Underworld – City of Lilith – Outside the 9 Circles Prison.
Outside, multiple demons could be seen waiting for their relatives who were to be released that very day, these being none other than the relatives of the revolutionaries who had already bent the knee and sworn with blood their loyalty to the new Maou Lucifer and his regime.
Not a simple demon oath or mere words, but something forgotten over time and now remembered… their houses were at stake as well as their descendants with this oath.
The demon families paid attention when the great prison gates were opened and, one by one, demons began to appear with a somewhat haggard appearance, but alive.
Venelana looked with shining eyes and barely holding back tears at her son and husband, toward whom she did not hesitate to run and embrace in a comforting hug.
Zeoticus and Sirzechs did not resist the affection of their wife/mother; they truly missed her… things in prison were not good, much less in the 9 circles… some of their friends and older demons had broken, and they had been close to it… it was perpetual torment.
Zeoticus: V…lana… – he tried to say before coughing, his throat dry and rough, he had not even drunk water in prison, much less eaten anything.
Sirzechs panted not much different from his father, he did not even have a voice but was relieved to see his mother… that nightmare that tormented him would not happen, he would never allow it… never.
Venelana: I missed you… – she said with a knot in her throat, letting the tears simply flow.
The Gremory family was not the only one reunited, Serafall not far away received her parents and was also happy to see them, even though a little thin and dirty it did not matter… they were fine.
Other demons also shared the happiness of being received by their families, except for Zekram who, although he looked haggard and a bit dirty, his air of authority had not disappeared and he was received by his eldest son and heir of the clan, just as serious as him.
Zekram looked straight into his son's eyes, to which the latter averted his gaze and Zekram needed no more explanations… he simply clenched his fists in anger.
Zekram: Damn Phoenixes… mocked also by a useless one… – he thought with hatred, a useless Phoenix made them fall and another Phoenix took control… that clan.
Human World – "Night" – Dacia.
Naruto stared coldly at his two enemies without even blinking, there was no need but that single action disturbed Odin a little. Yes, he had faced many enemies of different races, some he defeated, others he killed, others he subjected to his will… He had walked the terrifying human world and faced enemies that had nearly pushed him to the brink of death but… he did not know much about demons besides the fact that they had a separate dimension, and he had only met one in his life… someone called Lucifer, who had the courage to enter his kingdom, his territory and his own castle… the demon with the biggest balls and the most dangerous he had ever known, and today he meets a second demon of whom he knows nothing… it sparked curiosity and a strange sensation, a hunger for battle almost like Thor's but… He was no fool… he did not confront Lucifer because of that strange feeling he gave him, and this demon before him was not much different.
Dracula frowned deeply, the heat kept rising every second, he did not worry about his people, the nobles had entered the scene, but this monster in front of him… was dangerous.
Naruto leaned forward.
Odin and Dracula moved but Naruto was faster.
Odin opened his eyes in surprise as he felt a hand close around his face with force.
"Buaghhh…
Odin spat a mouthful of blood at the powerful blow to his side, directly to his liver.
A horrendous pain shot through Odin as he bent over, his thoughts racing, the runes on his armor.
Dracula did not hesitate and lunged at Naruto, who threw Odin at him and extended his palm.
Dracula caught Odin mid-flight only to see a strange red sphere approaching him.
"Shit…"
"BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM…
A powerful explosion resounded, with Dracula managing to get out of it without Odin in hand, but Naruto was already waiting for him in the sky.
Dracula turned to look only to receive a brutal punch that erased his entire jaw, bones included.
"PLASSTTTT…
Naruto did not stop and tried to shove his hand down Dracula's throat to rip out his heart, but his danger instinct alerted him.
Naruto leapt back, dodging a golden spear that passed very close to his chest and tore half his suit.
Naruto turned again to Odin, who hurled several bolts of lightning that Naruto dodged and tried to repel with his pair of flaming wings that grew to massive proportions but, to his mild surprise, the bolts disintegrated the points they touched.
Dracula recovered, as did his jaw, and backed away, gritting his teeth in hatred.
Naruto raised his hand and a small yellow sphere began to form in it, emitting intense heat.
Odin frowned, that looked like a mini-sun… there was a rumor about Nippon, don't go near that territory of the crazy Sun woman, and now this.
Odin and Dracula blinked when suddenly that boy seemed immense, of illogical proportions.
"Cruel Sun!"
Odin and Dracula could not even react when the attack was already upon them.
"BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM….
An intense light covered everything.
Silence, an intense silence covered the whole area.
"Why are you covering yourselves as if I were attacking you? I haven't done it yet."
A calm and amused voice they heard where pain and the noise of an explosion should have resounded.
Odin and Dracula abruptly opened their eyes and looked at the one who spoke not far away… standing, without a single scratch or dirt, they looked at each other… they too were not injured or their clothes torn… they looked around, normal and undamaged, and felt a pit in their stomachs.
A terrifying chill enveloped Dracula and Odin, more so the latter who had prevailed over worse things but did not understand what had just happened… supposedly, an intense fight, he underestimated this demon and almost paid for it in just minutes with his own life… Dracula was not very different, he did not know if he would have survived that attack and this.
Odin and Dracula asked themselves, "What was all that?" An illusion? At what moment? How could they have fallen into it?
Naruto let them sink into their thoughts, he could feel the fear and anguish in the air… delicious, but best of all, he had just discovered unlimited demonic power, this was not just about throwing and casting spells… oh, poor demons who had forgotten and lost their demonic roots.
Naruto smiled while shaking his head.
Odin and Dracula looked at him.
Naruto: I already tested my little experiment, now I will kill you… – he said calmly, and an immense magical power was felt.
Odin blinked, in fact… he had only just begun to feel the demon's power, before he thought he had, even deceived himself… "What… is… he?" Capable of inducing him in an illusion so… real.
Dracula swallowed hard, if he couldn't escape in that illusion.
Dracula was about to shout something when strange papers began to fall from the sky.
"Narutoooo…"
Uncle called from the distance before falling at his side and looking seriously at the enemies.
Naruto blinked, looking at the strange papers falling from the sky.
_________________________________________
In fact, it wasn't just where Naruto was, but all over the supernatural world and the respective factions within the human world—except for common humans—everyone had received blank cards in their hands that began to display letters out of nowhere: "Supernatural Ranking, Open." That's what appeared on the cards, to everyone's curiosity.
Naruto looked with genuine curiosity at the card in his hand, Uncle was no different.
Odin didn't lower his guard but still glanced at the card in his hand.
Naruto opened the card without worrying whether it was a trap or some silly attack, just like the many beings in the supernatural world.
"Top 1, Ophis Ouroboros, the Dragon God known as the Ouroboros Dragon and the Dragon God of Infinity."
Naruto raised an eyebrow with curiosity at such a being, though he hadn't heard of it, only something about a certain red dragon, the strongest dragon, something well-guarded by the dragons. But of course, he had ties with Uncle and his clan, so he would obviously know some secrets from Uncle's mouth.
Tio hummed; he had heard of her from his mother's lips, but couldn't remember well.
Tiamat, who was approaching, raised an eyebrow.
Azula hummed from her office with Mai and Ty Lee at each side, both looking at their own cards and each other's to see if they were the same.
Leviathan wondered what witchcraft this was.
Rizevim smiled at the Top 1.
Ophis, still staring at the card in her hand, threw it away and disappeared.
"Top 2, Izanami no Mikoto, Izanagi, Shiva leader of the Hindu Faction and God of Destruction, Vishnu, Brahma, Gaia."
Zeus darkened his gaze in his palace. That meant she was alive but, where? He would find her and lock her away… too dangerous to be loose, especially when she didn't answer to him… the King of Olympus.
Poseidon was slightly surprised at what the card showed, since at the top it specified that the Top referred to entities in the existing plane, and Gaia, because of "Cronos."
"THUNDER!"
"Don't even think it, idiot."
Zeus shouted at his brother for thinking about the Taboo.
Hades smiled, watching Zeus so pathetic, still confined to bed after the beating he had taken from the crazy Sun goddess.
Hestia smiled softly in her cabin, looking at the card, her Oba-sama was somewhere out there.
Shiva looked seriously at the card in his hand, he didn't know the other beings listed beside him, nor had he ever imagined having equals and a superior.
Lilith whistled, Naruto's mother.
Olga swallowed dryly.
Yoruhime smiled, her mother… she would soon free her, and the fact she was in this plane meant that the dose Gaia supplied to the seal already allowed her to materialize in this world.
Gaia pouted.
"Top 3, Amaterasu Goddess of the Sun, Lakshmi (Hindu), Odin Father of Asgard, Indra (India), Tsukuyomi, Kurama the Kitsune, Yato God of Calamity, Ra Ra."
Amaterasu raised an eyebrow at the other names; she would have to ask for their names from the idiots who stepped into her territory before killing them, to recognize who managed to escape her.
Zeus swallowed dryly.
The Olympians around Zeus felt a chill; they hadn't even mentioned Zeus here… "They escaped from a beast worse than Cronos."
Odin raised an eyebrow.
Odin: Top 3… – the god smiled, glancing at Naruto, who looked at him and quickly understood.
Tiamat also noticed the looks and her expression darkened.
Dracula sighed and smiled in relief.
Inari frowned at the appearance of the long-lost first Kitsune to ever exist.
Indra snorted.
Yato looked with a dead gaze at his name on the paper.
"Top 4, Naruto Phoenix: The Demon King, Leviathan, Paimon (Demon), Zeus King of Olympus, Osiris, Rhea."
The entire Underworld swallowed hard, including the recently freed revolutionaries—their Leader was in the Top 4 among the most powerful entities in the supernatural world, a demon no less… but not only him, there was Paimon and even Leviathan herself… but still, so young and already in the big leagues… damn.
Naruto's acquaintances felt a chill; they hadn't expected such a being, truly they hadn't… Top 4, supernatural world… unthinkable.
Sirzechs clenched the card with bloody fists and a gaze full of hatred and jealousy.
Venelana contemplated in silence, lost in her thoughts.
Zekram, who had just arrived at his castle, shook his head—impossible… there had to be some damned mistake here, that damn boy hadn't even matured.
Marianne smiled from her foreign affairs office.
Leviathan: Well, he can control me and survive that book… What the hell did the Phoenixes bring into the Underworld? Besides, I feel there's something strange here… – the demoness thought. She knew he was strong and invincible in the human world, but Naruto Phoenix was not a biblical demon cursed at birth, he was born of demons… he wasn't Lucifer, nor her… Although Beelzebub and Asmodeus were also non-cursed demons yet the strongest… but even so… Naruto was far too young.
Gaia smiled mysteriously, in Lilith's opinion, who hummed. If Naruto was Top 4… "What about Lucifer and Elohim?"
Yoruhime whistled, that madman… but she hadn't fought in years, so she didn't know.
Azula mocked, never expected it but damn… her father really was a super idiot.
Mai and Ty Lee gasped, and they weren't the only ones, all the demons tied to the Phoenix clan were in shock… their prince and now their leader.
Azazel frowned, that demon brat was a monster, How could a Phoenix reach such a level? It was impossible, they had limits or else they would have already conquered the world. If they entered the Top of the strongest just like that, he'd have to be careful when trying to establish friendly relations with him for the sake of his "dream"… since according to his spies, the rebellion had been a resounding failure.
Michael frowned, three demons so powerful. He thought Leviathan had died and that Naruto too, pierced by a spear.
Odin glanced at Naruto; so that's what they called him, and Demon King no less… it didn't surprise him he could induce such a real illusion.
Dracula swallowed dryly, Odin only surpassed him by one rank.
Naruto frowned, he controlled Leviathan and all… But to be on her level? Nonsense… he should be superior after what he had done not long ago after nearly dying, though he felt it had to do with Leviathan being invincible in the human world, which was why she was cursed to the Underworld.
Tiamat looked at Naruto in silence, with a visible hint of interest in her gaze.
Tio smiled and drew closer to his man.
Rizevim hummed, curious about the mystery surrounding the power of his "friend."
"Top 5, Lilith the Mother of Demons, Eve the Mother of Humanity, Adam Father of Humanity, Inari Leader of the Yokai, Hagoromo Gitsune, Hera, Susano'o, Quetzalcoatl, Pavartis."
Lilith froze… they had just mentioned her, and those other two.
The Underworld and Heaven also froze at those names.
Odin remembered that crazy one… she had almost killed him too, these Tops clearly had mistakes.
Mephistopheles sighed, that boy might have freed them… the good thing was that they had no hunger for battle, or woe to the world.
Rizevim blinked, "What the hell?"
Metatron clenched his fists so hard they bled.
Marianne blinked.
Tio: Lilith… – she thought and glanced sideways at his companion.
The former council already had material to bother the newly rising Phoenix, they had to find the absolute ruler after Lucifer, "Lilith," reclaim the throne and remove the boy and his mother who had taken their power, and slowly they were doing so with their influence.
"Top 6, Hades God of the Greek Underworld, Yue, Deva, Kali, Bishamom."
Hades smiled at that, though he didn't know the others.
Poseidon: It seems we're only the strongest in our own world, not in the real one. Though I don't see Father here, could it be because of the decay of his power that he doesn't appear?.. – wondered the current Leader of Olympus, since Zeus still couldn't walk, not even bathing in healing waters could cure him from the beating he'd taken before. It would be a miracle if he could have children.
"Top 7, Aphrodite, Anubis, Gabriel, Smaug, Dracula, Mira Tepes, Rizevim Livan Lucifer."
Azazel opened his eyes in curse, then, why had Gabriel never killed him, if he was that strong?
Michael didn't deny that his sister was in the Top of the strongest, she had been able to face Lucifer at times without any gift from their father, something he himself had needed or he would have died. Practically, Gabriel was the strongest Seraph and Angel in Heaven. He wondered, what Top would Lucifer be if he were alive, and their father? Even if Gabriel was Top 7, she still couldn't defeat either of them but managed to survive.
The most beautiful and strongest Seraph of Heaven frowned at being revealed that way, that would only cause problems.
Sirzechs: Him too? Where am I? The first super demon in existence? – he thought. He couldn't accept the fact that Rizevim was one of the Top strongest, it made no sense, and even less Naruto being Top 4. He was the one who should have been in that position, this Ranking was wrong.
Rizevim smiled calmly from his seat in his castle, he wasn't worried about Naruto's Top, or anything, there was only one problem, "his Mother." What the hell happened there?
"Top 8, Thor, Poseidon, Sun Wukong, Michael, Uriel, Tiamat."
Tio's eyebrow twitched.
Tio: It's not fair, where am I…
"Shut up, Tio!"
The dragoness snorted.
Naruto sweated, what a relationship.
Those who appeared in the Top 8 were calm.
"Top 9, Klarus, Fenrir, Azazel, Trish."
Azazel snorted at that, he was stronger than Michael, surely.
Tio: Hmn, well, not bad… – he said casually, it was time to train his power more.
"Top 10, Morgana Le Fay, Belial, Lucia, Nyx, Olga Discordia, Tempest, Yoruhime."
And the list went on downward, but only the top ten in the ranking were closely watched.
Azula hummed at seeing herself in 30th place, her stepmother in 19th, and read a part of the card where it said that the Top was updated every 100 years. The Top showed complete beings in all fields, and from that your rank varied: if you were injured without recovery, you would drop in rank; if you were sealed, the Top number you had shown at first would drop no matter your power, since practically your power would not be in the plane. If you were not in the supernatural or human world plane, you were not in the Top. If you were dead, you weren't in the Top until the next update, where your name might appear.
Naruto hummed, Izanami was close to being free but he was curious about the other names he knew little about.
Tiamat watched Naruto in silence.
Tiamat: I've recovered what belongs to me… – she said, drawing Naruto's attention, who blinked before understanding and nodding.
Naruto turned again to his two enemies in front.
Naruto: I feel curious about this… he showed the card… so I'll let you go, but if you steal again or step into the Underworld without my permission, I'll come and kill you both… – he said calmly and in an obvious, firm way.
Dracula didn't respond, nor did Odin. Neither sought a large-scale fight, not with this new revelation and the fact they were literally in the heart of the vampire faction… also the fact that Naruto had left them an impression before these cards.
Naruto: Good… let's go… – he said, looking at Tiamat and Uncle, who nodded while a portal appeared at Naruto's side, into which the trio began to enter.
"Lord Dracula… they stole your daughter's coffinnnn…"
Dracula and the trio heard only as the portal closed.
"Noooooo…"
Odin looked until the last second at Naruto in silence. Beyond his mocking and fierce gaze… he noticed the apathy, the boredom, and an unparalleled chaos contained in those eyes. Where Lucifer had madness… this boy seemed to be the end of the world itself, walking under the facade of a normal demon… he might be mistaken, he looked like a boy, but… he was the first being who had truly given him such a sudden chill.
Somewhere in the world.
Among the shadows of a castle, a figure could be seen staring at the card in their hands before sighing and tearing it to pieces.
"Always those biblicals… as if Elohim's monster wasn't enough, and now with the dead one… Leviathan cannot cross the portal or it will be… the end…"
…
…
TO BE CONTINUED.