A tear appeared in the space between him and Kuroka. Out of the tear stepped a man—no, a young teenager around the same age as him. He wore spectacles and his blond hair was neatly combed to one side. He wore a business suit that looked quite dapper on him. The sword in his hand gave off a strong aura of dread—a holy sword, Naruto realized, and a powerful one at that. There was another sword on his back. It also gave off the feel of a holy sword.
This could be trouble.
"Arthur, what are you doing here?" Kuroka sounded surprised. So this person's name was Arthur? Good to know.
"You were taking too long bringing back our… guest," Arthur spoke in a voice that reminded Naruto of a gentlemanly Knight, sort of like Kiba, but the accent was different. "I came to see what the problem was." He turned to face Naruto, who tensed. "I didn't expect you to have so much trouble defeating a reincarnated devil."
Kuroka looked a bit put out. She crossed her arms under her chest. "He's stronger than he looks."
"I can see that, however, we don't really have time to waste fighting against him," Arthur said. "It is only a matter of time before the Gremory group notices that something is wrong. Allow me to deal with this."
Naruto forced his body to remain relaxed and ready. He didn't know who this person was, but he could already tell a battle with him would be more difficult than fighting Kuroka, if for no other reason than he possessed two holy swords.
"If you think for one second that I am going with either of you, then you're sorely mistaken."
"No," Arthur said, his hand reaching behind him and grasping the hilt of the sword on his back. "It is you who are mistaken." The sword slid from the sheath and the hair on Naruto's neck stood on end at the power pouring off it. "This sword is Excalibur Ruler, one of the seven holy swords of Excalibur that was created after the original was destroyed. It is the strongest of the seven and possesses a very unique ability." He pointed the sword at Naruto and spoke a single word. "Kneel."
"Kneel?" Naruto made a face. "What the fuck makes you think I'd—u-ugh!"
Naruto's eyes widened as he suddenly found his body moving without his control. His legs shook and his mind rebelled as he struggled against the order. Yet no matter how much he fought, his body didn't obey, and he soon found himself being forced to kneel.
"Impressive," Arthur said, sounding genuinely impressed. "That you can even try to struggle against my command is admirable. However, it's useless. None can defy the power of Excalibur Ruler, the ultimate Excalibur whose power grants me the ability to control anyone I wish, even ultimate-class devils can do nothing but submit to my command."
Naruto grit his teeth as he continued to fight, his head tilted toward the ground, shadows hiding his eyes, fists clenched.
Arthur walked up to him, stopping only when he was less than a foot away. "Now then, you will be coming with us."
Omake: Guy's Night Out!
It had become something of a regular occurrence with them. Every Wednesday night, the men of Rias's peerage would hit the town. Men needed the occasional night away from the women in their life. Too much estrogen would turn them into sissies, and neither Naruto, Issei or Kiba wanted to become sissified.
That night they decided to hit up a karaoke bar.
"Otoko ni ha yaranakya naranai toki ga aru
Tatoeba fune ga yarareta toki sa
Koitsu ga inakucha hajimaranai
Dakara ore ga osumasu de
KING OF kabaaooru"
It was a mistake at least two of their members were beginning to regret.
"Sore ga otoko no hanamichi!
Sore ga ikiru michi
Hito ha kage no kyaputen to yobu...
CAPTAIN USOPPU!"
Issei and Kiba covered their ears as Naruto sang into a microphone, their teeth rattling as the atrocious tones released waves of agony into their eardrums.
"Antanya warui ga
Waratte morau ze
Uso tsuite demo
Waratte moraou
Sore mo jinsei, warau ga kachi sa"
It should be noted that while Naruto was many things, a singer he was not.
"Otoko ni ha yaranakya naranai toki ga aru
Tatoeba hokori ga yogosareta toki
Umi no senshi ni ha risupekuto
Dakara ore ha nigerarenee
KING OF tennen paama"
"Nggg…" Issei groaned as blood poured from his ears, leaking between his fingers. "Someone, please…" he whimpered. "Make it stop…"
"Sore ga otoko no hanamichi!
Itsumo ichidaiji
Hanafubuki de toujou suru ze
CAPTAIN USOPPU!"
Kiba, his ears covered much like Issei, didn't say anything-mainly because he couldn't hear, his eardrums having exploded some time ago, near the beginning of Naruto's deft tone singing.
"Antanya warui ga
Waraeya shinee ze
Otoko no hokori
Warawasenee ze
Sore mo jinsei, yumemite ikou"
The last verse came, mercifully putting an end to Naruto's Satan awful singing. Issei and Kiba both determined that, from now on, whenever they went out, it would be anywhere but a karaoke bar.
Naruto, his cheeks a little red from all the singing he'd done and the alcohol he'd imbibed (Devil magic works wonders on the human mind), grinned at his two friends. "So what should I sing next?"
"No more singing!" The two shouted. Kiba then continued in a more polite tone. "I mean, you've done so much singing and neither Issei nor I have had a turn yet. It just seems a little unfair of you to hog the mic."
"Yeah," Naruto sighed, "I guess so." He perked up a second later. "So, which one of you wants to sing next?"
Kiba and Issei looked at each other, suddenly unsure. Neither really wanted to sing, it just wasn't something they were good at.
Well, Issei wouldn't mind, but it was kinda embarrassing, singing in front of others, that is. He didn't know how Naruto could do it, especially because Naruto sucked at singing.
Fortunately for them, before either had to make a decision on who would sing first, the door to the room burst open and several dozen girls wearing what looked like nothing but glitter stormed in.
"There he is girls! Get him!"
"Oh god! No! Get away from me! Get! Away! From! Me! No! NO! NOOOOOOoooooooo…!"
Issei and Kiba mutely watched as the girls swarmed over Naruto like fangirls on yaoi doujinshi. They grabbed the boy, lifting him up and carrying him out of the room, the door closing behind them.
In the awkward stillness now permeating the room, Kiba and Issei blinked.
"Well," Issei said, scratching at his cheek with an index finger. "I don't know what just happened, but at least this means we won't have to listen to blond-bastard-sensei's atrocious singing."
Kiba could do nothing but nod in agreement.