[Phantom of the Underworld] Chapter 20 - Uzumaki vs Bael (Part 2) (Patreon)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, High School DxD, or any other anime I use in this story. They belong to their respective owners.

"Well then… shall we get this fight started?" Naruto inquired. They wouldn't want this arena to go to waste.

Sairaorg began to flex his muscles, "I couldn't agree more," He said with a grin, his two peerage members at the ready.

As Naruto put a hand to his face, covering it completely apart from his eyes, which began to close. When he removed his hand, he showed a similar grin, one that showed off his pointed canines, as if he were a large predator—a fox, looking for his next meal.

And it was then that Naruto opened his eyes, showing his Mangekyou Sharingan in their entirety.

As Sairaorg looked Naruto dead in his eyes, he heard. "Then let this Rating Game truly commence."

Naruto's eyes spun.

As the battle began.

Arc II- The White Empress

Chapter 20- Uzumaki vs Bael pt 2

(Up with Naruto's peerage)

"Man, this is kind of boring," Suigetsu sounded.

They were standing on top of the ridge as they overlooked Naruto and Sairaorg talking, each spaced out evenly.

"Shhh. Quiet!" Hanabi shushed.

"I'm with Suigetsu, this is such a drag," Shikamaru groaned as well.

"Tell me about it, how long do you think he'll make us stand here?" Asuma asked, he was really itching for a smoke right about now.

"… Well, Naruto-sama has always had a flair for the dramatics," said Kurenai. he always did have them do quite the odd stuff like they were right now.

From the masks, the cloaks, to the image of them overlooking the two, it was obvious that Naruto wanted to make a scene that the underworld would take kindly.

"Shhhhh. The battle is starting," Hanabi stated, trying to get her companions on task.

Although inwardly, she thought Naruto looked very cool.

XXX

Earlier.

Two monumental forces eyed each other; they were the strongest of the new generation the underworld had to offer.

One of them, the forsaken son of the Great King of House Bael. Sairaorg Bael, one of the many sons of the many wives of the clan leader of the Bael clan, a clan which had served the underworld and been a great help in uplifting the old devil faction and their ways from sovereignty. Holding one of the strongest bloodlines of all the devils, the Power of Destruction, which was said to be even a rival to the Lucifer clan's Great Darkness. However, Sairaorg did not inherit such a gift, and as such, he was forsaken. But he was not deterred, having built himself back up with his own strength, and now he was the leading heir to the house of Bael, should the great king perish or step down from his position.

Whereas the other was a boy who had everything. Born to the Uzumaki clan, a clan which held much sway in the underworld, as well as having a notoriety that would even rival that of the clan of the Great King. From the union of Uzumaki and Phenex, receiving the gifts of the clan of the rank of Marquis, such as their Great Flames and Immortality. Yet at the same time, he had lost everything, from his clan to his own safety. In those eight years, he was out of the spotlight he grew stronger. And now he was back in the underworld, everyone awaiting his return.

This was a fight the whole underworld wanted to see happen.

The current strongest of the new generation versus the son of the underworld with the strongest potential.

Nobody knew the outcome; to them, Naruto was a complete unknown.

And they wanted to see just how far each of them could go.

"Alright then, how about we put on a little precursor, one to get everyone ready for the main even?" Naruto inquired, closing his eyes and deactivating his Sharingan.

"What did you have in mind?" Sairaorg grunted.

"Just this…" As the blonde raised a finger, he pointed it straight at the blonde-haired woman."Your [Queen] is one of the strongest in the underworld. I want to see how she matches up to my [Knight]." Naruto then put a hand on Haku's shoulder. "You see, she's been very reliable to me, and I would even say she has the strength to surpass quite a few individuals; she might even rival most [Queens] when it comes to pure destructive output. I want to see just how she matches up. It will be a good warm-up for the audience during our upcoming battle. After all, we only need to take out each other, so usually there would be no need for our second in commands to fight, let's change that."

As Sairaorg weighed his options, "Yeah, well, what's in it for you?" he questioned.

"Merely a fixed curiosity, not to mention, I'm sure our pieces could gain from this experience… as a matter of fact, should you accept this duel between our two pieces, I will personally order the rest of my pieces not to interfere with our own duel," Naruto promised.

This sounded too good to be true, Sairaorg thought within his head. He was no fool; he knew he was outnumbered and in a bad position. Nearly all of his pieces had been vanquished, not to mention Naruto's whole peerage was within his view. He had no doubt he could likely take out all of Naruto's pieces; however, he wasn't sure he would be able to take them all out and deal with Naruto at the same time.

Naruto was an unknown, with powers he did not know and a strength capacity he was unfamiliar with. That was what made him so scary, given his immense potential; that was what the whole underworld feared.

Just what was he plotting?

He could not know, and that thought was unsettling. Not to mention, his [Knight]-Haku Yuki, was it? He could tell she was a powerful woman, one who might be just as strong as his queen, perhaps Naruto himself.

He didn't know how powerful she was either.

All in all, this did not look good.

…However, after analyzing Naruto's words, he found validity in them, looking into his eyes.

He could tell he had no intention of his [Pieces] interfering with their duel. This would be a good learning experience for Kuisha as well, allowing her to test herself against a powerful opponent unbothered.

"Alright then, Kuisha, you're up," Sairaorg ordered.

As the blonde-haired woman bowed, "Very well, Sairaorg-sama," his [Queen] sounded, as she walked forward.

"Rabbit," Was Naruto's only order, as seemingly Haku teleported in front of him several meters forward.

Snap.

As Naruto then snapped his fingers as the rest of his peerage disappeared into the outskirts of the arena, not to be seen again.

As a fanged grin appeared on his face, "Now, let the show begin."

XXX

(With Haku and Kuisha)

Instantly, both devils too to the skies, using their demonic wings to float as they looked for an advantage.

Both were wizard types when it came down to it, that being the types of combatants that relied heavily on using their ranged magic in a fight, rather than physical attacks. Although that was not to say that Haku Yuki was vulnerable up close— Naruto would not allow a glass canon on his team after all— close ranged combat just wasn't her specialty. If she were to say what she specialized in, she would say it was mid-ranged combat, close to be sure, but not so close you could take a rasengan to the stomach and roll onto the floor.

She would say Kuisha was well-versed in mid-range combat as well. Although if she had to guess, she would say the abaddon wasn't as well-versed when it came to close-range combat as her. Surely if she were to attack with less distance, she would prevail, it was a wizard type's weakness to attack them when they weren't able to cast any techniques.

However, she knew that that would be too easy. Naruto-sama wanted to put on a show for the audience; he wanted to show just how powerful she was, while still leaving much in the air of mystery. Surely defeating the abaddon in close-quarters combat would not prove anything.

That's why she held back; that's why she restricted herself to only fighting with her magic.

Kuisha struck first, not willing to take Haku's stoic nature any longer as the dark-haired woman merely stared at her. She started with an array of fireballs, something small, to start the action.

Being from the abaddon clan, one of the extra demon clans, she was well-versed in many different types of elemental magic, being proficient with most of them. She was not a specialist like Haku, and as such, any techniques she might use of the element of ice would be easily overwhelmed by hers. However, if she could overwhelm Haku with all of her elements at once, then she was sure she would be able to win this battle.

After that, given Uzumaki's deal not to allow any of his other [Pieces] to interfere, it was highly likely that the combined efforts of her [King] and the Regulus Nemea would be able to take down Naruto Uzumaki, leading to her peerage's complete victory.

She could do this; she could win…

Of course, Haku was able to dodge her blasts; that was expected. The Ice-cold woman then formed a set of senbon made of pure ice in between her figures, as she precisely threw them towards Kuisha.

The [Queen] expected it, having watched Naruto's previous rating game. What she didn't expect was for Naruto's [Knight's] attack to be so fast, as she widened her eyes slightly. Not being quick enough to dodge, she was forced to erect a magic circle in Haku's way, blocking the senbon as they flew harmlessly to the ground. Deflecting the senbon from striking out her vital points and taking her out instantly.

"Ice flurry," Haku monotonously said the name of her technique, as a flurry of ice shards came flying out at Kuisha. Who then formed another barrier to block Haku's attack.

As the dark-haired woman sent out another Ice flurry, and then another, and another, forcing the woman to once again put up more and more barriers.

'So that's her game,' Kuisha realized, Haku's intending to overwhelm her and force her to use up all of her magical energy to prove just how much more powerful she was to her.

Well, she wouldn't allow that.

Kuisha noticed a lull in Haku's attacks, as she then dodged to the side, getting just out of the way of Haku's ice attacks to be able to form an attack of her own. "Thunder!" she shouted, as with a crack of lightning, Haku's ice shards were destroyed one by one as electricity chained around her flurry.

Although Haku expected this, and she was able to dodge the attack, moving away as the lightning struck by her side. Kuisha smirked a little at that, finally having pushed her opponent back a little. Although lightning wasn't her specialty, not like Rias Gremory's [Queen, the Priestess of Thunder, she would say she was adept enough to be able to counter Haku's ice attacks, at least that's what she thought.

However, it would seem that her opponent was not worried in the least, as she merely kept a monotonous look that she usually held, showing along the bottom half of her mask.

"I see, I assumed those attacks would be able to match your level. My apologies, it seems that I must put a little more effort in next time," Haku stated. As she then raised her palm right in front of her mouth, the air was cooling at her hand's temperature, "Ice style: Frost calm," she called out.

Within an instant, a beam of pure cold was sent towards Kuisha like a fire, one at even greater speeds than her other attacks.

'W-what?!' How could her attack be so fast? Was Kuisha's only thought as she formed another magical barrier, this time, inputting even more of her magical energy to protect herself, as the attack collided.

B-Boom!

As the frost breath collided with Kuisha's shield, a large explosion of ice and frost rang out. Kuisha wasn't able to block all of it, as her body was sent helplessly to the ground as it skidded along the dirt, a crater forming at the force of her body.

Haku flew down as well to inspect her damage, finding just what she wanted to see. "So you survived my attack, very surprising and commendable. Although I doubt you are in much of a state to continue," the dark-haired ice-wielder spoke.

And she was right, as the smoke cleared, the audience was left to see the remaining state of Kuisha Abaddon. Her clothing was torn and ripped, and dirt covered her frame. Several cuts and bruises formed along her body, namely her arms, where she had taken the brunt of the explosion. But there was also a huge bruise along her forehead—likely from the fall. A small amount of blood leaked from her mouth as well.

"Commendable indeed, you did well in fighting for your [King," Haku spoke, a hint of respect for the woman who would fight so fiercely for her [King]. They were kindred spirits in that way, as far as loyalty was concerned.

She raised her palm again, "This will be the end… Ice Flurry."

Several shards of ice were sent at the [Queen] once again, this time they were much faster and much larger than the ones before, Haku having channeled more magic into the attack to finish Kuisha off.

But the blonde-haired woman only smirked. "I wouldn't count me out just yet!... Hole!" she yelled out. As an array of black hole-like portals began to form around Kuisha, sucking in all of the ice shards that was sent towards her.

"Take this!" the woman yelled, as similar-looking portals began to form around Haku's back.

It would seem as though Haku did not expect this outcome, and as such, she wasn't able to block at all, taking her attack full force and unmitigated by any barriers as the ice struck her.

"Hah, with my clan's ability to absorb my attack, I can redirect it as well, sending it right back at you. You were right, this fight was over, you just didn't know that it was over for you right now," Kuisha laughed, satisfied that she had taken her opponent out.

Her clan was the Abaddon clan, a clan named after the king of the demon locusts in the book of Revelation. It was also the clan designated with the ability of Hole, and even though they were only an extra pillar, not one of the main 72, this power elevated their status heavily. Being able to create and retract several portals that could absorb and redirect anything in their way, so long as the user willed it. A powerful ability to be sure, which was why she was chosen as Sairaorg Bael's [Queen].

Though she would admit, Haku Yuuki was strong, able to contend with just about any [Queen] among any peerage. She had been forced to use her [Bishop] abilities just to keep up with the woman's magic capabilities. And to think she was a [Knight, she could only wonder what would have happened if she had been given the magician designation like a [Bishop] or [Queen] like herself . A misstep on Naruto Uzumaki's part, one that would cost him this rating game.

"This match is mine—" Wait, what?

As Kuisha stared out in shock, Haku had been impaled by her ice, not fatally, of course, but just enough to take her out of the game, and she should have immediately been taken in by the gamemakers, ready for treatment.

However, that did not happen, as when she gazed at Haku Yuuki's body once again, her body appeared to be turning blue and transparent, like the color of ice.

"N-no, it can't be!" She realized before it was too late.

"What, surprised you hadn't taken me out?" Haku said as she landed onto the ground as well, no worse for wear in the slightest.

As Kuisha widened her eyes, "But wait! A clone? You couldn't have swapped yourself, I was watching you, when did you do it?!" she accused, the scenario not making sense to her at all.

A small smirk began to cross her lips, one that was oddly reminiscent of her own master. "That is the question, although I suppose the answer would be… when you blocked with your first shield, that was the moment I swapped myself with an ice clone," Haku explained. It was not an easy feat, to be sure.

"That's impossible! You mean to tell me I was fighting a clone the entire time?!" Kuisha realized.

Just what kind of monsters were in Naruto's Peerage?

"That is correct, although I must admit, you put up a better showing than I would have expected. Your Hole technique being a surprise, although it wasn't unexpected." She, of course, knew that Kuisha had likely inherited her family's bloodline, but seeing it in action was another thing. "Now… let me show you just how far you are outmatched."

As Haku cooled her palm down, "Temperature Decline!" As the air around both Haku and Kuisha began to decline, so much so that their breath was now visible. "Now then… Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals."

A vast array of mirrors began to form around Kuisha in the shape of a large dome.

Ten—no twenty—No! At least forty Ice mirrors surrounded Kuisha now, as Haku seemed to completely walk into her mirror like it were water, as the woman's reflection was visible in the array.

"Now then, let us begin, Ice flurry," Haku said, as she raised her hand from within the mirror she was within. Instantly, the mirror showered an array of ice shards towards her, even faster than the last time. But it didn't stop there, as Haku sped into another mirror, as she shot another flurry at her, as she did the same once again.

Over and over, she sent shards of ice at Kuisha, "Hole!" The Abaddon shouted, sucking up the ice shards, only for more to be sent into her. Even though she realized she was in a bad position, she needed to think of something fast.

"Hole!" She shouted again, forming her portals right next to Haku's mirrors, trying to disrupt their flow and make a way for her to escape. Even now, she could feel her body temperature freezing; she was already starting to slow down, and soon, she would stop completely. If she could just break free—

"I'm afraid that won't work, Abbadon-san, after all… You're already dead," Haku said monotonously, as she had formed an ice mirror right behind Kuisha's back, stabbing her at one of her pressure points, paralyzing her completely. Not unlike how she had fought Riser's [Queen] as well, [Queen] falling to her knees.

She had figured she had put on enough of a show.

As she had dispelled all of her ice arrays, Kuisha's body collapsed to the ground.

Haku was standing over her like a death angel, as her body was taken away.

[Sairaorg Bael: Queen… retired]

Haku hadn't even taken any damage, truly a monster indeed.

XXX

Earlier.

"You don't seem worried," Naruto commented, noticing the fact that Sairaorg was calm and collected. As the man stood still, his arms crossed as he merely closed his eyes. To many, he would see as if he had no reservations, having full confidence in his [Queen, knowing she would win.

"Kuisha is a strong woman, and she trains often. I'm sure she'll win her duel with you [Knight," Sairaorg explained why he had such confidence. "If anything, I think it's you who should be worried; you don't know who you're dealing with."

"I see… and you train with Kuisha often?" Naruto asked, getting down to the matter.

The Bael merely shook his head, "No, she's a wizard type, I'm more of a hand-to-hand fighter, our styles wouldn't mix well if we trained together. And besides, if we did train together, she wouldn't be able to keep up with how I work out," he admitted. Although he did monitor how his training with his Queen was going, it wasn't that he trained regularly with his Kuisha. Unfortunately, his level of training far surpassed his [Queen's, and if he tried to train with her, she would only get in the way.

"Well, that's your mistake," Naruto told him. "After all, Haku has been training for nearly a decade; she was even Zabuza Momoichi's former pupil before his passing, and since then, I have personally seen to it that she has had the best training possible since her acquisition. I doubt your [Queen] has had that level of thought put into her, and that is why she'll lose," he revealed.

Sairaorg had heard of Zabuza Momochi, even if he was largely popular in the outer edges of the underworld. And he knew how dangerous he was, if Naruto's [piece] was trained by him..,

He shook himself off, no, he needed to have faith in his [Queen, he knew Kuisha was up for the battle.

[Sairaorg Bael: Queen… retired]

The announcement came like a moment of clarity, as Sairaorg realized just how much his peerage had been outmatched. He expected his peerage to take out at least a few of Naruto's, but for them not to even take out one. Well…

That thought didn't bode well.

"Your peerage lost because you didn't focus on their development well enough. You chose to build your strength to even greater proportions, rather than harnessing their immense potential. That is your biggest folly," Naruto lectured, explaining just why he had lost today. Of course, he knew this outcome would happen, even if Kuisha Abaddon did possess and master her family's infamous Hole magic.

It would be of no use; Haku was undoubtedly much faster than her, and she could end up freezing her opponents.

A deadly combo, one that not many would be able to handle. Even he, when she was going all out, struggled to handle all of Haku's power, being forced to use his Mangekyou Sharingan to be able to match his queen when it came to magic-based combat.

Outwardly, he could see Sairaorg's fist clenched, as it shook. He was barely able to contain himself, his powerful strength coming off of him in waves. If he were a lesser being, or perhaps even just a human, he would be shaking in his boots. But of course, he had encountered such powerful forces before, and as such, he merely stood in his spot, some meters away from Sairaorg, as he kept an eye on the older male. There was no telling how he might react. Although if he were right about the man, this would be a good learning experience for the Bael.

He would only grow from this; he always did.

Sairaorg Bael was a man who had grown through hardship; they were the same in that aspect. When the underworld had forsaken him, when it had belittled both him and his mother out of their good graces, he didn't falter, he didn't didn't stumble. Misla Bael had ensured as such, the wonders of a mother, he supposed. And it was with that strong bond that he was able to pick himself back up again, gaining the strength to become acknowledged by the underworld once again. Not because of some inherited ability, but because of his hard work— that was something even he could appreciate.

But, in a way, there was also a darkness in him, one that would have only festered without his intervention. And there was no telling what that darkness would have consumed had Misla Bael been overtaken by her ill-fated disease. He had no doubt the man had no love for his father, but there was no telling where that hatred might lead.

However, if he stopped that darkness from taking hold, he was sure Sairaorg would be a powerful ally, one that would be one of his most trusted in this most trying time.

That darkness would only help him remain weak for what he had planned.

Suddenly, Sairaorg's pressure stopped, as if he calmed himself.

"Don't think just because I'm without most of my peerage, I've lost! I'll take on all of your [pieces] if I need to, I'm not losing this!" Sairaorg pointed towards himself, his earlier emotions filtered into resolve. He would win this, even if he had to do this himself. No, he needed to do this alone; nobody else would do. It was almost fitting; he had been fighting all his life by the skin of his teeth, even in impossible situations. Even if Naruto Uzumaki did not keep his word, even if he had to fight his entire peerage… he would remain victorious, as the appointed heir to the Bael clan, he couldn't afford to lose now.

Naruto smirked. Any other devil would have faltered in the situation Sairaorg was in— but no, not Sairaorg, the devil who lifted himself up through his own efforts. Finally, something fun might happen.

"Alright, show me what Saiarorg Bael has to offer!" Naruto shouted, ready for a battle, as he then activated his Mangekyou Sharingan. As his three tomoe morphed.

"Regulus, to me!" Sairaorg yelled, the young boy with orange hair transformed into a mighty lion, glowing a wondrous gold.

"Roar!" The mighty Regulus Nemia gave out a howl.

"As if I'm going to let that happen… Ice Style: Ice containment," A new voice spoke from above, as the mighty Lion was enveloped purely in ice, to the point that not a single part of his body was visible.

Sairaorg looked at who the intruder was, as he saw the very woman that his [Queen] had fought not a moment prior.

As the masked dark-haired woman was readying another attack, one aimed straight for him.

Sairaorg's mind went into overdrive. Did Naruto betray his promise? Did he have to prepare himself to face not only the Uzumaki Heir but his [Queen] and his five other [Pieces] as well?

Before his question was answered for him. "Stand down, Haku! This is between me and him!" Naruto said, raising his hand. Instantly, Haku stopped her assault as ordered by her master.

Sairaorg recalled Naruto's words:

'I will personally order the rest of my pieces not to interfere with our duel.'

That didn't, however, apply to Regulus. No, the deal had been purely for a fight between Naruto and himself, no others. That had been what Naruto had intended; he couldn't use Regulus' help, not here, not now.

In the end, it didn't matter; even if he was alone, he would be victorious; his pride as a devil and a warrior would not allow him to lose now.

Sairaorg glared at his opponent.

Naruto's Sharingan spun, "Now, let's dance."

The Bael couldn't agree more.

XXX

Instantly, Naruto and Sairaorg shot off at one another, Naruto's forearm striking Sairaorg's, as a powerful thunderclap echoed at the two's strength. Naruto let off, allowing himself to be forced back as Sairaorg went on the offense, moving them away from the ridge they were standing at, and away from where the Regulus Nemia was.

Sairaorg, for his part, was relentless, not letting up for a single second as he threw fist after fist towards Naruto.

"Stop holding back!" Sairaorg yelled, throwing another fist towards Naruto. The blonde was able to block the strike with a cross guard off both of his forearms, as his entire body buckled under the pressure. Let it never be said Sairaorg Bael wasn't strong; he was probably— No! He was definitely physically stronger than even himself.

He was fast, too, as the bael, using his block, countered with a kick to his left side. Seeing as how his arms were preoccupied, Naruto was once again forced to retreat. Moving to his right as he pulled a kunai from his pouch, he used its back to try and strike at Sairaorg's head, his finger being placed in the blade's ring for an even greater striking ability. Naruto used his other hand to block Sairaorg's elbow jab, and right as he was about to hit Sairaorg's temple, his wrist was grabbed, stopping him by his opponent's other arm.

Naruto was forced to counterattack as he switched the position of his kunai, swiping down at Sairaorg's arm that was still, as he grabbed it. The Bael doing the sensible thing of letting go of his grip out of fear of losing an arm. But to his credit, he used the opportunity to send another kick to his side, this time on the right.

The powerful blow struck, but not before Naruto was able to put up his cross guard, although due to his incredible strength, Naruto was blown back several meters. Still, he did manage to regain his footing. Twirling his kunai once again as he fought in a reverse grip, keeping his other hand free for countering and blocking.

"Stop making yourself weaker than you really are!" Sairaorg yelled again.

Naruto charged, going on the offense this time once again, as the Bael went to block, but Naruto's empty hand pushed his vertical guard to the side. As with the opening, Naruto used the opportunity to do a high kick to his guard once again, forcing him back even more as he tried to readjust himself. Sairaorg tried to counterattack on his own side, but the blonde was able to block as well, as he twisted and did another kick, this time aiming for Sairaorg's stomach, sending him back this time.

Each blow they struck sent bursts of wind out purely from the force of their strength.

"Not bad, but I can still tell you're not giving it your all," Sairaorg spoke, a light trickle of blood and spittle going down his lip, as he wiped it with his closed fist. He was getting tired of this, a slight amount of anger building inside of him. Was Naruto mocking him? Was he making fun of him? He knew Naruto had power, and he wanted to bring that power out. To him, nothing else mattered.

"That's where you're wrong," Naruto said, the first time speaking since their blows had been struck. "I'm not holding back."

He had been giving it his all, as a matter of fact, he had been forced to go above and beyond what he was capable of. He wasn't like Sairaorg; he wasn't able to unleash such powerful attacks with nothing but his pure strength. He didn't build up his muscles to where he could fracture an entire city with nothing but a muscle; no, he was different. Sure, he trained his muscles, and he would say he was even proud of his physique that he had gained. But compared to him, Sairaorg was a monster.

No, he needed to amplify himself, as his red sharingan eyes spun, having reverted them back to their three-tomoe state. He was actively using the ability not only to gauge where Sairaorg was going to strike, but react to it as well. Not to mention, the coveted eyes of Indro Otsutsu were doing wonders for his magical control. With it, he was able to amplify his physical stats to an even greater level.

He doubted Sairaorg had a similar level of control over his magic as him, which was where the disparity lay. Sairaorg was predominantly using his physical strength, which was what made him so scary.

"That's a lie, of course you are. They say you are able to walk through walls as if they weren't even there, not to mention I'm sure you can use some other form of magic. You aren't like me, you aren't limited to only physical attacks, so use them," Sairaorg spoke, and he was right.

Naruto could be using his more powerful attacks right now, and he could be using his Mangekyou Sharingan to gain an edge in this battle. And he could also use some of his elemental attacks, surely without Regulus, that would give him the edge.

"Well then, call it being absorbed in the atmosphere, you aren't able to use most of your magic, so why not give myself the same courtesy?" Naruto inquired.

This was part of his intention; he wanted to hold himself back not only to not play his hand but also to measure himself. He knew he would have to face stronger opponents in the future, ones with even more strength and greater experience than Sairaorg. He needed to know if his hand-to-hand close ranged combat was as good as his magic, and what he could improve on. Surely matching himself to the man known for his mastery in the art would be a good measure of his skills.

"Although, I'll admit I—what do you call it?... I feel a trace of warrior's spirit, flowing into me as well," the blonde admitted.

Warrior's spirit was one of the reasons he was also holding himself back, not only to test himself.

No, there was also the matter of pride.

He wanted to prove himself; he wanted to know if his hand-to-hand combat and Taijutsu matched that of the infamous Bael Heir, who had honed himself through countless hours. He wanted to know if his own made the cut, if the hours he spent honing his skills and the countless battles he had procured had made him match up to the man before him.

He didn't want to rely on the Mangekyou Sharingan techniques against the man who gained his title through sheer blood and sweat alone.

It would be a disgrace to his pride if he used Kamui, Amaterasu, or Susanoo.

"Then you feel it too," Sairaorg realized, "The rush of battle, the excitement I feel deep in my bones as my fist meets another, the connection one gains when fighting." Sairaorg realized.

Pride.

That was it; they were alike in that aspect. Neither one of them wanted to lose, and yet, it was the same reason that Naruto allowed his [Servants] to stay away from their battle. It was also probably why he didn't attempt to free Regulus from his icy prison— he knew he would never hear the end of that. It was perplexing that the ice was able to hold him for so long, as any normal ice attack would have long since been destroyed by the Longinus' unparalleled strength. The fact that Naruto's [knight] was able to hold her for so long was commendable; surely, she would be a strong aid in this battle.

Nevertheless, Naruto didn't call on his peerage, and neither did he. Why? Well, it was their warrior's pride.

His earlier thinking was wrong. The fact that they were fighting one one-on-one was proof enough of Naruto's resolve in their fight, he realized. He wasn't holding back; he was fighting him with honor, which was more than unexpected in a rating game.

"Alright then, if that's how you want to be…I won't do anything half-measured. I'll show you all I can do! Make sure you can handle it!" Sairaorg announced. Suddenly, a white aura formed around the Bael, as Naruto realized what this was…

Touki.

The epitome of physical empowerment. The ability to weaponize one's own body and life force externally, granting one both a powerful aura in the form of Ki, as well as heightening their defensive capabilities to their highest.

He knew of this power and had seen it a number of times. And yet it still amazed him whenever he saw this kind of ability. To think Sairaorg would be able to do such a thing, he had thought that Touki was only limited to Yokai, but for a devil to unlock such an ability, it was unheard of, unthinkable even. He had to commend Sairaorg, to have such a powerful life-force was evidence of his hard work.

Wind poured off of Sairaorg in waves, to the point where even the ground could not handle his energy as it exploded around him.

Naruto felt this power, as he felt he had to return it with some of his own, manifesting his Mangekyou Sharingan. If he wasn't going to use it for the powerful techniques it granted him, he would need it for the immense magical control it granted him.

"Then… show me what you got!" Naruto shouted back as he pulled out another kuani, channeling his wind magic into them, sharpening their edges to dangerous levels.

Almost instantly, Sairaorg shot his body off, the ground breaking from his strength with each step as a sonic boom sounded. He dodged to the left, ducking low. As with the flick of a wrist, Naruto shot his kunai at the male as he ran. The blades hit his chest as his armour-like life force shielded him. Although it only protected him partially, as when his kunai struck their razor-like edges, they were able to pierce through his touki, as it gave him a few minor cuts on his clothes and body. Although they merely grazed him, it showed just how powerful his armour was, as it could block an attack that could send an entire forest to smithereens and splinters.

Sairaorg kept going, as he sped towards Naruto, his fist already extended as he threw a mighty punch. Naruto was able to block with his right forearm. As he threw a counterattack at his left fist, which was also blocked, the Bael sent a harsh knee into his stomach, which sent him keeling over as the wind was knocked out of him. Sairaorg tried to capitalize on this, sending his fists down at him over his knee, but Naruto recovered fast as he rolled to the side, sending a powerful kick right into Sairaorg's face, sending the male keeling to the right.

Naruto tried to capitalize this by sending a punch with his left, but the bael managed to block it with his right arm, sending an uppercut straight into his chin, as Naruto recoiled from the attack, sending him back a bit.

Sairaorg tried to capitalize as well, aiming a right haymaker. Instantly, Naruto saw this with his Sharingan, as he dodged the attack to the side, and he sent his own fist at Sairaorg's head, followed by another uppercut and a jab at his stomach. This left an opening spot for the bael to aim at his own right side, as he sent a punch to his cheek, followed by a blow to his chest.

As Naruto sent a swift kick aimed at Sairaorg's side, which the male was able to grab hold of his ankle. But before he could capitalize on his vulnerable position, Naruto rotated his body, using his other leg to kick at Sairaorg's head as he used him as a springboard to jump into the air, gaining a bit of distance.

Naruto used this opportunity to gain a bit of breath, as he panted heavily, Sairaorg doing the same, although both kept their guards up, as they eyed their opponents. Naruto's cheek was bruised, as a trail of blood leaked from his lip and nostril, with several other bruises littering his body.

On the other hand, Sairaorg's clothing had a considerable amount of tears on it, with a few cuts across his body. As well as having a bleeding left cheek and a slight black eye.

Overall, Naruto's damage was more severe. As steam poured from his wounds, a courtesy of his Phenex heritage, that would continue to heal his wounds as long as he had magic. But the problem with their fighting was that Sairaorg was considerably stronger than him, able to dish out more damage and force than he could. As well as being able to weaponize his own life force, giving him an even greater durability than his own.

The advantages he had were his faster speed, being able to use his wind magic to amplify himself even faster. Additionally, he was more agile, and with his Sharingan, he was able to predict his attacks more easily. Not to mention his regeneration ability, which allowed him to last longer.

Although he wouldn't say he had the edge in endurance, seeing as how he knew Sairaorg was also a monster in that category.

Before, he had predicted this battle would be a challenge, but he hadn't realized just how much it would truly be. At this moment, he wasn't sure which way the battle would go, the thought… it excited him.

He had always had a calm hunger for battle, not something that didn't have a hold over him. But right now, he felt he wanted to see how this would play out; he wanted to know how much blood and sweat each of them would leak onto the floor.

He was inwardly reminded of his [Queen] in some aspects, and her hunger for a challenge, and as of right now, he could relate to that feeling.

He wanted more of this.

Silently, the two shot off at one another once again. Naruto used his wind control to propel himself even faster as his own white aura surrounded his body, showing just how fast he was going. Sairaorg, for his part, was able to match his movements, as neither needed a signal to start.

No words needed to be spoken, as of now, they were speaking with nothing but their fists.

Naruto sent a haymaker on one side, Sairaorg did the same, and both struck each other on opposing sides, blood splattered out of each of their mouths, and yet a grin was still present as each of them smiled at their battle. Sairaorg sent another blow that Naruto dodged, and he sent a counter to Sairaorg's stomach.

This continued several more times, each locking in their own dance. Naruto was able to dodge more blows than Sairaorg was able to land. However, the attacks the Bael did land were strong, fortified, and the even greater number of attacks Naruto was able to land could not compare individually.

Sairaorg sent an axe kick at Naruto's legs to try and set him off balance, only for Naruto to use the opportunity to send himself into the air and land a swift kick at Sairaorg's cranium. Naruto readjusted himself, as Sairarorg recovered and sent a haymaker. Naruto was able to block with his forearm, as he tried to go for a jab, only to be forced to grab hold of the Bael's arm that was heading towards him.

They were in a deadlock, as both of their arms had been grabbed by one another. Naruto was the first to react, as he rocketed his head towards Sairaorg's own, hitting him with a vicious headbutt that sent both of them back.

Each of them recoiled, as blood seemed to leak from each of their foreheads. Although Naruto's wound did regenerate— albeit slowly— the blood on his skin stayed behind.

"You're… surprisingly ruthless… in your attacks… who knew?" Sairaorg panted, his head bleeding as he gasped for air.

"And you… Hit like a… a thousand trucks," Naruto realized, he had taken far too much damage for his liking. And he didn't feel his own attacks measured up to the man's strength.

As the two went at it once again, blow after blow, as several shockwaves were sent around the surrounding area, to the point even the artificial dimension was barely able to keep up. Sairaorg sent a fist at Naruto as the blonde caught hold of his wrist, using his other arm to grab his elbow as he tried to pull the man off balance. Sairaorg was able to readjust himself fast, as he tried to land a powerful kick at Naruto's side. The Uzumaki used Bael's arm as leverage to weave his body around Sairaorg's back and shoulder, although Sairaorg was able to shake him off, as Naruto was forced back onto the ground, crouching below him.

Sairaorg sent a powerful blow to his shoulder as he was low, Naruto tried to grab hold of his waist to push him to the ground. Seeing that strategy not working, he ducked himself below Sairaorg's waist, reaching his back as his aura of wind sent several cuts along his shoulders.

The bael spun, arching his fist wide as Naruto ducked. Sairaorg sent a knee at Naruto, which hit his side as he tried to dodge. Sairaorg trying to send another fist at his opposite side as the Uzumaki was able to narrowly back away from it.

Grabbing Saiarog's returning fist, as he tried to counterattack his his other hand, only for his opponent to grab his own. Sairaorg and Naruto's eyes locked, as the Bael prepared for the other to do another head butt.

As Naruto's knee struck Sairaorg's stomach, much like how the Bael's had done to him not long before. The Blonde aimed his fists high as Sairaorg was forced low, striking his back. The Bael tried to use the opportunity to grab hold of him and push him over.

Naruto realized this as he was forced to back off, and Sairaorg didn't push forward.

Both needed the time to recover, as Naruto's regeneration was fighting to heal himself. Sairaorg's white aura began to flicker as well, and both realized one thing.

Each had only a single fight left in them.

One more bout, that would be how much they had left.

"Hey Naruto?" Sairaorg tried to call for his attention, several more cuts and bruises surrounding his figure.

"Yeah, what is it?" The blonde asked, as he was slightly hunched over, that last blow Sairaorg struck on his shoulder did a number on him.

"What say we finish this, one last strike?" he proposed.

Naruto didn't need a moment to think, as he knew that he only had so much left in him. "Yeah… alright…."

Sairaorg nodded.

One final blow… it would end everything.

Sairaorg raised his fists, Naruto did the same, as each mustered up their own strength to see this off.

Naruto mustered up enough of his wind magic, channeling it to his backside to make him even more aerodynamic, mana coursing through his entire body, from the soles of his feet to the top of his head and arms. His regeneration wouldn't have anything else to work with any longer. Now, if he failed, he wasn't sure what he would be able to heal.

Sairaorg did the same, as he manifested what Touki he could manage, as he coursed his Ki throughout his entire body, weaponizing his life force in ways no devil had been able to before. As he strengthened himself, a burst happened around him, as the ground cracked.

Neither needed a signal; there was no fall of a leaf, or a water striking the ground. Each could feel the other's pressure they were releasing, being able to deduce when their opponent would shoot off at them. Each knew what would happen in just a moment.

Their pride, their warrior spirits, called out for them to finish this fight. Their very biology called out to them to remain victorious.

And within a moment…

Boom!

Each shot off at one another, the ground carving around them as they shot off, creating tremors like an earthquake. The air around Naruto moved like a sonic jet through the sky, each sending shockwaves just with their movements.

Naruto raised his right fist, and Sairaorg did the same, as they were about to strike each other.

'This…' Naruto started.

'Is it…' Sairaorg finished in his mind.

They hit their mark, each of their knuckles connected…

Naruto's arm was the first to give in, being the physically weaker and less durable of the two. Muscles began to explode, as blood exploded from his arm, and several fractures appeared around his arm.

But it was as if Naruto wasn't bothered by the gain, as he gritted his teeth, balling up his left hand into a fist, as he curled his arm.

'W-what? Did he sacrifice his arm on purpose?!' Sairaorg realized, his fist still outstretched. He was far too slow to move himself to counter. That was it, Naruto saved his strength, using all of it for his left arm, sacrificing his right to give himself the opportunity for an opening.

Naruto hit Sairaorg, curling his arm as he struck at Sairaorg's head. The Bael recoiled from the blow, spitting out a measure of blood and bile.

Before he recovered, the blow Naruto landed was far too weak for a finishing move.As he readied his own right hook, "It's over," Sairaorg realized.

If he landed this last hit, Naruto wouldn't have the strength to counterattack; he couldn't even move his arm.

"No!...I-It isn't!" He shouted, just as much in his mind as outward, as he grinned. This was it, all the mana he had left…

As his right arm began to steam, not the bones, or the blood vessels… the muscles, that was all he needed, if he could move his muscles even a little, he could deal with the shattered bones within, he didn't mind breaking his arm even further.

"It's not over!" Naruto shouted; he had just as much riding on this.

If he lost now, everything he wanted would be down the drain.

For his friends, for his loved ones… he would win this.

As he melded his injured right arm into a position of whatever he could.

Sairaorg moving his own arm…

A blow was given.

Naruto was always the faster of the two.

Naruto hit first, something Sairaorg would have never expected, coming and as such didn't bother to block.

Naruto's fist struck Sairaorg's cheek for a final time. He twisted his body, steadied his feet as the air tore around them. It was as if a thunderclap boomed.

Sairaorg's eyes widened as even more liquid flowed out of him. Naruto's blow was so strong it actually lifted him off of his feet— HIM, a man strong enough to take out a peerage of high-class devils like it was nothing.

'I-It can't be!'

As Naruto slammed his fist down, Sairaorg riding along with it, a large crater was formed instantly as rocks flew into the air.

The Uzumaki stood over him, his body torn, broken, his right arm in several pieces, his shoulder out of place. His left knuckles were beet-red, as several bruises and cuts were along his face and torso. Even breathing felt like a pain; his heart felt like it would either stop or explode any second now.

Sairaorg was much the same, although he found that he couldn't move himself, as no matter how much he tried, he couldn't see to lift his body that he worked so hard to gain. Countless hours in the gym, many difficult meals in an effort to perfect his nutrition, squats, push-ups, pull-ups, all to gain the strength to one day reclaim being heir to the infamous Bael clan.

It was strange, being in a body you were trapped in, like a prison, a cage that your soul was in. Being able to see where you were, but unable to adjust yourself. You were just alone with your thoughts, and with those thoughts came clarity…

"I see…so that's how it is," Sairaorg said, even moving his mouth was a pain, a lifeblood came flowing out.

"You see what?" Naruto inquired, standing over the broken Bael who was within a crater. His head was low, shadowing himself.

"It's all fake, isn't it? This… isn't real." Sairaorg realized this was all an illusion.

As Naruto's eyes were revealed to be blood red, his Mangekyou as they spun.

…Sairaorg soon passed out from exhaustion.

As the world broke.

And the genjutsu disappeared.

XXX

(With Naruto)

Back in reality.

Suddenly, they were back.

Naruto's eyes looked directly at Sairaorg, his Magekyou spinning as the world they were within cracked. Shifting back to where they were before.

Suddenly, both Naruto and Sairaorg were back near the ridge they had previously been, locking eyes, as Naruto's Mangekyou eyes spun.

Both of them were no worse for wear, without any of the previous injuries they had incurred.

That was right, everything that had happened just moments before was nothing but a figment in his mind. He had cast A very detailed, precise Genjutsu on Sairaorg as they battled.

None of it had happened, as they had been staring at each other for only a second, nothing more.

Shatter.

"Roar!" Suddenly, the iceberg next to them shattered, revealing the Nemian Lion that had been contained within. The frost broke like glass under its considerable strength as it piled around him.

"Sairaorg-sama! No!" Regulus shouted out as he tried to charge at Naruto to stop his illusion.

"Naruto-sama, I got you! Ice Style: Ice Prison," Haku shouted with a bit of strain, using an even stronger technique against the Lion. The ice around Regulus that he had previously broken grew in proportions, as it began to cover the lion completely once again. Wrapping around the living longinus' figure as he let out a final roar of exertion, unable to break this new confinement of ice that surrounded him.

"It's over…" Naruto said, as the illusion had ended.

Although the victor had been decided…

As Sairaorg Bael collapsed to the ground on his knees, the genjustu being too much for him.

[Sairaorg Bael… retired]

XXX

(With Rias in the Orc Building)

Rias was surprised.

No, she would say she was more than surprised.

She would say she was blindsided, she was completely perplexed, flabbergasted, and stunned.

She knew this battle would be on for the history books, but she didn't quite expect… this!

For Naruto to down Sairaorg without receiving a single blow, that thought was just impossible.

She knew her cousin was strong, much stronger than she herself was. She knew she would lose if they were to have a battle at this very moment, and it wouldn't even be close. Sairaorg would beat her easily within a second, not even her famed Power of Destruction, which Sairaorg didn't have, would be enough to level to playing field.

But for Naruto to take out the devil who was reputed to be the strongest in their generation with a single glance, it was just…

Everyone around her was stunned, too.

Koneko's mouth was open wide, her cookie that was about to be eaten had fallen to the floor, and around her lap as it crumpled as her air was still held up as if the cookie was still there. The pretty boy known as Kiba's face was anything but calm and reserved, as the shock he felt was all too plain to see. Even Akeno was stunned, not expecting Sairaorg to lose so blatantly, after she had silently wished for Sairaorg to beat the smug look off of the Uzumaki's face.

The only one who wasn't shocked was…

"Ha, he must've not been that strong after all…" Issei commented, not knowing the world of devils and their politics, to know anything about her cousin. "If he got defeated by just a look, then he must have been pretty weak."

"Issei…" Rias stated, her head held lowly.

"Y-Yes, Buchou?" Issei questioned, for some reason, he felt a small amount of fear of his [King's] tone.

"Shut. Up," she said, as Issei immediately did just that.

As Rias recounted the rating game in her mind.

Much like the fight with Riser, Naruto's team was efficient, although that wasn't to say they didn't have their fair share of trouble. Sairarorg's peerage had shown a few surprises— one of his [pieces] even showing the capability of turning into a dragon. Although that didn't even seem enough, as Naruto's own peerage showed themselves quite capable of taking the threat down.

That left only Sairaorg, his [pawn, and his [Queen].

Organizing a one-on-one battle between Kuisha and his [Knight, and what a show that had been. Kuisha abaddon, a woman she was sure even her own [Queen] wouldn't be able to stand up against, was utterly defeated, not by a fellow [Queen, but a lesser [piece]. The worst part is, she couldn't even tell if Naruto's [Knight] was trying.

Proving just how capable Haku Yuuki was.

Eventually, Naruto lived up to his promise as none of his peerage had been retired during the game. And they locked eyes, and…

Sairaorg fell to the ground.

There wasn't a preamble, there wasn't some sort of grandiose fight, it was just… over.

And the rating game was finished.

Naruto remains undefeated.

And she was left to question, just how far away was Naruto from her?

XXX

Elsewhere.

(within the Underworld)

"Well, wasn't that something?" Sizechs Lucifer spoke, as he leaned back in his chair in his office. He had been watching the rating game on the screen that his desk had projected.

"It was certainly unexpected…" Grayfia spoke at his side, having watched the game while also tending to her [King].

"Yes, it was," Sirzechs said, "Quite so."

Truthfully, he wished to get a better showing of what Naruto Uzumaki was capable of, having only barely seen anything from him thus far. And what he did show only left him wanting to know more.

He had hoped his battle with Sairaorg would be able to shed some light on the combat capabilities of this current Indra, and yet he showed nothing. Which was a surprise, he would be nobody would have expected Naruto to defeat Sairaorg with a glance.

Nor would they have expected Sairaorg to be defeated by a single Genjutsu.

But that, in his opinion, wasn't the only surprise that night. As he replayed the last few seconds of the match.

The Regulus Nemia, one of the mid-class Longinus-class Sacred Gears, was currently in the possession of Sairaorg Bael, a devil with the blood of House Vapula. The lineage, which he had no doubt had aided him in taming the great beast that would lead to unimaginable power.

The beast had broken free of his icy confinement in the end, and yet… he had been quickly subdued, frozen once again by Naruto's mysterious [Knight].

Haku Yuuki, if the information Naruto had given during the game was correct, was trained by Zabuza Momochi, a powerful demon from the mist village along the edge of the underworld. Yet, that didn't explain her immense affinity for ice.

If their information was correct, she was a simple human before she had been reincarnated, one with an affinity for ice magic.

But it seemed her affinity was powerful, something so strong that she was even able to subdue the powerful, invincible lion.

At its full strength, he wasn't sure that even his own [Queen, Grayfia, would be able to completely subdue. Granted, the lion did seem to be weakened given its lack of user, even so, the feat was particularly impressive.

Perhaps, Naruto hadn't been lying when he stated Haku might have the potential to surpass his own [Queen] in Ice magic.

"This is… truly interesting," he couldn't help but comment. Naruto was a mystery, both his peerage and his hidden past, one he hoped to unravel.

He just needed to find the proper opponent…

As he looked over the list of High-class or higher devils, trying to find someone who might be capable of providing an adequate challenge.

As he found the specific name he was looking for.

"You… you might work."

Hopefully, the results wouldn't stay the same as this time.

Although he did have to wonder…

What sort of illusion did Sairaorg have to go through in order for him to be defeated so handily?

XXX

Back in the illusion, some time ago.

(A couple of moments prior.)

"It's all fake, isn't it? This… isn't real." Sairaorg realized this was all an illusion.

Naruto smiled slightly, "So, when did you figure it out?"

"Well, for starters, it was quiet, too quiet." That had been one indicator, as well as the gut feeling he had on instinct. Something about this wasn't right, it was too unreal, or perhaps the complete opposite; he didn't know, but he had to confirm his theory.

"So that's how much stronger you are." Perhaps he had always so known, perhaps he had been trying to deny the fact during the battle. "That's how it is."

Had it been a whole charade, a game, a figment in their own imaginations? Who was to say there wasn't even a way of telling how the fight would have gone had it been real? Or how accurate the illusion really had been.

And yet, he didn't feel disappointed. He didn't feel sad or angry.

Perhaps that feeling was lost to him, utterly surrounded in the grip of the wholehearted exhaustion he felt.

That was strange, wasn't it? This world was fake, then all the wounds he had encountered were also manufactured. It sure felt real, didn't it? The ground on his skin, the dirt below him, it was all so detailed, it was scary.

"So, what's with the whole charade? Why go through all of this?" He needed to know, had to question.

Naruto was merely silent as Sairaorg went through his realization. Before he sat down, right next to where his former opponent was lying in the crater.

"You know, I'm not quite sure," he admitted. "I could have chosen any illusion, but it wouldn't feel as satisfactory, like, if I didn't fight you… Winning wouldn't have felt earned." Yet needed to do this illusion, he needed to present himself as invincible. It was all for his image, for his plans; if he posed himself as the male who could take down a strong opponent with nothing but a glance, it would make things all the easier.

But, he could admit, even he could appreciate the effort Sairaorg had put into himself. How could he not? Being a fellow warrior of a similar craft, he knew how hard it was to get stronger, and Sairaorg had done it through the skin of his own teeth.

To not at least give him a fight would be truly a shame.

"I hear that…" Sairaorg said, his body felt tired. So very tired, which was strange; shouldn't he still be standing near the ridge at this point? "Battling a strong opponent, there truly is no greater joy, is there? That's what I want to do, create a world where anybody, regardless of background, can show their determination, just like this," Sairaorg said with a small smile.

Naruto tried to smile as well.

But his body felt numb as well, the blonde dripping down his arm and onto the ground. It hurt like hell, and he was sure that the phantom pain would course through him for a while, even if he were to be healed when the illusion ended.

"Joy?" Naruto questioned.

True joy. He hadn't felt that in a while.

When he was a kid, that feeling was plentiful, to have a family, a clan, to love and to be loved.

He had lost that.

And that feeling had been found.

That was why he was doing this, for his peerage, his clan. He was doing what needed to be done so that everyone he cared for could live their lives to the fullest.

They sat there, lost in thought, waiting for the illusion to end. Yet there was a peace between them, the shallow breathing as their exhausted minds lay to recover.

Sairaorg looked at Naruto, seeing his broken figure: his busted arm. To think, even if the boy—-no, the man had made this a genjutsu world, he still had the strength of mind, the conviction, to keep on going even with a shattered arm. He knew that pain, and knew how painful it was. Strong enough to send a person keeling in agony

Just how much of an iron will did Naruto have?

"You know, you ought to treat your peerage better, train them up, let them in, it'll surprise you," Naruto said off-handedly. His peerage was his family now, the missing void he had to fill in his heart as his parents left him.

"Heh, now you're starting to act like a gremory," Sairaorg laughed a little, mentioning the fact that Gremory's were known for their kindness towards their peerage. Although he wouldn't say he was unkind or mistreated them. But he could see Naruto's point; maybe he did spend too much time training himself.

"Hey, it's true," Naruto laughed a little as well, remembering all the time he had spent at the Gremory residence as a child. "They're already loyal, and they believe in you with all their heart. I know they'll be a force to be reckoned with. They'll keep that relentless head of yours in check," he said.

Part of the reason he won so easily was because he hadn't been near enough to regulus, as he had no doubt the merging of the two would have caused any of his illusions to break in that instant. That would have caused him more trouble, and he would have had to show more of what he was capable of.

But then again… would he lose?

No, he'd still have win.

"Ha, you're relentless, you broke you're freaking arm to hit me in the face," Sairaorg said, pointing to Naruto's arm which was still injured.

As Naruto looked at it. "Yeah, I did so that," he realized, maybe he had been a little too caught up in the moment. At this point, he couldn't quite feel anything, his body too desensitized to the feeling.

But soon the illusion would fade out, and the pain would disappear, and his body would (mostly) be back to normal.

Not that he wouldn't have done it if this were real.

He would have.

And Sairaorg's mind would collapse, unable to handle the sensations of what would happen here.

"By the way, your reputation might take a bit of a hit after this, sorry," he apologized. It wasn't like it was personal or anything.

But his plans did ride on things turning out this way.

"It's fine, nothing I haven't been through before," Sairaorg grunted, he had risen his way out as being the laughing stock of the underworld. He could build himself back up again.

Naruto nodded. It was strange, but in a way, he felt the two could understand each other a bit better. And it had been quite a while since he had been able to talk to a male friend as an equal (apart from those in his peerage).

It felt like a semblance of normalcy, in a way. If he weren't a part of the Uzumaki family, if his parents hadn't been murdered. If things didn't turn out the way they did.

Maybe he should end up listening to his own advice?

Maybe letting people in wouldn't be so bad again?

He could only hope.

That's what he had, that's what his plans were for.

"A bunch of fools, we are," Naruto realized. They were alike in many aspects, chasing a dream for the impossible. "Let's say we change the world?"

An agreement was made.

A kinship was formed.

Naruto's dream… would become reality.

As the genjutsu faded once more.

XXX

Elsewhere.

(Somewhere in the desert)

"Man, it's hot!" Valiana complained.

The three were trudging through the sands, walking through the dusty plain as the heat coursed through them, the sun glaring daggers down on their skin as they walked.

"Well, this is the desert, after all," Kakashi, ever the scarecrow, said next to her as they went on.

"Yeah, but still, I'm pale. I'll sunburn if this keeps up," Valiana said, her skin being an unearthly white. If this kept up, she'd end up being redder than a tomato. Even with their cloaks on, she felt like the sun was a million degrees.

"Why is there a sun out here in the first place?" she couldn't help but wonder, questioning her tanuki-like companion.

Although it was her silver-haired companion who answered her. "It's the nature of the outer edges of the underworld, it always does seem more 'real' than the center, where most of the devils live," Kakashi answered, as Gaara followed up, as he walked in the front of the two, leading them.

"You know, it's said that the underworld was Hagaromo's initial design for the human world, only for him to change it when he sent Indra down here; that's why a large portion of the outer rim resembles Earth in many aspects. It's almost like another dimension out here, a different sky, strange plants, running water. Almost like a memento of a forgotten time, of a world of what could have been…" Gaara said philosophically. He was used to traversing these sands, and had all his life.

Wandering, over and over, the sun searing into his skin. He had a lot of time to think, all things considered.

Kakashi nodded, he had heard such rumors of legends, and knew of their [King's] own role in the origin of the Underworld and Indra Otsutski.

Valiana grew silent as well. What more could she say? She knew of the impact these sands had on the boy.

This was the mission Naruto had assigned them to complete.

She didn't understand why Naruto had sent them now, of all places, while he was out there fighting his own battle.

Sairaorg Bael.

She had heard of the man from her time within the Grigori. And knew he was strong, although she doubted that he was stronger than Naruto. No, she knew there was no possibility that the male was stronger than Naruto. But still, he had been challenged to a rating game— even if said blonde organised said challenge. She was his [Queen, wasn't it her duty to help him with things like that?

Although she supposed she hadn't done that duty in a while…

Right, she had been away for so long, so wrapped up in her own guilt and betrayal. She had been so angry, not at anyone, but more so at herself.

She attacked Naruto, and although she hadn't quite been in the right state of mind, that remained true. And, yet… Naruto still accepted her; he still took her back.

After everything she had done for him, after all the liabilities that she posed, Naruto still stood by her. That was why…

She silently swore, never again. She wouldn't leave him ever again. He was counting on her for this mission, she realized.

It wasn't that he didn't want her next to him, but rather he had faith that she would help in this mission.

She wouldn't let him down.

Gaara looked at Naruto's [Queen] as he walked, seeing the myriad of expressions rolling down her face, each of them neglecting to wear their masks at this moment. She saw annoyance, anger, confusion, guilt, and darkness before she grew into a resolve. In a way, he felt a kinship with her; there were times when he felt such emotions as well, and had been consumed by them.

Before he met Naruto, he was nothing but a monster, a beast without purpose.

He knew nothing of peace, and knew nothing of joy.

Naruto had taught that to him, offering a role within his family.

And this woman had threatened that family, yet was a part of it all the same. Truthfully, he didn't know how to feel about her. However, he did offer to give her a chance at redemption, a chance to change, to be something more than a beast of destruction.

Just as he had been offered…

"Stop. We're here," Gaara said, as he stopped in his movements.

"So that's the place, huh?" Valiana said, as she grew a serious expression, as all three of them manifested their masks from a set of seals.

Him a Tanuki. Kakashi a dog. And Vali a Dragon.

They were standing over a large cliff as they overlooked the vast landscape, and there they saw it. Miles away, in the dust of the sand, was a marking of civilization.

Large walls surround an array of buildings, a village.

"So that… Sunagakure," Kakashi recognised.

The village hidden in the sands.

Behind her mask, Valiana smirked, "This ought to be fun."

What Naruto planned…

It would change everything.

XXX

Somewhere else.

While Naruto's plans were being put in motion, dark forces pursued their goals.

Corpses.

There were so many corpses lying about.

Many individuals had very unique and distinctive appearances. They were from different races, ethnicities, and countries.

Although they all had one thing in common…

They were all human.

Humans who had strived to make a difference. Humans who aimed to fight the forces of the supernatural.

Sacred gear users, reincarnated individuals, all lay at their feet. The reincarnation of Hercules. The reincarnation of Joan of Arc. An artificial being made in the image of Siegfried. And many more.

The hero faction, a faction that was small in number but powerful in its influence within the human world. Their sole intent was to give humanity a fighting chance, to rise up to be their very namesake for humans. They believed in human restitution, that humans didn't have to be the punching bags of all things supernatural They had assembled with the purpose of fighting back, and although some creatures would call them overzealous and sometimes discriminatory, they were efficient, they were the reaction to centuries of humans being at the bottom of the food chain.

That didn't help them, though.

As right now, they were nothing more than a shadow, a remnant that would soon be lost to time.

They had planned this wide-scale assassination for months, awaiting the perfect opportunity for the Hero faction to unite themselves and let their guard down. They had taken advantage of that moment; that was their mistake, one that they paid for with their lives.

"Hn. So this was the hero faction, they weren't much to worry about," a voice spoke. He was a pale individual with dark, spiky hair and a handsome face. As he looked over the scene they had enacted.

"Sasuke, this faction was built out of an assembly of sacred gear users, and they surely would have given us an even greater amount of trouble had we not planned this job out well enough to get the drop on them. Had we not, we may not have been as successful, and received even greater casualties, remember that," the individual to his side stated.

It was much the same when it came to looks, pale skin, and black hair. Although this person seemed decidedly older and more experienced. As he only had a single eye in his right socket, the other seemed to be covered by an eye patch.

Both wore a set of cloaks, each with red clouds.

As the male named 'Sasuke' flashed his eyes, orbs once the color of midnight, now a blazing red with a set of tomoe."Itachi, we're Uchiha, as if a group of humans would be enough to take us on." The very notion of which was laughable.

But his brother merely looked off to the side, as if lost in thought. Before he turned, leaving his younger sibling, but not before giving his companion a few parting words. "Perhaps one day you will lose that level of shortsightedness. One day, you will face an enemy you might not comprehend losing to, and you will. And if you are not careful, it will be the death of you, little brother…" Itachi said as he left.

Two more individuals walked towards them in the Hero Faction hideout. One was a blonde-haired figure with a strange-looking monocle. The other was a blue-skinned, tall individual.

"Well, these two are done for, shouldn't be too long before they bleed out," the blue-skinned one said.

"Yeah, the nerdy looking one was no match for my art, mmmm," the blonde one said, he had two mouths on his hands, which was strange. But not the strangest thing they had witnessed.

On the taller one's shoulders was a set of barely alive bodies, both defeated thoroughly. One was a black haired individual with blue eyes, and the second was a dark-haired teen with glasses, which were broken, and a robe around his body.

The first was Cao Cao, the leader of the Hero faction and the reincarnation of the hero of his namesake. The second was Georg, a sub-leader of the faction and a powerful mage in his own right. Both were beaten within an inch of their lives, their clothes were torn, and several cuts and bruises were along their bodies; Cao Cao was even missing an arm.

Yet they were left alive.

Itachi nodded. "Good, they will survive long enough for the ritual, the full moon will soon be upon us…"

As he then activated his Sharingan, "And with it, we can usher in a new age for the world…"

End Arc II.