Naruto, Rias, Ravel, Rossweisse, and Koneko stood inside of their bedroom as Kuroka raced about the room, lighting scented candles and incense, and adding lenses to the lights so everything was seen through a red haze. He had no idea where she'd gotten any of those. It looked like she had set it all up in advance. The incense had an unusual scent. It was pleasant, like fresh strawberries, but there was something about it that addled the mind.
"What is all this?" asked Rias with a frown.
Kuroka paused in what she was doing to look at the redhead. Her express was smug, as if she was exuding her superiority in all matters sex of Rias. In response to that look, Naruto's redhead girlfriend's expression took on a fierce glare-not that Kuroka seemed to mind. She even giggled.
"I'm setting up the decorations in order to set the mood, obviously. Just having sex is fine and all, but if you want to infuse more passion and love into your sex, then you need to set the mood. You kids are amatuers who have only been fucking. You haven't experienced true love making like this."
"Neither have you," Koneko deadpanned.
"Nya ha ha ha!" Kuroka just laughed her sister's words off, not bothered in the least, though now Naruto wondered if Kuroka might be a virgin. Could such a thing even be possible? "Anyway, now that everything is set up, I recommend you kids get to it. The longer you wait, the less time you have until the mission begins."
Her words rang true. They really didn't have much time. If they wanted to take even a smidge of the chakra Yami had stolen from Naruto back, then they had to get started now. Naruto would never admit this out loud, but he was actually shivering in anticipation. The idea of having an orgy with these women was already enough to make him harder than a diamond.
"We'll get to it." Koneko glared at her sister. "But you need to leave."
"Awww, but Shirone! I'd like to see this! I need to make sure nothing goes wrong!"
"Leave!"
"Nya ha ha!"
Kuroka rushed out of the room. The last thing Naruto saw of the woman was her brilliant golden eyes gazing at them with amusement before the door closed.
"That woman…" Koneko huffed as she placed her hands on her hips.
"S-she did seem awfully excited, didn't she?" asked Ravel.
"You nervous, Fried Chicken?"
"How could I not be." Ravel, for once, did not deny her own nervousness or get angry at Koneko's nickname for her. "This is the first time I've ever done something like this… and so much hinges on us doing it successfully that I can't help but feel worried. If we fail…"
Ravel trailed off, but it wasn't like anyone needed her to continue. If they failed the counteract the hatred swimming inside of Yami, then Naruto would not be able to regain any power. That was something they had to avoid.
"You can't think like that." Rias began unbuttoning her school uniform, revealing the lacy black bra underneath along with the swell of her twin bulges. Her massive rack was practically straining against her bra. "This isn't about whether we fail or succeed. You only need to think about sharing your love and happiness with the people you love. That's all that matters."
"That's a very… good way of looking at it," said a nervous Rossweisse. She was shaking like a leaf, and her eyes had grown really wide as she watched Rias strip down.
After removing her shirt, the redhead unbuttoned her blouse, letting it slide down her legs. Then she kicked it off, leaving herself in nothing but a bra and panties, and looked at Rossweisse. The panties were lacy like her bra.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Rias. "I know it's important to have as many people as possible in here while this happens. The more people the better. But I also know you were planning to take your relationship with Naruto slowly."
In response to Rias's words, Rossweisse looked over at Naruto, who could only offer a kind smile in return. He did want her to be with him right now, but he also wouldn't force her into anything. In the end, what he wanted was her happiness.
"I'll understand if you don't want to. I'm sure you want to wait and have our first time be more special," Naruto said.
Rossweisse bit her lip. During that time, Rias had finally removed her bra, causing her breasts to bounce before coming to rest prominently on her chest. Naruto's mouth watered at her dark red nipples. He wanted to take this into his mouth and swirl his tongue around them right now, but he held back because he was still waiting for Rossweisse's answer.
Ravel and Koneko were also helping each other strip. Koneko was already wearing nothing but her socks and Ravel was down to her bra and panties. However, from the fire lighting up the Phenex Heiress's head, it was clear she was embarrassed about removing those last articles of clothing.
"I… it is true that I want to wait before committing, and that I'd like our first time to be just the two of us." Rossweisse's eyes hardened even as blood welled up around her cheeks. "However, no matter whether my first time happens now or later… it will always be special… because I'll have it with you."
"Rossweisse, I…"
Naruto tried to think of something cool to say, but he was too choked up. These were the kinds of words any person would have loved to hear. That he was hearing it while three other women were getting naked made things a little-okay, very-odd, but it still made tears gather in his eyes. The emotions behind them were genuine, and that was enough.
"I'm willing to do this," Rossweisse added for emphasis.
"If you're willing to do this, then you should start by taking off these clothes," Rias suddenly proclaimed.
"What?!"
Rias had moved behind Rossweisse while she was talking. With a quickness that shocked even Naruto, the redhead managed to remove Rossweisse's jacket and unbuttoned her shirt before either of them knew what was happening. Naruto could do nothing but stare, his throat dry, as Rossweisse plain white bra was revealed. It wasn't what he would have called sexy underwear. However, he felt this plain style suited Rossweisse best. It was like her bra reflected her pure and straightlaced personality.
"Don't just stand there like an idiot, Naruto." Rias scowled at him as she unhooked Rossweisses's bra. The Valkyrie's breasts bounced, jiggled, then went still. "Take of those clothes."
"Take them off. Take them off," Koneko chanted in a deadpan voice. He hoped she realized that blank expression really didn't inspire sexual desire in him.
Naruto reached up and unzipped his jumpsuit. He slid it off his shoulders and threw it to the floor. During this time, an embarrassed Rossweisse allowed Rias to remove her bra. Naruto sucked in a deep breath when he saw her tits spring free from their confines. The Valkyrie had lovely skin, and the light pink nipples capping them were hard to resist. He felt like he could have admired them for all eternity.
A pitch tent formed in his pants, though soon his pants were gone, leaving him in just his boxers, which made the bulge even more obvious. Rossweisse was so embarrassed she covered her face with her hands. However, she had left a slit between her fingers that allowed her to continue gazing at his raging erection.
"Well, looks like we're all naked," Rias said brightly as she placed her hands on Rossweisse's shoulder. "Now… kiss him!"
"Wha-?!"
Rossweisse was not given any time to do more than squawk as Rias pushed her into Naruto. She face planted against his chest, but then she tried to scramble back. This instinctive reaction was stopped by Naruto, who grabbed her hand and pulled her back. He wrapped his arms around her waist. Now pressed together, skin to skin, Rossweisse could undoubtedly feel the hardness of his erection. It was wedged firmly between her thighs, after all.
"N-Naruto… um…"
"It's not too late to back out," Naruto said. "I think… this might be your last chance."
Naruto's ability to resist was hanging by a thread. It was already difficult for him to keep his thoughts firm. He didn't think he had the strength to resist four alluring and naked women for much longer.
"I'm not backing out," Rossweisse said at last. Her expression was firm, though her cheeks were a vibrant red.
Something inside Naruto snapped.
"I love you, Rossweisse."
"I love you-mph!"
Naruto hampered Rossweisse's mouth with his own, pushing his tongue into her mouth without restraint. The Valkyrie tried to keep up. However, this was her first kiss, nevermind her first adult kiss. Her tongue was unable to do more than turn to putty under Naruto's ministrations. The act of his kiss not only left her breathless and unable to keep up, but her legs wobbled and grew weak. She would have fallen if Naruto wasn't holding her to his chest.
As the kiss continued, Rias came up behind Rossweisse, pressing her breasts into the other woman's back as she lowered her head and began nibbling on the Valkyrie's ear. Rossweisse's eyes went wide as her entire body shuddered under the two way assault. Her moans were loud but muffled by Naruto's mouth and tongue. He couldn't get enough of this taste. Rossweisse's mouth and tongue had an oddly refreshing taste as if she'd been chewing mint gum before they kissed.
When the woman had turned to putty in their hands, Naruto scooped Rossweisse into his arms, then set her on the bed. Rossweisse had only just come to when he began sliding her panties off her legs. Her cheeks turned crimson as she closed her thighs.
"Rossweisse?" Naruto said.
"S-sorry. Just give me a second, okay?"
"Hmph! If you're gonna take your sweet time, then I'm not gonna let this chance go to waste."
As Rossweisse tried to gather her courage, Koneko pounced on Naruto, dragging him down into a searing hot kiss as she filled his mouth with her tongue. The nekousho had entered her second form. Her split tail was wagging back and forth as she worked his mouth over. Her tongue tasted like cinnamon. She was completely naked except for her socks, but that somehow made her look even more erotic. Naruto had caught a glimpse of her hairless pussy before she pounced.
He wanted to make a choke about hairless kittens.
But that would have been inappropriate considering their situation.
After satisfying herself with his mouth, Koneko began kissing and licking Naruto's chest. His breathing picked up as she left a glistening trail of saliva down his pectorals and abs. When she reached his boxers, she didn't even bother sliding them down his legs, instead ripping them off. The loud tearing sound made him wince, but then a soft groan escaped his lips as Koneko began licking him like a lollipop.
"What are you doing, KFC? Get over here." Koneko paused long enough to look at Ravel.
"M-me?" asked a blushing Ravel.
"Do you see any other Phenex's here? Come on. Give me a hand-no, give me a tongue."
"Don't speak so lewdly!"
Despite her snappish comeback, Ravel did come over. She knelt beside Koneko and gazed at the throbbing object in front of her. Her cheeks flushed even more heavily at the sight, but she followed Koneko's example. Her tongue emerged from her mouth and she ran it from his balls all the way to the tip, then went back down.
Now with two gorgeous women licking him, Naruto could hardly contain himself at the sensations running through his body. Their warm tongues on his hot cock was enough to nearly make him lose all of his control. He placed a hand on their heads, partly to run his fingers through their hair, but also to steady himself. His legs felt like jelly.
While Koneko and Ravel were licking him off-and Koneko had begun fondling his balls too-Rias got behind Rossweisse and started groping the other woman's breasts.
"It's kind of hot, isn't it?" asked Rias, her voice heavy, heedy, and filled with enough passion that Naruto had to bite his lip to stop from cumming. "I know I should hate this. By society's standards today, I should hate the sight of this, but I can't deny there's something primal and sexy about seeing Naruto getting sucked off by two other women like that."
"Y-you think so?" Rossweisse asked, her own breathing heavy.
"Mm. Do you not think so?"
"I… no, you are right. It's-Ahn!"
Rossweisse's last word was hampered by a moan when Rias pinched her nipple, which quickly stiffened between the other girl's skilled fingers.
"Let's give Naruto a show," Rias moaned into Rossweisse's ear.
With one hand, Rias spread Rossweisse's legs apart, revealing her already glistening snatch. Rossweisse looked embarrassed, but then Rias reached down and spread her lips apart before she began rubbing her. The single delicate finger sank into the Valkyrie's soft lips. A loud moan was ejected from Rossweisse's throat as the red-haired Devil stimulated her most sensitive area. Her back arched, her body shook, and sweat broke out on her skin.
This sight proved too much for Naruto. Seeing Rias quickly and easily bring Rossweisse to her first ever orgasm while Koneko and Ravel licked his dick like it was a popsicle was too stimulating. He gritted his teeth as his hips bucked of their own volition. Then he winced as his seed sprayed all over Ravel's and Koneko's faces and hair.
"S-so sticky," Ravel complained.
"I'm sorry," Naruto mumbled, but he couldn't put his heart into it. Seeing Ravel and Koneko covered in his spunk made his partially flaccid dick grow erect once more. It might even be harder than it was before.
"Don't be. This works out well," Koneko said.
Naruto had no idea what she meant by that, but then the nekousho leaned into Ravel and began licking his cum off the other woman. Ravel squirmed and moaned as Koneko's tongue left glistening trails on her skin. However, she didn't put up a fight. Her cheeks were flushed like they'd been hit by a fire jutsu. Even so, she followed Koneko's example. With two women licking each other before him, both beautiful in contrasting ways, Naruto felt like his balls were about to explode once again. They even scooped up some of his seed into their mouths and shared it between them in a passionate kiss.
Fuck. This. Was. Hot.
"Naruto," Rias said as a panting Rossweisse rested her head against the redhead's shoulder. "She's ready for you."
Nodding, Naruto went over to the bed and leaned down as he positioned himself near Rossweisse's entrance. The woman blinked several times as she came to. When she saw their positions, her eyes widened.
"Are you ready?" asked Naruto.
Rossweisse hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes."
"Then I'm putting it in."
Naruto groaned as he pushed the tip of his head into her opening. Her lips stretched around him. He pushed a little further. Rossweisse groaned, but it was a mixture of pleasure and pain as he stretched her out. Finally, he reached her hymen.
"A-are you ready?" asked a breathless Naruto. Rossweisse couldn't even say that much. She just nodded. "Then here I go."
With a quick thrust, Naruto bottomed out inside of her, breaking through her hymen in one go. Rossweisse yelped, but Rias's body began glowing as she used a healing spell to soothe the woman's pain. This allowed Naruto to quickly set a steady pace. He pulled his hips back, biting his lips as the sensation of her rigid walls encapsulated him, then pushed himself back in. It wasn't long before the sound of his hips slapping against Rossweisse's became mixed with their moans.
"Ahn! Ah! Hyk! N-Naruto! S-s-so good-ahn! It feels so good!"
"M-me too! Being inside of you… it feels great!"
"But I'm so-hyk!-EMBARRASSED!"
Naruto wasn't able to say anything else as he focused on pleasing Rossweisse. He watched her facial expressions, adjusting his speed and the power of his thrusts according to the sounds she made and the expressions she wore. Her breasts jiggled up and down. They were coated in sweat, glistening in the light. Naruto longed to take them into his mouth, but now wasn't the time. Instead, he leaned down until her tits were rubbing against his chest and kissed her hard.
Rossweisse responded eagerly to the kiss. What she lacked in experience she made up for in enthusiasm. It was enough that Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. That was why he reached down and rubbed her clit.
"!"
Rossweisse screamed into his mouth as she came. Her walls hardened around him as all the muscles in her body stiffened for several seconds as an orgasm washed over her. She went limp seconds after. When Naruto pulled back, he saw that she wasn't unconscious, but her breathing was heavy and her eyes were glazed over as if the lights were on but no one was home.
A grinning Rias moved back, allowing Rossweisse to rest on the bed instead of her.
"Naruto, lay down right here." Rias indicated the bed. As Naruto did what she asked, lying lengthwise across the bed, Rias looked at Ravel and Koneko. "It's your turn, you two."
He didn't know what Rias was plotting, but Ravel and Koneko soon got on either side of him. He was still a little confused, but then the crossed legs with each other and Naruto was engulfed in an incredibly wet warmth as the two girls scissored him between their thighs. With their plump and engorged pussies rubbing against him, creating a warm lubrication that let them slide against his cock, they began bucking their hips at the same time. It created an intense sensation that made him throw his head back, like lightning jolting up his spine.
Rias chose that moment to sit on his face.
"Do me too," she commanded. It was a command Naruto was more than willing to obey.
Naruto stuck out his tongue and probed Rias's insides with it. He reached out, grabbing a handful of her firm ass as he buried his face in her snatch. The scent of her arousal made him throb and twitch even more erratically than before, which further increased the sensations Ravel and Koneko were sending him by their constant rubbing. Rias began moaning loudly as he flicked her clit between his tongue.
"Yes! Yes! Oh, fuck yes!"
When Rias's clit began pulsating, he knew she was about to cum. He'd been struggling to keep himself from cumming as well. However, with Ravel and Koneko sandwiching his dick between their thighs, it was only a matter of time before he lost it. His end came before Rias. He felt his entire body shudder before he spurted more of his seed all over the two girls again. Because his face was buried in Rias's cooch, he couldn't see, but just the thought was enough to get him hard again.
That was the moment Rias's juices squirted all over his face. The woman released an intense scream as she came. Her legs clenched around his head. However the pressure eased seconds later as Rias removed herself from his face.
He looked up and became entranced when he saw Rias, Ravel, and Koneko sharing a passionate threeway makeout session. They were licking his seed off each other's bodies like it was white chocolate syrup. The sight of Rias and Ravel trailing their tongues across Koneko's tight body caused him to go rigid. Koneko moaned and thrashed as Rias sucked her nipple into her mouth and flicked it with her tongue. Combine their actions with the heady scent of sex permeating the air, and he was already lost.
Naruto glanced down at where Rias's still twitching pussy lay visible. Getting up, he didn't hesitate to shove his throbbing member into her glistening lips. Rias released a loud moan around Koneko's nipple, which caused the catgirl to cry out as she wrapped her arms around Rias. With her mouth hanging open, Ravel was able to slip her tongue inside and begin kissing Koneko with earth-shattering passion.
As the two's tongues became entwined, Naruto thrust himself against Rias. The sound of her ass smacking against his hips mixed with their moans. He looked down to see the way her butt jiggled every time he pounded into her. Perhaps in response to his actions, Rias began grinding her ass against him. The circular motions created an even tighter, greater sensation that heightened the feelings of his already sensitive member.
A moan alerted Naruto to Rossweisse waking up. He looked over to find the woman moaning and panting as she masturbated to the sight of the four of them. Seeing the normally strict woman with her tongue hanging open as she fingered herself and pawed at her breasts was enough to make Naruto lose it. However, even after cumming, he didn't feel the least bit tired, so he kept pounding into Rias's pussy until he felt her inner walls tighten around him. As her juices spurted out and trailed down her thighs, Naruto retracted his hips.
"Ravel… come here please…"
Obediently crawling over to him, Ravel didn't hesitate to straddle his waist. He was sitting up, his legs stretched out behind him. Naruto grabbed two handfuls of Ravel's butt and eased her onto his cock. Ravel's moan echoed to the ceiling before her mouth was hampered with his. Her arms went around his chest, legs locking around his waist, as Naruto lifted and pushed Ravel onto his cock.
Their bodies had grown slick with sweat. The feeling of her sweaty breasts rubbing against his chest created a delicious friction that he wanted to get more of. Naruto stopped kissing Ravel so he could lean down and begin kissing, licking, and biting her neck. With her mouth no longer restrained, Ravel released several beautiful, lyrical screams as she threw her head back.
"Ahn! Ah! Ah! Hyk! Hrk! Ahn!"
Naruto nibbled on her collarbone as he felt his balls tighten again and release another load. Yet even though he had come again, he still didn't feel at all tired. If anything, the feeling of being inside of Ravel's tight hole made him remain harder than diamonds. He continued lifting Ravel on and off his shaft until he felt her muscles lock and quiver in place. Only after her juices began staining his thighs did he lean back.
Ravel remained on his chest, her breathing deep and heavy, but she soon began shaking her hips and grinding against him again. It was like she had been possessed. She wasn't the only one either. Rias, Koneko, and Rossweisse were all coming over to him, a wanton look reflected in their eyes. He was sure his eyes had the same expression.
As Ravel leaned back and began riding him like a cowgirl, her breasts bouncing as if they were a pair of beach balls, Naruto realized he was in for a really long night.
He didn't mind that at all.
~Devil Ninja~
"Wake up… nya ha ha How long do you plan on sleeping?"
Naruto groaned as something bushy smacked him in the face. Blinking his bleary eyes open, he grumbled to himself and tried to roll over, away from whatever had hit him, but he soon realized that he couldn't because several soft, warm objects were pressing down on him from all sides. As he became more alert, his nose picked up an intense smell. Of course he recognized this scent.
The smell of sex.
Memories from the previous night came back to him in a flood. He, Rias, Rossweisse, Ravel, and Koneko had sex for the entire night and well into the morning. Even now he could recall the softness of their flesh, the way their tits bounced, the feeling of their pussies, tongues, and asses wrapping around his cock. He remembered how Koneko had sucked him off with that cute little mouth, how Rias and Rossweisse had given him a double titjob, how Ravel had blushed when his cum shot all over her as she rubbed her hand along his slick shaft. Every moment was seared into his mind.
Naruto pressed a hand to his face as his cheeks turned bright red. How many times had he cum last night? He honestly couldn't remember. He didn't even think it was possible to orgasm that many times. It was like something had taken ahold of him, arousing him beyond his ability to comprehend. It was like… like…
"How are you feeling, Naruto?"
Turning his head, Naruto saw past Rias's red hair and stared into the golden eyes of Kuroka, who wore the biggest cat-like grin he had ever seen. She looked so satisfied with herself that he was reminded of a cat after it had eaten the biggest, fattest, juiciest rat ever. It made him very suspicious.
"Kuroka," he said with a frown, "just what was in those incense you lit the other night?"
"So you figured it out, huh?" Kuroka leaned back and crossed her arms. Naruto realized she was sitting on a chair. "They're made from a special homemade blend of my own creation. I infused a powerful aphrodisiac in them that works with the body's natural chemical balance to stimulate intense feelings of arousal. It has the added benefit of prolonging your arousal and also helping to produce more sperm, allowing you to last much longer. Since your goal was to have sex all night, we needed this so you five would have the staying power to keep cumming even after your bodies gave out."
"I see…"
Naruto didn't know what to say.
"Anyway, how are you feeling?" asked Kuroka.
"I feel… pretty good, actually."
He wasn't even all that sore. Given how much sex he had last night, Naruto expected his hips to feel like they'd been busted, or his dick to feel like the skin had been rubbed off, but he honestly didn't even feel the least bit of stress or soreness.
"Kurama?"
"It worked," Kurama said in a low growl. "You've regained a bit of your chakra. It isn't much, though. You only managed to get about 10% of your chakra back, which means about 70% of it is still with Yami. However, even a little bit helps."
"In other words, we're still not at the point where we can contend with Yami unless we have some other trick up our sleeves."
"Basically."
"Well, it looks like your idea worked." Naruto scooted out from underneath the girls until he could sit up. Koneko and Ravel, who slept on top of him, shifted around to get comfortable on his legs. "However, it still isn't really enough to fight against Yami. Maybe if my opponent was someone else, but Yami is me. He knows everything I know. His fighting style, ninjutsu, and everything else are the same. In a battle against myself, victory will be impossible to achieve unless I have more chakra than him."
"Hmmm… that is unfortunate, but at least we know this works," Kuroka said, tapping her chin with an index finger. "If we weren't pressed for time, we could probably do this several more times and steal all of your chakra back, but that's not going to happen now."
"You got that right," Rias said as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Of course, even if we did have the time, I'm not sure we could do this again for awhile. I'm really sore."
"Me too," Koneko added, still lying on his legs with Ravel.
"How long are you going to lay there?" asked Naruto.
"Until I can move again."
Naruto sighed, but he realized the girls didn't have his insane healing ability. It looked like he would be stuck there until the girls regained their mobility.
~Devil Ninja~
It took the girls one hour to get ready. By the time they came into the living room, it was to find that everyone who would be involved in this operation was already waiting for them.
Naruto found himself staring at Issei, who was glaring at him with tears in his eyes and snot dribbling down his nose. The boy looked angry. However, he also looked like he was staring at a god.
"Um… are you okay, Ise?"
"I am… so jealous of you," Issei mumbled.
"Er…"
Naruto wasn't sure what Issei was talking about. It must have shown on his face because a blushing Irina explained.
"We… that is, everyone else who was living in the west building with you, heard your, um, what you guys were doing last night." Her cheeks suddenly lit up like a bonfire. She looked about frantically, then settled on staring at her hands as she twiddled her thumbs. "It was actually… a little hard to sleep with you making so much noise."
Naruto glanced at the others who had been sleeping in a room next to his and realized most of them were blushing. Le Fay Pendragon looked especially embarrassed, but she was also biting her lip as if she wanted to say something.
"It sounded like you were having a lot of fun," Xenovia added. She was the only one not blushing. "Truth be told, I'm really interested in knowing how the act of babymaking went down last night. I'm even tempted to ask if I can watch next time."
"The answer would be no," Rias said. "No one who isn't a part of Naruto's harem will ever be able to watch what we do, and if you are part of it, you probably won't be watching anyway."
Xenovia shrugged as if to say she didn't care. Naruto used that time to look at the others. They were all arrayed around the room. Not only was Team Vali and the Sitri Peerage present, but Metatron was also with them. He wondered what the archangel was doing here. Sure, he lived with them, but Naruto assmed Metatron would be leaving for the front lines with Azazel, Michael, and Sirzechs.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I am here to help you reach the base where Ophis and Kunou are being held, de-gozaru," Metatron said. "Thanks to Cao Cao, we know that the ritual will take place in the Underworld, in Lucifaad, the original Capital of the Satan territory. It seems Rizevim has set up his base there. In Lucifaad, there is a large castle in the center of the city, which is where Rizevim's base is located." Metatron held up his hand and revealed that he had one of those basic summoning circle cards. "I have been given this by Sirzechs, de-gozaru. I will be using this to transport you all to just outside of Lucifaad. After that, you shall make your way into the city, infiltrate Rizevim's base, and rescue Ophis and Kunou, de-gozaru."
The rescue operation seemed simple enough. However, they were keeping it simple for the reason that a simple plan was more easily adaptable. They didn't know what they would find in Lucifaad, which meant there was no telling how well any plan would hold up.
Of course, they were going against Rizevim Lucifer himself. He was a man who had the powers of an Ultimate-class Devil, which meant a battle with him would be a hard fought one. There was also no telling how many people they would be up against.
"Do you know how long we have before Rizevim enacts the ritual to take Ophis's powers?" asked Rias.
"We do not, de-gozaru," Metatron said. "However, I believe he will wait until he has received confirmation that you have arrived in Hell before enacting the ritual. Rizevim is a cruel man who enjoys toying with his enemies. It would not surprise me if he wanted to give you hope that you could rescue Ophis in time, and then take that hope away at the very last moment."
"This guy sounds like a real piece of work," Koneko muttered as Naruto stroked her head.
"Hmph. You guys haven't seen anything yet." Vali crossed his arms as he lounged on the couch, one leg crossed over the other. "Rizevim is such an incredible bastard that he even killed his own son."
"Wait. Isn't Rizevim's son…" Issei began.
Vali nodded. "Yeah, his son was my dear old man. Oh, don't go getting all teary eyed on me. Razevan Lucifer was just as much of a bastard as Rizevim. When I learned my father was killed by his own pop's hands, I was ecstatic."
Vali's words caused everyone to grow silent, perhaps out of hesitance or maybe respect for what he'd been through. Everyone there with the exception of a few had suffered terribly at the hands of others. It was clear to Naruto, and probably to people like Kiba and Gasper, that Vali's life had not been pleasant. Just from his words alone, Naruto could guess that his father had not treated him as a father would treat a son. Why else would Vali say something like this?
"Whatever kind of person Rizevim Lucifer is, it doesn't change the fact that we have to go and rescue Ophis from him," Sona said.
"You're right." Rias nodded and turned to Metatron. "When do we leave?"
"You are leaving right now, de-gozaru." Metatron channeled his angelic powers into the summoning seal, which caused a massive magic circle with a Christian cross in the very center to appear. "Do not worry. This summoning symbol has purified my angelic powers so no harm will come to Devils, de-gozaru. Now, everyone, please step onto the summoning circle, and you will be taken to the Underworld."
Naruto was the first to walk over to the summoning circle, but Koneko, Ravel, Rias, Rossweisse, and then Irina and Le Fay quickly followed him. Issei and his group, consisting of Akeno, Asia, Irina, Xenovia, and Raynare came next, followed by Kiba and Gasper. The Sona Peerage and Team Vali came next. When everyone was on the magic circle, it glowed a deep golden color instead of the traditional crimson.
"Good luck, de-gozaru," Metatron said as he stepped back and allowed them to be transported.
In that instant, Naruto and the others found themselves standing, not in their house, but in a valley of mountains. They were standing on a hill that overlooked a city with numerous large buildings. The city looked like it was built in a crater or a canyon. While many of the buildings near the center were large, none of them were bigger than the massive palace in the very middle of the city. It was so big it looked like even the mountains surrounding Luucafid weren't as large.
"So that is Luucafid?" asked Kiba.
"It is." Arthur pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It's been a long time since I've been here."
"I didn't realize you'd been here before," Kiba said.
"I have with Vali when we were part of the Khaos Brigade."
"Ah."
Vali stared at the city with a look of disgust on his face. His eyes were narrowed as he clenched his fists. It was clear to everyone that he was not interested in returning to this place, which made Naruto realize Ophis must be pretty important to Vali on a personal level. Well, she had once told him that Vali was her first friend.
"I believe we should head out," Rias said.
No one disagreed.
"Should we split up?" asked Sona.
"No." Rias shook her head. "Let's travel into Luucafid together. If we need to split up for whatever reason, we can do it after we've infiltrated Rizevim's main base."
Her plan was sound enough and everyone agreed with it. Thus, they set out for Luucafid with thoughts of rescuing Kunou and Ophis engraved in their hearts.
~Devil Ninja~
They walked through the streets of Luucafid, which were surprisingly empty. Naruto couldn't figure out what was going on. Not only was there no one in the streets, but when he looked through the windows of buildings, he couldn't see anyone either. It was like they had all vanished.
"We're inside a barrier," Kuroka informed him. "That's why you don't see anyone. We've been separated from the Underworld and are in a dimension similar to the ones used in Rating Games."
"A barrier?" Naruto frowned. "Why didn't I sense one?"
"Probably because you've closed yourself off to the Natural energy of the world." Kuroka shrugged. "This barrier is quite subtle, so only a pureblood Devil like Rias and Sona over there, or someone with an innate connection to Nature energy like Shirone and I, would be able to sense it."
"Rias?"
Naruto turned to look at the redhead, who slowly nodded her head.
"We have entered a barrier that separates us from the normal dimension. My guess is that it was created in preparation for summoning Samael. Summoning a creature like this would undoubtedly be felt by every high-class Devil in the Underworld. Rizevim would need to put up a barrier if he didn't want people discovering what he was doing. I'm certain the only people he wants intruding on him is us."
"I suppose that makes sense," Naruto said, nodding.
"Still, it's kinda creepy… not having anyone else around here." Irina held her arms and shivered. "I'm not sure I like how creepy this feels."
"You and me both," Xenovia agreed.
They soon made their way to the massive castle-like tower structure in the very center of the city. It looked even bigger up close. The architecture reminded Naruto of modern day skyscrapers in Japan, but this one had a unique twist in that several spikes jutted out from the sides like stakes. It gave the entire building a very…
"This looks so cliched," Naruto muttered. "It's like someone tried their hardest to create an imposing evil castle using architectural themes they found in Castlevania."
"Castlevania has better taste than this," Koneko muttered.
"I-I agree!" Gasper suddenly shouted. "You can't compare this place to the castle in Castlevania! The style of architecture in that game is very reminiscent to the Baroque period that began in the early 1600s in Europe. They look nothing alike."
Naruto had never heard Gasper so adamantly defend something before, but he did know the young half-vampire liked to play video games. He had all the Castlevania games in his collection. He supposed him saying this place looked like the castle from those games was something of an insult. That said, he wasn't going to change his opinion.
"How do we get in?" asked Rossweisse. "I don't see an entrance…"
It did indeed look like this place had no door. At the very least, Naruto couldn't see a front door, though it did have several windows. He wondered if this meant they needed to use some other means to enter, or if maybe they could create their own entrance.
"I doubt it," Rias said. When Naruto looked at her, she smiled. "You were thinking about creating your own entrance, right? You were probably planning to drill this wall with a Rasengan or something. I don't think that would be a good idea. This place probably has some form of defense that we don't know about. Trying to break through will likely result in those defenses activating. We might be able to defeat whatever defense comes up, but it will take time."
"So will trying to find an entrance," Naruto pointed out.
"Point," Rias conceded.
"You two are fortunate that I have already thought of a way in." Sona pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Luucafid has a very unique subterranean level that works like a series of interconnected passageways. If we can find the entrance to those passageways, we should be able to find a way to enter Rizevim's lair without tripping any traps."
"And how should we do that?" asked Rias.
With a smirk on his face, Vali stepped forward and raised his hand.
"Did you people forget that my name is Vali Lucifer? I might not have been back to this hellhole in a good while, but I at least remember how to enter my grandfather's base." He chuckled. "If you people hadn't been so caught up in your own conversation, I would have been able to tell you this much sooner, and we would have saved time."
"Oh, whatever!" Rias snapped. "If you know how to enter this place, just tell us already!"
"All right. All right. However, before I lead you all to the entrance, we should probably deal with them."
At that moment, Vali pointed at something in the sky. Naruto, Rias, Sona, and the others lifted their heads and gazed at the sky as well, curious to know what he meant. However, when they saw the hundreds of black specks blotting out the Underworld's unique sky, alarm bells went off in their heads.
"The enemy?!" Sona shouted.
"Looks like it," Vali confirmed. "Those are definitely Devils working for my grandfather. Look, I can even see them being led by Shalba Beelzebub."
"What should we do?" Issei wondered.
Naruto frowned as he stared at the massive force above them, then thought about their own forces. Their forces didn't even exceed twenty. Even if they combined their forces, there was no way they could defeat them all unless Naruto reverse summoned Kurama, which took time and had a time limit. Naruto was saving Kurama as an ultimate trump card in case they ran into Yami. He couldn't summon him here.
"Let's split up," he suddenly said. "Sona, can you and your peerage join forces with Kuroka and Bikou? Use a combination of gorilla and urban warfare to fight them off. I believe Saji should even be able to match Shalba if he summons Viitra like he did in Kyoto."
"I see you're deciding to give orders despite being Rias's pawn." Sona wore a somewhat complicated smile as she shrugged. "But it's a good idea, so we'll go with that." She turned to Kuroka and Bikou. "So long as you two are also okay with it."
Kuroka and Bikou looked at Vali, who shrugged at them as if to say they could do what they want, then turned back to Sona.
"Ke ke ke. We don't mind at all," Bikou said as he twirled his staff around. "In fact, bashing in some Devils might be just what the doctor ordered."
"It will be good to stretch out my claws," Kuroka added.
"I'll also help them out," Ravel announced, to the shock of everyone, including Naruto. Turning to him, the blonde Phenex gave him a brave smile as she said, "I'm better at creating strategies than fighting, and strategies are more useful when there are multiple forces involved in a large-scale battle. I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help if we had to fight against Yami or Rizevim Lucifer."
"I understand." Naruto placed his hands on Ravel's shoulders. With a small grin, he leaned down and pressed his lips against Ravel's. He wanted to make it a lasting kiss, but they didn't have time, so he pulled back before she could return his kiss. "Kick their asses, Ravel."
"U-um. Yes! I will!" Ravel said with a nod.
"We don't have anymore time here," Sona added. "Let's move!"
Sona and her peerage plus Ravel, Bikou, and Kuroka quickly headed out to intercept the incoming Devil army. Bikou and Kuroka hopped onto that yellow cloud-thing he remembered seeing Bikou use before, and the two of them blitzed straight through the enemy lines. From this distance, most of them couldn't see what was happening, but Naruto could at least tell that Kuroka was combining Senjutsu and Youjutsu to fire off intense blasts of Ki that annihilated a number of lesser Devils. Meanwhile, Bikou was using an extendable pole to sweep away the adversaries in front of them.
"We should move out too." Rias turned to Vali. "Are you going to lead us?"
"Hmph. I thought you'd never ask," Vali said.
While the Devil army erupted into disarray above as them as Bikou and Kuroka made a hasty retreat after their blitzkrieg, the group Naruto was with followed after Vali. They ran some distance away from the massive building. Eventually, they reached something that looked a lot like a manhole. Vali removed the covering, revealing a large hole in the ground, which was so dark even Naruto couldn't see down it.
"Come on," Vali said as he hopped down the hole.
"Well, you heard the man." Rias grimaced as she walked up to the hole. "I hope to Satan this isn't a sewer."
"Praying to your brother sounds a little weird," Koneko said.
"Oh, shut it."
The good-natured banter ceased a second later as Rias, followed by Koneko, Naruto, Issei, Raynare, and the others dropped down below. There were a few of them, like Asia, who weren't exactly athletically inclined. Issei fortunately caught Asia before she could faceplant on the hard stone ground. Koneko ended up catching Gasper as he jumped down, though Naruto was certain the half-vampire could have flown down if he wanted to.
Despite Naruto's initial belief that this world was dark, the tunnel they found themselves in was actually quite bright. It seemed there were several lights around to guide their path, though they were spaced at intervals and the areas where there was no light in between that, making these odd spaces of light and total darkness.
"Well, this isn't as bad as I expected," Rias muttered.
"What were you expecting?" asked Vali. "A sewer?"
"Yes, actually."
"Sorry to disappoint."
"So what exactly is this place?" asked Issei.
"Hell if I know." Vali shrugged as he began leading their group away. "This place was built some time during the Great War between the Three Factions. If I had to guess, I'd say this was something like an underground shelter where Devils could flee to if the war turned against them."
As they were walking, Naruto suddenly found himself unable to move. At first, he thought his legs had stiffened up, but when he looked down, he realized there was a dark space underneath his feet-and what's more, his feet had actually disappeared inside of this dark space!
"What the hell?!" Naruto shouted, alerting the others to what was happening.
"Holy crap! Naruto-sensei's legs have disappeared!" Issei shouted in shock.
"They haven't disappeared," Vali informed them. "Someone opened a gate to the Void between Dimensions. Damn."
"Naruto!"
"Naruto!"
"Naruto!"
"Naruto!"
Four sets of voices screamed his name as Rias, Koneko, Rossweisse, and Irina reached out for him. However, just before they could, Naruto felt something tug on his legs, and then he vanished into the portal and was spat back out seconds later. He gawked for a minute as he tumbled through space. Orienting himself, he quickly spun around and looked at the portal he'd been pulled through, only to find that it was closing right up.
"Ha…" Naruto released a deep breath. "I expected you to confront me, but I didn't realize you were capable of pulling me into the Dimensional Gap like this."
"It's a relatively recent skill I acquired," a voice that was just like his said.
Naruto turned around and found someone who could have been his twin brother floating a few feet in front of him. A mixture of emotions flooded Naruto as he stared at the other person, whose crimson eyes were filled with so much hate it was pitiful.
"Yami…"
"Hello, Naruto." Yami smiled at him. "I've come to claim the rest of your chakra."
~Devil Ninja~
Everyone stared at the spot where Naruto had vanished. As she stared with them, Rias felt turmoil race through her heart. She wanted more than anything to tear open a dimensional rift, travel into the Dimensional Gap, and find Naruto. She struggled with this feeling for a long while before taking a deep breath.
"Let's… keep going," she said, clenching her fists.
"But… what about Naruto-sensei?" asked Issei. "Shouldn't we do something to help him?"
"What can we do?" Rias gave Issei a helpless smile filled with self-deprecation. "Arthur over there might be able to open a dimensional rift with Caliburn, but even if he did, it would mean not only further dividing our forces but getting in Naruto's way." Issei stopped short after her last comment, and Rias grimaced. "What he's fighting right now is a person so strong I doubt even my brother could fight against him. We just… have to trust in Naruto."
While Issei clenched his fist, Rias struggled with her own feelings. She was worried. Her confidence in Naruto was absolute. She believed that any creature he fought against, even a god, would lose to Naruto, but what he was fighting now was not a god. He was fighting an overpowered version of himself, a dark Naruto that had more power than the current Naruto did. It was the worst kind of a opponent anyone could face.
"I believe in Naruto," Koneko said at last.
"He's not the kind of guy who would go down without a fight," Kiba agreed.
"N-Naruto is really strong!" Gasper also nodded.
"Well, he was the person Ophis found herself attracted to," Vali added, running a hand through his hair. "I don't think a guy like that would die no matter who he fought. Ugh. Now I want to fight him."
"I think we should trust in Naruto and keep moving," Le Fey said as well.
"You guys…" Issei looked at everyone in the tunnel with him.
"That's the best thing I've heard all day," Raynare said with a small sneer. "We need to keep moving, or have you people forgotten why we came all this fucking way?"
"Ufufufu, this rude Fallen Angel certainly has a mouth on her," Akeno said.
"Shut it!"
The decision to continue moving was unanimous, so everyone quickly began following Vali again, who led them to a plain-looking metal door with a lock. Vali didn't slow down as he blasted the lock apart and kicked the door open. Rias was right behind the half-devil as he ran up a set of stairs, which quickly emerged into a large hallway decorated in gaudy purple carpet.
"This is my grandfather's base of operations and his home," Vali said as he began walking. "We'll want to be careful while moving through here. There's no telling what kind of traps he might have laid out."
"Do you have any idea where Ophis might be?" asked Rias.
"If Ophis really is here, then she will probably be in the dungeon," Vali said after a few moments. "There's a prison here, but it's also where any rituals, experiments, and torture takes place. One of the rooms is a wide open space that's perfect for summoning a creature like Samael."
"Then quickly lead us there," Rias said.
"I'd show you the way even if you didn't try to order me around."
With Vali leading them, they traveled through several hallways before emerging from one and entering a large room. It was an entrance hall of some sort. There was no doorway leading outside, but the marble floor and giant staircase leading to other sections of the building made it clear that this was something like a traditional entrance hall. Maybe there had been a door at one point, but it was removed. Rias could not say for sure.
In the center of this room were two people.
One of them was Euclid and the other was Grendel.
"I've been waiting for you all to arrive." Euclid smiled as he looked at the group of people before focusing on Rossweisse. "Have you thought about my offer?"
"Isn't it obvious? I refuse," Rossweisse said. "I'm not even going to consider your offer!"
"That's too bad," Euclid sighed before his eyes narrowed. "It seems I have been rejected by you once again. I guess this means force really will be necessary."
"We'll have to divide our forces here," Rias said, biting her lip. "Ise, Vali, Raynare, Asia, and Le Fey… please go on ahead and rescue Ophis and Kunou. The rest of us will fight against these two."
At present, their forces were Akeno, Asia, Arthur, Gasper, Issei, Koneko, Kiba, Irina, Le Fay, Raynare, Rossweisse, Vali, Xenovia, and herself. That was fourteen people. In a battle of one versus many, having too many people on their side could prove to be a hindrance. Nothing was worse than friendly fire. That meant they needed to divide their forces in such a way that it wouldn't be as difficult to fight one person as a unit without getting in each other's way.
"While you five rescue Kunou and Ophis, Rossweisse, Gasper, Irina, and I will fight against Euclid. Meanwhile, I want Arthur, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and Xenovia to battle Grendel. Asia, we'll be relying on you to heal us if we get injured."
If Rias was being honest, she would have wanted Vali or Issei to join in the battle against Grendel, but rescuing Ophis was too important to have their strongest members fight someone whose only purpose was to stall them.
"P-please leave this to me, Rias!" Asia said.
"I still don't like being told what to do by you," Raynare grumbled. "But I guess we don't have much choice."
"We'll rescue Ophis!" Issei agreed.
"We're counting on you," said Rias as she stared at Euclid.
While Issei, Vali, Raynare, Asia, and Le Fey ran toward a door on the opposite side of the room, Rias narrowed her eyes at Euclid and Grendel, who did nothing to stop the group from leaving. This merely confirmed to her that Rizevim wanted Issei and Vali to reach him. He was probably going to use Samael against them. She would have told them to stay here, but once again, they were the two strongest people present right now. They were the only ones who had a chance of defeating Rizevim.
"Gasper," Rias began. "Euclid has an artificial Sacred Gear that works similarly to your Forbidden Balor View. I'd like you to use your powers to keep him from being able to use his. Rossweisse, you and I will bombard him with magical attacks from a distance. Meanwhile, I want Irina to harass him with close-range attacks." She looked at Irina. "Don't let him attack you. He might specialize in magic and making Sacred Gears, but he is still a high-class Devil. His physical abilities are far above a human's."
"You don't need to worry about that," Irina said with a smile. "Because I am an angel!"
"Right…"
"Have you people finished making plans?" asked Euclid with a daring grin. "Because if so, then I believe it's time we got started."
The moment he said this, Grendel released a shrill and excited roar as he charged toward Rias and the others. Xenovia quickly summoned Durandal and released a warcry as she swung it at Grendel, who blocked the attack with ease. As his durable hands scraped against the powerful Holy Sword, Kiba and Arthur raced around Grendel. Kiba summoned a holy demonic sword and attacked from the left, while Arthur swung Excalibur Ruler hard. Both attacks hit. A loud noise echoed out like steel striking steel. However, even with such a fierce attack, Grendel didn't have a single scratch on him.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Grendel laughed. "You people need to stop attacking me with such pathetic weapons! Are you even fucking trying?! Why can't you be more like the Red Dragon Emperor?! At least his hits don't feel like I'm being tickled!"
"Sorry for not being a Red Dragon Emperor," Kiba said with a grunt as he leapt back.
"Hmph! I've got your red dragon right here!" Koneko shouted.
Before Grendel had time to dodge, Koneko, who now had two tails instead of one, ducked low and slammed her fists into his chest. An explosion of Ki erupted from her palms and blasted Grendel off his feet. While it appeared like he might be injured at first, the group soon discovered that he was unharmed when he landed on the ground several meters from them. Steam rose from his chest, but there wasn't a single scratch to be seen.
Koneko clicked her tongue. "Tch! Looks like I'll need to use more power."
"That wasn't a bad hit," Grendel complimented. "I actually felt that one. I like it. But now it's my turn to bring the pain."
As the Grendel rushed toward Koneko, who was more than willing to meet his attacks head on with the help of Xenovia, Rias turned toward Euclid as the man strode toward them at a sedate pace.
"Get ready to use your powers, Gasper," Rias said to him.
"I'm ready, Buchou," Gasper said in a determined voice as his eyes shifted into those of the Forbidden Balor View.
"Rossweisse, Irina, I'm counting on you both," Rias said.
"We're right beside you!"
"Just leave this to me! I will smite this Devil in the name of our lord, Michael!"
Irina summoned a light sword to her hand and rushed toward Euclid, who scoffed at what he no doubt deemed a foolish action. The area around his hand began glowing. Yet just as it looked like he was about to escape with his time stopping power, his entire hand suddenly froze. It was only temporary. However, Irina used that one second of time to swing her sword at him. Euclid had no choice but to summon what looked like a Holy Sword. Irina's weapons slammed into the holy sword, which shattered, but it gave Euclid enough time to overpower Gasper's magic and escape from her attack.
Using her memories of the fight from their last battle, Rias guessed at where Euclid would be and fired off a wave of demonic energy at that spot. Euclid appeared just seconds before the wave was about to envelope the area. With a grimace, he swept his hand out with a powerful gesture, slamming his own demonic energy into the wave. A powerful explosion erupted between the two powers. Rias and the others had to leap back and cover their faces with their hands as the intense winds pushed against them.
"You really are a troublesome opponent, Rias Gremory," Euclid said in a dark voice. "However, do not think that your tactics will win against me. I'm far more powerful than all of you combine, and I still have many Sacred Gears that I haven't shown you yet."
As he said this, Euclid took out a small green gem. He crushed it in his hands. A strange yet powerful energy undulation rippled through the air as his hand began glowing. His arm was only covered in the strange light for a few moments. When the light disappeared, a red gauntlet made of segmented armor that resembled dragon scales was covering his arm. Rias's eyes went wide as she looked at it.
"That's… don't tell me…" Irina muttered in shock.
Rias gritted her teeth. "So you've managed to create an artificial Boosted Gear as well?"
"It's just a prototype," Euclid admitted with a shrug. "I was able to analyse the data I acquired when Grendel fought against Issei Hyoudo and the others. I actually have several Sacred Gears based off their abilities, but I felt this was the best one to use in my present situation." Grinning, Euclid bent his knees in a fighting stance and beckoned to her and the others. "Well, aren't you going to fight me? I'm eager to see how this artificial Boosted Gear works in a real battle."
~Devil Ninja~
Ravel did not take part in the actual battle between Sona's Peerage and the Old Satan Faction's forces. She hid herself far to the back where none of the Old Satan Faction could see her, watching from inside of a building, where she directed their forces to attack from.
"Sona. Have Tsubaki and Tomoe pull back. Kuroka and Bikou, blitz their forces again."
While she didn't receive acknowledgement in the form of words, Tsubaki and Reya did pull away from the fight above, which was like a chaotic throng as dozens of Devils tried to attack the pair from all angles. It normally would have been impossible for them to escape. However, Ravel directed Momo and Reya to lay down suppressive fire that opened a hole in the Old Satan Faction's formation.
As Tsubaki and Tomoe escaped from the center of the enemy's formation, Kuroka and Bikou rushed out from behind a building, slamming into the Old Satan Faction. The pair proceeded to use their superior firepower to decimate numerous Devils in the blink of an eye. Then they retreated. Shalba Beelzebub, flying in the back of this formation, screamed in frustration as he tried and failed to kill the two.
"Ignore the weaklings! Go after those two now!"
Under Shalba's enraged orders, a contingent of the Old Satan Faction soldiers went after Bikou and Kuroka as they disappeared into a building.
"Tsubasa and Saji. You two are up. Attack the enemy once they enter the building."
The Devil Faction soldiers entered the building, which was hiding Saji and Tsubasa. Kuroka and Bikou should have already slipped out of the back. Ravel could not see what was happening inside of the building, but seconds after the Old Satan Faction forces entered, screams erupted from the inside. Following that was a moment of silence.
"What? What happened?!" Shalba Beelzebub demanded.
"This is Saji," a voice suddenly came over Ravel's communicator. "We've eliminated the enemy contingent."
"Nice! In that case, get out of the building through the back. Your job is done."
As she spoke, Shalba raised his hand and gathered energy along his palm. A bright red sphere appeared in the center of a magic circle, which quickly shot forward like a cannonball fired at mach speed. It struck the building seconds later and annihilated the entire thing in one go. Ravel winced when a wave of heat washed over her, but she tried not to shiver at the complete eradication of the structure.
Saji and Tsubasa announced their escape over the intercom.
At that moment, Shalba continued gazing at the building that he had destroyed-what remained of it. Technically, it was just a big crater now. As he continued staring at it, he clicked his tongue and ordered his forces to move out and find the others.
"We've thinned out there numbers a good deal," Ravel said as she began moving. "Let's regroup and then plan our next strategy. Remember to use the buildings as cover and always keep Shalba and his forces in sight so they can't surprise us."
Ravel received a chorus of affirmatives over the communication network. Glancing at Shaba and his forces once more, she saw that he was moving in the opposite direction as her, and so she took off. Leaving the building, her wings of fire flapped as she darted to the next building over. With her back pressed against the wall, she glanced up and saw that Shalba was still looking away.
She was just about to move again when a shiver passed through her body. Seconds later, a fiery blaze erupted from above her. Ravel looked up to find an inferno bearing down on her. Eyes widening in shock, Ravel flapped her wings of fire and dodged to the left. The inferno slammed into the building, detonating with an incredible amount of force, so much that Ravel was pushed back as she spun out of control. It was only thanks to her training with Koneko that she managed to land on her feet.
"I didn't expect you to dodge that," a terrifyingly familiar voice said. "You were never really the kind of person who fought on the frontlines. It seems you've improved, Ravel."
Ravel was deathly afraid of look at the voice coming from above, but because she knew she had no choice, she looked up, craning her neck to find a man floating on wings of fire as he stared down at her. The face looking at her was as familiar to her as her own. His blond hair and blue eyes had a similar hue to hers as well. He no longer wore his burgundy blazer, but had traded the outfit in for an all black suit with numerous velcro straps. With flames all around him, the ends of his jacket, which trailed all the way to his feet, flapped in a breeze created from heat.
"Rizer… onee-sama…"
Ravel's heart thundered in her chest. It felt like something had grabbed her heart and squeezed it. Her breathing became stilted as she tried to deny what her eyes were telling her. She didn't want to believe it, that Riser was here, because that could only mean one thing…
"Hello, Ravel." Rizer Phenex smiled at her, but it wasn't the smile she remembered from so long ago, that lazy and arrogant but still kind smile. This one was filled with malice and hatred. "It's been so long since you and Riser last saw each other. Why don't you come up here and give your big brother a hug."
It meant that Riser had sided with the enemy.
~Devil Ninja~
Vali was in the lead as they raced down a set of stairs that went in a spiral. Issei felt like they were in the middle of a dungeon level in a video game, traveling toward the last boss they needed to defeat to beat the whole thing. The sound of their footsteps echoed back to them as they moved.
"How… how long do these stairs go on?" asked Issei.
Because he was a Devil and in great physical shape, the stairs didn't actually make him tired, but they were getting annoying. It felt like they had been traveling down these stairs for hours.
"It shouldn't be much longer… I think." Vali grimaced as he hopped down the stairs three at a time. "My grandfather designed these stairs to seem never ending in order to annoy people coming and going. There's actually a trick to this. When someone gets upset from going down the stairs, the magic of the stairs will deactivate and let us pass through."
"What an awful fucking magic," Raynare grimaced. "Your grandpa is an ass."
"I am already aware of that."
"Ha… ha… so, one of us has to get annoyed for the magic to activate?" Asia asked.
"Ugh, I am not even sure how magic like that would work," Le Fey mumbled.
"Yeah, but don't worry. I can already see that one of you is close to blowing up," Vali said.
Asia looked like she wanted to ask about who was going to blow their top first, but then Raynare let out a shrill scream.
"DAMN IT! FUCK! THIS IS SO STUPID! I HATE THESE FUCKING STAIRS AND THAT ASSHAT DEVIL SCUM!"
"And there we go," Vali said.
At the exact same moment that Raynare began cursing like a drunk sailor, the stairs beneath their feet suddenly disappeared. However, the drop down wasn't very far. Barely a second passed before they hit the ground. Sadly, Asia, who was pretty clumsy sometimes, landed the wrong way and fell backwards on her butt.
"Ow! T-that really hurt."
She rubbed her sore backside.
"You okay?" Issei asked as he extended a hand.
"Yeah… I'm okay." With a smile, Asia reached out and allowed Issei to pull her up.
"So, where to now?" asked Le Fay as she looked at her leader.
"The only way we can go." Vali shrugged. "Through that door."
He walked over to a door and opened it, entering without hesitation. While Le Fay quickly followed, Issei, Asia, and Raynare glanced at each other.
"I guess we have no choice. Let's follow him," Issei said with a shrug.
"I'm right behind you!" Asia said.
"I hate this so much," Raynare complained. However, she still followed Asia and Issei as they went through the door.
The hallway they found themselves in didn't extend very far. As he glanced at the stone walls, floor, and ceiling, a shiver went down Issei's spine, though he tried to ignore it and follow Vali. On either side were several doors made of steel. They were covered in rust and looked old, but part of Issei felt like this was just an aesthetic Rizevim had tried to create for psychological purposes.
As they got closer to the door, an intense feeling of dread welled up inside of Issei, like a black hole had formed in his stomach and was swallowing everything whole.
"You feel that?" asked Vali.
"I do…" Issei allowed. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure… but I have a bad feeling we're not going to like what we find on the other side."
Issei didn't really understand what Vali meant at first, but then Vali reached for the door, which he opened wide, and they stepped inside.
The room was large. Issei couldn't say how large, but it at least looked like it was the size of a track field, which made him think they were in another dimension like when they played Rating Games. Like the rest of this dungeon, everything was made of stone. In the very center of this dungeon were several people and something bizarre.
The bizarre… thing that had attracted Issei's attention was an enormous and ominous-looking creature with the upper body of a Fallen Angel and the lower body of an Asian Dragon. Its arms, tail, and wings were all nailed to a large cross, eyes covered with a bloodfold that had blood dripping from beneath it. Issei took one glance at its mouth, then grimaced when he saw the massive fangs jutting from its lips. A long and vile black tentacle was growing from its mouth.
Three other people were standing close to this creature.
Two of them were right next to the monster-Rizevim and Kunou. Rizevim had a firm grip on Kunou, who had tears in her eyes as she stared at them. Meanwhile, Rizevim was grinning as he saw them come in.
The last person present was none other than Ophis, who was glaring at Rizevim with more emotion that Issei had ever seen in the normally emotionless girl. No, wait. That wasn't quite right. She displayed emotion when she was with Naruto, but he'd never seen such an intense look of hatred on her face.
Issei noticed they were missing someone. Namely, that girl named Lilith wasn't present. He'd been sure she had been a part of this plot too, or was she not there because she had already served her purpose?
"So that's Samael," Vali murmured. "He's pretty ugly."
"Why did you two come here?" Ophis demanded, looking at them.
"Because we obviously couldn't leave you." Vali shrugged. "If we didn't come here to rescue you, Rizevim would just steal your power without anyone who could put up a fight."
"You shouldn't have tried to rescue me," Ophis said morosely.
"Hey now. How can you say that to people who have come all the way here to save you," Vali said with a laugh before his eyes narrowed. "In either event, it looks like we literally made it seconds before that thing devoured you."
"Hmph!" Rizevim snorted as he pulled Kunou closer and kept his hand over her mouth. The girl tried to say something, but her words were muffled. "You say that like you arrived in time, but the truth is that I have been waiting for you to arrive." Rizevim grinned. "I want to watch you fuckers struggle and fight against me. I want to watch the hopelessness appear in your eyes as you realize how futile it is. Then I want to you to despair when I kill the people you care about in front of you. I waited so I could amuse myself. Had I wanted to, I could have already stolen Ophis's power."
Issei gnashed his teeth together. This guy's words were pissing him off so much right now. He wanted to rush over and deck this man in the face so hard his nose caved in, but he knew that doing so would not be the best idea since he didn't know how strong Rizevim was, nevermind Samael.
"First things first, we need to get Kunou back," Issei said as he thought about the situation. "She's the reason Ophis can't do anything. Once we get her away from Rizevim, Ophis can just blow him away."
"That's easier said than done," Vali muttered. "Le Fay, you got any nifty magic we can use?"
"I wish you wouldn't call my magic 'nifty' as if it was the wand waving of some stage magician." Ley Fay sighed, but her nose scrunched up in thought as she considered their positions. "I do have one spell that could work, but it takes time to set up. If you can distract him for a bit, I can use replacement magic to replace one of you with Kunou."
"Let's go with that." Issei decided as he stepped forward and quickly entered his Balance Breaker. Scale Male covered his body and he quickly began boosting himself without limit. As he did, he pointed at Rizevim. "Hey, asshat! I hope you don't mind, but since my sensei isn't here to do it, I'm gonna have to deck you one in the face for him!"
"Is that so?" Rizevim looked more amused than angry or desperate. "I would like to see you try. Just remember, this child's life is in the palm of my hand. One wrong my and my hands might slip. Wouldn't it just be awful if her neck were suddenly broken. Why, I imagine Naruto would be quite distraught. Ke ke. That's actually a pretty nice thought. Once I'm done with you people, I should see if Naruto is still around. If he is, I'd love to snap this girl's neck in front of him and watch the agony in his eyes as her life drains away."
Rizevim was pontificating. He seemed to do that a lot. Issei was sure the man loved listening to himself talk about all the horrible things he would do to people. It seemed like talking too much was a bad guy modus operandi, something all villains did because they were villains.
In either event, during that time, Le Fay completed her magic circle. Two magic circles appeared, one underneath Kunou and one underneath Vali, and then Vali and Kunou had suddenly traded places.
Before Rizevim had time to recover, Vali's body exploded with power as white armor covered his entire figure. Now wearing his Balance Breaker, Vali threw a punch so powerful the very air detonated with intense winds. However, despite the power in his attack, Rizevim had not moved an inch, and Issei soon realized with no small amount of shock that the Old Satan Faction leader had caught Vali's hand.
"Oh ho. That was a well-executed plan. As expected of my grandson. You might have human blood in you, but you're quite balsy." The grin on Rizevim's face grew. "However, good as this plan was, it was also stupid. You took your eyes off the prize and now you're too late to do anything about it."
Issei didn't understand what Rizevim meant, but then an odd sound echoed around the room as a black object shot out from Samael. It was the tentacle sticking out of its mouth! The tentacle shot toward Ophis and opened up like a gaping maw, then flew down and swallowed her whole! All of this happened barely a second after Kunou was saved. There hadn't even been time to warn her!
"Ha ha ha ha!" Rizevim's uproarious laughter echoed around them. He threw Vali away from him and spread his arms wide. "Yes! Devour her, Samael! Steal all of Ophis's power and give it to me!"
As the situation quickly grew out of hand, Issei could only grimace as he realized they were all in way over their heads.