If you haven't figured out yet, I weep for your future. You have caught the deadly disease of moron-itis. There is no cure. But for 'just because', I will say it again, I do not own neither Naruto nor High school DxD.
On the story.
XxXxXxXxXx
On the outskirts of Kuoh, the slight rustling of the leaves as the trees danced a waltz with the wind was all that could be heard. The small forest animals scurried hurriedly along the forest floor, ending to their separates habitats as the moon bathed the area in a pool of silver allure. It was a scenic night, the twinkling of the stars matching the man-made lights that flickered in and out of existence in the city below gave the small town a relaxing appeal. But the focus of our attention payed no mind to his surroundings. No, he couldn't afford the time. His master - how he hated calling that lunatic that - had given him a job and he was on his way back to tell him of a job while done. A feral grin threatened to split his face as he anticipated the sheer chaos that was to come when their plans came to fruition. The heavens will be split asunder and the gates of hell will be unleashed and the only middle ground between the two, their fated battleground, being the human realm. He could already taste the fear of the pesky humans as their world crumbled to ashes before their very eyes as beasts that were thought only to be figment of imagination wreck havoc to their world.
Yes, he would endure serving that man for now, if it meant a war between the factions.
And the best part of it all, no one will see it coming until it was too late.
With those thoughts in mind, he man flew faster, his leathery wings propelling him closer to his goal. He became a blur in the dim sky as his dark clothing helped hide his presence. Suddenly, he felt a crushing force slammed into him from above and forced him to veer off-course. The man fell into a steep nosedive, only righting himself as he reached near the peak of the trees below him. He hovered in the air, his violet eyes darting back and forth, side to side and up and below in search of the presence. He had only felt it for a moment, but the intense blood-lust rattled him to the core. Not even his new master, a man known and feared for his intense battle presence, could produce such an intense feeling and that thought brought a cold sweat to the nape of his neck.
A rustle.
He spun on his heels and a magical circle shimmered to life as the man fired a torrent of flames in the direction of the sound, burning a number trees to charred wood. Yet, the presence was still there. He could feel its eyes peering at him through the darkness. Watching him. Mocking him. If he wasn't sure he was being played with before, the resounding laughter that seemed to echo from all around him verified his thoughts. A swell of anger boiled to the surface, turning his pale face to a tomato red.
"SHOW YOURSELF, COWARD!" he yelled in response. The laughter died, yet that only made the situation all the more scarier. He began to steadily build up his magic reserves, evident by the red aura slowly consuming his figure. He knew whatever it was that attacked him must be strong, but he refused to back from the challenge, he was high-class devil, his pride wouldn't allow for retreat. Deciding that the silence was worse than the laughter, he spoke again, "Come on and face me coward! Are will you hide in the shadows?" he baited, hoping that the man chose to show himself that he at least had a target to shoot at. For a few tense moments, nothing happened, having the man believe that his attacker would stay in shadows and strike him down. But that was not to be.
Blood red eyes glared at the man. Black slits cut through the crimson sclera like a fox. Fierce, wild yet intelligent. The man knew these eyes could only belong to one type of supernatural beings, beings he had no love for. "Yokai," the man sneered lowly as the aura around began to swirl in a frenzy.
"Wrong," the not-yokai answered back to the man's incorrect assumptions. "I'm no yokai," the attacker continued, "I'm something a lot worse,"
The figure slowly emerged from the shadows, revealing hair as bright as the sun. A teenaged visage filled out the animalistic eyes and three jagged whiskers on each cheeked seemed to widened and darken with each passing second. The teen was about the same height as the man, perhaps a inch or two shorter. He was garbed in black jeans and a orange shirt. Thrown over this a red jacket that reached his shin with black flame motifs licking at the coattail. He looked at the man with barely concealed disdain, something that pissed the man off to no ends.
"WHAT IS THIS? A CHILD?" All past fears off his attacker withered and was gone in the wind as he realized who it was that had attacked him. His aura dimmed and vanished as though it wasn't there to begin with. He was appalled that such a young child would dare strike out against him. HIM! What was up with this generation? Were they so foolhardy to think that they could stand up against their superiors in one-and-one combat that they would attack a man of his caliber? Well, if he wanted a fight, he would oblige the boy before slowly grinding him into paste. "Well, boy, do you have any ideas who you've challenged," the man asked with a smirk."
"Believe me, I know,"
"Oh, do you now?"
"Jilaiya Kobal. A high-class and formerly the rook of Manuval, the high-class devil, before you killed him and the rest of your peerage members and fled form Hell. Now considered an A-ranked criminal wanted for his treachery," the teen said to the now identified Jilaiya, his cold eyes now seemingly glowing with rage as he listed the information he had uncovered on the stray devil in front of him. The criminal raised a brow at the teen. The teen obviously knew of him, or at least, his actions. He knew that he was capable of taking out an entire peerage in combat yet he still decided to fight him. Maybe he was seeking to boost to reputation by beating him? Something he could respect, if he the boy hadn't chosen him as his target.
"You obviously know of me boy, so why don't you just go on home, I don't have time to waste on pests like yourself," the man spat, before unfurling his wings and flying off into the night. Or at least that was the plan until the heel of a sandal crashed into from above and sent himself careening to the floor. Jilaiya gritted his teeth in anger and he stood up and stumbled for a moment, regaining his bearings. His head ached like a bitch from the axe kick. He glared up towards the figure that was the reason for his delay to his master but now, the report was at the back of his mind.
Right now, he had a blond to kill.
"Alright boy, you've got my attention," he cracked his neck, "And I'll make you regret that kick," With that, he blasted off towards the branch the boy was perched on, only to feel a resounding crunch as the boy ducked beneath his fists at the last moment and land a devastating punch to his chest. He slammed into a tree before going through it and falling to the forest floor in heap. He struggled to his knees, coughing up blood as he managed to rise to his feet again. He winced as he felt his ribs. Yep, definitely broken.
Jilaiya stopped to observe his opponent again, noting that the boy had barely moved when he had swung and still managed to pack a good punch. He smirked. Perhaps the boy wasn't all bark and no bite. "You pack a mean hook boy," Jilaiya commented in a rare moment of admiration, before he narrowed his gaze and his aura returned with a vengeance, "But that is nothing before my might!"
He thrust both hands forward as a magic circle appeared. Red hot flames flared and roared as they raced towards the blond. The sheer heat burnt any leaf it came into contact with to ashes. Soon enough, the boy was enveloped by the inferno.
"HA! What good is strength if you can't hit me!" the man roared in laughter, believing the fight to be over and done with. "My flames are as hot as those of the Phenex clan, you picked the wrong devil to fight," the man boasted, before he sputtered as the blond he believed he had burnt to a crisp appeared before him in a show of speed that his eyes couldn't track.
Pain.
Unadulterated pain.
One moment, he had won the fight and was boasting over his opponents charred corpse, the next he was sent soaring by an uppercut. Reaching the apex of his impromptu flight, he had no time to counter as the blond appear infront of him and with a vicious punch, sent him back towards the forest floor. Jilaiya rolled and skipped like a stone before finally settling at the base of a tree. His entire being felt on fire and he was sure he had broken a few more bones.
Not one to be deterred (despite the fact he was getting his ass handed to him by a kid centuries younger than he was) Jilaiya rose again, wiping the blood off his mouth and grinned, "So you've got quite a speed on you too. That just made this all the more exciting,"
His battle lust jumped to new heights. YES! This was it. This was what he wanted. What he longed for. His opportunity for glory was robbed from him when that upstart devil Sirzechs had thought it was better to end the war rather than fight to the finish. But now, with their plans, it's only a matter of time before the Second Great War was sparked. And he would get to face more opponents like this.
His visage morphed to that of a savage beast. His body hissed as steam wafted off his form. He could feel it, the pent up aggression he had suppressed for hundreds of years slowly leaking out. The air stank of its scent, the foul aroma of death.
"Come now boy, prove your worth and sate my desire,"
Jilaiya shot into the sky with new found speed and stopped a few feet above the forest. He raised both hands above his head and a magic seal about the size of five school buses appeared. "I hope you survive this. It would be truly disappointing if you don't!" The circle glowed menacingly, and whatever it was, the teen knew he shouldn't take it head on. With that in mind, he crouched while orange pigments faded into place around his eyes. He breathed. In. Out. In. Out.
NOW!
When he saw the stray devil grunting with effort, he knew he had to act. As a tsunami of flames was released from the seal, the blond narrowed his gaze. The flames merged and morphed to form the terrifying visage of a roaring dragon, descending on its prey with its mouth wide open. As it neared the blond, Jilaiya smirked thinking it was all over. He was wrong. With speeds far too fast to be tracked, the blond leaped from harm's way. His movements nothing more than a flash of yellow, he reappeared right beside Jilaiya with his fingers crossed in familiar fashion and a certain phrase at the tip of his tongue. "Shadow Clone jutsu," was all he said as four other copies of the blond popped into existence.
"U-" The fist of the first clone smashed into his cheek, sending the devil sprawling through the air. He knew that his jaw had shattered under the force of the punch but he had no time to contemplate on his injuries.
"ZU-" He suddenly keeled over forwards. A knee from the second clone was now painfully embedded into his gut. He spat up blood and saliva from the sheer force of the hit and dark spots converged on the edges of his vision.
"MA-" The third clone wasted no time, sending him upwards with a vicious mule kick to the chest, his ribs cracking. He had lost vision in one of his eyes, not that it would make a difference in this fight. No, this wasn't a fight. A fight would imply he had a chance to begin with. No, this was a beat down.
"KI-" The fourth and final clone made its presence with a uppercut that caused Jilaiya's head to snap upwards. Unfortunately, all this did was give him a better view of the original blond menace descending on his form in a pin, before his left leg lashed out to execute a perfect axe kick.
"NARUTO BARRAGE!"
He shot to the ground like a comet falling from the sky. He landed. Hard. His crash landing uprooted the earth and a formed a giant crater, with him smack dab in the middle of it all. The trees and foliage around him were ablaze, no doubt caused by his own attack. Yet, he paid no attention to his surroundings. He only had eyes for the blond walking towards him as casual as someone you would pass on the street without a second glance. Reaching the devil, the teen hauled him to his feet by his hair, dragging him out of the crater before he slung the devil over his shoulder. The last words Jilaiya heard before drifting off was the low whisper of the blond.
"Sirzechs has some questions for you so I can't have you die on me now,"
XxXxXxXxXx
Issei Hyoudou slumped against a tree. His breathing was haggard and heavy, sweat beaded against his forehead which he wiped away with the back of his hand. He was on his last legs, he knew that. His muscles screamed out for mercy yet he paid them no mind, opting to eye the path of destruction laying before him. A straight path was burnt through the forest he was currently in. Trees were scorched and ripped from their roots. The lush green grass was gone, burnt to crisps. This was the product of his strongest attack. Dragon Shot.
Yet, he wasn't pleased.
He fell to his knees, his legs no longer able to support his weight. His brown hair was comparable to bird's nest, and the small twig lodged in there only helped the imagery. His white shirt, once pristine and immaculate, was now ripped and torn and slashed in all manner of ways. This was result of his morning spar against Kiba.
One thing he learnt from that fight was that Kiba was never truly disarmed.
Sword Birth was a pain in the ass.
His trousers were no better. The black slacks that once reached his ankles were no shin-length, courtesy of the barrage of lightning attacks thrown his way by the sadistic vice-president. Attack after attack was thrown at him with no mercy or pattern. The self-proclaimed pervert had been dancing and weaving and fumbling around the entirety of the afternoon trying to avoid been burnt to crisps from the attacks.
It didn't help that Akeno was getting off on his pain.
And don't get him started on his sparring sessions with Koneko. He had known about the Rook's enhanced strength, he had come prepared. But seeing and feeling the limits of her strength were two entirely different things. The ivory-haired loli had systematically broken the teen to tiny little pieces before having Asia heal him just for the process to repeat itself. He winced as he remembered the phantom pain of having his ribs broken and shattered to a thousand little pieces.
He had come here with the intention of becoming strong enough to be able to help the peerage in their upcoming battle. Ever since that obnoxious Phenex had made his appearance in the club room, Issei's days had come and gone in a whirlwind. Rias had immediately sent all the peerage members home to pack for their ten day training trip. The arrogant bastard had the nerve to imply that even with all the training they could squeeze into the small intermission, they would still be unable to contest against him. And for some reason, Issei was slighted to believe him. He had seen the disapproving looks Rias had sent the group when they thought he wasn't looking. She knew the extent of the Riser's prowess, and if she still believed that they weren't strong enough, Issei was inclined to believe her. That was why he was here today. It was the last day of the trip and most of the peerage members had turned in for the night, in preparations for tomorrow's event. All but one. He had sneaked out into the woodlands surrounding the house, in order to gain some last minute training.
Breathing loudly while sweat dripped off his forehead unto the grass, Issei finally collapsed from exhaustion, rolling unto his back to stare at the bountiful stars in the night sky. He lifted his left hand to his face, observing the blood red gauntlet that adorned his limb. A true work of art. Dragon scales that were seemingly dyed in the blood of its foes, the sacred gear held a large green gem that encompasses majority of the back of his palm. He knew there was more power that this sacred gear granted. There had to be. It was one of the Longinus, said to be able to give man the power to topple gods. It was up to him to unleash the potential within the gauntlet. But how? It wasn't as though the blasted thing came with a manual or
"Nice night, don't ya think?" A voice suddenly spoke, breaking Issei from his contemplation. Issei tensed, and cursed under his breath for draining himself to such an extent that he could barely stand. With no way to defend himself, whoever it was that had found him could finish him off with ease. And he wouldn't put it pass Riser to send someone to make him 'disappear' to have an easier to his lovely president. But if Riser thought he was gonna go down easier then that bastard had another coming!
"Whoa! Calm down gaki, I come in peace," the voice said again, this time closer and familiar yet Issei just couldn't place it. Okay, so whoever it was Issei had probably met him before and he did say he came in peace. Perhaps he was someone the president had keeping an eye over the peerage. With that thought in mind, he relaxed back into the grass while the person approached. Not a moment later, he could hear steady footsteps approaching his position before stopping beside him. The grass crunched as the person took a seat beside him and soon enough, Issei heard weird slurping(?) sounds. Curiosity getting the better of him, Issei turned to face his companion and to say he was shocked was an understatement. This was the last person he had expected to see.
"U-U-Uzumaki-san?!" Issei squeaked out in surprise and slight fear. Ever since their last meeting with the blond unknown, which his president had tried to strong-arm the teen into answering her questions, the teen in question had become sort-of a boogieman for Issei and Asia. He could remember the dreadful pressure the boy had unleashed on them and in that moment, Issei had saw himself die multiple times. Not something he would wish upon his worst enemies. So to see his personal boogieman lounging beside him nonchalantly slurping on some noodles, his fight-or-flight instincts kicked in. And he was leaning towards flight.
Fortunately, Naruto decided to remedy the situation the only way he knew how. Through his smiles.
"Yo," Naruto greeted back, his eyes snapped closed and a grin at his lips. "Kinda late for you to be out here, don't ya think?" Naruto questioned with a small tilt of the head. Opening his eyes again, Naruto was pleased to see the fears at the back of the brunet's eyes fade and was replaced with curiosity. It was a good start, he internally mused.
"I-I was just out training," Issei answered with a slight stutter, slowly getting over the fact that the blond was not here to finish him off or any like that. In fact, Issei had the sense that he and the blond - Naruto, he remembered his name - could get along well. But Issei also knew he wasn't exactly the best judge of character, his plight with Raynare was evidence to this statement.
"Training all night huh? I can dig that," the blond responded before inhaling a large amount of ramen before setting the bowl aside. "So, whatcha' training for?"
"Huh?"
"Whatcha' training for?" Naruto repeated, while standing up and dusting off his pants. "Everyone who trains does it for a reason. So tell me Issei Hyoudou, why do you train?" Naruto asked, his tone suddenly changing from the aloof and careful manner it was when he had just arrived to something more somber and oddly... authoritative. Issei had opted to ignore the fact that Naruto had addressed by both his first and last name, but focused on the question the shinobi had asked him.
Why do you train?
Why was he doing this? Was it because of his gratitude towards Rias for saving his life when Raynare had killed him in their date? Maybe it was due to the fact that she had taken him in, gave him a family and friends he could call his own? Yeah, that was it. She had given him everything he had now. Before she came into his life, Issei had gone about life going through the motions. He had no set goals. But now. Now, he had persons to strive for. To fight for. And damnit, there was no way in hell he was going to let some uptight, arrogant shit-stain take Rias' virginity! That belonged to him! On his pride as the future harem king, Rias was his to have and behold.
"I train... to protect what's dear to me. To become strong enough... so that... I can protect my family... and become HAREM KING!" Issei answered, his voice and conviction going with each word, until he was standing agin, with his fist raised in the sky and fire burning deep with his eyes.
Naruto smiled. The boy had potential and his intentions were pure (if you decided to forget the whole harem king part) This was the type of person he could respect. Those who would travel the fine line of life and death. Storm the gates of hell and face all odds if it meant that their precious ones were safe. Yep, he could respect Issei Hyoudou.
"A person is able to become truly strong... when they wish to protect someone they cherish. Issei, right now, you have persons you wish to protect and I promise you... I'll make you strong enough to protect them all," Naruto promised. And Naruto Uzumaki never breaks his promises.
In a different time and place, Issei Hyoudou would not have met Naruto Uzumaki.
But here, in this world, he did.
Issei would become truly strong, and Riser never saw it coming.
XxXxXxXxXx
Rias Gremory had a glare that could kill a man a thousand times over. Her beautiful features were twisted in a sinister sneer at the man standing opposite her. Her crimson locks flared and waved menacingly. Dark energy steamed off her form as her Power of Destruction was activated, all in the vain efforts of annihilating Riser Phenex. Behind her, atop the roof there were situated on, her loyal bishop Asia Argento bravely withstood the flaring urge to run from behind her master's shadow and throw herself in harm's way.
Why, you may ask? Perhaps it had to do with the fact that in front of them, a mere ten feet away, was the most gruesome and heart-wrenching sight the girl could ever come to witness. Her heart ached in pain with every blow, every punch and every kick the boy who had saved her life had to endure. Issei Hyoudou was getting his ass kick. He couldn't counter Riser's blows. He was too tired and weak from his last fights and Riser knew this.
And exploited this.
Riser grabbed Issei by the shoulders before burying his knees into the boy's chest, causing him to cough up blood, before tossing him away like last week's trash. Issei skipped like a rock across a water surface, before coming to a stop at Rias' feet. Yet, he refused to stay down. With each punch, he rose again. With each kick, he rose again. And just like before, he was rising again. Rias' heart burst. She had caused this. She had done this to him. She had taken away his normal life. It was her who allowed the fallen angels to kill him. It was her who had reincarnated the boy against his was her who forced him to train and fight for her sake when he owed her nothing. Before she had meddled with his life, he was normal. He would ever had to endure what the supernatural life had forced him through. He wasn't meant for this life yet, she was the one who carried him here. All to help clean up her problems.
SHE was the only one to blame.
"Please... Issei stop," she whispered as she tried to cradle him in her arms. Riser laughed at the display. It was what the boy deserved, believing he could have challenged him. A Phenex? It was absurd. "Issei... please.. for me... just give up,"
Issei shook her off him, before he stood on his own two feet. He was slumped over, one eye swollen shut and his clothes were in tatters. Yet, he felt... alive. He'd never felt better before in his life. A surge of energy was rushing through his system, willing him forward. Onward. One step was followed by another in drunken fashion. He couldn't help it but he suddenly started laugh. Small titters grew to full-blown laughter.
"Give up? No! You give you... trying to make me give up. I've never felt better in my whole life!"
[BOOST!]
"I'll never give up!"
[BOOST!]
"I'll never stand down!"
[BOOST!]
"I'll never quit!"
[BOOST!]
"Because... just like him... "
[BOOST!]
"Just like him... they called me a failure... "
[BOOST!]
"... I'll prove them wrong!"
[BALANCE BREAKER!]
Crimson aura fell from the skies and drowned the teen in its bloody glory. It bubbled and writhed and shook, searing the tiles of the roof the teen stood on. A primal roar shook the grounds and the building collapsed under its ferocity. Rias grabbed Asia and shot into the air to escape the destruction. Riser stood, unafraid as Issei changed before his very eyes. His gauntlet evolved, slowly creeping up his arms and before long, his entire being was a picture of crimson armour. Emerald green eyes shone with anger and a tail flicked occasionally, anxious of what was to occur next.
Another roar was unleashed, this time blowing Riser away. The Phenex devil crashed into a tree headfirst. He gathered his bearings groggily only to see a fist smash into his face, sending him back to the tree and through it. Another roar told Riser that his opponent was attacking yet again. He dodged the first punch that sailed millimeters to the left of his face but the knee to the gut was unavoidable. He bent over the protruding leg, giving Issei a clear shot at his exposed back. He was lifted off the ground and held over the devil's head before being slammed brutally back into the dirt.
For Riser, the world was a blur of colour, sound and pain. He didn't know why but the punches hurt more than they should have. He could feel his bruises steaming and he hissed with each blow, a stinging pain making his movements slow and sluggish. In the end, he found himself looking up at the artificial sky created for the Rating Games. He couldn't move, his body wouldn't respond.
"H-H-How?" he questioned in disbelief. A moment ago, he was winning and Rias was guaranteed to be his bride. But now, he had lost. And he knew it. As an answer, he saw Issei unclench his crimson fists, revealing a small silver cross.
"N-No w-wonder. My regeneration... "
"Can't save you from the effects of holy substances," Issei finished for the Phenex, his tone lower and gruffer. "It's over,"
[Riser Phenex has retired. The winner: Rias Gremory]
Issei paid the announcement no mind, the fatigue from using his Balance Breaker while holding a holy cross caused him to collapse and faint from the exhaustion, unknowingly falling right into Rias' awaiting bust. The last thought that filtered through his mind was how he was going to thank a certain blond shinobi.
XxXxXxXxXx
Sirzechs was happy. His sister was free from her loveless engagement. She had gained a really powerful piece. And he had secured a new ally for his race. There was nothing that could ruin this moment.
This thought only lasted as long as he stepped inside his private study. Waiting for him was a certain blond he had hired to help track down and interrogate the recent devils who went stray. And by that look on his face, he had found out something big.
"We need to talk," Naruto said calmly and Sirzechs knew that his day had just gotten far worse.
Name: Sona Sitri
Nickname: N/A (I don't think she has one. And her peerage calling her 'kaichou' doesn't count)
Hair colour: Black
Eye colour: Violet
Age: Late teens
Race: Devil
Affiliation: 72 Pillars
Sitri clan
Kouh Academy
Student Council Body
Rank: High-class devil
[King] piece