The Light Born In Darkness (CH 51)

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

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter 51: Clash Of Shadows and Corruption

Underworld [Bael Territory]

Naruto understood that the battle before him would be challenging. The energy emanating from Lord Lucifer surpassed even that of a super devil, and with its apparent stabilization, the devil lord's power exuded a mix of demonic, holy, dragon, and youkai influences, among others.

The Satanchia leader of the Extra demons unleashed his complete power, causing the surrounding environment to distort as shadows enveloped him like protective armor. His devil gear came to life while Samuel shouted at him to eliminate the dragon, aware that Lord Lucifer recognized his hybrid nature.

"What's got you so wound up, Naruto?" Lord Lucifer asked as he stood in front of the blonde. He had effortlessly moved to Naruto's side in an instant, and to make matters worse, the Satanchia barely noticed his swift movement.

Naruto shaped the purple-black energy from his devil gear into a dagger and swung it at Lord Lucifer, who instantly disappeared and reappeared in his original spot in the blink of an eye.

"It appears that I have transcended the boundaries of a devil," Lord Lucifer announced while surveying his bare form, which he then adorned with exquisite garments and armor using his magic. "I wish to see what I can do, so try not to perish too quickly, Naruto."

As Magdaran and Lord Balial ceased their earlier conflict, the immense power emanating from Lord Lucifer and Naruto was overwhelming. Instinctively, they took flight to a safe distance, aware that staying near the battle could result in their complete annihilation from the sheer force of the energy being unleashed.

BOOST X5

Naruto harnessed the power of devil gear to enhance his abilities, a skill he acquired from the red dragon Ddraig. He has perfected this technique to the extent that he can rapidly amplify his strength several times. However, the drawback is that once this ability is used, it requires a longer cooldown period before he can activate it again.

"I'm going to take you out for good today," Naruto declared as he confronted Lord Lucifer's assault. The leader of the devil race swung a sword of dark light at him, but Naruto responded with a blade of darkness empowered by cursed energy.

BOOM BAM BOOM BOOM

The confrontation between the two mighty entities sent tremors rippling through the underworld, reaching every nook and cranny. It felt as though the very foundation of reality was crumbling, yet neither Lord Lucifer nor Naruto paused in their battle.

"You've become more powerful, Naruto," Lord Lucifer taunted. "Perhaps now you'll be able to win a fight without resorting to treachery."

Lord Lucifer was, naturally, reminding the Satanchia of his treachery when he physically pierced the very being of the progenitor of the devil lineage and the biblical deity.

Naruto remained silent as he heightened the speed and intensity of his strikes. To his astonishment, Lord Lucifer matched him blow for blow, and they found themselves engaged in a fierce duel of energy blades.

"This is not looking good," Naruto reflected once more as the fight continued, feeling the increasing strength of Lucifer. It seemed as though he was mastering the powers he had taken from the apocalypse creature. "I might have to summon Ophis for assistance."

The Satanchia understood that if he acted on that, the barrier protecting his people from the pillar devils would collapse. This would happen if Ophis diverted her focus from upholding the barrier, allowing it to be restored more quickly than someone like Sirzechs or his son Akuja could dismantle it.

"What should I do now?" Naruto pondered, brainstorming options. Aside from Ophis, he realized that no one else, except possibly Greyfia, would be very useful in facing Lord Lucifer. "However, for Greyfia to assist me in confronting Lucifer, she'd need to unleash the full potential of her devil gear, and Lucifer might catch on to the fact that Lilith is sealed within it."

BAM

"Damn it," Naruto exclaimed as a strike from Lucifer struck him in the chest, sending him hurtling across the battlefield, blood spilling from his mouth. Although he didn't have any visible wounds thanks to his inversion magic that converts damage into strength, the issue was that Lucifer's attack was so powerful that it overwhelmed his ability to absorb all of it.

The reborn ninja is grateful for his fortunate circumstances, as his inversion magic proved invaluable when Lord Lucifer unleashed an attack strong enough to slice an adult dragon in two. This magic not only saved his life but will also be a key asset in securing victory in this battle.

"You seem to be struggling, Naruto," Lord Lucifer remarked, a manic expression on his face. "Perhaps you'll throw in the towel soon, and if that happens, I might think about granting you a swift end."

"That new strength of yours has clearly inflated your ego," Naruto remarked, having gained a surge of power from the hit he endured. "I took you down before, and I can easily do it again."

Lord Lucifer laughed, believing Naruto was merely trying to play though. However, his amusement quickly faded when he realized he had lost track of the blonde devil. Suddenly, he was struck with pain as six of his twelve wings were severed, and in an instant, Naruto's devil gear dagger pierced his back multiple times.

"You insolent brat," Lord Lucifer shouted as he unleashed a tremendous surge of magic throughout his body. The resulting explosion of energy forced Naruto to teleport to a safe distance. "How dare you treat me this way."

"You're as full of yourself as always," Naruto remarked, showing no fear of Lord Lucifer's strength. While he acknowledged the power of his opponent, he believed he wasn't invincible. "Let's move this to another location."

Naruto vanished into his own shadow and, under the influence of Lord Lucifer’s darkness, dragged the creator of devils down into his shadow as if it were quicksand. Understanding that continuing the fight in the underworld would lead to irreversible destruction, he transported them to a pocket dimension nestled within shadows. In this realm, the extent of their damage was inconsequential, as it was devoid of life—a dark dimension where Naruto's powers of darkness reached their fullest potential.

The air in the pocket dimension crackled with unnatural energy. Naruto Satanchia, clad in a coat of shimmering Darkness that seemed to absorb all light, faced the Original Lord Lucifer. Where Naruto stood was a void, yet Lucifer’s presence somehow stained it, a nauseating aura of Corruption clinging to the very fabric of reality.

"Your ingenuity is admirable, Naruto," Lucifer sneered, his Devil Gear transformed from a collar to a massive, black gauntlet pulsing with stolen power, glowing dimly. "Your Devil Gear has evolved so much, to bind the power of a Dragon Eater and the Heavenly Dragons to it—a masterpiece. But it still won't be enough."

Naruto's Devil Gear, the Dragon Eater’s Grasp, transformed from the two rings on his fingers and manifested as a sleek, obsidian forearm guard lined with faint crimson and venomous white markings. "We’ll see, Lucifer," Naruto said, his voice calm, rooted in the certainty of his Divination sight.

Lucifer didn't wait. He lunged, a wave of Corrupting energy washing out. This power didn't burn; it soured, turning the very concepts of light and holiness in the air to null.

One second. Naruto's Divination showed him the attack phase through his defense, turning his darkness inert.

Naruto pivoted just as the wave arrived. He didn’t dodge the attack entirely, instead letting the outermost tendrils of the Corruption graze his left arm. The moment the harmful energy touched him, his Inversion Magic activated. A sickly-green light flared briefly, and the lost vitality and damage were instantly converted. The power coursed through him, making his eyes glow a vibrant blue.

"Still trying to bypass your own flaw," Lucifer growled, sensing the magic. He unleashed a barrage of blasts, each one seeking to nullify Naruto’s defenses.

Naruto moved in a blur, his Darkness forming razor-sharp tendrils to intercept the attacks. He was always one beat ahead, not because he was faster, but because he knew what was coming. Every near-miss added a surge of power, every deflection fueling his next move.

"Enough games!" Lucifer roared, slamming his gauntlet into the ground, which was made up of darkness. A vortex of dark energy erupted, and the power of the Apocalypse Beast pulsed, a suffocating, terrifying pressure. The air grew heavy, like a vast, primordial beast had just exhaled.

Naruto's Devil Gear reacted violently. Samuel, the Dragon Eater, resonated with a hungry, primal roar, momentarily overpowering the boosting power of the Heavenly Dragons.

"Balance Break!" Naruto’s arm was instantly encased in armor, obsidian plates covered in intricate, swirling dragon scale patterns. The aura of Darkness around him coalesced, solidifying into an overwhelming, physical force.

Devil Gear was developed by analyzing a pilfered Sacred Gear, specifically designed for exclusive use by the devil race. Additionally, they possess evolved forms, similar to Sacred Gears, which feature balance breaks and even more advanced levels of power.

Naruto focused the combined power. The Red Dragon’s boosting ability increased his physical strength tenfold, while the White Dragon’s venom coalesced on his fist. He thrust his arm forward, manifesting a sphere of condensed, poisonous darkness—a technique born from the very essence of the Dragon Eater's soul.

Lucifer met the attack head-on, his own gauntlet glowing with the purer, unbridled, Corrupting energy of the Apocalypse Beast.

The resulting collision wasn't an explosion of light, but a silent implosion of reality. The sound was swallowed by Naruto’s Darkness, and the sight was corrupted by Lucifer’s power.

The shockwave sent both devils skidding back. Naruto felt a sharp pain in his chest—a pure, physical wound that Lucifer’s Corruption had somehow slipped past the Inversion Magic defenses.

This hit kills me in three seconds. Divination flashed the fatal outcome.

With a grimace, Naruto deliberately deepened the wound, dragging a claw of solidified darkness across his own chest. The pain was excruciating, but the payoff was instantaneous. Inversion Magic flared with unprecedented intensity. The deep, physical damage was converted into a colossal surge of vitality and sheer magical power. His power level spiked, and the aura of Darkness around him became absolute, a living, hungry void.

"You wound yourself to fight me?!" Lucifer looked genuinely stunned, then chuckled, a mad glint in his eyes. "You truly are a monster!"

Naruto didn’t reply. He was already gone, moving faster than the eye could follow. He materialized directly in front of Lucifer, his Dragon Eater’s Grasp cocked back. The White Dragon’s poison was at maximum saturation, capable of dissolving even a high-ranking devil in moments.

Lucifer’s Corruption flared, attempting to nullify the incoming poison. They were locked in a desperate power struggle, their two Devil Gears grinding against one another.

"Checkmate," Naruto murmured, rotating his wrist to make his hand function like a drill, penetrating Lucifer's defenses.

Lucifer felt the agonizing, searing venom bypass his Corruption and enter his armor. The poison wasn't holy; it was primal dragon bane, and his stolen powers couldn't neutralize it fast enough.

"NO!" Lucifer’s fear, his momentary weakness, was the catalyst. The portion of the Apocalypse Beast's power he had sealed and controlled surged out of his gauntlet.

The energy was no longer controlled by Lucifer’s will. It was raw, boundless, and hungry. It didn't care about Corruption or Darkness; it only cared about erasing existence.

The gauntlet shattered, and the power—a furious, crimson-black torrent—enveloped Lucifer. His screams were muted as his form bloated and changed, the stolen power turning on its master. The air warped, and Lucifer's body began to twist into a grotesque, simplified parody of the Apocalypse Beast 666.

Naruto used his Divination to see the only escape route and slammed his Darkness power into the pocket dimension's boundaries, forcing a rupture. He had won the fight, but the real threat had just begun. He watched as the horrifying, mutated form of the original Lord Lucifer, now just a vessel for uncontrolled destruction, thrashed madly in the collapsing dimension.

Naruto Satanchia slipped through the tear just as the pocket dimension was devoured by the maddened, limitless power of the Apocalypse Beast.

Chapter End

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A/N: Lord Lucifer was overtaken by the might of The Emperor Beast of the Apocalypse, also known as 666 (Trihexa). With the Beast only moments away from entering the Underworld, bringing with it complete devastation, what actions will Naruto take? Stay tuned for the next update.