Rias did not know how many days she and Kiba spent in that room, lounging around and trying not to go stir crazy from the lack of anything to really do. Oh, it wasn't like they did absolutely nothing. Rias had created several contingencies in case their plans for this trip went pear-shaped. She and Kiba also played a lot of Chess, but they stopped playing after the first two days.
At present, Rias was lying on her bed, dressed in little more than a semi-translucent nighty that trailed down to her feet. Her heels and soles were pressed firmly into the bed as she reclined against the headboard. She was reading a book that she had requested one of the Carmilla servants to get for her, a book detailing the history of the Carmilla Clan. Rias was looking for information that might help her get an edge over these vampires.
"Rias? You in there?" Kiba asked as he knocked on the door to her room.
"Yes, I am in here. You can come in," Rias said.
She slipped a coat over her nightgown as the door opened and Kiba walked in. He closed the door behind him and made his way over to a chair next to a small table.
"Is something the matter, Kiba?" asked Rias.
"Isn't it obvious?" asked Kiba, frowning as he crossed his arms. "We have been here for three days, but we haven't been summoned even once."
"Azazel has been summoned a lot," Rias pointed out with a smile.
"You know what I mean," Kiba said with a sigh.
"I do." Rias's teasing smile turned into a frown of uncertainty. "They have not yet honored my request to set up a meeting with the Vladi Clan, nor have they even bothered to meet with me. It's incredibly rude of them. Makes me wonder if I should have even bothered coming here."
"I have a bad feeling about all this," Kiba added.
"A feeling? What kind of feeling?"
"Just… I feel like something bad is going to happen."
"You know I can't do much because of a feeling, right?"
"I know."
"We'll just have to play everything by ear. Let's keep our eyes out for anything suspicious."
Kiba nodded decisively once. At that moment, a knock came at the door seconds before it opened to reveal a young vampire woman with pale skin and red eyes, dressed in the traditional black and white uniform as a maid. She bowed to the pair.
"Miss Rias Gremory, Lady Carmilla has managed to speak with Count Vladi, who has agreed to have a meeting with you," she said without preamble. "Please follow me. A car is waiting to take you to his estate."
"Very well. Please let me get dressed first."
"Of course."
"Kiba?"
"I'll be waiting in my room," Kiba said.
As Kiba and the maid left, Rias slipped out of her overcoat and nightgown, then grabbed her outfit. She was not wearing the standard school uniform she so often dressed, but an extravagant red gown that clung to her figure. It was of a modest cut. She did not want to give anyone the impression that she was an easy woman, and so the cleavage-revealing dip was very small, revealing just a hint of her bosoms.
Rias grabbed Kiba once she was dressed and the two of them followed the maid, though it was weird to her that she was leaving without even meeting Lady Carmilla even once. Was the Vampire Queen of the Carmilla Faction so discriminatory toward other races that she couldn't be bothered to meet with her?
A car was waiting out front in the driveway. It was a typical limousine, which blended into the night so well a human would have missed it. Thank Satan for enhanced night vision. The servant opened the door for her and Kiba as they climbed into the limousine and sat down, and then wandered over to the driver's side and said something to the driver. Rias could not hear what was being said, which made her frown.
"Kiba?"
"Yes?"
"I think I also have a bad feeling about this."
Kiba said nothing, but it was obvious from the expression on his face that he was wary. The rest of their ride was in tense silence.
It took about an hour to reach the Vladi Clan's mansion. It was not located in the same small village as the Carmilla Faction's mansion, possibly because the two clans were on opposite sides of this cold war of theirs. The "village" with the Vladi Clan's ancestral home was much bigger than the Carmilla Faction's, which Rias believed was because the male dominant Tepes Faction had a larger population.
Before the factions split, the clans were one. Rias had read that the Carmilla and Tepes factions were born one hundred years ago when the Vampires argued between choosing a female true ancestor or a male true ancestor. They had not been able to decide, which led to the split and the rise of the two current factions.
Most of the house in this city were done in the traditional style found in Europe, made of wood and stone. They looked almost identical to the ones at the Carmilla Faction's home. There were just more of them. Similarly, a thick fog covered most of the village, which served to keep prying human eyes from seeing this place.
The mansion they were driven to was about the same size as Lady Carmilla's, but it looked older and more foreboding, like some ancient monster was living there. Rias knew such thoughts were ridiculous. But, still, she could not help but feel a little apprehensive now that the moment had come.
"I will wait here until you return," their driver told them.
"Thank you," Rias said.
"Don't bother," the Vampire said in a snide voice. "I am only doing this because it was ordered of me by Lady Carmilla."
Rias's lips thinned into a tight line, but she did not bother saying anything else as she walked up the porch steps and reached the doors. They were fairly massive and extravagantly decorated with the Crest of Clan Vladi on the front. A pair of Vampires dressed as guards stood on either side. They wielded no weapons, but a Vampire's entire body was a weapon, so that meant little.
"We are here to speak with Lord Vladi," said Rias in an authoritative tone.
"We have been expecting you, Rias Gremory," said one of the guards. "I will escort you to meet his Lordship. Follow me, and do not fall behind."
The guards opened the door, and the one who'd been speaking walked inside. Kiba and Rias followed him. The entrance hall they first walked into was massive, featured numerous columns lining the walls, and several side halls that led deeper into the mansion. They walked through one of those side halls. Dark red carpet seemed to glisten like blood in the light projected off the candelabras that were affixed to the walls every few meters. Rias shook her head and tried to ignore the feeling in her gut that something was wrong.
They stopped before a door.
"His Lordship is just in here," said the guard. He glared at them. "Mind your manners."
"What a pleasant fellow," Kiba said in a cheerful voice as the guard left.
"Ignore him," Rias said. "Don't you find it odd that the guard didn't knock on the door to announce our presence?"
Kiba nodded slowly. "So it wasn't just me then. I also found that unusual."
"Another thing that bothers me is that I haven't seen a single servant since we entered this mansion," Rias added. "Vampires are vain and have dozens if not hundreds of servants to do everything for them. That not a single one has been seen at all since we got here is highly unusual."
"In other words, we should be on our guard," Kiba said, placing a hand on the hilt of a sword he created and sheathed at his waist.
"Yes. Let's be on our guard."
Rias steadied herself by taking a deep breath. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she recalled the reason she had come all this way. Gasper. Her servant was currently suffering because of what was happening here, and he wanted to do something about it, but she could not in good conscience allow her beloved servant to come to harm. That was why she was here. To ensure his safety while he was in Vampire Territory.
She knocked once.
"Who is it?" a voice said from beyond the door. They sounded… oddly familiar.
"Lady Rias Gremory of the House of Gremory has come to speak with you, Lord Vladi," Rias said in a clear voice.
"… Come in."
Rias opened the door and entered with Kiba at her back, now suspecting more than ever that something was wrong. The door slammed shut behind them of its own volition. She could barely see anything of her surroundings. A darkness so thick not even her devil eyes could penetrate it—no, it wasn't a natural darkness. This darkness was infused with a thick and powerful magic that caused her scalp to prickle.
"Welcome, Rias Gremory. We have been expecting you."
The darkness suddenly receded, and Rias felt a chill run down her spine when she saw three people on the other side of the room.
One of them was Rizevim Lucifer. He looked the same as always. By his side was a young girl who could have passed off as Ophis's sister, the sole difference being that she wore her hair in a ponytail while Ophis wore hers down. She knew this person was the vessel that now held Ophis's power, a being created by the Chaos Brigade. However, it was the person sitting on the throne that caught Rias's attention and held it.
Spiky blonde hair that seemed… dark and ominous somehow, jagged and sharp, but oh so familiar. Three whisker marks on either side of his face. Crimson eyes surrounded by black instead of white. The person sitting on the chair, one leg propped on the other was none other than Naruto Uzumaki, or rather, it was Naruto's evil half, the one he had taken to calling Yami. He sat there with a smug grin on his face that looked off. Wrong somehow.
"Yami…" Rias sucked in a deep breath, but she tried to still her hammering heart. "What are you… doing here?! Where is Lord Vladi? Answer me!"
"Lord Vladi is… currently recuperating at Castle Tepes. He has had a most trying time these past few years since his son left. Don't worry. You will get to meet him soon enough… when I take you to the dungeon he is wholed up in," Yami said with a sneer.
His meaning was clear. He wanted to take her prisoner.
"Like I would let that happen," Kiba shouted as he knelt and slammed his hands into the ground. Sword Birth activated and caused hundreds of blades to appear, though they quickly took the shape of dragon knights. They were large beings composed of hundreds of blades and shaped like bipedal knights in dragon-esque armor.
Known as the Glory Drag Trooper, this sub-species Balance Breaker allowed him to create an army of holy sword-wielding dragon knights that could imitate the speed or technique of the user. From what Rias understood, Kiba was still in the process of perfecting this technique, but it was still one of his strongest moves.
At the same time, Kiba summoned Gram, a powerful Demon Sword known as the Demonic Emperor Sword. It was something he had been given after the incident with the Hero Faction was resolved. As a dragon slaying sword with incredible destructive power, it was a weapon that was like a more powerful combination of Ascalon and Durandal.
While Kiba summoned his army and Demon Sword, Rias exploded with the Powers of Destruction, not hesitating to release everything she had in a single powerful attack. She knew better than anyone what kind of power these people wielded. One of them was the son of the former Lucifer, a Satan-Class Devil on par with her brother, another contained the power of the Ouroboros Dragon, and the last was Naruto's dark half and currently contained most of her boyfriend's power. Holding back was not an option.
The beam of destruction that she unleashed carved a path through the floor. It would have struck Yami, sitting smugly on his throne with a shit-eating grin that was so familiar it hurt. Before it could even make it, however, Lilith stepped in front of the attack and raised her hand, stopping the beam in its tracks. She didn't move back even a centimeter. Clenching her hand into a fist, she destroyed Rias's technique like it was nothing.
Rias had never felt so weak.
At that moment, the Glory Drag Troopers rushed forward to swarm Lilith, but they didn't get far before she unleashed a powerful explosion of energy that wiped them out in a split second. It was like Rias had blinked and they were just gone.
"Kiba! Get back!" Rias shouted.
Kiba had been racing toward the group with Gram drawn. Her warning came too late. He swung the weapon at Lilith, who raised her hand and caught his blade on her palm like it was nothing. His arms trembled, but hers did not shake in the slightest. This was the power of the Ouroboros Dragon. A power no living creature save Great Red could possibly possess.
"Give him some pain, will you, Lilith?" requested Rizevim.
"Yes," Lilith said.
Before Rias could even scream out a warning again, Lilith blasted Kiba with what seemed like nothing more than straight up magical power. There was no magic circle. It was like she had merely released her power and directed it to attack Kiba, who screamed in pain as he was sent flying backward. He slammed into the floor and rolled.
"KIBA!"
Rias ran over and knelt beside him to discover that he was passed out cold. He wasn't dead, however. His chest rose and fell with each breath, but he was injured.
She looked up to glare at Lilith, Rizevim, and Yami.
"Such a harsh look," Yami said with a dark chuckle that sent shivers down her spine. "Do not worry. I do not plan on killing you two yet." His expression darkened. "I want Naruto here when I kill you. I'm going to make him fall into despair, and then when he's at his weakest, I am going to take everything that was his. Lilith."
"Yes."
Lilith extended her hand toward Rias, dark mist pouring from her palm and engulfing Rias, who found herself struggling to stay awake. She tried to use her Powers of Destruction. She was even mildly successful at destroying the mist, but Lilith's power far exceeded her own. As she felt her consciousness slipping away, a single thought echoed through her mind.
Naruto… don't come here…
~Devil Ninja~
Naruto arrived at the aquarium to discover that Ravel, Koneko, and the rest of their class were not present. He asked the lady at the customer service kiosk up front, but she didn't know where they went. Her shift had started after their group left. While Naruto didn't panic completely, he was unable to withhold a sigh of lament. Finding them would be much harder if he didn't know where they had gone…
"Naruto, I am sensing magical fluctuations in that direction. It looks like someone has put up a barrier."
… Or not.
"I guess we're going that way then."
Naruto followed Kurama's directions and discovered the magical barrier easily enough. It was a barrier that separated a group of people from this world and placed them in another dimension, similar to the dimensions used in Rating Games. If Naruto used his ability to sense magic, he could see the vague outline of the barrier and the magic circles involved in its construction.
"It looks like they used a lot of different types of magic in its construction," Naruto mumbled as he placed a hand against the barrier.
To the outside observer, it would have looked like he was touching thin air while muttering to himself, and indeed, many people were giving him odd looks. Naruto did his absolute best to ignore the gawking people in the crowd. He didn't care if these randos saw him as a fool. They were just regular people who he would probably never meet again, though he did feel some odd eyes on him at one point, yet when he looked for the source, they disappeared.
"Naruto," a voice suddenly said.
Almost screaming, Naruto turned to find Ophis standing right beside him, wearing the body of a slender adult woman. This was her standard look these days. At present, she was dressed in a black gown that had a large V-shaped cutout in the middle of her chest. It traveled over her breasts, showing some of her innerboob, and continued down until it stoped just below her navel. Naruto could see her cute little belly button.
"Ophis… what are you doing here?" he asked.
"I sensed magical fluctuations, so I came to see what was going on." Ophis nodded at the barrier. "Isn't that why you came here?"
Naruto shook his head. "Ravel and Koneko are behind this barrier. I was just about to break it and rescue them."
"Ah. In that case, we should hurry… though it seems they are fine."
Naruto didn't know what this woman was talking about, but he guessed she could perhaps see beyond the barrier. That was probably it. Even with most her powers taken, Ophis was still an exceptionally powerful dragon god, and he didn't know what kind of powers she possessed.
He put that out of his mind and focused on the barrier. Placing a hand on the barrier, he began weaving several magic circles of his own creation over them, causing the magic circles in this particular section to disintegrate and let them through.
"I hate having to use magic like this," Naruto muttered as he stepped into the barrier. "It's so difficult."
"Rossweisse would be devastated to hear you say that," Ophis said.
"Rossweisse is a certified magical genius, while I'm just a hack," Naruto rebutted. "I don't have her insane talent for magic. Besides, it's not like I am not willing to learn from her. I'll need to know this stuff anyway for when I go up against magicians and other creatures who use magic. I just hate it. Too much thinking involved."
"Hmm."
Once they were inside the barrier, Naruto found himself standing in an empty street that looked exactly like the one he'd just left. He looked behind him and saw that there was nothing but white mist—the edge of the barrier. The sky above was a swirling vortex of magical energy.
Now that he was inside of the barrier, it was much easier to sense Ravel and Koneko. They were with someone else who felt familiar. Naruto and Ophis followed their unique signatures and eventually found Ravel, Koneko, and Milteltt standing in front of a magician who was tied up and looking irritated as the three of them argued.
"I saw we just kill him."
"We can't. We need to know why he attacked us."
"Outvoted."
"What do you mean outvoted?! He's not willing to talk! Even torture hasn't gotten him to open up! We should just get rid of him and be done with it!"
"There are other ways of making people talk that doesn't involve torture. Everyone has a weakness. If we can just find his, we can force him to tell us whatever we want."
"Good luck finding my weakness. It's never gonna happen."
"You be quiet!"
"Put a cock in it."
"Don't you mean sock?"
Milteltt wanted to just kill the magician and get back to the school trip, but Ravel and Koneko were of the idea that they needed to figure out what this person was after. Naruto was with Ravel and Koneko on this one. Killing someone who attacked you without learning why they attacked was a recipe for disaster, especially if that person was part of a large organization, and given what he'd heard a few minutes prior to coming here…
"Koneko! Ravel!" Naruto shouted as he strode forward.
"Eeek!" Milteltt squeaked and hid behind the other two when she saw him, but Naruto didn't feel like screwing with her right now.
"Naruto-sama!"
"Naruto!"
Unlike their Fallen Angel companion, Ravel and Koneko actually seemed happy to see him. Their faces broke out in smiles as Naruto pulled them into a hug, his arms wrapping around their bodies, bringing them flush against him. He took in the scent of their hair, the feel of their figures, and the warmth of their skin, basking in the relief he felt at knowing they were safe.
"I'm glad you two are okay," Naruto said at last.
"Hmph. Why wouldn't we be okay? These magicians were wimps," Koneko said. The magician they had tied up and bound glared at her with intense hatred at being called a wimp, or maybe he was angry that his comrades had been insulted even after death.
"Can you explain to me what happened?" Naruto asked.
"Of course, Naruto-sama."
Ravel was the one who explained what happened, from how they were ambushed in the food court during their school trip, to how they had devised a plan to deal with the ambush. Naruto was impressed by how well-crafted Ravel's plan was. She had used herself as bait to lure the magicians out, and then had Koneko and Milteltt attack them from behind while they were focused on her. It was a simple but effective plan that had obviously worked since all the magicians save one were dead.
"The only problem we are having is we don't know what to do with this guy." Koneko hiked a thumb at the magician. "He won't talk about who he is, why he attacked us, or what he was hoping to achieve."
"And I won't tell you anything, you fucking monsters!" The man snarled… and then went limp when Koneko drop kicked him in the head.
"See what I mean?" she said.
"I do see what you mean." Naruto eyed the unconscious man for a moment, then looked back at Ravel and Koneko. "I am pretty sure they are after her because of those fake Phoenix Tears. You remember what Mephiso said when he gave us the sample of fake Phoenix Tears? He said there were Stray Magicians that were attempting to contact members of the House of Phoenix. These people are probably those Stray Magicians."
"That is what I figured." Ravel nodded several times. "However, it still doesn't tell us much. Who are these people? Why do they want a member of the House of Phoenix if they can create fake Phoenix Tears? I want to know what they are after."
"Don't worry. I'm sure we can think of something," Naruto said to reassure her.
It was at this point that Ophis stepped forward. She walked over to the unconscious magician, knelt, and placed a hand on his head. Naruto, Ravel, Koneko, and Milteltt watched silently as the man jolted awake like he'd been shocked.
"What the… what is…"
"Stay still," Ophis murmured as she kept her hand on his head. "I need to see what you know."
"What… are… youuuuu…"
Naruto, Ravel, Koneko, and Milteltt—who Naruto had all but forgotten about—remained silent as Ophis closed her eyes, tilted her head, and furrowed her brow. None of them knew what she was doing, but she was the Ouroboros Dragon. She was likely using some kind of magic to read minds. That was what Naruto assumed.
At length, the woman let go of the magician. He dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks as she stood up.
"I just read this man's mind," she said, turning to them. "It seems they were planning to kidnap Ravel Phenex and Koneko Toujou, then send a note to us stating that if we wanted them back, we needed to come to the underground station." She tilted her had. "They were inviting the Gremory Peerage, the Sitri Peerage, and Irina Shidou only. I was not invited."
"It seems like I wasn't invited either," Milteltt said. "How rude."
"The underground station…" Naruto murmured.
"That must be referring to the station connected to the Underworld," Ravel said. "You've used it before. The station nearest here has a basement where a train leading to the Underworld is located."
"Right. We used it during the summer holiday," Naruto said with a nod.
"Are you ignoring me?!" Milteltt shrieked.
"Yes, I am," Naruto said without a hint of sympathy.
"YOU BASTARD!"
Naruto ignored Milteltt as he thought about the information Ophis had revealed. "What I'm wondering is why they chose the underground station of all places."
"Who knows. Who cares." Koneko shrugged. "What do you want to do about this?"
Naruto considered their options.
"Let's contact Rossweisse and the others," he said after a pause. "I believe we should inform everyone about what we've discovered. We should also alert Sona and her peerage about the Stray Magicians. Since the plan was to invite them along as well, it means they are involved in all this."
"Good idea," Ravel said.
"We should also clean up the bodies…"
"Leave that to me."
While Ravel created a personal communication magic circle to get in contact with Sona Sitri and her peerage, Koneko began piling the bodies of the Stray Magicians together. Naruto wasn't quite sure how they would get rid of the bodies just yet. He only knew they couldn't remain here when the barrier fell apart. In the meantime, Naruto also used a personal communication magic circle to call up Rossweisse, Issei, Irina, and the others, letting them know they had a problem and that everyone should meet up at the Occult Research Clubroom. With luck, they would be able to figure out what to do about this situation.
~Devil Ninja~
The matter regarding the stray magicians who attacked Koneko, Ravel, and Milteltt was not something that Naruto could deal with on his own. He was aware more than anyone of his own faults. Naruto didn't think he was stupid, but he lacked the intelligence and knowledge to deal with this issue by himself.
It was late evening. The members of the Occult Research Club and the Student Council had gathered in the old school building. Both couches were filled to overflowing. There were so many people present. Asia, Akeno, Koneko, Gasper, Issei, Irina, Naruto, Ravel, Raynare, Milteltt, Xenovia, and Rossweisse were just those on the Gremory side. On the other side was Sona Sitri and the members of her peerage: Tsubaki, Momo, Reya, Tomoe, Tsubasa, Saji, Ruruko, and two newcomers who Naruto didn't know.
The first one to catch his attention was a young man with a foreign appearance. His large physique would have intimidated most normal Japanese citizens, nevermind the sensation Naruto felt when looking at him. Powerful body aside, there was a sense of predation about him, a lingering feeling like he might tear you apart with his bare hands. Gray hair and long bangs covered his handsome face. He might have been a match for Sairoarg with his proportions.
Next to him stood a cute girl who was positively tiny by comparison, skin a pale white that seemed almost ghost-like, dark purple hair descending down her back in a long braid, and sleepy golden eyes that were half-lidded. A long bow with a purple skull was used to tie her braid. Three black markings ran up her outer thighs with gold lining the interior. While she seemed like a cute girl who might fall asleep at any second, the scent of death lingered around her. She was no ordinary child.
"Before we begin, I believe I should introduce my newest servants." Sona gestured toward the two. "This is Loup Garou, my Rook. He is a half-werewolf hybrid who was the result of a union between a werewolf and a famous magician. The other one is Bennia. She is my Knight. She is half-human and half-grim reaper. Her father is Hades."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down!" Issei suddenly shouted as he pointed a shaking finger at the girl. "You mean to tell me this cute little girl is the daughter of THE Hades? The man who controls the Underworld and sent his Grim Reapers after us when we were rescuing Ophis? The same guy we learned about in Greek mythology classes?! THAT Hades?!"
"The very same," Sona said with a nod, not denying it.
"But that's…"
Nobody could hardly blame Issei for his hesitance. After all, it was thanks to the Grim Reapers sent by Hades that he was killed during the mission to rescue Ophis. He might have been revived, and he might even be stronger now than he was before, but one doesn't get over the trauma of dying so easily.
"Please don't worry." Bennia stepped forward and placed a hand on her chest, her expression passionate. "I have no desire to ever be my father's servant. I do not even like my father. If anything, I am even more devoted to you, Issei Hyoudo."
"Er… what?" Issei looked like he'd been socked in the face, such was his surprise.
"I am a huge Oppai Dragon fan! Here! Look at this!"
Bennia turned around, finally showing everyone the back of her… cape? Yes, it was indeed a cape that she wore. Not only that, but the cape had an embroidery of the Oppai Dragon on the back. It was one of Issei decked out in full Red Dragon Scale Male, standing in a triumphant pose, hand thrust out as if to sink his finger into someone's nipples. Everyone was so stunned they could say nothing—except for Sona, who merely pressed a hand to her face and sighed.
Naruto was the one who recovered first. He'd seen many weird things in his life. A former Grim Reaper who was a big fan of the Oppai Dragon was not the most unusual thing he'd ever seen—weird as that might have seemed.
"So, er, you are a fan of Issei's?" asked Naruto from where he sat with Koneko on his lap and Ravel hugging him. She'd been like that ever since the attempted kidnapping. Some people might have assumed she was scared, but he knew she was merely using it as an excuse to hug him.
"I am a BIG fan!" Bennia confirmed. Then she became bashful. "In fact… I… I was hoping… to… askforyourautographcanyoupleasegiveittome?!"
Speaking that last bit in a single breath, Bennia summoned an autograph board and a permanent marker, which she proceeded to thrust into Issei's confused hands.
Nobody spoke for the longest time. It was like everyone was waiting on baited breath for what Issei would do as he looked from the board to Bennia, then back to the board. He seemed confused, rightly so. It wasn't every day you discovered you had a fan amongst the Grim Reapers. The moments passed. Issei continued to stare at the autograph board in his hand, and then…
He smiled.
"Of course. Anything for a fan."
"Really?! Yay!"
Issei signed the autograph board, gave it back, and Bennia hugged it to her chest like it was the greatest treasure of her life.
Everyone seemed to have a sigh of relief as the odd tension that had been mounting suddenly drained from the room. It was as if all that suspense was water filling up a sieve, but now several cracks had appeared and the water was slowly leaking out.
"Now that my newest servants have been introduced, I believe we should get this meeting underway. Tsubaki?" Sona said, hands clasped on her lap as she sat with her back straight against the couch. She and her peerage were on the opposite side from Rias's. They looked like competing teams in a tournament, enemies or maybe frenemies, but that was far from the truth.
Shinra Tsubaki stood behind the couch, hands clasped before her, posture proper. Black hair fanned out behind her head as she looked at them all with her intense gaze.
"We are rather fortunate they chose to attack in the manner they did. Kuoh City did not suffer any damage from the attack and no innocents were harmed. Azazel-sensei left a device with us that can alter the memories of people in case of emergencies, but we would rather not use it if we can help it."
Everyone nodded—except Raynare and Milteltt, Naruto noticed. Most of the people here did not much care for altering the memories of humans if they didn't have to. Only those two held no such qualms. The device used to alter memories was something created by the Fallen Angels, so perhaps they simply didn't see it as a problem.
"Several of our people are currently searching to see if any other stray magicians might be hiding in the city. Fortunately, we at least know where their hideout is thanks to Ophis, though I would have liked it if she could have left his mind intact. It would have been nice if I could have interrogated him myself," Sona said.
Ophis had not been gentle when she was reading the Stray Magicians mind. Naruto didn't know what sort of magic she had done to probe his mind, but it had left him utterly braindead. The man was now a vegetable.
"At least we were able to figure out where their hideout is," Koneko said with a shrug. "We can just interrogate whoever we find there."
"I guess that is true." Sona crossed her arms and sighed. "I hope we will be able to learn how they managed to infiltrate the city. This entire region is under the jurisdiction of the Three Factions Alliance. Many people from all three powers have made this city their home besides us, and there is a powerful barrier covering the entire town with the school as its focal point."
Naruto knew about the barrier since he was now part of the nobility, a high-class Devil, but he didn't know the specifics. He had no idea how it worked. It wasn't like he cared how it worked either. Come to think of it, didn't Konoha have a barrier similar to this one?
"Can you think of any methods someone might have to break through the barrier?" asked Ravel.
Sona nodded and continued talking. "There are a couple methods someone can use to break through the barrier. The first is to enter using force. It is perfectly possible that someone with enough power can simply break through, but doing so would immediately give them away, so we can rule that possibility out. The second method is where a person who lives in this town or one of the staff leaves the barrier, gets captured, and has their minds and bodies taken over before they re-enter. We've been looking into this, but so far we haven't uncovered any evidence to suggest someone was possessed. There is one other method of entering the barrier, but…"
Everyone grew silent, pensive. Naruto crossed his arms and tried to think of the implications her words invoked. Of course, there was only one possible explanation to what she was saying.
"You think there is a traitor among us," he said.
"I think the possibility is highly likely," Sona confirmed, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "It is very possible. We certainly can't rule it out. I—"
Before she could continue speaking, music began blasting out, echoing around the entire Occult Research Clubroom. Everyone froze as a heavy guitar riff echoed around them.
I was caught
In the middle of a railroad track
I looked round
And I knew there was no turning back
My mind raced
And I thought what could I do
And I knew
There was no help, no help from you
Sound of the drums
Beating in my heart
The thunder of guns
Tore me apart
You've been
Thunderstruck
As one, each person turned to the source of the song, which Naruto vaguely recognized as English, though he didn't know the band. Rossweisse was beat red, face flushed, steam rising from her head. He didn't think he'd ever seen the woman look so embarrassed before. That was saying a lot since he had seen this woman at her worst.
"Er… e-excuse me for a moment," Rossweisse muttered as she fished out her phone and answered the call. "H-hello? G-Granny?! Whatz goin' on? Is everythin' all right?"
Naruto felt like his brain might explode as he listened to the woman talk. That was… a countryside dialect, wasn't it? It was! Rossweisse was speaking with the dialect of someone born and raised in the countryside! What was that called again? A Kansai Dialect? Naruto still wasn't completely versed in Japanese culture, but he remembered hearing something about people who spoke like this.
But gosh, it was awfully cute. Naruto hoped he could make her talk like that during sex at some point. And great. Now he was imagining her screaming his name and talking gibberish like a country girl in the throes of passion.
"Ah. Yer sayin' the Norse settlement is already lackin' funds? But I sent my last paycheck to ya just last week! Too many people needin' money? I guess ya make sense. I'll see what I can do fer ya. It's no prob, Granny. I… what? D-d-don't be talkin' about my relationship right now! Ya tryin' to embarrass me?!"
Naruto looked at the wide-eyed faces surrounding him and couldn't help but snigger. This was the first time he'd heard Rossweisse talk like this, so it was definitely a first for everyone else. He wondered what other surprises this woman had in store for them.
"What… what…?" Issei also looked like his brain was going to fry. "How could this be?! The cool beauty, the 100 Yen Maniac who seems to fit in so well with the city has an accent! And wait. What's this about sending someone money?"
Naruto was the one who answered him. "You know how the Norse Gods have been displaced because of the Chaos Brigade? Well, in order to help them settle in, Rossweisse has been sending them her paychecks. Almost all of her money goes to them… well, to her grandmother at any rate. What? Did you think she shopped at 100 Yen Stores just because she likes them? It's true this has become something of a hobby for her, but it was brought about by necessity."
Of course Naruto knew about his lover's personal problems, though he'd never told anyone else out of respect for her. Rias probably knew about it too. Rossweisse was her servant, after all.
When Rossweisse started working as Rias Gremory's servant, she began earning a monthly salary of 1.6 million yen. That was about two times greater than the average monthly salary of a manager working for a large company. Rias always treated her servants well, and this much money was a pittance for her family.
Rossweisse soon finished her call and turned to face everyone. She had mastered her embarrassed blush, but her tips of her ears were still red.
"M-my apologies, everyone. I didn't think Granny—er, my grandmother—would suddenly call me so suddenly." She coughed into her hand once. "A-anyway, since she was on the line, I asked her if there was a spell that could break through the barrier undetected. She's a powerful magic user. I actually learned all of my magic from her."
"And what did she say?" asked Saji. "Come on, don't leave us hanging here."
"Right. Well. The barrier is not something that can be broken through without alerting the people who created it. To do that would require someone opening a gap within the barrier from the inside, and the only people who could do that…"
"Are those on our side," Sona sighed. "It is possible for core members of our group to pass through the barrier without a problem. That means everyone from Rias's Peerage, my own peerage, Irina-san, Ravel-san, and Azazel-sensei. We might be the only ones who could arrange such a large scale force to enter the barrier like this."
"Are you saying there is a traitor among us?! Like here in this very room?!" asked a shocked Saji.
Sona's expression was gentle if not a little bitter. "I do not believe there is a traitor, but whoever is responsible is someone we can't afford to underestimate. I believe we should proceed with caution and investigate every possibility."
"We should also head over to the train station and confront the Stray Magicians who tried to kidnap Ravel," Naruto said, placing a hand on the thigh of the girl in question. Ravel jolted a little at the sudden touch, but he removed his hand a second later after patting her. His gesture was not meant to be sexual in any way.
"Agreed," Sona said with a nod. "Can you get in contact with Le Fey? As a magician herself, she might be able to offer us some useful insight."
"I already tried," Naruto muttered with a bitter smile. "Ophis told me that Kuroke and Le Fey are currently away on business. It seems Vali needed them for something."
"Vali called them?" Issei looked shocked. "What could he want with those two?"
Naruto shrugged. "Kuroka and Le Fey are a part of his team, you know. They are only living with us because one of them is my contracted mage and the other is helping Koneko train."
"I guess we will have to do this without them," Sona said. "Let's come up with a basic plan before we head to the train station."
As the group began laying the groundwork for the upcoming confrontation, Naruto looked out the window and at the clear blue sky. It looked like he was going to have his work cut out for him.
They already knew where the Stray Magicians were located thanks to Ophis, who had taken the knowledge from the head of the unfortunate Stray Magician who was now a vegetable. Ophis had not been gentle with her mind attack. The Stray Magician was now resting in a hospital and would likely remain there for the rest of his life, though Naruto found it hard to sympathize with the man. Anyone who would even dare to try and kidnap his Ravel was an enemy. He'd show them no mercy.
The location where the Stray Magicians were located was the train station. They arrived not long after their initial meeting, stepping into the train station and glancing around. Something about being in a train station when there was no life to be found was disconcerting. Even Naruto did not like the look of this place.
Abandoned. Foreboding. Darkness cast along the wall by the light of the moon and stars, creating shadows within shadows. Naruto took it all in, eyes searching, nose smelling. He did not extend his perceptions beyond his five basic senses. To use Senjutsu now would have been foolish.
Fortunately, there was someone here who could use it.
"Koneko, do you sense anyone?" asked Naruto.
Cocking her head to the side, Koneko silently searched the area before shaking her head once. "There's no one here."
Naruto frowned. "Strange."
"They are probably hiding," Sona affirmed with a stiff huff. "Given what Ravel told us, it is perfectly possible for them to create an alternate dimension much like the ones used in our Rating Games. If that is the case, they can hide from our senses indefinitely, or until they choose to reveal himself."
"So you're saying that even if they are here, we might not be able to find them?" asked Saji.
"Precisely."
"That blows," Issei mumbled.
"Before we begin searching, I think we should decide on who among us will lead everyone," Sona said, stopping the whole group in their tracks.
They stood inside the plaza, a spacious interior located just off the train tracks. Thick square columns raised the ceiling over their heads. An escalator several dozens meters to the right led up to a second floor filled with shops and cafes. If Naruto turned his head, he would have seen the tracks and boarding ramp, usually bustling with the vibrancy of life but currently deader than a grave.
"Do you think this is needed?" asked Akeno.
Sona nodded. "I do. Rias Gremory is currently gone, which means either myself or Naruto—another high-class Devil—should be giving the orders. I believe that normally the one giving the orders would be me since I have spent far more time as a high-class Devil than Naruto has… but he has far more experience with combat than I do. Therefore, I believe ceding orders to him is our safest bet for success. What say you?"
Akeno turned to study Naruto. As Rias Gremory's queen, she had more authority than he did within their peerage, even if his newfound authority within Devil society exceeded hers. He met her gaze evenly.
"Do you want to take the position of leader?" she asked.
"Not particularly, no." Naruto shook his head, then grinned fiercely. "But I do think Sona is right. If nothing else, I have a lot of experience with battle."
Before coming to this world, Naruto had been a shinobi, had fought in a vicious war that claimed thousands of lives, had faced off against a god, and had been through perils few could imagine. And he'd faced even more danger since coming here. If nothing else, Naruto was confident in his experience and strategies, unorthodox though they might have been.
"Then I'll accept this arrangement." Akeno nodded and stepped back.
"Looks like we'll be relying on you, Mr. Leader-Sensei," Issei said, giving Naruto a thumbs up.
Beside him, Asia smiled. "Good luck. I know you can do this."
"Awww. Thanks, sis."
"Heh heh. He called me sis."
"Are you ignoring me?!"
Naruto ignored Issei's shout and Asia's warmly flushed cheeks to look at the others. There was Xenovia and Irina, standing by Asia's side. Gasper stood close to Issei, whom he had formed a rapport with alongside Naruto and Kiba. Rossweisse stood behind Koneko and Ravel. The two shortest members of his group were staring at him, one with expressive blue eyes and the other a bored, golden hue. He turned his gaze from those of Rias's Peerage to Sona's. He surveyed the people there, taking their measure to see if they would follow him.
Everyone met his eyes.
Good.
"Okay," he breathed out, exhaling whatever pent up worries he might have had. "Rossweisse. You know the most about magic among us. Can you figure out how to open a gateway or portal to whatever realm these stray magicians are hiding in?"
"That would largely depend on how they are hiding," Rossweisse confessed, worrying her lower lip. "Given what we know so far, I do not think whatever spell they have woven to keep themselves hidden is something they can maintain on their own. It would require constantly feeding magic into a magic circle, which is a laborious and wasteful process. More than likely, they will have set up some kind of magic circle, or even multiple magic circles, around this station, that draw in magical energy to fuel their spell. Of course, they likely keep the portal closed when it's not being used to conserve energy, which means we won't be able to find them based on magical emissions."
Everyone nodded at her words. Naruto ordered them to begin searching, having them split off into groups of three: one to attack, one to defend, and one to flee so they could inform the others. Naruto traveled with Ravel and Koneko. Ravel was in the most danger and therefore safest with him. Koneko simply refused to leave her friend's side.
They searched the entire train station, from top to bottom, from the restrooms to the cafes to the boarding ramp itself. They found nothing. No matter where Naruto and the others looked, they could not find a single trace of a magic circle anywhere.
With their search fruitless, the group reconvened in the lobby.
"No luck?" Naruto asked the others.
"None," Sona said. "And we were very thorough in our search."
"We couldn't find anything either," Issei admitted.
"I hate to say it, but perhaps we were wrong," Saji said, crossing his arms. "Who's to say they are really here? Maybe they purposefully left tracks behind that we could follow, all to lure us into a false sense of superiority."
"I don't think that's it," Xenovia said with a slow shake of her head. "There's no point in luring us here if they aren't going to attack."
"But maybe they're afraid of us." Irina pressed a single to her lip and thoughtfully pushed it. "I mean… we have a pretty frightening lineup."
That was hard to deny, what with Naruto, the Red Dragon Emperor, Sword Birth, several holy sword wielders, a dhampir with Forbidden Balor View, and a nekousho. No sane person would go up against a force like theirs. At the same time, Naruto did not believe that was it.
"What if we are looking at this the wrong way?" he asked. "We've been looking for circles that are being used to hide a barrier from view… but what if we should be looking for a single circle that acts like a portal connecting this train station to someplace further away."
"That…" Rossweisse began before a thoughtful expression crossed her lovely face. "Is very possible."
Sona furrowed her brow, pushed her glasses up her nose, and asked, "In that case, what should we look for? Another magic circle? We have already looked everywhere for one and found nothing."
"It doesn't have to be a magic circle," Rossweisse said suddenly, eyes brightening. "It can be an artifact. A gateway is just a portal connecting two distant locations separated by spacetime. To create a gateway, you need something that has been infused with magic power and can symbolize a gate between two realms. In Shintoism, toris often signify the gateways between the human realm and the realm of the gods, which is why tori are present at every shrine."
"So we are looking for something that symbolizes a gateway…" Ravel cupped her chin and thought deeply on the matter. Then her eyes lit up. "If it's a gateway, wouldn't the boarding ramp serve that purpose well?"
While everyone else's eyes lit up at the words, Rossweisse shook her head, dispelling their hope before it could fully form.
"You are right that it could be used as a gateway… but it's already being used like that to begin with. There is a gateway to the Underworld there. The magicians will not have messed with it because doing so would lead to us knowing where they are."
"Oh…" Ravel murmured as Rossweisse explained her reasoning. It was sound, and the blonde Phenex girl could not dispute it. Her shoulders still slumped.
"Let's split up again," Naruto suggested. "But this time look for something that could symbolize a gate."
They traveled around once more, splitting off into their groups and looking for a gate. Everyone found something they believed could be a gate. An archway. A door. The entrance to a shop or cafe. Rossweisse checked each one and shook her head. None of them had any magic emanating from them.
Naruto pondered the matter of the gate as he studied a wall with a mosaic on it. There was a fountain embedded halfway into the wall. The water was currently turned off, but he knew that when it was on, the water would shoot from a spout at the top, splash against the mosaics designed to look like rainclouds, and fall down in a precipitous downpour. Not a gate. He already knew it wasn't.
Standing off to one side of the gate was a lion. Nothing special about it. Just a single lion situated atop a pedestal, sitting on its haunches as it looked at the entire train station as though it were a guardian beast. He took one glance at it, then went back to studying the fountain, wondering what exactly would symbolize a gate.
"Naruto, have you found anything?" asked Rossweisse, coming up to him.
He shook his head. "Not a thing."
Rossweisse frowned at him, opened her mouth like she was going to say something, and then closed it again. Naruto was confused for a moment. He would have asked, but he was given no time as the woman walked past him and up to the lion statue.
"This… this is it!" Rossweisse exclaimed.
"What? You mean the statue?" Naruto scrunched up his nose in confusion, but then it cleared as the implications hit him. "You mean that's the gate?"
"Yes!" Rossweisse said, still excited by her discovery. "I didn't think about it before, but lion statues are often placed near the doors for symbolic purposes. In China, they act as guardians, defending homes against accidents and theft. For Buddhists, lion statues are said to bring peace and prosperity, while in Italy, they symbolize power and prestige. In Quebec, homeowners traditionally place one or two lions in front of their house once their mortgage is paid off."
"Their mortgage?" Naruto asked, a single eyebrow raised.
"N-nevermind that." An embarrassed Rossweisse waved him off. "My point is, lions remain a symbol of honour, respect, and power, and they are often used symbolically to stand before entrances for one purpose or another. This is true no matter what country you live in."
Naruto watched as Rossweisse stood before the lion statue and began casting a number of spells on it. Numerous magic circles of varying complexity were used to scan the statue. He let her do what she wanted. Naruto was no great magician, no powerful spellcaster. He knew enough about magic thanks to Rossweisse and the others that he could use it reasonably well, but he didn't understand the intricacies behind it.
Two seconds passed. Five. Ten. After Naruto counted another thirty seconds in his head, Rossweisse finally turned to face him. He knew the answer to his question before he asked it, for her eyes gleamed victoriously, but he asked her anyway.
"Is that it? Is it the gateway?"
"It is. This is the gateway. It is… rather complex. I'll need some time to analyse it, but give me a moment and I believe I can crack the magic keeping it shut," Rossweisse said, confirming his suspicions and making him sigh in relief. That was one step down. Now it was time for step two.
Breaking and entering.
Rossweisse was able to open the gateway. Naruto could only gaze in awe as she cast several spells on the lion, which revealed a slew of magic circles that none of them had been able to see or sense, and then one by one created overlapping magic circles that activated the gateway.
The gateway itself looked like a portal, a swirling black nebula, a black hole beyond which nothing could exist. Naruto had seen plenty of portals before. He understood that each one was different depending on the magic used. However, he'd never seen a portal quite like this one.
"That's done." Rossweisse clapped her hands. "This will take us to wherever the Stray Magicians are."
"It could also be a trap," Sona said.
"Even if it is a trap, I don't think we have any choice but to press forward," Issei said.
"I would like to go," Ravel added in a quiet voice. "I want to know why these stray magicians came after me. I want to know what they want with me."
Naruto reached out and took Ravel's trembling fist into his hand. She jolted as if awakening from a dream, looked at him, into his sky blue eyes, and then her fist relaxed and she grasped his hand. The gratitude in her eyes was more than enough for him.
"I understand how you feel," Sona said with a sigh. "And I'm not saying we shouldn't go. We came all this way, after all. We can't go back. I am merely saying we should exercise caution."
That went without saying, and no one disagreed with her. Naruto quickly decided on their marching order. He was in the front while Issei took rearguard. They were the strongest two people present, which meant it would be best if they each guarded the two weakest points in their lineup. Ravel was in the center, surrounded by Koneko, Rossweisse, Akeno, and Gasper. They would act as her guards in case trouble occurred. Sona's Peerage surrounded them in turn as a first line of defense, while Sona herself was taking point with Naruto.
They stepped through the portal like this and found themselves standing in an empty space. White. White. White. No matter where any of them looked, the entire space was nothing but an expanse of white. Naruto could vaguely tell from his own perceptions that this space was shaped like a rectangle, but he could neither see the hard edges that defined this room nor spot any shadows to help give him a sense of depth.
"What… is this place?" asked Issei.
"This place is creepy as fuck," Koneko added.
"I don't know why, but something about this space feels wrong," muttered Irina as she and Xenovia closed in around Asia as if to protect her from attack.
As Naruto wondered what sort of space they had stepped into, a voice suddenly spoke out.
"I see you broke through my barrier. No. You entered through the gate. There must be a skilled magic user among you. Could it be that Valkyrie I've heard so much about? What was her name again?"
Everyone else leapt at the sound of the voice, but Naruto narrowed his eyes, spun around, and threw a wind-infused kunai at where the voice came from. He hit nothing but air. There was nothing for him to hit—nothing except a shadow dancing on the ground.
A shadow that had not been present just seconds ago.
"So quick to violence," the voice continued as the shadow morphed. It rose from the ground, turned into an amorphous blob, then took on a more human shape. The shadows dispersed moments later to reveal a man dressed in silver robes. His outfit looked expensive, and he was quite tall, though those were the only features to be made out. A hood drawn over his face cast the man's appearance into shadow.
"Are you the Stray Magician in charge here?" asked Sona, stepping forward. Now that there was someone to speak with, to negotiate with, she had taken center stage.
"I am, Sona Sitri of the illustrious House of Sitri." The man nodded and spread his arms in an encompassing gesture. "I suppose I should welcome you all to my factory. You did well to make it here. I'm curious to know how you managed to activate my portal without knowing the proper spells to activate it. I made this space within the Dimensional Gap, using a modified version of the technique used by you Devils in your Rating Games. I trust I don't need to tell you why what you did should be impossible."
"You don't, but you should also know that it is possible to counter any spell so long as you understand the formula," Rossweisse said.
"So I was right. The one who was able to open the portal was you. It's quite the honor to meet the granddaughter of the infamous Gondul," the young man spoke with mirth clear in his voice. "Now, while I would love to welcome you all good and proper, I am afraid we must first deal with some pesky issues… ah, let us call them matters of revenge. You people killed the magicians I sent to kidnap the young Phenex girl. As the leader of these people, I'm afraid I cannot let that slide."
As he spoke, more shadows appeared around them. One. Five. Ten. Twenty. Forty. Eighty. Naruto eyed the shadows warily as they transformed into people. All of them were dressed in robes, though none so vibrant and beautiful as the one adorning their leader. These robes were dark, black with purple lining the hems. Each of them had their hoods pulled up as well. This cast their faces in shadows like their leader, making it impossible to determine their facial features.
"So you plan to kill us?" asked Sona, glaring at the man.
The stray magician shrugged. "Had you not killed my people when they attempted to bring the Phenex girl here, we might have considered sparing you… but probably not. This is war, after all. You of the Three Factions Alliance are our greatest enemies. Tell me. Would you spare your enemies if you had them within your grasp?"
It was a logical argument that made sense from the standpoint of a soldier, but Sona and the people with her were not soldiers. Naruto aside, everyone present was just a high school student, Devil or not, and they were not inured to violence like he was. Each of them flinched by the words as if repulsed by the idea.
The young magician chuckled. "Well, you are still young. Perhaps the idea of killing is distasteful to you. Regardless, you all have to die. So sorry, but all of you except the Phenex child need to just disappear."
At that exact moment, nearly a hundred magic circles filled the space around them. Their group closed ranks. Sharp intakes of breath echoed from several of their members as they stared at the magic circles like animals trapped in a cage. There were so many Stray Magicians it was impossible to count their numbers.
"Well, this sucks," Saji mumbled.
"You're telling me," grumbled Issei.
"What should we do?" asked Gasper.
Naruto thought quick, mind working far faster than it had in quite a while. He came up with an idea in short order.
"Sona! Have your peerage create a barrier! They only need to block the first barrage!"
"Okay! You heard the man!" Sona barked as she stepped forward, hands raised.
The others in her peerage quickly followed suit, including her two newest members. They raised their hands and created a bright barrier that surrounded their entire group. It rippled with a golden intensity, semi-translucent, like a thin layer of film was covering them.
One hundred attacks were launched mere seconds after their barrier was formed. The stray magicians were using fire magic. Brilliant red flames flew at them, struck the barrier, and exploded against it, causing ripples to appear on the barrier's surface like disturbed water. Sona and the others grunted as the attack struck. Their arms shook as if they were pushing against a great weight. However, much to their enemies's surprise, the barrier held.
"Drop the barrier when I count to three. Akeno and Ravel. Once the barrier drops, launch your strongest attacks to soften them up."
"Got it!" Issei said.
Koneko pounded her fists together. "Time to kick some ass."
"Be careful, Naruto," Ravel said.
Everyone expressed their readiness, and then Naruto took a deep breath, settled his nerves, and counted to three. Once he hit three, the barrier dropped. In the next instant, Ravel and Akeno launched their strongest attacks.
Ravel's attack came out in the form of a massive flaming phoenix. The firebird released a shrill cry as it flew forward and struck our enemies with impunity. Several magicians raised their hands and created their own barrier to deal with the attack, screaming as the phoenix exploded against the magic circle barrier and pushed them back. They survived. But it was by the skin of their teeth.
Lightning traveled from Akeno's palm, pure white and filled with holy energy, the signature attack of Baraqiel. Holy lightning. The bolt slammed into a barrier similar to the one that blocked Ravel's attack. Unlike what happened with Ravel, Akeno's lightning pierced right through the barrier and struck one of the magicians, whose body lit up like a fireworks display. His scream was overpowered by the sound of thunder. He spasmed as the lightning coursed over and through his body, cooking him on both the inside and the outside. When the lightning attack ended, the magician fell to the ground with a dull thud.
"We're going now!" Naruto shouted. "Ravel, command the others! I leave you in charge of our strategy!"
"Leave it to me!" Ravel looked determined as she narrowed her eyes and thought up an on-the-spot strategy for their current predicament. "Gasper, stop as many of these people in their tracks as you can. Drink Ise's blood if you need more power. Naruto, you can deal with the northern flank. Issei can deal with the south. The Sitri peerage will deal with our enemies to the east. Tsubaki, they will probably launch another attack soon. Use Mirror Alice to reflect the attacks back at them, and then Sona can launch her own attack. Once she has, Bennia, Saji, Loup Garou and the rest of your peerage can attack up close. Koneko, Xenovia, and Irina, I would like you to deal with the last side with Akeno and Rossweisse providing support. Asia, you're on healing duty."
Her words came out in sharp bursts. Everyone nodded and went on the attack.
Naruto grinned as he raced forward, pulling several kunai from storage seals in his pouch and tossing them at the startled magicians. Of course, they had the good sense to put up a barrier. As the kunai clinked off the barrier, Naruto made a hand seal.
"Katsu!"
The paper seals he had wrapped around the kunai exploded, but not with fire. A black cloud of smoke expanded so fast that it covered the magicians within seconds. Their panicked cries echoed from within.
"I… I can't see!"
"What is this?!"
"It's a smoke screen! Blow it away with wind magic!"
It only took a few seconds before the magicians regained their composure. Wind exploded from them, banishing the smoke, but this left them wide open to Naruto's attack, and he didn't hesitate to slam a Rasengan into one man's chest. A scream of pain ripped through the man. It didn't last long before he was sent sailing through the air, his chest cavity torn to shreds.
Before the magicians had time to fully recover, Naruto raced past several of them, flicking his wrists like he was launching something from his sleeves. A moment later and two magicians were strung up like marionettes. Their bodies were wrapped in ninja wire. They screamed and struggled against the wire trapping them, but Naruto was not one to let them get away. They had used fire magic against him and his companions, so he decided to return the favor.
A blazing fire so hot even Naruo was sweating trailed a scorching path down the ninja wire. This was a technique Naruto remembered Sasuke using during his battle against Orochimaru in the Forest of Death when they were participating in the Chunin Exams. He could see why it was a favored technique amongst the Uchiha. The fire swept along the wire, struck the magicians, and engulfed them in flames so intense their bodies disappeared within the inferno.
Naruto did not stick around and wait to see if they were alive or dead. He still had more enemies to fight.
~Devil Ninja~
"Mirror Alice!"
Tsubaki Shinra held out her hand and created a mirror before her. Mirror Alice was her Sacred Gear, a powerful artifact that allowed her to reflect any attack back at the caster. The powerful magic projectiles that had been launched at her struck the mirror, were absorbed into it, and reflected back at the magicians who cast them. They were hit hard. Screams escaped wide open mouths as they were struck by their own attacks.
At that moment, Sona created a magic circle and launched her own attack, a massive serpent made of water that burst forth, whipping around its powerful tail and slamming it against several magicians who were too slow to react. Their bodies flew away like bullets fired from a gun. When they struck the ground, their bodies bounced, rolled, and went still.
As the water serpent continued its rampage, Sona's other servants moved in. Among this group was Bennia, Saji, and Loup Garou.
These three were clearly the strongest among her servants. Saji had already activated his balance breaker. His body was covered in Vitra's armor as he attacked the enemies like a maddened berserker. This happened when he was channeling Vitra's power. He slammed into one unfortunate man with a punch that sent him flying. The magician was fortunate to have survived, but he lay on the ground, moaning in pain. He wouldn't be getting up any time soon.
Beside him, Bennia and Loup Garou attacked with fists and scythe, cutting down or blasting away anyone that moved.
Bennia proved herself an able Knight. She was like a dancer as she swung the scythe around her body in elegant arcs. The long scythe made from a curved black blade and featuring golden lines was swung so fast that all most people saw were afterimages. Each attack seemed to drain the life force from her opponents. Even a small cut was enough to make someone struck become faint.
Loup Garou had transformed, body covered in thick fur, face more like that of a wolf's than a humans. He still stood on two legs like any biped. The muscles in his legs rippled as he burst forward, extended his arm, and slammed into a magician with something resembling Kirabi's Lariat. The Stray Magician tried to block the attack with a barrier, but the barrier shattered like it was made of glass. The Stray Magician was struck and sent to the ground.
"Expand! My shield! Twinkle Aegis!"
Yura shouted and the shield in her hands began glowing, the bright luminescence spreading from the shield and changing into a giant shield of light. So big was this shield that it took up nearly half the space they were in. Several magical attacks slammed into the shield, but there was not a scratch to be seen.
The moment the shield dispersed, Meguri charged into the breach and began fighting alongside Bennia, Saji, and Loup Garou. Meguri swung her katana, an artificial Sacred Gear that blended light and darkness together. A single swing of her sword brought down two magicians.
Over on the other side of the battlefield was Issei who, like Naruto, had become a one-man army. He had already entered his Balance Breaker. The scale mail covering his body gleamed red in the light as he systematically demolished every magician close by. A single punch sent a magician screaming as he hurtled away. A powerful rising kick slammed into the underside of one magician's jaw and sent him skyward, where he slammed into another magician just as she was getting ready to cast.
Issei held out his hand and formed a small sphere of red energy. He clenched his hand, drew it back, and threw it forward, fist slamming into the energy ball.
"Suck on this! Dragon Shot!"
The Dragon Shot flew forward and slammed into the pair, exploding with enough force to kick up incredibly fierce winds. Issei didn't watch to see what happened to them. They would live, but he was sure they'd need medical attention.
While Issei and Naruto were basically one-man wrecking balls, the group consisting of Akeno, Koneko, Irina, and Xenovia were fighting in a sprawling brawl of magic and melee combat.
Akeno soared through the air, attacking everything with lightning. Each blast of white lightning shot from her hands, an incandescent arc of destruction energy. It struck a magician and fried their bodies, causing their cooked corpses to fall from the sky. Among the people present, Akeno's magical attacks were probably second only to Sona's.
Of course, while Akeno had plenty of magic power, the breadth of her spells could not even compare to Rossweisse. The silver-haired Valkyrie created dozens of magic circles. Each one was different, each one launching a different attack. Fire. Ice. Lightning. Wind. Space. The various magical attacks soared through the battlefield, demolishing shields and blasting magicians left and right. They were like helpless sailors caught within a storm at sea.
While Irina and Xenovia fought side by side, utilizing the teamwork that had made them such a powerful duo when they were both working for the Church, Koneko fought alone. She had already activated her Shirone Mode as she waded into enemy lines. With her body larger and bustier than normal, she lashed out with Senjutsu and her incredible strength, mixing melee combat with yokai magic.
Several magicians tried to attack everyone while they were distracted, but Gasper provided the perfect backup, trapping people in time before they could deal any serious damage. The few injuries their side did sustain were healed by Asia. She had become a lot more proficient at healing her allies from a distance.
The Stray Magicians they were fighting numbered somewhere in the hundreds, and yet in the span of maybe ten minutes, all of the magicians they had fought were defeated.
The man who had orchestrated Ravel's failed kidnapping found himself surrounded on all sides. His members lay on the ground, groaning in pain or completely still. He wore a bitter look on his face. It made Naruto think of someone who'd swallowed something incomparably sour.
"Now that we have dealt with all that unpleasantness, perhaps you would be willing to fully answer our questions," Sona said, once more taking charge. It sounded like she was asking a question.
"Can I refuse?" the magician asked.
"You cannot."
"Then go ahead and ask. Can't say you'll like my answers though."
His words caused Sona to push her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she asked, "For what reason did you try to kidnap Ravel?"
"There are a few reasons we tried to kidnap her. One of them was… let's call it curiosity. We have heard so much about you all, about the powerful young Devils who have made a name for themselves. Of course, we've heard about Naruto Uzumaki and Issei Hyoudou as well. You people are rather famous nowadays. Many of our younger recruits wanted to test themselves against you, and the people at the top didn't care if they threw their lives away," the young man said.
"It sounds like Yami is as callous as ever," Naruto muttered.
"Your dark half is a serious pain in the ass," Koneko said, sounding snippy. Not that Naruto blamed her.
"What is the other reason?" asked Sona.
"This."
The man snapped his fingers, and a section of the space on their left suddenly moved away, then sank into the ground. The room beyond looked like something taken from a sci-fi anime. Large capsules stood silent as monoliths, connected to a strange device. Each capsule was filled with liquid. A person floated inside each one, their legs curled into their chests, bodies inert.
"What… is this?" asked Naruto in quiet shock.
Grinning at them, the man said, "Do you know how Phoenix Tears are produced? A magic circle is prepared and a cup that has undergone a secret ritual is given to a pureblood member of the House of Phenex, who stands in the circle and cries into the cup. The water inside the cup becomes Phoenix Tears. It is said that during the procedure, Phoenix members must empty their minds and not think about anything at all. If they feel emotional when they cry, the tears become that person's tears instead of Phoenix Tears."
As the man spoke, several people within their group looked startled. Ravel had gone pale. All the blood had drained from her face, her legs were shaking, and she looked seconds from covering her ears.
The man continued.
"This place is a factory that mass-produces artificial Phoenix Tears. We created numerous clones of High-Class Phenex members. They are the ones who produce Phoenix Tears that we sell on the black market."
"No…" Ravel whispered, horrified as she brought a hand to her mouth. Tears gathered in her eyes.
"Since this factory was going to be abandoned, all the clones have ceased functioning," the man added almost as an afterthought.
Ravel was shaking by this point. She looked like the world had disappeared from underneath her. Naruto was torn between wanting to comfort her and wanting to tear this man limb from limb. In the end, he pulled Ravel into a hug, holding her tightly as she turned away from the sight of the now dead clones. His shirt became damp with tears.
Sona narrowed her eyes. "So the Chaos Brigade has been sending Phoenix Tears they produce here to the black market to gather funds. Quite repulsive if you ask me. Is the reason you people kept going after people from the House of Phenex because you wanted to improve the potency of your product?"
"Something like that. There is a limit to how potent our false tears are. They are not as powerful as normal Phoenix Tears. We were hoping to kidnap a member of the House of Phoenix in order to gain the information we needed to make our own product better. I never imagined we'd find ourselves being defeated so thoroughly though, and by our own target no less."
Naruto understood what was going on now. These magicians must have hit a roadblock in the production of their Phoenix Tears. He mentioned something about potency, so more than likely, the false tears they created could not heal as well as the real deal. To correct this, they had decided to go after a member of the House of Phenex and pry the information from them. Ravel just so happened to be the one who was most easily attained.
"Oh, there is one more reason we attacked Ravel." The young magician smiled. "We were hoping you would help us test a new product our leader created recently."
Before any of them could ask him what he meant, a magic circle appeared underneath his feet. The man smiled as he sank into the circle. They tried to stop him, launching attacks and casting spells, but none of their attacks hit. The man vanished and something else took his place.
Multiple somethings.
Dragons.
That was the first word that came to Naruto's mind as he stared at the creature's appearing from within the magic circles. Their large bodies were held aloft on four legs. Muscles rippled with every movement. Pinions jutting from their backs, long necks extending from their bodies, their distinctly reptilian heads were filled with rows of sharp teeth. One of them opened their mouth and released an intense roar that rattled Naruto's very bones.
Dragons had been summoned, nearly fifty of them. Fuck.