Chapter 2: When Everything Comes Full Circle

Honestly, this took a lot longer than expected since I got distracted about halfway through in addition to trying my damnedest to work through the dialogue. I had actually planned for this to be a few scenes longer, but it just felt like I was trying to do too much too soon, so I cut them. This chapter might seem a little slow, but I wanted to give a little more to these characters before jumping into the start of the first official arc next chapter. Hopefully the next one will be out in half the time!

AU: I should also not that in addition to this being a sort of prequel to DxD, there will also be AU elements since I'll be bringing in some stuff from the later books of the light novels.

Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Highschool DxD.

The Untold Story

When Everything Comes Full Circle

The obnoxiously loud ringing of an alarm clock drowned out even the chirping of birds coming from just outside the window as its shrill cry cut through the morning air in a tune all too reminiscent of one's nails scraping against a chalkboard. From within the blankets a single cerulean blue eye peeked out, glaring venomously at whatever came to view as it searched for the source of such an obscene noise so very early in the morning. The eye narrowed sharply as it finally caught sight of the damn contraption, retreating back into the small cocoon of blankets only for an arm to shoot out a moment later and throw it across the bedroom.

"Oh, shut up! Stop ringing!"

It was too early in the morning for this, maybe around noon he'd give that "early bird gets the worm" saying a shot. However—no matter how much he wished it to be so—apparently switching off the alarm clock was required in this particular instance rather than a simple show of brute force. He should've just blasted it with some magic...Or was this one of those cases of brain over brawn?

Well, whatever it was couldn't it have waited a few hours? Seriously, mornings always seemed to come at the worst times.

"Come on, already...?" With a groan, the young man slowly unraveled himself from the cocoon created from his twisting and turning throughout another dream-filled night and stretched himself out in an attempt to remedy the stiffness deep within his muscles. It wasn't a pretty sight by any means, but it got the job done. Slowly but surely, Uzumaki Naruto managed to roll out of bed and land with his feet beneath him. He was like a cat in that respect. "I was up till late last night setting up the barriers and runes, the least I should get in return is just a few more minutes..."

It had been over two weeks since the party in the old capital of the Underworld, but only a single one since arriving in Kuoh Town—Cleria's new territory. Apparently Diehauser-san had similar thoughts as the two of them in regards to getting away from the Rating Game scene and thought it best to let Cleria see the world a bit more before continuing on with her career as a devil. A sabbatical of sorts in the Human World for however long it took for her to get her affairs in order.

Cleria took to her new responsibilities quite nicely, of all the places they'd traveled over the years Japan always did hold a special place in her heart. Then again, she wasn't the one doing the actual work behind the scenes in setting up a new territory such as erecting the barriers beyond the city limits or writing out the runes that surrounded the city. Those rather tedious tasks were left solely up to him, just one of the various reasons as to why he didn't have that same spring in his step that his King seemed to have been graced with since her feet hadn't touched the ground as of yet.

But otherwise, Japan was just how he remembered it—though it hardly felt like home. The actual details surrounding his birth still remained a mystery to him but he was of Japanese blood through and through, that much he had made certain of. Can't become truly strong without knowing who you are and what you're fighting for, right. The less said about his childhood the better, but eventually he was taken in by the Hexennacht organization and trained in the magical arts from a young age. His defection and life as a hired gun were stories for another time though...perhaps even ones that were better left untold.

"Geez, you're so heartless..." Naruto sighed as he found the alarm clock amongst the cluttered mess of clothes and such. He stared impassively at it for a moment before shattering it into hundreds of bite-sized pieces with a well-placed stomp. How unfortunate, looks like he would have to purchase a new one the first chance he got!

Yeah, like hell he was starting out another day of his new life with that incessant ringing in his ears.

Naruto absentmindedly ran a hand through the mess of golden locks that he had the audacity to call hair, realizing that his natural tendency to move about every which way in his sleep had yet again resulted in a severe case of bed head. He desperately needed a shower, breakfast would be good too if he had the time to spare. Stifling a yawn as sleep attempted to overtake him once more, the young devil fought off this morning's most sought after desire all while on the way to the bathroom.

After turning on the water to the shower, Naruto took a look at his disheveled state in the bathroom mirror while waiting for the water to heat up a bit.

Overlooking the current state of his hair and the slight bags under his eyes from yet another late night, Naruto could honestly say that seeing the result of all his trials and challenges with his own two eyes made him believe that—even if just for the most fleeting of moments—everything up until this point was worth it all. It wouldn't last, he had had his own share of regrets and more than a few ghosts from the past that would eventually come to haunt him, but in this single moment he felt...satisfied. Even proud of how far he'd come in the span of a few short years.

Letting his hand trail down his skin, Naruto traced the single wound that scarred his body which covered nearly the entire left side of his abdomen and stretched across his lower back. This single wound was the only reminder he needed that no one could ever truly escape their pasts, after all not even his own regeneration could erase the damage done by the fires of the Holy Cross.

Naruto brought his hands up and slapped himself lightly on the cheeks, bringing himself out of that stroll down memory lane. Geez, he really became such a downer whenever he thought too much of the past.

If the start to this morning was any indication, the rest of the day didn't look to be very promising.

As the shower reached an appropriate temperature, Naruto stepped in and sighed in content from the heat of the water that coursed over his skin. It was almost like he was back in the comfort of his bed, this is why showers were best first thing in the morning. He lowered his head into the path of the shower head so that the hot water would soak his mess of hair into something at least somewhat manageable. Looking down at the drain embedded in the shower floor as the water dripped down off of his body, Naruto moved one of his arms into his field of vision and let rows upon rows of golden scriptures, written in a language so ancient and so sacred that they were seemingly incoherent to the average eye, come to the surface of his skin—their origin mirroring his very being.

"It's funny in its own twisted way, this is what so many people have either written off as mere myth or devoted their entire lives to searching for...and all the while it's held by someone who has no desire to find the beginning, to reach the root." Naruto smiled a bit at the irony that the world seemed to be so very fond of. The ultimate ambition for any single magician was to one day reach the beginning and learn all that it could tell, but he found such a path to be meaningless. What was the point in finding this beginning if all it could tell was the history of how everything came to be, rather than what the future held?

After a second or two, he sighed and let the golden markings fade away back into the depths of his body. The only reason why the beginning had been brought to his mind lately was because of the troubling news of widespread mysterious deaths of top-class magicians within the various magicians associations and those who had ever been involved with them in any way. It was probably just the paranoia talking, but there was a sense of unease to the entire situation.

Quite the pleasant thoughts for someone who'd just gotten out of bed, huh.

After his shower, this young devil had finally resigned himself to yet another busy day of completing contracts and laying the groundwork for a successful territory. This consisted of him throwing on his favorite hooded sweatshirt—orange in color of course, though to his credit it did have some black highlights here and there—over a white undershirt, slipping on a pair of long black shorts with orange piping down the sides, and stepping into a pair of sandals. Cleria had never been too fond of his favorite color, but the constant exposure must have done some good as now she no longer even commented on his choice of attire.

Just in time too, he was starting to get a bit hungry. Looking at the clock that hung on the opposite the wall, he saw that he had plenty of time for...

"Naruto, though I've grown accustomed to your sleeping habits, the school has not. We'll be late to class if you don't move things along." His morning dining plans were seemingly cancelled as his King's displeased voice carried itself from just beyond the bedroom door.

...a quick meal. Looks like he'd have to take a raincheck on that breakfast.

"...but I'm not even enrolled at any education level, much less your prestigious university..."

As egotistical as it would sound should he ever speak such words aloud, Naruto could honestly admit that he was quite the attractive young man. His basic, but fairly high, specs; a face that many of the female persuasion found pleasing to look at; a muscular, but lean, build; and a natural radiance that seemed to indiscriminately draw people to him; he didn't hate a single one of these traits, but they did tend to set him apart from the common man. In addition, the woman by his side was easily one of the most beautiful he had ever laid eyes upon, so naturally those of this town would feel the same.

Essentially they stood out like a sore thumb, something which hadn't gone unnoticed what with all the stares fixed in their direction as they passed by and all. What was their problem anyways?

"Um, why do I have to walk you to class again? Your university doesn't even allow guys, so I'm pretty sure I'm not welcome anywhere near its general vicinity..." Also, why did he have to carry her schoolbag? He was beginning to feel more like a butler rather than a Queen...

"Isn't it only natural for a Queen to accompany the King, wherever he should choose to go?" Cleria offered Naruto a cold smile before letting out a short, terse sigh. Somehow that sigh sounded a bit sarcastic... "Should you have chosen to undergo further education, yourself, perhaps you would have found a better use for your time."

"...um, could we stop talking in chess terms? It's hard to keep up since the standard genders of those roles are switched in this case."

Even if he did opt to attend a school again after all these years—not that he would ever be foolish enough to make such a decision—the one that Cleria had enrolled in was a very prestigious all-girls university that probably wouldn't bother taking a second look at his application even if it suddenly shifted into a coeducational institute. There was also the small fact that he and Cleria were two years apart, so while she was of the age where it was only natural for her to be attending a university, he would probably amount to a second or third year in high school.

"So you acknowledge that even simple conversation is enough to leave you behind..."

"If you're trying to convince me to go back to school, you're doing a pretty poor job of it. Not to mention just completely out of your mind, though that's nothing new." Naruto shot back at Cleria. Maybe it was because—despite everything that separated her from the other high-class devils out there—she was still raised as a high-class girl and considered to be such, but it seemed that she couldn't understand the feelings of someone who had other plans besides sitting around while the educational system shoved more useless knowledge down his throat. No thanks, he'd already gone through that when was being educated on devil society. "I already went to school in addition to studying magic in Hexennacht, doing the same now would only serve to pile on more useless knowledge that wouldn't really help me in the long run. If that's my only other option, I think I'd rather just spend my days fulfilling contracts. I'm actually getting pretty good at it."

"Though it wouldn't do well to have an ignorant servant, I suppose if you feel that way then it's already been settled." Cleria relented with a resigned sigh just as the gates that enclosed the university campus came into sight.

The school itself was called Kuoh University, but since it was included in an escalator system it had several other divisions such as its high school, middle school, and primary divisions that were located on campuses elsewhere within the city. The campus was actually very beautiful—at least judging from what little of it Naruto could see from beyond the gates—and looked to have been recently renovated sometime during the past few semesters. It was also large, as in far larger than it had a right to be for a city of this size. This wasn't Tokyo or Yokohama, though it would be pretty awesome to have one of those cities as a territory...

"I apologize. I'm afraid I wasn't thinking...While in the Underworld I had always dreamt of having a normal school life where I could talk about trivial matters of which I wouldn't be able to in a high-class setting and live out my days without anyone knowing who I truly was or who I was related to...but it's a bit harder than I thought. Connecting with people when I have such different standards, I mean. I spoke again just now without thinking, so please don't mind it." Cleria closed her eyes as she went on, but just a moment before she had a faraway look in them. So she was having a hard time adjusting, huh? Well, maybe it was an easier transition for him since—for the vast majority of his life—he'd actually been a human.

"Oh, so that's how it is, huh?" It seemed Cleria had a valid reason for being such a pain in the ass recently. On one hand she was especially excited about being in a new environment and experiencing new things, but on the other she was actually a bit nervous about settling down in a place that was unfamiliar to her. Her adventurous side was clashing with her desire to run back to what was familiar. Maybe the idea of him going through these same experiences with her—even if not in the exact same environment—would've brought just a little comfort to her. Geez, women sure were more complicated than they had a right to be. "You've got some serious misconceptions about what it means to be a human though. They say devils are greedy, but I think humans are even more concerned with only looking out for themselves. They grow jealous of what others have and try to kick each other down all too easily, the greater the man the more he suffers in life...I always try to see the best in people, but even I can tell that humanity as a whole is rotting this world...I'd rather be a devil where the majority openly admit their own selfish desires rather than try to hide behind a façade the way humans do."

"You really do have a disturbing view on life, I'm starting to wonder if it would be better for society if I kept you locked up at home..." Cleria muttered with a straight face, analyzing Naruto from head to toe while placing a finger on her chin. "Then again, if I went and did that, who would I have to take care of the dirty work that comes with being a high-class devil? How goes the preparations I passed onto you, have they been completed?"

When Cleria asked about all the work she had pushed off onto him, Naruto couldn't help but rub his eyes out of being reminded of his exhaustion. He really needed a sick day. "Yeah, I set everything up. The barriers should be able to identify everyone coming and going from the town—especially those with supernatural powers—and will send us an alert should something urgent come up. The runes will be able stall anyone worth worrying about for a bit of time, or at least until we've got an idea about the situation, should one come up. I've used my most advanced magics to set up the defenses around the city, so we shouldn't have too much to worry about unless a God decides to come and pay us a visit."

Though they might not do much good since the enemies closest to home were already in the city. It was on the outskirts of town, but there was a Church-run facility that could possibly pose a problem in the future. He and Cleria had already been here for a few days and nothing major had happened yet, so it could be nothing...but it was still something worth considering. Devils and the Church weren't exactly on the best of terms.

"It's not like you to get things done in such a timely manner, Naruto, but I'll say you did a good job this once. I'll be able to rest easy for the duration of your return to the Underworld then. Will you be taking your leave immediately after this?"

"No, I think I'll fulfill some of my daily contracts and then settle some things here first, but I'll definitely be on my way by the time you get out of class later this afternoon." Naruto thought aloud as he scratched the back of his head. There was still a lot to do before he could take off, plus he'd promised his favorite little customer that he would be around today. The schedule was a little tight, but he didn't like going back on a promise. "The mid-class exams aren't until tomorrow, but I've been invited as a guest to the territory of one of the top-rankers in the Rating Games for tonight. Otherwise I'd just settle for leaving tomorrow at the time of the exams."

Ever since Ruval told Naruto that he had been recommended for this upcoming promotional test, he'd been studying like crazy. The practical portion was already a done deal and the written report—while incredibly tedious and a waste of quite a bit of his time—was easy enough, but the written test was what would weigh down his overall score, even with all the extra studying. He just couldn't bring himself to understand Underworld economics and folkloristics. A perfect score on the practical exam and a high evaluation on his written report would be just enough to bring him up to a passing score as long as he got the bare minimum of points on the written test...

He should get a high grade just for calculating all that!

"Very well, see to it that you are promoted to a mid-class devil. Should you return while still holding a low-class rank, I'll be quite disappointed." Cleria seemed less than impressed that he'd been invited as a guest by one of the heroes of the Underworld. Not that they were actual heroes, that was just what the top ten were known to most devils as since the Rating Games had become so famous. Though to be fair, having Diehauser-san as a relative probably lessened their accomplishments a bit, at least in her mind. "Good luck...you'll do great."

Cleria muttered those final parting words in a small, barely audible voice before snatching her schoolbag out of Naruto's hands and quickly walking off. Naruto doubted his own ears at how...genuine those words sounded coming from her mouth, but she showed no signs of looking back. It was rare for her to express what she really thought, so these moments where she let her iron defenses fall were...special.

In the end, he watched Cleria until she was completely out of sight.

It had been about forty-five minutes since the client had summoned him, but finally they had arrived at the venue for this particular contract—the expo hall in one of the neighboring cities where the Tokyo Cats and Dogs Show was being held. Even though it was the Tokyo Cats and Dogs Show, it wasn't too surprising for it to be held around this area at least once a year...or so he had read in this morning's newspaper. It might've caused some problems if it was actually being held in Tokyo, especially with the client's mixed feelings towards magic. He probably would've ended up sitting on the train all day.

The venue was populated by a reasonably high amount of people, but because it was both during work and school hours there weren't quite as many as there would be if it was the weekend. There were also a number of those who brought their pets inside since it was an animal-friendly environment. He never really understood the widespread desire of owning a pet, even when he was a human. Devils had something similar in the way of familiars, but even then he never really bothered with them. Yeah, there were those that were cute or useful for everyday tasks...but in a few words, it all just seemed rather needless. Though he was aware that there were likely only a few who thought similarly. After all, what was cute would always be popular.

Naruto tentatively glanced down at the lively young girl that was leading him around all over while clinging onto his arm. Now that he thought about it, wasn't he helping this kid ditch school with this little excursion? Corrupting the up-and-coming generation, all in a day's work.

This little girl with chestnut brown hair tied up into twintails and vibrant violet eyes was his best customer, Irina-chan. Apparently she had picked up one of the leaflets that Cleria's familiar had been handing out—incidentally she just so happened to be his very first customer after arriving in Kuoh Town—and summoned him out of curiosity. That first meeting started off a bit rocky on his part since she was seemingly a devout Christian, but thankfully she was quite the airhead and a little young to fully grasp the sort of situation she created. Since then she'd summoned him to help with her homework, take her out for ice cream, help with shopping for her father's birthday present...and now this. He'd somehow become her playmate of sorts...

It was dangerous getting swept up in this girl's pace.

Anyway, it might have been called the Tokyo Cats and Dogs Show, but it was pretty much one large pet sale with the animals on display. It could also be considered similar to a zoo since there were many species of rare animals, though those weren't for sale. There was also no admission cost for the event or anything like that, it was an event to be feared.

"Look, Naruto-san! Penguins! So many penguins walking around, how adorable!" Irina was brighter and even more cheerful than usual, wearing a million-dollar grin that threatened to split her face in two as she pointed around at the different attractions very excitedly.

"Hmm. Oh, that reminds me. When I was a human I took a bit of Latin in one of the middle schools I attended. The word for penguin derives from the Latin word for 'fat', so when you think about it, they're like obese salarymen waddling around outside the office." Naruto snickered as he tried to imagine a group of penguins working at an office building filing papers and a group of working-class adults wandering about the North Pole. Well, it wasn't too hard since penguins already looked like they were wearing suits.

"Oh, wow. Suddenly I can't think of them as cute anymore...Thanks to your useless trivia, I'm going to think of the word 'fat' every time I look at a penguin!" Irina lowered her arm dejectedly then turned towards Naruto and glared resentfully. "You know, Naruto-san, you're not meant to say that kind of stuff on a real date. When a girl says 'How adorable!' you're supposed to say, 'Yeah, but you're even more adorable.'"

"...how dumb. What do you know about this kinda stuff anyways? Maybe when you fill out a little more I'll listen to your advice." Naruto retorted, sizing Irina-chan up. Her hairstyle was a little childish—though she usually had it tied into a ponytail of sorts since she was a bit of a tomboy—and she was quite short compared to him, but overall she had a cute appeal to her. He'd never specifically asked her, but he would guess that she was about a year older than Ravel-ojou and nearly a year younger than Sona-ojou-chan.

Why the hell did so many young girls flock to him? People would start thinking he was a lolicon if things continued like this...

"Hmph, how rude!" Irina muttered in complaint, puffing her cheeks out as she pouted. "It's fine, it's fine. It wasn't like I was telling you to say that seriously to me, you know. I already know I'm adorable."

"Saying it yourself ruins the effect..." What a sparkling conversation to have while dogs and cats and penguins mill around in the background.

"Thanks for the pointless commentary! Anyway, look, look! Lets look over there for a sec." Irina excitedly cheered as she broke off into a run, yanking Naruto along by the hand.

This girl really had the attention span of the animals that were being put on display! Was Irina-chan really to be trusted around small animals? She seemed to be the type that would even consider taking a pet goldfish for a walk outdoors so it could get some exercise...

Somehow, she had led them from the exhibition areas to the section of the expo hall where common house pets were sold and interactive zones were set up. Odd because it was on the complete opposite side from where they started off. This particular area was the zone that grouped together smaller pets like hamsters, rabbits, and ferrets. Irina got really into the Petting Corner, as evidenced by all the oohing and aahing she made and how she just refused to budge an inch from where she stood. Incidentally, the animals scampered away whenever Naruto got near them. Well, damn...

"Irina-chan, let's move on. You wanted to go look at the puppies, right?"

"Eeek, how cute! I almost stood on it! Oh, I wanna get one of these too!" Irina squealed cutely as she picked up one of the rabbits and held it in her arms, though the small animal did its damn best to escape. "Hmm, Naruto-san, you can go on ahead and look at the dogs. I'm gonna stick around a little longer here."

"That so..." The reason she thought it was cute wasn't cute at all. Was this girl okay? "Guess I'll stick around too, you've got another thing coming if you think I'm letting you out of my sight in a place like this."

Even though the dog zone was just up ahead, Irina-chan seemed to want to play around with these pets a little more. The entire purpose of him coming all the way out here with her was because she wanted to pick out one of the puppies to bring home with her since her father didn't have the time this year to take her, or something like that. Seemed to be a father/daughter bonding experience of some sort, so he felt a bit out of place having to fill in for him. Anyways, this chick sure was a troublesome client, making him come all the way out here just cause her dad promised that they would pick out a puppy when they came this year.

"Geez, you're even more overprotective than papa, Naruto-san!"

"Tch. You're on your own if you think I'm your babysitter, brat, I'm more worried about the animals that catch your attention. It's called keeping an eye on Irina-chan so that she doesn't step on the animals." Really, an accident almost happened there a minute ago, who knows what would happen if she was left unsupervised.

"I do not step on them!" Irina puffed her cheeks out and glared 'dangerously' at Naruto. She then hastily stood up, ignoring his existence completely, and boldly stepped forward into the uncharted waters of the expo hall. Though, to be honest, she was rather prone to getting lost. "I-I've decided that we should continue on since we've already come this far. Well then, let's be off."

Egged on by Irina, Naruto followed her through the cheap gate that served as the entrance to the dog zone. A huge mass of potential buyers were gathered in the corner of the pet shop, mingling with each other and checking out the selection of dogs. It seemed a lot of customers had already gathered, the dogs certainly attracted that much attention. From the moment they entered the area, Naruto's ears were subjected to an assault from all directions from the squealing girls. Those of the female persuasion and cute animals, puppies especially, were not meant to mix. Seriously, it was too noisy around here.

In the end, Naruto and Irina made their way back to Kuoh Town with new yellow labrador puppy.

Monday was always such a dreary start to the week, that was something her Queen had been saying for years now. Even a new beginning in a new environment couldn't bring any liveliness to such a day. This was only the second week of classes and already she could say that the lessons were nothing more than review compared to her own understanding of the individual subject matter.

Sociology, behavioral psychology, anthropology, history—the reason she chose to take such a specific course load was because she wanted to better understand human society and behavior, how they functioned both as a society and as individuals. Though it seemed that she would have to wait until much later in the semester to satisfy this personal curiosity of hers.

Cleria sat there quietly in the large lecture hall on the third floor as the professor continued his lesson, staring out the window which gave her a broad view of the surrounding cityscape and a small glimpse of the outside world. Speaking honestly, she didn't want to claim the seat at the top of the Rating Games or serve as the next head of the Belial clan, she simply wanted to experience more of this world...to engrave every corner and every ocean firmly into her memory.

However, the world seemed to constantly be asking more of her.

Cleria prided herself on many things in her admittedly short life, but it was her shortcomings this time that glared her directly in the eye. Receiving a territory of her own would under normal circumstances be something to take pride in, but in this way it somehow felt more akin to an unofficial exile from the Underworld—one that would remain in place until she was ready to make her return to the Rating Games.

Cleria tightly clenched her delicate hands into fists—warping the plastic of the mechanical pencil she had been previously taking notes with—upon remembering her unacceptable performance in the last Rating Game. It could hardly be labelled as a proper battle, one attack was all it took...a single one of Ruval's spells was all it took to retire her from the game. Early on, she had managed to disable the regeneration that she thought to be the most glaring obstacle in the way her first official victory with the Belial clan's Worthlessness, but only now did she realize that Ruval had been furthering himself all this time.

At the time of the young devils gathering nearly two years ago, their individual skills had paralleled each other. They were considered equals in every sense of the word and were expected to be the most promising of the new generation of young devils...but at some point Ruval had managed to jump ahead. Just what was it that had caused so much to change since then?

Only one answer came to mind, yet it was the one that she would never openly admit to the world—her Queen and best friend, Naruto.

It should go without saying that there was a version of her that existed before she first met Naruto—the cold-hearted princess who cared for no one and relied only on herself, as stereotypical as it sounded—but that girl had been through so much that she wouldn't even be recognized by the woman who she had grown into. Though the fact remained that with her upbringing, Cleria found it easier to treat her Queen as if he were more akin to an actual servant rather than her most trusted friend, there was not a doubt in her mind that she was better off with him by her side—which is why she desperately wished to deny the possibility that he was the reason why she had hit a wall.

She had become reliant on him...

In that way it couldn't exactly be described as his fault so much as her own, but that single fact was what held her back all this time.

Flashback

Cleria took a breath before pushing open the doors to the chambers where Diehauser's servant had brought her. She had only just left the rather extravagant party of which she could ascertain had become even livelier in such a short time, but any inkling of her more jovial mood had already been quelled by the cold weight of summons. Of those belonging to the Belial clan she was by far the one closest to Diehauser, but as the Champion of the Rating Games and the one proclaimed as "The Emperor", he was rather strict when it came to professional affairs—even with his favorite cousin.

"Diehauser, you've called for me?" Cleria questioned respectfully after entering the room and closing the doors behind her. Diehauser was a respected leader on the battlefield and a kind man off, however, he never held back in his harsh judgements and presented them without the slightest reservation. Just a few words from him were enough to strip away all the confidence and conceit that any who came before him had built up until then.

Cleria's eyes needed a moment to adjust to the darkness of the room that was only illuminated by the moonlight of the false moon shining through the skillfully crafted windows which made up a large portion of the back wall. With her eyes having need for only a moment to familiarize themselves with the lighting change, Cleria promptly set her sights on her older cousin—a handsome man with a graceful face and a set of gray eyes and matching gray hair, quite similar to her own features.

Diehauser Belial did not immediately offer a response to his cousin's presence and continued to gaze out onto the town below, his figure standing out from the rest of the drab surroundings as his body bathed in the artificial moonlight that the grandiose view of the encircling cityscape allowed.

"I care not for these festivities, such enjoyment should be left to those who have need to fill their own emptiness in these shallow, jovial pursuits. Extravagant celebrations such as these are only good for keeping up appearances and political posturing in the name of fostering good relations between prominent families, quite distasteful if you ask me..." Diehauser shook his head while he pondered that train of thought, though not turning around to face his much younger cousin just yet. "Yet on this night, those who have climbed to the top over the decades and honed themselves by using their competitors as 'sacrifices' for their own gain have gathered in this city. These Rating Games are essentially a means to decide who is worthy of standing at the top of the Underworld. As one who lays claim to the title of King...you cannot refuse this opportunity, it would only serve to insult those who serve you and those who have acted as the 'sacrifices' for your own growth."

"Sacrifices? What is it exactly that you mean by those words, Diehauser? The system of the Rating Games is designed to prevent meaningless bloodshed between devils, is it not?" Cleria asked in quick succession, not even allowing the most fleeting of moments for an answer before opening her mouth again and pressing even more. She was unusually at a loss for the point that Diehauser was trying to get across to her. It wasn't possible for him to have been referring to actual deaths within official matches as the retiring system transported the seriously wounded participants to the standby medical facilities—it was why her own servant was incapable of utilizing his highly favored 'Rebirth' ability while in game. Perhaps he was referring to unsanctioned matches?

"Already coming to the wrong conclusions, it appears. Perhaps you are a bit young to understand a concept driven by such a simplistic instinct, only those who've experienced losses more than just those in Rating Games could really come to explain it...The desire to hone one's own abilities through combat. More or less, using the opposition as stepping stones to get even a little closer to the top." Diehauser finally turned to face his cousin as he continued, his expression not betraying a single emotion—not fondness in remembrance of his own path to the number one spot, not passion for speaking of the throes of battle, not even disappointment aimed at Cleria's own shortcomings. "It really lacks style, but if it's simply a means to discern the hierarchy amongst devils, then there's hardly cause for bloodshed. However..."

Cleria stiffened up as she heard the tone in Diehauser's voice, but managed to keep a stony face. She really wished that Naruto were here right now standing beside her, having him there at these times was possibly the most reassuring feeling she could ever hope for. No, she needed to get through this on her own—it is the servants who should be turning to their King, not the opposite.

"Cleria, are you really the most suited to be a King? A proud and noble figure certainly, but how can a servant loyally follow when not even the King knows where their path will lead? As you are now, your leadership is nothing more than an insult to those who serve and fight alongside you." Diehauser held nothing back in his judgement of Cleria's leadership thus far. He sugarcoated nothing and pulled no punches, even if she was family. No, it was because that she was family that he prefer she face her failures now rather than be crushed by the weight of them while in the spotlight for all the Underworld to see. "These games will only serve to break the faint-hearted, I'd recommend getting out while you still can...A king with no desire of her own to fight will be up first amongst the sacrifices for this generation."

End Flashback

Admittedly, there was a lot more holding her back than just a reliance on Naruto. Diehauser was right in much of what he said that night, especially in regards to her currently being unfit to call herself a King, but he was also wrong. It wasn't as though she had suddenly found her resolve in these past two weeks—she still remained unsure of how she fit into this world and where she would go from here—but even more so than her leadership, walking away from everything now would be insult to those who had given everything to get her to this point.

There was no choice but to continue moving forward, however, in order to do that she would first need to venture outside the world that she had built up around herself—it's not something so easy that just anyone can do, though. Going off of only her own heart and instincts may have worked up until now, but that simple way of going about things just wouldn't cut it anymore.

Under his feet, the shallow golden light of the magic circle faded and Naruto took his first steps forward into the winter wonderland that was known to be Rudiger Rosenkreutz's established territory. The thin orange hoodie he wore did little to thwart off the chill in the air, but the young devil continued to brave through the climates far harsher than those of which he had experienced while in Tannin's territory many months ago.

Why the man had chosen such a remote and uninhabitable section of the Underworld as his territory, Naruto would never know. It wasn't like there was any shortage of land to claim and being the highest-ranked reincarnated devil, holding the seventh spot in the Rating Games, did have its advantages. After all, strength reflected social standing—that included choice of territory.

Naruto hadn't been previously informed of why he'd been invited to one of furthest corners of the Underworld, but he was well aware that he was being watched. He felt their observant eyes on him around the moment he first stepped foot in the territory. The forestlands, though their grounds remained covered by a thick layer of the purest of snows, were populated with an abundance of familiars—something not so surprising considering that this land was home to one of the most world-renowned magicians.

With every step Naruto took, a shallow golden light and magic circle accompanied—the landscape, though it remained constant, differed just enough with his every movement to verify that each time his foot touched the ground the surrounding seemed to drastically change. A simultaneous application of both teleportation and phenomena alteration, something a bit easier on the mind when long-distance teleportation wasn't necessary. Teleportation, though a basic application for any magician, requires careful calculations. It's tricky stuff, that's why so many used magic circles that were carved into the ground or set to only teleport to a specified location.

Magic is magic—expected to do the impossible time and time again without fail, but even it had rules which it operated within.

After transversing what would normally be a few days' journey in just a few short minutes, Naruto whistled in appreciation at the imposing sight of what were likely to be the only structures throughout the territory. Devils, if there was ever a race that was genetically predisposed to showing off, it was them—apparently even when no one was around to witness it. An ostentatious bunch they were, though he was included in that grouping now, wasn't he?

As Naruto stepped into the most barren stretch of courtyard he had ever seen, he realized that when comparing it to the other estates—especially those which were home to the remaining pillar families—this one was actually rather modest. Not the manor itself as it was noticeably large, as in really large. Gigantic even. But there were no luxurious servants' quarters or carefully-tended gardens, no open fields or artificially created lakes. None of what you would expect from someone trying to display their wealth. It was as though the entire focus was placed solely on the construction of the castle.

Just as he approached the castle doors, they opened up for him and revealed a younger girl with long blue hair who wore a maid's uniform. Judging from the uniform, she appeared to be a servant of Rudiger's—not in the sense of a peerage but rather an actual servant, unless it was a case like Grayfia Lucifuge's—though she didn't seem to be a devil in the least. How very curious...

"Welcome Uzumaki-sama, I trust that you had a safe journey." The young maid welcomed in a blank tone, her facial features mirroring the lack of expression her voice held. "I shall now lead you to Rudiger-sama. Please follow me, my master awaits your arrival in the main gardens."

"Very well, please do so." Naruto eyed the girl curiously, but followed her anyways as she guided him into the castle. Only after he stepped through its doors did he realize that he couldn't have been more wrong in his initial assessment of the place. Though he was sure he heard those thick doors shut close behind him; all he could see were vast blue skies, endless grasslands, luscious forests, and a prosperous kingdom right in the middle of it all. A kingdom within a castle within a territory—quite the brilliant work of magic, something far beyond what any normal magician would ever be capable of. Why should he have expected anything less?

There was also another reason why Naruto couldn't teleport directly to the castle's front gates—the area appeared to be surrounded by a near-impregnable anti-magic field. One so carefully prepared that even he would have difficulty penetrating with its multiple layerings. However, the inside of the castle was another story altogether apparently as the young girl conjured up a magic circle, one with a slightly artificial feeling to it, which teleported them directly into the kingdom. Particularly into the previously mentioned gardens which encircled the banks of a still lake.

"I have brought you to Rudiger-sama, I shall be leaving now." The girl affirmed in her quiet, monotonous voice after which she teleported away once more. That girl really was a strange one...

Just across the way from Naruto, facing the lake, was a good-looking gentleman with long silver hair in a very magician-like uniform—Rudiger Rosenkreutz, by the look of it. The two of them had never personally met, but he had seen enough of the big-name Rating Games in his spare time to recognize one of its stars.

"A perfect homunculus created through advanced alchemical formulas and various other means, no doubt any fellow magician would be curious about her. Though her visage and magic are naturally bound to carry a sense of artificiality, she is the closest I've come to truly recreating the process of natural childbirth in bringing a fully-functional being into this world from essentially nothing. You see, that was the original interest of my research while I polished my technique under Rosenkreutzer's banner. You can determine much of a magician's worth by their choice of study—ambitious or complacent, unorthodox or traditionalist, practical or theoretical application...Though only a single piece to a much larger puzzle, would you care to humor such a perspective, Naruto-dono?"

"To develop a new system of magic, that's always been the endgame." Naruto said without so much as a moment of hesitation, causing Rudiger to lose his composure for a moment as surprise overtook him. "The current system of magic, developed by Merlin of Arthurian legend, originates from knowledge of the devil's demonic power and miracles of the Gods of the different religions. Within that system there are already an infinite number styles and applications—I, myself, have dabbled in many of them—but still, there remain heights that magic has yet to reach...Magic came into this world for a reason, I refuse to believe that there is but one answer to defining it. Redefining how the world perceives magic seems as good a place to start as any."

"...Interesting. Yes, this really is interesting, Naruto-dono!" Rudiger's eyes gleamed with an intense interest as he dipped his head in a slight bow. It had been generations now since someone came along and flipped the magical world on its head, perhaps it was time for magic to advance forward once more—something like that was sure to disturb the complacency that so many magicians had become content with. "I, Rudiger Rosenkreutz, the seventh-ranked Ultimate-class devil, humbly welcome you to my ever-changing kingdom."

Naruto had to admit that, though this man seemed to adore the spotlight more than any self-respecting magician ever should, his magic was some of the most impressive he had ever seen. To create an entire world solely through magic...nothing short of his own Balance Breaker could hope to match that kind of ability. No, that wasn't quite right. His strength had never been weighed by his magical power or the scale of techniques. It was something much more fundamental than that.

"Rudiger-dono, as much of an honor this is, I can't help but find it odd to be invited to your territory out of the blue like this. I really doubt that such a sudden compulsion was rooted in finding out about what kind of research I'd gotten myself caught up in." Naruto pointed out with a questioning expression.

Devils are creatures who live accordingly to whatever which they had most recently taken a desire to, it was something hardwired into their brains that the human mind couldn't quite comprehend. Reincarnated devils were a bit different in that aspect, but not so much that they could be thrown out of that generalization altogether. Magicians, on the other hand, tended to live by a different set of beliefs which drove them apart from the common man in their search for the greater truths of the universe. Ideally, a magician would render his own self transparent while still retaining his ego. So a devil who is both of the reincarnated faction and a through and through magician wouldn't be one to act so mindlessly.

"Uzumaki Naruto...I felt an odd sense of familiarity upon hearing that name during the Young Devils Gathering several years ago, but I could never quite place my finger on it. It has been many years since I left the world of the magicians associations, you see, so even a name that I once knew so well would escape me at some point." Rudiger rested a hand on his forehead while he closed his eyes regretfully. "There is no single true existence for Uzumaki Naruto as it is doubted that there was ever a person by that name to begin with. Rather, it is an identity that is inherited with each passing generation to the magician who best embodies the original—a disposable magician meant only to act out the role of Uzumaki Naruto...a sad tale for someone so young."

Naruto scowled at the mention of the legacy that was forced to play a part in, but forced a smile onto his face only a moment after. As long as that name remained, he would be nothing and his actions meaningless. It wasn't something he could so easily break free of though. "Heh, it's as good a name as any. Besides, I left the associations a long time ago, it's wishful thinking to believe I'd still be dutifully playing out the role I'd been cast...the traditions of old are becoming obsolete, good or bad as that may be."

"Truer words have never been spoken. However, I fear it is the latter that lies just beyond the horizon." The voice just now belonged to neither Naruto nor Rudiger, but echoed throughout the gardens all the same. Neither magician displayed any notion of surprise as small particles of white light shone brightly and coalesced into humanoid form, approaching from the far end of the path. "The collapse of the magical world looks to be upon us. War is coming, though it is only a means to reach what lies at the origin of our craft."

With eyes slitted in a manner similar to a dragon's, a shallow smile that lacked attachment to this world, a bewitching appearance fitting that of a legendary magician, and the suffocating ominous aura exuded by his presence, Naruto recognized this man to be MacGregor Mathers—one of the founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Sirzechs Lucifer's Bishop. That announcement also carried quite the weight to it, though even before something was obviously amiss with the magicians associations pertaining to the string of mysterious deaths recently. Having another legendary magician show up hardly seemed to be a coincidence, which meant that it was finally time to get down to the reason why he was even here.

There was only one woman who could cause so much trouble for everyone.

Walburga.

Hexennacht was back and finally making its move.

Chapter End

Hope you made it through ok. If this did in fact feel a little slow then next chapter should definitely liven things up a bit with the first bits of peerage recruiting, hopefully some decent action scenes, and maybe a bit more of Naruto's past. But if I end up switching things up a bit between now and the next chapter, sorry for my inconsistency.

I know I'll get some complaints about this, but Irina was thrown in the mix because I wanted someone else to have ties to the church other than Cleria. Also, having a friend—albeit a much younger one—outside of the small peerage I will be building for Cleria will be important for Naruto in the future.

On another note, I felt this way halfway through the first chapter and this one only added to the feeling, but I honestly do think that this narrative might come across better if it was told in POV. With the inner-monologues that will be essential, the emotion I want to portray, and the high focus on Naruto and how he fits into this life, I think switching to telling this story through his POV would be the best option. Tell me what you think and I may or may not go in that direction.