The morning after their battle against the modified dragons found Naruto and his group sitting in a large dining hall, having breakfast with Elmenhilde and Queen Carmilla. It looked like Elmenhilde held a very high position among the Vampires. Azazel was also there. However, when someone compared his presence to that of the two Vampire women, he most definitely came up lacking.
At least, that was Naruto's honest opinion.
"I wonder when Arthur will return with Angelus, LIx, and Reuel," Naruto pondered out loud as he ate his breakfast.
A lavish feast had been spread out before them. Vastly different from the traditional Japanese breakfasts he was used to, what lay on the table were a variety of dishes like yogurt, cheese, cereal, boiled eggs, herring, cold cut meats, ham, and freshly baked bread. There was also a pot of tea and coffee, which the maids had served them.
Naruto had gone with coffee.
It was bitter, but he needed to wake up.
"He should be back by the end of the day," Vali said. "It does take some time to reach Heaven, and if what Azazel said is true, then Heaven is currently in trouble." Vali paused to scoop some cereal into his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and then continued. "If the situation is really bad, he might come back empty handed."
"Fortunately, we do not have to worry about Sona and her peerage not showing up," Akeno interjected. "I received a message from Sona saying they would arrive some time in the late afternoon."
"I'm glad we can always count on Sona and her group to help us out," Naruto said.
"What should we do in the meantime?" asked Asia.
"I don't know about you, but I'm gonna fucking relax," Raynare said as she leaned back, thrusting out her chest. "All that fighting yesterday exhausted me." She looked at Asia. "You should join me. We can take a bath or something."
"Um… actually, I was thinking of doing some training," Asia admitted in a small voice.
Raynare sighed. "Fuck. Well, I guess I could join you."
"Oh, my. It seems the Fallen Angel has had her wings clipped," Akeno giggled. "Asia has tamed you well."
"Shut the fuck up."
Naruto didn't much care to listen to their arguing, so he turned to Irina, Ravel, Koneko, and Rossweisse. The four women who were a part of his harem ate by his side. They were mostly quiet. Irina and Koneko still looked chastised from last night. Ravel was humming softly to herself and seemed in good spirits (Naruto was certain she was feeling pleased by how she handled the situation last night), but Rossweisse was staring at him.
"Are you upset that you didn't get to sleep with us last night?" Naruto asked.
After Ravel broke up Koneko's and Irina's argument, the four of them had gone to her bedroom and fallen asleep together. Naruto had woken up with Irina and Ravel using his shoulders as pillows and Koneko curled up on his stomach like a cat. He'd been almost uncomfortably warm. At the same time, waking up to three gorgeous women was always a pleasant experience.
"No. Of course not." Rossweisse turned her head.
"Are you sure?"
"Why would I be jealous? I have no reason to be jealous. It's not like you are my boyfriend too or anything."
"She's jealous."
"Totally jealous."
Naruto gave Rossweisse an indulgent smile, which the woman saw out of the corner of her eye. She looked away. He didn't know why, but seeing a grown woman like Rossweisse get jealous was an adorable sight. It made him want to tease her.
"Well, if you're not jealous, then I guess we don't have to sleep together tonight. That's too bad. I was going to ask if you wanted to share my bed with me."
"I take it back! I am jealous! I am very jealous!"
"Her true colors are showing," Koneko muttered with a frown.
"Naruto-sama is always teasing Rossweisse," Ravel added. "I wonder if she brings out his sadistic side."
While Naruto joked around with Rossweisse and the others, his heart really wasn't into it. How could it be when Rias was still in Yami's clutches? But he tried his best to put on a brave face. He didn't want the others to worry since that would only make them more tense, which could lead to any one of them making mistakes when they finally went to rescue Rias and Kiba.
Speaking of…
"Queen Carmilla." Naruto suddenly turned to the woman hosting them. "Can I ask if the Vampires plan on assisting us?"
"Of course," Queen Carmilla said. "This entire matter is an issue we Vampires have created, so we must also be the ones who resolve it."
"How many forces can you muster for an assault on the Tepes Faction?" asked Naruto.
Queen Carmilla didn't answer right away, eyes turning thoughtful. Beside her, Elmenhilde was staring at Naruto again, but he tried his best to pretend he didn't see her furtive glances. He didn't know what was going on with her. Right now, however, he could not afford to deal with whatever had caught her interest.
"We have about five thousand Vampires in total… but many of them cannot fight," Queen Carmilla said at last. "I'd say only about a thousand of us really have the ability to fight well. Of course, you saw how we fared against those modified dragons. With all of the Vampires weaknesses gone and their bodies enhanced by the Holy Grail, I fear combat against them will be difficult."
Naruto couldn't help but agree. The modified dragons had definitely been tougher than your average Vampire. He remembered seeing how hard it was for one normal Vampire to kill one of the modified dragons. Even his own group had some issues. While they had managed to kill them all, it had been more difficult than it was to kill the Grim Reapers who attacked them during their mission to rescue Ophis. If he had to assign them a ranking, he'd say these modified dragons were a little stronger than a Mid-Class Devil.
"We'll come up with a plan to maximize your efficiency in combat," Ravel inserted herself into the conversation. She reached out for a slice of bread and continued to speak while spreading jam across it. "I believe the most effective method for combating the modified dragons will be to overwhelm them with numbers. Attack with several people to overpower their defenses and you should be able to defeat them."
"That might be a good tactic if we weren't outnumbered, but there are at least five times more modified dragons than there are us," Elmenhilde said, suddenly speaking up. "How can we use tactics like that if we're the ones who are outnumbered?"
"You bring up a good point. I'll have to think about this," Ravel said and then went silent. She ate her jam, eyes focused on nothing in particular. Naruto knew she was already in the process of trying to think up a way to use the Carmilla Faction Vampires in the most efficient way possible.
Naruto reached out for a slice of bread, some meat, and some butter, and then made himself a sandwich. He munched on the food and pondered the situation they were in. It would be difficult to fight against so many modified dragons with just them. Maybe he should consider reverse summoning Kurama.
"If you summon me at the beginning, we may not be able to use me during your confrontation with Yami."
"True, but I don't think we will need to worry about Yami this time."
"Are you sure? He is still stronger than you are right now."
"I know, but you've noticed it, haven't you?"
"I have. Well, if that's what you've decided, then we'll need to prepare ourselves before the operation begins."
Naruto could only agree with Kurama.
Breakfast came to an end. When it did, Naruto suggested to Issei they find a place away from the Vampire's village to do some group sparring. No one disagreed with his suggestion, and so both the Gremory and Vali groups left the mansion, traveled away from the village, and found a nice field where they could spar without having to worry about any prying eyes.
"I don't think we should use any magic or powerful attacks right now," Ravel said. "We want to be rested, so let's just do some light sparring. We can work in groups and practice our teamwork. I believe that will be important in the coming battle."
"You're right," Naruto agreed. "Okay! Let's do some teamwork drills then!"
Teamwork drills were basic exercises in which their group formed two teams and sparred against each other using tactics. It wasn't just sparring however. There was a goal in mind for these exercises, and each exercise was almost like a game.
The current game was capture the flag.
Naruto's team consisted of Koneko, Ravel, Rossweisse, Irina, Le Fey, Kurouka, and Fenrir. Issei's side had Akeno, Asia, Bikou, Gasper, Raynare, Xenovia, and Vali.
With the goal of capture the flag being the take the other team's flag before your own was taken, Ravel had decided that their best option was to use Naruto and Koneko to guard their flag.
Since a lot of limits had been imposed on this game, Naruto's own abilities were likewise limited, which meant guarding the flag on his own would be impossible. That was why Koneko had joined him. Ravel had figured they would send either Issei or Vali and two others to capture their flag, while everyone else would defend the flag.
"Heads up. We've got bogies incoming," Koneko suddenly said, turning her head to look in one direction.
Naruto looked up and saw what she was talking about. Vali was walking out from behind the line of trees. He seemed to be alone.
"Can you sense anyone else around?" asked Naruto. Koneko cocked her head to the side as if listening for something, then shook her head. "Hmm… even if you can't sense someone, keep your eyes open. I'm sure Vali wouldn't come alone."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure no one touches the flag," Koneko said.
With Koneko's assurance backing him, Naruto strode forward to confront Vali, who was grinning from ear to ear.
"You don't know how long I've wanted to fight you," Vali said. "Ever since we first met, I've wanted to have a bout with you."
"I know. Though you do realize we can't go all out, right?"
"Of course. That's fine by me. I just want to feel the thrill of a good battle."
Naruto nodded in acceptance. Vali was a battle maniac through and through. He craved combat, enjoyed pushing his limits, and fighting against strong opponents. Naruto was the same. While he didn't much care for war and death, he would not lie and say the idea of fighting against strong people didn't interest him.
On an unspoken signal, Naruto and Vali pushed against the ground and sped toward each other, their fists clashing between them as they threw a punch at the same time. Even though no powers had been used, the air was still kicked up between them. It was like an airburst.
Naruto was the first to react. He twisted his wrist, diverted Vali's first with an open palm, and stepped forward. He tried to strike Vali while the other man was off balance. It didn't work. Of course Vali would not let himself be hit that easily. He swayed to the side and twisted his body, allowing Naruto's fist to soar past him. Then he grabbed Naruto's extended wrist, spun around, and tried to flip him through the air.
Naruto replaced himself with a log.
A moment after Naruto disappeared, the log exploded and dozens of ninja wire burst from the splinters, wrapped around Vali, and pulled his arms tight against him. Vali broke the ninja wire easily enough. However, Naruto had used that time to appear behind him. The hit Naruto sent to Vali's back was strong enough to knock the White Dragon forward, but Vali used his momentum to move into a series of front and back handsprings. He landed on the ground several meters from Naruto, who now stood where Vali had been.
"Your sense of tactics is impressive," Vali complimented.
"And your instincts are sharp," Naruto said.
"Hmph. Don't act like you don't have killer instincts too. I can see it in your eyes. You know war perhaps better than anyone else I know save Azazel."
"Well, I was in a war back in my old home, so…" Naruto shrugged. "Anyway, you ready to continue?"
"Of course."
With those words, Naruto and Vali once more clashed in the open field.
~Devil Ninja~
Sona arrived late in the afternoon alongside her peerage. Naruto greeted her with Azazel and Elmenhilde, who was now acting as their host, a job that had been given to her by Queen Carmilla. It was interesting to see how humble she was acting now. She'd been so arrogant before that the change was a little shocking.
"Greetings, Sona Sitri." Elmenhilde curtsied like a proper European noblewoman. "It is a pleasure to see you again, though I do wish it was under better circumstances."
"Good afternoon, Elmenhilde," Sona greeted the Vampire with a similar courtesy. "I understand how you feel. I was briefed on the situation before coming here. It does not sound good."
Sona was not alone. Ophis was with her. The dragon god walked up to Naruto and tugged on his sleeve. She didn't say anything, but that was because she didn't need to; her eyes said everything.
Naruto began petting her head. "Thank you for doing this, Ophis. I really do appreciate it."
Ophis smiled as she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. She reminded him of a cat seeking affection from its owner.
"You are welcome. I like Rias too."
It wasn't many words, but Naruto understood what she meant just fine. Ophis was close to Rias. Out of all the women in his harem, he believed Ophis was probably closest to the redhead. He thought it was because of the way Rias treated her. Out of all the people in their group, Rias was the one who treated her almost as affectionately as Naruto did.
Well, it was his theory at least.
"Please let me show you to the rooms you will be staying at during your time here. I can—geh!" Elmenhilde stopped mid-sentence when her eyes landed on Loup Garou. "W-werewolf?! You have a Werewolf in your Peerage?!"
"Yes." Sona pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Is that a problem."
"… No," Elmenhilde said, though it was clear she was not being honest. "Please follow me."
Elmenhilde turned around and walked into the mansion, Naruto, Ophis, and Sona's Peerage following behind her. They swept past the entrance hall and into a large hallway on the second floor. The sound of their footsteps echoed around them.
"Well, that was odd," Naruto murmured.
"Heh. I guess it's true what they say about Vampires not liking Werewolves," Saji said with a smirk.
"Oh?"
Naruto looked over at Saji, interested in what the boy was saying. He still didn't know much about the various species around the world, and while he had studied Vampires for a bit, this was not something he remembered reading about, nor was it something Rias had informed him of when she told him about Vampires. He guessed this information hadn't been important at the time since he was studying their culture and not their enemies.
"Werewolves and Vampires are natural enemies that have hated each other since time immemorial," Sona explained as they turned a corner. "Neither side remembers where this hatred comes from. It could be a simple matter of pride. Vampires and Werewolves are both incredibly powerful supernatural entities with a great deal of pride. Both races believe they are superior to the other. This sense of superiority could have manifested into a form of hatred after thousands upon thousands of years of competing with each other, but who knows for sure if that's true."
That was an interesting theory. Naruto did know about how prideful Vampires were from dealing with Elmenhilde when she first arrived. If she was an excellent example of her entire race, then the superiority complex of her race would make all too much sense. He could definitely see them thinking they were better than Werewolves. Of course, Naruto knew squat about Werewolves, so he couldn't say whether or not they were the same as Vampires.
He glanced at Loup Garou, who had not spoken up since they arrived. The man was so quiet. Naruto had learned during the mission to defeat the Stray Magicians that Loup Garou was enrolled in Kuoh Academy's college department. Sadly, that was about all he knew. The Werewolf was so quiet that Naruto hadn't been able to talk to him at all. It didn't help that they were in different peerages.
The rooms Elmenhilde showed them to were across the hall from the ones the Gremory Group was using. Naruto didn't go inside. Once Elmenhilde showed them their rooms, she turned on her heel and left. Naruto decided to follow her. Ophis, of course, followed Naruto, both her arms wrapped around his left arm.
"Is it true what Sona said?" he asked. "That Vampires and Werewolves don't get along because you both believe you are the superior species?"
Elmenhilde glanced at him, shrugged, and looked away. "Who knows. Our two races have hated each other for so long that I doubt anyone remembers the real reason for it."
"And do you hate Werewolves?"
"Would it matter if I did?"
"I guess not."
Silence stretched out between them as they walked. Elmenhilde kept glancing at him and Ophis. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she held herself back.
"Naruto," the one who spoke was not Elmenhilde. It was Ophis.
"Yeah?"
"I want to have sex now. You promised we could do it when I came back."
"I did, didn't I?"
"You did. I want to have sex. Now."
"Can you two not talk about having sex in my presence?!" Elmenhilde's ears and cheeks turned bright red as she shouted at them.
~Devil Ninja~
The evening drew closer and Arthur had not returned. Naruto was worried he had gotten caught up in something dangerous. Maybe he'd arrived in Heaven to find them being besieged by the Titans. While Vali had assured him something like that wouldn't happen because Arthur could just open a portal and leave, that did not stop him from worrying and wondering.
"It looks like help isn't coming from Heaven. That means we will have to make do with the forces we have," Azazel said.
They were all in the entrance hall, the place where Queen Carmilla received people who sought to speak with her. The ceiling had been repaired by Azazel. While Queen Carmilla sat on her throne and Elmenhilde stood by her side, Azazel, the Gremory Peerage, Sona's Peerage, and Team Vali stood before the throne.
"Are you sure we can succeed with so few numbers?" asked Sona. "I do not mean to be so pessimistic, but Ophis did tell me about the kind of forces we are facing. An army of modified dragons that have been enhanced by the Holy Grail's power is not something so few people can deal with."
"You are right, of course." Azazel nodded in agreement. "However, you are thinking in terms of a confrontation. We're not planning to fight them head on. Our goal right now is to rescue Rias Gremory and Kiba Yuuto, not defeat an army with an unknown number of modified dragons. That said, we will need to break through their defenses if we want to reach Tepes Castle. Vali?"
Vali stepped forward, hands in his pocket and a cool look on his face. He seemed completely at ease under the looks people were giving him.
"We've done some reconnaissance of the area surrounding Tepes Castle. Just like we suspected, all the Vampires there have been transformed into dragons. We could not get an accurate estimation of their numbers. I'd say there were maybe ten thousand of them, but there could be more. In either event, they have arranged themselves to form a defensive perimeter around the castle and surrounding town. No matter which direction we attack from, they can send reinforcements to enforce that area. Breaking through won't be easy."
"No," Ravel said after Vali finished speaking. "I believe it will be easier than you think."
"How so?" asked Vali.
Ravel coughed into her hand. "Our goal in all this is not to defeat this army but to infiltrate the castle. If we send a force against the modified dragons, then have them retreat and get the army to chase after them, we can create a gap in their defenses that a small task force can slip through. I was thinking we could have Azazel lead an army of Vampires against the Tepes Faction as a distraction."
As expected of Ravel, her plan was quite sound. However, there was someone among them who had an objection.
"While your plan would certainly help accomplish your goal, it would also put my people in danger," Queen Carmilla said. "Not only are my own forces not as comparable to the Tepese Faction in terms of numbers, but now that the Tepes Faction Vampires have been transformed with the Holy Grails power, they far outstrip us in terms of firepower too. I fear our forces would be overwhelmed."
Naruto would have furrowed his brow at the woman, but he understood that she needed to think of her people first and foremost. It was what all leaders did. If they could not put their people ahead of everyone else, they would not make good leaders. It still rankled on his nerves though.
"Not true," Ravel objected. "The modified dragons might be more powerful than a normal Vampire, but I took the opportunity to study how the modified dragons fight when we were helping you fend off the assault. I have a plan that will keep your casualties to an absolute minimum."
While Queen Carmilla looked cynical, Naruto could not keep the smile off his face. Ravel was definitely the greatest strategist among them. The way she came up with plans so quickly and decisively carried them out always impressed him. He also liked her managerial skills. It was only thanks to Ravel's management that Naruto could get his work done in a timely manner.
"And what is your plan?" asked Queen Carmilla. "If I deem it a good plan, I may agree to lend my aid, but be warned, I will not help with this if it sounds like my people are going to be used as sacrificial pawns. It does not matter if we join the Three Factions Alliance if my people suffer."
Ravel nodded. "You do not need to worry. I am sure you will approve of my plan." She took a deep breath as though psyching herself up. "The plan calls for the Carmilla Faction Vampires drawing the attention of the modified dragons to create a gap in their defenses that a small team of elite forces can slip through. Of course, this is a dangerous task, and I won't deny that. First, I plan on having Team Vali work with the Vampires to help mitigate the pressure you will face. This includes Naruto's personal magician, Le Fey Pendragon. Every member of Team Vali has the strength of a High-Class Devil. The modified dragons only have the strength of Mid-Class Devils, so they should have no trouble killing a lot of them."
"Hold on." Vali raised a hand.
"What is it?" asked Ravel.
"I don't mind if everyone else fights against the modified dragons with the Vampires, but I am going to be on the infiltration team. I refuse to let anyone else fight Rizevim. He is mine."
Vali was Rizevim's grandson. While Naruto didn't know exactly what went down between them, he knew that Vali hated his grandfather as much as he hated his own father. Naruto's understanding was that Vali had been abused and mistreated by his entire family. Perhaps this was a familial grudge that could only be solved with violence.
"All right," Ravel said at last. "In that case, Vali will go with the infiltration group. We'll have Sona's peerage move from being part of the infiltration group to working with Team Vali." She turned to Sona. "Is that okay with you?"
"I am fine with whatever you decide," Sona said.
"Okay then. Vali will join the infiltration group, which will be spearheaded by Naruto. Your goal is to enter Tepes Castle, confront Rizevim and Yami, and rescue Rias-sama and Kiba-san. Your group will consist of Akeno, Asia, Koneko, Ise, Irina, Naruto, Raynare, Rossweisse, and Vali. Everyone else will join the Vampires. Once the Vampires have grabbed the modified dragons attention, we will retreat to a more defensible location, where Azazel will prepare a barrier for us."
While some people felt the infiltration team needed more people, Naruto understood that anymore than what they already had would be too much. Too many people would just get in the way. It also wouldn't help against people like Rizevim and Yami. Rather than fighting them with a lot of people, it was better to face them with a small group of powerful individuals.
The plans to attack Tepes Castle continued into the evening. The operation would begin at midnight.
~Devil Ninja~
Midnight. A time when the people of this world believed all ninja operated. Naruto would have laughed at most people, but since he was a ninja in the middle of a midnight operation, he could only laugh at himself.
The cold night air was not enough to even mildly phase him as he stood several dozen meters from the first perimeter of the Tepes Factions village, their base of operations. With him were Issei, Vali, Akeno, Asia, Koneko, Irina, Raynare, and Rossweisse. They were part of his team for this operation, which would begin once the other group lured the majority of modified dragons to them.
Naruto's breathing was steady as he observed the army before them. They were the modified dragons enhanced by the Holy Grail. There must have been thousands of them, in the sky, on the ground. Not all of them looked the same either. One of them might have blue scales, while another might have red or green scales. The length of their wings also varied from dragon to dragon, as did other facets about them like their muzzles, teeth, size, and shape. It wasn't something he noticed when killing them. He'd only spotted the differences now.
"Some ninja you are."
"Can it, furball."
"That is a lot of dragons," Issei mumbled.
"I thought the army we fought against before was big," Irina muttered in a bitter voice. "But this is ridiculous."
"I said there were a lot," Vali shrugged.
"It's one thing to hear about it. It's another thing entirely to fucking see it," Raynare said. "Holy fucking shit. This is insane. There's no way we have enough forces to deal with this fuckfest."
"Fortunately, dealing with these dragons isn't our job," Naruto said.
"Word," Koneko agreed.
Naruto pressed a hand to his left ear, activating the communication device inside. "Ravel, we're in position. How are things on your end?"
~Devil Ninja~
"Ravel, we're in position. How are things on your end?"
The moment Ravel heard the words spoken into her ear, she reached up to activate the communicator and spoke into it.
"We're all ready to begin."
"Then begin the operation now. I'll see you when this is all over."
"Yeah. See you."
Ravel lowered her hand, took a deep breath, and psyched herself up. This was it.
She turned to Queen Carmilla, who had joined her and Azazel on the battlefield. The queen was dressed in armor fit for a warrior princess. The steel corset wrapped around her body, flared out at the hips into a pleated skirt made of leaf-shaped segments, and her feet and hands were adorned with greaves and gauntlets. Ravel wondered if this woman really needed such adornments, but she didn't question her.
"We're ready. Let's begin the operation."
"Very well." Queen Carmilla nodded and turned to look at her forces, the several thousand strong army of Vampires standing just behind them. "My people! The Tepes Faction has betrayed us and themselves! They have allowed an evil man like Rizevim into their homes, and look at what it got them. They were turned into abominations. But we are magnanimous. Let us, their former brethren, put them out of their misery. To battle!"
A great cheer went up, thousands of voices raising their battle cries as they surged forward. Some became bats and flew through the air, others turned into mist, and a few simply raced across the plain.
Ravel was at the head of this procession. She flew alongside Azazel, Queen Carmilla, Elmenhilde, Ophis, and the other members of the Gremory Peerage. Sona and her peerage were hanging back for now. They were with Team Vali. Their job was to wait until the Vampires had engaged the enemy, and then strike them from behind after the army led them to the location they had chosen to defend.
They were to be the hammer that smacked the modified dragon forces against the anvil that was the Carmilla Faction.
First contact with the enemy was made by those of them at the front. Ravel's demonic power flared, her wings grew brighter, and a pair of fireballs appeared within her hands. She combined them together, forming a swirling ball of incandescence that exploded into a brilliant orange beam. The fire attack engulfed a dragon and burnt it into cinders. It continued on, killing several more before exploding in a fierce gale of burning hot wind.
As if in response to the sudden attacks from her forces, the modified dragons howled and attacked in turn. Dragon fire spewed from their mouths. The incredible flames swept over several Vampires, charring them. Their smoking corpses tumbled to the ground. In the skies above, a number of the Vampires that had turned bats were charred. They plummeted to the ground below.
Ravel was no longer able to focus on the flow of battle. Much as she wished she could remain back, observe the situation, and direct their forces, a battle like this was too chaotic, too messy for that. Hanging back would be useless. And so she fought.
A pair of brilliant flames coalesced into her hands, and she transformed them into short swords. As a Bishop, Ravel specialized in magical attacks, and indeed, her magic power was quite impressive even for a High-Class Devil. However, her melee skills were lacking. Like her brother Rizer, she had never been one for close combat.
That had changed recently.
Ravel knew she couldn't afford to remain behind all the time, thus she sought to improve her combat abilities by sparring daily with Irina and Xenovia. Naruto probably knew about what she was doing. He never said anything, however. He didn't have to. There was a tacit understanding and trust between them, formed from their relationship.
That was something Ravel cherished.
Ravel did not release any battlecries. She did not shout. With a fierce look on her face, she waded into the enemy forces and attacked. Her blade made quick work of an eye as she thrust it forward. The dragon roared and tried to claw at her, but Ravel created a shield of fire between her and the claw. Flare bursts exploded before her eyes as she spun around behind the creature, leapt upon its shoulders, and stabbed her fire swords through the back of its neck. The creature groaned, tottered forward, and died.
Ravel jumped off its back and sought out her next opponent.
Chaos reigned all around her. The cloying scent of blood filled her noise and the anguished screams of the dying mixed with the draconic roars of the enraged dragons as they also found themselves in death's embrace. Ravel felt sick to her stomach as a Vampire on her left charged at a dragon and was impaled through the stomach. The claws sprouted from his back, blood running down them as the dragon lifted the Vampire up and tossed him aside. As it roared as though demanding another challenger, Ravel swallowed the bile surging up in her throat.
And then she removed its head with a crescent-shaped fire blade.
It was only at this moment that Ravel realized she was all alone in this sea of combat. None of her companions were near her.
At that moment, a terrifying roar went up. Ravel snapped her head in that direction and found Gasper, transformed into a massive five meter monster and attacking the enemy modified dragons. He looked different than his normal form.
Gasper's normal Balance Breaker, Balor the Beast, transformed him into a creature with a dragon's head, arms with claws, and massive wings. His transformation this time resembled a fox with nine tails. Bloody irises surrounded by darkness stared at the world with savage eagerness, or so it seemed to Ravel, and his torso was shaped more like a human's than a fox's. He even had opposable thumbs.
The massive nine-tailed fox lashed out with its tails. Everything around it was destroyed. The ground, the modified dragons, everything. It was a good thing there were no members of their own forces near it, or they would have been killed too. Seeing this terrifying creature sent a chill up Ravel's spine.
Like most Vampires, Gasper had the ability to gain power from drinking people's blood. His dragon form when he activates his Balance Breaker was the result of drinking Issei's blood. In that case, this new form he used very likely came from drinking Naruto's blood. Naruto must have given it to him before the mission began.
At that moment, Ravel's attention was forced away from Gasper as a powerful energy descended upon the battlefield. Several black beams of energy lanced down from above. They curved around the Vampires and struck the modified dragons, blowing holes clean through their bodies. The wounds looked like black holes that ran through them. Each attack was a killing blow, striking either the heart or the head. Nearly twenty modified dragons dropped dead in less than a single second.
The one who had unleashed that astonishing attack was Ophis.
The Infinite Dragon God.
The Ouroboros Dragon.
Ravel sometimes forgot about how powerful Ophis was, forgot that this seemingly petite woman was actually a creature who had lived since the beginning of time and held unimaginable power—even after most of her power had been stolen by Rizevim. The Ophis that Ravel knew was constantly seeking affection from Naruto. She was like a cat who wanted to be pampered.
She was also one of Naruto's hornier women, but Ravel tried not to think about that.
Ophis hovered in the skies above their group, her eyes staring at the forces arrayed against them, bored and unfeeling.
Several dragons swooped over to attack her. They were surrounded her on all sides, what must have been several dozen of them. She annihilated them in an instant. Destructive energy swept out of her body and engulfed the enemies surrounding her, completely erasing them from the face of the world. Several dragons that had been charging toward her suddenly turned tail and attacked someone else.
Ravel gulped.
Then she focused on the task at hand.
"Queen Carmilla! Signal the retreat!" Ravel said into her communicator.
"All forces! Withdraw to the defense point!" Queen Carmilla's command was somehow heard over the din of battle.
Their group quickly withdrew, with Gasper and the other members of Rias' Peerage providing cover for the Vampires. A few died. But it was only a few. They were soon retreating through the woods.
The modified dragons followed them. This was all according to plan.
Ravel grimaced as dragon fire burst all around her, but she fought back by launching fire blades at the nearest modified dragons. Her attacks missed. However, they did an admirable job of forcing her enemies to dodge.
They soon burst from the woods and found themselves standing between a pair of mountains. This was where they would make their stand.
"Looks like I'm up," Azazel said as he stepped forward.
He raised his hands and held up a device that Ravel had never seen before. The device glowed with a bright luminescence before several hundred magic circles appeared on the ground, then transformed into a translucent barrier.
"Get the injured in the barrier!" Ravel ordered. "Healers! Do your best to heal the wounded! When your wounds have been healed, come back out of the barrier and ward off the dragons!"
This was Ravel's plan. Their forces would defend this location. When someone was injured, they would head inside of the barrier, where first aid would be administered, and then come back out to continue fighting. Like this, even if they did not have the same numbers as their foes, they could fight longer and harder.
A roar echoed across the area as the modified dragons surged in. The battle continued, Ravel did not know for how long, but Sona's Peerage and Team Vali soon entered the fray, attacking from behind and destroying a large chunk of the modified dragon forces. This took some of the pressure off Queen Carmilla's forces and gave them a chance to breathe. A number of Vampires retreated into the barrier with severe injuries. Oddly enough, or perhaps not, Queen Carmilla remained at the front as she fought side by side with Azazel.
"It looks like the battle has turned in our favor," Ophis said as she floated down to stand beside Ravel.
"It seems that way," Ravel agreed. Ophis tilted her head, which caused Ravel to furrow her brow. "Is something wrong?"
"I am not sure. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I feel like the forces we are fighting are too few in number," Ophis said, her voice a murmur.
"Too few." Ravel wanted to laugh and say it was just because Ophis was too powerful, but she couldn't. "Now that you mention it, Vali did tell us they had around ten thousand modified dragons, but I feel like there were only a third of that."
"Yes. There were only about four thousand," Ophis agreed.
Ravel felt something niggling in the back of her mind, but she couldn't figure out what, like an itch that couldn't be scratched.
A little ways off, Bikou and Kuroka were fighting against several dragons. Kurouka was using her Senjutsu to poison them. A thick purple fog spilled from her body and surrounded an entire battalion, and then Bikou threw himself at the dragons once they were weakened and took them down with precise strikes of his staff. His attacks were powerful enough to leave craters in the skulls of his enemies. He must have been using Touki.
As she watched the battle, Ravel had the sense that she was missing something, but she understood there was nothing she could do now. The dice had already been cast. There was only one thing she could do in a situation like this.
Ravel looked at Ophis.
"Could you go and find Naruto? I suspect he might be in danger."
"Yes, I will help Naruto." Ophis floated into the air, paused, and then looked at Ravel. "Be careful."
With those parting words, Ophis disappeared. Ravel stared at where she had been, sighed, and then flew off to rejoin her companions.
~Devil Ninja~
Naruto and his group were moving the moment the fireworks started.
They had already infiltrated Tepes Castle, which was an intimidating and ominous thing made of towering spires, flying buttresses, and evil-looking stone golems sitting on the roof. Naruto had not been aware that standard Vampire castles did indeed exist outside of fiction. The Carmilla Faction's castle was actually pleasant if gaudy. This? This was like someone had taken every Dracula set from every Dracula movie and combined them to create the most grotesque building ever conceived.
It was that horrifying.
Okay. Maybe not that horrifying, but it was very ugly.
The inside wasn't much better than the outside. After killing their way through several modified dragons that had remained behind as guards, they entered a side door that led into a kitchen. The kitchen was gloomy. That was the only word Naruto could use to describe it. With not a soul in sight and numerous knives and other implements lying around, the entire place just seemed dead.
It also set off warning bells in Naruto's head.
"Where is everyone?" asked Issei as they crept along a creepy ass hallway. Naruto wondered if his perception was merely shifting, telling him this hall was like something out of Resident Evil, but even if it was, he would have stuck by his beliefs.
He was stubborn like that.
"They've probably all been turned into modified dragons," Vali said. "I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a single Vampire left among the Tepes Faction."
"That makes a horrifying amount of sense," Irina muttered, face pale.
"Fuck," Koneko was a lot more succinct.
They continued running, passing through hallways, entering rooms, and searching for any sign of life. There was nothing. This place was emptier than a grave because at least a grave had tombstones. While this place did have some extremely fancy decorations, like the lounge that reminded Naruto of the suites he'd slept in at various Gremory owned hotels, it really seemed as if there was nothing here.
Naruto called for them to stop. They weren't getting anywhere by running around like headless chickens.
"Do you sense anyone?" Naruto asked Koneko.
Koneko cocked her head to the side as her catlike pupils became even more slitted. Her split tail waved behind her back like it had a mind of its own. Her cat ears twitched several times as if a burst of cold air had hit them.
"I can," she said at last.
"Where are they?" asked Vali.
Koneko pointed down. "Beneath us."
"It sounds like there is a basement," Rossweisse said as she looked down with narrowed eyes. "I am not surprised. Castles like this will always have a dungeon located underground. We will likely find Rias Gremory, Kiba Yuuto, and their captors down there."
"In other words, we should be looking for a hidden passage," Naruto said.
"This is fucking great," Raynare growled. "Can this get anymore complicated?"
"If you don't like our situation, you can always leave," Akeno said with a pleasant smile. Of course, it only appeared pleasant. Naruto could practically sense the snideness rolling off the woman in waves.
"Fuck that," Raynare spat. "Get bent, bitch."
"Ufufufu. Only if you do first."
"If you two are going to argue, I am going to leave you here," Naruto said, which shut the both of them up quick.
Since their destination was below them, Naruto and the others began searching for a stairway or secret passage that led into the basement. There was one staircase that led down. However, they soon realized it only led to a normal basement and not a dungeon. They also couldn't find a secret passage in this basement that led further down, which, according to Koneko, was where all of those people were located.
Naruto was just about to consider blowing a hole through the floor when Koneko discovered a secret entrance in one of the lounge rooms. There was a secret staircase underneath one of the couches. Just how Koneko uncovered such an entrance, he didn't know, but they all traveled down into the depths of the dark passage, scarcely lit by several candles affixed to candelabras.
Finally, they emerged into another room.
This other room was a long hallway with several jail cells located inside of it. Naruto began walking down each cell, searching them for signs of Rias and Kiba.
He didn't find them.
"Where are they?!" asked Naruto, finally losing his patience. He'd been keeping his impatience contained through sheer force of will, but it was impossible to remain calm when he still couldn't find the people he was looking for.
"I believe there is one more floor below us," Koneko said. "That's where I sense people."
"I wonder how many floors this basement has," Issei mused.
"Who the fuck cares?" asked Raynare. "I just want to get this fucking over with."
"Naruto, we should probably proceed with caution. I've been getting a bad feeling ever since we entered this castle," Rossweisse said.
Naruto closed his eyes. He didn't want to be cautious, but he felt the same way Rossweisse did. The hairs on the back of his neck were prickling. As someone who relied purely on intuition and feeling, he knew when to be reckless and when to use caution.
"Yeah. Okay. Let's move out, but cautiously," Naruto said.
There was a door at the end of this hall, which led down to the next level. They traveled down a spiral staircase. A door sat at the bottom, and through the door was a large room with almost nothing in it—nothing except the throne at the end and the people standing there.
Perhaps it was natural for him, but the first person Naruto noticed was Rias Gremory, standing there in a dress. It didn't look like she had been harmed. Kiba was next to her. Unlike Rias, he was actually injured. His left arm hung limp like every bone inside it had been shattered and his face was covered in contusions. Naruto could only imagine what he had been put through.
Beside them were three people. Yami. Rizevim. Lilith. While Lilith didn't wear an expression one way or the other, Rizevim and Yami had donned cold smiles, the kind that spoke of incredible cruelty. They looked like a pair of two-bit villains.
"Naruto," Rias whispered with a sad murmur.
Naruto took a deep breath in a vain attempt at keeping calm, but anyone who knew him would know how much he valued the people he loved. The people who were precious to him. While it didn't look like Rias had been harmed, she had clearly still suffered greatly. He guessed she'd been forced to watch as Kiba was tortured. That would have been far harder on someone like Rias, someone who valued her servants above even her own life.
"Yami… I am going to kill you," Naruto declared. There was no joking in his voice.
"We don't see each other in so long, and that's the first thing you say to me?" Yami asked with a chuckle. "I'm disappointed, Naruto."
"Like I care," Naruto grunted. "You've gone too far this time."
"So you say, but I personally do not believe I have gone far enough. In fact, now that you are here, we can start the main event."
"What does he mean by 'the main event?'" asked Issei.
Naruto would have liked to know that too, but then he realized what this "main event" was when Yami nodded at Lilith, who suddenly appeared behind Rias. He couldn't see Lilith anymore. Her body was so small that Rias blocked it. He didn't need to, however. Perhaps it was his sharp intuition, but he understood what Lilith was about to do, and he acted before she could complete her plan.
There were a lot of debates about the Kawarimi no Jutsu. Some people had theorized that it was a low-level space-time technique, while others hypothesized that it couldn't be because time-space techniques are too advanced for the average shinobi to wield. Naruto didn't know whether he believed the Kawarimi no Jutsu manipulated time and space or not, but it was one of the few jutsu he had completely mastered to the point where he didn't need hand seals.
That was why he could replace himself with Rias.
It happened in an instant.
There was a slight puff of smoke as Rias suddenly found herself standing in Naruto's place and Naruto stood where she had been. Lilith continued her attack, plunging her hand into Naruto's chest. The pain from being impaled caused his vision to white out as he grunted. He could feel the tiny hand slide between his ribcage and attempt to grab his heart, but he latched onto Lilith's hand and stopped her.
"Naruto!" Rias screamed when she suddenly realized what had happened. Kiba, now right next to Naruto, stared in wide-eyed horror as he saw what happened.
"Tch!" Yami clicked his tongue. "It's such a simple jutsu I completely forgot you were an expert on it."
"I'm surprised." Naruto grimaced as blood down down his mouth and Lilith's arm. "You of all people should know how good I am at this jutsu."
Yami scowled. "You have not used that jutsu since gaining Kurama's power. There's no way I would remember how skilled you are."
Naruto thought he detected a lie in Yami's words, but he was far too busy trying to keep Lilith's hand from grabbing his heart. He could feel her pushing her arm forward. This girl was a lot stronger than she looked. How could someone with such skinny arms be this strong? Was it because she had been created to contain the powers of the Infinite Dragon God?
While Naruto was trying to figure out what he should do in this situation, Rizevim appeared behind him, hand poised to pierce his back.
"Since it seems Lilith has failed in her task, I will help her complete what she started," Rizevim said.
"Like I'd let you do that," another voice said.
The voice belonged to Vali, already dressed in the white scale mail armor of his Balance Breaker. He had burst forward the moment Rizevim made his move and slammed into the older Devil. There was nothing graceful about this attack. It was like a headbutt. Vali crashed head first into the man, sending them both backward.
At the same time, a magic circle appeared between Lilith and Naruto, and a tiny figure emerged from within the magic circle. Koneko. The tiny nekousho was crouched low, legs spread into a horse stance. She didn't hesitate to launch her own attack. The two fists she threw forward slammed into Lilith with enough force that the girl went flying back. Naruto grunted as blood spurted from the wound in his chest, but his intense regeneration kicked in and healed the injury up near instantly.
He patted his chest as Koneko glared at Lilith. She took several steps back to stand beside him. Meanwhile, Lilith looked at Naruto for several seconds before glancing at Yami.
"It's fine. I figured this would happen. Naruto wouldn't be much of an opponent if he was that easy to kill," Yami said.
The other members of Naruto's group quickly ran over to him. It looked like they were trying to protect him, which Naruto appreciated, but he knew now wasn't the time for sentimentality.
"Ise, I want you to help Vali," Naruto said. "Asia, heal Kiba and Rias. The rest of you are going to help me."
"I don't like leaving you hanging like this, but I know better than to argue. Kick his ass, you blond bastard," Issei said.
Issei didn't need anymore incentive than that as he headed over to where Vali was squaring off against his own grandfather. The sound of explosions was already echoing from over there. Naruto didn't need to look to know how intense the battle between them had become.
"Why are you doing this, Yami? What are you hoping to accomplish?" asked Naruto.
"I believe I told you. I am going to become so strong that I can consume your existence, and then I will become the real Naruto. Of course, to do that, I need a lot more strength than I have now. After all, even if I am stronger than you right now, you've got a helper inside of you. My plan is quite simple. I am going to gather power, throw the world into chaos, and then undo the seal holding a great evil that was imprisoned long ago," Yami said.
"A great evil? What are you talking about?" asked Naruto.
Rossweisse lifted a hand to her mouth. "You don't mean—"
"I do." Yami's grin widened. "I plan on releasing Trihexa from its prison, and then I will seal Trihexa into myself. I will become Trihexa's Jinchurikki, and together, we will destroy this rotten world!"
~Devil Ninja~
"What's the matter, Vali? Having trouble hitting me? Perhaps you are feeling sentimental and can't hit your dear grandfather?"
"Shut up!"
"Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!"
Vali already knew what would happen the moment he tried to divide Rizevim's power, but he went ahead and made the attempt anyway.
Rizevim laughed as he leapt forward far faster than Vali could comprehend. A fist slammed into his chest, and just like that, the power Vali was using was completely canceled.
At the same time, Rizevim stepped forward and slammed his elbow into Vali's chin. Vali, unable to stop his forward momentum, practically walked into the attack. Stars exploded in the young man's vision as he stumbled back.
Rizevim did not let up. Vali soon found himself on the defensive, taking hits that caused his vision to go white. A smack to the skull rattled his brain. Something hard slammed into his knee, nearly causing it to bend the other way. Just as he was teetering, Rizevim launched a powerful double punch. While Vali got his arms up in time to block, the attack produced a shockwave as he was lifted off his feet, slammed into the ground, and rolled across the floor.
"You don't really think you can beat your dear old grandfather with such paltry skills, do you?" asked Rizevim as Vali climbed to his feet. He spread his arms wide as Vali wiped the blood dripping down his mouth. "Come now, Vali. I know you aren't weak. At least try to give me a better fight than this, you fucking pathetic loser."
Vali scowled. He wanted to scream at this man that the only reason he was able to take him on was due to the Sacred Gear Canceller. That unique ability of his could cancel out the power of a Sacred Gear. Of course, this included Vali's Balance Breaker.
"Dragon Shot!"
A powerful beam of bright red energy tore through the underground chamber, burning away ozone and the floor as it traveled straight for Rizevim. The attack was so powerful even Vali felt a thrill run down his spine. Rizevim's eyes went wide as he flapped his wings to move back quickly, letting the attack tear through the space he had been standing. The beam continued on, exploded against the wall, and caused the entire building to shake.
Vali had to close his eyes as he was hit by bright light and force winds. He would have been blown clean off his feet if he hadn't hunkered down. Even though he wasn't sent flying, he still slid across the ground despite using his Scale Mail's clawed feet to dig his heels into the floor.
When his vision returned, Vali opened his eyes to find the entire wall and ground gone. Part of the ceiling was also gone, revealing a good chunk of the floor above.
"Vali! You okay?" asked Issei as he landed next to him.
Like Vali, Issei had entered his Balance Breaker. Red Scale Mail covered his body from head to toe, green gems glowed from his chest, knees, and elbows. The wings on his back looked like those of a true dragon. Meanwhile, a tail with a sharp point curled behind him.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Vali muttered with furrowed brows. "You've gotten a lot stronger."
"Of course I have! Don't you know how hard I've been training?" Issei looked pretty pleased with himself.
The one among them who did not seem pleased was Rizevim. He scowled at Issei, but then his expression shifted back into a smile as he walked forward with a swagger in his step.
"I must admit, I'm surprised you've got so much power. However, at the end of the day, you still don't have what it takes to beat me."
"We'll see about that, fucker!" Issei raised his finger and flipped off Rizevim, then turned to Vali. "Come on, Vali. Let's turn this douchenozzle of a grandfather of yours into mincemeat!"
Vali didn't say anything for a moment as he stared in surprise at Issei. He wouldn't say he was happy with the idea of teaming up against his grandfather, because he wanted to beat this man himself, but the idea of fighting beside Issei had a certain appeal. Two rivals standing side by side to defeat a powerful threat? Yes, it was something he could get behind, and he knew right now this might be the only way he could fight this man on even grounds.
"All right then. Let's do this, Issei Hyoudou."
"Hell yeah! Let's kick his ass!"
"Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!"
Issei boosted himself without limit, his power skyrocketing to the point where it matched Vali's. The two of them turned to face Rizevim. Their enemy now wore a scowl. With their faces covered in a helmet that hid their expressions, the pair launched themselves at Rizevim.
~Devil Ninja~
Lilith tried to make her way over to Rizevim.
"You girls need to stop her!" Naruto shouted at Akeno, Koneko, Irina, Raynare, and Rossweisse.
"Don't fucking tell me what to do!" Raynare snarled. Despite this, she created a spear of light and hurled it at Lilith, who didn't even look her way as she smacked the weapon away like it was nothing. "Fuck!"
"Let's try this!" Akeno said as she created holy lightning and sent a powerful burst at Lilith. Just like what happened with Raynare's spear of light, Akeno's holy lightning was smacked away like it was nothing. "Well, this isn't good."
Lilith was simply too powerful for their magic to harm her. It made sense. Lilith now contained the vast majority of Ophis' power, which meant she was a creature so far above them she was like a giant and they were ants.
Despite this, no one gave up. Rossweisse held out her hand and created several complex magic circles with the House of Gremory crest in the center. There were a myriad of different colors. He thought he recognized the different kinds of magic being used, but then something shocking happened. The circles combined. Forming a single, large magic circle that was far above anything he'd ever seen, Rossweisse gritted her teeth and released a snarl as she unleashed the magic.
Lilith stopped moving.
She turned toward the magic and raised her hands. A nearly transparent bubble seemed to form over her body. The magical attack, which looked like a thousand glowing missiles of magical energy, slammed into the barrier and detonated. Even Naruto winced at the force of the detonation. A dense blast of hot air slammed into him and Yami. Blinding light blocked out Naruto's vision as a loud rumbling caused his ears so much pain it felt like his eardrums might collapse.
When everything cleared up, Naruto opened his eyes and looked again, but this time he was staring at a massive crater on the floor. He didn't know how big it was, but it took up nearly a fourth of the gigantic room. The edges of the stone had melted into slag and were still glowing a molten orange.
Lilith was unharmed.
She stood in the center, transparent bubble still surrounding her. It flickered once before disappearing.
"What the hell?! Are you telling me that attack did nothing?!" Rossweisse squawked.
"Just what kind of monster is she?" asked Raynare in a frightened whisper. "Shit. I shouldn't have come here."
"Giving up?" asked Koneko, now in her Shirone Mode. Her massive breasts were practically spilling from her kimono. Two tails waved behind her as she stepped forward. Naruto would have loved to admire the way her tits jiggled or how plump her ass was, but the narrow look in her golden eyes cooled any lust he might have felt. This was a battle.
"Fuck yes, I am! Did you see what just happened?! That little runt took the most powerful magic attack I've ever seen headon like it was nothing!" Raynare said with a shriek.
"If you're gonna give up, then go curl up in that corner." Koneko pointed to a corner on the other side of the room. "Let the badasses handle this."
"Fuck you! I am a badass!"
"Then prove it."
Raynare swore like a sailor as she clambered to her feet. Akeno laughed at her, but the other Fallen Angel sent her a vicious glare. Koneko ignored them both and stepped forward, directly into Lilith's vision. The young-looking girl stared at Koneko with impassive eyes that seemed almost dead. There didn't seem to be a hint of emotion there.
"You ready for this, Rossy?"
"Who is 'Rossy?'" asked Rossweisse as she stood side by side with Koneko.
While Koneko and Rossweisse squared off with Lilith alongside their companions, Naruto turned his attention back to Yami, his other half who was watching the girls with a complicated expression. Something about it sent a jolt through Naruto. It felt like he was staring at himself in the mirror during one of his more vulnerable moments. However, Yami noticed him staring and quickly mastered his expression.
"Quite the harem you've got there. I'm going to enjoy breaking them in front of you," he said, licking his lips.
"I would never let you touch them," Naruto said.
"Who said anything about you letting me?" Yami chuckled as dark energy surrounded him. "I'm going to defeat you, but I won't kill you. I will strip you of your power and keep you alive, and then I will take my time breaking these girls you've become so fond of. I will let you watch as I destroy their minds and bodies one by one."
As he spoke, Yami's body began changing. His hair became jagged like spikes, his body seemed to grow bigger and buffer, the muscles of his arms, shoulders, and legs straining against his clothes, and the whisker marks on his cheeks became thick. Bars went across his blood red eyes.
This was Sage Mode. An evil Sage Mode. Naruto could practically feel the vile emotions wafting from Yami's body as he took in more of the world's hatred.
Yami did not stop there. Like Naruto, he had a Rikudou Sennin Mode as well. Nine black orbs appeared around his body like orbiting satellites as a cloak formed of black chakra covered him from the neck to his feet. It looked like an inverse of Naruto's cloak.
Naruto felt something inside of him harden and grow cold, like ice was covering his insides, and yet there was a fire burning inside of him. Whatever this man was, he was no longer a part of Naruto. They were connected. However, they had become entirely different people. Naruto could not afford to show this man any sympathy if he wanted to protect the people he loved.
Rikudou Sennin Modo activated. Kurama's chakra cloak activated. The power welling up inside of him threatened to burst out of him. He took a slow breath as ten black orbs appeared around him.
Reaching out to grab two of those orbs, Naruto let them transform into a pair of shortened bo staffs. The other Truth-Seeking Balls remained in sphere form, but he would change them as needed at a moment's notice.
Gold light flickered around him as he took a step forward. The ground cracked. Naruto disappeared.
A second after he disappeared, Naruto was in Yami's face, swinging the bo staff in his left hand so quickly it was barely a flicker. Yami intercepted the attack. Their clash created a shockwave that rippled through the chamber, cracked the ground beneath them, and caused the two battles happening simultaneously alongside theirs to stop.
Naruto gritted his teeth and snarled at Yami. "I will never let you touch them!"
"Yes! That's it! Let me feel your hatred for me! Ha ha ha ha! This is exactly what I want from you! Come on, Naruto! Show me how much you can hate! Then, when I've left you defeated and broken, we can let your hatred grow even more when I take your women and break them! I'll turn them into fuckdolls! And you won't be able to do a thing about it!"
Yami's ranting caused something inside of Naruto to snap. With a howl that sounded more like an animal than a man, Naruto took control of the eight Truth-Seeking Orbs hovering around him and transformed them into spears that shot at Yami from every direction. With a wide grin, Yami leapt back and began swatting the Truth-Seeking Orbs away with the ones he wielded in each hand. He expertly struck them like he knew where they would be before even Naruto did.
Seeing this caused Naruto's hatred for Yami to increase, caused it to surge and boil like nothing else. He raised his hand into the air, creating a single rasengan, and then let one of the Truth-Seeking Orbs enter the rasengan. What formed was a pitch black sphere of swirling energy. It didn't seem like such a big threat, certainly nothing like the Rasenshuriken or the Yoton Rasenshuriken.
Naruto only realized his mistake after he threw. By then it was too late. All he could do was race over to the others and protect them as best he could. The Yin-Yang Rasenshuriken slammed into the ground at Yami's feet, and the eruption caused everything around them to go black.