Chapter 47 - ch 43 - rescue team vali

Rias fired off multiple bullet-shaped projectiles. The reddish-black Powers of Destruction didn't hit their target, Euclid, as he had already teleported away. They continued on before eventually running out of energy.

She clicked her tongue.

This battle had been going on for around fifteen minutes now, and while neither she nor Metatron were injured, Euclid was doing an excellent job of avoiding their attacks with his advanced teleportation skill. Neither of them knew how to deal with this ability. Rias didn't even know teleportation magic could be used like this!

As Euclid appeared several dozen meters from his previous location, he suddenly found himself teleporting again when six Metatrons appeared around him. Rias had seen Naruto use Shadow Clones enough times to recognize this ninjutsu. The Metatrons attacked all at once and rammed into each other instead of their target when Euclid teleported again, or so it seemed as first. The Metatrons were just plain clones. They passed right through each other and dispersed.

The real Metatron threw a light spear at Euclid as he reappeared. It was moving too fast for Euclid to dodge, so he raised his hands and created a barrier instead. There was a loud screech as the light spear struck the barrier and penetrated it. Cracks formed outward before the barrier shattered. However, the light spear had lost much of its power. It dispersed before it could hit its target.

"Take this!"

While Metatron's attack missed, Rias attacked Euclid from behind while he was still busy keeping the barrier erect. She sliced her hand down. A blade-like projectile of blackish red energy flew from her hand. It would have been enough to cut through even a high-class Devil's defenses, but Euclid seemed to have other plans.

"I'd rather not."

He removed an item from his pocket and crushed it. At that moment, a highly reflective mirror appeared behind Euclid. It took the attack Rias had sent, then reflected it back at her, forcing Rias to move quickly to avoid being reduced to cinders by her own attack. She narrowed her eyes as the object she recognized crumbled and vanished.

"That was Mirror Alice," she said. "It's a Sacred Gear that Tsubaki Shinra has possession of. It has the ability to reflect attacks and deal double the damage on the original attacker. How are you able to use it? Where did you get that Sacred Gear?!"

"Sadly, what I have is just a cheap imitation," Euclid stated. "I am something of an inventor, you see. Like Azazel, I can create Sacred Gears with a limited degree of success. Sadly, most of my inventions are a one-time use only. In order to create a true Sacred Gear, I would need to be in possession of the original Sacred Gear user. This particular one was something I made after watching that Tsubaki girl fight during the Rating Games held between the Three Factions Alliance."

Rias instantly felt wary of this man. The ability to create Sacred Gears was not unheard of as Azazel himself could do it, but she had assumed their faculty adviser was the only one who could. Now she had learned that there was another person with this ability. That put her on guard.

While Rias and Metatron were forced into something of a standoff with Euclid, the others were fighting against Grendel.

"You call that a punch! I didn't feel a thing!"

Grendel laughed in Issei's face as the boy slammed into him hard. Issei had taken on the incredibly durable and strong Welsh Dragonic Rook form, which bulked up his defense and physical strength. His attacks were powerful enough that he could break through even Sairoarg's defenses, but against this creature, it seemed like his attacks weren't doing anything.

Following his taunts, Grendel tried to smash Issei's face in with a powerful punch, but Issei raised his arms to block. The attack was still so strong that Issei was sent flying. Even so, the boy's armor didn't break, which Rias took as a good sign.

At that moment, Koneko had appeared behind Grendel while he was distracted by Issei. She slammed her glowing hands into his lower back. This time, a loud scream tore from Grendel's throat as his skin cracked and blue blood leaked from his wound. It looked like she was using Toki and Sage Mode to create a powerful attack not even Grendel's skin could withstand.

Koneko didn't let up. She continued to attack Grendel, punching and kicking his back, until he whirled around and swung at her. His attack was intercepted when Koneko grabbed his arm and tossed him.

Grendel went spinning out of control, though he quickly regained his bearings. However, before he could really do anything, Kiba rushed forward with several Dragon Knights. These Dragon Knights were incredibly tall, wore armor with spikes and wing-like objects extending from their back.

The dragons attacked Grendel in pairs of two, coming in from the left and right, unleashing powerful swings that cut through the air. Grendel took the attacks head on. However, unlike the last time Kiba attacked, this time several lines of blood were drawn. That said, the wounds were shallow. They could barely even be called scratches.

"Look at that! You actually cut me!"

At that exact moment, Grendel unleashed a punch so powerful that the Dragon Knight he attacked was destroyed completely. Not only that, but the powerful shockwave spreading from the attack crashed into several other Dragon Knights. Arms were torn apart, legs were severed, and torsos were blown to pieces. The Dragon Knights didn't stand a chance.

"But now that I've opened a wound, it should be easier to injure you!" Kiba shouted as he suddenly flew forward in an all out frontal assault. With Ascalone in his hand, Kiba thrust his weapon forward and plunged it into Grendel-or that was the plan. He shouted in shock when Grendel caught the sword by the flat of the blade.

"UUUWWAAAAA!"

Grendel shouted as he threw Kiba away. He sucked in a deep breath and prepared to breath out fire, but Rossweisse fire a carefully timed magic lance that pierced through his mouth. The mount was an obvious weakness since it wasn't protected by his thick skin. The lance penetrated his mouth, causing the dragon to scream and thrash as he reached out and pulled the weapon free.

"Hahahaha! I'm normally the one who likes giving pain, but receiving it like this is good too!"

As Grendel began laughing like a madman, Rias turned her attention back to Euclid. Metatron had appeared before him, light sword in hand, and swung the weapon with incredibly powerful yet precise strokes. At a glance, it looked like they were engaged in a martial arts fight, but Euclid's hands were covered in magic circles. It looked like he was using magic to deflect Matreon's light sword.

Rias quickly created a sword made with the Powers of Destruction and charged at Euclid. The sound of her blade destroying the air alerted him to the danger. He quickly disengaged from Metatron and teleported away seconds before she was able to land her attack, so instead of cutting him in two, all she cut was air.

"How is he doing that?!" asked a frustrated Rias.

Even now, she couldn't understand the logic behind his teleporting ability. Teleportation was supposed to take time, but he was jumping around instantly like it wasn't a problem.

"I believe he is using some kind of invention to teleport, de gozaru," Metatron said. "Is there a Sacred Gear that allows for someone to do this?"

"I think there are some Sacred Gears that can manipulate time and space, but they are pretty rare. The only ones I know of right now are Gravity Jail, which increases the gravity around someone, and Sacred… Balor… View…" Rias trailed off as she studied Euclid more carefully. Nothing really seemed out of place on him, but now that she was looking closely, she noticed that the watch attached to his wrist wasn't really a watch. "That thing on your wrist. It mimics the Forbidden Balor View's ability to manipulate time, doesn't it?"

"You're pretty observant," Euclid said with a bitter smile. "As expected of Sirzechs's little sister. You're right. This device I have was based on the Forbidden Balor View. I had the pleasure of meeting one of the previous holders of that Sacred Gear. I killed him and studied his corpse to create this mimic Sacred Gear. It's a lot better than many of my other mockups. It can't be used indefinitely, and I can only maintain a state of stopped time for less than a tenth of a second, but so long as I don't use it too frequently, I can charge up energy and use it again later."

Rias could feel frustration bubbling inside of her. If this person could stop time, even for a split second, then he could theoretically keep from being harmed indefinitely.

Of course, she didn't believe he was invincible, or that his mockup Forbidden Balor View could last indefinitely. It probably had a set amount of energy, and once that energy ran out, it would likely stop working. The problem was she didn't know how long that would last. How much energy had been used the charge it?

However, now that she knew what to look for, Rias was able to see that his act was, in fact, not teleportation. First off, he didn't use a magic circle to teleport. With teleportation magic, you always had to create a magic circle, which was why teleporting took time and wasn't applicable in combat.

She fired off several bullets with her Powers of Destruction and watched as he disappeared and reappeared to avoid them. Just before he disappeared, that watch of his would glow a bright red and the clock hands would spin. She assumed that was the activation sequence for this particular Sacred Gear copy.

Rias didn't understand the principles behind this creation, but the longer she attacked, the more she realized that it did take time to activate. It was barely even a split second. However, if she could predict where he would move and fire off an attack before he activated his mock Forbidden Balor View, then she could potentially hit him.

"You are quite the sly one, Rias Gremory," Euclid said as he dodged her and Metatron's attacks again. "Do not think I don't know what you're doing. It is true that this Sacred Gear copy has a major weakness, but do you think I'm unaware of this? Or do you think maybe I don't have an alternate plan for someone who has figured out the weakness of this Sacred Gear?"

"Even if you realize what I'm doing, it won't matter because I already understand how that creation of yours works," Rias stated.

"Is that so? Then let's see if you can really counter my greatest creation so far?"

She intended to show him exactly how she planned on dealing with his Sacred Gear. However, just as she was about to suggest to Metatron that they attack in tandem, Euclid looked at something far off in the distance and sighed.

"It looks like our time is up."

He snapped his fingers, and suddenly Grendel, who was locked in a bitter struggle against Issei, disappeared within a magic circle. Issei had been putting so much force into his locked hands that he flew forward and nearly spiraled out of control. He regained his bearings and looked around, but Grendel was nowhere to be found.

"I'll see you later, Rias Gremory. And you, Rossweisse. Don't forget that you're always welcome among our ranks."

Those were the last words Euclid said before he disappeared. Rias glared at the spot where he vanished, but her attention shifted to Azazel and Michael as they flew over to the group. The two of them glanced at the Gremory Peerage. They were probably noting the damage that had been done to everyone. They were all scuffed up and injured to some degree.

"It seems you guys were in a fight as well," Azazel said with an observant hum.

"As well?" asked Rias. "You two were also in a fight?"

"Not us." Michael shook his head. "Naruto was the one who got in a fight. We do not know what happened, but he was in pretty bad shape. Sirzechs is currently taking him back to your house."

The news that Naruto had been in a fight and injured caused worry to immediately pierce her heart like a stake made of ice. She wasn't the only one who looked worried. Koneko, Rossweisse, and Irina also showed signs of wishing to rush off. In fact, Koneko was already in the process of leaving."

"We won't ask you what happened here yet," Azazel said. "Let's get back to your house. We can discuss this matter once everyone is present."

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto woke up feeling sluggish. He groaned and tried to fall back asleep, but there were several somethings compressing his chest and constricting his movements. He discovered this when he tried to roll over after the light shining in his eyes woke him up.

Reluctantly opening his eyes, Naruto realized he was lying on his bed. He let that knowledge settle in his mind. Then he glanced down to find a head of white hair on top of his chest. Koneko Toujou's rhythmic breathing tickled his bare skin, which made him realize someone had stripped him at some point. He was dressed in nothing but a pair of boxers.

If Koneko is sleeping on my chest then…

Just as Naruto suspected, Rias and Ravel had taken his arms. There was no way he could mistake the heavenly elasticity that was Rias Gremory's tits. His arm sank into the soft, naked valley of her breasts with ease. On his other side, Ravel's smaller but no less impressive bust pushed against him. She wasn't naked. However, given how sheer the negligee she wore was, she might as well have been. Her soft pink nipples were visible through her clothes.

After confirming who was lying on top of him, he took another glance around the room and realized two other people were present. Irina and Rossweisse. They were not in the bed with him. Instead they had opted to pull up two chairs and were sitting down, their heads bowed forward. Because their bangs hid a lot of their faces, Naruto couldn't see what expressions they were making, but he was positive they were asleep.

He took a deep breath, held it, and then released it.

"I'm glad you're awake," Koneko suddenly said, lifting her head.

"Did I wake you? Sorry," Naruto apologized.

"You didn't. I've been awake for at least an hour." Koneko set her chin on his chest and looked at him. Her normally sarcastic expression was currently soft and filled with concern. "Are you okay? When we returned home, we'd been told by Sirzechs that you were injured and sleeping. I was really worried when I saw the state you were in." She frowned to observe him for a moment. Her cat ears twitched. "Though it looks like you're doing better now."

"I heal fast," Naruto said with a slight smile. "Anyway, let's wake up the others. I have some important information to tell everyone."

"Right, but first."

Koneko leaned forward and softly kissed Naruto on the lips. Her small mouth was so gentle and ephemeral that he almost couldn't feel it. She didn't let her mouth linger on his either, instead choosing to sit back and climb off him.

The process of waking everyone up took more time than it should have, but that was because Naruto needed to reassure each person that he was, in fact, okay. Even then, Rossweisse and Irina, the most reserved of their group, needed him to repeat himself several times before they were assured.

"And you're sure you're all right?" Irina asked as they walked into the living room.

"I already said I'm fine, didn't I?" Naruto said with a slight smile. "Thank you for worrying about me, but I really am okay. I promise."

"O-okay." Irina nodded and looked away.

"Irina is feeling tsundere," Koneko joked. "You know that's Ravel's trope, right?"

"Who's a tsundere?!/I'm not tsundere!" Ravel and Irina shouted at the same time.

They soon arrived in the living room, where they found several people already waiting. Kiba and Gasper were sitting on a couch. Gasper didn't have a bag over his head at the moment. He was sitting on the couch and playing PSP. Kiba was beside him, but he was simply sitting there with his arms crossed and a pensive frown on his face.

Azazel, Sirzechs, Michael, and Metatron were on the other couch. Grayfia was standing behind them like any good maid would. It looked like they were discussing something among themselves, though they stopped when Naruto and his group entered the room.

"Naruto!" Sirzechs stood up, a happy smile on his face and tears in his eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Aniki!" Naruto shouted as he raced forward.

Rias's and Grayfia's eyes widened as they realized too late what was about to happen.

"Stop them!" they shouted at the same time.

But there was no stopping what came next.

Naruto and Sirzechs hugged each other… and hellish flames suddenly spewed from cracks that split the living room. Brimstone and lava exploded out of them. The incredible heat from the flames was enough that everyone in the living room broke out in a sweat.

"It's been awhile since I've seen this," Azazel commented lightly.

"This is… quite something," Michael added with a strained smile.

"W-what is this?!" Rossweisse shouted in shock, her body shuddering from head to toe as the blood drained from her face. She looked like she'd just seen the most gruesome murder scene ever.

"Oh… this is your first time seeing this, isn't it?" Rias turned to her and bowed. "I am so sorry you had to see this. I'm not exactly sure what this is, but it happens whenever Naruto and Onii-sama are like this. Please pay it no mind."

"Did you just call Sirzechs-sama 'Onii-sama'?" asked a curious Ravel.

"What… well, I…" Rias blushed bright red.

"This jutsu is powerful indeed," Koneko said with a sage-like nod.

"Is that what this is?" Irina muttered with a conflicted look.

Fortunately for everyone involved, Naruto and Sirzechs stopped hugging, thus restoring the fabrics of reality to their natural state. However, even after the lava, brimstone, and hellish flames disappeared, the two continued to act emotional. Sirzechs, tears in his eyes, placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders.

"You don't know how glad I am to see that you're okay."

"Thank you for worrying about me."

"Of course. You're my little brother, after all."

"Aniki…"

"Otouto…"

"Okay, that's enough!"

"OWWWW!"

Rias grabbed Naruto by the ear and pulled him away from Sirzechs. Meanwhile, Sirzechs's ear had been yanked on by Grayfia.

"Please stop acting so disgusting, Lord Lucifer. It's not befitting one of your position."

With the two women putting their foots down, Naruto and Sirzechs had no choice but to give up this happy reunion between future sibling-in-laws.

While this was happening, the other members of the household wandered into the living room. Issei, Asia, Xenovia, Raynare, and Akeno appeared by the entrance. Perhaps it was the way Rias and Grayfia were pulling on their respective spouse's (or future spouse's) ear, or maybe it was the tense atmosphere, but all of them seemed to have realized they just missed something they'd rather not see.

"Ara, ara. It's so lively in here," Akeno said as she wandered further into the kitchen. "It looks like everyone is here. Shall I prepare some tea?"

"I'll help you," Grayfia said as she let go of her husband's ear.

"Thank you."

"I'll help too!" Ravel said as she followed Akeno and Grayfia into the kitchen.

"Well, shall we get down to business?" asked Sirzechs.

"Yes. I think that would be a good idea," Rias said.

Everyone soon found a place to sit. Naruto sat between Rias and Rossweisse-Koneko had taken his lap. Meanwhile, Irina sat on Rossweisse's left. She kept stealing glances at him, but he pretended to not see them since there wasn't much he could do to reassure her right now. The others also found a place to sit.

"Before I tell you all what I have to say, I want to know about Fey-chan." Naruto looked at Rossweisse. "How is she?"

"Le Fey Pendragon is fine," Rossweisse said, looking at Asia.

"Huh? Oh! Yes, Le Fey will be just fine." Asia nodded several times. "I healed her as best I could, and Rossweisse had already healed most of her wounds. All she needs now is a little rest."

Naruto sighed in relief as he sank back into the couch. His greatest fear at the moment had been Le Fey's health. Now that he knew she was okay, the emotions constricting his heart eased a little.

"And what about Kunou and Ophis?" he asked his next question. "Where are they?"

No one spoke for a moment, as if they too had just now realized the pair were gone. They glanced around. However, no matter how they looked, none of them could find any trace of the two girls anywhere.

"I couldn't find them," Koneko said. "I searched for awhile, but then I saw fireworks in the sky and found Rossweisse fighting against a giant monster."

"That was Grendel," Rossweisse informed Koneko. "He's a dragon, one of the Evil Dragons, and his skin is said to be the most durable among all his kind. Euclid summoned him." She bit her lip. "I had heard that Grendel had originally been sealed, but it looks like Euclid or someone working for him managed to revive him."

"That doesn't surprise me," Naruto said. "According to Team Vali, the Khaos Brigade has managed to revive most of the evil dragons."

"Perhaps we should exchange information?" Michael suggested. "I am curious to know what happened today, as I did not arrive until later."

"That's a good idea," Azazel said. "Naruto, why don't you start?"

Agreeing to Azazel's demand with a nod, Naruto began informing them about his confrontation with his dark half, Yami, telling them about everything he had learned. Even as their faces paled, he did not relent. He told them everything he could, including how Yami was his dark half and the true leader of the Khaos Brigade. Everyone looked completely shell-shocked by the time he was done.

"That is… rather unbelievable," Michael said at last, rubbing his temple.

"Tell me about it." Azazel pinched the bridge of his nose. "So now we have a dark version of Naruto, who has most of your power, running amok and leading the Khaos Brigade? Is that what you're telling me? That's just ridiculous."

"Ridiculous or not, all of us saw Naruto's lookalike," Sirzechs said. He didn't look like he was doing much better than anyone else.

Some time during Naruto's tale, Akeno, Grayfia, and Ravel returned with tea, which they poured into cups and set before everyone else. The steaming hot liquid warmed Naruto's insides as he sipped at it. The others might have been shocked by his information, but none of them could understand how it felt to fight and lose against himself. He was honestly shaken.

Naruto wasn't the only person who spoke. Rossweisse also told them about her encounter with Euclid, specifically what he said to her before the others had arrived. Naruto didn't really understand what it was about. However, judging from the pale faces of Azazel, Michael, and Sirzechs at the mention of Trihexia, her information was no less shocking than his own.

"It seems clear to me that the Khaos Brigade ultimately has two goals," Sirzechs said after he finished listening to everything. "The first is Yami's personal goal to absorb the remainder of Naruto's chakra. The second has something to do with Trihexia. Given how Euclid wanted you because of your knowledge on Trihexia, I can only conclude they want to revive that monster for some reason."

"Excuse me, but what is Trihexia?" asked Naruto.

"Trihexia is a legendary beast known as the Emperor of Apocalypse," Michael answered. "At its full power, it is stated to be on par with Ophis and Great Red. Not much is known about it other than the fact that it only seems to have one goal in life, and that is the complete eradication of this entire world. It wants to destroy everything."

"Thousands of years ago, Father… God confirmed the existence of Trihexia, which had been given the name 666," Azazel said. "When he recognized the threat that Trihexia posed, he placed a thousand forbidden seals on it, sealing it at a place known as 'The End of the World'. Actually, it was only because God sealed Trihexia away that he lost his life during the war. The sealing process took up most of his power, and when the Two Heavenly Dragons rampaged across the battlefield, the weakened God was stabbed in the back and killed, though no one knows who did it."

Naruto had no idea such a powerful creature existed beside Ophis and Great Red. From the way they were staring at the Three Alliance leaders, neither did anyone else except for Rossweisse. He wondered how she knew so much but didn't ask.

After learning about all this, Naruto could not help but wonder what was going to happen now. More than that, however, he wondered where Kunou and Ophis had gone.

His blood felt cold.

He was worried.

~Devil Ninja~

The room was empty of any adornments and decoration, containing only a bed, a dresser, and a chair. This caused the room to feel a lot bigger than it was. Of course, the room was still fairly big, larger than most apartment rooms, but all that meant was that this place truly felt empty.

Naruto sat on the chair, which was facing the bed. Laying on the bed was Le Fay Pendragon. All of her injuries had been healed, her skin unblemished like it had been before, but she wasn't waking up. According to Rossweisse, Le Fay had exhausted all of her magical power and was in a deep sleep. She'd only wake up after she recovered.

Sighing as he realized it would probably be another day before she woke up, Naruto decided to relax in the tub. His body still stiff. His muscles were aching like nobody's business. Hopefully, a good soak would fix that.

He entered the changing room, stripped out of his clothes, and grabbed a towel. Naruto noticed the other set of clothes sitting on the rack. He guessed one of the girls was also taking a bath. Wrapping a towel around his waist, Naruto walked into the bath and closed the door behind him.

Steam from the bath rose in the air, creating thin wisps. The humidity caused him to immediately begin sweating. As he walked further into the bathing room, he glanced around and found the only other person inside sitting on a stool as she washed her body. Her silver hair was tied into an updo that left her neck exposed and only a few strands dancing around her skin. The sight of her graceful neck as it sloped into slender shoulders and a well-defined back was enough to leave any man breathless.

"Rossweisse," Naruto greeted as he walked over.

A squeak escaped from Rossweisse's mouth as she turned around and gawked at him.

"N-Naruto?! What are you doing in here?!"

"Taking a bath," Naruto said as if the answer should have been obvious.

"But I'm in here!"

"You are, but it isn't like we haven't taken a bath together before." Naruto sat down on the stool next to Rossweisse, grabbed the soap, and began cleaning himself off. "Remember that time in Greece?" Rossweisse could say nothing to that, so Naruto continued. "Of course, if you don't want me here, you can tell me to get out. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I honestly thought you wouldn't mind since we've already bathed together before."

"Well… I… guess it's okay," Rossweisse admitted with a heavy blush. "We're… boyfriend and girlfriend, after all."

"That we are. Speaking of, since we're boyfriend and girlfriend, can I wash your back for you?"

Rossweisse didn't say anything for the longest time, and Naruto wondered if he might have overstepped his boundaries. Just as he was about to tell Rossweisse to forget what he said, she nodded.

"Um… you may. J-just be gentle…"

"I understand. I'll wash your back gently."

Naruto finished washing the soap off his front, then moved behind Rossweisse and used a loofa lathered in soap to wash her back. Rossweisse released a soft moan when he pressed the loofa against her skin and began scrubbing. Her back was very soft. He scrubbed the loofa across the curvature of her spine and shoulder blades, watching as her muscles yielded under his ministrations.

The scent of soap filled the air. Naruto found it somehow calming.

"I also wanted to talk to you about what happened with Euclid," Naruto said after silently washing her back for a few minutes.

"Ah… I suppose you would want to talk about that," Rossweisse sounded reluctant.

"Would you prefer we didn't?"

"No, no. It's not that. It's just… I don't really know what to say."

"Were you scared when it happened?"

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't." Rossweisse leaned forward and closed her eyes. Naruto had finished scrubbing her back, so he grabbed the detachable showerhead and rinsed her off as she talked. "While Euclid's proposal sounded like he was offering me something, it was obvious that he had no intention of accepting me refusing him. The fact that he would attack me and try to take me by force is not… pleasant. He even summoned Grendel to try and detain me. If it hadn't been for the others…"

Rossweisse shivered as if imagining what would have happened if the others hadn't arrived. Her shivering stopped, however, when Naruto leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I honestly feel like you could have done something even if they hadn't shown up, but I know how it can be when you're faced with an unknown opponent. And Grendel is said to be incredibly powerful. Ise's attacks barely did any damage to him, so it would have been a hard fought battle."

"You have a lot more confidence in me than I have in myself," Rossweisse admitted. "Don't get me wrong. I know I'm not weak, but those two were in an entirely different league in terms of power and experience."

"Maybe. In either event, from now on, I would like you to remain by my side."

"Naruto?"

Pulling her until her back was pressed flush against his chest, Naruto set his head on her shoulder. From this position, he could see the twin peaks of her chest sticking out. Her nipples weren't hard right now. However, goosebumps had broken out on her skin, which was flushed red with a healthy blush.

"Stay by my side from now on. I doubt you need my protection, but I'll be there for you whenever I need you."

"You mean that?"

"Of course!" Naruto grinned as he leaned back. "I am your boyfriend, after all."

After he finished washing Rossweisse's back, she offered to wash his back for him, and then the two sat down in the hot bathwater of the hot spring-like baths. It was such a relaxing time. Naruto could feel his muscles grow looser as he leaned against the tub, Rossweisse right next to him. She didn't lean into him like Rias did, but just having her there brought him joy.

Of course, the biggest reason he enjoyed the bath right now was definitely due to Rossweisse. Every time he looked her way, he couldn't help but marvel at the softness of her skin, watch as tiny droplets dripped between her breasts, and of course, ogle the sight of her magnificent mammaries. Her breasts weren't the same size as Rias's of Akeno's, but they were still so large they floated in the water.

They stayed in their for only about half an hour. When they left the bath and got dressed, they found Rias wandering down the hall.

"There you two are," Rias said in a hurry. "Le Fay just woke up. We thought we should let you know, Naruto."

"She did?!"

"Yes."

Naruto and Rossweisse followed Rias into Le Fay's room to find that, indeed, the young magician was awake. She was sitting up in bed with her hands in her lap. There was a confused expression plastered on her face, but that left the moment Naruto walked into the room.

"Naruto!" Le Fay shouted joyously as tears sprang to her eyes. "I can't believe I managed to find you!" As Naruto moved over to the chair, Le Fay bowed from her seated position. "Please! I need your help! I'm begging you to save Arthur-nii-sama and the rest of Team Vali!"

"Whoa. Slow down, Fay-chan!" Naruto held out his hands to calm her down. "I don't even know what you need help with. Slow down and tell me what happened."

Le Fay took several deep breaths to calm down.

"We were trying to get information on the rest of the Khaos Brigade like you asked us to… but they caught onto the fact that we had switched allegiances. We were attacked by Cao Cao and the rest of the Human Faction. Normally, we would have been able to escape, but they led us into an ambush and used several Norse Gods to attack us."

"Were the Norse Gods who attacked you Frigg, Tyr, and Sif?" asked Naruto.

"I-I don't know." Le Fay shook her head. "I know that two of them were women, while one of them was a man who was missing his right hand, but that's all I know. A-anyway, Cao Cao and his group attacked and distracted us. After they wore us down, the Norse Gods came in and finished us off. They didn't kill us. I think they plan to use us as hostages. The others are currently being held prisoner in a dungeon below the Human Faction's main headquarters. We tried to break out, but I was the only one who managed to escape. P-please, Naruto. You have to save the others!"

Naruto leaned over and placed his hand on Le Fay's. Her hand was warm and soft, but it was also shaking. No doubt she'd escaped from a very harrowing experience. What's more, her comrades had not escaped, which likely added a sense of guilt to her worry. He would have felt that way in her shoes.

"Don't worry. If you can lead us to where they are, we will definitely rescue them," Naruto said.

"Really?" Le Fay asked with wide eyes.

Knowing that he wasn't the one who could make this decision, Naruto glanced at Rias, but the redhead merely sighed and crossed her arms in a resigned fashion.

"Really," Rias said. "We'll help you save your companions."

"T-thank you very much!" Le Fay bowed her head as tears of gratitude poured from her eyes. "I was… I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to reach you. I'm so glad I managed to get here!"

"Why don't you get some rest for now," Rias said. "Since you mentioned the Norse Gods, we're going to have to contact Gondul and the other Norse Gods living here in Japan to let them know we might have found their missing members. It's also going to take some time to plan a rescue operation, and I assume you want to be a part of that."

"Y-yes please! I would like to help them out!"

Naruto, Rias, and Rossweisse left Le Fay to get some rest. As he closed the door behind them, he looked at the two women.

"Rossweisse, I'd like you get in contact with your grandmother and let her know what we've discovered. Tell her that we're planning a rescue operation and ask if she would like to be a part of it. I assume the Norse would like their missing gods back," Rias said.

"I'll do that right now," Rossweisse confirmed with a nod.

"While she's doing that, Naruto and I will talk to Sirzechs and the others, to let them know what's going on," Rias said.

Naruto understood that this would have to be an off-the-table operation. In other words, a covert ops like something the ANBU in his old world would do. To the rest of the world, Team Vali were criminals who had sided with the Khaos Brigade. Only Naruto, the Gremory Peerage, and the top three leaders of the Three Factions Alliance knew the truth.

As he followed Rias, Naruto placed a hand on his chin and thought about how everything was moving really quickly. They hadn't even found Ophis and Kunou yet, but now they were planning an operation to rescue Team Vali, save the missing Norse Gods, and defeat the Khaos Brigade's Human Faction. His worry for those two made him wish he hadn't learned about what happened to Team Vali until much later. He couldn't help but grimace.

I really hope we find those two soon…

~Devil Ninja~

Ophis gnashed her teeth together as she sat in a jail cell that contained a stone bed, four gray walls, and a door. She wasn't bound. It wouldn't have mattered if she was anyway because she could just break whatever restraints people placed on her. Even that device the dark one who looked like Naruto had made wasn't enough to hold her against her will.

That said, she was still chained to this place.

As if somehow sensing her negative emotions, the door to her cell opened and in walked Rizevim Lucifer. She glared hatefully at the man. If their circumstances were normal, she would have erased him from existence… but she couldn't do that.

Because standing right beside him, bound by a collar and chain, was none other than Kunou. The girl didn't look like she'd been harmed. However, she was clearly emotionally damaged. She'd been kidnapped by this strange man, forced to wear a collar, and could not leave this hateful man's side. Ophis would not have been surprised if Rizevim forced her to sleep in the same room as him.

The thought made her clench her teeth.

"What do you want?" asked Ophis. Her voice was no longer emotionless. An intense snarl echoed from her mouth. It made Kunou flinch, but Rizevim just grinned.

"I've never heard so much emotion in your voice before." He toyed with the collar. "This girl must be awfully close to you for you to display so much hatred toward me."

Ophis couldn't say she and Kunou were close, but the girl was definitely someone she was beginning to think of as a friend. Playing with her was… yes, it was fun. She enjoyed spending time with Kunou almost as much as she liked being with Naruto. It was fun in a different way than going on dates with Naruto was fun.

She didn't say anything, however.

She just glared.

Rizevim chuckled some more. "Don't worry yourself too much. I haven't touched her, just like I promised. In either event, I came to tell you that the ritual will probably take place in a few days. We have some details that we needed to work out, and we still have to send out the invitations to everyone else… but, barring all those problems being resolved, we will definitely be holding the ritual soon."

"What ritual are you talking about?" asked Ophis.

"You'll see." Rizevim grinned at her, and then quietly left the room.

Now alone, Ophis wondered what she should do. She couldn't escape from this place because Rizevim would know and kill Kunou the moment she did.

Curling her knees into her chest, Ophis lamented how, despite being one of the most powerful creatures in existence, all the strength in the world would not help save her friend.

~Devil Ninja~

A meeting was taking place inside of the Uzumaki Residence's living room.

Naruto stood next to Rias and the others as Sirzechs, Michael, and Azazel stood at the front, near the sliding door that led into a zen garden. Le Fay was standing close to Naruto's side. She had recovered perfectly after a good night's rest and was ready to rescue her friends. There was a determined look on her face as she gazed a the Three Faction Alliance leaders.

"Thanks to Le Fay Pendragon's information, we were able to discover the location of the Hero Faction's main base of operation and the whereabouts of the three missing Norse Gods," Sirzechs said. "While your group is going to be our main task force, this rescue operation is going to be performed by more than just you. Several other peerages and members of the Angels and Fallen Angels will be joining us."

"The task force will be divided into multiple forces." Michael stepped forward and announced. "One force will be in charge of rescuing the Norse Gods, who are being mind-controlled by those Restraint Collars, which is what we have taken to calling them. Their goal will be to neutralize the collars and free the gods. The second team will be in charge of rescuing Team Vali. I've heard from Naruto that they have been acting as double-agents for him and Ophis, so we have decided to treat them as comrades instead of enemies."

At this, Naruto glanced at Le Fay as she sighed in relief. He knew that one of her primary worries had been how everyone would treat her and the rest of Team Vali, who were considered enemies of the Three Factions Alliance. Vali himself was actually a step above that. He was considered a traitor since he had originally been working for Azazel and stabbed him in the back.

"These two teams are going to be composed of your group," Azazel started talking after Michael finished. His normal smirk was nowhere to be seen. "I want Naruto working with Koneko, Gondul, and Rossweisse to free the Norse Gods from the Restraint Collars." He looked at the whiskered blond. "The reason you and Koneko are working with those two is because you have a far better understanding of Nature Chara and Sage Mode than anyone else, and you already know how to deactivate those collars."

"Just leave this to us!" Naruto said with clenched fists. "I'll have those Norse Gods freed from their Restraint Collars even if I have to beat them to a pulp!"

"I'm not sure how I feel about hearing you plan on beating up my gods," Gondul said with a sigh. On the other hand, Rossweisse was actually a holding a hand to her mouth and looked like she was trying not to laugh. Perhaps she was growing used to his brand of humor.

Sirzechs smiled at Naruto's enthusiastic and silly answer as he stepped forward, taking the place of Azazel.

"The rest of us are going to keep the main forces of the Hero Faction busy. Thanks to Le Fay, we have learned that the Hero Faction has well over 10,000 Sacred Gear users under their control. That's a huge force. Since our forces are currently spread thin dealing with the Devil and Magician Factions, we can't bring more than 5,000 of our own people with us. That means myself, Michael, and Azazel are going to be the heavy hitters in this battle."

It sounded like they were going to be fighting two to one, but Naruto actually thought that might prove more beneficial if Sirzechs was getting involved. He was known as the strongest Maou for a reason. With his Powers of Destruction, he could unleash unholy devastation with a simple snap of his fingers. Naruto honestly didn't think they would lose.

"One thing we want to make clear here is that our goal is not to kill the Hero Faction," Azazel said. "We believe many of them are good people who found themselves in a bad situation, and we'd like to believe that until proven otherwise. We're aiming to incapacitate our opponents, though we don't expect this to be a bloodless victory."

"Rias," Sirzechs said. "I'll be leaving you in charge of rescuing Team Vali. Sona and her peerage have also agreed to help you. They'll come by later today."

"The operation will begin early tomorrow morning," Michael informed everyone. "Be sure to get an early night's sleep. We want you to be well-rested for tomorrow's mission."

This seemed to be the end of their discussion. Everyone broke up into smaller groups and went off on their own. Rossweisse was dragged off somewhere by Gondul, Rias and Akeno went off somewhere together, and Issei ended up being dragged away by Asia after Raynare and Xenovia tried flirting with him. Kiba had gone up to ask Sirzechs something. Meanwhile, Koneko and Gasper were back to playing their PSPs together-probably Monster Hunter.

As he looked around the room, Naruto found Irina staring indecisively at the spot where Issei left and believed now was the time to speak with her.

"Irina." He walked up to the girl, who jumped and spun around. He raised an eyebrow when she put a hand to her chest and blushed bright red. "S-sorry. I was lost in thought, so you startled me."

"No, I'm the one who is sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Naruto screwed up his courage, scratched the back of his head, and said, "I actually wanted to talk to you about something. Would you mind coming with me?"

"Huh? O-oh, sure," Irina agreed, though she seemed a tad tentative. He wondered if she knew what he was going to talk about, but decided there was no way innocent Irina could ever figure this out.

Since this was an important conversation that he didn't want anyone overhearing, he decided to travel across a bridge and onto a remote island with a single sakura tree. Naruto wouldn't consider himself a romantic kind of guy. However, he did think the beautiful pink blossoms swaying gently in the afternoon air added a romantic feel to the scene. The calming scent of sakura blossoms also helped soothe his own mind.

"Naruto?"

Taking a deep breath as Irina called his name, Naruto realized he really didn't have any plan for this moment, and so he decided to do what he always did. Wing it and hope for the best.

"Irina… I like you."

"W-what?" Irina looked started.

"I like you, and I don't mean that as a friend." Naruto willed his rapidly beating heart to remain calm. He felt a little sick to his stomach. "I like you as a man likes a woman… no, that didn't come out right. The feelings I have for you are the same kind that a man has for a woman he likes-erm-hang on a second."

Irina was staring at Naruto as he tried to speak, which actually made him feel even more self-conscious.

Crap! Crap crap crap! This wasn't supposed to happen! Since when did he, Naruto Uzumaki, become tongue-tied over something so simple?! Hadn't he confessed his love to Sakura for years before he had met Shion?! Why was he getting nervous now?!

Naruto would admit that he was actually really worried, not about how the other girls would take him confessing to Irina, but how Irina might take it. He knew she loved Issei. There was a good chance that confessing to her now could irrevocably damage their relationship, that it could push her away. It was obvious this would make him nervous. What if she decided to distance herself from him because she didn't want Naruto getting the wrong idea? He would, of course, back off and give her space, but that wasn't what he wanted at all!

Suddenly, Irina giggled.

"I think I know what you are trying to say," she said, placing her hands behind her back and turning her head. Her chestnut hair swayed in the breeze and caught the sunlight. "You love me… like a man loves a woman. Um, this is a confession, right?"

"Yes," Naruto admitted.

A moment of silence passed between them, making Naruto increasingly nervous. He wasn't worried about rejection so much as he was Irina no longer wanting anything to do with him. Having been rejected by Sakura for most of his young life back in the Elementation Nations, that didn't bother him. However, he didn't want to lose Irina's friendship.

"I… thank you, Naruto. For telling me this, I mean." Irina looked at him as her lips curled into a pretty smile. "Hearing that you have feelings for me actually makes me really happy, but would you mind giving me a bit of time? This isn't something I can answer right now. Oh, but it's not that I don't want to. I just haven't sorted out my feelings for Issei yet."

"I understand," Naruto said with a sigh. "Can I just ask for one thing?"

"What is it?"

"Don't… avoid me or distance yourself from me because of this. Even if you decide your feelings for me aren't the same, I'd like us to still be friends."

"Is that all?" Irina giggled into her hand, her beautiful violet eyes softening with kindness. "No matter what happens, I will always consider you to be a good friend."

"Thank you."

Naruto could feel his heartbeat slowing down as his nerves were settled. He'd never understood why confessions were so hard for some people, but he was beginning to figure it out. Now that he was thinking about it, he realized he'd really been an idiot in his youth. Only an idiot would confess to a girl they liked and not feel like butterflies were fluttering in his stomach.

"We should probably go back inside," Irina suggested, looking awkward.

"Oh, right. Yeah, let's head back inside."

The two at each other, neither of them moving an inch, and then looked away just as quickly.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto woke early the next morning and got ready for their mission. This meant putting on all of his ninja gear, including his ninja pouch full of kunai, ninja wire, and shuriken. He also put on his black and orange tracksuit, which he hadn't worn in a really long time. Staring at himself in the mirror, Naruto felt nostalgic.

"Heheh. I feel like a genin back during my ninja days."

"Do you really plan on wearing that tracksuit?"

"Of course I do. This tracksuit is-"

Naruto paused when he realized someone was talking to him and turned around. Ravel was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes as she stared at him. It was a very cute gesture. Rias was still asleep, but Koneko was waking up. The lithe girl stretched her body out much like a cat, revealing the sinuous muscles that Naruto loved so much.

Rossweisse had not slept with them last night.

"Good morning. Sorry. Did I wake up?" asked Naruto.

"You're fine. We need to get up anyway," Ravel said as Koneko began waking up Rias.

Once everyone was awake and dressed, the group made their way downstairs, where several other people were already up. Kiba and Gasper must have woken up even earlier than Naruto. They were situated inside the room with Sirzechs, Azazel, and Michael. The three alliance heads looked like they were raring to go.

"We're glad you're up," Sirzechs said. "Now we just need to wait for the rest of you to wake up. Sona and her peerage arrived last night as well."

"I'm guessing everything is prepared on your side?" Rias asked her older brother.

He nodded. "Our forces have all gathered and are waiting to launch their attack. Once they've begun their assault on the Hero Factions main headquarters, we'll teleport your group as close to the base as possible on the opposite side of our assault. You will then sneak into the base, free the Norse gods from their mind control, and rescue Team Vali."

"That's a simple enough plan to follow," Koneko said.

Michael smiled. "No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy. It is better to create a simple plan that can be adapted to new situations than an elaborate plan that crumbles at the first sign of trouble."

Naruto agreed. "I always thought flying by the seat of your pants was the best way to do anything."

"That's because you're an idiot/That's because you're reckless," Koneko and Rias said at the same time. The two glanced at each other and shared a smile.

"Wha… I am not-wait. No, you two are right. I kind of am." Naruto shrugged their harsh words off, knowing from the satisfied smiles they wore that he was being teased. He was so going to get back at them. They wouldn't know when or how, but he would prank them so bad they would be bowing at his feet!

The others soon woke up, then Sona and her peerage arrived. Saji went over to Issei's little group, which consisted of Asia, Xenovia, and Raynare.

"Sup, Hyoudo. You ready to do this?" asked Saji.

"You know I am." Issei pounded his fists together. "I'm gonna rescue that son of a bitch and his group, and then I'm gonna cash in on the favor of rescuing to make Vali stop bothering me. That guy is a damn stalker!"

"A stalker? Well, I know he was pretty obsessed with you. I guess you Longinus users have it rough."

"You don't know the half of it."

Naruto didn't really join anyone in their conversation. He was more focused on Le Fay, who looked like she was muttering spell formulas under her breath.

"Relax." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll definitely save your brother and the others."

"Thank you," Le Fay muttered, giving him a grateful smile. He smiled back.

That was the moment Sirzechs chose to call out to them.

"Okay, everyone. It's time to begin the mission. First, we are going to transport all of you to a small area just outside of the Hero Faction base. Make your way inside and accomplish your objectives." Sirzechs paused to look at each person present, as if trying to see whether or not they were prepared. "Are all of you ready?"

Everyone gave him a chorus of agreement, though Koneko and Raynare ended up making snarky comments instead. However, that was good enough for the Three Faction Alliance leaders, who created a massive transportation circle and direct everyone to stand on it.

Naruto stood beside Koneko, Rossweisse, and Gondul. The four of them were given the mission of rescuing the Norse Gods. It was only them because the mission itself would likely not have them battling against more Hero Faction members. Rias and the others would be going against the big hitters in the Hero Faction, which made their job much more dangerous.

"Good luck, everyone," Michael said to them before he, Sirzechs, and Azazel disappeared-or rather, when Naruto and the others disappeared.

It felt like barely a second had passed before Naruto and the others found themselves standing in a large forest, which spread out for kilometers to either side. The thick scent of trees and plant life filled with air. Hoots, hollars, and the chirping of crickets echoed to them. Naruto couldn't even begin to figure out where this was.

"Where are we?" asked Rias.

Sona pushed her glasses up her nose and frowned. "This looks like… Aokigahara Forest. I recognize it from the times we would visit during a school trip."

"I think I've heard of this too," Naruto said suddenly. "Isn't this place also known as Suicide Forest?"

"It is." Rias confirmed with a nod. "It's actually become internationally known as the Suicide Forest because it's one of the world's most prevalent suicide sites. I think we're a bit too far in, but if you go onto some of the trails, you'll see signs urging suicide visitors to think of their families and contact a suicide prevention association."

Naruto had actually never been to Aokigahara Forest before, but he knew about it from one of his classes.

Speaking personally, he didn't think anyone looking to commit suicide would let themselves be stopped by a sign. If they had already decided to go through with it, then a dinky sign telling them to stop would do absolutely no good. What this country needed to curtail the rate of suicides, especially among the younger generation, was to make the generation stop feeling so stressed out over things like grades and work. He was pretty sure the reason people committed suicide was because of all the pressure families and peers placed on each other.

"Well, we're not going to get anything from just hanging around here," Kiba said. "We should get moving."

"I agree," said Tsubaki.

"I'm glad you and I are getting to work together," Kiba said.

Tsubaki blushed. "M-me too."

Naruto coughed into his hand to withhold his laugh at how Kiba could make Tsubaki blush with a simple smile. Koneko didn't even do that much. At least the two people they were laughing at hadn't heard them, though Rossweisse did give them a disapproving frown.

"Does anyone know which way we are suppose to go?" asked Gondul.

Rias was getting ready to answer when, quite suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the entire forest. Naruto turned his head in the direction it came from. Rising above one of the mountains was a plume of fire and smoke. At that exact instance, several more massive explosions went up, and more fire rose into the sky.

"Maybe it is just me, but I think we should go that way," Naruto said.

Gondul snorted.

Everyone agreed, and the group began making their way through the forest toward the source of the explosions. They needed to climb the mountain, but they eventually discovered where the explosions had come from.

A massive battle was taking place about two kilometers from a mansion surrounded by a large barrier. Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels were engaged in a fierce confrontation against humans wielding Sacred Gears and magicians like Le Fay. Even from this distance, Naruto could see magic circles appear and fire off elemental attacks of varying nature. They were met by attacks from Sacred Gear users, who wielded everything from swords and spears to wips and shields.

"Is that it?" Rias asked Le Fay.

"Yes, this is the Hero Faction's base," Le Fay confirmed.

"Then we should get going," Rias said.

They closed in on the base, until they had reached the barrier surrounding it. Rias frowned for a moment. Picking up a stick, she tossed it at the barrier, watching with a grimace as the stick disintegrated.

"What an unpleasant barrier," she muttered before turning to Le Fay. "Do you know how to break through this?"

Le Fay shook her head. "No. This barrier wasn't active when I escaped. If it had been active, I wouldn't have been able to get out. This defensive barrier was made from the combined power of several thousand magicians. It works a lot like a layered barrier in which one barrier overlaps with another-except this is that over a thousand times."

"So what you're saying is that it's incredibly strong," Rias murmured.

"Yes."

Everyone grew silent. Naruto stared at the barrier with a frown, wondering why they had decided to raise a barrier and not used something like Dimension Lost to transport their base into an artificially created space. That would have offered more protection. Then again, Naruto was sure that Georg, the user of that particular Longinus, had a severe limitation. The Sacred Gear only worked so long as the user could provide power. There was no way it could be maintained indefinitely.

Naruto walked up until he was standing just in front of the barrier. He couldn't feel anything at all-no heat or energy waves, which meant this was an incredibly self-contained barrier that had been perfectly erected. The casters must have been very skilled.

"Do you think you can break this, Naruto?" asked Kiba.

Naruto shook his head. "If I used my reverse summoning technique to switch places with Kurama, he could break this easily, but that jutsu has a time limit. I don't want to risk using it now and not being able to use it later."

"I guess there's no choice." Rias sighed. "I'll break it."

"You can do that?" asked a shocked Le Fay.

"Well, I haven't tried it yet, so I don't know. I guess we'll find out and see." Rias glanced at everyone present. "I want all of you to get back. Except you, Ise. I want you to use boost, then transfer all of the magic power to me."

"Right! You can count on me, Buchou!"

Issei stepped forward while everyone else backed off. He began boosting his Sacred Gear once every ten seconds, over and over and over, for what felt like an hour but was probably only five minutes. However, he had boosted himself at least 30 times.

"Boosted Gear! Transfer!"

Issei transferred all the power to Rias, who suddenly exploded with an intense aura. The area around her began to warp and bend. It was like her Powers of Destruction were eating away at the fabrics of reality.

Taking a deep breath, Rias suddenly sucked all of that power into her body, grimacing as she held out her hand and projected that power to create a sword. It was a dark sword, reddish black in color. Even from a distance, it was easy to see how it cut through the air, leaving distortions in its wake.

Rias took this sword and swung it at the barrier. Le Fay gasped in shock as she cut straight through it with ease. But she didn't stop there. Rias continued to cut into the barrier, until she had carved out an entrance that all of them could fit through.

"Hurry up, everyone," Rias said as she walked through. "This barrier really is strong. I can cut through it, but it's only temporary. It will reform soon."

At her urging, everyone walked through the barrier, which did indeed reform once the last person-Gasper-had walked through.

"Let's split up and search the base," Rias suggested. "Naruto, you take Koneko, Rossweisse, and Gundol. The rest of us will find Team Vali."

"You got it. Just leave the Norse gods to us," Naruto said, thumping his chest.

~Devil Ninja~

Rias Gremory and her group split up from Naruto, Koneko, Rossweisse, and Gondul after entering the Hero Faction's base. Her group was being led by Le Fay Pendragon. The petite blonde girl said she remembered the route she had taken to escape, so they were relying on her knowledge to get them through.

The base was so empty it was creepy. It felt like there wasn't a single soul within the base at all. They had been traveling for what felt like fifteen minutes now and still hadn't run into anyone.

This place was made up of numerous twisting corridors, which were easy to get lost in. Rias had already lost track of where they were going. She honestly didn't know how Le Fay knew exactly where to go, but she also wasn't a magician. Human magicians needed to have excellent memories because of all the magical formula they were required to memorize.

Le Fay soon led them to a set of stairs that they traveled down. The sound of their footsteps echoing along the stairwell made her wince. It was so loud.

"This base has several basements," Le Fay explained to them as she continued trotting down stair after stair. "It was built primarily underground because it's easier to hide that way. The basement levels are much bigger than the first floor. The one where they kept us is located at the bottom, which is the most secure location in the entire base. It's protected by a barrier, but I managed to decode it and escape with Vali's help."

"Can you break the barrier?" asked Sona.

"I should be able to," Le Fay said.

They soon reached the end of the stairs. Covered in numerous seals that prevented entry, the group stood back as Le Fay created hundreds of small magic circles, which floated around the door and slowly pressed against the seals, which emitted a faint hissing noise. A second ticked by as the seals slowly dissolved, then Le Fay opened the door and led them all inside.

A thick purple mist filled the room they entered.

"What the-!" Irina squawked as the area around them slowly disappeared.

"This is…" Raynare's eyes widened.

"Dimension Lost." Rias narrowed her eyes as she stared into the void surrounding them. "It looks like they were aware that we were coming and have planned accordingly. We've been trapped in a dimension created by the Sacred Gear."

"Now what are we supposed to do?" asked Issei, hands clenched in frustration. "How can we rescue Vali and the others if we're trapped in another dimension?"

"Simple." Xenovia summoned Durandel and readied her blade for combat. "We just have to break through the Sacred Gear's power by defeating the wielder."

"I see you haven't changed from your simplistic way of thinking," a voice said from within the fog. "Of course, you are correct. If you can manage to find and defeat Georg, then you can indeed return to our original world… but who said we were going to let you do that?"

Seven people stepped out from the mist.

At the head of this group was none other than Cao Cao, the enigmatic leader of the Hero Faction. He was dressed in his typical gakuran uniform. The Longinus Spear was gripped firmly in his hand, and his right eye looked like it had been replaced by a snake eye. Rias grimaced when she recognized Medusa's eye.

Siegfried, Jeanne, and Leonardo stood immediately behind him. Siegfried was already wielding his myriad of holy and demonic swords. Two were in his normal hands, Gram and Balmung, but the remaining swords-Nothung, Tyrfing, Dainsleif, and a light sword-were in the firm grip of his four artificial hands. Meanwhile, the beautiful foreign girl Jeanne stood in an elegant sword stance as she wielded a holy sword of her own creation.

There were two more people behind them. Rias vaguely recognized them from the reports. It was Marsilio and Perseus. The one on the left was the inheritor of the soul of the demigod Perseus and possessed the Sacred Gear, Aegis Mineralization, which had the ability to petrify people who were weaker than him. He had a sword and a shield. The other was a descendant of Marsilio Ficino. He possessed the Sacred Gear, Dreamlike Curse, which could send a targeted individuals into a barrier space of his own creation.

All this knowledge passed through Rias Gremory's mind in the blink of an eye.

"I should have known you'd be prepared to intercept us," Rias said.

Cao Cao shrugged. "It wasn't hard to realize what this was about once the Three Factions Alliance began attacking us. I figured after those useless members of the Satan Faction failed to apprehend Le Fay that you would come back to rescue Vali and his team."

"Where is Arthur and the others!" Le Fay demanded, stepping forward with an angry glare on her face.

"They are safe," Cao Cao announced. "We unfortunately have a need for them, so we haven't killed them yet. Vali, in particular, is especially important to a plan that's currently in the works, though I can't say much on that." His face twitched. "This particular plan was one we had come up with, but that damn Rizevim contacted Hades before us."

"Hades?" Rias blinked. "What does the lord of the dead have to do with your plan?"

"If you want to know what Rizevim is planning, then you'll have to defeat us." Cao Cao spun the Longinus around and pointed it at Rias. "I hate the fact that I'm being used by a Devil like him, but we don't have much of a choice anymore. I have to go along with him… at least for now."

"If that's how you want to do it." Rias took a deep breath and began issuing orders. "Sona, can you and your peerage take on Marsillio and Perseus? You'll need to be careful. They might not be Longinus wielders, but their abilities are still extremely dangerous."

"Just leave them to us," Sona said, pushing her glasses up her nose. "I already know of their abilities. I'm confident we can launch a coordinated attack and defeat them."

"Right." Rias nodded. "Ise, I'm leaving Cao Cao to you. You've got unfinished business with him, right?"

"I do! Thanks, buchou!" Issei stepped forward and activated his Balance Breaker. Now covered in the powerful red armor of his Boosted Gear, he pounded his fists together. "I've been hoping for a rematch with this douchekanoe. I won't be satisfied with how our last fight ended!"

"What a coincidence," Cao Cao said as he stepped forward. "I was thinking the same thing. There's no way I can possibly let what happened during our last fight stand without delivering swift retribution."

It looked like the two of them were both anticipating their rematch. Rias hoped Issei would be okay and not underestimate his opponent. Cao Cao wielded the Longinus, the original and most powerful Sacred Gear of them all. It was especially dangerous for a devil like Issei to get hit. Even a small cut was enough to annihilate low-class devils.

"Kiba, Xenovia, Irina, and Raynare. I would like you four to deal with Seigfried. Try and defeat him quickly please."

"Just leave him to us," Kiba said.

"We'll beat him," Xenovia added.

"I'd rather not fight at all," Raynare said with a grimace. "But I know I have to. You can count on me."

"This angel will defeat these evil doers in the name of our Lord Michael!" Irina declared with her hands clasped before her chest. "Amen!"

While Irina's words were a little odd, Rias didn't let them bother her and looked at the remaining members of her peerage: Akeno, Ravel, and Gasper. The two of them were staring at her expectantly.

"You three are going to be with me," she said. "Our job will be to fight Jeanne and Leonardo. Akeno, you and Gasper will go after Jeanne, while I hold off Leonardo. My Powers of Destruction are uniquely suited to dealing with multiple enemies at once, so I will fight against Leonardo with Ravel. That said, the two of us probably won't be able to defeat him until you two defeat Jeanne, so make sure you hurry up and beat her quickly."

"Ufufufu. Of course, Rias-sama. You may leave Jeanne-chan in our more than capable hands," Akeno said.

"I-I-I don't really like that lady because she seems scary, but I'll do my beeeeeest," Gasper shouted with his hands clenched.

"That's all I can ask," Rias said.

Now that everyone knew who they would be fighting, the members of Team Gemory and Team Sitri split up and got ready to fight in their respective battles.

"Are you ready, Ravel?" asked Rias.

Ravel took a deep breath. "I am."

"Good. Then let's go."

Ravel and Rias moved toward Leonardo. The young man with dark skin didn't move, but the shadows underneath his feet distorted and grew before many hideous creatures too numerous to count emerged from his feet. These creatures had two thick arms and study legs. They were bipedal, but they bore no similarities to a human. Aside from lacking anything that resembled a head, there was only a single red gem in the center of their "face" just above their collar bones.

Despite having not been there for the battle in Kyoto, Rias had read the report and listened to Naruto when he spoke of them. These were Leonardo's anti-monsters, which had the ability to target his opponent's weakness. She didn't know how this would affect her battle with him, didn't know what sort of weakness these things would target, but she didn't plan on giving up.

Demonic power poured from her body as she prepared herself. Reddish black energy wafted off her, creating distortions in the air. She gathered this power into her hands. Now encased in her Powers of Destruction, her hands had become completely invisible and looked like they'd suddenly caught fire.

"I'd like to give you a chance to surrender," Rias said. "But something tells me you aren't going to do that, are you?"

Leonardo shook his head. "You might as well save your breath. I won't surrender."

"That's what I thought."

Yes, there was no way this boy would surrender. She could already tell that everyone here was incredibly loyal to Cao Cao, and it looked like they also had something against devils like her. There was no way he would give up.

But neither could she.

"In that case, you should prepare yourself," Rias said. "I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're a kid."

All around them, the battles between the others had already started. Issei and Cao Cao were clashing, Longinus against Boosted Gear. Kiba, Irina, and Xenovia were locked in a fierce sword fight against Siegfried, while Raynare was attacking through the cracks in their offense with light spears. Akeno and Gasper were fighting against Jeanne. Meanwhile, the Fallen Angel/Devil hybrid was trading taunts with the beautiful blonde as they traded attack and counterattack. Even Sona and her team had begun their assault on the other two Sacred Gear users.

Leonardo frowned as if he found it insulting to be called a child, but he didn't say anything else as he ordered his creations to charge at her. Seeing this caused Rias to channel even more Powers of Destruction into her hand. As the Anti-Monsters rushed forward, she unleashed a massive wave of powerful energy that slammed into her foes and annihilated them.

~Devil Ninja~

Koneko and Rossweisse ran on Naruto's left and right, while Gondul moved behind him. They were in something of a diamond formation. He had no idea how they got this way. It just seemed like a natural response.

"This place is so big," Koneko complained as they ran. "How can we be expected to find anyone in such a huge base?"

Naruto would have said something, but he honestly agreed with her. This base was massive. They had only searched the first floor and first basement, but it had already taken nearly twenty minutes just to search a single floor, meaning forty minutes had passed in total-according to Naruto's internal clock. Not only was this place large, but it was a literal maze. There were so many different corridors and branching lateral passageways that it was very easy to get lost in.

This base didn't possess many rooms. It seemed most of these corridors were merely used to lead to other, much larger spaces. The first basement had been dedicated to training. There were all kinds of different rooms with a variety of terrain for people to practice maneuvers and tactics, and there had also been a rather large gymnasium with many different types of equipment.

They were currently on the second floor, which looked like it was being used for food production. Most of this floor was dedicated to an indoor greenhouse. Sunlamps overhead meant to simulate real sunlight provided a bright illumination for the myriad of plants to grow. It looked like they had separated plants into fields. There was everything from rice paddies to wheat fields, and it looked like they even had a wine vineyard.

"No wonder we could never find them," Naruto muttered. "Normally, whenever you're trying to learn about your enemy's location, you would first figure out where they shop or meet with their suppliers for important necessities like food. If you do that, you can track them or at least triangulate their location based on where they get their supplies, but you can't do that if all their supplies are home grown like this. I bet the only time they ever go outside is when they are on missions."

"They do seem oddly self-sufficient," Gondul remarked. "I wonder how they managed it."

"Does it matter?" asked Koneko.

"While it is an oddity, I do not believe this is something we should be discussing right now," Rossweisse agreed with Koneko. "Let's keep going."

There didn't seem to be anybody on this floor, so they quickly moved to the next set of stairs and traveled down to the third basement, which contained…

"Is that a private jet?!" Naruto squawked when he laid eyes on the streamlined jet sitting in the middle of a mostly empty hanger. The scent of oil filled the air. There were a few other pieces of equipment, but the rest of this hangar was empty.

"If I'm not mistaken, that is a Gulstream G550," Rossweisse said. "It's a business jet produced by General Dynamics' Gulfstream Aerospace unit in Georgia. That's in the United States of America. I'm not sure what it's doing here."

"Huh…" Naruto nodded but didn't really pay attention to the explanation. He had other thoughts in mind. "Didn't know Cao Cao was an Attack on Titan fan."

They stared at the private jet, which had Attack on Titan artwork painted on its hull, for several more seconds before traveling down to the fourth basement floor. This next room consisted of mostly sleeping quarters. It looked like this was where the majority of people spent their time when they weren't on duty.

Naruto, Koneko, Rossweisse, and Gondul went through each door and checked to see if anyone was inside. It seemed most of the rooms were empty. However-

"Oh, my! You're so naughty!"

"Heheheheh… of course I am! How could I not be when I see such a hot studmuffan just waiting to be shaved!"

Naruto stared into the room with Koneko, Rossweisse, and Gondul, who displayed various expressions ranging from shock to disgust. Not that he blamed them. He was pretty sure his own face was somewhere between those two expressions. Even his stomach was churning.

This room was just like all the others. It was a decently large bedroom with all the amenities one would expect from a bedroom. Unlike the other rooms, this one was also occupied by two men.

Two men who were butt ass naked and shaving each other.

Naruto could have sworn he heard his brain sizzling as his eyes burned in a sight he wished to all eight-million shinto gods he would never see. He wondered: was it really possible to erase his memory by rubbing bleach in his eyes? He'd once heard a saying about it. At the moment, he was seriously considering burning his eyes with bleach.

As the two men continued to shave each other, completely unaware of their audience, Naruto slowly closed the door… and then added a powerful seal that would keep the two locked inside for the rest of time.

"Let's pretend we didn't see that," he said at last.

Koneko, Rossweisse, and Gondul all nodded.

Their journey continued onto the next basement level, which looked like a series of command centers, war rooms, and even a laboratory of some kind.

The lab looked almost like a religious hall combined with a field hospital. There were beds and other items that a person might expect to see in a hospital. However, some of the beds had straps where people were tied down, so he assumed this was where they experimented on people. Nothing seemed out of place, and there wasn't any blood or whatnot to signify this was being used for nefarious purposes, but Naruto's skin crawled just looking at it.

"Does anyone else feel like we're being watched?" asked Koneko.

"Now that you mention it, I have been feeling a strange sensation crawling up my spine since we came down here," Rossweisse said.

"Hmph. I think our query is close," Gondul muttered.

Naruto didn't say anything as he extended his senses as far as he could. His six senses quickly expanded. The scent of antiseptics soon filled his nose, mixing with the natural scent of the three ladies with him. His hearing, meanwhile, picked up the sound of dripping water from a leaky faucet somewhere to his left, along with several sets of footsteps. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven…

There were seven sets of footsteps, but there were only four people.

"Everyone scatter!" Naruto shouted.

Putting words into actions, Naruto leapt forward before twisting his body around. He was just in time to see a magic circle light up on the ground where he had been standing before the entire thing went up in flames. An intense wave of heat washed over him as the flames screamed and churned like a living, breathing entity. The fire took on the shape of an eight-legged stallion before disappearing, leaving behind a blackened crater.

"That was Frigg's magic," Gondul announced. She, Koneko, and Rossweisse had escaped safely and regrouped with Naruto. "She is considered one of the greatest magicians among our gods. She has an affinity for magic dealing primarily with flames and the moon."

"The moon?"

Naruto didn't know what that meant and asked for an explanation, but before Gondul could give one, three people landed on the ground.

The one in the center was a beautiful woman with silvery blonde hair, a massive rack, and muscular arms and legs. She looked like a warrior woman or some kind of Amazonian Queen. In her left hand was a scepter.

On her left was another woman. This one didn't have the same bust size, but she carried a graceful and elegant beauty to her. Magnificent golden hair made it look like she was being haloed in light. Unlike the woman in the center, this one wielded a hammer in one hand and a battle ax in the other. Her toga was fairly revealing. She also had a pretty muscular body.

The final figure was a man who only had one hand, wore chainmail and a chestplate, and carried a spear. His bright red hair made him look like his head was on fire. He had a full beard and brilliant green eyes that glowed with an otherworldly power.

All three of these people had something in common-namely, that they were wearing black collars with seals around their necks and possessed vacant eyes.

"It looks like they really are under the control of the Hero Faction," Gondul murmured before stepping forward. "Lady Frigg! Lady Sif! Lord Tyr! What are you three doing here? Do you recognize me?"

The one in the center raised her scepter and pointed it at Gondul. A magic circle appeared before an eight-legged horse composed entirely of fire leapt from it and charged toward Gondul.

"Grandmother!"

Rossweisse stepped up and raised her hands, creating a large magic circle that overlapped the one Gondul created at the same time. A barrier appeared in front of them seconds before the horse slammed into it. The horse cried out as if anguished, and then exploded, scattering in every directions before dispersing.

"I guess that answers my question," Gondul said with a sigh.

"So these are the Norse gods who went missing?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, and they are definitely under the control of those collars," Gondul announced.

"Well, fuck," Koneko swore. "I know we were searching for these guys, but it still sucks balls that they ended up like this. I was kinda hoping they wouldn't be all mind-controlled and stuff."

"Why is that?" asked Rossweisse.

"Because then I wouldn't feel bad for kicking their asses."

"Er…"

While Koneko informed Rossweisse of her personal opinions, Naruto glanced at the collars, which had the same seals as last time… but it looked like there was an additional seal on them as well.

"That's not good," he muttered,

"What's not good?" asked Gondul.

"Yami added a blood seal," he said. When he realized no one would know what that was, he added, "It's a sealing array that acts like a lock. The key to unlocking it is the blood of the person who activated the seal. I doubt Yami activated the seal himself. He knows I could just use my own blood if that's the case, so it's probably someone else like Rizevim Lucifer."

"So you are telling me that we can't undo this seal?" asked an aghast Gondul.

"No, we can. It is just going to take a lot more effort," Naruto admitted. "We need to defeat them and hold them down so I can undo the seal with a counter seal. If we can beat them unconscious, that will work fine, but it's always harder to subdue someone than it is to kill them."

"I'm all for beating people up," Koneko quipped.

"You are an awfully violent child," Gondul muttered, but Koneko just gave her the peace sign.

The three Norse gods had been observing them while they spoke. It looked like they were wary of actually starting a battle now that they had revealed themselves.

"How should we do this?" asked Rossweisse.

"Koneko and I will take care of Tyr and Sif," Naruto said. "We work well together from having trained so much as a team, so I think we can handle two of them at once. You two will deal with Frigg. Subdue her quickly. If me and Koneko are still fighting, then help us out. If we defeat Tyr and Sif before you win your fight, we'll help you out."

"It's as good a plan as any," Gondul agreed.

"All right! Let's do this!"

Naruto slammed his right fist into the palm of his left hand, pumping himself up. His last fight had ended in disaster because he'd gone up against his dark half, but this time, things would be different.

"You ready, Koneko?!"

"Of course I am. Who the hell do you think you're talking to?"

Koneko stepped up beside him and adopted an orthodox combat stance similar to the stances boxers used. She looked primed and ready.

The three Norse gods stared at them as though waiting for them to make the first move, which Naruto was more than happy to do. Kicking off the ground, he traveled forward at blinding speed to engage the one called Tyr in hand-to-spear combat. Meanwhile, Koneko came in right behind him, her body already transformed into her second Nekomata version.

"Let's get this party started," Naruto said with a grin seconds before crashing into Tyr in a flurry of fists and feet.