New Devil of The Gremory House

Life 68: Plans

I wanted 3 chapters out today, but I was a little late with it so expect a belated Christmas Day gift on Saturday!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Devil

Rias placed the last of her things into her travel bag and zipped it up, "Okay, I think that's everything."

"Change of clothes?"

"Check."

"Phone and chargers?"

"Check."

"Anything else you need?"

"Heh, I'm set. No worries." The redhead said with a beautiful smile as she assured her boyfriend that there was nothing to worry about. Since the decision was made to head to Romania ahead of Gasper to face the Vladi household and get an understanding of why they shunned their son, the peerage had been uneasy with sending Rias off to face them herself. The [King] could see the worry he tried to hide on his face as she cupped his cheeks and drew his eyes to hers, "I'll be alright. Yuuto and Azazel will be with me the entire time. And we can contact each other through circles, phones, and even with Kurama if we want. So there's nothing to worry about."

"There's plenty to worry about." He stressed the point while rubbing the back of her hands, "You guys are walking into possibly hostile territory with a lot of those pompous Vampires surrounding you."

"That's all true, but I think we can take care of ourselves." She patted his cheek and giggled at his little frown before she turned to her bag, "Okay, I think that's everything. We'll be heading out soon."

"And you can't just take one magic circle?" He asked while closing her suitcase and helping her zip it shut, "Wouldn't that be easier?"

"Definitely easier, but not possible. If it was just travel between an area of our control and territory then it'd be manageable. But we're traveling across countries, and even onto a different continent." Naruto picked up her suitcase before she could pull it off the bed and she thanked him as he offered to carry it for her downstairs, "We have to take multiple transports across Japan, onto the mainland, and then towards Romania. And once we reach there we have to take a plane towards the Vampire territory as they don't allow outsiders to travel directly."

"Ugh," He couldn't help but groan as they reached the elevator to the basement, "I know they aren't part of the alliance but stuff like that just preaches that they're going to be a pain in the ass."

"As they are the hosts we have to abide by their customs." Rias clicked her teeth, "But these are the same people that mistreated Gasper so I can already tell I'm not going to get along with them."

"What do you think they want from him?"

"That Camilla girl said that the Tepes faction kept him at arm's length because they were scared of what his powers were. I've had Gasper on my peerage for many years but I've never seen this thing that frightens them so much."

"All the Bijū passed upon partnering with him. They said it was because he already had something inside him but he had no idea what they were talking about."

It was clear that there was something else with Gasper that they didn't quite understand, but figuring that out would be the key to understanding the Vampires' desires.

The elevator dinged as it reached the bottom floor and opened for Naruto and Rias. They made their way down to the ground where they immediately spotted Azazel applying the finishing touches to a magical formation with Rossweisse and Akeno's assistance, "How are things coming?"

"About done. We should be able to make our way out in a few minutes." While circling the formation and double-checking everything was perfect Azazel nodded, "You guys aren't going to miss us too much while we're gone, are you?"

"We'll miss exactly two of you while you're gone."

"Aww, that's sweet. But I think Rias will be jealous if you're only concerned about me and Kiba." The redhead rolled her eyes tiredly at the Fallen Angel's jokes before he stopped by his bags and nodded, "Okay, this thing is perfect. Great job you two. Couldn't expect anything less." Akeno shrugged nonchalantly as Rossweisse seemed blindsided by the earnest praise she had received from the usually snarky Fallen Angel. He nodded, "I don't know how long we'll be gone but since you two have seniority in the peerage you'll be in charge."

"R-Right." The Valkyrie nodded in understanding.

"I think you should be saving most of that concern for yourselves and not us." Akeno said, "We're not the ones heading into unfamiliar territory."

"Right, but something always seems to happen here in Kuoh so I feel like we should be worried for you." Rias smiled at her [Queen, "Take care of everyone while I'm gone, okay?"

"And make sure you don't let these people take Gasper away from us." Akeno nodded back to her [King, "We'll be here when you get back."

"Naruto," The blond ninja looked towards Azazel as he walked over, "I wanted to talk to you about the project. I'm gonna be gone for a bit but it is still underway even when I'm not there at the helm. But I wanted to let you know that you won't be needing to collect chakra anymore."

A look of quiet anticipation showed up on Naruto's face, "And what does that mean?"

Azazel's smile was a clear answer to the blond's expectations as he nodded, "Our scientists have been able to form a good blueprint for the bodies using your parents' chakra samples. They're going to be fine-tuning the samples before moving onto phase 2 of the project."

"So…things are going well?"

"Very well," The older man nodded, "All they need to do now is cultivate two human bodies using some of the DNA you spared and try to graft the chakra networks into them. If they take…well, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Naruto tried to temper his expectations…but the look of giddy excitement on his face was plain to see for everyone else. It was clear their return wasn't the only thing he was looking forward to in the coming days.

The sound of the elevator's ding echoed through the vast floor and the others looked up as the rest of their friends arrived with Yuuto carrying a duffle bag under his arm. He landed and nodded to Rias, "I'm ready to head out whenever you want."

"Thank you, Yuuto. I can always trust you to be on top of things."

"U-Um, Sensei," Asia spoke up to get the Fallen Angel's attention before it was too late. She looked a bit nervous as she spoke up, "Well, uh, I wanted to ask you about that matter we've been working on with Ophis-San. Should we put it on hold until you come back from Romania?"

"Nah, no need. You can handle it all on your own now, Asia. You don't need me to mediate the situation anymore."

"Are - are you sure?"

"Yeah, he seems eager to make a pact with you and Ophis gifted you that blessing towards dragons. Plus you already have Rassei on your side and you seduced one of the Two Heavenly Dragons so deeply he can barely hold in his arousal anymore, so I think you're set." The innocent blonde nun blushed at his wording, "Have faith in yourself."

"B-But, Sensei, what he's asking for-"

"He's a Dragon King known for his greed, Asia. You gotta lean into that if you ever want a chance to make it work."

The little [Bishop] felt uneasy following that advice and floundered where she stood. The other members of the peerage looked confused by the conversation but Azazel loudly clapped his hands, "Okay, I think that's enough dawdling. Rias, Kiba, about time we make our move."

"Goodbye, Buchou!"

"Stay safe."

"We'll take care of things here."

"Thank you everyone." Rias accepted the hugs from the girls seeing her off.

Issei and Naruto bumped fists with Yuuto, "You're gonna be Buchou's bodyguard out there."

"Put every other [Knight] to shame."

"I will." The handsome blond nodded, "And make sure not to get into any big trouble without me."

"Buchou, Yuuto-senpai," Gasper spoke up as he stepped forward and looked up at his two seniors, "Thank you for doing this, but if you feel like you're in danger please don't put yourselves at risk."

"There's no risk here, Gasper-kun." Yuuto assured his young friend, "If they try anything with this invitation to you, then we'll have a few words for them."

The young Dhampir looked conflicted not being able to come with them, but Rias bent down and tightly hugged her little [Bishop, "We'll get things sorted out and you'll be on your way to helping your friend Valerie as soon as possible. So just be a little more patient and wait for us to make sure it's safe for you, alright?"

"O-Okay."

Rias pulled back, leaving a gentle kiss on Gasper's forehead that made the Vampire's cheeks turn deep red. She smiled and stepped back, joining Azazel and Yuuto in the confines of the magic circle. As it started to glow she gave them one last smile and waved, "I'll see you all again soon. Stay safe until we get back."

"Don't get too bored while we're away."

"So long!"

The magic circle glowed brightly before the trio inside it disappeared completely. And thus their journey to Romania and the heart of Vampire territory was on its way.

Devil

"Are you alright?"

"Hmm?" Naruto blinked, coming out of his daydreaming to see Sona stopping by his desk. As the Sitri heir stood by his chair he leaned back into it and rubbed his face, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little distracted is all."

"Thinking about what Rias is dealing with in Romania?" He knew there was no point in trying to deny the fact when it was so clearly the most prevalent thing at the moment, so with a sigh he nodded his head, "I don't see what you have to worry about. They may have pressured us by using our siblings' positions of power to get our cooperation for the sake of the alliance, but their status as Maou is also what's protecting Rias from any danger. Plus Kiba-kun and Azazel-sensei are beside her every step of the way."

"Yeah, and that should be comforting…but there's some weird fuckery going on behind the scenes over there, right? That's the whole reason we were advised to get involved over there in the first place. It's that unknown that has me on edge right now."

"Why not try to focus on something else to occupy your thoughts?" He pulled his hands away and looked up at the bespectacled Devil as she thought for a moment, "We're coming up on our last semester here at school. Have you put any thought into what you're going to do after you graduate?"

Naruto blinked and then stared up at the ceiling in deep thought. In the end he shook his head and sighed, "I have no idea. I was just thinking about settling into a job before I met Rias. Now she has me thinking that I should follow up into taking courses in the university section of Kuoh."

"Yeah, that's her romantic side coming out." They looked over as Akeno joined them at his desk, standing by it with her arms folded under her chest, "I bet she's having dreams of university dates in plain clothes at the cafes and attending classes together."

Sona nodded in complete agreement as Naruto floundered at the thought, "I don't even know if I'm smart enough to attend the same classes as her."

"I don't think listening to the class is what she's focused on during this hypothetical. Plus you don't need to take the same course and class as her. I think she just wants you to explore your possibilities and find something else you'd like to do but never had a chance."

"I guess…but honestly I just think I should get a job after I graduate."

"Do you even need a job?"

"What?" Naruto looked up at Sona befuddled at her inquiry, "Of course I need a job! Why do you think I work at the ramen shop?"

Sona shrugged, "You own that ramen stall now because you inherited it from your former boss. Plus you own a majority share of that big ramen business that tried to buy out your shop, right? You're also going to be the husband to a Duchess one day. Plus you get royalties and residual payments for your likeness on Oppai Dragon and Lazy Sage, don't you?" As the whiskered blond opened his mouth but remained silent, Sona giggled, "How much money do you have right now, Naruto-kun?"

"E-Enough."

Both black-haired girls shared a look, smiling coyly as they noticed his nervous hesitation. Akeno scoffed, "Have you even looked at your balance recently?"

"No…" He shook his head while awkwardly shifting in his seat, "The number keeps getting higher and I get lightheaded when I look at it." The whiskered blond looked up and noticed their peculiar expressions, "Hey, I grew up on a budget, and until very recently I lived paycheck to paycheck. Having this - this surplus of money is unsettling."

"Well, I suggest finding some way to come to terms with it because it's not going anywhere. If college isn't enticing for you why not find something else to do with your time and dedicate yourself to?"

"But we don't need to think about that now." Akeno drummed on his desk before holding up her bento lunch, "We should go meet up with Tsubaki for lunch."

"Great idea. Naruto-kun, care to join us?"

"Sure, let me just…" Naruto reached into his bag before pausing, closing his eyes, and biting his lip in annoyance.

"You keep forgetting that Rias isn't here to make your bento, don't you?"

"Shut up." He groused as he stood out of his desk and grumbled his way out of the classroom to make his way to the school shop.

"She's only been gone a few days." Sona noted as she and Akeno went to join her [Queen, "You'd think she was leaving forever with the way he's acting."

"He's just longing for his bedmate I guess. Can't blame him for missing her. Let's go. Oh, did I hear you have two new members to your peerage?"

"That's right."

"What are they like?"

Devil

Naruto wandered off on the way to the store, his mind preoccupied with so many ideas bogging him down he was having trouble focusing.

The excitement for an update on his parents' condition. Akeno and Sona infect his mind with talks of life after graduation and what to do with his sudden abundance of wealth. Plus to top it off there was the prevalent feeling of unease knowing that Rias and the others were off in dangerous unknown territory and they had to wait for a response before they could make their way over

He pulled his phone out and looked at the simple messages he had last shared with Rias once she had arrived in Romania. Him telling her to stay safe. She told him to stop worrying and focus on school. Some silly back-and-forth responses and gentle flirty remarks before she signed off, saying she loved him as he responded.

He trusted her to be able to handle herself among those Vampires. And Yuuto and Azazel could take care of anything else. Still…

He felt uneasy.

"Naruto-kun?" The blond craned his head up from the grass and looked up at Rossweisse. The Valkyrie had found him lounging back in the greens between the forest and the school with a pensive expression, "Are you alright?"

"Hey Rossweisse," He sat up to address the young teacher as he put his phone away, "Sorry, I was a little preoccupied."

"Worried about Rias-San?" She correctly deduced as he gave a reluctant nod, "I understand you're worried but you know you can't just sit around dwelling on it, right?"

"Yeah, I know." He sighed, patting his cheeks to try and clear his thoughts from his dour fretting, "Sorry, Rossweisse."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I think it's sweet you're so worried about her." The silver-haired beauty giggled before settling down by his side. As she got comfortable and gracefully sat by him she tilted her head, "Anything else on your mind?"

"Pretty much the same as usual. How are all the Bijū doing settling into their new environment? When are my parents finally gonna come back? Are they gonna be pissed at me for bringing them back like this? The usual." He shrugged before looking up at a tree, "Although Akeno and Sona just put a new terrible thought in my head; what to do for my future?"

"You don't think about your future often?"

"Haven't in a long time. The most I ever considered about my future was that I wanted to be the Hokage someday. I had more important things to focus on here and there but that was usually the big goal at the end of the race. But since I came to this world I haven't worried or even considered what the future might hold."

"That's understandable. When a plan we have for our future doesn't entirely pan out we tend to just resort to focusing one day at a time. When I was a girl," Rossweisse looked up wistfully, "The only thing I wanted was to become a Valkyrie."

"And that's something a lot of Walkure want to become, right?"

Before she could continue, Rossweisse found herself shocked and silent from what he said, "W-Walkure?" Her cheeks turned a little pink, "H-How do you know my race's name? I-I never brought that up before."

"That girl in the Sword Club? Schwert-chan? She told me about the Walkure." He shrugged, "I figured I should remember that name because it's what you are, right?"

"It - it is." She nodded a little awkwardly, suddenly thrown for a loop from her reassuring speech when he had mentioned remembering something so personal to her. Her cheeks turned red but she coughed and turned her head, "A-As I was saying! At our age, all we wanted to do was become Valkyries! The honor! The standing! The prestige! So many of us aim to become a Valkyrie but only the most capable reach that point."

It sounded kind of like becoming Hokage when she framed it like that. Naruto settled back on his hands as he saw her expression brighten, "And I did it. Years of hard work. Countless hours of training and focus. I could finally don my armor with the same pedigree as other legendary Valkyries of our land. Like my grandmother. And I was so esteemed I received the greatest honor among our people - to bodyguard and protect Odin-sama!"

There was a pause that Naruto noticed only after a moment of silence. He cleared his throat, "Rossweisse?"

"Of course…we all know how that ended." The teacher darkly chuckled as she dragged her knees in close and hugged them as a gloomy rain cloud hung over her head, "To finally reach the venerable top…and then I was fired. Heh…hehehehe."

"B-But now you're here!" He quickly spoke up before she could sink ever further into her spiral of depression, "And we couldn't be happier to have you around! Seriously, Rossweisse, we love having you as part of the team!"

There was a small sniffle as she lifted her head and looked at him with slightly teary eyes. She dried them and tried to compose herself with slightly puffy eyes, "Thank you." With a cute muttering and a deep breath she continued, "Ugh, before I got sidetracked, what I meant was that I reached my goal - for however long it lasted - but now I'm here. What I'm trying to say is that reaching the goal doesn't have to be the only thing you work towards. It could just be something simple; graduating high school right now. After that, you can decide on the next goal - something short or long-term. It's up to you." She smiled, "It's good to be focused on the present, but don't deny yourself a future because you can't think of one yet."

"Hmm," With a moment of thought Naruto nodded, a faint smile showing on his face, "I guess that is something I should consider from now on." He gave a small chuckle before nodding to his companion, "Thanks, Rossweisse."

"Anytime."

"So, do you have any more goals to accomplish, Rossweisse? Do you want to stay a teacher?"

"I'm not sure." Rossweisse kicked her feet in the grass, "I mean I'm happy to be able to help students learn and teach them what I can. I may keep this job for a few years. At least until everyone in the peerage graduates, I'm sure. But I have other things I want to pursue as well. I'd like to have enough income that I can live comfortably. I want to open up a bargain bin shop in the North like the ones that saved me when I first came to Japan. Someday I'd like to be a mom. And I want to be mar- m-marr- uh - mar-"

"You wanna get married?"

The way he posed that question while looking directly at her made Rossweisse's breath hitch and her heart nearly skip a beat. Her expression turned atomic red with embarrassment while he just looked at her so innocuously.

Dammit! Now she was having daydreams of little blonde girls and silver-haired boys with whiskers running around their legs!

"I-I was just - j-just-"

"Oooooo~."

Naruto and Rossweisse flinched before they looked behind them.

Schwert was kneeling at their level, her chin resting on her hands as she smiled coyly while watching their moment closely. A few feet away Avi watched with starry eyes, Zekka watched through her fingers with a red face, and Lilebette only watched with professional curiosity.

"Don't mind us. We know you were having a moment."

The noise Rossweisse pathetically let out was devastating to hear.

Devil

The Church Trio was surrounding the desk of a scowling and pouting Shukaku in his human form. The tanuki Bijū frowned a little deeper before sparing them a look, "What are you doing?"

"Kiba-San asked us to keep an eye on you while he was on his trip," Asia informed the growling non-human student, "So that's what we're doing."

"I don't need babysitters!"

"Every one of our partners would say otherwise." Xenovia clarified.

"Then they're just a bunch of dumbasses like the rest of you!"

"Now that's uncalled for." Irina chided the petulant psycho Bijū with a focused glare, "You can't just act however you want without Kiba-kun around, and you can't insult your siblings like that! As his partner, you need to show respect for him and his wishes. And as the partners to the other Bijū if you could cooperate with us-"

"Big words from someone who doesn't even connect to use Chōmei's power because they're embarrassed they'll look like a cockroach."

"W-Who told you that?!" Irina squealed with a mortified expression and red hot cheeks.

"He's right." With a gasp Irina turned to Xenovia as the [Knight] sagely nodded, "I suppose you're a Self-Proclaimed Neo-Jinchūriki on top of being a Self-Proclaimed Angel. Such a shame."

"Xenovia! Why are you mean?!"

As the chestnut-haired Angel pulled on her friend's cheeks and wept, Asia fiddled with her hands anxiously by Shukaku's desk, "Honestly, I-I'm feeling rather guilty about my partnership with Saiken-San as well. He's been a kind and loyal companion…yet…" Asia shook her head in anguish, "I'm considering making a contract with another person!"

Xenovia and Irina paused in their scuffle to share a look over to their fretting nun friend. They disentangled, Xenovia patting down the unruly licks of hair sticking up as Irina fixed her twin tails, "Is this the thing Azazel-sensei was talking to you about in the basement, Asia-San?"

"Mm-hmm." Asia meekly nodded, "I've told Saiken-San about this partnership and he says that I should go through with it to make sure I am safe. But it feels wrong to betray the bond we made with another contract."

"But you already had a contract with Rassei before you made the partnership with Saiken, right? And they're not butting heads over having your trust. So if it protects you and even Saiken agrees to it I say follow through."

"Y-Yes, b-b-but…" Asia looked down in embarrassment, a red blush taking her face as she hid behind her hands, "What I need to do to seal this contract…I-I can't do it!"

"What is it?"

"What has you so frightened, Asia?"

"I can't say!"

"Yuuto ditched these girls on me," Shukaku grumpily muttered, "I'm gonna make him pay for this."

Devil

"You haven't jacked off in how long?!"

"Dude, I know it's November but no one takes it seriously!"

Issei silently wept as his two friends balked at the fact he hadn't been able to enjoy a one-man tug-of-war for quite some time. They thought it was because he was going through a dry slump, or that he was challenging himself. What they didn't know is that if his excitement and arousal reached too high then his newfound strength would cause him to crush his sausage in the hydraulic press of his hand.

It was an injustice so terrible he truly started to shed a tear.

"What's this I hear about Hyoudou in November?" The boys flinched and jumped back in fright when Kiryuu appeared behind them, her devious smirk sending a spike of fear through their bodies. She fixed her glasses, "So you're backed up, are you? Hehe, I bet Asia or Irina would be happy to help you out with that if you asked."

As Matsuda and Motohama seethed in agony at her true statement, Issei sighed and rubbed his neck, "I don't want to bug them with this." Especially since his out-of-control bursts were a danger to anyone who got him aroused, "This is just something I have to figure out without…stimulating myself."

"So impossible?"

"Damn shame that."

Issei's brow twitched at his 'friends' immediate response, basically condemning him to suffer with no answer. Which was why it was a surprise when Kiryuu spoke up instead, "You should just work out some of these frustrations so you can feel refreshed."

"I can't! That's the problem!"

She sighed, "Not everything has to be about spanking your meat, sickos. I'm talking about just anything you can do to express yourself or get back into the flow of things. Read a book. Go for a run. Do something you haven't done yet to try and solve this build-up and maybe you'll find yourself refreshed and raring to go!" Kiryuu offered before fixing her glasses, "Gotta be a better solution than coming to the jerkoff twins with your sob story."

"We take offense to that!"

"Yeah, we ain't twins!"

Try something else to get past this slump? Issei was going to wave the idea off but it seemed like as good an idea as any. With Ophis' acclimation therapy doing nothing more than having him lament in the arms of a big-breasted goth Dragon God, a different approach might be the answer.

As Issei pondered on Kiryuu's suggestion, he heard Motohama scoff, "Yo, is there a convention going on or something?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because those dudes are cosplaying, aren't they?"

"Hmm? Maybe it's for a show or something?"

Issei came out of his thoughts at their innocent musings and followed their gaze…

His blood went cold when he saw the black-cloaked figures starting to surround the school.

Devil

"Gya-kun?"

"H-Huh?" The skirt-wearing Dhampir looked up from the spot on his desk that he had been staring down at. When he looked up he found Koneko and Ravel having come to his desk after he remained quiet for so long, "I-I'm sorry, Koneko-chan, did you say something?"

"Just trying to get your attention. But you kept ignoring me over and over. You're cruel, Gya-kun. I thought we were friends."

"W-We are! I-I didn't mean to ignore you!"

"So you're just casually cruel like that? That's even worse."

"N-No! I-"

"Koneko-San, stop that. You're leaving Gasper-San flustered and that's just too cruel."

"Pfft, fine." Koneko rolled her eyes and frowned aside as Gasper sighed in relief and gave the Phenex daughter his thanks, "But I can see you've got some big thoughts running through that head of yours, Gya-kun. Are you worried about that Valerie lady?"

"Yeah," The Vampire glumly nodded his head, thoughts of the only other Dhampir suffering in that oppressive landscape with him filling his mind, "Valerie was the nicest person in my life before I met everyone in the peerage. We always talked together. Dreamed about what we could do if we weren't confined to our families. She even put me in a skirt and girly clothes for the first time."

"…"

"What?"

"N-Nothing!" A sweatdrop ran down Ravel's face as she couldn't find the right response for the odd tidbit Gasper had given them, "So when you finally make your way over to Romania, you'll probably go to check on her first, won't you?"

"I want to…" His downcast expression lowered to his desk, "But I don't think the Tepes faction will let me back in. Especially when the Vladi family won't be standing up to endorse or support me."

"Gasper-San…"

"Then we'll let Buchou handle it before we make our way over." While Gasper was downtrodden and Ravel felt apprehensive about speaking up, Koneko pushed forward without hesitation, "And when we do we'll make our way to her and let you see her again. So just hold out a little longer before letting yourself feel too depressed, alright?"

A faint smile rose on the Damphir's face before he gave a small nod, "Thanks, Koneko-chan." Drying his eyes and perking up a bit, the little [Bishop] decided to change topics to his fellow [Bishop, "How are you feeling, Ravel-San? Didn't Azazel-San tell us that there was some dangerous Magician group out there threatening the Phenex family?"

"Yes, there is." Ravel curtly nodded, a small drop of cold sweat running down her cheek remembering the word of warning passed through her family and the higher-ups of society. A rogue Magician faction was currently hunting them for their regenerative and immortal properties in hopes of replicating them. The idea was laughable, yet the reminder that so many Phenex tears had been sold on black markets during the Khaos Brigade incidents left the youngest child of the family feeling cold, "They haven't shown their faces yet but we're still supposed to be wary about them."

"I'm sorry, Ravel-San. I wish there was something I could do to relieve your worry."

"We don't have to, Gya-kun," Koneko piped up, "With Issei-senpai around he won't let anything happen to drill-head if he can help it."

"That's true." Gasper wholeheartedly agreed while Ravel blushed, "Issei-senpai would go to any lengths for someone he cares about."

"And you count in that regard." Koneko agreed, "But if Issei-senpai goes that far you should give him a reward or something. At least let him cop a feel."

"I-I can't do that! You know he's having trouble regulating his strength and power in situations like that!"

"Aren't you supposed to be immortal and regenerative?" The Nekomata snarked, "Sounds like something you can handle if you tried. Finally, put those useless blobs to use."

"I-I-I-" Ravel stammered and flubbed her words with a blood-red face before she squeaked and defensively covered her chest, "I can't do that because big breasts are sensitive! Not like you'd know that with your mosquito bites!"

Koneko's brow twitched before she harrumphed, "Naruto-senpai enjoys them well enough. I guess all you can do is torture Issei-senpai."

"S-Shut up!"

"K-Koneko-chan! Ravel-San! Please don't argue!"

As the youngest members of the ORC argued and tried to mediate, the rest of the classroom watched them in amusement.

And no one was able to react when the door to the classroom slammed open and people in black cloaks swarmed in to surround them.

Devil

"Go on, Sensei, please don't let us get in the way of whatever was going on. Just do what comes naturally-"

"Schwertleite-chan! Please stop!" Rossweisse shrieked to her fellow Walkure as she covered her burning red cheeks and tried to disappear from her mortified embarrassment. Schwert remained unfazed, a coy smile on her face as the older woman floundered, "It wasn't what you think! N-Naruto-kun is my student a-and we were just talking! It wasn't-"

"Oh yeah, keep lying to my face. I love seeing the gears turn in your head."

"Y-You're wrong!"

As Rossweisse was tormented and teased relentlessly by Schwertleite, Naruto was off to the side speaking with the other members of the OSSC. Zekka looked aside thoughtfully with a nod, "I was wondering why I had heard rumors that Rias-senpai wasn't around the school. I just can't believe she made her way over to Romania so quickly."

"That's just so cool." Avi swooned, dreamily swaying in place with her eyes closed, "Oh man, a country-crossing adventure into unfamiliar territory for the sake of her servant and friend! I wish I could be like that someday!"

"But heading into the territory of the Vampires…that's a risky venture." Lilebette noted with a concerned tone as she crossed her arms and looked up at Naruto, "Is she sure she'll be safe over there?"

"She's not alone and she isn't helpless. She's been training for the last few weeks leading up to the fight with Sairaorg." With a shrug Naruto smiled, "Plus these Vampires seriously pissed her off trying to force her hand to get what they wanted and endangering our underclassman. There's nothing we could have said to dissuade her at that point. She's just too damn stubborn."

"Going so far on your own belief and for your friend…" Zekka looked down in thought before gently smiling, "I'm not surprised but…Rias-senpai is still so cool."

He grinned in return, "Yeah, I think so too."

[Plus her breasts are some of the most glorious I have ever seen in my whole existence. And that's saying something!]

Naruto blinked in confusion before looking down where he heard the source of the strange voice and inappropriate comment. But his eyes immediately snapped back up when he realized the source was a glowing spot over Zekka's surprisingly voluptuous chest.

The shy girl blushed in shame before hissing, "T-Tensei! Don't just chime in out of nowhere like that! A-And don't do it talking about Rias-senpai's c-chest!"

The disembodied voice belonged to Tensei, the spirit dwelling within Zekka's Scared Gear, Eden's Duel. Just like Ddraig and Albion, a soul had been removed from its body and stored within the blade Zekka usually kept concealed within her being. But unlike the Two Heavenly Dragons, this was the soul of a human stored within her Sacred Gear. And also…

[I won't stay quiet! Not while the beauty and majesty of such bodacious boobage demands to be lauded and cheered for!]

He really, really adored boobies.

"I respect Rias-senpai deeply! I would appreciate it if you didn't go spouting off rude and unnecessary tangents like that!"

[But her chest is a gift to the world! When I see a pair that magnificent I know God has done great work in this world after the garden!]

"Tensei-"

[Even you understand how beautiful they are, right, Zekka?]

"Of course I do!" The usually quiet and melancholic Zekka exploded with energy as she argued with the spirit inside her boobs, "Even though Rias-senpai is stacked with such devastating and gloriously evil boobs I admire and respect her! It's almost paradoxical - having a chest that large and prominent should make her someone I'm wary of - yet I still admire her even so!"

As everyone looked at the girl arguing with her Sacred Gear, Avi saddled up to Naruto with a giggle, "We think Zekka-chan might have a bit of a complex about big chests."

"Yeah, I noticed that during her last conversation with Rias."

"Did you also notice it's ironic because she has big boobies herself?"

Naruto coughed into his hand to avoid that question - a fact Avi noticed and giggled amusingly at. Zekka seemed to remember where she was and looked around with a mortified blush before covering her face, "Zekka-chan, you alright?"

[You! Blond chap! You're the one courting that lovely busty redhead, right? Congrats! I'd love to hear stories of what your experiences with her are like if you ever want to brag.]

"Hell - fucking - no." Naruto curtly said to the disembodied voice as it grumbled in annoyance, "I think enough stories of our love life have gone public that we don't need to dwell any further."

"Good idea, Senpai, let someone else have a turn." Schwert said with a coy smile before she turned back around, "Sensei, eyes on you~."

"P-Please stop. I don't-"

Their hijinks were cut off by the sound of a powerful explosion and the rising smoke that came from the direction of the school. A thought of what it could be passed Naruto's mind for a second before he instantly sprinted through the forest towards the school. Rossweisse and the OSSC called out to him but their voices faded as he rushed closer to the school building. There were some students outside panicking and pointing towards the point of the explosion in confusion and fear, but Naruto rushed right past them to make his way to the source of the explosion.

The first-years' floor.

"No!" His mind immediately recognized that Koneko, Gasper, and Ravel were in danger and he jumped on the side of a tree and vaulted up towards the window. He curled up and slipped through a broken window to enter the hallway of the first-year floor.

People in dark cloaks were the first thing he saw when he made his way into the hall. The vestiges of some magical circle faded away in front of several of them and he wasn't sure what they had done. With a snarl Naruto reached out, plucking out a piece of broken glass and spiking it towards one of the hooded figures before he even touched the ground.

They let out a shriek of anguish as the shard of glass pierced through their cloak and into their shoulder. The rest of the hooded figures looked back and spotted Naruto landing in a crouch with a scowl on his face. They immediately raised their hands and conjured several circles of magic to annihilate the blond ninja before he could get any closer.

Naruto sprinted down the hall as the magic circles started to fire balls of flame and lightning at him. He stepped on the wall and started to run along it to avoid the path of their attacks before he rushed up to the ceiling as well and lunged for the closest Magician.

He jumped into one of the hooded spellcasters and slammed them into the ground. The others immediately turned around to attack him but Naruto leaped back, keeping a distance and dodging their barrages before rushing in to attack again. He knocked two Magicians back with a spin kick and then retreated before he could be pinned by their attacks.

Naruto slowly stood up and glared down at the Magicians as they prepared to attack again. He was about to channel his chakra-

"Naruto! Move!"

The blond instantly responded, jumping aside and lying against the wall to leave the Magicians in the center of the hallway. A giant burst of aura came flying from the end of the hallway and swallowed them whole to blow them away. Once the blast of aura disappeared Naruto stepped away from the wall and looked down at all the beaten Magicians laid across the floor. He looked over and saw Xenovia with Ex-Durandal in hand with Irina, Asia, and Shukaku having just arrived. With the assurance that they would have his back if anything happened, Naruto stepped over to the hole where the classroom door once was and looked inside.

Charred marks of an explosion on the floor and wall. Blue flames linger on some burnt wood from a desk. Scared and trembling underclassmen huddled in a corner away from the conflict.

But no Koneko or the others.

"SHIT!" Naruto punched the wall, turning and dropping to a knee as he grabbed a Magician and shook him, "Wake up! Where do you take them?!"

"Naruto-San!" Asia called out as she and the others ran over, "What happened?"

"They took them! Koneko! Gasper! Ravel! They're gone!"

"These guys…" Irina looked down at the hooded Magicians, "Aren't these the same people that attacked us during the armistice? When the leaders of the three factions were first starting to make plans for the alliance?"

The others looked down at the hooded people, "Then does that mean these are part of the Old Maou faction?"

"No, these are Magicians, not Devils." Xenovia shook her head, "But if they are the same people that attacked us back then…"

"Khaos Brigade!" Naruto spat the title out in annoyance before his hand swung down to slap the unconscious Magician. When even that didn't stir a response the blond groaned and dropped them to the ground, "We need to figure out what's happening here."

"But there are more of these Magicians around the school! We crossed some on our way here!"

"And Issei-San is fighting off more outside!"

"I don't understand any of this shit." Ignoring their dire expressions and tense atmosphere, Shukaku chimed in with a bored tone as the others frowned at him, "If this has nothing to do with me can I leave? I didn't - GAH!" An explosion nearly knocked the humanoid Bijū off his feet, "W-What the hell?!"

More Magicians appeared from the hallway behind them. As the hooded figures started conjuring more magic circles, Naruto turned, "C'mon, we've gotta get out of here and figure out where they took the others!"

"B-But we can't leave these students behind!"

"Shukaku!"

"What?!"

"These guys are our enemies!"

"Yeah, so?!"

"Have fun?" Naruto offered with a shrug before turning around and running towards the stairs.

As the girls looked stunned and looked back at an equally confused Shukaku, they ignored their discomfort and followed their blond senior to go outside. That left the sandy-haired Bijū alone in the hallway with the approaching Magicians.

A diabolical smirk twisted Shukaku's face as he giggled, "Yeah, some real fun."

Devil

"HA!" Issei yelled as he charged the Magicians that gathered just outside the school. They lobbed spell after spell at the enraged [Pawn] as he powered through their attack with just his gauntlet around his left arm. With all the magical attacks they threw at him there was soot and grime over his whole body, but he rushed through their relentless attacks by just catching or swatting them away with his hand.

"H-How is he this strong?!"

"He hasn't even donned his armor yet!"

"This is beyond what we-"

"WRAH!" Issei grabbed a bench on the sidewalk and yanked it out of the ground, spiking it at the Magicians keeping their distance from him. As they jumped back in fright Issei yelled, "What are you doing here?! Tell me what you're after?!"

"Fools! Move!" Some of the other Magicians cleared the way as one of the stronger magicians in the back held out his hands and created an especially powerful gathering of elemental magic to throw at Issei, "This will blow you away, Sekiryuutei!"

Issei narrowed his eyes and prepared to don his Scale Mail to weather the attack…

Only to pause as the magic gathered faltered and weakened before dissipating entirely. The stronger Magician looked at his failed attack and gawked, "W-What happened?! Why did my magic suddenly fail?!" He looked at his hands and tried to figure out why it wasn't working, but paused when he saw a black line sticking into his arm through his cloak, "What the-"

"Hyoudou!" At the end of the line, Saji called out after narrowly stopping the magic burst that would swallow the courtyard whole, "I appreciate you not going all out on campus grounds, but right now I wanna make these guys pay for what they did to our school!"

"You little bastard!" The other Magicians raised their hands to attack Saji and free their squad leader from his draining…

But sudden rainfall spilled water over their area in particular, and raindrops fell on the magic circles they just finished creating. Instantly, water ran through the empty spaces of the magic circles, rewriting them and turning them against the Magicians who originally forged them.

"W-What is this?!"

"Someone corrupted our magic circles!"

The magic circles exploded in front of them, knocking most of the Magicians out and leaving them in heaps on the ground.

"Dammit, who did that!"

"Retreat! Before they-"

The last of the Magicians were cut off by the clap of thunder as lightning bolts dropped from the sky and fried them.

The two [Pawns] looked up as Rossweisse and Akeno descended from above with their wings outstretched, "Issei-kun! Saji-kun! We're being attacked by Magicians?"

"That's right!" Saji drew his line back into the black dragon Sacred Gear on his arm, "Kaichou has mobilized the rest of the StuCo to thin out the numbers where they can! I don't know why they are here but they started surrounding the whole school. Do you think-"

"Guys!" The trio looked over to see Naruto and the Church Trio rushing over, "They took them! The first years!"

"I knew it!" Issei grits his teeth, "These guys are the ones coming after Ravel!"

"They took Koneko and Gasper too! We don't know where they could be!"

"Calm down!" Seeing the irritation on Naruto and Issei's expressions, Rossweisse spoke up to try and mitigate their ferocity before they could lose their cool, "We're not going to be able to help the first-years if we don't figure out where they went or make a plan." As the two [Pawns] tried to keep their anger under control, Rossweisse looked around at the defeated Magicians, "We need to find some information from these people about what they're trying to do."

"There were some more Magicians by the first-year classroom where they abducted the others. We can capture them and-"

"Guys! I made it! I fought off those cloaked losers and had fun doing it!"

The students paled at the sight as Naruto felt a well of regret form in his gut, "Shukaku…is that your blood?"

"Nope!" The blood-stained Bijū energetically stated, "They didn't give up so I went all out! Man, that felt good!"

"And…did any of those first-years see you fight?"

"Oh, tons of them. They were screaming and whimpering while I passed by."

"Okay, I'll take the blame for that. I let him loose. This is on me."

Devil

"We've sent all the students home with word that there was an incident at the school. The memories of the attack are being switched out for a cover story but the unease and fear the students felt will linger even after their memories have changed; of an explosion in their halls, people coming around the school to attack, and a junior student eviscerating some of the assailants."

"We've sent him back to the hotel so he won't cause more trouble."

"That's a relief, but on to pressing matters." Sona continued, taking charge as the only [King] left in Kuoh with the remaining members of the ORC and StuCo gathered around, "Three of our students - Koneko Toujou-San, Ravel Phenex-San, and Gasper Vladi-kun - were kidnapped by a portion of these Magicians that escaped. It could be possible that they were targeting Vladi-kun for his Vampire connections considering the Carmilla faction's recent visit, or Toujou-San for her Nekomata and Neo-Jinchūriki traits. But the prevailing theory is that their target was Phenex-San, connected to the recent attempts on members of her family for Phenex Tears."

"Dammit!" Issei punched the table with a scowl, "I promised the Phenex family I would protect and look after Ravel! I can't just let her get whisked away like this!"

"Issei, calm down." Akeno spoke firmly to get the [Pawn] to collect himself, taking on the role of leader in Rias' absence. The [Queen] spoke calmly and collectedly, but the way her eyes were narrowed and sharp warned of just the kind of retribution she would wreck once she got her hands on the ones who endangered her juniors, "Just keep a lid on it until we face down the people ourselves. Won't be much longer now. Naruto?"

"Almost," The whiskered blond sat away from the others, eyes closed and reaching out with Kurama's help to Matatabi, "Just a little longer. Kurama?"

Inside Naruto's mind, he lowered into the deepest level with Kurama's help. He fretfully stepped around before looking up at the giant fox, "Isn't she responding?"

"Matatabi reached out to her. She's making sure she has a moment to spare. And now…"

The giant two-tailed flaming cat appeared on the deeper level with them. And at her paws was the short white-haired Nekomata she bonded with.

"Koneko!"

"Senpai, I-" Koneko was cut off when Naruto scooped her up in his arms and hugged her tightly. Leaving quick kisses on her cheek and forehead, the short Nekomata blushed and grumbled, "Senpai, please."

"Sorry, I'm just so glad you can answer." Giving her one more tight squeeze he let her back down to her feet, "Koneko, do you know where you are?"

"No, they dropped us here through a teleportation array. I didn't see where we ended up."

"That's okay, I should be able to find you if our Bijū work together and I have Sage Mode. I-"

"Senpai, I have to go back out. Ravel…she needs my help."

"Why?"

Devil

Koneko slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head off Ravel's shoulder. When she looked at the Phenex daughter's strained expression, she turned to look back at the horrors they were dropped into.

A lab filled with twisted, broken clones of the Phenex family floating in tubs of liquid to be milked for their Tears and healing properties.

The sight left Ravel distraught and frightened. It was only with Koneko and Gasper at her side that she managed to stay even a little bit composed with all this horror and evil around her.

"Is it unsettling?" The freshmen looked up as a man in a hood stepped forward to speak with them. He had authority and a commanding tone, leading them to believe he was a leader of this band of rogues, "I know it may not be the most pleasing thing for you to see but we have to go to great lengths to even mimic your clan's exceptional abilities. You should be proud of its uniqueness, Ravel Phenex."

As Ravel shuddered in terror at the way he said her name, Koneko stood up and blocked his sight of the blonde girl. She stared at him unwaveringly as the man looked down at her, "Koneko Toujou, correct? The [Rook] of…Rias Gremory."

"Notice the bile you had at saying her name." Koneko narrowed her eyes, "You have a problem with Buchou?"

"I have a problem with the Gremory in general. Although that's not completely fair considering the one I have a grievance with isn't a Gremory anymore."

"Lucifer-sama then? So are you one of the Old Maou faction that changed sides to the Magician group instead?"

"Not exactly."

"I don't understand what the Khaos Brigade is still doing operating. You've lost your benefactor, your two largest factions are defunct, and those secret weapons you had under your belt are now our allies." She said, "If anything I'd cut my losses and fester somewhere in peace."

"If you think we're just going to give up on fighting that easily then you're sorely mistaken, young lady. There are a lot of us that still have something left to fight for." He reached up to his hood and drew it back…

"My name is Euclid Lucifugu, the leader of Nilrem." When he saw Koneko's eyes widen in surprise he nodded, "From the look on your face…you know my sister, right? And I guess you can understand why I hate that bastard Sirzechs. Well…good things come to those who wait. First…we have something we'd like to test with your friends back at that school."

Devil

Done

Damn Magicians, breaking into our schools and stealing our kids.

Thank god we have a hero like Shukaku to step up.

So, at the rate I'm writing this the next few arcs will come out next year. And what they'll cover…

Let's just say that next year is going to be very eventful.

ReadxReview

Thank You and Bye