ch 32 - pantheon battles

The next morning was the big one. After a large breakfast, everyone moved out. Rias and the others—that being everyone who wasn't Naruto and Ophis—were traveling to Mount Olympus. Their job was to wait for the Three Faction Alliance leaders, head them off before they could attack Mount Olympus, and defeat them by using their overwhelming numerical advantage.

There were six faction leaders being controlled. Rias and her peerage minus Naruto made eight people. They, along with Irina, Raynare, Ravel, and Rossweisse to make twelve, were going up against Sirzechs. Likewise, the other peerages and brave saints were going to take on one of the Three Factions Leaders. Sona and her peerage were taking on Serafall, Sairaorg was fighting against Michael with his peerage, Seekvaira would fight Azazel, Izrail and Angelus were up against Gabrielle, and Zephyrdor was going to fight against Shemhazai. The four fallen angels, Gomory, Lix Tetrax, Beur, and Mestama would join Zephyrdor in fighting their leader.

Naruto and Ophis were already gone, having left together earlier that morning. Their job was different. Naruto was going to deter Olympus should they decide to get in the way. Ophis was going to kill Loki.

Mount Olympus was the highest mountain in Greece. Located close to an inlet in the Aegean Sea, the closest city to Mount Olympus was Larissa. The mountain was surrounded by several small villages. Unlike Athens, which was a combination of modern and ancient architecture, these villages appeared far older, with architecture that looked like it belonged in the early 1900s.

Rias and the others had chosen to remain at the Olympus Ski Center, which, much to the dismay of all the devils minus Sairaorg and his peerage, was just a rundown hut made of bricks and had a thatched red roof. At least the inside had couches, carpet, and a fireplace. However, in all regards, the place they were staking out was threadbare enough that no devil would willingly put up with it unless they had no choice.

"I can't believe we're staying in a place like this," Zephyrdor complained. "This place doesn't even have a fucking espresso machine! And I'm cold! Where's the heater?!"

"Stop complaining," Seekvaira grumbled, holding a cup of steaming warm tea that Akeno had made for them. "We're all miserable. The last thing we need is to hear you bitching."

"Che! Shut the fuck up, you cunt!"

"You're the one who needs to shut up!"

This back and forth continued for some time, with the fallen angels watching the duo as they took bets on whether or not it would come to blows. The pairs's peerages didn't help either. They actually began taking bets with the fallen angels.

Fortunately, before it actually could come to blows, Sairaorg stopped the two from continuing.

"I know how you two feel, but we should be focusing on preparing ourselves for battle. We'll be fighting against the strongest people in our faction. We can't afford to waste energy arguing here."

"I know that," Zephyrdor muttered as he turned his head.

"M-my apologies, Bael-sama," Seekvaira said, cheeks lighting up. "I spoke out of turn."

"It's all right. Let's just do our best to remain calm. A storm is coming, and I'd rather go into it with a clear head."

Sairaorg walked back to Angelus, who smiled at him as he crossed his arms and sighed.

"You're very charismatic."

"Huh? You think so?"

Angelus nodded. "Yes. I'm always impressed by how you can stop fights so easily."

"Ah-ha. Thank you." Sairaorg scratched the back of his head.

The young boy next to Angelus, who always hovered around her, was grinding his teeth.

Ravel took all this in with a seemingly calm gaze. However, while she presented a calm exterior, inside she was anything but. Her mind was a raging maelstrom of worry.

She sat beside Koneko, Irina, Rossweisse, and Rias. The other members of the Gremory Peerage were scattered around the building. Asia and Issei were with Raynare and Akeno. The fallen angel was poking fun of Akeno about something, who was responding with adequate sarcasm, though Ravel couldn't hear what was being said. Gasper was hiding behind Kiba. It seemed he was using the pretty boy as a shield, while said pretty boy spoke with Tsubaki, Sona's Queen. While Rossweisse discussed magical theory with Rias, Irina and Koneko remained mostly unobtrusive.

"Want some?" Koneko suddenly asked, holding out a bar of some kind of milk candy to Ravel.

"Oh, um, thank you," Ravel murmured, taking the candy and nibbling on it.

"You're nervous." It wasn't a question.

"We're using one of the plans that I came up with, so I'm confident that it's the best plan we have," Ravel began. "However, we're going up against six of the most powerful leaders in our alliance. Some of them have the strength of an ultimate-class super devil. Even though my plan is sound, the fact remains that it might not matter in the end."

She was particularly worried about their upcoming battle with Sirzechs. As an ultimate-class super devil, Sirzechs' powers made him one of the strongest beings in the entire world. Against someone like that, her plans might amount to nothing, for how could a plan work when it involved going up against someone who could destroy that plan simply by opposing them with overwhelming force?

"Don't worry too much," Rias said, stopping her conversation with Rossweisse to reassure Ravel. "Your plan is a solid one. Even if it doesn't work out perfectly, I'm sure we can succeed so long as you keep watch and direct us accordingly."

Ravel's role in this fight was lead strategist. She was not going to fight. She was going to watch the fight and advise the others according to changes in the battlefield.

"The biggest problem I can see is whether or not everyone will be able to hold off Sirzechs long enough for my plan to work." Ravel bit her lip. "Provided Ise has enough time, he should be able to boost your power with his Sacred Gear high enough that you can theoretically take your brother on in a straight up fight—at least, long enough to destroy the device that's controlling him. Once Sirzechs is no longer under control, freeing the others shouldn't prove as difficult."

The plan that Ravel had concocted was simple. Rias Gremory and Issei Hyoudo would stay behind the fighting lines, while everyone else fought against Sirzechs. They would hold off the current Lucifer, essentially providing a distraction for Issei and Rias, who would use the Boosted Gear's ability to double someone's power every ten seconds to increase Rias's power, until she was strong enough to fight Sirzechs herself. After that, the others would clear out, Rias would move in, and free her brother from Loki's control.

It was a very basic plan, one that could be adapted on a whim to adjust for variables in the fight, and with Ravel providing tactical support, there was a chance for their victory. However, that chance was still low. If Ravel had to estimate what their chances for victory were, she would say they had a 1/500 shot at winning. The problem wasn't necessarily the plan either. Sirzechs was just that powerful.

"That's why you're our strategist," Rias said. "We all know how strong my brother is. As an ultimate-class super devil, his powers are on a level of their own. I think everyone here understands that our chances for victory are low. However, they aren't zero, and if they aren't zero, then it means there is still a chance." Rias placed her hands on Ravel's shoulders. "We'll take that chance and win. I have confidence in your tactical abilities to make it so."

Ravel was stunned at the amount of faith Rias had in her, but she was also happy. Her brother had always relied on her for tactical advice. However, Rizer had never really placed faith in her before. He had just used her, and then ignored her after a Rating Game was won. Rias was stating, unequivocally, that she had faith in Ravel's abilities.

Wiping her eyes, Ravel gave Rias her best smile. "Yes! I won't let you down!"

Rias returned her smile. "I know you won't."

Before anything else could be said, the warm moment between them was ruined when, without warning, a massive shock wave slammed into the Olympic Ski Center. Shouts rang through the air as the roof was ripped off by incredible force winds. Several of the people inside were also lifted off the ground and would have gone flying were it not for Saji using his Sacred Gear to keep everyone from shooting off.

Ravel screamed as her ears were assaulted by the intense sound. She covered them in the hopes of lessening the pain, but it did little to help. It hurt! Blood was leaking from her ears, warm and wet, running down her neck. She couldn't even hear anything anymore. It was as if all sound had been muffled.

When the shockwave finally ended, Ravel realized that she and Koneko were being hugged tightly by Rias, who had projected a shield to protect them from the worst of it. Several other people had also created a shield. Rossweisse was protecting Irina, Sairaorg was doing the same with his peerage and Angelus and her brave saints. Issei had protected Asia, Akeno, and Raynare with an ability she didn't know he had. Meanwhile, several members of Seekvaira's peerage were helping protect the others.

"It looks like the battle has started," Rias murmured before speaking to everyone in a loud, commanding voice. "This is where it begins! Everyone! Get ready! Once Naruto launches his assault on the Greek Pantheon, we'll begin our attack and wrest our leaders from the control of Loki!"

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto floated above the battlefield, looking down with his arms crossed as the dimension that separated Mount Olympus—the real Mount Olympus—from the human world shattered under the might of Sirzechs in his true form. Already, the gods and goddesses of the Greek Pantheon were pouring down from their homes. He didn't know any of them. He didn't need to. His job in all this was simple: fight the Greeks and keep them from destroying Sirzechs and the other leaders.

Rias, her peerage, and everyone else was already on their way to the battlefield. They were nothing but tiny specks to his eyes. He estimated that they would reach the warzone in about two minutes.

That should be plenty of time.

"Are you ready, Kurama?"

"Yes."

"Then let's do this."

Naruto had been training hard to control Kurama's immense power. It was difficult because Kurama now had a nearly infinite amount of power, but he had picked up a secret to controlling it.

Sage Mode.

Sage Mode was the act of gathering nature chakra to strengthen the body and chakra. Naruto had discovered that the issue wasn't "mind over matter" so much as his body and chakra simply couldn't handle the pressure created by Kurama's chakra. It was trying to fill a glass with water using a fire hydrant. The power was simply so immense, flowed so quickly and was so powerful, that it caused cracks to appear, thus causing the power to leak out instead of remaining inside of him. Sage Mode fixed that.

Naruto closed his eyes, held his hands together in a basic hand seal, and gathered nature chakra. Since they were near Mount Olympus, a land not only lush in nature but also filled with the power leaked from the gods of Olympus, gathering the energy was a trifle matter. He quickly entered Sage Mode.

"Now!"

Maintaining his calm, Naruto kept a tight leash on his Sage Mode as Kurama's power flooded his body. He felt the transformation occurring. It was more complete than the previous times they had done this. The cloak appeared around him, his clothing turned black while golden lines appeared along the fabric, and the two bangs on either side of his head stood up like a pair of ears. What's more, thirteen truth-seeking balls appeared behind him. Naruto wondered about the number, which was more than his usual nine, but he dismissed them.

His transformation had been successful. He'd also successfully kept himself from accidentally destroying any mountains, which was good. Even so, the power that he was unleashing had caused the battle between the Greek Pantheon and the Three Faction Alliance leaders to stop. With eyes enhanced by the power flowing through him, he could see the gods, goddesses, and faction leaders staring in his direction.

He grinned and slammed his right fist into his left palm. A shock wave, small but strong, ripped through the air.

"Time to get this party started!"

"Let's go, Naruto!"

"Right!"

Naruto did not hesitate. Creating a sonic boom that echoed behind him, Naruto suddenly appeared immediately in front of the leader of the Greek gods, the only god who Naruto actually knew the same of. Zeus.

The tall, blond man's bronze eyes widened as he suddenly realized that Naruto was directly in front of him. He was given no time to actually do anything, however, for Naruto slammed his fist into the lightning god's chest. As Zeus disappeared, the air around them exploding as the man was sent flying like a rocket on its way to the moon, Naruto twisted his body and kicked the god who'd been closest to Zeus. Naruto didn't know who he was, some guy with a beard, but that god was sent sailing toward the ground.

Naruto almost winced when the ground exploded after the god made impact with it. Like a tidal wave swelling from the sea, large chunks of earth erupted, flying into the air and spreading across the land, only to crash into the ground and cause more destruction. It was a good thing the nearest city was several dozen kilometers away, though it looked like Olympus National Park was going to take damage.

Knowing that he couldn't hesitate, lest he give the gods of Olympus time to launch a counterattack, Naruto sent out his truth-seeking balls. Many of the gods scattered, though a few were knocked out of the sky. Keeping on the pressure, Naruto charged two bijuudamas in his palms and, taking aim at a pair of goddesses trying to get close to him, Naruto unleashed them.

Bijuudamas were made from a ratio of 8:2 positive black chakra and negative white chakra, shaped into a ball, condensed, and then fired. His father's rasengan was modeled after them. The attack was usually fired from the mouth. However, Naruto didn't need to create one in his mouth.

A bijuudama was also incredibly destructive, capable of annihilating entire mountain ranges with a single attack. Against a person, it was basically a one-hit kill shot. Against a god or goddess, they could survive it, but they'd definitely get injured, unless they were powerful.

These two goddesses, a gorgeous older woman with vanilla hair and red eyes and a silver-haired beauty wielding a bow and arrows, proved that they were more than they appeared. The older woman slashed her left hand down. The bijuudama was split in half. The other one flew backward, releasing arrows more quickly than Naruto could keep track of, until the bijuudama eventually imploded on itself.

Naruto thought it was a stupid move.

The bijuudama was composed of condensed chakra, which meant that when it imploded, it didn't just suddenly vanish as though it had eaten itself. It reacted violently. A massive detonated spread out from where it had been, sending all of the gods who'd been in the area flying as though they'd been struck by Great Red's massive tail. Only two people remained where they were: Naruto and the older woman.

"I recognize you," the woman said at last. "You are Naruto Uzumaki, a member of Rias Gremory's peerage."

Naruto didn't let her know how shocked he was. "I had no idea that you knew who I was."

The woman smirked. "I'm not surprised, since we haven't been introduced. I am Hera, the matron of the Greek Pantheon. We do not normally pay attention to your kind, but ever since the angels, devils, and fallen angels formed an alliance, some of us have decided that you were worth watching. I saw the Rating Games that were being held in the Underworld. I also saw you destroy the entire colosseum."

Naruto blushed. "That… wasn't on purpose."

"Perhaps not, but your power, in particular, has left many of us wary."

As she spoke, several of the gods who'd been blown away came back and surrounded Naruto. Zeus, who had been launched who knew how far by Naruto's punch, also returned. There was a large bruise shaped like Naruto's knuckles on his chest. His face was also rather red and lightning skittered across his body. He seemed upset, though Naruto couldn't fathom why.

"I'm guessing you're here to save your comrades who have attacked us," Hera continued.

"Would you not do the same if our positions were reversed?" asked Naruto. "Sirzechs and the others are currently under the control of Loki thanks to a device he received that uses nature chakra to manipulate the minds of others. Apparently, the entirety of Asgard is also under Loki's control. My friends and I are here to free them. We don't actually have a quarrel with you. I just can't let you fight." Naruto tilted his head. "Won't you consider staying out of this?"

"Do not make me laugh, boy!" Zeus shouted, snarling. "Your alliance attacked Olympus! There's no way we're going to let your kind get away with this!"

"I assumed as much."

He didn't really blame these people for being angry. Really, if he'd been the recipient of an unprovoked attack, he would have been in the same position as them. However, he hadn't been, and the people attacking them were his friends, who were under the control of a madman bent on causing the end of the world. So even though he understood where these people were coming from, he had no intention of just letting them do whatever they pleased.

Raising his hand, Naruto gestured for all of the gods and goddesses now surrounding him to bring it.

"If you want to get to Sirzechs and the others, then you'll have to go through me," he declared. "You can come one at a time or all at once. It won't stop me from kicking all your asses."

~Devil Ninja~

Ravel did not partake in the battle when it started. She floated high above the battleground so as to better observe how all of the variables were interacting with each other. Rias's peerage as they fought, Sirzechs and his powers, Rossweisse, Irina, and Raynare, and any unknowns who might become embroiled in the conflict. Information in this battle would be key.

Far below her, numerous battles were taking place, the clashes causing small starbursts and explosions and sonic booms that created fierce winds, which even she could feel from up there. Rias and her peerage had engaged Sirzechs, while the other angels, devils, and fallen angels had become embroiled in battles with their respective targets.

Further away, Naruto was defending himself from all sides against an entire pantheon of Greek gods. She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried. However, her boyfriend seemed to be keeping the Greeks on their toes.

Ravel couldn't actually see Naruto. All she caught were flashes of light. It was as if he was teleporting all around the battlefield. Occasionally, one or more of the gods would get smacked away and go flying, sometimes there were massive explosions, and every now and then, the ground beneath them was destroyed. Already several cracks and abrasions were appearing far below, creating canyons where Mount Olympus had once stood.

She could see Rias and Issei floating far to the back, side by side. Issei had placed a hand on Rias's shoulder, the hand with the Boosted Gear, and he was using his boost ability to double Rias's power every ten seconds. She didn't know how powerful Rias would need to become, but Ravel had determined that she would need at least—at the very least—five minutes worth of being boosted to be a match for her brother.

"Kiba. Irina is having trouble. Provide back up!"

"Akeno. Lay suppressive fire for Kiba. Keep Sirzechs-sama occupied!"

"Koneko! Go in from above! Hit him with a heel drop when he's not looking!"

Ravel narrowed her eyes as she watched the battle play out, directing the forces of the Gremory Peerage combined with Rossweisse, Irina, and Raynare. She was doing her best to keep their side from being overwhelmed. The problem was that Sirzechs was simply too powerful for normal devils to fight against.

Kiba went in to defend for Irina, while Akeno sent lightning at Sirzechs from below. The lightning was blocked. Kiba's sword was also destroyed when it came into contact with Sirzechs's Powers of Destruction. Before he could pull back, Kiba's hand was likewise reduced to subatomic particles. As he screamed in shock and pain, Koneko came in from above, descending like a missile on Sirzechs's head. Her hand was blocked by his forearm, but her strength was such that he was launched toward the ground.

They had maybe half a second's reprieve.

"Asia! Heal Kiba!"

"Gasper! Stop Sirzechs-sama's left hand!"

"Raynare, use your light spears to distract him!"

It wasn't long before Sirzechs flew back up to engage them again. Gasper used Forbidden Balor View to stop Sirzechs's left hand from moving, though he couldn't do so for more than .2 seconds. It was enough. During that time, Raynare threw a light spear at Sirzechs, which struck his back. No damage was done. Sirzechs was too powerful for a weak angel like Raynare to hurt, but it did push him forward, which was all they needed right then.

"Akeno! Rossweisse!"

Akeno and Rossweisse stood side by side, hands out, palms pointed toward Sirzechs. While Akeno generated a massive amount of lightning that surged from her fingertips, Rossweisse generated a lot of water, which combined with Akeno's lightning to create an intense beam of white energy that blasted Sirzechs in the face.

Or it should have.

Ravel groaned when Sirzechs merely raised his hand and swatted the attack as though it were a fly on the wall. The beam of condensed energy careened toward the ground. It struck, causing a massive explosion that rearranged a good portion of the landscape. Fierce winds struck Ravel, who shielded herself from it using her family's fire attribute to create a barrier. She couldn't afford to look away from this fight!

"Akeno and Rossweisse! Keep up the long-range bombardment! Move around to present a harder target!"

"Kiba and Irina! Flank him!"

"Koneko and Raynare! Work with Gasper to create an opening for Kiba and Irina!"

Gasper continued to use Forbidden Balor View from a distance, even going so far as to activate his balance breaker to increase his power. It didn't do much. However, with balance breaker, he was able to slow Sirzechs's reactions by a fraction of a second. Sometimes, a fraction of a second was all a person needed.

Koneko slammed into Sirzechs first. She struck him in the face with both feet. A sonic boom echoed like a thunderlcap as the super devil was sent flying—right into Raynare, who stabbed at him with her light spear. The spear, sadly, didn't do anything, and Sirzechs merely swiped his hand and used his Powers of Destruction to cut Raynare's arm off.

"Asia! Heal her!"

While Raynare fell, Asia used her newly awakened ability to heal from a distance to restore Raynare's arm. It was gruesome sight. Ravel was fortunate that she had grown used to violence thanks to participating in her brother's Rating Games.

While Asia healed Raynare, Kiba and Irina had double-teamed Sirzechs. Kiba was using Ascalon, the holy sword that Michael had given to Issei. His own Demonic Holy Sword, created by the Sacred Gear, Sword Birth, was not powerful enough to even scratch Sirzechs, but that sword was another story. Meanwhile, Irina used Excalibur Mimic to attack. Sadly, Excalibur Mimic was only a small piece of the true Excalibur and therefore not very powerful. Sirzechs didn't even get injured by it, and Irina was nearly killed when Sirzechs rained his Powers of Destruction on her.

"AAAHHHH!"

Irina moved out of the way before dying, but the attack annihilated half of her face and a good portion of her left wing. Sirzechs then turned on Kiba, but Ravel directed Rossweisse to activate a shield that adequately saved him, while Akeno sent more lightning at the current Lucifer to create a distraction.

"Asia! Irina needs you!"

As Asia began to heal Irina, Ravel bit her teeth in frustration. This battle had only gone on for thirty seconds, and they were already being pummeled.

Those five minutes felt further away than ever.

~Devil Ninja~

Sairaorg and his peerage were fighting against Michael. It had been determined that they would fight Michael because he was the second strongest among the Three Faction leaders.

Fortunately, they only had to contend with Michael. It made things a lot easier. While Michael was said to wield powers akin to a super devil, was an expert in magic, and knew more light magic than most others, Sairaorg was confident that he and his peerage could keep this man occupied.

Sairaorg did not inherit the Bael Clan's Powers of Destruction like his cousin Rias had. To that end, he had trained his body to surpass every physical limit that most people, be they devil or human, placed on themselves. It was this physical strength that earned him the title of The Strongest Youth. His body was both extremely durable and incredibly powerful.

He used those to his advantage in this fight.

Sairaorg had already equipped Regulus, the Nemean Lion that had been sealed inside of the Longinus Regulus Nemea. Not only was he already equipping it, but he was using Regulus's most powerful form: Regulus Rey Leather Rex Imperial Purpure. Otherwise known as Breakdown the Beast, this technique gave him the power to match a Satan-class devil for a limited amount of time. Considering he was going up against the Archangel Michael, he thought it a prudent decision.

A massive spear of light easily ten times his height raced toward him, but Sairaorg roared like a beast and smashed his fist into the light spear. He gnashed his teeth together, strained his limbs, and then shattered the attack, which sent streaks of light in every direction. His fist was smoking.

So even in this form, I'm still no match for Michael.

It was obvious, but disappointing at the same time, though it also made him glad that he was not fighting Michael alone.

Coriana created numerous spears of ice that she sent at Michael. They shattered when the archangel created swords and cut them all down, but then Dandoma slammed a fist into Michael's backside, sending the Archangel soaring into the sky where Ladora, already transformed into a dragon, doused him in a whirlwind of fire.

They knew better than to let him have a moment's rest.

Beruka, riding on Altobaru, tried to hit Michael with his two lances. They were blocked by a pair of swords from Michael, who had dispersed the flames with a single swipe of his blades. However, this left him open to Liban, who used his sword in conjunction with ice magic to create a chilling cutting blade. While that attack also failed when Michael raised his other sword to block it, it gave Sairaorg the necessary time to prepare his attack.

The ground exploding beneath his feet, Sairaorg threw himself into the air faster than human projectiles, reaching Michael in less than a second. He punched Michael with all the strength he possessed—only to grimace when a sword dug into his back. His attack had knocked Michael back, but not only had the archangel blocked it, he'd retaliated with his other sword.

"Regulus!"

"I'm all right, Master! Focus on the battle!"

"I know!"

His peerage was working in pairs; Liban worked in conjunction with Coriana, who used her own magic to boost his. While he couldn't get close to hurting Michael, his swords were now strong enough that they actually froze over the light swords that the archangel was using. Before their foe had time to recover, Kuisha, his Queen, used her Power of Hole to create a portal that sucked up Michael's swords and sent them back at him. The bladed weapons didn't pierce him, but they knocked him into Ladora's twin spear attack.

Sairaorg waited and watched, his eyes on the device attached to Michael's neck. All he needed to do was destroy that device.

Gathering his power, Sairaorg breathed in, breathed out, waited until Misteeta and Gandoma created an opening for him…

Then he launched himself at Michael like a blitzkrieging tank.

Michael created another spear, a huge one, but Sairaorg wasn't interested in spears. Gondama and Ladora whittled the attack down before Kuisha sucked it into a portal that launched it back at Michael. As divine energy cascaded all over the place from the explosion, Misteeta and Coriana created an opening for him by creating a barrier that protected him from damage—mostly.

Soon he was through the attack. His armor, Regulus Nemea, was smoking from holy damage, and his face was burnt, but he was in the perfect position. Michael wasn't even a centimeter away. Sairaorg reached out and yanked the strange necklace-like device from the archangel's neck. It was a good thing he'd done so.

Sairaorg had reached his limit.

Regulus transformed from armor back into a giant lion as Sairaorg crashed face first into the ground and rolled across the destroyed and craggy surface. He dug his hands into the dirt, scrabbling to keep himself from rolling, and though it took awhile, he eventually stopped himself—good thing, too. He was centimeters away from falling into a chasm. He blinked several times and strained his muscles to stand up, but Regulus Rey Leather Rex Imperial Purpure was a technique that did more than merely grant him strength; it exhausted him to the point where he could barely move. All he managed to do was roll himself onto his back.

As he stared at the sky, several people landed beside him. Most of them were his peerage. However, Michael had also joined them, his eyes clear, lips turned into a sad smile.

"I appreciate your help," Michael said gently. "You and your peerage fought bravely and saved my life."

Sairaorg tried to open his mouth, but he was too tired to even do that. Regulus spoke for him.

"It was no trouble… is what Master wants to say."

Michael's smile seemed to say otherwise, but he made no comment.

"Since you saved me, allow me to return the favor by aiding all of you in your task." He looked up at the battles still taking place around them. "I shall go and free my comrades from Loki's mind control."

Sairaorg would have said thank you. He didn't. He still couldn't find the strength to open his mouth.

"I appreciate your assistance… is what Master wants to tell you."

Fortunately, he had a Nemean Lion who could speak for him.

It was almost creepy how Regulus could practically read his mind.

~Devil Ninja~

"Boost!"

Rias bit her lower lip as she struggled to keep herself from moving forward to confront Sirzechs. It was hard. Her peerage was on the ropes, and she couldn't do a single thing about it… not yet. Not until she had enough power that confronting him had a chance of success.

"Boost!"

She didn't know how long they had been boosting her power, but it was easy to feel the difference, since every time Issei used the Dragon Emperor Gauntlet's ability, her powers doubled. Rias had been keeping count. Her powers had been boosted 27 times. What was 27 times 10? 270? So, they'd been at this for 270 seconds, which was close to the five minute mark that Ravel had set.

"Boost!"

She watched the battle between her peerage and her brother. Kiba and Irina were doing their best to harass him with guerilla tactics, while Akeno and Rossweisse fired at him with long-range bombardment. Akeno used primarily lightning, though she also used the divine lightning of her heritage, of Barakiel's heritage. Rossweisse was using a wide array of magic that Rias had only dreamed of before. Fire. Ice. Lightning. Wind. The elements were hers to command, and she commanded them with an enviable talent. While they kept Sirzechs busy, Gasper used Forbidden Balor View to stall Sirzechs from attacking while Koneko landed a deft attack that knocked him away.

Well, that was what they were trying to do.

"Boost!"

Even as she watched, Koneko's entire chest was caved in from a punch by her brother. She wanted to scream when the nekousho was sent flying. Asia, who sat in the wings, went after the girl and healed her, but just seeing what happened hurt. She wanted to fight, she wanted to protect her family. How long would she have to wait here?!

"Boost!"

"O-okay…" Issei gasped for breath. "T-that should do it… t-thirty boosts. Sorry it took so long."

Issei had probably never used the Boosted Gear to boost someone else's power this many times, especially since Rias had been keeping track of everyone's progress, and she knew that the most Issei could use on himself right now was 20.

Sweat poured from her pawn's forehead as he hunched his shoulders like he was carrying a world's worth of weight. His face was slightly red. She didn't think it was from being in close proximity to her. He'd really strained himself.

"Thank you, Ise," Rias said. "Please rest now. Leave the rest up to me."

"R-right."

Rias could feel the power flowing through her, coursing through her body like an undeniable, raging torrent. She wasn't sure if she could adequately describe it. Rias felt like she could take on the entire world by herself. She wondered if this was what Sirzechs felt like every day.

"Ravel," Rias said into her communicator. "I'm ready."

"Okay. Everyone, clear out! Rias is going to take on Sirzechs now!"

Rias took a deep breath. Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out. She prepared herself both mentally and physically for what she was about to do, attempt a feat which she had never done before.

Attempt to condense the Powers of Destruction into herself like her brother could do.

It was far harder than she imagined it to be. The Powers of Destruction were an uncontrollable disaster, annihilation in its purest form. Trying to condense those powers was like trying to stop a star from going supernova. Sweat broke out on her forehead as she struggled to control her powers. Her body shook as the strain caused lightning to course through her. It hurt. However, she struggled on, pushing her mind and body past their limits to do what she had seen her brother do only a few times in her entire life.

She succeeded.

Human-Shaped Aura of Destruction.

Her brother's ultimate technique. His magnum opus. The ability to convert oneself into the Powers of Destruction that destroyed everything regardless of the will. It felt… weird. It was like her body was there, but she had no mass, no weight. She supposed that was because her body was now composed entirely of energy.

Rias tried to breathe out, discovered that, for whatever reason, she couldn't draw breath, and then decided to just go for broke.

It took less than a second to reach Sirzechs. It was like she had teleported. Rias didn't waste any time. The moment she was before her brother, she slammed into him with a right hook that made him go flying backward with a loud sonic boom as he broke the sound barrier.

The mountain behind him was destroyed. Completely. The entire Mount Olympus, which stood at an elevation of 2,918 meters, exploded in a violent spray of dirt and rocks. It was as if someone had buried a nuclear bomb deep beneath the mountain and then set it off. Everyone else shielded their eyes as they struggled to remain where they were, but Rias did not. She floated where she was, her body leaking Powers of Destruction, which annihilated everything that tried to touch her.

Sirzechs wouldn't die from just that.

And she was right; not even a second later, she felt an immense surge of power, and seconds after that, Sirzechs, his body now transformed into the Human-Shaped Aura of Destruction, came at her.

Rias met him head on. Their clash caused the very air to explode as Powers of Destruction met Powers of Destruction. Rias was not used to fighting hand-to-hand, but she had been practicing every day that she could with Naruto and the others. While she was a King, and a King's job was to remain in the back and guide her peerage to victory, she didn't want to be incapable of protecting her friends when the need came. It was why she'd done her best to learn how to fight barehanded.

Her powers, boosted by the Boosted Gear, allowed her to keep fighting against her brother. Their powers leaked out of their bodies, incapable of being fully contained, and began destroying the surrounding area. The ground beneath them slowly ground away as though it was evaporating, forming a large crater that grew larger with time. Every attack and counterattack caused the area around them to explode. Throughout it all, Rias realized something.

She was not at powerful as Sirzechs.

Even when she was using Human-Shaped Aura of Destruction, Rias did not have Sirzechs's power. She might have been able to keep up with him in the beginning, but the longer the fight went on, the less energy she had. Her reserves of demonic power were rapidly dwindling. Meanwhile, Sirzechs was still going strong.

"Rias," Sirzechs said suddenly. "It seems you've become ridiculously strong in the time I've been away."

Rias faltered. "S-Sirzechs? Brother?"

Sirzechs pulled back. The aura surrounding him disappeared. Sirzechs, now back in his normal human form, grinned at her.

"I have to thank you. If you hadn't begun using the Powers of Destruction like that, I wouldn't have been able to break free of that mind control device."

Rias was so shocked that all the power she had gained from the Boosted Gear evaporated. She transformed back into her normal self. Her body felt heavier than she was used to.

"But… but… how?"

Still grinning, Sirzechs pointed at his neck, where the control collar had been wrapped around. It wasn't there anymore.

"It's thanks to you. When you used the Powers of Destruction, my body recognized you as a major threat and used it as well. When I transformed into my true form, the collar was destroyed." He scratched the back of his neck and blushed. "I apologize for continuing to fight, but you had become so strong that I wanted to test how powerful you've become myself."

"Oh…"

She wanted to be mad at her brother, but she wasn't. She was… actually, she was kind of tired. Everything was spinning, and the world appeared out of focus.

"Whoa!"

Rias felt, more than saw, her body leaning against someone else's. It was probably Sirzechs, but she couldn't tell. She was too tired to lift her head.

"I guess you're not used to using the Powers of Destruction like that," Sirzechs said in her ear. "Once we get home, I'll train you."

Rias would have told him that she was only able to transform like that because Issei had boosted her powers, but she was too tired.

A shockwave suddenly rippled through the air.

"That aura… is that Naruto?" Sirzechs asked.

"P-probably," Risa said.

"Holy shit. I knew he was powerful, but I didn't know he was that powerful! And wait. Why the hell is he taking on the Greek Pantheon by himself?!"

Rias was too tired to answer, but, even with her head leaning down, her lips still quirked upward into an amused smirk.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto wore a fierce snarl as he slammed a rasengan into some guy's face. He had learned a few seconds ago that this guy's name was Poseidon. As the man went flying so far that all Naruto saw of him was a large splash as he crashed into the sea, Naruto turned away to block several arrows being shot from a bow. He knocked them aside with his hands, but then he was hit in the chest with a lightning bolt.

Grimacing as the bolt tried to penetrate his stomach, Naruto exerted more influence over Kurama's chakra and used the Truth Seeking-Ball, transformed into a sword, to slice the thing in half. Then he sent five more Truth Seeking-Balls at the one who sent the lightning bolt, Zeus, who created blades made of lightning to swat them away. Sadly for Zeus, Naruto could control where they went. The balls curved around him and impaled his back, though they didn't do more than break the skin.

Damn these gods and their ridiculous durability. The hell is this guy made of?!

Naruto had no time to contemplate that as someone with teleporting abilities like his father appeared before him. Being used to high speed battles, Naruto was able to block all of his punches and kicks, but this blond dude was clearly a distraction. The woman with the bow and arrows was lining up a shot behind him.

"You're pretty good," Naruto said.

The man grinned. It was bright and sunny, kinda like his own.

"Thanks!" he said before vanishing.

Naruto spun around as the air behind him whistled and punched the arrow aimed at his back. The arrow exploded, launching him backward, toward the waiting first of the vanilla-haired woman, Hera, whose bright smile made him understand that she was going to enjoy this.

"Don't think poorly of me, child," she said before trying to deck him in the face. Naruto disappeared before she could. He reappeared behind her and struck her with a double-heel kick to the shoulder blades.

"Fuuton: Tsuin Rasenshuriken!"

Naruto created a rasenshuriken in each hand and lobbed them at two of the pair of gods that came at him from the front. Zeus and the blond man had clearly learned their lesson from last time. They dodged, though it didn't stop the blond one, Apollo, from getting sucked into his attack, which exploded the moment he touched one of the blades, creating a giant sphere of compressed wind blades that cut into the man.

Zeus avoided it by destroying the rasenshuriken with a lightning bolt. Naruto cursed.

"Naruto!"

"What is it? I'm kinda busy!"

Naruto flew above another lightning bolt that Zeus sent his way. He frowned when his feet tingled with electric jolts. His cloak should have protected him from that…

"You're running out of chakra!"

"What do you mean? Like, I'm running out?"

"No! Your chakra is being siphoned off! Your reserves are shrinking!"

"They're what?!"

Naruto was so shocked by what Kurama had said that he couldn't avoid the punch from Hera. A loud crack rang across the battlefield, which Naruto could have sworn were his ribs breaking. The world around him suddenly blurred as his lungs were deprived of oxygen. Pain struck him before he could even blink, and when he came to, he was lying in a crater and Kurama was shouting nonsense.

"I don't know what's happening, but you're chakra reserves are growing smaller! It's different from someone stealing your chakra. It's like the amount that you have at your disposal is shrinking!"

"How… how is that possible?"

Naruto groaned as he stood to his feet. His chakra cloak was flickering. He swayed as he stood, blood dripping down his face. It took him a moment to notice the stinging sensation in his left arm, but he absently realized that his arm had been twisted the wrong way.

"I don't know. However, I know the source. It's Sage Mode."

"Sage Mode?"

"I noticed it when you started fighting. Your chakra began shrinking. I thought it was just the natural chakra you lost while using chakra extensive techniques, but that's not it. Your chakra pool is actually decreasing. I have no idea how this is possible!"

"I see… so the more I use Sage Mode, the smaller my chakra becomes…"

"Yes…"

Naruto frowned. He didn't understand how this was possible, but he was beginning to suspect that something had happened when he was thrown into this world that was causing these problems, or perhaps his mere existence was something that this world couldn't accommodate for. He didn't know. It wasn't like he had knowledge on interdimensional travel. This was also different from Kaguya's ability to create her own dimensions.

Either way, Naruto was in a pickle. He was losing chakra—no, his capacity was shrinking. This meant that, eventually, he'd no longer be useful so long as he kept using Sage Mode. Damn. Damn, damn, damn. What should he do?

"It looks like you are running low on power," Zeus said, landing in front of Naruto with the nine other Greek Gods that he'd been locked in combat with for who knew how long.

"I still have enough left to kick your ass," Naruto snarked.

"Arrogant prick!"

"Calm down, dear," Hera said, raising a hand. "It's clear that he can no longer fight. He's just goading you."

Zeus growled but said nothing.

"What should we do now?" asked Poseidon.

"Obviously, we should kill him," Zeus said.

"But is that the right thing to do?" asked Apollo, the blond man. "I mean, he's just trying to protect his comrades."

"How does that excuse his actions, or their actions, for that matter?"

"I believe we may have been hasty," another woman said, a beautiful lady with silver hair. He didn't know her name, but he'd seen her hanging in the back. Naruto could only assume she was their strategist. "We did not listen to this child when he told us his reasons for defending his leaders, but I think what he has to say affects us as well. We should hear him out."

"Don't mask your intentions behind such a blatant lie," Zeus grumbled. "This was the outcome you were hoping for all along, isn't it, Athena?"

"I'll not deny that I was not thrilled by the idea of fighting an unknown opponent without knowing why," Athena admitted. "In war, information is more important than brute strength."

"So says you," a scarred man said.

"I am a goddess of war, Aeris," Athena said calmly. "We don't know anything about what is happening or why. I'd like to know whether or not the people before me our truly our enemies. It seems more to me like they are simply pawns being played with by a chess master."

"Don't try to act intelligent with me, cunt!"

"All of you calm down!" Hera shouted, silencing everyone. "We have company."

At that moment, Sirzechs, Michael, and all of the Three Factions Alliance leaders, along with Rias and the others who'd gone to rescue them, descended from the sky. Sirzechs and Michael stood at the front, but Azazel, Gabrielle, Shemhazai, and Serafall were right behind them. As one, all six leaders bowed deeply.

"I apologize for the inconvenience we've caused you," Sirzechs spoke for all of them. "Please do not blame Naruto for what happened. It was our carelessness that led to this situation."

"Perhaps you should tell us what is going on," Hera suggested, suddenly calm and placid. Naruto looked at Zeus, who stewed behind the woman.

"Of course," Sirzechs replied. "We'll tell you everything that you want to know."

As the Three Factions leaders spoke with the Greek Pantheon, Naruto finally allowed himself to slump back in relief. It looked like this battle was over.

Fuck, he was so tired.

~Devil Ninja~

Two days had passed. All of the devils, angels, and fallen angels that Rias and the others had convinced to help them in their mission had returned to the Underworld. Meanwhile, the Gremory and Sona Peerages had gone back to Kuoh.

Several meetings had taken place between the Three Factions and the Greek Pantheon, though neither Naruto nor Rias were privy to what happened behind closed doors. That said, Sirzechs had promised to inform them of what happened when negotiations concluded.

Naruto was sitting in the Occult Research Clubroom. Classes had ended. It was back to business as usual. Naruto was… working on his homework. It was math. Naruto hated math, and school, and anything that involved learning useless crap that he would never use. He still didn't even know why he needed to know about pythagoreans and ossicles and what have you. This would not do him any good in real life.

Still, he was in school, and Rias wanted him to do well, so he had to do it.

He was the only one there at the moment. The other members of Rias's peerage were out on the job. That meant he was pretty much alone. As he was trying to learn about quadratic equations, the door to the clubroom opened and Rossweisse stepped inside.

"Rossweisse," Naruto greeted. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering if Master Rias was in," Rossweisse said.

"Master…?"

"Ah. Yes! I didn't tell you, did I?" said Rossweisse. "I've become a member of Rias's Peerage!"

"You have?"

"Yes! I was reluctant at first, but Rias convinced me after she mentioned all of the great benefits that comes with being a devil under her peerage. I'm really looking forward to the excellent pay and full coverage. I'll be able to buy a lot from this one 100 Yen store that I found the other day!"

Naruto wasn't really surprised that Rossweisse had become a member of Rias's Peerage, but he was shocked that it had happened so soon. Still, he thought it would be good for her. It was like a new lease on life.

"I'm happy for you! I know you'll fit in with us!"

"Thank you!" Rossweisse smiled, though that smile quickly left and was replaced with a frown. "I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to ask… where is Ophis?"

"Ah." Naruto gave her a strained smile. "Ophis is… busy."

Rossweisse tilted her head. "Busy?"

"Very busy," Naruto confirmed with a serious nod.

~Devil Ninja~

Ophis frowned as she stepped out of a vortex of her own creation. The ability to travel through dimensions at will was one that only she and Great Red possessed. Well, there might have been a few others who could do the same thing, but they couldn't enter another dimension so easily, especially not one belonging to a different pantheon.

The area that she appeared around was definitely Asgard, but it looked like a major battle had taken place there. Everything was destroyed. The buildings were wrecked, the mountains were gone, and there was a giant crater in the ground that must have been at least one hundred meters deep.

Ophis walked up to the lip of the crater. It was perfectly smooth. That must have been Sirzechs's Powers of Destruction at work.

"This is an unexpected surprise," a voice said above her. It was Loki. "Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

Loki wasn't the only one present. There were several dozen people surrounding her, gods and goddesses of the Norse Pantheon. All of them were baring weapons, hammers and knives and swords and staves, which were clearly pointed at her with hostile intent.

Ophis did not respond with words, for words were useless and not the reason she was there. If she wanted to exchange words with someone, then she would talk to Naruto and his friends; she actually liked them.

Her first attack was launched at a man with red hair, a beard, and a hammer. It was aimed at the device on his neck, which was destroyed. Sadly, her attack was still powerful enough that he was sent soaring into a mountain wall several dozen kilometers away.

Ophis ignored him.

The attack on the red one seemed to be the signal for the others to attack, for they came at her in mass, attacking from every conceivable direction and angle. Such an attack would have overwhelmed anyone else. No one else could have survived such a situation.

But she was not just anyone.

Ophis unleashed her power, an explosion of energy that forced everyone away from her, sending them all sailing through the sky like ragdolls. Ophis then launched her snakes at everyone present. Each snake latched onto someone, biting the device on their necks and injecting he powers into them, destroying them with ease.

All of the gods and goddesses around her were unconscious now. They must have been under that control device for a long time. The device put a huge mental strain on people because it forced their mind into submission and made them obey the will of the person who the device was attuned to.

Ophis didn't really know how the device worked, exactly, but everything she knew, she had learned from Naruto, who also didn't know everything about them. He did say something about nature chakra, but Ophis didn't know much about nature chakra either.

"I see now why people call you the Ouroboros Dragon and the Infinity Dragon God. Your powers truly are extraordinary." Loki paused before extending a hand toward her. "Why don't you join me? I could use the help of someone with your power."

Ophis didn't even need a second to answer that question. She launched a massive column of black energy at Loki, who evaded the attack. She frowned. It looked like she would have to use something stronger.

"Come now, Ophis," Loki began, "can't we be civilized about about this?"

"I have nothing to say to you," Ophis said. She sent another blast of power at Loki, who, again, evaded the attack with ease.

"That's a pity," Loki said. "Having the Ouroboros Dragon on my side would have made reaching my goals easier."

"Don't care."

Loki was definitely a slippery opponent. She had been firing her attacks almost non-stop now, but he was still evading every attack that came at him. Ophis could have used a more powerful attack, but that would have meant destroying Asgard, which would have also meant killing everyone there. In most circumstances, Ophis wouldn't have cared about something like who she killed, but she knew that Naruto didn't want any unnecessary bloodshed.

It looked like she would have to get creative. She sighed. How bothersome.

Because she was sending a constant stream of deadly attacks his way, Loki had no time to counter her, busy as he was dodging every barrage of black energy that she sent at him. She kept him busy with that. Meanwhile, she discreetly sent several snakes into the ground, which she had crawl beneath the surface. Once she had positioned them where she wanted them, Ophis began herding Loki toward her snakes.

Loki didn't seem to realize what he was doing. His face was suffused with red as he scrunched it up in concentration. He was probably getting frustrated by his inability to counterattack.

She sent several beams over his head, which came so close to hitting him that they grazed his hair. Ophis frowned. He was too quick for her slow attacks to hit. She could have probably taken him out in hand-to-hand combat, but she didn't actually know how to fight barehanded. Perhaps she should ask Naruto to teach her when she returned home.

Home…?

Even as she continued attacking, the thought that entered her mind surprised her. She was beginning to think of Naruto's home as her home. No, it was more like, wherever Naruto was, that was her home. How… odd. When had she begun to truly think of that boy's lap as the place where she belonged?

Ophis realized that she was losing focus. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to Loki, forcing him to the ground with a barrage of long-range firepower. Oddly, her attacks weren't spells. Ophis didn't know any true magic. She was just releasing her power in short bursts. Lower and lower Loki went, until, finally, his feet touched the ground.

That was when Ophis had her snakes leap out from the ground and attack, sinking their fangs into Loki's thighs, calves, butt, and torso. The Asgardian screamed in surprise and pain. He struggled to pry them off, but the snakes were already doing damage.

"W-what is going on?! What is this?!" Loki screamed as his body expanded like a balloon.

"You wanted power, didn't you?" asked Ophis. "That's why I've decided to give you power."

"NOO!" Loki screamed as his body continued swelling. His cheeks were now round and puffy. They reminded Ophis of a Jigglypuff. "I didn't mean it like this! I don't want power like this! No! NOOOO!"

Cracks started appearing on Loki's body, spreading quickly as Ophis's power overwhelmed him. When Ophis gave people power, she normally only gave them a single snake, the reason being that a person, whether they were god or devil or human, could only hold one snake's worth of power without, well, exploding. Loki had twelve snakes latched onto him, and all of those snakes were injecting her energy into him. It was too much power for even a god to take.

With one final wail of despair, Loki, trickster god of Norse mythology, exploded in a violent spray of energy. Ophis remained where she was as the explosion swept over her. A barrier appeared in front of her, protecting her vision as a shock wave rushed over the land, destroying everything in its wake. She didn't hesitate to place the gods and goddesses who'd been rendered unconscious under her protection, containing them within a bubble that kept them safe from her power.

Sadly, Asgard was not so lucky.

Ophis frowned as cracks appeared above her, tears in the dimension. Had she used too much power? Perhaps she should have only used two or three snakes. Well, it was too late to worry about that now. These Asgardians might be upset that their dimension was destroyed, but really, it was their fault for letting themselves get caught in Loki's trap.

With a loud sound like thunder striking the ground, the dimension of Asgard was destroyed, and the swirling nebula of The Void greeted them. All of the asgardians were still safely ensconced in her protective bubbles. They would not die from being exposed to The Void. Nodding to herself, Ophis began moving, pulling the group of gods and goddesses along behind her.

It was time to return home.

It was time to go back to Naruto.

After what she had done for him, he had better give her lots of head petting.