Devil Ninja

"My name is Ophis," the words echoed across the stadium with apocalyptic finality, "and I have come to tell you that you're all a bunch of idiots."

The words were like a proclamation of impending doom. They silenced all dissenters. Words that sat on the tip of tongues were choked back. Strangled sounds emerged from the throats of people who wanted to throw their opinions into the debate, but were no longer able to now that she'd arrived on the center stage. Everyone was silent.

"So, it's true. That girl really is Ophis."

"Buchou?"

Rias buried her face in her hands. She felt sick to her stomach. All this time she'd been pushing Naruto away, believing that he'd gone off gallivanting with some random loli for no reason. Perhaps he had done some gallivanting, and perhaps he'd had more fun than he should have. But so what? Naruto had done this to expose a threat. Knowing him, he'd spent all that time with Ophis to try and bring her to their side. He might've gotten carried away, but it was still done to help her.

I let my jealousy get the better of me.

It was hard to admit it, but Rias often got jealous of how close Naruto was with some of the other girls. She'd been trying to curtail her jealousy. She knew that Naruto wouldn't betray their relationship. But when he'd arrived home with Ophis in toe, Rias had let her imagination run wild. Her jealousy toward this girl, who she didn't even know, who'd been spending time with her boyfriend while she'd nearly been killed several times, had festered in her heart-and she'd taken it out on Naruto.

"Akeno?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think I'm a bad girlfriend?"

Akeno started at the question, her eyes widening in clear surprise. She calmed down quickly, however, and considered Rias with a keen eye.

"I think that what you are feeling right now is natural," Akeno said. "Just like the jealousy you felt when Kitsune-kun showed up with another girl was natural. You might be our King, and you might be the heiress to one of the Seventy-Two Pillars, but you're also a regular girl in high school. There's no shame in feeling jealous of someone who is close to your boyfriend. It's natural. And being upset at your boyfriend for leaving when you needed him is natural, too. Although I do feel like you took things a little too far."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Rias murmured quietly before watching the events happening down on the floor unfold.

"W... what did you say?" Metatron asked, his voice breathless, as if someone had punched him in the gut.

Ophis frowned, but repeated her previous statement. "I said that I am Ophis, and that I've come here to tell everyone that you're-"

"There's no way a little girl like you can be Ophis!"

Ophis's eyes suddenly changed. Normally dull orbs containing as much emotion as a doll became agitated and angry.

Pressure like nothing Rias had ever felt slammed into her. It pushed her down without warning, causing her head to slam into the table. Standing beside her, Akeno's body lost all of its strength and crumpled to the floor in a rasping heap of flesh. Even her brother, Michael, and Azazel struggled to keep their posture. Sweat had broken out on their foreheads, and their breathing had grown labored.

And they weren't the only ones affected.

All around the room, people fell to the ground. Some lay face first on the floor, gasping for breath, drool leaking from their slack-jawed mouths. The stronger ones were forced to a knee. They clutched at their chest as if trying to keep their hearts from exploding. Several people, the young devils who'd been allowed to participate in this meeting, had already passed out in their seats.