Chapter Five
I'll Protect You
"Hey, Naruto!"
The blonde turned to find Charlie walking up to him and Gaara with a bright smile on her lips. She looked brilliant with all the yellow, now that Naruto thought about it. She looked absolutely radiant.
"What do you need, Naishinnō Denka?" Naruto smiled back at the girl, ignoring the new feelings becoming known to him.
"Not another beautiful title," Charlie whined but had a smile on her face. "Have you seen Seviathan? I've been looking for him for a while now."
Naruto's smile faltered just slightly but the older blonde had turned to look elsewhere so she didn't get to see it happen. He was able to fix it by the time she turned back to look at him and he shook his head. "No, I have not seen him. Maybe he's talking to other guests. I wouldn't pay it too much attention, Charlie-hime, and just enjoy your day."
"Okay, thank you, Naruto."
"Anything for you," Naruto watched as she left and talked to more guests.
Damn that bastard for ruining something perfect with such a kind and beautiful girl. She deserves better, and at the end of the night he will have to make sure at least her parents know. She and they deserve to know what kind of person Seviathan was, and he will make sure to do it with Frederick and Bethesda around as well.
"Do you think he will do something?"
Naruto looked at his friend when he asked the question and shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows at this point. He will probably try garnering favor to discredit us but the video will speak for itself. You had clear shots of him and Pyxis right?"
"Yeah, the phone has a low-light feature so even with the dark room it caught them and their faces clearly." Gaara felt his phone buzzing and he pulled it out to look at the message. "I've got to go, Naruto. I've been away from Octavia-san for too long and her parents want me back."
"I understand, go on," Naruto gave his best friend a hug before shooing him away. "Go on, you have a job to do."
Gaara nodded his head and walked away to the family he works for now, and Naruto just watched with a small smile on his face. When he was sure his friend was gone, he frowned deeply as his red eyes dimmed and he ran a hand through his blonde hair. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before looking around. He should find Helsa again, he's been away from her for a while.
He sighed and began walking around the outside of the ballroom, looking out for any sight of his date. It wouldn't be hard to find her or her parents, at least someone would know where she was, and most of the demons in attendance were either Goetia or among the esteemed Sins and their most loyal subjects.
"Lookin' for your date, foxy?"
Naruto stopped his slow walk and blinked when he heard someone speaking. He wasn't sure if they were talking to him, and looking around he found no one paying attention to him. He tilted his head, his ears flicking as they tried listening for the voice again, but he couldn't hear the voice anymore.
"Neat trick." The voice said again, this time much closer to him, and he shivered when he realized it was right behind him. "I've grown out of that myself once I learned tasting someone's vibes was much easier, you know what I mean?"
Naruto slowly turned around and quickly took in the appearance of the one in front of him. She is as tall as him, her antennae making her taller by default but that didn't exactly count in his book. She has golden fur with a fluid black along her feet to her thigh, and along her four hands to her bicep. Her hair and single tail is a lava lamp consistency of rainbow colors, appearing along her stomach and back as well. She wore a provocative and casual outfit, which made her stick out among the nicely dressed demons around them.
Her red eyes stared him down in amusement and interest, licking her teeth in what he assumed was meant to be seductively. But he did hear her say she can taste someone's 'vibes', which he assumes is similar to how he can taste and see someone's emotions. He did tilt his head as, now that he focuses on it, he can see scarlet, yellow, and white surrounding her.
"Hi," Naruto finally decided to speak when he realized he was just staring at her. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, I was invited as Helsa von Eldritch's plus one."
"Ah, so you are the little restaurant owner in the Pride Ring," the bug-fox hybrid smirked and crossed her top arms while the bottom pair held her waist. "You tamed the von Eldritch girl?"
"I wouldn't say tamed, more like… reeducated," Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "She's a good girl, just a little misguided and misunderstood."
"She spurned and abused every prospective Sinner and hellborn throughout the Seven Rings," she laughed at his statement but it was not condescending but more pure amusement and even relief? "Somehow, you are the one to make her change into someone entirely different and you are no one high ranking among sinners or hellborn."
"I like a quiet life, and I do my fair share of exciting adventures," Naruto smiled at the woman while shrugging. "I don't really like the spotlight when I can avoid it, you know? I don't need my name in every newspaper or channel to know that I am different from everyone else."
"I like the vibes," the woman smiled and this time she stepped forward closer to him. "I'll come visit your restaurant. It better be as good as I hear, alright?"
"I'm sure it will be better," Naruto smirked back and she met it full force. "If I meet your expectations, you share with me your name. That will be my reward."
"You sure that's all you'd want as a reward?"
Naruto did not move even as she moved closer, her furry chest brushing against his shirt, and instead he brought a single claw to her chin. "I'll let you know if I desire anything else, but I'm more looking forward to your name."
"Hmm," the woman hummed before backing off. "Okay, Naruto. If you are as good as you seem I will give you my name, and a reward of my own choice. But if not, I will kill you for wasting my time. Agreed?"
"I have nothing to fear," Naruto tilted his head in farewell. "Until next time."
Naruto watched her leave, keeping a friendly smile on his face, before turning around. She's dangerous. He had felt the power simmering underneath, the way her very presence screamed "fallen". Only a few in Hell can emit such an aura, and that is the first generation of Goetia who had fallen with the various Sins, and the Sins themselves. She was no Goetia, he knew that much just by looking at her, but he could never hope to have the attention of one. That was just ridiculous.
Or was it? He was confident in saying just about everyone in Pride has heard of his restaurant at this point. To know he was the owner as well wasn't hard enough as he openly promoted and worked in the place and the regulars that ate there knew him by name at this point. But she also knew a lot about the von Eldritch family, and the rulers of Hell since she was invited to attend, whereas he was just a plus one.
"Penny for your thoughts, young one?"
Naruto looked to his side to see the queen, Lilith, walking at his pace with a light smile on her lips. He couldn't read an aura, which isn't a common occurrence. The only possible way that this happens is either the person has no emotions, they feel and suppress any emotions, or it is beyond his comprehension. The only time the last of the three happens is around those who are beyond his current understanding and power.
But he was able to see her emotions before.
"Ah, just thinking about some new people I've met, Kōgō Heika," Naruto bowed his head earnestly.
Lilith softly chuckled into her hand. "No need to be so formal, Naruto-san. I am simply making small talk."
"I only mean the utmost respect," Naruto smiled respectfully at the woman. "How is the party so far for Charlie-hime?"
"She is enjoying herself, but she is worried about where Seviathan is." Lilith sighed softly but there was a sense of doting amusement in the way she spoke.
Naruto cringed softly, involuntarily as he did not want to show his emotions, and knew from the flick of her eyes that she had seen him. "She had come and asked me but I told her to just enjoy her night. It's her birthday, after all."
"Hm," Lilith's mouth twitched downward and she slowed to a stop.
Naruto did so too, turning to face the woman while tilting his head in wonder.
"You mean to say something else, Naruto," Lilith said softly but she did not come off pushy or demanding.
Naruto's eye twitched, taking a deep breath as he knew that the woman knew he had more to say on the matter. He could not rightfully deny her questioning, not only would it be disrespectful but could very well earn him a spot against the rulers of his afterlife. So, with a heavy heart, he prepared to tell the mother of the girl that is going to have her heart broken by the end of the night.
"I would hate to be the bearer of bad news for your daughter and your family, and I know that my word is not very trustworthy, but sadly I learned that Seviathan is being unfaithful to the Princess. I, and my friend, had come upon a secluded part of your home while talking and catching up and it was there that we heard Seviathan and another having… sexual relations."
Lilith's mouth seemed to twitch to a frown and her eyes cut through him in a way similar to when Hiruzen got upset with him. "That is hard to believe with how happy the two of them are. Do you have proof?"
"I have my word, and a video taken by my friend when we confronted them." Naruto bowed his head. "I do not want to make it known during the princess' special day but I don't want her continuing with a lie. She deserves more than that… cheating scumbag."
"You do understand how this will affect the relationship not just between my daughter and the youngest of our family friends, but between my love and I with Fredrick and Bethesda." Lilith scrutinized the boy before her. "Do you take responsibility if you are wrong, and if the video proves you to be mistaken?"
"I am certain the lord and lady von Eldritch do not know of their son's schemes as, from what I have learned from Helsa, they value your friendship tremendously," Naruto winced as he did not want things to sour between the two pairs of parents.
"My dear," Lucifer came forward with urgency. "Our little girl has just run to her room. Seviathan has dumped her with no explanation, and they were yelling before he broke things off."
Naruto's eyes widened and he clenched his hands tightly. "That fucking cuck."
Lilith sighed as her husband looked at the blonde in surprise before placing a delicate hand on his cheek. "My love, I think I know the reason."
Naruto was about to try to say something before the queen could share the news when he felt a shiver run up his spine. He noticed a new feeling enveloping him and those around him, completely locking his minor hellish powers. The feeling was familiar, however, and it reminded him of the perverted Sage's containment seals that could bind his muscles so he couldn't move.
Crash!
He flinched as the door from the main entrance crashed open and various sinners and hellborn flooded through the door. He caught the sight of over twenty of them, all holding firearms and bladed weapons, all with the familiar shine of heavenly metal. That required them to have bought from Carmilla Carmine, the largest trader in repurposed and reforged heavenly weapons. But to obtain this much required a lot of money and a lot of backing.
"Alrigh'!" A man waltzed in through the shattered door. "Hello, lords and ladies! Let's take it easy!"
The man is a hellhound, a common breed of hellborn that were above imps in terms of hierarchy, but this one was different. His fur is black around his eyes, down the back of his neck, and from his waist to his feet. His stomach to the front of his neck and lower snout was all white with a few patches of scars. His one left eye is a vibrant pink while the other is shut closed from a scar running down his eyebrow and lip.
He wore a black denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off, with an unfamiliar patch on the right breast. His jeans are ruined with holes and slices, probably from past fights if the scars were anything to assume from. On his hip is the large revolver made of a similar metal as his compatriots' weapons, but this one looked custom built.
But the most dangerous thing, in Naruto's eyes, is the necklace around the hellhound's neck. It thrummed with power; not hellish magic that most people used, but more similar to chakra.
I can still use my chakra.
"As most of you could probably tell already, you have no access to your powers. That means no transformations and no wicked magic!" The hellhound's grin is cocky and teasing.
Naruto flexed his hand and created a clone with as little chakra as he could muster. It was subtle, not leaving a noticeable cloud or any audible sound, and it henged quickly into a Goetia demon before walking away from him.
Lilith and Lucifer had noticed it, but they didn't say anything as none of the hostile demons and sinners had paid attention.
"I'm sorry for ruining your opulent party! I require your time for a few minutes!" The man moved around, looking into the crowd as if he was searching for someone. "We are here to hunt down an individual. Once we find them, we will be out of your fur and you may continue your evening."
Naruto had been able to create and transform five more clones, who left into various parts of the crowd, once the man made eye contact with him. His pink eye glowed with mischief, yellow and purple surrounding him, and he moved forward.
"There he is!" The hellhound grabbed Naruto by his shoulder and began pulling him to the group of men. "Just who I was looking for. You are coming with us, Naruto Uzumaki."
"Who are you?"
"You don't need to worry about that. My employer wants to meet you and I'm just the delivery boy." The man grinned as he answered.
Naruto sighed and stopped letting himself be guided by the hellhound, feeling the man try pulling more forcefully but he didn't budge. He simply raised his hand, channeling chakra to it in a similar way that the Hyuuga do for their taijutsu style and techniques. He had worked out the trick through trial and error when he would train outside the boundaries of Pentagram City.
"Then I refuse to follow you."
Naruto sent a palm strike into the man's chest, sending him flying into three of his buddies. All four of them went tumbling out of the room in a pile of limbs and weapons, more than a few of them cursing and screaming as they rolled along the floor. The attack and the subsequent noises from them gathered the attention of the rest of the mercenaries, making them aim their weapons solely at him.
Five closest to the door ran for their employer, making sure to keep their weapons on the blonde in case he decided to attack them next. He let them go, however, only turning to look at the line of demons and sinners now aiming at him. They all had something on their bodies giving off the weird nullifying effect that chained off everyone's hellish abilities but none were as powerful as the talisman around the hellhound's neck.
"You were prepared to fight demons and hell's magics, and in any other situation that would have worked," Naruto took in a deep breath and began channeling his deep pool of chakra.
He molded it in the same way he had done so many times before, but had only just got it stabilized to use reliably. It was much like how he would circulate and spin his chakra to form the Rasengan, creating a whirlwind of cyclable energy that did not waste itself like the other techniques. It recycled itself and prevented chakra depletion to such a length that he would not be winded from maintaining the technique.
But he learned that he could do that with his internal network, cycling it through his limbs like his heart did with the blood in his veins. He cycled it through his body rapidly, creating a technique that could possibly rival the Eight Gates that bushy brows and his sensei used. But unlike that forbidden technique that did not require chakra and wasted what little it gathered, his personal technique would be able to be continuous and would not damage his muscles and bones like the other.
"But what your client did not tell you is that I'm beyond the normal demon and sinner you have faced. So much more!"
In an explosion of pure chakra energy, a pale orange-pink haze and aura surrounded his body. Wind and energy lashed out like a tornado, pushing back the ones closest to him while sending hanging ornaments and what remained of the double doors flying across the room. His face twisted into a snarl as his eyes shined with a dark glint from the expanding energy, making a terrifying visage that almost seemed like a partial demon transformation.
Quickly, the whirlwind was reined in and the energy that was whipping around started to die down and compress onto his body like a second skin. Within moments, the blonde was now standing there completely composed and breathing deeply in through his nose and out his mouth. His red eyes rapidly took in each mercenary remaining in the room before raising his hand.
He did not speak before finally disappearing in a rapid blur, cracking the floor from his dash. He only reappeared to have slashed his arm across the neck of one demon on the floor, spraying blood across the others and the floor. He disappeared and repeated the process to end each of the mercenaries on one side of the room and he was able to get through half of them within a few seconds.
The other demons and sinners he was targeting began reacting to his attack and aimed their weapons to try to shoot him. A few of them did not, instead choosing to try to target one or more of the demon guests in a bid to have a shield to protect them. They did not get far as they were quickly cut down by the henged clones that were in the crowd, their own arms covered in chakra.
He went through a few hand signs before taking a deep breath and pooling chakra from his stomach into his mouth. He made sure to avoid channeling this technique through his lungs, which he learned was a guaranteed failure and a sure way to suffocate himself. His cheeks puffed out as he felt them fill with a liquid before opening his mouth once the pressure built up enough.
The water technique he created quickly formed into a barrier, sitting ten feet high and at least a foot thick. It was made in anticipation for the subsequent gunfire from all of the weapons of the remaining mercenaries. The technique he continued to channel even as he no longer created water from his mouth was soon filled with holy bullets. It was oddly pretty as the projectiles barely made a few inches through the highly pressurized wall of water.
The clicks from the empty weapons filled the room.
"You're out."
After Naruto's blunt statement, the last of his clones appeared with Rasengans or chakra-covered arms and finished all of the stupid mercenaries.
"Fucking retarded," Naruto scoffed as he couldn't believe these guys were hired with confidence they could face the strongest demons of hell. "Wasting all their bullets like that. Should have been smarter."
The water wall quickly cascaded down and made a mess of the floor, scattering the unmarked bullets across the feet of the demons.
Without looking at the rest of the room, he moved to confront the ring leader and the last of the mercenaries but once he exited the ballroom he couldn't find them anywhere. Considering the seals were still in effect, he knew they couldn't have gotten far and still had to be in the vicinity.
Charlie.
Without another thought, he dashed from the bottom floor to the rails of the second floor. He was thankful there were no other halls and only went in a square around the ballroom. The doors lined the left and right but he doubted that the Princess would have an undecorated door. Call him a prophet, but he had a pretty good feeling about it.
And sure enough, lo and behold, there is a door decorated with pink and red designs. Some drawings he did not care to look at were hanging on a frame.
Naruto breathed deeply as he burst into the room, quickly catching sight of the two closest demons near him, and speared his hands through their bodies. He ripped his hands across, spilling massive amounts of blood on the carpet, before kicking one corpse into another demon that was further into the room. It was two seconds and they did not have enough time to react to the door bursting open let alone the body of his partner crashing into him.
Naruto quickly channeled chakra into a Rasengan, dashing forward to slam the rotating ball into the chest of the fourth man. It had been five seconds by now and the rest of the room had begun to notice the intruder and were finally preparing themselves for a fight. But that mattered little to him as he had already killed half of the occupants before they could properly measure the sudden encounter.
He dispersed the Rasengan and quickly grabbed an unruined piece of the demon's jacket before whipping him into one of his buddies to the left. He grabbed a fallen blade from one of the corpses at his feet and lunged from his spot to stab the blade into the stomach of a demon holding a firearm. He left the blade embedded and put his back against the man's chest before twirling around to block the shots from the first demon he threw a corpse at.
Grabbing the dead body shield's hand holding the gun, he moved it to the side and shot the heads of two demons at the side of the room. Once the demon behind him had run out of bullets, he twirled around again to unload three shots into the demon's body. Shoving the dead body off of him, he grabbed the blade still in their body before quickly and expertly throwing it at one last demon on the other side of the room, whom he threw the second corpse at. The blade had dug to the hilt and the tip of the blade was exposed from the back of the demon's furry head.
"Don't move or the brat gets it!"
Naruto breathed heavily as he turned to stare down the demon that talked. He found the hellhound holding his revolver against Charlie's temple while the other hand gripped her throat. He kept her body flushed against his, making sure most of his large frame could be protected with hers in the way. He was smart enough to have the girl's head over two thirds of his own, making it nearly impossible for him to unseal and throw a kunai without risking hitting the Princess.
"Naruto-!"
Charlie's plea was interrupted when the demon gripped her throat tightly, his claws drawing a bit of blood. Naruto's hand clenched at the pained expression on her face and he had to hold himself back from launching himself at them. Should he risk using the Replacement Technique with her?
"Shush," the demon hushed out with a cocky smirk on his face. "Don't speak, Princess, you might startle me."
The demon cocked the hammer of his revolver, making Charlie shake and whimper with tears in her eyes. But despite the bravado that he displayed, Naruto can see the auras of fear and cowardice sticking to the hellhound like flies on shit.
"Look at me, Charlie." Naruto soothingly spoke to the girl with a small smile on his face.
"Hey, no talking!" The demon shouted but his body shook with fear. "I swear, I will kill her!"
"I will protect you, Kōtaishihi Denka," Naruto smiled one final time. "Believe it."
Charlie looked into the red eyes of the foxboy and she felt her worries ease away from his assurance. It was inexplicable and she wanted to question it, but with a revolver made with heavenly metal and loaded with holy bullets pointed at her head she wanted to believe in something. She will trust the boy she has only just met but gave her more than most others in her life.
"Didn't you hear me?"
Naruto looked at the demon now and they made eye contact.
The demon felt his body freeze involuntarily, almost as if he was caught in a paralyzing spell.
"Have you ever had your mind completely dominated?"
The voice was the blonde's but his mouth nor his body moved. The room began to feel hotter, much worse than anything he has felt across the seven rings. It made his outfit constrict his body, almost as if they were trying to suffocate him.
"Have you ever felt true fear?"
Now he heard dripping from a pipe and he looked over his shoulder that he thought the sound was coming from. What he found was not the back of the room that he and his partners holed up in but the dark sewer cavern that was lit with torches. The floor is now flooding with water, a steady cacophony of drips coming from the numerous pipes along the walls.
He turned back around and instead of the attacker and his hostage, he was alone with his gun aimed at nothing. The torches led further forward and he could see what looked like an exit.
"Where the fuck am I?!"
The end.
It was not a spoken voice this time, but it carried upon a gust of wind like an ominous omen. He aimed his gun around now, expecting the fox bastard to show up from whatever crevice he was hiding in. He didn't know how he was sent here but he won't let himself be ended by a no name Sinner.
Walking forward slowly, aiming his gun forward and backward whenever he hears a sudden splash or any unknown noise. He eventually made it to the exit but instead of finding himself in a new location, he only appeared before a wall of bars.
"Would you like to feel it?"
The question made him jump and he quickly raised his gun at the cage, feeling a fist of hot air hit his face. Now that he arrived, he was sweltering under his outfit and whatever was causing the intense heat was past the iron bars. He was about to back up but as soon as he took two steps back his back hit a solid surface.
Turning around, he found the way he came from blocked off as if he had never come from this way.
"This shit ain't funny anymore!"
Who's laughing?
The mercenary whipped around and he shakily aimed his revolver where he felt a hot breath tickle the back of his neck. There was nothing there but there was now an orange flicker of light coming from inside the cage. It looked to be a light of some sort and he couldn't help but move towards it.
He did not pay attention as he marched forward, mindlessly. If he had, he would have noticed a new set of bars that were wide enough apart for a few men to walk though had passed by him. These were marked with different symbols. Instead, his ears were flooded with the rhyming tune of the unknown voice.
Little fox, little fox, what noise do you hear?
Is it the steady rhythm of a heart in fear?
Little fox, little fox, what is it that draws near?
Is it a man who wishes for an answer so clear?
Little fox, little fox, what do you wish for here?
Is it the end to a melody so queer?
Little fox, little fox, it's I who wishes to hear,
The sounds of pain from one so dear!
Suddenly, the room exploded with light and power, shaking and twisting the room from the whirlwind that built up in front of the mercenary. He clenched his hand around his gun tightly and planted his feet on the ground, watching in fear as the small light that he was walking to grew like a bubbling mass. It was an abomination of ooze and muscle, but soon he found the telltale signs of a snout forming.
Then grew two massive paws with claws as long as he was tall. Teeth bared in a snarling, foaming mess that made the demon cower in fear. The ooze began to disappear and from it orange-red fur grew in its place and bristled like a porcupine's back. But it was the final feature that made the man completely break down; a pair of red eyes staring at him with hunger and so much wrath that he could have sworn he was looking at the Sin of Wrath Satan himself.
"Hello, little fox."
The fox opened his giant maw and chomped down on the cowering demon.