Notice
This is not an official chapter but a notice for what's coming forward.
This story is done. This is technically the end of "Book I" of the Prophecy Child universe. We have now ended on a somber note but this is not where our favorite blonde's story ends. He has so much left to do, so much more to achieve, and that will be continued on the next book.
For all intents and purposes, this fanfic is "done" so I will mark it completed. I do not know if I will be separating it into another separate fanfic or if I will continue on with more chapters to HWWP.
Either way, the moment I start updating with "Book II" (which should be in a week or less) I will put it back to incomplete/ongoing or give another update notifying the new story. There will be a time jump so I felt it necessary to split the series into two separate "books". I hope everyone understands.
Take this as my heartfelt appreciation for enjoying the story. This has been quite the journey and I appreciate everyone's reviews engaging with the story.
Also, I forgot to say it in the official chapter but hope everyone has a fantastic and prosperous 2025! Here is to a good year!
I appreciate y'all and hope you stick around for more.
Some things to point out though.
First is that I know that some are not happy that Naruto has taken a backseat at the end of this book. I felt it necessary and that others needed a chance to shine. They will stand with Naruto not behind when he reinvents existence, after all, so they needed to start their path down their respective powers.
When the next book comes out, there will be a time skip. You will find out by how much when it releases. There will be a lot to change, more tension to be felt, and it will give a lot for our protagonist to fix.
I am currently working out the storyboard (a vague outline that will likely change as we go) so the next chapter/book will not be released for a bit. Have patience I'm trying my best.
Now, for the reviews!
Jebest4781
Glad to hear! Stick around because now we will not be confined just to Hell!
Samuel Santillan
Sadly, God cannot interfere as it was deemed that Naruto's fate to decide the fate of existence required Them to not do anything. That means even saving him. Naruto will return though, only stronger!
DaftMerc39
How was the Sinsmas episode? Haven't seen it yet
thor94
I apologize! Have no worries Naruto will be much stronger (he is the protag after all!) you just got to wait :) but oh boy will you not be happy with how Naruto comes back in Book II...
Tay123998
Most of what we have seen of Naruto's history is that he has been abused in some way. Derogatory defacing of his home, being ignored and chased away by adults and kids alike, as well as not even having the Hokage as close as fanfics make him to be (I think at minimum he kept Naruto alive through a small stipend). So you may think its an annoying trope but its not that far from the truth so it's more appropriate to just say you dont like it which would be understandable.
Guest
You're right, Loona would not jump past Prefect to Tribune immediately. It was merely pointed out that her powers were eerily similar to the Angel of Death, possibly even the potential to be equal to it. She was more on the cusp to meeting the physical/spiritual capabilities of a Tribune as she was able to bruise Vortex (a Tribune on the last legs of becoming a Legate). She would be placed at an above-average Prefect at most. And yeah (about the Triune God being upset), just wait until the time skip happens lmao
To finish this notice out, here's a draft of what would have happened if I didn't go down the route I did between chapters 26-43.
Background: Lucifer wants to annoy Mammon after having made a bet that anyone he chose could be a better clown than those under the Sin's employ. So he calls in his favor with Naruto to do just that. The plan is simple; beat all of Mammon's clowns at his own pageant and Lucifer will give his blessing to be his precious daughter's new boyfriend (concubine plaything since she is dating Helsa).
Omitted Plot: Clown Pageant
Naruto smiled at Fizzarolli's use of sign language, which helped the child fan as they were clearly mute.
The blonde is wearing an orange-red-white patterned vest, jacket and pants while his jester hat matched thenpattern. Three bells hung out and jingled as he moved, twinkling in the light with a silvery and gold glint. His face is lightwned with whitebpowder and his cheeks are flushed red and orange.
In his hand is a long cane with an orange shaft and silver head in the shave of a swirling orb.
"Boo! Boo!"
Naruto blinked when he heard someone from the far back jeering at Fizzarolli, making the imp clown stutter and usher the mute boy away.
"C- come again?"
"Such fucking trash!"
Naruto watched as a tall imp climbed on the shoulders of a few Fizz fans. The only words he could use to describe the person is total slob. His shirt is stained with sweat and mysterious fluids that he dared not think about, while his teeth are a disgusting color. He doubted the imp smelled well and felt bad for the fans around him that could smell all of his body odor, especially with how he spread his arms and legs to balance himself.
It was clear from the look on Fizz that he knew this guy, too, and he had to assume it was a fan who felt slighted.
"Always has been, except now I have to see your smug face plastered on everything everywhere! And! You can read all about it on my review blog - fuck fizz but not in a sexy way dot complainer dot com dot org dot gov!"
The imp fell forward and landed at the front of the crowd.
"Hah! Anyway-!"
Fizz was nervously trying to talk to the crowd and escape but he was interrupted by the same jeering imo.
"You're not even a clown anymore!" The imo pulled itself across the floor through people's feet before standing up. "All you do is work at that overpriced sleaze joint and every year," the imp began taking steps forward towards Fizz, "you come back here to put us through the same old routine! Is there a single original idea in that head?"
Naruto noticed Fizz had backed himself up against the wall and was now cowering while looking around for a way to escape. It was clear that he had been traumatized by this specific fan, the amounts of gray, beige, and lapis surrounding him was almost sickening. The flavors, while sometimes having been enjoyable at other moments, was now making his stomach churn and he clenched his hand.
"Take one more step towards the clown, and you'll find yourself without your head!" Naruto shouted at the party pooper as he began taking measures steps in their direction, getting gasps from not only his own fans but from Fizz's as well. "Shit, you smell like shit! I could have sworn that trash was taken out on Thursdays!"
"It's a Friday," the imp retorted as he turned to look at him.
"Precisely my point! What are you still doing here?!" The crowd laughed uproariously at the blonde's comedic insult.
The aggressive imp did not take kindly to that and took a few steps towards him. "And what is a-!"
"Hey, hey! No more steps forward or my nose will fall off and grow legs to get away from you!" Naruto put a hand to his nose as the imp stopped in his tracks. "Now be a good shut-in of society and go back to your bedroom that smells like stale sweat and ass. I didn't think they let people like you out in public anymore!"
"Why you-!"
The imp took a few intimidating steps forward before he found a blade poking his nose, the tip drawing the tiniest trickle of blood. It was a straight, one sided edge design that looked typical of traditional Japanese blades. At four feet in length and with a good sized handle, it was held carefully in the blonde's hand.
It took him a second moment for him to realize this was hidden in the blonde's cane, which he thought was just an accessory.
"I'm here to make people laugh, and you are spoiling the fun," Naruto's voice is in a low pitch, almost coming off as a growl, and he pressed the blade just a bit more into the imp's flesh. "So if you will not enjoy the last act of our show, then kindly leave."
Naruto was going to continue threatening the man but he was stopped when he began hearing rapid and heavy breathing. He quickly looked over to see Fizz holding his chest and was hunched over. Anxiety now overwhelmed all other emotions and it was pulsing with how strong it was.
Naruto moved around the imp, lowering his weapon as his attention was diverted to his competitor in distress. He sheathed the blade back into the staff, creating his cane once more, and quickly set it on the wall as he got close to Fizz. He's pale.
"Hey, hey," Naruto lightly touched the other male's elbows while making sure to not give too much sensory stimulation. Orange sprouted from the lapis before once more drowning away. "Hey, look at me. Fizz?"
The imp clown looked up into his eyes before wincing as his chest constricted once more.
"Don't try to talk," Naruto softly told him as he tried to maintain eye contact with him. "I want you to breathe with me, okay? It'll be a fun exercise!"
The soft excitement that infected Naruto's tone made Fizz nod his head, and there was trust in his eyes. While it did warm Naruto how… good the imp's nature way, he hated it as well. No one should just trust another like this, even if his intentions were pure right now.
"Okay, now breathe in through your nose as long as you can okay? With me," Naruto made an exaggerated show of taking a deep breath through his nose.
Fizz did so as well, his eyes locked with the blonde, and he felt his lungs painfully expanding at their maximum.
"Okay, now slowly breathe out," Naruto said weakly before softly exhaling.
Fizz did so as well, closing his eyes as he tried to focus on the breathing exercise. He didn't know when the blonde's hands had gone to his biceps, tenderly holding him steady even as he wobbled slightly, but it felt good. He felt… safe.
"Now, I want you to do the same, but this time I need you to take two long breaths one after the other," Naruto watched to make sure Fizz understood what he was saying.
While Fizz did as suggested, Naruto had motionlessly created a clone that, as soon as it appeared, grabbed the jeering imp and disappeared. The crowd had seen nothing but a small afterimage before that and the partycrasher was gone.
The lapis was receding nicely, no longer pulsing in strength, and now it was replaced with blue and phthalo. He could understand it, with such a deep seeded trauma reaction, he wondered if it was entirely from the jeering imp or if it was from giant crowds in general.
"Are you okay now?"
Fizz nodded his head and gave a tilted smile, but his eyes were still sad. "Yeah."
Electricity and green smoke shot around and the sound of money could be heard before Mammon appeared. He moved to shove Naruto away…
"Grab me like that again, Mammon-dono," Naruto spoke cheerfully, keeping his hands on Fizz protectively even as he faced up at the Sin with closed eyes and a large grin. "And I promise I will reward you equally!"
The clown had to pause at that, given what Lucifer had said of this one, before he cleared his throat. "I just want to talk to Fizzy to make sure he's okay!"
Naruto's eyes opened and he turned to look at Fizz, finding more gray again. "Is that alright, Fizz?"
"Huh? Oh- yeah, of course it's okay!"
Naruto knew a lie when he heard one, but he nodded his head and patted the imp's arms a few times cheerfully. "Okay! I'll see you on stage, Fizz! See ya, Mammon."
Naruto walked away to prepare for the final part, the singing competition, but not without giving one last stare at the Sin of Greed.
...
"My God, I′m down afar
Beneath the stars above
I thank you, Lord, for showing me my drug"
Naruto appeared on the stage with the warm yellow and amber light shining on him. Unlike the chaotic presentations of his previous competitors, although Fizz's is much more understanding than Glitz and Glam's performance, his is much more subtle and sensual.
"Your lust, your touch, your eyes, your lips got me fucked up on scene
And your skin, your hair upon my hand feels just like a drug to me
That smoke, my lungs, your body on me, got me like an addict, please
And I can't help the way I feel, so take another shot with me"
His voice was deep but soft as he sang the song, making the audience go wild. Men and women alike crowded the front of the stage like raving, sex-starved monsters that cried for his attention. It was amusing if not a little nauseating how sexual the colors appeared in the crowds. Lust was everywhere now and it was all directed right at him.
"God gave you this body now, please, show me your blessings
I′m about to eat again, and I ain't talking 'bout breakfast
Put your legs above my head, go and mark it off my checklist
I′m not flexin′ but you comin' in first is always expected
Been thinking about it for a minute, you should come on through
Put my hand around your neck, trying to put you in the mood
Get to breathing hot and heavy with these hands just like my sword
I′m the truth, let me show you where's the proof"
He could see the moment his very aura and words made multiple succubi and incubi pass out from sheer overwhelming tension. The moment he said the sixth line of the first verse, the colors and scents of lust and ecstasy exploded from what he can only expect was the climax of multiple demons.
He almost choked up the chorus when he noticed it and he had to take a small moment to compose himself before continuing.
"From the bedroom to the kitchen, put you on that bathroom counter
Back shots in the laundry room until we hit them showers
I just need me a minute now, better yet an hour
It's your time, but let′s just take it slow
Need a man who's down to ride
But that's just not me, you know
So while I′m here, show me all the things I love before you go"
As he sang the chorus one last time, he can see Mammon's rising clown stars off to the side. He grinned as he saw the jealousy and frustration in their eyes even as there was a hint of lust in them as well. It was not entirely unexpected, what with him purposefully choosing this song to make these depraved demons choose him over the others.
Call him a cheater but he just played to the hearts of the audience. Not his fault they were just that predictable.
I clearly win, Naruto thought to himself before finishing with a bow.
But then the barrier separating the stage and the ground floor of the audience was broken through by raging horny demons.
"Oh fuck."
Song used: Don Louis - Addict