"What?! The God of Death is plotting to kill you?!"
Valerie's usual composed demeanor cracked completely, her red eyes wide with shock. The dhampir princess who'd faced down her psychotic half-brother without flinching was now staring at me like I'd just casually mentioned the apocalypse.
*Well, this is going better than expected. At least she's not asking if I'm okay first.*
"Hades and Cao Cao decided to team up," I said, taking another bite of my apple. "Apparently I'm their new hobby."
Asia dropped her healing supplies, her gentle face pale. "B-but why would the Greek god of the underworld want to hurt you, Akira-kun? You've never even met him!"
*Oh sweet, innocent Asia. If only the world worked that way.*
"Because I destroyed a Longinus, and that apparently makes me interesting enough to warrant divine attention." I glanced at Xenovia, who was characteristically direct in her assessment.
"That's genuinely troublesome," she said, adjusting her grip on Durandal. "Primordial deities don't involve themselves in mortal affairs without serious motivation. The tactical implications are concerning."
*Leave it to Xenovia to treat a death god wanting me dead like a military exercise.*
Valerie was still processing. "How are you so calm about this? You're talking about this like... like it's a minor inconvenience!"
"Because panicking won't change anything. Besides," I shrugged, "I've got backing from all three factions now. Could be worse."
"All three factions?" Asia's eyes brightened with hope. "That's wonderful! Surely with the support of Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels—"
"It means we're not completely screwed," I interrupted before she could get too optimistic. "Doesn't mean this'll be easy."
Valerie's shoulders relaxed slightly. As a former faction leader herself, she understood the weight that kind of political backing carried. "That... does improve our odds significantly."
"What's your strategy?" Xenovia asked bluntly.
*Straight to business. I can respect that.*
"Simple. Make you three strong enough that I don't have to worry about protecting you when things go sideways." I cracked my knuckles. "Which means it's time for a spar."
Valerie sighed but picked up her training sword with renewed determination. "We're not the same weaklings you rescued, you know. We're stronger"
"We'll see." My right eye began to glow crimson as Xenovia drew Durandal, its weight familiar in her hands.
Asia immediately moved to a safe distance, her healing magic ready. The girl had learned quickly that staying out of the crossfire was usually the smart play.
---
*Twenty minutes later...*
Both Valerie and Xenovia were sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily while Asia's Twilight Healing worked its magic on their various cuts and bruises.
*Well, that was educational. Valerie's gotten faster, and Xenovia's learned to think before charging. Progress.*
"Not weaklings anymore?" I asked, mimicking Valerie's earlier tone while taking another bite of apple.
"Oh, shut up," Valerie muttered from her position flat on her back. "You're just ridiculously overpowered. It's not fair."
*There's the noble pride I was expecting.*
"You have improved though," I admitted. "Both of you. Valerie, your reaction time is much better, and Xenovia, you actually used strategy instead of just swinging Durandal around like a club."
"I do not swing it like a club," Xenovia protested, though she looked pleased at the backhanded compliment.
"Right, you swing it like a very large, very holy club."
Asia giggled while healing a particularly nasty cut on Xenovia's arm. The sound was infectious enough that even Valerie cracked a smile.
*This is nice. Almost makes me forget about the whole 'god of death wants me dead' thing.*
That's when the blue notification appeared in my vision:
**Quest Complete: Spar with teammates**
**Reward: Rank 5 Gacha Ticket**
I immediately used the ticket, curious what the system would give me this time.
**Reward Obtained: Portal to Naruto World**
**New Feature Unlocked: World Portal System**
*Holy shit.*
My mind raced with possibilities. An entire world filled with different power systems, techniques, allies I could potentially recruit. If I could access the Naruto universe, what other worlds might be available? The implications were staggering.
*Focus, Akira. One world-ending crisis at a time.*
"Enough lounging around," I said, tossing a scroll to Xenovia. She caught it with her usual quick reflexes. "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu sword techniques. Learn them. And stop relying on Durandal's raw power for everything."
Xenovia examined the scroll with interest. "You want me to focus on technique over strength?"
"You fight like a berserker with a holy sword. Which works, but it's predictable." I handed another scroll to Valerie. "Complete breakdown of Sephiroth Graal's capabilities and applications. Time to actually master your Longinus instead of just using it."
Valerie's red eyes lit up as she unrolled the scroll. For someone who'd had her Sacred Gear forced and twisted by her brother, having proper training material was probably a godsend.
"And Asia," I said, taking out a third scroll for Twilight Healing out of my storage "You're already incredibly skilled, but there's always room for improvement."
Asia accepted the scroll with a bright smile. "Thank you, Akira-kun! I'll study it carefully."
"Good. Because from now on, things are only going to get more dangerous." I met each of their gazes in turn. "The next time we face serious opposition, I need to know you three can handle yourselves."
Both girls nodded with determination that reminded me why I'd chosen them as allies in the first place.
"We won't let you down," they said in unison.
*That's what I like to hear.*
---
"Leonardo," I called to my shadow soldier. The former Hero Faction member materialized from the darkness, as silent and obedient as always.
*Sometimes I forget how creepy this ability is.*
"I need you to focus on Dimension Lost. Create Anti-Monsters specifically designed to counter that Sacred Gear. If we're dealing with the remnants of the Hero Faction, Georg's pocket dimension is going to be a problem."
The shadow nodded and began channeling Annihilation Maker. I watched as various creatures took shape, only to dissolve moments later when they proved inadequate.
*Come on, you used to be one of the top five in your group. Surely you can manage this.*
After the fifth failure, I sighed in frustration. Even with unlimited stamina, the shadows still had the same intellectual limitations as when they were alive. They could follow complex orders, but true innovation was still beyond them.
"Keep trying until you get it right," I ordered. "I don't care how long it takes."
Leonardo nodded and resumed his attempts.
*Great. Even my overpowered death magic has limitations. Why can't anything be simple?*
---
**Later That Night**
After checking on the girls' progress—Xenovia was already practicing sword forms, Asia was taking detailed notes on healing applications, and Valerie was muttering about "finally understanding how this thing actually works"—I returned to my study and called Azazel.
"Let me guess," his voice came through with obvious amusement. "Already under attack?"
"Not yet, but I figure it's only a matter of time. I need everything you have on Hades and his grim reapers."
"Planning to storm the Greek underworld single-handed? Because that would be hilariously stupid, even for you."
*Thanks for the vote of confidence, Azazel.*
"Just gathering intel. Know your enemy and all that."
"Smart kid. I'll send it over in an hour."
"Couldn't you—"
The line went dead.
*And there's that famous Fallen Angel reliability.*
---
**One Hour Later**
A purple magic circle appeared in my study, making me look up from the research notes I'd been reviewing. The magical signature was definitely Fallen Angel, but not Azazel.
*Please tell me he didn't send someone like Kokabiel. I'm not in the mood for psychotic war-mongers tonight.*
From the circle emerged a woman I definitely hadn't expected. Long purple hair, striking orange eyes behind glasses, and an elegantly mature appearance that screamed "competent professional." She held a stack of documents against her chest.
*Well, this is interesting. She's clearly high-ranking—the magical signature is weaker than Azazel's but still formidable. And I definitely don't remember her from the anime.*
"Ara Ara, It's not nice to stare at someone so openly" I realized I'd been staring, when she spoke in a sultry, amused tone "Though I don't mind it~"
"Right. I'm Akira," I said, recovering my composure. "And you are?"
"How terribly rude of me," she said with a slight smile that somehow made me think of predators. "I'm Benemune, and I'll be serving as your bodyguard for the upcoming summit."
*A bodyguard? This just got a lot more interesting.*