A/N: Greetings my readers. My sincerest apologies for my long absence. I won't bore you with the details, but in summary it is for work related reasons. I am currently in the process of transferring to a different position, hopefully one that will free up my time. At any rate, thank you all for your patience and support. I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

All source material belongs to their respective owners. Reviews, feedback, and constructive criticism are always welcome.

Major thanks to my friend Midnight Lost, my Beta Reader and soundboard.

Chapter One: Pilot.

On the continent of Eos, a longstanding war has been going on between two factions. On one side of the conflict is what is known as the Seven Shields Alliance, a conglomerate of Warrior Princesses sworn to safeguard the people of Eos, the Alliance is reluctantly headed by Celestine Lucross, a rare High Elf who advocates for strongly for peace and detests violence but longs for the war to end, Celestine is often heralded as the reincarnation of a Goddess, largely due to her ability to peer into the future.

On the opposite side of the conflict, is the powerful Sorceress and Necromancer Olga Discordia, a Dark Elf with a deeply seeded grudge against humankind. Olga leads a vast horde of monsters and is hellbent on conquering Eos, and perhaps even the entire world. For many years, she and Celestine have been bitter rivals and thus far, neither side has truly gained the advantage in this war… however, Celestine has recently received a new vision, one that will tip the balance of the war and decide the ultimate fate of Eos, and perhaps the world at large.

At this very moment, within a certain cathedral, The High Elf herself stands at the head of a large table, preparing to share her latest vision with her dear friends and comrades. She glanced about the chamber, taking in the forms of her friends and comrades who gaze at her expectantly.

First, is her longtime bodyguard Claudia Levantine. Strong, fierce, and kind, a loving wife, and a dutiful knight. She is Celestine's sword and shield, and is thus in charge of both Sixth and Seventh Fortresses the Princess Knights use to keep Olga's army of monsters at bay.

Ruu-Ruu, the guardian of the Fifth Fortress. She may be small, but she is ferocious and powerful. Ruu-Ruu loves to eat and is perhaps one of the most loyal and dedicated members of the Alliance with many jokingly referring to her as Celestine's 'attack dog'.

Maia, despite being a mercenary, she is still hailed as a Warrior Princess and is in charge of the Fourth Fortress. She may be one of the more laidback and easygoing members, but she is a fierce fighter in her own right and refuses to let harm come to those who cannot protect themselves. Her humble origins and kind nature make her very popular amongst the commoners.

Kaguya, the guardian of the Third Fortress and the Head Priestess of a mysterious religion. She is somewhat taciturn and aloof, but she is still a kind person and a powerful practitioner of magic. Her followers have also been invaluable in their assistance to aiding the sick and injured during these trying times.

Prim Fiorire, the princess of the Second Fortress. A shy and kind-hearted girl who is extremely popular amongst the common folk due to both her beauty and compassion. Thanks to Prim's guidance and direction, many people have been working hard to supply the Alliance's soldiers with much needed supplies while also ensuring that everyone had plentiful food to eat so that no one may go hungry.

Alicia Arcturus, the princess of the First Fortress who guards the borders of the Alliance from invasion. Chivalrous and strong, Alicia is a knight through and through. She is also protective of her cousin, Prim, and the two work very strongly together to safeguard the realm from Olga's forces. Thus far, Alicia has yet to know defeat.

Finally, there was one other occupant in this chamber, and the only man present. While he wasn't a member of the alliance, his presence here was a necessity given both his vast experience and reputation. Vult, the head of the Kuroinu mercenaries, the largest and most fearsome mercenary company in Eos, known far and wide. Inwardly, Celestine was not eager to hire his services, but her many advisors reasoned that hiring him and his company would be a necessary evil, which Celestine, with great reluctance, agreed.

"Celes-sama! Celes-sama! What's the big news?!" Ruu-Ruu shouted impatiently, repeatedly slapping the top of the table with her hands, breaking the High Elf from her musings.

"Ah. I'm with the little lady on this one. Don't keep us in suspense." Vult spoke as he propped his feet up on the table and leaned back in his seat with his hands clasped behind his head. Some of the other princesses seemed ready to scold the Halfling and the Mercenary for their rudeness, but were silenced when the elf goddess waved them off and cleared her throat.

"Forgive me, I was lost in thought. First of all, I wish to thank everyone for answering my summons with such swiftness, secondly and much more importantly… I have foreseen something important. I believe… that this war may finally come to an end." She announced, earning looks of relief and excitement from the princesses, while Vult had a strange little grin on his face.

"What did you see? Do our armies march upon Olga's castle, smash down her doors, and take her prisoner?! Give me the order and I shall personally lead the charge for Eos and its people!" Alicia spoke confidently, and drew her sword, raising it high into the air for emphasis. However, instead of responding, Celestine's face seemed somewhat crestfallen… did she bear ill news?

After a few moments of silence, Kaguya finally spoke "Do we face defeat then?" At her question, the blonde elf tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear before replying at last "Regrettably… my latest vision was more… obscure this time."

"Eh?! You just said that you believed this war was gonna end! What did you see! Tell us! Tell us!" Ruu-Ruu shouted, almost leaping out of her seat, the tension quickly rising in the chamber.

"I said that I have foreseen something important. My vision came in two pieces. The first piece revealed to me that Olga has a weapon. I did not see what it was, but from what I could tell, she had been cultivating this secret weapon for some years now and is almost ready to unleash it on Eos." The High Elf explained, the room becoming swiftly silent, so silent that one could easily hear a pin drop on the floor.

"A super weapon, eh? Now that I think about it, there has been an unusual lack of activity from Olga's forces… it was almost like they are getting ready for something. They may be preparing to make their big move." Alicia muttered, now realizing that if they didn't act quickly and the Dark Elf Queen were to unleash this weapon… the Alliance would be no more, and Eos would be conquered and shackled by Olga who would rule over all with an iron fist and a boot upon the people's necks, or more likely, an executioner's axe.

"And the second piece of your vision?" Claudia asked, noticing that her longtime friend and charge seemed to be rather drained, likely distressed by the violence that was sure to come soon. Regardless, this war needed to end once and for all.

The High Elf straightened herself and then spoke "I foresaw that Olga would lose her powers, she will soon be vulnerable." At this piece of news, the Alliance members seemed ready to burst into cheers. Celestine's visions always came to pass, and with this information, they now had the chance to aim directly for Olga herself and cut off the head of the serpent.

Alicia smirked as she brandished her sword once more, with Ruu-Ruu hefting one of her battleaxes, the former stating "That settles it then! We must consolidate our forces and lead an all-out assault on Olga's fortress."

At this, Vult chuckled a bit, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke "You do that, and you run the risk of leaving your lands vulnerable… that's why I'm here, isn't it?" He asked, quickly putting together the purpose behind his presence here, and if he was right… then he could see about accomplishing his own ambitions.

At his question, Celestine gravely nodded as she spoke "You may have already guessed… but the answer is yes. I consulted my advisors, and they assured me that this was the best option. We will hire your Kuroinu to lead the vanguard in this war, you will invade Olga's lands and capture her by any means necessary."

"So we're to be the sacrificial lambs then? Being sent into the meat grinder where we may succeed or fail, eh?" Vult responded with a sneer, but his expression softened as he gave a small smirk and continued "Mah, what the hell? You only get to live once, right? The Kuroinu will accept the job, but it'll cost you triple our usual rates."

"Triple?!" Alicia shouted in outrage, but was calmed when her cousin Prim spoke "Alicia, we are asking them to risk their lives, to march into the lion's den. If they succeed in capturing Olga and end this war, then I would say that they would have more than earned their pay."

Celestine nodded in agreement and then stated "Prim-san is right. Upon your success Vult-san, you will be appropriately rewarded." At this, Vult gave a satisfied nod… while trying to suppress a lustful smile as he mentally pictured Olga's beautiful form. When Olga's Legions are conquered and she is his sex slave, he will enjoy breaking the rest of these haughty bitches as he formed his own 'Cuntry'. A place where women unconditionally served men's sexual needs… regardless of if they were willing or not.

With that said and done, Vult made his exit, determined to see his plans through. He was definitely looking forward to getting the last laugh. Unknown to everyone in the chamber though… things would not play out as anyone would expect.

Days later.

The Kuroinu marched through the territory of Olga's Legion, making a bee-line for her fortress. Morale was high, and everyone here shared in Vult's vision… however, the mercenary leader sensed that something wasn't quite right. Thus far, they hadn't encountered any Legion forces of any kind, and according to their maps, they were close to the fortress itself… So why had no one come to stop them?

The most likely explanation was an ambush. Was the Queen aware of her own imminent loss of power? If so, perhaps she had brought all of her forces to her castle to defend her while she worked to restore her abilities, if that was the case, then things would likely get messy. On and on they marched, until the Dark Elf Queen's fortress came into view at long last. As Vult suspected, he could see the Legion's army had the place surrounded and were all armed for battle.

Vult ordered his men to get into battle formations and to prepare themselves for a potential attack, after all, if they could see the enemy, then the enemy could see them. He expected the Legion forces to begin their march to repel them. Minutes slowly ticked by as the Kuroinu assumed their positions, and still the Legion made no movements.

"That's funny… what the devil are they waiting for?" Vult wondered, he had planned on drawing at least some of Olga's forces, but they hadn't budged an inch. Very strange, the Legion forces were infamously known for their savagery and brutal nature, one would easily assume that they would charge at the first sign of an enemy.

At last, Vult saw movement in the form of a rider, a Samurai dressed from head to toe in black armor, carrying a katana on his hip and a kanabo on his back, riding a black steed. It would seem that the Queen had sent an envoy. 'A sign of her growing weakness.' The mercenary leader thought with a smug expression as he stepped forward to greet the envoy with his right-hand men, Hicks and Keane.

The envoy stopped and dismounted his steed, his face obscured by a Hannya mask that seemed to be grinning wickedly at the mercenaries. "Vult, Hicks, and Keane of the Kuroinu… welcome to the lands of the Queen Olga Discordia." The envoy greeted, surprising the three men at the fact that he already knew their names, it almost seemed as if they were expected.

"You seem to have us at a disadvantage, stranger. " Vult spoke as he hefted his sword and pointed towards the Samurai, however, the envoy's posture remained relaxed despite the fact that he was staring down an entire army.

"I know you. I know all about you. Do you honestly believe that Celestine is the only one that can perceive the future?" The envoy asked, his words causing the mercenary leader to quirk up an eyebrow.

"Oh? So you see the future too, eh? That explains why we haven't met any resistance yet. You were expecting us. Awfully foolish of you to come out here and greet us like this, you would have been much safer behind those castle walls… unless you wish to join the winning team?" Vult asked, a cocky grin forming on his face, if this guy was the real deal, then he could be a useful asset to him and his goals.

"I refuse. I know your goal. You view women as nothing but tools to satiate your carnal desires. They aren't even people to you, just toys. People like you, I view as nothing less than vermin to be exterminated." The stranger spoke as he drew his katana and kanabo, the two weapons glowing with a sinister black aura with a crimson outline that seemed to swallow the light around them.

"That so? A shame, I was gonna offer you a spot in my Cuntry, but if you're satisfied with licking the Queen's boots, then we have no need for you." The mercenary leader spoke, getting ready to give the signal for his men to put down this mild annoyance… but then the stranger removed his Hannya mask, revealing the fresh face of a teenager with spiky blonde hair and whisker-like markings on his face.

"The hell? A kid?" Vult asked, mildly surprised that a boy so young had come out to face them, the kid couldn't have been more than fifteen years of age or so.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki-Discordia. Adopted child of Queen Olga Discordia and Forgemaster of the Legion." The now identified Naruto proudly proclaimed, much to the surprise of the mercenaries.

"The fuck?! Why would the Queen adopt a human kid? She hates humans!" Hicks shouted in confusion.

"Forget that! Did you hear him?! He said he's a Forgemaster! Is he for real?!" Keane shouted out, making his boss Vult grit his teeth. He had heard that title before, according to the legends, Devil Forgemasters, or simply Forgemasters for short, are humans versed in the dark arts. Capable of creating monsters and demons from raw materials, most particularly from the bodies of the dead. If Olga had one at her disposal… then she's likely been using him in secret to bolster the numbers of the Legion.

"I foresaw your arrival, Vult. I foresaw Olga's defeat, her Legion turning on her and her aide Chloe and obeying you… that is… in another timeline. My presence here drastically alters things. I have already taken measures to ensure such a thing never comes to pass. Creatures created by a Forgemaster are bound to and must obey their creator, but for the Legion monsters that possess their free will… well… now they no longer have it. I turned their brains into mush, now they're just mindless cannon fodder that can be easily disposed of and later reforged into loyal beasts by my hand. Seemed like poetic justice in a way, given what would happen if you were to win." Naruto explained with a grin.

The whiskered teen then sighed as he replaced his Hannya mask and spoke "I guess that's enough exposition. Vult-san, I'll be sure to add you to my vast collection of undead meat puppets. I think your half-rotten corpse will be most useful for shoveling out feces from the stables and outhouses."

The mercenary leader grit his teeth and shouted "That's enough out of you! I'll fuck your adoptive mommy right in front of you and then make her watch as I gut you!"

The Uzumaki simply chuckled and replied "Before that, you ever heard of the term 'misdirection'? While we have been going back and forth… what do you think my forces have been doing?" At the blonde's question, as if on cue, the ground beneath them began to shake, making the mercenaries realize their careless mistake… they'd been had.

Giant worm-like creatures erupted from the ground and slammed their massive bodies down, crushing large numbers of mercenaries. Those that avoided being crushed attempted to stab and hack at the large worms, only to be melted by the corrosive and acid-like blood from the worms. The monsters then retreated back into the holes from whence they came, only for various creatures and demons to come pouring out of the freshly dug holes as they began tearing through the surprised and rattled mercs.

Before Vult could even react, he felt a blade pierce his chest and saw the Hannya masked boy had stabbed him in the chest with his katana. "You were awfully certain of your victory, mmm? Maybe in another time where a cruel god permitted you victory, that would have been possible. But not here, not now. Right now… I'm your god and I guarantee that your undead existence will be a miserable and cursed one."

Vult fell to the ground, blood almost gushing from the open wound as he saw his army being brutally torn apart. He saw men being cut down by swords and spears and claws, others torn apart and eaten by hungry beasts, within moments the Kuroinu were slain and the throatcutters were already searching for survivors to be put to the sword. "Your men will make fine additions to my army… their corpses will be useful in making more demons." The Hannya masked teen added, before stomping on Vult's face.

Just like that… the Kuroinu had come to an end… it was now time for the Legion to make their move. The carnage started to quiet down as the screams of the dying and the sounds of fighting came to an end, the only sounds now was a pair of horses approaching, the semi-conscious Vult then saw the forms of the Dark Elf Queen Olga herself appear, followed by another elf woman with blonde hair and red eyes.

The blonde elf dismounted first and assisted the Queen from her steed, allowing Olga to dismount as she surveyed the now bloody battlefield, or perhaps more accurately, it should be called a field of slaughter. The Queen stepped forward, her eyes coldly surveying the deaths of so many disgusting humans, the worst sort in fact. Soon, their corrupt and worthless selves would be reborn as demons, bound to her Forgemaster, and by extension to her.

The Uzumaki dropped to one knee, bowing to his queen and his mother, who looked down on him with a warm and proud smile on her face. "Rise, my son. You need not bow before me." She spoke in a loving tone, placing a delicate finger beneath his chin and then gently guiding him back up to his full height.

He removed his Hannya mask, prompting the Queen to plant a kiss on each cheek, a gesture he returned before the Dark Elf turned her attention to the dying mercenary. "So… this is Vult. The man who was to beat me, and defile me and Chloe." She muttered coldly, her lips twitching until they formed a cruel smile as she continued "Your body will soon be defiled, Vult, you'll be a mindless slave for us to exploit. I believe my son was planning to make you into a mindless drone to shovel away the fecal excrements of beasts from the stables, yes? How fitting."

"You… bitch… this wasn't…" Vult tried to wheeze out… only to be stopped as the blonde Dark Elf planted a dagger into his groin. "That's for me and Olga-sama, you misogynistic pig." Chloe growled out and then planted an extra dagger into his groin, stabbing through his testicles.

Vult's eyes widened from the shock and pain, and at last his life came to an end. With their main enemy dead… it was now time to turn their attention to conquering the Alliance, starting with the First Fortress headed by Alicia, then… all of Eos would be theirs.

Days later. First Fortress.

It had been some time since Vult's forces marched off into Legion territory, however, they had yet to receive word of their victory. Alicia stood upon the ramparts, looking out towards the horizon, contemplating on sending some scouts to enter the enemy's territory to determine the Kuroinu's success or failure. Before she could come to her final decision she took notice of something approaching, an army was marching towards them.

At first, she wondered if it was the Kuroinu, finally making their return. Now it was time to see if they had indeed earned their pay… however, as the army grew ever closer… she noticed that the troops were carrying the banner of the Legion… the Kuroinu had failed! Now the Legion was going to strike back!

"All troops! To arms! To arms! We're under attack! Get all the Civilians to the shelters! Spread the word! To arms!" Alicia shouted to her troops, and all at once, the First Fortress was stirred into a frenzy like a kicked hornet's nest. Soldiers began taking their battle positions while the civilians ran to their hiding places, some brave volunteers stayed with the troops to take up arms, ready to defend their homes from the invading forces.

Blessings be upon those brave souls. Alicia drew her sword, ready to perform her duty in repelling the enemy. All the while swearing that she would do whatever it took to defeat the Legion. Unfortunately, she also took notice that the Legions numbers appeared to have swelled dramatically, their numbers being far greater than in previous skirmishes. It would seem that Olga had found a method to increase the numbers of her troops. In fact, there were many more varieties of monsters now, all of which she had never seen before.

This was going to get bloody. Nevertheless, as a proud knight, she would defend this Fortress unto her dying breath. Off in the distance, she could see the enemy getting into formation, strange, they were acting unusually organized. Usually the monsters of the Legion attacked with reckless abandon, like wild and rabid animals, their only instincts were to destroy and to violate. Now they were behaving like a well-trained army, what had changed? Something wasn't right.

She then saw a little black speck approaching from the main army, as the figure drew closer, she saw that it was a lone rider, carrying a white flag, a Samurai of the east dressed in black wearing a Hannya mask. Did the Dark Queen have a new general leading the charge? Was this him? Regardless, it was obvious this rider was here to demand their surrender.

The masked man came to a halt, just a few short yards from the gates as he looked up at the ramparts, even from behind his mask, she could sense that he was looking directly at her. "Princess Alicia Arcturus?" He questioned as he planted his flag into the ground, in response to his inquiry she stiffly nodded and replied "Tis I. Who are you?"

"I am Naruto Uzumaki-Discordia. Adopted son of Queen Olga Discordia, General of the Legion, and Devil Forgemaster. Your mercenary army, the Kuroinu have failed you. Worse yet, they were planning to betray you. Vult and his men were planning on creating their own empire, one where men held dominion and women became little more than sex slaves." The masked man spoke in an even tone, his words causing a ripple of confusion and fear from Alicia's troops.

The princess looked around and saw that the morale of her soldiers had been severely crippled. Between this grave news, this massive army but a stone's throw away, and perhaps worst of all, the presence of a Forgemaster… their situation was dire indeed. Alicia did not know Vult well, aside from his reputation as a skilled and ruthless warrior… however she sensed no deception from the masked man, nor could she find any reason for him to lie about this treachery.

Still, a Forgemaster. She had heard the legends. With one of those at the Dark Queen's command, she could easily create as many monsters as she wanted or needed. Now it made sense why the Legion army were behaving much more organized and disciplined. Monsters created by the Forgemaster were bound to their will, and with this new general leading them… the Legion was more dangerous than ever.

"I didn't realize that the Queen had a son, much less had adopted a son." Alicia replied, biting her lip, now that she knew what they were up against, she came to the swift conclusion that they couldn't win on their own. She needed to send a messenger hawk with all haste to call for help and they needed to hold out till reinforcements arrived. For now, she needed to stall for time.

"I was the Queen's best kept secret and her trump card in this war. I'm sure your goddess Celestine had a vision about my mother possessing a weapon? Maybe also had a vision of my mother losing her powers under mysterious circumstances?" The masked Samurai spoke in a sly tone, his words making the blonde princess stiffen. Just how in the hell did he know about that?!

Before she could ask, she was interrupted by a voice she immediately recognized that whispered into her ear "Princess! The enemy leader is right there! Order the archers to shoot him! Now! If the Forgemaster dies, then all of his creations will die with him! We can win the war, right now!"

Alicia turned her head, meeting the gaze of her Prime Minister, Beardsley. Her adviser and confidante. While she mostly handled military matters within the fortress and kept the peace, he handled the day-to-day duties that kept things going. His help was invaluable in maintaining the First Fortress. She swallowed dryly at his advice, feeling a sliver of temptation to give the order… but her code of honor as a knight and sense of chivalry forbade her from doing such a thing.

This Naruto came alone, under a banner of truce. She could not in good conscience murder him in such a manner. No. If she ordered her archers to kill him, she would be no better than the monsters she had fought so long and hard against. Shaking her head, she called down to the Hannya "Speak your terms, General. I am listening."

Naruto drew his katana and raised it towards the sky, even from this distance the Princess and her troops could sense raw power emanating from the black blade as the Samurai called out "One land! One ruler! That is my peace Princess Alicia! I have no desire to murder your civilians or lay waste to their homes! I propose that we settle this with a duel of honor! Me, versus you! The loser shall offer complete surrender to the victor!"

"The rules of engagement?" Alicia asked, resting a hand on her sword, it would seem that this stranger possessed a code of honor as well. If she could defeat him in single combat, then not only would countless lives be spared, but with him in irons, she could force him to make his army retreat, and victory would go to the Alliance. Yes, this was perfect!

"Anything goes excluding outside interference! We shall duel here at your gates, on the morrow when the sun rises! Full quarter is to be given when asked! Do you accept?" The masked Samurai asked, his words making the princess smile brightly.

"I accept your challenge!" She shouted back, eager to duel a worthy opponent and potentially bring an end to the war. The Samurai in black nodded in understanding and then retreated back towards his army, leaving the princess to prepare for their duel.

The Blonde knight immediately made plans to prepare her best armor and favorite sword for the duel, eat a filling meal and get a good night's rest. However, she was stopped when the voice of Beardsley angrily hissed "Are you insane? Agreeing to this duel? You could have finished things right there! One order to the archer's and he'd be finished."

"Perhaps… but that would have been both dishonorable and cowardly. That aside, he had shown no aggression. It would be unjust to attack someone without provocation." She responded bitterly, feeling angered and insulted that her advisor tried to get her to perform such a disgraceful act.

"That damned chivalry of yours will be the end of us all." Beardsley muttered as he stomped off, but then briefly stopped and glanced towards the Legion army, an idea brewing in his mind… he then smirked and continued on, having an idea how he could make the best of a bad situation.

Alicia paid him no mind as she ordered her troops to stand guard and be prepared, just in case. For now, she had a duel to prepare for.

A few hours later. Legion encampment.

Within a large tent, the forms of the Dark Elf Queen Olga, her loyal aide Chloe, and of course her adopted son Naruto could be seen sitting around a table, enjoying a luxurious meal. "Don't know how you do it Chloe, but I can never get enough of your food." Naruto praised with a broad grin as he picked up a large drumstick and bit off a large chunk of meat off of it.

Half-Elf beamed from the compliment as she replied "We all have our skills, naturally I chose to learn how to cook for Olga-sama… and… you, of course." At that, the Dark Queen let out a soft giggle as she swirled a glass of wine for a few moments. Due to her past enslavement by humans, it was only natural that Chloe hated humankind with a passion, however Naruto was a special exception.

Olga then cleared her throat as she raised a hand with small sparks appearing from her fingers. As predicted by the vision that Naruto had seen, her powers were indeed on the decline. Had Vult and his Kuroinu invaded, she would have been practically helpless. Still… why were her powers vanishing? What was the cause? Magic was a complex subject, however, she was certain that she could find a means to reverse this, especially with Naruto's help given his brilliance and skill. If all else failed, she could use Naruto's mana to restore her own.

At any rate, with the Kuroinu defeated and their dead now bolstering the now mindless and subservient Legion army, they could now march upon the alliance. The various monsters she held command over were fickle by nature and only served the strong and prone to follow their base instincts, chiefly to rape and murder and destroy. There was no room for doubt that once Vult had conquered her, they would have readily joined him and raped both her and Chloe and any other female they got theri hands on. She felt no sympathy whatsoever for those vile creatures once Naruto successfully destroyed their minds… if it could be called that.

"It is quite brilliant of you, Naruto-sama. Using the Princess' code of chivalry against her. Little does she know that she is stepping into the ring with an invincible warrior." Chloe spoke with a broad grin, very eager to see the humans put in their place and humiliated for their past sins against all elven-kind.

"Indeed. More importantly, once she is defeated and in chains, most of, if not all the other humans will fall into line. After all, there is no point in ruling an empire with no subjects to rule over." Olga added as she took a sip of her wine.

"Just leave it to me. I won't lose." Naruto spoke with confidence, earning nods from the two Dark Elves. They settled into a comfortable silence as they continued with their meal, only for one of Naruto's demonic soldiers to enter their tent.

"I thought I said that we weren't to be disturbed… unless something important came up?" The blonde teen asked at the end, earning a nod from the demon that began speaking in a guttural tone, the words escaping his mouth being unknown to the two Elves. They nicknamed the strange language as 'Black Speech' a language spoken from the foulest and darkest of creatures, most prominently those summoned from hell.

However, thanks to his status as a Devil Forgemaster, and the bond he shared with his creations, Naruto understood Black Speech with perfect clarity. "It seems we have a visitor. Show him in." The Uzumaki ordered at the end before replacing his signature Hannya mask. The demon nodded as it stepped outside, and an old man was shoved inside the tent, one that Naruto quickly recognized.

"I remember you. You were on the ramparts with Alicia." The Forgemaster commented as he leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. Both Olga and Chloe glared in suspicion towards the old man, with the latter gripping a hidden dagger in case their visitor tried anything.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Prime Minister Beardsley of the First Fortress. It is an honor to meet you all in person. Especially you, almighty and beautiful Queen Olga." Beardsley spoke as he gave a dramatic bow. The Queen seemed ready to lurch forward and vomit from the praise, disgusted by the lustful looks she was getting from the man's beady eyes. She then turned towards her son and aggressively gestured towards him, almost as if she were saying 'Get this over with.'

Getting the message, her son nodded and then spoke "State your piece Beardsley-san. My queen is getting impatient, and you do not want to waste her time or test her patience." At that, the Prime Minister straightened up and cleared his throat while muttering a quick 'forgive me'.

The aged man then spoke "I shall get straight to the point then, I know a losing battle when I see one. I'm betting that even if Alicia bests you in combat, you'll give the order for your troops to invade, in which case, the First Fortress is indeed doomed given the size and strength of your obviously mighty army. My proposal is this, I can show you and your troops to a secret passage into the Fortress, the very one I used to sneak out. You can take the Fortress with ease and perhaps a minimum amount of bloodshed."

Olga and Chloe glanced at one another and then to Naruto, the three of them finding it awfully convenient that this man was offering the Fortress on a silver platter, though that was not unexpected of a human. Greed and deceit were practically the bread and butter of bureaucrats like this Prime Minister. He definitely could not be trusted.

"In exchange?" The Hannya asked as he used a kunai to clean out some dirt and grime from beneath his fingernails, his eyes glaring dangerously at the old man from behind his mask.

"That you leave me in charge of the First Fortress in your stead, furthermore, I request… Alicia." The aged man spoke, lustfully licking his lips as the mental image of the blonde knight filled his mind.

Deciding to play along for a bit, Naruto spoke "So as my troops rape the women and murder the men, you want Alicia all to yourself as your personal sex slave? Maybe you want to get her young pussy preggers with your old man seed?"

Beardsley eagerly nodded in confirmation… and then suddenly the temperature inside the tent seemed to drop exponentially, and a sense of danger overcame the Prime Minister as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Warning bells ringing loudly in his mind. "See… we don't do that sort of thing anymore. I personally rendered all of the Legion monsters into mindless meat puppets, the rest are my loyal demons, forged by my hands. I do not allow them to rape others anymore, nor was it my Queen's desire for the monsters to rape others before my intervention. I digress though, we do not want, much less need your help Beardsley… though I think your little Princess will want to know how you tried to sell her out."

The Hannya then snapped his fingers, and a pair of demons entered the tent, carrying chains and shackles to bind the old man. It was then that Beardsley realized… he had made a grave error. "One more thing… I have no tolerance for rapists or for traitors." Naruto added, and then within moments, the Prime Minister was taken prisoner. The Princess was going to be in for a shock.

The next morning.

Alicia stood in front of the gates of her Fortress, clad in her finest armor and armed with her sharpest blade. She glanced up at the ramparts, noting how tense her soldiers were with many Civilians watching and waiting to see the coming duel unfold. She couldn't really blame them, the next few minutes were going to be a major tipping point in this war.

She heard the sounds of a horse approaching, two in fact. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the forms of Naruto and an unknown woman with blonde hair, dark skin, and elf ears. "Good morning Princess Alicia." The Hannya cordially greeted before gesturing to his companion "This is Chloe, my mother's aide."

"Princess." Chloe gruffly greeted, earning a slow nod from the blonde Knight, who then noticed that the Half-elf's horse was carrying a large barrel for some reason. Just what were they up to? Surely they weren't going to pull a fast one on her, were they? If they did anything to violate this duel, she would make them pay dearly.

The Samurai dismounted his horse, handing the reins to Chloe who accepted them, then planted two fingers on her lips before placing them on the mouth region of his mask. A sort of 'good luck' kiss no doubt.

Naruto then drew his katana and kanabo, squaring off against the princess who drew her sword. "What is in that barrel?" Alicia asked out of curiosity, in response to her question, the Uzumaki chuckled darkly which unnerved the blonde knight a little bit.

"We'll get to that later." He answered cryptically, and then charged at full speed towards the knight, swinging his spoked club. Alicia quickly pivoted out of the way as the kanabo came crashing to the ground, leaving behind a series of spiderweb cracks on the ground. She thrust her blade forward, aiming to pierce his ribs, only for him to deflect her sword with his own. He then lunged forward with all his momentum, smashing his forehead into the bridge of her nose, causing a sickening crunching noise to sound out, making Alicia stumble back.

Blood poured out of her nose as she quickly popped it back into place, now realizing that her opponent was much faster than she anticipated. "Not bad." She muttered, wiping the blood from her nostrils.

"Word of advice? Don't underestimate me for any reason." Naruto spoke, grinning beneath his mask. Knowing the princesses had been fighting violent beasts that held no real sense of tactics or skill. It had probably been some time since she had faced a truly worthy opponent, nevertheless, it was easy to see that she wasn't deterred in the slightest. Like him, she craved a proper challenge to overcome.

Not giving him a chance to attack again, Alicia quickly rushed him, delivering a flurry of lightning fast strikes, her blade a blur as she sought to overwhelm him with the blinding speed of her attacks. Sparks flew about as the Hannya used his weapons in tandem to deflect her blows. Alicia searched for any signs of an opening in his guard, which was easier said than done as he seemed to be easily swatting her attacks aside. There was a brief break in her rhythm as she attempted to break away from him, giving him the chance to swing his kanabo towards her mid-section, which she narrowly avoided by a very slight margin as she leapt away from him.

He then leapt towards her, sending his knee into her stomach as she regained her balance, which collided into her stomach and sent her flying further back. She fell to the ground but rolled backwards and landed on her feet, quickly regaining her footing as she coughed up some blood. If things kept going like this, she wasn't going to make it. She needed to finish this swiftly before he picked her apart.

Alicia's usual fighting style relied on her swift speed to take down opponents as quickly as possible. However, if a fight went on for too long, her stamina would be drained and thus her attacks would lose their effectiveness. She took a deep breath as she muttered "Arcturus technique: Final Eden!"

Her blade was coated in a golden light as she poured her magical essence into it, this was her most powerful technique. An all-or-nothing strike that could fell any foe if it landed, her final resort and gamble. "For Eos! For its people!" She shouted as she swung her blade, a golden energy slicing through the air, destroying everything in its wake as it sped towards the Samurai.

A black energy with a crimson outline formed around Naruto's Katana as he shouted "Divine Departure!" He then swung his blade in a powerful arc, casting an unknown black and crimson energy towards Alicia's own attack. The black and golden energies collided in mid-air, creating a powerful shockwave… unfortunately Alicia's attack shattered into golden sparks as the black wave cut through the air and crashed against her.

There was a small explosion as Alicia screamed in pain, her sword and her armor breaking apart from the force of the blow. Leaving her lying on the ground in a small, smoking crater. The onlookers gasped in horror as they quickly realized the reality of their situation, their beloved Princess Knight and their protector… had been defeated.

Alicia forced herself from the ground, barely managing to stand as she clutched her sword arm, which she was certain might be broken. She sighed in acceptance as she reluctantly spoke the words "I yield."

Naruto smirked beneath his mask as he sheathed his weapons and then removed his signature Hannya mask, revealing his face to the Princess. "I accept your surrender." He stated with a satisfied smile.

The blonde knight gaped in shock upon realizing that he was a human, a teenager at that as she muttered "I… I don't understand. You're… human. Why would a human support Queen Olga? Why would Olga… adopt a human as her child?"

"Are you that surprised? Humans have been waging war on each other since the beginning of time. Though my reasons… well… I guess it doesn't matter what my reasons are. The rest… I shall save for later." Naruto spoke as he magically summoned a pair of shackles and clapped them on the knight's wrists.

She grimaced as she didn't have the strength to resist now. Her fate was sealed. She was his prisoner now. Her fate, and the fate of her people was now in his hands. "I think there's something you should know about." The whiskered teen spoke as he turned towards the Half-elf and nodded to her.

Chloe nodded in turn as she dismounted her horse and cut the barrel down, making it fall to the ground with a loud thud and a strange muffled noise to come from within. She then used a knife to pry the lid open… revealing the form of a bound and gagged Beardsley inside. "Wha… Beardsley?! Wha… what… what's going on?" Alicia asked in shock.

With all the hustle and bustle of her duel going on, no one had noticed that the Prime Minister had gone missing, then again, she had noticed his lack of presence on the ramparts this morning, but she had initially believed that he was busy with something or other, not that it initially mattered to her since she had to focus on her duel. Which was moot now due to her loss.

"Surprised? Your Prime Minister came to us last night, used a secret passage to sneak out. He offered to show it to us. In exchange, he wanted to remain as the First Fortress' ruler and he wanted to claim you as his personal sex slave and cum dumpster. Apparently the old fart as a thing for young blonde girls like you. Isn't that right you old creep?" Naruto asked the aged man mockingly.

Beardsley attempted to make some muffled protests, but was silenced when Chloe stomped on his nose with the heel of her boot, crushing it and causing blood to spray out from his nostrils as he cried out in pain. "No… this… this can't… Beardsley…you were going to…" Alicia muttered in disbelief, her mind struggling to keep up with and process this information.

"Yep. He was gonna sell you out for his own lust and personal fantasies. Don't believe me? How do you think we got a hold of him? What reason would I have to lie to someone that's already beaten? Kinda makes you wonder… who can you trust if you can't trust one of your closest allies, eh?" Naruto asked as he patted the princess on the shoulder. He glanced up towards the ramparts and noticed that whatever resistance that the onlookers had on them was now gone, they were now utterly crippled by this news.

Their longtime Prime Minister was a traitor, and wanted the princess as his pet. The man who had long watched after them and ruled them. Smiling to himself, the Uzumaki replaced his Hannya mask and gestured towards Chloe.

She nodded and pulled out a large horn which she blew into, causing the Legion army to begin marching on the Fortress to claim and occupy it. Without needing to be ordered, the guards of the Fortress opened the gates, a broken expression on their faces knowing that the situation was hopeless.

"We'll get your wounds treated Alicia." The Uzumaki promised as the princess turned towards him with a scowl.

"Hmph, I may have been defeated, but my sisters-in-arms will avenge me. I sent a messenger hawk out last night. Soon, the forces of the Alliance will be mustered and will come to meet your army." She spoke, trying to sound confident that the Alliance hadn't yet lost the war. After all, if the Forgemaster dies, his monsters will die with him.

The Forgemaster was silent for a few moments but then he responded "That depends. Ask yourself, if your Prime Minister Beardsley was gonna sell you out for his own twisted reasons… who else will do the same? Which of your allies will sell out next?"

At that, Alicia's confidence was shaken as she now realized the truth and reality of the situation. He was right… who would be the next person to sell out the Princesses for their greed and/or lust? Perhaps it wouldn't be the armies of the Legion that would defeat the Alliance… but traitors from within.

Alicia then looked towards the sky as she muttered "Cousin… Prim… everyone. Be safe. Please… be safe."

Now the Legion had claimed two victories, the first being against the treacherous Kuroinu, and now the First Fortress had fallen and its protector Princess Alicia Arcturus had been claimed by the Hannya. The balance of power was now in favor of the Legion. Unless the tide is turned, Eos will assuredly fall beneath the influence of the Dark Queen.

End chapter one.