ch 51 - elmenhilde

Because of their upcoming meeting with the Vampires, Naruto was given a crash course about them in more detail than before. He already knew that Gasper was a half-Vampire otherwise known as a Dhampir. It was just that he didn't actually care what Gasper was and so had never bothered looking into his race any deeper. Now he was beginning to regret that. On top of his school work, his work as a high-class devil, and his duties as a boyfriend (a boyfriend with several girlfriends), Naruto now was being given lessons from Rias and Ravel about vampires.

Rias had the greatest knowledge of vampires because of Gasper. She had studied vampires religiously in order to be a good master for Gasper, and while Ravel did not have her first hand experience, she was knowledgeable about all kinds of other matters—including vampires since sometimes a half-vampire turned up in Rating Games. Ravel also had an objectivity that Rias lacked.

After having the knowledge of vampires thoroughly pounded into his head, the day the Gremory Peerage would meet with the vampires was upon them.

Or rather, the night.

The meeting place was the Occult Research Clubroom, and it was not just Rias' peerage who was attending. Aside from them, there was also Sona and Tsubaki, Azazel as a representative of the Fallen Angels, Metatron, and a beautiful woman from the Heaven side. She didn't look much older than twenty. She had blond hair, blue eyes, and a soft smile. A gentle aura seemed to emanate from her, which complimented the nuns habit she wore.

Naruto knew who this Sister was thanks to Rias, but even if he didn't, seeing the look on Irina's and Xenovia's face would have been enough to tell him.

"Good evening, everyone." The young woman in the nun's habit stepped forward, clasped her hands, and bowed. "I don't believe I have properly introduced myself yet. My name is Griselda Quatra. I am supervising the staff members from Heaven in this region. I only introduced myself to the Sekiryuutei and Sister Asia before, but I hope I can get along with the rest of you. Very pleased to make your acquaintance."

As the woman bowed to everyone present, Naruto leaned over and whispered to Issei. "When did you meet her?"

"It was after Xenovia returned with us from Kyoto," Issei whispered back. "She was… scolding Xenovia for what happened. I just happened to run into her when I was with Asia at the time."

"Sister Griselda is very nice," Asia added.

While Asia vouched for Griselda, Xenovia shuddered repeatedly and her face had gone pale. She looked like she was trying to hide behind Issei.

"Griselda is actually my boss," Irina added. She gave Naruto an apologetic look. "I would have introduced you two much earlier than now, but there was never a good time. You're always so busy these days."

"That is true," Naruto said with a grimace. "It almost makes me wonder if I should have declined the offer to become a High-Class Devil."

Even though they were speaking softly, Griselda still seemed to hear them, or maybe she had already been paying attention to them from the start. Naruto felt her eyes on him barely a second after her introduction ended. He met her gaze with an inquisitive and open smile, which seemed to stun the woman at first, but then her own smile widened.

"And so you are Naruto Uzumaki," she said. "You don't know how long I've wanted to meet you, especially since you came back from Kyoto. You know Irina won't stop talking about you."

"Really?"

Naruto perked up, glancing at Irina, who suddenly went beat red and began twiddling her fingers as she looked away. It looked like steam might start rising from her head at any moment. If this weren't an important meeting, he might have pulled her onto his lap.

"That's… not something you should say in front of others," Irina mumbled. "I told you that in confidence."

"It's fine." Griselda still wore that smile, but it seemed a tad teasing to him. "That man is your boyfriend, isn't he? I'm sure he already knows how head over heels you are for him." While Irina squawked with embarrassment, Griselda smiled at him. "Please take care of Irina. Treat her well."

"You don't have to worry about that." Naruto thumped his chest. "As long as this heart's still beating, I will always protect Irina!"

While his words caused no end of shame for Irina, Griselda merely laughed.

"Is that so? It seems I can rest assured, knowing my subordinate is in good hands."

With that small interlude out of the way, the meeting renewed. Azazel and Griselda exchanged handshakes and pleasantries. Neither side contained any hostility. While Naruto had not been in this world for long, he knew that not long ago, these two had technically been enemies.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet Gabriel's Queen," Azazel said. "You're pretty famous. I hear you've been ranked among the top 5 most powerful female exorcists in the entire world."

Griselda wore a humble smile as she stepped back after the handshake. "Thank you for your kind words. It is quite the honor to have the former Governor of the Fallen Angels know of me."

Naruto learned from Issei, as the conversation between the bigwigs was going on, that Griselda hailed from Xenovia's home country. Since Gabrial governed the card suit of Hearts, Griselda was known by many as the "Queen of Hearts." The title seemed to suit her. According to Issei, she rarely ever showed up in Japan because she was constantly traveling between Heaven and the Vatican.

As Naruto learned more, he noticed how increasingly nervous Xenovia seemed to become. He wanted to let Issei know that his girlfriend didn't look well. However, Issei was already letting the woman squeeze his hand—and what a squeeze it was. The poor hand looked like it was being slowly crushed underneath a boulder. It was a miracle Issei wasn't squealing like a pig being slaughtered. Naruto could actually hear the ominous cracking sound of bones breaking.

Maybe it was just his imagination?

Still, that looked like it hurt.

The conversation eventually came to an end, and Griselda finally seemed to notice Xenovia doing her best to hide behind Issei. Of course, Naruto was sure she had noticed this entire time and neglected to say anything thanks to the meeting being so important, but now that all pleasantries were out of the way, she was free to address this issue.

"It seems you really are ignoring me. Do you really despite me that much, Xenovia?" asked Griselda, taking the blue-haired beauty's face into her hands. It seemed like a very intimate gesture. Naruto was sure yuri fans would have gone crazy, but he could see the fear in Xenovia's eyes.

"N-no… of course not… it's just…"

"Just what?"

"No. Um. Sorry… for not answering your calls…"

Naruto didn't know what was going on since he only met with Xenovia when training with Irina, but it sounded to him like this woman had called her and she'd ignored it. He glanced back at the woman. Griselda's pretty face was still smiling, but… hm… maybe it was just him, but her expression seemed a bit ominous right now.

After receiving the apology, Griselda let go of Xenovia's face and stepped back. "Hmph. I suppose that is fine for now. However, since I gave you my number, I expect you to at least give me a call. Is that understood? You should at least be able to have dinner with me every so often, right?"

"O-of course. I will definitely do that." Xenovia nodded along with woman's words.

The way those two acted made them seem like a pair of sisters. Xenovia would be the troublesome younger sister who forced her older sister to constantly look out for her. From what Naruto had seen thus far, Xenovia could be rather haughty at times, but now she was acting like a meek little girl.

The introductions soon ended, and all that was left for them to do was wait. Naruto spent most of his time speaking with Irina and Ravel. Rias was calmly sitting with her hands in her lap, eyes closed. Akeno was next to her. The two looked perfectly composed. On the other hand, Issei was forced to deal with Raynare complaining about how she didn't have a place next to him (Both sides were already occupied by Issei and Xenovia). Meanwhile, Kiba was standing in the background like the ever cool night he was.

Out of all the people present, the one who seemed the most nervous was Gasper.

As the night wore on, the atmosphere became abnormally cold. This coldness seeped into their bones and seemed to be coming from outside. Ravel gripped Naruto's hand, and Le Fey, standing behind them, came closer. Rias stood up and looked in the direction of the entrance, her face composed as always. She glanced at Kiba, who bowed and left the room to receive their guests.

"It looks like our guests have arrived. Vampires always emit a cold presence wherever they go," Rias explained.

As Rias spoke, Naruto recalled what he'd been taught about vampires. They were creatures who could not enter a building that they had not been invited into, didn't appear in mirrors, and didn't have shadows. They couldn't cross running water, hated garlic, were weak against symbols of the Church, and couldn't heal from injuries unless they slept in a coffin. He wondered if that was all true. It sounded weird if you asked him—not that anyone would ask him. In either event, he was really curious to meet these vampires.

Since it was time for the meeting, Naruto and the other servants of Rias stood up and lined up behind her to welcome their guests. Ravel and Le Fay, as a member of Naruto's peerage and his contracted mage respectively, stood beside him. Irina went over to Griselda, though she glanced at Naruto every so often. Meanwhile, Shinra stood behind Sona.

Out of concern, Naruto glanced at their resident vampire. Gasper did not look like he was doing well. There was a complicated expression on his face, like he was trying not to grimace and at the same time afraid. Naruto remembered hearing about how the pureblood vampires had chased him out of his home, so maybe he didn't like the idea of meeting his kin, though he'd already heard the vampires coming were not a part of Gasper's family.

A knock soon sounded at the door.

"I have brought our guests."

Kiba opened the door and walked inside, holding it open for their guests, his demeanor the picture perfect gentleman.

The person who walked through the door after him looked like a very beautiful doll. She wore a dress that made Naruto think of a princess. It was red, black, and white, with numerous frills as it trailed down to her knees, rustling as she moved. The red of her dress was the color of fresh blood, which caused her pale skin to stand out in stark contrast.

Having been surrounded by beautiful women since coming to this world (and having slept with many of those women), Naruto could appreciate this girl's incredible beauty. At the same time, her pretty appearance seemed almost artificial, like she'd been created by someone to embody their definition of beauty. That was why Naruto thought of a doll as he looked at her. She had wavy blond hair and the paleness of her skin was so pure and white that she didn't look alive. It was different from Gasper, who was only pale because he shut himself indoors all day. Her eyes were an even darker shade of red than Gasper's as well.

Now curious to see whether it was true what everyone said about vampires, Naruto looked down at her feet.

"No shadow," he muttered.

Whoa. So it was true. Crazy.

Behind the girl was a man and a woman, both wearing suits. Naruto guessed they were her escorts or bodyguards. They were both as pale as the girl, though they lacked her refined beauty. A cold and sharp presence like a drawn sword was coming from them both. One thing Naruto noticed that startled him was that he couldn't sense anything from them when he used his Senjutsu ability to sense life. It was like they were blank spots in his presence.

The young girl grabbed the hems of her gown and curtsied toward Rias and the others.

"How do you do, people of the Three Factions Alliance. I'm honored to meet all of you." Her eyes flitted from Rias to Azazel to Sona, and then, oddly, to Naruto. "Especially the younger sisters of the two maous, the former Governer of the Fallen Angels, and the most recent person to become a High-Class Devil. My name is Elmenhilde Galnstein, but you may call me Elmen."

"What an odd name," Naruto muttered in a whisper so soft only Ravel and Le Fay could hear it. While Ravel sent him an aggrieved look, Le Fay snickered.

At Rias' urging, Elmen moved into a seat across from her. The way she daintily sat down with her knees together, hands in her lap, and back straight was the quintessential appearance of a noble. It was so refined that Naruto even thought this girl beat out Rias and Ravel simply in terms of elegance. He wondered if that meant she was older than she looked…

"Is this the fabled legal loli I've heard so much about—urk."

Naruto rubbed his sore stomach as Koneko removed her elbow from it. He sent her an aggrieved look, but she merely stuck out her tongue.

"Galnstein, hmm? If I'm not mistaken, you belong to one of the two largest of Vampires. It's the household that is ranked as one of the highest among the Carmilla-faction," Azazel said, cupping his chin and giving the girl a thoughtful once over.

At that moment, Akeno pushed a cart next to Elmen and began setting up the expensive tea set for her. With the refined elegance expected of a shrine maiden, the half-fallen poured the Vampire girl some steaming tea. The scent reached even Naruto. After the tea was poured, Elmen thanked Akeno and smelled the cup. Her expression seemed to brighten just a little as she took a sip.

"Elmen, I apologize for asking this without preamble, but could I have you tell us the reason for your desire to meet with us now? The Carmilla-faction has avoided contact with us for many years. You must have a reason for breaking your long-standing tradition, yes?" asked Rias, getting right to the point. Naruto was a little shocked that Rias wasn't playing the niceties game. Wasn't that how nobles did things… or was he being influenced by too much anime?

"Do not feel the need to apologize. It is your right to know what we want." Elmen closed her eyes, then opened them after coming to a decision. "I, of course, have no plans to beat around the bush either. The reason I am here is because I would like to borrow Gasper Vladi."

Everyone's eyes widened when they heard these words. Not even Rias or Azazel seemed to expect this. Rias was staring at the young girl, blinking several times with a blank look on her face like she wasn't sure she had heard right.

Gasper was trembling, a shudder that went from his toes all the way to his head. Naruto wondered what they wanted this boy for. Could it be due to his unique abilities?

"A straightforward answer to a straightforward question. I'm glad you aren't planning to beat around the bush." Azazel wore the same smirk as always. "However, I would like it if you could explain why you need him in more detail? Has something happened that requires his presence?"

"Of course. The reason we're here is because something has happened in our world that caused our sense of values to crumble." Elmen paused to give Azazel a long look. "You may already know about this. I'm sure the information has leaked by now, but a Dhampir appeared in the Tepes-faction that possesses a Longinus."

Naruto had already heard about this, so he was not surprised. At the same time, he couldn't help but imagine this situation was going to become more complicated than it appeared on the surface. After all, Rizevim had some relation to the Vampires.

Azazel narrowed his eyes. "So which Longinus is the Tepes-faction in possession of?"

Maybe it was because they were speaking of the Longinus—the strongest Sacred Gears in the entire world—but everyone in the meeting room had grown tense. Ravel was clutching his hand, and even Koneko had grabbed his other hand. Le Fay was grabbing the back of his shirt. Irina's knuckles had turned white as she clasped her hands harder than she probably intended. There wasn't a single person in this room who did not seem at least somewhat nervous.

"I'm sure you already have a guess," Elmen said with a sigh. "Most of the 13 Longinus have already been accounted for." When Azazel said nothing, she smiled. "The Longinus that appeared within the Tepes-faction is the Sephiroth's Grail."

Azazel narrowed his eyes. "I can't believe it. Out of all the Sacred Gears to appear among the Vampires, it was the Holy Grail. The one used in the Last Supper, the one which received the blood of Jesus Christ. There are many legends surrounding the Holy Grail. The Longinus known as Sephiroth's Grail is no mere holy artifact, however. It is a masterpiece that can turn the very principles of life on its head. You said your name was Elmenhilde, right? What could the Vampires be seeking by using that?"

"They seek perfection," Elmen answered. When no one said anything, she continued. "A body that won't die. A perfect body. Even if their hearts are stabbed with stakes, even if you place a holy cross on their bodies, even if they don't have coffins, even if they walk under the sun, they will not be destroyed. That is what they have attained. However, right now the power of the Holy Grail is incomplete. They are currently trying to become creatures with no weakness and have abandoned their pride as Vampires. We are planning to execute them before they can further corrupt our way of life."

Elmen's eyes darkened as she spoke. There was an intense hatred emanating from her eyes.

No one spoke for a while, absorbing the information. Naruto used that moment of peace to look at Gasper. The young Dhampir was pale—paler than Naruto would have expected from something like this. He wondered if the knowledge about what was happening affected him. Maybe he didn't dislike Vampires as much as Naruto assumed?

"So the Carmilla's side doesn't approve of how the Tepes-Faction has rejected the Vampire's way of life and the assaults they initiated. Well, I suppose that is natural. Anyone would become upset if they were suddenly attacked," Azazel said.

Elmen nodded once. "Yes, you are exactly correct. In either event, our aim is—" she looked at Gasper, her bloodred eyes meeting his lighter shade of red "—to stop the Tepes-faction from from further destroying everything we know by borrowing Gasper Vladi's power."

Naruto leaned over to whisper to Koneko. "Which power is she talking about?"

"Hell if I know." Koneko shrugged.

"You were not there when it happened since you were in the Phenex Territory," Kiba whispered to him. "But Gasper awakened his power when the Evil Dragons and the Chaos Brigade attacked the Underworld. Gasper can now use the powers of darkness to engulf an entire city and devour everything inside of it. He can also transform into a giant beast—a five-meter-tall monster with a dragon's head. It's quite something to witness."

"I'm sorry I didn't get to see that," Naruto mumbled softly.

While Kiba explained what happened to Gasper while Naruto was fighting against the Evil Dragons alongside Koneko and Ravel, the conversation between Elmen and the others continued unabated.

"Does the reason you wish to use Gasper have anything to do with how he's a Vampire from the House of Vladi?" Rias asked. She spoke with calmness and poise, but Naruto could tell she was furious because she had placed her cup down and was gripping her skirt. She'd always been protective of her servants, and now she was being asked to let someone borrow one of them to fight in a war between the two Vampire factions.

Elmen gave Rias a meaningful smile like she knew full well how Rias felt. "That is indeed part of the reason. However, the bigger reason is because we want Gasper Vladi's power. We heard that the power sleeping inside of him has finally awakened."

Her answer caused Rias to freeze as everyone else sucked in a breath. Elmen continued.

"We're planning to solve the dispute between Vampires by using the strength of Vampires only. For that reason, we would like to borrow Gasper Vladi's power."

"And what power is that?" asked Rias.

Everyone gazed at the Vampire girl, who remained calm despite being stared at by so many super powers. Anyone else would have been shaking. This girl was cool as a cucumber, however, and calmly took a sip of tea to give herself time to answer.

"There are occasionally rare instances when those born from our kind have the ability to suppress normal Vampires. We mostly see this from Dhampirs. Gasper Vladi is also one of those rare few who have this ability." Elmen set the teacup back on the small plate with a soft clink, shifted in her seat, and continued. "Let us get back to the Holy Grail. The one who possesses it is exactly what we despise—a Dhampir. Her name is Valerie Tepes, and she is currently the supposed leader of the Tepes-Faction."

"That can't be!" Gasper suddenly cried out, startling everyone. "You're lying! Valerie wasn't born with a Sacred Gear like me!"

Gasper had been trembling in fear up to this point, but upon hearing about the name "Valerie Tepes," he began arguing vehemently with Elmen. It was apparent that Valerie was important to Gasper.

"What reason would I have to lie?" asked Elmen, her words taking Gasper aback. "Sacred Gears don't always activate at the moment you are born. Sometimes a trigger is necessary to activate it. Valerie was no different. We assume she awakened her powers recently, so perhaps that is why you did not know about it yourself."

Naruto glanced at Issei. His friend was living proof of this. He'd gone his entire life as a normal person with no powers until he was killed by Raynare and reincarnated as a Devil.

"I'm guessing the Tepes-Faction hid the fact that they have the Sephiroth's Grail before we could confirm it. How pathetic. It's pretty bad form for Vampires who detest holy powers to hide a holy relic like the Holy Grail," Azazel said.

"I have the same opinion as you," Elmen said with a nod. She then looked at Gasper, and this time, the young Dhampir did not look away. "Gasper Vladi, do you not hold a grudge against the House of Vladi? They exiled you. You should revile them. With your current power, it would not be impossible to finally gain your revenge."

"I'm satisfied being able to stay with everyone here," Gasper said, looking away. "I don't need anything else. I just want to stay with Buchou and the others—"

"Hybrid," Elmen said, and the words caused Gasper to look shocked and repulsed. Elman, seeing this, spoke again. "Mixed breed, the hated child, a fake… what did those people call you when you were living in the Vladi's household, I wonder? The only one you became close to was the half-breed from the House of Tepes, Valerie. Isn't that right? I was told you and Valerie worked together when you were younger, that you both helped each other. Do you not wish to stop her now?"

"Your kind detests and hates Dhampirs, but wasn't it originally the selfish actions of you Vampires who took humans, used them for their own pleasure, and forced them to bear children?" asked Griselda, who had been silent up to this point. She did not give Elmen a chance to speak. "The Church were the ones who made counter measures against your kind because of your insatiable greed and lust toward us. If at all possible, I would prefer it if your kind never got involved with us humans."

She spoke in a gentle manner, never once breaking her smile, but that was what made her so scary. Anyone who could smile like that while speaking of issues like this was dangerous.

Elmen hid her mouth behind her hand. "I do apologize for that, but hunting humans is the true nature of our kind. Aren't Angels and Devils the same? You attain something from human's by granting their wishes and you need humans to believe in you just to exist. Aren't we supernatural creatures the weak ones who can only live by using humans as our food source?"

Her words caused Naruto to clench his hands. He had been standing silently behind Rias up to this point, but he was sorely tempted to speak up now. This girl thought of humans as food, had called his cute kohai a "hated child" and a "mixed breed" like it was a matter of course, but she wanted to use that same hated child's power? In her fucking dreams.

As Naruto was silently debating whether he should speak up, Elmen called out to one of the bodyguards behind her, who took out a document and handed it to her.

"I did not come here empty handed. I have prepared this document, which should satisfy you," she said, handing the document to Azazel.

After looking through the document, Azazel released a weary sigh. "So in exchange for Gasper's help, the Carmilla Faction is willing to have a peace conference with us, huh. That is quite the tempting offer."

No one knew what to say when they heard this. Even Rias seemed shocked that Elmen had such a trump card ready.

A peace conference. Up to this point, the Vampires had avoided allying themselves with the Three Factions Alliance despite numerous attempts made by their side to bring them into the fold, and now they were saying they'd be willing to sue for peace if Rias lent Gasper to them. It was a hard proposal to refuse. Rias, with her obligations as the little sister of Sirzechs, could hardly say no out of hand.

"So this meeting today was for diplomatic reasons? Would I be correct in assuming you were dispatched as an envoy?" asked Metatron.

Elmen smiled at the archangel's question. "That is correct. Our queen is distraught over the war we have been having with the Fallen Angels, the Church, and Heaven. It's been going on for too long, and she says that she wishes to broker a truce between us."

When Elmen said this, Azazel cracked his knuckles as veins protruded from his forehead. "You seem to have gotten the steps wrong, Missy. When negotiating, the treaty for peace comes first and the issues regarding the Longinus should come after. It sounds to me like you won't agree to peace unless we help you. That is what we call extortion."

"You are only doing this because you know we cannot disagree out of hand," Griselda added, seemingly calm even though her eyes were now narrowed. "The Three Factions Alliance has been suing for peace with each faction without discrimination. Our reputation among the other factions will plummet if we don't agree to your proposal."

Rias' body was shaking by this point, and some of her demonic power leaked out, but Sona placed a hand over the redhead's to calm her down.

Elmen smiled at everyone's reaction as if she was truly happy.

"That is not true at all. We merely wish to resolve this crisis before suing for peace. We can't negotiate peace if all the Vampires are not onboard with the idea. If you lend us Gasper Vladi, we will be able to defeat the Tepes Faction, which will leave us free to sue the peace you so crave. Is that not a good deal? Just by lending us one person, you will gain the alliance you covet so much."

While it did indeed sound like a good deal when looked at it from that perspective, Naruto had a lot of issues with this girl and her attitude. He was finally unable to keep quiet.

"We haven't agreed to lend him to you yet, so wipe that smug look off your face."

Naruto's words caused Elmen to look at him with discrimination in her eyes. "Naruto Uzumaki, the most recent High-class Devil to join the ranks. I have indeed heard much about you. You have accomplished a lot in the short time you became a Devil and you've even become the fiance to Rias Gremory and Ravel Phenex… but just who do you think you are? Do you really believe you have the right to speak to me like that? I am a special envoy of the Vampires and you're just a—"

"Shut the fuck up," Naruto cut the girl off with a harsh rebuke.

"Wha—" Elmen's face couldn't go red because she was a vampire, but the rage in her expression was clear. "You cannot speak to me like that, you—"

"I said shut the fuck up," Naruto snapped. "Who the hell do you think you are? You might be an envoy of the Vampires, but you are still a guest in Rias Gremory's territory. You do not have the right to demand she hand over one of her servants. Trying to force her to go along with your whims because you think you hold the upper hand is an act of stupidity on your part. Are you a fucking idiot?"

While he was speaking, everyone on his side remained silent, too shocked by his sudden outburst to even say a thing. Even Rias looked stupified by his words.

But Naruto didn't think what he was saying was so shocking. Surely they knew his personality by now. He had never been the kind of person who could sit down and listen to someone spout bullshit, especially not when that person was demanding they hand over his friend.

"That… that… you…"

By this point, Elmen was in such a rage that she could barely form any sentences. Naruto gave her a cold grin.

"Let's not beat around the bush here. You only came to us because you need Gasper. You can't win your war against the Tepes Faction without him. Otherwise you would not have come here to negotiate with us… but we don't really need you. Whether it's the Tepes Faction of the Carmilla Faction, you both seem pretty scummy to me." While Elmen was glaring at Naruto like she wanted to bite his head off, he came up to the table, placed a hand against it, and leaned over to glare right back. "We might want peace, but we're not going to pursue peace with a group of people who are half-assedly asking for peace while simultaneously telling us they won't even negotiate unless we comply with their demands. I suggest you rethink your strategy before coming back here."

Elmen continued to glare at Naruto, who stared right back into her eyes. Since this woman was being stubborn, he decided to take things a step further by projecting his power onto her. He did not use killing intent. His goal was not to provoke a fight, but the pressure of his chakra was still enough to shake the woman up. Her eyes widened and her breathing became heavy, strained as if an anvil was being pressed on her chest.

"That's enough, Naruto," Rias said.

Naruto snorted and released his chakra before moving to stand behind Rias.

"My fiance is right," Rias continued, glaring at Elmen. "If you truly want peace, you would have sought it out regardless of whether or not we have something you need. The fact that you are coming to us now means you don't actually care about pursuing peace. I suggest you leave for now. If you ever want to negotiate with us, then make sure you have a better mindset. And also… do not dare insult my servants again. You won't like my response if you do."

Elmen stared at Rias, whose eyes had grown harder than diamonds. She seemed to have realized her position had weakened. After looking at everyone else and seeing that none of the people on Rias' side were going to stop this, she stood up and gave them a stiff smile.

"It seems I have… overstepped my bounds and angered you," Elmen said. "My apologies. I will return when we've all had a chance to collect ourselves."

Elmen sent Naruto one last glare before turning around and leaving, her two guards following behind her.

~Devil Ninja~

Once Elmenhilde and her two bodyguards left the room, everyone exhaled a deep and weary breath. The cold feeling had disappeared. However, a new feeling had taken its place. One by one, the people present inside the room turned their attention toward Naruto, who stood there and looked at them with a curious tilt of his head.

"What are you people staring at me for?" he asked.

"I hope you realize what you have just done," Griselda said in a stern voice.

Naruto shrugged. "I just told a bitch where to shove it."

Koneko nodded. "That hag can suck it. I don't like her."

"You two…" Ravel groaned as Naruto and Koneko shared a high-five. "I do not like that woman anymore than either of you, but you don't seem to understand the ramifications of your actions. What you have just done was create a potentially irreparable rift between our faction and the Vampires. It could cause hostilities between us to reinitiate. What's more, if they decide to spread the word that we denied them the chance for peace, other races might come to see us in a poor light. That would make all the hard work everyone has put in for nothing."

Everyone aside from Naruto and Koneko nodded. The little nekousho did not appear the least bit bothered by Naruto's attitude, but the others took issue with what he'd done. Despite this, Naruto stared evenly at the others, his eyes not betraying a hint of remorse.

"I feel like I should have expected this from you," Azazel muttered. "You never were the kind of person to put up with crap like that, but I do wish you had thought about your actions a little more."

"What makes you think I didn't think about my actions?" asked Naruto.

Rias frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Rias." Naruto moved over to the now empty couch and sat down. Koneko followed and sat on his lap. Unbothered by her cute little butt wiggling against him, Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist continued. "The Carmilla Faction came all this way after rejecting our peace offering several times, all for the sake of Gasper. This sort of action shows how desperate they are to have Gasper's power on their side. Do you really think people who are so desperate will smear our name in the mud out of a sense of revenge? If they did, they have to know that we would never agree to lend them Gasper."

Naruto's words had a shocking effect as everyone realized he was right. Elmenhilde and her Carmilla Faction wanted Gasper, and they wanted his power bad enough that they decided to finally accept a truce with the Three Factions Alliance to get it. This was, of course, in spite of having rejected Sirzechs and the others several times. Why would they do that if not complete desperation.

"You do bring up a good point," Azazel said, running a hand through his hair. "If they really want Gasper's power and they're desperate enough to seek peace with a faction they've been ignoring up until now, they're not going to do anything that could drive us into a corner. An animal is most dangerous when it's cornered."

"At the same time, however, we cannot afford to corner them," Rias said. "We'll have to think carefully about how we should handle the Vampires from now on."

Now that the Vampires were gone, the situation had relaxed a little, but it was still tense. The group gathered around the tables. Ravel walked up to Naruto and Koneko, her expression pouting and her cheeks red. Koneko saw this, sighed, and shifted until Naruto's left thigh became available. Ravel's expression brightened as she pounced, taking that place for herself. Now with two beautiful girls sitting on his lap, Naruto found himself having to place a hand on each of them to keep them from squirming too much.

"Hey, is my lap really that comfortable?" he asked.

Koneko nodded once. "You're lap is the most comfortable."

"Huh…"

"I… enjoy sitting on your lap too," Ravel admitted with bright red cheeks.

"Hmm…"

While Naruto was wondering whether his lap truly was the paradise these girls made it out to be, Sona turned to Rias. Her expression was cold as always. However, there was a hint of concern in her gaze as she addressed Naruto's bride to be.

"What are you planning to do now? We might have managed to drive them off, but they will return. I also don't think it's wise to ignore cooperating with them. Once they come back, you may be forced to send Gasper off. Worst case scenario, you lose him for good."

Gasper's expression as Sona spoke was a mixture of grimace and conflict. He had to know Rias was not going to use him or let anyone else use him, but it was true that they wouldn't be able to put off the Vampires forever. What Elmenhilde had said was true. They were trying to promote peace. How could they decline the Vampires' offer now that they were finally willing to take part in it?

"Gasper," Naruto suddenly called out.

"Y-yes?" asked Gasper.

"What do you want to do?"

Everyone looked at Gasper, who trembled at being observed by so many people. However, perhaps as proof of how strong he'd grown, the young Dhampir did not hide inside his box. He took a deep breath, then spoke in a trembling voice.

"I… I want to go back." While his voice was soft and his body trembling like a scared rodent, his eyes were filled with determination. "I don't plan to return to the Vampire world. This is my home now. But I do want to save Valerie! I am indebted to her. It was only thanks to her that I escaped from the castle and was able to reach this place. Everything I have now… my kind master who saved me, my senpais who I can rely on, and my friends who play with me… I would have never gotten any of that if it wasn't for Valerie. Knowing that I'm so happy and blessed while she is trapped inside that castle and suffering makes me sick to my stomach. I'm sure she's being treated horribly!"

Naruto and Issei were both stunned. They knew the most about Gasper aside from Rias, but not even Rias knew everything they knew because she was not a man. As men, Naruto and Issei had spent a good deal of time with Gasper, bonding as men. They had taught him a lot—Naruto especially had done his best to teach Gasper the meaning of true strength.

Right now, Gasper was showing how much he had grown.

"I want to save Valerie!" He looked at Rias. "I don't plan to die. I will save Valerie and come back here!"

While no one said anything for awhile, all of them stunned by Gasper's sudden declaration, Rias was studying Gasper with a very soft and tender expression on her face. She stood up and placed her hands on Gasper's shoulder, then pulled him into a hug.

"I understand how you feel," she said at last as she petted his hair. "However, before you head out, I plan on going there myself. We will wait until Elmenhilde comes back with a more agreeable attitude, but once we have worked out a deal, I will sit down and talk with the Vampires from the House of Vladi personally. We can have you come over later. I don't think it will matter much if I go first."

It had been awhile since Naruto had seen those flames in Rias' eyes. These days, he was used to seeing flames of her passion, but this was different from the eyes she gave him in the bedroom.

"So we're going to visit the Vampires, huh?" Said Naruto with a grin. "Sounds fun."

Rias shook her head. "No, Naruto. I'd like all of you to remain here on standby. If something happens and the situation goes south, I'll be relying on you."

Those words caused Naruto to frown at her, but he didn't dispute her decision right away. She was his master. However, she was also his fiance. His desire to protect her conflicted with his desire to follow her instructions.

"Can you explain why?" he asked at last.

Rias raised her hand and extended two fingers. "As Gasper's master, it is more appropriate for me to visit them personally. If someone else went, it could be taken as a declaration of hostilities, but I can merely visit out of concern for my servant and no one would be the wiser. Of course, there are two main reasons I'm having all of you stay on standby. The first is that by leaving you all here, you can take action without me if something does happen. There's a chance someone might attack our home while I am gone. The second reason…" Rias glanced at all of her servants. "If something were to happen to me, I'll be counting on you to be my reinforcements."

"Are you expecting something to happen?" asked Kiba.

Rias wore a grim smile. "Of course I am. It would be best if nothing happens, but based on everything we have already been through, there is a good chance we will get dragged into whatever problems the Vampires are having. There are too many precedence of this happening already, like your trip to Kyoto. We also cannot forget that Rizevim Lucifer has some kind of deal with the Vampires. That is I'm hoping for the best, but I am going to expect the worst."

It looked like Rias had grown a lot too. She made this decision swiftly, without even a hint of hesitation. It made Naruto pretty proud. However…

"I think you should at least take someone," Naruto said. "In the event that something does happen to you, we won't be there right away, so you'd have to rely on yourself for protection."

Rias looked like she was about to say something, but Azazel chose this moment to interrupt them. "I agree with Naruto on this matter. It seems to be that both the Tepes and Carmilla factions have deep secrets they wish to hide. When Elmenhilde was talking to us just now, I could tell she left out a lot of information. Not taking your entire peerage is a good idea, but going by yourself is not."

There was no way Rias could dispute this man's words. They made too much sense.

With a slight frown, Rias nodded once. "I understand. I still wish to keep my forces to a minimum so as not to arouse suspicion. I plan to take only Yuuto. As my Knight, I believe he is well-suited toward protecting me. Is that okay?"

"I have a question." Naruto raised his hand. "Why is Yuuto going and not me? Don't you think it would be more appropriate for your future husband to be your guard?"

"Are you jealous?" asked Rias.

"Should I be?"

"Of course not. You know there's no one else for me besides you."

"Then I'm not." Naruto shrugged. "However, I would still like to be the one protecting you."

"Not this time." Rias smiled at Naruto. "While Akeno is my Queen, you are my husband. If something happens while I am away, I will be expecting you to handle the situation. Also, if I visited the Vampires with you at my side, it would make them more wary. After all, your reputation precedes you."

Naruto's hands on Koneko's and Ravel's thighs twitched, which both girls noticed. They placed their hands over his as if to help him remain calm. He took several deep breaths. The scent of their shampoo actually did serve to keep his mind serene.

Rias was correct. He did have a reputation now. Even Naruto could not deny that he'd accomplished a lot of noteworthy feats ever since defeating Rizer Phenex. He'd fought against gods, rescued the leaders of the Three Factions Alliance, helped broker peace with several factions, saved the leader of Kyoto, and became the Chaos Brigade's most hated enemy. If he went with Rias to the Vampires, they would be wary.

As Naruto was trying to think of what he should say, Azazel cracked his neck and stepped forward.

"I also plan on traveling to the Vampires territory. I plan to meet the Carmilla Faction first. I will at the very least make it so we can dispatch members of Rias' peerage to help settle the dispute between the two factions. I'll also bring them some gifts. That should at least take the edge off them."

Naruto had learned the importance of gift giving from Rias' mother during his training as a High-Class Devil. Gifts were not only a great way to show your wealth but also your sincerity. The better and more expensive the gift you brought, the more sincere you were, or something like that. It was still a little baffling to Naruto. He was used to showing sincerity through his actions, but that didn't fly in noble society.

"But won't they be even more cautious if you go, Sensei?" asked Issei. "Rias Buchou is important, but she's still considered inexperienced by many and won't be taken as a serious threat. On the other hand, you're the former Governor General of the Fallen Angels."

It was a good point, but Azazel already seemed to have thought of an answer.

"Maybe, but it is better for me to go than someone from Heaven and the Church. The Angels are still at war with the Vampires. Also, I have a good feeling that my knowledge about the Sacred Gears will play a key role in our negotiations."

Issei's eyes flashed with inspiration as he realized what Azazel meant. Naruto also nodded. He had realized why Azazel decided to go as well.

"You're talking about your knowledge on the Holy Grail!" Issei exclaimed.

"You got it." Azazel grinned at the group. "The group who came here today were mainly here because they wanted to speak to me about the Holy Grail. I imagine they would have requested an audience with me alone if our negotiations hadn't broken down before then." He glanced at Naruto, who merely shrugged, then shook his head and turned to Griselda and Irina. "You two should tell Michael about what happened here. There's definitely something fishy going on here. The Holy Grail, the Vampires, and Rizevim Lucifer… these three are somehow connected, and I have a feeling we won't like it."

Griselda gave him a slow nod. "I understand. Lord Michael said he plans on sending his Joker if something happens, though I hope we can avoid the worst case scenario."

While Naruto and the others didn't know much about this Joker, Azazel looked like someone had sucker punched him in the face. His eyes widened in shock.

"Can you really send someone like the Joker so easily? Well, I guess this is a pretty normal reaction after everything that's happened… and I can't deny that having him on our side will increase our chances of survival. Since the Holy Grail is involved, having his help could turn the tides in our favor without suffering severe casualties."

"That is the reason Lord Michael is thinking of sending him to help. Joker is man of leisure. He's constantly wandering off to sample a variety of delicacies from around the world, there are times when we cannot even get into contact with him, and he causes even more trouble than Xenovia here… but he is still the most powerful force of the Church and Heaven after the archangels," Griselda said with a mild voice.

Hmmm… Naruto pressed his face against Ravel's back and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as her gentle scent pervaded and calmed him down. He didn't think he'd ever met Michael's Joker before. He wondered what kind of person this man was.

Well, that aside, it looked like everything had been decided. Rias and Kiba would travel to the House of Vladi, Azazel would visit the Carmilla Faction, and the rest of them would remain on standby until they were needed.

Naruto hoped nothing would happen while they were away. He did not like the idea of Rias going off without him, but he also didn't have any room to argue since he'd done that before as well. He didn't want Rias accusing him of being an overprotective house husband either.

However, while Naruto didn't say anything about the plans they had made, a small ball of unease had settled in the pit of his stomach. After everything they had all been through, he knew better than most how easily shit could hit the fan.

~Devil Ninja~

Because it was late, everyone decided to go home. Since they all lived in Naruto's former apartment turned mansion, that meant traveling to his residence.

It was already nearing one in the morning. The sun wasn't going to rise for another few hours. Even if it did, Naruto wasn't sure he would want to get up and remove himself from this comfortable warmth when the time came.

Lying in his bed, Naruto luxuriated in the feeling of being surrounded by numerous beautiful women.

Rias was on his immediate left. She was hugging his arm tightly. The feeling of his arm being engulfed by her massive breasts was a feeling he would never grow tired of. She was close enough that he could feel her warm breath wash over his shoulder. Like always, she was not wearing a single stitch of clothing, and the feeling of her skin against his was electric.

On his right was Ravel, the Phenex Clan heiress who had officially become his fiance during their last trip to the Underworld. She wasn't naked like Rias. She looked quite cute dressed in light yellow pajama bottoms and a button up shirt. Unlike Rias, who was hugging his arm, Ravel was snuggled in the crook of his arm, her head resting on his shoulder as she snuggled close.

Aside from Ravel and Rias, there were the two littlest members of his harem. Koneko and Ophis were sleeping on top of him, as in, they were literally lying on his chest like a pair of cats. Ophis was currently using her childish form. There was only so much Naruto available, so he'd asked her to use this form instead of her adult one because it was just easier for her to sleep like this.

Koneko was wearing something that resembled a shrine maiden's outfit… a slutty shrine maiden. The obi that normally tied such clothing together was missing, so the front was open. He couldn't see her small breasts, but that was only because she was lying on her stomach, and because she was on her stomach, he could feel her nipples poking his bare chest.

Ophis, on the other hand, was completely naked. She had decided to follow Rias' example and just not wear clothes to bed. Her smooth skin would have been perfectly visible if not for the blanket covering them. All Naruto could see right now was her long black hair and naked shoulders.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" asked Ravel suddenly.

"Ah?" Naruto blinked and turned his head to find Ravel wide awake and staring at him. Her big blue eyes were enchanting from so close. "Yeah… I guess you could say that. I was thinking about our meeting with the Vampires."

"You were really heavy handed during that meeting," Ravel muttered.

"You think so? Maybe I was…. But the way they all but demanded we hand over Gasper if we want to have peace with them really pissed me off." Naruto sighed as he raised his hand and placed it on Ravel's hip. Her breathing hitched when he slid his hand beneath her shirt to touch her skin directly, though he didn't move it further. "Gasper isn't just a friend to me. He's also someone I feel like I need to watch after. And I don't like the idea of him being used like this."

"I can see why that would bother you," Ravel murmured before releasing a very soft moan. Her body stretched out under Naruto's hand. "I do not approve of how they acted either. It was clear from the beginning that they didn't actually care about creating a peaceful relationship with us. Gasper is also my friend, and their uncaring attitude toward him rubbed me the wrong way too. But I think this is how politics with Vampires works. Of course, I don't think handing Gasper over to them without considering the consequences is a good idea, but we Devils must be able to think logically and put the betterment of our kind above everything else, especially pureblood Devils like myself and Rias-senpai."

As a member of the House of Phenex, Ravel was a High-class Devil and a pureblood who lived in the upper echelons of Devil society. She naturally had to think about the whole picture, unlike Naruto, who only thought about the individual pieces.

"But, you know, even pureblood Devils are able to choose their own friends," Ravel continued. "Koneko, Gasper, and my classmates have all treated me so well. I'm honestly a little sad that I have to hide my identity from them. I wish I could tell them who I really am."

Hearing the somewhat distraught tone in Ravel's voice caused Naruto to place his hand on her head and pulled her face toward him. Ravel didn't resist as he kissed her forehead.

Ravel was a very innocent girl. She might have some serious tsundere tendencies, but her feelings, at least, were quite pure. It was a bit odd considering how sharp she could be.

"I feel like that's one of the things I want to change," Naruto admitted.

"How pureblood Devils think?" asked Ravel.

Naruto shook his head. "I don't think it's possible to change how Devils think. All I really want is to make it impossible for people to use my friends in political schemes like this one. That is one of the reasons I accepted becoming a High-class Devil."

"What are the other reasons?"

"Obviously, it was so I can marry you, Rias, and the others."

Poof!

Oh. Ravel's hair was on fire. It had been awhile since he'd seen this happen. Since he and Ravel were having sex regularly, it was rare for her to become embarrassed enough to let her emotions go out of control like this.

"You really are too cute," Naruto said.

"D-don't tease me," Ravel mumbled as she buried her face into his neck. Her soft breath washed over him, tickling his skin.

Naruto chuckled before settling down. He once more began rubbing her hip, admiring how soft and smooth her skin was. The alluring scent of her body filled his nose and mixed with the scent from the other women in his bed. He really did wish he could stay like this.

"Say, Naruto-sama?" Ravel began again. "Have you thought about your future servants?"

"I can't say that I have," Naruto admitted.

Now that he was a High-class Devil, Naruto could have up to 15 servants using the Evil Pieces he had been given. He currently only had Ravel as his servant, which meant he would be able to gain 14 more.

"I'm pretty sure Koneko and Rossweisse will eventually want to join me," Naruto said in a low voice. "So that means I already have two potential servants, but I don't know who else I would choose. It's something to think about in the future."

As if hearing her name called, Koneko's ears twitched several times. She didn't lift her head, and she didn't wake up, but Naruto hissed when she extended her cute little tongue and began licking him. Her actions caused his already semi-hard dick to swell. Oh, boy. This was not good. His erection was now trapped between her thighs and she was licking him. He could feel his body growing warmer by the second.

"It seems you're having trouble," Ravel said when she noticed what was happening. Her cheeks were stained bright red.

"Ah… well… yes, I suppose you could say I'm in a tight spot," Naruto said with an embarrassed grin.

It wasn't often that Naruto became embarrassed. He'd always been a fairly shameless individual even before Jiraiya sank his pervy claws into Naruto and corrupted him. He wouldn't have been able to come up with his Oiroke no Jutsu if he had any sense of shame. However, being in a situation like this, with his dick trapped between the thighs of a cute girl while he was trying to discuss an important matter with another cute girl did make him feel a little self-conscious.

Ravel placed her hand on his chest and Naruto felt an odd heat penetrate his body—odd but comfortable. It didn't cause him to settle down, however. If anything, being touched by such a beautiful girl made him want to push her on the bed and take her right now.

"Are you doing that on purpose?" asked Naruto.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ravel said, sounding oddly mischievous.

"I think you've been hanging around Koneko too much," Naruto muttered with a sigh.

"Anyway, back to your servants." Ravel switched gears as she rubbed his chest. She really was doing this on purpose, wasn't she? "I don't think you need to worry too much about getting servants right now. You've only just started out, and while some people like to plan out what kind of servants they wish to have in advance, you strike me more as the type to feel out your servants."

"Feel out?" asked Naruto, trying in vain to keep up with what she was saying.

"She means you're the type who finds his servants by instincts rather than advanced planning," Rias suddenly said.

Naruto and Ravel turned to find Rias opening her eyes as she sat up, yawning. Naruto's eyes were immediately drawn to her bouncing breasts, which jiggled as she stretched her arms. Her light pink nipples looked so delicious right now. That could have been the erection talking, but he didn't think so.

Bringing her hands back down, Rias placed them on Naruto's arm and smiled down at him. "You are a lot like me. I never thought about what kind of servants I wanted. My meetings with Akeno, Kiba, Gasper, and the others was pure coincidence. I decided the moment I saw them that I wanted to make them my servants. It was instinct."

"I see. Instinct, huh?"

It was true that Naruto did almost everything by feeling rather than thinking. Even he recognized that he often threw logic out the window when it came to most matters.

Actually, now that he was thinking about it, the only time he ever planned things in advance was when he was playing pranks. Like back when he painted the Hokage monument, or even recently with the haunted house the Occult Research Club had made. Those were the only times he truly thought about what he was going to do. He wondered what that meant for him. Was he actually an idiot like everyone used to say about him when he was younger?

At that moment, Koneko stirred again. Her eyes were still closed, breathing still even, but she was now moving her hips, grinding against him. The front of her kimono had fully opened now. Not only could he feel her breasts and flat stomach on his body, but he realized she was going commando.

Come to think of it, weren't you not supposed to wear underwear when you wore a kimono? Naruto thought he remembered hearing something like that a long time ago.

"Ha… ha… hn…"

Naruto bit his lips as Koneko's smooth nether lips rubbed against his shaft. His dick was wedged between her small folds, which were warm and wet with her arousal. How was she still asleep? You'd think something like this would wake a girl up, but he could tell that she was still sleeping just by her breathing and heart rate. Was she having an erotic dream? Was that what this was?!

"Oh, my. It seems Koneko is feeling rather frisky," Rias observed in a calm tone of voice.

"W-w-w-what is she dreaming about?" asked Ravel. Unlike the calm and collected Rias Gremory, she looked like her face might explode as she watched Koneko continue to grind on Naruto.

"Nevermind that, you two," Naruto whispered with a hiss. "Hurry up and—hn!—hurry up and help me!"

Rias smiled at him, but it was a smile of amusement. "I'm not sure what you want me to do here. How can I help you? Don't tell me you'd like her to stop."

"Hggggnnn!"

Naruto grimaced at Rias' words. He was about to call her out and ask if she was really okay watching him get taken advantage of by a sleeping girl, but then he noticed one of her hands was firmly placed between her thighs. After staring at that hand for several seconds, he looked at her face, then shifted his gaze over to Ravel, who had slipped a hand down her pajama pants and was breathing erratically.

That was when he realized the truth of his situation.

His girlfriends were all perverts.

And it was probably his fault. Was this karma for having so much sex with them? Was it because they'd been having threesomes and foursomes and moresomes? As Naruto felt his body explode with pleasure, as his sperm exploded from his dick like a fountain and covered the still sleeping Koneko's small butt, he wondered if this was his punishment for corrupting these girls so much.

Truly, the difference between heaven and hell was a small one.

~Devil Ninja~

Several days had passed since the Vampires came to visit and demanded they hand over Gasper. They had not seen the Vampires since that time, but Naruto was sure they were still around. After all, they didn't get what they wanted out of the negotiations last time. They had no choice but to return to the negotiation table.

At the moment, however, none of that mattered because Naruto was seeing the result of Koneko and Gasper's training with Kuroka.

BOOM!

Naruto bent his knees as the earth shook. The training ground they were using was built deep underneath the ground. It didn't look like a normal training ground with sparring mats and training equipment. Larger than a normal dojo by at least several hundred meters, this training ground contained many different types of terrain, including forests, deserts, and rivers.

At present, Naruto, Gasper, Koneko, and Kuroka were in the middle of the desert terrain. Naruto was standing several meters from Koneko, who had just pulverized a boulder six times her size, reducing it to dust with a single punch. Her body was covered with a strong aura of ki. White energy wafted off her body like steam. Her fist was still extended from her punch, but she soon retracted it.

"Nyahahaha! Well, what do you think? Am I a genius, or am I a genius?" asked Kuroka.

"This is very impressive," Naruto admitted. "That was Touki, right?"

"That's right." Kuroka nodded once as she thrust out her chest. "People who are trained in senjutsu use touki by controlling their life-force. A lot of what I've been doing with Shirone's training is to help her utilize her ki better and increase her proficiency with touki. You did a great job helping her learn senjutsu, but your methods were half-hazard, so we had to learn some things from scratch. However, I can now say she has greatly improved."

Naruto wanted to tell this blasted cat that he did everything he could with the knowledge he had, but he couldn't deny that his results with Koneko's training were not nearly this good. Koneko had always been strong. That was a result of her strength as a Rook. However, that sort of strength paled in comparison to what he was seeing now.

Koneko took a deep breath, relaxed her stance, and turned to him. She looked at him with an expectant expression on her face.

With a grin, Naruto walked over to her and reached out to begin stroking her twitching cat ears.

"That was amazing, Koneko. You're gonna kick ass in our next Rating Game."

"Mmm… I'll be sure to beat our opponents like a pervert beats his meat."

"I'm not sure how you came up with that analogy, but I'll be counting on you."

While Naruto was pampering Koneko, Kuroka and Gasper looked at them, one pouting and the other trembling with uncertainty. Realizing what they wanted, Naruto stopped petting Koneko and turned to them.

"I'm guessing this isn't all Koneko and Gasper have learned?" he asked.

"Of course not." Kuroka once more thrust out her chest in pride. The way her superlative bosoms bounced was impressive. "For Gasper, I have been teaching him hand-to-hand combat. Shirone makes a great sparring partner because she's strong but still young, so I've been having them regularly fight to help him sharpen his combat instincts."

Nodding once, Naruto suggested the two of them have a spar so he could see the results of their training.

Koneko and Gasper stood on opposite sides of an empty space. Kuroka was the one who signaled the start of their match.

Naruto narrowed his eyes when Koneko started off by firing senjutsu blasts at Gasper. The white bursts of pure energy flew forward, but then they suddenly stopped as Gasper used Forbidden Balor View to control their time. Seconds later, darkness erupted from the ground and swallowed the energy whole.

Naruto was surprised to see that Gasper had learned to control darkness and shadows already, though he knew it was something he could do because he was a Vampire. His race had a very strong affinity toward darkness.

While her attack had been negated, Koneko did not let that bother her. It seemed to Naruto that she had been using that as a distraction. Because Gasper was busy dealing with her frontal assault, he never noticed her coming up behind him—or so it appeared at first.

Koneko's body was covered in touki as she launched a straightforward punch at Gasper's spine. An attack of this level would be enough to leave a normal person paralysed in the ground, but Gasper merely transformed his back into something that resembled a monster's back. The area around his spine turned pitch black and grew hard. When Koneko's fist struck it, Gasper was blasted off his feet, but he managed to flip through the air and land safely. Even so, he still traveled for well over twenty meters.

"They really have grown a lot stronger," Naruto said as he watched the battle progress so far. "Koneko has gotten powerful, of course, but I'm surprised Gasper is so strong now."

"He's this strong because of what happened during the dragon attack on the Underworld," Kuroka said. "I'm sure you've already heard about it. Gasper activated his Balance Breaker during that event and gained incredible power. He still hasn't mastered it, but he can create partial transformations for at least a split second to grant him explosive power and defense. I have to be honest, his power is a little frightening. That Forbidden Balor View of his is so strong it has the potential to become the fourteenth Longinus."

"That so?" Naruto muttered.

The battle continued. Koneko slammed her hands into the ground, causing the earth around her to split open. A large fault line traveled from her fist to Gasper, opening a deep chasm that Gasper would have fallen into if he hadn't flapped his wings and flown into the air. However, being airborne came with its own set of disadvantages.

Namely, it left him open to attack.

Koneko began sprinting across the battlefield like a silver blur, tossing her senjutsu attacks at Gasper, who could only briefly use Forbidden Balor View and his partial transformations to knock each attack out of the sky. It looked like this had become a battle of attrition. Whoever ran out of power first would be the loser.

"I know what you're thinking, but this isn't a battle of attrition," Kuroka said to Naruto when she noticed the look in his eyes. "Shirone isn't going to fight against a Vampire like that, and Gasper won't want to battle Shirone like that either. It would simply exhaust them both."

As she spoke, Gasper's body exploded and turned into a flock of bats that scattered in all directions. Koneko stopped attacking. Most people would have become confused with so many bats flying everywhere, but Koneko merely closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Naruto felt a tingle run down his spine as he realized she was using senjutsu to sense Gasper.

Koneko's eyes snapped open a second later. Naruto couldn't be sure, but he thought he sensed an unusual fire appearing in her eyes, like her determination to win had suddenly manifested itself.

"Looks like it's coming," Kuroka said.

Naruto glanced at her. "What's coming?"

"Nyahahaha! Something good," was all Kuroka said as she smiled at him.

At that moment, power erupted from Koneko's body, an explosion of energy so intense Naruto had to cover his face to protect it from the debris she sent flying. Through the cracks between his fingers, he watched as Koneko suddenly grew taller, growing by at least 20 centimeters if not more. Not only did she grow taller, but her bust and hips also increased several sizes. Naruto knew she had a B-cup (he wasn't sure exactly how big, but he'd fondled her breasts enough times to know her general size). Now it looked like her breast size was bordering on E-cups.

The clothing Koneko was wearing were similar to Shrine Maiden clothes. Her kimono shirt suddenly burst open as it strained against her bust, though it thankfully didn't rip. Even so, the amount of cleavage she now revealed astounded Naruto, who felt like his eyes might explode from their sockets. Her knee-length skirt likewise turned into a short skirt that showed her perfect ass and what he would have called childbearing hips. Because she was much bigger now, her underwear couldn't withstand the increase and ripped, meaning her genitals were now exposed. She didn't seem to care as she completed her transformation from a smol cutie to a busty beauty.

"What… is this?" Naruto asked in stunned silence.

"This is the result of her training," Kuroka said proudly. "We call it Shirone Mode. She makes herself grow older by gathering the nature-based ki from her surroundings and synchronizing it with her touki. While she's in this form, Shirone can use her Nekomata powers without restraint." Kuroka looked at her sister with a wide smile. "She still has a long way to go, but if she keeps this up, she'll eventually surpass me."

Naruto didn't say anything as several strange-looking wheels appeared around her. Each wheel was huge and covered in spiritual flames. Naruto could sense the incredible purifying abilities of these flames and realized why she had summoned them. Whatever these things were had powerful purification powers, which were a Vampire's greatest weakness.

In response to Koneko's sudden transformation, the entire area around them became engulfed in everlasting darkness. Several eyes appeared along the ground. They were creepy and large. Naruto immediately realized these were the eyes Gasper used to freeze someone in time, but it looked like this technique did not work on Koneko, whose powers had increased so much they distorted the atmosphere around her.

When it became clear Forbidden Balor View wasn't working, the darkness around them twisted and writhed, transforming into several twisted-looking monsters. There must have been at least a hundred of them. They all charged at Koneko, who merely eyed the creatures with a cold gaze before she swept out her arms. In that moment, the giant wheels flew forward as if controlled by her will, slicing into the monsters and purifying them.

"Koneko's power of purification is a Vampire's greatest weakness," Kuroka said as Koneko demolished the monsters around her without even moving. "She has a huge advantage over Gasper when she uses Shirone Mode. Even with him using Forbidden Invade Balor the Beast, he has barely won any of the spars when they become this intense."

"So Koneko is stronger?" asked Naruto.

"Not stronger necessarily." Kuroka shook her head. "In a straight up fight, I think Gasper might be stronger, but Shirone's skillset is his antithesis."

Naruto understood what she meant. Gasper had more power than Koneko thanks to his Sacred Gear and Balance Breaker, but Koneko's specific abilities were Gasper's weakness, which balanced out their strength, making them about equal. However, if Gasper wasn't a Vampire, Koneko might not have been able to contend with him.

The battle continued with Koneko destroying the monsters Gasper created before eventually locating her sparring partner within this world of Darkness. She threw one of her wheels with incredible power. The atmosphere exploded as the wheel rocketed toward a specific area, which distorted when it came near. While the wheel was knocked out of the sky by a giant hand. Black steam rose from the hand and a loud roar echoed from the beast that suddenly appeared.

"So that is Gasper's form when he's using Balance Breaker," Naruto muttered in awe. "Damn, that's impressive."

"It looks impressive, but don't you think Shirone's is much more impressive?" asked Kuroka.

"Koneko is definitely way hotter like this." Naruto nodded once. "I can't deny that at all. But if we're going for visual impact in battle, I think Gasper's frightening appearance would win out."

"Hmph."

Koneko and Gasper were standing several dozen meters from each other, one erupting with the power of darkness and the other bathed in white radiance. Neither side was willing to back down. Naruto could only wonder at how this would end, but he would never get the chance to see who would emerge victorious from this bout because Ravel entered the training ground several seconds later and informed everyone that dinner was ready.