Calm before the Storm
V
“What a troublesome mess.”
That was the first thought that came to Naruto’s mind when he stepped out of the portal.
Many devils were running around the area. Naruto was not sure what they were trying to achieve. The area was already secured, and it had been swept a few times by the task force team, with Jiraiya leading. At least, the devils were not picking any fights with the exorcists. And by some miracles, the exorcists were not causing a fuse as they were standing on the sideline. As for the fallens, Naruto heard that they were back in the city, detaining the ones who followed Kokabiel.
Who would have thought that today would turn out like this?
Just a moment ago, Naruto was in the VIP section of the academy’s stadium watching the latest round of the tournament. He had to say, he was glad that Khaoss went with his ideas. Instead of having matches that would focus only on the power of the participants, the participants were given challenges where they needed to think outside of the box. And it worked. After the first round, for the subsequent challenges, they stopped approaching with brute strength. Well… almost all of them. Guess, some were just slow on the uptake.
Needless to say, he was enjoying the tournament.
Then, the message came.
Not just to him; Azazel, Michael, and Sirzechs received it as well. At that moment, Naruto could tell from their expression that they would just up and leave, giving an inadequate excuse. Not the proper way to handle this situation considering they were surrounded by VIPs from other factions. So, Naruto took the lead. He stood up and calmed Sirzechs and Michael with a gesture. Then, he telepathically reached out to Khaoss and briefly told him the situation, and asked him to substitute for Azazel without alerting the students. After that, he faced the rest of the VIPs in the room and told them the truth… partial of it... that Rizevim Livan Lucifer was found near the Avalon Kingdom by one of his scouts. The situation was under control, but their presence was required.
Of course, some extended their offer to help but Naruto politely declined. With that, they left using their own teleportation methods.
Now, why did Naruto use this approach? The answer was simple. Minimizing the uproar with simple communication. If Naruto, Azazel, Michael, and Sirzechs were to leave the premise at the same time without giving any solid reason, everyone else would have taken it very badly. So, Naruto nipped that possibility in the bud.
And so, here he was.
“Naruto.”
Naruto turned to see Jiraiya coming to him with a tired look but a smile on his face.
“How are things here?”
“Lighten up,” Jiraiya was all smiles when he came closer. And then he put his hand on Naruto’s shoulder. In a flash, Jiraiya pressed down his index finger two times and his ring finger one time.
‘We need to talk, now.’
Naruto immediately loosened up, smiled, and dropped his shoulders, “It is hard to, you know.”
Jiraiya then stood beside him, and the moment he put his hand over Naruto’s shoulder, he pulled Jiraiya's mind over to his mindscape.
Usually, Naruto’s mindscape would take the form of his current home. But this time, Naruto’s mindscape took the form of Konohagakure and they were standing on top of the Hokage Rock.
Jiraiya, who was standing beside Naruto, took a glance at his side, “You created this to calm my nerves?” Then he let out a dry chuckle, “I do not think this will be enough, for either of us.”
Naruto immediately braced himself.
“I have two pieces of news and I will keep them brief,” Jiraiya turned to face Naruto, all joviality gone from his face, “Kokabiel mentioned that the Biblical God is dead. He died 400 years ago, in the last Biblical Faction War.”
Naruto opened his mouth and closed it. Jiraiya was right, he was not prepared for this.
“Yes, there is no creditability to his claim, but few past events make more sense now, no. Of course, we need to do a thorough investigation on this.”
Naruto took a slow and deep breath. So many questions started to form in his head but he knew asking Jiraiya would be pointless since he ought to be just as lost as he was.
“What’s the other news?”
“Kokabiel got a huge boost using something called ‘Ophis’s Blessings’. I do not think it is genuine but whatever it was the potency of it is not something we can brush off. Kokabiel went from low Ultimate class to at the peak of it.”
For a moment, there was only silence between them.
And then,
“Fuck.”
Jiraiya chuckled, “Exactly my first impression. This is not what I signed up for.”
Naruto let out an audible breath, “Who else knows?”
“I was the only one with Kokabiel. So, no leak from that angle,” Jiraiya then snapped his fingers, “Oh~ I had sent a clone to the palace. He already had put down some coded messages around the palace in case…”
“Nothing would have happened,” Naruto stopped Jiraiya right there who just smiled back at him softly.
“Yes, nothing happened. But now, we are left with tons of fresh mess to deal with.”
Naruto turned his gaze toward the village. Even though it was empty now, it did not have any eerie feeling to it.
“Let’s go back.”
“Naruto, wait.”
Naruto knew what Jiraiya was going to say. He grinned back at him, “Put some trust in your student.”
With that, he cut the link.
The moment his mind fully came back to the real world, Naruto felt Jiraiya squeezing his shoulders, “I know, but things will get better. Come on.”
With that Jiraiya let go and started walking forward.
Less than a second had passed in the real world and no one noticed what had just happened. To outsiders, it would seem that Naruto and Jiraiya just had a quick heartfelt conversation. It was a technique Naruto came up with when he realized that he could manipulate almost every concept in his mindscape. A very useful trick to pass down urgent messages, even objects without alerting anyone around them.
Of course, someone like Shiva, even Amun-Ra would have noticed that momentary lapse.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto started following Jiraiya.
.
A few moments later
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“A completely unexpected turn of events, wouldn’t you agree?”
“More like a messy troublesome situation,” Naruto answered Sirzechs.
Currently, they were at the crime scene. It was one of Rizevim’s hideouts, outside of the city. Other than Naruto, Sirzechs, Michael, and Jiraiya, no one else was inside the house. As for Azazel, they were waiting for him. Diehauser could have also come in but he decided to wait outside.
Naruto looked at the corpse again. It was preserved thanks to Jiraiya’s quick thinking.
Rizevim’s body was lying face down with a huge hole that covered half of his chest. But the most unsettling part was the expression. Rizevim did not have any pained expression on his face rather he had a confused look.
It was a swift single-strike assassination.
Unlike others, Naruto did not look at the portal that opened just a few meters away from him. Because he knew who it was.
“Sincere apologies, it took a bit more time than expected for Khaoss to make the switch,” Azazel said with a sheepish smile.
“Do not worry, we have not started yet,” Michael said and then looked at Sirzechs.
“I will ask Diehauser to come in.”
Azazel released a deep breath and then came to stand beside Naruto, “Quite the mess, isn’t it?”
Naruto chuckled, “That it is.”
When Diehauser entered, Naruto, Azazel, Michael, and Sirzechs stood on one side of the corpse; Jiraiya and Diehauser were on another side.
“Will you inform us of what happened here?” Michael asked.
Jiraiya glanced at Diehauser before speaking up, “A complete report will be given to all of you detailing the whole event, from the beginning until the end. So, now, we will only focus,” Jiraiya pointed at the corpse, “on this part to keep things brief and precise.”
Michael looked around, and seeing everyone agreeing, he replied back, “Please, continue.”
Jiraiya nodded at Diehauser who took a step forward, “Jiraiya and I were outside of the city looking for Kokabiel. Ten past one, we had a lock on him. We made a plan on the go but just two minutes later, one of the sensor traps laid out by Jiraiya was triggered. The possibility of it being Rizevim was very high. So, we changed the plan. Jiraiya was to confront Kokabiel alone, and I was to go and check if it was Rizevim who triggered it or not.”
He paused and then pointed in a direction, “I arrived from North-East and found the hideout around half past one. It was already in this current condition. I did not enter the premise. I scanned using this,” He then took out a crystallized cross, “And located Rizevim’s corpse. Then I immediately send a message to Jiraiya and secured the premise. I send out the second message, five minutes later, to both Jiraiya and Baraqiel.”
Diehauser took a step back and Jiraiya took one forward, “After taking care of Kokabiel,” Naruto noticed the subtle wince on Azazel’s face, “I came here. Seven minutes after Diehauser send out his first message. I immediately checked the condition of Rizevim. When I confirmed it was the real one, not any fakes, I preserved the corpse using ‘Fuinjutsu’ and immediately send out the messages to,” Jiraiya then pointed at all of them, “All of you.”
When Jiraiya was done, for a few brief seconds, no one said anything.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Sirzechs was the first to speak up, “I know we will conduct a thorough investigation, and will eventually figure out what actually happened here. But,” He looked at Jiraiya, “Do you have any theories?”
“It was an inside job.”
The swift answer caught everyone off guard, except for Naruto.
“What do you mean?”
Jiraiya took a few more steps and stood near Rizevim’s feet, “Rizevim was standing here, looking at,” He then pointed at the empty table in front of him, “Whatever was on that table. There was something there that caught Rizevim off guard. It was a distraction. And this momentary lapse cost him his life,” Jiraiya turned around and indicated the hole in the wall, “The assassin killed him with one single shot. My guess is on a long-range attack. Attribute-wise, I am not sure yet,” Then Jiraiya pointed to the main door, “After the deed was done, the assassin came in from the front door and did a full sweep. He removed everything that he deemed was important.”
Jiraiya then turned to face them, “So why do I think it was an inside job? One, the hideout. The assassin knew where it was and the ins and outs of it. Second, the distraction. It surprised Rizevim but did not alarm him. Third, but the most important one, the security system,” Jiraiya pointed at the hole in the wall again, “When the shot was fired, it destroyed most of the security measures. But some were still running. And none of those identified the assassin as an intruder when he or she came inside.”
The silence was longer this time.
Usually, at this time, Naruto would have cracked a joke to lighten up. But he was not in the mood because of the news Jiraiya shared before. Regardless, he was the first to speak up, “Jiraiya, add your theory in the report. Also, ask others if they have any theories. If they do, include them. As for the crime scene, I suggest we hand it over to Sirzechs.”
Sirzechs was surprised by his statement but he covered it swiftly with a smile and a nod.
“I have no problem with that,” Azazel gave Sirzechs a reassuring smile before his gaze landed on the corpse, “Unfortunately, this event opened up a new issue. Who Rizevim was working with?” He then met Jiraiya’s gaze, “I may have some information on that regard. Keep in mind that I cannot guarantee the validity of this particular information but I believe this may shed some light on this. But if I may, I believe we should change the venue. This is certainly not the right place to broach the subject.”
“You are correct. I would like to use this chance to invite all of you to Heaven, if that is acceptable,” Michael added.
Sirzechs looked genuinely surprised, “To Heaven? Will the Big Guy be okay with that? To have leaders from different factions?”
Michael smiled back, “There are many levels of Heaven. While we are not allowed to bring any outsiders to certain levels, there are few areas which are more open than you think.”
“Truly, it would be an honor to visit Heaven,” Naruto decided it was time, “But we will have to decline that request.”
He raised his arm before anyone could even say their first word of protest, “I am declining this request because as of now the Avalon Kingdom will withdraw all of its forces. And no, my decision has nothing to do with the failure of the task force or the outcome of it. I just genuinely believe it is time we take a step back and think about our next move.”
While Sirzechs looked confused, Michael and Azazel were stunned. It was Azazel who spoke up first, “If that is your decision, we will respect that. But, will you not agree that if all of us work together, we will find the solution to this problem faster?”
“That may be so. But then the question is… this problem, what is at stake here? Who will be affected by it? Is it just us or are we talking about the entirety of the supernatural world? Because if it is the latter then I have a responsibility to inform the Alliance Faction.”
“I do not believe it will get to that point,” Michael tried to sound calm but Naruto noticed the slight hesitation.
“That is why our kingdom is taking a step back. We will investigate the situation and based on the outcome, we will take action as necessary,” Naruto then showed them his rarely used political smile, “If all is well, then it could be that we are working together again sometime in the near future. But for now, let us take a break, shall we?”
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X
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The Dimensional Gap
“Something is troubling you,” It was a statement, not a question.
Naruto gave Shiva a reassuring smile but it did not help. He still had that worried look on his face.
Releasing a tired breath, Naruto looked ahead.
Their whole gang was here. Honestly, there was no need to come to the Dimensional Gap so often. As Amun-Ra pointed out before, once in a few months would have sufficed.
But it was hard to say ‘No’ when the invitation came from the Great Red.
It was amusing to see how someone like the Great Red also enjoyed good company, a good friend. Every time Naruto entered the Dimensional Gap, after that food stunt he pulled, he would prepare a surprise present for the Great Red. And every time the reaction would be the same. First, the Beast of Dreams would make fun of his present. Then, for the next few hours or days, the Great Red would be immersed in it. And when he was completely bored, he would send messengers to Naruto saying that his team should come and check the condition of the equipment that they had placed in the Dimensional Gap. But all of them knew why he wanted Naruto to be there.
Many would say what Naruto and the Great Red had between them was not friendship but he would disagree.
Coming here usually would lighten up his mood, would clear his mind. But today, it was not helping.
Naruto let out a chuckle and decided to be true to himself, “Shiva, is it true that the Biblical God is dead?”
And trust his friend.
It was subtle, but the surprised expression on Shiva’s face was enough of an answer for him. Shiva closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he released his breath, he looked where the rest of the team was, “I believe we should include Amun-Ra in this discussion.”
Naruto just nodded back.
Amun-Ra joined them a minute later when he received Shiva’s silent message, “What’s got you two so stressed out?”
“Naruto knows about Yahweh.”
Both Naruto and Amun-Ra looked at Shiva in surprise, for different reasons.
Amun-Ra then faced Naruto, “How did you find out?”
“So, it’s true,” Naruto released an audible breath, “Wow~ This changes so many things.”
“What does this news change?”
Naruto took a few calming breaths before continuing, “Okay, let’s take it from the top. I guess you two never shared this news because I never asked.”
“This is why I like you, Naruto,” Amun-Ra chuckled.
“Because I am smart.”
“No, that part is questionable.”
“What do…”
“I like you because you do not immediately jump to the worst conclusion. You acknowledge both sides of the coin. And you approach a heavy topic from a very neutral perspective,” Amun-Ra then looked at Shiva, “He will go far.”
Shiva smiled back, “He is already stronger than us.”
“There is always room for improvement.”
“Excuse me, why are you questioning my intelligence?”
Amun-Ra gave Naruto a dry look, “A smart being would not have confronted a Beast class being directly,” He immediately raised his hand before Naruto could protest, “Yes, it worked out in the end, no one is denying that.”
“Maybe we should get back onto the topic,” Shiva interrupted gently.
Both Naruto and Amun-Ra looked at Shiva, before Naruto backed off with a sigh, “Shiva is right. Let’s not argue about this. You are just too old to appreciate my awesomeness.”
“Did you just…”
“So, I am guessing you two knew from the start? About the Biblical God’s death?” Naruto turned to Shiva, “By the way, was his name Yahweh?”
“Yes on both counts,” Shiva answered, “But I will suggest not saying his name in front of his followers. They do not take it well.”
“Why?”
“Misplaced respect I would say,” Amun-Ra shook his head, “But to each their own. And regarding Yahweh’s death, it is not just us, quite a few know about this.”
Now that surprised Naruto.
“Naruto, I am sure you would have figured it out sooner or later. Beings like us… not only our powers are connected to actual concepts of this universe, but our very awareness is also linked to it. You can say that in a sense we are a part of this universe.”
While Shiva’s explanation was light and made so much sense, Naruto needed a break, “One second, need to digest this.”
“I guess you did not expect this when you asked Shiva that question,” Amun-Ra grinned at Naruto.
“I suppose I did not,” Naruto release a long breath through his mouth which made both Shiva and Amun-Ra smile, “Brahma and Vishnu know. Who else?”
“The four Horsemen.”
Naruto shook his head, “Makes sense. How about Khaoss?”
“Not sure,” Amun-Ra shrugged his shoulders, “There is a possibility, yes, but it all depends on his connection to the universe I guess.”
“I suppose.”
“Naruto,” Shiva’s firm tone caught Naruto off-guard, “The connection to the universe. Do not rush it. Let it come to you. The reason I have told you about this is because I know that you will respect my advice. And second, because of your astounding growth, I believe it will not take long before you feel that connection.”
Naruto let out a smile when he felt Shiva’s genuine concern, “Aye~ Aye~ Sensei.”
Shiva shook his head lightly, “So, will you tell us now, how you find out about Yahweh’s death?”
So, for the next ten minutes, Naruto told them everything related to their assassination mission. While he kept most parts of it brief, he made sure not to cut out any details on the ‘Blessing of Ophis’ part. He also explained what Jiraiya learned about Khaos Brigade. As expected, when he was done, he could see the clear concern on Shiva and Amun-Ra’s faces.
“I know that Ophis was residing in our universe, but I did not think she was the type to create an organization.”
Naruto looked up and let out a loud groan, “You also knew about Ophis being in our universe?!”
Shiva smiled at him, “The connection.”
“So, is there a way you can track her?”
“And this is why I am questioning your intelligence,” Amun-Ra gave Naruto his signature dry look, “Who in the right mind wants to poke a Beast who is clearly not happy being in our universe?”
Shiva immediately raised his arms toward them before they could start again, “What Amun-Ra means is that the moment I touch her energy signature she will know who is trying to track her and from where. Considering what we know so far about her, that will not be a wise move. But I get your concern Naruto. Somehow this brigade got their hands on a booster which they are indicating that they got from Ophis. This statement alone could change the order of our universe.”
“So, we cannot make any irrational moves,” Naruto sighed.
“Correct, while I should not take any direct actions, I will always offer my wisdom, experience, and knowledge whenever you need them, Naruto.”
“Same goes for me,” Amun-Ra added.
Naruto nodded at them with a satisfied smile. But before he could say anything, all of them got a message from Yasaka.
‘Come to our location, we have found something.’
They did not waste a moment and immediately teleported to the given position.
Yasaka, Thor, and Scáthach were surrounding one of Amun-Ra’s custom-made beacons. It was the device that helped them to navigate the Dimensional Gap.
“What seems to be the problem?” Amun-Ra immediately went closer and started to inspect the device.
“Take a look,” Thor replied with a frown.
For a few seconds, no one said anything. Then Amun-Ra broke the silence with a groan, “Someone tampered with it.”
Immediately, he spread his arms and closed his eyes. While it was subtle, vibrations could be felt all around them. Some near, some far. Again, everyone maintained the silence and waited for Amun-Ra to finish.
When Amun-Ra lowered his arms and opened his eyes, he had a stony expression on his face.
“Someone entered the Gap?” Shiva asked.
“No,” Amun-Ra shook his head,
“Someone has been entering the Gap.”
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X
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New Delhi, India
11.58 pm
Sometimes too much security was quite bothersome.
Whenever Arjuna needed to contact Vali, he would have to leave the academy’s premises. Why? Because the academy and its surroundings, the entirety of it was Khaoss’s domain. Meaning if he even tripped, Khaoss would know. He had a feeling the principal would also know if it was intentional or an accident. So, receiving or sending direct messages to Vali, no matter how cryptic it was, was a big risk.
11.59 pm
So, the best way was not to have any communication inside the academy. Of course, if there was something urgent from Vali’s side, he would just send a simple message asking him to meet.
Just like now.
And why he chose India… guess he was just homesick.
12.00 am
The phone started ringing.
Arjuna looked away from the clock tower and accepted the call. It was funny how the supernatural world was so into magical communication that they overlooked the regular human’s way of communication. It might not be perfect, but for a short and cryptic call, it was more than enough.
“So… I heard that the tournament is a blast. Everyone is enjoying it.”
Arjuna sighed, “Vali.”
“Just messing with you.”
Arjuna knew Vali was quite disheartened when he learned about the tournament. It was something he would have terribly enjoyed. Unfortunately, it was too big of a risk to let him enter. Yes, he mostly relied on his ‘Divine Dividing’ but it was not hard to notice his immense demonic power no matter how much he tried to hide it.
Also, Azazel was there.
“I will make it up to you.”
“I know you will,” Vali chuckled, and then his laughter died down, “Listen, something big is going on over here. And I mean the whole Khaos Brigade.”
Now that got Arjuna’s attention.
“I will keep it brief. Three days ago, Kokabiel came in and took his whole force. Do not know why or where he went. It was too sudden. Then there is the Old Satan Faction. I believe they may have taken over the Nilrem Faction.”
Arjuna felt a headache coming. It seemed like various factions inside the brigade finally decided to part ways. This was quite a concerning matter since this meant they would soon make an appearance… through destruction and mayhem.
“What about Cao Cao?”
“Well, that shithead is meeting someone… from outside the brigade. And, as usual, the tension is still here in the Hero Faction.”
And then there is Cao Cao. He could have been a decent leader if it was not for his firm belief in human supremacy. And it showed. While he did not do anything drastic, his attitude toward his own teammates who were half humans left much to be desired. And this caused a fraction. It was not his intention, but all the half-humans started to come to him and view him as a leader.
Arjuna was not sure if this was Cao Cao’s plan. To use this as an excuse to come at him. Or he was just that arrogant… believing that everyone would blindly follow him despite his lack of leadership skills.
“There is one more thing, Arjuna.”
He immediately focused on the call again.
“This is just me, alright. But I feel like some of the individuals in the brigade got a power boost. Before I would not even spare a glance but now my senses are telling me to keep an eye out for them.”
Arjuna closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If Vali’s observation was true, then it made sense why the factions inside the brigade finally started to move.
“I will send Arthur over.”
“Alright, meanwhile I will keep my ear to the ground and see if I can find anything new.”
Arjuna cut the call and destroyed the phone.
So many things were happening simultaneously. The thing was he could answer the reason behind all of it if he just uttered one sentence. And he was terrified to be right.
Ophis was making a move.