Chapter 6 – It's not quiet anymore.

A lithe dark haired little girl sat atop a white scaffold. The surrounding landscape was encompassed in white and in its middle sat a great white Castle. It was easily the greatest thing she had ever come up with. It was quiet and peaceful, even if it was so small and constricting that she could barely be free.

She could feel it, the swaying motions of fate, as it so gracefully flowed through the sands of time. Yet for all her power fate was something that she couldn't control. It was a raging tsunami, that sweeps whatever it wants in its wake and leaves everyone who survived it to pick the pieces back together.

"Who could ever imagine that you'd be back." Her silent monotone voice rang inside the separate dimension, echoed all around, "You are making it loud again, like all those years before… I hate it."

"Are you still going on about that? Ophis." A spectral voice reverberated in her head.

"Even now your voice rings in my ears, haven't you had enough? You should be gone."

"Times are changing little Ophis."

"Impossible, you won't accomplish anything with this." She said with finality.

"No. He can't fail; I would know best after all. You won't get what you want Ophis."

"You are dead and I am alive. Isn't that proof enough?"

"You still haven't understood what it means to be strong Ophis? Even after all these years. Poor little thing. Maybe this time around you'll learn. You can feel it can't you?"

"Leave me be. I've had enough, I want quiet, I want my peace."

"Don't you miss me little Ophis?"

"I said LEAVE!"

Everything went quiet again. Ophis, the Ouroboros dragon didn't feel at peace anymore. A millennia long forgotten anger resurfaced as she stared ahead at the white horizon. Her energy became unstable again, a small amount of it escaped her control. It was a testament to her power as the separate artificial dimension started crumbling away.

The colorful void of the dimensional gap remained as the walls of her dimension faltered and as she sat atop her crumbling empty white castle Ophis almost shed a tear, for ages long gone and traitors who never acknowledged her.

==2==

He felt like a scolded child.

Never in his life had he felt so embarrassed. It was a feeling that he never experienced before so he couldn't put it into words. A thousand and one different thoughts crossed his mind, not knowing how he should be reacting right now. He settled on aggravated with a hint of relieved. He came an inch too close to taking a life. Again. It was ironic in a sense, that somebody close to him stopped him every time the situation called for it.

Would she be there when he confronted Cao Cao? He hoped not. In his mind he had to do it. Make sure that Eli, Johnny and Sasuke slept easy in the afterlife; if such a thing even existed. A fleeting thought that he was doing it for himself and his own peace of mind crossed his thoughts. It was handily squashed underneath a pile of justifications. He was doing the righteous thing. His course of action was the right one; no doubt about it.

Hercules came in front of his musings. Did she let him walk away?

Life was a fleeting privilege. Everyone sought meaning to their own existence and in their journey many came up with different explanations. God was as good an explanation as any back when he was a human; but now that he knew the truth- or part of it. He felt that whatever he had heard of god and deities was horseshit. Gods were but a different species. A far too hard to kill species but just a different breed. So that begged the question: Did gods wonder how they came to be? Did they search for a meaning in their seemingly eternal existence?

How interesting. Just the thought that gods themselves were nothing but overpowered humans who lived as long as they didn't die. It would have been blasphemy for any believer, a tarnish to the natural flow of things. But it was the truth. During his year in the underworld he often thought about this. The conclusion was that there was no natural order for things. Only the different agendas that circulated the different factions and religions. To be a sinner meant nothing; to be a saint meant nothing. The previously caged human had entered a jungle filled with animals; he was free now and in his freedom he realized that the man who came up with the saying 'ignorance is bliss' was worthy of respect.

Maybe the less one knew about the world around him, the better off he would be in his life.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Serafalls' soothing words echoed inside the tour bus. They were heading towards the old capital of the underworld Lucifaad. It was the last stop for their tour this week and they would be heading back to Lilith for their last performance after that.

Naruto looked at her and contemplated for a second. "What happened to that man?" he asked.

"I sent him back to his master." She said. A hint of regret on her face told him everything he needed to know but he wanted to hear it coming from her lips.

"Alive?" he asked.

"…"

Her silence gave her away and lies were never her thing to begin with. There was no reason to keep that particular truth. "He attacked family. I don't care who or what or why. They all meet the same fate." She muttered with conviction.

Naruto felt warm as he heard her words but his wounded pride wouldn't let her get away so easily with it. "So why didn't you let me do it? I had everything under control." He asked.

Serafall's pink eyes regarded him for a moment before turning away to look at the passing scenery. "There was this girl once. Heir of one of the biggest and strongest clans in the underworld. In her free time, this girl, would meet with her friends in the forest and played, talked, dreamed… Of a world that didn't seem so bleak as it was back then. A world where devil kids were just that. Kids. Where there were hospitals, schools, cafés like that little one you visit when you want to be alone…" she playfully looked at him.

"You've been following me?" he asked flabbergasted. He always made sure to avoid her familiar.

She only giggled before turning back to the window. "The fallen angels were taking parts of the underworld for themselves back then, and Devils were enraged about their territory being taken away. At that moment in time, relations with the angels shattered because they didn't want their fallen brethren back, neither did they want to help us remove them from our soil. Rumors of god insulting us started flying around and before she knew it that little girl was drafted into the army. The great Satans wouldn't have any of it. Propaganda started flying around and war broke out. A three-way war, where devils tried to protect their homes, fallen angels sought a place to belong to, and angels tried to protect their way of life."

"So in a sense angels were the ones who were too stubborn to back out?"

Serafall laughed, "Angels? No, no, it was god who was too stubborn to back out. Fallen angels were no longer 'His' children, they were blasphemy to the way things were supposed to be. A blight in his own incompetence. He couldn't accept that it was his fault that angels fell in the first place. They were blinded by humanity, they found it beautiful and endearing. Unlike his angels, humans were made in 'His' image, they loved, hated. But angels, angels could only love 'Him', they sung in front of his throne, and regarded everything that was not 'Him' and not of 'His' creation as evil and vile…"

"That's a bit fucked up." he commented.

"A bit? Yeah, I guess so." She shrugged.

"A century passed and the girl who dreamed with her friends in her backyard, was now a killer. There was nothing to dream about anymore. Most of her friends were now dust that added to the underworld's barren landscape. All she wanted was to avenge them, to make sure that none would ever harm her family and friends again. So she killed and killed, there was no stopping. And then one day she turned to look around, her army lay dead, her enemies lay dead, and all that stood there was her…"

A chill ran down Naruto's spine.

"…Another century passed away quicker than she could have ever imagined. Nothing had changed. Only more angels had fallen now, after their atrocities. And they still wanted to take more of our land. God wasn't responding and the four great Satans didn't want to back down either. Anyone who spoke of stopping was executed on the spot, children younger than the previous generation were being sent on the battlefield. It was carnage, families destroyed, the seventy-two pillars were now reduced to fifty and the public started rebelling, they thought it was madness…

…Mothers were crying on the streets, former soldiers who lacked limbs and barely escaped alive were living on the streets. Some even cut their own legs and wings so that they didn't go to fight in the war. Some sent their children away to the human realm, and some vanished completely. That was when the war against the old faction started. Devilhood was cut in half and fought against one another. The girl joined the rebellion, for the first time in centuries hoping that the bloodshed would stop. That maybe after it was all said and done she could regain her long forgotten dream. It was hard and lasted many, many years but the old faction lost, the great war ended up in a seize fire up to this day."

"So what happened to that girl?" he asked.

She smiled knowingly. "The girl saved her idiot queen from doing a big mistake. "

==3==

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. He knew that Serafall took a big part in the war, but hearing her recounting her experience put a damper on his own problems. It put everything into perspective. She had probably experienced what he felt during the past year. Only for her that feeling was hundredfold. How could he begrudge her for the way she acted back then in that clearing. He needed time to think.

It was noon when they arrived to Lucifaad. It was about as big as Lilith in size but held a distinctively different feeling to it. It was a lot quieter, without the same hustle and bustle one would experience in Lilith. Small stores and taverns were scattered around, kids were hanging around the fountains that surrounded many of the streets and mothers were talking while their children played in the parks. He tried to imagine how things would have been if he lived here back before the war.

The streets would have been probably desolate.

"Hey Serafall?"

"Uhn?" she turned to look at him.

"I think that girl achieved her dream. And I'd thank her for saving her family."

Serafall smiled fondly as she turned to look outside the window. "Yeah, she'd probably say that thanks aren't needed."

==3==

"Tell me Cao Cao…" the deep voice echoed inside the cavern. A foul smell lurked inside. Reminiscent of long forgotten meat that went bad. "…When did I ever allow you, to order my men? When did I explicitly say that you could act in my stead and order anyone around?"

Cao Cao took a deep breath while contemplating the best way to answer. "I didn't order anyone. Hercules decided to take matters in his own hands when I recounted our conversation to him. "

"So a loose mouth is another virtue adding to your incompetence? Why! Isn't that lovely Cao Cao? Not only do you lack in the skill department you also lack in self-restraint. Truly, even Sasuke would have done a better job." The man jeered.

Cao Cao held his tongue.

"You will go back to our guest, and you will make her open that gate. Am I clear Cao Cao?"

"Yes."

"Go on then, and take your latest souvenir with you." He pointed at the box that was placed in front of his feet.

Cao Cao could feel the reeking smell coming from inside the box. Now wasn't the time to lash out. He had to stay calm.

==4==

Issei Hyodo sat inside the bullet train headed to Kyoto. It was their first trip ever since the whole attack-on-the- rating game affair. He reminisced his life- or its more current affairs as he stared out of his window. Kiba, his comrade and arguably good looking fella, was sleeping next to him. The webbed crack on the window was not noticed. During a small percentage of his brain activity- which counted as a brief rest from his arguably shameful thoughts (that may or may not contain a certain cleavage or cleavages), he liked to think about his life. An activity he only recently gained due to actually attaining one. The recent events-Sairaorg handing him his ass in a spar, heavily weighed upon his highly unfocused mind.

Unlike what most thought, Issei Hyodo had a high sense of duty. Sairaorg being in Rias' generation would become an obstacle that he had to overcome. How could he ever beat someone who trained his entire life? Especially when he, himself never trained for more than a month at a time. All things considered he had been lucky and he got great friends out of it; even if he had to risk his life on multiple occasions.

"Anything on your mind Ise?" Kiba spoke as he sat next to him.

"Wh- What?" he wheezed around. "Oh, Kiba. 'Ya say anything?" Issei asked dumbly.

The arguably, pretty boy smiled charismatically and handed him a drink he got from the station. "I asked if there's anything on your mind."

Issei took it gratefully. It was moments like this that he didn't hate the boy for his handsomeness. "Thanks. I was just thinking about how to deal with Sairaorg." He spoke after drinking a bit.

"I didn't think you would take it this badly. From what I heard he has been training his whole life." He stated.

"Yeah, how do I beat someone like that?" he asked exasperated.

Kiba sucked his lips, trying to come up with a way to answer. "Issei, do you know why you are dangerous?" he settled.

"I'm dangerous?" Issei blinked, to which Kiba laughed with mirth.

"You have been gifted with a power Issei, that required the three factions to set their problems aside and cooperate during a war to counter! The Welsh dragon is your greatest weapon…" Issei grumbled a bit at that. "…But that isn't the reason you are dangerous. You want to protect those you find important to you, and you would easily lay your life at stake for them. This is a conviction that many do not have, an unbreakable spirit. That is why you are dangerous." Kiba smiled again and Issei was baffled at his comrade's tone. "As long as you keep moving forward, there isn't anything that's going to stop you. And every time you fall down you will have us to pick you up and put the pieces back together. Never forget that."

"Kiba?" he looked at the pretty boy with wide eyes and a blush on his face.

"Yeah?"

"That sounded awfully gay! I wish buchou would have said that!" he cried in outrage.

"Oh come on!"

==5==

"Red, the color of nightmares and deceit; of passion and anger. Such an expressive color and yet mostly ignored and forgotten. For make no mistake; its meaning wasn't so randomly decided by a group of men sitting on a table, discussing its definition. Red became the color of passion, deceit, anger, life, death, because it is the color of our blood. The fluid that so effortlessly courses through our bodies and fills us with life. The same liquid that so effortlessly pours outside with the littlest of prickles on our skin. Such a beautiful thing, eloquent and deadly. "

The beauty in front of him glared with hatred. Even though she couldn't speak her eyes expressed more than enough. "…So why! Why is it that you also have red blood? Why do you bleed the same as me?! You reek, the stink of a monster! You overgrown fox." His eyes shined with righteous hatred. "You are but an animal! Not worthy enough to walk the same as us, not worthy enough to talk the same as us! You and your kind took our cities, dressed in human suits and now walk around like nothing happened. Disgusting! Pathetic!"

Yasaka was kicked in the ribs and tumbled on the ground. Jiraya instantly caught her by the throat and easily raised her. She spun and kicked hoping to escape his grasp but he was like an immovable wall. "I only want one thing fox. I want you, your kind, the devils, the fallen, and even the angels to get out. You have toyed with men for millennia, the gods are sitting on their thrones and waiting for this stalemate to end, and then like vultures they will descend and take whatever is left." Jiraya threw her down and took a deep breath to calm down. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in exhaustion.

"Look. I don't particularly want to eradicate the paranormal. They can go back to their homes for all I care. I am not some tyrant. I want humanity to take the place it rightfully deserves. Devils and angels have no place here, you can argue that Yokai originated here on earth and I'll give you that. But I need that creature back. It is important. So open the gate, please! You are the only nine tailed fox strong enough to regulate all that chakra. I'd do it but Kyoto's natural chakra reeks of evil. I'd probably end up in a rampage. The last thing I want is Ophis showing up uninvited." He finished by pulling out the cloth that gagged Yasaka's mouth until now. To his delight she didn't scream- or bite.

"You are like your ancestors. Trying to bite more than you can chew. No matter what you do I'll never help you. The world is settling in peace; which you are trying to undo." She closed her eyes and didn't speak further. There was no need to.

"So you don't want to meet your creator? The being that created humans and yokai alike?"

A.N Evil cliffhanger no jutsu! Sorry for not updating for so long. I didn't have internet at home and uploading at work would get me in trouble lol. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I honestly didn't have a lot of time so I ended up doing a small recap and introducing a couple of new characters along with some foreshadowing.

As always, thanks for reading!