Chapter 11: Dragons and Plans for the Future

Vali's announcement caused various degrees of distress ranging from none at all to extreme. One of those who was not concerned in the least was Naruto. His analysis of the white-haired boy's emotions did a lot to lay his concerns to rest. The White Dragon Emperor still exuded a lust for battle, but his bloodlust had taken a backseat. Whatever he had planned, it was not going to be lethal, although allusions to such things would likely occur in the form of posturing. Sadly, this information escaped the others. Koneko was not in Sage Mode, and even if she had been, she was not yet advanced enough to pick up the subtle difference between battle lust and bloodlust. The rest of the Peerage had no clue either. And Issei, who was the target of Vali's aggression, was sweating bullets.

"Seriously?!" he yelled. "We're trying to make peace here!"

The white-haired Devil boy scoffed and replied: "I have no interest in peace. I only care for battle. To be honest, I don't expect much from you, but the rivalry between us demands no less than a fight."

"You'll get a spar," interrupted Naruto.

Issei whipped his head around to the Shinobi. "Huh?" he asked.

"Face it, Pervy Kid, your combat skills need improvement. Getting some experience fighting someone stronger than you is the best way to improve them quickly," explained Naruto. He then addressed Vali: "That said, I expect there to be a certain level of restraint. You go for the kill and you land in the grave. Understood?"

Vali dismissed him. "Whatever."

This could be troublesome, thought Naruto, but I think he's going along with it.

"A spar?" questioned Azazel from the side.

Naruto nodded and said: "It might keep things down if we're tacking rules onto this bout. I doubt Broody Boy was planning to quietly leave, no matter the opposition. At least this way we have some control. Plus, we get… legal ambiguity if teaming up with him is ever necessary in the future. A spar isn't hostile combat, after all."

Azazel smirked. "You're shrewd," he commented.

Naruto shrugged and focussed back on the building tension between the two Dragon Emperors. Considering that Vali was about as edgy as Sasuke had been – and that brought up a lot of memories about his own less than stellar behaviour in his youth – the bragging preamble to the fight was about to hit. The former Hokage's expectations would not be disappointed.

"… That irritating man is correct. I am far stronger than you, Issei Hyoudou. Let us see if your strength is enough to survive," said Vali.

He then launched himself at his opponent, who, while he seemed not that bright, had at least taken precautions.

[Boost!]

The burst of additional power and speed gave Issei just enough time to turn Vali's devastating punch into a graze. He was still pushed back, but apart from the slight pain, there appeared to be no other consequences for him.

Vali had clearly not expected the quick reaction, but he adapted fast. His next attack followed before Issei could react, inflicting noticeable damage on the brown-haired boy. Issei forced himself through the pain, however, and deflected the next punch before he backpedalled to avoid the follow-up.

He's got decent combat instincts at least, thought Naruto.

"Shouldn't we help?" asked Asia in worry. "I don't like this."

Naruto looked at the Peerage, his gaze lingering on Koneko, who looked him in the eyes. He said: "Spars like that are usually one on one. Those are the rules. The unwritten rules."

"That is regrettably so," said Rias. "However, we will step in if it becomes too dangerous."

Assuming you can, Red, thought Naruto, And you're missing the point.

The redhead had a tendency to overestimate herself, he gathered. Her interference was unlikely to accomplish anything against someone on Vali's level of power. Not that it mattered. Naruto wanted to know if she even would interfere in the first place.

[Boost!]

With his baseline power quadrupled Issei made a move of his own. His punch was well-executed for what it was, but it was too slow for his opponent. Vali caught his fist, and he retaliated. The punch connected, making Issei retch.

[Divide!]

Issei wavered and staggered back. "What the Hell?" he asked.

Azazel gave his commentary: "Valis is the host of Divine Dividing, Boosted Gear's polar opposite. Whereas Boosted Gear increases one's own power and transfers it, Divine Dividing halves an opponent's power and adds it to the user's."

"That's unfair!" protested the brown-haired boy.

"It seems you still have no idea how outclassed you are. Let me enlighten you," said Vali.

Suddenly, eight black, bat-like wings extended off his back, joining the two dragon wings of Divine Dividing.

"My name is Vali Lucifer, son of a Devil of the Lucifer House and a human woman," continued the boy.

Naruto suppressed the urge to wince. Lucifer's line was known for their distaste for anyone and anything they considered weak. Whoever Vali's mother was, he did not think that she had willingly bedded the boy's father.

I guess that explains his volatile character, he thought.

Vali was not finished, however: "You, however, are ordinary. You're weak and have no great ancestors anywhere; no legacy to uphold. There is no story to your character. Shall I change that? I could kill your parents and motivate you to take revenge."

"You sick bastard!" yelled Issei. "Leave my parents out of this!"

The [Pawn's] spirit rose with his words, and his aura followed suit. The strength he now exuded surpassed the average Middle Class Devil by far.

Naruto observed this and made some observations: Note to self: Put automated barrier seals on the Hyoudou parents. Vali's not serious about his threat, but that doesn't mean that no one else will try. If nothing else, it'll stop Issei from exploding. His body can't handle the amount of power he's putting out.

Green light shone from the jewel of Boosted Gear, and the purple glow of the armband Azazel had given him joined it. The boy's aura rose even higher, and suddenly, red armour enveloped him. It had shoulder-mounted protrusions which were clearly intended for some form of jet propulsion. Issei had entered the incomplete Balance Breaker state.

Vali smirked as he saw this. He commented: "Well, you might actually prove to be interesting. Come at me. Balance Break!"

In a flash, he donned the white armour of Divine Dividing Scale Mail, his Sacred Gear's Balance Breaker. It looked much like its counterpart, except that it had wings instead of the shoulder mounted propulsion system. The comparison between the two armours then became easier to make as Issei activated the jets and took to the air. The clash of the Dragon Emperors had reached a new phase.

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

The series of punches and kicks the Hyoudou boy brought to bear were surprisingly well-executed. Part of it was the training he had gone through, but most of it was instinct. That was most of his fighting style came down to, and why he had some trouble with learning from Naruto. Issei's instincts told him there was no mortal danger, so they did nothing for him in regular spars. However, as the [Pawn] was fighting, Naruto could see that his performance was markedly improved.

The response by Vali showed him that it was still not enough despite this. One punch later, Issei spat blood.

[Divide!]

[Boost!]

Issei could always bring himself back up again, but Vali would keep stealing his power if this exchange continued. Additionally, every use of Boost would deplete the boy's stamina. He would have to find a way out.

"President, we need to help," said Koneko to Rias. "Ise's going to lose."

"That depends," evaluated Azazel. "From what my sp- informants have told me, he communicates a lot with the Welsh Dragon. If anyone knows Divine Dividing's weaknesses, it's him."

"What weaknesses?" asked Rias.

"The power regulation system, for one. Both Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing have a safety feature that disperses excess power. Boosted Gear's is an inferior prototype, but Divine Dividing's is more exploitable for opponents. And it seems Ddraig has spilled the beans," explained the Governor General.

That did indeed seem to be the case, seeing as Issei was renewing his offensive. He boosted himself up several times again and engaged Vali anew. The silver-haired half-Devil received the charge with composed grace. He easily redirected the incoming fist and punched back in retaliation.

[Divide!]

[Transfer!]

Instead of boosting himself up again, Issei had decided to use Transfer and redirect all his accumulated power to Vali's wings. The Sacred Gear detected an overload and automatically compensated. It did so by discharging all of its accumulated power as well. This left both fighters in their base levels of power.

This was the one opportunity for reversal, and everyone saw it. Issei immediately sought to capitalise.

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

Vali saw this, of course, and tried to respond to the best of is skills, but he encountered a problem. Out of nowhere, he received a devastating punch from behind, which hurled him straight at Issei. The boy wasted no time at all and launched his own punch.

"Koneko! I thought you wouldn't interfere," said Issei.

"Screw the rules," she said. "You're not fighting alone."

Naruto smiled proudly as he heard her say that. He thought to himself: She got the lesson. Neat. Let's see how they handle the consequences.

He knew there would be. Vali was forced to either retreat or escalate at this point, and there was no way that the young half-Devil would retreat due to such odds.

"That was a good attack," said Vali. "Fighting two on one might make this fight more interesting, so I'll allow it. I will get a bit more serious, though."

"Take care, brats," said Azazel. "One of Divine Dividing's most powerful attacks is Half Dimension. It can half anything in its range."

"Well put," said Vali. "Let me demonstrate. Half Dimension!"

The effect was immediate. The trees nearby shrank by half in all three dimensions. The distance between Vali and his opponents was halved as well. It was truly frightening ability to behold, but it was not without its weaknesses.

The power is fragile. Anyone powerful enough can disrupt it. It also seems to take up quite a bit of focus. Vali's not gonna win this two on one, observed Naruto.

Azazel was less academic about it: "As you can see, he can indeed cut anything in half… You know, he could do that with Rias Gremory's breasts as well, right?"

Naruto resisted the urge to facepalm, and he was not the only one. Rias shot the man a look that spoke of embarrassment and irritation. Koneko also shot him a dirty look before she went back to keeping an eye on Vali. Still, the "enlightening" interjection accomplished what Naruto would later assume to be its desired effect. It got Issei fired up.

"Is there nothing you hold sacred, you sick fuck?!", yelled the [Pawn]. "First you threaten my parents, and now you threaten the only thing I thought to be beyond harm! Prepare to meet my wrath! Koneko, let's attack!"

"…. You're the worst," muttered Koneko, but she readied herself.

Vali's state of mind was in similar straits. "What the fuck?" he asked.

He did not get much further as the Red Dragon Emperor's aura spiked. It was beginning to approach the level of a High Class Devil. His body showed worrying signs of slowly breaking down under the weight of that power, but the boy himself did not restrain himself at all. Instead, he ramped up even more.

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

He shot forward with unprecedented speed. This ended up surprising Vali a great deal, and for the first time in this fight, he was on the backfoot. The barrage of quick punches and kicks Issei rained down on him were stronger than the half-Devil had anticipated, and he suffered for it. His armour began taking damage, forming cracks in several places. A blue jewel even broke loose during the exchange.

[Divide! Divide!]

The reversal surprised Issei, but he managed to hastily disengage before he could be hit by Vali's power again. It left him backpedalling away from his opponent. Vali was no longer stunned by the aggression and was fighting back efficiently now.

"That was impressive," he praised, "But it's not enough. Even if you bring everything you have out, it won't be enough."

Issei's eyes wandered the battlefield a bit before he replied: "Then I have to make sure that what I have increases. Koneko, can you distract him?"

The Nekoshou nodded seriously. "I can, but not for long. Whatever you're planning, hurry, Senpai."

In accordance with her words, she pushed forward. She knew that she stood no chance against Vali; that much Naruto could see. He was immensely proud that she went on regardless. It was a wonderful display of comradery. There was a risk to it, however, and he was determined to intervene soon. Vali's temper was fraying, and Koneko's advance was not making it any better.

The care she took in fighting was apparent by her chosen method of engagement. She delivered a variety of kicks, all of which Vali dodged. Maybe if she had changed it up and punched out, she could have hit him, but that would have presented an unacceptable risk. Punching meant that her hands were committed, which in turn meant that no hand sign could be formed. Having the escape method on hand was essential.

Koneko's kicks were getting faster. She was actively reinforcing her boy with chakra; a technique she had not yet practiced all that much. Even then, it was barely enough. As Vali's hands reached for her, she managed to kick the jewel of his right gauntlet to deflect it. She repeated the feat again, but in spite of her increasing speed, she was having a harder time. It would not be long before he got her, and the distraction she was providing was about to fail.

Fortunately for her, Issei had not been twiddling his thumbs. He had picked up the blue jewel that had fallen off Vali's armour and was now holding it above his right gauntlet. Naruto had no way of confirming it, but he thought that the kid was arguing with Ddraig.

"I don't care if it costs me a chunk of my lifespan!" exclaimed Issei finally. "I have no intention of living ten thousand years anyway."

With that, he smashed the blue jewel into his gauntlet, using it to replace the green one. There was a flash of white, and Naruto quickly entered Sage Mode to ascertain what it was doing. It was not pretty. From what he had gathered, the Red and White Dragon Emperors were diametrically opposed to each other. Combining such energies without a connector like chakra usually had bad consequences. In this case, it meant burning through more than a tenth of Issei's lifespan. The result was what the boy had desired, however. Issei now sported a white gauntlet on his right hand.

"I'm back in the fight, Koneko!" he said as he rushed at Vali.

Koneko appeared to hear him and tried to disengage. She was almost not successful. Her chakra reinforcement technique had tired her out, which led to Vali grabbing her ankle just as she was flashing through hand signs. He exerted bone-crushing force on it, literally. There was a loud crack, and her foot was now at an angle no foot should ever have been. Then, a poof sound could be heard, and a small cloud of smoke appeared in her place. When it cleared, Koneko was gone, and Vali held a cracked trash can in his hand. The Nekoshou had escaped via Substitution Jutsu.

The confusion that left Vali in was the perfect opportunity for Issei. He went for the attack immediately.

"Get a taste of your own medicine!" he shouted as he punched Vali with his right fist.

[Divide!]

The brown-haired boy was not finished, however. This was only the start of his combo.

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

From there, he rained blow upon blow on Vali. The surprised half-Devil was thrown around like a ragdoll as he endured the attacks. He was also on the receiving end of Issei's impassioned words.

"This one is for threatening my parents! And that one is for endangering the sanctity of boobs! For the President's, Akeno's, Xenovia's, Asia's, and even Koneko's boobs, I will strike you down!"

"You gotta work on your speeches, Pervy Kid… and your priorities," muttered Naruto to himself.

Despite the lack of reason behind the [Pawn's] speech, his attack was the real deal. It was proceeding into the final phase as well, it seemed. Issei's body would not be able to sustain this level of power for much longer. The boy appeared to recognise this as well, and he prepared a final attack with all his might.

A sword's blade appeared from Issei's left gauntlet. It exuded a powerful holy aura. That had to be Ascalon, the dragon-slaying sword of Saint George. It was bold of a part-dragon to wield that sword, but against an opponent like Vali, it was only smart. Just using it was not the extent of Issei's plan, though.

[Transfer!]

He transferred all his accumulated power to the sword and stabbed at Vali. The blade penetrated the white armour of the Vanishing Dragon's host, easily shattering it. The tip pierced his skin as well, which caused the dragon-slaying aura of the sword to do its work. It was devastating.

Vali was catapulted backwards, letting out a pained scream in the moment. He left behind a trail of blood that led to his new position. His armour was in a sorry state, and he was bleeding from the wound on his stomach and from his mouth. In contrast to the state his body was in, there was a grin on his face.

"That hurt. You might be a worthy opponent after all. Let me raise the stakes, then," he said. Following up, he began to chant:

"I, who am about to awaken,

Am the-"

That was the moment for Naruto to step in. He rushed at Vali and slapped a seal tag on his chest before the silver-haired young man could react. The jewels and wings of the Vanishing Dragon Scale Mail began to flicker and then cut out. The armour dematerialised immediately after.

"You're playing around with dangerous stuff there, Broody Boy. I allowed the spar, but this stunt would've turned it into a battle. Leave now," said Naruto.

"I'd listen to him, Vali. This isn't the right time or place. Besides, we're surrounded by people who can kick our asses," said a new voice.

Naruto had sensed the young man's approach, of course, but there had been no hostility coming from him, so he had left him in peace. The armour the newcomer wore and the signature of his of his energy told Naruto that he was not part of the official delegations of the peace conference. That he was trying to disengage Vali from the fight earned him some points in the Shinobi's favour, however.

"… Bikou," said Vali. He seemed to struggle internally and grumbled. "Fine. Let's leave. I've got a handle on my rival now."

A teleportation circle appeared beneath the two of them. They were gone before anyone who wanted to could intervene.

"Well, that was a thing," said Naruto, "so let's take stock of the situation."

It had been an interesting spar to observe, but there had been many problems with it. He had expected more from certain people, and he would let them know his displeasure immediately. He had some harsh assessments to give.

This day had been very interesting for Michael so far. The conference had yielded little in terms of agreements that had not already been made beforehand, but new information had come to light. If it turned out to be true, there was going to be much to do. The talks had been interrupted, however. The fights that had followed had revealed much about the political state of the world; it was sadly one of instability. What had come with those fights as well was insight into their new allies' capabilities.

It was frightening and reassuring in equal measure. Despite Pahaliah's endorsement of the man, Naruto Uzumaki had appeared to be a somewhat insane fool suffering from delusions. The short battle and the humiliating defeat he had inflicted upon the witch Walburga had changed that assessment radically. The mean clearly knew how to fight, and he was powerful too. Shattering the barrier upheld by four Ultimate Class beings as a casual side effect of a single attack was no easy feat. The upside of that surprise had been the man's interest in preserving as many of his allies' lives as possible; his clever barrier placement had ensured it. Further evidence for his good nature was indicated by his de-escalation attempts concerning the White Dragon Emperor. That "spar" could have easily had more severe consequences.

As it was, Uzumaki appeared determined to turn the whole thing into a lesson. He was at the moment delivering a critique of the combatants' performance.

"Let's start with you, Little One," said the armoured man. "You intervened at just the right point. You provided the necessary distraction your comrade needed. In terms of fighting itself, you improve greatly since we've started our training. Both speed and power have increased sharply. It didn't show as much against Broody Boy as it would have against others, but it was noticeable. You did well. I'm proud of you."

He ruffled the girl's hair affectionately, much to her obvious chagrin, and then moved on. He turned towards the Hyoudou boy and spoke: "I gotta say, you've upgraded. For a self-admitted idiot, you had some damn smart moves going on. Your combat instinct is good too. You used your advantages well."

"That said," interrupted Azazel, "you got extremely lucky. If you had not had support; if Vali had not been a dragon against whom you could use Ascalon; if he had taken you seriously, you would have died."

"Yeah, that," agreed Uzumaki. "Still, that power output of yours was enough to kick the average High Class Devil into next week. That has its own problems, though. Your body can't handle the power your spirit can bring to bear. You gotta work on that… Speaking of things you gotta work on: Look for a better battle cry than 'boobs' before you head into combat next time."

Michael had to agree. While it was far from the most excentric thing he had ever heard, it was not exactly inspiring. Admittedly, Michael was more than willing to tolerate this personality quirk. The boy was a pervert, but that was better than the prospect of another addition to the list of obsessive mass murderers and serial rapists that previous Dragon Emperors were part of. Nonetheless, the current Red Dragon Emperor could only benefit from some more restraint.

"Hey, that's what motivates me!" protested Hyoudou.

Azazel laughed as he heard this, and commented: "It's this single-mindedness that served you well. Focussed minds have far greater affinity with dragons than regular people. Though it makes the problem Uzumaki pointed out worse as well. Your body can't handle that kind of power. You should also learn how to enter Balance Breaker without the tool I gave you. It has diminishing returns, and the more you use it the harder it will be for you to reach Balance Breaker the natural way."

"There are solutions to this, but we'll have to look into them later," said Uzumaki. "First, there's a review of finish. All in all, you did well, Pervy Kid."

Michael was not expecting the Shinobi's next move. The man made a sharp turn and faced Rias Gremory and the rest of her Peerage. His face could not be seen beneath the helmet he was wearing, but the Archangel got the impression that there was a stern frown on it.

"If I had been testing you," began Uzumaki, "all of you would have failed pathetically. What the Hell were you doing just standing around? Asia at least said something at the start, but nothing came of it."

A frown marred the beautiful face of the young Gremory heiress. She answered: "Did you not say that spars such as the one with Vali were one on one; that it was a rule?"

Uzumaki nodded. "I did. Koneko, the adage please."

"'Those who abandon the rules are trash. Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash,'" cited the white-haired girl.

"Exactly," continued her mentor. "I'm not the teacher of your entire Peerage, but you're still a unit. Act like it."

That brought more frowns on the faces of the Peerage members. They looked pensive, and traces of shame were visible on some of them.

"Consider that stuff later, though. Let's wrap up the mess here. There are corpses to bury and assets to retrieve. There's also that unconscious dragon to take care of. Once we're done, I want to have a chat with the faction leaders. Now that the traitors are gone, I've got some sensitive information to share with them," said Uzumaki.

.

The clean-up operation was a relatively quick affair for the leaders and the Gremory Peerage. Most of the work was taken care of by the guards and by Uzumaki himself. So, while those people worked, there was a bit of free time for Michael. The same applied for the trio of teenagers that approached him.

"I'll ask him now, if it's okay," said the Hyoudou boy with determination.

Next to him were two girls Michael recognised. They were Xenovia Quarta and Asia Argento. They provoked the feeling of shame within him. What had happened to them should never have occurred. It had, however, and the Archangel prayed to the Almighty that He might forgive him for his hand in their fates. The very least he could do was listen to the request Hyoudou was likely to make of him on their behalf. He could think of no other reason for them to come to him.

The girls nodded at the boy, who then approached Michael. He bowed politely and said: "Lord Michael, I have a request."

Ah, so I was right, thought the Archangel. Out loud he replied: "I will hear it. Speak."

The question the boy asked him was shocking: "Would it be alright to tweak Heaven's System a little? Asia and Xenovia have kept to their faith. They still believe in God and pray to him. Could the System be changed so they can pray without feeling pain?"

There were dimensions to this. Ordinarily, such a thing would be out of the question, but there were extenuating circumstances. If the two girls truly still held faith in God, it would be possible. There were also the guilt and shame from their unjust exiles gnawing at him. That was what ultimately led him to his answer.

"It will be tricky, but if it is just the two of them, it can be done," said Michael.

The faces of the three youngsters before him lit up with joy. Hyoudou spoke for the three of them: "Thank you kindly, Lord Michael."

The leader of Heaven said nothing in reply, but he smiled fondly as he watched the two girls embrace the boy. There was no hint of his usual proclivities as he gently patted their heads and hugged them back. It was a wholesome scene to observe.

Yes, I believe that peace is truly possible if Devils can feel such joy from being allowed to pray to God… Father, are you proud of us? Of what we have achieved here? thought the Archangel.

He truly hoped so. He was tired of war. The future where they could walk hand in hand with their errant kin – for Fallen Angels and Devils were nothing but that to Angels – held great appeal to him. He was not blind to the hurdles in the path to that goal, however. While being cautiously optimistic about it, he was sure that the information which Uzumaki wished to share later would reveal at least one such hurdle.

He was right.

"This information comes straight from one of my personal contacts in the Underworld. The Satans can check later, discreetly, but I advise them not to blow my contact's cover. That would be a dick move," said Naruto to the faction leaders and Peerage members before him.

In his hands was a folder full of documents and photographs. They were incriminating evidence for what he was about to reveal to them, some of which had been gathered while they fighting had been going on. The folder had arrived via special delivery from a transportation seal Naruto had given to Desran. It was nasty business, but it had to be dragged into the light. He owed it to Desran to end Maria's nightmare. Those two were his friends, so he could never let the matter lie. The monster who had done all these awful things to her had to pay.

"What you have before you is evidence of a diplomatic incident wating to happen," said Naruto with a grim voice. "There is a list in here; a list of over two dozen Holy Maidens who have disappeared from the face of the earth within the last few years. Of course, all of them were exiled from the Church or even excommunicated entirely, but they all were cast out under suspicious circumstances; and they were all cast out for the same reason: giving care to a Devil. If you turn the page, you'll see that it was the same Devil in all cases: Diodora Astaroth."

There were severe frowns on people's faces as he said this. Michael, Gabriel and Sirzechs in particular looked very unhappy about this. The latter said: "This is… concerning."

"It gets worse," said Naruto.

"… What manner of worse are we talking about here?" asked Gabriel, ice in her voice and steel in her eyes.

She's catching on quickly, thought the Shinobi. He answered: "A lot worse. Here."

He took a sheaf of paper out from the folder and handed it to her. It was an account of Desran's involvement in the case.

While she skimmed over the Devil's report, Naruto explained for the others: "What Gabriel holds right now is the story of a friend of mine. His name is Desran. He's a lowborn pure-blooded Devil who had to work his way up to High Class through promotion exams. As you know, you need a sponsor to be allowed to take this exams. His sponsor was House Astaroth, which meant that he owed them a favour.

"Once promoted to High Class, Desran set out to build his own Peerage. It went decently well. He picked up a few descendants of reincarnated Devils and a few interesting humans. One of them was Maria Santario, a former Holy Maiden who had left the Church on her own. Naturally, he had to report every addition to his Peerage to House Astaroth.

"That's when the favour came in. Desran received a notification that Diodora's Peerage was incomplete for Rating Game practice, and that he wished to have someone of Maria's skills on the team. Unable to refuse, Desran loaned Maria to Diodora. She never came back. She was reported killed in an accident during the practice. In "compensation," Desran was released from House Astaroth's service, conveniently before he could investigate.

"Desran isn't stupid, though. He could still feel his connection to Maria's Evil Piece. The search for her led him to the human world. He tracked a local African warlord, which is where he met me, since I was on the search for the same man. Once we had found the guy and divorced his head from his body, we liberated his captives. That's where we found Maria.

"It took weeks to get her to talk to us, but when she did, she told us things that still make my blood curdle. You see, Diodora tricks Holy Maidens into being exiled, then convinces them to join his Peerage. By current Devil law, that makes them his property, and he treats them accordingly. He abuses them in any possible way, his favourite being rape. He does so until their minds break, then has them help him rape his next victim. Once he gets bored of them, he kills them, trades the away, or sells them… The details are enclosed."

The expression of absolute fury on the beautiful face of Gabriel was in stark contrast to her usual serenity. She was reading through the details Naruto had mentioned, it seemed. She was shaking with rage, so much so that he briefly worried that she might Fall because of her wrath, but she schooled her features quickly. She said: "Security around our Holy Maidens must be increased severely. I want any such… miscreant incinerated on sight."

"That's not how I would have worded it," said Serafall. "But I agree. That sort of abuse is not what Evil Pieces were made for."

"Ajuka will be furious," commented Sirzechs. "That it is one of his relatives makes the situation even worse."

"If you're worried about Diodora pissing off Satans, you're in for a treat," said Naruto. "Look at the list of his targets, all of you."

The others did so out of wary curiosity. That included Rias' Peerage. The first one to spot what Naruto had intended for them to find was Asia. Her gaze was fixed on a particular picture. It was one of her.

She paled. Her breathing sped up and she grabbed Issei's hand in a death grip. "Th-that's… me," she said.

The boy squeezed her hand. "I'll protect you from him," he declared. "He won't lay a finger on you."

"Ise's right. If he tries, I'll kill him before he can even think of touching you," said Rias.

The rest of the Peerage added their own promises of protection. Asia was clearly beloved by all of them. That girl was the picture of innocence and triggered a particularly strong protective instinct.

It's almost uncanny, but it's to her advantage, thought Naruto.

"The old Devils in the government will raise protests if we arrest him," said Sirzechs grimly. "No matter the severity of his… overstep, he is the son of a Pillar Clan."

"Fuck those fossils," said Hinata, speaking up. The unexpected profanity coming from the refined-looking woman silenced the room. She continued: "Remind them that it is you who rules, not they."

"I wish it were so easy. These are powerful individuals, and pushing too hard would cause severe problems for the stability of the Underworld. I do not like it at all, and I wish it were different, but we cannot arrest Diodora Astaroth without evidence of a, in the old Devils' eyes, greater crime than the violation of former Holy Maidens," explained Sirzechs.

"It's good we caught him in the act of treason, then," said Naruto

"… What?" asked Sirzechs.

The Shinobi explained: "While we were having our little spat here, he was arranging trades with the Old Satan faction in the Underworld. In other words, he was cavorting with enemies of the state while they were fighting us."

He handed out photographs which showed Diodora exchange two young women from the list of his victims to a few high-profile figures of the Old Satan faction in return for a snake. One just like it had been seen this day. Katarea had used it to increase her power. It was one of Ophis' snakes and thus definite proof of involvement with the Khaos Brigade.

There was a pleased smile on Sirzechs' face as he saw this. He said: "It seems that we do have sufficient grounds for an arrest."

There were nods around the table, but one question was left open. Serafall asked it: "What happened to the two women?"

Naruto was pleased to see that someone actually cared about that. He answered: "Desran launched a rescue operation under disguise. He got them out according to his report. I'm gonna take them into the Uzumaki Clan's custody."

Serafall frowned. "But why? Shouldn't they be handled by the Underworld's government?"

Naruto snorted. "And wait for them to be silenced by the corrupt idiots who run the show there? No thanks. Not like they'd ever be able to relax among Devils after what happened to them. I would've suggested the Church, but that's off the table; they're exiled. The Grigori are out too because of the many potential infiltrators from the Khaos Brigade."

"Sadly, that's not untrue," said Azazel.

There were nods from Gabriel and Michael as well. The former asked: "Does your clan have the resources to take care of them?"

Naruto almost laughed. Do we ever, he thought in amusement. "We have plenty of resources, though I'm gonna call in reinforcements to make sure and support our local operations."

That statement caused straightened backs from the other attendees. "What sort of local operations?" asked Azazel.

The blond Shinobi replied: "You gotta ask? The little skirmish here showed that there's plenty of people who want to tear down the peace we've established here today. You need operatives to smack them down. I'm sure you wanna make your own response team for threats like that, but you need someone to fill the gap in the meantime. And later, when you've got it set up, you need someone to do the Black Ops stuff. We Uzumaki are Shinobi, so I'm offering our services to the alliance here. On retainer even."

"… That is a proposal we will need to discuss in detail," said Michael.

"By the way, I'm also taking that dragon with me," added Naruto. "I have enough food and access to wilderness."

He had not had to study dragons yet, and this was a golden opportunity. He wondered if he would get a new friend out of it as well.

Serafall said: "We'd like to speak with the dragon eventually. Perhaps he or she will wish to settle down in Tannin's territory in the Underworld."

That was a good point. Tanning had acquired a reputation of taking care of and ruling over many different breeds of dragon. From everything Naruto had heard about him, his subjects loved him.

"I'll keep you appraised," said Naruto.

"Let's get back to that other stuff, though. You dropped some pretty big pieces of information there. We'll have to talk about your clan and its services," said Azazel.

Naruto nodded. "Yes, let's do that now." He turned to Rias' Peerage and said: "Alright, kids, the show's over. The adults are gonna conduct some deniable diplomacy now."

He stood up and guided them to the door. Just as they were about to leave, however, a thought occurred to him.

Oh yeah, there's that. I almost forgot.

"Pervy Kid," he said.

"Yes?" replied Issei.

"You sacrificed a lot of lifespan for that stunt back during the fight," said the Shinobi.

The boy nodded and said: "It's… unfortunate, but it's as I said. I didn't plan to live for ten thousand years."

Naruto shook his head and retorted: "Listen, kid, never throw your life or parts of it away. Remember that most of the people you care about are Devils too. Don't make them miss you just because you don't care if you keel over three thousand years early."

A golden glow then engulfed Naruto's hand. It was the mark of true Senjutsu; something which the likes of Ashura, Hamura and Hagoromo had barely even scratched, although they had all been capable of what he was about to do now. He took in natural energy and transformed it, turning it into pure life force. Then he laid his hand on Issei's shoulder and transferred the life force, restoring the boy's lifespan in full.

Throughout this interaction, he remained ignorant of the others' reactions. He had done this so often that it had become routine to him, and so he missed how extraordinary this ability was to others.

"Like Lazarus…," whispered Gabriel

Disregarding what happened behind him, Naruto grinned and said: "Off you go now. I'm sure you've got your own topics to talk about while us adults take care of the boring stuff."

The Gremory Peerage left in stunned silence.

Some time later, the individual members of the Peerage began to split up for the day. They had been debriefed by Rias, who had not had much to add to Naruto's assessment of the day. Since there was nothing left to do and the hour was late, they dispersed in order to head home. While they had told Issei to wait at the school entrance for them, Rias and Asia were staying for a bit longer, and had told Koneko to wait for them. It appeared they wanted a word in private.

I have a feeling why, thought Koneko. It might be an opportunity to say a few things I've been wanting to tell them myself.

"Koneko. I wanted to talk about something that was brought up earlier," began Rias. "The motto about rules and comrades… was Mister Uzumaki expecting you to support Ise?"

"He hinted heavily at it," answered Koneko honestly. "Protecting your comrades no matter what is a big part of his philosophy."

"… No matter what, huh?" pondered Rias.

Asia looked sad as she said: "I should have stepped in."

"You could have, but not alone. Don't feel guilty," said Rias with a sigh. "You're the only one of us who has not trained to fight. You despise violence, and I won't take that away from you."

Koneko agreed: "I feel the same. Without at least Yuuto to help, there was nothing you could have done."

"… Okay," said Asia uncomfortably.

"There is one thing I'm more worried about. It's why I really wanted to talk to you, Koneko," said the redhead [King] of the Peerage. "Is Ise's lifespan truly restored?"

Koneko nodded. "Senjutsu can do that. It normally takes a long time, but Sensei is a very powerful Sage. I can do my own work on him if you want me to."

"I would be glad if you did," said Rias.

"I don't like how Ise talked about it," commented Asia.

Startled by the slight change of topic, Rias asked: "What do you mean?"

"It was like he didn't care at all about losing so much of his lifespan; like he did not matter. Does he not know that we would mourn him?" replied Asia.

That question made an uncomfortable expression appear on Rias' face. "I don't know."

"… I might," said Koneko. No better time to dive into that topic, she thought.

Surprisingly, it was Asia who zoned in on her first. The blonde girl asked: "How?"

The Nekoshou explained: "Some time ago, Sensei began to teach me how to sense emotions through Senjutsu. I'm not that good yet, and negative emotions often get exaggerated, but I can sense them. It made me realise that our Peerage has mental problems. That includes Ise."

"… I take it there's an issue," said Rias.

"Yes," replied Koneko, "there is. There is some sort of mental block on him. Sensei says that it often comes with trauma. In Ise's case, it prevents him from acknowledging how much he cares about you or how much you care about him. His mind refuses to interpret the signs correctly."

"I have no idea what this means; only that it is serious," said Asia.

"His mind rationalises your obvious love for him away," said Koneko bluntly.

"L-love? I mean, I don't know if-," began the former nun.

She was interrupted by Koneko: "That sort of denial doesn't help the matter. He thinks you view him as a sort of big brother. Me telling him otherwise didn't convince him. The way you behave around each other makes it painfully obvious that you're in love, though. The same goes for him and President Rias."

The redhead took that as her cue to speak up: "Well, he is my adorable servant, and I do like him. Is it really that obvious?"

"For those who know you, yes. You're crushing on him. That's not how he sees it, though," said Koneko with nod.

When she did not elaborate any further, Rias followed up with a question: "So, what does he see me as?"

Koneko took a second to gather her words before she answered: "During the day at the pool, I asked Ise about you two because I'd felt out his emotional state. That's why I know how he thinks Asia views him. With you, President, it's… worse. He believes that you think of him as a pet, with all that it implies."

"I did not know he was into that," said Rias.

"Not like that. This has nothing to do with kink. He thinks you care about him like I care about my cat familiar," countered Koneko. "A pet. An animal you indulge, but one you won't terribly miss when it's gone."

"Oh…," said the pure-blooded Devil. "How could he think that?"

"… You do treat him like that pretty often. And the way you two fight over him sometimes… It tends to look like you're fighting over a doll or a plushie," pointed out the white-haired girl.

"But that's not true! I care about Ise as a person!" protested Asia.

"As do I," said Rias.

Koneko then bluntly told them: "Then say it to him. And be direct. He's an idiot and he's got a mental block. Say what you feel and say it directly. He won't get it otherwise."

"… I will do that," said Rias in response. "And I shall do so soon."

Asia appeared to be of the same mind. "So will I," she said with determination.

"Just clear it up," said Koneko.

After a short silence, Rias asked: "I did not know you cared so much about him."

"… Sensei told me to take care of my team. This could have blown up and hurt us all. On top of it, Ise is part of the Peerage. We look out for our comrades, even if they're perverts like him," answered the Nekoshou.

An additional factor she failed to mention was that he had grown on her. She was still irritated by his antics and his raving about boobs, but he was endearing himself to her with his conduct in other moments, particularly where Gasper was concerned. Not that she was about to advertise that to Rias and Asia. That would invite false assumptions and arguments.

"I see," said Rias. "Thank you for answering our questions. I think it's time for us to go home now, though. Good night"

Koneko nodded and replied: "Good night."

"Good night, and sleep well," said Asia.

They parted ways after that.

AN: Greetings, my dear readers, and welcome back to another chapter of The Dragon's Hell Cat and the Sage.

My apologies for the delay in publishing this chapter. My ADHD brain caused hyperfocus to lock in on reading a 2.1 million word-story every free second of the day, which caused a delay of a bit over two weeks. After that, some commitments piled up as well, so here's a one and a half-week delay. The next chapter should be out in accordance with the usual schedule of three weeks or less, however.

Today's chapter contained the match between the Dragon Emperors. I've changed it somewhat from its base in canon. Future fights will deviate even more. I hope you've liked the changes I've made.

Afterwards, we got into a departure from canon, wherein Diodora's habits will come back to haunt him. The Uzumaki clan are about to enter full force to ruin his and his associates' day. There is also the matter of Walburga's dragon, but that is for later.

And finally, the last bit of the chapter was reserved for some character/relationship development. I intend to severely reduce the romantic pussyfooting found in canon until Volume 10. Relationships are about to get somewhere.

At this point, I would like to thank everyone who has read this story thus far, especially those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. Your continued support means much to me.

Should anyone find inconsistencies or glaring errors, please leave a review or a PM. Same goes for questions.

With all that said, I now take my leave for today. Until next time. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!

Edit of the 6th of June: Slight error corrections in the first half of the chapter.