The Light Born In The Darkness (CH 49)

A/N: This story is rated M for mature content not suitable for children.

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Chapter 49: It Can't Be

Astaroth Mansion

"You aren't as weak as I expected," Lady Astaroth conceded, skillfully evading and countering her youngest son's magical strikes. His powers were greater than she had anticipated, causing her to redirect them upwards, resulting in a significant explosion that shattered the roof. "However, you're still nowhere near strong enough to overcome me."

Lady Astaroth expressed her thoughts outwardly, but deep down, she was anxious about her daughter's safety. She hadn't anticipated Diodora gaining such an immense level of power; he was now attacking with a strength that only high-class devils could aspire to possess.

"I need to take my child away from here before I can handle this annoying pest and his father," Lady Astaroth remarked, her gaze shifting to her timid husband as she sighed in exasperation. "Script magic – clone."

From the fountain pen of Lady Astaroth, the word "clone" was inscribed, and the ink spread out, shaping itself into the attire of Lady Astaroth in its entirety.

The real Lady Astaroth remained in the room as her clone stepped out to ensure her daughter's safety. She trusted that Naruto would protect their child, leading her to believe that he had informed those invading their territory about his daughter's existence, and by extension, he must have also communicated her identity as his spy and lover to his soldiers.

"Stop," commanded an extra demon soldier clad in bronze armor upon noticing the clone aiming a spear at her. The Lady Astaroth clone prepared herself to strike if necessary, but fortunately, it wasn't needed. "You are Lady Astaroth, correct?"

"I am her clone, and this is my child," the clone replied honestly. She contemplated eliminating the soldiers nearby and escaping, but she didn't want to provoke Naruto, especially since the extra demons didn’t appear to be hostile towards her, despite the ongoing battle.

"You are on the list," the soldier remarked, noticing the clone's puzzled expression. He went on to clarify, "As long as you don't act aggressively towards us, you won't be in danger."

"Ah," the clone remarked, observing the extra demons dispatching anyone in the Astaroth territory who wasn’t on the list. "In that case, I’ll remain here until the original finishes her tasks."

The extra demon soldier observed Lady Astaroth's clone, noting her indifference towards their actions of killing individuals they suspected could have been her servant or possibly a friend. He simply shrugged it off, recognizing that it wasn't his concern.

Inside the Astaroth Mansion, the real Lady Astaroth began to relax now that she was assured of her daughter's safety. Utilizing her script magic, she redirected Diodora's magic back at him, propelling both him and her husband into the sky as their mansion collapsed beneath them.

"I assume you obtained your power by consuming the serpent from one of my boyfriend's pets," Lady Astaroth remarked, understanding that Diodora's strength actually stemmed from Ophis, the dragon goddess, rather than being his own.

Lady Astaroth wore a wicked grin that both intrigued and unsettled those around her as she recalled her astonishment at witnessing Naruto vigorously engage with a dark-haired woman on his bed. It wasn't the act itself that shocked her, but the identity of the woman—Ophis, the dragon goddess. Previously androgynous, she had been transformed into a female form through Naruto's actions.

"Since I want to wrap this up quickly, I'll reveal a secret I possess," Lady Astaroth declared, plunging her fountain pen into her own heart. The two male Astaroths were taken aback, wondering if their foe had taken her own life, but their astonishment quickly transformed as they sensed a surge in her magical energy.

Father and son stared in disbelief as Lady Astaroth underwent a shocking transformation. She grew taller and more alluring, sprouting four horns—two on each side of her head—while her devilish wings shifted to a vibrant green, resembling dragon wings rather than those of a demon.

"What are you?" Lord Astaroth exclaimed in disbelief as he attempted to teleport, only to realize that the Extra demon faction had established a barrier to stop him. "Damn it, we'll need to work together to defeat her."

Diodora glanced at his father and sighed in frustration, fully aware that the man was attempting to leave him to deal with his mother on his own. Not that he hadn't considered doing the same. "Alright, I'll restrain her with magical chains while you take her out," he said.

Diodora didn’t give his father a chance to speak before launching a magical assault with a flurry of energy blasts. However, Lady Astaroth merely smiled, and all of the attacks veered around her as if an invisible barrier was safeguarding her.

"Dammit, this is bad!" Lord Astaroth exclaimed in panic. He realized that his wife's transformation had rendered their son's attack completely ineffective. Knowing he would meet his end if he remained, he fled like a coward, flying away as fast as he could, leaving the mother and son watching him retreat.

"Haha, just as I anticipated from a coward," Lady Astaroth remarked while waving her hand, causing the word 'down' to appear on Lord Astaroth's back. He plummeted to the ground like a meteor, and Lady Astaroth was there to greet him. "Hello, darling," she said with a hint of sarcasm before driving her hand into his chest, through his heart.

Diodora launched an assault on his mother while she was preoccupied with the lifeless body of Lord Astaroth. However, all of his magical strikes coalesced in her hand, creating a sphere of deep black energy.

"Damn it," Diodora cursed as Lady Astaroth appeared before him. He quickly created a barrier, but to his dismay, it was absorbed by the dark orb that was now inches from his face, with words swirling around it. "Ah, so that's how it is."

Those were the final words spoken by Diodora as his head was severed from his body in a gruesome display of blood, when the black ord descended. He must have understood that Lady Astaroth had employed her script magic to absorb all magical attacks, enhancing her power. However, it’s irrelevant now that he is dead.

"I'm a single woman once more," Lady Astaroth exclaimed, filled with joy as she chuckled to herself for a while. Anyone witnessing her display would think she was losing her mind, but she soon composed herself and transformed back into her original self. "I should go get my baby," she added.

Bael Mansion

Naruto raced through the Bael clan house rushing to where he felt Lord Bael was, he assumed it was him because who ever this was had the most powerful demon energy in the area.

Naruto saw a magic barrier around a door and with a roared he unleashed his demonic might his aura alone destroyed the barrier and flew into the room, he was not surprised that Lord Bael was not allow with him were some of the other members of the Great King faction the true rulers of the anti Satan faction.

Lord Bael, along with his son Magdaran Bael and Lord Belial, stared at Naruto Satanchia, who returned their gaze with a fierce glare filled with deadly intent. It was clear that he intended to leave no one standing.

"I hope you’ve said your pathetic goodbyes because you’re all going to meet your end right here!" Naruto spat with a wicked grin, the haunting image of his mother’s unmoving body burned in his mind. He was seething with rage, ready to make these fools pay a hundred times over for daring to attack his home.

Magdaran, the son of Lord Bael, resembled his father with his trademark dark hair and striking purple eyes. He regarded those around him with an air of superiority, much like many other high-ranking devils. Lord Balial and Bael both cast disdainful glances at Naruto, their expressions filled with animosity.

"What the hell are you doing here, you filthy vermin?" Lord Bael snarled, his eyes burning with fury as he glared at Naruto. "You not only have the audacity to attack us, but you actually dare to show your face here? I swear, I will make you pay for that, Satanchia!"

"I'll make you choke on your own teeth!" Naruto spat, his voice dripping with fury that sent chills down everyone’s spine. "Then I’ll take my sweet time ending you! You dare assault my home and leave my mother in a coma? Now your pathetic faction has the nerve to come after mine? Today is the day I wipe you out for good!"

"What do you mean we invaded your house and left your mother in a coma?" Lord Bael stared at Naruto in bewilderment. He was aware that his faction was currently assaulting the other demon faction, but was there an attack on Naruto's home that he hadn’t been informed about? Could it have been his father who was behind it? "Tsk, it doesn't matter. Your fate was sealed the moment you disrespected my home."

Lord Balial appeared as though he would prefer to be anywhere else than in this situation, but the reality was that he understood that if he deserted Lord Bael, he would face the consequences of Bael's unforgiving nature.

"If you guys aren’t going to come to me, then I’ll just come to you," Naruto announced with a big smile,he didn't believe for one moment in Lord Bael act he is the one with the most to gain if the extra demon faction was gone, then the anti Satan faction would be the one to ruler the underworld without opposition, intending to take down the three men in the room as fast and painful as possible.

"Wait a minute, if you choose to strike us, our faction will relentlessly pursue you and your allies for the remainder of your lives," Lord Belial warned, attempting to instill fear in Naruto. Instead, he was met with a derisive grin.

"You’re an idiot," Naruto said condescendingly, unable to fathom how these men led a covert faction. But that was about to change. "Who says your group will still be around after today?"

Naruto observed his three adversaries as they tightened their stances. He speculated that the two Bael possessed the ability of destruction, while the Belial had the ability of worthlessness. Although those two powers combined could be devastating, to someone like him, they were nothing to worry about.

"Black Hole," Naruto declared as a sphere of darkness exploded from his body in every direction. Lord Bael and his son activated their destructive powers to protect themselves, while Lord Belial positioned himself behind them. He scrutinized the dark magic Naruto wielded, hoping to comprehend it so that he could counter it with his own abilities.

"You scoundrel," Lord Bael exclaimed as he emerged from his wrecked office, flanked by his two companions. Thanks to his destructive abilities, he remained unscathed, as Naruto had only initiated the battle to gauge their strength rather than to eliminate them. "You underestimate our capabilities; this is where you will meet your end."

Lord Bael was enveloped in an aura of destruction, shimmering with red and black magic. This manifestation was a diminished version of Sirzechs' true form when he unleashed his full power, yet it remained immensely potent.

Magdaran Bael chose a different path than his father; instead, he conjured a sword and summoned small orbs of destructive energy that whirled around him at incredible speeds, creating a gravitational pull. Naruto observed as a fragment of the ruined Bael Mansion was drawn towards Magdaran, and just moments before it reached him, the debris vanished completely.

Interestingly, Lord Balial seemed unaffected by the gravitational force or Lord Bael's destructive aura. Naruto quickly realized what that implied: Lord Balial had utilized his power of worthlessness to nullify both Bael's influence on him, which was quite intriguing.

"This could actually be worth my while," Naruto remarked, still feeling angry about Bael and his lackeys assaulting his home, but he couldn't deny his appreciation for a good battle.

No further dialogue took place as the two factions clashed, with Naruto unleashing his dark abilities against the two Bael wielding their destructive forces, while Lord Belial employed his power of worthlessness to diminish the strength of Naruto's dark assaults.

The battle appeared to be favoring the leader of the Great King faction, as they were gradually forcing Naruto to retreat. Although his magic was stronger than theirs, it was being diminished by Lord Balial's power. Meanwhile, both Bael and his father unleashed their full might against Naruto. Magdaran utilized his magic to yank Naruto closer, while Lord Bael charged in like a madman, aiming to crush the Satanchia with his bare hands.

Naruto managed to evade many of their strikes, but the three pillar devils grew increasingly self-assured. Lord Balial caught Naruto off guard by wrapping him in a bear hug, while Lord Bael and his son unleashed a devastating wave of their destructive energy towards him.

"This is your final moment, Satanchia," Lord Balial declared with assurance. He maintained his grip on Naruto, even as the assaults struck them. The blonde extra demon understood that the pillar devil had likely exploited his own power of worthlessness to diminish his dark magic and nullify the impact that the destructive power would have on him, rendering the two Bael attacks ineffective. "It's finished."

BOOM

The two Bael exchanged triumphant glances, as a cloud of dust swirled around the spot where Naruto and Lord Balial had been. They were confident that Satanchia was dead and felt no concern for Lord Balial's well-being; his sacrifice was deemed worthwhile if it ensured their survival.

BAM

Lord Bael and his son turned their heads in surprise as they witnessed a figure emerge from the dust, seemingly propelled out and crashing to the ground behind them. To their shock, they recognized Lord Balial, bleeding from a wound in his abdomen.

"That wasn’t a terrible strategy," Naruto's voice emerged from the dissipating dust cloud, revealing that he appeared uninjured aside from his tattered clothes—now reduced to just his boxers. "However, that won't be effective."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh to himself at the expressions on the faces of the Bael family members. He remained unscathed due to his inversion magic, which converts damage into strength, albeit with certain restrictions. Lord Balial was unable to utilize his clan's magic on him because he was unaware that such a power existed within him.

"It's time to pay for what you did to my mother," Naruto declared as he prepared to take down his foes, but once again, he noticed a perplexed expression on Lord Bael's face.

"What do you mean? I never did anything to your mother," Lord Bael claimed, but Naruto knew he was not being truthful. He suspected the Bael clan was implicated and quickly utilized his Divination abilities as soon as he got here. He caught glimpses of the past, witnessing Lord Bael assaulting his mother—there was no doubt about it, unless the man had an evil twin.

"Time's up for the deception," Naruto resolved to conclude this with a move he frequently relied on in the past—the "Rasengan." Darkness coalesced into a swirling sphere in his palm, infused with so much energy that it expanded to nearly match his size before he compressed it back down to that of a baseball. "This is where it all ends."

Before either of the Bael could respond, Naruto used shadow step to get behind Lord Bael, his Rasengan poised at the man's back, prepared to obliterate him. However, what occurred next left the blonde astonished. Lord Bael's magical energy transformed instantaneously; it was no longer the destructive power of a Satan-class devil but instead a strange blend of both holy and demonic forces. Naruto launched his attack, but a divine barrier nullified his Rasengan.

"What?" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief, using his shadow step to put some distance between himself and the entity before him, which was definitely not Lord Bael. "Who are you?"

"Ah, it pains me that you don't remember me, betrayer," a well-known voice emerged from Lord Bael's lips, sending a chill of dread through Naruto. He instantly recognized the aura and manner of speaking, realizing without a doubt who it was. But how could he still be alive? Magdaran stared at his father's possessed form, uncertain of who was truly inhabiting his father's body or what actions to take next.

Chapter End

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A/N: The identity of the mastermind will be uncovered in the next chapter, and this story is nearing its conclusion. After that, I will shift my attention to finishing another one of the main stories. I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Until next time!