ch 56 - vampire territory under attack

The airplane was silent as it glided through the sky like a bird of prey. They were using one of the House of Gremory's private jets to fly to Northern Europe, home of the Vampires, and like all things Gremory, this jet was the epitome of ostentatiousness. Fine upholstery, expensive furnishings, and a fully stocked bar and entertainment center were but a few of the amenities this jet had. Several rooms were available with king-sized beds and their own private bathing rooms. It even possessed a hot tub and a kitchen.

This plane was almost like a flying house.

"I don't know what we can expect to find when we get there," Vali said at length. "However, I am certain we can expect heavy fighting. The barrier Azazel put around the Carmilla Faction's territory was hastily made and won't last for more than a few days at most. It will probably have been destroyed by the time we arrive."

"And the enemies we can expect are those modified dragons?" asked Naruto.

"Yes." Vali nodded once. "Rizevim and Yami have turned many of the Vampires from the Tepes Faction into modified dragons. Of course, there are a lot more modified dragons than there are Tepes Faction members. I suspect he's changed more than just Vampires. He might have even kidnapped some humans and changed them. In any case, we couldn't get an accurate estimate of their numbers, but there were at least a thousand attacking the Carmilla Faction's village."

"So our group of sixteen is going to fight against a thousand modified dragons, Rizevim, Yami, Crom Crauch, Apophis, and maybe even Lilith," Naruto murmured. They couldn't forget about Rizevim's new bodyguard who harbored most of Ophis's power.

"More or less."

Vali shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, but even he had to understand how hopeless the situation sounded. This was an overwhelming force, and while their own group was nothing to scoff as each of them wielded incredible power on their own, it was not enough to contend with such a powerful army. Maybe if they only had to deal with the modified dragons, or if they only needed to fight Rizevim's group, but both? No. That was suicide. Even Naruto knew this.

"At least fighting them will be interesting," Bikou said with a sarcastic smile. "You can't deny that. I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to pit myself against overwhelming odds."

"We won't be fighting alone. There are also the Carmilla Faction Vampires and Azazel," Vali said. "I'm sure they are still fighting even as we speak. If we can link up with them, we can push the modified dragons back and maybe deal with Apophis or Crom Crauch. I'm sure one of them is leading the charge against the Carmilla Faction's territory."

Naruto gave a non-committal nod as he looked around the airplane, studying the various groups that had branched off after they entered. Everyone had sort of gone their separate ways. It was like they had formed their own little cliques.

Issei was with his usual group. It looked like they were playing a game of strip poker… but only Issei was practically naked. He was down to his skivvies. On the other hand, Raynare was fully clothed, while Xenovia and Asia had only removed their shirts. Poor Issei was crying about how he was the only one practically naked.

Rossweisse was sitting by herself, face scrunched up deep in thought. He didn't know what she was thinking. She looked nervous, however. The way she sat and stared at nothing belied the nerves she must have been feeling.

Ravel, Koneko, Ophis, and Irina were next to him on the couch. None of them were using his lap as a chair. He didn't feel like now was the appropriate time for that, though his denying them had upset Koneko and Ophis. The two had complained quite vehemently that his lap was their territory. On that note, Vali and his group had been nearly flabbergasted by how childish Ophis acted despite her new and older-looking body. Only Kuroka and Le Fey didn't act shocked.

While most people were in groups, Gasper was sitting alone. They had brought his box along, and he was curled up inside of it, his shoulders shaking. He'd been crying until just recently. Naruto wasn't sure when he had stopped, but now that he had, all he was doing was staring at a spot on the floor, though it was more like he was staring through the floor.

Naruto looked away and focused on their plan making as Ravel began speaking.

"I believe we can deal with the modified dragons if we use the correct battle formation," she was saying. "We'll use a spear point formation to pierce through their assault, link up with Azazel-sensei and the Vampires, and then push them back. I'm thinking the spearhead should be either Naruto-sama, Ise, or Vali. As the strongest members of our group, you three are the only ones who can create the spearpoint."

"What of Crom Cruach and Apophis?" asked Bikou.

"I can deal with them," Ophis stated confidently.

"Are you sure?" asked Koneko.

"Yes."

Naruto wasn't sure he liked the idea of a weakened Ophis facing off against two Evil Dragons, but he knew better than to argue. They didn't have many options here. Someone would have to face off against the two revived Evil Dragons, and while they were all strong, the only ones who would stand a chance against them were Naruto and Ophis.

"Maybe I should also take on one of them," Naruto mused out loud. "I know you haven't lost all your power, Ophis, but I also know you aren't nearly as strong now as you used to be. Before, you could probably beat them both at the same time while blindfolded and with one hand tied behind your back, but now you have about the same strength I do when I haven't reverse summoned Kurama."

While Naruto didn't think his powers were anything to scoff at, Naruto was also aware that his own strength was nothing compared to Kurama or Ophis before Rizevim stole her power. If he were to compare himself to a lake, then Ophis and Kurama were oceans. That was a huge difference in power. The difference between tangible and intangible. In either event, Ophis had gone from being an ocean to a lake. She wouldn't have much more raw power than one of the Evil Dragons.

"Hmm… I guess you do bring up a good point," Ophis murmured, though she didn't seem pleased to acknowledge this fact.

"In that case, Naruto-sama, Ise, Vali, and Ophis will create the spearhead to break through the assault, but then Naruto-sama and Ophis will break off to deal with Apophis and Crom Cruach, while Ise and Vali lead our forces to link up with the Vampires and force the modified dragons back," Ravel concluded. She bit her lower lip as though something was bothering her, then sighed. "As far as plans go, this is very basic. I'm afraid we won't be able to come up with a better one without knowing exactly what we are up against."

"I wouldn't worry too much about creating a complicated plan, little bird," Kuroka said from where she was lounging. "Plans never survive first contact with the enemy anyway. It is better to have a basic, flexible plan that can change to suit the situation than it is to create a complex plan that will leave you vulnerable to attack the moment it falls apart."

"Maybe that is how you think, but I believe differently," Ravel said, shaking her head. "An excellently crafted plan can be the key to victory or defeat. I've seen plans that were like masterpieces accomplish what flexibility never could. The only problem is they require the planner to accurately predict what their enemies will do. That means knowing everything there is to know about their enemy, including the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. I sadly don't know enough about Rizevim, Yami, or the others to create an accurate plan. We also don't have enough information on these modified dragons. If I knew more, I'm sure I could create a better plan to deal with them."

"Guess that means we'll be taking notes on these modified dragons," Naruto mumbled. "Maybe we should consider capturing one of them or at least collecting a few corpses to perform autopsies on."

His words caused everyone to look at him weird, like he'd said something unusual. At the very least, Bikou, Kuroka, Le Fey, Arthur, and Koneko were giving him odd looks. On the other hand, Ravel was nodding, which surprised him.

"If we can find out what makes them tick, we could probably create more adequate countermeasures to deal with them," she said. "Do you think you can grab a few during the battle?"

"Just leave it to me," Naruto said.

They discussed the plan for a little while longer, but aside from discussing a few particulars about the details of their plan, they didn't make any drastic changes. It was just like Ravel said. If they tried creating a more complex plan without knowing their enemy, it would fall apart the moment the enemy reacted in a manner they hadn't predicted.

"What do we know about Apophis and Crom Cruach?" asked Naruto.

"Crom Cruach is said to be the strongest Evil Dragon," Vali replied. "He's known as the Crescent Circle Dragon. The legend goes that Crom Cruach was originally controlled by Balor, the Evil God from Irish Mythology. After Balor was defeated, Crom Cruach traveled the human world and Underworld as part of his training. I've heard that he's very different from the other Evil Dragons. He is calm and quiet. However, it is because he can remain so calm that we should be wary of him. It's the enemies who can calmly observe and assess any situation that we need to be the most cautious of."

"Hmm," Naruto murmured as he listened.

"In his true form, Crom Cruach looks like a majestic black Dragon with a black and golden aura. He's a western Dragon, so expect his appearance to conform more along the lines of European myth. In his human form, he looks like a tall man with black and blond hair. I've also heard his eyes are heterochromatic."

"And Apophis?" asked Koneko.

"Apophis is called the Eclipse Dragon. Even though he's an Evil Dragon, he has a lot of pride-I'd even say his title of Evil Dragon is ill-fitting, though he himself has committed numerous evil deeds in the past," Ophis was the one who answered. Her expression was thoughtful. "When I met him, it was hundreds of years ago. At the time, he had a very honorable personality and disdained the barbaric brutality of Evil Dragons like Grendel and Niðhöggr. He once told me his wish was to die by the hands of a strong hero. I don't know if his wish was granted, but I do know he died a couple hundred years ago."

"And now he's been revived by the Holy Grail's power." Arthur pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "How barbaric."

It sounded like the two Evil Dragons they would be fighting actually had some honor to them. He supposed they would be more… what? Chaotic Neutral? Lawful Evil? He wasn't sure exactly where their moral compass fell, but he was sure he'd figure it out when they exchanged blows. In either event, they would need to be prepared.

With their conversation over, everyone went off to do their own thing. Kuroka dragged Koneko over to a corner and began speaking with her, Le Fey went over to Rossweisse and engaged the older woman in conversation (probably about magic), and Ravel started talking to Ophis about something. Vali, Bikou, Arthur, and Fenrir also separated and began doing their own thing.

As for Naruto, he went over to Gasper.

"Gasper, how are you holding up?"

"Oh. Naruto." Gasper gave him a wan smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I am…"

"Not fine," Naruto interrupted as he sat down next to Gasper's box. "Don't try to fool me. How do you really feel?"

"Not good." Gasper sighed and set his chin on his knees. He looked exhausted. "I still… can't believe it. Valorie is… she is… gone." He paused, then spoke in a far softer voice, a mere whisper. "Valorie is the entire reason I was able to meet Rias Buchou and everyone else. She helped me escape from my family, even though doing so meant she couldn't escape. To find out that she had her Sacred Gear stolen… and to not even get the chance to see her again… I feel…"

"Empty?" Naruto asked when Gasper trailed off.

"Yes," he whispered. "I suppose that is how I feel."

Naruto and Gasper sat in silence for a moment. As he looked around, he noticed that Asia was no longer playing strip poker with Issei's group but was instead sitting with Ravel and Ophis. It looked like she was animatedly saying something to their resident Infinite Dragon God. He wondered what they were talking about, but he had something more important to do than eavesdrop.

"What do you want to do now, Gasper?" he asked.

"What do I want?" Gasper lifted his head from his knees to look at Naruto.

"Yes. What do you want to do now that you know what happened to Valorie?"

Gasper hesitated for a moment, then his expression turned cold. "I want to get revenge on them, on the people who stole Valorie's Sacred Gear and killed her."

Naruto nodded with some hesitation. Revenge was something he understood very well since Sasuke had spent his entire life chasing after it, and Naruto had spent most of his life chasing Sasuke. At this point in time, he understood that sometimes revenge was necessary. Kiba was a great example of how revenge could heal some wounds, offer closure. However, he also knew it was important not to lose yourself when taking revenge.

Sasuke had lost himself for the longest time. Naruto didn't want to see that happen to Gasper.

"If it is revenge you want, then I will help you get it," Naruto said seriously. "Just promise me one thing."

"What is it?" asked Gasper.

"That you will let Rias hold you after you get your revenge," Naruto said seriously. "Do not bottle up those feelings. Once your revenge is complete, go to Rias and let out whatever you are feeling."

Gasper's eyes went wide at Naruto's suggestion, which probably sounded odd coming from him since Naruto was known to be very possessive of Rias. He admittedly did not want anyone touching her. That just went to show how much Gasper meant to him.

Gasper's eyes soon softened a bit as he nodded his head once.

"Okay. I promise," he said.

Naruto smiled and placed a hand on Gasper's shoulder. Senpai and Kohai sat in silence as they watched the others talk.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto had no idea which country they landed in, though he suspected Romania. Wasn't that where all the Vampire stories came from? In either event, immediately upon leaving the airport, Le Fey cast magic on everyone to make them all invisible so they could fly to the Carmilla Faction's territory.

The midnight air was brisk as they flew. Naruto was glad his body ran hotter than most or he was afraid he'd freeze. When he looked behind him, he noticed that Koneko had closed the distance between her and Ravel and was using the girl's fire wings to keep warm.

"Would you back off, Koneko! You are making it hard to fly!"

"Can't be helped. You're just so warm, Sentucky."

"What in the Underworld is a Sentucky?!"

"We'll be coming up on the Carmilla Faction's territory soon," Vali said to Naruto. "We're fortunate it's nighttime."

"Why is that?" asked Naruto.

The two of them were at the head of this flight, leading their group toward the place where battle and bloodshed awaited. Naruto was taking deep breaths to keep calm. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, though he wasn't nervous. The desire to fly ahead of everyone and attack on his own was strong.

"Because the Vampires of the Carmilla Faction cannot come out during the day," Ophis answered as she flew up to them. She was still in her adult form. Her modest chest was covered by the same bandages as always, but because she looked older, they had a far more erotic quality that Naruto found pleasing.

Too bad now wasn't the time for any sexy shenanigans.

"Right." Vali nodded. "The modified dragons are Vampires that have been transformed using the power of the Holy Grail. They no longer need to fear the sun like normal vampires do."

"Which means they can attack during the day, but the Carmilla Vampires cannot," Naruto said, finally seeing what they were getting at. He sighed. "How troublesome."

It didn't take more than a few moments for their group to come upon the Carmilla Faction's territory. The rumbling of explosions and flash of magical attacks met them before they even arrived.

The village where the Carmilla Faction resided in looked small, barely two or three-hundred buildings in total. All of it, the entire city, was completely surrounded by a shimmering barrier. Ripples spread across the barrier whenever an attack struck it. The barrier appeared fragile, like a thin layer of film that would break at the slightest touch, but it surprisingly held strong against the enemy assault.

Or so it seemed at first.

Just as Naruto thought the barrier was stronger than it looked, two figures emerged from the horde of modified dragons-and it was a horde. A swarm so thick they reminded him of this show called Attack of the Killer Bees… which had been really dumb, but that was besides the point.

The two figures unleashed a powerful aura as they slammed into the barrier and blew a hole clean through it. Cracks spread out from the hole, and those cracks quickly spread across the entire barrier. With a shattering sound and a deafening explosion, the barrier burst apart.

The modified dragons roared as they charged in.

Screams soon emerged from the village.

"I guess the barrier reached its limit," Vali said. "I'm not surprised. It's been nearly three days since their assault began."

"We have no time to waste. Ravel!" Naruto called out to the young Phenex girl, who quickly flew to his side. "You'll be in charge of our planning and formations. Direct our forces as you will."

"Yes!" Ravel wore a determined expression as she moved behind Naruto. "Everyone! Form up on Naruto-sama, Vali, Ise, and Ophis. They are the spearpoint. We're going to head right in. Break up the modified dragons's formation, then spread out and rescue the Vampires being attacked. Keep your eyes out for Crom Cruach and Apophis."

Everyone formed up. Naruto was at the very front, but Ise and Ophis were on his left and right, and Vali was just a little behind Ophis, forming something of a lopsided arrow between the four of them. The rest of their group got behind them as they charged headlong into battle.

The modified dragons must not have been expecting them. Naruto and the others reached the back line of the enemy forces without being harassed at all.

Targeting one of the modified dragons, Naruto formed two rasengans, one in each hand, and slammed them into the creature without relent. The modified dragon didn't even have time to roar as Naruto's attack tore it apart. It burst like overripe fruit as Naruto flew past its tattered body.

Beside him, Issei wielded Ascalon, the dragon slaying sword, to cut a dragon's legs off. Ophis had created several dozen snakes, which constricted around numerous dragons in her line of sight. Her power was not what it once was, but she was still an overwhelming strong being, and these modified creatures could not withstand it. They turned black and charred before evaporating like ash on the wind.

Vali had already entered his Balance Breaker. White armor covered his body as he divided the power of nearly a dozen modified dragons at the same time and absorbed it all. Light particles emitted from vents in his back, which was the magic power that he couldn't use because his magic was already filled up. He zipped through the enemy lines like a flash of lightning, and where he disappeared, death was left in his wake.

Naruto pushed off the ground and launched himself at the next group of modified dragons. He raised his hand, a rasengan forming on his palm, and then a magic circle appeared beneath it as he visualized what he wanted. He slammed his jutsu into the magic circle. The rasengan took off like a bullet, slammed into one modified dragon, tore through it, and then slammed into several more. Each enemy it touched was torn apart, blood and guts flying everywhere, splattering the ground with wet thuds.

Despite their strong start, after killing nearly a hundred of the modified dragons, a large number turned toward them and attacked. Naruto gritted his teeth as he considered using the Rikudou Sennin Modo and Kurama's chakra shroud, but he had a time limit on those. He needed to save them for Crom Cruach or Apophis.

Their original plan had been to break through the enemy forces with an overwhelming attack, but there were simply too many. It was like slogging through mud. Sure, they could get pretty far if they ran full tilt before hitting the mud, but they would eventually slow down as more mud pushed against them.

"Ise! Back up Xenovia and Irina! Help protect Asia! Ophis! Vali! Naruto! You three need to keep pushing forward! Akeno, Rossweisse, and Le Fey! Support them with magic! Koneko and Kuroka, I need you two to head up front and replace Ise as our heavy hitters! Gasper, enter your Balance Breaker! Even the odds for us!"

Under Ravel's directions, everyone followed their assignments. Naruto maintained his place at the front as he, Ophis, and Vali attacked the modified dragons. Behind them came the magic users. Akeno's holy lightning blitzed overhead and struck a dragon, causing its head to explode. Rossweisse and Le Fey created multiple magic circles above them. There must have been hundreds. They glowed briefly before unleashing a barrage of magical attacks that descended from the sky like the unholy wrath of an enraged god.

Two blurs, one black and one silver, rushed up and joined the three fighting at the front. Koneko had already entered her Shirone Mode. She'd grown several years older, her voluptuous body easily a match for her older sister as she gathered the nature-based ki from her surroundings and synchronized it with her Touki. She fired off dozens of bright spheres. Each one struck a modified dragon and sent them flying. Meanwhile, Kuroka seemed far more stealthy than her sister. She appeared and disappeared at will like a ghost or a mirage. When she disappeared again, a dragon would drop to the ground dead.

Naruto knew he couldn't allow himself to be outclassed here, so while he didn't activate any of his special abilities, he did begin using more ninja tricks. A quick application of the Shunshin no Jutsu took him past a pair of modified dragons. Neither enemy noticed the glint of ninja wire as they turned to him-not until he had already captured them within his trap. They roared and struggled, but Naruto pulled the ninja wire taught, then activated the multiple exploding tags he had strategically placed on their bodies.

The modified dragons were blown to bits.

"Naruto, I am sensing two immense powers up ahead."

"Those must be the Evil Dragons."

Naruto grunted as he leapt forward, slammed a rasengan into the face of one enemy, then used the replacement technique. Barely a split second later, the modified dragon he had replaced himself with exploded as it was struck by a powerful magic attack that reminded Naruto of Issei's Dragon Shot. The modified dragon was blown to bits. Naruto followed the magical attack to its source, another dragon just a few meters to his left, and he launched a rasengan at it with wind magic.

The creature's head exploded when his attack struck.

They finally reached the village, which was in chaos. Vampires were screaming everywhere, some fighting back, but most of them trying to run. Women dressed as maids waded into the foray, attacking with darkness and shadows. Naruto looked to his left as several spears of darkness erupted from the ground and struck a number of modified dragons. Much to the Vampire's surprise, however, the modified dragons did not appear to be hurt. In fact, the spears merely shattered against the hard exterior.

It was at this moment that an incredible pressure descended upon everything, but it was not coming from the enemies. This feeling came from Gasper.

Gasper had transformed into a monster of darkness, a creature with a dragon's head that looked like it could swallow the whole world. A loud roar echoed from Gasper as the world around them became covered in a thick darkness. Strange beasts emerged from this darkness and began attacking the modified dragons. It was clear at a glance that these creatures were not powerful enough to kill their enemies on their own, but Gasper waded into the fray and attacked with clawed hands. He swung his arms in wide arcs. His enemies were sent flying like they were paperweights.

With a grin on his face, Naruto was able to push through their forces with Ophis slightly behind him. He left the rest of the battle to Vali, Issei, and the others. They could deal with the small fry while he and Ophis went after the two greater powers.

Following the source of the immense power, Naruto and Ophis reached the mansion that could only belong to the Carmilla Faction's leader. The great double doors were busted wide open. A pair of dead guards were lying on the ground, their mangled bodies a gruesome sight to behold. Naruto and Ophis ignored them as they raced into the mansion.

"You can feel it, yes?" Ophis asked.

"Of course," Naruto said with a nod.

"There are two powerful Dragons up ahead." Ophis tilted her head as they raced through a corridor that had bodies littering the floor. "They are definitely Crom Cruach and Apophis."

Naruto was already prepared as he and Ophis burst into a massive room. It was an audience chamber. The polished marble floor was stained red with blood, bodies lay strewn about where they'd been killed, and at the very end, near a throne, were several figures. Naruto recognized two of them. Azazel was standing before Elmenhilde and a beautiful woman he guessed was the queen of the Carmilla Faction. While both women appeared fine, Azazel was bleeding from a head wound and his artificial arm had been torn off. He looked like he'd seen better days.

"Hey, Azazel! What the hell are you doing there, standing around like an idiot?" asked Naruto as he and Ophis slowed their run to a walk.

The two Evil Dragons turned to him. Elmenhilde and the queen also looked at him and Ophis. While the queen merely blinked, Elmenhilde's eyes widened in shock.

"Naruto?" Azazel gaped. "And Ophis too? How did you two get here?"

"I flew on a private jet," Naruto answered. "The others are helping defeat the modified dragon army. We heard there was trouble, so we're here to kick ass and take some-I mean, we're here to back you up."

Azazel gave Naruto a flat look at his slip, but then he chuckled. There was no way he could be mad when Naruto came here to help out in his time of need.

"You two are just in time," Azazel said. "I'm on my last leg."

"That is why we are here." Naruto grinned before shifting his gaze to the two Evil Dragons, silent up to now. "You two must be Apophis and Crom Cruach. I am Naruto Uzumaki, Rias Gremory's greatest servant, a High-Class Devil, and the one who will be kicking your asses today. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

~Devil Ninja~

"Koneko! There's a family over there that's in trouble!"

"I'm on it!"

"Ise-san, provide support for Xenovia and Irina!"

"Got it!"

"Bikou! Le Fey is being overwhelmed!"

"I'll back her up then."

Ravel stood next to Asia, Akeno, Rossweisse, and Kuroka. Akeno, Rossweisse, and Kuroka were providing her and Asia with protection so they could do their jobs-namely, healing and directing the flow of battle. Even now, when Ravel turned to Asia, she could see the young woman using Twilight Healing to launch powerful bursts of healing power from a distance.

Several meters to her left, Koneko had just slammed herself fist first into a modified dragon. The power of her attack created a shockwave so intense even Ravel could feel it from where she stood. The modified dragon's cheek seemed to ripple as it caved in and the creature was blasted off its feet, striking the ground and skidding across it like a ragdoll, tumbling end over end.

There were more modified dragons surrounding the family, but Koneko looked unbothered as she thrust out her fists, unleashing blast after blast of Senjutsu energy. Each sphere flew forward and struck a modified dragon in the face, chest, or back. They exploded and sent the monsters stumbling.

The modified dragons turned around. They roared like they were issuing a challenge, and it was a challenge Ravel's friend was more than willing to rise up to.

Koneko raced forward, leapt into the air, and spun around like a top, extending her left foot and striking a modified dragon with a kick so powerful Ravel was certain the modified dragon's neck had snapped. She could have sworn she heard a cracking sound as the creature's head twisted around a full 180 degrees. The modified dragon spun like a ballerina doing a pirouette, then struck the ground and didn't get back up.

Issei, Irina, and Xenovia were fighting side by side, one wielding Ex-Durandal, the new and improved Durandal that the Church had created by combining all the Excaliburs into it with alchemy. The other wielded Ascalon. Its dragon slaying powers were incredibly effective against these modified dragons. It cut through flesh with every swing. Blood spilled to the floor by the buckets.

Unlike the other two, Irina did not have any super powerful Holy Sword, but what she lacked in weaponry, she made up for in skill. She used her angelic powers like she had been born into them. Irina created a variety of weapons from spears to swords that she attacked with. Some she threw, others she wielded. Irina seemed to prefer wielding swords while launching spears at her foes. Like this, she was able to fight at both long and close range.

"Gasper! There are more modified dragons coming from behind us!"

"I will take them on!"

Gasper's voice was like a baritone rumble, so different from his normally high-pitched and girlish voice, as he turned around and attacked the dozen or so modified dragons with his own monstrous creations. They formed from the darkness like denizens of the night. Ravel could not suppress a shiver as the monsters created by her friend attacked the modified dragons, swarming over them like an army of ants.

An explosion high above her caught Ravel's attention. She looked up to see Le Fey and Bikou fighting an aerial battle. Le Fey was unleashing a large variety of spells into the horde of foes high above the ground. Norse magic. Devil magic. Black magic. Elemental magic. The breadth of her magical knowledge astounded Ravel, but she knew the magician had been studying diligently to become the best contracted magician she could.

Meanwhile, Bikou was using his extendable staff to attack as he flew on his flying nimbus-an orange cloud that could somehow hold the weight of a person. He was quite adept with his staff. He swung it around his body like a performer, slamming it into the face or torso of a modified dragon, and he was so strong. Each attack sent his enemies flying backward. However, this was not enough to kill the modified dragons, whose bodies had obviously been enhanced by the powers of the Holy Grail.

"I think… we're being overwhelmed," Rossweisse admitted in a strained voice.

Indeed. For every modified dragon they defeated, another three were there to take its place. They must have defeated a hundred by now, but more kept coming. Even Vali was being pushed back. She could see him struggling up in the sky as he dealt with what looked like an entire swarm. They were like bees buzzing around him and attacking from all sides.

"You're right," Ravel said. "This isn't good." She bit her lip. "If we could have you three go on the offensive and coordinate your attacks, I think we could turn the tide, but…"

"You know as well as I do that we can't leave you two," Akeno said.

"Nya, the Fallen One is right," Kuroka agreed. "If we left you two alone, there'd be no one around to protect you. And my Shirone would be quite sad if you kicked the bucket."

It was just as they said. If they left, she and Asia would have no one around to protect them. Ravel was not weak. However, her role right now was not a frontline fighter and more along the lines of a general directing troops. Her job was to locate weaknesses they could exploit or direct their forces toward holes in their own defenses. And unlike her, Asia didn't have any attack power at all. She was a healer. If these three left her, then she would be completely defenseless.

"You just need someone who can protect us, right?" asked Asia.

"Ah? Yes. That's right," Ravel said.

"Then I think I might have an idea."

Ravel felt confusion for but a moment before her eyes widened in realization. "I see, you're going to use your pact!"

"Excuse me?" Akeno interrupted. "Little Asia, you have a pact? With who? With what?"

"Ah. Mistress-er, Akeno-san. Yes, I can create pacts with dragons," Asia answered as she clasped her hands in prayer.

"WHAT?!"

Several people shouted at once, Akeno, Rossweisse, and Kuroka. None of them knew about this, but Ravel did.

"She's been talking with Ophis a lot," Ravel explained. "Asia hates that all she can do is heal people, and that she requires protection, which lowers our fighting forces. Awhile ago, she formed a pact with a dragon who is quite powerful. I was not there when it happened, but Asia mentioned it to me on the plane."

As Ravel explained everything to the three shocked women, Asia began chanting. "Answer my call, oh Golden King. Come to me, and you shall receive my reward." A golden magic circle appeared in front of Asia, growing stronger with every passing second. It was a Dragon Gate. "Please come out! Gigantis Dragon! Fafnir-san, heed my call and come to my aid!"

The moment she finished her chant, a massive dragon with four giant legs and golden scales appeared. A magnificent aura emitted from the western dragon's body. More than ten meters tall, this dragon did not have any wings, but that did not diminish its majesty in the least. It looked strong. Far more powerful than any of these modified dragons. Ravel knew who this dragon was.

Fafnir, one of the five great Dragon Kings, the Dragon King who made a pact with Azazel and became his armor.

While Akeno, Rossweisse, and Kuroka looked shocked, Ravel said, "Because Azazel isn't fighting on the frontlines anymore, he canceled his pact with Fafnir-dono, but he thought it was a waste to just let him go, so he urged Asia to form a pact with Fafnir instead. It's no wonder Ophis gave her a blessing. She seems to have a strong affinity with dragons."

"I see," Akeno murmured while looking speculatively at Asia. "While none of her abilities or powers have been enhanced, her compatibility with Dragons seems to have increased greatly because of Ophis's blessing."

"With Ophis acting as the mediator, Fafnir made a pact with Asia," Ravel continued. "He's a legendary Dragon that has been gathering treasures from all across the world for his collection. Asia needed to prepare a treasure that was enough to satisfy him to complete the pact. I am not certain what she prepared, but I assume the price she paid was great indeed."

"I wonder what she gave him," Rossweisse murmured as she fired off another barrage of magic at several modified dragons that got too close to them. Then she paused. "Hey… what's that on Fafnir's horn?"

Everyone looked at Fafnir as he loomed over Asia. Indeed, there was something on his horn. It was a cotton white object that wrapped around the horn. A cloth? Some kind of fabric?

At that moment, the dragon rumbled as it stood before Asia, it's voice ancient and booming.

"You who have summoned me, what would you ask of me?"

"Fafnir-san, please protect me and Ravel from these modified dragons until the battle is over," Asia requested.

"I can do that. However, you know there is a price to pay every time you summon me. If you wish me to aid you, then bequeath unto me your glorious treasure."

No one present knew exactly what treasure Asia had given to Fafnir to form a pact with him, but they all knew it must have been a steep price indeed. This was a Dragon King, after all. Fafnir was an existence just beneath Ddrage and Albion in terms of power and importance. What could a girl like Asia gift him? Her life force? Her virginity? Er, wait, she couldn't give him that since Issei had taken it. Still, everyone wondered what kind of terrible price she had paid.

"D-do not worry. I have already… prepared your payment," Asia said as she reached into her habit and pulled something out. It was waded up, so they could not see what it was. Ravel thought it looked like a ball of cloth similar to the one wrapped around Fafnir's horn.

"Wait a moment…" Ravel muttered, eyes going wide. "Is that…?!"

Fafnir leaned down until his horn was right in front of Asia, who unwound the wadded up cloth in her hand to reveal… a cute pair of light blue panties. Yes. Panties. Asia's face was flushed a bright shade of red as she reached out and wrapped the panties around Fafnir's horn. Maybe it was just Ravel, but Fafnir looked unbelievably happy as he received the panties.

Xenovia and Irina both saw what she had done and began shouting at her.

"What are you doing, Asia?!"

"Aren't those your favorite panties?! How can you give those up?!"

When Issei saw what she was doing, even he could not stop himself from shouting at her.

"Don't do it, Asia! That's your favorite pair of underwear!" When Asia didn't stop what she was doing, Issei glared at Fafnir, ignoring the battle around him entirely. "Hey! You perverted Dragon! What the hell do you want Asia's panties for, huh?!"

You of all people have no right to call someone a pervert, Ravel thought, though she didn't say that out loud.

"Dos thou not understand? These panties are my treasure."

"It's too much of a treasure for you!" Issei snapped. "Give them baaaaccccckkkk!"

"I refuse."

"If it's panties you want, then I will give you panties! Leave Asia's alone!" Xenovia shouted as she attempted to strip her battle suit off while in the middle of battle.

"What are you doing, Xenovia?! You don't even wear panties when under your battlesuit!" Irina countered.

"Ku! You're right! Damn it! Hey, Fafnir! Can you not take my battlesuit instead?!"

"I prefer this blonde beauty's panties. This Panty Sister's pantalones are my greatest treasure!"

"D-did he really just call Asia's undies pantalones?" asked Akeno, looking like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"I'm more shocked that a Dragon King like Fafnir would demand panties as payment," Rossweisse muttered. She looked like she'd just been told the entire world had come to an end. Ravel imagined she was depressed that yet another ultra powerful being, a Dragon King at that, had turned out to be nothing more than a pervert with a panty fetish.

"Fear not! Young Panty Sister. I shall protect you and the Phenex girl with all my being until this battle is done!" Fafnir roared. It was a majestic declaration, a promise of protection, and yet, any and all sense of majesty was ruined by the fact that Fafnir was saying that while sniffing a young girl's panties. "FOR PANTIES!"

Well, whatever. It was time for their counterattack.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto's words rang across the entrance hall, and the people who'd been inside of it when he and Ophis arrived all stared at him like he was an idiot. He was used to people looking at him like that, so it didn't bother him. More importantly…

"You okay, old man? Not gonna die on us, are you?" asked Naruto.

"I'll live." Azazel gave Naruto a wry smile.

"Good. Good. I'm glad. In that case, after I kick the collective asses of these two losers, you can tell me how you managed to let my girlfriend get kidnapped."

Naruto smiled at Azazel, and it was such a blindingly bright smile filled with killing intent that even the former head of the Grigori could only shudder and look away.

While Naruto was pretending they didn't exist, he hadn't forgotten about Crom Cruach and Apophis. He had been given a basic description of Crom Cruach, so the one with blond and black hair was obviously him. That meant the brown-skinned young man was Apophis.

The one with blond and black hair smiled. "You are going to kick our asses, are you? I see. You must be Naruto Uzumaki. You certainly do look a lot like Yami. I can see the resemblance, though you are so much sunnier than he is that looking at you two is like looking at night and day."

"You talk an awful lot for an Evil Dragon," Naruto said. "Are you gonna introduce yourself, or do I need to punch you first?"

"I am Crom Cruach," Crom said with a smirk. "Battle me."

"So you are Crom Cruach, huh?" Naruto nodded once. "Okay. I'll fight you." Then he turned to Ophis. "Think you can handle the other one?"

Ophis stared at the other Evil Dragon, who had also not looked away from her since they entered, and then nodded once.

"You can leave that one to me. I might have lost most of my power, but a baby Dragon on Apophis's level is still no match for me."

"That's what I like to hear."

"I see you have not changed at all in the past several hundred years, Ophis," Apophis said, speaking in a manner that was surprisingly refined. Naruto was a little shocked. "Well, far be it for me to neglect the honor of dueling with you. You would have never done such a thing in the past. I suspect you wouldn't fight me if you were at your full power either. We have always been beneath you."

"No," Ophis corrected. "I would fight you even at full power if Naruto asked me to."

"Naruto?" Apophis glanced at Naruto as he and Crom Cruach squared off. After a moment, he sighed, shook his head, and looked back at Ophis. "So I see. That boy must be important to you."

"He is my lover," Ophis said, puffing out her modest chest.

Apophis didn't look like he knew what to say.

Naruto had kept one ear on the conversation between the two, but most of his attention was on Crom Cruach, who had not spoken once since his initial words. It seemed he really was a lot quieter than the other Evil Dragons. His outburst before must have been out of character for him.

"This place is too crowded for a proper fight," Crom Cruach said at last. "Follow me."

Pointing at the ceiling, Crom Cruach unleashed some kind of incredible attack that slammed into the ceiling. It was like he'd unleashed his aura and shaped it into a bullet. The bullet blew a gaping hole in the ceiling, which he flew out of.

Naruto didn't hesitate as he extended his wings and followed after him.

It wasn't long before they left the village completely behind. The sounds of battle from the Gremory and Vali groups fighting off the modified dragons vanished as dirt roads and stone houses were replaced with trees and grass. Naruto wondered how far they were going to travel.

Crom Cruach set down on a grassy plain that appeared almost idyllic, like one of those prearies people see in old American movies about pilgrims and stuff. Naruto remembered seeing something like that. What was it called… Home… Homeward Bound? No, that was about dogs. Well, if he couldn't remember it, that just meant it wasn't important enough to be remembered.

"I'm a little surprised you decided to fight me instead of Ophis," Naruto said.

"Ophis has lost the vast majority of her powers," Crom Cruach replied. "There is no sense in fighting her when she barely even has a tenth of her previous power. You, on the other hand-" the Dragon in human form grinned. "-You have quite a bit of power. I can sense it boiling within you. I'd like to see that power for myself, to test myself against it. I'll warn you now, I'm much stronger than Rizevim."

"Meh. Rizevim is a pussy," Naruto said. "The only one who can pose me trouble right now is Yami, and I've got ways of countering him."

"Do you now?" Crom Cruach was still grinning as he shifted his feet against the ground. "I hope you don't expect those counters to work against me."

"I don't. They are Yami specific," Naruto admitted as he also shifted along the ground. "But don't worry. I can kick your ass even without those counters. You ready?"

"Hmph. I have been ready."

Naruto thought the banter he was trading with Crom Cruach was a little odd. It felt more like the banter between opponents getting ready for a match rather than enemies fighting to the death. He guessed it was because he couldn't sense any killing intent from Crom Cruach. All he felt was an intense desire for battle, a need to feel the thrill of fighting-or in other words, fighting spirit. This Dragon was filled with it.

With a deep inhalation of breath, Naruto activated his Rikudou Sennin Modo, then just as quickly called upon Kurama's awesome power. Kurama's chakra surged through him and transformed Naruto's chakra cloak further. Coated in yellow chakra, a circular design featured prominently over his stomach, and the whisker-like markings on his face becoming thicker. He only entered the initial mode. Rabbit-like ears formed on his head as ten black spheres appeared around him. Grabbing two of the spheres, Naruto transformed them into a pair of shortened bo staffs.

Crom Cruach smiled.

"What an amazing transformation. I can already tell this is going to be fun."

Power erupted from Crom Cruach, an insane amount of energy that ruptured the ground and caused him to become engulfed in flames. This was his Dragon Aura. It was the same aura that had destroyed the roof.

No more words were spoken. Naruto burst forth like a bullet, reaching Crom Cruach in a matter of moments and swinging the bo staff in his left hand. A detonation of pure power erupted between them as the Dragon raised his left arm. Bo staff met arm and the two clashed.

They did not remain like this. Leaping backward, the two quickly closed the distance once more and began attacking the other at speeds only a few people would have been able to follow. Crom Cruach was grinning widely as Naruto attacked him with both bo staffs, twirling around and swinging the weapons at odd angles, hiding one attack within another, using feints and deception.

One particularly strong thrust broke through the Dragon's guard, sending Crom Cruach soaring backwards. He flipped around. His feet struck ground, tearing apart the surface as he tried to halt his backward momentum.

It was at this moment that the remaining eight truth-seeking balls shot toward Crom Cruach. He saw them coming, inhaled a deep breath, and unleashed an immensely powerful flame. The fires raged and widened, engulfing the truth-seeking balls. However, the flames could not stop them. All eight truth-seeking balls burst through the flames.

While Crom Cruach's eyes widened in shock, he did not let himself become distracted. Power coursed through him as he slammed his fist into one of the truth-seeking balls. The Dragon Aura he unleashed sent it soaring back. He then proceeded to strike the remaining seven as they came at him. Naruto was pretty shocked.

"He's awfully powerful. Not many people can punch a truth-seeking ball and live."

"I'd say his power is on par with you in this form. At present, you have about the same power as one of the Dragon Kings. Hmph. It is unfortunate we decided not to reverse summon me. I'd have already reduced him to atoms if we had."

Naruto smiled grimly. "I would like to save reverse summoning you for when I really need it. A trump card is only good if used sparingly. Oh, that reminds me. Do you want to get out of the seal for awhile when we get back home?"

"I would."

"Okay then!"

Naruto finished his conversation with Kurama just as Crom Cruach finished punching away the truth-seeking balls. Using his insane speed, Naruto then appeared right next to Crom Cruach and tried to strike him with a thrust of the bo staff on his right hand. It was blocked. This did not deter Naruto, who swung the bo staff in his other hand at his enemy's head. That too was blocked.

"You are very strong," Crom Cruach muttered with a grin, veins bulging from his neck. "I've never met someone as strong as you. However… it seems there is something inside of you that's even stronger."

"Your point?" Naruto asked with a strained grunt as he fought for dominance in this struggle. His arms were straining, the muscles drawn taut. Crom Cruach was indeed a powerful opponent. It felt to Naruto like his arms would be torn off if he wasn't careful.

"Bring it out," Crom Cruach demanded.

"Fuck you. If I brought out Kurama, your ass would be grass in less than a second."

After saying these words, Naruto surprised Crom Cruach by launching his foot in a kick that struck the man right in the testicles. So unexpected was this attack that Crom Cruach could do nothing as his gonads were driven into his pelvis. An Evil Dragon of unmitigated power he might be, but he was still a man, and a punch to the nuts was not something he could withstand, especially when it was delivered by someone whose power was comparable to his own.

"That… was dirty," Crom Cruach gasped as he leapt back and grabbed his nutsack.

"Ha!" Naruto barked as he placed his hands on his hips. "There's no such thing as a clean fight to begin with. All fights are dirty. And I'm a fucking ninja, in case you didn't realize that. My motto is 'if you're not cheating, you're not trying.'"

"A ninja? You?" Crom Cruach looked shocked. "There's no way. Ninja are subtle and stealthy. You are loud and obnoxious."

"What did you say?!" Naruto raged. "I dare you to say that again!"

"I'll say it as many times as you need to hear it. You are not a ninja."

"Grrr! That does it! Now I'm angry!"

Naruto appeared before Crom Cruach with a massive ball of spinning chakra in his hand. This was not a standard rasengan, however. Spinning within the ball was magma. The rasenshuriken with a lava-infused nucleus emitted blades of steam that spun around it. The heat was so intense that Crom Cruach's skin had already burst out in sweat.

Crom Cruach's eyes widened as Naruto shoved the jutsu into his face. The attack struck moments later. Naruto vanished from the spot and reappeared several dozen meters away, staring at the massive explosion of lava and wind. He didn't even blink as the intense searing winds struck him in the face. His eyes were narrowed as he stared at the resulting explosion.

"Think that got him?"

"No. He did not die, though I no longer sense his presence."

Naruto clicked his tongue. "Well, damn. I was hoping to finish him off… although."

"Although?"

"That guy seemed surprisingly nice for a supposed Evil Dragon. I'm beginning to wonder why someone like that decided to join up with a loser like Rizevim."

"Because he is a battle maniac. Did you see how crazed his eyes got when you two began fighting. I bet he joined because he thought he'd be able to fight all kinds of strong opponents."

"Probably. Either way, he's gone for now."

Naruto looked at the massive crater that had formed from his attack, filled with steam and bubbling magma. It would be quite awhile before the magma cooled down. He wondered if he should leave it like that, but then he just shrugged, extended his wings, and took off. He was sure the Carmilla Faction could deal with it. He wanted to get back to the village and help his friends.

~Devil Ninja~

Returning to the village, Naruto found that the battle had already concluded. The modified dragons lay strewn across the ground, corpses every one of them. Most of them had not died a clean death either. Many were missing limbs or their bodies were caved in like something containing incredible might had struck them with the force of a war god's sledgehammer. Several of them even had holes in their bodies, blood leaking out and staining the ground.

The Vampires their group had rescued looked uncertain of what to do. Most of them were huddled together and staring at Naruto's group like they were monsters, but a few of the braver ones were going up to Issei and the others, thanking them for protecting them. Huh. Naruto knew how arrogant and prideful Vampires were, so it was a bit odd seeing them thank someone from another race.

As Naruto set down, he went over to Ravel, who was in the process of directing the cleanup.

"Ise-san, Koneko, and Vali, I need you three to begin piling these bodies. We should cremate them before they begin to rot."

"Why do I have to pile bodies like this?"

"Because, Koneko, you have a lot more brute strength than most people here."

"Grrrr."

"How are things looking, Ravel?" asked Naruto as he walked up to her. The other three were already heading off to grab the bodies. Naruto watched as Issei grabbed the tail of a modified dragon and began dragging it across the ground. A little ways over, Vali was using just one hand to grab several bodies at once. Koneko was grumbling as she did the same thing Vali was.

"Naruto-sama." Ravel turned to him with a bright smile. "Everything is going well. We managed to defeat the modified dragons, though it wasn't easy. Some of us received serious injuries. If it wasn't for Asia summoning Fafnir…"

Ravel told Naruto about how Asia had apparently formed a pact with Fafnir with Ophis's help, something he had not know about. He was a little surprised since Ophis had never mentioned anything. But then again, she probably just thought it wasn't worth mentioning.

"Nice job. Can I leave things here to you? I need to head back to the palace to speak with Azazel and the queen," Naruto said.

"Yes. Please leave everything out here to me."

"Kay. I'm off."

Leaving this matter to Ravel, Naruto flew back into the air and traveled down the hole in the castle roof, landing on the entrance hall floor with a light tap. Ophis, Azazel, Elmenhilde, and the queen were all present. Apophis was missing, however.

"Did Apophis retreat?" asked Naruto.

Ophis shook her head. "I didn't feel like dealing with him, so I opened a portal and threw him into the Dimensional Gap. He should be able to find his way back to this dimension… eventually, but it will take awhile for him to tear a hole through it."

Naruto almost chuckled at how Ophis-like that was. This little dragon god was the kind of person who would always use the most expedient method of dealing with someone. He wondered how Apophis felt at being treated like a nuisance. Naruto could imagine the look of rage on the Evil Dragon's face as he was tossed into the Dimensional Gap like he was yesterday's trash.

Since the battle was concluded and the two Evil Dragons were no longer a threat, Naruto turned to Azazel, Elmenhilde, and the queen.

Queen Carmilla was a woman of peerless beauty, with skin so white it was like freshly fallen snow and breasts large enough to make Issei Hyoudou salivate. She had a thin waist and wide hips. Her body, adorned with an immaculate dress like something from Europe's renaissance era, fit her so perfectly it was like she'd come out of the pages of an old fantasy novel. She reminded Naruto of a noble from the time of King Arthur's court.

"Is your name Neo Claudius?" Naruto asked suddenly.

The sound of Azazel smacking his own face echoed through the room.

"I do not know who this 'Neo Claudius' is, but I assure you I am not them," Queen Carmilla spoke in a cold voice… and then paused. She considered him for a moment before sighing softly. "You have rendered us great aid during our time of need. We shan't forget it."

"You're welcome," Naruto said with a sunny grin. "I'm glad we made it in time." The smile left his face. "However, I don't think we have time to celebrate right now. I might have arrived in time to help, but the problem you face hasn't gone away, has it?"

"No, you are correct. It has not," Queen Carmilla agreed.

"Let's take this somewhere we can relax," Azazel said. "I don't think I can stand for much longer."

Azazel's arm was now back in place. It was that artificial Sacred Gear he had made that looked more like a robotic prosthetic than a Sacred Gear. However, even with his body back in one piece, he really did look like he'd been put through the wringer. His body was covered in scars, bruises, and he was still bleeding.

Naruto created a clone and asked it to bring Asia to them. In the meantime, their group adjourned to a room just shy of the entrance hall. It was a large and ostentatious room that was far too big for a simple meeting. Queen Carmilla sat at a table on the opposite side of Naruto and Azazel. Elmenhilde did not sit down, opting to stand behind her queen and stare at Naruto with an inscrutable look. He tried his best to ignore her, but it was quite difficult.

"I suppose we should start by informing you about what happened here," Azazel said with a sigh. "It happened several days after Rias and Kiba left for the Tepes Clan's ancestral home and never returned. We were attacked by Apophis, Crom Cruach, and an army of those dragons. We were able to push them back, and I erected a barrier to protect us, but, well, I'm sure you saw how that turned out. The barrier was something I hastily put together. It just wasn't strong enough to protect us for long."

"I'd say it protected you long enough," Naruto said. "Tell me about those dragons. I've heard they are modified dragons using the Holy Grail. Is that true?"

"It's true," Queen Carmilla was the one who spoke, her voice soft and ephemeral, but also laced with a quiet anger. "Those… dragons were once proud members of the Vampire race. However, they were changed into those abominations by the powers of the Holy Grail." She slowly clenched her hands, resting on the table, into fists. "They wanted to remove the weakness we Vampires have. You should know this since it is common knowledge, but Vampires are weak to sunlight, must drink blood to stay alive, can't enter buildings unless we have been invited, cannot cross running water, and cannot stand garlic. Of course, like Devils, we are also weak against objects related to the Church such as crosses and holy water. The Tepes Faction wished to remove those weaknesses and used the Holy Grail, but they were all fooled."

"Thanks to the presence of Apophis and Crom Cruach, we've learned that the one who modified them is none other than Rizevim," Azazel said. "I'm sure you already know this since Vali is with you, but the Chaos Brigade formed an alliance with the Tepes Faction. Of course, it was just a ruse meant to get the Holy Grail. Once Rizevim and Yami had what they wanted, they used the Holy Grail to turn everyone in the Tepes Faction into a dragon like you saw."

It was at this moment that Naruto's clone returned with Asia in tow. The young blonde girl walked in and traveled over to their table.

"Um, I'm here, Naruto-nii-san."

Naruto didn't think he'd ever get tired of having Asia call him big brother. This joy must be what Sirzechs felt when Naruto called him aniki. Such a wonderful feeling.

"Thanks for coming. Azazel is injured. Think you can heal him?"

"Of course."

Asia went to Azazel's side and used Twilight Healing on the Fallen Angel, who sighed in relief as his injuries slowly vanished. Once Asia was done, she left the room, presumably heading back outside to help the others wherever she could.

"How many modified dragons would you say the Chaos Brigade has?" asked Naruto.

"If we assume everyone from the Tepes Faction has been turned into a modified dragon, then at least five thousand." Azazel crossed his arms. "However, I'm willing to bet you anything they have a lot more at their disposal. I'm guessing Rizevim didn't just stop at modifying only the Vampires. He's probably done the same thing to humans in the surrounding area… and maybe even further out. We don't know how long the Holy Grail has been in his possession, so we are not sure how much he has used it."

That was not good. Naruto understood how valuable information was. If they didn't know what kind of forces they were up against, it would be impossible to create even a basic plan of action. Say they created a plan to deal with five thousand modified dragons, only to discover the forces arrayed against them was twice that number. They would never survive. If they wanted to come up with a plan to rescue Rias and stop Rizevim and Yami, they needed to have accurate intel.

"I'll ask Vali and his group to do some reconnaissance," Naruto said at last. "With luck, they will be able to give us a much clearer picture of what we're up against. In the meantime, we should call for reinforcements."

"I'm afraid most everyone is busy," Azazel admitted. "Most of my Grigori are currently shoring up defenses in Heaven, which has come under attack by the Chaos Brigade. They are trying to find a way into Heaven right now. While they haven't succeeded yet, we believe it is only a matter of time. The Devils under Sirzechs have currently teamed up with the Norse and Greek Gods. It seems Hades has betrayed the Greek Gods and joined the Chaos Brigade. To make matters worse, the Titans have joined the Chaos Brigade too."

"For those of us who don't know much about Greek mythology, can you explain who the Titans are?" asked Naruto. He knew the Greek Gods only because of what happened with Sirzechs and the other faction leaders.

"The Titans are deities from Greek mythology who preceded the Olympians, the current rulers of the Greek Pantheon. They are children of the primordial deities, Uranus and Gaea. While we don't know if all the Titans have joined the Chaos Brigade, we do know that Oceanus, Tethys, Hyperion, and Cronus have joined and are wreaking havoc in Greece right now. There's even a rumor going around the Chronos, the primordial god who controls time in Greek Mythology, has joined them. This has yet to be confirmed, however."

Naruto had no idea who any of these deities were, but he at least knew enough to understand they were trouble. It sounded like these Titans were possibly an even greater threat than the Evil Dragons.

This was just too troublesome. Naruto wished there was some kind of scale to measure how powerful certain people were. He wanted to know how these Titans compared to beings like Rizevim and Sirzechs, who were considered some of the strongest Devils.

"Let's put this aside for the moment," Naruto said at last. "I'll have Arthur use Caliburn to teleport the Sitri Peerage here. I think we should also bring over Lix, Reuel, and Angelus along with their groups. If there really are five thousand or more modified dragons, then just us won't be enough."

Even if each person who came with Naruto was individually strong, they could not withstand such overwhelming numbers by themselves. They'd managed to defeat the several hundred strong army of modified dragons attacking the Carmilla Faction, but that was nowhere close to the forces that would be arrayed against them. At least, that was what Naruto assumed.

Azazel agreed they needed more people. Queen Carmilla also said that she would make a formal request from them and even planned to join the Three Factions Alliance, stating that matters had spiraled too far out of their control because of how insulated they had become.

"I believe it is time we join the world at large," she admitted. "We can no longer afford to ignore our neighbors."

It was a good idea, and Naruto hoped it meant the Vampires would become upstanding members of their alliance. They needed some good news after what he had just learned.

~Devil Ninja~

After the battle concluded and the people settled down, Naruto had Vali order Arthur to travel back to Kuoh Academy so he could bring over Sona and her peerage. He also asked Ophis if she could travel to Heaven and inform Lix, Reuel, and Angelus if they could head over with their Brave Saints. Arthur had not appreciated being asked to do something, but he didn't go against the order since it had come from Vali and not Naruto-even if they knew that was a flimsy excuse.

Ophis had not even put up an argument at all, but she did demand to have sex with him when she got back.

Since they could not proceed on the matter of what to do about the Chaos Brigade without the others-Sona, Lix, Reuel, and Angelus-Azazel had said they should take advantage of this opportunity to rest.

Naruto honestly didn't think he could rest. He felt far too high strung. Rias Gremory had been kidnapped and was possibly facing the threat of a looming death. Although they were the same person, he had no idea what Yami would do in a situation like this.

"Yami has been infected by the darkness of this world," Kurama said. "I am sure you sensed it."

"Yeah… back in the Elemental Nations, Yami had never been evil. He was just… sad… lonely. He embodied all of the negativity I felt. It was easy to understand him because it was the same as understanding myself, but now…"

Naruto released a weary sigh as he stood before the window, staring at the night sky. He was still having trouble coming to terms with what had happened to Yami.

Yami had been easy to understand back in the Elemental Nations. As the embodiment of Naruto's own sorrowful emotions, Naruto understood him better than anyone ever could, but now that Yami had absorbed the hatred from this world, Naruto could no longer understand him. What was his motivation for doing all this? Why did he join the Chaos Brigade? Did he really just want to see the world burn, or was there some deeper meaning to it? Naruto didn't know the answers to any of these questions.

That worried him.

It worried him a lot.

"Someone is coming."

"It's just Irina."

Naruto closed down his connection with Kurama as soft footsteps approached him. He didn't turn around. Instead, he watched Irina as she walked up to him by her reflection in the window.

"Something up, Irina?"

"No. I was just coming down for a glass of water when I saw you sitting here. Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"I am." Naruto sighed. "I can't sleep when I know someone I love is in danger."

Irina nodded, bit her lip, and then slowly moved closer. She eventually disappeared from his view, with only the top of her head visible in the window's reflection, and leaned her forehead against his back. The contact was warm. He could feel her warmth touch his back and spread further. Naruto was just about to comment, but then, in a fit of boldness, Irina pressed her entire body to his back.

Naruto stiffened when her breasts squished into his back. Their size might not have been comparable to Rias, but that was like comparing watermelons to cantaloupes. In either event, with her body up against his like this, Naruto became keenly aware of just how gorgeous and fit this woman was.

"I know you must be incredibly worried right now. I won't tell you not to worry, so instead, I'd like to ask that you lean on me for support. You need to rest. If you can't… then, um, why don't you sleep with me?! M-maybe it will help!"

A part of Naruto wanted to ask if she'd really just suggested they sleep together, which was a bold suggestion coming from this reincarnated angel who'd only slept in the same bed with him once. Had their relationship moved to the stage where she felt comfortable asking this? While the desire was there, Naruto was not so crass that he'd ask a woman if she really meant what she'd said. No. He was just going to go with the flow here.

He opened his mouth.

"Now hold on just a minute, skank. Naruto already slept with you before we left for this mission. If anyone is sleeping with him tonight, it's me."

A voice interrupted them.

The source of the voice was Koneko, who stood on the second floor of the staircase leading up to the rooms they had been given for the duration of their time there. She was dressed in simple white cotton panties and a white T-shirt that slid off one shoulder. She wasn't wearing shoes or socks. Her bare feet were planted firmly on the ground, legs spread shoulder width apart as she glared down at Irina.

"K-Koneko, I thought you were asleep-and wait. Did you just call me a skank?!"

"Damn right I did."

"You of all people have absolutely no right to call me that!"

Koneko ignored Irina's snappy comeback, leapt from the stairs, and tried to shove Irina off him. But of course, Irina was not going to let go just because someone tried to remove her. If anything, she clung to Naruto even tighter than before, which caused his ribs to produce an ominous creaking noise.

"Girls… let's not… argue," Naruto grunted.

"We're not arguing," Koneko interjected. "I'm just removing a leech."

"Oh, you did not just call me a leech!"

"I did. Watcha gonna do about it?"

"That does it! I'm not handing Naruto over to you! You two have had sex, like, every night since Rias left! Let me sleep with him!"

"Not on your life."

It was not long before Naruto found a gorgeous angel pressed against his back and an equally gorgeous catgirl hugging him from the front. The fact that both of them were only wearing very loose clothing just made this entire situation more stimulating. Actually… he was pretty sure he could feel Koneko's nipples poking through the fabric of her shirt. They were pretty hard at this point. And now that he thought about it, Irina's were also a little stiff, perhaps from rubbing against his back so much?

As if the situation had not degraded enough, then before Naruto could just suggest they all sleep together, Ravel wandered onto the staircase. The ends of her elegant nightgown swished around her ankles as she rubbed her eyes. It looked like she had been asleep, as her eyes were still half-closed.

"Koneko? What are you doing? Come back… to… bed…?"

There was a long, pronounced pause as Ravel stared at Koneko, then Irina, then him, and then back to Koneko. She did this several times. The longer the silence continued, the more Naruto began to sweat. He hoped to all the gods, the satans, and whoever else was listening that she didn't try to make this situation worse by demanding he sleep with her too.

"Are you two fighting over who gets to sleep with Naruto-sama? Really?" Ravel placed her hands on her hips. "Do you not understand that he is going through a tough time right now? How can you two argue like this when he is suffering?"

Perhaps it was her words, perhaps it was her tone, but something about what she said got through to the pair. Looking ashamed of themselves, the two girls separated from Naruto. As he heaved a sigh of relief, both girls bowed their heads, hiding their contrite faces.

"We're sorry," they said in unison.

"It's… fine. I guess," Naruto muttered.

Ravel gave him a stern look. "No, Naruto-sama, it is not fine. While it is perfectly acceptable and even fun to argue like this, there is a time and place for such things. They should have known that right now is neither the time nor the place."

Her words caused Koneko and Irina to shrink even further on themselves, which struck Naruto as funny. Ravel was almost always the one on the receiving end of Koneko's teasing. She never seemed to gain the upperhand no matter how many times they battled with witty banter. Yet at the moment, it was clearly Ravel who had the advantage here, or perhaps he should call it the moral high ground? Either way, she was definitely in charge.

"Now," Ravel said as she walked over and hugged Naruto's arm. "Since the two of you cannot decide who gets to sleep with him, I'm going to suggest we all sleep with him. I think that is fair, is it not?"

"Yes," the two girls muttered morosely. They had clearly been hoping to have him to themselves.

"Then let's go," Ravel ordered.

Still hugging his arm, Ravel led Naruto up the stairs and down the hall, her strides confident. Koneko and Irina followed a little behind them.

As they walked, Naruto leaned down and whispered into Ravel's ear. "Thanks for the save."

Ravel gave him a half smile. "Anytime."