Chapter 17: Party Crashers

Ravel Phenex was an admirable girl. She embodied the poise and propriety that was expected of Devil nobility. Her manners towards her "betters" were impeccable. Her tutors praised her intellect. She was polite, and her keen mind was the pride and joy of her parents. She symbolised the dignity and pride of the Phenex Clan.

I hope the Red Dragon Emperor is here, she thought to herself. He may be a bit of a brute and somewhat crude, but he has rugged charm. Not that I am affected by that. He ripped Ni's and Li's clothes to shreds and left them naked, after all. It's not like I've frequently thought about him doing the same to me! N-not at all…

Ignoring her less than genuine thoughts, she looked around the crowd at the party. It was the celebration meant to preface the Rating Games between the Young Devils. Indeed, they and their Peerages were expected to show up, which made Diodora Astaroth's marked absence a public embarrassment for his family. More importantly for her, however, Rias Gremory had arrived, and with her had come her Peerage. She was on the look-out for one particular member of it.

She finally spied him sitting at a table together with what she assumed where three of his fellow Peerage members. She recognised the blonde girl, Asia Argento. The other two were unfamiliar to her, however. One of them was also blonde, and Ravel would have mistaken him for a girl if she had not been subjected to one of her brother's rants about the "dangers of traps." Then there was also a blue-haired, rather curvy girl. The four of them seemed to be somewhat exhausted by the party, but they appeared approachable enough. So, Ravel decided to initiate conversation.

As she came closer, a certain nervousness beset her. She did not know how it would turn out, even if she had some time to gather some thought. The subject of her ruminations was eating, so there-

He had noticed her and seemed to look her over with a pensive expression. His look then changed to one of comprehension.

"Ah, you're-"

Unfortunately, her nervousness led her to interrupt him: "I-it has been a while, Red Dragon Emperor."

"-the sister of that Fried Chicken Bastard," finished the young man in front of her.

"My name is Ravel Phenex! Ugh, this is why Low Class Devils get such a bad reputation," she said in annoyance.

He looked somewhat sheepish as he replied: "My bad. How's the guy doing anyway?"

"… He has not taken his defeat at your hands well and has been in low spirits ever since. Losing the fight and Lady Rias to you was a shock to him. I suppose it has its upsides. He was getting too cocky, so a reality check served him well."

That duel had been enlightening to watch. It had demonstrated a big weakness of the Phenex Clan trait to her, which she was grateful for. Additionally, it had also shown her what dedication and determination were. Issei had impressed her with both as he had fought his battle at a severe disadvantage. It had all been very romantic.

Although, she thought, it was probably a bit much to publicly proclaim that Lady Rias' virginity belonged to him. He should have said such a thing in private. It would have maintained the romanticism of the moment.

It had very much been in line with certain… literature she liked to read. That aside, the fight had illustrated both the pitfalls of arrogance and the power of dragonkind; two lessons that she would remember well.

As for Riser, she had not lied. His victories in previous Rating Games had given him a big head. That would have caused him to crash and burn – no pun intended – in the big leagues later down the road. Having his arrogance curbed so early would be good for him in the long run.

She was taken out of her thoughts by Issei's response: "Hahaha, man, you're really harsh. You're part of his Peerage as well, though, right?"

Ravel shook her head. "Not anymore. I've finished the trading process. I'm now in my mother's Peerage."

"Trading?" he asked. "I haven't heard of that."

"That is surprising," said Ravel with a frown. "Then again, you are a Gremory servant. They don't tend to trade away pieces outside of the family. In any case, trading means that pieces can be transferred from one Peerage to another in exchange for a servant with the same pieces or just for the pieces. In my case, my mother traded an unused Bishop with my brother."

She watched him process her statement. When he seemed finished, she deemed it the right time to finally broach the topic she had wanted to from the start. The nervousness from before was back now. Nevertheless, she spoke up again: "B-by the way, Red Dragon Emperor-"

"Please stop with the Dragon Emperor business," interrupted Issei. "It's just an impersonal title. My name is Issei Hyoudou. We're about the same age, so you can be informal. My friends call me Ise, so you can too."

Ravel's heart beat a bit faster. She had not expected to get this far this fast. Getting so familiar with her cru-… a young man she admired from the get-go was a bit much. She was accustomed to a different pace from the social games of Devil nobility. Everything involved politics, so it remained non-committal and distant for a long time before people became casual with each other. That she could skip the exhausting part of social interaction with this particular person was a refreshing and welcome change.

"I-is that really okay? To address you by name so casually?" she asked.

She tried her best to subdue it, but her happiness leaked through her speech. She coughed and caught herself.

"I-in that case, I'll call you Lord Ise without reservation from now on."

"Lord? Isn't that a bit much?" asked Issei.

She quickly answered: "No, It's important!"

This is just proper decorum. It has definitely nothing to do with my, uh, daydreams. It would be improper to become a Low Class Devil's sla- servant! Even if he is the Red Dragon Emperor…, she tried to convince herself. Ugh, I should cut down on the erotica.

Her digression aside, she was happy. She had made great progress, she felt. There was no lingering animosity from the Rating Game between the Gremory and Phenex Peerages from Issei, and he did not seem displeased with the conversation either. That was a win in her book.

Yet she had not yet had the opportunity to say what she had wanted to. Sadly, it appeared, time was running out too.

One of her brother's servants, Isabella, approached them. That usually meant an important message. She was right.

"Lady Ravel, Lord Phenex' friend is asking for you."

Ravel nearly sighed. It seemed that she would have to make her request her parting words.

"I see. Lord Ise, would you like to have tea with me when next we meet? Oh, a-a-a-and, if it's no trouble, w-would you like some homemade cake f-from me to go with it?" she asked nervously.

Sadly, her father was not an extremely patient man, so she could not wait for Issei's answer. She curtsied with all propriety a daughter of House Phenex should display, and left before anyone could see her blush.

As she walked in the direction of the table at which her father sat, she could not help but think: Damn that interruption! I was so close. Let's hope he agrees, yet I can't know until we have another chance to talk. I think I'm beginning to understand those people who say they dislike surprises.

Koneko had received an unpleasant surprise. It had not been the staring from random Devils at the party, although it had annoyed her somewhat. The black cat, on the other hand, had been a shock. She had recognised it. It was her elder sister's animal form. Her presence here probably meant nothing good.

Still, she had followed the cat. Not doing so could have led to violence, and Koneko did not want to endanger so many innocents. No, this was between her and her sister.

Unfortunately, no one had told that to Rias and Issei. The two had followed her, which led to the current situation: The three of them standing in front of Kuroka and Bikou.

"It's been some time, Shirone. I've missed you, nya," said the dark-haired woman.

Koneko stared at her for a second before asking: "What do you want, elder sister?"

"That's your sister?" she heard Issei ask.

"Yes," answered Koneko. "The sister who abandoned me and left me to rot."

She shot Kuroka a glare, and if she had not been using low-level Senjutsu, she would have missed her sister's flinch.

Now what is that about? she wondered.

"Well, then it's good that I've come to fetch you, nya. We were finished with our job anyway," said Kuroka.

"… fetch… me?" asked Koneko, blinking.

The older Nekoshou chuckled darkly and said: "Things are getting dangerous. The Devil government can't be trusted with any Nekomata, let alone one of our kind. I want you with me before things get uglier than they already are."

"If they can't be trusted, you shouldn't have left me with them," shot back Koneko. "And I already am where I want to be. Why should I go with you?"

A bare few months ago, that would have been an impossible thing to say for her. She had not been confident in her strength, and even less confident in her place in the world.

"She is right. Koneko is a member of the Gremory family. I will not allow you to kidnap her!" said Rias.

Issei had his own comment as well: "Yeah, she belongs with us!"

Those words caused a warmth to spread in her chest. It was just a shame that Kuroka had to ruin it.

"Bold words, but can you back them up, nya? You don't have what it takes to stop me from taking Shirone back," said the older of the two sisters.

That was a reasonable question, much as it galled Koneko to admit it. Kuroka was powerful, easily the match of any High Class Devil. Bikou was not far off either. Maybe Rias could have held out against one of them, but both? That was a bit much. Koneko also had no idea how she or Issei would measure up to these opponents. This was no doubt going to be tough.

It was for this reason that she was already using Senjutsu and entering Sage Mode. As the markings spread on her face, however, she noticed a complication. She felt sluggish and weak, and she was losing strength by the second. The source was easy enough to pinpoint as Kuroka, who was projecting some sort of poisonous mist. Her older sister was already on the attack, then. Sadly, Koneko's arsenal for retaliation was heavily limited. She could purge a portion of the poison with Senjutsu, but it was a losing battle.

"Kuroka…," she said.

"So you've noticed, nya. This is a special poison gas meant to incapacitate Devils and Youkai. It's not lethal, so you don't have to worry. It's a bit of a shame that it doesn't seem to work on the Red Dragon Emperor, but that's dragons for you, nyahahaha. Fascinating creatures those are. But it's not enough," said Kuroka.

"The Hell it isn't!" shouted Issei. "Come on, Ddraig, let's show her!"

[Boost!]

The red gauntlet appeared on Issei's arm and glowed green, doubling the boy's admittedly lacklustre power. It was not much, but it was more than their opponents would be expecting. Being underestimated was, paradoxically, his biggest strength. It was how he had attained most of his victories. It helped that both Kuroka and Bikou were ignorant of his progress.

"Let's take them down with our Balance Breaker!" continued the boy.

[Countdown set! 2:00]

Issei stared dumbfounded at his arm. He yelled: "What the heck is that supposed to mean?!"

[Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker is incredibly powerful. An untested user like you is expected to have trouble activating it. Now pay attention. You won't able to use Boosted Gear until the countdown finishes, so you must survive on your own] answered Ddraig.

"Well, looks like you're out of luck," said Bikou. "Let's get this over with."

The monkey youkai rushed forward, intending on taking Issei down in one swift stroke. Unfortunately for him, however, his path was barred.

Boom!

A massive fireball impacted the position where he had stood just a moment ago. Only his fast reaction time had saved Bikou from taking significant damage.

"I leave you youngsters alone for one minute, and you already get into a battle."

Koneko recognised the voice as Tannin's. The former Dragon King and his family had flown the Gremory Peerage to the party venue, so it was no great surprise that he had shown up. His timing was very fortuitous, and she was glad that he was here.

"I will keep the monkey brat busy. I expect you lot to deal with the other one. I didn't train weak wusses," said Tannin with a serious expression.

He then made good on his word and launched another fireball at Bikou, who was forced to dodge. The rapid charge of the dragon led to the two of them disappearing into the foliage within seconds.

"This… has become… manageable," said Rias.

Her expression was less than pleased, however. It looked like she had tried to use her demonic power, but the poison had instead sapped even more of her strength.

"Nyahahaha, you've got to bring something better to the table than that," said Kuroka.

She formed energy projectiles around here. Koneko realised immediately that Kuroka was not taking them seriously. The projectiles would hurt a lot, but they were not lethal. They would steal mean an instant defeat if they all hit, though.

"Dodge!" she told her two companions.

The warning was timely. Her own waning strength was barely enough to evade the impact of the projectile, and Issei had been fast enough in grabbing Rias and doing a haphazardly improvised roll with her, which ended with him straddling the dishevelled redhead. His hands had ended up just beside her chest. The dodge had ended with them in that rather compromising position.

Koneko saw a look of realisation come over his face as he assessed the situation.

Please no. Not another of his perverted "strokes of genius," begged Koneko.

"Koneko! I have an idea, but I need a few seconds. Can you distract her for that long?" he asked.

Although she felt weak, the white-haired girl nodded and answered: "I can, but not for long. Hurry up!"

"I'm not expecting much," said Kuroka with a lazy drawl. "The poison is already spread out through your body. While I'm pleasantly surprised that you're using Senjutsu, you won't get off more than one attack, even with its help."

"That's all I need," retorted Koneko.

Ignoring the pain and soreness this caused throughout her body, Koneko flashed through hand signs. Once she hit the last, she breathed in deeply and activated her technique.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu," she intoned and breathed out.

While the C-ranked Jutsu was supposed to be used in conjunction with binding wires, that was mostly for aim purposes. Koneko sadly had no such wire on hand, but she also did not need to be precise. She only needed to be distracting.

As the small dragon-shaped flame sped towards Kuroka, Koneko ground out one word before she collapsed on the ground: "Now!"

Issei had not been idle in these few seconds. He had leaned down and whispered in Rias' ear: "I need to touch your nipples."

"What?!" Rias had whispered back. "Why?"

"My memories of touching them, and Asia's, unlocked Balance Breaker for me. If there's anything that can get the timer down, it's this," he had said.

When Koneko's command of "Now!" came, Rias made her decision. Blushing red all over her face, she said: "Fine!"

She yanked down the top part of her dress and pulled up her bra, exposing her breasts. Issei wasted no time, grabbing them both and pressing a finger down on each nipple. Despite the situation they were in, this caused Rias to moan.

Koneko watched the display in a mixture of embarrassed arousal and disbelief.

Why do I wish that were me? And why can't I decide which one I'd rather be? Gha, not the time or place!

Her disbelief mounted when Boosted Gear made itself heard.

It actually worked?! she thought.

[Countdown: 0:00. Balance Break!]

Issei was enveloped by red light, followed by the physical manifestation of his Balance Breaker's armour.

[Boosted Gear Scale Mail!]

[We don't have much time, partner, so make it count] said Ddraig.

"I will," replied Issei.

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

The boy wasted no time, boosting himself to the limit. He shot up from his position on top of Rias and charged up a ball of demonic power in front of his hand. He aimed it at Kuroka, who had since avoided and completely dispelled Koneko's Dragon Flame. Not only that, but she was now also retaliating with bullets of demonic power; and despite Issei's best efforts, her attack was faster.

The bullets struck Issei, but they splashed harmlessly on his armour. Kuroka was taken aback.

"What? That should have put down the average High Class Devil! This is what I get for underestimating a dragon who fought off Vali, nya! Well then, little Red Dragon Emperor, show me what you can do," she said.

Issei replies: "You're about to eat those words, you naughty cat! Dragon Shot!"

"Naughty-" began Kuroka, only to for her eyes to widen.

She froze as Issei's attack missed her face by a bare few centimetres. The blast of draconic energy sped forward and within maybe three seconds hit the mountain a few kilometres behind her. There was a gigantic explosion, and the mountain was gone. Kuroka's expression grew nervous.

It did not help her situation that the boy now approached her at top speed. The jet boosters he had on his shoulders in place of wings increased his speed tremendously. Before she could even react, Kuroka was staring down his fist a hair's breadth away from her nose.

"Listen," he said. "You may be one of the hottest women I've ever seen, but I won't hesitate to put you in a world of hurt if you continue. I know she's strong, but I'll never stop defending Koneko, even from her sister. So, get lost. She's not yours; she's ours!"

As Koneko heard this, her heart beat faster. She knew he probably did not mean it like that, but her mind went to certain places when he said that. Combined with what she had seen him do to Rias just a few moments ago, it conjured an image she had a hard time fighting down. She managed, however, and focussed on what was readily apparent.

He really cares about me, she concluded.

Kuroka glanced at her, then back at Issei. Some sort of tension left her, and she breathed out. "I was worried about Shirone's health, you know? But she seems to be growing well, so I can leave her with you, nya."

The complete shift in attitude took the three Gremory Devils off-guard. "What?"

Kuroka looked at Koneko and said: "Daddy dearest caught me when I was sneaking around Kuoh. We had a bit of a chat, nya. If he's around, I don't have to worry about you as much."

"Daddy… dearest?" asked Koneko.

"Nyahaha, haven't you been adopted?" asked the older sister rhetorically. "The work he's doing around here is important for your safety. Show him your old hair clip. It's a data storage device."

"I don't-"

"Kuroka, Bikou, it's time to leave. The Devils have caught onto our pres-… What the heck are you two doing? Starting fights with a former Dragon King and the Red Dragon Emperor was not the plan," interrupted a newcomer.

The new arrival caused everyone to disengage. Bikou was back next to Kuroka, and Tannin stood protectively over the trio of Gremory Devils.

"Do not underestimate him. The sword he carries gives me the chills," he remarked.

"You have good instincts. That is to be expected from a former Dragon King, I guess. My name is Arthur, wielder of the holy sword Caliburn and member of Vali's team. I'm looking forward to meeting you again under different circumstances. I am very much interested in crossing swords with the wielder of the holy-demonic sword and the wielder of Durandal," said the young man by way of introduction.

"Caliburn? Isn't that the strongest holy sword in existence?" asked Rias.

"It has been called that," commented Arthur. "Sadly, we don't have time for chit-chat."

"Well, looks like we're off," said Bikou with a sigh.

"Seems like it, nya," said Kuroka.

Arthur shot them an annoyed look. "Don't look so innocent after wasting all our time. Your barrier won't hold much longer Kuroka. You're lucky our mission is accomplished. Farewell, Devils of the Gremory Household and Tannin. Until we meet again."

He then swung Caliburn through the air and, much to the shock of those watching, tore a hole through space. He, Kuroka and Bikou went through it, and the tear sealed up again. The three had vanished without a trace.

"Well… that happened," commented Issei tiredly.

"…"

"…."

"Ise?" said Koneko.

He looked at her. "Yes?"

"Why did you call my sister 'hot?' I was under the impression that you didn't ogle random women anymore," questioned the young Nekoshou in a dangerous tone.

I am not jealous! It's just curiosity, that's all, she told herself.

"Uh…," began Issei, "she doesn't feel 'random.' She has that special something. I can't describe it any better than that."

Now it was Rias' turn to be annoyed, at least by her expression. She asked: "And what makes someone special or not?"

[I can answer that] said Ddraig. [I have enough time for that before the Balance Breaker runs out.]

Rias blinked, then said: "That is… good. I'd like an explanation that makes sense."

Ddraig proceeded to fulfil her request: [It's most likely an effect of the dragon aura. Dragons attract opponents and mates in equal measure. My partner is also extraordinarily attuned to his dragon aura, so it may well be that the women who feel "special" to him in some way are those his dragon aura deems compatible.]

"… That makes as much sense as anything, I suppose," said Rias.

Koneko grunted. She knew Issei well enough to know that he was not attracted to people he knew were evil. And Kuroka's remarks before Arthur's appearance had also cast doubt on her perspective on the events of the past. She already knew that no matter how this turned out, they would run into Kuroka again, and who knew what would happen when she and Issei met again?

I think it's time I faced the truth… and secured my spot, Koneko thought to herself.

Like Hell was she going to let Kuroka sink her claws into Issei before she had the opportunity.

"… Rias. Ise," she said.

"Yes?" asked Rias.

"I want in," declared Koneko.

Rias scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion. "In on what?" she asked.

"The harem," answered Koneko. "I want to be part of it."

Rias looked at her with wide eyes, and Issei did a spit take. That was also the time when his armour dissolved, the Balance Breaker having run its course. The exhaustion combined with the shock of Koneko's statement caused him to lose consciousness, though not without a delirious parting remark.

"Hehehe, I'll take the good kitty," he slurred out.

Koneko's face flushed, and Rias laughed.

"That was adorable," said the redhead.

The younger girl grumbled and sought to change the topic fast. It was not too hard since there was something she was curious about.

"What do you think is Sensei's involvement in the mess with my elder sister?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Rias, "But he must be more active than we've realised so far."

"I did not expect them to act out to this degree," said Gabriel with a disappointed sigh.

Next to her stood Naruto, Irina, and Dulio Gesualdo. Metatron was absent as he was on a reconnaissance mission pertaining Khaos Brigade activity, although he did have support in the form of several Shadow Clones. All other high-ranking Angels and clergy members had other missions to attend, which left the pacification of the Church revolt to a Great Seraph, an outsider, and two recently reincarnated Angels.

"People will always be stupid until you talk or beat some sense into them," Naruto told the blonde woman. "I'm on old hand at that, and these people aren't all that belligerent, just upset. We'll get this done without bloodshed, believe it."

Irina voiced her opinion on that: "This may be the last opportunity to do so."

"Indeed," said Dulio. "We managed to intercept them here. If they had marched un Kuoh unopposed, things could have turned ugly."

The four of them had hurried like crazy to accomplish this feat. They had caught up with and then secretly overtaken the rebels to confront them at their current position. It was fortuitous too, as it was the eastern side of Kazakhstan. By the treaty between Heaven and Tengri, this just barely still counted as Church territory. The rebellion could still be suppressed without heavy combat, provided that cool heads and words prevailed here.

The odds were good, fortunately. The rebellion was led by level-headed men, or at least one of them. Vasco Strada was the stabilising influence most likely to be responsible for the absence of bloodshed so far. His fellow leaders Ewald Cristaldi and Teodoro Legrenzi were of a more hot-blooded sort. It was to be expected, considering that Ewald lacked the Cardinal Priest's experience and that Teodoro was still very much a child. It was only good that they both respected Vasco's experience and superior strength enough to follow his lead.

Said lead brought them to a halt in front of a barrier Gabriel had erected. It was too weak to stop them from breaking through, but it drew their attention and made them stop. That was what the Seraph and her companions had hoped to achieve with it. The confrontation was now set to begin.

"Lady Gabriel," said Vasco. "It is an honour to meet you once again, despite the circumstances."

"The honour is mine, Cardinal Priest Vasco Strada," she responded.

The use of his title was a deliberate rebuke. He was in the process of abandoning his duties, after all. He noticed it too.

"Your words of reproach hurt, much as they are unspoken, although it is understandable," he said.

Gabriel nodded and responded: "Know that I am cross with you. I will, however, listen to your grievances. They must be substantial if those as faithful as you and you comrades would betray Heaven for them."

In response to those words, someone else spoke up. Ewald Cristaldi's voice carried his indignation as he said: "We are not betraying anyone! If anything, it is you who betray the principles that have defined Heaven and the Church since the beginning! You cavort with Devils and heathens as though they weren't a danger to us!"

"The sun is a danger to you; UV rays and all. I don't see you trying to blow it up though," said Naruto.

Ewald's look of affront was a sight to behold. The man retorted: "That is not the same!"

"Isn't it? I know of a few Sun Gods who'd love nothing more than to destroy you, and unlike the Devils, they didn't have a civil war over the question whether they wanted to keep being degenerates or not," said Naruto in reply. "In case you didn't know, the pro-peace Devil faction won."

The third leader of the rebellion finally found his words. Although he was a child, Teodoro spoke with conviction: "There may be good Devils, yes, but the bad ones are still around. They need to be exterminated, or there will never be true peace. Devils like the ones who killed my parents cannot be forgiven."

As though responding to his anger, a pair of white wings sprouted from his back. The appendages moved with the boy's agitation.

"I-is he an Angel?" asked Irina.

Gabriel shook her head and answered: "No. He is a Miracle Child, a child conceived between a human and an Angel. It is an extraordinarily rare thing since Angels cannot copulate without Falling unless very specific conditions are met. A lengthy purification ritual is necessary, and possessive feelings must be absent during the act. Only pure love is permissible. It is why children who result from this are called miracles. Teodoro is the greatest talent among them."

"And yet my parents were murdered by Devils," said Teodoro. "That is why I will not rest until this evil has been extinguished."

"… And then what?" asked Naruto. "Do you expect the Devils not to want revenge for those they'd lose? Your plan means killing them in vast numbers. So, go ahead. Kill as many as you like. But you should know that they're not gonna take that lying down. One day, there'll be a Devil child standing in front of you. That child will stare at you with hatred in its eyes. You will look at those eyes and realise: That child is you. The only place a future like that leads to is blood and death."

"What would you know of that?" asked Ewald.

"I know enough. My birthday present for when I turned seventeen was a war," said Naruto flatly. "You're not special for holding onto your hatred. If anything, it makes you petulant."

"You speak as though it were easy to let go," said Vasco.

His voice was calm. There was no heat in it. There was little this man could ever hate, at least according to his file. It was possible that he asked for the sake of the others. The exact motivations for Vasco's joining of this rebellion were still a bit of a mystery, to be honest.

So, Naruto answered him: "Of course it's not. But no one here strikes me as the sort of people who'd take the easy way out of a conundrum."

"Oho, thank you for the compliment, young man," said Vasco.

Naruto snorted. "You're a few millennia too late to call me young. I'm closer to Gabriel in age than to you."

"Mister Uzumaki, it's impolite to mention a lady's age!" protested Irina.

Gabriel simply laughed and said: "It is of no consequence. Angels do not age."

"Get back to the point. No more empty platitudes," said Ewald. "Why is it that you stand in our way?"

"No more platitudes? Very well," said Gabriel in response. "We stand in your way because you are about to commit treason. The highest authority of Heaven has ordered you to accept the Kuoh treaty. Why do you disobey?"

"Because we cannot simply abandon our ways! We are warriors of the Church? What purpose do we have if the enemy we have been trained to fight is no longer our enemy?!" answered Ewald.

"Even if it is Lord Michael's will, we cannot forgive them for their sins," said Teodoro.

Naruto laughed as he heard that. "So you disregard a core principle of your faith?"

Teodoro glared at him. "It is not so easy to forgive the killer of one's parents."

"I know, kid, I know," said Naruto. "I forgave my own parents' killer. They were good people, but their actions that night – no, everyone's – led to that inevitability. One day I decided that I had hated enough. These days, Kurama and I are best friends, even if it took some time to get there."

Gabriel glanced at him with an expression of approval. She said: "It is indeed the path of Christ to forgive those who have wronged us. The time for war with the Devils is over. We have new enemies to face, and it would not do to reignite old conflicts."

"That softness of yours may be endearing, but it will lead us to ruin," retorted Ewald. "This sentimental weakness is just another opportunity for the Devils to stab us in the back."

Vasco looked uncomfortable with his compatriot's words. He said: "Ewald, that is enough. I do not think you should finish that-"

"No, Your Eminence. It has to be said," interrupted Ewald. "Lady Gabriel. They call you the Innocence of Heaven. That is all well and good, but to us foot soldiers, it means nothing. We will fight and die for God."

"And when will you live for God?" asked Gabriel.

I don't like the face she's making, thought Naruto.

Her expression was stony, and her voice had an edge to it which it had previously lacked.

"When we have avenged our lost loved ones and family," said Teodoro.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "Do you think I do not lament the loss of so many of my brothers and sisters?"

"You clearly do not understand. As I said, your merciful nature makes you weak," said Ewald.

Vasco, who stood next to him, looked at him like he was insane. "Silence, you fool! You-"

"Weak?" asked Gabriel. "You have the temerity to speak to me of loss and call me weak for trying to avoid more?!"

She had raised her voice. Her eyes were narrowed and her body was trembling in rage. Naruto could feel her holding it in; and though he knew he could beat her if she unleashed it quite easily, he had no desire to be the one to do so. The woman was very driven. She was much like he was, he suspected. That was why it did not surprise him when she continued.

"Do you have any idea what the Great War even was?" she asked. "Lucifer was my brother! Lilith was my ward. Azazel and all the Grigori are my siblings. Every Devil and every Nephilim is a niece or nephew of mine. They are my family! And you have the audacity to think I should enjoy killing them?! I killed many of them during the war. I butchered my kin and bathed in their blood for centuries, all the while knowing they were doing the same to those who still fought for Father. It was pure torture, and yet I fought on. Not because I am something as silly as the Innocence of Heaven. My name is Gabriel, the Strength of God! I did not falter, because God's strength does not fail, even in the face of kinslaying. The Great War was the sort of centuries-long massacre which made that mindset commonplace. And that is the kind of time you wish to bring back. I will not allow it."

As she spoke, she spread her twelve golden wings and unleashed her power. The army of rebellious exorcists shook in their boots. Teodor did not look much better, and both of his seniors were sweating bullets. Irina was in a similar state, and Dulio looked warily at her. Naruto on the other hand looked at her with an expression of surprise.

She gets it, he thought. Someone who really knows the cost of war and has no desire for more of it. Hinata was right. I like that woman's spirit.

"So, Cardinal Deacon Ewald Cristaldi, I do understand. I suspect I understand more than you ever will. It is because I understand that I have embraced mercy instead of butchery. You do not want to see me return to how I was before that decision; that I promise to you," she finished.

"If that is so, then make me understand as well," said Ewald as he drew his sword. "I am a warrior through and through. Let our swords talk."

"I see," sad Gabriel. In her right hand she formed a sword made of light. "I do not see the Excalibur replica on you. Do you not intend to use it?"

"It is not finished yet. Neither is the Durandal replica. Our departure was hasty. That said, this ordinary blessed sword is still of high quality," replied the swordsman.

Vasco then warned him: "Do not overestimate your skills, Ewald. This is a battle you cannot win."

"And yet it is one I must fight," said the man. "Attack!"

"Yeah… no," said Naruto. "You three Cardinals can fight for all I care, but I'm not gonna let your foot soldiers interfere."

Seals appeared beneath the exorcists. They glowed blue, unleashing their effects. The exorcists found that they were now unable to move more than the muscles necessary for breathing.

"You-," began Ewald.

"Enough," interrupted Gabriel. "Now face me if you are so eager for battle."

She descended upon him with great force. He only barely managed to deflect her first strike. The enormous force with which she had struck turned his body to the side, exposing him. He was not a master swordsman for nothing, however. He used the momentum to turn his involuntary movement into a graceful pirouette, striking out with his own sword. Gabriel deflected the blow with ease, though, and she pressed the attack.

Gabriel's unexpected aggression put Ewald on the backfoot. She struck at him relentlessly, and he struggled to deflect the many blows she delivered. It did not help that he strength far exceeded his. The ever-increasing intensity of her holy light also posed a serious problem for him. There was little he could do except take the attacks and hope for an opportunity to counter.

His moment came when Gabriel overswung on an upwards hew. He thrust his sword forward, aiming directly at her face. It was a picture-perfect execution of a counter. Sadly for him, he had never fought an Angel before and thus fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book. Gabriel's off-hand may have started empty, but it did not remain so. A spear of light formed in it. Its tip pushed Ewald's blade upward and made him miss her head completely as a result. His attempted counterattack had left him in an open and exposed position.

Gabriel now renewed her attack. With a simple twist of her weapons, she caught Ewald's sword between them. Another twist caused it to shatter. Then she delivered a literal flying kick to his stomach as she ascended into the air. In just one move, she had established her superiority and left Ewald defeated in the dirt.

"Did my sword speak clearly enough to you?" she asked him coldly.

Ewald simply groaned in response.

"And you," she addressed the Exorcists, "do you finally remember what the Church is supposed to stand for? What you are supposed to stand for?"

"We do," said Vasco. "The Church is the instrument of God's will on Earth."

"Then why do you disobey God's will?" asked Gabriel.

"Because God's will is difficult to discern these days," countered the Cardinal Priest.

"I would say that the golden wings on Lady Gabriel's back are a clear indicator," said Dulio. "But just in case, shall I make sure you remember what is truly important?"

Gabriel looked at him in askance. "Is it ready?" she asked.

"I have not had much time to practice it, so it took a while, but I'm ready," responded the male reincarnated Angel.

"Then do it," said Gabriel.

Dulio stepped forward. White wings sprouted from his back as he activated his Sacred Gear. Zenith Tempest was its name, one of the thirteen Longinus-Class Sacred Gears. It excelled in the manipulation of weather and the elements, and in the hands of the strongest exorcist of the Church… bubbles.

That's kinda weird, thought Naruto. Well, I've seen sillier stuff being absolutely lethal. Let's see where this goes.

"Speranza Bolla di Sapone!" chanted Dulio.

His technique went to work immediately. The young man blew into the ring his fingers had former previously. Bubbles spewed forth in great numbers. As these bubbles touched the exorcists of the rebel army, they began collapsing one after another. The attack was vey effective indeed.

"Is that some kind of illusion technique?" asked Naruto.

Dulio hummed. "Well, not quite, but close. I combined Zenith Tempest's power with my holy light. What the targets are seeing once the bubbles touch them is what matters most to them in life. There is no room for denial or rejection. The result is clarity. Confronted with reality, I find it that people lose their fighting spirit when it runs counter to their reason for living."

"Fascinating," said Naruto.

It worked kin of similar to the Izanami technique the Uchiha liked to brag about, just with less time-loop nonsense.

"That is amazing!" commented Irina.

"Thank you for the praise," said Dulio with a small laugh.

Gabriel then told him: "Do not be so humble. It is a worthy achievement. How long does it take for it to run its course?"

"Not too long," answered Dulio. "My limited tests have shown that it takes a few minutes at most."

"Well, looks like that's a wrap," said Naruto. "Let's round them up and wait for them to-"

In this moment, Naruto received the memories of a Shadow Clone.

"Put a pin on that thought," said Naruto. "Let's round them up in a hurry. Khaos Brigade is abusing the absence of these forces to raid Church facilities. Artefacts, money, weapons; they're attacking every place that holds these things."

"How accurate is this assessment?" asked Gabriel.

Naruto answered her: "My Shadow Clones send their memories back to me once dispelled. I've seen it happen. We need to move quickly if we want to respond in time."

The Seraph frowned as she heard this. Naruto could easily guess that she was displeased by this state of affairs. Still, she had a decision to make.

"Dulio, can I leave this situation in your hands?" she asked.

Dulio nodded. "I can take it from here."

"Good. We have no time to lose then. Irina, Mister Uzumaki, with me!" she ordered.

"Of course, Lady Gabriel!" said Irina.

"Let's go," said Naruto.

AN: Greetings, dear readers! I hope you have enjoyed today's chapter.

Ravel has finally joined the roster. She enjoys the privilege of being one of the very few tsundere types I actually like. I hope my portrayal of her does her justice.

Kuroka also showed up. The confrontation is somewhat different than in canon. Naruto has thrown a lot of butterflies at the plot. The naughty cat, as Issei tends to call her in canon, has gotten the ball rolling. Koneko got to show off against her too.

Speaking of our favourite Nekoshou, she's finally made an important step in the direction of relationship development. More of that is to come in later chapters.

And finally, the Church rebellion. It happens much earlier than in canon, and it ends differently too. Irina didn't get to do much, but honestly, she's fodder tier amongst these giants at the moment. She needs some more training. The rebellion is more Gabriel's show anyway. She deserves some spotlight, and I thought that she could do with demonstrating a bit of her power, something that I sorely lacking in canon.

To be honest, I'm walking away with the feeling that this chapter isn't the best I've ever written, but I hope it's still enjoyable to you.

At this point, I'd like to extend my thanks to all my readers. Special thanks to those who have followed, favourited and reviewed.

With all that said, I'm one more reminding everyone that there will likely not be an update in October since my wrist will have to recover from the carpal tunnel surgery. So, until November. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!