Calm before the Storm
III
Avalon Kingdom
The first Beast
666
Just standing in front of it, even though it was not real, Naruto could feel the despair and death trying to engulf his soul, to devour his sanity.
This being… it was darker than the empty space as if the void itself had been manifested in this form and came to feast. It did not have any consistent appearance or any notable features. But the worst part was, even though it had no eyes, it felt like the being was looking directly at you… at your very soul.
Also, it was gigantic. It was larger than anything he had ever seen.
And then, there he was… Amun-Ra.
He was wearing a golden armored shenti, with similarly designed shoulder pads and gauntlets. But what stood out the most was not the intricately designed falcon crown, but the miniature sun that was situated inside the hole in his chest.
He looked so grand, so noble… so God-like.
Amun-Ra waved his hand, and not a second later, out of thin air came multiple tower-like structures, each of which was large enough to go through a planet. And then, all of them pierced 666’s void-like body.
The Beast screamed. Even he felt it. And he could tell that the scream alone was enough to fell Gods and Goddesses. But within a fraction of a moment, it stopped; as if someone had just pressed the ‘Mute’ button.
And then, he made his appearance.
Unlike Amun-Ra, Shiva was wearing traditional simple clothes. But it was his form that surprised him. This form was almost as big as the Great Red’s. And he had four arms. The right backhand was holding his signature weapon ‘Trishula’ and his left backhand was holding a fireball of some sort. And he was making hand signs using the front ones. But what really caught his eye was the majestic snake that was on top of his shoulder.
Shiva looked more divine than Naruto had ever seen him.
The being changed its shape and took a more dragon-like appearance. Then it changed the shape again to that of a storm cloud. It looked like it was having a hard time maintaining a form… any form in this case.
Whatever Shiva was doing, it was doing a damn good job.
And finally, he saw him.
Unlike Amun-Ra and Shiva, whose forms towered over planets and stars, the Biblical God had the size and appearance of a normal human. But Naruto could feel it; he was just as much, if not more powerful than his fellow Gods. Naruto could not tell how he looked since his back was facing him and his whole body was enveloped in warm white light.
Suddenly, the Biblical God swung his hand and the Beast thrashed its body around as a large formless object came out from its body. After the object completely detached itself from the Beast’s body and landed on the ground, it took the shape of a square pillar.
Then, some sort of unseen communication took place, as all three of them moved away from the Beast.
The reason was revealed just a moment later. Even though he could not see her, he felt it… her overwhelming presence, her unbearable power.
The second Beast.
Ophis
It was as if the veil was lifted and Naruto could finally see it, their surroundings. There was nothing but the rubbles of destroyed planets and remnants of stars. And then, these fragments started to move… towards 666.
A sense of déjà vu hit Naruto as he saw how the first Beast was being caged, how it was being buried under the remains of the ruins. It might have been a few seconds or minutes, but Naruto could not tell. But when it was done, in that vast space of emptiness, only that large ball of rock remained.
The cage of 666
The Biblical God stepped forward and waved his hand. Immediately the scenery around them started to change once again.
And then, he turned to face Naruto.
And, he opened his eyes.
Naruto groaned as he leaned forward and supported his forehead with his hand. He had watched this countless times… Memories of the Final Days, given to him by Amun-Ra.
When he told everyone about his finding… about the fact that the first Beast, 666 might be sealed somewhere inside their universe, needless to say not everyone was able to digest that information. It was then Shiva and Amun-Ra decided to share their part in the war. Unfortunately, they were also not aware of exactly where 666 was sealed even though they stayed in the fight till the very end. Yes, it was Ophis who had sealed 666 but it was the Biblical God who had hidden the ‘Cage’. But they had a feeling that the ‘Cage’ was somewhere nearby their universe… they just did not think that it would be inside DXD.
Truth be told, Naruto was also not completely sure about this theory of his. He needed to do more research… a lot more of it.
And then, there was another mind-blowing reveal.
The Biblical God had the ‘Rinnegan’ as his third eye, sitting in the middle of his forehead. His regular eyes were similar to Mangekyou Sharingan, at least to him. It had a complex pattern inside the iris, but instead of a red iris, he had golden ones. As for the Rinnegan, it was the original silver one.
So, was Biblical God an Ōtsutsuki? Was this the origin planet of the Ōtsutsuki clan? After all, Shiva mentioned before that the Biblical God was the leader of a faction before the Apocalypse war.
Did it mean that other Ōtsutsuki were living here?
Naruto let out a muffled groan, “Why is this getting so complicated?”
Well, fortunately, not many knew about this. In fact, if Shiva was right, only a handful of individuals knew about the third eye of the Biblical God. Even in the memory shared and shown by Amun-Ra, only Naruto was able to see the eye, not anyone else. Amun-Ra had done so for Naruto. He wanted him to be one to tell everyone about this fact.
Regardless, one thing was for sure, going to Heaven became a top priority for him. But, after the current revelation, he would need to heed Jiraiya’s words and take caution… proper caution. After all, if he was not wrong, then the Biblical God knew about him for quite some time, about him possessing Rinnegan. Unfortunately, it was not the same for him.
Another thing that stood out to Naruto was the strength of Amun-Ra. He was able to fight side by side with Shiva and the Biblical God. So why did his strength diminish so much?
Naruto straightened his posture when he heard the door opening. He already knew who it was but seeing his wife ‘dressed up’ he could not help but let out a silly smile. He stood up and went toward his wife to give her a bear hug.
But Yasaka was not having it, “I love you too Naruto, but please don’t,” He pouted but it was not enough, “You are going to mess up the dress and the makeup.”
“You can just fix it in a snap.”
“It will not be the same.”
Naruto just pouted harder.
Yasaka looked at his desk, and the smile on her face became smaller, “You stayed the whole night.”
Naruto smiled sheepishly. After that day, when he saw the void caused by 666, he had been training and researching relentlessly… to learn about the past and to grow stronger.
Shinobi world was not ready for Ten-Tails. Yes, they had won but the casualties were high… too high for him. So, this time around, he would be prepared. And he would make sure that others around him are prepared as well.
True, there was a possibility that what he was fearing might never happen, but he would not leave it to chance.
Naruto smiled as Yasaka gently started to stroke his cheek, “I know you are worried, my love. But do not shoulder everything by yourself,” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips, “We are here by your side, and we will always be here.”
Naruto moved forward but Yasaka leaned back to dodge his kiss, “No.”
He dropped his shoulders and looked at her pitifully. But it did not work as Yasaka turned around and went toward the door, “Let us make way, we do not want to be late.”
Naruto sighed and followed his wife. But before Yasaka opened the door, she paused, “We can take our time after the event.”
His eyes bulged, and then he noticed that the tip of her ears was slightly red. Naruto walked faster and caught her hand. Interlocking their fingers, he leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips, “I will take my sweet time, I promise.”
Even though he had been with her for so long, he never got tired of seeing her blushing, “You will ruin the makeup.”
Naruto let out a hearty chuckle,
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“You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen, a little makeup will not change that.”
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X
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Elemental Academy
The festival was a huge success, so much so that Khaoss was planning to make it a yearly event. What was funny to Naruto was that the festival was not part of the plan. The initial idea was to just focus on the tournament and finish it in a single day. But then, they decided to have the tournament over three days to not overwhelm the students. It was here Naruto pointed out that they could take this a step further.
All the students participating in the tournament had to prove something. It was a test to them; and to some, it was even a mission. Unfortunately, this outcome was expected since the stakes were too high.
Why was the academy hosting this tournament?
It was not just to let the students display their might and battle prowess in a safe environment. It was to show the results of it. Khaoss was already aware of who would be in the top three. Naruto also had a feeling that not all the popular teams would make it. This was why he was hoping this tournament would motivate the students to improve themselves… and to be different.
Another reason was to use this tournament as a platform to involve VIPs from different factions. Yes, they might not mingle with one another or would sit down at one table; but they would have minimal interactions.
Maybe this would elevate some of their opinions about others… maybe not. Naruto was not expecting a miracle from this one session, but it would be a start.
And that was why he proposed to have more events. Yes, the tournament was the focus, and he had no plan to change it. But why not host something fun? Something that the students would enjoy. And if possible, they should try to involve their families as well.
After all, was this not what an academy was about? To have nerve-wracking tests as well as to have entertaining activities.
What was not expected was Khaoss asking Naruto to plan and oversee these extra events. Clearly, he did not know Naruto well enough. Even Shiva, who was another Board member was against it. But everyone else wanted to see what Naruto would come up with.
So, he tried his best to impress.
He only added two more events. One, he called it ‘Food War’ where the parents of the students had to participate and cook a full course meal. The second was the beauty pageant but it was for the boys.
Unsurprisingly, to Naruto and everyone who truly knew him, the events caused a lot of chaos. The audience had a blast, the participants brought out their A-game and still had fun, and as for the organizers… they were running around like headless chickens trying to diffuse the madness caused by the participants.
Well-balanced chaotic events, just the way Naruto liked them.
But today, anyone could sense the tension in the air. After all, today was the first day of the tournament.
From the VIP room he was in, he looked at the judge’s booth. Yasaka was discussing with other judges. Naruto smiled as a certain thought hit him. How would have Hiashi and other Hyūga clan elders reacted if they were to witness this scene. The person they thought was too kind and honest to be a Clan Head was now the Queen of a large Kingdom and was sitting at the same table with other prominent leaders of the world.
When Naruto saw some familiar students tentatively approaching Yasaka, he felt the need to rub his forehead. These students were some of the few that he helped as ‘Menma’. Not just him, his whole group helped a lot of kids here. Maybe that was why a lot of these students approached many teachers, some had the balls to even approach Khaoss when everyone was notified that their group would not be participating in the tournament.
Honestly, disguising themselves as students to enter the academy… was not a bright idea. Maybe joining as a substitute teacher would have been a better option. It was a momentary lapse from his side. Even if it was not real, even if it was temporary, for once he wanted to enjoy his youth. He wanted to go on an adventure with the person he loved and friends who were precious to him.
He loved his kingdom and loved watching it grow and prosper. But most of all, he loved to see the smiles of his people. This was why he had no qualms to shoulder all the responsibilities that came with it.
But there were times he wanted to take a break. Even for a brief moment, he wanted to go out and discover what the world had to offer, with precious people by his side.
Unfortunately, the bell had rung, and it was time to leave the field.
“King Naruto,” Naruto turned to see Michael and his entourage entering the VIP room. The archangel’s surprised look quickly changed to a pleased expression, “You are here quite early.”
Naruto returned the smile and pointed at the judge’s booth, “I had to accompany my Queen on her big day.”
“Of course, I am sure she will do a wonderful job.”
“Of that, I have no doubt. She is just that awesome,” Naruto chuckled before pointing at the nearest table, “Shall we?”
Michael gave a silent signal and the rest of his party retreated. Naruto knew they would be outside, just like his own guards since this place was only for the faction leaders like him or faction representatives like Michael.
The moment they sat down, Michael spoke up, “I am quite surprised that you are the only one here.”
“Starting with the short talks, I see,” Naruto’s lips twitched but he kept his neutral expression, “I am sure Sirzechs is already here. He will probably accompany his sister until the tournament start. And I think that goes for many others.”
“I see,” Michael was silent for a moment before he went for his second question, “I wholeheartedly believe that everyone will take extra precaution and that the supervisors will keep an eye out for everyone. Despite this, do you think any problems will occur?”
Naruto let out a short chuckle when he heard that, “Will there be any problem in the tournament? No. Not with Khaoss monitoring everything personally. But will any students be trying to create a problem? Absolutely.”
Naruto’s first reaction was to elaborate further when he saw Michael’s surprised expression. But he decided against it since this was the perfect moment to bring out the heavier topic before anyone else came in, “Michael, for our next meeting, I suggest we have it in Asgard instead of Heaven.”
Michael’s eyes widened as he sat straighter, “Is there…”
Naruto raised his hand, he knew if he let him then the archangel would dance around the topic, “I am honored to be invited, I truly am. But this invitation did not come from the Biblical God, now did it?”
Michael’s eyes shook for a moment before his expression became neutral again, “The Biblical God is aware of this arrangement and is sincerely expecting your visit. If you have any doubts, you can visit Heaven before the meeting.”
“I do not mind, but,” Naruto narrowed his eyes, letting out a slight bit of dissatisfaction purposely, “to make everything clear here, Michael. I will only step foot in Heaven when I am formally invited by the Biblical God himself.”
Seeing the devasted look on Michael’s face, Naruto decided to soften up a bit, “I am not being an egoist or a difficult person here. Michael, I am the king of the Avalon Kingdom and one of the founders of the Alliance faction. I cannot and should not visit the heart of a faction without proper procedures,” Naruto sighed when he saw the lost look on Michael’s face, “Think about it Michael, even though Azazel and Jiraiya are quite close, did Azazel visit our capital?”
Naruto knew he should not, but he still decided to push it further. He closed his eyes and activated his Rinnegan. He made sure to keep his power in check. He did not want to get another scolding from Khaoss.
The moment he opened his eyes, as he suspected, Michael moved back as if he was physically struck. Naruto looked away from him, hoping that this would give him some time to recover, “Every faction has some secrets. I know that, and I respect that. And of course, I have no desire to poke my nose into it. With that being said, I will be forced to take action if I believe my friends or my people may get hurt because of this.”
“I…”
“Take some time Michael,” Naruto deactivated his Rinnegan as he felt more people approaching the VIP room, “I am not expecting any answer right at this moment. But I will stand by my previous statement.”
“I will only step foot in Heaven when I am formally invited by the Biblical God himself.”
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X
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Elemental Academy,
A few hours later
The result was out. And every team was taking it differently.
The Gremory and the Sitri team looked very conflicted. While their leaders Rias and Sona had the same ‘calculating’ expression, the Gremory heiress looked more agitated. Their team members were talking amongst each other, but the two boys Issei and Saji were quite vocal about the outcome.
At least they were not as noisy as Riser. Anyone unfortunate enough to meet him knew that he would be throwing a tantrum… and he was. Fortunately, he was at least smart enough to remember that this was not the underworld, which was probably why he was more subdued.
Honestly, Arjuna thought one of these three teams would be ranked first. But, he was wrong. Once again, he looked up at the ranking board, especially what was at the very top.
Arjuna’s team – 1st Place
Yes, even he was surprised at the result.
The first round of the tournament was known as the ‘Bell Test’. In this round, each team was tested individually. Every team had to face an artificial golem. The golem was protecting some ‘Bells’ that they had to retrieve. They could only leave the arena if they secured the bells.
It sounded simple at the beginning but very soon they found out the twist.
There were not enough bells. And they could not be shared, which meant not every one of the team members could leave the arena.
At that time Arjuna was not sure of it but he had a feeling that they were missing something… something vital. But with a clock ticking above their head and a monstrous golem behind their back, he did not have the luxury to take his time. So, he had made the call.
They were going to defeat the golem.
It was easier said than done.
The Golem was a piece of work. It was to be expected since Khaoss said that he had personally created each one of them. The problem with the golem was its absurdly high defense. If Arjuna had to guess, it was on a high Ultimate level. While it was not fast considering its size, it was quite flexible. And luckily, it only had one range attack… an energy beam from its single eye, which it could only use once every minute.
Arjuna’s team had Arthur Pendragon, Le Fay Pendragon and Bikou. Vali was not in the academy because of Azazel. Technically, Azazel did not know that Vali joined the Khaos Brigade.
The problem here was that other than Le Fay, the rest of them could not go all out. Arjuna could not use his Divine weapons, Arthur could not his sword ‘Caliburn’ and Bikou had to use limited strength to hide his identity.
So, taking down such a strong opponent with their team’s limited and restricted strength was quite a tiresome ordeal.
But it was not impossible.
There was no weak point, but Arjuna made one. The moment the golem would fire the energy blast from its eye, they covered its eye with equal force meaning they did not let the beam come out. Arjuna was hoping that this would damage the golem from within.
Fortunately, it worked. After blocking its beam for the fifth time, the golem stopped moving. Then its chest opened up, and as Arjuna suspected, it dropped the rest of the bells.
Even though their team was the first one to come out of the arena, they were not the fastest one. It was Rias’s team followed by Riser’s.
Arjuna thought he would be in the top five, not in the very first place. But that meant…
The Queen of the Avalon Kingdom, one of the judges, stood up and came forward. Instantly the whole stadium got quiet.
“First, I would like to congratulate every one of you for giving your best,” Yasaka followed up with a light clap. Immediately the whole stadium came to life again.
The clapping and the cheers went on for a few seconds before Yasaka stopped. And the stadium followed her, “I know all of you have a single question. How did we rank the participants? To answer this question, I would like to ask you this; what were Lord Vishnu’s exact words when he presented this round to all of you?”
Arjuna blinked and immediately recalled the speech the God of Protection and Preservation had made earlier.
“This round of the tournament is called ‘Bell Test’. Each team will enter an arena of your own where you will face an opponent. Your goal is to retrieve the bells your opponent is protecting and leave the arena with your team. You will be briefed more once you enter the arena. But remember this children, this is not a test where you compete with other teams. It is not a test of strength but of courage. Show us your ambition and dedication through your action and your choices.”
Arjuna could not help but let out a smile. Not once Vishnu had mentioned that this test was about speed.
“I think some of you had already figured out,” Yasaka drew their attention to her again, “This test was to see what choices you would make when all the paths are closed. Would you give up and go with the choices others made for you, or would you create your own choice, your own paths with your own two hands?”
Yasaka clapped once and somehow it made an echo. It was as if she was demanding all of their attention, “Let this be a lesson. We are not here to see who can throw the meanest punch or who has the flashiest abilities. We want to see your dedication, your wisdom, and your charisma. Show it to us,” She then pointed at the audience, “Show it to the world.”
She then let out a small smile, “Do not be discouraged. This is just the first round of the tournament. You can still reach the top if you are determined enough.”
Arjuna had to give it to her. She knew how to motivate the students. And he could see the fire in everyone’s gaze. Honestly, he could also feel it. Before, he just joined this tournament to keep an eye out on Georg. But now?
He actually wanted to give it a proper shot.