Solitude Of A King

This is sorta a remake of my other story, Path of the Fallen. Though there are definite changes.

Chapter 1: The Hero King

Life was too short for one to be weighed down by the fears implemented by social standards. No matter what anyone told him, Issei pursued his unsavory dream with determination. A single spark had all it took for him to go down the path of pleasure. His unwavering will had brought forth more pain than pleasure in the High School setting. Through reasons he did not think much on, he had been given a chance to fulfill his desires under the servitude of his new master, Rias Gremory. An unfortunate incident with a Fallen-Angel had led to his reincarnation as a devil, flirting with death was an experience he did not want to repeat. Yet, here he was again, with his life on the line fighting against the enemy who had killed him before. With his new life as a devil, he was no stranger to pain. Even though he had grown accustomed to the sensation, it did not lessen anything.

"Hahaha! You can't beat me, Issei!" The Fallen-Angel Raynare sneered with a twisted smile plastered onto her features. "It will only be a matter of time until I get the Twilight Healing, and then I will be unstoppable!"

Ending her arrogant proclamation, Raynare's twisted smile grew in proportions as the light spear she held left her hand and found a place in Issei's leg. Seeing the pain and determination clash on the face of her target, Raynare's crazed laughter returned in full force. Simply catching a glimpse of Issei's expression was enough to bring forth a cry of ecstasy. Snippets of her laughter could only be heard by the newly reincarnated devil as he struggled to stand up with both of his legs impaled by light spears. Blood soaked every inch of Issei's body, saturating his school uniform to the brim, leaving him in nothing more than rags skewered by the spears Raynare so happily launched at him. For any devil, having not one, but both of their legs impaled by light spears, the weapons created to specifically combat them, was enough to force them to a stop. The burning light hungrily gnawing at Issei's demonic body could be heard, visibly bringing sadistic joy to Raynare.

"I'm going to find little Asia and rip the Sacred Gear right out of her... It's just too bad you won't be around to see it..."

The smell of burning flesh was heavy in the air, completely shrouding the metallic scent of blood that once occupied the space. Cynical laughter was all that was heard as Raynare's mirthful eyes lingered on Issei's brutalized body. As Raynare occupied herself with Issei, a rogue Exorcist who had followed the pack of other rogues was engaged with a second devil just outside of the Church. Whilst Raynare finished her joyous laughter, she gave Issei another sneer before walking away. Leaving the mentally and physically wounded Issei bleeding on the church floor. She had a Nun to hunt down and a Sacred Gear to retrieve. Issei would simply die of blood loss, she had wasted enough time on the pitiful devil.

In a cloudless night, the moon proudly sat above heavens, casting a faint silver light upon the sleeping earth. Animals and humans alike slept in order to preserve energy for the upcoming day. Though many slept, there were a number of twinkling lights still visible through the thick blanket of darkness. Visible in the darkness was a giant floating fortress with a number of pillars and layers upon layers of plants entangled around the fortress walls, entangling amongst one and another. The fortress could be described as the unification of unsightly disorder and luxurious beauty. Light poured from the numerous floors, illuminating the night sky in a series of dazzling rays. Shining brighter than the swathe of stars above, the fortress held the touches of both elegance and trepidation. It truly was a sight to behold. Intimidating in image yet graceful in design.

Roaming the halls with a dignified grace, a woman with depraved beauty adorning a cloak as dark as the night sky shrouded her fragile frame. Eyes twinkling in a mischievous light, Semiramis continued to glide down the halls in graceful steps. Her august movements drew the attention of men and women alike. With gazes of yearning and awe from both sexes, Semiramis merely ignored them in favor of marching towards her destination. Navigating through the labyrinth of hallways, she soon found herself standing at one of the many balconies with company by her side. Standing beside her with a slightly arrogant smile on his features was Naruto Uzumaki. Blonde hair swaying in the gentle breeze, Naruto's bright blue eyes twinkled as he gazed at the blanket of stars.

"Naruto, I have news." Semiramis declared in a gentle voice.

"Oh?" Naruto murmured as he turned his attention to the beauty beside him.

Naruto held his steady gaze as his senses took in the pleasant aroma of fresh herbs the woman emanated. While the fragrance was alluring and seemed to be drawing him in, Naruto knew better than to allow the smell to intoxicate his mind. No matter how appealing the woman was on the outside, her intentions were what truly mattered. Semiramis was the reason Naruto's mind had been set in that way, the woman was an expert in utilizing her beauty to obtain her desires. The fragrance Semiramis emanated was possibly a poison created to cloud the mind of anyone who inhaled it or an extremely well-made perfume. Naruto was leaning towards the former.

"It's the girl you wanted me to keep an eye on, Asia Argento." Semiramis said as she leaned on the balcony, avoiding the blonde's gaze, "The Fallen-Angels seem to have had an eye on her for quite some time. A little birdie told me they plan on removing her Sacred Gear..."

Naruto mimicked Semiramis's movements and leaned forward, but his features were visibly tense. Fists gripping one another till the blood flow was forcefully stopped, Naruto's cool blue eyes narrowed to some degrees. Though the slight changes in his posture were hardly noticeable, Semiramis had known the blonde far too long to miss the sudden changes. Her curiosity that had sparked when Naruto had asked her to perform the task had flared to life once again. Brushing a stray strand of hair to the side, Semiramis shifted her gaze from the blonde to the dark forest bellow the floating fortress.

"Are you going to tell me why you wanted me to keep an eye on the girl?"

"In exchange, will you allow me control of the Hanging Garden?"

Exchanging a look, Naruto gave the woman a challenging expression and she too gave one of her own in return. Neither breaking away from the contest of wills, Naruto had finally relented when a gentle breeze brushed against his exposed skin and returning his attention to the matter at hand. Simeramis followed in kind as the two shifted their attention to the stars once again. Ignoring the feeling of nervousness consuming his mind, Naruto turned to Semiramis once again. The mere idea of Semiramis allowing Naruto control of the floating fortress-like structure was absolutely out of the world. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was Semiramis's treasure, allowing members of their little group occupy the interior had taken excessive amounts of negotiation, allowing someone other than herself control the structure was simply out of the question.

"Will you help me?"

"Have I not been helping you?"

"You know what I mean... I need your help to send me to Kuoh..."

Semiramis did not answer immediately as she eyed Naruto for a minute or so before she sighed. With a flick of her wrist, a black magic circle shimmered into existence. Giving her a nod of appreciation, Naruto placed himself on top of the magic circle. As magic particles began dancing a coruscating waltz, Naruto held his gaze with Semiramis. Just before the magic circle consumed him and transported him away, a final decision had been made.

"She's important to me..."

As those final words left Naruto's mouth, the blonde was consumed by the magic circle. Semiramis eyed the spot where Naruto had once occupied. Lips twitched ever so slightly, Semiramis swiftly left the balcony with long, graceful strides. Getting out that much from the prideful Uzumaki was considered a win in her books. Outside of Cao Cao, Semiramis doubted anyone knew anything personal about the blonde.

Bounding down the empty streets of Kuoh, Asia's eyes were wide with fear. Shallow breaths were all she could hear as she continued to run down the baleful streets. Devoid of any signs of life, Asia's mind still lingered on the events that had transpired in the abandoned church. Moments such as these always reminded her of the curse of weakness that plagued her life. It had always been like this. No matter what horrendous acts someone committed, Asia could not bring herself to fight them. Fighting went against her very nature. Taught by the church, Asia's ideals reflected her pacifistic upbringing among the idealistic priests on a small village. No matter what, she could not bring herself to hurt another being.

The thoughts that were running amok in her mind were forcefully suppressed when a loud jeer resonated above her.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Nun... Why don't we go back to the church? Our session isn't over yet..." Raynare's cruel voice cut through the ominous silence like a hot knife through butter.

Asia was stopped dead in her tracks as she turned to face the Fallen-Angel. Shaking in both frustration and fear, the Nun could do nothing but stare at her soon to be killer with fear-ridden eyes. Heart pounding in anticipation, Asia could feel the surge of energy provided by the dose of adrenaline pumping into her body. Yet, she did not move. Even with an opportunity to escape the clutches of the Fallen-Angel, she did not take it. No matter how she denied it, Asia knew deep in her raging heart, she could not escape. Issei had bought her time in order to escape Raynare and she had not gotten very far before the Fallen-Angel had found her. A feeling of defeat filled the empty void that once housed her hope. Biting her lips in order to restrain the tears burning away at her eyes, Asia could not help herself as guilt soon found its way into her damaged heart and ran its course. If Raynare was here, then Issei was probably dead.

'Issei-san, I'm sorry! This is all my fault...' Asia thought as her blurred vision turned away from the Fallen-Angel.

First, her brother had been brought down by her and now Issei had fallen because of her weakness. Unconsciously digging her nails into her exposed palm, Asia could feel fresh blood escape from her self-inflicted injuries. Raynare was smiling joyously as she witnessed more suffering. Her twisted smile never left as she slowly descended from the sky and landed before the girl. Snatching Asia's arm in a firm grip, Raynare gave the girl a murderously glare as she began adding more and more pressure on her hold.

"If you ever run again... I will kill you..." Raynare hissed.

Yanking Asia closer to her, Raynare dug her claw-like hands into the girl's bare arm. Aside from the joy she had received from watching the suffering of both Issei and Asia, she knew her plans had been delayed by quite a few hours. Using her free hand, Raynare delivered a sharp blow to the girl's cheek drawing out a small cry of pain. Satisfied with her work, Raynare unleashed her wings and prepared to take flight. Just as her wings began carrying her upwards, a golden flash caught her attention right before an object impaled one of her wings. Screeching in pain, Raynare immediately dropped Asia as she too collapsed onto the earth with both her wings pierced. Upon impact, the objects had not only tore two glaring holes into her wings, but they also pushed her back significantly, creating distance from herself and Asia.

Asia's body fell freeing down to the earth as the girl allowed gravity to do it's job. Not fighting the fundamental force dragging her down, Asia awaited the back breaking pain from impact, but it never came. Instead of a painful landing, Asia had collapsed against a much softer object.

"You're grown so much... Asia..."

Asia's tired eyes shifted until they finally gazed directly at her savior. Past the patch of unruly blonde hair, a familiar pair of gentle blue eyes returned her gaze. Heart leaping in surprise, Asia could only stare at the blonde.

"... Big... Brother?" Asia murmured before unconsciousness consumed the blonde Nun leaving her in the arms of Naruto.

Gently shifting Asia's body into a more comfortable position, Naruto's gentle gaze soon hardened as an untamed ferocity entered his eyes. Raising his head to glare at the screeching Fallen-Angel, Naruto's eyes flared in a fiery rage.

Raynare ceased her screeches as her shivering body finally recovered from the brutal attack. Forcing herself onto her feet once again, Raynare's sadistic gaze heated. Forming a light spear in one hand, Raynare glared at her mysterious attacker. But, compared to the glare she was receiving, her own murderous glare paled in comparison. In normal situations, the Fallen-Angel would have begged for mercy or ran for her life, but, this was far from normal. Blinded by her rage and deprivation of power, Raynare could no longer restrain herself. Shrouding her mind in a thicket of murderous intent, Raynare now found someone to unleash it on.

"You! Do you know who I am!" Raynare hissed as killing intent leaked from her body like a flood, "I will kill you for that!"

"Silence you crow!" Naruto snarled, "Your presence in this world is no longer welcomed! Scatter!"

With that declaration, the space behind the blonde began distorting in a haze as golden ripples opened way for an array of weapons to come forth. Swords and spears alike sprouted from the hundreds of golden halos. Each and every weapon held all sorts of eye-catching ornaments, even in the dark of night, the weapons shimmered in an ethereal shine. The weapons bustled in the air after Naruto's verdict. One after another, every weapon launched from the golden halos like bullets of mass destruction. The air was obscured with dust from the pulverized ground. Raynare's screams of surprise only lived for mere seconds as the thunderous impact of the weapons consumed all. Settling the down, the shroud of dust vanished exposing the world to the destructive scene left behind by the blonde.

Raynare was no more. There was no other possible way of saying it. The Fallen-Angel Raynare was no more. Nothing was spared after Naruto's declaration. Scatter she did. Pieces of her once whole body splattered the decimated streets of Kuoh. Blood splattered in every which direction, painting whatever was left of the streets in a crimson hue. Raynare's body, whatever was left of it, held the appearance of suffering a savage death in the hands of animals. Bones cut into pieces with bits of muscle and skin left attached to them all were a common theme. Shimmering in the gore, the weapons launched at Raynare shimmered in their ethereal hue once again and disappear in particles of golden light. Only her head remained unscathed, left laying in a pool of her own blood, the horror-stricken face simply said it all.

"Oho, so this is the girl?"

Giving Semiramis a nod in response, Naruto eyed her with a neutral gaze as the black-clad woman sauntered forward. Overlooking Asia's unconscious body with a critical gaze, the poison-loving woman returned to hold Naruto's neutral gaze. Breaking their senseless staring contest, Semiramis walked to the table saturated with an array of foods and drinks. Pouring herself a cup of wine from the available selections, the woman took a sip and her features immediately scrunched in dissatisfaction. A frown graced her elegant features as it remained frozen in a look of displeasure. The wine was pitiful compared to the types she had the pleasure of consuming.

"I thought you had better taste than this, Naruto," Semiramis said in a tone fitting of her irritation.

"I do," Naruto responded as the air behind him shimmered and twisted as a golden gate opened way for a bottle and two cups to appear. Much like his weapons, both bottle and cup were made of gold and heavily decorated by, gems and jewels alike.

Handing Semiramis a cup, Naruto poured the contents of the bottle inside and did so for himself. Tossing her previous drink into the bin of trash, Semiramis took a sip of the blood red wine. The aroma did the drink no justice. A simple sip had been intoxicating. The liquor, no, nectar was something only imaginable by the mind. Such a taste was heavenly compared to the wine she had consumed prior. Neglecting her own facade of neutrality, her frown had soon dispersed upon the taste of the divine nectar.

"It seems, my selection is quite pleasing, no?"

That snapped Semiramis out of her trance. Crumpling her lips together, she turned to Naruto and gave him a slightly irritated look. The arrogance lacing his own voice had been enough to spark a flare of anger. Yet, a part of her questioned the contents she had consumed with such vigor. Such a drink seemed impossible to brew by mere human hands. As a master in the art of creating poisons and brewing other forms of liquids, she could not point out a single mistake in the drink. It was as if it were made the gods themselves. It was a revelation that paved way for a new question in her mind.

"What is this made from? I don't human hands could brew such a drink."

"Whether it is weaponry or wines, I only have the best. You should have known this by now, Semiramis."

There was that arrogance once again. Lips twitching in anger, Semiramis merely placed herself in one of the many seats left available and sent Naruto a silent glare. When it came to liquors and other forms of drinks, she had prided herself in creating the best. In a matter of minutes, her pride had taken a blow. Unwilling to let the strike go unapproached, she leaned into her seat and pondered on the contents her taste buds had been exposed to. The taste was heavenly yet indescribable at the same time, without a proper flavor to compare the taste too, she was hardly able to point out any mistakes.

"And did you use your best to brutalize the Fallen-Angel?" Semiramis asked as her tone calmed and her graceful voice returned.

"Hmph, a mongrel such as herself cannot fathom what honor she had received. To have been touched my treasures alone was far more than a cur like her deserved."

Shaking her head, Semiramis pondered on the blonde's words. The Gate of Babylon was a grand power blessed upon the blonde. From what little knowledge she had on the ability, she could say it was one of the stronger abilities wielded by the members of their little group. The ability to call forth what seemed like an endless array of weaponry, it was no wonder Naruto pitched the weapons like mere stones. Her only experience with the ability had been limited and thus her knowledge of it was scarce. There was only one person she could deem knowledgeable on it, yet he refused to answer her questions.

"If the girl is important to you then why didn't you bring her in long ago?"

Naruto did not show any outright reaction to the question as he took a gulp of the drink in his hand. A scowl marred his features as his mind wandered.

"I refuse to bring her involve her in our plans. For her own safety, it is best she did not affiliate herself with me. To complete my ambition, I cannot risk her when I embark on the path of blood."

Nodding her head in acceptance, Semiramis quieted down. Neither spoke any more words as they enjoyed the pleasantries offered by the heavenly nectar. A series of knocks rang from the door and a servant entered.

"Lord Naruto, Lady Semiramis, Lord Cao Cao has asked for your attendance in a meeting." A servant said as he swifty bowed to them both.

Grunting in annoyance, Naruto walked out of the room outright ignoring the servant. Giving him a graceful smile, Semiramis followed only steps behind the blonde.

Inside a well-lit room, eight seats placed behind a large circular table. With six of the eight occupied already, two remained opened for use. Flying proudly at the rooms end, a banner of red and gold sat. A number of other decorations furnished the room giving it a lavish outlook. Filling the seats were six unique individuals who all had varying expressions on the remaining member's absence. From annoyance to amusement, none of them had the same outlook on the situation. Time ticked away as a cloud of silence descended upon the group. None of them spoke as they all found a form of distraction to bypass the wait.

Cao Cao, the leader of the Hero Faction sat in silence. His messy black hair cascading down his head and his brown eyes shimmered in amusement. Though his eyes held amusement, it was mask behind a mask of indifference. As the leader of their faction, Cao Cao lived for order amongst the members. Yet, no matter how many times he preached it, Naruto and Semiramis both cared little for his rules and showed up only when they wished too.

Next to him, was Jeanne, a young girl who possessed a wondrous beauty limited only by the innocence brimming from her calm blue eyes. Unlike a few of the members who were descendants of heros, Jeanne carried the spirit of her ancestor. Joan of Arc, her ancestor that now resided in her own body, providing her with the skills and abilities wielded by Joan long ago.

Beside Jeanne, was Siegfried, the descendant of the legendary hero, Sigurd. Adorned in a set of steel armor drawing attention to his snow-white hair, Siegfried's bemused blue eyes only shined on as time slowly ticked by without a conclusion in sight.

Georg, a bespectacled young man with a patch of sloppy black hair and a pair of bored brown eyes simply sighed in annoyance. Though his time was occupied by a book he had carried around, it did not stop his annoyance of the situation to grow. He had already disliked Naruto's lack of respect towards Cao Cao, and situations such as these only infuriated him further.

The only two one who did not really mind the tardiness of his fellow members was Leonardo. Though it was impossible to really tell what emotion Leonardo was really feeling, with an emotionless mask always on his young face, there was really no way of telling.

The most vocal of his displeasure was Heracles. The descendant of the Greek Hero Heracles, he was an extremely muscular man with choppy black hair and a permanent scowl marring his rough features. Growling at his wasted time, Heracles could only glare at the double doors in distaste.

In no longer than a few minutes, the doors opened and Naruto walked in followed closely behind by Semiramis. Neither of them even cared for the gazes directed at them. As they seated themselves in the remaining chairs, Cao Cao coughed into his hands and drew attention to himself. Eyeing all seven pairs of eyes staring at him, a moment of silence passed by before the meeting began. With no one willing to mouth a word after the arrival of both Naruto and Semiramis, Cao Cao decided to take the initiative.

"It is time we make ourselves known."

Chapter end

This is what I came up with. Now, if you guys got this far into the story, I am going to say this. More details on Naruto's reasoning will be in the next chapter. And before anyone asks, I have no idea what the pairing is going to be and everyone is able to give me suggestions on the matter. While you're at it tell me who else you want to be apart of the Hero Faction, remember they must be human. Leave a review and thanks for reading!

~X~

Name: Naruto Uzumaki

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Family: Asia Argento (Sister), Unnamed Parents

Affiliations: Hero Faction, Khaos Brigade

Rank: Unknown

Abilities

Gate of Babylon[King's Treasures]: The Gate of Babylon is an ability that connects the space of reality to the vault, opening an "invisible door" that allows for the contents to pass through upon the user's command. Filled with treasures collected by the original wielder, Gilgamesh, how Naruto obtained the ability is unknown.

~X~