Exile's World

by Relo

The shinobi found himself stranded in a universe unlike his own, far from the world he once knew. Compelled to navigate this strange realm. Compelled to forge alliances. Compelled to build relationships. Compelled to fight. There's only one group he can rely on, all driven by the same goal. It's home he wants, as much as the power he craves, knowing he cannot return without it.

16. Chapter 16

/ "Dialogue." /

/ 'Internal Thoughts.' /

/ "Flashback Dialogue." /

Danish78: I do like Rias! Maybe I've been too harsh, though.

---

"~NYAAAAAWN~"

She had the adorableness of a cat, and the beauty of a yellow moon.

Kuroka's golden eyes slowly opened as she stretched her arms and legs. Beneath her, a moving magic circle pulsed brightly. And around her, was a protective dome of magic yellow-light. For once, her kimono covered most of her body, keeping her warm as they traversed this cold, seemingly empty, desolate realm.

She looked up toward the "sky" above. Though calling it the sky would have been inaccurate. It surrounded them in every possible direction, at every angle—sight itself seemed irrelevant. Red, blue, purple, orange, yellow, black—it was everywhere. An ocean of colors. Yet, there was nothing warm or bright about them. It remained an abyss, a void, a strange plane of oblivion.

"... Are we there yet?"

Standing at the front of their capsule was a young woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a large navy cap on her head, which from above covered her entirely. A cape flowed down her back, though there was no wind around them to make it flap. Her name was Le Fay Pendragon, and despite her youth, was considered a remarkably powerful sorceress for her age, being the one navigating all of them through this suffocating world.

Not every mage could make it through the Dimensional Gap and live to tell the tale.

"How do you think I feel?" Le Fey replied, crossing her arms and sighing, "It's not like I get the luxury to sleep. If I stop focusing for one second, Great Red might devour us."

Across from the Youkai sat another member of Team Vali. A tall man with long blonde hair and blue eyes. By his side was not a broom like his younger sibling, but rather a powerful holy sword.

Arthur Pendragon closed his book and spoke in his monotonic, often irritated voice. "We're traveling slower because we have to tow this godforsaken Gogmagog. Without it, we could have been back in London by now."

Kuroka glanced over her shoulder, where a colossal stone figure floated limply behind them, held in place by a thin line of Le Fay's magic. These entities, Gogmagogs, were ancient golems created by the old Norse gods for the purpose of war. However, they had been abandoned long ago for a variety of reasons, and so the world never saw their wrath.

Rather than destroy them all, they had been sent into the Dimensional Gap, with the hope that the pressure would crush them. Yet, they had survived, even after all these years.

"All of this for petty revenge..."

Arthur lowered his eyes, "Vali knows a message needed to be sent. If Cao Cao decides to mess with our operations, we'll be sure to mess with his."

The nekoshou smirked, "If he wants revenge, he should have just stolen a few more members from Cao Cao's pod."

Le Fay and her brother exchanged a glance. They had once been part of the Hero Faction before leaving to join Team Vali. It had been considered far worse than a betrayal—an act of ultimate treachery. The Hero Faction's primary objective was to defend humanity against non-human entities like the descendant of Lucifer. Just because Vali was only half a devil didn't mean he wasn't the very thing they had sworn to destroy.

"The one with silver hair," Kuroka added, her tone suddenly mischievous. "He's cute. Take him."

Le Fay frowned, "Just admit you like boys with silver hair. First Vali, now Siegfried..."

Her comrade laughed, closing her eyes and winking with amusement, "I like them with black, too." She rolled into herself and closed her eyes. Despite its danger, the Dimensional Gap's scenery provided the perfect recipe for easy slumber. There was something peaceful and mentally soothing about it—if it wasn't actively trying to kill you, that is.

It had been some time as she laid there. Her body rising, then falling. It all seemed as usual as it could be.

[BEAT]

There had been many lonely, truly lonely nights throughout her life. Never more so than when she had been declared an SS-Ranked criminal. She had become convinced that if she were to get caught or killed, it would be while unconscious. And so, over the many years, when learning to control senjutsu, Kuroka had developed a skill that made her sleep much more controllable.

If her tail wagged, it would wake her. If a cloud passed by the moonlight, it would wake her. And whenever another living being came close to her proximity, it would wake her.

Like all those times, something had disturbed her slumber.

She shook awake. Her heart thundered, the sound vibrating in her chest. Her body moved instinctively, snapping upright and drawing the attention of her allies. Kuroka stood, her eyes scanning the void. Her ears piqued, her tail wagged, and her nose flared.

Their youkai comrade spoke cautiously, "Something is out there... we should find it. Before it finds us."

Arthur groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's not go poking around for the most powerful thing in existence. Great Red will see the Gogmagog and destroy it—and us with it."

But the devil shook her head. "It's not Great Red."

The siblings exchanged wary glances before relenting. The nekoshou guided them, simply by pointing to where to go. There were no markers or points of interest they could fall behind. The Dimensional Gap was a mirage of peace, being chaos. Direction was meaningless. Having a Youkai was beneficial, as they could sense and detect life, but it wasn't as if the void was crowded with tourists.

"We need to head in that direction anyway…" Le Fay said, frowning. "We'll have to abandon the mission if we see that dragon."

There was no helping it now. At first, her senses barely felt it. It was very unusual, as detecting something out here was typically impossible unless it was within visible distance. But as it came closer, the swirling mass of colors that clouded their sights suddenly became more distinct.

Shapes became more solid, more recognizable.

'Chakra... senjutsu... ki...'

A gargantuan amount of of it.

Far from them, stood a massive, feral beast—a gigantic animal with a sleek white body streaked with blonde. Its red eyes were fierce and filled with an unsettling rage. The creature moved erratically, jumping, spinning, running. Though there was no floor, it conjured its own magic circles to allow its feet to roam the oblivion. On its back were nine intense tails that waved like war banners. Then, magic appeared on each one, rising and gathering for an attack.

"The Kyuubi..." Kuroka said aloud.

Le Fay tensed. "What is it doing out here? Doesn't she live in the human world?"

Arthur stepped forward, withdrawing his sword. Even at this distance, anything could happen. His eyes narrowed as he squinted into the chaos. "... And what is that?"

Across the void, facing the nine-tailed fox, stood something which perplexed them even more.

A colossal figure loomed, towering and menacing. Its body was dark purple, and its glowing yellow eyes were cold and lifeless. The figure resembled a samurai clad in armor, its appearance unlike anything they had ever seen. On its back, it carried an enormous bow, but in its hands, it gripped two large swords. The entity stood motionless, its stance stern and confident, as though waiting for the attack to come to it.

The siblings dared not move closer. They were well-experienced enough to know when a battle was about to begin.

Kuroka's eyes widened. There was no life coming from this... astral entity. It had no soul, no heartbeat she could sense. However, it was filled with chakra. Her gaze traced upward toward the top of it, where a diamond capsule embedded into its forehead lay.

'Him!?'

---

'Why did it have to be me next?'

The young man twiddled his thumbs, a sign of his anxiety. He wore a standard black uniform with a red trench coat to keep him warm in this somber weather. He had brown hair, wore glasses, and was about the average age of a college student.

He saw his hands acting out of his control and instead placed them around the warm touch of the porcelain cup on the table. It was comforting hot green-tea. A perfect drink to calm his nerves and to keep him warm. The taste came, and despite the temperature, he drank it with relief following. As he set the cup back down on the table, he peeked one of his eyes open, looking cautiously across the street.

There was another young man in a different restaurant, though a few years younger. He had black hair and black eyes, and wore a ring on his index finger. The look on his face made him seem annoyed, with his hands folded into one another and covering his mouth. Sitting in front of him was a young girl, though her traditional attire seemed far out of place for this environment.

But Georg knew the truth.

He looked down at two books placed neatly before him. One was basic—a standard magician's journal that bore his own magic seal and contained his life's work. He scrolled through to the most recent page and lowered his eyes. It was a detailed plan of their mission, one that required more than simply using power. Stealth, observation, patience—a detailed plan, which was something the human relished in.

Search and rescue.

In a sign of stress, he rubbed his temples, 'I knew we approached this wrong way. But that idiot Connla wanted to prove himself. If he ever finds out we tried drugging and sedating him, he will never trust us. Who cares if the devils would be present? They are controlling or manipulating him in some way, are they not?'

That had been a mistake.

'And then I had to step in and save him from his own failure.'

His fingers traced to the next paragraph of his notes. Once again, he lowered his eyes and sighed in frustration.

'Jeanne was supposed to isolate him in the forest. Get him away from the devils. Maybe, even try and seduce him if needed.' Georg rubbed his face, 'But she got insecure, and said the devil he was with was prettier than she was and that he wouldn't have followed her.'

The book suddenly closed, and he frowned, 'And now, they expect me to get him.'

Georg cautiously glanced over his shoulder, just for a moment, watching, observing them together. It appeared as though they were play fighting, with the girl trying to jump onto him, and he, avoided her like the plague.

"We protect humanity. In this world... or the others. If the son of Lucifer thinks he can bend and twist us to his ambition, then I will bend and twist him instead."

Those words rang in his mind.

When he stared at Sasuke, he truly wondered if everything he had been told was true. He appeared just like him. No extra limbs, no strange DNA, nothing that typically indicated he was any different. The only exception was that he possessed a significant amount of chakra, which was very odd for a human, but not extraordinary.

'Then again,' Georg thought, 'What does an alien look like?' his eyes trace up to the sky, 'If we do this... we must be prepared to give up everything. We've never had a risk like this before, Cao Cao.'

The order had been given.

"As for Ophis? I've reconsidered our time with her. And I'm not the only one. This... Kyuubi plan of hers. I found it amusing at first, but perhaps there is a way we can come out on top for all of this. If not, we will go back to Plan A."

His fingers cautiously traced the other book before him, a heavy book—far heavier than it appeared. Though recently made, it was comprised of papyrus rather than paper or any other common material.

He handled it with the utmost care and caution, as if it were lit dynamite.

The cover bore a strange, ominous design. Its coating glowed with dark green magic and could not be opened normally. A special seal adorned it, one that only a proficient magician could read and decrypt. Sharp black protrusions spiked from its edges, giving the reader a rough time handling it. At its center was a skull with orbed yellow eyes, its mouth opened as though ready to bite down. Overall, it had a crazed, fearsome aura that made the sorcerer very on edge. Even though he was a master of his own craft, this was not something he had ever been taught to handle in the past.

"You're the only one who can do it."

Georg shook his head. "You know I hate when we change plans," he replied. "Just pick one and stick to it! If something goes wrong, I will—"

A hand was placed on his shoulder. "You will do just fine, my friend. Only use that power... if our plan fails. That way, no one will be upset."

"To break terms with not just one God, but two..."

Cao Cao paced before him. "Those creatures have power, but our respect, or friendship? Don't be an idiot, you're supposed to be the smart one. They are more than willing to give us up at a moment's notice. We are humans, they are the leeches, expecting us to do all the work for them. Alien or no, this newcomer is a human. If that God wants his soul because of it, let him try."

With a powerful thud, the heel of his massive and imposing spear pressed against the ground.

"I'll show him that even skeletons can bleed."

---

"I thought you had wings!"

The Deva Path allowed Sasuke to manipulate attractive and repulsive forces with objects and people. Over time, he had learned to apply this to himself, which gave him the ability to "fly." Rather, it was more like levitating, using telekinesis to lift himself from the ground. Doing so did not require the use of wings. It was not fast, but it worked and allowed him to descend from the tower where they had been.

He had no desire to use the stairs or an elevator, and he did not know teleportation magic.

However, it had absolutely terrified the heiress of the West Youkai Faction. She had assumed he was going to fall to his death—and take her with him.

'The future Kyuubi...' That was almost laughable. Even when Naruto was her age, he could be a force of nature.

Despite her earlier distress, she cradled a cup of hot chocolate in her small hands and sipped it. That seemed to be the only thing that stopped the light tears that streaked down her cheek. She was no doubt heavily stressed from the current events. Her mother was gone. And, if she never returned, she would be the one to lead and guide the Youkai of Kyoto. They were a unit here, a pod, a family, and they all lost their mother.

"...Why would I have wings?"

Since the Leviathan had departed back to the Underworld, that left Azazel in charge of the operations here. The Occult Research Club, along with their newfound Youkai allies, worked together in their search. The Fallen Angel had arranged an efficient manner of search and rescue. Though Kyoto was gargantuan in size, they scoured the city as thoroughly as possible. Teams were divided, and they searched wisely, or so they hoped to. The shrine, where they had started, was at the center, while all directions of the city needed to be cleared.

Each team was given a beacon to raise into the sky. Nothing powerful or significant, but the purpose was to give away a position.

The fox, or rather the kitsune, was supposed to be with the Governor-General, but she insisted on staying with the human, strangely enough.

"I want to go with Sasuke-un." Kunou had said, crossing her arms.

The Uchiha had responded bluntly, "No."

"Yes," she insisted. "I'll be better. Just don't try to kill me next time."

Azazel smiled, and tried to be comforting, "Lady Kunou, if you want, you can come with me. We can fly across the city and get snacks together. This search could end up in chaos, and we would not want you in the midst of it all."

She shot him a strong glance. "No."

"We're not flying anymore," he said dryly. "Never again with you."

He glanced at her, and there it was—that mischievous look on her face.

"No."

She ignored him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can focus on looking for my mother better if I'm not distracted."

"No."

The two had walked through the city, retracing the steps Yasaka had often taken. It was rare for the Kyuubi to ever leave the shrine grounds to begin with, but on the day of her disappearance, she had been seen running errands—meeting with city officials, who were aware of what she was, and ordering supplies for the entire youkai community in the city.

It was not unusual for regular humans to know about the existence of beings like devils or youkai. Contracts were often made, services exchanged—it was usually a mutually beneficial relationship. But Sasuke knew better than anyone that humans were just as capable of betraying, killing, attacking, and taking advantage of one another, regardless of their race.

So, everyone who could be investigated, was.

Kunou knew these people as well, having often trailed her mother during her errands.

Did some of them look suspicious at the two? Naturally. But Sasuke had a way of persuading them to be more open with whatever they knew. His eyes had a look that made them speak, even if they didn't wish.

Also, on his hip, was a large sword which did not look like it was for decorations alone.

The Kitsune whispered to him, "I think they were telling the truth. Hard to tell when everyone is so nervous..."

---

Most of the Occult Research Club had been sheltered to a certain degree. Sasuke had grown up in a land stuck in a different time period, and Kunou had spent most of her time at the shrine by her mother's side. Xenovia and Irina both grew up mostly at church. Rias had matured in an aristocratic world, far removed from the realities of common life.

They had not all been privy to certain... vices.

Sasuke's irritation began to accelerate at an astronomical rate the moment they entered this strange area of Kyoto. It was crowded—too crowded. Never before had he been so annoyed at the sight of other humans. They were loud, touchy, bumping into him, acting far too much like Rossweisse or Azazel whenever they drank wine.

It was also very red—literally. Neon signs illuminated the streets, advertising services like "massages" or "adult cafes." There were also messages that seemed to belong to medical offices, displaying odd terms like "Delivery Health" or its competitor, "Shutchō Health."

Women stood on the streets, speaking to men who seemed unsteady and off-balance. Some of them approached Sasuke with suggestive smiles, attempting to lure him toward dimly lit alleyways and into those medical buildings, even though he was in perfect condition.

Those who were truly enjoying life far too greatly jeered at the Uchiha as he passed them. Insults and taunts flew from their lips, daring him to make the first move.

One man stumbled in front of them, perhaps the biggest mistake of his life, his eyes wide and unfocused. "Is that a fox girl!?" he slurred, spilling liquid from his drink. "I love fox girls!" The expression on his face twisted into something that would have made Hyoudou or Azazel proud.

Just the sight of it disturbed both the Uchiha and the kitsune on his back.

It only fueled his irritation to its peak, but he did not lose total composure just yet.

"Do you love them as much as you love your life?"

Though quite intoxicated, the drunk's man enthuiasm faded as quickly as the Uchiha's patience. He opened his mouth, but quickly stammered backwards, slipping and falling into a puddle. A group of bystanders, or his friends, began to laugh.

"We should go," Kunou suggested, "If my mother never took me here, then that was probably for a reason."

"There's no Kyuubi here..." He mumbled back.

Any shortcut out of this forsaken area was welcomed. A dark alleyway might have seemed like an unwise choice, but there was no darkness he feared. She gripped him tightly as the buildings around them left them completely in the shadows, filling her with unease. But as he continued, it began to feel less frightful. It was better for her not to face him. It made things easier to talk about.

She did not really know Sasuke, or any of the outsiders who had come to Kyoto. But there was a reason why she wanted to search with him instead of anyone else.

Kunou suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, "My mother never got involved with any other factions. Not even our neighbors. And look what has happened. Just having a meeting with another religion has caused all of this trouble."

He looked over his shoulder and eyed the girl. Since she was young, he went easy on her judgement, "I would not be so quick to place the blame. There is chaos all around us. And it will only get worse. It makes sense for your mother to seek alliances. But you will know that when it will be your time to make those decisions."

Her voice softened. "The kitsune elders always taught me that the devils and fallen angels were evil spirits, and that it was our job to protect the humans from them. Next thing you know, we'll be having tea with vampires and grim reapers..."

Sasuke smiled at the mention of one of those species. "There are some vampires that are not so bad. Though, I had never met a grim reaper." They were a strange species, difficult to really explain. Dead, but also alive. Capable of killing, but also capable of dying.

He thought of the dead for a moment, mostly about Edo Tensei. It left a bad taste in his mouth. Orochimaru and Kabuto's obsession only fueled that. An entire army of them had been the backbone of the latter's army in the war. Madara had been a madman as well, a manipulator, but he had been ambitious—dangerously so. He had come so close to twisting the world in the wrong direction.

"... I don't trust anything dead."

She gave a nod. "I don't either."

He shot a look, his eyes lowering. "... Is that why you wanted to come with me? Do unknown humans like myself seem less dangerous than devils who were planning to ally with your faction?"

Kunou nodded, not afraid to disclose her true feelings about the alliance.

"We kitsune have always had a strong relationship with humans, especially the local ones here. Is it true Fallen Angels and Devils use vile means to trick, subdue, and force them to do there bidding?"

The Uchiha smirked, "Do you think that is why I am here?"

No immediate answer came. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder, as if analyzing something or perhaps just resting. But once they were back on the main road, with the light of the city around them, she became more vocal.

"No," Kunou answered. "I trust humans. I trust Youkai. Anyone with chakra... I feel more connected to them. Even if they were rivals with my mother, we share the same bond. You also seem like you are from here, or at least from this country."

His expression surprisingly lit up, almost delighted to speak about where he was from.

"I am... from a village. One that isn't entirely different, but it's far from here. There are... also Youkai. Animals that can speak... and use chakra. They aren't the same, no organization like yours, and most of them live in remote areas. We have special relationships too. And because of that, we often fight side-by-side." Comforting and nostalgic names came to mind. Garuda and Aoba, the summonings he had once bonded with. He had enjoyed fighting with them, trusted them, looked at them as extensions of himself. Even Manda, who had died because of him, had a wild, deadly charm to him.

Her ears perked with interest, and her head tilted. "...Which village?"

"You wouldn't know it," he replied, "But I do wonder. How do you know they didn't use vile or wicked means to get me here?"

She looked at him suspiciously, seeing him for who he was. How could she know? What had those devils done to him, to bring him here to help her?

Sasuke suddenly flinched, his eyes lowering as he looked over at her, "... What's your problem now?"

The Kitsune hung off him, her teeth gnawing on his shoulder. She pulled back and answered angrily, "I read your ki. You're lying! They didn't offer you anything, nor did they do anything wicked against you! You're here because you want to!"

He gave a small smile, before frowning.

Oh, they did offer him something.

Just not these devils.

---

The night passed on, and the two did as much as possible. All over town, people were met, inspected, and disregarded as being useless. Now, they traced along the port, heading toward the eastern portion of the city. On the left was the brightly lit center of Kyoto, the life of the whole region. On their right were ships, docks, and the dark ocean.

As they pressed further and further east, he felt her tensing on his shoulder.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked. "Have you been here?"

Kunou frowned, "This is the Eastern Youkai territory. They wouldn't have her. We wouldn't even be in Kyoto anymore."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? Didn't you all believe another faction might have had some involvement?"

The Youkai shook her head. "Nurarihyon-sama and my mother have a good relationship, as long as we respect our boundaries." Her tone then shifted, amusingly impersonating her mother's low and commanding voice. "Kunou, do not go into their territory without my permission!"

Instead, they headed off along the water way toward north.

Across the metropolis of the city was a large bridge that led out to the remote forest. There were no bright neon lights or buildings this way, only the soft glow of moonlight to illuminate the area.

Sasuke gave a light, calm sigh. Together, they had spent hours in the late night walking through this city he was beginning to like less and less and had found... nothing. A mission like this was never easy, but it was disappointing nonetheless. No other search party had activated a beacon either, showing everyone was just as stumped as they were.

He sat down on the side of the bridge, his back above the water, and placed the kitsune down. The sound of the river was soothing, but the silence simply made her even more tired.

Kunou rubbed her eyes, leaning her body against his. "... Are we going home... Ka-san?"

Despite her age, she still had such an innocence to her. Childhood in this world lasted longer, at least in times of peace. In his world, by the age of eleven or twelve, you weren't just a child—you were a shinobi. Far more than capable of charging deep into waves of thousands of other ninja, with a kunai in your hand, and the look of death in your eyes.

He pulled his bag, and withdrew a plain, blank, small square sheet of paper. He nudged her awake and said, "Hold this."

The youkai lazily took it and inspected both sides. She slipped her fingers around it, squeezed it, waved it in the air like a fan. Then, in disappointment, she prepared to flick it back at him.

"... I've never received a worse gift."

[BURN]

A sudden ignition caused her whole body to flinch and her eyes to go wide. She jolted so urgently that her entire figure slumped backwards, so much so she slipped off the edge, and descended toward the river.

"Cold..." she whispered softly. "It's so cold. Please, someone, anyone... take me to a hot spring... a towel. Where's my favorite towel?"

When she eventually opened her eyes, she met Sasuke's strange, off-colored ones. He stood there, having caught her just before she would have crashed.

"Take me home!" Kunou demanded, suddenly upset. "Look at what you did."

He raised an eyebrow. "You didn't even get wet."

"I didn't mean that," she replied. "Your little trick almost set me on fire."

The amusement showed on his face, "It's your chakra nature."

She tilted her head, unsure of what he meant.

"Do you know how to walk on water?" he asked.

"No..."

"Do you want to?"

"No!"

Sasuke held her up as if he were about to drop her. He instructed, "Focus chakra into your feet. It's all about control. Don't think too hard about it."

Kunou hesitated but eventually closed her eyes. After a moment, she nodded, and he slowly let her down, gripping her arm to ensure she wouldn't fall if it didn't work.

This was not a particularly difficult jutsu to use. No hand seals were required, but he did wonder how someone like her would do with it.

She had been using chakra her entire life, so, it was no surprise to him when she was able to suddenly stand with ease.

"Open your eyes."

When Kunou eventually did, she stumbled and almost slipped into the bank. Oddly enough, her concentration worked much better when she wasn't looking directly at it. However, like before, he caught her, lifting her up so she wouldn't succumb to the cold water.

Next, Sasuke commanded, "Now, try up against the wall, up to the bridge. Do the same thing, scale toward the top." she looked at him with concern, "If you fall, I'll save you, again."

Yes, even at this, she was good at. Her eyes were still shut, he had seen her close them before her first step. But she was doing it. Her movement was like walking on a log on the river, carefully leaning left and right, as if balancing.

A smile came to his face, this was training-good training. It reminded him of that time, so long ago, when he and Naruto had competed at tree climbing. When the blond would gain momentum, his focus would fail, and he would fall down on his back. They had spent all night that day, working on their trade. It was one of the first challenges between the rivals. Before Chidori, before Rasengan, before Susanoo, before the Kyuubi.

They had been around Kunou's age at that time as well. Yes, what a time it had been.

"Heh, both of us..."

"I told you, if you didn't take a break, you would wear yourself out, dope."

"Oi!" she yelled, "Are you coming up?"

Of course, the Youkai had no issue with this.

Sasuke jumped up, his knees clearly being the most superior thing about his body. He gave her a smile, "Let's go back to the shrine. I'll come get you in the morning. We'll try again. We'll try until it's done."

Tomorrow was their last day in Kyoto, but they would not give up so easily. Perhaps some rest would reinvigorate everyone and boost morale. He paced on the bridge, wondering if it would be better to try and fly once more. She pressed against him and closed her eyes, feeling the overwhelmingness of everything hit her at once.

Being here, in this world, he had felt like there were no other shinobi or anything comparable. And that was true. But Youkai, or creatures who utilized chakra, made him feel as if he was not too far from home. Even this city, or at least the spots where he recognized, felt not too distant. As if Kyoto was simply ahead in many years, but at its foundation, it could have once been a village like his own, perhaps, long ago.

And there she was.

That long, golden-yellow hair. Those eyes which were the exact same as her daughters. Those delicate features and figure, and of course, the tails coming from her back. This was her. This was the Kyuubi.

This was Yasaka.

Like a second wind, he could feel Kunou use him as a springboard. Her small legs ran, faster than they ever had before.

"Mother!" she yelled as loud as she could. It was like a second-wind of life. Never before had she been so happy than at this very moment.

Sasuke's eyes narrow, clearly not falling for something so obviously strange. The entire night they searched, and received nothing. Now? On this bridge she suddenly appears? Of course he was not falling for such nonsense. He scanned around, but did not notice anything out of the usual. His eyes trace the ground, wondering if any traps had been placed, but none. His left eye would have seen those as well.

And then... they got up to the Kyuubi.

And his expression morphed in shock.

There was no chakra in her body. That did not make sense. She is a youkai, chakra, senjutsu, it was her on appearance. Instead, her body was filled with... colors. All colors. Streaming through her where her chakra would be. Her body was here, yes, but this person... is no Kyuubi. His mine then race, recalling another person, or rather place, that had this shame strange shade of coloring.

'The Dimensional Gap!?'

[VOID]

Around him, at this moment the world had changed. It was as if they had entered a separate dimension. Every shade of the night was suddenly imbued with the rough coloring of violet. However, it did not stretch endlessly. Only in there surrounding view, which confirmed one thing.

He had come to know barrier when he sees them. And this, was no doubt a very powerful barrier.

"M-mother...?" Kunou asked, looking up. It appeared now her senses were returning. She had been overjoyed, overwhelmed, hoping this was her mother. Yet, as her nose flared, and her body touched her mothers, she realized that this person, is no kitsune.

She... is an illusion.

"Get back!" Sasuke urged. But before he could swap places with the girl, as he had immediately thought of doing, Yasaka's body suddenly shattered into the air, turning into a very strange, ominous pink mist swarmed where she had stood, swallowing her daughter whole.

Around him, rising from the river, was the same mist, trying to envelop him as well. He clenched his teeth and easily avoided it. It was too slow for him. But... he was in shock. Things grew worse, as he could no longer feel the presence of either fox. She had been with him all night, and he had gained a clear understanding of her power. Had she been somewhat close, he would have sensed her.

A dreaded thought came to mind, wondering if she had been sent... to that place.

Of course, the idea quickly came to his mind. On what to do. On how to get to her.

There was nothing in this world that would have stopped him from moving forward, except for this.

He stared into the abyss, and it stared back at him.

Almost daring him.

Do it. Walk into me. Walk into this void, and die. Forsake everything you wish—your dreams, ambitions, goals, success, failures, your life—throw it away, and enter, if you wish.

Suddenly, in the sky, a massive upbringing of chakra had hit been felt. He looked over the bridge, far off, and could see the power even from here. How had he not felt it before? He did not know at the moment. Unfortunately, he could confirm it was not the young Youkai's. But... it was not too far off either. Perhaps, a relative, or someone within the same species, at least.

'The Kyuubi...'

---

A very powerful, thinly-veiled barrier.

Again. Yet, not the same.

The issue was, his Mangekyo could not see it. It would never be able to see it. Only his left eye could make sense of it. Without it, this area was just... darkness. A place without light or life, it seemed at first. Not a spot worth investigating on its own. That's why the Youkai were never able to sense the life within it. Had Yasaka been here, this barrier would have obscured their power to sense her chakra and life form.

Yet, he had been able to sense a massive upbringing of chakra, likely from the real Kyuubi. Which meant it had been intentionally opened, for him to come.

Still, he was on edge, naturally. 'Do they control the Dimensional Gap?' It truly seemed improbable to tame that place, but perhaps his power allowed him to manipulate it to some degree. It made him think. If one wanted to escape this world and return to his own, it would be a perfect method of transportation. Not just one person—perhaps many. An entire army could venture through that mist, if the scale was large enough.

Who knew the potential damage he could cause by bringing that world into this one?

Uchiha Sasuke stood there, as calm as he could appear to be. But there was a strong sense of urgency within him. He was no coward, but he had hesitated earlier, and maybe because of that, Kunou had been sent to die. Perhaps, she was already dead. The Kyuubi as well, if she was still there. That twisted his insides, the thought of it.

'That's no Kyuubi and future Kyuubi.' he thought sadly, 'Just a mother and daughter.'

Then... he mentally slapped himself.

Everything that had happened, from when he got to Kyoto to this point, was never about this nine-tailed fox. Or rather, perhaps it was, and something had changed.

It was supposed to be him.

That man in the restaurant? To sedate him. The woman in the forest? To seclude him. That trap on the bridge? To get him into that void.

All this time, in this world, he had tried to stay under the radar, out of sight, in no one's mind. But as time passed, he was gaining a reputation in this world, whether he liked it or not.

When he walked in, there was a Kitsune, but not Kunou. Instead, Yasaka was there, somehow surviving the abyss and returning to the human world. She had been used as bait, and now, she was just as docile and out of mind as before.

Sasuke lowered his eyes, 'Azazel was right.'

That Fallen Angel always somehow seemed to be right.

Before him stood an old, traditional looking building, one that he might have seen back home. It was a small pagoda, but lacked any modern appliances. Stepping out onto the balcony and looking down were six figures. Two of them, he recognized immediately. Jeanne, and the man from the bridge.

As he stared longer, he remembered. A third face he recalled. Yes, he had been there—in the Dimensional Gap, at the meeting. The one who had been accused of being a spy for Indra, though he had denied it.

Suddenly, from the corner of his eyes, he noticed more figures. Strange creatures, invisible to the basic eye. He could not see what they were supposed to look like, but their shapes had large, humanoid builds and were scattered all around the field. A clear ambush was waiting to happen. They had light energy within them, all tracing back to the sole child of his newfound foes.

The Hero Faction.

A blind man could recognize who spoke for them all.

He was the tallest one, the best looking one, the one who had the strongest aura—confident, bold, not afraid to stir trouble in the world. Even at that meeting, the way he carried himself, looking down at everyone else, left an impression. Yes, there was a hint of reflection, just from the shared look, eye-to-eye. And the sight of him surrounded by his comrades—it was almost nostalgic.

Having your friends against the world at his age? What more could someone want?

Cao Cao gave a charming smile, and bowed respectfully, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke's monotonic voice replied, "You should choose your lies wisely. They might be the last ones you speak at all." he withdrew his sword, allowing the reflection of the moon and the holy light at the hilt to be seen to them all.

A large man stepped one leg forward, resting his elbow on his knee. He was muscular, with shoulder-length grey hair. Like his counter parts, he wore a school uniform and possessed a sacred gear running through his veins.

Heracles spoke, his expression and tone both disappointed and unimpressed. "All this work and trouble... for this one!?" He inspected the Uchiha from head to toe. "I don't see what's so special about him. He's too scrawny, looks like a girl. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets used as a plaything by some of his devil masters. Even Leonardo has a more fearsome appearance." His eyes darted over his shoulder. "No wonder you failed, Jeanne. We should have sent Siegfried to get him. He would have liked his charm much more."

The way he observed—his confusion, his lack of interest or care—either he didn't care, or...

'He doesn't know,' Sasuke thought. 'Only the two who had been at the meeting.' That was some relief, knowing his true identity wasn't being spilled to the most common of foot soldiers.

But the question still remained.

Who gave him up?

Jeanne's mouth twitched, "Are appearances all you care about, you oaf!? Clearly, this kid has proved himself in one way or another." she then looked down at him, "We had a decent chat, and your good looking enough. Maybe this time, you will make the better decision and come back with me. Instead of crawling into bed with that red-headed slut."

CLAP

CLAP

CLAP

The one with silver hair, who eerily reminded the Uchiha of Freed Sellzen, stepped forward.

Siegfried bowed and spoke with consideration. "I apologize on behalf of these two, Sasuke-kun. They... are not people-people." He then pointed toward the glowing blade. "The Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi? That's quite a holy sword. They say it was found in the mouth of the Yamata-no-Orochi. It must confuse your enemies, no doubt. No one would expect a sword of light to have such a poisonous attribute. As sneaky as the snake sealed within it." He rubbed his chin. "I do wonder how it would fare against one of my demon swords..."

'Sacred Gears. All of them.'

Never had he seen so many of God's artifacts together in one place.

Cao Cao gave a sigh, which silenced everyone from speaking.

"This is why, I do the recruiting." he said with the same smile, "Look at him. A swordsman, a fighter, a warrior. You think insults and demands will bring him to our cause?" He gave another bow, "We are not here to waste your time, my friend. I wish, rather, we all wish, for you to... join us. To become a committed member to our cause. I have a knack for observing people. You would fit well, and we have much so in common."

Even he recognized they had some similarities.

But so much? It was almost offensive.

Sasuke smirked, "I've done dangerous, stupid, regretful things in my life. So, you are right, we do have some thing in common." his voice turned cold, "But never have I been so low to do the things you have done."

The words were ignored.

"... We're both dashing young men, we are both fighters, and, most importantly... we are human. Though, I know you were born... far away."

Georg spoke, "I have to apologize as well. That mist you saw earlier, that was mine. We never meant to gain your attention in such a... distasteful manner. We simply did not wish to compromise you in front of the devils. We know you're with the son of Lucifer, and we actually hope you continue that partnership."

There was no mention of Kunou, as if she had no meaning.

Yes, that was him. He had every color running through his body, the same thing with the fake Yasaka. His power to control that mist seemed to revolve around teleporting people. And since it was connected with the Dimensional Gap, it explained what had happened earlier. The daughter had been there, in that abyss, while the mother was here, in the human world.

The shinobi squeezed his sword, feeling the words. They want him to betray Rizevim, and join them instead. That at least cleared him as a suspect.

Cao Cao added, as if reading his mind, "I spoke to our boss. She is the one who told us about you. Beings like her, infinite entities—they are so powerful, yes, but naive. More naive than we all realize. Ophis said she wouldn't mind this... transfer of sorts. It's fairly common in our beloved organization."

There was a pause as the wind blew by. An awkward silence of sorts.

"You're clearly skilled," Georg complimented, "You are clearly powerful, and good with magic. How you sensed my trap... I have to admit, I'm still bewildered. Perhaps you could show m-"

"The Youkai." Sasuke interrupted, "Where is she?"

"The Dimensional Gap," Georg replied. "The mist that surrounds us now is my power."

Yes, around him, behind him, the mist was back—likely meant to send away his allies, who he knew were on their way.

"And what can you offer me?" Sasuke asked. "You've been a nuisance—trying to poison and kidnap me. Is that how this group came to be?"

The smile on then leader's face was a dishonest as his words, "Why, of course. We both have the same goal. We all have the same boss, don't we? Surely, we all want to help Ophis and her infinite dream. Nothing more, nothing less."

Just like the Anti-Satan Faction, they had their own purposes with the dragon god.

And so, if they did not truly wish to rid of Great Red, he had no use for them.

Cao Cao waited in silence, showing his impatience, as the immediate submission from the man before him did not come as easily as he had hoped. In a show of force, he thudded the hilt of his spear into the ground and allowed his power to explain itself.

Then... he spoke.

"These creatures that call themselves gods, devils, angels, fallen angels, Valkyries, youkai, beasts—it does not matter what mask they wear. They all have the same intent. They play their games and expect us humans to join, willingly or not. That's how it is. That's how it's always been for our kind.

No one—no god, no celestial warrior, no so-called savior—has ever stood for us. For humanity. We are the largest, most diverse life form in this beautiful world, and yet we are nothing more than tools to them. Fools, expendable in their squabbles.

…Except now. Except me.

There is no greater threat to their reign than I. Lucifer? Beelzebub? The Archangels? Governor-General? God? Evil gods? Dragons? Bring them all. Send them to me. Let them learn fear. Prometheus gave us humans fire. But our desire to resist? Our ability To rise? Our drive To kill them, no matter how infinite their power claimed to be? That wasn't theirs. They didn't give that to us. That was ours. That is mine.

Now I ask you, Sasuke. What you decide here will shape your life, your soul, your death... and, most important of all, your humanity. Sheathe your sword before me, and join us.

It's us, or it's them. There's never been other way."

And then, when he was finished, a looming silence.

These were words—powerful, attractive words. For a moment, his speech even inspired Uchiha Sasuke, because to a certain degree, he was right. Even now, the devils had created a system where humans, or those of other species, could become one of them—servants, thralls, serfs. They were not technically slaves, but there was no oversight on how they were treated. Diodora Astaroth was a prime example. It had been revealed that he had raped, beaten, and often abused his peerage, and he had gotten away with it until his untimely death.

The problem was, he was only one high-class devil.

What of the others? What of Odin? And the other gods who looked at humanity as little more than pieces on a chessboard? Or, even worse, as fruit at a market, where the rotten ones were discarded and the ripe ones were taken—without pay.

But he was human, and humans, just as much as these supernatural entities, carried the same unflattering qualities.

Tall, handsome, charming, strong. The leader of the Hero Faction had a voice that inspired, that led. But in reality, he was also someone who carried equally negative attributes.

Controlling, manipulative, narcissistic, arrogant. He saw his faction as humanity itself, and himself as its messiah.

Perhaps, if Sasuke had been born here, grown up here, and endured here, he would have fallen for him. But he remembered the sweet words of those who had tried to trick him before. Orochimaru, Obito, Madara—even Itachi, who had lied to him to protect him, for his sake. It all came down to power and vengeance. Those things that had powered him his life.

The Uchiha thought of Cao Cao reflectively.

'Too young. Too ambitious. Too willing to risk the lives your friends. Too blind to see what one day, at this rate, they will abandon you, or worse, you will abandon them.'

And perhaps, some of them will die right now.

As a sign of good-will, he squeezed his sword, and threw the tip of it into the ground.

The handle lit up, the holy wrath triggering. And the blades itself, extending and burrowing into the ground.

---

[BOOSTED GEAR!]

The beacon had been placed into the sky, and that had alerted every to fall toward it. Many had figured the search was hopeless, as Yasaka could have been anywhere in the world. However, this was it, this was the moment.

Hyoudou Issei led the charge, his peerage behind him, "Where's sensei!?" he asked, looking over his shoulder, "Don't tell me he's back at the brothel!"

Xenovia gritted her teeth, "We cannot wait for him!" she replied, "That was Sasuke's beacon. He likely went in with Lady Kunou!"

It was ultimately Rias who made the decision for all of them. The 'King' paced behind her pawn, and the heat in the air rose. They all appeared before a secluded, traditional-style compound with a large exposed barrier surrounding it. Pink mist lingered on the edges, but a clear path had been made, meaning someone had either created the opening or whatever caused the mist had intentionally left it uncovered.

"We go," Rias said. "And we save the Kyuubi."

Rossweisse tensed. "Where's the Kitsune? Did he bring her in with him? How reckless!"

The blond knight quickly shut her down. "Lady Kunou is safer in battle with Sasuke than hiding anywhere else in this city."

When they entered, a foul smell greeted them. A stench of blood, dampness, and something mucky and foul—strangely leather-like.

Breaking through the ground were four serpent-dragon heads, which spread all around. They thrashed through the dirt and the building, nearly devouring an unfamiliar figure within their jaws.

Heracles held the mouth of one of the Yamata-no-Orochi's heads, his physical prowess showing as he kept the fangs from biting into him.

A dash of light shot through, and the head suddenly fell from its neck, crashing to the ground.

Asia looked nearby, "The Kyuubi!" she yelled. The group turned to see Yasaka standing in a strange, out-of-body stance. Her eyes were lowered to the ground, unaware of the destruction around her. Two men held her arms, keeping her still.

Sasuke was seen charging passed them, his sword withdrawn to its normal state. He looked over his shoulder and yelled, "Under no circumstances do you let that spear hit you!" he then added, "The Kyuubi is under there control. I'll break her free—you all deal with the rest."

Cao Cao stepped forward, a frown on his face, "If it is the Kyuubi you want, just come and get her."

Rias looked and around and panicked, "Where is Kunou?"

The Uchiha raised his palm, conjuring multiple magic circles. Fire and wind worked well together, and the inferno scattered across all of them. His magical potential and potency were immediately recognized, the vastness speaking for itself.

Their counterpart sorcerer countered, raising deep streams of water that matched the heat. A blast of steam filled the battlefield, blinding everyone who could not see through it.

Xenovia cried out loudly, "The pink mist! It's seeping around us!"

Rias led them. "Everyone! Do not let yourselves be caught up by that. Who knows what it will do? Come to my voice. I will use my power to destroy it if it comes too close!"

Sasuke ignored her command, while everyone else followed. There were many things he wished to do at this moment.

Go to them, help them in this fight. Or, fight them all by himself. Perhaps, try to break the hold they had over the Kyuubi.

'No.'

There was something else, something more important to do.

One opportunity. One chance for the best possible outcome.

When the steam died down and visibility cleared, he moved faster than anyone. He saw one of the men holding Yasaka and used his left eye to appear where he was. The other man was startled, releasing his grip on the group and grabbing a light sword from his waist. However, his eyes tracked far too closely to the shinobi's. A quick genjutsu subdued him, and now, it was just the two of them.

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and slammed his spear into the ground, emitting a bright light. Its energy surged toward the Kyuubi, as if sending a message, or a command of his own.

'No better opportunity. And no better choice.'

The shinobi shocked them all. Instead of retreating and planning for a proper strategy as he always did against his enemies, he took the most brash, reckless and suicidal pathway. With a push from his hand, a blasted erupted, sending a crash wave of energy in all of his directions. Yasaka did not withstand it either, her body flying back, so far back she was sent crashing into the pink mist.

Soon after, the two faded away.

---

There was no comfort, no nostalgia, no desire to come here.

He just felt he had to, because no one else would, no one else could.

The first time Sasuke had been... sent here, or rather, had fallen here, or... he didn't remember what happened. What he did remember was waking up in the Dimensional Gap. That was for certain, but how it happened was lost in his memory, if he had even been conscious when it occurred. He had been crumbling then—the pressure, the silence, the cold, the world eating at him, nearly killing him. However, that had been a severely vulnerable moment. His chakra was practically nonexistent, his arm was gone, bleeding profusely. There were multiple things that could have killed him.

Now, with his body fully recovered, his massive chakra protected him. He could breathe, move, and hear his own thoughts.

However, he had no defensive magic like the one at the Khaos Brigade fortress.

Thankfully, since he had absorbed some of the Kitsune's chakra, he could get a better sense of direction. She was not far, and when he spotted her, floating, unconscious, he quickly made his way.

'She's almost out...'

It's not as if she had been here for hours, or days, less than half an hour, at most, and yet, she was going to die, unless she was sent elsewhere.

They were not alone.

'The Kyuubi...'

Floating across was Yasaka, but not in the form she had come in. Perhaps her body had instinctively defended itself, or Cao Cao had done something with his control. Her body was suddenly engulfed in senjutsu energy, the overwhelming force flooding the Dimensional Gap. Her arms spread wide, her form elongating and transforming. Her shift completed within moments. Her body became colossal, dwarfing Sasuke and Kunou entirely. Nine glowing tails spiraled behind her, each one brimming with destructive energy. Her fox-like face tilted upward, her golden eyes gleaming with raw power as she let out a deafening roar that reverberated through the gap.

Those red eyes stared directly into him, clearly recognizing the threat. He tried to use genjutsu, but it did not appear to work. It simply had too much chakra—more so than the Bijuus, but nowhere near the Ten-Tails or Naruto.

He thought, 'If I can weaken it, I may be able to gain control over it.'

Sasuke looked down and bit his tongue. Kunou's small frame vibrated in his arms. Even with her natural defenses, her body was breaking apart quickly. The voice was crushing her bones. She did not have the chakra like him or her mother to withstand this place.

Panic rose across his face.

His development with magic had been slow, and that still applied now. There was no special power either; his sword could not help. Not even his Rinnegan could make this situation go away, as far as he knew.

But there was one jutsu.

One that had not seen the true light of day since he had arrived.

He had no other options and no choice. If he did nothing, she would die.

Sasuke glanced at Kunou, who was both in grief from seeing her mother not recognize her and in pain from the suffocating pressure crushing her body. He had no spells, no teleportation. No jutsu that could surround and protect them both.

Except one.

From hundreds of miles away, one could make it out. A complete, purple, mass. It rose from its slumber in this void. The body stretching, growing, arms extending, weapons accumulating. Wings sprung from its back, allowing its massive form to be able to fly through this dimension. It's shadowy presence brewed, the glowing yellow eyes, and the open-ended armored helmet solidified its appearance.

On its forehead was a diamond-shaped capsule, secluding Sasuke, and the kitsune he held.

"GUUUH!"

Kunou squeezed him, her mouth coughing profusely. She trembled, exhaling, gasping for air. Her hands instinctively gripped her own neck, as if trying to squeeze some of it out of her body to breathe again.

He gripped her arms and separated them, not allowing her to unintentionally harm herself.

"Can you hear me?"

The kitsune's eyes shot up, and she pressed into him. "What is this?" she asked, her voice weak. "Cuh... where are we?" Her eyes traced around, before settling on the familiar, beloved figure. "Mother!" she yelled. Her body tried to swim toward her, but the capsule blocked her, keeping her back. "Let me go!"

Sasuke lowered his eyes. "You aren't going anywhere," his tone leaving no room for argument. "You will die out there. Being here will keep you alive."

She saw the look in his eyes—a dark look, a scary look, one that made her recoil. Her gaze darted around, taking in her surroundings. Everything was purple—but transparent. She could see through it, but it felt strange. It wasn't an orb. No, she looked down and saw… armor. Hands, massive hands, gripping a sword. Gauntlets covered both wrists. On the left arm was a bow. They were at the top, the head, protected by a diamond-shaped imprint.

Kunou wanted to ask questions—a million of them—but she didn't. Instead, she felt his intent.

A strong killing intent.

"Alive!" she blurted out. "Don't kill her!" Tears streamed down her face. "She's all I have! Anything but that! Anything but that..!" Kunou pleaded desperately.

Sasuke sighed. Alive. It was always about keeping them alive. Always more complex. Always more difficult.

"I know." he replied, his voice as cold as ice.

Despite being in this soundless void, its size, power, and distance, the Kyuubi roared.

For another time, his perfect Susanoo would fight another nine-tailed fox.

It made the first move, using its agility advantage to dance around the gap around them. The golden fur it had suddenly changed colors, turning blue—a sign of its powerful chakra rising to the surface. Sasuke could see it vividly as well, and knew something was coming. All around its tails, sparks of blue flames conjured, rising, solidifying. Once they had reached a colossal size, they shot out in nine different directions.

The Complete-Body Susanoo had its own fire release. Placing its hand toward its mouth, it blasted spheres of red-orange inferno. When they clashed, the powers matched, but the numbers were faster for the Kyuubi.

One of the orbs slid across the ethereal body, leaving a damaged burn mark and shaking the two inside it.

He pressed his sword forward, squeezing it tightly. The blade morphed into its famed four large dragon-serpent heads. As big as they could, they slithered down from the skull of Susanoo.

The Kyuubi used its tails to try and swipe at the heads, to break them, bloody them, but they did not come defenseless either. Purple ethereal coatings covered their scales, forming and collecting to create a piece of ethereal armor. It saved them from the gnawing flames that were the fox's defense. Each head then coiled around the tails, its mouth opening, thick fangs pressing deep into her.

She withered in pain, letting out a shriek. But as the heads remained inside, the fox wrapped its remaining tails around the heads, causing a coil of its own. They squeezed so hard that, despite being armored, the heads burst into pools of blood, each fang dispersing back into the gap.

Susanoo raised its gauntlet, the massive sword slicing downward. Though there was no wind, the power exerted itself, the force slamming into the Kyuubi and sending its body far downward.

'Amaterasu,' Sasuke thought of using. 'But I can't guarantee that it won't do serious damage. I don't know how long it will fight for. I need to drain it, as much as I can.' Instead, he allowed multiple Yasaka Magatama to rain out. The beads slammed into her body as she rang out in pain.

The ultimate defense flew down, but it was seen as a mistake. Yasaka's nine tails, though four of them sluggish and bleeding, rose and wrapped themselves around the completed body. It attempted to yank backward, but the pull was so great that the fox sprang up, holding onto it as its massive mouth curled upward.

Sasuke and Kunou watched in shock as the powerful jaw of the Kyuubi opened right at Susanoo's forehead. The teeth clamped down on Susanoo's head. Had this diamond capsule not been the most durable portion of his defense, those teeth might have punctured right through it, potentially killing the user if they hadn't reacted fast enough.

"Mother..." Kunou whimpered. "How terrifying..." She looked away. "Mother... I had no idea this was you..."

It was one thing to see the fox in its prime state, but to be on the receiving end of its wrath?

Those massive gauntlets and arms of the completed body wrapped around its enemy. Yasaka tried to escape the seemingly strange hug, but the grip was tight, so strong. Susanoo was just as formidable as its colossal size and intimidating aura.

The Uchiha thought quickly. He had it here, seemingly pinned. Instead of attacking or cutting its throat, he raised his hand toward it—toward those teeth that had barely punctured the capsule.

In one hand, he absorbed.

In the other, he sent the chakra toward his ultimate defense.

There was no mindlessness from the beast. It felt it—its vast quantity of chakra being taken, being sent away. It shook, vibrated, trembled. Its body glowed once more, fire coating its edges. But its purple foe had no thoughts, no consciousness, no pain. It absorbed the fire, as its own power began to grow.

The strange armor began to morph once more.

A glowing blue power coursed through the body, causing the armor to expose and split apart as the figure grew larger. Instead of the ominous yellow eyes, dark red orbs emerged. Its limbs transformed into those of a beast, likely influenced by the chakra it had absorbed from the fox.

This was not the same as when it had taken the Bijuu chakra. The form was... different. More animalistic. It was not the same type of chakra. It was more akin to what Yasaka was.

At this rate, it could not cope for long. Though vast, it needed much of its power to maintain its form. She became sluggish, her power diminishing by the minute. It was not just the Rinnegan doing it either. The Dimensional Gap was still eating at her, as it was against everything within it. And her own use of her power took a toll of its own.

She was trapped, and could not endure it forever.

Though this fight had been massive and brutal, it suddenly changed. Her body began to dwindle, her power shrinking to conserve what it had. That Kyuubi form she had taken suddenly shifted into a smaller, humanoid figure. The shift came right before their eyes—from this beautiful, nine-tailed colossal fox into this beautiful, golden-yellow-haired woman who fell into grace.

He allowed the capsule to open for a moment and yanked her inside. But he did not let Kunou get close, not yet.

When her eyes opened, they were snapped, caught. A purple eye had subdued her, taken control of her body.

'Release!'

And then, a truly glorious moment occurred.

Yasaka had awoken.

She was weak, even her eyes struggled to stay awake. But when she looked up, she saw that pattern, as she had earlier. Red, purple—they had been menacing. Now, they looked... calming, peaceful, beautiful. Her instincts told her to look behind him, to see the person hiding on his back. At first, she hesitated, as if scared to do so. Instead, it had been her daughter who looked to see her first.

The Kyuubi opened her mouth but did not speak. Instead, the tears streaming down her cheek spoke for her.

'My dear, I never thought... I would see you again...'

Her daughter grabbed her like she never had before.

They all remained there, frozen in that space. It would be some time before the Dimensional Gap would eventually eat his defenses and crush them. But it would be some time. That was what they had on their side.

Time.

Until they didn't.

Yasaka wrapped one arm around her daughter, her lips pressing against the top of her head. Then, she used her free hand to reach out toward him. To this... unknown man. Sasuke lowered himself, allowing her to grab and rub his cheek. But he could see in her eyes, she was trying to communicate.

He asked her calmly, "What is it?"

Her hand lifted from his cheek and pointed outward.

Things in the Dimensional Gap did not work like normal. Only time seemed to be... reasonable. Visions, hearing, balance, direction—it was all complicated.

So, what was that sound? How could it even be heard?

The calmness they had shortly enjoyed ended. It was broken by a distant, ominous sound—a deep rumble that vibrated all the way toward them.

[ZOOM]

The voice trembled softly, but the sound grew louder, its frequency distorting even the colors around them.

[ZOOOOOOOM]

Then came the beating of wings. How big does something have to be for wings to be heard in this place?

This tone was dark and low as something could possibly be. No matter where you were in the Dimensional Gap, you could likely hear it, feel it—the sound of something was out there in this abyss. It was not traveling as a tourist, it was not passing through from realm to realm. No, it was going toward somewhere. Something had called its attention. And it did not not appreciate intruders.

The dragon was coming.

That dragon.

Sasuke swallowed hard, but he did not flee, because there was nowhere to flee.

Was he ready?

Kunou looked at him, "What is it?"

It was time.

His ultimate defense, would have to become, his ultimate offense, once again.

Though not as powerful as it had been against Naruto, it would have to do.

Susanoo, still combined with the power of the Kyuubi, stared up as Great Red came far off in the distance. It pulled its bow from its back, pouring everything it could into the arrow. The string pulled back and it awaited the order from Sasuke. He tried scanning to see where it was, but it was moving, the colors blending in with one another. It was far, far off. It was like trying to spot any other color than green in a field of grass.

However, with these eyes, they could spot even that.

[LOOSE!]

An arrow shot out, coated in Amaterasu. Like launching a kunai into space, it accelerated forward. They could see a bright red lighting glowing, before a burst of crimson-energy exploding from its center.

For a moment, he thought, the arrow had just broken the dragon. Just, caused it to exploded into a million of pieces.

But no. This arrow, Indra's arrow, had no doubt struck the beast. Yet, even when hit, it naturally counterattacked at that moment. As if its scales were programmed to immediately discharge immense power on contact. He could not see the damage, if it was bleeding, or even injured.

However, a slight smirk came to his face, as he saw that Great Red had now changed its trajectory and was moving on a more erratic path toward them.

'Yes.' Sasuke thought, 'I'm coming for you.'

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

Kunou yelled, yanking his attention, "W-Who is this!?"

He had been so focused, so full of uncertainty, that panic began to rise. He did not know how, or why, but standing there, in a protective yellow orb, were three members from Team Vali. He, of course, knew Kuroka and had seen the blond swordsman once, but never the girl at his side. And being at this distance, so close, he could even hear the mumbling chatter going on within their magical sphere.

The nekoshou pressed her knuckles against his capsule. "Can we come in as well?" she asked in her sly tone. "Or better yet, how about you come with us?"

Arthur Pendragon looked down, his sword unsheathed. "Unless you're planning to fight that dragon, I suggest you listen to her. We have no time."

A sense of disbelief showed on the Uchiha's face. He had never wanted to trust an enemy as much as he did right now.

He gave a look at all of them and smiled, 'Some day, but not today.'

---

"You keep up with your title, Sekiryuūtei."

Cao Cao stared down and judged the devils like he was God Almighty himself. Of course, his beloved spear that was slung over his shoulder only fueled that belief.

The battlefield had turned into a dirt-filled wasteland. They fought mostly in a massive crater, caused by the sudden slash between the savior of humanity and the red-dragon emperor.

Hyoudou stood in his scaled-mail. Though armored, he showed signs of holy burns across his body. Even if he had not been a reincarnated devil, that spear no doubt would have done a significant amount of damage to his dragon form.

Behind him stood his 'King.' Rias exhaled intensely, her power drained. She looked around at what was left of this fight and felt pain and guilt in her chest. She had an incomplete peerage, so it wasn't a fair fight, but fights like this were never fair, and seeing her members collapsed like this was truly difficult. However, she had come a long way. She did not break, she did not cry, she did not beg for mercy or think of retreat.

Despite having an incomplete set, this battle had not been as one-sided as one might think.

Though, that was likely due to the unexpected arrival of some powerful allies.

"Sho-Sho!"

The First Monkey King

Sun Wukong huffed smoke from his pipe, his powerful staff planted into the ground as he spoke. "It is truly sad to see you here, my boy. Your ancestor would have been so disappointed in you. He treasured the Youkai, and even employed some in his army." He shook his head. "To see his descendant turn out to be so... disgruntled toward creatures like himself goes against everything he stood for."

Cao Cao tensed, knowing that this enemy was in a class of his own. He looked toward Georg, as if giving him reassurance to remain calm. "Son Wukong... how unexpected for you to be here. But you can save your words. As you say, my ancestor was a man among men for this, just as I am now." His eyes lowered, his spear sliding down his hand. He grabbed the base and middle and pointed it toward the legendary figure. "Except, I'm better."

The monkey allowed an exhale of smoke to leave his mouth before replying, "Too young, boy. Far too young."

Suddenly, a massive light rang through the sky. Some recognized the large magic circle that had materialized, eyeing it with disdain. While everyone else stared on, confused, unsure if the new arrivals were friend or foe.

"... Where's the dragon-gate?" Georg asked. "Don't tell me it simply ate them and left."

What came out was not the dragon they had anticipated.

Sasuke, with the Kyuubi in his arms and Kunou at his side, along with three members from Team Vali, who had escorted them out of the Dimensional Gap.

"Too much chakra!"

The Uchiha looked over in confusion, analyzing the new voice. A youkai, just from a glance, and that chakra of his—'No', he thought. 'He's pure senjutsu.' That green coloring in his body, so thick and tense, yet it was not intoxicating like a tailed-beast's chakra. There was no ominous feeling from it either. It was bright, warm. This figure, just from a glance, was a true sage.

"Now, now," Sun Wukong said, lightly tapping his staff against his shoulder. "Where would a boy like you possess so much of it? Are you half-breed? Where are your ears, your tail? Are you a duck, perhaps?" he looked passed him, "Kuroka-chan! Do you know this child!?"

Her eyes widened in shock, "Oji-sama... what are you doing here?"

Cao Cao raised his spear. "Well, well, well," he spoke with ultimate disdain. "Now what are the odds of running into Team Vali in such a remote place? Two devil-worshippers and his filthy nekoshou whore."

Arthur pressed forward, standing near Issei. He looked and pointed his sword at his former leader. "You're done here, Cao Cao," he said sternly. "Now, I'm going to tell you something I should have told you when Le Fay and I left. Something no one has had the heart to tell you, for fear they would crush your little spirit." He then eyed the weapon in his enemy's hand. "Just because you wield his spear, does not make you St. Longinus."

The First Sacred Gear

The Spear of Destiny

The True Longinus

The Most Powerful Sacred Gear

It had been used long ago, first by St. Longinus, from whom it gained its name.

Cao Cao lowered his eyes and inspected the sword Arthur held. "That goes back to you, your Highness."

A descendant of King Arthur, who had also famously used Excalibur in his lifetime.

His former subordinate ignored the response and readied himself. "Sasuke-kun has already subdued the Kyuubi. Your plan to summon the Apocalypse Dragon has failed."

Sasuke appeared behind the pawn, his tone low and cold. "Hyoudou," he commanded, "Take the Kyuubi and Kunou." He gave him a look, inspecting him from head to toe. "Good job making it this far."

Issei smirked. "I didn't do it for you... but I could use a break. Be careful, everyone, they're all strong. But I'm glad we have backup, even if it's from Vali's team."

Le Fay gave a graceful smile. "We all have common enemies, Sekiryuutei."

The Uchiha had grown tired of all the talking. He brushed past everyone, his sword in hand, his eyes as colorful as the Dimensional Gap itself, with the wrath from it still fresh in his mind. He appeared closer and closer, as if ready to charge directly into the Hero Faction all on his own.

Sun Wukong raised his furry eyebrow. "Wait, boy. There's something amiss here. I can sense it on the child with the glasses." He flexed his spear, preparing to lead the first attack. "I will lead this assault. It's for elders such as ourselves to deal with problems in this world."

Sasuke gave him an incredulous look. "You do not lead me, monkey." It was no intended insult; after all, that was his species. But his tone toward his elders surely could have been said a tad better.

He gave a massive inhale and exhale. "Stop," he urged again. "There's something terrible amidst them. Dead things in the air, dead things in the ground. It would be unwise to charge. Give me a moment, and I will clear out my uncertainties."

The Uchiha replied, "Yes, there are dead things here. Once I deal with them. I don't have time for your uncertainties."

The holy sword had clashed against the heavenly spear for the first time. Cao Cao appeared unamused, clearly, the battle had not gone his way.

Even his voice changed, from once excited and warm to cold and icy, perhaps his true voice.

"Georg," the leader said, "Back to the original plan."

They looked eye-to-eye, and Sasuke tried his genjutsu. For a moment, the human staggered. His eyes rolled, his posture stumbled, but then his body straightened back to normal. He shook his head, and a huge swarm of pulsing light erupted from his spear, sending the shinobi back and landing smoothly onto the dirt.

The sacred gear, it broke the illusion. Sasuke cursed. Had it been Tsukyomi, that likely would've done the job.

Surrounding him came the immense power of the Hero Faction's magician. Huge circles with almost every offensive ability imaginable. Fire, water, ice, wind, even fallen angel magic. As well as some he did not even recognize, with white and black rushing against him. Mist from his sacred gear scattered in pockets around him, threatening to send him back to that place, but he would have none of it.

[DREAD]

Sun Wukong yelled, "Retreat, boy!"

A sudden, immense cold feeling rang through the air. He felt paranoia rush through him, a strange, unusually heavy sensation. His instincts told him something was about to attack, but from where? He did not wait to find out. The body of his Susanoo wrapped around him, protecting him as it always had.

Darkness.

Like the heavy mist from a cold morning, blackness filled the air.

There were faint glimpses of the outside, pockets of visibility. He could see Cao Cao with his spear raised in defense, oddly enough. Next to him was Georg, who was on his knees, panting, groveling. His eyes were rolled back into his head, his palms running through his hair as he squirmed. He was visibly under immense duress, and was not fighting as he had before.

Dark-green energy filled around him. Magic—he could see it. His ultimate defenses grew, becoming stronger, more durable, more protective.

"...GIVE...GIVE IT... HERE..."

A voice in the air spoke to him.

"...SOUL..."

Susanoo maintained itself, resisting against the emptiness. It came like the wind—sharp, fast, slicing into his armor. It had limited effect, as this dread seemed unable to penetrate. He tried withdrawing, but it appeared as this cloud of blackness was shadowing him. When he looked up, the sky was dark blue, with the moon being like an eclipse.

The world was changing.

Never before have his instincts yelled at him to leave this twilight zone. There was no one here to rescue or to fight.

He tried to move, tried to escape, and that's when things suddenly escalated.

Humanoid skeletons came at him from all directions. Those shadows all around him, spawning and conjuring, he could not see the source. It was as if the blackness manifested them on its own. Susanoo smashed them, slapped them, punched them. While he cut them with Chidori or stabbed with his sword. He maintained this, and they would not come close.

From all angles they came, but something like this he could endure for some time.

However, from below, at Susanoo's weak point, a hand sprang from the ground. No skin, no muscle, no flesh. Green energy connected its body, as its skeletal hand reached into the only vulnerable position his defense had.

Looking down, it had grabbed his ankle.

He slashed at it, cutting it, but another one came, spawning from it. The green energy morphed, conjuring more and more skeletons. He looked around, perplexed, as the shrouded darkness made it impossible for him to see anyone.

Sasuke swapped positions with a destroyed piece of wood, as he feared the skeletons would overcome his entire body. But when he did, he did not come alone.

They had become attached to him!

A tugging came from below, reaching him, the force so strong. His body slumped, descending, he was being dragged.

He looked down at his feet, sinking into a purple and black magic circle that was eating him.

Through the darkness, he could hear other voices.

They were calling him, his allies, his friends. Senjutsu was everywhere, being poured, trying to seep through. It was the youkai, no doubt, trying to reach him.

In moments like this, calm was needed. His Rinnegan was used once more, as it was his best hope. He swapped with a fallen skeleton, but his body was still in the ground, the magic circle taking him whole. Now, he needed another way. There was never a better time to learn new things when in the heat the of the moment.

She tilted her head, intrigued. "You wish to learn it? From me?" A smile spread across her face. "Well, I can't show you here, but it requires precise control of magic, an understanding of where you're going, permission to teleport there, and a strong memory of the location."

That place... that place he had come to know so well.

'Tepes Castle.'

Sasuke dropped his sword to the ground.

The skeletons climbed over one another, wrapping themselves around his body, climbing on top of each other, climbing on him.

As it came to his face, black flames broke onto it. The carcass fell back, falling onto the ground. But another simply replaced it.

When his stomach was now submerged, he pressed his palm into the ground. His magic circle came around, and he did his best to follow from what he had known.

It began to glow, and for a brief moment, his eyes widened in surprise. This was it, he was going to the castle. He would survive this. Valerie and Euclid would be there. He even would rather face Rizevim, than to allow this attack to swallow him whole.

And then it vanished.

Taking the sword, and the skeleton with it.

Finally, a voice reached out, though not of a friend.

Piercing through this abyss of death, was the spear, opening, widening the view.

Cao Cao stood before him, his tone cold and mocking, "Teleportation magic won't work... if you're already being summoned. Wherever you sent your blade, it will go. But you won't. And those eyes of yours? They won't save you now."

Sasuke stared at him, his only free hand reaching out to a small piece of broken bone next to him. He placed it inbetween his fingers, the sharp end aimed at his foe. A harmless thing, one might think. It was not a sword, nor a spell. Just a small, insignificant broken object. But in the hands of a master, it could be even deadlier than True Longinus.

His enemy raised an eyebrow and inspected it.

Then, he jolted.

"GUUHH!"

The spearman staggered back, a sharp cry coming from his mouth. His hand flew to his face, clutching his right eye socket as blood poured down his cheek. The bone shard had struck with deep speed, embedding itself into his eye. It was if gravity itself had fused with it. His vision vanished in an instant, replaced by pain and darkness.

He had not seen the Deva Path in its true glory, but for now, he can get a glimpse of it.

"And neither will yours."

No longer was Sasuke was present in this word. He had vanished, along with the magic circle that had summoned him.

---

Way too many words...I try not to go this long. Hopefully it was good content.

This was the hardest chapter to write so far, so much re-writing, writer's block, etc. I am so glad it is over lol. The next one I am very excited for.

Yasaka - Sun Wukong - Hero Faction.

Definitely a lot more for all of them. And yes, I did steal the Pain/Kakashi scene, it was too good of a scene not to. But, reversed it for fun.

Thanks for reading and the reviews!