"Alright, tomorrow is our big day. Let's go through our responsibilities one more time." Naruto popped open a new bottle of Lagavulin 16, poured the nectar of the Gods into the red cups that were placed neatly on the Ping Pong table, and threw a ball at Raynare. "Kala-chan! What are you gonna do?"

Kalawarner shook head her dejectedly and let out a sigh. "Well, I'll be the bartender who will be supervising the exit. Umm… Naruto-sama, quick question?"

"My choice to give you an answer will depend entirely on the nature of your question, but sure. Go ahead."

"Can I call in sick?"

Naruto beamed, ignored Kalawarner, and turned to Raynarea. "Ray-chan! Your turn."

With her most unenthusiastic deadpan, Raynare juggled the ball between her fingers, the bags underneath her eyes went unnoticed. She looked like she hadn't slept for weeks. "I'm the bunny waitress watching over the casino. I'll alert the team if I spot our targets. Quick question. Who came up with the idea that I should dress up as a bun- "

"Excellent. Crom Cruach?"

"I walk up to the main gate and kick it in. Bad guys everywhere. One of them try to come at me, but I smile and ask if they want to smell my armpit. They reach for their weapons, but I'm so fast. I hit them with a spoon." Crom Cruach started slapping the spoon on the back of his hand. "Slapt. Slapt. Slapt. All of them get knock down by my spoon and I reveal my name to them. The name's Biggus. Biggus Dickus."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "No. You stay outside the casino and watch the coast."

Crom Cruach muttered incoherent curses under his breath.

"Alright, Sera-chan?"

Serafall giggled and raised her hand. "I'll stir a distraction with Kuroka when our targets show up!"

Kuroka said nothing and sipped her hot cocoa.

"Rias?"

The redhead stared at her teacup grimly. "When the targets are distracted, we'll sneak up on my dad and confront him. But we have to stay low the whole time."

"No, no, no!" Crom Cruach whined, much to everybody's frustration. "I go in loud and let everybody knows I'm in the building! I yell out, 'Zeoticus, I'm here to tear your butt cheeks wide open and shove my spoons up where the sun doesn't shine!' He sent his bodyguards at me, but I got my spoons ready! I hit them all with my spoons." He seized Raynare's wrist and slapped his spoon on the back of her hand, aggravating and stressing her out in the process. "Splat! Splat! Splat! And I move closer to Zeoticus!"

"No, you're not." Naruto stared pointedly at Crom Cruach. "You'll be outside the casino."

The black dragon's protest was cut short when Raynare forcefully removed her hand from him. "Based on Ajuka's intel, there will be many high-ranking demons attending."

"Jimmy's intel is full of shit!" Crom Cruach interjected. "You guys all walk in into a giant booby trap!" He turned sharply to Raynare and yelled. "KABOOM! Everybody got blown away. I run into the smoke. Bodies everywhere! I drop to the ground and cradle your head in my hands."

Raynare raised a brow. "My head?"

"Yeah! I tell you not to die on me! Don't you die on me, Ray-Ray! And you used your dying breath to tell me how much of a hero I am to you."

"Oh, I will never say that." Raynare retorted. "Not in a million years."

But Crom Cruach was in too deep with his story. "I look up into the heaven and scream out Zeoticus's name! Zeoticus! Come out! He emerged from the chaos and smiled at me. We meet again, he said to me."

Naruto scratched his scalp. "Again? Wait. You have met Rias's father before? You got to stop forgetting about all these important details and tell us everything you know about Zeoticus."

"Zeoticus uses his magic on me, but I'm stronger! I pull out my spoon and slap him across his face. Splat! Splat! Splat! But not before he uses a suicide spell on himself. Oh shit! I don't have much time! Right after he explodes, I skip across the casino, jump out of the window, and fall off to my certain death. But wait! A chopper is waiting for me!"

"A chopper?" Naruto stared at Crom Cruach in disbelief; at this point, his story wasn't even believable. "In hell?"

Crom Cruach snorted. "Yeah, duh. Why can't there be a chopper in hell?"

Imitating Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice, the black dragon shrieked. "Get to the choppa! Now!"

Raynare rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. A chopper in hell. Real genius. I bet Bugs Bunny is in the chopper with you."

"Hey! Ray-Ray! Oi! Don't give me that attitude, okay? Oh, I know what this is. Ya think I'm stupid?"

"Of course I think you're stupid."

Crom Cruach gasped. "How dare you! I'll have you know that I know my shit well!"

"Yeah, like how you definitely know Serengeti is a type of pasta."

"Wait." The black dragon stared incredulously at his boss. "Serengeti is not a type of spaghetti? Then what have I been eating this whole time?"

"Just throw the damn ball." Kuroka rolled her eyes. "Are we playing beer pong or what?"

"Time to lose, bitch!" Raynare opened her eyes wide, drew her finger across her neck, and mouthed out a wordless 'I'm gonna kill you' at Crom Cruach.

"Hey! Hey!" Crom Cruach glowered at the fallen angel. "This is just a friendly game, alright? No need to be hurtful."

Raynare blinked. She wasn't sure if the dragon was actually hurt by her comment, judging by the fact that he was a shameless imbecile. "Well, I'm sorry if I offended you."

Knowing Crom Cruach better than anybody else, Naruto was pretty sure the big guy wasn't remotely offended.

"You should be. Now just throw the ball, alright?"

Raynare sighed, took aim, and tossed the ball.

She missed.

Crom Cruach screamed. "YOU FUCKING LOSER, RAY-RAY! You loser! Nobody likes you! Nobody! Literally! You're a failure in everything you do, Ray-Ray! Total failure!"

It took the combined might of Kalawarner and Naruto to hold back Raynare, who was screaming bloody murder and kicking the air. Meanwhile, Crom Cruach was flexing his bulging biceps and feeling full of himself. "Adjust your bust before it combusts, Ray-Ray! You're getting unusually irritable nowadays. You should get a doctor to check on that."

"Crom! You're not helping!" Naruto reprimanded heatedly while trying to pull back the fallen angel, whose strength seemed to be proportionate to how irate she could be. And she was beyond irate at the moment.

"You're a cancer, Crom! Spreading from my lymph nodes into my spleen! God helps me if your cancer get into my bladder!" Raynare screamed. "You hear me? One day, I will become even stronger than you! And I'll be the chemo! You're a festering boil, Crom! A bedsore!"

"Ray-chan, that's enough."

Something inside Raynare had already snapped as she was pulling at her hair while clattering at her teeth; Kalawarner had never seen her friend this insane before. "YOU'RE A TAPEWORM THAT SETS UP SHOPS IN MY ANUS AND GOD KNOWS WHEN I -"

"Ray-chan!"

"BOO-FUCKING-HOO!" Crom Cruach blew a raspberry at Raynare. "Just because you're louder than me doesn't make you right!"

Any last shred of rationality that was still swimming in Raynare's brain was gone. "YES IT DOES!"

Channelling his draconic powers, Crom Cruach's voice became distorted and feral. "NO IT DOESN'T! You know what? Boss! Where is the goddamn shovel? I'm gonna go dig myself a big hole somewhere in the Grand Canyon and bury this darned wench for disrespecting me!"

Raynare was baring her teeth at Crom Cruach. "What are you talking about, shitty lizard? Bury me? You can go take that shovel and fuck yourself with it! And once you're done, go bury yourself if you like!"

While the chaos ensured, Kuroka poured herself a cup of sake, took a sip, and went to bed. If she was to survive this madness, she might as well get used to it.

-Devil Game-

Amongst gods and monsters, Typhon was an unstoppable freak of nature – a hulk of a man with skin the shade of ebony who looked like he could deadlift Mt Everest without breaking a sweat. As the King of Monsters, he answered only to his one true god – the Great Beast of Apocalypse. Adjusting his sunglasses, Typhon walked into the bookstore and was greeted by an old man with a pipe. "How is master doing nowadays, Nuraihyon?"

"Lord Typhon, I have been expecting you." Nuraihyon chuckled. "Our master is doing well. By the way, have you spoken to Lord Gremory and Lord Sitri before coming here? This is their territory after all."

Tilting his head downwards, Typhon's yellow eyes illuminated. "Does a lion ask a zebra permission for coming into their territory? I'm Typhon. I ruled over all of the monsters that roamed in all dimensions! I don't need their permission to do anything! If they want a word with me, they can come talk to me themselves."

Lesser demons and angels had to pay tribute to the Gremory and Sitri should they visit, but that rule didn't apply to entity like Typhon who was deemed too powerful to give a damn. Typhon's presence would no doubt stir unwanted commotion. It would be prudent to talk somewhere else. Nuraihyon sighed. "Shall we take a walk?

Tendrils of smoke surged from Nuraihyon's pipes, enwrapping them into a cocoon. When the white wisp dispersed, Typhon and Nuraihyon found themselves before a stretch of mountains that were pristine white and a glacial river that shone blue like the sky. They were in Hokkaido, Japan. "Why are we here?"

Sweeping his glance across the meadow, Nuraihyon straightened himself. "How is your search for Lady Inari? Any leads so far?"

Typhon let out a long sigh, a Cuban cigar stuck between his teeth. "No luck, unfortunately. Sometimes I wonder if she did die all those years ago. I could at least return to my master and let him execute me for failing him."

"Our King didn't blame you for what happened."

"Well, he should. I failed him." A guttural growl seeped out from the King of Monsters. "I was tasked to protect Lady Inari and I let her out of my sight. I have lost my honour ever since. All these years, I dare not return to my master and cursed myself to wander this wretched realm, hoping to find my mistress and return her to him."

Nuraihyon blinked.

A swirl of white flames shot up before them, dancing in a tornado of hot fury just for an instance. As it dissipated, a man with long white hair and eyes that were black like the terror of the night stood before them, the tip of his coat fluttered along with the wind. Apophis, the Nemesis of Ra the Great Sun and the Dragon of Eclipse, was a champion who served the Beast of Apocalypse during the Dark Ages, just like Typhon. That and he was also the most positive person you could ever meet. "There's powerful draconic magic over there. Like legit. What is this place, Nuraihyon?"

"You will know soon enough, Lord Apophis." The elderly demon floated his way towards the rolling hills. Lesser beings wouldn't perceive it, but Typhon and Apophis saw an enormous pillar of pulsing energy that took shape of a massive sword that fell from the heavens and plunged itself into the earth. Not even the mightiest gods could cast such a transcendental barrier and kept it hidden from supernatural forces. "I believe you two can already tell what that is."

"Ophis's magic." Typhon grunted. "Are we in that old hag's territory?"

Nuraihyon shook his head. "No, we're not. She is a wanderer, as you have already known. She has no territory. That does beg the question, no? Why would she place such a powerful barrier here? Surely she must be trying to hide something, hmm?"

"Sounds like an adventure." Apophis popped open a bottle of Vitamin C and swallowed a few pills. Yoga, health supplements, and positive thinking were Apophis's top three stress relievers. "Did the two of you bring sun screen?"

"Gentlemen." Nuraihyon harrumphed. "I have found Lady Inari."

Typhon and Apophis gasped.

When Goddess Inari disappeared out of the blue, the Beast of Apocalypse's champions went into a frenzy and initiated a covert operation to find their master's consort. They had searched all of the realms surreptitiously so as to not let heaven or hell knew what happened, yet none of them found anything. Shame had led the champions to believe that they had failed their master and hence they had went into self-imposed exile.

"A-Are you certain about this?" The King of Monsters was still trying to digest that information. "D-Did that old hag kidnap Lady Inari? That must be it! That old hag has a rivalry with our master for Tartaros knew went! Who would have the audacity to do such a thing if not that old hag?"

"Calm down, Typhon. Maybe Ophis is hosting a barbeque and she's sealing up the place to make preparations? You never know."

Typhon and Nuraihyon gave Apophis a blank look.

Nuraihyon clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Anyway, I believe Lady Ophis did not kidnap Lady Inari. She may be our master's enemy, but she will not lower her dignity to do such a thing. From what I have gathered, Lady Inari had changed her name. If my sources are right, she called herself Yasaka."

"This is like legit the best news I have heard since… ever! I'm so happy!" Apophis laughed with glee and said glee swiftly became sorrow as he started bawling. "And so sad! Like a perfect storm of emotion. Our master is going to reunite with his lover after so many years! I might have to dive down into that lake over there and like legit cry myself a river!"

How long had it been since Typhon felt a semblance of peace and relief in him? It was his duty to protect Lady Inari, a task that his master gave him because he was deemed trustworthy. And what did he do with it? Tarnished it. Slandered it. The fact that his master had not punished him for his failure only made him felt worst. He had even considered committing suicide, but he knew better. His death wouldn't solve anything.

"For so many years, I have worn the shame of my failure on my shoulders. To think that Lady Inari is alive and well all this time brings joy to my heart. Let us go find Lady Inari! This time, I won't let her out of my sight again!" Typhon pumped his fist. "Not on my watch!"

"Yeah! Not on his watch!" Apophis chirped excitedly with raised fists.

"I will no longer be in shame anymore!"

"No more shame!" Apophis parroted. "Like legit!"

"Good work, Nuraihyon! We're gonna nip this in the bud."

"Guard your butts!" Apophis hollered. "Because it's about to get nipped!"

"Okay, Apophis." Typhon deadpanned. "Stop."

"I'm sorry. It's just that this news is giving me anxiety. Like legit, anxiety. And I get high when my anxiety kicks in." Apophis glanced down at his Apple Watch and smiled nervously. "My heart rate is spiking up. I think I might get a heart attack from all this anxiety. Is there a doctor nearby?"

"I am no doctor, but I don't think what you three are planning would be considered as… wise." Nobody could really tell if the entity resting atop a giant lotus and smiling at them was a woman… or a very beautiful man. Speaking of which, where did the giant lotus come from? Regardless, Typhon, Apophis, and Nuraihyon could discern this stranger's powers; and it was immense. "For the sake of the world, I will advise not to proceed any further."

After taking a sniff, Typhon finally realised who or what was before them. "You are the last… thing I expect to be here."

Nuraihyon blinked. "Lord Typhon? You know this… person?"

"I dare say not many gods and devils have seen this… thing." Squaring his shoulders, Typhon crossed his arms. "The attendant of Amitabha Buddha, the Great Bodhisattva of Compassion, the One with the Thousand Arms and Thousand Eyes, and the One who Perceives the Sound of the World. The Goddess of Mercy… Avalokitesvara."

"That's a mouthful title." Apophis quipped. "Like legit."

"It sure is." Avalokitesvara giggled. "It matters not what I'm called. You can simply refer to me as Guanyin."

Legends had it that even the Great God Indra and Shiva revered Avalokitesvara to the point of erecting her temples all over Asia. It was said that she stood above gods, but her compassion led her to avoid conflicts between other pantheons. She was also one of the few entities in the world that the Great Red respected, which should already speak volume about her strength. Nuraihyon knew better than to invoke her wrath. "Goddess of Mercy, why would you be here?"

"To stop us from finding Lady Inari, what else?" Typhon huffed and glowered at the smiling Bodhisattva. "You can see into the future. You know there is nothing you can say or do that will stop me from finding Lady Inari."

Guanyin sighed. "I will not stop you if you wish to pursue this path. The Buddha and I have always been observers since the dawn of time. To be honest with you, I have even gone forward in time to see all possible outcomes of what is about to happen should you do what you intend to do."

"They say the great Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva only descends to earth when the world is about to end." Nuraihyon gasped. "Don't tell me…"

Typhon narrowed his eyes. "Are you insinuating that if we go and find Lady Inari, the world will end? Ha! Preposterous!"

"A forest fire only needs a tiny spark to start an unquenchable conflagration. Your inability to locate Goddess Inari is not by accident or misfortune. The Moirai have been meddling with your fate, preventing you from fulfilling the prophecy for years. But even the Sister of Fates can't stop this." Guanyin fiddled with a lotus stalk, her gaze afar. "Amongst all six million, nine thousand and eight possible futures I have seen, do you know what do all of them have in common?"

Beads of sweat started to form on Apophis, Typhon, and Nuraihyon's foreheads.

"Apocalypse. A world in flames. A universe of screams and misery. This moment right here, gentlemen, is the turning point of that future." A bright light enveloped Guanyin and her form started to fade away. "Do what you will with this information. Should you go ahead with your plan, then your lord will truly be the beast that brings about the apocalypse."

-Devil Game-

Within the Gremory Casino situated an audience chamber with a set of double-oak doors, each had faces of primordial devils carved on the wood. The nobles of the underworld were ensconced in their cushioned couch, enjoying champagne and chattering amongst themselves. This was the perfect moment for Rizevim to set his plan in motion.

"Let us commence today's gathering with a toast." Rizevim Livan Lucifer raised his glass. "I want to thank you all for coming."

Nobody paid him any attention. In fact, the devils in the room were distracted by a commotion between Ruval Phenex and the crude Zephyrdor Glasya-Labolas. Now, Zephyrdor was a taint in society and a degenerate who deserved to be nailed to the cross, but he considered himself reformed by the blessing of Jesus Christ, hence he believed he got free pass over murder and rape. "So you're saying, you gave yourself to God? How does that work? I mean, you do know that you're a devil, right?"

"You know how it is, bro. You gotta surrender yourself to his love." Zephyrdor snickered. "I'm getting right with the Lord, ye know?"

"Hey, I'm just happy to hear that." Ruval smiled bemusedly. "But I'm not sure how it works though. I mean… we are devils."

"Ever since I gave myself to Jesus, my life has been amazing bro. I love me some motherfuckin' Jesus, man. Just this morning, I beat up my lil' sista, ye know? Bitch kept ranting about how she doesn't want to go to church to receive God's love just because she's a devil. What you talking about, bitch?"

Ruval blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Hit her ass so hard! Blamsky! Then she fell to the floor and started crying like an ignorant bitch. The fuck she on about, ye know? Go to church and get saved man. I needed to beat her ass. It was God's will, ye know? God wanted me to beat her!"

Scratching his nose, Ruval mused. It sounded like Zephyrdor was just justifying his misdeeds. That or he was a Jehovah's Witness who had snapped. "I'm not sure if that's God's will."

"Robbed an old lady from Walmart and took her money to church. I put in half of what I got." Zephyrdor paused for a moment and corrected himself. "Put in five dollars and pocketed the rest. Listen, bro, God needed me to have that money so I can get booze and screw hookers, ye know? It was God's will."

"Is it though?"

"I just love my motherfuckin' Lord so much I will kill anybody for Jesus, ye feel me? I will shove my fist down the throat of those heathens who ain't about God!"

Having heard enough of Zephyrdor's twisted devotion to God, Rizevim clinked at his glass and coughed aloud. "I've gathered you all to talk about something important. Something that will affect all our lives for the next coming years. This is about… the Second Coming."

Murmurs rippled across the chamber, an expected reaction from sheep. It was Zekram Bael who snorted. "You mean The True Adversary, Destroyer of Worlds, King of the Bottomless Pit, Herald of the Apocalypse, Bringer of the End, and Lord of Darkness? We all thought that would be the Spawn of Satan, which happens to be you and your descendants. And we all know how that turns out."

Laughter broke amongst demons, whom were silenced by Rizevim's pointed glare. "I am talking about the Spawn of… it."

"It?" Many people, upon meeting Diodora Astaroth, would collectively come to the same conclusion: that he had a subtle German accent, that he was too intelligent for his own good, and that he most likely had considered sex reassignment surgery multiple times in his life. "Do you mean the Great Beast of Apocalypse? Oh my? Since when did it become a taboo to say its name?"

"Words hold power, ya donkey." Mephisto Pheles, a devil in a maroon suit, barked. "Now get on with it. I hope you didn't summon all of us just to bore us with some folklore."

"It's nice to see you again, Mephisto." Diodora smiled. "You've aged."

Mephisto snorted. "Like fine wine. Unlike you, who have aged like milk."

Rizevim harrumphed. "I can assure you that this is not folklore. Nor is this a myth. The True Adversary exists. And she is hiding amongst the humans."

"She?" Zeoticus Gremory cocked a brow. "You mean the Beast of Apocalypse has a daughter?"

Rizevim grinned. "Three years ago, there was a small town in Bhutan that experiences something… strange. Reality was warped there. According to my sources, apparently there was a record of a family of bears who could stand on their two feet and cook porridge. Or a wolf who disguises itself as an old lady to eat a girl with a red hood. Or seven dwarfs who owns a cottage in that town."

"Alright, so some fairy tale was conjured into life, so what?" Mephisto Pheles growled, his annoyance was made clear.

"Firstly, it is likely that a child would conjure fantasy from a children's book into life. Secondly, these stories revolve around a little girl. A little girl who thinks that such fantasy are real. And lastly, these phenomenon only occur within the town."

Diodora took a sip from his tea, his expression unreadable. "You keep calling the place 'the town'. Does it not have a name?"

"I suppose it did." Rivezim sighed. "But that town disappeared overnight. And anybody who lives in Bhutan, for some unexplained reason, do not remember such a town has existed. Even angels and demons who want to know more about what has transpired have met with unexplained obstacles. Obstacles that prevent any creation in existence to know more about the town. Hence, it is the town that is lost. Subsequently, something similar happened in Switzerland and Finland."

Mephisto Pheles snickered. "And you think the little beastie is the cause of it? Personally, I think the aliens did it, but whatever."

Zephyrdor inhaled his joint with a loud gasp, rubbed his nose, and grinned. "Man, if I catch them aliens, I'mma sacrifice them for Jesus."

The confident grin tugging at Rivezim's face didn't seem to falter even when his fellow devils were guffawing at him. "What if I tell you that we have found the spawn?"

At that, the room fell into a dead silence.

"Have you lost your mind?" Mephisto Pheles grunted. "Let's assume the spawn exists. Let's assume you know where the spawn is. Then what? Have you forgotten why they called it the Great Beast of Apocalypse? That thing killed God! The Almighty! The Big Man Upstairs! The One Above All! And you want to poke the beast by cutting off its spawn's little toesie wosie? Do you want to listen to my outside voice, bitch?"

Zekram nodded, much to Rivezim's frustration. When it comes to garnering respect from devils, Zekram led the charge. He was also unbending and rigid; if he were to drive a car along the countryside and his GPS told him to turn right, and he knew there was a lake on the right, he would be swimming with the ducks. Hence, if he made up his mind about something, it would be almost impossible to change his mind.

"Mephisto is right. I was there to bear witness of the fall of God and the Beast's unimaginable powers. I assure you, Rivezim, that I have always seen things very clearly." Pulling out a cigar from his vest pocket, Zekram lit it up and took a slow puff. "Once upon a time, we thought that God is… invincible. The notion of his death makes as much sense as the sun orbiting around earth or that the planet is flat. But that… thing did it. That thing was the great equaliser. It doesn't matter if you're god or devil; in the end, he killed God. That's a fact. If you have seen what I saw, you would not even dare consider provoking it."

"Don't be a fool, Zekram. If the prophecy is fulfilled, the beast awakens! Don't you get it! We need leverage! A bargaining chip!"

It was then Mephisto snorted and stood up from his seat. "Right, bargaining chip. You want to kidnap his daughter on behalf of all the inhabitants in hell while risking the possibility that he might be stupid enough to do your bidding over a daughter that he doesn't even know? You, sir, are not a clown. You're the entire circus. Now get your face outta here before I break my foot off in your ass!"

Crestfallen, Rivezim gritted his teeth and walked away. "You'll see when the time comes. You'll see."

-Devil Game-

Who would have thought there was a casino in hell? Everything about the Gremory Casino spoke of excessive bragging. From its diamond-embedded chandeliers to its toilets made out of pure gold, decadence and opulence loomed in the air. Naruto felt out of place amongst these devils whom he once murdered for sport.

Rias had mistook Naruto's rigid posture as a sign of distress and held his hand. "You don't need to be scared, Naruto."

It's not like Naruto could just spill the beans and tell her that he was apprehensive about the fact that any old-timers lurking in the corner might recognise him as the Beast of Apocalypse. That would not do well for their entire operation. "Hah, just a little tired. We should get a drink."

A waned smile curled at her lips and she pulled Naruto to the bar. "Two Pina Colada please."

In his peripheral, Naruto caught sight of the tokens used in the casino. Damned souls. Fascinating. To think that the Gremory could turn the souls of sinners as a form of currency was nothing short of ingenuity and cruelty. Rias handed Naruto a glass of sweet cocktail and smiled. "Here you go. This place serves the best Pina Colada in the entire universe."

Naruto grinned. "So you own this place?"

"Nope. My dad owns it. I just come here for the Pina Colada." Rias's face bloomed with a wide smile as she drank her favourite beverage. "I just want to say thank you for helping me."

"Think nothing of it. I just hate stories with a sad ending." Naruto picked up a handful of peanuts from the table and tossed it into his mouth.

When their eyes met, Rias felt electricity coursing through her body and her heart started racing. Now that she had the chance to study his strong jawline and chiselled cheekbone, she realised that he might just be her type of man. A sultry grin played about Rias's lips as her eyes fell to his neck. No matter how tough he pretended to be, there was no way he could resist her unparalleled beauty. His mind must be filled with dirty thoughts about her, she was sure of it.

Naruto, however, was contemplating what life decisions might have brought him to this point. Seriously, the casino was crawling with people who would kill him if they found out who he was.

Brushing a lock of red hair behind her ear, Rias was fighting the urge not to giggle. It was only natural for men to fawn over her. Naruto must be so infatuated with her. Hell, he might have schemed a thousand different ways to ask her out. What should she do? If Akeno knew about this forbidden love triangle, their friendship might be ruined. No! She couldn't let it happened. Akeno was her previous friend.

"Do they serve ramen here?" thought Naruto. "Meh, might have to ask around."

"Don't fall for me, Naruto-kun."

Naruto broke out of his trance. "What?"

"I know you're thinking about me. Don't. It'll only make things weird."

Clamping his inner wrist over her forehead, Naruto checked to see if Rias was sick. "You're not running a fever. By any chance, is there some kind of medication that you maybe need a lot of and have taken none of?"

A hand suddenly wrapped itself around Rias's shoulder, startling them. "Ah! My lovely Rias-sama! What a pleasure to meet a sweet thing like you here."

Rias groaned and turned to meet Iolava Amon, a notorious pervert in the Underworld. His man bun and goatee only made him looked like a douche.

Glowering at the offending hand that was all over Rias's skin, something dark came over Naruto. Within a fraction of a second, Naruto had seized Iolava's wrist, gave it a whirl, and jerked it up violently, earning himself a satisfying high-pitch shriek.

"H-Hey! What's the big idea? I suffer from chronic shoulder dislocation! Let me go, please!" Iolava yelped helplessly. "W-Who is this man, Rias-sama?"

"Don't hurt him, Naruto-kun! Iolava is an acquaintance."

"Do you have ADHD or something?" Naruto's brows were sown together as he strived his voice to keep his tone pleasant. "Or do you just enjoy touching people wherever you go?"

Iolava chuckled sheepishly. "I just like to touch people. W-Wait! Why am I telling you this?"

Naruto gave the devil's arm a good squeeze and watched him whine and squirm. "R-Rias-sama, I demand an explanation."

"N-Naruto-kun is my… bodyguard."

Iolava winced. "B-Bodyguard? This guy?"

Naruto looked as surprised as Iolava did.

"This is an order, Naruto-kun. Let go of Iolava." Rias placed her hands on her curvaceous hip and pouted. "If you don't do as I said, I'm gonna get angry!"

Swallowing down his ire, Naruto pushed Iolava away and let him skittered into the crowd. It would be a pain in the arse if his cover got blown because he decided to beat a lecherous devil black and blue.

Although Rias knew from her heart of hearts that her beloved friend was in love with Naruto, she couldn't help but want something for herself too. Seeing how Naruto had stood up for her and even risked his neck to confront her father made her heart skipped a beat. A man who would go so far to help a girl like her that he barely knew was a man worth falling in love with.

"Are you worried about me, Naruto-kun?" Rias quipped teasingly and peered up at his ocean blue eyes.

Naruto scratched the tip of his nose. "It's not like that."

"Then why did you attack him?"

Downing his drink, Naruto let out a sigh of content. "His face bothers me, that's all."

"That means you're worried about me, no?"

"Nope. It's quite different."

Rias grinned. Who would have thought the big bad Monster of Kuoh Academy would blush? "It's the same thing."

"It's not." He bristled. "And why did you tell him I'm your bodyguard? If anything, I'm the captain. Or your supervisor. I'm here to make sure the mission goes well."

Spotting a waiter who was about to waltz past them with a tray of fruits, Naruto acted on instinct and pulled Rias close to his side. "There's a clear distinction between those two roles."

A group of drunk men were hollering about their losses at a nearby baccarat table, so Naruto interlocked his fingers with Rias's and led her to a quieter side of the casino. "How can you just go around calling me your bodyguard? Sheesh. What would people think of me if you said something like that?"

Rias's blood thumped thickly in her ear and she couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Naruto-kun, the things you did just now are what a bodyguard would do."

Meanwhile, Crom Cruach and Serafall decided it was time to make their stunning entrance. The only way to garner all the attention they needed was with their costumes. Crom Cruach was a walking candle with red flames cackling from his hair and Serafall decided to wear her white swan dress. Surely, all eyes were on them.

"What's that?" Crom Cruach pointed with his giant candy cane at a table plated with all kind of pastries, meringues, and pies.

Serafall blinked. "You mean the mini cupcakes?"

"Mini cupcakes?" Crom Cruach parroted in disbelief. What in Satan's butthole was a mini cupcake? "As in, a mini version of ordinary cupcakes? Which is already a mini version of a cake? Seriously! Where does it end with you people?"

Gawking in stifled rage, Serafall glowered at the dragon. "You people? What the hell do you mean by that?"

Raynare, fuming under her bunny costume, happened to saw the bickering between Serafall and Crom Cruach and hastily walked towards them. "Not sure if you guys notice, but people are looking at you two. Get to work!"

The fallen angel quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"She's right." Serafall sighed. "Let's get this over with."

"Yeah, I saw a roulette behind us." Crom Cruach jerked a thumb behind him, unknowingly pointing at Falbium Asmodeus instead of the roulette. Two things immediately came to Serafall's attention. Firstly, Crom Cruach was talking quite loudly, so Falbium – one of the Four Satan of the Underworld – heard what was been said. Secondly, Falbium was gay. The fact that he looked like Elton John didn't make the situation any better. "Let's give that bad boy a good spin and I'll toss some balls for good luck, yeah? Who knows? Maybe I can nail that sucker real hard from the rear?"

Crom Cruach spun around, met Falbium's eyes, and went quiet.

"…"

The dragon didn't know how to break the awkward tension in the air, so he kept staring at the bald Elton-John-looking Satan, hoping for him to do the honours and look away.

At first, Falbium deadpanned. And then his lips curled in the most disturbing way possible.

Serafall spit out her wine and choked in her guffaws.

Keeping calm in such dire moment, Crom Cruach turned to Serafall and smiled weakly. "Save me this time and I'll owe you one favour."

It was the perfect opportunity for Serafall to exploit and exploit she would. "Three."

"But…"

"Falbium likes men. A lot. And he is walking towards us as we speak. You have ten seconds to decide." Serafall whispered the ultimatum to Crom Cruach. "So? What's it going to be?"

"Deal." Crom Cruach finished without hesitation. "Get me out of this pinch and I'll owe you three favours."

"Five." Serafall chirped, much to Crom Cruach's rage.

"You witch!"

"Six seconds."

"Come on, Serafall! You wash my back, I wash yours! Please!"

"I think you meant scratch."

"Bitch, is this the right time to correct me?"

"Two seconds."

"Deal! Deal, alright! Just save me."

Serafall took a step forward to create a barrier between Falbium and Crom Cruach. "Why hello there, Falbium. Long time no see."

"Ah, long time no see, Sera. You look lovely today." Falbium's attention however was fixated at Crom Cruach, who was smiling uneasily.

"Say, have you heard? Big news. Big!" Serafall raised her volume to divert Falbium's attention back to her. And it was working. "One of the Lord of the 72 Pillars – Lord Malphas – died last night."

That news had gotten Falbium's full attention. "What?"

One of Serafall's quirks was that she couldn't stop smiling whenever she was lying. "Yes!"

The bald Satan arched a brow. "Are you joking?"

"No. Why do you think I'm joking? I will never joke about this kind of things. He was assassinated."

"But you're smiling, girlfriend."

Serafall's smile widened even further, much to Falbium's disgust. "No? I don't think I am."

"You're smiling!" Falbium pointed at her lips. "Do you think this is funny? The 72 Pillars are dwindling in numbers and you find it funny? Is this a big joke to you?"

"No. It's not a joke. Lord Malphas died and I'm sad."

"Then explain to me what are you doing with your mouth."

Serafall shook her head, but she couldn't stop smiling. In fact, she was smiling even harder. "I'm not smiling. This is not smiling. I don't know why my face is doing this."

Falbium flailed his hands flamboyantly and broke into tears. "Why are women so heartless? No wonder you haven't score yourself a man yet, Sera."

It was at this moment that Serafall remembered how not to smile. "You take that back!"

"Take what back?" Falbium snapped his fingers from left to right. "Sister, please. I spoke nothing but the truth."

"Then you can forget about our monthly treat-your-self day."

The bald Satan gasped and grasped his chest. "Oh, is this how it is? Ya' wanna keep it real?"

Truth be told, Serafall and Falbium were childhood friends. They practically knew each other's dirty little secrets and then some. One thing Serafall was certain was that Falbium overreacted on many occasion; this wouldn't be the first and it certainly wouldn't be the last. "You are breaking up with me, aren't you? I lend you my shoulders to cry on when little Sona went to school. I was there to hold your hair when you puke your guts out on every Satan Worship Anniversary. You were nothing but a lowly Lady of Sitri when I nominated you to be a Satan."

Falbium saw the hurt in Serafall's face and he wept. Needless to say, he was riding the emotional roller-coaster and there was no stopping it. "I don't mean that about the last part. I'm so sorry. I always admired you. You are wonderful and amazing. Men would die to be with you. Being a Lady of Sitri clan is one of the hardest job in this universe. You're always under so much pressure."

Hot tears burst out from Falbium's eyes. "I just don't know how we get from loving sisters to this state, unless…"

Despondence was replaced by cold rage as he stared at Serafall with disgust once more. "Unless there is someone else? Oh, I knew it. How can I be so blind? You found someone to replace me. I guess as much. So, who is it? Hmm? Who is it? SAY SOMETHING!"

Serafall folded her arms under her bosom. "It's… him." She jerked her chin to her right. "I almost forgot to introduce you to my new… boyfriend. Crom Cruach say hi."

Crom Cruach poked his head out from Serafall's back and offered Falbium a weak chuckle.

"So you found a boyfriend to replace your sister?" Falbium gritted his teeth. "You lying whore. We both know he ain't your boyfriend. He was staring at my ass with hot ferocity the whole time. I don't need telepathy to tell what kind of sick, twisted things he wants to do to me."

Crom Cruach made terrible choking sound.

"Fine. Have it your way, Serafall. You broke my heart and I won't forgive you for this. I want you to know that you can only acquire my forgiveness by accompanying me for a mud bath at Napa Valley and a spa treatment at Ritz-Carlton New York this coming Sunday. Don't be late." Falbium flipped his non-existent hair from his shoulders, spun around with upmost sass, and ambled away.

"Phew. That went well." The dragon beamed.

"I almost ruined my friendship with Falbium because of you. You owe me so much, Crom."

Naruto gave Serafall a light nudge and spoke with minimal mouth movement. "We need a distraction! Do something!"

Crom Cruach, who was distracted by an atrocity before him, marched with slacked jaws towards Ajuka. In the Satan's hand was a tray of pizza, topped with green peas, carrots, and bean sprouts; it was an abomination really. Feeling of his creation, Ajuka beamed excitedly at Crom Cruach. "Hey! Crom! You're here. Look what I made for the party. I called it… Pizza Ai Piselli."

Chuckling in disbelief and feeling week in the knees, Crom Cruach stared with utmost disgust at Ajuka, who was still oblivious about the heresy he had committed. "Green Peas Pizza?"

"Do you want a slice?" Ajuka cheerfully took a knife, cut a square from the middle of the pizza like the insane heretic that he was, and put it on a plate for Crom Cruach, whose eye was spasming violently. "Here you go. Enjoy."

Glancing down at the square monstrosity of a pizza in his hand, Crom Cruach started to tremble; a thousand years' worth of righteous Italian anger surged within the black dragon. "Is this… really pizza?"

Nodding fervently, Ajuka rubbed his nose and puffed his chest. "Do you like it? It's gluten-free too. I didn't add cheese on it. It's a revolution, Crom!"

"You have just Mamma'd your last Mia!" Crom Cruach's hands were shaking from an amalgam of shock and anger. "Who the fuck makes pizza like this and cut a slice of pizza the way you did?"

The Satan could barely register the outrage in the dragon's voice. "W-What? What did I do?"

"What did you do? This bitch doesn't even know what he did!" Crom Cruach gnashed at his teeth. "Are you fucking serious, Jimmy? What did the people here do to you to deserve this? Huh? Oh my God! Jimmy, you useless piece of lime!"

Scratching his scalp in confusion, Ajuka looked to his left and right frantically, as if asking for a helpline via eye contact, but nobody seemed to care. No, scratch that, the people around him had noticed the pizza he brought in and wanted to cut ties with him. "I… I don't get it. W… What?"

"I fucking hate you right now, Jimmy! You useless excuse for a devil!" Crom Cruach threw the plate of unholy creation ever known to men on the marbled floor and pointed a finger at Ajuka. "Eww!" He pointed down at the infernal bile on the floor. "Eww!" He pointed back at Ajuka, who flinched horribly." Eww!" Back at the dough of rotten pus baked by a loon. "Eww!"

"I-I'm sorry?"

"I can't believe you, Jimmy! You're a fucking cunt! I'm embarrassed to associate myself with you! There is literally a place in heaven for people like you who makes pizza like this! What the fuck is wrong with you, Jimmy!"

The commotion did stir most of the devils' attention. Serafall edged her way through the crowd and was confounded to find a furious Crom Cruach yelling at a mortified Ajuka. "Whoa. What's the big idea, Crom? What happened?"

"Look at what Jimmy did! He made pizza with green peas, carrots, and bean sprouts! And then he cut a square from the centre of this thing and called it a slice! Can you believe it?"

Rage and fury contorted Serafall's beautiful face and she glowered at Ajuka. "Jimmy, you maggot! Are you fucking serious? How could you do this! I wouldn't even serve this shit to my worst enemy. And you choose to serve it to people on an event like this? Are you out of your mind?"

"I hate you so much, Jimmy!" Crom Cruach spat. "Fuck you bloody, Jimmy! Fuck you bloody!"

"I hate knowing you're a Satan! You know what? I don't even want to know you anymore, you trash!" Serafall shrieked. "Someone get me a cheese grater! I need to cut Ajuka's balls off with it!"

Ajuka hugged the pizza close to his chest, the tomato sauce rubbed all over his shirt but he didn't care. He shook his head and sobbed to himself.

While everybody was distracted, Naruto took Rias's hand and they snuck their way to a long and austere hall, which was made of red-veined white marble. At the end was a flight of stairs that led to a set of heavy oaken doors.

"I kinda feel sorry for Jimmy." Rias whispered.

"Forget about them. Your dad is probably having a blast behind those doors." Naruto grinned darkly. "Let's go greet him, shall we?"

Author Note: Hey! I hope you guys are doing well and staying safe in this dark time. There is no doubt that 2020 isn't a great year, but we have to push through this. Anyway, I hope this chapter shines some light and laughter in your life. On that note, some people are commenting that I'm putting too much emphasis on the comedy than the plot. I want to apologize for that. Crommy is just such a fun character to write. Don't worry though, I won't get side-tracked. In fact, the plot is all coming together. Do you see it?

Pairings:
1.) NarutoXAkeno
2.) NarutoXRias
3.) NarutoXGabriel
4.) NarutoXYasaka
5.) NarutoXSerafall
6.) NarutoXRaynare
7.) NarutoXKalawarner
8.) NarutoXHarem

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