and has the military police insignia on the left breast while her Konoha headband is around her neck.

"Hello, Anko-chan!" Naruto grinned at the woman. "Are you here to give little old me a private escort to Hokage-dono?"

The woman grinned at the man's voice and shook her head. "Yes I am, foxy. I can only assume the reason you are here entails to why the village is mobilising."

"Most likely, yes," Naruto nodded his head without going into the details any further. If she was meant to know then Kakashi would have told her.

"Follow me then," Anko stated before dashing off knowing the blonde would be able to keep up with her.

As Naruto followed the older woman to the Hokage Tower, he noticed the state the village was currently in. The military police were patrolling in groups of three down streets and from rooftops even as the Anbu scoured the shadows. However, he did notice the lack of ninja teams in the village with the exception of singular Jonin that were still travelling at a brisk pace. It seems that most teams must be out on missions or now patrolling the borders that are threatened currently.

I wonder if they are still here, Naruto wondered to himself as he thought about his Masked Agent friends.

They soon arrived on the roof of the Hokage Tower, which was being guarded by five ninja, and without missing a beat Anko was already halfway through the roof entrance. As they neared the Hokage's office, they were subject to a loud conversation that gained more clearer as they drew closer.

"These beings are impossible to deal with! We would have to handle them and even then we cannot possibly save the lives of those in possession."

That was Sakura's voice.

"We have to do what we can, but not all of us can focus on just one of the abominations," Sasuke answered sympathetically as he understood the girl's nerves.

"Knock, knock, chucklefucks," Anko announced as she rounded the corner into the room. "I present his majesty, Prince Naruto Uzumaki."

"Really?" Naruto questioned with a raised eyebrow and amusedly stared at the woman.

Anko just gave a grin in response and Naruto shook his head before looking at the crowded office. Kakashi sat at the desk with the Hokage hat placed to the right as he looked over a map with various coloured marks. Inside the room is the first and second generations of the Masked Agents. Other than Konohamaru who stood with the Hastur Mask, Sakura now had the Cthylla Mask and Udon had the Tsathoggua Mask. Cthylla is known as the Kraken Mother, a demigod of sorts but her parent is more of an eldritch abomination than an actual god. Tsathoggua is known as the Toad Saint and he has long since been detached from most of his powers - a battle with many Uzumaki to make sure no more cults would be created in his name.

"Naruto, I shouldn't be surprised that you are here," Kakashi breathed out and closed his eyes. "I'm assuming you know about these abominations? Jiraiya was not able to make much sense before leaving."

Naruto nodded his head. "Yes, I do. Here are the papers with details on Karnage and Arbais, but the rundown is this; Karnage is a former demon lord that has since been cast down after a failed war against the many pantheons and gods, and Arbais is a god spirit of the planet's forests that has since lost herself to insanity after the loss of the World Tree. I have their powers and hypothesised ways of defeating them."

"What of the third one, Krixia," Sakura asked as everyone knew there were three new powers out of Iwa.

"I will handle her," Naruto told her shortly, although Kakashi gave a knowing look. "That specific possession is a personal matter to me, and that is all I will elaborate on the matter."

With that Naruto looked at each of them. "You all were chosen to carry Masks of power equal to these beings. You outnumber them, and even if you are not completely possessed by your respective spirits like these three enemies, you have every resource to face this challenge. The Masks were not given for no reason, or to simply stand by as a threat of power or deterrent. I chose the Masks and most of you for your skills and my faith in you. Do not make me regret it and get out there and handle the enemies of the world."

Naruto tossed four steel containers, cylindrical in shape, that were completely covered in seal arrays too advanced for any of them to make out - even Shikamaru with the help of Samyaza. "These will contain both the spirits and the possessed separately. Try to save the unfortunate people caught under the possession, but if it is a lost cause then the apprehension of the threats is top priority. Do not fail."

With that, Naruto disappeared in a distorted haze of light that left everyone blearily blinking.

Meanwhile, Wind-Bear Border

Krixia has lived a long time. She was born to peasant parents and while they made sure she never wanted for much they still struggled with their lives. Her father was a kind and smart man, working as a respected engineer and carpenter for their large village. He had a high standing with even their governing Baron, who often called for her father's services whenever any issues or projects were being drawn up for the village. Her mother, however, was a surgeon that has treated anyone from peasants and even nobility. She had saved and treated the Baron's youngest son from a killer fever that almost took his life.

That was the first time Krixia met her future husband, although she would not know about that until much later down the line.

Once she had come to the age of maturity, Krixia had joined the militia of her village and trained with others of her age range. It was under this time that she gained the eye of the captain, a veteran soldier of the Emperor's Guard, and he took her under his wing within the first few months of her training. His tutelage would prove to be the most important time of her life as she learned so much about battle, fighting, and tactics that were hard to learn on the field without facing the same mistakes he had. During that time, he had become a second father to her and she was like a daughter to him.

After three years, she and her village were called to war in the name of their Emperor and her unit was under the command of the captain. They faced many battles and victories, she always standing by his side as his second-in-command, but after the first dozen the captain had been given a grievous wound. He would not survive, being taken by his fever in the middle of the night while recovering from his wound.

Krixia took command after that and she would go on to beat back every offensive and defensive, soon gaining her first title of Maiden of War. Once the war was over, she had gained many honours and even a lesser noble title as well as land in her home province. It was on her return after five years in the war and aftermath of occupation of taken lands that she would learn that her home had changed as much as she had. Her mother and father had gone missing and later presumed dead after a devastating series of storms that washed away some of her village. Some time after that, the eldest son of the Baron had caught a nasty illness that he could not be cured of since no doctor after her mother could begin to diagnose him.

During the welcoming party that was hosted by the Baron, who had aged greatly, she would meet the young boy her mother had saved and she and he were smitten with each other. They would soon court and then marry with the Baron's permission, but she never stopped her career as a soldier. She was the Commander of the Baron's official army and in her time she had nearly completely eradicated banditry and lawlessness, proving that under her ruthless yet compassionate ways most of the problems were due to high taxes and lack of general growth. She was able to work with her husband to get some reforms and improvements through the province to make living much easier.

For a decade she and her husband would care for their home and make it the most peaceful province under their nation's banner. Well into her midlife, she would once again be called to war but this time it was not against any other nation; it was against demons. The remnants of a demon lord's army, they would spill into her home in a great wave of death and carnage that would even claim the life of her husband. In her rage, she would march with the largest fielded army ever in her nation and she would spill the disgusting blood of each demon she faced.

In the final battle against the demons, in a small village on top of a cliff near a waterfall, she would meet her seeming end against a demon general of sorts. The aftermath of the battle of the survivors would have her painted as a maiden and saintess in mortal form. Many would even make offerings and prayers in her name with those made to Amaterasu and the other gods. In this simple act of respect for her actions, she would become a Saintess of Amaterasu and an Angel of the Father and Mother. She would be granted the ability to come to Earth once more when needed, and she had even been able to see her husband once more in the afterlife.

But what does any of this have to do with now, you may be asking? Well, what they do not tell you is how easy it is to fall from that lofty pedestal you never wanted to be on. For Angels, it is even easier especially when most of the rules are unwritten. Her fall was no different than any others.

"Die!"

The man practically threw himself onto her sword-staff with his hasty charge, and she simply tossed his corpse to the side. She could not understand how far into the future she now is, yet they fought so much horribly despite their unique abilities making them so much better than she and her fellow soldiers would have been in their time. It made her very disappointed with this world.

Her heart fluttered, however, when she felt a new incredibly powerful presence. And Divine.

She turned around to meet the new presence and took in the blonde hair and golden eyes, a floating scarlet blood crown above the head polluting the area around it. She knows that he isn't like the rest of the people she has faced so far ever since winning over the form of this girl.

"Greetings, Saintess Krixia," he bowed his head in greeting, his eyes remaining on her. "You have been causing problems."

I forgot to finish/release this chapter for over a week now... ;-; I'm so sorry! The next chapter is "A Rock's Fissure" so you can only guess what is the focus of that part!

Oshigami: We have pairings, and we have "pairings". Some pairings we will see often - like Zoya, Isane, and Izumi - while others will not appear as often - like Anko, Haku, and others. So no worries if I happen to add Hinata, it won't be a main pairing.

OkamiKageW: Oop, oh well sorry you feel that way.

Krieger Techpriest: He said "these hands are rated E for Everyone so who's finna catch them" XD

Primarx: Indeed it is, and thank you for reading :D

Srecko: Hope this one doesn't disappoint either

Sivaatasi: Hope Aizen grew as a character in this story for ya :)