ch 59 - hades

The meeting hall became dead silent after Indra's proclamation. Tension filled the air, thick and cloying, especially on the side with Azazel, Michael, and Sirzechs. The Three Faction Alliance leaders looked like they had swallowed something particularly foul.

"Is this true?" Brahma asked into the silence.

Left with little choice, Sirzechs had no option but to speak the truth. "It is. Naruto Uzumaki is not a resident of this world. He came here through a tear between worlds. I found him on the verge of death and helped him get back on his feet. It seemed he'd been in a battle, though I never discovered the details until recently. The details don't matter. What does matter is that after Naruto arrived in this world, he began using one of his abilities called Sage Mode. It is similar to Senjutsu."

"Oh?" Indra raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "If I'm not mistaken, Senjutsu is an ability that yokai use to control the flow of life energy within living beings. It's a very powerful ability, though it lacks the sheer destructive potential of other powers."

Sirzechs shook his head. "That may be true when it comes to the manner in which yokai use Senjutsu, but the manner in which Naruto uses it is incredibly destructive."

"If I am not mistaken, when someone uses Senjutsu, they also take in the malice and ill will that flows throughout the world," Brahma stated.

It was Azazel, rather than Sirzechs, who took matters from here. As an inventor and someone who performed numerous research experiments with Ajuka, he knew more about Naruto and Senjutsu than Sirzechs did.

"We believe that is how Yami was created. When Naruto used Sage Mode, the dark part of himself that was Yami was born from the malice flowing throughout the world. Naruto confirmed this when he mentioned confronting his darkness in his previous world. We don't know how Yami came to join the Chaos Brigade, but he already had more than half of Naruto's power by the time we found out about him."

Everyone had always wondered how Yami came to hold such a prominent place within the Chaos Brigade. Even Ophis had not known about him, which meant the many factions within the Chaos Brigade had never been loyal to her. That did not surprise Sirzechs. Ophis was not what he would call a leader, but what did surprise him was how Yami was able to remain hidden for so long without anyone realizing it.

"So that's how it is," Shiva said with a soft whisper. "When I met Naruto Uzumaki earlier today, I had wondered how someone could be so pure yet so in tune with nature. So this is why."

"While it is true that Yami is a part of Naruto that was split off, it does not change the fact that we have to do something about Yami and the Chaos Brigade," Sirzechs continued, trying to get the meeting back on track.

But Indra gave him a vicious smile. "What are you talking about? Isn't it obvious that the best way to deal with Yami would be to kill Naruto? I'm certain that since Yami is just an extension of Naruto himself, we can take care of this pest by killing the original."

Sirzechs felt his neck strain as this man spoke of killing his future brother-in-law so easily, as if he were telling them what he wanted for dinner. He clenched his hands into fists. It was a good thing they were hidden under the table, or someone might have seen how angry he was.

He didn't know if Indra was trying to rile him up or being serious. It didn't matter either way. He would not let anyone touch Naruto with the intention of causing harm.

And yet before he could open his mouth, Michael beat him to the punch.

"You do not know that. It is quite possible that killing Naruto would only result in all of his power going to Yami. Naruto Uzumaki is an incredibly strong individual. Even with more than half his power missing, he was able to fight the Greek Gods to a standstill for over an hour. Can you imagine how powerful Yami would be if the rest of Naruto's power went to him? There'd be no stopping his ambitions if that were to happen."

"And how do you know this Yami won't just dissipate if we kill the brat?" asked Indra.

"How do you know that he will?" Michael spread his arms. "Do you really want to risk it?"

A silent stare down took place between Michael and Indra with neither side backing down. Sparks were practically flying between the two. Sirzechs wanted to step in, but he was afraid that doing so now might only make the situation worse. He was forced to sit and stew in his own worries as he waited for whatever the outcome this battle of wills would be.

Or that was his plan.

"Gya ha ha ha ha. It seems you little shits haven't changed at all. You devils, angels, and fallen are always squabbling with someone. And now you're trying to get the Hindu Gods involved in your plight. Does your cowardice have no bounds?"

The voice that had spoken was mocking and cold—the cold of the grave. Sirzechs knew this voice. He stood up in shock just as black flames spread across the ground. A magic circle formed out of the flames and someone appeared within.

"Hades," he said with a scowl.

The Lord of the Underworld, Hades, was a tall skeleton dressed in attire worn by high priests. While those robes would have made anyone else appear benign, they lent him a spine-chilling appearance. His clothing was a mockery to high priests. Sirzechs was sure he'd done it on purpose. Since the robes were open at the chest, the god's ribcage was exposed, revealing a dark interior with nothing laying beyond the white bones.

While Hades didn't have any eyes, his eye sockets were glowing with a bright malevolence. There was something incredibly malicious within his gaze. They seemed to burn with ambition and a desire to destroy everything.

"Hello, Sirzechs. It is so good to see you again," Hades turned toward him.

"What are you doing here, Hades?" asked Michael.

"Are you really asking such an obvious question? Can't you figure it out for yourself?"

It was quite obvious that Hades was here to disrupt the meeting between the Three Faction Alliance and the Hindu Pantheon. Ever since the Three Factions had joined forces, their power had exponentially increased thanks to the sharing of power and technology, and they were close to regaining their former strength before the Great War where they lost God and the Four Maou. Their power would only increase if the Hindu Gods joined their alliance.

"You've got quite a bit of nerve showing yourself before me, Skeleton," Indra said with a hard glare. He crossed his arms and grinned at Hades, though it was not a pleasant look. Agitation was clear on his face.

"Nerve? I'm afraid I don't have nerves, being a skeleton and all that." Hades spread his arms as if to show them his body. He really was all bones, like the liches people often read about in fiction. "However, it does not require nerve to confront the likes of you."

"And just how do you plan to confront us? Not by yourself, I imagine," Azazel said.

The only reason they hadn't already moved to eliminate this god was because they didn't know what kind of reinforcements he had brought, but it was a sure thing that Hades hadn't come alone. He despised beings of other mythologies. Hated them with all his being. However, this did not mean he was stupid. It was unthinkable that he would pick a fight against all three leaders of the Three Factions Alliance and the most powerful members of the Hindu Pantheon by himself.

"You are quite right. I did not come here alone," Hades admitted with a cackle.

At that moment, three figures appeared next to Hades.

One of them had the form of a phantom with a jet-black body that was packed with muscles and eyes like glowing fireballs. Horns had formed out of his head. Their shape reminded Sirzechs of a weapon from a video game he had played once. The horns near the base were curved like crescents before extending straight up to form sharp points. He looked like a chaotic being.

"Angra Mainyu."

Angra Mainyu was the evil god of Zoroastrianism in Persian mythology. He was the creator of Azi Dahaka, an evil dragon that had been used to fight against the army of the Gods of Zoroastrianism. Sirzechs did not know how powerful the Persian god was, but he knew that any god selected by Hades to form an alliance with was not someone he could underestimate.

Next to Angra Mainyu was a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. His black hair was glossy and fell neatly around his head. The dark clothes he wore contrasted with his pale skin, which was so white it seemed nearly translucent. The clothing in question was a dark cloak, though when he shifted, black armor was revealed underneath it.

"Erebus."

Erebus was the Primordial God of Darkness from Greek mythology and the older brother of Nyx. According to myth, he was one of the creators of Thanatos, Hypnos, and Oneiroi. As one of the primordial deities born out of the primeval void, Chaos, he personified darkness and shadows. He was also related to Gaea, Tartarus, and Eros.

Standing right by his side was a beautiful woman with the cute face of a child. She had long black hair, pointy ears, and wore a frilly dress in a lolita style of fashion. It consisted of a corset jumper skirt and a long-sleeved white shirt with frills at the cuff. Each article of fabric wound tightly around her body, revealing the bountiful assets of her figure. She wore a cute smile that seemed somehow incredibly arrogant, like there was nothing in the world that she had to fear.

"Nyx."

Like her older brother, Erebus, Nyx was a primordial goddess born from Chaos. She personified the night and was often seen as a shadowy figure. Very little was known about her, but in Greek mythology, she was often envisaged as the very substance of night—a veil of dark mists drawn across the sky to obscure the light of Aither, the shining blue of the heavens. She was supposedly around near the beginning of creation.

There was one more figure who had arrived alongside Hades and his alliance, but he was not inside of the building. Sirzechs saw him when he looked out the window—or at least a part of him. It was a massive figure shaped like a hundred-meter large sphere with numerous eyes and tentacles sprouting from its body. An incredible aura of despair surrounded him and pushed onto those present. Black mist poured from the monstrous body.

"Tartarus."

Another primordial entity. Tartarus was both a primordial god and a place within the underworld. Tartarus was the deep abyss where the wicked were sent to be tormented and suffer for eternity. Wicked souls judged after death were sent there to receive divine punishment. On the other side, Tartarus was the third of the primordial deities following Chaos and Gaia. He was also the father of Typhon, a monstrous serpentine giant and one of the deadliest creatures within Greek mythology.

"This is quite the lineup you have here," Sirzechs concluded, not revealing his thoughts or emotions. "But do you really think the five of you alone are enough to stop us?"

While all of these deities were incredibly powerful, they were still going up against the Three Factions Alliance leaders and the three most powerful gods in the Hindu pantheon. Sirzechs, Indra, Brahma, and Shiva. All four of them were among the ranks of the Top Ten Strongest Beings in the World. Regardless of how powerful these gods were, they did not possess the raw firepower his own forces had.

"It might be true that we cannot defeat you under normal circumstances," Hades admitted, and while his face could not change expressions, Sirzechs had the nasty feeling this skeleton was smiling. "But who said we planned on fighting fair? Even as we speak, my grim reapers and the other forces under our control are poised to take all the lives here in Kuoh. If that doesn't convince you to listen, then I have a few other tricks that I can bring out as well."

Sirzechs' eyes widened as he finally realized why Hades would reveal himself now. Kuoh was not only home to many of their forces, but it also contained hundreds of thousands of innocent humans who knew nothing of the supernatural. Even if they could defeat these four on their own, it would be very difficult for them to defeat them before this entire city was turned into a smoking crater.

And the others realized it too.

"Now that you understand your situation, perhaps we should discuss what to do about this desire for an alliance that you have," Hades continued with a condescending chuckle.

As Sirzechs gritted his teeth behind his closed mouth, he prayed that Rias, Naruto, and the others would discover what was happening. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Kuoh to its fate.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto's entire body was drenched in sweat. He lay within a pile of naked bodies, surrounded on all sides by feminine flesh. Rias was on his right, her glistening figure and heaving bosoms pressed against him as she languidly relaxed in his embrace. On his left was Rossweisse. She looked incredibly embarrassed to be in this position, having buried her face into his shoulder so she wasn't looking at anyone and no one else could see her face. Like Rias, she was naked as the day she'd been born. There were red love bites all over her body. Only about half of them had come from Naruto.

There were three other women in the room with them.

Ophis sat at the very head of the bed, and her naked thighs were currently being used as his pillow. Her delicate hands were wandering all over his face, neck, and chest. She seemed to take innate pleasure in stroking his body and running her hands through his sweaty hair. Her modest breasts were right in his face too. Even in her adult form, they were not very big, but he rather liked them.

Of course, most of his attention was currently on Koneko and Ravel. The two of them had scissored their legs together, hands behind them as they arched their backs, pussies pressed together as they sandwiched his cock between them.

Despite having cum several times already, Naruto still had enough stamina to remain harder than a rock, though he was personally blaming these women on his inability to get soft. It was impossible to remain unaroused when surrounded by so much sexiness. And with his entire length currently wedged between two gorgeous girls who were rubbing their well-lubricated cunts together, he couldn't see himself getting soft any time soon.

"Haaa… hmmm… mmmm… Koneko… I can't… take… much more… of this!" Ravel moaned as she worked her hips, gyrating them in an erotic motion that would have left even the most perverse male speechless. Her breasts shook with every jerk of her body.

"Just. Keep. Going. For. As long. As. You can."

Unlike Ravel, whose breathing was ragged and heavy, Koneko was merely grunting as she continued moving her hips. Her lithe body was coated from head to toe in sweat and other bodily fluids. Some of it was cum, which Naruto had sprayed all over her, Rossweisse, and Rias previously, but most of that had been licked off, so a good portion was probably saliva.

"You two," Naruto warned with a soft grunt. "I'm not gonna last much longer either."

He could already feel the sensation of tightness building inside of him. He was about to orgasm again. How many times would this make now? He'd long since lost count, but that was par for the course. These sexathons tended to be so ridiculously long that they often lost track of time. One of their marathons had even gone on for two whole days before Kiba, who had drawn the short end of the straw, was forced to alert them about the passage of time.

"Then. Hurry up. And cum," Koneko grunted.

"Haaa… haaaa… Naruto. I want… you to spray me… with your… sticky fluid," Ravel added, blushing as she said something he was certain would have made her parents faint in shock.

It was the words as much as the intense visual and physical stimulation that did him in. He grunted as he shot whatever was left inside of him, which admittedly wasn't much. Naruto had already cum so many times that he couldn't produce more than a light drizzle, which seeped from his head and dripped down his shaft.

Koneko and Ravel didn't seem to mind. The moment he came, they rubbed themselves furiously to an orgasm, then removed themselves from their scissored position, leaned over, and began licking him clean.

Naruto could only groan as the two stimulated his already overstimulated organ.

"You two should give Naruto a rest," Rias said suddenly.

"Hmph. You're one to talk," Ophis muttered. "Who was it that first exhausted him?"

"I at least stopped, didn't I?"

"Perhaps, but I'm pretty sure it was you who made him cum more times than any of us."

Rias didn't say anything, but she wore the most satisfied smile Naruto had ever seen from her. He was certain she felt a certain pride at making him cum so many times. She looked like the cat that ate the canary.

"You people say the most embarrassing things ever," Rossweisse muttered. "Why must you constantly speak like a bunch of raunchy old men?"

"I'd hardly consider this raunchy," Koneko muttered as she crawled up Naruto's chest and began purring as she rubbed her face against it. "It's called dirty talk, and if nya don't like it, nya can cover meowr ears."

The way Koneko was nyaing her words was awfully cute, which presented a contrast between her cuteness and the sheer eroticism in her naked, sweat-slicked body.

Rossweisse furrowed her brow in indignation but didn't rise to the bait. She muttered something under her breath as she pressed her face further into Naruto's shoulder.

Ravel, who didn't have the strength to climb up Naruto like Koneko had done, was lying on her back by his and Rias' feet. Her chest jiggled as she took deep breaths.

"How much power do you have now?" asked Ophis.

Naruto closed his eyes and peered inward, checking his chakra levels. He could feel the chakra circulating through his body. It was thanks in large part to his powerful chakra and vitality that he could last in bed as long as he had.

"It looks like I've regained forty-four percent of my original power." He opened his eyes again. "I should have enough power to defeat Yami now."

If it were just a battle between him and Yami, then he would still be at a disadvantage, but Naruto had something Yami didn't. Kurama. The Ten-Tailed Entity with the power to match Ophis and Great Red was sealed inside of him. Since Kurama's power was separate from Naruto's, he hadn't been affected when Yami began stealing his power.

Combined with Kurama's power, Naruto was more than strong enough to defeat Yami.

"That is good," Rias murmured. "I don't mind these… sexual escapades, but I would honestly rather have you to myself when we are intimate."

"As would I," Rossweisse spoke up. "No offense to everyone here, but I don't want to share my Naruto time with anyone else."

All of the girls in Naruto's harem had very different wants and desires. While Koneko and Ravel didn't mind at all sharing Naruto with each other, Rias and Rossweisse preferred spending their time with him one-on-one. Ophis was a mix between the two. She had no trouble turning their time together into threesomes and moresomes, but she also liked it when it was just them. Ophis was the type of woman who just went with the flow.

"Once I defeat Yami, I should be able to reclaim all the power I lost," Naruto said, keeping their conversation on track. "That will also be a huge blow to the Chaos Brigade. Without their leader in charge, they should disperse pretty quickly."

"So long as no one else rises up to take charge," Ravel corrected.

"I doubt there is anyone who can replace Yami," Naruto said. "Not to brag, but even at half strength, I'm pretty damn strong. I doubt there is anyone outside of the Top Ten Strongest Beings in the World who can fight me on even grounds even when I'm only at fifty percent of my strength."

"We'll find out whether or not that's true later," Rias said. "Right now, I just want to sleep, so let's get some rest."

Just as Naruto and his women were about to settle down, a knock came at the door.

"I wonder who that could be," Rossweisse said.

"It's Kurama," Naruto and Ophis said at the same time.

"Just ignore it," Koneko muttered as she rubbed her cheek against his chest. "I wanna sleep."

The knocking persisted, however, and Naruto could sense through his link with Kurama that something urgent had happened. His fox friend was feeling frantic.

"Let me at least see what he wants," Naruto said.

The girls moaned in complaint, but Naruto would hear none of it as he climbed out of the bed, put on some boxers, and made his way to the door.

Kurama was indeed standing on the other side. Naruto looked down at the fox, whose blood-red eyes were fixed on him. Only a single tail waved frantically behind him.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Can you not feel it?" asked Kurama in his gravelly voice.

"Feel… it?"

Naruto didn't feel anything at first, but now that he was no longer locked inside of his room, which had been sealed to prevent any outside influence that could affect the bedroom arts they were cultivating, he could indeed feel something. It was in the distance. At the edge of his perception. He blinked hard and furrowed his brow as he realized there were several distinct and powerful forces located within Kuoh.

"Has someone come to Kuoh with ill-intentions?" asked Naruto.

"It is worse than that, I am afraid," Kurama said, voice grave. "Hades and several other gods have appeared in Kuoh. They have brought with them an army of grim reapers and other monsters. The humans are currently in a panic and the grim reapers are attacking. Several people have already died. Just thought you should know."

Naruto wished he could pretend this was all a dream, that Kurama was just joking with him, but he knew the fox would never joke about something like this.

"I'll tell the girls," he said at last. "Can you get everyone else ready?"

"They are already waiting for you and the others in the living room," Kurama said. "You should hurry. Though you should also take a shower first. You stink."

"That tends to happen when you sweat a lot," Naruto said with a shrug.

Kurama just snorted before he disappeared within a puff of smoke. Naruto felt his presence enter the seal moments later as he closed the door, turned around, and looked at his women. All of them had obviously heard his conversation with Kurama and were in the middle of grabbing their clothes, which lay scattered across the floor. In fact, Ophis was already wearing a black dress that rode her hips, a pink jacket, and thigh-length black socks with blue along the hem.

"It sounds like there's trouble," she said, hands on her hips.

Naruto could only give her a bitter smile. "That is an understatement if I ever heard one. Anyway, let's clean off and get dressed. We need to meet with the others and figure out what to do."

Because they couldn't afford to take their time, the group did not use the large bathing room located down the hall but Naruto's private shower. They each took a quick rinse to scrub their bodies and remove the scent of their recent activities. As Naruto scrubbed himself down, he wondered what sort of nefarious plot was in the works and what they could do to prevent it.

~Devil Ninja~

The moment they were clean and dressed, Naruto had everyone meet in the living room. This included every single person who lived with them, which meant Kiba, Gasper, Issei, Asia, Akeno, Xenovia, Le Fay Pendragon, and Irina—who was rather put out that she had once again been left out of his bedroom because of what they'd been doing. It wasn't something that could be helped since she was an angel, however, so Naruto tried to put her angry looks out of his mind.

Metatron was also present. That surprised Naruto.

"Le Fay, where are Vali and his group?" asked Naruto before starting things off.

Le Fay smiled helplessly. "Vali had some business to attend to elsewhere. He said to let you know at your earliest convenience."

"So he and the other members of his group aren't here?" Kiba asked just to be sure.

Le Fay shook her head and Naruto swore. "Shit. We could have used his help, but I guess there's nothing we can do right now."

"Has something happened?" asked Issei.

"I was just informed by Kurama that he sensed Hades and several other powerful gods who arrived in Kuoh," Naruto said at last.

"I've also spoken with Sona Sitri and confirmed that Hades, Nyx, Erebus, Tartarus, and Angra Mainyu have all appeared in Kuoh and are currently holding the town hostage," Rias added.

No one could speak at first, and Naruto couldn't blame them. The situation was bad. A single god of Hades caliber alone was enough to cause ripples, but there were now five gods who were confirmed as hostile toward their faction that had appeared at the same time. It was too much to ask that their business here was all unrelated. This was definitely not a coincidence.

"Do we know what they want?" asked Asia.

"What I want to know is how they made it past the barrier," Irina added. "Don't we have a really powerful barrier to prevent this from happening?"

"I'm afraid you misunderstand what the barrier is supposed to do," Rossweisse said with a sigh. "It doesn't keep people from entering. We realized after the debacle with the Magician Faction that a barrier specifically made to block entry would never work the way we wanted it to. This one was designed to alert the person in control of the barrier that someone had entered. This has allowed us to deal with any enemies coming in before they became a problem."

"Hades and his group are exceedingly powerful, and so the barrier is kinda pointless," Naruto added.

"The issue we have right now is not discovering why they are here or even how they got here," Rias said before anyone else could speak up. "What we need to do right now is figure out what the best way of dealing with them is."

"Metatron," Naruto said.

For once, Metatron was not acting silly as he removed something from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table. It was a small device, which lit up when placed on the surface, then projected a glowing image into the air. The image looked a lot like video feed from multiple cameras. It kept changing angles and showing different roads and buildings within Kuoh. Naruto recognized many places like the old park several miles away, the otaku goods store, the sweet shops he and Koneko frequented, and the 100 Yen store that Rossweisse liked.

The one constant of all these images was the terror being revealed. Grim reapers and other strange horrors were wandering through the streets and attacking anything that moved. Humans were screaming and running for their lives. Naruto grimaced as several people were cut down, their blood dyeing the streets.

It wasn't all bad, though. There were several groups of angels, fallen, devils, yokai, and even Norse gods who were fighting back. They had formed into teams and were attacking the grim reapers and other creatures. Several city blocks had also been isolated and separated into their own barriers, which prevented the grim reapers from attacking civilians as they were beset upon by members of the Three Factions Alliance.

"I alerted as many people as I could using my ninja and had them organize a resistance. As you can see, we've managed to keep Hades' forces from gaining total control of the city," Metatron began. "Saying that, we're still in a bad situation, de gozaru. Our forces are outnumbered five to one right now, and the grim reapers are all powerful enough to take down a mid-class devil, which means only a few individuals present can fight them on their own."

As he spoke, the floating video feed projected the image of a devil and angel fighting side by side. They looked like they were holding their own. One would attack and the other defended using a combination of magic and hand-to-hand combat, but they were soon overwhelmed by grim reapers. The first to die was the devil, who was impaled through the chest with a reaper's scythe. The angel tried to help her comrade. She never noticed the grim reaper moving behind her until it sliced through her arms. She died screaming in agony.

Irina buried her face into Naruto's shoulder, unable to watch, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her close. This was a gruesome sight. Even the people who had plenty of experience with violence like Metatron looked green.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Kiba. "I assume you have a plan?"

"I wouldn't call it a plan," Rias said with a shake of her head. "According to Metatron, Hades and his group are currently confronting my brother and the Hindu Gods. Our side can't act because Hades and his ilk are holding the city hostage. However, Hades can't act because my brother and the Hindu Gods are too powerful. This tells me that his aim right now may not be to win but something else—unless he has another ace up his sleeve that we don't know about. I don't know what that deal is, but we can't let them come to an agreement under any circumstances."

No one disagreed with her. It was obvious that whatever Hades wanted from Sirzechs and the others, it would not be good for their group. Naruto didn't know what Hades wanted. However, he knew enough to take several educated guesses. Hades hated the other races, particularly devils and fallen angels, and so Naruto was sure that whatever concessions he got out of Sirzechs would somehow help push their groups' annihilation along even further.

"That's why we're going to attack them head on," Rias confirmed. "Sona and her group are currently heading out to create a city-wide barrier that will isolate every non-human entity in a separate dimension. Once that happens, everyone else can focus on defeating our enemies. In the meantime, our group will split up. Naruto, Issei, Ophis, and I are going to help Sirzechs and the others fight against Hades and his group. Kiba, I want you to take Irina, Xenovia, and Asia to meet up with Sona and protect them until they can create their barrier. Rossweisse, you're going to take Koneko, Ravel, and Le Fay and head over to where the other Asgardians are currently helping out. Metatron and his ninja will be aiding us all from the shadows. Lend them a hand. Does everybody understand what your tasks are? Are there any questions? No? Good. Then let's move out."

~Devil Ninja~

Tsubaki gnashed her teeth together as she spun the naginata in her hand, twirling it around in something more akin to a dance than a spear technique. While it looked elegant and refined, graceful and delicate, she easily cut down several enemies with her deceptive movements. One grim reaper found his head removed from his shoulders in a spray of blood. Another had his arms sliced off by two quick slashes. Meanwhile, a third was impaled through the throat.

After contacting Rias and informing them of their plan, Sona and her peerage had headed out to create a barrier that would separate all the supernatural beings from the humans. Their goal was the very center of Kuoh, which would serve as the nexus for their spell, allowing them to weave the fabrics of the spell itself into the barrier that already served to alert them when dangerous people entered the city. This would allow them to fight to their heart's content without worrying about human casualties.

Unfortunately, they had barely left their base when the entire group was beset upon by grim reapers.

A little ways to her left was Bennia Orcus. The normally upbeat young girl was blitzing through enemies left and right. She moved so fast that she left afterimages in her wake. Swinging the large scythe in her hands, Bennia sliced one of the grim reapers in half from the waist. Then she spun around, raised her scythe, and blocked an attack that would have split her from crown to groin. Sparks flew as the grim reaper attacking her leaned down.

"Traitor!" he hissed.

"So what if I'm a traitor?" Bennia asked, pushing back. "I hate Hades. Why wouldn't I betray a man like that?"

"I'll kill you!"

"No, you won't."

Before the grim reaper could respond, a giant ice dragon barreled into him. He screamed as razor sharp fangs of ice bit into his body. From the area where his body had been pierced, ice crept along his flesh, bit by agonizing bit, until he was transformed into a grim reaper popsicle. The dragon took the grim reaper, soared into the air, and slammed him into the ground. The grim reaper shattered into a million pieces.

"Thanks, Sona!" Bennia called out.

Sona did not say anything, but that was because she was already moving to help Momo and Reya, who were both struggling to hold back a large group of grim reapers. Momo had erected a barrier using Applause Wall. That was the Artificial Sacred Gear given to her by Azazel. She was using it to funnel the grim reapers into a kill-zone where Reya took them out with magic. It was an effective strategy, but Reya didn't have the power to kill them on her own.

Saji was helping them out. He was not using Vitra Promotion, which came with numerous risks. Instead, he used Absorption Line to latch onto numerous opponents at once, then used Blaze Black Flare. Dark flames spread across the lines and struck the grim reapers they were attached to. The roaring flames drowned out the screams of anguish as grim reapers were burned alive.

Blaze Black Flare was one of Vitra's Sacred Gears, which Saji obtained after his training with the Grigori when they all went to the underworld. It cursed people with Vitra's deadly black flames, which continued to burn no matter how many times someone tried to extinguish it. Only someone with greater power than Saji himself could put out those flames. Even Sona and Tsubaki had trouble when he used them during their spars.

Since it looked like Saji, Momo, and Reya had the situation on their side well in hand, Tsubaki turned to continue her attack, but she was surprised to find that Loup Garou was already present and taking the initiative.

Tsubaki could only watch in awe as he descended onto a grim reaper, grabbing his foe by the head and slamming them into the ground. Cracks appeared around the grim reaper's head as the cloaked figure went limp. From the blood seeping between his fingers, the werewolf's attack had clearly cracked the grim reaper's skull like an egg. Another grim reaper came up behind Loup and sliced his arm off, but the arm simply grew back as he spun around and landed a kick that caused the grim reaper to explode. It was gruesome, but this was a scene that she had sadly grown used to.

"Look out, Tsubaki!"

Having been so enraptured by the battle, Tsubaki had let herself grow careless. When someone screamed her name, she turned around and looked up as a shadow appeared above her. Her breath caught when she saw a grim reaper bringing his scythe down on her. Time seemed to slow. She moved her naginata to block the attack, but she knew in her heart that her movements were too slow. She would never make it in time.

And yet just before the scythe could cut her in half, the weapon and the grim reaper holding it were sliced into numerous pieces. As the body parts crumbled away, Tsubaki felt heat rise to her cheeks when she saw who had rescued her.

"K-Kiba?!"

"Hey there, Tsubaki," Kiba greeted with his princely smile. "It looks like we came in the nick of time."

"We?"

Tsubaki questioned what Kiba meant, but then she realized that he hadn't come alone.

Irina and Xenovia were already diving headlong into the fight. Following just slightly behind them was Asia, who used Twilight Healing to heal people at range.

Xenovia shouted a battlecry as she swung Durandel, the massive sword said to be capable of cleaving through anything. A massive lance of energy erupted from her sword and swept over an entire group of grim reapers. Everything within the radius of that brilliant light was annihilated. It felt like even the ozone was being torn asunder.

Tsubaki could only shake her head at the destructive power behind that attack.

While she lacked Xenovia's destructive potential, Irina proved how strong she was by ascending into the air with her angel rings and throwing several spears at her foes. One of those spears impaled a grim reaper in the face. Then it exploded. Tsubaki almost blinked in shock as the grim reaper's entire head disappeared in an explosion. That wasn't the only exploding spear Irina had created. All the spears she threw blew up the moment they struck something. Grim reapers close to one of those weapons lost arms, legs, and one was even reduced to half a torso. This must have been a new attack that Irina had come up with while training.

"We're the backup," Kiba told Tsubaki. "You guys can set up that barrier now. Leave protecting you to us."

Tsubaki looked at Sona just as the woman finished dealing with another grim reaper. The two locked eyes. Sona nodded.

"Everyone! We're about to form the barrier! Get in formation!"

The barrier Sona and her group were creating was similar to the one they had used when Kokabiel attacked Kuoh Academy, but this one was on a much larger scale. They had to cover the entire city and not just the school.

Because of how many square kilometers this barrier needed to cover, Sona had them travel to where the detection barrier was located, which had been in the process of being taken over by several grim reapers. Tsubaki and the others had been fighting with all they had to reclaim the barrier site. Now that they had secured it, the goal was to siphon off the power being used in the detection barrier to create a separate dimension where their forces could fight without having to worry about civilian casualties.

Kiba, Irina, Xenovia, and Asia stood back and protected them as Sona, Tsubaki, and the others got to work.

"Damn it. Why are we always the ones creating the barriers?" asked Saji.

"Because we're more skilled at creating barriers than Rias and her peerage," Sona replied. "And they are more skilled at beating enemies stronger than them."

"Man, fuck that. I want to kick some ass too."

"You'll get your time, Saji. For now, focus on helping me siphon off the power needed to create a new dimension."

"Yes, ma'am."

Tsubaki stifled a giggle as she listened to Saji and Sona, wondering if Sona even knew how much she and Saji sounded like an old married couple. They probably didn't.

~Devil Ninja~

"Aaaah! This sucks asshair!"

The cry came from a petite blonde girl with wings blacker than raven's feathers and blue eyes. Mittelt had been enjoying her day off from school when an entire army of grim reapers had appeared from within several hundred magic circles. The grim reapers had attacked the humans, who were currently in a panic and running all over the place, creating pandemonium everywhere they went. She would have loved to leave these losers to their fate, but she knew that would not fly with her superiors.

"Fuck this! Fuck this! Fuck this!"

Mittelt danced through the sky to dodge several swinging scythes. She tried her best to gain distance from the attacking grim reapers, but that was hard. They stuck to her like glue. No! They stuck to her like that annoying blond bastard who kept pestering her whenever they met! Fuck that guy! And fuck these grim reapers too!

"Watch your six!" Kalawarner warned as she swooped down, spear in hand, and slammed into one of the grim reapers. Her attack was not enough to kill it. In fact, their enemy didn't look like he'd taken any damage, but it had forced the grim reaper away from Mittelt.

"Thank you!" Mittelt shouted as she finally gained some distance. Gritting her teeth in anger, the little blonde girl screamed incoherently as she created three spears and sent them hurtling at her enemies. One missed. The other two were aimed true, but the grim reaper swung his scythe and destroyed both spears.

Mittelt clicked her tongue.

It was just her and Kalwarner. They were surrounded by a horde of Grimm reapers on all sides.

Another grim reaper came in from above, swinging the scythe in his hand, the movements nothing but a streak of silver. Mittelt had a lot of experience dodging faster opponents, however. She spun through the air, darting away from the attack with a flap of her wings, and lobbing a spear that only managed to graze the grim reaper's neck. He flew after her and a game of cat and mouse ensued. It was obvious which of them was the mouse.

Ever since their defeat at the hands of Rias Gremory and her peerage, Mittelt, Kalwarner had more or less been forced into subservience. Lord Azazel had been tempted to kick them out of the Grigori, but instead he told them to repent for their crimes by helping the Gremory gang.

Of course, it wasn't like they had a whole lot they could do to repent, so what really happened was Mittelt became a student, and Kalwarner picked up a job as a waitress at a maid cafe. Out of them all, Mittelt was the only who'd actually helped Rias Gremory and her ilk. This would be the first time all three of them had been involved in a battle since their loss.

Mittelt was clearly feeling her lack of power as she barely dodged a swinging scythe. Moments after dodging one attack, another came in from a different direction, and while she dodged that too, it was a very near thing.

"Damn it. Is there no end to these bastards?!" asked Kalwarner.

"Doesn't seem like it," Mittelt mumbled.

Mittelt had no idea how long they'd been fighting, but it felt like hours had passed. She was getting tired. Her arms felt heavy, her breathing had turned into ragged gasping, and her reserves of power were dwindling. And she wasn't the only one either.

At that moment, another monster appeared before them, and Mittelt felt the blood drain from her face as she saw the massive two-headed monster standing before them. It had four powerful legs and paws that were half her size. They could easily squash her flat if they wanted. This monsters body was about the size of a small apartment, rippling with muscles, and two large heads with sharp and snarling muscles barked at her and Kalwarner. A single snake tail flicked behind it.

"Is that an Orthrus?!"

Orthrus was a two-headed dog who guarded Geryon's cattle and was killed by Heracles in Greek mythology. He was the offspring of the monsters Echnidna and Typhon and the brother of Cerberus. While not as powerful as the guard dog of the underworld, Orthrus were still high-ranked monsters that even high-class devils would have trouble fighting.

"This fucking suuuuucks!"

Orthrus pounced at Mittelt, who squealed in fright and tried to bolt, but the dog was faster. Mittelt wasn't even able to scream as something swift and powerful slammed into her. It was Othrus' massive paw. She felt all the ribs in her ribcage break as the forceful blow lifted her off her feet. Her world seemed to go white, but then it exploded into red as she slammed into something and slid down.

Blinking several times, Mittelt was barely aware of what was happening until a shadow appeared above her and a massive paw filled her vision. Looking up through bleary eyes, she found the glowering red eyes and vicious muzzles of Orthrus staring her down like she was its next meal.

Is this it?

The beast leaned down, its putrid breath washing over her.

Is this how I die?

Mittelt didn't want to die yet. Ever since her life was spared during the debacle with Raynare, she had been consciously aware of her own mortality. Now that she knew how easily death could claim her, she was afraid. The thought of dying scared her.

I don't… want to die…

Orthrus opened its jaws wide as if to take a bite out of her, and yet just because it could clamp its mouth around her head, a sound not unlike a bullet being fired from a gun echoed around the street. Mittelt could only gawk as the giant dog that had been seconds away from eating her was blasted off its feet and rolled across the ground. In its place stood several people Mittelt could never fail to recognize.

"Need a hand, cuntucky fried chicken?"

"Who the hell are you calling that?!"

"Not you. Them."

"… Oh."

The person standing before her was none other than Koneko Toujo and Ravel Phenex. She only knew Ravel because they were in the same class, but Koneko had been part of the Gremory Group for as long as Mittelt had been here. The catgirl held out a hand to Mittelt. She stared at the hand for a moment, not sure what to do, but then she reached out and grabbed it, allowing the other girl to pull her up.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked, confusion lacing her voice.

Koneko stared at her like she was an idiot. "Isn't it obvious?"

"D-don't look at me like that!" Mittelt shouted as heat spread across her cheeks. She hated it when Koneko gave her that condescending look.

"We're here to help out," Ravel said. "We were heading over to where Gondul and the Asgardians are located. Do you want to come with us?"

Mittelt looked indecisively at Kalwarner, but the other woman of them seemed to know what to do either. They hadn't seen Koneko since their humiliating defeat at Naruto's hands. They didn't even know Ravel.

As she was wallowing in indecision, several more grim reapers appeared, but each one was fried when several magic circles appeared around them, creating a ring that generated a large amount of lightning. Mittelt was shocked. At that moment, however, a striking woman with silver hair, blue eyes, and an enviable figure descended from the sky. She was dressed in the traditional armor of a Valkyrie.

"Come on, you five," Rossweisse said. "We need to meet up with grand—I mean, with Gondul."

Rossweisse didn't leave the three Fallen Angels much choice, so they ended up tagging along with the group, which she realized consisted of someone she didn't know. The last member of their group was another blond girl with blue eyes. She wasn't busty like Ravel, but she wasn't flat like Koneko. Unlike the others, who flew with black Devil wings flapping, she was sitting on a broom.

A Magician.

"Hello. I'm Le Fay Pendragon," Le Fay introduced herself to the three Fallen Angels.

"Nice to meet you," Mittelt mumbled politely. Kalwarner also gave her a decently respectful greeting, but Mittelt thought it was because she had no real choice in the matter.

There was chaos everywhere they went. Mittelt wrinkled her nose as the scent of blood and burning buildings filled it. The grim reapers were doing more than just attacking the city. They were burning buildings, destroying property, and basically disregarding all the laws the many supernatural races had set in place to avoid being discovered by humans.

"And there. We. Go."

Le Fay waved her hand and created several magic circles that formed over a burning building. Mittelt didn't know what the girl was planning, but then clouds gathered over the building before it began to rain. The rain put out the fires with ease. This allowed several people who had been trapped inside of the building to flee.

Their actions had attracted half a dozen grim reapers, but Ravel and Rossweisse took care of them. Ravel's entire body seemed to ignite like a brilliant flame before a phoenix cry echoed around her. The flames took on a life of their own, becoming a massive vermillion bird that soared through the air and slammed into two of the six grim reapers, lighting them on fire. Rossweisse created a multitude of magic circles that fired a kind of light magic that the grim reapers seemed weak against. Holes appeared in the bodies of the grim reapers that Ravel's attack missed.

They've become so strong…

Mittelt had already noticed it before, but the Gremory Group had become very strong since the time when she was their enemy. Each one of them could probably fight her, and Kalwarner at the same time and win. Thinking about that made her shudder.

With Rossweisse leading them, the group reached a building that had several men and women dressed in foreign armor defending it. The building was nothing special. It looked like an apartment block. Said building was currently under attack by a horde of grim reapers, several Orthrus, and even a Cerberus, but the defenders were no slouches, and they attacked with both sword and shield, magic and spear, bow and arrow.

Among this group was an old woman who appeared ancient yet spritely. She was one of those attacking with magic. Beams of energy blasted from magic circles near her hand. Fire ignited from her fingertips. She waved a hand at a grim reaper, and he was suddenly sliced into a thousand pieces as a rope made of sharp blades wrapped around him and squeezed tight.

"Gondul!" Rossweisse shouted as she descended from the ground.

"Ah. Rossweisse." Gondul smiled as she turned to the group. "I'm glad you are here. We've managed to get a good majority of the humans to hide out in this building, but that's not all of them. I'll need your help to get the remaining humans inside of here. Once we know they are safe, we can begin our offensive."

"About that," Rosseweisse began. "Sona and her peerage are in the process of separating all of us from this dimension. We should be able to fight to our hearts' content once the barrier is in place."

Gondul stroked her chin. "I see. In that case, I guess we can maintain this position for now, though I hope the barrier doesn't take long to set up." At that moment, the sky above their heads changed color. No longer blue, it had become a strange kaleidoscope of swirling colors. "Well, guess that answers my question." Gondul turned to the other Asgardians. "Listen up, everyone! We've all been placed in a separate dimension now courtesy of Sona Sitri. It's time we go on the offensive! Let's show these grim reapers what we're made of!"

"YEAH!" the Asgardians thrust their fists into the air and shouted.

As the group began to mobilize, Koneko turned to Mittelt.

"Are you gonna help out?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really."

"Then why ask?"

"Because I want to make sure you realize you have no choice but to help."

"What kind of reason is that?!"

"The best kind."

"… I hate you right now. You and that blonde bastard you call a boyfriend."

Koneko's response to Mittelt's hate was to raise her hand and give the victory sign. Her expression was deadpan as she did this.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto flew through the air with Rias, Issei, and Ophis. They were traveling low to the ground so as not to attract attention, though of course this didn't do much.

"There are several grim reapers on our left!" Rias shouted.

"I've got them! Dragon Shot!"

Issei spun around like a ballerina doing a pirouette, his scale mail transforming into his Bishop form. Two canons formed on his shoulders. Vibrant light glowed from within each muzzle, then the crackling power was released, two beams of incandescent energy that tore through the advancing enemies.

"There are more on the right!"

"Leave 'em to me! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Naruto created a dozen shadow clones that launched themselves into the air. Each clone created a Rasengan as they descended, slamming the jutsu into the grim reapers before they had time to retaliate. A few tried to defend themselves. One blocked his clone's Rasengan with his scythe, but Naruto's jutsu was a sphere of intensely spinning chakra that ground away at everything. The Rasengan tore through the scythe and plowed into the grim reaper, launching him into a building.

Several screaming humans suddenly appeared from around a corner. Nipping at their heels was a monsterous dog with three heads, glowing red eyes, and drool dripping down its snarling fang. It bounded after the humans on its four powerful legs. Naruto was certain this monster could have caught the humans at any moment, but it was obviously toying with its prey. He felt it was deriving pleasure from their suffering.

Naruto raced forward, darted past the humans, and appeared before the Cerberus, his fist tucked into his torso. Torquing his torso, he put all of his weight into his punch. The sound of ribs snapping echoed loudly in his ears. The Cerberus was blasted off its feet, a massive dent in its chest. It landed on the ground and struggled to get up, but Naruto sent several wind blades into its three necks, removing all of its heads at the same time.

The humans who had been getting chased stopped. Naruto thought they looked vaguely familiar.

"You… you're Naruto!"

"And you're… in my class, right?" Naruto said with a nod. "Listen, you guys better find a safe place to hide. It's dangerous to be outside right now."

"We will! Thank you for saving us!"

Naruto watched them go, hoping they would be okay. The idea of leaving them on their own wasn't something he was comfortable with. It wasn't like he could do anything else, however, since his mission right now was going to take him right into the heart of enemy territory.

"I'm glad we were able to safe them," said Rias.

"Me too," Naruto admitted.

"There are quite a few enemies." Ophis looked off in the distance, staring at nothing in particular. The sounds of battle could be heard all around them as angels, devils, fallen angels, and yokai battled against the forces of Hades.

"Well, our city has been overrun," Naruto replied.

"I'm still shocked something like this could happen," Issei admitted.

"I'm not," Naruto said with a sigh. "Let's face it. We're trouble magnets."

At that moment, the sky above their heads became distorted and warped, with a kaleidoscope of swirling colors dancing around like an aurora borealis. All of the humans they had come across also vanished. Now only the grim reapers remained with them.

"It looks like Sona and her peerage succeeded in creating a barrier for us," Rias said. "This barrier acts as a separate dimension and should prevent anymore human casualties."

"I still can't believe Hades would attack in broad daylight like this," Issei grumbled.

"I'm a little shocked by that as well, but I imagine they did this out of desperation." Rias made a slicing motion with her left hand, sending out a blade-shaped projectile of reddish black energy that cut through a grim reaper with ease. "If the Three Factions Alliance joins forces with the Hindu Gods, it could spell a lot of trouble for people like Hades, who likely have plans to eradicate devils and fallen angels. They can't afford to let this happen."

Hades and his group were taking a huge risk, coming here themselves and launching an attack in broad daylight, all because they were desperate to stop this from happening. Naruto could understand that to some degree. People who saw something potentially dangerous to their goals or designs would often give a knee-jerk reaction to stop it. This was basically what Hades was doing. He saw whatever plans he had going up in smoke and decided to stop that from happening.

That didn't change the fact that Naruto thought he was an idiot.

"Hey, I just realized it, but I haven't seen Raynare at all since this whole mess started," Issei finally realized.

Naruto shrugged. "Is that a problem?"

"Well, not really, I guess. I'm just a little curious about where she disappeared to," Issei said.

"I'm sure you two will meet again soon."

"Huh?"

"Heads up, you three. We're coming up on the meeting hall," Rias informed them.

The first thing that appeared before Naruto wasn't the meeting hall, but the massive sphere hovering in the air. It must have been at least a hundred meters big. Its hundreds of eyes rolled around in their sockets, as if it was constantly searching for something, seeking something out. It disturbed Naruto a lot. More disturbing than the eyes were the tentacles. There were just as many tentacles as there were eyes. They writhed around all over its body, extending across buildings and the street.

"What… is that?" asked Naruto.

"I believe that's Tartarus," Ophis told him. "Tartartus is the Primordial God of the Abyss in Greek Mythology. I don't know much about him. I'm honestly surprised he is here since he hasn't been seen for thousands of years."

At that moment, several eyes turned toward them.

"I think we've been spotted," Naruto said.

"No shit," Issei gulped.

"You three should get ready. It's coming," Ophis said.

Naruto tried to prepare himself to deal with this mass of eyes and tentacles, but nothing could have prepared him for the sudden weight that descended upon him. It was unbelievable. Naruto found himself slamming into the ground, knees jarring as they struck cement, creating a web of cracks across the hard surface. He pressed his palms against the road, veins bulging from his arms as he struggled to stand up.

What… is this…?

"Tartarus has increased the gravity around you and the others by one hundred times."

One… hundred? Shit. You kidding me?

"I am not."

Struggling to lift his head, Naruto glanced to his left and right. Rias, Issei, and Ophis were all in the same boat as him. It surprised him that Ophis was also having trouble, but then he remembered most of her power had been stolen by Raziviem.

While they were struggling to stand, several tentacles flew toward them like speartips.

"Hmph!"

Naruto grunted as he pushed chakra into his limbs and blasted off the ground. He grabbed the three with him and leapt back, just barely managing to dodge the tentacles as they speared into the ground.

While he avoided being skewered, he was unable to avoid the darkness that spread from the tentacles. Like a shadow growing larger as the day grew long, a dark void of energy spread across the ground, passing him by to engulf a radius of several dozen meters around the tentacles.

Black vines suddenly erupted from the darkness, wrapped around Naruto, and began dragging him down into the depths. His legs were soon engulfed in inky blackness. It felt vile. Naruto couldn't quite understand it, but it felt like his legs were being covered in a thick, poisonous ink.

"What's going on?!" Issei asked in shock. He struggled to remove the strange black vines from his armor, but no matter how many he tore, more appeared to replace the ones he broke.

"Tartarus has the ability to control the abyss," Ophis explained. "It's a vast space of emptiness filled with nothing but darkness. Sorry. I don't know anything more about it, but I suspect he is attempting to drag us into the abyss."

"Can you break us out?" asked Rias.

Ophis grimaced. "I might be able to break out myself, but I don't have the power to break all of us out anymore."

It was yet another reminder that Ophis had lost most of her strength. Most of her power was now contained within Lilith. Naruto understood how she must be feeling right now.

Kurama?

"Leave this to me."

Naruto grunted as he felt Kurama's overwhelming chakra flow through his body. Light burst along his skin and transformed into a golden chakra shroud that resembled a haori. He couldn't see himself, but he knew that if he were to look in a mirror, he would have seen how his pupils had become slitted and his whiskers thicker.

With his newfound strength, Naruto tore apart the dark vines attempting to drag him and the others into the abyss. He used Kurama's immense power to push the darkness back, then got himself and his friends away from the abyss.

"That power… ah. You must be the one called Naruto Uzumaki. I heard you gave Zeus and his cronies quite the beating."

Naruto thought he felt his insides shaking as the giant sphere spoke. Tartarus' voice was a deep rumble like crashing thunder. His voice boomed across the entire city, loud and blaring enough that even the glass in the windows seemed to shake.

"So what if I am?" asked Naruto. "You got a beef with me?"

"A beef? I do not understand what you mean by that, but I merely wanted to confirm that you are indeed Naruto Uzumaki. Hades warned me to be careful of you. He said you were one of our most dangerous opponents."

"Really? Hades said that? I suppose I should be flattered." Naruto glanced at Rias and the others behind him. "Leave this guy to me. You three should go on ahead."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" asked Rias.

Naruto grinned. "Of course I'm sure. You're looking at the most powerful knuckleheaded devil ninja in the entire world. There's no way some giant tentacle monster is gonna get the best of me. Believe it."

…

…

Rias, Issei, and Ophis stared at Naruto, who blushed bright red and coughed into his hand. He turned around and ignored the trio and their deadpan stares.

"A-anyway, just get going already."

"Right," Rias said slowly. "We'll leave this to you."

"Be careful," Ophis added.

"Don't worry. I will." Naruto assured her as he waved them off.

Rias, Issei, and Ophis moved off. Tartarus didn't stop them. Perhaps he realized Naruto would have made his move if he tried, or maybe he didn't think a pair of teenagers and a dragon god who lost her power posed much of a threat. It didn't really matter to Naruto.

"So… you sure you wanna do this?" asked Naruto. "I don't mean to brag, but I've been kicking the asses of gods for a while now. I'm quite good at it. You could say it's become a hobby of mine."

"I care not about what kind of hobbies you have. Even if you are powerful enough to fight against the entire pantheon of Greek Gods, you are nothing compared to me."

Several tentacles suddenly shot forward. Naruto was unable to fly away because the increased gravity was still affecting him, so he began juking left and right across the ground as he tried to close the distance between himself and Tartarus. He leapt over a tentacle that slammed into the ground. Naruto landed on the tentacle and kept running. Another came in from his left, but he channeled chakra into his feet and slid across the surface until he was running along the tentacle's underside.

As Naruto closed the distance, he created a Rasengan in each one, then infused wind chakra and fire chakra respectively into each jutsu. The Rasengan in his left hand gained several sharp shuriken-like blades that spun around at high speeds. A bell-like screech emitted from it. In his other hand, the Rasengan turned fiery red, bursting with repressed power that threatened to blow at any moment. Heat distortions surrounded it.

More tentacles came at him, but Naruto created Shadow Clones without the aid of hand seals. The clones used the replacement technique to replace themselves with Naruto, taking the hits meant for him.

Finally, Naruto reached the massive body of Tartarus. He brought his two separate jutsu together. Gritting his teeth as he struggled to combine them. They just didn't want to, however, as if the opposing elements were forcing themselves to remain separate. Blood seeped from the pores in his arms as, with an effort of will, he screamed and finally combined the two jutsu into one. What resulted was an unstable blob of spinning red and white chakra.

Naruto didn't hesitate to shove it into one of Tartarus' eyes.

A loud cry of pain erupted from Tartarus as Naruto jumped away, landing on the ground and looking up as his unstable jutsu erupted in spinning blades of wind and fire. The attack ripped apart Tartarus's body. As hot winds blasted Naruto in the face, the body of his enemy was reduced to a third of its original size. And now there was a gaping hole near the top. It looked like someone had gouged it out with an ice cream scooper.

"How do you like that?" asked Naruto. "I call it Fuin: Ki no Kaze Rasenshuriken (Double: Fire and Wind Rasenshuriken)."

"I can see why Hades warned us about you. You are dangerous—perhaps even more dangerous than a Longinus wielder."

Steam rose and hissed from Tartarus' damaged body, and while it at first seemed like that was due to the damage Naruto had inflicted, it became obvious what was really happening when the gaping hole began filling in. It was like someone was rewinding the clock. The wound soon closed up as if it had never happened in the first place.

"He has high-speed regeneration like you."

Really? I didn't realize that. Thank you so much for telling me.

"There is no need for sarcasm."

Naruto didn't respond to Kurama as the gravity around him increased. Naruto didn't budge, but the ground beneath his feet cracked as if it couldn't withstand the sudden weight.

"Since you have proven to be such a dangerous opponent, I have no choice but to destroy you."

With a statement like that, how could Naruto do anything but prepare to face off against this… this… er… he really had no idea what to call the Primordial God. He was like something Naruto expected to find from hentai gone wrong.

"Well, I'm certain you'll try."

Regardless of what this god was, he wasn't about to let some giant ball get the better of him. Sliding his feet against the ground, Naruto squared himself off against the giant god.

~Devil Ninja~

Sirzechs remained calm despite the situation. While it was worrying that Hades had gotten the drop on them like this, Kuoh was home to many powerful angels, devils, and fallen angels. His own sister and her peerage lived in this city. They might not be able to go up against a god like Hades, but they could protect it from grim reapers. There was also Naruto to consider. Sirzechs was sure that Naruto was on his way over right now.

I just need to be patient.

"You haven't joined the Chaos Brigade, have you?" asked Azazel.

"Do not be stupid, Azazel," Hades snarked, malevolent eyes glaring at the fallen angel like he'd personally insulted the walking skeleton. "Why would we ever join such a stupid organization? Our interests don't even align with theirs. No. While we plan on using the Chaos Brigade for our own ends, I don't give two twats what that cuntsucker Yami is trying to achieve. The only thing I'm interested in is seeing whether or not he can help me eradicate all of you inferior mythologies."

While Hades ranted and raved like a lunatic, Sirzechs considered what he just learned. He could tell Hades really did not side with Yami and the Chaos Brigade. That said, it did sound like they were working together to some degree. The only question was: what kind of deal had they struck and did that have anything to do with why Hades and his group was here.

"If you're not with the Chaos Brigade, then why are you here?" asked Indra, arms crossed.

"That should be blatantly obvious, Lord of Heaven." The way Hades spat the title "Lord of Heaven" was so acidic it couldn't even be called sarcasm. "I am here to declare war on the devils, the angels, the fallen, the other gods, and all the longinus users of this world. The best way to declare war is to eradicate the people my enemies place on a pedestal."

"So you're going to kill us? Is that it?" asked Brahma.

"Do you even think you're capable of such a thing?"

Shiva, who'd been silent up to this point, stood to his feet and stared Hades down. Though he looked like nothing but a simple boy, a child in middle school even, not even the Lord of the Underworld could withstand the pressure of his gaze. Shiva. God of Destruction. From an outsider's perspective, this might have looked comical. A young boy was staring down a skeleton easily three times his size, and yet none of the people there found anything remotely funny about it.

Sirzechs thought Hades would back off, but contrary to his expectations, the Greek god seemed to smile.

"Perhaps not in a straightforward fight. I'm well aware of the kind of power you possess. However, do you think I would enter a confrontation like this without coming prepared?"

It was hard to tell because he didn't have any muscle fibers and therefore could not make facial expressions, but it seemed almost as if Hades was grinning. Something about that smug look put Sirzechs on guard. Now that he was thinking about it, there was no way Hades would confront them like this if he didn't have a trump card.

Hades waved his hands in a grand gesture that called forth a portal of darkness. Three objects appeared from within: a chest, a rod, and a jar.

Sirzechs' breathing stilled.

Michael gasped.

Even Azazel looked like someone had drained him of all his blood.

The chest was easily the most recognizable object among the three. It was two cubits and a half in length, which equated to about fifty-two inches, or 132.8 centimeters. It was inlaid inside and out with pure gold with a moulding of gold around it. Four rings of gold, two on each side, were molded to its surface. A pole of acacia wood overlaid with gold slid between each of the two rings so it could be transported.

An atonement cover built with pure gold and with the same dimensions in length and breadth covered it. There was one cherubim of gold on both ends. Sirzechs recognized the importance of the cherubim, which had their wings spread and facing one another, symbolizing the angels' attention and readiness to do God's will.

Yes, Sirzechs and all the others knew what this was. A holy aura unlike anything he'd ever felt emanated from this decorative box. Even Shiva's eyes widened at the sight.

"That's the Ark of the Covenant," Michael whispered in both reference and anguish.

The Ark of the Covenant, one of the most instrumental symbols of faith and God's presence, said to be the object within which the Ten Commandments rested. It was an item thought to have been lost during the Great War between angels, devils, and fallen angels back when God was still alive.

"How…?" Michael tried to ask but couldn't, such was his emotional state.

"How did I find it?" Hades chuckled. "Well, it wasn't easy. The Ark had been lost during the war you fools were fighting. This little instrument somehow ended up in the underworld where I resided, though I do not know when it arrived. It was only recently that I located it." Hades cackled, and it was like rocks grinding against a chalkboard. "How I found it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that I have it. You know what this can do, right?"

"He who commands the Ark commands the people." Michael swallowed thickly. "It allows someone to create ten absolute commands that must be upheld by whoever the command is made of. It does not matter whether they are human or god. All creatures who exist under the heavens have no choice but to obey those commands."

"Kya ha ha ha! That's correct!"

Hades erupted with laughter, clearly enjoying himself. Sirzechs felt something unpleasant prickle on his scalp. Even the normally arrogant Indra looked like he had swallowed something foul. The only one who didn't appear worried was Shiva, who merely wore a look of curiosity.

"And what do you think I wrote? Who do you think I made commands to?"

He looked at Sirzechs, then Shiva, Indra, and Brahma in that order. After which, he spread his arms as if goading them into answering, though none of them said anything. They didn't dare say something. That only made his cackling all the more aggravating.

"Of course, I made my first command a simple one. Those who belong to the Top Ten Strong Beings in Existence shall not harm any member of the Alliance of Hell. Ke ke ke. It's a simple command, and in one fell swoop, I've removed several of the greatest threats my alliance has!"

Sirzechs gritted his teeth behind the thin line that had become his mouth. He stood up and unleashed his power at Hades. The Power of Destruction roiled fourth and swept over Hades like a storm of red and black energy—or that was what should have happened. Sirzechs and the others became shocked when the red energy split apart like the Red Sea when it parted for Moses. Neither Hades nor the other gods with him were harmed at all.

More cackling erupted, though it wasn't just from Hades. Erebus, Nyx, and Angra Maiyu were all laughing now as well.

"Do you see now? You cannot harm me. Ah. But I… I can harm you all I want."

Sirzechs didn't have time to say anything before Hades appeared before him. He felt the force of Hades' backhand striking him. Such an attack would not have hurt him under normal circumstances, but the effects of the Ark's power of Absolute Command was such that even touching Hades caused Sirzechs harm.

He screamed as he was sent flying backward, slamming into the table, which broke underneath him.

"Sirzechs!"

"Are you okay?!"

Azazel and Michael hurried over to Sirzechs as he sat up, looking unharmed but shaken.

"I'm… I'm okay," Sirzechs said.

While he stood up and tried to remain cool, Sirzechs could not deny his shock, or his fear. There were a number of beings stronger than him. Sirzechs was near the bottom of the Top Ten Strongest ranking, after all. Yet there were still so few who could do this to him that finding out an entire group of enemies were now able to harm him, and he was unable to harm them in return, made him feel a sense of helplessness he'd not felt in a very long time.

"That's a good look for you," Hades said with a chuckle. "You cannot fathom how long I have wanted to put you in your place, Sirzechs. The power you possess was always unearned. Power like that should belong to true gods, true rulers, not fakers like yourself. Now that I have the Ark of the Covenant, I need not fear you or anyone else. Heh. I don't even have to fear that damn Ouroboros Dragon."

"What is this about me?"

The voice came seconds before a lithe body appeared within the room. Long black hair. Gothic lolita clothes. Skin so pale it was nearly translucent. The young woman before them was obviously Ophis. She had appeared right next to Hades as if she were a mirage. Even Hades was startled, though he didn't move away, secure in the knowledge that this creature disguised as a woman could not harm him.

Those were his thoughts until something small but impossibly powerful slammed into the underside of his jaw.

Ophis had just struck him with a powerful uppercut.

"Hades!" several voices shouted at once as Hades found his head being unceremoniously stuck in the ceiling.

While the Lord of the Underworld unstuck his head from the ceiling, several other figures burst into the room. The first was Issei. His signature scale male already adorned his body as he landed beside Ophis. Next to him was Rias Gremory. While Sirzechs found himself worried about their sudden appearance, he also couldn't help but smile. After all, if Rias was here, then it meant Naruto must also be close by.

At that moment, a sound like a seismic quake echoed around them. It was loud enough to shatter eardrums. Sirzechs and the others looked outside to see a massive crimson sphere of flames demolish a good third of Tartarus' body. While the Hindu gods did not recognize the attack, Sirzechs could tell this was Naruto's handiwork.

Hades pulled himself from the roof and landed with a thud on the floor. He glared at Ophis, a hairline fracture now running across his jaw.

"You… how did you hurt me?! There's no way that should be possible! Even a dragon god such as yourself is not immune to the rules of the Ark!"

Ophis tilted her head for a moment like she couldn't fathom what this man was saying, but then a condescending smile appeared on her lips.

"You mean you didn't know?" she asked mischievously.

"Know what?" asked Hades.

"I'm no longer among the Top Ten Strong Beings in the World anymore. Haven't been since Lilith stole most of my power."

Ophis shrugged as dark miasma began pouring from her body in vast amounts, as a chilly aura spread through the room and several ethereal snakes emerged from her body and wrapped around Ophis like a second armor.

"Of course, just because I lost most of my power doesn't mean I'm not still strong."

The insides of the room began shaking violently, forcing Nyx, Erebus, and those who'd been seated at the conference table to bend their knees.

"Naruto has been helping me regain my strength, bit by bit."

Ophis shifted her feet across the ground, raised her hands in an approximation of a boxing stance, and stared down Hades with the dead eyes she used to be known for before meeting and falling in love with Naruto.

"Since I'm no longer one of the Top Ten Strongest, your commandments have no affect on me, and while my power might have waned, I am still more than strong enough to kick your ass," Ophis declared, and before Hades could even respond, she smashed her fist into his face. Again.