Devil Ninja

Chapter 50

"I want to have sex."

Naruto should have known this would happen.

After dealing with the numerous attacks from the Chaos Brigade in the Underworld, the Gremory Peerage, Irina, and Ophis, had remained at the Gremory Estate in preparation to take the Promotion Tests. Rias had clamped down on Issei and the others studying, lecturing them on everything they could possibly need to know about the tests.

Once a Low-class Devil earned the right to rise through the ranks, they must be tested to see if they are truly qualified for the position. The Middle-class Promotion Test had three parts that were modeled after tests found in the human world. This was done because the majority of Devils who took the promotion tests were reincarnated Devils. The first part was a written report that addressed the themes of greed how it applies to a Devil's job. The second part was a written test involving the history and government of the Underworld. Finally, the third was a practical exam where an individual would face off against another participant from the test in a one-on-one fight.

Naruto had skipped this and become a Middle-class Devil due to the incredible prowess he had already displayed, which meant he would become a High-class Devil.

"Did you hear me?" asked Ophis. "I said I want—"

"I heard you." Naruto placed a hand on Ophis's head and began rubbing her soft hair, which slipped through his fingers like silk strings. Ophis stilled when he did this. Her body relaxed, an almost unconscious gesture, allowing Naruto to continue speaking. "And we are going to. I promise you. But we can't do it right now."

Ophis did not look at all pleased about him putting this matter off. She craned her neck to stare at him, and while her facial expression didn't change much, an ominous aura was emitting from her. It was like miasma wafting from her body. He could practically see her gloomy disposition like clouds of black smoke.

"Then when can we?" she asked.

"How about..." Naruto thought for a moment. "Later this evening?"

"Fine. But we will be having sex today."

"I promise."

Naruto really had to wonder about Ophis's obsession with sex, but he knew that she had been peeking on him and Rias occasionally when they got down and dirty. He was pretty sure she'd also watched him have sex with Ravel and Koneko. Judging from how often she saw it, and how happy Rias and the others were after they had sex, he supposed she was just curious to know what was so great about it.

"Not to be rude... but as interesting as this conversation is, I really would like to continue teaching you," Venelana Gremory said, arms crossed. "This is taking up a good deal of my time, and while it might seem like I don't do a lot, I am actually fairly busy."

"I'm sorry." Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Please continue."

"Very well then."

Naruto was learning about what was expected of a High-class Devil from Rias's mother. Venelana had taken it upon herself to begin teaching him.

Rias probably would have been the one teaching him these things, but she was currently busy helping Akeno, Asia, Issei, Kiba, Gasper, Xenovia, and Rossweisse prepare for their promotion tests. She didn't have time to teach him. That was why her mom had taken it upon herself to teach him everything he needed to know.

The room they were using looked like a standard study. Well, he called it that, but it was actually a really large room with numerous couches, a crackling fireplace, bookshelves lining the walls, and a table for tea. It looked like something he'd expect to see in the mansion of a noble, so it didn't look out of place. The one who felt out of place in this posh room was Naruto himself.

He was sitting at the tea table with Venelana and Ophis; while Rias's mom sat across from him, Ophis had taken his lap as her chair.

Ophis had decided to change back into her adult form. He was sure she had done this because she knew he found it more attractive than her childish form. Right now, her goal wasn't to be cute. It was to seduce him so he would have sex with her, even though he had already agreed to.

Because her plump rear end was bigger in this form than in her other form, Ophis's butt was grinding into his crotch, causing the blood to swell. His manhood was threatening to spring free of his pants. He could also feel it caress Ophis's butt, becoming slightly wedged between her cheeks, though he tried his best to ignore that since he needed to focus on Venelana and her lecture.

Speaking of, the beautiful mother of his future wife either didn't know or didn't care about his plight. She continued speaking, lecturing him on what he needed to know.

"Generally speaking, when a Devil earns the right to become a High-class Devil, they must go through a promotion ceremony. Because of how important gaining a High-class Devil is to our society, the Devil being promoted is escorted to the ceremonial hall in a limousine and under strict guard. You are essentially a VIP."

Devils were currently in the midst of a population crisis. After the war with the Angels and Fallen Angels, the Devil population had been drastically reduced. Said population had been reduced even further thanks to the civil war that Sirzechs and the other current members of the Four Great Satans had taken part in. Combine that with how rare it was for Devils to have children and you had a huge problem on your hands.

The population had risen recently thanks to Beelzebub creating the Evil Piece system, which allowed Devils to reincarnate members of another race as Devils. However, just because their population had grown did not mean they were out of the woods.

Before the two wars, there had been 72 Noble Families known as the 72 Pillars. Of those 72 Pillars, only 32 now existed, with the remaining 40 families having become extinct.

This wasn't totally true. There were some Devils from those families who were still alive, such as Coriana Andrealphus from the House of Andrealphus... but those Devils were of mixed heritage and could not inherit their families's houses.

This was the reason new High-class Devils were celebrated. Even if the one becoming a High-class Devil was a reincarnated human, their ranks were still being filled, which could only be a good thing.

"Due to your unique circumstances and how fast you have risen through the ranks, your ceremony is going to be a little different," Venelana continued to lecture him. "First, a lot of noble families are still not certain you deserve the position. They have seen you in action, but you skipped the promotion test to become a Middle-class Devil. While we could just force the issue and make you a High-class Devil, the amount of resistance we would get makes this not worth the effort."

The scent of tea filled the air as a young maid wandered into the room carrying a tray with several plates, teacups, a teapot, and a three-tiered serving tray with all kinds of pastries. Like all maidservants of the Gremory Household, this one was elegant. Her bearing was the kind young ladies in waiting everywhere would be jealous of.

Naruto glanced at the woman as she set the teacups in front of them along with a plate. For her part, the woman's cheeks were only mildly red as she went about her task of pouring hot tea into their cups, first Venelana's, then his. Ophis also got her own tea, but the maid didn't seem to know where to place the cup since the Infinite Dragon God was using his lap as a chair.

"You can just put it in front of me," Naruto said.

"R-right," the maid squeaked.

"Thank you."

After the woman had served them tea and retreated, Naruto turned back to look at Venelana, whose smile told him she was amused by that small interaction.

"So, what you are saying is that I need to prove myself to the other High-class Devils and noble families in order to get promoted?" Naruto asked.

"That's right." Venelana nodded as she took the teacup to her lips and sipped some tea. "We debated this issue with the other remaining members of the 72 Pillars. It took a while, but we have finally come up with a suitable test for you."

"And what does this test entail?" asked Naruto as he grabbed a danish filled with cream cheese and took a bite. He frowned. The bread was a little overcooked, the filling was too rich and sugary, and it tasted a bit dry. Ravel's pastries were so much better than this. Call him spoiled, but he would have much preferred her baking over whoever made this.

It was still good, though.

"First, you will also be required to take a written test detailing the history and rules of our government," Venelana explained. "In this, your test won't be much different from the one Issei and the others are taking. However, after the test, you won't be facing off against someone else who is being promoted to High-class Devil. Instead, you will be pitted against an Ultimate-class Devil."

"Not a High-class Devil?" asked Naruto as he continued munching on the pastry in his hand.

Ophis had also grabbed a pastry and was slowly nibbling on it, but her nose was wrinkled in an expression of dissatisfaction. She probably also preferred Ravel's cooking to this.

Venelana shook her head. "It has been determined that your strength far exceeds those of your peers. For that reason, we have determined that a High-class Devil won't actually be a match for you, and won't allow you to display your full potential."

Naruto tapped his left foot against the floor, while Ophis gently swung her legs back and forth. The feeling of her heels knocking against his shins was easily ignored. She wasn't wearing shoes right now, though she was clad in black and partially translucent stockings. He wondered if this, too, was a part of her plot to seduce him. Naruto did not have a stocking fetish. That said, he wouldn't lie and say they didn't look good on her.

"Who will I be fighting against?" asked Naruto.

"Diehauser Belial," Venelana answered. "I'm sure you remember him. He was one of the people giving commentary during the Rating Game against Sairaorg and his peerage." She took another sip of tea and sighed. The teacup clattered only slightly as she set it back on the small plate of fine china. "Belial is currently ranked number one in the Rating Games. He is nicknamed The Emperor by many due to how powerful he is. Aside from possessing incredible demonic power, he also has a unique ability granted to members of the House of Belial."

"It's called Worthless, right?" said Naruto. "I've heard a little about his power, though I don't know much."

Venelana nodded several times. "Yes. Worthless is the special trait that members of the House of Belial possess. It doesn't sound like much. However, this ability is one that can nullify the abilities of people and objects. Diehauser has mastered this ability. He's so good at using it that he can even apply his Worthless ability to his demonic attacks, inflicting damage while at the same time nullifying any offensive or defensive abilities his opponent may possess. This is what makes him such a powerful opponent."

"So, in other words, what you are saying is that I'm going to have my work cut out for me," Naruto said with a sigh.

"Yes, though you fortunately do not need to win," Venelana responded to his despondent expression with a smile. "The goal of this test is not to secure victory, but to prove you have what it takes to be a High-class Devil. This is also why you will be commanding your own peerage."

Naruto blinked. He blinked again as the words Venelana spoke registered in his brain, though he still felt like his mind was being fried. Surely he'd heard wrong? He'd heard incorrectly, right?

"I'm sorry, but did you just say I'd be commanding a peerage?"

With the utmost grace, with a poise only someone of her stature could, Venelana nabbed a pastry and began nibbling on it with the elegance of a high-class lady.

"I did."

"But I don't have a peerage," Naruto pointed out.

"You will be allowed to form a fake peerage," Venalana said. "You can have up to 16 pieces, though you cannot have less than 5 pieces. I recommend asking Rias if she will allow you to use some of her pieces. Of course, I also highly recommend speaking with Lady Phenex and asking for permission to use Ravel during this Rating Game."

As Venelana continued talking about how he should go about acquiring people to use, Naruto realized he was going to have his work cut out for him.

~Devil Ninja~

"You want to know if there are any love hotels in the Underworld?"

The look Rias gave Naruto when he asked her about the location of any love hotels made Naruto feel like he was being pierced through the heart with a stake, like he was a hopeless pervert who was only interested in getting laid. He wondered, vaguely, if this was what Issei felt like whenever women who weren't Asia looked at him.

However, even though she gave him this look, she still answered him.

"There are a number of love hotels in the Underworld. Of course there are. Why wouldn't there be? You realize Devils have styled the Underworld after the human world, don't you? If there are love hotels in the human world, then there would obviously be some here."

"Right. That's a pretty logical deduction. I guess I didn't think about that." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "Then... would you mind giving me the location for a few of them?"

Rias once more gave him that stern look. Then, as if her gaze had been drawn there by gravity, she looked at the girl next to him.

For her part, the one with the title of Infinite Dragon God and Ouroboros Dragon did not flinch from Rias Gremory's gaze. She gave the redhead an even stare. Her form, which now resembled a small adult instead of a child, gave her a much stronger appearance that was less deceptive.

"I see. So you are finally taking that step with Naruto." Rias wore a resigned smile as she turned to him. "I don't know where any of the love hotels are, but I know my father and mother know of a few. I'll ask them and give you directions."

"Thank you, Rias," Naruto said.

"I appreciate your help on this matter," Ophis added.

"It's no trouble." Rias waved off their words of gratitude with a sigh. "Though I will admit it feels weird helping my fiance find a love hotel so he can have sex with one of his girlfriends. I feel like a part of me should be angry and jealous. It's really odd that I don't."

Naruto couldn't say he understood how Rias felt since he had never been in her position before, but he did recognize how accommodating she was. No other woman he knew would be okay with letting her significant other sleep with another woman. Then again, they had already had an orgy alongside Ravel, Koneko, and Rossweisse. Perhaps she recognized that they had already gone past the point of no return.

In either event, Rias did come through for him. Her mother apparently knew of a great love hotel in Gremory territory. Naruto didn't know how her mother knew of this hotel, nor did he ask any questions about said knowledge. There were some things in life that people were better off not knowing.

The day after receiving the information from Rias, Naruto and Ophis traveled by train to a city within the Gremory territory, followed the directions they had been given, and finally arrived at the building that was supposedly a love hotel.

"Is this really the place?" Naruto questioned.

"This is where the directions lead us," Ophis said as she stared at the map in her hands.

"It looks like a resort rather than a love hotel."

The building they had been directed to was less of a building and more of a palace. It was a massive structure of many stories, possessed the general shape and layout of an old-school castle from the Renaissance era in Europe, and just looked out of place next to all the modern buildings surrounding it.

"I think we should go in," Ophis said after folding the map and putting it away. "We won't gain anything by standing here."

"I guess not," Naruto agreed.

They walked up to the building, traveling through a courtyard with an artistic and highly detailed fountain depicting a sensual woman standing in a seductive pose. Water was sprouting from her nipples, which Naruto found weird—but hey! Who was he to judge art?

After walking past the fountain, they reached the entrance and stepped inside.

Whoever owned this place was either someone who'd been reincarnated during the Renaissance era or was just a really big history nut. Naruto looked at the ceiling, which had been painted to look like a devil's replica of Michelangelo's famous painting of the Sistine Chapel. That said, he didn't think the famous painter would appreciate someone creating a version with succubus caught in the throws of passion with various men and each other. Not only was the ceiling a work of art, but the tiled floor had also been painted too.

"This is ridiculous," Naruto muttered.

"Who cares? Let's just get a room," Ophis said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the receptionist desk. The woman there looked at them both with a smile and opened her mouth, but Ophis spoke before she could. "We want a room for one night."

The receptionist paused, her mouth halfway open. She looked at Ophis, then at him. Naruto offered her a resigned smile.

"One room please," he said. "If possible, we would like a large room."

After saying this, he placed a single card on the counter and slid it over to her. The woman looked at the card. Then her eyes widened.

"I understand," the receptionist said, quickly getting over her shock. "Our suite is currently available. It is our largest room, comes with all the amenities, and offers free room service." She reached under her desk and pulled out a keycard, which she handed to Naruto. "You'll need this key to get in."

"Thank you."

Naruto took the key, then tugged on Ophis's hand to get them both moving. They took an elevator all the way to the top floor.

While the hotel looked like something taken straight from the Renaissance period, the suite was about as modern as modern could get.

Naruto and Ophis stepped onto the black and white marble tile. He turned his head and looked at a waterfall that flowed into the floor and disappeared. Aside from the ridiculousness of a waterfall inside of a room, there was also a bar, a kitchen, a spacious living room with an array of comfortable-looking chairs, and a door leading into what Naruto assumed was either the bedroom or the bath.

Much of the walls were made of windows, which allowed an extensive view of the surrounding city. Because it was still day, sunlight poured in from the many windows, making this place seem a lot... brighter and more friendly than he'd expect from a love hotel. Maybe his sense was skewed because he had watched too many anime with Rias, but he pictured love hotels being more dark and sleazy.

"Which way is the bedroom?" asked Ophis.

"Gosh, you're so impatient," Naruto muttered.

"I have been waiting to have sex with you ever since I first saw you and Rias bumping uglies." Ophis turned her head to stare at him. "You obviously do not realize how much I want this."

Naruto had no idea what he should say to that, so he opted to change the subject.

"The bedroom should be in here," he said, leading Ophis through the door at the far end.

Just as Naruto said, the room through the door was a bedroom—a massive one at that. Naruto didn't know why anyone would need so much space. Even the bed was bigger than the one he slept on with Rias and the other girls. That bed was big enough for ten people! Ten! And this bed was even larger! Who needed that much space?

Ophis nodded in satisfaction at the room before she began undressing. She didn't even hesitate for a second as she removed her shirt, her bra, her shorts, and her panties. Naruto watched as her breasts, which were a good handful, sprang free of her bra. They might have been small, about the size of a B-cup he wagered, but their shape emphasized the beauty of her slender figure. After admiring her breasts, he looked down as she slid her shorts and panties off her hips. Her actions were hurried and not really what he'd call sexy, but she made up for her general lack of sexiness with her beauty and impatience.

"All I have to do is lie down on the bed, right?" Ophis asked.

"Er..." Naruto felt sweat trail down his forehead. "How about we try something different? I'd rather not keep doing this the same way I always do."

It was true, Rias generally liked missionary when they were alone. How many times had Ophis spied on him having sex with Rias? He really didn't know. He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Then how are we doing this?" asked Ophis, placing her hands on her hips.

Naruto thought about it for a moment, but then came upon an idea. He asked Ophis to get on the bed. However, the pose he had her move in was lying on her front instead of her back, with her ass sticking in the air.

"Like this?" asked Ophis.

"Just like that," Naruto said as he removed his clothes, then crawled onto the bed.

The bed shook as he crawled forward. His actions resulted in Ophis's ass shaking and swaying, which enticed him to move closer. Given her generally small size, her butt was smaller and more pert than most. It wasn't like Rias's thicc ass and thighs, which had a very different appeal. Her virgin pussy and asscheeks were in clear view. He knew this form of hers was one she created for herself, but that made him wonder who she styled her genitals after, or if she had merely used her imagination to create them.

Once he was right behind her, Naruto leaned down and placed his tongue over her pussy, then dragged it across her lips.

"Hyan!" Ophis released a loud squeal as her body jerked like she'd been jolted with lightning.

"You okay?" asked Naruto.

"Y-yes," Ophis panted a bit. "That felt... surprisingly good. I didn't know it would feel this good."

"Haven't you been spying on me and Rias? You should at least have some idea on how good this feels."

"Yes, but it's different watching you and actually experiencing it—han!"

Naruto smiled as he pressed his tongue into her snatch and began licking her. He reached out with a hand and began rubbing her clitoris as he at her out. It wasn't long before her juices were flowing into his mouth.

Ophis had a very unique taste, similar to but also different from citrus. There was a sweet tartness to her that he found himself enjoying. He wondered if she tasted this way because of what she ate. Koneko had introduced the girl to sweets a few months back and Ophis had been a big fan of them ever since.

"Haaa... ahn... that feels... why does it... soo good? I can't... ahn... ha... ha... Naruto!"

If he didn't know any better, he would have said Ophis had turned her entire pussy into one big erogenous zone. Was that even possible? Either way, as he licked her pussy and played with her clit, Ophis's entire body seemed to shake, buck, jerk, and spasm.

"Mmm! Nnn! Hnnn! Hrnnn!"

Ophis buried her face into a pillow to muffle her moans as Naruto ate her out. Her hips shook, her thighs clenched, and her toes curled as he used both his hands and tongue to work her over. Sweat formed on her skin and trailed down her naked flesh. Her skin had turned a slight red as if she was undergoing a full body blush.

"N-Naruto! Something... I feel... ha... ha.. I feel something!"

Naruto didn't respond with words, but he did channel chakra into his tongue and made it rotate around inside of Ophis. The added stimulation caused Ophis's spine to arc as she lifted her head off the bed and released a loud scream. Her entire body seemed to clench up. Then, as if all strength had left her, she fell back onto the bed and went almost completely still, save the rise and fall of her back as she took large gulps of air.

Retracting his face from her vagina, Naruto placed several kisses on her pert derriere, which twitched as though it was hypersensitive. He then trailed kisses up her sweaty back. The scent of her sweat filled his nose. Her skin was warm and flushed. Naruto traced the contours of her spine with his lips and tongue, enjoying the salty taste of her skin before finally reaching her ear.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

Ophis took a moment to respond. "I feel... good. There's an oddly pleasant tingle in my crotch that I've only felt a few times while masturbating, but it was never this strong."

Naruto said nothing for a moment as he absorbed the masturbation comment, but then he decided to just accept that Ophis fingered herself and moved on.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it because I'm about to make you feel even better."

Ophis shuddered as though in anticipation. She didn't see Naruto grabbing his shaft, but he was sure she felt it when he guided his dick to her puffy pussy lips and rubbed his head against her. Another shudder traveled through Ophis's body as Naruto slowly pushed his cock inside of her.

"Oooh... t-this is an odd feeling," she muttered, intaking a sharp breath. "Ha... this how the others feel when you do it with them?"

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Like something is splitting me in half."

"Hmm... I think it is because you're so small that you feel this way."

"So I should grow bigger?"

"No. I like you as you are."

Naruto would already admit that he'd become a pervert—had been one for a long time now. He liked variety in his sex. Rias was busty, with a massive rack and magnificent hips. On the other hand, Koneko was tiny and cute. Ravel was like a cross between the two. Rossweisse was closer to Rias in terms of her figure, while Ophis was closer to Koneko in size than anyone else.

Naruto placed his hands on Ophis's buttcheeks and began kneading them as he leaned back and rocked his hips forward. Ophis gasped as he thrust himself inside of her. He felt her vagina clamp down on his dick when he pulled out, then smiled when he thrust himself back inside with a jerk of his hips.

Having always believed that variety was the spice of life, Naruto mixed his thrusts, going slow, moving fast, and sometimes simply grinding himself against her. Ophis's breathing and moans changed in pitch and rhythm as he moved. Sometimes she would gasp in pleasure. Other times her moans were drawn out and low. Her breathing eventually became ragged pants mixed with moans as she began grinding her hips against him as he moved.

"Ah! Hrn! Ahn! Ah!"

Her nasally gasps mixed with her moans as her glistening shoulder blades and back shook. She turned her head as he pounded her from behind and looked at him with a single pitch black eye. No words were said. She couldn't have spoken even if she wanted to, but Naruto understood what she wanted.

He leaned down, pressing his chest to her back, their sweat mixing together as he reached her mouth and hampered it with a kiss. Ophis shoved her tongue into his mouth before he could think to do the same. Naruto groaned as her tongue caressed his insides and his mouth became thick with saliva.

Rolling onto his side, Naruto took Ophis with him. He lifted her leg into the air and thrust his cock into her from this new position. It felt altogether different from before. His cock was reaching places inside of her that he hadn't reached. While continuing to engage her in tongue play, Naruto placed her leg over his to keep it raised, then found her clit and began furiously rubbing it.

"Mmm! Mmph! Hmph! Mph! Mmm! Mrrr!"

The sounds Ophis released were muffled by his mouth, but he could feel her entire body tensing as he stimulated her. Her pussy produced more of that sweet nectar. It flowed around his cock and drenched her thigh and his crotch, dripping down their bodies and staining the bed.

He almost lost it when Ophis suddenly came. Her body shuddered against him like she was having muscle spasms. A strong smell that Naruto recognized as the arousal of a woman filled the room and made him move his hips even faster.

He could feel it. His end was coming. However, he wanted Ophis to orgasm one more time before he did.

His desire was not quite met; Naruto lost control when Ophis placed her hand over his and made him rub her slit even harder. His balls tightened and he released a flood of his seed. Ophis came seconds later, screaming into his mouth as the leg resting on top of his twitched and fell onto the bed.

"Ha... ha..."

Ophis took several deep breaths. Naruto wasn't much better. He pulled out of her pussy, allowing the mixture of their juices to spill out of it, and rolled onto his back. Gazing at the ceiling, he gave himself some time to recover.

Well, that was the plan.

"Ophis?"

Ophis had recovered faster than him, sitting up and swinging her left leg over his side to straddle his waist. She put her hands on his chest, then rocked her hips back and forth, rubbing her sodden entrance against his flaccid dick, which caused it to quickly swell with blood.

"I want more," Ophis demanded as she lifted her hips, grabbed his shaft, and guided herself down.

"So demanding," Naruto muttered as he grabbed her hips and helped the woman. "Hrk!"

Naruto grunted as the tip of his dick disappeared inside of her, then groaned louder as Ophis slowly engulfed his entire cock, until their hips were pressed firmly together. When Naruto looked down, he could see his dick spreading her pussy lips apart.

Ophis rocked her hips once, then began riding him like a cowgirl at a rodeo. She set a pace that made Naruto grit his teeth and try everything he could think of to fight off his impending orgasm. The feeling of her tight little pussy rubbing his dick sent arcs of pleasure up his spine and straight to his brain. He thought he saw white for a second. Then his entire body tensed as he released another spurt of his seed inside of her.

"It's... it's so warm," Ophis muttered as she rotated her hips. The action kept his dick hard despite this being the second time he'd cum. "I want more... more..."

Naruto had no idea Ophis was such a nympho. He wondered if this was his fault? Was he to blame for her sex crazed tendencies? Had spending several nights spying on him, Rias, Koneko, and Ravel having sex made her so horny that she'd become a nymphomaniac?

Whatever had happened to make Ophis like this, Naruto did his best to oblige her. Not only did they have sex on the bed, but they also had sex in the living room, on the bar, on the kitchen table, in the bathroom, in the shower, in the tub, and anywhere else they could think of.

Naruto lost complete track of time, and when Ophis finally had enough and fell asleep on the bed, he simply let his tired body lay there as he stared at the girl snuggling into his side with the widest smile he'd ever seen on her face. She looked so happy and content—more happy and content than he'd ever seen her. Naruto didn't even know she could smile like this.

As his thoughts chased each other, he became aware of the aches and pains in his body. Ophis had really done a number on him. Damn dragon and her stupid stamina. Naruto prided himself on his stamina, but this girl had him beat. He wanted to sleep, but perhaps because he was so tired, his mind and body weren't cooperating with him.

And so he laid there, on the bed, covered in sweat and various other fluids, with a naked dragon girl hugging him like he was a dakimakura.

He could think of worse positions to be in.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto had never walked with a limp before. Aside from having a sturdier body than most people regardless of race, he also had his high healing factor. It didn't matter what kind of injuries he got because he healed from them so quickly.

The day after Naruto had sex with Ophis, he found himself walking with a slight limp.

It seemed his healing factor could not accommodate for Ophis's newly awakened and incredibly voracious sexual appetite.

Who knew dragon gods could be so lewd?

While he might have a slight limp, it wasn't enough to hamper his productivity. The first thing he did upon returning to the Gremory Estate was located Rias. She was sitting inside of an office and going over files. Akeno and Ravel were with her. While Akeno was merely serving tea and helping keep the room clean, Ravel looked like she was helping Rias go through the files.

"The damage done to the cities attacked by the Chaos Brigade wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it was still enough that we're going to have to allocate funds from one of our projects to afford rebuilding," Rias said with a sigh as Naruto walked up to the desk.

Ravel nodded. "Fortunately, House Gremory has a lot of real estate and businesses. I've noticed several that aren't making any money right now. You can probably afford to cut the budget for businesses like this one here."

Ravel handed Rias a sheet of paper, which the redhead perused with a look of concentration.

"This is a toy maker company," she said at last.

"They make toys for young devils," Ravel said with a nod. "Specifically, they create toys that are loosely based off an American company called Ty Inc. From what I understand, they created a line of stuffed toys called Beanie Babies. I assume your parents found out about this and thought kids in the Underworld would like their own line of similar toys. However, the toys turned out to not be very popular. Your father has been keeping it afloat as a personal hobby, but we should consider cutting funding to this and using that money to help rebuild the cities that were attacked."

Rias listened to Ravel, who really knew what she was talking about. Naruto once again marveled at this girl's business acumen and sense for strategies. He'd assumed her ability to strategize lay mostly in combat, but it looked like she could also propose strategies to help expand businesses and determine which businesses weren't needed.

"It says here that my father is putting 16 million into this business." Rias furrowed her brow. "That's a lot of money for a simple line of stuffed toys. What is he doing with all that... eh?" As she was scanning the paper, her eyes stopped moving after reaching a specific point. Then her face turned red. "That... I see. So that's how it is." She set the paper down and smiled at Ravel. "Thank you for pointing this out to me. We are definitely going to cut all funding on this business."

Ravel looked taken aback. "Oh... no, we don't need to cut all funding. Just..."

"We're cutting all funding from this business." Rias smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant or happy smile. Dark shadows had appeared around her face. It created hard lines that leant her an ominous appearance.

"R-right," Ravel agreed, shuddering from her head all the way to her toes.

Naruto wondered if he should interrupt the two, who seemed hard at work, but just as he considered leaving, Rias turned to him. The smile on her face became a lot more genuine. At the same time, there was a trace of dryness to it.

"Naruto. Good morning. I see you've returned from your love hotel excursion."

"That is an odd way of putting it," Naruto said as he walked further into the room.

Rias frowned. "Are you okay? You're walking with a limp."

"Let's just say I may have met my match and leave it at that."

Only slightly embarrassed, Naruto did his best to not blush as he walked over to the desk where Rias and Ravel were working. Akeno, smiling more than she had in awhile, offered him a chair, which he gratefully took.

"I'm guessing Mother told you about the promotion exam for you to become a High-class Devil," Rias said as though she already knew what had transpired. "You're in a bit of an odd situation. The promotion to High-class Devil doesn't normally require a test like this. However, you are coming under some opposition. That was why we came up with this compromise."

"Who is opposing the decision?" asked Naruto.

"Just a few of the noble families who don't want the Gremory House to gain more power," Rias said. "Even though we are all united by a common enemy and cause, it doesn't mean certain factions within our own aren't going to try and rise in power over others. The House of Gremory is quite strong. We have a Satan, the Bael's Power of Destruction, the Red Dragon Emperor, and you... a man who appeared out of nowhere and showcased a strength that even gods have to be wary of. If you become a High-class Devil, it will increase our power even further. Some people don't like that idea. However, even they cannot contest it."

"Which is why I have to prove myself in a Rating Game against Diehauser Belial," Naruto said.

"Yes. That is it exactly." Rias leaned back in her chair. "For now, we should focus on getting people who will agree to fight alongside you in the Rating Game. This Rating Game is meant to showcase your talent as a King and High-class Devil, so you will need to control a peerage and not just fight by yourself."

"I am going to fight alongside Naruto-sama," Ravel said. "Since I'm a free bishop and his fiance, it shouldn't be a problem."

Rias bit her lip. "You really like bragging about that, don't you? Are you trying to upset me?"

"Wha—no! Of course not!" Ravel waved her hands back and forth as a large blush spread across her face. "I-I would never try to make you angry, and it's not like I'm trying to brag about being engaged to Naruto-sama. I know you're number one in this harem. I-I was just saying—"

"Relax," Rias soothed the girl with a smile as she reached over and began rubbing Ravel's head. "I am only teasing you."

"Ooooo... that was mean, Rias-sama," Ravel mumbled, though that didn't stop her from leaning into Rias's hand.

Still wearing a smile, Rias continued tenderly running her fingers through Ravel's hair as she turned to Naruto. It was only after she had looked at him that her smile became apologetic.

"Unfortunately, because the Rating Game will happen on the same day as the Promotion Tests, none of the other members of my peerage can help you." Her smile turned a tad annoyed. "I suspect someone did this on purpose."

"It's fine." Naruto shrugged. "I know at least a few other people I can ask to join me... and I was thinking maybe you could contact Sona Sitri and ask her if she'd be willing to lend out Saji and maybe a Rook and a Knight."

"I will certainly do that," Rias said, but then she frowned. "By the way, who are you going to ask to join you?"

"A certain self-proclaimed angel," Naruto said with a smile.

~Devil Ninja~

"You want me to become a temporary member of your peerage?" Irina asked in shock. "Wait. When did you even get a peerage?!"

It was the middle of the day, and Naruto had decided to take Irina on a date. They were at a café in the city closest to the Gremory Estate. The café was styled after a certain type of café found in the human world, and more specifically Japan, meaning it wouldn't have looked out of place in Akihabara. Perhaps because of that, this café also had women dressed in maid outfits and men dressed in butler outfits, but that could have also been due to the personal taste of the manager.

"I don't have a peerage." Naruto shook his head. "I was told I need to gather people who can fight alongside me in a Rating Game against Diehauser Belial. It is a temporary peerage. However, you don't have to worry. Since no Evil Pieces are being used, you won't be turned into a Devil."

"Well, that is good. Don't get me wrong, I like you a lot, but I don't want to become a Devil," Irina said.

"I like you the way you are too," Naruto admitted. That caused Irina to blush.

A young woman dressed in the traditional black and white gown of a maid wandered up to their table and asked if they were ready to order. Naruto ordered simple omurice. He was curious to know if it tasted any differently than omurice in Japan. Meanwhile, Irina ordered something called a Very Beary Parfait.

As the woman left, Naruto explained what he was being required to do in order to be promoted to a High-class Devil. Irina listened to him. She nodded several times, asked questions when she wanted a more detailed explanation, but mostly listened in silence. When he finished, she leaned back in her chair.

"So that's how it is," Irina said as she crossed her arms and nodded several times. "I see. If this is the case, I don't at all mind acting as a member of your peerage. I'll let Lord Michael know about it just to make sure he doesn't have a problem, but I'm sure he'll agree to it." A pensive expression crossed her face as another thought occurred to her. "However, even if I agree to it, you still need more people. You've got me and Ravel, but that is just two."

"I'm also hoping Sona will be willing to lend us Saji." Naruto watched as the maid who took their order entered the room again, carrying a tray over to their table. "But you are correct. I still need more people."

The maid came up to their table and placed their food in front of them. The omurice looked a lot more gourmet than what he was used to. While Maid Cafés didn't have bad food by any means, they weren't extraordinarily high-quality either. Maid Cafés were about the experience, not the food, but it looked like the reverse was true here. This omurice looked and smelled like something he'd expect from a high-class restaurant.

I guess that's the Gremory territory for you.

Similarly, Irina's Very Beary Parfait was a chocolate parfait with whip cream and all kinds of berries made to look like a bear. There were blueberries for the eyes, strawberries for the paws, a blackberry for the nose, and other berries arrayed around the creature. It was incredibly cute and looked like something made by an artist instead of a chef.

"Have you thought about asking some of the people who joined us when we fought against the Greek gods and rescued the Four Satans?" asked Irina.

"I... had not." Naruto blinked several times. "The idea never occurred to me, but you're right. Maybe I should ask Azazel if he can get in contact with Gomory or Lix Tetrax."

"I'll also ask Lord Michael if he can get in touch with Angelus," Irina said. "I'm sure she would be happy to help you."

"That's a good idea." Naruto grinned at Irina. "Thank you."

Irina's eyes widened before she looked away. "I-it's no problem."

"By the way..." Naruto began. "Have you given any thought into whether or not you'd be interested in dating me?"

Irina's cheeks burned like twin stars. "I... I have." She took a deep breath, held it, and counted to three before releasing it. "I've decided... to give dating you a try. I can't promise anything," she added quickly when she saw the look of hope rising on his face. "Please understand, a part of me still very much likes Ise, but I also like you too... a lot. And, well, I'd like to at least see if maybe something can work out between us."

"That's all I can ask," Naruto said. Then he grinned. "And since I guess this means we are officially dating now, why don't we commemorate this moment with a movie and a walk through a park? I hear the Underworld has their own version of Hollywood."

"Y-yeah. Okay. We can do that," Irina agreed.

After finishing their food (which was delicious), Naruto and Irina left to find the nearest movie theater.

No sexy shenanigans took place during the movie or subsequent walk through the park.

But they did have fun.

~Devil Ninja~

The day of Naruto's Rating Game had arrived.

Because the promotion test from Low-class Devil to Middle-class Devil took place on the same day, Naruto, Irina, Ravel, La Fay, and Ophis split off from Rias, Koneko, Rossweisse, Xenovia, Kiba, Gasper, Issei, Akeno, and Raynare after arriving in the Underworld's capital.

Both the promotion test and his Rating Game were taking place in Lilith, but they were on opposite sides of the city.

"Are you going to be okay? I wish I could go with you. Oh. I should have asked them to reschedule your Rating Game so I could cheer you on! Why did it have to happen on the same day as the promotion tests?"

Rias was fraught with worry as they stood just outside the train platform. She was biting her lip and babbling, something she only did when she was truly worried.

"Relax," Naruto said. "I know this couldn't be helped. You have to be there for the others' promotion test, but no one said anything about you having to be present during my Rating Game. Don't worry. I've got this."

"B-but even so... what kind of girlfriend doesn't show up to her boyfriend's most important Rating Game?" asked Rias, now looking distraught. "M-maybe we should ask them to cancel? I'm sure they wouldn't mind rescheduling for a time when I can join you."

Naruto gave his girlfriend a long-suffering smile. He loved how she worried over him and the others like this, but now really wasn't the time.

He leaned forward and kissed Rias on the lips, stopping the girl's babbling in their tracks. Rias froze. It was only for a moment, however, and then she was leaning into him, pressing her lips harder against his mouth.

"You don't have to worry about me," Naruto said as he pulled back. "Don't forget who you are talking to here. I'm the best ninja in the entire Underworld. It doesn't matter who I'm up against. I'll kick their asses six ways to Sunday."

"Right... yeah, I guess you're right." Rias smiled at him, though it was tinged with worry. "Sorry for getting so worked up."

"It's okay. That's just the kind of person you are."

Rias and Naruto smiled and stared into each others eyes. This moment would have lasted longer, but a loud retching sound brought them both out of the moment.

"Sorry," Raynare apologized when they all looked at her. "It felt like someone was gagging me."

Her words earned her an elbow from Akeno.

There wasn't much time for pleasantries, so after Rias overcame her worry about his Rating Game, she and the others said their goodbyes and left. There was a limo waiting for them. As the group climbed in, Naruto turned to Ravel.

"We should get going as well," he said.

"Right." Ravel nodded. "I'm told a limo will be coming to pick us up in about ten minutes."

"I guess that means we just have to wait here?" Irina asked. "What should we do in the meantime."

"It's only ten minutes," Naruto said. "I don't think there's much we can do in ten minutes."

"We could always have a quickie," Ophis suggested.

Naruto stared at the dragon god as Ravel, Irina, and Le Fay blushed bright red. Le Fay and Irina had never done anything of that nature with anyone, much less him, and while he and Ravel had sex several times, she was still a very pure tsundere girl who got embarrassed over this particular subject.

"Your suggestion on this matter has been noted and summarily rejected," Naruto said, deadpan. "There shall be no quickies at this time."

"That's too bad."

Ophis shrugged as if it was his loss instead of hers. Naruto wanted to pout, but that would have been childish.

Since the wait was only ten minutes, they found a bus bench and sat down. Naruto sat between Ravel and Irina. Le Fay sat on Irina's left, while Ophis had changed sizes once again so she could take her "rightful" place on his lap. She was probably trying to get as much time there as she could while Koneko was busy.

The hustle and bustle of the city swam before their eyes as they sat there. So many people were coming and going. A young boy was walking hand in hand with his mother. There was a couple several meters away, the woman leaning against her boyfriend as she hugged his arm. Several men in business suits walked by. It seemed they were talking about something, though he couldn't hear what. All of them were Devils, but honestly, Naruto could not tell the difference between Devils and humans.

"I never asked, but where are we meeting the others?" asked Naruto.

"You mean the people who agreed to temporarily join your peerage?" asked Ravel. Naruto nodded, so she continued. "Lix Tetrax said she will meet us at the Stadium. I believe Sona Sitri and her peerage will also meet us there."

"Angelus also said she would meet us at the Stadium," Irina added.

"So we've got Lix, Angelus, Ravel, Irina, Le Fay, and Saji as members of my peerage," Naruto muttered. "That's six pieces, which isn't bad. I think Saji required four Pawns to reincarnate. Angelus and Ravel make great bishops. Lix would probably be... a Rook. Meanwhile, Irina, you would be my Knight. I hope you're okay with that?"

"Of course I am." Irina gave him a confident smile that was brimming with reassurance. "I'm honestly glad I can help you out like this. You're always doing things for other people, including me, and I've wanted to pay you back for a while now, but you never seem to actually need me for anything. I'm happy this moment came along. Now I can thank you for all the times you helped me."

"Do you really need to thank me?" asked Naruto. "Isn't a good boyfriend supposed to support his girlfriend?"

"W-well... you know, we weren't dating back then." Irina turned her head to look down at her lap. She was clutching her thighs, though she couldn't grab her clothes. Irina had opted to wear the tight leather garb she'd once worn as a member of the Catholic Church. "So, um, it's kinda like... I can't accept that because I feel like it would be taking advantage of you."

"What if I want you to take advantage of me?"

"Hyan?!" Irina looked so shocked she almost knocked Le Fay off the bench when she jumped. "W-w-w-what are you saying?! There's no way I could do that! I'm an Angel! We never take advantage of people!"

Ravel sighed as Irina went into a full-blown panic. "You are so easy to tease."

"Huh?" Irina blinked several times, looked at Ravel, and then looked at Naruto. "Were you... teasing me?"

"Just a little," Naruto admitted.

Irina puffed out her cheeks. "That was mean."

The group laughed a little as the limo that would take them to the Stadium finally arrived. The person who hopped out of the limo's driver seat was something of a shocker.

"Azazel?!" Naruto gawked. "The heck are you doing here?!"

"I came to pick you guys up. Why are you so surprised? Don't tell me you thought I would leave something this important to anyone else," Azazel said, grinning at their group. "Given how big a moment this is, it was decided by me and Sirzechs that I would be the one in charge of picking you up and informing you about what to expect during this Rating Game. Now, hop in everyone. The Rating Game won't take place for another half an hour, but we should arrive early so I can discuss some last minute details with all of you."

Naruto climbed into the limo after Ravel, Le Fay, Ophis, and Irina did. It was a plush limo with a good deal of space. It even had its own bar, though there were no alcoholic beverages, just juice and milk. Azazel hopped back into the driver's seat and announced they were leaving. Then the limo took off.

The large windows spanned much of the limo, allowing them a glimpse outside, though none of them paid much attention. All of them were busy discussing strategies. Of course, out of the entire group, Ravel did most of the talking.

"I've been studying up on Saji's abilities, so I have a good idea on how to utilize his powers more effectively, but I sadly don't know as much about Lix and Angelus beyond the basics."

"Angelus is a healer," Irina said. "Of course, she has some unique magic like the ability to transport people between dimensions. She can also use all the holy attacks I can, but she's not really cut out to be a fighter."

"So we'll have her stay in the back and support us with her healing magic," Ravel said. "Though I don't know if her magic will help us Devils at all... but you said she can also transport people between dimensions? It sounds like we can have her help us retreat if things get too dicey." The young Phenex furrowed her brows. "I remember watching a bit of the fight between Beur and Lix, but we never got to see the full extent of her powers. She mostly relied on her peerage to lure Beur into a trap and demolished him in a single attack. That said, I believe she specializes in trickery, so we can probably rely on her to lure members of Diehauser's peerage into traps we set."

"That sounds like a good idea," Naruto agreed without hesitation. "I'll be counting on you to help me plan out our strategies. I'm afraid I'm no good at those."

"Don't worry." Ravel gave him a happy smile as she puffed out her chest. "Just leave everything to me."

Their group arrived at the Stadium within about fifteen minutes, give or take, and they disembarked with Azazel, who led them into the massive building.

The Stadium was built to look like a modern replica of the Colosseum from Greece. Shaped like an oval, the entire building was nearly six stories tall, featured a roof that could be pulled back to show the sky, and had an oddly ancient aesthetic. It was quite something. The unusual blend of modern and ancient architecture created a dichotomy that wouldn't be seen in the human world.

Azazel led their group to the waiting room, where they found Angelus, Lix Tetrax, and Saji all waiting for them.

"Yo! About time you showed up, Naruto." Saji raise a hand in greeting. "I was worried you wouldn't show up to your own Rating Game. I hope your nerves aren't getting the best of you."

"I don't get nervous," Naruto replied with a grin.

He and Saji weren't what he'd call the best of friends, but during the "guys night out" that he, Kiba, Issei, and Gasper often had to get away from the girls, Saji would sometimes join them. He'd learned a bit more about Sona's Pawn through the times they would meet.

"Naruto." Angelus gave him one of those lovely smiles she was so well-known for, the smiles that calmed the heart and soothed the soul. "It is a pleasure to see you again. I am glad you are doing so well."

"Thank you for coming to help me," Naruto said.

"Of course." Angelus seemed to flush with pleasure as the golden light surrounding her grew more vibrant. "I am ever so happy you called upon me for aid. I will do all in my power to help you."

"I appreciate that."

The last one to come up to him with Lix, who remained mostly quiet. That didn't bother him one bit. From what he remembered, Lix was a generally quiet person who preferred spending her time in solitude so she could work on her doujins. Rias actually possessed a number of the girl's doujins.

"Thank you for coming to help me," Naruto said to her as she stopped in front of him.

"I do find it a tad bothersome that you'd ask me to take part in a Rating Game when you know I find matters like this to be a waste of time." Lix paused for a moment, then sighed and gave him a wan smile. "That said, I am happy you trusted me enough to ask me. I'll help you out just this once."

"Now that all of you have been reacquainted with each other, I'd like to explain what kind of Rating Game this will be," Azazel began. "We have a little less than half an hour before the Rating Game actually begins, so sit down and listen as I go over the basics with you."

Everyone found a seat. Of course, Naruto found himself sitting in between the members of his harem, all of whom had made it difficult for Angelus, Lix, and Saji to get near. The three who'd agreed to help stared at him for a moment with aggrieved expressions before sitting down on the other couches. All he could do was give them a helpless shrug.

"This is going to be a fairly normal Rating Game," Azazel said. "However, they are using the blitz rules of a Lightning Fast Game. This is a short variant of the standard Rating Game. It utilizes the shortest time limit and narrowest playing field to create a game that is quick. The time limit is one hour, and whoever defeats their opponent's king during that time wins."

"That is going to make things difficult for us," Ravel said at last. "Diehauser has a full set peerage. Not only does he have sixteen pieces, but all of them are High-class Devils with their own Evil Piece set. I've watched his Rating Games before. His pieces are as follows: his Queen, Anna Beleth; his Rook, Daina Orobas; his Bishop, Elizabeth Stolas; his Knight, Axel Seere; his second Rook, Johans Dantalion; his second Bishop, Justina Andromalius; his second Knight, Michael Marchosias, and his Pawns, Elseworth Ronove, Morgan Furfur, Lisander Belial, Niles Asmoday, Lilith Marax, Rapunzel Zepar, Monica Ose, and Deidara Kimaris." Ravel finished listing off all of Diehauser's pieces and sighed. "Each of them comes from an extinct clan. All of them were humans with Devils blood in them, so when they were reincarnated, they were much stronger than the average newly reincarnated Devil."

"In other words, we're going to have our hands full dealing with them," Lix said with a sigh. "Not only are they all High-class Devils, meaning they are way stronger than us, but they also have a numbers advantage."

This was indeed a pretty big advantage over them. Including himself, Naruto's temporary peerage only numbered six strong, and none of them were powerful enough to take on a High-Class Devil on their own except him.

"Fortunately, we can also add Fenrir to the mix," Le Fay said after a moment of silence. "I will summon him during the Rating Game."

"That will be a big help," Naruto said. "Thank you."

"Of course!" Le Fay beamed at him.

Naruto tapped his fingers against Ophis's knee as she sat on his lap. The infinite dragon god looked at his finger, then turned her head to look at him, her eyes questioning. It was like she was wondering why he wasn't petting her head or something, but Naruto had a lot on his mind regarding the Rating Game.

"Fortunately, our goal isn't to win," Ravel continued. "We are only here to showcase Naruto's ability to lead. I believe if we can display suitable counter strategies to remove some of Diehauser's pieces, it will be enough to show that he is good enough to be promoted to High-Class Devil."

"Do you have a plan?" asked Irina.

"I don't think my original idea to use traps will work since those require time to place and we only have one hour, but I have several other strategies that we can use," Ravel said before she launched into an explanation of the numerous plans she'd thought up to deal with Diehauser and his peerage.

~Devil Ninja~

Unlike the stadium in Agares territory, the stadium floor here looked fairly standard. It was just a wide and open space with nothing in between the two peerages. This meant Naruto had an uninhibited view of Diehauser and his peerage.

Diehauser possessed a full peerage of sixteen pieces.

His Queen stood by his side, a surprisingly short woman with dark black hair and blue eyes. Naruto thought she might be of Japanese descent. Supposedly, she was a reincarnated devil, meaning she had been human. Given that her last name was Beleth, a member of the extinct 72 pillars, Naruto could only guess and say her family had at some point mixed with humans. She wore a shoulder cape, pants, and an elegant shirt underneath the cape.

The others were behind Diehauser and Anna.

"Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to the Rating Game that will decide whether Naruto is worthy of being promoted to a High-class Devil," a voice echoed across the stadium. "It's an unusual treat for us since Devils being promoted to High-class do not require a test. Naruto is an interesting case in that he skipped the Middle-class Promotion Test due to his outstanding performance previously. However, now this has come back to bite him, for his examiner is none other than Diehauser Belial! The number one champion of the Rating Games!"

At the mention of Diehauser, the crowd sitting in the stands erupted into applause. Naruto had taken part in many a Rating Game. He was used to the crowd cheering. Even so, he was not used to this.

The rumble of applause was like peeling thunder. He'd never heard anything so loud before. Mixed in with the applause were cheers and shouts, a cacophony of excited voices. This Diehauser Belial was not only ranked first in the Rating Games. He was also very popular, it seemed.

"Now, will both peerages step into the transportation circle?" requested the announcer. "That circle will take you to the destination where your Rating Game will take place."

Naruto looked at the people who had agreed to join his peerage temporarily so he could take part in this Rating Game, then turned back around after receiving nods from each of them. He walked over to a glowing transporting circle that had appeared on the floor. The members of his peerage followed him.

At the same time, Diehauser also moved to a transportation circle. He walked with a slow, confident gait, his expression set in a calm and easy going smile. His peerage followed behind him. They all seemed confident and their presence was overpowering. A strange pressure seemed to emanate from them. It was the kind of overwhelming aura that caused others to lose heart. Naruto suspected many of Diehauser's victories came because the people who fought against him lost heart before the battle even began thanks to this aura.

Stepping into the transportation circle, Naruto only had a moment to ponder where they would be sent before the world around them vanished and was replaced with... a forest? He looked left. Then he looked right. Most of what he could see were trees, more trees, and some bushes. High above the trees was a mountain with a waterfall. The strong scent of flora filled his nose.

A breeze blew through the clearing they were in. The leaves on the trees rustled and swayed. Everything looked so natural, so long as one didn't look up at the distorted sky, a telltale sign that they were in a dimension created by Devils.

"Because of the nature of today's Rating Game, we have decided on a simple setting. Within this forest that spans only a single kilometer, these two teams shall battle. They have one hour to find and defeat each other's King. If one side does not lose within the one hour timeframe, then the team with the most points remaining will be the winner," the announcer explained. "Since Naruto Uzumaki's peerage has less people in his peerage, he holds the advantage. For every one person Naruto defeats, Diehauser needs to defeat two. It also doesn't matter if the pieces defeated are a Pawn or a Queen. In this Rating Game, every piece will be considered worth an equal amount of points. Now then, does everyone understand the rules? In that case, let the Rating Game officially begin!"

With the Rating Game now commencing, Naruto turned to look at the people who were battling with him. All of them looked ready. Lix Tetrax had already summoned a pair of light swords with her power. So had Irina, though she only had one sword since that was her style. Le Fay had both her staff and broom at the ready. Ravel did not appear any different, but her entire body looked like a string drawn taut. Saji had activated his Sacred Gear. His hands and feet had become encased in the purple armor of Vitra's Sacred Gear. It wasn't just armor that he had gained, however, but also a change in his right eye, which now looked like a purple dragon eye surrounded by blackness. Even Angelus had spread out her angel wings and looked ready to do her part.

Le Fay raised her staff and created another magic circle. What appeared within the circle this time was a giant wolf. Fenrir. It was a wolf with the powers to destroy a god.

"It looks like everyone is ready," Naruto said. "I'm sure Diehauser Belial already knows where we are and is going to send a strike force to test our defense. Let's do what we planned. Le Fay, I'd like you to use illusion magic to make yourself invisible. Search the area for Diehauser's peerage and inform us of the direction they are coming from. Once she knows where they are, we're going to ambush the group before they can ambush us."

"Please leave the reconnaissance to me, Naruto," Le Fay said.

Holding up her staff, Le Fay created a magic circle underneath her feet and Fenrir, and then her entire body slowly vanished along with the wolf's. Naruto couldn't see hide nor hair of her or Fenrir. Even the scent of her body had disappeared. This sort of all-encompassing illusion magic was really impressive, something only the most talented magicians could do.

"We'll head out once Le Fay tells us where Diehauser's peerage is coming in from," Saji said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But man, I never expected to face off against Diehauser Belial."

"You nervous?" asked Lix.

"Not in the least," Saji responded. "I'm excited."

Naruto turned to Ravel. "I'll be relying on you to adapt new strategies for whatever situation we find ourselves in."

"Of course. Please leave that to me," Ravel said.

"What should I do?" asked Irina, pointing at herself.

"For now, I want you to guard Angelus," Naruto instructed. "She's our healer, so her role in this will be vital."

"We do have a bit of a problem though," Angelus said. "While I know healing magic, I am unable to heal Devils because of your weakness to holy magic. The only ones I can heal are Irina, Lix, and Le Fay."

"That's fine. With luck, you won't need to heal me or Saji, and Ravel is a Phenex. Her regeneration should help her." He placed a hand on Ravel's head. "Of course, I don't plan on letting anyone touch my Ravel."

Ravel's cheeks went scarlet, but she didn't say anything since now was not the time.

Naruto looked into the forest and wondered if Le Fay had found their opponents yet.

~Devil Ninja~

Le Fay drifted through the forest, weaving between trees, ascending and descending over and under branches. She kept her eyes peeled for any signs of the enemy. Of course, she wasn't alone. Fenrir was also with her. The giant wolf had shrunk to a more manageable size that allowed it to hide within the forest. He was using his nose to lead her.

"So they are this way?" Le Fay asked when Fenrir howled.

Both she and Fenrir were placed under her masking magic, which hid any and all traces of them from people who were not placed under this magic. There were, of course, ways to detect her. However, it required someone knowing the counter spell. Since Diehauser and his group were made entirely of Devils and none of them had been magicians at any point in their lives, they shouldn't know how to detect her.

Fenrir leapt around a tree and Le Fay followed on her broom. Movement caught her attention as Fenrir stopped and released a low growl. The son of Loki had turned his head to look at something moving through the trees, which Le Fay recognized as people. They weren't members of Naruto's peerage, which meant they were obviously from Diehauser's peerage.

There were four of them. Three of them were women, while the last one was a man.

The woman in the lead was a tall and busty brunette with dark eyes. Her hair had been braided and trailed behind her back as she moved swiftly through the forest. Gauntlets covered her hands, a long overcoat hid the movements of her body. Thanks to the information Ravel had provided her, Le Fay knew this woman was Daina Orobas, Diehauser's rook.

With her was the blonde beauty Lilith Marax, a woman with oddly long hair and a scar over her right eye who Le Fay recognized as Rapunzel Zepar, and a man with an elegant and sophisticated bearing who must have been Lisander Belial—Diehauser's younger brother if she wasn't mistaken.

So... one Rook and three Pawns. They must have been a reconnaissance force or maybe a strike force. Le Fay wondered why Diehauser hadn't chosen his Knights for this task. They were faster and better suited to blitz strikes, but then she realized Diehauser must be aware of Naruto's power and decided someone with a strong defense was better.

Deciding to get a little more information on their opponents, she and Fenrir moved closer so they could listen in on the group's conversation.

"Don't you think Diehauser is being a little too cautious this time?" asked Lisander. "I'd understand if we were up against someone like Roygun Belphegor, but isn't this just a simple test against an untested boy who's never played in a professional Rating Game?"

"Even if we're fighting against someone who doesn't have any experience as a King, Diehauser is still wary of Naruto's power," Lilith explained. "Do not forget what that boy has accomplished. He has fought against gods on an even playing field."

"Even if he can fight gods, that doesn't meant he'll be any good in a Rating Game," Lisander argued. "Rating Games and actual battles are different. There are rules to a Rating Game that you have to follow."

"This is true, but I do not believe our King made the wrong choice in being cautious," Lilith continued defending their King's actions.

"Still..." Lisander said. "To split up our forces like this to create a two-pronged attack seems a little overboard to me."

So Diehauser had split up his pieces and was planning to attack Naruto from two directions, was he? It was a good thing she had discovered this group quickly. Had she not found them while they were still talking about this, she, and by extension, Naruto, would have remained unaware that a second group was going to attack them from behind.

Backing away alongside Fenrir, Le Fay flew off until she was far enough from the group of Devils that they wouldn't be able to sense her. Then she dismissed the magic that kept her invisible, placed a hand against her ear, and contacted Naruto.

"I've located the advanced group Diehauser sent, but it looks like there is another force in the forest. They are planning to attack you alongside this group using a pincer maneuver."

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto listened to Le Fay's words, nodding to himself. A pincer maneuver was a pretty standard tactic. It also had a high chance of success, especially against a smaller force like his. In fact, some might have called it overboard, but Naruto could tell Diehauser was being cautious because of who he was.

"Good job, Fay-chan. Come back to us," Naruto said.

"I'll be right back."

After Le Fay finished speaking, Naruto turned to Ravel, who remained by his side while the others were spread out.

"What do you think we should do about this?" he asked.

Ravel furrowed her brow and cupped her chin. Her thoughtful expression lasted only for a few seconds before she came up with a plan.

"In a situation like this, the most logical course of action would be to attack one of their groups and break through enemy lines before the other group catches up. I believe we could do that and have a relatively high chance of success..." Ravel trailed off as a slight gleam came to her eyes. "However, that wouldn't really showcase your talent very well. What we're trying to do here is show how good of a King you are."

"So you're saying what we should do instead is take out both forces separately?" Naruto asked. "Doing so will show how bold I am, and if we succeed, it will elevate my reputation."

"Exactly." Ravel smiled as if she was pleased he could see where she was going with this. "Devils favor bolder plans too. It's in our nature. Having you, a Devil who is being tested to see if he has what it takes to become a High-class Devil, enact such a daring plan against the Rating Game's number one ranked Devil will go a long way toward garnering the respect of many Devils. Even if you lose in the end, it won't reflect poorly on you because Diehauser is considered the best."

"Well, I don't plan to lose, but I understand where you're coming from." Naruto crossed his arms. "Now we just need to figure out how to divide our forces."

Naruto gathered Lix, Irina, Angelus, and Saji over to him and Ravel so they could discuss the situation with them. They explained what was happening and what they planned. While Saji looked shocked by how daring their plan was, Lix was nodding in approval.

"I like it," Lix said. "Bold plans like this are dangerous, but you know what they say about danger and rewards, right?"

"Still... I'm a little worried," Angelus muttered. "What if one of you gets hurt? I can't heal someone if they are too far from me."

"Since most of us are devils, you can't actually heal us anyway," Ravel reminded the girl. "We're splitting up into two groups. You, Irina, Lix, and Saji will form one group. Le Fay, myself, and Naruto will form another group. Your group is going to harass the people Le Fay discovered. Don't engage them head on. They are a lot stronger than us. Instead, simply annoy them with some minor harassment to keep them distracted. Make them angry and chase after you. The angier they are, the harder it will be for them to think straight."

"While you guys are harassing the group coming in from the south, Ravel, Le Fay, and me are going to take out the group attacking from the north," Naruto continued where Ravel left off. "Once we finish taking care of them, we'll come back around and attack the group you're dealing with in a pincer of our own."

"So we're basically countering their pincer with our own pincer maneuver?" Irina said.

"Pretty much," Naruto said.

"That's a pretty bold move, but I've come to expect crazy stunts like this from you," Saji said with a sigh. "Well, either way, I think we can do this."

"Then let's split up here." Naruto looked at Irina. "I'm leaving you in charge of your group. Be careful."

"Right. You can count on me!" Irina said with a beaming smile.

~Devil Ninja~

After going their separate ways, Naruto and Ravel hooked back up with Le Fay and Fenrir. Naruto asked Le Fay to have Fenrir meet up with Irina's team and provide them with backup. Fenrir was a powerful wolf with the power to slay a god, which meant he'd be a big help in keeping those four out of trouble. On the other hand, Naruto didn't think he'd need a god slaying wolf on his side because he was already a badass in his own right.

It made sense to him.

They traveled through the forest under Le Fay's invisibility spell. This meant they could see each other, but no one else could see them.

The wind whistled around them as they flew past the trees, which all looked the same to Naruto. There weren't any identifying marks on these trees to let him know which way they were going or where they had come from. It made him feel like they were going in circles.

As they flew, Le Fay waved her wand, which caused tiny balls of light to spread from the tip. These were fairy spirits known as sprites. While they didn't look like much, sprites could travel great distances quickly and could communicate to the one who summoned them via telepathy, making them great for reconnaissance. The only problem was the amount of magic they consumed. That was why Le Fay hadn't summoned them until now.

"There are two Devils up ahead," Le Fay said to him and Ravel. "It looks like Anna Beleth and Elizabeth Stolas."

"So a Queen and a Bishop," Ravel murmured. "I expected more people in this ambush, but I guess Diehauser must believe he doesn't need to send a large group if he sends his Queen out. Actually, that is a pretty bold move. Most people will save the Queen for last as a trump card. That he is sending Anna out now means he believes you are a threat."

"Hmm... what do we know about these two?" asked Naruto.

"Anna Beleth is a member of the now extinct House Beleth. They were one of the 72 Pillars," Ravel informed him. "The power of House Beleth is called Love. That doesn't sound like a great power, but it actually causes men and women in her presence to become infatuated with either her or anyone else she wants. I once saw her use that power to make a High-class Devil fall in love with a tree during one of Diehauser's Rating Games."

"Do you think it will work on me?" asked Naruto.

"That's hard to say." Ravel bit her lip and thought about the question. "Because I don't know the exact mechanics behind her power, I don't know if having sufficient resistance or willpower will be able to negate her abilities."

"I guess we'll find out when we get there," Naruto muttered.

"What about Elizabeth Stolas?" asked Le Fay. "What is her power?"

"House Stolas was known for their knowledge of astronomy, herbs, and precious stones," Ravel said. "They use stones as catalysts for powerful magic and can use the alignment of the stars to affect the natural world. Their powers are tricky because it is nearly impossible to counter unless you have knowledge of astronomy yourself."

"In that case, I want you and Le Fay to go up against Elizabeth. Meanwhile, I will handle Anna," Naruto decided.

Neither Ravel or Le Fay argued with his decision, which made him feel warm inside because it meant they trusted his judgement.

They burst into a clearing and found Anna and Elizabeth waiting for them. The two women were able to track Naruto, Ravel, and Le Fay with their eyes, meaning the invisibility spell didn't work on them. Naruto saw stars glimmering in Elizabeth's eyes. She must have been divining their location using astronomy somehow. Since it looked like the spell was ineffective, Le Fay dropped the magic.

"You reacted quicker than we expected," Anna said. "I guess Master Diehauser was right to send me. You are quite bold."

Naruto shrugged. "Fortune favors the bold... or something like that."

"Indeed it does, but unfortunately for you, Master Diehauser is just as bold," Anna said with a smile.

"That remains to be seen."

Naruto didn't hesitate to start things off with a bang, summoning a horde of Shadow Clones and having them gang up on Anna. He wanted to see her power first hand.

She did not disappoint.

Anna tapped her foot against the ground as a magic circle suddenly appeared around her. The circle, a pink circle with the crest of House Belial, traveled up her body and encased her in a gentle pink glow.

There was something intensely erotic about her after the magic circle dissipated, though Naruto couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe it had something to do with her pouty lips, or perhaps it was those luxurious golden locks of hair, or you know, it could have been that ample chest of hers. Whatever the case was, the moment she became engulfed in that magic circle, the woman's entire countenance changed from that of a simple beauty to a succubus.

The clones stopped where they stood and ogled her.

And then they were destroyed.

Naruto narrowed his eyes when all one dozen clones were wiped out in an instant. Anyone else would have missed what happened and been confused, but he had spotted the magic circles that appeared underneath his clones a split second before the magic activated. What he couldn't figure out was what kind of magic it was. All he knew was that he'd heard the sound of a trumpet blowing a moment before his clones were destroyed.

"Music magic?" he wondered out loud.

"I'm surprised you recognize what kind of magic I'm using," Anna said.

"I see. So it is music magic." Naruto tilted his head. "I don't suppose you'll tell me how it works?"

"Sorry, but no." Anna wore a congenial smile as she shook her head. "I'm aware of how dangerous you are. If I tell you how my magic works, you'll no doubt figure out a way to counter it."

"Can't blame a guy for trying." Naruto shrugged.

Since it looked like he wouldn't be getting any information out of this woman, he raced forward, deciding to attack at close distance. He would probably end up caught in that Love magic of hers. However, he was confident he could do something against it. In fact, he already had a very basic idea on how to counter her unique power.

Naruto quickly brought to image all the girls in his harem. Rias with her brilliant crimson hair; Ravel and her tsundere personality; Koneko, whose small body in no way reflected her erotic disposition; Ophis and her ridiculous sexual appetite; the uptight Rossweisse who nevertheless tried hard to be a good girlfriend; and Irina, a religion obsessed angel who was at heart a great person worthy of his respect. Maybe he should include Le Fay in his harem too? Thinking about them filled Naruto with love, causing his heart to grow warm.

"W-why isn't my power working on you?!" Anna suddenly shouted when he closed the distance between them.

"Hmph. As if I'd tell you why your power doesn't work."

Since she didn't want to answer him, he had no intention of answering her.

Naruto lashed out with a punch that rent the air. Anna leapt back to dodge it, but Naruto infused wind into his attack, causing a powerful hammer-like force to flow from his hand and smack into her. The Devil stumbled back as she was struck in the face. Unfortunately—for him at least—she'd been able to raise a barrier in time to stop his attack from truly damaging her.

Anna waved her hand and created several magic circles, all of which were aimed at him. Naruto quickly replaced himself with a log just as a massive burst of music erupted from the magic circles. It sounded like a symphony of trumpets. The sound struck the log and caused it to explode.

Several more magic circles appeared around Naruto when he appeared in place of the log. He didn't have time to dodge this one. However, as the sound of trumpets rang out, Naruto created a vacuum of wind around himself. All the noise from Anna's magic was blocked off. He could see the wind around him rippling as if something was slamming into the vacuum he had created, but nothing else happened.

Anna tried to bombard his wind vacuum once more, but she seemed to eventually realize nothing she did was working and stopped. The magic circles surrounding Naruto disappeared.

In most cases, Naruto would have dropped his wind vacuum, but this time he felt cautious of Anna, who was a High-class Devil and a Queen. He quickly prepared the replacement technique. Counting to three, he dropped his wind vacuum and replaced himself with another log.

It was the right decision.

Almost from the moment he dropped the wind vacuum, Anna attacked him with a magic circle she'd prepared in advance. It appeared underneath his feet and launched a powerful sound attack at him. Naruto, however, had already replaced himself, so what she hit was not him but the log he'd used in his jutsu.

"I think I finally understand how your magic works," Naruto said behind Anna. The woman froze when she felt a hand on her back. "Your magic attacks using sound, which causes vibrations in the air. By manipulating soundwaves, you can create attacks that are difficult if not impossible to counter. That's very impressive. It's too bad I've actually fought against other people who use sound to attack before."

At that moment, just before the woman could open her mouth, Naruto created a Rasengan and slammed it into her back. Anna screamed as she was launched across the ground. She slammed into a tree, which shattered, then struck a boulder sticking out of the ground... which also shattered.

"Diehauser Belial's Queen has been retired."

Naruto grinned at his victory before turning his attention to Ravel and Le Fay's battle.

It looked like their fight had been much harder than his. While Ravel appeared fine thanks to her regeneration, Le Fay's clothing was torn and blood leaked down her arms and legs. Meanwhile, their opponent didn't seem to have a single scratch on her.

Elizabeth was, at the moment, in the process of dodging several magic attacks being launched at her by the two. Fire tornadoes were avoided, lightning bolts were negated when the woman threw several crystals that created what appeared to be star constellations. Even as the battle continued, Elizabeth tossed several silver gems.

"Scutum!"

The eight gems formed a diamond-like pattern that vaguely resembled a shield. Each gem lit up and lines of light shot from them to connect all of the gems together. When the gems became connected, the lines solidified and spread across the gap in the gems center, becoming a shield that took the combination attack Ravel and Le Fay launched. The giant fire tornado slammed into the shield and broke.

While the shield blocked the first attack, Ravel created another magic circle behind Elizabeth, which launched a sharp spear at the woman's back.

Elizabeth must have had eyes in the back of her head. She tossed several gems behind her and created another shield. This one was smaller and only used four gems instead of eight, but the attack Ravel unleashed was smaller as well. The attack was blocked.

"You cannot win against me," Elizabeth announced. "Both of you are very strong, but as long as I can predict your next move, defeating me is impossible."

"She's using the constellations to predict our attacks," Le Fay announced.

"Then we'll just have to become unpredictable," Ravel said.

Several dozen magic circles appeared around Ravel and launched a number of powerful fire attacks at Elizabeth, who merely scoffed and prepared her catalysts. However, just as she threw her gems, Ravel created several more magic circles, which changed the course of her attacks. Rather than strike at Elizabeth, they struck the ground.

Elizabeth seemed to have predicted that. The explosion was blocked by her gems, which had created the constellation Scutum once more.

Ravel closed the distance and attacked with her hands and feet, which had caught fire. Despite the sudden change in battle pace, Elizabeth calmly anticipated her opponents moves, moving back and relying once more on her catalysts to block Ravel's attacks. It became clear that the other Bishop did not have any talent at fighting hand to hand.

While she attacked, Ravel created more magic circles. The fire and wind attacks launched from the circles in time with her own hand to hand combat.

Despite how Elizabeth seemed able to predict her opponent's attacks, it also became clear from how she was unable to keep up with both Ravel's hand to hand combat and magic attacks that there was a limit to her abilities. It was taking everything the woman had to keep herself safe. She couldn't attack anymore.

During the time Ravel was keeping her distracted and fully focused on defending herself, Le Fay snuck in a single magic attack. It looked like a simple lightning arrow at first. This proved incorrect when it Elizabeth tried to unsuccessfully block it and was struck. Lightning exploded from her body and smoke poured off her skin. The lightning then became a series of chains that kept her bound and continued shocking her. Elizabeth soon fell to the ground, her body shaking as though her muscles were undergoing seizures. Once that happened, Ravel slammed a powerful fireball into the woman's chest.

Elizabeth disappeared within a scream.

"Diehauser Belial's Bishop has been retired," the announcer said.

"Great job, you two," Naruto complimented the pair on their performance.

"Thank you," Ravel said, her breathing a bit heavy.

"Now that we defeated these two, we need to launch a pincer attack with the others," Le Fay said.

Just before they could move on, however, two more announcements echoed across the forest.

"Naruto Uzumaki's Pawn has been retired."

"Naruto Uzumaki's Rook has been retired."

~Devil Ninja~

While Naruto, Le Fay, and Ravel were taking care of the attackers coming from behind, Irina led the ambush of the ones coming in from the front.

She stood on a branch several feet from the Devils in Diehauser's peerage. Energy filled her body as she channeled her angelic aura and created several haloes, which she liberally tossed at the group of Devils. Each halo was filled with enough energy that a Low-class Devil would be annihilated by them. However, it would only be an annoyance to these Devils.

The Devils she attacked didn't so much as flinch.

A magic shield sprang up around them; the one who had created the shield, Lilith, lowered her hand and turned her gaze toward Irina's direction. The moment their eyes made contact, Irina flinched. So this was the gaze of a High-class Devil directing their killing intent at you? It was terrifying! Irina felt an incredible pressure inside of her, like something was threatening to crush her flat, simply from this woman's gaze alone.

"It seems our plan to ambush Naruto Uzumaki's team has failed," she said.

"Heh." Lisander also looked at Irina. "So they decided to bring the fight to us? That suits me just fine." He turned just his head to look at Lilith. "You don't mind if I take care of this, do you?"

"Go ahead," Lilith sighed.

Lisander grinned as he bent his knees and adopted a stance that made him look like a predator about to pounce. The look in his eyes sent a jolt down Irina's spine.

Perhaps it was instinct that warned her of the danger, but Irina bolted from the tree she'd been standing on, flying back with a great flap of her wings. She was just in the nick of time. Lisander blasted through the tree. Shattered bark sprayed through the air, some of it hitting her, as Lisander landed back on the ground and bent his knees again.

It looked like their plan to harass Diehauser's peerage had failed. Knowing better than to remain there, Irina took off. She flew through the forest as fast as her legs could carry her, dodging left, right, over, and under as trees and branches appeared in her path.

Lisander followed her.

"Don't think you can run from me!"

Irina didn't listen to Lisander's taunts. She flew faster.

It didn't take long for her to reach a small clearing, Lisander following right behind her. As she moved, she looked left and right, at Lix and Saji, who were hidden within the shrubs. She nodded once as she flew past them, then turned around and landed on the ground as Lisander emerged from the trees.

"Tired of running?" Lisander asked. "That's no fun. You should scurry around some more."

"Sorry. I'm all scurried out," Irina said.

"Che! Whatever."

Lisander got ready to charge her again, bending his knees and preparing for blast off, but before he could even consider taking action, a rope-like object extended from the trees and latched onto his arm. In that moment, Lisander's demonic power was sucked out of him.

"Looks like your plan worked," Saji said as he stepped out of the treeline. The rope-like thing was extended from the dragon gauntlet on his hand, which looked a lot like a mouth, making the object seem like a tongue.

"So your plan was to lure me out and attack me in full force, was it?" Lisander asked with a snicker. "That's not bad as far as plans go, but I'm afraid I should tell you that it's never going to work." Demonic power suddenly erupted from Lisander's body, so much it felt like Irina was drowning, suffocating. The Absorption Line wrapped around Lisander was also ripped off. "Had you not been up against someone like me, I'm sure this plan would have gone off without a hitch, but you're up against a member of House Belial. Cheap tricks like this have no effect on me."

"Then why don't you try this on for size?!"

A shout suddenly echoed from the other side of the clearing seconds before a massive spear of light shot forward. It was an incredible attack. The light spear crackled as it flew at Lisander, whose eyes went wide as he raised his hands and created a shield. Light spear met shield in a clash of power. Sparks flew. Several arcs like lightning shot out and gouged chunks out of the ground. All the while, Lisander gritted as teeth as he kept the shield up, raised his right hand, and slammed it into the spear.

The spear shattered.

While Irina was surprised, she knew better than to stand around. She raced forward, creating two swords of light with her angelic power and attacking Lisander. Her hope was to attack while he was weak.

That hope was sadly dashed before it even began.

Lix's attack must not have done the damage she had hoped, for Lisander proved more than capable of dodging and blocking her strikes with nothing but his hands. It was like he was immune to her light magic.

Of course, that wasn't really the case. He was just encasing his hands in protective magic circles to fend off her holy magic. Regardless of how he was doing this, it did not change the fact that her attacks weren't getting through.

Saji chose to attack at that moment, launching the Absorption Line at Lisander and catching him around the arm. Black flames quickly spread across the Absorption Line and caused Lisander's body to catch fire.

"It burns! Ah!!! It burns!"

As Lisander screamed in surprise and pain, Irina moved in and prepared to slice at Lisander before he could recover. She wanted to defeat him before the other three Pawns arrived. However, just as she was about to slice into him with her light swords, a smile appeared on his face.

"Just kidding."

More power erupted from Lisander's body like an explosion. Irina screamed as she was caught by the eruption of energy and sent flying backward. She struck the ground hard and rolled across it. The world tumbled around her. When it finally stopped, she looked up from where she lay prone and saw that Saji had also been blasted backward. That said, the Absorption Line was still attached to Lisander. It looked like Saji was being stubborn about not letting go.

"Irina!" Angelus shouted as she raced into the clearing at the same time as Lix. While Lix ran over to Saji to help fend off Lisander, she came over to Irina and knelt down. A magic circle appeared before her hands. She placed them on Irina's side. The healing magic almost immediately went to work, fixing up her wounds.

"Thanks," Irina said as she sighed in relief.

"That Lisander is a lot more powerful than I thought," Angelus muttered.

"Yeah... I didn't expect him to be strong enough to take all of our attacks." Irina grimaced. "I guess that's a High-class Devil for you."

Even as they were speaking, Saji and Lix were attacking Lisander together, but their attacks didn't seem to be having any effect on the member of House Belial. Light spears were negated. The Absorption Line was shattered. Nothing they did worked.

"You don't really believe this paltry amount of power will be enough to defeat me, do you?!" Lisander asked. "I might not be as good as my brother, but I can still render all of your attacks Worthless!"

Even as he spoke, Lisander's right hand glowed with a purplish-black color as he punched a light spear, which completely shattered upon contact. Irina's eyes widened when she realized what he was doing.

"Of course! He's using the special ability of House Belial!"

Worthless was the ability to nullify both offensive and defensive abilities. There was probably a limit to how much and what he could nullify, but so long as he understood how their powers worked, he could nullify all of them.

"If this doesn't work, then maybe I should go all out," Saji suggested.

Black flames erupted from Saji's body, though they weren't in the least bit hot. If anything, Irina felt a cold chill from those flames. The fire expanded into the sky before taking on the shape of a dragon with a long, snake-like body. That was his Vitra Promotion, which allowed him to use all four abilities of his Sacred Gear at the same time.

"Let's do this!" Saji roared as he charged at Lisander.

"Shado Purizun!"

The dark aura surrounding Vitra writhed before transforming into numerous tentacles that latched onto Lisander, who tried and failed to break the restraints. His demonic power surged. However, even his Worthless ability seemed useless at that moment.

"Don't bother. I've used Derito Firudo to take away your ability to use Worthless. Now it is like you are just a regular Devil."

"D-damn it! What the hell kind of power is this?!" Lisander shouted as he struggled.

"Now! Let me absorb your power!"

"What?! No!"

Dozens of tentacles wrapped around Lisander. They glowed a bright but dark purple that seemed ominous and vile.

Lix moved back as Saji began absorbing Lisander's demonic power, though she didn't go too far away in case he needed help. She created a light spear in her hand and readied it. Irina, now healed thanks to Angelus, stood up and watched the proceedings from a distance away.

None of them noticed the danger until it was too late.

Saji's body suddenly stiffened and the glow from the Absorption Lines attached to Lisander's body stopped working. Irina didn't know what was happening. However, before she could even think about what might be wrong, a massive creature that resembled a minotaur stampeded out from the forest and slammed into Saji, impaling his massive dragon body with both of its horns.

Irina didn't think an attack like this would do anything in normal circumstances, but it became clear to her that this creature was special. Brilliant lights erupted from the Minotaur's horns. Cracks began appearing on the black dragon's body. It was like the Minotaur was injecting all of its power into Saji, causing the dragon body he had created to expand like a balloon. Before much time had passed, said balloon swelled to an incredible size before exploding.

"Naruto Uzumaki's Pawn has been retired."

The words rang across the clearing, shocking Irina. Yet time did not stand still even though she was shocked.

A dark sword suddenly flew into the clearing, spinning around as it came at Lix, who was smart enough to dodge. She leapt aside as the sword flew past her. What she didn't see was how the sword curved around and came at her from behind.

"Lix! Duck!" Irina shouted.

It was probably a testament to Lix's ability and trust in Irina that the woman dropped onto the ground. The spinning sword flew past overhead and headed back toward the treeline. A figure emerged from the trees before it could disappear, catching the sword in her hand as she ran into the clearing. It was Rapunzel Zepar. The woman flew into the clearing like a bird of prey and attacked Lix before the woman could recover. Whipping her hair around, Rapunzel made it grow to an incredible length as it struck Lix in the face and sent her reeling. Then Rapunzel took the sword she had thrown and raised it.

"No!"

Irina threw several haloes at Rapunzel, but the Minotaur suddenly appeared before Rapunzel and blocked them with its sturdy body. This gave the woman enough time to impale Lix through the chest. The Fallen Angel gasped as blood leaked from the corner of her mouth. Then she transformed into particles of light and disappeared.

"Naruto Uzumaki's Rook has been retired."

Once Lix was retired, the Minotaur shrank and grew less monstrous before eventually changing into a person. Lilith Marax. Now that both Saji and Lix were retired, she, Lisander, and Rapunzel all turned to Irina and Angelus.

This was not good.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto had rushed on ahead of Ravel and Le Fay, pushing his body to the limit—and breaking much of the surroundings.

His feet slammed against a branch. Chakra exploded from it, resulting in Naruto being propelled forward far faster than most would have believed was possible. It also destroyed the branch. Sawdust and splinters rained to the ground and formed a small pile.

The wind rushed all around him; he could feel it everywhere, surrounding his body and the rest of this forest. He was using the wind to guide him. It acted as his sonar, allowing him to "see" Irina and Angelus as they tried to flee from Diehauser's Pawns. He was getting closer. Closer. Almost there...

"AAAHH!!!"

Naruto burst out of the clearing just as a loud scream tore through the air. Irina and Angelus had been hit by some kind of attack and were soaring through the sky, their bodies tumbling in an out of control spin.

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto channeled chakra to his feet and activated the Shunshin no Jutsu, which caused him to instantly appear in the flight path of Irina and Angelus. He caught them both in his arms. The impact of their bodies sent him flying back, but he was fortunately strong enough not to get hurt. Landing on the ground, he skidded across the surface, digging a slight trench in the ground before coming to a stop.

"Are you two okay?" he asked.

Angelus and Irina didn't seem to be injured. They'd likely dodged whatever attack had been launched at them and were sent airborn by the resulting force. Even so, the pair had clenched their eyes shut out of fear, and only now, upon hearing his voice, did they open them.

"Naruto... san?" Angelus muttered in shock.

"Naruto?" Irina also questioned his existence.

"You two okay?" he asked again.

"Oh. Yes, I think so." Irina patted herself down to make sure nothing was broken or out of place—then realized that he was holding her in his arms and turned bright red. Her face was so hot he could feel it without touching her. "Er, um, would you mind letting me down now?"

Given that they were in a combat situation, setting her down was logical, so he complied. Irina took a few steps away from him and placed a hand on her chest to calm herself down. Angelus didn't seem to be flustered like her fellow angel was.

At that moment, Naruto turned toward the Pawns who wandered out of the treeline. If he was not mistaken, they were Lisander, Rapunzel, and Lilith.

Where was Diehauser's Rook?

"You two stay here and rest. Leave this to me," Naruto said.

He didn't give them, or their enemies, time respond before launching himself at the nearest opponent—Lisander. The Devil recognized himself as the target and created a shield. Naruto crossed his fingers in a hand seal.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Several clones appeared. Two made Oodoma Rasengans and slammed them into the shield Lisander had created, causing not only an impressive detonation that sent Lilith and Rapunzel stumbling from the force, but also created cracks in the shield, which eventually shattered under the pressure.

"What the—"

Lisander's eyes went wide, then became wider still when the real Naruto suddenly appeared in front of him. He threw a punch out of instincts. Shock permeated his face when his fist went through Naruto's body like he wasn't there, showing him to be an after image. Naruto, who had ducked, was now given the perfect shot.

And he took it.

"Rasengan!"

Naruto didn't need any fancy moves for this. He slammed his Rasengan into Lisander's chest, and the intense drilling effects of his jutsu ground away at the man's body. A loud scream of anguish escaped the man's throat before he was blasted off his feet and sent spiraling away. He crashed into one tree, then two, before disappearing. An announcement came over the message system seconds later.

"Diehauser Belial's Pawn has been retired."

"He defeated Lisander so quickly!" Lilith muttered in shock.

"So this... is Naruto's power," said an equally flabbergasted Rapunzel.

Naruto turned to the two girls, who tensed up, but then Ravel and Le Fay burst into the clearing. Before he could attack the pair of Pawns, his girls fired off their magic at the two—a massive tornado made of fire and wind—forcing Rapunzel and Lilith to dodge. The heat was so intense the ground combusted and even Naruto broke out in a sweat. The two girls were very lucky to have dodged or they'd have been roasted.

"Naruto!" Le Fay suddenly shouted. "Fenrir is currently engaged in combat with Daina and two more members of Diehauser's peerage! I don't know who, but he's having trouble!"

"Got it. I'll leave things here to you!" Naruto turned to Irina and Angelus. "Can you two take out the last Pawn?"

"Leave this to us," Irina said as she readied another light sword.

"I will provide Irina-san with support," Angelus added.

"Then I'm heading off."

"Kurama?"

"I'm ready."

Naruto activated Rikudou Modo and Kurama's Ten-Tailed Chakra Shroud. As the Truth-balls appeared, he manipulated one to create a platform that he stepped on. The Platform shot forward even faster than he could move normally. It traveled in the direction where he sensed several people. Judging from the fluctuations he felt and the sounds of explosions, he guessed Fenrir was currently taking on the task of stalling the enemy forces.

"Time to get this party started."

Naruto pounded his fists together seconds before he stumbled upon the battlefield, where he found Fenrir fighting against a Rook, a Knight, and a Bishop. It looked like Elizabeth, Axel, and Daina were the ones Diehauser had sent. They were currently engaged in combat against Fenrir, who was able to hold his own well enough but couldn't attack because the three weren't giving him a chance to do so. Whenever one of them was in danger of being bitten by Fenrir's teeth or stabbed by a claw, the other two provided support. It was impressive teamwork.

That said, Naruto had no time to admire it.

Naruto canceled the transformation. It wasn't needed for this.

Bending his knees, he channeled wind chakra into his feet and threw himself at the group. The ground cracked beneath him as he flew forward and attacked the person furthest from Fenrir—Elizabeth.

The woman was standing about two or three meters from Fenrir, who was locked in combat against Axel and Daina. She wove magic spells that attacked the wolf in subtle yet annoying ways. She'd create owls and ravens that pecked at Fenrir's eyes. This distracted the giant wolf and allowed Axel and Daina to attack with swords and brute strength.

Just as she got ready to launch another spell, Elizabeth finally spotted him coming toward her.

"What the—"

Her eyes widened as she turned around and tried to prepare a spell for him, but Naruto was not about to let that happen.

"Futon: Repusho!"

Naruto created a fierce gale that slammed into Elizabeth and made her stumble. It wasn't much, but the spell she had been about to use was disrupted. With no spell forthcoming, Naruto closed the distance between them.

"Rasengan!"

And hit her with a Rasengan.

Bishops were characterized by their strong magic. While some of them had a good defense, or could create a magical defense, they needed time to prepare it. Naruto had struck Elizabeth before she could prepare anything of the sort. His attack drilled into her stomach and sent her flying. He thought he heard her scream, but it was impossible to hear over the sounds of combat between Fenrir, Axel, and Daina.

"Diehauser Belial's Bishop has been retired."

With Elizabeth out of the game, Naruto turned his attention toward the battle with Fenrir. Now that their Bishop was gone, Axel and Daina were having a more difficult time fighting the wolf, who no longer had to worry about any sneak attacks from Elizabeth's magic.

Fenrir released a howl that caused the two to freeze for a moment. They recovered quickly and moved away when Fenrir slammed his paw into the ground, but the resulting hurricane force from the attack blew them further than they intended to go.

"Duehauser Belial's Pawn has been retired."

Another announcement came over the speakers. Naruto smiled as he realized one of the two groups he left behind must have taken care of another Pawn. He wondered which team had done it, but it didn't matter.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Several clones appeared, though they vanished mere moments later, disappearing like the wind.

Since Axel was the closest person to him, Naruto charged forward, pulled a kunai from his pouch, and engaged in melee combat against the Knight. Sparks flew as the two clashed. Naruto held his kunai in a reverse grip as he redirected several swift blows. Despite being a Knight, this man had quite a good deal of power to him. Each blow felt like a hammer slamming against his bones, but Naruto wasn't some fifty pound weakling. He met each attack head on and subtly redirected the other man's blade away from him.

A diagonal overhead slash glanced off Naruto's kunai as he accepted the attack and twisted his wrist. The sword glanced off. This didn't stop Axel, who used the weight of his sword to increase the speed of his next swing, spinning a full 360 degrees and attacking again. Naruto leapt over the blade this time.

"You are quite talented," Axel said. "I now see why we were asked to be your opponents for this Rating Game."

"Thanks, I guess," Naruto said. "But you should pay more attention and not hand out compliments while in battle."

At those words, Naruto leapt back as several Naruto clones burst out of the ground. They were the same clones he had created earlier. All of them had dug their way underground in preparation for this surprise attack. Each one had a Rasengan ready.

Axel observed the attacking clones and smiled. "This is an impressive ambush. However, it won't be enough to beat me. Allow me to show you the true power of a Knight."

Axel readied his sword before disappearing, or that was how it seemed to Naruto.

Reappearing behind a clone, Axel attacked with a swift thrust that went straight through the clone's throat. As the clone disappeared, so too did the Knight, who once again appeared next to a clone and dispatched it with incredible swiftness.

As Axel began demolishing his clones, Naruto thought up a plan of attack. He didn't want to use his Truth Seeking Orbs. They were too powerful. While everyone was aware of the risks, Naruto didn't want to run the risk of this man dying during a simple Rating Game. That meant...

"Stealth attack it is," he murmured before disappearing into the ground.

At that exact moment, Axel finally finished dispatching the last of Naruto's clones—only to realize his actual opponent was no longer around. He looked left, then right, then behind, and then above. Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did he go?" Axel pondered out loud.

"Diehauser Belial's Pawn has been retired."

He sighed. "Looks like the three Pawns Daina directed to test our enemies' strength have been defeated. Even our Queen has been beaten. This Naruto really isn't a simple—eh?"

Axel's eyes went wide when something suddenly wrapped around his body, pinning his arms to his side. He looked down. A glint appeared around him. This was... some type of steel wire. It went around his arms and body, though not his legs, and kept him from being able to swing his sword.

"Do you really think this can contain me? I might be a Knight, but steel wire isn't strong enough to bind me."

After saying this, Axel flexed his muscles and strained, snapping the wires as easily as if they were made of paper. While he was doing that, Naruto suddenly appeared behind him. Axel hadn't noticed yet, but he would soon. Very soon.

"Konohagakure Hiden Taijutsu Ogi: Sennen Goroshi (Konohagakure Secret Technique: One Thousand Years of Death)!"

"What the—aaaAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

Axel had no chance to retaliate as Naruto slapped an exploding note on the man's ass and launched him into the air with a glorified finger poke. The chakra flowing through his body, raging like a torrent, ensured that his attack was powerful. Axel was launched clean into the skies. As the man was soaring through the air like a bird, Naruto created a seal with his hands.

"Katsu!"

Chakra flowed through his body and activated the exploding note on Axel's butt. The detonation swept across the sky, spewing fire and hot air in all directions.

"Diehauser Belial's Knight has been retired."

"Diehauser Belial's Rook has been retired."

As the two announcements were made, Naruto looked at where Fenrir was to see that only the wolf remained. Fenrir, perhaps sensing his gaze, looked at him and tilted his head.

Naruto made a quick note of everyone they had beaten. So far they had defeated a Queen, two Bishops, a Knight, a Rook, and three Pawns, which meant there was one Knight, one Rook, five Pawns, and one King left. In return, Naruto had Irina, Angelus, Ravel, Le Fay, and Fenrir still in the game.

However, even as he thought this, several more announcements were made that casued his blood to chill.

"Naruto Uzumaki's Bishop has been retired."

"Naruto Uzumaki's Knight has been retired."

"Naruto Uzumaki's Bishop has been retired."

"Naruto Uzumaki's Rook has been retired."

All four of his pieces had been retired.

Well, shit.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto and Fenrir returned to the clearing where Ravel, Le Fay, Irina, and Angelus had been fighting. The remaining members of Diehauser's peerage were all present. Diehauser Belial himself was also there. It was no wonder his team hadn't won. They had been completely overwhelmed with sheer numbers, and it didn't help that each member of Diehauser's peerage was a High-class Devil.

"You did an excellent job taking out all of our advanced troops," Diehauser said as Naruto appeared before him. "However, in a Rating Game where you have less pieces, it is better to battle defensively instead of offensively. Had you decided to find a defensible position and kept there, you would have lasted much longer."

Naruto shrugged at Diehauser's advice. "I'm not really the type to just wait around for the enemy to attack, but I see your point. My team was retired because I didn't think about what would happen if you just decided to overwhelm my group with numbers."

"I would have played it more cautiously had you been with them," Diehauser admitted. "I wanted to split you up from your team so I could take them out more easily."

Naruto placed a hand on his forehead and rubbed it as though trying to rub out a headache. He glanced at Fenrir, who glanced back at him, but the wolf didn't offer any insight. A sigh escaped his lips as he turned back to Diehauser.

"I see. I might be the King, but I'm also the strongest person in my peerage. You knew your peerage wouldn't stand a chance if I was present, so you decided to send in smaller forces in the hopes that I would attack on my own."

"It was a gamble." Diehauser admitted. "But I figured you'd want to take out these forces before they became a threat. The best way to do that is to attack the strongest members on your own and have your other pieces attack the remaining members."

"Well, you got me there," Naruto sighed and scratched his head. "So what now?"

"Now? Nothing. The time limit is nearly up. Even if you and I fought, neither of us would win before the time limit ran out."

As if his words were prophetic, the announcer for this Rating Game began speaking.

"It looks like the one hour time limit is up! The battle is over... and the winner is... wait. What's this?! It's a tie! There is no winner! The battle between Diehauser Belial and Naruto Uzumaki has ended in a tie!"

Because Naruto had defeated eight of Diehauser's pieces (which was half of his entire peerage) while Diehauser defeated six of his pieces (which was almost his entire peerage), it was concluded that the match would end in a draw.

Both peerages were transported out of the Rating Game dimension and back to the real world, where they were met with a round of cheers and applause.

Diehauser accepted the applause with a calm smile. He raised his hand and waved at the crowd, who went crazy and grew louder. On the other hand, Naruto was lost in thought.

He hadn't lost this match, but at the same time, he hadn't won either. A tie. It had been a long time since Naruto could say he hadn't defeated his opponent, but he realized now that the Rating Game was not the same as real combat. In real combat, Naruto would have used everything at his disposal to win. That wasn't the case here. There were some moves he simply couldn't use because they were too dangerous. Strategy became much more important thanks to that.

As the crowd's cheering continued, Diehauser Belial came up to Naruto and offered his hand.

"It was a good match," he said. "I look forward to seeing you play in the Rating Games in the future."

"Yeah." Naruto reached out and firmly gripped Diehauser's hand. "You too. I look forward to facing you again."