Because they were in an emergency situation, Lady Phenex had decided to transport them directly to the battlefield with teleportation magic—something that normally was not allowed within the Underworld unless you were a noble, one of the Four Great Satans, or had special permission. It was apparently a strictly regulated power, which explained why they traveled via train whenever they were in the Underworld.
A large magic circle had been drawn onto the stone floor of an unused room. It was complex, but Naruto was growing used to seeing such complicated circles. Rossweisse had been teaching him a lot, and Le Fay had taught him even more.
He, Koneko, Le Fay Pendragon, and Ravel were standing in the middle of this magic circle. Lady and Lord Phenex were standing outside of it along with Ravel's oldest brother, Ruval.
"It looks like the Chaos Brigade is launching an attack on several cities at once," Lady Phenex said to them. "Rias Gremory and the other members of her peerage have already been mobilized and are defending one of the cities in the Sitri territory. We have been requested to mobilize our forces and travel toward the Agares territory. There are currently a number of our forces already there, and they are doing what they can to evacuate the citizens, but evacuations take time. Your jobs will be to help defend the citizens until the evacuation is complete." Her expression grave, Lady Phenex looked at Ravel. "Please take care of yourself. If you get overwhelmed, do not hesitate to retreat."
"Do not worry, Mother," Ravel said. "We will be fine. I am with Koneko and Naruto-sama."
"I'm also here," Le Fay said with a huff. "Did you forget about me?"
"I have not forgotten about you," Ravel assured. "It's just that we haven't had a chance to really join forces before."
Le Fay didn't look like she'd been placated, but Naruto placed a hand on her head.
"In that case, I won't say anymore," Lady Phenex said. "We're teleporting you now."
Naruto was pretty used to teleportation magic these days, so he didn't bat an eye when the magic circle began glowing seconds before the world around them suddenly changed. Almost immediately after teleporting, the screams and cries from panicking and pained civilians reached his ears. The scent of fire and blood filled the air. Koneko wrinkled her nose. Ravel had to cover her mouth and nose with her hand.
Explosions rocked Naruto's ear drums. When he looked around, he saw several fires burning further away, buildings exploding as magic struck them, and many figures flying through the sky as they clashed. He recognized both forces. The ones fighting were the soldiers under Lord Phenex's command, recognizable by the blazing armor they wore, which looked like crystalized flames, and members of the Old Satan Faction from the Chaos Brigade.
"It looks like the Chaos Brigade is going all out," Le Fay said as she looked at something in the sky. "They've even come with Niðhöggr."
Naruto, Ravel, and Koneko looked up to find out what Le Fay meant, and that was when they saw it—the dragon. Its black scales were so dark it felt like all light that came near it would be devoured. Only his underbelly was a different color, being khaki. While his appearance was very serpentine, he had four limbs and four large wings, which he flapped to create powerful gusts that knocked multiple devils away. Naruto didn't know how big he was, but this dragon was quite large.
"What can you tell me about Niðhöggr?" asked Naruto.
"Not much." Le Fay shook her head. "Team Vali was not made privy to anything regarding the revival of Evil Dragons, so I don't know anything more than legend. Niðhöggr was a dragon whose greed was so insatiable that he even gnawed on a root of the world tree, Yggdrasil. His name means Malice Striker. The term Nið is a social stigma implying the loss of honor and the status of a villain in old viking society."
"So… basically, we don't know what he's capable of," Naruto said with a sigh.
"I'm sorry," Le Fay apologized.
"It isn't something for you to apologize over. It just means I'll be going in blind." Naruto took a moment to think about their situation, how they should fight, and then made a decision. "I'm going to fight Niðhöggr alone. If I can pin him down and keep him from attacking, it should relieve some of the pressure our side is facing. In the meantime, I want you three to help protect the citizens."
"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?" asked Ravel in worry.
"I am," Naruto said with a reassuring grin. "Don't worry. There's no way some lame ass dragon is gonna beat me."
Ley Fay sighed before a resigned smile appeared on her face. "Only you would call one of the most powerful evil dragons in the world a lame ass dragon."
"Hmph. Come on, you two," Koneko said. "Naruto can deal with the flying lizard. We have our own job to do."
"Yes… you're right," Ravel agreed. "Let's go."
Ravel and Koneko flapped their wings and flew off, while Le Fay followed them on her broom. He only watched them for a moment before looking back at the dragon. Niðhöggr swung its massive tail and slammed it into several devils unfortunate enough to be in its way. At the same time, several magic circles appeared around it and released streams of offensive magic. The magical attacks slammed into a number of devils from long-range and blasted them out of the sky.
It looked like this Niðhöggr was incredible powerful. Naruto knew of the power of dragons, so he was aware of how strong they could be, but it seemed this particular dragon was more outstanding than the others.
"Pathetic devils!" Niðhöggr roared. Dost thou really think such cretinous fools can defeat me?! Foolish! Suffer the consequences of thous defiance and die!"
Naruto decided at this point to intervene. He released his wings, created a magic circle underneath his feet, and blasted off the ground. The magic he used was wind magic, which propelled him forward at speeds far faster than even a devil could normally travel.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Several clones appeared around him, five in total, and they split up into three groups of two.
Naruto and the clone with him created a Rasenshuriken. The other two groups created a lava release Rasenshuriken.
The two Yoton (Lava Release) Rasenshurikens turned a molten orange color. Heat billowed from each jutsu, distorting the air around the lava-infused nucleus. So hot was this attack that even the blades swirling around it were emitting steam as they spun.
Since releasing these techniques from close range was dangerous, Naruto sent the clones ahead and fell back. His plan was to blast Niðhöggr in the underbelly with all three jutsu at once. Not even a powerful dragon would be able to withstand such an attack.
Well, that was his hope.
Just before his attacks could strike the dragon, Niðhöggr swung his massive tail and smashed it into the clones. Two of the clones dispelled, their techniques going with them, but the last clone managed to slam his Yoton Rasenshuriken into the tail. A loud wail emitted from Niðhöggr as the attack annihilated his tail, then traveled on and slammed into his body. The jutsu expanded. A massive ball of lava formed in the around Niðhöggr, engulfing him completely.
Several of the devils fighting in the vicinity paused when they saw this. Naruto was too far away to see their expressions, but they seemed surprised. Even the members of the Chaos Brigade had stopped attacking to look at Niðhöggr.
"You blasted devil!" A loud roar erupted from within the ball of lava. "I shall annihilate thee!"
The lava dispersed as a gust of wind erupted from within it. Niðhöggr was still alive, though it looked like half his body was missing. Yet even as Naruto stared, the dragon's body was reforming, slowly mending together until he was once again complete.
So this dragon had a form of high-speed regeneration like Naruto… or at least something that resembled high-speed regeneration. That meant killing him outright would be hard.
"Hmph. I see now. Thou art the one who has been giving that Rizevim so much trouble lately, the one called Naruto."
"That's me," Naruto said.
"I hath heard that thee were a foolish devil who believed he was all powerful, but to think you would dare to challenge me to combat. Doth your arrogance know no bounds?"
"You speak funny," Naruto said. "Do you have a speech impediment?"
"Rude! Just for that insult, I shalt destroy thee with all that I have!"
Naruto would have said something else, but Niðhöggr released a stream of black clouds from his body, which blew out in all directions. The black cloud didn't seem like much. Naruto at first thought it was a smoke screen of some kind, but then one of the devils nearby had the misfortune of being engulfed by the cloud. A pained wail like someone screaming at the top of their lungs echoed from within the cloud. Naruto couldn't quite see what was going on, but then the devil emerged, nearly all the flesh from his body burnt off.
Now understanding that this black cloud was some kind of corrosive substance, Naruto decided not to try and fight it head on. He flew backwards. Creating several magic circles in conjunction with a number of hand seals, Naruto unleashed a powerful burst of wind and tried to disperse the miasma, though all his attack ended up doing was shifting the black cloud to another area. It looked like this stuff was far too thick to forcibly disperse.
Naruto created another clone and helped it create a Yoton Rasenshuriken. He sent the clone toward the black cloud. His eyes narrowed when his clone slammed the jutsu into the corrosive substance. His attack sliced straight through the cloud, then erupted somewhere in the center of this black formation. Perhaps it was because lava had a melting effect, but the black substance burned away and dissipated like water after turning into steam.
"That stuff Niðhöggr can release looks like miasma," Kurama said. "It's basically just incredibly toxic fumes that are so strong they can burn away a person's body. Using lava to burn it up was a good idea."
"Thanks," Naruto said.
"Thou art quite the troublesome foe, but I am not finished yet!"
Niðhöggr released another loud roar as she swung his tail. Naruto moved back to avoid the attack, but then several magic circles appeared behind him and fired numerous magical attacks, which he was only able to dodge thanks to his quick reflexes. Naruto swerved around each attack. They passed him by a hair's breadth. Some of them came so close that he could feel his body boiling.
Since it looked like his retreat was blocked, Naruto shot forward instead, arriving next to Niðhöggr within several seconds. Spinning his body around, Naruto created a magic circle on his heel. Then he created a Rasengan on his heel as well.
The feet were the hardest place to channel chakra, but Naruto had become quite adept at it. The Rasengan formed with ease. Naruto slammed it down on Niðhöggr's back, then unleashed his wind magic, which caused the Rasengan to shoot forward, drill into Niðhöggr's scales, break through them, and punch a hole clean through the massive dragon's body.
Just like Naruto expected, Niðhöggr did not go down from this, and the hole that went from his back and out his chest healed up within a few seconds.
"Thou art no ordinary devil," Niðhöggr rumbled. "I can see now why the other members of the Chaos Brigade holdeth thee in such high regard. Thou art a dangerous foe. I shall take great pleasure in destroying thee."
"Do you know how many bad guys say that?" asked Naruto. "That line right there is like the ultimate bad guy cliche. It's also a flag. The moment the villain talks about how he's going to destroy the hero is the moment he's lost."
"I have no idea what thou art talking about! Quit your inane babble and be destroyed!"
At that moment, what appeared to be over a thousand magic circles appeared around Niðhöggr and Naruto. All of them were Norse magic circles, which made sense as Niðhöggr was supposedly a dragon from Norse mythology. As he stared at the magic circles, Naruto cracked his knuckles.
"You ready, Kurama?"
"I am."
"Then let's get this party started!"
A stream of incredibly strong magic was unleashed. Hundreds of different types of magic soared through the air and slammed into Naruto, detonating with a power that caused every nearby battle to stop.
In the center of this explosion of magical energy, Naruto transformed into a combination of Kurama Mode and Six Paths Sage Mode. Ten Truth-Seeking Balls appeared around him, combined, and transformed into a barrier that protected him from the attack. When the explosion of magic diminished, the barrier peeled back and Naruto stared at the surprised Niðhöggr with a goofy grin on his face.
"That was some attack, but it's nowhere near good enough to defeat me!" Naruto pointed at the dragon and struck a victorious pose. "Didn't you know? I'm the most badass fucking devil ninja in the entire world!"
~Devil Ninja~
Ravel, Koneko, and Le Fay were doing their part to help the civilians evacuate. They were not part of the evacuation effort itself, but they were doing everything they could to protect those who were fleeing.
Since the evacuation was being done by members of the Agares Family, Ravel had decided their job would be to seek out and rescue civilians who were trapped or otherwise incapable of fleeing. To that end, they used Koneko's ability to sense life with Senjutsu to their advantage.
"There are two people surrounded by half a dozen douches on our six," Koneko said as she turned around and began traveling in a different direction.
"I see them," Ravel said. "Le Fay, can you provide us with long-range support?"
"Of course!" Le Fay thumped her chest as she flew on her broom alongside them. "I'll support you both from a distance with my magic!"
With Le Fay supporting them from the rear, Koneko and Ravel rushed forward. By now, they could easily see the people they were charging at. Two young boys were surrounded by six devils from the Old Satan Faction. The boys were crying, of course, and the Old Satan Faction devils were in the process of killing them. Magic circles were formed, hands were raised, and weapons were aimed. It seemed excessive to use that much power just to kill two children, but Ravel knew these devils were trying to invoke fear in these kids before they died.
"Hey, douches! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!"
You aren't their size, Ravel wanted to say, but Koneko had already launched herself into the back of one of the Old Satan Faction devils. She winced as the sounds of bones snapping filled the air.
The man she had struck released an agonized scream as he was blasted off his feet and smashed into the wall of a building, which quickly collapsed on top of him.
The remaining five Old Satan Faction devils turned to Koneko. Ravel used their distracted state to her advantage, generating a massive tornado of fire, which swirled around her hand and burned so hot the air became distorted. She launched the fire tornado at the group, catching two devils in her attack. Both screamed as they were engulfed in flames, but those screams died out soon enough. The power of her flames caused their bodies to evaporate.
"Who are these little girls?!" shouted one of the remaining three Old Satan Faction devils.
At that moment, Koneko appeared before him and punched him in the gut. Her attack was so powerful that not only did the man double over like a fold out chair, but Ravel was sure his spine had snapped. Koneko showed this man no mercy.
"Call me 'little girl' again, dickweed. Go on. I dare you."
Whether or not the man would call her that again became irrelevant seconds later. Koneko was unwilling to show this man even a single sliver of mercy. After punching him so hard he nearly coughed up his kidney, she retracted her hand, then hit him with an uppercut so powerful his body was lifted several meters off the ground. Koneko finished her assault by leaping into the air, spinning her body around like a corkscrew, and slamming her heel down on the man's head.
"Koneko Barrage!"
A shock wave erupted from where foot met skull. Ravel could not help but wince when she saw the blood spurting from the man's head, though he was launched back to the ground mere seconds later. The devil struck the ground with a thunderous explosion. Dust and pavement flew everywhere as many large cracks spread from the center of impact. Ravel warily watched as a large crack formed in the nearest building, which suddenly collapsed.
There were two devils left, but Ravel didn't have to do anything to them. A pair of magic circles appeared underneath them. Seconds after they fully formed, strands of fire erupted from the magic circles and wrapped tightly around both devils.
"W-what the hell kind of magic is this?!" one of them shouted in shock.
"Hm hm hm!" Le Fay quietly laughed as she thrust out her chest and looked her nose down at the two. "This is my new original magic. I created it based on the information I acquired from the Phenex Family's library. Isn't it great?"
With a wave of her staff, Le Fay channeled magic into her spells, which caused the flames to become even more intense. Ravel became shocked when the flames suddenly turned blue. She was a Phenex, a being of fire, yet even she could feel the heat from these flames. Even from over a meter away, the fire made her break out in sweat.
"What kind of flames are these?" she asked with a whisper.
She didn't think she'd been very loud, but Le Fay seemed to have heard her.
"They aren't anything special," her fellow blonde answered. "The flames are blue due to the increased supply of oxygen. When I was deciding on what kind of fire I should use for this spell, I felt like a higher concentration of oxygen would help create a more powerful flame. Fire turns blue with an increased oxygen supply because the oxygen ionizes gas molecules in the flame."
At that moment, the two devils trapped by the flames were reduced to ash.
"Uh huh," Ravel muttered.
Le Fay was on a roll now. "I actually showed this to Naruto as well. He was pretty impressed."
"Is that so?" Ravel said.
"Yup!"
"And what about you?" asked Ravel, turning to Koneko. "Koneko Barrage? Really?"
Koneko shrugged. "I saw Naruto once pull off an attack he called the Uzumaki Barrage. It seemed cool, so I thought I'd try it out."
"You people…" Ravel placed a hand to her forehead and shook it.
"Oh, no. You seem to be exasperated by something, Ravel dear," a familiar and chilling voice suddenly said from above.
Ravel, Koneko, and Le Fay looked up to find Rizer floating above them, wings of fire jutting from his back. He wore the same clothing he had last time. Likewise, the same arrogant smirk was plastered on his face.
Ravel felt the blood drain from her face, but she soon hardened her resolve.
"I didn't realize we would meet again so soon, Brother."
"You and me both." Rizer swept a hand through his hair as the smirk on his face shifted into a mocking smile… which honestly wasn't all that different from the smirk. "I thought it would be at least a little while longer before we could meet again, but then I heard from my sources that you were in this town and decided to head over myself." The smile left and his expression turned serious. "I won't let you do as you please anymore. I'm taking you back to the Old Satan Faction with me."
"I'm not going back with you," Ravel declared as she pointed at him. "Instead of going with you, I'm taking you back home!"
Rizer's expression darkened. "That's not happening."
"It is happening." Despite how she felt her knees shaking at the thought of confronting her brother again, Ravel still managed to smile. "I'm not alone this time. You won't win."
As she spoke, Koneko and Le Fay closed ranks with her, as if to show their solidarity. She felt their presence even more than she saw them. Koneko had always been a constant in her life since she began living with Naruto, and the feeling of her presence next to Ravel made the blonde girl feel a lot more at ease. Le Fay was new. She didn't know the magician that well, but she seemed like a good person. Naruto trusted her. That was what mattered.
"Hmph. Even if there are two more people, it won't matter," Raizer said as the flames behind his back grew larger and burned even hotter. "My power has grown a lot. Even Naruto himself wouldn't stand a chance against me now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Rizer held out his hand, producing a magic circle, which erupted with flames seconds later. The raging fire transformed into a phoenix. Releasing a powerful yet shrill shriek as it charged toward them, the mighty beast that was at least five meters large flapped its wings.
Ravel, Koneko, and Le Fay sprung away from the attack. Koneko darted across the ground, while Ravel and Le Fay took to the skies.
The phoenix struck the ground and exploded, but just as Ravel assumed they were safe, the flames from the explosion changed into streams of fire that raced toward her and her two companions.
"What impressive magic!" Le Fay shouted as she held out her staff and created a magic barrier around herself. Several streams of fire slammed into the shield, which shook something fierce but held.
Ravel held out her hands and created a powerful tornado of fire that swirled around her body. The fire from Rizer's attack struck the tornado and got sucked into it. The powerful rotational force of her magic tore the flames apart. When Ravel believed herself to be safe, she canceled the fire tornado and looked over at Koneko.
Her nekousho companion was running along the ground, dodging multiple streams of fire that flew at her from all directions and angles. Ravel was about to race down and help out. Just before she could get moving, however, Koneko slammed a fist into the ground. The area underneath her feet caved in and Koneko disappeared seconds before the area around her feet exploded.
"Ha ha ha!" Rizer threw his head back and laughed. "That's one down! Now I just need to deal with you two!"
Ravel bit her lip as she looked at the sea of flames down below. She believed Koneko was alive, that her friend hadn't been hit by that attack, but that didn't mean she wasn't worried. What if she wasn't alive? What if she had been hit? She could be injured, on the verge of death. The very thought made her body quiver with fear and worry.
Ravel shook her head. Thinking like this wasn't going to help her.
"Ravel! Let's use combination magic!" Le Fay suddenly shouted.
"Huh? Uh. Okay!"
Ravel and Le Fay flew toward each other. Now standing shoulder to shoulder, the two created one magic circle each. Ravel's was, of course, the magic circle of her family, the House of Phenex. On the other hand, it looked like Le Fay was using a type of Fairy Magic. Ravel couldn't tell what the spell was, but she could sense the wind flowing through the magic circle.
"What's this? I hadn't realized you knew how to use combination magic, Ravel. It seems you've grown," Rizer said, though he didn't sound concerned.
"I have grown," Ravel declared. "Ever since I began living with Naruto, I've grown a lot. And now you'll get to see how much stronger I've become!"
Ravel's magic fired first, an explosion of intense flames that spewed from the magic circle like a torrent. They charged into Le Fay's magic circle, which activated and created an intense wind, feeding the flames and making them even more powerful. The flames turned blue, then white as they turned into a fierce tornado that shot toward the now surprised Rizer.
Rizer flew out of the way to dodge the attack, which was so hot it burned the very atmosphere. A smug smile twisted his lips after he dodged. Ravel narrowed her eyes and willed the flames to curve around. Rizer was so certain he had avoided the attack that he didn't even think to look back. It didn't help that Le Fay had created several more magic circles to keep his attention on her, though they were all dummy circles.
The tornado of white fire slammed into Rizer's back. The shocked man released a pained cry as he was sent sailing toward the ground like a comet. Before he could strike the earth, the ground exploded and Koneko burst from it. Two tails had sprouted from her back and cat ears appeared on her head. Her body was covered in a light aura of power.
"Eat this, dipshit."
Her movements were simple, a straightforward punch to the face, yet that punch contained an incredible power. Rizer's face indented as Koneko slammed her tiny fist into his cheekbones. He couldn't even scream because his jaw had shattered.
The flames behind his back dispersed as he spun through the air. Unable to correct his flight, he slammed into the ground, rolled across the ruined street, and only stopped after traveling for several meters.
Ravel and Le Fay landed beside Koneko and looked at Rizer as he climbed to his feet. His body was already healing. Even so, there was an enraged look in his eyes.
"That was a good hit," he said. "It seems you really have improved since our last battle, though I'm not surprised. You were always an intelligent girl. However…" The flames surrounding Rizer's body burned even hotter as they went from orange straight to white. "You aren't the only one who has gotten stronger. This battle is far from over!"
As Rizer charged up his next attack, Ravel and Le Fay prepared their magic while Koneko raced forward.
This battle had only just begun.
~Devil Ninja~
Naruto grinned like a loon as he slammed his heels into Niðhöggr's back. Undulations rippled across the surface of the Dragon's skin as he added wind chakra to his kick, increasing the power of his attack and cracking the giant creature's scales. In response to his sudden assault, Niðhöggr roared in anger and tried to smack Naruto with his wings, but Naruto just flapped his Devil wings and flew away.
"Damn, bruh. Not only are you mentally slow, you're also physically slow. No wonder all the other dragons make fun of you, you sorry excuse for a sack of leather. You should just turn yourself into a handbag out of shame."
"You… you…! That does it! I am going to take great pleasure in killing you!"
It was hard to figure out a Dragon's facial expressions. Their reptilian muzzles didn't really allow them to change their expressions the way a human's face could, but it would have been obvious to anyone that Niðhöggr was incensed. He was thrashing around and roaring in outrage as Naruto hurled insults and taunts at him.
"You think you can kill me? Bitch please. I'm the most awesome ninja in the entire universe, and you're just a lame ass Dragon ho. You can't even touch me."
"Lame ass Dragon ho? Did you really just call a Dragon a whore?" Kurama snorted in his mind.
"Hey! I'm improvising my insults here! I'd like to see you do one better!"
While Kurama didn't think his insult was very good, Niðhöggr seemed to believe otherwise. Naruto was sure the Dragon's face would have turned red if it could.
"I'm going to kill you!"
A powerful flame blew from Niðhöggr's mouth—Dragon Breath. It looked almost like a condensed black beam of energy, but Naruto knew from experience that it was black fire. It kinda reminded him of Amataresu.
Naruto dodged the attack by simply drifting to the side. All of Niðhöggr's attacks were very linear, traveling in a straight line, never deviating from their given course, which made avoiding them easy. It helped that Niðhöggr wasn't thinking straight. The Dragon was so enraged he couldn't even come up with a halfway decent strategy.
Since Niðhöggr was angry and unable to think straight, Naruto decided now would be the perfect time to pull the Dragon away from the city. He couldn't fight in such a crowded place.
"Hey, Dragon bitch!" Naruto shouted at Niðhöggr before turning around and smacking his ass in a taunting gesture. "If you want to kill me, you're going to have to catch me!"
Niðhöggr was probably seeing red by this point. The Dragon's eyes had narrowed, lips peeled back and his large white fangs visibly glinting in the strange light of the Underworld.
"You asked for it! I will annihilate you!"
Naruto laughed as he flew off, Niðhöggr rushing after him. To increase his speed, Naruto channeled wind chakra to his wings and feet, creating a tornado beneath his feet to propel him forward. He needed to get far enough away from the city that he could unleash an attack powerful enough to destroy Niðhöggr in a single blow.
"Hmm… I think you might have done too good a job at angering him, Naruto."
"Why do you say that?"
"He's catching up."
"WHAT?!" Naruto shouted out loud as he turned his head and looked behind him to see that, indeed, Niðhöggr was right behind him and getting ready to try and smash Naruto with one of his massive claws. "OH SHIT!"
Naruto changed the angle he was blasting out wind chakra and swerved to the side, avoiding the incoming claw, which rent the air. He had always been told that Dragons had a lot of power. Of course, he knew this to be true as well, but in that moment, as a massive hurricane of force winds slammed into him, he truly understood what people meant.
Dragons were fucking strong.
Holy shit.
Gritting his teeth, Naruto descended toward the ground. He used his Truth-Seeking Balls to protect himself from Niðhöggr's magic attacks and avoided his physical attacks with aerial maneuvers.
Aside from the floating island, most of the Agares land was composed of mountains and valleys. Naruto tried to use the mountainous region to his advantage, swerving around massive geographical land masses jutting from the ground, disappearing into valleys filled with trees, and hiding out in the hopes of catching a break.
None of it worked.
Niðhöggr rammed straight through the mountains with his massive body, blasting them all to chunks. He burned the trees in the valleys with his black flames. It didn't matter where Naruto tried to hide, for Niðhöggr seemed to have locked onto him through some means Naruto couldn't discern. In short, he couldn't run.
"Well, damn. What should we do now?"
Naruto flew into the sky. Niðhöggr followed him. The giant mass of muscles and scales unleashed so many powerful attacks the very sky became filled with magic. Naruto created hundreds of Shadow Clones and made liberal use of the replacement technique to keep himself from being hit.
"Why are you asking me? Wasn't the original plan to reverse summon me?"
"It was, but I can't do that if I can't even catch a break!"
"And who's fault is that?"
"Not mine!"
"Denial is such an ugly emotion."
While Naruto was talking to Kurama, Niðhöggr was getting increasingly angry, as displayed by how his attacks were becoming more numerous, more powerful, and more reckless.
"Hold still, you damn pest!"
The area around them had been completely destroyed. Mountains lay shattered, forests were burning, and massive craters at least fifty meters across covered much of the ground. Naruto really hoped the Agares didn't need these places for anything.
"Well, I guess I can just try killing him normally."
Naruto sighed as he slipped behind Niðhöggr while the enraged Dragon was busy killing his clones. He created another clone, had it create a rasengan, and then added the wind element to create the Rasenshuriken.
The clone didn't need to be told what to do. The moment the Rasenshuriken was in his hands, the Naruto clone shot forth, extended his hand, and slammed into Niðhöggr. Another pained roar escaped the Dragon's mouth as the wind chakra expanded, creating a sphere of influence. Within that sphere, millions of microscopic wind blades sliced into Niðhöggr's skin, cutting his flesh. Even though this dragon was massive, the wind sphere encompassed his entire body.
When the attack dispersed, Niðhöggr fell down and struck the ground so hard the earth quaked. Blood gushed from wounds on his body. He looked like he might dead. In fact, Naruto hoped he was dead, though that hope was dashed when the creature's body healed and he stood back up.
"Stupid regeneration," Naruto grumbled.
"Now you know how your enemies must feel."
"Put a sock in it, Kurama."
"It seems I have truly underestimated thee, brat. I hath heard thee were strong, but I never expected thee to be this strong," Niðhöggr said as he glared at Naruto. He seemed to have calmed down some. He was back to speaking in that weird dialect of his.
Naruto made a big show of buffing his nails. "Maybe you should have. I mean, I am the most powerful ninja ever. Even Metatron worships the ground I walk on."
"Hmph. I do not care about what some pathetic angel worships. However, I will admit that thee are a lot more powerful than I believed thee would be. But it doesn't matter how strong thou are. In the face of my overwhelming might, thee are but an insignificant worm."
"Says the worm crawling around on the ground," Naruto insulted. "Why don't you say that after you've beaten me?"
"Fine!" Niðhöggr gnashed his giant teeth together. "Prepare to die!"
Hundreds of thousands of magic circles appeared around Niðhöggr. All of them were some form of Dragon Magic. Naruto didn't know what they did, but even he could feel the overwhelming magic power coming from these attacks. Any one of them could kill an ultimate-class devil.
Magic blasted from the magic circles and traveled toward Naruto, who quickly replaced himself with a clone and got the hell out of dodge. He moved quickly as the magic attacks exploded behind him. The power was so great that the force of the explosion slammed into Naruto while he was fleeing. Fortunately, he had accommodated for this and used the force to fly faster toward Niðhöggr.
"Let's see how you deal with my Jiton Rasengan (Magnet Rasengan)!"
The Jiton Rasengan was an attack Naruto had gained after inheriting the Rikudou Sennin's powers. By combining his Rasengan with Shukaku's Jiton to reinforce its suction power, he created a Rasengan that contained the beast's cursed seal markings. It didn't look like much. Compared to the Rasenshuriken, this didn't look anywhere near as deadly.
Naruto slammed the Jiton Rasengan into Niðhöggr. The cursed seal markings within the Rasengan quickly spread across Niðhöggr's body, binding the Dragon as though they were chains.
"W-what is this?!"
"That's just to keep you still," Naruto said as he formed a cross shaped hand seal. "The real attack begins now! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Naruto created eight clones, then held out his hand and created a Rasenshuriken. He usually had a clone do the nature or shape manipulation, but this time, he did it himself. It took a bit more time, but that was what the Jiton Rasengan had been for. While he created a Rasenshuriken, the clones each created a Rasenshuriken of their own, but each one contained the properties of a different tailed beast.
"Here we go! Suck on this! Senpo: Cho Biju Rasenshuriken (Sage Art: Super Tailed Beast Rasenshuriken)!"
Once all of the jutsu were created, Naruto and his eight clones hurled them at Niðhöggr, who was still struggling on the ground. Each jutsu careened toward the massive Dragon and struck hard.
A series of huge explosions went up in the air. Naruto's clone dispelled as the real Naruto raised a hand to his face, covering it as the devastating detonations pushed against him. His eyes watered, though he continued to stare at the destruction his technique had unleashed.
When the attack finally cleared, Naruto lowered his hand and looked at the massive crater that now scarred the ground. It was far bigger than the ones Niðhöggr had created. This crater was at least a hundred meters across. Naruto couldn't even begin to guess at how deep it was, but it reminded him vaguely of this crater he'd seen in history class, which had scarred the earth when a meteor struck the ground.
Niðhöggr was nowhere in sight.
"Well, I guess that takes care of that."
Naruto clapped his hands as if ridding them of dust. He turned around and was about to head back into the city, even though he wasn't sure exactly which direction he should travel.
Before he could move too far, Kurama stopped him.
"That Dragon isn't dead."
"Huh?" Naruto stopped moving. "You're kidding, right? Did you not see what just happened? I blew that blasted flying lizard to kingdom come! There isn't a shred of him left!"
"I don't know what to tell you, but Niðhöggr isn't dead."
"Kurama, you haven't gone blind, have you? It's obvious that he's—"
Naruto turned around to look at the giant crater, only to freeze when he saw the air within the crater distorting. Waves of miasma covered the area. From within the miasma, a body emerged. First came a set of massive feet with sharp claws, then powerful legs with rippling muscles, followed by a scaled and serpentine body. The last part to form was the head.
Niðhöggr, now revived through his freaky self-resurrection powers, roared out as though in defiance. He spread his wings and slammed his tail into the ground. Then he turned his head to glare at Naruto.
"Shit, he isn't dead," Naruto said out loud.
"Told you so," Kurama said.
"Mother fucker." Naruto would have complained more, but, well, it wasn't like Niðhöggr was going to give him the time to bitch and moan about this. With a sigh, he cracked his knuckles, hardened his expression, and got ready. "Fine. Let's do this. I can go another round."
~Devil Ninja~
Just like she had done during her mock battle with Ruval, Ravel created a vacuum space around Rizer. Fire needed oxygen to burn. While Rizer could use his own demonic power to create and maintain a fire, it would waste power and would also require him to concentrate harder on what he was doing. This would, in theory, cause him to become distracted.
The wind around Rizer picked up, turning into a fierce gale shaped like a sphere. Within this sphere, no oxygen existed. Ravel willed the air to travel out of the sphere and used the incredible rotational force to keep it from reaching the inside where Rizer was.
"Did you think I wouldn't know what you are trying to do, dear sister?" asked Rizer the moment he felt the wind vacuum surround him. "I am also a Phenex, you know. I have the same power of wind and fire that you do, except my power is stronger."
"That may be so, but you don't have as much control as I do," Ravel countered, her glare fierce. "You are much better at firing off big attacks than you are creating small and harmless ones."
Rizer clicked his tongue. "That is true. Fine! Let us see how you handle this!"
Several magic circles appeared around Rizer. A beam of condensed fire flew from each one. However, they never hit their intended target—Ravel—for Le Fay quickly intercepted them. She created several magic circles, one for each beam fired. The beams struck the magic circles, then vanished. Meanwhile, another set of magic circles appeared in the sky, and the beams Rizer fired from out of them and traveled harmlessly into the distance.
"Is that… teleportation magic?!" asked a shocked Rizer.
"Fire teleportation magic," Le Fay corrected.
At the same time that Le Fay was blocking Rizer's attacks, Koneko descended from the sky, rotated her body around, and slammed her left heel on top of Rizer's head before he knew what was happening. The attack was powerful. A shock wave spread through the air like a ripple as Rizer plummeted to the ground, crashing hard enough to create a crater.
"Now!" Ravel shouted as she created several magic circles around herself.
Le Fay also created several magic circles. Unlike Ravel's, which were pure devil magic, hers were a combination of fairy magic and norse magic. And while Ravel's contained a strong fire element, Le Fay's were all wind magic.
The numerous magic circles from both Le Fay and Ravel became stacked on top of each other like a set of plates, with Ravel's in back and Le Fay's in front.
"Ready?" asked Ravel.
"Ready!" Le Fay said.
As Koneko landed on a building several meters to their left, Le Fay and Ravel launched their combination magic. Fire erupted from Ravel's magic circles and wind from Le Fay's. The fire was simply an incredibly intense flame. Ravel hadn't focused on making the magic into a shape but on increasing the heat. Phenex family members controlled fire and wind, but they were not immune to them, which meant a hotter flame had a greater chance of dealing damage.
While Ravel's flames were just intensely hot, Le Fay's wind magic was special. Each wind attack was shaped like a drill. When the flames struck the drills, they absorbed all the fire, increasing both their strength and also letting the fire conform to the shape of the drill. Now transformed into flaming drills of fire, the multiple attacks descended toward the crater and exploded.
A plume of bright white fire rose into the sky. Ravel shut her eyes against the intense white light. It felt like daggers stabbing her eyes. She covered her face with her hands to further protect them.
Seconds after the explosion, a shock wave of rushing wind slammed into her and Le Fay. Ravel flapped her wings harder to avoid being knocked off balance. Oddly enough, the incredible wind forces slamming into her ceased after several seconds. She found out why when, upon opening her eyes, she found a barrier right in front of her.
"This is…?"
"A magic barrier using White Magic," Le Fay said.
"So this is White Magic," Ravel murmured as she stared at the opaque barrier surrounding them. It was shaped like a giant sphere. "I've never seen White Magic before."
"Back in the olden days of Europe, White Magic was often considered the magic used by good witches," Le Fay said, looking at the magic fire still raging before them. The conflagration had spread past the crater Rizer was in and moved onto the surrounding buildings. "We know better now. Magic is just magic. However, a long time ago, it was believed that anyone who used Black Magic was evil and White Magic was good… well, until the witch burnings began. Then every witch was an evil witch."
As Le Fay explained a little about magic history, the howling winds around them suddenly reversed course and went back toward the now dying explosion. Ravel and Le Fay remained safe thanks to Le Fay's barrier. Koneko was not within their barrier, but when Ravel glanced at her, she saw that the white-haired girl was fine. Koneko was crouched on a building and digging her fingers into the rooftop to remain in place.
"Do you think that defeated him?" asked Le Fay.
"No." Ravel shook her head. "My brother is a Phenex. He's more than likely already healed from all his injuries and is waiting to attack. Since a frontal assault didn't work, he's going to try something tricky. I bet he'll wait until we check to see if he's really dead. Once we're near the crater, he'll launch a surprise attack to catch us off guard."
"So what should we do?" asked Le Fay as she dropped the barrier.
"Koneko!" Ravel suddenly shouted at her friend.
"Hit me!" Koneko said as she leapt into the air.
Koneko was already transformed into her Nekomata Mode Level 2. Her body was covered in a layer of touki, which caused her to glow.
Ravel created a large magic circle over the crater, which Koneko passed through. As she passed through the circle, her extended fist suddenly caught fire. The flames wrapped around her fist and changed shape into a demonic-looking cat.
Then Koneko disappeared into the crater. Ravel waited on baited breath and flew closer to look inside the crater, where Koneko was trying to punch Rizer Phenex with her demonic cat fire fist. She was being blocked by a defensive magic circle. Rizer was lying underneath the circle, his teeth grit so hard it looked like his gums might start bleeding.
"Do not think you can… defeat me like this!" Rizer roared.
"I've never lost to a chicken bitch before. I'm not about to start now," Koneko said with narrowed eyes.
The magic circle she was attacking with her magically enhanced fire punch cracked. The crack multiplied and spread across the magic circle. Rizer's eyes bulged.
"NO! HOW CAN THIS BE?!" he shouted.
Koneko snorted. "Suck on this, dipshit!"
Her attack finally shattered the magic circle and crashed into Rizer with all the power of a hurricane. The explosion that went up this time was not as powerful as the one that Ravel and Le Fay unleashed with their combination magic, but it was a lot more concentrated too. Rizer didn't stand a chance.
Ravel felt a moment of sympathy when Rizer's body was slammed into the ground, which cracked and split around his body. His skin blistered and boiled from the intense heat. It was something not even a Phenex could withstand.
Koneko leapt away from Rizer as Ravel and Le Fay landed next to her. They all stared at the defeated figure lying on the ground. Rizer's wounds were healing again, but even so, his body refused to move. He struggled to get up, but no matter how hard he tried to get his body to move, it remained where it was.
"You've lost, Brother," Ravel said as she walked up to him.
"How… can this be?" he grunted. "How come you defeated me so… easily!"
"It's because I wasn't fighting alone," Ravel announced with her hands on her hips. "We both know there's no way I could defeat you by myself, but I am not by myself. I have Koneko and Le Fay helping me. Even if you're stronger than any one of us, you aren't stronger than all three of us combined."
"Damn it…"
"Give up and come home," Ravel said.
"I can't…" Rizer grunted. "You don't… understand… the Old Satan Faction… they aren't someone you can just mess with. Our family is… in danger. That's why…"
"What?" Ravel took a step back. "What do you mean in danger?! Why would they be in danger?! From what?"
Rizer sighed as his body relaxed. It seemed the fight had gone out of him.
"The Old Satan Faction has many different weapons at their disposal, powerful weapons that not even a Devil who exceeds Ultimate-class can withstand. When I was still bitter over my loss to Naruto, Euclid came to me and said I should join him, and when I refused, he showed me the power their side possessed, showed me what would happen if we resisted. I decided to join them on the condition that you and my peerage were not harmed."
Ravel shifted from one foot to the other. So her brother hadn't joined the Old Satan Faction to get revenge on Naruto? He had joined to protect his family? She placed a hand against her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. While some part of her had hoped this was the case, it was still relieving to hear.
"I'm guessing you didn't bring your peerage with you because you didn't want them getting in trouble in case you died," Ravel said.
"I knew fighting against the Three Factions Alliance may result in my death," Rizer mumbled. "If I did end up dying, I didn't want my peerage to join me in death."
Ravel nodded. Meanwhile, Koneko and Le Fay looked like they weren't sure what to make of this situation. Koneko, in particular, looked pretty surprised.
"What I want to know is what this great threat you're talking about is?" The little nekousho took a step forward. "Is it really something that can threaten the Three Factions Alliance?"
Rizer released a dry laugh. "It is an incredible power the likes of which I have never seen. Rizevim Lucifer has somehow managed to get his hands on the Sephiroth Graal."
Le Fay gasped and covered her hand with her mouth.
"Do you know what that is?" asked Koneko.
"Sephiroth Graal is one of the Thirteen Longinus," Le Fay explained, her face pale. "It is also known as the Holy Grail. It's the very same Holy Grail from the Last Supper that Jesus Christ used and the Grail of Arthurian Legend. Along with the True Longinus and Incinerate Anthem, it is known as a Holy Relic." Le Fay furrowed her brow. "The Sephiroth Graal has the ability to make contact with the principle of life. Possessors of it are told about how life and souls are made. It basically grants them incredible knowledge about life, death, and the creation of life. With its power to control the principle of life, the one who wields it can bring the death back to life."
"I see!" Ravel's eyes widened. "That's how the Old Satan Faction managed to revive the Evil Dragons!"
"I do not know where or how he got his hands on the Sephiroth Graal," Rizer said. "But with its power, he has been able to revive the Evil Dragons. Of course, it is not as if the Evil Dragons are his only trump card. He has many hidden trump cards at his disposal."
"So that's why you joined the Old Satan Faction?" asked Ravel for confirmation.
Rizer sighed. "He said that if I didn't join him, he would kill my family and peerage, so I made a deal."
Ravel looked at her two companions and saw the uncertain expressions on their faces. Neither of them knew what to think. She considered what she'd been told, then sighed as she turned to Rizer.
"We're going to take you back with us, and you are going to tell Sirzechs and the others everything you know. You'll probably be punished for betraying the Three Factions Alliance, but hopefully, your punishment will be lighter thanks to the information you have."
"I guess I don't have a choice," Rizer said with a wry smile. "I can hardly move…"
Neither Koneko or Le Fay contested Ravel's decision, so they set about securing Rizer with a special rope that could restrain a Devil's power to some extent. Since Koneko was the strongest among them, she carried Rizer as they left the crater.
Now all they had to do was hook back up with Naruto.
~Devil Ninja~
Naruto frowned as he watched Niðhöggr revive once more. The head that Naruto had blown apart reformed, the wings that had been shredded were back, and the scales that had been busted, broken, and melted down into slag appeared as pristine as if they'd never undergone such unspeakable tortures.
It was enough to make Naruto annoyed.
"Kurama… how many times have we killed this Dragon?"
"I stopped keeping track after fifty."
Their battle against Niðhöggr had been going on for some time now, long enough that Naruto had killed this thing several dozen times within the last half an hour. He'd removed the Dragon's head, cut open his stomach, lopped off his limbs, and even made his entire body undergo spontaneous combustion. Every time Niðhöggr died, he would just revive.
Naruto only knew a tiny bit about Niðhöggr. He was a dragon from Norse mythology, and it had been said that because of his greed, he was capable of reviving himself after being killed. Whether this self-resurrection ability was thanks to gnawing on the root of Yggdrasil or something else, Naruto couldn't say. All he knew was this ability was annoying.
"How much longer can I remain like this?"
"I'd say ten minutes."
"Ugh… so not long."
This was a problem. Naruto didn't know how many more times he needed to kill Niðhöggr to beat him for good, or indeed, if such a thing was even possible. Maybe this Dragon really was invincible.
"Ugh… uuuhhh…"
Niðhöggr groaned as he finished reviving, his body shaking as he swayed from side to side. While he didn't look injured, it seemed he was at least affected by death each time it happened.
"You… damn bastard… I'll kill you…"
Naruto snorted. "Don't talk about killing someone when you can't even keep yourself from dying, you sorry ass excuse for a Dragon."
"Bastard…"
Despite how Niðhöggr must have hated him by now, the Dragon didn't appear to have the strength to muster his killing intent. Naruto wondered if this meant he was close to dying. Well, there was only one way to find out.
"All right." Naruto cracked his knuckles and began walking toward Niðhöggr. "Let's continue fighting."
"You want to keep going?!" The ground rumbled beneath Niðhöggr's feet as the massive dragon stumbled backward. "Not a chance! I'm not about to let myself be killed again! I'm out of here!"
"Eh?"
Naruto blinked in surprise when the dragon suddenly flapped its wings and took off. He tilted his head to watch as Niðhöggr flew away as far and as fast as he could, wondering if maybe he should chase after the Dragon and finish him… but then he sighed and slowly shook his head. Maybe he could kill Niðhöggr, but he didn't have much chakra left. It would be better to conserve chakra in case he needed it when he got back to the city.
With a sigh, Naruto flapped his devil wings and soared into the air.
He was much further from the city he'd been defending than he originally thought, so it took around an hour to reach it. When he did, Naruto found that the battle was mostly over. A lot of the Three Factions Alliance soldiers were in the process of rendering first aid to the injured, searching for survivors (or bodies) in destroyed buildings, and clearing away rubble.
Naruto found Ravel, Koneko, and Le Fay standing guard over none other than Rizer Phenex. The man was bound up in special chains that negated demonic powers. For a devil who had been rendered harmless, he seemed awfully accepting of his situation.
As Naruto landed on the ground, Ravel and the others turned to him. While Rizer looked like he had swallowed a lemon, Ravel, Koneko, and Le Fay burst into smiles.
"Naruto-sama!" Ravel said as he walked over to them. "I'm glad to see you're okay."
"Me too." Naruto placed a hand on her head and gently rubbed her hair. "I'm glad none of you are hurt." He glanced over at Rizer, who looked away as though the mere sight of Naruto sickened him. "I see you managed to beat your brother."
"We did," Ravel said, turning to her brother and frowning. There was something in that frown that made Naruto think there had been more to this battle than a simple fight, but then the blonde turned back to him and smiled again. "It wasn't easy, but it was a lot less difficult than it would have been if I'd fought him by myself."
"Hmph. Speak for yourself." Koneko raised a hand and gave Naruto the victory sign. "I kicked Ass. Capital on the A."
Naruto grinned and began petting Koneko's head. "As expected of Koneko. Kicking ass and taking names is your calling card."
"You know it."
While Naruto would have loved to pamper this girl some more, he knew now wasn't the time for that.
Removing his hand from Koneko's soft white hair, he moved over to Rizer, who was still pretending Naruto didn't exist.
"It's been awhile," Naruto said. "I haven't seen you since we fought in that Rating Game."
"Hmph. If I had my way, I would have preferred never seeing you again," Rizer said.
"That might have been possible if you hadn't joined the Chaos Brigade."
"I have my reasons for doing what I did. I don't need to tell you anything."
It was clear from Rizer's responses that he wasn't going to give Naruto the time of day, and Naruto wasn't much of an interrogation expert, so he couldn't be bothered to try and get answers out of the man. Instead, he decided to speak with Ravel about this.
"Did you manage to learn anything about why Rizer joined the Chaos Brigade?" he asked.
"Well…"
Ravel explained to Naruto what happened during and after the battle with her brother, and Naruto learned that Rizer had, in fact, joined the Chaos Brigade to protect his family. It was misguided. Rizer's actions had caused more harm than good. Rizer himself would be considered a criminal now and have to bear the responsibilities that come from committing a war crime, but it seemed Ravel's brother at least had good intentions.
Naruto still didn't really like him, though.
"What should we do now?" asked Le Fay.
"First, we should deliver Rizer Phenex back to House Phenex," Naruto said, looking at Ravel. She nodded, so he continued. "After that, we should hook back up with Rias and the others. I heard they were in the Sitri territory, so we should travel there next."
Naruto really wanted to travel there first, but he didn't think rushing to the Sitri territory would help. Chances were good the battle was already over.
While standard protocols dictated that Rizer should be given to the commanding officer in charged and tried in a martial court, they were given special permission to take Rizer back home to the House Phenex estate.
Because no one present could transport them using magic, they ended up taking a train back to the Phenex territory. The train ride didn't take longer than six hours. That might not have been a long time, but Naruto still didn't like how long it took. All the time he spent in that train was time he could have spent meeting back up with Rias.
Lady and Lord Phenex were informed beforehand that Ravel was coming back home with their wayward son in tow. They were waiting for the group outside of the entrance to their estate. Not only was the lord and lady present, but Rizer's entire peerage had come to greet them.
Rizer was still in handcuffs.
"Rizer!"
"Urk!"
Rizer Phenex could only remain awkwardly still as his mother engulfed him in a warm hug, the kind of motherly gesture only someone who had raised a child could do.
"I am so glad you're safe and back home," Lady Phenex said, tears in her eyes.
"Ah…" Rizer didn't look like he knew what to say. "Me… me too…"
"However, you are also in a lot of trouble," Lady Phenex continued.
"I figured as much."
Lord Phenex was a lot more reserved than his wife, waiting until Lady Phenex stepped away from her son before walking up to him. The man's face was a mixture of emotion. Joy, anger, disappointment, and relief combined to create a truly disastrous looking face. Rizer, perhaps able to sense these emotions even better than Naruto, looked away.
"I hope you realize how much trouble you have caused us… and me personally," Lord Phenex said.
"I do," Rizer mumbled. "Sorry."
Naruto found the sight of Rizer humbling himself odd. All Naruto had ever known was the arrogant prick who tried to force Rias into marrying him. Ravel might have told him that wasn't all Rizer had to him, that the man was more than just a jerk, but he simply couldn't believe the man was anything other than a diehard asshole with a stick shoved so far up his rectum he had to waddle like a penguin when walking. However, he guessed there was more to this man than first meets the eye.
After Rizer's parents spoke to the man, his harem—erm, his peerage—greeted him next. Naruto didn't stick around to see the man become buried under a pile of women.
He went to his room and began packing away all his stuff. Koneko and Le Fay helped him out. Naruto was sure Ravel would have helped them pack everything as well, but she was still with her family.
"So we're really leaving today?" asked Le Fay as she carefully folded her clothes and placed them in a suitcase. "Wouldn't it be better if we stayed the night? It's not like we'll be able to help Rias and the others even if we head out now."
"I know," Naruto admitted. "But I dislike being away from her for so long when there's trouble happening. We also don't know if Rias and the others are safe."
Naruto folded up his boxers, placed them in his suitcase, then grabbed his next article of clothing. It was just simple orange pants. He folded those up as well.
"You are in luck then," a voice said seconds before the door to his bedroom opened. Lady Phenex walked into the room with her daughter trailing after her. She smiled at Naruto and everyone else before speaking again. "I have just received word from the Sitri territory that the battle has ended. Rias Gremory and the other members of her peerage are safe. That being the case, why not stay the night and head over tomorrow morning? You must all be exhausted after having fought so hard."
Naruto still wasn't sure he wanted to remain there, but when he saw the look on Ravel's face, he decided there was no harm in remaining for one more night. Rias was safe. While it rankled on his nerves that he hadn't been there during her time of need, the important thing was that she and the others were unharmed.
"I guess we can stick around for another night," he said with a sigh.
"Excellent." Lady Phenex clapped her hands together. "In that case, I shall have our servants prepare dinner soon. In the meantime, you four should relax."
Lady Phenex left to ask a servant to prepare dinner. Ravel didn't join her and instead began helping pack for the journey tomorrow. She bantered with Koneko, talked about magic with Le Fay, and treated him the same as always. Even so, Naruto noticed her looking at him when she thought he wasn't looking. He wondered if she wanted something.
After packing all of their supplies, the group decided to lounge around until it was time for dinner. Le Fay pulled out a book she'd found in the Phenex library on fire magic, Koneko went to sleep—she also decided to us his lap as a pillow—and Ravel sat on the bed and leaned against Naruto, her head resting on his shoulder. It almost felt like nothing had really changed even after what they'd just been through.
About two hours after Lady Phenex left, a servant came to inform them all that dinner was ready, so Naruto woke up Koneko and the four of them traveled to the dining hall, where a large feast had been prepared.
~Devil Ninja~
Naruto woke up to find a weight on his chest. It was Koneko, of course, lying on top of him like he was an oversized pillow. The young nekousho wasn't naked, but her clothing was very thin. He could feel her nipples through her shirt.
Climbing out from underneath her was a little tough, but Naruto was a ninja and replaced himself with a Shadow Clone.
"Thank you for this blessing, boss," the clone whispered as he wrapped his arms around Koneko.
Naruto wondered if it was possible to feel jealous of himself, but he shook the thought off and wandered out of the guestroom and down the hall. Despite how he was only wearing boxers, Naruto didn't feel cold at all, which likely had something to do with all the fire around this place. Even these hallways were decorated with flames.
It took a bit of effort to find the kitchen. He still didn't know where everything was in this large mansion, but he eventually reached it and got himself a glass of water. His throat was a little parched.
He was heading back to his bedroom when he caught sight of someone else walking down the hall. Dressed in a light pink nightgown, her blonde hair falling freely around her, Ravel Phenex padded barefoot across the soft carpet. She seemed to be lost in thought.
"Ravel?"
"Hyan!" Ravel nearly jumped out of her skin when he called her name. She placed a hand against her chest and turned to him, her eyes wide. "Oh. Naruto. It's just you. You startled me."
"Lost in thought?" asked Naruto.
Ravel nodded. "I couldn't sleep, so I've been reviewing my fight against my brother. I wanted to see if there was anything I could have done differently. I also… wanted to know if it would have been possible to beat him by myself."
"And what answers have you come to?" asked Naruto.
"That beating him by myself at this stage is impossible," Ravel admitted with a wry smile. "I might have the strategy, but I don't have the strength, and without the strength necessary, all my strategies against him are useless."
There were times when a sound strategy could defeat a foe many times stronger than yourself, but that still required you to have a certain level of strength. It did not matter what strategies you had if your opponent could just overpower you. At this stage, Ravel was not at the level of strength where her strategies against Rizer could work.
"But you aren't planning to let things continue like this, right?" said Naruto.
"Not at all." Ravel gave him a confident smile. "If I'm going to be useful to you, Naruto-sama, then I need to get even stronger. When we get back home, I plan on training with Koneko and the others more. I think if I can become more proficient at using my powers, I'll be able to use a lot of the strategies I've created but can't enact yet."
It always impressed Naruto to see how determined the girls he lived with could be. The way they constantly worked so hard to become stronger made him want to train even harder, though he still wasn't able to grow stronger through training yet. That reminded him, he still needed to figure out how he could deal with Yami.
"You're always useful to me," Naruto said honestly. "I can't tell you how many times your strategies have helped me out. Remember when we went to Greece? We would have lost if it wasn't for you."
"D-do you really think so?" asked Ravel, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of red.
"Of course I do. You were an integral part of that battle. How many people can effectively coordinate so many fights at once? You did a great job."
"I-I'm very pleased to hear you say that," Ravel said, her voice squeaking.
Naruto grinned at the blonde beauty, who even to this day still became very embarrassed over something as simple as a compliment. No two ways around it, Ravel was incredibly cute.
"You know…" Naruto began as he realized something. Ravel perked up. "I just realized… but we haven't really been alone like this, have we?"
"N-now that you mention it, I don't think we have." Ravel suddenly began fidgeting as she looked at him, looked away, and then looked back at him. "It's… I mean, we live with everyone else, so it's kind of hard to just have some time with you to myself. N-not that I mind, or anything. Rias-sama and the others are great! I really like spending time with them, but, you know, sometimes I think it would be nice if it was just the two of us."
Ravel was actually getting a bit better at expressing herself. She wouldn't have been able to speak so honestly months ago. Naruto wondered if having sex helped her overcome that natural shyness of hers.
"In that case, would you like to spend the night with me?" asked Naruto.
"W-would that be okay?" asked Ravel.
Naruto grabbed her by the hand. "Why wouldn't it be? We are engaged, right?"
Ravel's expression brightened even as the redness covering her cheeks grew darker. "Right. You're right. We're engaged. This is perfectly acceptable. I-I'm sure no one will mind if I hog you a bit."
"No one will mind at all," Naruto agreed.
"M-my room. Let's go to my room," Ravel suggested, turning around and walking back the way she had come.
Naruto let her drag him along by the hand. They eventually reached her room, but Ravel didn't enter at first. She looked left, then right, as if worried someone might see her entering her bedroom with a man. Once she had confirmed that no one was around, she opened the door and led him inside.
"S-so… we're in my room now."