Chapter 20: The First Rating Game, 6-0n-6!

It took almost a month, but in the end Naruto did go to the Sitri family, who brought in a few other neutral standing Pillars to not only host the Game, but be the judges as well. The choices were surprising, but not completely unexpected.

House Astaroth was asked, and agreed, to Host. Naruto was surprised by this selection due to the bad blood between them and Sitri. While the troubles weren't necessarily something that were important, devil pride was nothing to scoff at. And both clans were proud of their work as Underwold doctors. Though lately the Astaroth territory was seemingly standing for the promotion of Low-class devils to Middle-class.

Interesting, but not relevant.

House Belial was asked to be the first Judge. Honestly not surprising as the previous head was well-known for his accomplishments in the Rating Games. You know, if rating Number One period meant anything. Champion of the Rating Games was the full title for Diehauser Belial, and somehow the Sitri head got that man to stand in judgment on this game.

Yeah, no pressure.

House Phenex was asked to be the second Judge. Naruto could only assume that potential bias was part of the judging process. After all, if even someone who doesn't like you will score in your favor, you had to be doing something right. And despite being technically under Naruto's authority, there was little doubt that Lord Phenex was not fond of him.

Oh, happy day.

House Barbatos (1) was asked to be the third and final Judge. Lord Barbatos was viewed heavily as a barbarian, but he was a warrior through and through. He was the most impartial of all the heads of the warrior houses, save for, perhaps, Lord Belial. If your opponent was from the House of Barbatos, you were lucky only in the regard that they wouldn't care who or what you were, they would crush you all equally.

… Yay?

And finally House Sitri took up the position of Broadcaster. Apparently this kind of thing was common for them, as they had the most sophisticated set-up in the Underworld. Because the Head of the House was incredibly competitive and simply would not let anything potentially interesting slip through his fingers, except for the Evil Pieces. Lord Sitri was famously- and infamously -known for his stance on them. While he refused to discriminate against new devils that had once been another race, he also refused to take part in the system, citing his personal desire to just be left alone. A stance he was beyond stubborn about.

Naruto had also met the man's daughters. The apples did not fall far from that tree. Given that one held the Maou Title of Leviathan which deals with what could otherwise be known as Foreign Affairs, while the other helped manage Kuoh Town whenever Naruto was absent, he felt it safe to say that those two held some kind of competitive spirit and potentially the same stubbornness.

But that was neither here nor there at the moment. The fact remained that Lord Sitri was overly competitive, and had managed to bring together a group of judges that, for all intents and purposes, could have stood in judgment over a full Rating Game, instead of this little scuffle. Naruto shuddered at just who the man would pull together for one of his daughters' Games.

… He'd look that up later. It was bound to have already happened at least once.

Naruto and his chosen peerage members stood on one side of the final location. In hind sight he found the location for the game to be more than a little ironic. It had elements of both his Asmodai family history and Seekvaira's peerage type.

The Roman Colliseum. A place with a history of bloodshed, heroes, prize fighters, beast slaying competitions, and so much more. There were few places of greater reknown for battle. And with the consideration that Seekvaira's group was all dragon related, either slayers, tamers or the creature itself, it made a great deal of sense to hold the Rating Game here.

'Well, a magical dimension with a perfect replica,' Naruto corrected himself as he looked up and saw purple sky.

Across the way Seekvaira studied the group that Naruto brought with him. When he had first appeared it was only with equal numbers, which had annoyed her. She didn't need a handicap! He quickly cleared up the misunderstanding, and they had agreed to something a little different...

The two peerage kings met gazes from across the way and nodded. They were ready, whatever may come.

XxXxXxXx

In a separate area, many other heads and their spouses were ensconced. Despite any belief on Naruto's or Seekvaira's part, this battle was highly anticipated. So many were there to see if the new indomitable King of Asmodai would finally fall to someone else's plans for a change, while others were there to scout out possible competition for their own power.

In a corner of the room, with their own views of the battlefield, were the chosen judges. Each of them giving opinions and suggesting possible outcomes.

"I don't know, Diehauser," Lord Barbatos said quietly. "The girl has substance in some of her peerage choices, but the boy has seen real battle and a number of his people have seen war. Those aren't things you can learn from a book or at your daddy's knee."

Diehauser Belial, Head of House Belial, was a man of surprisingly slight build in heavy purple robes, with gray hair and eyes. Yet this unassuming-looking man was the current reigning Emperor of the Rating Games.

"I do agree with you, Rakan (2)," Diehauser said calmly to his counterpart. "I'm just saying that even if her knowledge is only theoretical, you can't count her out."

Rakan Barbatos, Lord of his House, was a man best described as the quintessential Man's Man. He was big, he was heavily muscled, he was tanned to perfection, he had long white hair that was more akin to the mane of a lion, and he hated thinking about troublesome things. In short, he was the direct opposite of Naruto's old friend Shikamaru. If Rakan wasn't moving his body in some form of training, he was generally doing one of two other things; either he was sleeping or he was eating.

"That's true," Lord Phenex cut in with his own musings. "Having been on the other end of the young man's plans, I can safely say that, as much as I may not like him, I do respect his resourcefulness. That same resourcefulness, however, was primarily theoretical, so I will naturally keep an open mind for the young lady."

Both of his fellow judges nodded. They couldn't argue with that.

In yet another part of the room, the Four Satans sat at yet another table, giving their own thoughts.

"Aww, I wanted to see my Ria-tan!" Whined a certain redheaded older brother with a sister complex when he didn't see said sister on Naruto's side of the field.

"Hm, I don't think I mind," Serafall said calmly, which actually startled the other occupants for a moment. "I'm curious about that woman with the kimono and chains. I know her profile says she's an ice-user, but I have to wonder just to what degree."

The other Maou could agree with that. As Serafall was one of the only two recognized Ice-Masters, she was obviously interested on a professional level.

"It also says that her greatest power is brought about by a kiss! That's just so romantic!" She squealed to the sweat drops of her contemporaries.

'There we go, and all is right with the Underworld again.' The three men thought together.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Falbium Asmodeus, the man holding the position that should rightfully belong to House Asmodai- they didn't want it, though - cleared his throat. "I confess myself more interested in the woman with the poleaxe, Titania. Her file is the thickest of any of the participating members. She's seen a lot of combat, perhaps enough to make up for any unorthodox strategies the Agares girl can come up with."

"Perhaps," Ajuka Beelzebub mused. "But her master's file was almost as thick, and it seems he excels at the unorthodox and thinking on his feet. Putting both together could make for a very interesting team."

"That is true, Sir Beelzebub, but I think the one to watch out for will be the human boy, Karma." This was said by Sirzechs' ever present maid, Grayfia Lucifuge, in a rare moment. She rarely spoke out of turn, or at all, to any of the Maou. In fact, Ajuka quickly counted out the number, and found it was so small he still had digits left over on his hands.

Her comment, however, get all four Maou to reopen Karma's file. They all reached a certain few comments noted down, and blinked in chorus.

"Okay, I'm looking forward to this so much more," Sirzechs said with a grin to the agreement of his fellows.

XxXxXxXx

"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the Match between Naruto Asmodai and Seekvaira Agares. The outcome of this will determine whether or not the two wed, so this promises to be something interesting!" Lord Sitri's voice boomed out over the field, and more than likely, the audience room too. "Now, before the match, the two sides agreed that the over all format of the battle to be a series of One-on-Ones! That means no possible interference from outside the floor!"

At this declaration each team was lifted into the air above the sand-strewn floor on their own pillar.

"The order of the match-ups will be determined by random! No member may fight more than once, and each win will be one point. That means that the side with most points will be the winner of the match!"

Naruto smirked. "Lord Sitri is really enjoying this, isn't he?"

Titania smiled. "He gets to show off his skills, his magics, and his toys, to both his competition and his daughters. It's no wonder he's hamming things up a bit."

"Fair enough," the blonde allowed.

"Now, let's get ready for the first match! Taki, Pawn of Asmodai v.s. Ninja, Knight of Agares!" (3)

Taki and the young man jump into the arena only to have to catch their balance as pillars of varying sizes extend from the ground. The two opponents, both self-nominated shinobi, looked at the obstacles very differently. Where Ninja looked irritated at the new problems, Taki was practically giddy. The shadows and cover provided were perfect for any true shinobi worth the name.

She did take a moment to evaluate her opponent, though. Gray and white long coat, black and white hair, and the essential brooding expression while hefting his sword over his shoulder. He looked like a punk to her, but if he was at all competent, he'd go for the shadows as quickly as she would. But she highly doubted it.

Indeed, as the match began, Ninja started running forward, avoiding the pillars as he sought out his opponent. Whereas Taki melted into the shadows and let them do the work of frustrating her opponent for her.

A fun little game of Cat and Mouse, or in Naruto's terms, Shinobi Tag.

And, oh, was her plan working. After a good number of fruitless minutes, Ninja was sweating and starting to get tired. Oh, not greatly, but he knew stamina was key to many battles, but he was feeling weaker than he believed he should...

His eyes widened and he jumped up on top of a smaller pillar to get a better look around himself. All he really saw, though, was dirt, sand and stone pillars. No hint of movement, not even a sense of his enemy.

"I don't know what exactly you think you're doing, but it's not going to work!" He called out.

"It already did," Taki's voice said from right behind him as her kodachi slid through his lower torso. She stood tall as his body slid off her blade. "I just needed you to go somewhere higher, and lucky me, you picked just where I was hiding."

"How?" Ninja muttered as he held his wound closed as best he could.

"Because I'm a true kunoichi, not a wannabe." Taki replied just he was whisked away to be treated by a circle lighting up beneath him.

"First Round, Winner, Taki of Asmodai!" Lord Sitri's voice rang out as Taki returned to her team, giving Naruto a small peck on the cheek.

"Short, sweet, and a beautiful distraction with the stamina-drain," Naruto complimented.

Taki just nodded and took up a spot just behind him. She'd been learning how to drain her enemy's stamina for months now, having been told her magic affinity was for Darkness, which apparently covered a great number of what she would have called Utility spells. Either way, she made good use of them, as they supported a shinobi damn near perfectly.

"Second Round! Scarlet, Pawn of Asmodai v.s. Alivian, Queen of Agares!"

Scarlet leaped down to the arena along with her opponent. She was excited, though. While her opponent sneered at her, probably believing that she was no match for him in the slightest, Scarlet was perfectly happy to be chosen to fight for her partner.

Since she had joined Naruto, the young man had kept his word to her; her children were safe and the two of them spent a great deal of time together, learning how best to work with the other. Scarlet had noticed that Naruto held a high penchant for direct combat, but when faced with a more powerful opponent he actually preferred guile and what he called shadow-work. She called it Shadow Step and Ghost Walk, but was unable to figure out just how someone who wasn't a Pokémon could merge with the shadows like that.

A blast of wind flying by her brought her back from her thoughts. Scarlet snarled. He should have hit her. That was going to be the end of any freebies.

Scarlet slipped into Extreme Speed and raced around to her opponent's back, only to unleash a powerful Flamethrower dead center. The enemy Queen flew headfirst into one of the pillars, and stumbled out of a cloud of dust... right into a fully charged Hyper Beam.

When the beam of power died down, Scarlet stood there, awaiting her enemy. She doubted heavily that her sudden blitz had done the trick- it never worked on Naruto, why should it work here? -but she had learned that jumping into a large cloud of dust was a horrible idea. It just gave away her position. So instead she stood still and allowed her energy to recharge from the draining effect of the Hyper Beam.

In the dust cloud, Alivian was only feeling pain. He hadn't felt this bad in a long time, not since he first learned to fight in human guise from his mother. Yet this-this dog was able to hurt him! Okay, no more Mister Nice Dragon.

From the top of the dust cloud burst the full glory of a Chinese dragon, his green scales iridescent even in the light of the false sun. His roar called rain clouds into being, causing the entire field to become wet and slick with mud. Alivian just glared down at his enemy.

Scarlet hated the rain. It didn't weaken her anymore since she bonded with Naruto, but it made keeping her pristine fur clean absolutely impossible! And the MUD! DISGUSTING! She'd need a bath after this. With a heavy growl, Scarlet set herself, and jumped. She used the pillars as stepping stones in her race to the height needed to fight her opponent at his new elevation, transitioning smoothly between each platform.

Alivian watched as the giant canine came to him as best he could. Neither of them were really built for combat among the base of the stones, but she was still moving almost too quickly along the pillars for his eyes to follow. But he had his pride. He would wait for the one who had pushed him, had hurt him. He had time, and she had earned his respect.

Scarlet got to the top of the tallest pillar, and once more set herself. The slick stone would do her no favors, but she'd simply have to do her best. And so, with that in mind, Scarlet looked to Naruto and received a nod. He knew what she wanted and he agreed.

Promotion was permitted.

Scarlet raised her muzzle to the darkened heavens, and Howled. She reached deep within herself, felt for the piece of her partner that resided in her heart. Grasping at the power, she Promoted to Queen. Power surged through Scarlet, her fur lit on fire, and the clouds directly above her retreated from her.

Her gaze snapped back to her opponent, meeting his surprised eyes with pure power in her own. Scarlet stood there for a moment longer, then she vanished. Appearing above Alivian with a ready Hyper Beam, she let loose directly into the spines along his back, knocking him into the ground. Scarlet alighted upon another pillar, and then began jumping from one to another. She had to recharge, it was faster like this, but still necessary.

Alivian shot up from the ground, an enormous cloud of dust behind him and mud caked to his scales. His roar of indignity shook the arena, but did little else. It certainly didn't stop Scarlet, who appeared in front of him again with another Hyper Beam, releasing it right in the center of his forehead. But this was her third beam, and the exhausting technique was taking its toll as she landed on a lower pillar, panting for breath. The power-up to Queen was helping her reserves, but it couldn't replenish stamina.

Scarlet was on a time limit, and she knew it.

XxXx

In the audience room, Diehauser was chuckling. "Chinese dragons, while nothing to scoff at, do lack some of the options of other types. For one thing, they are only affiliated with water and wind, the elements that make up rain. While they can learn to bring about lightning, that's typically for dragons with at least fifty years of experience reigning over a region."

"That may be true, but Alivian isn't from the more temperate regions, he's from the Gobi Desert," Rexal Phenex pointed out.

Diehauser frowned. "Yes, I have to wonder just how that changes things..."

"I think we're about to find out," Rakan said as Alivian burst from his latest dust cloud.

XxXx

Alivian stared at his opponent for a moment. He'd done his research on all of the enemy peerage. Scarlet was an Arcanine, a Pokémon, one that was supposed to be weak to water. Instead it just seemed to be annoying her.

'Okay, this might bite me in the tail, but it's all I have left.' The green dragon thought to himself.

He raised his head, and looked at the sky. He willed away the clouds, and brought forth the sunshine. He was a creature of the desert. Rain was nice, but his true power was brought out by the sun. And so, he made it shine.

Scarlet watched her opponent warily. She didn't know what he was doing, but she didn't mind. The sun brought out the best in her powers, too.

Alivian looked to his enemy, she had earned a great amount of respect in these few minutes. So he spoke, for the first time in a Rating Game in which he competed.

"One last clash, Scarlet. What do you say? Your power against mine?"

Scarlet's eyes flashed with pride. There was no shame in losing here. She will have done her best. If she failed, her partner would bring everything to close.

Scarlet howled in agreement.

The two stood across from each other, awaiting the moment they both felt coming. Finally it came and both roared forth with flames that would roast lesser creatures. Scarlet's fire was bright blue, the truest flame she had ever brought forth, carrying her pride and hope. At the appropriate moment the stream spread apart, revealing the full onslaught of her Fire Blast.

Alivian's flame, though, was a blazing green. It clashed with Scarlet's equally, neither gaining any ground. Each of them pushed all the power they had left into their flames, and eventually the two attacks exploded, causing an enormous smoke cloud. For several minutes there was no sound, everyone on both sides waited with baited breath as the smoke slowly cleared.

Finally the smoke cleared enough to show both combatants, though only one still stood.

Everyone let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.

Alivian gently picked up Scarlet's unconscious body and brought her over to her team.

"She did well," he said.

Naruto nodded in acceptance, and gave Scarlet's fur a quick pet. "She did. There is no shame upon her. Rest now, Scarlet, we'll pick up the baton."

With those words a circle activated and removed Scarlet from the field and Alivian returned to his own team, seemingly wearing his current injuries like a badge of honor.

"Second Round, Winner, Alivian of Agares!"

The booming voice of Lord Sitri made it official. The two teams were tied at one point each. With only six members apiece, being tied early on was interesting. The onlookers just hoped the pattern wouldn't repeat. If the end result was a tie, no one was certain just what would happen.

XxXx

In the spectator's lounge, the three judges were critiquing as per their job.

"That was a very close match," Diehauser commented. "I can't say I recall the last time a dragon was matched up so evenly. They are either severely overpowered or severely outmatched."

"I have to agree," Rexal admitted grudgingly. "Dragons are sought after by so many simply because they represent power so utterly, that unless you outmatch them from the get-go it is statistically improbable to win against them. Yet this Pawn, Scarlet, was outpacing him originally, only to fall behind due to some very draining techniques."

Rakan grinned maniacally. "The potential Scarlet showed is nothing to scoff at," he agreed. "And the power she showed from her Promotion, that leveled the playing field even more. That dragon pulled through by the skin of his teeth, you can see just how tired he really is."

The big man paused for a moment, then said seriously, "You know, I kinda want one of those dogs myself now."

Diehauser snorted. "You and everyone else watching this. Expect a long line if you really want to try for one."

"I could just go get one from their world," Rakan said mildly.

Diehauser snorted. "None of the remaining Pillars or Extra Devils have any real knowledge about traversing universes. All of the materials that I know of are locked away in young Asmodai's library due to his grandmother's paranoia." He paused for a moment to let it sink in, then finished his statement with, "Good luck with that."

And Rakan understood. No devil allowed just anyone access to their library. Hellfire, you had to belong to the House in question most times or the bloody doors wouldn't even open for you. And without knowing the rules of the Asmodai, there was simply no point to trying.

Besides, the grandmother in question was a real bitch, and there were no doubt some right nasty protections on that library.

Oh well, too bad, so sad.

XxXx

"Alright, Round Three! Akitsu, Bishop of Asmodai v.s. Sorcerer, Bishop of Agares!" (4)

Naruto blinked. Then brought one hand to his chin, trying to figure out the likely-hood of such a match-up. The known ice dragon hybrid versus a woman stuck to using ice. After a few moments, he shrugged it off. This would either be interesting, or incredibly boring.

Just before Akitsu jumped into the arena, though, he gave her a deep kiss. This got a few different reactions. Most of the opposing team raised an eyebrow while Akitsu's opponent made a gagging motion.

Eh, he was a kid. What did he know about love? From that reaction Naruto put the boy in the stage where he still thought cooties were a bad thing. Hell, the brat even looked too young to know that women are intrinsic to bringing upstarts like him into the world.

At least kid had his own sense of style. Loose dark jacket, looser dark blue shirt, baggy khaki pants, and white sneakers to go with his bright blue hair. The kid wore a choker with a thin chain dangling from it, though. That Naruto couldn't help but resist a face-palm over. Any competent close range fighter would take advantage of that chain.

Good thing for the kid that Akitsu wasn't close range. She wasn't a slouch, not after that particular issue had been discussed, but she certainly preferred long range. Not that Anyone could really blame her.

Akitsu's own choice of garb was a simple blue and white miko outfit with chains hanging across the bust and two different symbols on the shoulders, one the Asmodai crest and the other being the Uzumaki Whirl. Nice, elegant, and to the point. She thought of herself as Naruto's priestess, so she dressed as such.

Well, that, and she discovered that Naruto had a thing for priestess outfits. But that's neither here nor there at the moment.

AHEM! Moving on.

Akitsu was calm as she walked forward to meet her opponent. Her maximum distance was pretty good, but she trained with and for a shinobi, she wasn't going to give out information that her enemies, now and future, could use against her.

Her opponent, on the other hand….

"Aw, man! Why do I gotta fight a girl?" Sorcerer whined. "It's not bad enough that I have to work for one? Why couldn't I have fought that pansy of King of theirs? He looks weak. Surrounding himself with nothing but girls, he's gotta be pathetic."

Akitsu stopped. Her eyes narrowed. She was now about fifty feet from him, and she raised her hand, and said, "This is the Ice of my pledge, shatter the misfortunes of my Ashikabi."

The next thing anyone knew, there was a blinding blizzard covering the entire field. After a few minutes, the storm died down to reveal Sorcerer was now the center of a giant icicle, and the entire arena was iced over with piles of snow everywhere.

Nodding in satisfaction, Akitsu turned around and started walking back to her team. She had only one thing that would make her angry, and everyone learned it that day: Don't badmouth Naruto in her hearing.

"….Did she just freeze an ICE dragon hybrid into an ICICLE?" Lord Sitri's voice came out a little strangled.

Akitsu nodded once, neither her stride or expression changing in the least. "Yes."

"...Okay, then. Judges?"

XxXx

At the Judges table, Rakan and Diehauser were splitting their sides laughing. Rexal looked like he was barely holding off becoming one of them. That held for a few moments, then he, too, joined the others in laughing his ass off.

This was the most absurd thing they had ever witnessed. It was much like hearing that one of the Merfolk drowned. An ice dragon, even a hybrid, lived for the ice and snow, much like a Yuki-Onna. To see such a creature frozen like in those old cartoon shows human children loved was simply too much.

The three judges took a few moments to collect themselves, and regain their air, before each holding up a card signifying their vote on the matter.

XxXx

"Our judges are in agreement, Third Round Winner, Akitsu of Asmodai! We will now take a small break to allow the field to thaw out, and let our judges get their wind back."

Naruto smiled as Akitsu rejoined the group, and gave her a hug of welcome. She gladly reciprocated, then resumed a position at his shoulder.

"I don't think anyone was quite anticipating that," Karma mused with a broad smile.

Naruto looked at him suspiciously. "Karma, if I didn't know better, I'd almost think you gave her tips on how to defeat someone in the most insulting way possible."

"I did," the redhead replied. "She only pulls them out when someone pisses her off."

Titania raised an eyebrow as everyone turned to look at him, "Speaking from experience?"

Karma's smile twitched as Taki answered for him, "His balls are still defrosting."

Everyone snorted as Akitsu preened visibly.

Naruto shook his head at the antics, then looked at the other two beside him that had yet to participate. "So, with the ice thawing, at least one of us will have to deal with a muddy ground scenario. Either of you uncomfortable with that ground?"

Titania shook her head negatively. "With the Crimean Royal Knights I had a fair bit of training in muddy conditions, and my time in the Greil Mercenaries shored that up even further."

Karma shrugged in response. "I don't really have a problem with it. In some ways it might do me some good. Koro-Sensei and Karasuma-Sensei made sure to do drills in all kinds of conditions. And I've been keeping up with as many as I could. Demiuge has been useful in that regard."

Naruto nodded, "And I've been working on shoring up my other techniques, but Earth is quite possibly my worst all around. Of the three of us, I think I'd probably do the worst in this situation. Not necessarily bad, but it wouldn't be ideal."

XxXx

In the spectator's lounge, the three judges were finally getting their decorum back, as they discussed the round.

"Okay, I like that woman! Too bad she's taken," Rakan declared mournfully.

"And that mastery over Ice," Rexal shook his head. "I've rarely seen the like. Looks like Grayfia and Serafall might have a rival for that title."

Diehauser shook his head in the negative. "No, I don't think this young lady cares about anything but her master. If there's any rivalry to be had, it'll most likely be one-sided."

Rakan stroked his chin thoughtfully. "True, if she doesn't return the rivalry, what's the point? But something tells me she'll get her own title."

Diehauser snorted, "of course she will. Just listen to the crowd, some of them are already trying to Name her."

Rakan did stop to listen, and Diehauser was right. But some of the potential Names were just cringe inducing. Who would want to be called The Number One Frozen Bitch? Just tasteless.

… Even if it might be true.

Rexal cleared his throat, "Well, shall we continue?"

"Yeah, but why bother thawing the field?" Rakan groused. "The real battlefield won't wait for them, just keep going."

The others nodded in agreement.

XxXx

"Alright, Ladies, Gentlemen, and whatever that thing in the corner is, our judges have themselves back under control, and they have decreed that the field will remain frozen until changed by one of the participants. Now, our Fourth Round is decided! Karma, Pawn of Asmodai v.s. Alexia Buné, Bishop of Agares!"

Naruto, Titania and Karma all blinked.

"Huh, what are the odds?"

Karma shook his head slightly. "Three members on each aide, only nine possible combinations, so the chances were actually fairly good."

Naruto rubbed his chin, "You've got a point. Now get out there!"

Karma hopped down with a little wave. He palmed a knife as he walked toward his opponent. His eyes opened just a little from their usual slits as he took in the sight of her.

Long blonde hair. Bright red eyes. A body many girls her apparent age would kill for. All draped in a white singlet with armor plating over the arms and torso. No visible weapons. Knee-high boots for better traction, and to go with the singlet Karma guessed. Finished off with a serious expression, behind which he could see a generally happy mien.

Breaking her would be kinda fun. Be a small shame, though. She looked like she enjoyed a good laugh.

They stopped about fifteen feet from each other. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, then a glyph lit up in front of Alexia, and a horse-sized dragon was summoned. Seeing Karma, the dragon attacked, going immediately for a swipe of its claws.

Karma saw the sharp teeth and claws, and intelligently decided dodging was his new best friend. To that end, he made use of the ice and slipped away from the dragon, then started skating around, his smirk firmly on his face.

"Could have sworn Familiars weren't allowed?" He asked as he skated by, his usual insufferable grin still plastered on his face.

"Julius isn't a Familiar," Alexia snorted, then launched a large fireball at Karma, hoping to get rid of that smirk.

"Oh? Then what is he?" Karma asked easily as he slipped around on the ice.

"He's my pet." Another fireball.

"Poor bastard, already had his balls clipped, huh?" Karma quipped as he dodged another claw swipe. "Hey, do you know the meaning of insanity?"

"I am certain you will enlighten me," she replied in annoyance as she threw out another fireball, trying to coral him toward Julius.

Karma dodged again, skating in and around the pillars as he went, seemingly at random. "Insanity, by its literary definition, is the repetition of an action with the expectation of a different result. What you're doing right now is, by definition, insanity. How's it feel to lose your mind?"

Both dragon and tamer stopped at that for a moment. That was one moment too long as Karma sprung his trap. Thin metal wires suddenly sprang seemingly into existence as they tightened around Alexia and Julius, tying them together using he pillars nearby as the supports. The wires dug into both scale and flesh equally, showing that though they were thin, they could potentially kill.

Karma walked out calmly from behind one of the pillars, his usual smirk still firmly in place. "Well, that's game. It was fun while it lasted."

Alexia snorted as she wriggled around, trying to find a loophole in the wires holding her. "You think you've won? These can't possibly hold us very long."

"They don't need to," Karma said as he reached out and touched one wire. "I discovered that I'm rather good at lightning magic fairly recently. Not quite as good as my water magics, oddly enough it seems I'm good at healing, but that's neither here nor there."

"Why are you telling me this?" Alexia wondered out loud.

Karma's smirk turned a little vicious. "Metal conducts," he replied as he proceeded to super charge the wires, electrocuting the helpless dragon and its tamer. Stopping just shy of lethal damage, Karma released them from the wires, only to pull out a roll of duct tape, tie them up with it, and then he squatted down in front of Alexia, waiting for her to awaken.

Alexia groaned as she started coming around. She looked up and saw Karma with the most sadistic grin, holding in each hand a condiment packet. This confused her, why would he be holding those? She didn't have to wait long as he quickly introduced her nose to wasabi and hot mustard.

The field was silent as Seekvaira face-palmed, then waved a signal. Alexia and her dragon were removed from the field, forcibly retired from the match.

"I'm not going to stand here and let you humiliate her," Seekvaira said seriously. "You win, that's enough."

Karma shrugged, "whatever you say." He quietly returned to his side of the field, where it was clear that Naruto was barely stopping himself from laughing.

"E-hem! Yes, well, Winner of the Fourth Match, Karma of Asmodai!" Lord Sitri announced, flummoxed by the ending like most everyone else. "Cruel little bastard, ain't he?" Was added as a quiet side note.

Clearly struggling to control himself, the blonde merely shook a finger at Karma. "That was mean."

"But fun."

Naruto lost his control enough to give a loud guffaw. "I'm sure it was. Wish I'd thought of something like that, with the wasabi and all, years ago."

Titania just chuckled. "You can't do that, Naruto-sama. From what I understand that last bit with the wasabi and hot mustard is something of Karma's signature."

Naruto grinned, "Well, damn. No self-respecting assassin, or shinobi in my case, steals another's signature."

"Unless it's an inheritance," Taki said from the side, a smile of amusement on her face. "Used to be a thing with certain families to pass on a method, calling card, or outfit of some variety. It's fallen mostly into disuse, though. Last I'd heard of one was a set of what I'd guess were father and son dressing up in a manner like the fictional Arsene Lupin from France." (5)

"Ah, well, too bad, so sad." Naruto said with no real rancor. "So, who do you think will be next?"

Taki shrugged, "Only two choices, fifty-fifty chance, but for the sake of argument? I'd lay money on Titania being up next."

XxXx

Back at the judges table, Diehauser and Rexal were torn between falling out their seats laughing and being struck in horror. Rakan… not so much. He was dying of laughter, clutching the table in front of him for support.

"Oh! I like this Asmodai! He's got some real characters in his group!" Rakan grinned savagely, "Makes me wonder what they'll be capable of in a few more decades. Maybe you'll actually have a challenger, Diehauser."

Diehauser Belial, the current ranking Emperor of the Rating Games, just sighed. "Maybe, just maybe, Rakan. If they live that long."

"Oh, I'm sure they will," Sirzechs interrupted, standing behind Rakan. "They're being trained by Gressen's old peerage, from what I hear. You might recall, Lord Belial, that that was a group you didn't want to fight."

Diehauser paled, then grinned. "Alright, that could be a good fight. And to be exact, it was Gressen himself I didn't want to fight. His Domination of Death was just plain unfair, even worse than those Phenex children. No offense, Rexal."

"None taken, Diehauser." Rexal said graciously. "I'm well aware that our Resurrection ability is annoying. I'm just as willing to admit that Gressen's Domination was beyond irritating."

Ajuka hummed in thought for a moment as he joined the conversation. "Then you'll probably hate his son's Domination. Not sure how far the boy has come with it in such a short time, but it's gotta be considered over powered."

Lord Belial blinked, then quickly picked up and leafed through Naruto's information docket that had been provided for the judges. His eyes widened as he came to the section that listed House abilities.

"Well, that's interesting."

Meanwhile in the background, Grayfia was tidily counting out a large amount of money won from the last round.

XxXx

"Fifth Round! Titania, Rook of Asmodai v.s. Megumi, Rook of Agares!" Lord Sitri annouced, and then added as an afterthought, "Maybe this match will be more like what we were expecting."

"He can hope, but I doubt it," Naruto muttered as Titania dropped off the platform his team was standing on.

"Well, it will be difficult to match Akitsu's time, but this might be the shortest match of the day," Taki said thoughtfully.

"Or the longest," said ice-user added.

Watching Titania's advance, Karma noticed her poleaxe glowing slightly. "That's right, didn't she gain a new enchantment on her weapon?"

Naruto nodded, seeing the same glow. "Yes, about a week after my sit down with the Agares."

"What was it? She ever tell you?"

The blonde hummed as Taki answered, "Dragon slayer."

Karma blinked. "Well, ain't that convenient. She tell you how she managed that?"

"No," came a synchronized response from everyone else. Naruto continued their thought, "Might have to do with that new clutch of dragon eggs we've got sitting in Yosogakure, though."

"You ever gonna ask her?" Karma questioned.

"Nope," Naruto replied blithely. "When she first brought them home she told me it was none of my business, and so I've left it that way. Unless it becomes my business, that is."

Karma hummed, "And what would make it your business?"

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno, dun' care. She's on my side, that's all I need to know."

"Fair enough," Karma agreed.

XxXx

With the judges, others were wondering something similar.

"So, short match, or long one?" Rakan asked at large.

"Good question," Diehauser replied. "I'm inclined to believe short. What about you, Rexal?"

The head of the Phenex family just hummed. "I honestly don't know. One side has raw physical power compounded by the Rook piece, while the other is an experienced warrior also backed by a Rook. This is very much a match of youthful vigor against hard earned experience."

Sirzechs snorted. "In that case my money's on the former knight."

"No one is doubting who will win, Lord Lucifer," Rakan retorted. "We're wondering how long it will take her."

"Hmm," the redhead rubbed his chin in thought for a moment, then grinned boyishly. "then my bet goes to mid-length."

Behind him Grayfia sighed quietly. She loved him, but there were times she really wanted to hurt him.

XxXx

The match started off with Megumi rushing forward, a fist cocked and ready for a heavy blow. A blow that never connected as Titania side-stepped, then smacked the young girl on the ass with the flat of her axe.

"Never run in to an opponent you know next to nothing about," Titania stated, sounding like a teacher disappointed with their student.

Megumi snarled. "I know enough! A former human knight that couldn't take fighting anymore, so you went with that hopeless Asmodai."

Titania's eyebrow rose in question as she dodged another sloppy punch. "And just where did you hear this from? I was tired of fighting all-out wars, yes, but that's hardly why I chose to join Naruto-sama. I could have simply taken a vacation if that was all."

"No one told me! They didn't have to," the girl sneered as she took a kick at Titania, only to be blocked by the poleaxe.

Titania snorted in a most unladylike fashion. "Then you have jumped to some very incorrect conclusions, girl," she said as she used the haft of her weapon to trip Megumi onto her back.

With one final thrust, Titania placed the edge of her axe to Megumi's neck. "Surrender."

Megumi snarled again, but looked into Titania's eyes. What she found there was a resolve as unshakable as the mountains, and quite possibly as enduring. Megumi saw that this woman, this warrior, would have no trouble finished the strike that could wrest Megumi's life away. There would be no hesitation, this moment was a courtesy only.

Megumi let out her breath and dropped back into the ground in resignation. "I give."

"Winner of the Fifth Match, Titania of Asmodai!"

"I suggest you gain some martial discipline, youngster," Titania said as she helped Megumi back to her feet. "You have the potential, but you need discipline."

Megumi blinked. "Any suggestions?" She asked. Hey, if the advice is free, might as well get the most out of it. Besides, this woman just kicked her ass like she was nothing, the least Megumi could do would be to shut up and listen.

"You might look into Pankration,(6)" Titania replied as she began her return to her team.

Megumi hummed lightly and watched the knight's back for a moment in thought, then turned to her own side. Pankration, huh?

XxXx

"SHORT," was the unanimous decree between the judges.

"Damn it," Sirzechs cursed, then he sighed. "Well, at least I didn't have any actual money riding on this."

"That would be because you lost it all on previous match," Ajuka needled him.

Sirzechs glanced at him in amusement. "So did you. To Grayfia, just like the rest of us."

Ajuka scowled. "Shut up," he said petulantly.

In the background Grayfia was splitting a portion of her winnings with Serafall.

XxXx

"Do I even need to say it? Last Match, Naruto Asmodai versus Seekvaira Agares! Wonder what we can expect to come from this? Two people with power over time itself!"

Naruto traded a high-five with Titania as he dropped to the arena ground. He took his time. Grayfia and his peerage had more bets to make.

XxXx

"Okay, thoughts?" Rexal asked.

"Two users of time, this could be really good, or really boring." Rakan stated with a groan.

"Not necessarily, Barbatos-sama," Grayfia said quietly. "One is a devilborne, taught to wield her power practically from her first breath. The other is a late foundling..."

Rakan didn't like how she trailed off. "What aren't you telling us, Battle Maid?"

Grayfia inclined her head in recognition of his attempt at politeness. "There are rumors that one Naruto Asmodai has been getting lessons in Time Control from Lady Elaine of the Lake."

All three judges' eyes widened as Diehauser spluttered, "The Lady of the Lake?! How'd the little bastard manage that?!"

Grayfia shrugged, but her eyes traveled to Naruto's other Peerage members who sat at another table. Specifically her gaze rested on the blonde bombshell in blue and silver armor, right on her sword.

Diehauser followed her gaze, and paled at the sword. He kept his mouth shut and snapped his eyes back to the upcoming match. That sword caused his blood to boil in excitement. Now he really hoped this upstart would be able to challenge him in the next few decades.

XxXx

Naruto and Seekvaira stopped at twenty paces from each other. Exchanging greetings with a nod each, Seekvaira fell into something resembling a parade rest stance while Naruto just stood tall with his hands in his pockets. They then stared at each other for a few minutes before Naruto spoke, breaking the silence.

"You know, we've only lost once, so there's no real point in the two of us doing doing anything."

Seekvaira raised her head slightly in acknowledgment. "There is some truth to that. Unfortunately I still have my pride as a member of the Agares."

Naruto hummed for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I suppose that's true as well. It is unfortunate in that case, that I must break that pride."

Seekvaira's eyebrow froze in the act rising. Her coloring faded to a series of grays as Naruto's Domination froze her in place. He stepped forward, this time only stopping when he was within arm's reach. He pulled his right hand out of his pocket, something held loosely within it's grasp. And ever so gently, he drew the object across her throat, leaving a red smear in his wake.

He retreated back to his position, his hand back in his pocket as he allowed his Domination to release his opponent. He then brought out his left hand and gestured to her to feel around her neck. When she did, she glanced at her hand as it came away sticky, covered in red lipsick.

Her posture was picture perfect, but her voice cracked slightly when she asked, "How?"

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "You manipulate time. You can roll it forward or backward, or even freeze it in limited spaces and locations. I Dominate Time."

Seekvaira could hear the slight emphasis on his second use of the word time that denoted a capital. And she understood. She could manipulate time, but he was its Master. She could cajole, manipulate, and lie to time to get it to do what she wanted. He just had to tell Time to do something and it would obey.

This realization frightened her, but yet she saw him with a rueful grin. "What's so funny?" She asked, agitated.

He gestured for her to calm down a bit. "To get the full use of my power, I have to play. Which is to say that I can only get the full effect when I'm 'fooling around.'"

She blinked, trying to process his words. It took a few moments, then she facepalmed. "You can't take anything seriously."

"Not if I want the full power, no." He admitted freely with a grin.

Seekvaira threw up her hands and spun on her heel in frustration as she walked back to her side. "I quit!"

Naruto stood still in the arena. Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

…

Waiting.

He looked up at the simulated purple sky with an expectant glare. "I'm waiting."

"Ahem, yes," Lord Sitri's voice came out abashed. "Winner of the Sixth and Final Match, Naruto Asmodai. Now would someone get me a beer? I feel too old for this shit."

Naruto smirked as he walked back to his people who were already cheering their victory. Very few noticed his stride being somewhat slower and unsteadier than before.

XxXx

Back with the judges, they were reviewing things in slow motion. Then super slow motion. And finally, in ultra slow motion, they saw the match of two users of time.

Spell and counter spell, the two kept meeting for mere instants of clashes. Each of them using the nigh-invisible nature of Time-based spells to great effect. In the few minutes they seemingly stood staring at each other, the two young devils had actually had a small war with each other. But due to the nature of Naruto's Domination, even those watching had been affected.

That fact raised more than a few hairs. The only thing to calm them all down was the simple fact that Naruto had only moved once his Domination had taken full effect of his oppoenent. To the judges and others watching it meant that he was unable to move properly unless that specific condition was met.

Well, that and the fact that Naruto had proven himself to be a rather passive-aggressive type of person who only lashed out when something, or someone, pissed him off. In the end they each put it far from their minds with the simple warning that they should be careful in dealing with the new Head of the Asmodai.

Rakan snorted, finally breaking the tension of the room. "Looks like young Asmodai wins five to one. That's gotta sting the Agares girl's pride."

XxXx

In the waiting room outside the artificial dimension that was just used for his Rating Game, surrounded only by his peerage, Naruto finally allowed himself to collapse on a bench. His breath was shuddering in gasps, his body shaking in heavy reaction to the use of his power. His hair and skin completely drenched in sweat as Tier silently rubbed him down with a towel.

"Dammit, Naruto," Karma growled, "if your damn Domination takes this much outta you, ya might as well not use it!"

Naruto took in another shuddering breath and gave Karma a weak but wry grin. "I'll take it under advisement."

Off to one side Kurama and Tiamat snorted in tandem. 'No he won't,' they thought together as they shared a knowing look.

XxXxXxXx - Ending Notes

I do apologize if this chapter seems at all lackluster, but I suck- let me re-emphasize that -I SUCK at writing combat scenes. This was the best I could do that wasn't a rehashing of the usual Rating Game against Riser.

(1) Barbatos: another of the 72 demons of Solomon, Barbatos holds the rank of Duke and serves under Baal/Bael according to what I could find.

(2) Rakan: I know that Lord Barbatos doesn't necessarily need a name, but every time I picture him I come up with Jack Rakan from Negima, so I'm borrowing it and the description. No, I don't own Negima either. Bugger off ya damn Lawyers.

(3) With Seekvaira's Peerage lacking names for three of them, I'm hereby giving them Temporary names until this changes. The Knight wants to be a ninja? So I'll call him Ninja.

(4) As with the Knight, this Bishop is currently unnamed, so I'm calling him Sorcerer.

(5) This is a reference to another anime, Magic Kaito 1412. No, I don't own this either, dammit… I do recommend giving it a try, though.

(6) Pankration is a martial art with roots dating back to ancient Greece. It's primarily defensive, and better known for it's ability in teamwork, but there are few martial arts that emphasize physical strength better in my opinion.

Peerage (World/Familiar):

King: Naruto Asmodai (Naruto/Kurama, Tiamat)

Queen: Tier Harribel (Bleach/Undine)

Bishop: Rias Gremory (DxD/Devil Bat, Magic Bat), Akitsu (Sekirei/Ice Bear)

Knight: Aayla Secura (Star Wars/Gryphon), Saber Lily (Fate Series/Arcanine)

Rook: Titania (Fire Emblem/Celestial Charger), Nonaka Yuki (Shinmai Maou/Moon Owl)

Pawn: Pyrrha Nikos (RWBY/Magic Wolf), Taki (Soul Calibur/Black Dragon), Scarlet the Arcanine (Pokémon), Akabane Karma (Assassination Classroom/Puck)