Maria stared curiously ahead when she heard Yuki-san say something to the person that opened the door to the ORC building, not really paying attention until then.
After all of this time, she was still carrying Yuki-san's childhood friend around, leaving her arms both; occupied and a little tired. So she could be forgiven for not really noticing the atmosphere.
That changed as soon as she heard her socially awkward friend speak again.
"Oops."
'Oops'? 'Oops'? What the hell did she mean by that?
Her questions would have to wait however, as the cloaked women in front of her were tensing up in response to something that the succubus didn't catch, leaving her befuddled.
The succubus shuffled closer, about to ask what was up, until it was answered in a roundabout manner before she even got a chance.
"...Fallen angel? Did you just say...that this woman was a fallen angel?" Xenovia demanded, her hand slowly inching towards the cross-like object that was wrapped on her back.
The black-haired woman that opened the door for them took a step back from the entrance, newly wary of the visitors. "...Yeah, she did say that. What's it to you?"
Both cloaked women glanced at one another, neither looking particularly pleased by these turn of events.
When the two cloaked individuals went silent, another voice popped into the conversation, very much confused if their tone of voice was to be believed. "Raynare-san? I heard voices while inside, is there someone outside...?"
Shortly afterwards, Rias and Sona joined the fallen angel at the doorway, both quickly wising up to the fact that their seemed to be something of a standoff going on.
Though the red-head among them quickly forgot about that as she looked past the newcomers to see two familiar faces.
"...Yuki-san! Maria-san! You guys are back!" Rias exclaimed, her blue-green eyes wide, before she gasped in realization. "Wait! If you two are here...then that means that...!"
Yuki watched as the high-class devil began to scan the area around them with her eyes, obviously searching for someone.
It took her a moment to realize who, and it made her frown.
"Excuse me, Rias-san...are you looking for Naruto?" the hero questioned, making sure to keep an eye on their...'guests', uncomfortable with their strange behavior.
"Yeah, where is he, did he head home already?" the Gremory heiress asked earnestly, genuinely feeling comforted by the fact that the young man has made it back to her- them.
The female human looked at her apologetically, shaking her head slowly. "Sorry, Rias-san, but Naruto split off from us to...meet with someone, it was personal business, so we didn't travel back home together."
Just like that, the red-head's earnest expression slipped off of her face, deflating. "Ah...I see, well, at least you guy returned alright..."
Rias suddenly cut herself off, looking at the returned females closely, recognizing something.
Yuki, while standing tall, had a cast covering one of her arms.
While Maria had some bandages that were wrapped around her body, her stomach specifically.
"...Looks like you guys had it rough yourselves, huh?" she couldn't help but note, her wry smile obvious.
"You could say that." Yuki replied evenly, not really wanting to get into the details. "That being said, is Asia-san here? We could really use her abilities right now, as you can see."
"Yes, of course, but she isn't here right now unfortunately." Rias responded, eyeing their injuries, before she noticed that Maria was carrying something...no...someone on her back. "Hey, who's that-?"
"Rias Gremory."
All eyes turned to look at the female with short blue hair, with that weird green fringe on it, as she openly glared at the Gremory heiress. "Yuki-san here...she called you 'Rias', did she not? And your appearance matches well with the general description that we have, so you must be one of the owner of this territory...correct?"
Everyone there refocused back on the new faces among them, the red-head in particular focusing on the one with the wrapped...cross-like object on her back, getting a tingling feeling as she chanced a glance at it. "...Yes, I am Rias Gremory."
Xenovia nodded once she received her answer, right as her partner decided to take the chance to pipe up. "Umm...if you're Rias Gremory, then that must mean that you're Sona Sitri, right?"
Sona blinked as the girl with chestnut-colored hair pointed at her, inclining her head just a bit to give an affirmation.
That very female; Irina, turned to her comrade and shot her a quizzical look.
Xenovia dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement, turning to the devils and the fallen angel with a grim expression. "Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri, the both of us have initially come here in order to inform you about a certain incident in the Church...but it seems that that is no longer necessary."
The Sitri heiress narrowed her eyes, remaining on guard as she regarded the two. "So...you two were sent by the Church then? That means that you are Church agents...probably exorcists at that. Well then, I think that I speak for all of us when I say that I'm very interested in hearing about what you have to say."
Irina flashed a shaky smile, scratching her cheek in a nervous gesture. "Ah, well...about that..."
The -possible- exorcist of the Church hesitated before she finished her sentence, grasping for words most likely.
Her partner did not have such reservations. "Why would we converse with devils that have already begun to collude with fallen angels? Especially now of all times..."
"...Collude?" Rias echoed doubtfully, not really understanding. "We aren't conniving together or anything of the sort, you do realize that, don't you?"
"Oh really? That sounds awfully convenient when one considers how beneficial it would be for devils and fallen angels to get rid of the Excalibur swords...they are holy blades after all." Xenovia countered, her countenance heating up. "Especially when they have been last seen in this area."
Even before the exorcist finished speaking, Rias' expression darkened at the charge laid against her. "...Are you implying that you suspect that we're a part of a rogue fallen angel's foolish plot?"
At this point, the human female raised her chin a fraction, challenging. "Depends, does the shoe fit?"
The Gremory heiress' eyes slowly shifted in color soon afterwards, dark miasma coloring her blue-green orbs crimson as she glowered at the young woman.
It was one thing for her to be suspicious, it was another thing entirely to declare that she was, without a shadow of a doubt, a part of this lunacy.
For the other woman to so thoroughly disregard her and simply place her in the 'enemy' category, especially so soon after her Peerage was just sent through the grinder, truly put her at the boiling point.
Though, to the young Church agent, her reaction was nothing more than further proof that she was guilty. "...If it really is the case that you devils are standing with the fallen angels on this matter...then I suppose..."
Xenovia swiftly brought her hand to the wrapped cross-like object on her back, gripping it with experienced hands and tugging it from it's place, bringing it to bare.
All of the devils in the area flinched, hard, as the 'cross' was pointed at the high-class devils, the wrappings slowly slipping from it as she held it with both hands on it's long handle.
"...We may as well get rid of all of you." Xenovia finished, meaning every word of it as the last wrappings on her 'cross' slipped away from it.
Everyone's eyes focused on the 'cross', which revealed itself to be nothing less than a massive blade which was, at least, about as big as the woman herself.
It was a bronze-colored broadsword which had three tips at it's edge, almost like a 'w', with axe-like hand guards near it's grip, giving it the air of power and prestige that only an ancient sword could achieve.
But, more than that, was the very real danger that the large sword was emanating from it's very presence, making every individual that had an ounce of devil blood within them feel like they were looking at their natural predator, so to speak.
"That sword..." Sona managed to force through the lump in her throat, aiming for a brave front. "That's...one of them, isn't it?"
Xenovia's dark yellow eyes slid to the teenaged devil, a modicum of grudging respect. "Very good, devil. You've figured it out. Yes, this is one of the Excalibur fragments that you and the fallen angels have not been able to steal. I'm sure you know what it is, but this is the Excalibur Destruction, the most powerful of all of the pieces of the legendary blade...and we'll be taking them all back with it. And you won't be able to-"
The exorcist suddenly cut herself off, as she felt the very faint, yet very much noticeable, sharp edge of a blade right up against her neck.
"...Xenovia-san, we haven't known each other for very long, for an extremely short amount of time to be specific." Yuki stated, keeping her katana right at her acquaintance's neck, keeping her still. "But, despite that, I'm not just stopping you here because I want to help out Rias-san and Sona-san...but I also want to make sure that you don't get yourself killed as well."
Alarmed by this sudden shift in events, Irina prepared to attack the hero, ready to utilize her weapon as well.
"I wouldn't move if I were you." a certain succubus dryly suggested behind her, her balled fist lightly tapping her lower back in warning. "It isn't a smart idea right now."
The normally happy-go-lucky teen choked on air when she realized that she was flanked. "O-Oh...well, this isn't looking too good..."
Her partner couldn't help but agree as she felt the cold and hard steel of the katana on her neck, giving her the chills. "...I didn't expect that you were a combatant yourself, Yuki-san. More than that, I thought that you were just a normal human...?"
"I'm human." Yuki replied bluntly. "But I'm definitely not a 'normal' one, as I'm fully aware of the supernatural world...and more than that, I'm ostensibly allied with the devils that you've just threatened. I apologize for deceiving you."
Xenovia tilted her head a bit to the side, just enough to look at the other human through the side of her eye, a bitter smile on her face. "...So you were lying when you claimed that you were just 'reading' about devils? I must admit, I was completely fooled..."
Maria wanted to retort that moment that the blue-haired human literally had no reason to believe in Yuki-san's obvious lie, but decided to stay quiet instead.
"...Before, you claimed that you not only wanted to help the devils, but you also wanted to help me by not getting myself killed..." the blue-haired Church agent began, tightening her grip on her piece of the legendary Excalibur. "But how do you know that I'll die trying to defeat them? I'm the one with the powerful weapon, one that can destroy high-class devils with one clean swipe. So how can I be in danger?"
The hero with light blue hair didn't really respond verbally, choosing instead to raise her head to the sky above them.
Frowning, Xenovia followed her line of sight, feeling her stomach fall at what she saw.
A large yellow magic circle was hanging right above their heads, it's formation obviously charged to a powerful extent by someone.
And right next to it, were two women hanging in the air with their devil wings out, firm in expression as they glared at the two who threatened their kings.
"Akeno...Tsubaki-san..." Rias breathed, impressed that they prepared such an attack overhead without their notice, so engrossed they were in what was happening on the ground.
Xenovia gulped slightly, recognizing that she and Irina were outplayed.
"...Like I said, I was saving you from yourself." Yuki stated with nary a doubt in her voice. "Now...please calm down, would you?"
Dark yellow eyes shifted back to the other human female, a little bit of her obstinate attitude remaining in her.
But that bit of her slowly died down, and with it, so came the Excalibur Destruction, which was lowered to the ground in a non-threatening manner.
Seeing this, Irina followed her lead by lowering her arms, not exactly as eager for a fight as her anyway.
"...Thank you." Yuki eventually remarked, actually a little grateful that the two agents did as she asked, before turning to the high-class devils. "Well...what do you two want to do with them?"
Rias and Sona shared a look with one another, saying nothing, yet exchanging volumes by sight alone, such was how well they knew each other.
After a few tense seconds, Sona broke away from their silent conversation in order to confront the two Church-aligned humans, serious. "...You two were sent by the Church in order to retrieve the stolen fragments of Excalibur, am I correct?"
"Hm? You're still pretending that you devils aren't in cahoots with the fallen angels?" Xenovia murmured in disbelief, shaking her head. "I mean, do you really expect us to believe your words after clearly seeing you devils meet with a fallen angel?"
The Sitri heiress completely ignored the exorcist's biting response, staying on topic. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. So tell me; if you were so intent on speaking with us to inform us about the Church's situation, why didn't you contact us beforehand to set up a meeting? Surely that's standard operating procedure, even in the Church."
This time, it was Irina who answered before her partner could, trying not to anger the ones that literally had their lives in their hands. "Well...that's the thing. We tried to contact you two yesterday when we arrived in Japan, but you never answered our calls..."
Sona straightened her back, remembering what both of the high-class devils were doing yesterday.
Searching for a certain knight throughout Kuoh Town with their Peerages in tow.
So their story actually checked out, as she was too busy to even think about checking for recent unknown calls from Church agents.
"One more question." the high-class devil pushed resolutely, violet eyes narrowed. "If we actually managed to speak to one another cordially instead of throwing fists at one another off of the bat, what would you have wanted us to do in terms of your mission objective?"
"To stay out of our way." Xenovia answered without rancor, not giving the other agent a chance to sugarcoat it. "We don't trust devils, and we figured that you wouldn't trust us either, so working independently without clashing was the best we could hope and aim for. That's all."
Then she snorted, turning away from her. "Not that it matters anymore..."
Sona set her lips in a fine line, eyes introspective, and then twisted her body so that she could face her fellow high-class devil. "Well, you heard them, so what do you want to do, Rias?"
Rias jerked slightly, not expecting that at all. "Wait, you want me to make the final call?"
"In the end, you're the owner of this territory." her glasses-wearing friend reasoned easily enough, shrugging almost casually. "So I supposed that you should be the one to finish this, it's only fair."
The Gremory heiress wasn't sure how she felt about that line of reasoning, but acquiesced easily enough.
Waking up to the two exorcists slowly, she considered her options.
No matter what she, or anyone else said for that matter, she had no doubt that the exorcists would not believe their claims that they were not a part of Kokabiel's little conspiracy.
They would remain hostile, and having hostile individuals running around unmolested was, very simply put, a disaster just waiting to happen.
But it wasn't like she wanted them dead or anything, so perhaps she should just kick them out of the area?
...Yes, that was probably the best thing to do, before violence broke out, it was best to get them out of the area before a life-and-death battle took place between the two groups.
And she didn't have to be a genius to realize that the optics of the imouto of a Maou harming or killing agents sent by the Church, while they held a Excalibur fragment, would send the exact wrong message to their faction.
So, with her mind made up, Rias opened her mouth to give her answer...
But those very words died in her throat, as a memory flitted through her mind's eye roughly at that moment, reminding her of something important.
Words said a while ago, accompanied by a confident grin, and blue eyes that spoke of wry altruism as they locked with her own.
The young man that wanted to promote something that seemed impossible.
"...Rias? Are you alright?" Sona questioned, quickly noticing how distracted her friend seemed to be acting.
Blue-green eyes returned back to earth, a sardonic glint in her orbs as she refocused on the other high-class devil. "Nothing really, just remembering something that a certain unpredictable teenager told me once...and that I promised that I would back his goal. That's all."
The Sitri heiress raised a single brow in interest as she watched the red-head move past her to speak to the exorcist on the floor.
When she reached the two Church agents, she began to seriously wonder to herself whether her choice was wise...or completely stupid.
Probably the latter.
"You two..." Rias began slowly, picking her words carefully. "Your objective, in the end, is just to focus on getting back the fragments of Excalibur, correct? Then...is it possible for both of our groups to simply forget about this little episode and split off from here? Without clashing?"
Xenovia scrunched her own eyebrows together, analyzing the devil's features for the truth. "...You'd just let us go if we leave each other alone? So easily? And you expect us to believe that...?"
"Believe what you want, but I don't really wish to start a war over such a stupid misunderstanding." Rias retorted sharply, firm. "More than that, I vowed that I was going to help a friend of mine with a goal of his...and starting a battle with exorcists would impede that...a lot."
Irina's eyes widened as she heard the devil's reasoning. "So, basically, you'd let us go for a friend's sake? Wow, that's actually very...nice of you. Not very devil-like at all!"
The Gremory heiress wasn't sure how she should respond to that, so she just let the comment pass. "So? Will you go in peace?"
Xenovia searched through her enemy's blue-green eyes, still trying to find any semblance of deceit or treachery, as she would expect from a devil.
She found none.
"...If what you're saying is the truth, and you will truly leave us unmolested...then fine." the exorcist slowly allowed, cautious, yet hopeful. "We'll stay out your way, and you'll stay out of ours. That being said, don't expect us to hide what has happened here from our superiors. We will not lie for you, Gremory-san."
"Of course." the high-class devil accepted, already aware of that.
But she was, at the very least, hopeful that this act of clemency would reflect well on them, allowing for the Church leadership to see that this was simply a misunderstanding.
Barring that, then they could at least make a case for it.
If not even that...well, then at least she tried.
"Do you have anything to input to this, Raynare-san?" Sona called out as she stood by Rias' side, turning around to face the fallen angel that has stayed quiet throughout this conversation.
Raynare, for her part, was not exactly spoiling for a fight either, so she simply shrugged her shoulders at the devil. "Not really, you two seem to have this under control. That being said, I would be lying if I claimed that I was 'ok' after they acted so rudely to me earlier. If it wasn't for the fact that I really don't want to spark a war, then I'd add that they should apologize to me while bowing for causing me so much trouble...but that's probably not gonna happen."
Both exorcists sent dull looks at the fallen angel, and thankfully, both high-class devils just flat-out decided to ignore her, much to the fallen's slight annoyance.
Rias shifted her gaze between both Yuki and Maria, nodding at the both of them so that they'd let go of both of the Church agents.
Yuki swiftly pulled her katana away from Xenovia's neck, trusting that she'd follow through with the agreement.
Maria on the other hand, hesitated for a bit, and then slowly backed up from Irina, far more cautious then her comrade.
Xenovia and Irina slowly stood up straight again, both letting out some air as they finally got out of their troublesome situation.
Especially after the two devils in the sky dispersed their demonic-powered attack, which was above their heads. Apparently managing to figure out that the standoff was over.
As soon as Akeno and Tsubaki began to descend to the ground, the exorcists were forced to regard the two kings in front of them; one with grudging respect, and one with a nervous smile.
"...I suppose that's it then." Xenovia concluded stiffly, dragging her Excalibur Destruction close to her so that she may wrap it up again. "We'll be getting out of your hair, as per the agreement."
Irina nodded excessively, her nervous smile slowly morphing into a more genuine one. "Y-Yeah! And God willing, since we'll doing our best to focus on our objective, we may never cross paths and bother each other again while we're here! After all, there's no reason for us to fight heathens anyway!"
Rias wasn't sure how she should respond to that as well, so she just accepted it as Akeno landed by her side. "Very well, though, just to be clear, it's not like we're enemies or anything...we're just taking precautions, that's all."
Both exorcists shared a glance with one another, unreadable to those that just met them, before Xenovia turned to the devil and inclined her head. "We'll keep that in mind, let's go, Irina."
Just like that, with a flick of her shoulder-length hair, the young exorcist whirled around and began walking away from the group, her powerful blade back in it's place on her back.
Her partner, after hesitantly giving the group a wave, quickly trailed after her, her long chestnut-colored twintails fluttering behind her as the duo pulled their hoods back onto their heads.
The devils watched them go without a word as Yuki and Maria joined their ranks, the only sound interrupting the silence being the hero sheathing her katana.
"...Looks like we accidentally dragged you all into an unfortunate situation, Rias-san, Sona-san." Yuki stated, a slightly apologetic tone in her voice. "We didn't think that they meant to do you all harm."
"It's alright." Sona responded absentmindedly, crossing her arms. "According to them, they didn't either, at least initially. Though, it seems that Raynare-san's presence had some unforeseen consequences..."
Said fallen angel huffed as she leaned against the door frame, annoyed that she was getting partially blamed, though she was aware on some level that the black-haired devil wasn't actually blaming her.
Yuki dipped her head in understanding, before taking a quick glance at Maria. "By the way...is there a place where we can drop off my friend? I'd rather not leave him out here in the hard ground...like Maria-san so leisurely did."
Rias blinked, taking a moment to glance about, then noticed something that she didn't catch in all of the commotion.
Earlier, when the two first arrived, the silver-haired girl was carrying an unconscious young man on her back.
That young man wasn't on her back anymore.
But after taking a second to check, she found that young man to be laying back on the wall of the ORC building, probably laid there by Maria.
"Buchou." Akeno spoke up helpfully. "We can take Yuki-san's friend inside the club room so that he could rest on one of the couches, it's not like anyone sleeps there anyway."
"Yeah, good idea, Akeno." Rias thanked with a smile, turning to glance at Maria. "Hey, you can take that unconscious friend of yours inside if you want, though, I'd like to know who exactly he is later, if you don't mind. It isn't a good idea to just let anyone in our base of operations after all."
The succubus chuckled sheepishly as she moved to do just that, wondering whether anyone even saw her put Basara down so that she could help subdue those exorcists before.
"As for everyone else!" the red-head exclaimed loudly, enough for everyone to hear her. "I think, after everything that has happened, it's about time that we-!"
"Wait!"
Rias stopped speaking, recognizing the voice that echoed across the area as a familiar form approached the group, surprising her. "...Mio-chan?"
Yes, it was her kohai, racing towards her with panic and worry being among the foremost emotions visible on her face.
All eyes were trained on her as she rushed towards them, even the succubus stopped what she was doing to stare, though she gained a small smile when she saw her charge again.
But before greetings could even be given out...
"E-Everyone! It's bad! It's really bad!" Mio shouted out, panicking. "Naruto's back! But there's someone strong fighting him! A-And we tried to fight her, really we did! But we couldn't do anything, and Naruto told us to get away, but I didn't want to, but still-!"
"Ok, ok, ok! Calm down!" Rias tried to calm down her kohai, alarmed by her rambling. "...Wait, did you just say...'Naruto'...?"
Around her; Yuki, Maria, and Raynare all perked up at the name being used, paying closer attention.
"Yes!" Mio practically wailed, breathing heavily as she reached her sempai, desperate. "And...we left him there. You should have seen him, Rias-sempai...! I've never seen him so...so...!"
By that point, the half-devil had to pause, so flustered that she was at a loss for words.
But everyone got the gist of it.
"Mio-san! Where's Asia-san? Do you know?" Yuki demanded, tension lining her voice as she took an aggressive step forward.
It was only then that the daughter of Lucifer finally realized who was there. "...Eh? Yuki-san? Maria!?"
"Focus!" the hero ordered crisply, intense. "Where's Asia-san!?"
Mio was jerked back into focus, answering reflexively. "S-She's with Issei and Koneko, they stopped roughly halfway from here to where Naruto is, so that they could keep track of where he goes from there."
Rias narrowed her eyes, grim. "...Then we've got to go. Maria-san, hurry and get your friend inside, then we'll depart as a group in order to help out Naruto. Hurry!"
The succubus didn't even bother trying to refute that he was her friend, using all of her energy to speed into the building so that they could reach their blond friend as quickly as possible.
In a surprise move to almost everyone there, Raynare slowly got off from her position in the doorway to saunter towards the group, her violet irises intense. "Need some help? I wouldn't mind helping you devils out in this instance."
Yuki frowned, chancing a look at the fallen angel, just really meeting her for the first time since that incident at the abandoned church so long ago.
"...Is she trustworthy?" she asked no one in particular, looking for an answer regardless.
"I'm not sure." Sona dryly retorted before Rias could. "...But Mio-san claims she is, so we'll take our chances. If Uzumaki-san is in trouble, I'd like as much help as possible."
Rias nodded, agreeing. "That's right, now...as soon as Maria-san comes back, we'll follow Mio-chan to where Naruto is, everyone got it?"
Murmurs of agreement were among the general responses that she received, but they were, at the very least, all affirmative.
Mio clenched her fist, turning back to where she ran off from, knowing that her blond family member was over there, somewhere.
Naruto didn't have to worry; they were coming...all of them.
The moon was falling, unwavering as it neared the horizon, slowly giving way to the early morning.
Kiba Yuuto was staring at it, conflicted, yet taking some comfort in the natural beauty of the celestial body.
It truly helped him ease his frayed nerves, especially as large masses of water vapor sometimes covered it up from sight, making it more prominent in his eyes.
The knight always was somewhat introverted, and the sight of the clouds overhead was something of a soft reminder of that.
He really was someone who had their head in the clouds on a constant basis, thinking about his options with vigor, perhaps to the point of overthinking.
And he was doing it again.
The swords that his family of orphans died to try and gain the rights to utilize...they were here, possibly.
Though, knowing his luck, the one that stole those swords has probably moved on from Kuoh Town, so there seemed to be no point in chasing after the robbers.
But...still, didn't he owe it to his dead comrades to try anyway?
They died to save his life, they died choking and sobbing on poisonous gas as tears streamed down their youthful faces.
Yet he was alive. Because of them.
Didn't they deserve to receive justice by destroying the things that they dedicated their lives to, to no avail?
Those fragments of the legendary sword was what gave them hope for a meaningful life, their linchpin to the future, yet all they received for their faith and dedication was betrayal.
More than the ones responsible for the massacre, Exaclibur symbolized the source of all of the orphans' suffering, so it's overall destruction was what would truly validate all of the suffering that they have gone through.
...But, that single-minded focus is what allowed their enemy; Diodora, to split them all up and do serious damage to them as a group, wasn't it?
It was what gave him the opportunity to nearly kill or capture Mio-san...
His actions nearly got his comrades in the here-and-now killed as well...could he really risk their safety a second time?
No, wait, that was a special situation, just because he messed up once, it didn't mean that he was gonna mess up a second time.
Compared to last time, the knight already had a reliable lead from a reliable source this time, different from when he received information from a...less than trustworthy person.
So, surely, if he just searched a little bit to double check, it wouldn't hurt anyone this time?
...But then, that begged the question, what would he do if the man that was once a part of Grigori; Kokabiel, was stillin the area? How would he react?
Yuuto groaned, stuck in indecision as he gazed at the sky above, wondering if his goal was truly worth pursuing, even now.
...Goal...
Goal...?
There it was, that word again.
Once upon a time, he asked another blond teen about what he considered to be a 'good goal'.
His answer, in retrospect, didn't seem so out of character for the usually permissive young man, but at the time, it seemed surprisingly...unyielding.
Was his answer based on something that happened to him personally? Because that was definitely the impression that he received...
The belief that if his goal was one that could do harm to himself or those close to him...that it was selfish...right?
But, wasn't that a bit much? Wasn't it up to the individual to choose what they wanted to do, regardless of outside influence? How could an individual choice be selfish?
It wasn't like Yuuto wanted his comrades to come and search for him, to try and help him...no, he didn't want that at all.
Yet they did it anyway.
...Was that what Naruto cherished? That bond between individuals that could push them to help someone that didn't even want the help?
It wasn't like he needed an intervention or anything though, he wasn't under duress, he wasn't sick, so would it be so bad for them to simply support his choice?
Yuuto sighed, peering at the masses of water vapor slowly drifting in the wind, envying their simple existences.
However, his silent musings would have to wait, as something quickly forced the young man to sit upright, as stiff as a pole.
"W-What...?" the knight wondered aloud, his body shaking uncontrollably as a feeling entered his body.
It was instinctual, primal even.
Get away.
That's what every pore of his body was telling him to do, as what felt like a growing feeling of sheer rage began to emanate from somewhere close by.
He's...never felt anything like it before.
What was it? Where was it coming from?
He had no idea, but another thought entered his mind, one that took precedence over the one of self-preservation.
Everyone...!
If there was that kind of feeling from somewhere, then that meant that there was probably a fight going on, which meant that...
One of his friends was in trouble!
Yuuto was already up and about as he twisted his body to find the source of his feelings, going on instincts alone.
Before his brain finally caught up, stopping him cold as he realized what he was doing.
The thought didn't occur to him until then...but wasn't he doing the same exact thing as his comrades before him?
Going to an ally's aid, despite not knowing anything, or knowing whether they needed that help to begin with.
No, regardless of his friend's feelings on the matter, he was fully prepared to move and help.
...Which is exactly what his friends did for him.
It took a few spare seconds for the young man to fully appreciate the irony in the situation, but when he did...
He laughed.
Very simply, he bent over backwards a little, and let loose a healthy belly laugh, something that he's practically never done before in his life.
It was something that was done out of acceptance and acknowledgement.
Acceptance and acknowledgement that he was, without a doubt, no different from everyone else.
Without thinking about it, he was getting ready to help a comrade, like they all did for him, so he literally had no right to complain when they all moved to help him when he acted out.
They were just doing what they thought he'd do for them.
And they were right.
So, then and there, Yuuto made a quiet decision.
He had no idea whether he would still seek out the fragments of the legendary sword; Excalibur, but he didknow one thing...
Whenever someone he cared about was in trouble, or whenever he even had an inkling of it...he would come running.
Of that, he had no doubt.
So, just like that, Kiba Yuuto spread his wings and jumped into the air, seeking the source of the disturbance, fully prepared for a fight.
Though, just a few moments after he left, a sole individual would just so happen to pass by where the knight was laying, looking like he was searching for a fight.
It was an insane-looking man, wearing what looked like priestly clothing as his red eyes shot about himself for a victim.
His long grey hair, which reached shoulder-length, was rustling faintly as he kept snapping his head around, very much paranoid despite being alone.
More important than his features, was the very...'intricate' sword that he was carrying on his hand, which pulsated with holy power.
If either Yuuto or any exorcist worth their salt saw the blade, they would have recognized the power that the sword was giving out immediately.
It was one of the fragments of Excalibur, which just so happened to have been stolen.
Yet, for better or for worse, Yuuto just missed him, and the insane priest in turn missed his chance for a fight with his new toy.
So the knight raced to help a comrade, and the 'priest' left the area in a huff, annoyed that he didn't get to spill any blood that day.
Naruto was angry.
No, angry was an understatement.
The tyrant was well aware that she had pressed several sensitive buttons in regards to his life, and knew damn well that she was getting to him if his furious red slits were anything to go by.
But...there was something strange going on here.
There was something...underlying beneath the surface of his anger, something that gave her pause.
Whatever it was, it gave her a slight chill.
But it wasn't a bad chill, to the contrary, if anything, she liked it.
That underlying vibe that she was feeling spoke to her, unlike anything she has experienced since...
Since...
Her ruby eyes peered at the feral features of the young man that she has got to know for most of her life, dulled eyes fluttering as, for a split second, she didn't see a battered young man.
No, instead, she saw a child, one that had eyes like much like her's, even back then...
Back when she first reached her conclusions.
The young woman that was challenging Uzumaki Naruto wasn't always a tyrant, as a matter of fact, in the beginning, she was practically the opposite.
When she was born, she was a natural prodigy in almost every way imaginable, so unbelievably talented that many around her began to believe that she would grow up to be a woman that would change the world, beyond anything that they could have possibly imagine.
In a sense, they would be correct, though her delivery came at a high price for her birth family.
During childbirth, her mother, a woman that she would never meet, died, apparently due to a heart attack.
Back then, it was simply a sad incident, nothing more or less.
But, as she got older, a part of her began to believe that the woman that gave her life only existed so that she could give birth to her.
That, once the tyrant was born, her mother's duty to the world was complete, and she passed away, having no other reason to exist if not for her.
Though, that belief wouldn't become entrenched until later in her life.
As she got older, her talents quickly gathered the attention of the many adults around her, thoroughly impressing them by her level of understanding during her first year of life.
She was, put simply; an abnormal child. One that grew at an exceptional rate, learning things that no normal baby should.
And it was precisely because of that exceptional streak that her troubles began.
As a child, the tyrant was, very simply, so unbelievably special that the many adults around her began to feel inadequate in her presence. Jealous of her level of knowledge at such an early age.
That inadequacy would grow to colossal proportions once she began to learn about their many professions, and then, to their shame, would eventually grasp all of the knowledge that have taken their whole lives to learn about.
Literally, the information that they have absorbed from childhood to adulthood, was absorbed by the future king in a matter of months, at most.
Truly, she was a child that was born once every thousand years, a one-of-a-kind genius.
So much so that, in their despair, many of those adults would give themselves over to alcohol or simply give up altogether in their shame. Knowing that their entire lives, which was dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge...was surpassed by a mere toddler.
Their diligence in life was made futile. All thanks to her.
It was only then, that the child would begin to wonder about the futility of life.
This dynamic would not change, as many people would suffer by her hands, losing faith in their own abilities and in their self-worth as her talents broke those that made a serious effort to work on their dreams.
A sort of heavy guilt would begin to pile onto her back then, making her wonder if she was a curse, a blight on this world, as all she knew was the suffering of almost everyone around her, barring a few exceptions.
And with her advanced mind, she began wondering about things that no toddler should think about.
Why did she exist?
What was her purpose?
Why did she keep hurting people?
She would find no answers to these questions, not until...that fateful day.
After many more incidents such as those, her birth father would eventually take her to a hospital which studied...'atypical' children.
Specifically, at the time, children with...atypical mindsets.
It was there, while waiting for her turn to speak to one of the examiners, that she just so happened to meet a boy, just two years older than her.
A boy that would speak to her, and give her that last push to find her 'truth'.
"...Don't you think that it's interesting? That all these adults, with all of their knowledge and intelligence...could be missing the point so magnificently?"
She could remember his words, even now.
Was it because of the influence that they held over her? Or was it because, even now, she could remember how hollow his bright eyes and smile was back then?
Regardless, his words set her down the path she walked today, though she definitely couldn't blame him for it.
As, even back then, she knew that she was heading towards this path anyway, reaching for this truth.
Which was why, years later, she would not be beholden to that boy at all, as he didn't help her see the truth...he only helped her reach it a mere few weeks before she would conclude it herself.
Still, the words that he spoke that day were worthy enough to live by, and enveloped her whole philosophy in the modern day.
"Everyone is born without a purpose, everyone lives for no reason, and everyone dies for nothing."
Those were the words that that boy imparted to her.
And she would accept it in a heartbeat, finding it satisfactory to what she has experienced up to that point.
Though, she would find one flaw in that idea.
Yes...everyone was born without a purpose, everyone lived for no reason, and everyone died for nothing.
Except for one.
Herself.
Soon after she met that boy, she was admitted to the hospital room, her new beliefs reinforced as the researchers asked her asinine questions about things that didn't seem to matter to her.
Life?
Happiness?
Effort?
Relationships?
Meaningless. Weak. Wasteful. Pathetic.
It didn't take long for her to escape the questioning while the doctors and nurses weren't looking, seeking solitude as she contemplated her new-found knowledge.
In another life, unbeknownst to her, she would have accidentally found herself in the nursery room of the hospital, where she could have met another child who could have challenged her beliefs before they became too entrenched.
But something else happened that day.
After leaving the room, the little girl moved into the hallway swiftly, her small feet taking her to the corner of said hallway so that she may hide for a little bit from the many doctors and nurses.
Though, because of her negligence, she very nearly crashed against an elderly man that was standing right in the corner, as if he was waiting for her.
Considering what she would learn about the man's abilities in the future, she wouldn't put it past him.
The words that he gave her that day were still fresh on her mind.
"Your eyes...your eyes remind me of a child that I've had my eye on for a while..."
At the time, she was, at best, slightly interested in this 'other child' that the old man was referring to.
Which was why the old man continued speaking, his words carefully selected so that he could coax an interest out of the nihilistic girl.
"...Your talents are remarkable, I can see it just by looking at you, child. Perhaps...you feel the same as I do? That this world of humans is rather...limiting, am I correct?"
He was.
"But, what if I were to tell you that there is another world? Filled with nothing but the abnormal...?"
Back then, while she was skeptical, she could at the very least claim that she was interested in his claims.
Later in life, she would attribute this choice to be among the best she has ever made in her short life.
As soon after her initial meeting, she would be introduced to the elderly man's power...no...his vision.
She wouldn't learn about all of the intricacies of his Sacred Gear, or even what Sacred Gears even were until later, but that wasn't the focus of her attention.
Her focus would be on the very first vision that he would show her, meant to drag her into the supernatural world.
She supposed that the awesome power of the humans of that world, of a place known as the 'Elemental Nations', was what the old man intended to draw her in.
But that was a supplementary in comparison to the focus of the old man's vision.
Why it focused on a child was still a bit of a mystery to all of them, but perhaps...the Sacred Gear was responding to an individual's potential, and focused on them.
Regardless of the reason, that vision was the first time that she met the boy known as Uzumaki Naruto.
Back then, in her observations of the child, the one thing that truly stood out to her was...how thoroughly establishedhis own hopelessness was.
His dull eyes, which were reflected onto the mirror that he was staring at, was weary as it was tired, as was the small body that it accompanied.
As if weighed down by a heavy burden, the boy was trudging forward through life, bereft of any chance of redemption.
Most people would pity the child, for whatever issues that he may have been dealing with was obviously taking it's toll on him.
But the future tyrant didn't feel pity, no, she felt the first slivers of admiration.
To her, who had just reached her own conclusions about the futility of life in general, she has now met someone that has not only had those views so firmly entrenched that it was weighing down his young body, but he's reached it on his own.
Back then, that would have put him slightly above the boy that helped her trigger her new philosophy...though that changed quickly.