Chapter 22
"...Ugh, why is this thing so uncomfortable? Especially around the collar. I'm hating this party already." Naruto grumbled to himself, staring at himself in a full length mirror.
Today was the big day. An important day for a lot of people, including himself.
Unfortunately.
He'd have to deal with a group of people that would probably piss him off enough on a good day, let alone while wearing this ridiculous tuxedo.
It was tight, uncomfortable, and had no orange in sight.
Mio already made sure to confiscate any orange ties and hide them away in secure locations no doubt.
That traitor.
The blond pulled at his collar again, seeking to stretch the cloth so that his neck could get more room to breathe. He's never had to wear such impractical clothing before in his entire life.
Maybe if he could just loosen the top button on his shirt and then hide it behind his tie...
He stared at himself in the mirror again, debating whether he could get away with it, internally noting that he was being immature about the entire thing.
Naruto's eyes lit up.
Maybe he could use a henge to hide the fact that he had his shirt unbuttoned!?
If he was sneaky enough...then maybe he could get away with it for the entire party!
Grinning, he mercifully unbuttoned the top button at the collar so that he could breathe again, before unbuttoning the rest of his shirt, allowing for better comfort. He then created a quick henge to make it seem like he was prim and proper for the celebrations.
Man, he could be a genius at times.
He finally stopped patting himself on the back when someone began knocking on the door behind him, making him jump a little.
"Hey Naruto! Are you done in there yet? I'm pretty sure that guys don't usually take so long!" Mio called out from behind the door.
Naruto groaned. He was having a moment here...
"R-Right! I'm coming out!" the blond called back, before turning to exit the safe confines of the bathroom.
He could already tell that this little party would be a pain in the ass...
"Hey there Kiba! All prepped to go I see!" Naruto called out enthusiastically, impressed that his fellow blond was so well prepared for this annoying get-together.
More importantly, it seemed that the knight wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as he was.
The bishōnen gave him an easy grin, obviously comfortable with what he was wearing.
...Damn him.
"Well we are kind of used to high-class devil society by this point, so this is a given. I'm more surprised that you are managing as well as we are." Yuuto replied with an airy grin.
The knight was pretty sure that his fellow blond would have tried some kind of hare-brained scheme to get out of the somewhat uncomfortable clothes. But it seemed he was wrong this time around.
Naruto bashfully rubbed the back of his head, trying to hide the fact that he was doing just what the knight said.
Before he could reply though, he noticed something off.
"...Yuki. Why aren't you changing clothes?" the shinobi asked with a frown, staring at the hero who was sitting down at the dining room table.
The hero in question raised a delicate eyebrow at Naruto. "Naruto...I don't think that devils would appreciate the irony of a hero going to one of their parties."
Naruto opened his mouth to respond, then shut it.
Good point.
"...Well I guess so. But are you ok with that?"
Yuki shrugged her shoulders without much thought, she knew full well that she had to be patient here. After all, the last time a hero made it to the Underworld...
Well...there was a war at the time.
Suffice it to say, considering how long-lasting devils could be, it wasn't a good idea to go down there without an explicit invitation.
"Don't worry, I think it's best that I make sure that Asia-san is safe while all of you are away." Yuki said eventually, glancing at the nun through the side of her eyes.
Naruto followed her gaze to stare at the young female blond, she was fretting over Issei's tuxedo, which he was borrowing.
Considering that she probably had even less experience with such clothing than he did, it was painfully obvious that she wasn't too sure what she was doing.
But it seemed that Issei found her fretting cute, so the shinobi decided to just let them have their fun.
"...We still don't know who attacked Asia-san the other day, or why. Since you're going to be gone for an extended period of time...someone has to make sure everything doesn't explode." the young hero said dryly, giving Naruto a small smirk.
Naruto just smirked back.
"Alright then. I'm counting on you to hold the fort while we're gone." the blond announced, much to Yuki's silent amusement.
"I think that I'll join her!" a voice cried out.
Naruto turned to Maria in confusion, what was she talking about?
Yuki was also giving her a doubtful stare.
Seeing that everyone was confused by her announcement, she decided to elaborate.
"Look, I don't think that a 'person' like me would be welcome to this party. So I think that I should just pick up Mio-sama's and Naruto-sama's luggage and return it to the house." Maria stated reasonably.
She doubted that the high-class devils would appreciate her being there either.
Naruto frowned at her, a sneaking suspicion rising to the forefront of his thoughts.
"...Maria. Could it be that there is some kind of stigma against your kind in the Underworld?" the blond asked with concern.
The young succubus gave him a small shrug and an apologetic smile.
Naruto sighed.
This party was already pissing him off...
"Alright! So is everyone ready to go now? We won't be coming back to the mansion, so everyone make sure that you're not forgetting anything!" Rias reminded.
Issei raised his hand, trying to grab the devil's attention.
"Uh...Buchou? I just wanted to know, why can't Asia come with us again? I don't really like the idea that Asia will be alone in Kuoh Town by herself..." the brown-haired boy muttered uneasily.
Yuki glanced at Issei, looking a little annoyed.
"Are you saying that I can't protect Asia-san?" the hero asked quietly.
Issei shook his head at her rapidly. "No! Of course not! I just feel better if Asia's by my side is all."
Yuki's eyes softened, she could respect that.
"Sorry Issei, but no. Humans aren't really allowed into the Underworld at all. Onii-sama is already breaking convention by allowing Naruto to come, so it's best not to cause trouble." Rias responded to Issei's question.
The pawn sighed, visibly upset by the decision.
Naruto patted him on the shoulder. "It's alright Issei. Yuki can handle it."
The blond turned his attention back to Rias. "I think mostly everyone is ready, we're just waiting for Mio. So how are we going to get to the Underworld?"
Rias nodded and motioned towards the ground near her.
Magic circles.
"These magic circles will take us to our destinations. One for Kuoh Town, the other to the building where the party is taking place." the high-class devil explained patiently, before facing Naruto. "Gremory servants will come by and transport the luggage of my Peerage members to their homes. But unfortunately, I doubt that they are going to pick up the luggage of those who aren't of the Gremory clan."
Naruto nodded, that was fine. He already put his luggage into a storage seal and Mio's luggage was going with Maria.
After a long moment of waiting, Mio finally emerged from the bathroom, ready to go.
"Hey Mio! You're ready right?" Naruto called out to his 'sister'.
The red-head in question blinked as she realized that everyone was ready to go except her.
Ah...they were waiting on her.
"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go everyone." the half-devil said resolutely.
It was time to meet the current Maou Lucifer.
She hoped that he was friendly.
"...Why are all the buildings that devils own so...grandiose?" Naruto asked with squinted eyes.
"Well, they are devils I guess..." Mio muttered in reply, eyes scanning the large structure with slight worry.
They were here, the building that was housing the celebrations.
Except that it was a castle.
A legitimate castle.
"...We're used to it." Koneko said to the blond in response.
Ah...so it was an acquired taste sort of thing?
"Come on you two, stop gawking at the castle and let's get going. We're a little late and I don't want to get scolded." Rias reprimanded the group as she trudged on forward, intent on getting this function over with.
In accordance to her words, the group moved forward to the entrance of the castle.
The group had entered the magic circle earlier and had given their farewells to Yuki, Maria, and Asia. Hopefully they wouldn't have any trouble while they were gone.
The shinobi shook his head, it was game time and he had to concentrate now.
Both on the annoying high-class people...and with keeping up his henge.
Yep, he was going through with it, sue him.
"Hey...Naruto? I didn't ask earlier, but do you think that I look alright? I don't want to embarrass anyone."
The blond ended his thoughts before turning to Mio's inquisitive and slightly worried eyes.
He studied her dress for a split-second.
She was wearing one of Rias' dresses for the occasion, a red formal dress that held itself together with straps on her shoulders, giving a slight view of her breasts without showing off too much.
She was also letting her hair loose, forgoing her usual hair style for the occasion.
But Naruto didn't notice that.
"I think it looks alright." the blond responded with a grin and a thumbs up.
He thought that his words would reassure her.
If anything, she seemed to be crestfallen at his words, taking it as words that were meant to smooth over his bad opinion.
"Ah...I see...alright huh..." Mio mumbled quietly to herself.
Knowing instinctively that he screwed up somehow, Naruto attempted some damage control.
"Uh...I mean that it's really alright! As in amazing! Great! Two thumbs up!" the shinobi fumbled over his compliments, hoping that some of them would stick.
Apparently it worked, as Mio looked slightly comforted by his words by breathing a sigh of relief.
"...This is pretty painful to watch, huh Issei-kun?"
"For the first time, I think I can agree with you Kiba."
Naruto glared at his two fellow males.
"...Shut the fuck up."
"Alright...this is it. The moment of truth." Naruto muttered, staring at the large ornate doors which led to the main room.
The group was finally here, the celebrations were occurring right beyond these doors.
As well as all of the high-class devils which were invited.
Rias walked ahead and placed her hands on the door, pushing them open with a little bit of effort.
He watched as the red-head sent him a grin, before walking through the crack that the opening made, entering the party.
The blond then watched as Koneko walked past him, joining her king. But not before turning her head slightly and giving him an encouraging nod.
Yuuto came in after her, patting his back a little in support as he walked past.
Issei charged after them, giving Naruto a thumbs up before continuing.
Finally, Akeno offered him a smile as she passed, joining the rest of the Peerage to the main room.
Naruto was grateful for the small show of support, this was seriously new territory for him.
But it had to be done, not for his sake...but for...
He then felt Mio's arm snake their way around his own, hooking them together.
"...Scared?" the red-head asked quietly.
"...A little." Naruto eventually admitted, honestly feeling some butterflies in his stomach.
"Me too. I'm not used to these political arenas...kind of afraid that I will do something stupid and start a war, or something like that." Mio admitted with a self-mocking grin.
The shinobi grinned as well, nudging her slightly with his arm. "That's what I'm supposed to do, dattebayo. You can't take that from me...that'd leave me out of a job."
His 'sister' shrugged. "Like I said before. I've learned some things from you. I never said they were all good things, now did I?"
...Bleh, good point. He was a bad brother and a terrible role model.
"...We can't stay here forever. So how about we go ahead...and face this together?" Mio asked quietly, turning to face him with a bashful smile.
Naruto couldn't have agreed more.
So they walked in, together.
Naruto and Mio walked inside the large hall, silently gaping as they took in the sights of the main room.
It was massive, the hall itself was probably the size of a six-story apartment building in both height and width, it was ridiculous!
More importantly, the hall was filled with devils, all without a doubt from noble lineage.
Naruto shook his head, he had to concentrate. First things first...meet with the Maou.
"Mio, ready to meet the Maou?" the shinobi asked, looking towards the back of the room.
There was an elevated stairway, he had no doubt that Rias' older brother was there.
"As ready as I'll ever be I guess...let's go."
So the duo moved with purpose, past the many groups of devils cautiously, not wanting to draw attention to themselves.
At least they tried.
While the 'siblings' were making their way to the opposite side of the hall, Mio accidentally stepped on someone's cloak.
*SLAM*
The entire hall went silent as a devil fell flat on his face.
Then the chuckling began, stifled, but definitely present.
Mio's eyes were as wide as saucers, glancing at the man in question and her foot, seemingly blaming the appendage for the damage.
"...Damn it Mio." Naruto mumbled quietly.
She could do nothing but give him an apologetic look.
The devil that fell on the floor got back up slowly, wiping himself of the dust, and turned to face them.
He was a young man with dark skin, strange marks on his face, and blue hair that was standing up.
He was also pissed.
"...How dare you peons humiliate me! Who the hell do you think you are!? Seeing as I don't recognize either of you...I can assume that you are merely low-class trash! Where's your master!?" the devil shouted in anger, clearly embarrassed of his fall.
The shinobi raised his hands up in surrender. "Woah woah! Let's calm down here...we're sorry ok? We'll just be on our way now..."
Naruto tried to shepherd Mio away from the escalating scene, but the devil moved in their way with a sneer.
"What? That's it!? I'm a high-class devil you peasant! You should be bowing and groveling for forgiveness! Perhaps my illustrious self could forgive you if you kiss my feet in recompense."
Naruto's face twisted in annoyance, this was not how he wanted to make his first impression...
"Now now, Zephyrdor-san of the Glasya-Labolas clan...they've apologized. No need to cause unnecessary trouble when there was none to be had." a familiar voice intervened.
Naruto's eyes snapped to the voice, surprised.
"S-Sona-kaichou!" the blond said in slight shock, he honestly wasn't expecting to see her.
Though he probably should have.
The student council president of Kuoh Academy gave Naruto a measured nod before turning to Zephyrdor.
Zephyrdor sneered at the young female devil. "What's the heiress of the Sitri clan doing protecting trash? You should be careful...you don't want any unnecessary rumors to spread around, ya know?"
Sona merely raised her glasses back to the bridge of her nose.
"I think I'll manage." was all she said.
Before anything could escalate further, another voice stepped in.
"Now now, we are all her to celebrate are we not? Let's not cause a scene on such a joyous occasion." a masculine voice called to the group.
All eyes turned to watch as a well-built man walked up to the group, another high-class devil.
He was a young man with a muscular body, he had black hair that was spiky and slanted to the side, as well as violet eyes.
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly, this guy...was different from the rest.
"...Tch, now the failure of the Bael clan has arrived too...what's a failure like you want? Sairaorg?" Zephyrdor remarked rudely and without a hint of respect.
Sona was about to castigate him for his tone, but Sairaorg spoke first.
"...Perhaps I'm a failure in your eyes, but it doesn't change the fact that we're all here through the graces of Lucifer-sama. We should honor him and his guests...unless you're silently implying that Lucifer-sama made a mistake in allowing our friends here to come?"
The aggressive devil's face locked up for a moment, dreading the implications, before snarling at the well-built devil.
"...This isn't over, failure!" Zephyrdor called out, before turning around and storming away from the group.
Mio let loose the breath that she was holding in.
Yeah...she really wasn't sure that this was a good idea at all. Not even a few minutes into this thing, and she was sure that she already made a new enemy.
She even dragged other people into it...
"Hey, thanks for the assist you two. Not too sure what I would have done if he continued to run his mouth." Naruto thanked with an easy grin.
Honestly though, he probably would have punched him across the room for being such an asshole.
...Yeah, he was no diplomat to be sure.
Sona sent him a small smile. "Of course Uzumaki-san. As student council president...it's my duty to look out for the students of Kuoh Academy. Even if they are particularly...troublesome."
Oh...if only she knew how that word made him feel right then and there.
The devil known as Sairaorg gave him a large grin as well. "No worries! The only time that someone should have the right to battle one another with words...is when they are battling one another with their fists!"
Naruto and Mio felt small sweatdrops begin to form, was this guy for real?
"...Uzumaki-san, this is Sairaorg Bael, the heir of Bael clan. He's a bit of a...battle maniac." Sona muttered quietly to Naruto.
Yeah, he noticed.
"Hey! Naruto! Mio-chan! Are you two ok!?" Rias called out to the duo.
The small group turned to face Rias, who rushed towards them in a hurry.
"I heard the commotion! I came here as soon as I could to try to help but...it seems that my worry was baseless." Rias remarked as she glanced at the two high-class devils by the blond's side.
"Rias. Why is Uzumaki-san here? Bringing him here is...a bad idea in general." the Kaichou of Kuoh Academy said with a disapproving stare.
The red-head shook her head at her close friend. "Many things have happened recently Sona...his presence here was requested by my older brother."
The heiress of the Sitri clan didn't budge from this information. "I've heard, but it also wasn't a mandatory request. Bringing a human here, no matter how knowledgeable, isn't a good idea. He could be targeted because of it! Not to mention his sister. Just look around you."
Naruto frowned as he turned around to look at his surroundings.
His eyes narrowed as he realized that they were the center of attention for a lot of these high-class devils...
"...Did you hear what the Gremory heiress said? She said 'Naruto'..."
"Isn't that the name of the guy who canceled the marriage...?"
"It is. So this is that bastard huh...?"
Mio moved closer to the blond in consternation, suddenly aware of the negative emotions being aimed at them.
Rias bit her lips, watching as many devils began to glare at her savi-friend. Was this a mistake after all?
Too many devils valued the names of noble families and power, Naruto must have seemed like a nobody to them.
...And this nobody canceled a marriage of two nobles, no doubt there were negative feelings about this.
Naruto prepared for any kind of hostility, knowing that he could take anything these people dished out, but Mio on the other hand...
"Hey! These are the guests of Maou-sama! He's expecting these two as well! It's best not to keep him waiting, right?" Sairaorg called out with a heartily, seemingly not seeing the escalating situation.
That broke the spell of hostility over the many devils surrounding them, and they quickly began to disperse, not wanting to be seen publicly glaring at the Maou's 'charity case'.
The shinobi sent a thankful nod to the heir of the Bael clan.
"Thanks once again, you really are an alright guy." Naruto stated with a relieved smile.
Sairaorg just let loose a humorous snort. "Ha! An 'alright guy' he says! You're really something else!"
Then his expression turned serious for a moment, staring deeply into Naruto's eyes.
The blond didn't flinch, staring back without hesitation.
"...I like your eyes. Care to give me your name, through your own consent? Much better to hear someone's name from their own mouth rather than from someone else's." Sairaorg eventually asked with an excited smirk.
"...Uzumaki Naruto, remember it." Naruto said with a grin of his own.
"Don't worry Uzumaki Naruto...even if you didn't tell me to, I would have." the muscular devil remarked with confidence, before turning to Rias.
"Rias...you've found someone incredibly interesting. Hold on to him." Sairaorg stated with conviction.
"...Don't need to tell me twice." Rias muttered in reply, before turning away from him resolutely.
The heir of the Bael clan grinned, then turned away, intent on finding his Peerage.
As the group watched the devil walk away, Sona turned to Naruto with a stern look.
But before she could say anything, the blond cut her off.
"Hey, I understand that coming here wasn't a smart idea by any means...but I have to speak to the Maou Lucifer. Mio also has to speak to him. I understand that you're trying to look after us, but let us make our decisions. We'll deal with other problems when we have to." Naruto chastised while putting his hand on her shoulder.
Sona's expression didn't change, she only concentrated on his eyes.
She saw nothing but determination.
She sighed, he could be so...
"...Fine. Do what you will." the high-class devil relented.
Rias gave Sona a comforting smile, she knew full well that her close friend meant well.
But there was no convincing Naruto when he was like this.
Mio-chan was seemingly getting that trait from Naruto as well...
Sona turned to Naruto one last time, with one last warning.
"Uzumaki-san...please try to avoid causing trouble. It would be very much appreciated if you could do that." Sona remarked dryly.
Naruto shrugged helplessly.
Trouble found him, not the other way around.
With that, she gave Mio and Rias respectful nods, before leaving to find her Peerage as well.
Rias finally turned back to the two that she left to find in the first place and gave them both deadpanned looks.
"...This time, you're following me to onii-sama. I don't want you two to cause another scene." the Gremory heiress said with a wry smile making it's way to her lips.
Neither Naruto or Mio could really refute her, so they did the next best thing.
""...Sorry.""
Rias sighed, at least she managed to grab the two before anything truly disastrous could happen...
She glanced at Naruto in particular, at least he didn't do anything too-
Her eyes bulged when she realized something.
Something that normally wasn't a big deal, but in these circumstances...was a very big deal.
Naruto's shirt was unbuttoned, showing off his black t-shirt underneath.
It was one thing for a well-established devil to do it, it was one thing for a random stranger to do it, it was one thing when the party was a happy occasion in the minds of most devils...
It was another thing entirely when this celebration was meant to show that an 'arrangement' that most of devil society wanted was getting canceled.
When the person responsible for canceling the marriage was walking around in their high-class party.
When that person wasn't even a devil.
In short, Naruto's minor breach in protocol could very well generate a lot of bad feelings.
So this was why Rias was scrambling around Naruto and pulling him to the safety of the Maou's personal box, which was overlooking the entire party.
"Hey hey! What the hell!? What are you doing, Rias!?" Naruto cried out in shock, as he was blatantly dragged away from the party.
"Shh! Be quiet! Your shirt! Look at your shirt!" Rias whispered harshly while she dragged the blond away.
Mio was jogging behind the two, confused at her fellow red-head's actions.
So why...?
Mio noticed it.
"...Damn it Naruto." Mio mumbled quietly.
The shinobi gave her an apologetic look.
Then he frowned.
Damn it...their roles were reversed.
So Mio and Rias did their best to hide Naruto's unbuttoned shirt by congregating by his side and forming what amounted to a small huddle.
Although no one actually said anything, some devils began to seethe at the blond, mostly due to their own misconceptions of what they were seeing.
Two red-heads walking closely together, practically mashing their bodies to a single guy?
There were many curses being sent to the blond, much to Naruto's confusion.
"I'm glad to see that you have all made it here without trouble...at least I hope that you all made it here without trouble." Grayfia stated with a pointed look.
She was referring to the trio of teens that have arrived at the Maou's box, an area that overlooked the main hall of the celebrations.
Basically VIP seats for anyone that the Maou wished to save from the gossiping and conspiring noble devils below.
At least to Naruto it was.
In regards to the maid's earlier statement, Mio looked away uneasily.
Naruto scratched his cheek with an awkward smile.
Rias cleared her throat.
"I suppose you could say that Grayfia, is onii-sama ready to see them?" Rias said quickly, trying to change the subject.
If the maid noticed their evasiveness, she didn't comment. But before she could say anything, someone else spoke up.
"RIA-TAAAAAAAN!"
To Naruto and Mio, all they saw was a crimson blur rush pass them and crash into Rias, sending her to the ground.
Both teens were dumbfounded to watch as a young man practically body slammed Rias to the ground, seemingly crushing her with a hug and crying waterfall tears.
"Ria-tan! I was soooooo worried! I thought that I might have to send Beowulf to help train your Peerage for the rating games against Riser! But you somehow managed to get out of the engagement! Onii-sama is so happy!" the young man exclaimed with bountiful tears streaming down his face.
Rias couldn't respond, she was too busy trying to breathe.
Naruto was about to intervene into the weird scene, but the beautiful maid stepped in.
But the blond didn't expect her to step in so...boldly.
She literally walked up to him, a stoic face still in place, and pulled at the man's ear to get him away from Gremory heiress.
"Sirzechs-sama, please control yourself. We are still in public and there are guests present, so please retain your proper bearing as a Maou." Grayfia scolded with a stern look, completely uncompromising.
Naruto's and Mio's eyes bulged at what the silver-headed woman said.
Sirzechs!? As in the Maou Lucifer!?
Sirzechs yelped as he was pulled away from Rias by his ear, flailing his arms as he felt his ear being stretched to the absolute limit.
"Ahhhh! Grayfia~!" the Maou cried out.
As Grayfia ignored her king's unspoken begging, Rias gained some distance and took large gulps of air, thankful that she could breathe again.
Naruto walked up to her, an incredulous expression on his face.
"So...your brother...is he always like this?" Naruto asked in slight awe, honestly not expecting for the powerful man to be so...
Eccentric.
"...You have no idea." was all the red-headed devil said, an annoyed glare aimed at her older brother.
Then she shifted her sights to Mio, with a pointed look.
The message was obvious.
'I told you so.'
"...I'm sorry for believing that my older brother problems were worse than yours." Mio mumbled quietly, genuinely remorseful for her little sister-in-arms.
Rias nodded solemnly, as long as she understood her pain.
Naruto rolled his eyes at their dramatics, he wasn't thatbad. While this guy was just a bit...eccentric. Nothing harmful.
"Hey! You've got an imouto too right!? So you must understand my pain here! Help me!" the Maou cried out to Naruto, seeking assistance against his slightly tyrannical wife.
The shinobi was at a loss here, looking slightly uncomfortable at getting asked for help by a faction leader...against his wife.
"Please! Our little sisters have united right!? So just like they have made a team...we should team up too! Onii-chans unite!"
Naruto's jaw was slightly unhinged after hearing that desperate plea, maybe Rias really had a point about her brother after all...?
...But wait.
The possibilities...!
Just what could his genius do with the resources of a Maou!?
What ultimate pranks awaited such an alliance!?
"...Gehehe..."
Naruto unintentionally let loose a creepy chuckle, much to the rising horror of Mio.
"No wait! Naruto! It isn't worth it!" the half-devil claimed in horror, desperately trying to make sure that he wasn't corrupted by the Maou.
The shinobi frowned, it wasn't worth it?
How could that be so? He could create high value pranks with a Maou's resources...what could go wrong with this plan?
"It's a trap Naruto! He will you down the path of the sis-con! Don't do it! I've heard of the horror stories!" Mio pleaded, remembering all of the embarrassing situations that Rias-sempai's brother made her go through.
She couldn't let Naruto fall for the same trap!
Grayfia was just watching the entire scene unfold by this point. A twitching eyebrow was the only sign of her annoyance.
The current Maou Lucifer was still begging for his queen to let go of him.
Rias was still catching her breath and eyeing her brother warily, just in case he tackled her to the ground again.
Naruto was deciding whether teaming up with the ultimate sis-con would be worth it and his 'sister' was trying to desperately dissuade him.
She sighed.
Why was she the only sane one here...?
"Ahhaha! Sorry about that everyone...I was just excited that my precious sister has finally been freed from her engagement. Seeing her again after hearing the news just made me want to hug the life out of her!" Sirzechs claimed with enthusiasm.
Naruto looked amused by his admission, but Rias definitely wasn't.
"...Onii-sama...you jerk." Rias mumbled quietly, a light blush on her face.
Sirzechs gave her an apologetic smile, but he didn't seem that sorry.
"Ok then! Now that we've got that out of the way, I'd like for everyone except Naruto-kun and Mio-kun to leave. I wish to speak with them alone."
Grayfia bowed, acquising to her king's wishes.
Rias stared at her brother for a moment, curious to what he would be talking to Naruto and Mio-chan about...
Then she sighed, she wouldn't get anything from him while Grayfia was around. Best to wait for another time.
So the maid escorted the Gremory heiress out of the Maou's box, to give them some privacy.
Once the two women left, a serious expression finally reached the current Maou Lucifer's face.
Serious time.
"Naruto-kun, I've heard of your exploits from Grayfia, first and foremost...I'd like to thank you for helping my imouto." Sirzechs said, honest gratitude evident in his facial features.
Naruto grinned. "No worries Sirzechs-san. She just needed a little help...so as a friend, I provided it. That simple."
The red-headed Maou smiled at that response.
But that smile very quickly turned into a frown.
"Naruto-kun...I'd really like to believe that. But to be perfectly honest, I'm not too sure if you're that trustworthy." the Maou claimed.
But before the blond could say anything, Sirzechs continued.
"Please understand Naruto-kun...that for me, you came practically out of nowhere. You're strangely powerful, strangely skilled, strangely befriended the heiress of one of the most powerful devil clans, and helped her for free...in essence, the devil side of me is suspicious of your motives. After all, why am I only hearing about you now? Someone of your abilities should have been noted by many factions, as a possible ally, enemy, or simply a neutral. Yet the first time I've heard your name...it was as a result of you helping my precious imouto, in a summer home, as a close friend. All in a short time as well."
Sirzechs sighed after explaining himself a little more, he then opened his eyes to gauge this mysterious blond's reaction.
Instead of angry or worried, which was what the Maou expected, the blond seemed...
Confused.
"Uh...wait. This is the first time you've heard of me? That's weird...I thought that the information of my victory against that fallen angel; Vretiel, would have spread by now." Naruto said with a confounded face.
She was a big deal right? At least he thought so...yet this is the first time that the powerful man had heard of him?
When Naruto ventured to ask, he noticed that the Maou's eyes were trained on him intensely.
"...That was you...? Then that means that you're...the 'Unknown Variable'...?" Sirzechs asked hesitantly, not quite believing that this human boy could defeat Vretiel.
But if he was...
"Ah...that stupid name again...where the hell did it even come from?" Naruto grumbled out loud, disgruntled that such a name has stuck to him.
The Maou's frown deepened. So he was the 'Unknown Variable' that he has been hearing about huh...? What an interesting turn of events.
"I see, well I think that complicates things a bit. But nevertheless, you still aided my imouto in her time of need, so I will properly pay you back for that in a moment. But first...I still need to speak with Mio-kun here." Sirzechs stated, turning to the young daughter of the Original Lucifer.
Mio shifted uncomfortably, she's been having trouble gathering the courage to truly partake in the conversation. So to suddenly get dragged into it was...
The shinobi noticed her discomfort, so he moved closer to her and faced the Maou. "Um...if if she's uncomfortable, then is it ok to do this at a different time?"
"No wait."
Sirzechs and Naruto turned to look at the young red-head, a little surprised that she wanted to go through with this.
She bit her lip, her face tightened, and her fists clenched. She wasn't sure if she had to guts to keep going.
No...she had to keep going, she had to learn the truth of her birth father.
She took a deep breathe, then exhaled.
Finally, she gave the current Maou Lucifer a determined stare, ready to keep going.
Seeing this, Sirzechs obliged. "Ok Mio-kun...do you know anything about your birth father?"
The young half-devil closed her eyes, trying to drudge up anything of her birth father...
"...Nothing, I don't remember anything of him." Mio mumbled apologetically.
The red-headed Maou shook his head. "It's fine, I didn't really expect anything, just needed to make sure. Hmm...maybe if I tell you a bit of what I remember of the Original Lucifer, that could help you remember something? If there is something anyways."
Mio's back straightened, unintentionally making her more alert and attentive.
Naruto was watching the current Lucifer with interest as well, looking for more information on the first Lucifer.
"...The Original Lucifer...was a vengeful and selfish man. Even more so than most devils, even of his time. A lot of pride, both in himself and to his species. He always believed in the superiority of devil-kind over other races, especially to the angels under the God of the Bible. However, that pride, selfishness, and vengeful spirit was what pushed him to consistently wage war against Heaven and the Fallen Angels as well. No matter how many of his kind fell, he would always pursue another battle, a chance to kill more of his enemies." Sirzechs began quietly, remembering the few times he saw the dangerous man.
The two teens were watching the older male with intensity, very much interested in what happened.
Sirzechs continued. "Although many devils were loyal to him, they began to resent his heavy hand and warmongering ways. Many devils lost loved ones during the Great War, but any that tried to protest about it were eliminated without remorse. The rest of the Maous staunchly supported Lucifer in his wars, so eventually...devils simply had enough. A civil war broke out, the Original Yondai Maou on one side and the Anti-Maou Faction on the other. I fought in that war as one of the most powerful members of the Anti-Maou Faction...and we eventually killed off most of the Original Maous...except Lucifer."
At this, the current Maou Lucifer leaned back into his chair, relaxing himself after recounting so many memories of trials so long ago.
Naruto was watching him with sympathy, he doubted that it was easy...killing off so many of his fellow devils. But these Original Maous sounded like bad eggs.
Mio for her part, was feeling intensely conflicted feelings. On one hand, she was learning more about her origins, the story of the father that she has never known...but on the other, she was also learning about all of his atrocities.
She wasn't too sure how to feel.
Sirzechs finally began recounting the last, and most important part of the story. The piece of information that no doubt had to do with the young girl in front of him.
"The Original Lucifer escaped the final battle of the civil war, escaping from the Underworld and into the human world. This civil war took place about three hundred years ago...and although we've searched for him across the globe, we haven't found him...until recently that is. We eventually found him and brought him back to the Underworld to be trialed and executed for his crimes...that was about fifteen years ago." the Maou stated solemnly.
Naruto's eyes widened, that was...!
"...That's around how old I am..." Mio mumbled out loud, eyes downcast.
The room was silent, only the sounds of the chattering of the party was keeping the occupants company.
"...Look, I'm sorry that I've dumped this information on you, but this is extremely important. Do you recall anything of your father after hearing his story?" Sirzechs pressed.
Mio shook her head quietly, she honestly couldn't remember anything.
The Maou sighed, he was afraid of that.
That left only assumptions left...
"...I was afraid of that, unfortunately I'm going to have to rely on my own theories for his actions." the current Lucifer said quietly.
The red-headed devil turned to face the two teens, grave expression at hand.
"Mio-kun...he has a lot of pride and a vengeful spirit. He simply isn't a person who would gracefully give up or peacefully stand down, if he feels that someone has wronged him...he would do everything in his power to get them back. It is precisely because he is like that...that I feel that you are his attempt at getting back at me." Sirzechs eventually said.
Mio's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"...Get back at you...? I-I don't understand..." Mio stuttered.
But the moment he said those words...she knew.
She knew.
Naruto stood up, fury beginning to course through his veins at the implications of those words. "You're not saying that he...!"
"...That's right. I believe that the Original Lucifer has birthed Mio-kun specifically to overthrow the current government."
The room was silent once more, the harsh reality of such a proclamation stopped both teens cold.
Mio slumped into her chair, eyes staring forward, no expression on her face.
That's strange...why did she feel so tired...?
Naruto grit his teeth, he really wanted to punch something right now...!
At least with his father, he didn't have a choice but to seal the kyuubi into him...
But Mio's 'father' has left his daughter with such a burden...! For no reason! For nothing except his selfishness!
That really pissed him off...!
"...I'm afraid that's not all." Sirzechs interrupted, feeling that he needed to get this all out of the way now.
Both teens regarded the Maou with wary stares, there was more?
"Considering his personality, considering how long he has remained free in the human world, and considering his last act before getting caught...what do you think he has been doing for the last three hundred years or so?"
Mio's fists clenched so hard that his knuckled turned white. Could it really be that...?
...She wasn't the only one?
"...I'm sorry, that's the only thing that makes sense, given the information at hand. I believe that Mio-kun wasn't the Original Lucifer's first attempt at revenge, rather...I think that he has created multiple offsprings. That being said, it is only a theory. But given what I remember from the man...a viable one." Sirzechs continued, giving the young half-devil a sympathetic stare.
"...Mio." Naruto said quietly, moving closer to her as her body started to shake.
"...Some part of me hoped that my father turned a new leaf. A part of me hoped that...maybe...he wasn't as bad as the stories made him out to be. But this is the truth isn't it...? I'm not his daughter...I'm his 'legacy'." the half-devil spat, her lips trembling and her eyes watering.
She wouldn't cry...not from this.
Not for him.
"...Like I said, it's a theory for now. I'm sorry for causing you grief, Mio-kun. It must be difficult for you." the current Lucifer said apologetically.
The younger red-head shook her head slowly, wiping away the stray droplets flowing down her face.
"It's fine...better to hear this now rather than later. Can we...can we please just change the subject?" Mio begged, a hint of desperation making it's way to her voice.
Naruto agreed, a change of topic was needed.
Sirzechs coughed into his palm, swiftly changing gears. "Alright then, Naruto-kun. I'm sure that Grayfia talked to you about how we're going to help Mio-kun here. We figured that this was the proper way to repay you for helping my imouto. But as I'm sure you've noticed...I've already told the nobles here about your actions against Riser Phenex."
Naruto sent him an annoyed look. "Oh yeah...I've noticed alright."
Sirzechs merely scratched his cheek in embarrassment, silently apologizing. "Well...if it makes you feel better, not only did I not mention that you are a human...I was also about to officially announce your presence to this function. I'd also make it known that you...have my favor through your actions, something like that could give you a healthy amount of influence to these nobles."
The shinobu blinked.
Then he grinned, that would definitely help.
Seeing that he's got the blond's approval, he was about to get up and address the nobles below their elevated perch.
But he was cut off.
A familiar pillar of fire sprung up from the main room floor.
"Thank you for taking me all of this way! Yuki-san!" Asia thanked with a large smile.
The young hero smiled in return, happy to have helped.
They were in front of the Hyoudou residence, where Yuki helped the young nun get to in one piece. Just in case there were any creeps looking to attack the innocent girl.
Now the powerful human was waving goodbye to the female blond, as she left the premises of the Hyoudou residence.
"Alright then! We got the nun back to her house safe and sound! So! What's next on the agenda?"
Yuki regarded the excitable succubus with curiosity, why was she here again?
Almost as if the loli was reading her mind, she answered the hero's unasked question.
"I'm bored." Maria claimed.
Of course, how could she have forgotten?
"Maria-san...shouldn't you be focusing on something else?" Yuki said eventually, giving a pointed look at something behind her.
Maria blinked as she turned and saw a bunch of luggage.
Oh yeah...she was supposed to drop Mio-sama's luggage off as well, right?
The succubus sheepishly rubbed the back of her head, as she picked up all of the heavy luggage without effort and began to rush back to the house.
Yuki just sighed, this would be a long few days...
The hero's eyes snapped to her pocket, as she heard her phone's ringtone go off.
She immediately grabbed it and checked the caller id...
Her eyes hardened slightly, this was...
Yuki accepted the call and placed it onto her ear.
"...Hello, Otou-sama. What's wrong?" the young teen asked quietly, making sure that no one could eavesdrop onto her conversation.
"Ah, Yuki-kun! Glad to hear from you! I was about to do something stupid, so I figured that I should contact you to inform you...just in case." Jin stated with a humorous tone.
Yuki's eyes narrowed, what was he going to do?
She also noticed something...off.
"Otou-sama...why is there static in the call? I thought that these hero-made phones should have no interference, no matter where they are on the planet?" the young hero pressed, suspicious of her father's behavior.
"Ah...smart as always. Ah well, like I said...I'm about to do something stupid. But I think an old man like myself can do stupid things every now and then, just do me a favor and...don't try and find me. I know how stubborn you could be...but this is important."
Yuki's hand clenched the phone.
"Otou-sama...I...!"
"See ya later, Yuki-kun."
Just like that, the connection was cut.
Yuki stared at the lost connection, biting her lip as she contemplated the information she has received.
...She couldn't do anything.
"...Stay safe...otou-sama."
Naruto watched with a growing frown, as a familiar face appeared from the flames of that orange magic circle.
"...Riser Phenex?" Sirzechs asked with a small frown.
Many nobles were shocked at the blatant entrance, making way for the young son of the Phenex clan without much thought. Bringing all focus onto the young man.
Just as he wanted.
"Uzumaki Naruto! I know you are out there! I know that you can hear me! So know this! I, Riser Phenex, challenge you to a duel!" Riser called out.
The entire main hall became deathly quiet after this proclamation.
The shinobi's face contorted into shock, just what the hell was this guy thinking!?
But nevertheless...it's best that he face him now rather than allow him to run his mouth, it'd reflect bad on the both of them.
So Naruto, much to the shock of both Sirzechs and Mio, jumped out of the Maou's box and fell down several stories in front of Riser.
He landed like a cat, with nary a sound or a broken bone.
"...Riser-san. I would normally make jokes about your hair or about your fashion sense right now...but this really isn't the time. So stop speaking nonsense." the whiskered teen claimed seriously.
Riser merely grinned at his serious expression. "Now now...I'd wait and listen to what I have to say before dismissing me."
With that statement, he walked up to the younger blond, allowing for the two males to stand right next to one another.
"...If you don't accept my challenge to a duel, then I'm going to reveal to everyone here...that you're actually a human." Riser said eventually, victorious smirk reaching his face.
Naruto's eyes snapped to the older blond, expression tightening.
"...You wouldn't. I'm here because your Maou asked me to come. Would you really jeopardize your position for a chance at getting back at me?" the shinobi asked, disbelieving that the Phenex could be so ridiculously reckless.
Riser merely shrugged. "As long as you agree to the duel, then Maou-sama can't really do anything about it. The noble devil families will protect me from any repercussions, because if I win...I have the right to tell everyone how a human has canceled the marriage of two pure-blood devils. I assure you...that many devil clans would support a pure-blood devil any day over a mere human."
Naruto gnashed his teeth in rising frustration. The last thing he needed was for the noble families to hate him...he still wanted to get them to protect Mio!
But at this rate...
"...If I win, then you have to vow that you won't spread the fact that I'm human to the noble families." Naruto demanded harshly, his annoyance preventing him from speaking diplomatically.
The son of the Phenex clan grinned.
"Fine by me."
"...What is Riser thinking? Surely he must know that this is an absurd waste of time? Surely he must know that while Maou-sama won't intervene in the duel, he could still make life miserable for himself and his clan? Just what is going on in his head...?" Sona wondered aloud, confused by his actions.
"I'm afraid that I'm stumped too, Sona. He's arrogant and foolish...but he isn't stupid. Yet he's going through with this anyways." Rias agreed, troubled by the Phenex's state of mind.
The two high-class devils were watching as the two duelists have walked outside, safely away from the castle grounds.
Grayfia was the referee and everyone else was spectating the match.
"...You've noticed it too, right Rias?" Sona asked quietly, observing the young Phenex flex his arms confidently.
"...Unfortunately, yes. His demonic energy has...skyrocketed. He was at the lower-end of high-class power before...but now he's at the upper-end; almost ultimate-class. This shouldn't be possible...right?" the Gremory heiress asked hesitantly.
The Sitri heiress nodded. "It should be, yet there Riser stands. I don't know how strong Uzumaki-san is...but something about this feels...off."
Rias couldn't help but get that same feeling as well.
Something about this didn't make sense, no...everythingabout this didn't make sense.
Riser's actions.
His increase in power.
And...this foreboding feeling...
Something bad was going to happen.
She could only hope that the blond could handle it...
"Are both duelists ready?" Grayfia called out.
Naruto nodded, inhaling a lot of air, seeking to balance himself from his annoyance.
Riser nodded, his confidence seemingly unshakable.
"Alright then...may this duel...begin!"