Happy Belated New Year, everyone! I hope we will get through this year much better than the last!
"Surrender, Etrigan." Wotan warned them as he tightened his magical grip around Zatanna's neck. "Or perhaps you are every bit the monster you say you are."
Etrigan growled, before relaxing his arms. "A warrior of fire and blood Etrigan may be. But even one such as I have good none can see." Fire surrounded him, and he changed back to Jason Blood when the flames disappeared.
Wotan only sneered. "Did you honestly think surrendering would save her life?" Wotan's magical energy hit Blood straight on, entrapping him.
As the electricity coursed through him, Jason grit his teeth. "No…but I've a feeling that it will buy us time!"
"Time for what!?" Wotan sneered.
Just then, a roar echoed under the canyon he formed. A giant worm-like demon shot out from under. On top, Naruto rode across its whisker-like antennas. "Whoa!" Naruto yelled as he tugged at it hard. "No, go the other way!" The worm made a hard left as it turned back, and hit Wotan-7 dead center.
"Ugh!" The blow made him release his hold on the three magicians as he flew off like a rocket.
"Ack!" Zatanna choked out as she was fell to her her knees, finally free.
"Darling!" Giovanni ran up and hugged her. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I think so." Zatanna assured him.
"I hate to break this touching moment, but we need to focus on the moment!" Jason said. "Naruto brought us the final piece of the ritual needed to get us out of here!" As the father and daughter got ready, Jason called to Naruto. "Boy! Can you bring the monster over here!?"
Like an angry bull in a rodeo, the worm undulated up and down, Naruto struggling to hang on. "Do I look like I'm in control here, spikey!?"
A blood vessel popped in his forehead. "Could you refrain from your usual mannerisms, please?"
"Maybe I can help." Zatanna volunteered.
"You will need my help as well." Zatara came to her. Zatanna smiled, then suddenly hugged him. Blood said nothing as he observed the situation. It seemed an escape was in sight; and this was Zatanna's last chance to be with her father.
Reluctantly, she let go. "Let's do it."
"Si." Her father affirmed. They held out their hands, and drew them towards their bodies. "Mrow, emoc ereh!"
The worm suddenly halted. It struggled slightly, but couldn't budge further. Naruto blinked in surprise, and relaxed. "Hm…" Naruto was about to disembark, when suddenly the whole monster flew. "Whoa!" Naruto shouted as he braced himself against the creature's slimy skin.
Jason quickly transformed back into Etrigan, who conjured a large sword. Quickly, he sliced and split it open. Naruto fell off and rolled over, feeling the putrid guts spill on him. "Eww!" Naruto flapped his arms as he struggled to get it off.
Etrigan turned back into Jason, pulling out a vial. "Two down, one to go!" Jason said as he collected the slime.
"That last one, might be a problem." Giovanni muttered.
Wotan levitated before them, his demeanor even angrier than before. "The only escape for you is death!" The lightning crackled around him, and sparked from his eyes. "Before I was content to leave you to be eaten alive by the demons here! But you've proven more…stubborn, then I had anticipated. You have my respect. I will kill you all myself!" He blasted his magical lightning, causing them to scatter.
Naruto and Zatanna quickly found cover behind a rock. "So, we just need his blood, right?" Naruto asked.
"That's how I understand it." Zatanna nodded. "But I don't think you can get close enough for a drawn out fight! Soon as you do, you'll get blasted away!" She warned him.
"Let's see." Naruto quickly put his fingers together. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Another Naruto appeared, and quickly darted out of the rock. "You ready, you blue freak!?" It yelled as it charged for him. "I'm gonna-" Lightning struck him, destroying it instantly.
"Well, that was quick." Naruto sighed. "I could make much more-"
"-but Wotan will just destroy them all, and possibly you too." Zatanna finished for him.
Naruto thought. "I have an idea. Will you be ready for a sample?"
Zatanna looked concerned. "Of course, but-"
"Just trust me, for now." Naruto told her. Quickly, he put his hands together. "Come on, Kyuubi…"
Naruto once more found himself in that same dank room, his feet and bottom touching water. Knowing he was in the right place, he stood up to look at the source of his troubles growing up . "Come back to see me again, little kit?" The fox sneered behind the bars.
Naruto smirked as he looked the beast right in the eye. "Your rent's overdue, you stupid fox!" Naruto pointed to him. "Time to pay up!"
Naruto couldn't tell from his perspective, but he could have sworn he saw the fox hold his maw with his paw, much like a person pondering something. "You sure seem eager." Kyuubi noted. "But are you sure that's wise?"
"What's it matter to you!?" Naruto shouted, flailing his arms.
"Not much. It actually amuses me, you not considering the consequences of tapping into my power within this realm. It could be more than you can handle…"
"Shut up!" Naruto responded.
"You know, that witch boy seems to be interested in us. Or, more specifically, me." The fox smirked.
"You?" Naruto scoffed. "He doesn't know you."
"I've a feeling he will. I think he knows SOMETHING is inside of you." Finally, the Kyuubi relaxed. "Very well. Go ahead and take my power."
The red chakra flowed out of the bars, enveloping Naruto…
"Just remember, if things get messy out there, I only gave you what I asked."
Zatanna watched in awe as an orange aura surrounded Naruto. "Naruto…what are you doing?"
"Not important." Naruto said. Zatanna could have sworn that she heard his voice drop an octave or two. "Just stay back for now."
Naruto stood up, and then felt some sort of pang in his chest. Gripping his heart, he thought "What's this?" This wasn't like back during the chunin exams. Back then, he felt the surge of power, but nothing more. But it was different now. He couldn't explain it, but something felt off.
"Naruto, what's wrong!?" Zatanna asked. Naruto said nothing as he rushed forward at a speed comparable to Kid Flash.
"Tsud, teg ni sih seye!" Zatara conjured up a dust devil, which surrounded Wotan. Though the viking sorcerer was irritated, he was far from out. His energy penetrating the earth, the rock erupted from the crust and edged towards the magician. Zatara dived out of the way before the rocks could skewer him.
Etrigan breathed his flames, but Wotan quickly blocked it with a shield, which then shot spikes at the demon. Etrigan grunted; they were painful, but not life-threatening.
"You cannot touch me! Not in my domain!" Wotan yelled. Something suddenly rushed him, and Wotan flew out of the way. Naruto slid across the ground as he landed. Looking at his person, Wotan looked at his person, and saw a tear in his cape. Growling he hissed "Insolent brat!" He formed an extending hammer with his magic as he nailed Naruto in the sternum and pinned him to a boulder. The blow should have incapacitated most anyone else, but Naruto only growled and pushed it back.
"What sorcery is this!?" Wotan wondered. That blow should have collapsed a normal child's chest! But this boy was still fighting, even harder then before!
Finally Naruto pushed it off completely and ran up the shaft. Wotan's eyes widened as he floated to the right, avoiding a blow from Naruto. "He's gotten faster!" Wotan realized. "I must keep my guard up!"
"Etrigan, what is happening to Naruto!?" Zatara demanded as he observed the situation.
"This one does know, and Wotan shall now reap what he sowed." Etrigan answered cryptically. "But, if we do not stay on our toes, we will have-"
"What is it?" Zatanna ran up to them. "What's happening to Naruto?"
Etrigan looked to Zatanna, then to Zatara. Looking back to Naruto, he sighed. "Never mind." Zatara knew something was very wrong now. If Etrigan didn't bother with a rhyme, it was very bad. "Still, the mission is clear." Etrigan said. "Collect Wotan's blood to return to the world we hold dear! But, watch the boy! He goes too long, it will be no joy!"
Naruto fell back to the ground again, only to jump back up to Wotan's height. Naruto tried to nail the sorcerer with a roundhouse kick, only to miss as he floated out of the way. "Will you hold still!?" Naruto shouted.
Wotan said nothing as he swiped his hand, blowing Naruto away with a sudden gust of wind. He then conjured a whip of energy, wrapping Naruto's leg and flinging him to the other side, into the ground with enough force to kill an ordinary mortal. "Die already, child!" When nothing happened, Wotan wondered if he really managed to kill him. "After all that, surely, it can't be that easy."
He floated towards where he landed, and saw the crater. At first, he thought that was the end of it all. But as he turned, something occurred to him. "There was no way I threw him that hard." He turned back, and looked closer.
Suddenly, Naruto's hand reached out to grab him. Snagging him by the goatee, Naruto emerged from the rubble he dug out. And Wotan noticed further changes to the boy. Naruto's eyes were red, his pupils slits like some kind of predator. His whiskers were thicker, his teeth elongated into fangs, and his nails claws. At this point, Wotan deduced Naruto had actually burrowed into the ground, waiting to ambush him. "What…what are you?"
"I need your blood." Was all Naruto said.
Then Wotan saw what seemed to be a fox reflecting in his eyes. "I see….inside of you…"
Wotan didn't finish as he saw Naruto cock back his fist. Before he could nail him, Wotan vanished from his sight. Naruto turned to see Wotan far away to his right. "You will have to be faster to catch-" In the blink of an eye, Naruto was right in his face. Wotan panicked as he flew backwards, Naruto's fist missing by a hair.
Before he could get his bearings, Wotan suddenly saw several sharp rocks heading towards him. "Reweks mih!"the Zataras chanted. Wotan blasted each of then before they could touch him. Looking up, he saw Etrigan coming down from above, swinging a mace and chain. Wotan quickly formed an energy around his person. Etrigan managed to smash it like glass, but he still couldn't touch Wotan in that instant. Wotan super-charged himself with his energy, and barreled into Etrigan. The demon was blown away into a crevice.
Naruto was nearly on him again, but Wotan countered by forming a cage. "You're proving to be too much trouble, even for me."
"Sekips, hcnual!" The Zatara family shot sharp rocks at Wotan again, who quickly countered with a shield of his own.
"I won't let any of you touch me!" Wotan blasted lightning towards them.
Zatanna rolled onto the dirt, but Giovanni flew straight back and into a rock. "Dad!" Giovanni slumped along the wall, unconscious. Zatanna rushed over to him; she may have trained in magic all her life, but even she knew basic first aid. She put her fingers on his wrist; he had a pulse! "At least he wasn't dead!" She opened up his eye, seeing a pupil was slightly dilated. A sign of a concussion, right? Either way, Zatanna was royally pissed.
She walked towards Wotan, arms outstretched. Several pebbles shook, and flew into the air, surrounding her as they picked up speed.
"AAGGHH!" Naruto smashed his fists against the cage. "Let me out!" Wotan quickly super-charged the cage, blowing Naruto back when he hit them again.
"Fearing a child, a cowardly act!" Etrigan said as he threw fireballs at Wotan. "Wretched weakling you are, that is a fact!"
"You and I both know that is no mere child!" Wotan yelled. Etrigan made another move on him, throwing a mean left hook that would have made even Muhammad Ali jealous. Wotan just barely managed to fly above it, but used the opportunity to wrap his eldritch chains around the demon's arm. Quickly, the threw them like javelins into the ground, where they bolted themselves in and pinned the demon. "I would have finished you myself, but I can't risk it!" Wotan snapped his fingers, and several worm like demons burrowed out of the ground. They attacked immediately.
Etrigan burned one with his fire, but the others bit deep into him. "YAAHH!" Etrigan was tougher than any mortal, but the fangs on these creatures were powerful.
"Gnithgil ekirts!"
Before Wotan could react, the bolt of lightning hit him square on. He tumbled through the ground like a rag doll before coming to a stop. Wotan tried to force himself up, smoldering. He didn't bleed just yet, but if he was still in the mortal world, that could've been deadly. Looking to his side, he saw Zatanna approaching him. But something was different about her.
The moment the sorcerer was struck, Naruto's cage dissipated. "Wha-?" Naruto saw Zatanna walking past him. The wind swirled around her, keeping her long hair in the air. Small rocks surrounded her, almost like the rings of Saturn. But what struck Naruto the most were her eyes: they glowed pure white. "Zatanna-?"
Zatanna didn't seem to hear him as she continued to walk towards Wotan. "So you want to play with magic, Wotan?" Zatanna growled, her voice producing an echo.
Wotan stood in alarm. "Is she somehow harnessing the energy of this realm? That shouldn't be possible!"
"I'll play with you! Htrae! Tae mih pu!" A crack in the ground formed in front of her, like the continent itself was splitting apart. Wotan flew up. "Hcrocs!"
Out of nowhere, fire erupted out of his body and burned him. "AHHH!" Wotan wasn't as injured as any other mortal would have been, but he still felt incredible pain. Concentrating, he extinguished the flames through sheer will. "Mind your place, girl!" He fired his energy, which morphed into the shape of several medieval weapons.
"Er'uoy gnihton!" The weapons collapsed before they even touched her. Holding out her hand, she shouted "Teg kcab!" A spike of energy shot from her that pushed Wotan back into another crag.
"Ugh!" The blow knocked the wind out of Wotan. Very few individuals were able to do that.
"Zatanna…" Naruto breathed. "You're amazing." Zatanna's eyes still glowed, as she somehow levitated a boulder above her without incantations. "Is she-?" Naruto was trained to fight to kill, though he never actually had any kills under his belt. He accepted it as the nature of shinobi combat. But he wasn't comfortable with Zatanna doing it.
"Zatanna!" Etrigan shouted, having killed the monsters that attacked him. "Your father lives! Embrace your mercy, it is yours to give!"
Zatanna's eyes widened, and slowly color came back to them. "Wha-?" Zatanna held her hand as the boulder fell to the ground. "What happened?"
"Oh thank goodness." Naruto breathed. He ran over to her, supporting her by the shoulder. "Zatanna, that was amazing!" he exclaimed.
"Her potential is something to fear, but Wotan's blood is something we need dear." Etrigan said.
"Oh!" Zatanna righted herself. "Right!" Finding a sharp rock on the ground, she knew what to do. "Kcor, ekat emos fo sih doolb."
The rock shook before flying off, and impaled the downed sorcerer. "Ah!" It burrowed deep into his shoulder; the others were worried it would kill him.
"Nruter!" The rock flew out and back to Zatanna, covered in blood. Wotan clutched his right shoulder, as he breathed deeply.
"Way to go Zatanna." Naruto said in amazement.
Zatanna then sealed the rock in a magic sphere. "Jason! Get it, quick!"
Etrigan reverted back to Jason; this part was going to need a delicate touch. Wotan saw what was about to happen, and magical energy exploded around him. "Fools! I will not let you!" He unleashed several magic bolts, keeping everyone on their toes.
"Whoa!" Naruto shouted as a bolt missed his butt by a hair. He had to rely on all his agility training to survive; he was never very good at it during the actual training sessions, but the actual situation seemed to make him perform past his expectations.
Zatanna put up a barrier that deflected the bolts. She tried to tap into that power from before, but she couldn't. "What's wrong with me!?"
Jason tried to transform back. "Gone, gone, the form of-" A bolt of magic lightning hit him dead on, knocking him back into a rock and unconscious.
Naruto finally found cover behind a rock and hid. "Shit! What now!?"
Meanwhile, Wotan focused on Zatanna. "I could do this for eternity, child!" He sneered. "But I personally don't have that kind of time!"
A bolt went right into the ground below him. Naruto didn't know how he knew, but he knew it was a sneak attack from below. "Z, look out!" Faster than he ever did, he ran for her. Her barrier did not block anything she recognized as a friend, and Naruto was able to go through it and knock Zatanna aside. As soon as he did, the lightning hit Naruto from above ground. "AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Naruto couldn't fight past the incredible pain he was experiencing as his skin burned. Finally, the force stopped. Naruto collapsed in a smoldering heap.
"Naruto!" Zatanna cried as she reached for him.
Wotan stopped her with a bolt in front of her. "And thus, only one is left standing!"
Naruto just lay there, still as a rock.
See you all next time!