I'm so sorry that this update took so long!

Disclaimer: Raymond Smith, known as pain17ification, owns nothing

Gale Symphony

Chapter Nine: New Faces, New Places

Naruto gave a silent sigh of boredom as he sat through another class. Compared to the last month – give or take a week – school life was aggravatingly dull and monotonous. During his time away from school, he had:

Learned to better harness his Sacred Gear…

Fought a cute Devil girl and her asshole of an older brother…

Nearly died from having his chest impaled by a fire javelin…

Played a musical performance for a Devil gala…

Revisited his family home in Kyoto…

And got closer with Rias.

The last one made him blush faintly, looking to said redheaded Devil from the corner of his eye. How she could have such an invested look on her face during History Class was beyond him. But he couldn't deny that her eagerness to learn about Japan's history was pretty cute.

She must've noticed him looking, for she turned slightly to him and smiled beautifully, deepening his blush and making him avert his gaze to the window. After a few seconds of pretending to find something fascinating out there, he turned his attention to the clock on the wall and saw that the period still had less than five minutes left. He gave another muted sigh and dug into his pocket for his flash drive.

This one was different from the one holding his demos. He wanted it to look more presentable than the worn out one he used, considering how he had finally finished making his playlist for a CD. He planned to turn it in after school to the nearest music publisher in Kuoh. He smiled to himself, proud of all the time and effort he had put into his playlist, and grateful to Noire for helping him better understand how to edit and refine his music.

The bell rang, and many of his classmates rushed out the door happily, some even giving a whoop for their freedom from the school day. His smile turned to one of amusement, finding that there was rarely a dull moment at Kuoh Academy; save for the classes. He spotted Rias coming over to him and gathered his things before standing up from his seat.

"Ready to go?" she asked, still gracing him with a smile.

He nodded once and pocketed his flash drive once more before following her out of class and out of the academy building. However, he blushed once more when she scooted closer to him and held his arm in hers, garnering the attention of practically the entire student body.

Male students, and quite a few female ones, looked to him enviously while the remaining female student body watched with a mix of excitement and curiosity. He guessed that they were excited about one of the two "Onee-sama" of the school having a boyfriend, but were also curious about the identity of said boyfriend; considering how Naruto never made any attempts to stand out in the school.

Why would he stand out when his main focus – before meeting Rias – was simply working on his music and getting by in his classes? He had no reason to put himself out there when most of the students worried nonsensically about the most superficial of things. Granted, he doubted that many of them paid for their own housing, worked a part time job, or even worked toward their dream careers save for showing up for class.

Was that harsh to think of them in such a way? Perhaps, but Naruto had always believed that actions spoke louder than words. And that was especially true for himself, considering that he couldn't speak.

But back to the present, Naruto was both slightly embarrassed yet happy that Rias was so bold. She could've kept their newly budding relationship on a lower key, but she was proudly declaring to the school – through her actions – that she and him were a couple.

Sometimes, he wished he could be that bold. But, boldness in the face of danger had its own charm; and he definitely had that kind of boldness when he and the ORC faced off against Riser and his Peerage.

"Naruto?" he heard Rias speak, giving her his attention. Her smile was one of amusement as she teased, "You were spacing out again. Thinking about the past few weeks?"

He gave her a sheepish expression and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, earning a giggle from her.

"I suppose everything that's happened would stick in one's mind if they had such little experience with Devil Culture. Anyway, you're heading off to the publisher today, right?"

He nodded once.

"I see. Well then," she once again shocked the student body when she leaned up and pecked him on the cheek, "take that as a good luck charm."

Releasing his arm, she gave him a chipper wave and headed off to her club's building, leaving plenty of stunned students and a blushing blonde that quickly recomposed himself and headed out to the publisher.

"Thank you! Come again!" Ayame bid to another satisfied customer, gathering their used bowls and depositing them into the sink as Naruto washed dishes. She smiled at him, earning a curious look from the blonde and prompting her to ask, "You must've had an interesting last few weeks? You're in a much better mood than the last time I saw you."

{You could say that,} he replied to her. {How's your father doing?}

"He's got a stomach bug today. Thanks for coming on short notice. I hope I didn't pull you away from anything important?"

{I wasn't busy. You texted me right after I was getting out of the publishing building. I won't hear from them in a few days; possibly a week even.}

"Publishing building…?" Ayame repeated before it clicked and she smiled brightly. "You mean you finished it?!"

He simply nodded once, a proud grin on his face that earned him a tight hug from the ramen waitress.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you! You've been working on that for so long now, and you've finally turned it in!" She pulled away and bid, "I know this is silly to say, but good luck. I know this means a lot to you."

The whiskered blonde smiled gratefully to her and pulled her in for another hug that she readily accepted. He made to pull away, but she held him close and didn't let go.

"Just… Let me have this," she requested softly, a hidden blush on her face.

He blinked once in confusion before simply standing and letting her hug him. Admittedly, it felt really nice in her arms.

In the middle hours of evening, Naruto had finally made it back to his apartment and stepped inside to a surprise guest. Sitting on his couch was Noire, who had a key to his apartment and kept it tidy for him during his time helping Rias. She smiled to him as he entered.

"Welcome back," she greeted. "Sorry for intruding, but I was hoping to talk with you privately."

Curious about what she wanted to talk about, he nodded once and left his shoes near the door before joining her on the couch. Once he was seated, he motioned for her to continue.

"Naruto… I want you to know that I'm glad you came to my store a few years back. It was more important to me than you think."

{Why's that?}

"Well…" she started before hesitating and letting out a sigh. "This is harder than I thought it'd be…"

{Take your time,} he assured her.

Giving him a thankful smile, she took a moment to gather the words before deciding to go for broke. "Naruto… I know that you're not fully Human."

His blue eyes widened in shock, not expecting that at all.

"I know this because… Because you and I are both from the same race." She smiled as his shock turned to realization. "That's right. I'm a Siren, too. In fact, I serve the leader of our race by managing my store and keeping an eye on things here in Kuoh. That day you entered my store, I felt the connection we shared through our blood, and I contacted Lady Azura to tell her about you."

{Lady Azura? Why would she need to know about me?}

"She was told because there are rarely any half-breed Sirens that live away from our coven. In fact, your mother was one of the rare few who actively left our people to live her life away from the coven."

He was surprised at that. {Why do so few of us live away from the others?}

"A Siren's voice is a dangerous thing, Naruto. It can enrapture and ensnare the wills and hearts of anyone to weak of will to resist. Because of this, any of our race who strayed too far were hunted down either for capture to have our voices used…or to have our voices silenced."

His eyes widened in horror at that, and in the back of his mind, he wondered if his family was killed because of that fact.

"Lady Kushina was a half-breed of our race, born into the Uzumaki Clan after her father had sex with a Human woman and invited her into the coven. This woman was a priestess who served the goddess Amaterasu, and she gave birth to Lady Kushina within the territory of the coven. I learned about this from Lady Azura, and she wished for me to tell you just in case you were unaware."

He nodded to show her that he was in fact unaware of that fact. He knew his mother only had half her blood belonging to the Siren race, but she never knew about his maternal grandparents. Hearing about them made him smile to Noire gratefully, making her smile softly in return.

"I'm hear to tell you about that and, by request of Lady Azura, to bring you with me to the coven to meet her. She really wishes to meet with you since she and Lady Kushina were close before she became leader of the coven. If you think you're ready, we can leave as soon as tomorrow morning," she offered.

He looked surprised at the sudden offer. {So soon? But I haven't even told the Ichiraku family, let alone the academy. I don't even know how long this visit will be.}

"I understand that this is sudden, but Lady Azura is anxious to meet you. If you want, we can leave later in the day and give you time to inform whoever you need to."

{Is it just me that's going? Or can I invite others?}

"You mean the Gremory Heiress and her Peerage?" Noire deduced, ignoring the young man's reaction. "Our people rarely let other races within our borders, considering how our kin are hunted down when they don't have the protection of the coven. Not to mention that we have bad blood with both the Angels and the Devils…"

{Bad blood…?} Naruto repeated.

She sighed sadly. "Admittedly, our dislike or distrust for Devils is minor compared to our anger towards the Angels. A few Devils have forcibly inducted some of our kind into their Peerages, but nothing further than that. However, that hasn't earned them our trust and we keep them away from our borders out of concern for losing more members."

He winced at that, having been told by Akeno one time that some Devils who have Peerages have forced other people into their control. She had said that the greed of Devils, along with their pride, made them do cruel things; but it was in their nature to act on their baser desires.

He didn't agree with that. The Devils alone weren't the only race to act on such baser desires. After all, Angels became Fallen when they acted on those desires or if they did something against the will of their God. No one race was the sole mascot of darkness. Even those in the light can have darkness in their hearts.

{What about the Angels?} he Signed to her, already knowing the answer.

"They were responsible for the disappearance of our goddesses, the Intoners. As Sirens, we worshiped them for their Power of Song, praying and singing to them in hopes of receiving their mercy and protection. However, the Angels started to spread their faith across the world, and their God was a singular deity instead of multiple like ours. According to their faith, their God made what was called Ten Commandments."

{I've read those. The First Commandment was what urged the Angels to act, wasn't it?}

Noire nodded sadly. "We still don't know what happened to them… But we know that they've vanished from the world."

"Poor girl," Two spoke up before directing her voice to Naruto. "I believe it's time for us to show your people that we aren't truly gone."

"We live through you, Naruto," One continued. "It's time that they knew."

He nodded mentally before getting Noire's attention. {If I can bring my friends, I'll go as soon as you wish me to.}

Noire smiled in relief. "Let me send a message to Lady Azura. You and the Gremory Peerage come by the store tomorrow afternoon. I'll have Lady Azura's answer by then."

Naruto gave her a smile in return, silently bidding her a good evening as she left his apartment. Giving a muted sigh when she departed, he reached into his pocket for his phone, preparing to send a message to Rias.

The following morning, three people were exiting the airport near the outskirts of Kuoh. Two were wearing uniforms signifying their affiliation to the church.

The first was a young woman with blue hair who had a fringe on the right side dyed green. Her eyes were brown and displayed a seriousness that was odd for a woman of her age.

The second young woman had brown hair tied in twin tails held up by blue scrunchies and expressive violet eyes. Unlike her counterpart, she looked much more upbeat and cheerful to be in Kuoh, and her eyes held a sense of nostalgia in them as she looked out towards the city.

The last person was a gorgeous woman with blonde hair in styled curls and compassionate golden eyes. She was garbed in a white sundress with a ruffled skirt and silver accents in the design of starlights while a thin chain with a silver pendant rested around her neck. A gentle smile was on her face as she stood beside the two younger women, gazing towards Kuoh and easily sensing the energy of the two Devil heiresses and their Peerages.

"Lady Gabriel," the bluenette spoke up. "We should get moving so that we can speak with the Devils here."

"Of course, Xenovia," the Seraph replied, absently checking her pendant and seeing that it was doing its job of restraining her power.

As a Seraph, she didn't wish to overwhelm anyone with her naturally divine aura. It wouldn't do to break them with the radiance she unconsciously gave off as one of the major Angels of Heaven.

"I think I remember where some hotels are at where we can stay during our mission here," the brunette offered, having hailed a taxi that was pulling up to the curb.

"Thank you, Irina," Gabriel said with a smile aimed to her. "We shall follow your lead, then."

"Of course, Milady!" she replied earnestly, happy to serve her Seraph.

Placing their luggage in the trunk and getting into the vehicle, the trio from the Holy Church were off.

Rias stared in shock at Naruto's written message to her. While she absently reminded herself to start learning Sign Language, she was more focused on the fact that he was asked to return to his people and that he had requested to bring along her and her Peerage.

"Your people…" she repeated, still sounding stunned. "The Sirens… You really want us to come with you?"

He nodded once, smiling to her and the others.

"Wow," Issei spoke up. "Never thought I'd see more Sirens. Are they super into music like you?"

The Uzumaki shrugged unsurely before writing a response. "I'd guess they are, but I can't say for certain since I've never met another Siren before. Noire never told me she was one until last night, and before that I always just assumed that she was a Human who appreciated music enough to open a store."

"A Siren living in Kuoh this whole time," Akeno muttered. "And nobody ever knew…"

"This is definitely a cause for concern," Kiba spoke up. "She's been here for a couple years at least, and none of us ever felt her presence."

"Suspicious," Koneko murmured, earning a faint frown from Naruto.

Rias noticed this and declared, "That's enough of that. Whether we knew of her presence or not doesn't matter. What we should be concerned with is how we, as Devils, conduct ourselves in a foreign territory. According to Naruto-kun, Noire-san spoke of how there is mistrust towards our race; so, it is our responsibility to represent ourselves as respectful and do nothing to warrant trouble. Assuming we're allowed to accompany Naruto-kun, that is."

The others nodded while Asia asked, "Naruto-san, do you think we'll be allowed to join you?"

"I can't speak for this Azura lady, but I have hope that she'll allow it. Noire said that she and my mother were childhood friends, after all," Naruto wrote in reply.

"I'm sorry if this is a personal question, but do you know why your mother left the Sirens?" Rias asked.

"She wanted to explore the world beyond the coven, and she met my dad during her travels and lived with him in Kyoto. Other than that, I don't know."

"She was beautiful," Akeno spoke up, smiling towards the whiskered blonde. "I can see some of her face in yours. And you were so cute as a baby."

He blushed at the compliments, scratching his cheek sheepishly while Rias shot her [Queen] an annoyed look that she simply smirked at. The redheaded Devil knew what her oldest friend was up to, and she wasn't keen on letting her have an affair with her new boyfriend.

They haven't even done that yet, for Hell's sake!

Looking at the time, she announced, "We should get going. Noire-san is expecting us, and we don't want to keep her waiting."

The others nodded and headed out for the music store, unaware of the unexpected guests that had come to Kuoh for Sona to deal with.

"I have good news," Noire spoke up after allowing the group inside and closing the store. "Lady Azura has agreed to your request, Naruto, and your friends here will be allowed to accompany us to the Siren territory. However," she turned her focus to Rias, "know that you and your Peerage will be under watch throughout your stay. If you or your friends step out of line, not only will you be kicked out and forbidden to return, but we will speak with your superiors about your misconduct and demand reparations. Is that clear?"

Issei and Asia looked nervous about the consequences while the others kept calm and Rias nodded for them all. "We understand, Noire-san, and we thank you for allowing us to accompany you and Naruto-kun. I'm looking forward to seeing more of his people and learning about them."

Noire nodded once before leading them to the back room, which was empty save for a complicated rune circle big enough for them all to stand upon. Gathering together, Noire stood in the center and gathered her own power before letting out a lyric-free melody that caused the runes to glow brilliantly.

The brightness engulfed them all before they vanished without a trace.

"Ravel, dear," Lady Phenex called to her daughter, getting her to join her mother in one of the libraries of their estate. "I thought you'd like to have these to read during your stay with Uzumaki-san."

Ravel looked to the two books placed on a small table by one of the many bookshelves of the library. Walking over to them, she read their covers and saw that one focused on past affairs between Devils and other races while the other – which was much smaller – was a book about the Siren race.

"Sirens, mother?" she asked in confusion.

"It is the race that Uzumaki-san belongs to, other than his Human blood. Lady Gremory informed me of this a couple days ago and suggested that I have you study up on what we know of them."

Ravel nodded in understanding, gathering the two books into her arms and giving her mother a grateful smile. "Thank you, mother. I'll be sure to read these thoroughly."

As she made to leave, Lady Phenex stopped her by asking, "Dear… Why were you so insistent on being allowed to go to Kuoh? Do you really think that Uzumaki-san will be someone special for you?"

Turning to her, Ravel replied softly, "It has nothing to do with what he is, mother. I could care less that he was Human, or any other race really. What I care about, and am grateful for, is that he doesn't treat me as if I was solely a member of the Phenex Family. Before we fought in the Rating Game, I tried to apologize for Riser's previous behavior and his insults towards Uzumaki-san's family."

"Sweet of you, dear, but that wasn't your fault."

"I know, and Uzumaki-sama informed me that he wasn't holding us responsible for Riser's actions. After our fight, he was kind enough to give me his shirt to cover myself with, and he complimented me on how I was a better example of a child of nobility. He then showed incredible courage when he stood up to brother, and a fierce protectiveness for Rias and her Peerage when he took brother's fire javelin that he had aimed at Rias. His actions throughout the Rating Game have shown me that he is someone who is kind, considerate, valorous, and willing to lay his life on the line for those he cares about."

Lady Phenex smiled softly at the blush upon her daughter's face and chuckled lightly. "You're rather taken with him, aren't you dear?"

Still blushing, Ravel nodded once. "I hope to try and grow closer to him during my stay in Kuoh, even if I'm sure that he and Rias are romantically involved."

"Are you planning on speaking with her about possibly sharing his affection with you?"

"I will try to. It wouldn't be the first time two Devils both pined for the same person, after all."

Chuckling again, Lady Phenex replied, "Very true, dear. Well, I wish you luck in pursuing him, and I hope everything works out. From what I can tell, and from what you have told me, I'm sure he'll take care of you."

Smiling radiantly at her mother, Ravel bowed to her and replied, "Thank you very much for your support, mother. I'm going to finish packing."

Watching her daughter leave with a spring in her step, Lady Phenex knew that letting her go to Kuoh was a good idea. It had been a few years since she had seen Ravel so happy about anything, and now her beloved daughter was showing signs of being in love. As a mother, she worried about the type of man her daughter would eventually pursue.

But she felt those worries go away when the man in question was shown to be the one who had bested her son in the Rating Game. Riser needed to be humbled since he had grown far too proud and arrogant of late. His defeat, and his time recovering from the wounds dealt to him, would hopefully instill that humility he would need to be a great leader.

She just hoped he did find that humility.

Sona was understandably nervous about where she currently found herself. After all, Devils and Angels had been enemies since time immemorial, and here she was having a meting between her Peerage and a Seraph of all Angels.

Gabriel, on the other hand, looked perfectly calm as she graced the heiress with a gentle smile while flanked by her two subordinates. "I'm sorry for showing up so unexpectedly, Sitri-san, but I'm afraid that this was something that couldn't wait."

Swallowing the lump in her dry throat, Sona fixed her glasses and nodded to the Lady Angel. "And…what is this issue that couldn't wait, if I may ask?"

Gabriel chuckled lightly, teasingly commenting, "You can relax, you know. Serafall-chan was never this nervous around me. In fact, she's gone out of her way to beat me in this little rivalry of ours. I don't have the heart to upset her, so I join in on the rivalry to keep her satisfied. Not to mention, it's rather fun competing with her in various things."

As she giggled fondly about the rivalry between her and the Leviathan Satan, Xenovia awkwardly coughed to get her attention. "Milady? We're supposed to tell these Devils about our mission…?" she reminded.

"Oh! Forgive me," she apologized to everyone with a serene smile. "I was lost in memory lane for a moment." She coughed once to recompose herself before speaking again, "We have reason to believe that some stolen Holy Swords are somewhere here in Kuoh. Now, we aren't accusing the Devils of theft since we know that it was a traitor of ours that performed the crime. We just have recent reports of them being spotted here in Kuoh."

"I…see," Sona hesitantly replied, feeling that this was indeed a very serious event. "And how can I and my Peerage be of assistance to you, Lady Gabriel?"

Xenovia looked ready to tell Sona off, but she wasn't allowed the chance since Gabriel sent her a warning glance from the corner of her eye. She knew of the young woman's bias against…well anything not associated with the Church. She also knew that acting on that bias was not going to help them find the stolen swords.

Xenovia held her tongue, but she still gave Sona and the other Devils a displeased frown. Next to her, Irina sighed since she had a feeling this would happen and was glad Lady Gabriel was there to keep the peace.

"I know that this is rather imposing," Gabriel spoke, "but we would greatly appreciate being allowed to search Kuoh for the one who took the swords and dealing with them. We'd also appreciate it if you didn't try to involve yourself, your Peerage, or Gremory-san's Peerage. This is a Church issue, and we don't wish to endanger you by letting you get involved. I hope you understand that this is not a slight on you or Gremory-san; I'm just concerned for your safety."

Sona had to admit that, despite Gabriel's reassurance to the contrary, she did feel slighted. She wasn't some child to be coddled from the dangers of the world and the other Factions, and neither was Rias. However, she knew that acting childishly wouldn't benefit anyone in this scenario; so, she reluctantly nodded in agreement to their request.

"Very well. I'll be sure to inform Rias when she returns about the three of you staying in our territory. I only ask that you don't bring any trouble or danger to the people in our city," Sona stipulated.

Gabriel looked interested and asked, "If Gremory-san isn't here, may I ask where she is?"

"It isn't my place to say. All I'm willing to impart with you is that she and her Peerage are joining a friend of ours on a trip and won't be back for possibly a week or so."

"I see. Thank you, Sitri-san, for both your willingness to speak with us and allowing us to work within your territory. As a Seraph, I give you my word that we will not involve any innocent people into our affairs."

"I'm grateful to hear that, Lady Gabriel."

Nodding with a gentle smile, Gabriel bid the young heiress farewell and left the academy grounds with her subordinates. With them gone, Sona let out a sigh of relief and looked down to the phone in her grasp that highlighted her sister's number. Slowly, she closed her phone and pocketed it, not wanting to get her sister involved just yet.

She wanted to prove herself to her family and to Serafall that she could act on her own without having to go to them. She wanted to prove that she was ready to lead.

She just hoped that nothing terrible was going to happen.

Naruto and the others stared in awe at the floating city below them illuminated by the setting sun upon the ocean horizon. Sitting upon multiple hexagonal platforms that were connected via bridges, the Siren settlement was a site to behold and Naruto couldn't help but feel a sense of acceptance as he gazed upon his mother's old home.

"It's beautiful," Rias whispered, amazed at how the ocean waters glowed like fire in the sunset.

"Welcome to Oceanum Opus (1), otherwise known as The Ocean's Composition. Come along, now," Noire spoke, waiting for them on the rocky trail that would lead them down the cliffs they stood upon. "Lady Azura is waiting for us."

The others followed her, eager to get a closer look at the floating city.

Unnoticed by anyone, the same gray eyes framed by glasses observed them as they made their way down; specifically Naruto. Stepping out of the shadows from the cliffside, it was revealed to be a young woman who had been observing him.

She looked to be his age with dark brown hair styled into twin tails that rested over her shoulders and fell down the front of her long-sleeved white shirt. Around her neck was a black tie tucked into the white collar of her shirt while a black plaid skirt covered her privates and butt. Thigh-high black boots covered white stockings while a silvery belt held her skirt up and black gloves adorned her hands. Finishing off her attire were a pair of half-rimmed red glasses that framed her gray eyes. (2)

She smiled to herself as she sensed Naruto's energy, getting a much better feel for it due to being closer to him this time compared to when he was in Kyoto. "Found you, Zero…" she muttered softly, reaching behind her and grabbing an exceptionally large suitcase that she picked up with ease. "Now, we shall see what your host will do in this timeline," she finished before silently following the others.

She was a Recorder, after all. She had a job to do!

1~ Oceanum Opus is Latin. Oceanum means ocean while Opus means a labor or a work. It's a creation specifically tied to music, which is why I translated Oceanum Opus to "The Ocean's Composition".

2~ If you can guess who this is, then major props to you! ^_^

That's the end of this update! As you can see, despite Naruto and the others not being in Kuoh, that doesn't mean that the events taking place there are put on hold. Not to mention how other events, such as Ravel preparing to come to Kuoh, aren't forgotten.

Next time, Naruto will meet with Lady Azura and she will offer him the chance to take part in the Rite of Sonata. How will she and the Sirens react to Naruto being the vessel of their goddesses, the Intoners? How will the Rite of Sonata go for Naruto?

And how will Sona deal with what's happening in Kuoh?

Until next time!

Stay safe, healthy, and positive!

Dreaming of the Future

pain17ification