NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: An Unlikely Neighbor
Game
Thoughts
"Talking"
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Why are you here?" Naruto asked, his face completely deadpan as he stared at the Super-Devil sitting across from him with a comically small teacup in his hand.
Sirzechs Lucifer:
[King of the Devils]
Lvl: 1,500
STR: ?
DEX: ?
CON: ?
INT: ?
WIS: ?
CHA: ?
LUK: ?
Skills: ?
Perks: ?
Debuffs: ?
Sirzechs Lucifer is one of the 4 Maou who rule the underworld. He holds the title of the strongest living devil.
Naruto wasn't happy when Yasaka awoke him early in the morning, before the sun had even fully risen, telling him that there was a guest here to see him. He wanted to look through his quest rewards, but that would have to wait for later. He was even less happy that she gave him no warning about who the guest was.
Why is he here to see me anyway? Aren't you the Queen of this place?
Yasaka sat a few feet to his right, and there was a small army of youkai guards in the room. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife as they stood ready to fight at the slightest bit of aggression from Sirzechs.
"I was just checking out the neighborhood before I moved in, and thought it would be nice to meet some of my soon-to-be neighbors!" Sirzechs said, smiling widely at him and holding out his hand for a handshake.
"Oh, that's very thoughtful of you. It's always polite to greet your neighbors and get to know them before you move in." Naruto said, nodding and shaking the strongest devil's hand, before pausing as he processed what the man said. He retracted his hand.
"Neighbors?" He asked, staring at Sirzechs like he was crazy.
"Yup! Nice to meet you, neighbor!" Sirzechs said, seemingly seeing nothing wrong with his statement.
"Why would you possibly want to move near us? Don't you have the underworld to rule?" He asked, resisting the urge to rub the bridge of his nose. He felt like he was dealing with a bunch of children ever since he arrived in this world. Is this how Kakashi felt?
I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei, for every stupid thing I did as a child. I feel your pain.
"Well, I need a new home, and this area looked nice!" Sirzechs responded, and then looked to the side shyly with a slight blush on his face, prompting all the youkai guards to tense at his movement, "Also, my sister is a huge fan. Could I have an autograph for her?"
Naruto felt a headache form as a hundred different questions popped into his mind, "First off, why do you need a new home, and why here of all places? Aren't we enemies?"
Naruto felt annoyed at the look Sirzechs gave him, somehow managing to keep a kind smile on his face as he looked at Naruto like the question he asked was stupid, "Obviously, I can't live in the underworld anymore, so I need a new house! As for your second question, why would we be enemies?"
Sirzechs leaned in and cupped his hands around his mouth, as if he telling a huge secret, "Don't tell anyone, but I'm also a big fan. I need to keep up my cool image in front of Rias, but I've read your manga 3 times already!"
Naruto sighed, looking to Yasaka for support, but she was suddenly very interested in wiping a speck of dirt off the floor.
She knows something about this. Damn traitor.
Naruto cleared his throat, "Of course, I know exactly what you're talking about. However, my good friend here," Naruto glanced over at one of the youkai guards and gestured to him with his hand, trying to find out his name.
Youkai Guard [Lvl 120]
He's such a side character that I can't even see his name.
"Greg," Naruto made up a name on the spot, "is pretty sheltered, so you should explain so he knows as well."
"Ah, my name isn't Greg-" The youkai guard in question tried to speak up.
"Yes it is." Naruto cut him off.
Persuasion Check
[Rolling…]
[God's Luck] has added +20 to your roll!
20!
Check success!
Greg's eyes widened as he experienced a flashback of all the major moments in his life. His first girlfriend. Graduating from university. Being chosen to be one of Yasaka's honored guards. Meeting his current wife for the first time. He still remembered the meeting vividly.
She was a barista at Starbucks, and she'd asked him how to spell his name. He'd laughed, telling her that he understood, as Greg was a complicated name to spell since it could be spelled multiple ways. He regaled her on how his name was passed down through generations in his family, and they'd hit it off from there.
"Of course it is, Kami-sama. Thanks for considering my thoughts, but I already know what Sirzechs-sama is talking abo-" Greg tried to say before he was cut off.
"Shush, Greg, no you don't. Stop interrupting now, it's incredibly rude." Naruto cut him off.
Persuasion Check
[Rolling…]
[God's Luck] has added +20 to your roll!
20!
Check success!
Greg nodded as his knowledge about the current situation vanished from his head.
"To refer to him as your friend, he must be one of the guards who assisted you in your battle with Zekram! Can I have an autograph from him too? For my sister, of course." Sirzechs said, coughing lightly as he blushed.
Greg wasn't one of the guards who went with Naruto to the underworld, but he was too afraid to interrupt again, so he nodded rapidly.
"As for why I can't live in the underworld, it's quite simple, Greg. During the Youkai God's battle with Zekram, his godly aura was too strong, and purified all the energy in the underworld! The energy is too full of light for any devils or fallen angels to survive down there for long, so we're all moving to the overworld!" Sirzechs explained, before reaching into his long robe and pulling out a paper book, "You can read all about it in this manga! I'm surprised you haven't read it yet, Greg, it's the all-time best-selling manga among the supernatural! Here's a copy."
A manga about my fight with Zekram, and a best-seller? The fight was only yesterday!
Naruto reached out his hand, intercepting Sirzechs in his attempt to hand the manga to the newly dubbed Greg. They both stared at him questioningly.
Naruto's mind raced for an excuse, "I'll keep this for now so I can autograph it for you later, Greg."
He didn't even need the system's help this time, as they bought his excuse. Greg nodded gratefully and Sirzechs looked at him in jealousy.
Naruto looked at the cover, which showcased a shirtless version of himself clashing with Zekram. They were in a beam clash, with his Rasengan smashing into Zekram's Power of Destruction. He flipped over the book, reading the summary on the back.
Based on the true story of the Youkai God's clash with Zekram Bael! A thrilling romance, in which the sexy Youkai God takes on the King of the Underworld to save his lover, the Youkai Queen, Yasaka!
Naruto's eyes skimmed the back covering, wondering how the book came to be. The back was covered in advertisements for the upcoming anime adaptation: The Youkai God's Bizzare Adventure by studio Nappa, but towards the bottom Naruto found the culprit.
Story details provided by the Youkai Queen, Yasaka.
"Yasaka," Naruto said, turning slowly to look at the Youkai Queen. She pretended not to hear him.
"Yasaka," He said again, staring directly into the back of her head.
"Yes, Kami-sama?" She said, turning towards him and whistling innocently.
"Why did you make a manga about what happened yesterday?" He asked, sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose. He felt like Iruka now.
"Well, you see, Kami-sama," She said, avoiding making eye contact with him, "Konou wanted to know about what happened since she couldn't come with us, so I commissioned a manga to be made."
"A manga about how I fought Zekram to save my lover," Naruto said, deadpanned.
"Welllllllll…" Yasaka said, drawing out the word guilty, "I might have gotten excited and exaggerated the details."
"Did you have to make a manga about it? You couldn't just tell her about it as a bedtime story?" Naruto asked, exasperated.
"I'm very glad you did, Yasaka!" Sirzechs said, drawing Naruto's attention back to him. "You've helped us see how cool the Youkai God is, and the tense relationship between the Youkai and devils is fixed! You've become one of the biggest supernatural icons, Kami-sama!"
Naruto sighed, "That's good, but please just call me Naruto. You're the leader of a whole species."
Persuasion Check
[Rolling…]
[God's Luck] has added [ERROR]
Your [LEGENDARY] Debuff - [Bad Timing] has deactivated your [God's Luck] Perk!
1!
Check failed!
"Nope, I like Kami-sama better!" Sirzechs said with a smile.
Bastard. Well, at least that'll help with my quest.
"So, no more killing Youkai, yeah?" Naruto asked.
Sirzechs nodded, slipping back into a serious persona, "Yup. The criminal who started the ordeal, Kuroka, was caught recently when she tried to break into her sister's transport vehicle. My knight was onboard and caught her. They'll be executed today. Their death, along with our species' new fandom for you, will ensure there is no more violence."
"Let me guess, her sister's name is Shrione?" Naruto asked, remembering his quest.
"Yeah, you really are as wise as the manga portrays, Kami-sama." Sirzechs said, looking at him with respect in his eyes.
Great, the two I need to save are the only ones in danger. Whatever, I would've saved them anyway even if I didn't have this quest.
"Any chance we can not do the whole executing thing?" He asked.
"It warms my heart to see you care so much for those of your species, Kami-sama, but I'm afraid not. There are still many devils calling for Kuroka's head." He answered apologetically.
Naruto thought for a moment, and then an idea formed in his head. "If you can't stop the execution, then I can't get you an autograph."
Sirzechs drooped comically, looking like a kid who was just told Santa wasn't real, "B-but my Rias-tan wants one really badly… she'll think I'm a super cool big brother and give me a hug if I get her one!"
Naruto fake sighed dramatically, "What a shame… I would love to get an autograph for such a big fan, and maybe even meet her in person, but I can't with the guilt of their execution weighing on me so heavily."
Naruto nearly burst out laughing as the strongest devil looked like a panicked child, "Wait! The Astaroth clan is in charge of the execution. If I force them to free the sisters, it'll be overstepping my authority as a Maou and could start another civil war. I could convince them to let the younger sister go, but they'll never willingly let Kuroka go free."
"Oh? Well, I guess if you think preventing a war is more important than your sister having a day-long vacation with the Youkai God, then I can't change your mind." Naruto said, a foxy smirk appearing on his face.
Sirzechs looked panicked, staring down at the table as he genuinely considered starting another civil war so Rias would think he was cool.
Fine, I'll throw him a bone. A civil war between my new neighbors would be annoying.
"Though, I guess if you just tell me when and where the execution will be held, I can call it even," Naruto said.
"Really? Thanks, Kami-sama! It'll be in 10 minutes, at the new Astraroth estate!" Sirzechs said, sighing as he calmed down from his panic.
Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of his head, "10 minutes!?"
Sirzechs nodded, and now it was his turn to smirk, "It's pretty soon, but I could set up a teleportation circle to get you there right away. Of course, in return, I'd need you to tell Rias that we're best friends later."
This isn't the even trade you think it is. Telling your sister we're friends in exchange for you giving me a straight path to steal your most wanted prisoner is not fair. I thought the strongest devil would be a better negotiator.
"Deal." Naruto said, holding his hand out. Sirzechs grinned and clasped his hand, shaking it.
After letting go of his hand, Sirzech stood up and gestured his hand toward an open space on the floor. The space glowed, and a series of circles enclosing each other appeared, with symbols Naruto couldn't decipher sprinkled throughout them.
"Step in whenever you're ready. It'll take you right outside the bounded area enclosing the execution grounds." Sirzechs said, gesturing with an open hand toward the circle.
"Please, let me accompany you Kami-sama!" Yasaka said, standing up from her seat.
Naruto stood as well, "No, not this time. The situation is unknown and dangerous. I can't promise I can look out for you."
Yes, I can, but I really don't want to babysit you guys again.
Persuasion Check
[Rolling…]
[God's Luck] has added [ERROR]
Your [LEGENDARY] Debuff - [Bad Timing] has deactivated your [God's Luck] Perk!
1!
Check failed!
"Kami-sama, it warms my heart that you care for me so much that you don't want me to go to keep me safe, but I can hold my own!" Yasaka said, stepping over to the circle.
"You are so kind, Kami-sama, but allow us to help you!" A Youkai guard said, and they started walking towards the circle as well.
+50 Affection with Yasaka (Obsessively Worshiped)
+50 Obedience with Yasaka (Obsessively Worshiped)
+50 Obedience with the West Youkai Faction (Worshiped)
+50 Reputation with the West Youkai Faction (Worshiped)
Great. Just great.
Naruto sighed and stopped trying to convince them, walking over to the circle and stepping in it.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outside the Bounded Area
Naruto stared up at the large purple forcefield dome, allowing the man walking up behind him to remain believing he was stealthy. They were in a dense forest, with trees much shorter than those in Kyoto.
Souji Okita:
[The Strongest Samurai]
Lvl: 650
STR: 250
DEX: 950
CON: 200
INT: 760
WIS: 875
CHA:?
LUK: ?
Skills: ?
Perks: ?
Debuffs: ?
Souji Okita is the knight of Sirzechs Lucifer. He is a former Samurai captain.
"You stand out like a sore thumb, Youkai God." The man behind him spoke. He looked to be in his early 20s, and was covered head to toe in samurai equipment.
"Yeah, I've been told that before. Have you ever seen a ninja who dressed in an orange tracksuit?" Naruto shot back, turning around to face the man.
"You would be a terrible ninja, Youkai God. Your hair would give you away" The man said, chuckling.
You couldn't be more wrong.
"I'm sorry I must do this, Youkai God. My master is a fan of yours, but I've been hired by the head of the Astraroth clan to ensure no one crashes the party." Souji said, drawing his sword from his hip.
"No hard feelings," Naruto said simply, and a moment later Souji appeared in front of him, a gust of wind filling where he once was. His sword slashed at Naruto but was met by a kunai that slipped out from his sleeve.
He's fast.
Souji took a step back, then flung a flurry of slashes towards Naruto, but none of them landed. Naruto jumped back, before leaping upwards into a tree. A second later, he was forced to jump into another one as the tree split in half.
"Why are you running, Youkai God? You need to defeat me quickly if you want a chance at preventing the execution." Souji said, looking at him curiously.
Naruto smirked, dodging another slash from Souji, "Oh, I have all the time in the world."
Souji sent a sharp wave of wind towards him, but Naruto leaned backward, allowing the blade of wind to fly past him and cut in half the branches above him.
"Oh? Why's that, Youkai God? Are you so confident in your abilities that you think you can play around with me first?" Souji asked, stopping his strikes and standing still.
Naruto smiled widely, his teeth showing, "Nope! It's because I'm not the real Naruto! I'm just a distraction."
Persuasion Check
[Rolling…]
[God's Luck] has added [ERROR]
Your [LEGENDARY] Debuff - [Bad Timing] has deactivated your [God's Luck] Perk!
1!
Check failed!
Souji blinked at him, then tilted his head sideways, "What do you mean? It's obvious to me that you're the Youkai God."
Naruto's smile faltered, "N-no, I'm a shadow clone, the real Naruto is in there wreaking havoc right now!"
Persuasion Check
[Rolling…]
[God's Luck] has added [ERROR]
Your [LEGENDARY] Debuff - [Bad Timing] has deactivated your [God's Luck] Perk!
1!
Check failed!
"Ah, a good attempt, Youkai God, but I won't fall for your trickery," Souji said, taking a fighting stance again and holding his sword in front of him.
Naruto's smile faltered even more, "W-wait I'm actually not the real Naruto! This is where you're supposed to be all shocked that you've been duped and run in to stop the real one, only to realize you're too late!"
"You are a terrible liar, Youkai God. Someone as old as I can see through you easily. Now that you know your trick won't work on me, let's battle seriously!" Souji said, pointing his sword towards Naruto in a challenge.
"No, I'm really, ah, whatever. It doesn't matter. Stab me with your sword, then I'll explode into a cloud of smoke, and we'll flashback to how the real Naruto and Yasaka stopped the execution while you run into the dome in a panic." Naruto said, opening his arms to give Souji a free shot at stabbing him.
Persuasion Check
[Rolling…]
[God's Luck] has added [ERROR]
Your [LEGENDARY] Debuff - [Bad Timing] has deactivated your [God's Luck] Perk!
1!
Check failed!
"You can't fool me, Youkai God! I've seen your manga! You're planning to make me the villain of your next one! You want me to stab you to gain the eerie of the readers, then you'll make a comeback and defeat me while injured to look even more heroic! Us samurai live private lives, Youkai God, I won't allow myself to become the antagonist of your next manga!" Souji shouted, sheathing his sword and glaring at Naruto.
Naruto sighed, pulling out a kunai and stabbing it into his stomach, popping himself into a cloud of smoke.
"WHAT! I was tricked! You pretended to be a bad liar to trick me, Youkai God! You truly are even more clever than I thought!" Souji shouted, before sprinting into the bounded area.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 minutes earlier, inside the bounded area.
The execution ground was… unimpressive. Naruto expected something extravagant, considering this was a noble devil's estate. Instead, there was a foldable table sitting in the middle of a big field, on which was sitting the two Nekoshou sisters. Their hands were tied together behind their backs, and their eyes looked glazed, as if under some type of drug or magic.
There was a devil in a full set of armor, looking like a medieval knight. He had a large halberd in his hand. Naruto assumed he was the executioner. Around them, there were various devils from different classes there to watch the execution. Devil society made a big deal about showcasing one's prestige in society, so the lower-class devils were relegated to sitting on cardboard boxes, while the higher-class devils, such as nobles and heads of households, had folding chairs.
Naruto and the group of Youkai, consisting of Yasaka and 3 guards, were crouched behind a bush in the forest that surrounded the open grass field.
"Why are they sitting on cardboard boxes?" Naruto whispered to Yasaka.
"Honestly, I have no idea. Usually, an execution this significant would be a huge spectacle, with wine for the guests and fireworks afterward." Yasaka answered, looking as confused as him. Naruto glanced over at a small wooden crate sitting on the far right side of the field, which had a bowl of punch and a plate of crackers on top of it. Not wine.
Naruto's curiosity got the best of him, and he stealthily snuck his way over to a large devil sitting on a cardboard box. He was far too big for the box, and it was crumpled beneath him.
"Hey, why are you sitting on a cardboard box?" Naruto asked him.
"Oh, hey Youkai God. It's because all the devils had to leave the underworld so quickly, so the Astaroth family didn't have time to get any real furniture, but didn't want to delay the execution," The devil answered, turning his head back to look at the execution folding table. Then, his eyes widened, and he did a double take, "Wait, Youkai God?"
"No, that's not me," Naruto said, waiting for his system to kick in. It didn't.
"You're definitely the Youkai God. I read your manga, I know what you look like. How the hell are you here? I need to tell somebody!" The devil said, moving to stand up. Naruto's hand clamped on his shoulder, pushing him back down.
"No, no, definitely not me. There's no Youkai God here. In fact, the Youkai God isn't even real." Naruto said seriously, staring into the man's eyes. This time, the system decided to help him out.
Persuasion Check
[Rolling…]
[God's Luck] has added +20 to your roll!
20!
Check success!
The man slouched back onto the cardboard box, staring in boredom towards the Nekoshou sisters again as he completely forgot about Naruto's existence.
Naruto snuck his way back to the group of Youkai as a man walked towards the table the Nekoshou were on, speaking loudly to the group of devils, "Welcome, my fellow devilkind! We've gathered here today for the long-awaited execution of Kuroka, the heinous criminal who killed her master, along with her sister Shrione!"
A round of cheers went off at his words, and the man puffed out his chest. He looked to be in his 50s, had dark black hair, was fairly short, and had a pudgy face.
"And don't forget, it is I, Lord Astaroth, who set up this execution!" The man, revealed to be Lord Astaroth, boasted as the crowd around him cheered. He turned to the executioner, "Now, let the execution begin!"
"Time to go," Naruto said. He swiftly created two shadow clones and then stood on their hands as they flung him over the crowd of devil's heads, landing right next to Lord Astaroth.
"What th-" Lord Astaroth was interrupted by Naruto's fist smashing into his face, sending him careening into the crowd of devils. Naruto's foot swept out, taking the executioner's legs out from under him.
"Intruders! Get them!" A shout came from the crowd, and Naruto found himself in a series of attacks as the guards stationed around the field came flying at him.
These guys are so slow. I'd run laps around them even when I was a kid.
Naruto dodged one devil's sword easily, stepping forward and slamming his elbow down on his head. The next guard tried to punch him and was swiftly thrown over his shoulder, blocking a blast of fire magic from a guard behind him with his body.
Yasaka and the Youkai guards caught up with him, bursting through a side of the crowd and launching into the guards. As the Youkai dealt with the guards, Naruto started walking towards the Nekoshou sisters.
He looked down at the sisters, smiling awkwardly as he tried to put them at ease, "I'm here to save you, alright?"
The black-haired one, Kuroka, nodded weakly. Naruto walked around to the back of the table and swiped his hand through the rope holding the white-haired catgirl first, "That was a piece of cake."
He saw Shirone nod weakly at his words. He moved to the other rope, easily tearing through it. The two girls turned around to look at him, and he smiled again to put them at ease, "You're safe now, I promise. I'll never let another Youkai die by their hands."
What Naruto didn't know, was that the two Nekoshou sisters were seeing something much different from him.
They were drained of energy, hungry from not eating that day, and their minds were addled from the sedative drugs they had been forcefully fed to ensure they didn't try to escape. A combination of these factors caused them to hallucinate slightly.
Kuroka saw Naruto approach them, glowing like the sun. He smiled handsomely at her, "I'm here to save you, my love."
Kuroka nodded weakly, her heart pounding in her ears at his words, and she felt a tug in her chest.
He loves me?
Shirone blinked her eyes as she heard him walk around behind the table. His hands brushed against hers and then sliced through the rope. She looked over her shoulders, her eyes locking onto his. She felt herself get lost in them.
"I'll get you a piece of cake," She heard him say, and her heart started pounding.
How does he know I love sweets?
The two Nekoshou turned around to face Naruto as he spoke again, his smile lighting up their world like the sun, "You're safe now, I promise. I'll never let someone I love so much die."
Both catgirls stared at him, their mouths hanging open slightly in awe. His energy felt so safe, so warm, so comforting Their hearts were beating faster than ever before, and they shared a single thought as their pupils were replaced with hearts.
Soulmate.
+1000 Affection with Kuroka (Loved)
+1000 Obedience with Kuroka (Loved)
+1000 Affection with Shrione (Loved)
+1000 Obedience with Shrione (Loved)
Naruto blinked as he stared at the large amount of reputation he gained.
I guess they're really thankful I saved them.
He blinked again as he saw another notification, his head filling with the memories of his shadow clone.
+100 Reputation with Souji Okita (Liked)
I guess he respected my cleverness… which wasn't clever at all. The system is just way too good.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a shout behind him.
"You might be strong, Youkai God, but your friends aren't! I read your manga, and I know how much you value your fellow Youkai and the power of friendship, so if you don't want this guy's head blown off you better do what I say!" Naruto turned around and saw a blue-haired teenager holding one of the Youkai guards in a headlock, a magic circle on his palm as he directed it at his head.
Diodora Astaroth:
[Heir to the Astaroth Clan]
Lvl: 125
STR: 95
DEX: 110
CON: 60
INT: 400
WIS: 350
CHA:-25
LUK: ?
Skills: ?
Perks: ?
Debuffs: ?
Diodora Astaroth is the heir to the Astaroth Clan.
"Well, Youkai God? You better listen! I bet you regret bringing your friends along with you now, huh?" Diodora mocked him.
Naruto readied himself to blitz the poor kid and save the guard when an idea came to his head.
It worked earlier, what if I…
"What do ya mean? I didn't bring anyone." Naruto said, staring at Diodora.
Diodora blinked in surprise, not expecting that response, "What? I'm literally holding him hostage right now."
"No, you're not. I'm the only Youkai here." Naruto said, ignoring the bewildered stares of the devils around him.
Persuasion Check
[Rolling…]
[God's Luck] has added +20 to your roll!
20!
Check success!
Suddenly, as if broken out of a trance, every devil blinked in unison.
Diodora released the Youkai guard and aimed his hand at Naruto, "He's just one man! We've got a whole crowd of noble devils here, we can beat him!"
Diodora's head snapped back as the Youkai guard he was holding hostage hit him with a punch, and Diodora looked up from the ground at Naruto with fear in his eyes, "Be careful, he's so fast I didn't even see him move!"
I can't believe this is working.
Another devil from the crowd rushed forward, swinging a wild haymaker at Naruto, but Yasaka swiftly swung her tail into his gut and sent him flying into the forest.
"How did he do that?! He didn't even move! Can he attack with just his mind?" A devil screamed in panic.
A devil launched himself at Naruto, but ended up barreling straight into a Youkai guard that he believed wasn't there and fell to the ground, "He made a barrier around him! We can't even get close to him! What do we do?"
Naruto couldn't help himself and burst out laughing.
This game is pretty fun after all.
The next few minutes consisted of the devils trying various strategies to attack Naruto, ranging from coordinated attacks to wild rushes, but never getting close as the Youkai whom they were fully convinced didn't exist took them down. Even Souji, who'd been unfortunate enough to arrive just as he was speaking with Diodora, didn't manage to get close.
Out of all the devils in the area, there was only one who never joined the battle. There was only one man who didn't stare at Naruto in fear and shock.
On the outskirts of the battle, Sairaorg Bael watched the devils make a fool of themselves. He left in the middle of the battle, returning to the Bael's new home in the overworld, and regaled his peerage about the bout of insanity that overtook the noble devils at the execution. About how they were all defeated by invisible enemies, shouting about a Youkai God that didn't exist.
What Sairaorg Bael didn't know, was that the Youkai God had talked to him earlier that day, convincing him that he didn't exist after they spoke about the cardboard box Sairaorg was seated on. Sairaorg was affected by Naruto's system twice, resulting in him being unable to visualize either Naruto or the Youkai with him. Sairaorg Bael regaled his peerage about the noble devils at the execution going insane, not knowing that he was the most insane one of them all.
A tale spread throughout the entire supernatural realm, about how the Youkai God successfully saved the SS-Class criminal Kuroka and her sister from execution, fighting off a hoard of hundreds of noble devils without even a scratch on him. The tale spread and became more and more exaggerated as witnesses who fought against him chimed in, speaking of how he could defeat enemies with his mind and had an unbreakable barrier around him.
The tale spread throughout the entire supernatural realm and became a legend regaled for years to come. Or, it would've, had this conversation not happened.
"Yasaka," Naruto said, staring at the crowd of unconscious devils around them, "is this going to start a war?"
Yasaka shook her head, a serious look in her eye, "Don't worry about that, Kami-sama. I'll do my duty as Queen and ensure everything is smoothed over with Sirzechs."
Naruto looked at her with a newfound respect.
Damn, I guess she can act like a real Queen when she gets serious.
What Naruto didn't know, was that "smoothing things over" referred to her commissioning the next part of his manga, and allowing Sirzechs to have a copy for his sister before it was publicly released.
And so, the tale of the Youkai's God rescue mission was never spread throughout the supernatural world, because a manga telling the story was instead.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naruto Uzumaki:
[Sage]
Lvl: 500
STR: 762
DEX: 725
CON: 450
INT: 120
WIS: 750
CHA: 999
LUK: 0
Skills: None
Perks: [Martial Arts], [You're a Wizard, Naruto], [Ladies Man], [God's Luck]
Debuffs: [Confusion], [Bad Timing]
Naruto Uzumaki is a Hero from another world, who has been reborn with the power of the Gamer system! His goal is to save the Youkai and see his friends again.
Alert! You have [Quest] rewards available!
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: Thanks for reading! You can read up to chapter 13 right now at Patreon.com/Koyon !