Ch 41 Part 1

Shadow Light

Chapter 41

Dark Tidings

"What did you say to your people yesterday when this area got sealed away? I'm sure it caused quite a panic," Naruto said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Aren't you interested? I said I'm going to surp-" They sensed a large burst of demonic energy release in their surroundings and Naruto turned to Yasaka who took a big gulp of air.

"The demons from Yomi-no-kuni were released. We must evacuate everyone before they start rampaging the city!" Yasaka said in urgency. Naruto's face turned cold at that and she felt a large force descend upon Kyoto in an instant.

'What pressure!' Yasaka thought in awe. Though she knew the pressure isn't intended towards her, its passive aura is affecting her due to her closeness to Naruto.

"Yasaka dear, I'm sorry for this disturbance. Let's take care of this and continue our date." Naruto's strong voice pulled her out of the gutter that passive aura put her and she stood to neutralise the threat.

Few Minutes Ago

As Naruto and Yasaka revelled in the intimacy of their candlelight dinner, the air in Kyoto suddenly thickened with an unsettling silence. The sky above turned into an unsettling tapestry of reds and purples, as if mirroring some unspoken dread. Unknown to the human realm, the very fabric of the spiritual world had torn asunder, releasing a horde of demons from the depths of Shinto Hell. The city's ancient wards quivered and fractured under the assault, sending tremors through the metaphysical plane.

The alarm is instantaneous among the Devils. As if electrocuted, they broke from their idle conversations—jettisoning a lighthearted debate between Akeno and Reni about bust sizes—as a suffocating wave of demonic presence washed over them. Rias, ever the impulsive girl, broke the silence. "What's going on?"

No sooner has she asked that the group's collective attention snapped toward Naruto, who seemed to be the epicentre of the suffocating draconic pressure. His face, usually warm and inviting, had morphed into an icy visage of simmering fury. Yasaka stood beside him, her expression equally serious.

"They're fucked," Sona declared, her tone tinged with a mixture of awe and finality. Though Sona is not one for swearing, the situation called for it. Her past encounters with Naruto had taught her that when he is this incensed, calamity followed. She did not doubt that the invaders has severely miscalculated; even her most conservative estimates placed Naruto on par with her formidable sister. He had, after all, effortlessly bested them in every sparring session, without even revealing his Balance Breaker.

"We'll end this quickly," Naruto declared, his voice cold enough to freeze the very air. "Don't worry about collateral damage. If the Ley Lines remain intact, we can restore the city." His cerulean eyes, now icy shards, fixed on the rift in the sky. A flicker of shadow danced across his face, as if summoning the night itself.

Then, with a barely perceptible wave of his hand, shadows unfurled around them like dark tendrils. They slithered through the streets, seeking out and enveloping 'normal' humans, shielding them from the imminent battle. All except one—a white-haired teacher standing at a distance, keenly observing the events unfolding before her.

Naruto's anger is a palpable force, a malevolent storm churning within him. What has been an intrusion into the city has become personal—the desecration of a sanctuary, the invasion of a treasured moment. And for that, there will be hell to pay.

High above the unfolding chaos, Rosseweisse hovered, shrouded in ethereal mists that veiled her true Valkyrie form. The air around her was thick with a mélange of magic and dread, each note of energy tinged with impending calamity.

She had been observing the mixed group of Devils and Shinto deities under Odin's orders. The All-Father had expressed a keen interest in understanding the strength of these young Devils, especially one Naruto Uzumaki. He had also added, with a somewhat inappropriate jocularity, that she should enjoy her time in Kyoto. The notion almost made her scoff. A Valkyrie of her stature had more pressing matters than leisure.

Rosseweisse's focus snapped back to the present as a sudden surge of Draconic pressure filled the atmosphere. Instinctively, she knew such an aura; it was a signature of ancient powers. Scanning the area, her gaze fixated on Naruto. He was enshrouded in a dark, almost palpable aura that seemed to resonate with the underlying Draconic pressure.

Even as her senses wanted to bask in the Draconic aura, she was stunned by the ensuing spectacle. Shadows unfurled from Naruto like ink in water, radiating outwards in an intricate web. These tendrils of darkness swept through the area, enveloping every 'normal' human being they encountered. Rosseweisse felt a tendril snake towards her, its reach guided by some arcane intuition. She deftly shifted her position, evading its touch. Sensing nothing at its target destination, the tendril withdrew, dissolving back into the shadowy tapestry from which it originated.

As she witnessed the scene unfold, Rosseweisse couldn't help but contemplate the raw, untamed power she had just observed. It was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, leaving her with a greater sense of urgency to report back to Odin. Yet, for all its ferocity, the power carried an undertone of responsibility, a weight of unspoken duty. And that, more than anything, intrigued her the most.

Meanwhile

In the shadowy abyss of Yomi-no-Kuni, the Onis had languished for what seemed like eternities, confined by celestial barriers and spiritual wards. When the rift tore open, they felt it like a jolt of electricity pass through their demonic cores. It was as if the very chains that bound them had suddenly evaporated. For the first time in ages, they sensed freedom—an intoxicating, irresistible allure that beckoned them forth.

As they surged through the rift into the mortal realm, they felt invigorated, like caged beasts finally released into the wild. Their snarls were tinged with exhilaration, their demonic eyes glowing with malevolence and triumph. Each Oni revelled in the return to a world they could ravage and despoil. The thought of sowing chaos and feasting upon human fear fueled their dark souls, turning them into torrents of malevolent energy.

But even amidst this heady rush of liberation, a shard of instinctual wariness embedded itself within their collective consciousness. They sensed a powerful presence, something formidable and wrathful, a force unlike any they had encountered in the depths of Hell. It was as if the very air had thickened, sending ripples of unease through their demonic forms.

Though unable to comprehend the full scope of what they were about to face, the Onis felt an inkling of dread. Still, the allure of freedom and the intoxicating scent of mortal souls were too much to resist. They pressed on, each filled with a dark resolve to seize this rare moment, ignoring the spectral shadow of apprehension that clung to them. Just then, they heard a call of attention and turned to the voice.

In the dimensional gap on the way to the human realm, the Prime Oni General, Daisuke Kurogami, a behemoth draped in spiked armour with eyes aflame in ethereal blue, convened a gathering of his subordinate Oni Generals and Onis. They materialised from the mists, each a fearsome monstrosity in their own right, wielding weapons fashioned from the bones and souls of the damned. An unholy council, brought together to seize an unprecedented opportunity.

The Prime General's voice resonated like the clanging of iron against stone. "Brothers, for eons we've languished in the bowels of Hell, bound by celestial decrees and shackled by Shinto barriers. Today, that changes. The rift we've traversed is a sign—our destiny to annihilate Kyoto and bring ruin upon the Shinto pantheon is at hand."

A low murmur of approval swept through the assembly, a rumble of guttural voices and clashing weapons. Each Oni was a walking vortex of malevolent energy, and the very air crackled with their collective anticipation.

"We will not squander this. We will reduce their sacred temples to rubble, feast on the souls of their priests, and extinguish their guardian spirits. We shall bring about a darkness that will blanket the Shinto realm for all eternity!"

The horde erupted in a chorus of cheers and roars, the force of their collective might shaking the very dimensions they occupied. Each Oni felt their dark heart swell with purpose; they were united in their malevolence, fueled by a shared vision of utter devastation.

"And should we encounter resistance, let them come. We will rend their bones, shatter their spells, and drown their cities in a tide of chaos. Tonight, Kyoto will be a pyre, and from its ashes, a new reign will rise—our reign!"

As the Prime Oni General raised his gargantuan blade, the assembly roared in unison, each brandishing their weapon, their eyes ablaze with unholy fire. Unbeknownst to them, their proclamation of war was a prelude to an inevitable clash with a force that had felt their presence, a wrathful entity whose fury was even now coalescing into a storm of unimaginable magnitude.

For the Onis, it was a rallying cry for their long-awaited reckoning. Yet for Naruto Uzumaki, this was nothing more than a provocation, a blight to be eradicated. The stage was set for a cataclysmic encounter, one that would reverberate through the realms of Gods and Devils alike.

The Onis had no way of knowing that they were hurtling toward an encounter with a wrath unlike any other—an unprecedented tempest that would challenge the very essence of their malevolent natures. They were about to meet Naruto Uzumaki, and Hell, as they knew it, would be redefined.

And Cut!

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