A/N: Here we go!!!!!!!!!!! Here are the new chapter for this weekend!! Chapter 72 along with the Chapter 23 Rewrite.
Enjoy and please do check out the rewrite version! Since I'm now writing the new chapters base on that.
Anyways have a nice reading! Do share your thoughts and comments!
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Later that same morning…
After breakfast, Hajime, Alice, Anisphia, and Sagiri strolled together toward Kuoh Academy. Their conversation circled around the upcoming Kyoto trip and the joint request from Azazel and the Three Factions.
"I'll head to Shitori-kaichou later," Hajime said as they walked side by side. "I'll speak with her about our leave of absence. I've got a feeling this trip won't be something we can wrap up in just a day or two."
Sagiri gave a firm nod. "Agreed. It's better to have the freedom to move without time breathing down our necks."
"Do you want us to go with you?" Alice offered gently.
Hajime shook his head. "No need, I think. It's just a matter of informing her. Shouldn't take long."
"If you say so," Alice replied, but her eyes soon drifted to Anisphia, who had fallen unusually quiet. Her gaze was distant, brows lightly furrowed.
"Anis? Is something on your mind?"
Alice's musing snapped Anisphia from her thoughts. She blinked, realizing Hajime and Sagiri were also watching her curiously.
"Say... this commission that Azazel requested to us.... don't you think it might be connected to what the Captain told us?" she asked, voice calmly but with little hint of tension.
"You mean about the one who was hidden by their family... dreaming for a long time?" Alice asked, glancing at her. Anisphia gave a firm nod.
Hajime narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think there's a link?"
"The timing feels too convenient to one...," Anisphia replied. "Captain mentioned an encounter... but I can't see how that will happen during the summit."
Alice's eyes widened as the pieces clicked into place. ".....Unless something MUST happen in between that forces us to take action."
Anisphia gave her a knowing look. Hajime, meanwhile, folded his arms, his expression turning thoughtful—clearly already running worst-case scenarios in his mind. Sagiri tilted her head, still piecing things together.
But before they could continue, a commotion ahead drew their attention.
In front of them, Issei stood protectively in front of Asia, his Boosted Gear activated and glowing with faint red light. Blocking them was a white-haired youth was Vali.
"Now, what would happen..." Vali mused with a teasing grin, one finger raised toward Issei, "...if I were to fire off a magical attack right here?"
"Try it and see what happens," Issei growled, stepping forward. "But you're not laying a hand on anyone. Not now. Not here."
[Boost!]
Tension raised in the air, before things could escalate, two figures appeared in a flash, Kiba and Xenovia, their swords drawn and crossed at Vali's neck.
"Don't you think your joke's gone too far, White Dragon Emperor?" Kiba said, his holy-demonic sword humming with power.
Xenovia's grip on Durandal was firm, voice even. "This isn't the time to start a war, especially not with the Red Dragon Emperor. Back down."
Asia clung to Issei's arm, eyes full of worry. "Please… don't fight here," she whispered.
Vali chuckled, the smirk never leaving his face. "Issei Hyoudou… a valuable power piece. You'd better take good care of him, Rias Gremory."
"You don't need to remind me," Rias said coolly as she stepped onto the scene, arms crossed. Her eyes narrowed. "Try anything, and I'll consider it a direct challenge."
Before long, Vali caught sight of another group approaching and this time, his smile turned feral.
"Well, well… the Godslayer graces us with his presence," he said, eyes locking onto Hajime. His fighting spirit flared, eager to challenge Hajime.
Hajime stopped just beside them, raising a brow. "Didn't expect the White Dragon Emperor to be doing street theater this early."
"Looks like our morning just got interesting," Anisphia added with her usual bright smile, though her hand drifted casually toward her belt.
Alice let out a sigh. "And I was hoping for a peaceful day."
Sagiri didn't speak, she simply watched, ready to take action at the moment hostilities arose.
"Relax. As much as I'd love to fight you, today's not the day," Vali said with a casual shrug, silver hair catching the light as he tilted his head slightly. "Some of us have other more important things to do."
His gaze stayed on Hajime.
"Tell me, Godslayer… how do you think you'd fare against this world's strongest beings?"
Hajime blinked once, unsure if the question was bait or genuine.
Vali chuckled under his breath. "You see, here in this world, strength has already been ranked. A list of the strongest beings which are acknowledged by the world."
He lifted a hand and began counting off with ease.
"Fifth place were Sirzechs Lucifer and Ajuka Beelzebub, the current Maous, and Rizevim, the original Lucifer's son. These three are known as the Super Devils. Even among Maou-tier beings, they're in a class of their own."
Hajime raised an eyebrow but said nothing, letting him continue.
"Fourth, is the deceased Biblical God. He made the foundation of the system of this world. Third is Shiva, the God of Destruction. The one who balances out creation. Both of them shaped the world in ways that appear in every myth and legend."
He paused, that hungry glint in his eyes sharpening.
"But the top two? That's set in stone Ophis, the Infinity Dragon, and Great Red, the Dragon of Dragons. Those two… are my goal. I want to surpass them."
His gaze narrowed, a flash amusement can be seen at the corners of his lips.
"You who had killed gods, stolen their power. I'll give you that. But those two? They're on a level you haven't touched. Maybe you could trouble a few Maou-tier beings… but the real apex? No chance."
Anisphia snorted. "That's cute~ Why would our Hajime need to care about them? Why should he be cautious of the so-called 'strongest' in a small world that isn't even connected to the universal scale? Are they our Captain? Our Express Crew? An Emanator of some Aeon? Or the Aeon themselves? No? Then why does it matter?"
Alice sighed. "Anis, behave. We don't need to offend the pride of this world's people. That's not why we're here."
"What? It's the truth, isn't it?" Anisphia crossed her arms, clearly displeased. "Just because we, the Nameless, promote peace and mutual respect doesn't mean we're pushovers! They shouldn't mistake our humility for submission."
Alice gently placed a hand on Anisphia's shoulder, grounding her as she unconsciously flared her aura. "I get it. You're upset he looked down on Hajime… but we don't need to prove anything to him. Like you said we are The Nameless who walk the path of Trailblaze, and like we always do, we show who we are through our actions, not what we say."
Her words drew the attention of those nearby. Vali's eyes narrowed, his smirk twitched slightly as he observed the two girls. Even Rias and her peerage, who had frozen from the sudden surge of Anisphia's aura remained silent, caught in between Hajime's group and Vali.
Hajime, however, said nothing. Instead, he stepped forward and casually wrapped an arm around Anisphia's shoulders. She looked up at him, brows still furrowed until he smiled. That small, wordless expression said everything: Thank you… for standing up for me.
Anisphia's tension melted, and she gave a nod in return.
Then, Hajime turned his attention to Vali, his tone dry. "Good for you and this world then," he said flatly.
"You've got at least someone who can match against the lowest tier forces in the universal scale. Just hope that your world won't be at the mercy of those bigger players in the universe, which by the way our crew is a well known part off. Some are quite merciless, this world won't last a day after all."
It was neither a brag nor an insult, it was just the truth stated so calmly and casually.
Without sparing another glance, Hajime turned and began walking toward the academy, holding Anisphia's hand.
Alice offered Vali a smile too polite, that never reached her eyes. Beside her, Sagiri snorted, half amused, half unimpressed, and followed after them.
Vali stood in place, stunned just for a second.
But that second passed, and the grin returned.
He turned to Issei, his so-called rival, and gave a brief nod. "Now that… was interesting."
And then, without another word, he vanished into the crowd already thinking of what lay ahead.
——-
At lunch...
Inside the student council room, Hajime sat across from Sona Shitori, a neat stack of paperwork between them. Forms, approvals, and clearance requests everything needed to finalize his group's temporary leave for the Kyoto operation and the Mediterranean investigation.
"We'll classify it as 'personal development leave,' under exceptional circumstances," Sona explained, her voice as serious as ever.
Hajime gave a nod and a small smile. "That's fine. I appreciate you keeping it simple. We don't need unnecessary attention."
Sona's pen clicked softly as she signed the last sheet, then she looked up, adjusting her glasses, a spark of curiosity in her eyes.
"By the way, Nagumo-san…" she said with a slight tilt of her head. "Do you play chess?"
Her sudden question shocked the members of her peerage. Tsubaki, Saji, and the others twitched from their seats, exchanging surprised, almost alarmed looks. The sudden change in atmosphere, the heavy tension made Hajime bewildered.
"I… know how to play."
Sona's smile deepened. "Then, would you care for a match?"
Hajime blinked, still slightly confused. "...Sure?"
Tsubaki mechanically rose from her seat and moved toward the cabinet, pulling out Sona's chessboard before carefully arranging it on the center table.
Moments later, Sona and Hajime took their seats and began to play. The click of each piece moved with rhythm and purpose. As the game unfolded, their conversation flowed naturally.
Sona opened smoothly, moving her bishop first. "About this morning," she began, her tone even. "Vali's little show... it must have been irritating."
Hajime moved a knight forward, eyes focused on the board. "It's fine. He just wanted to provoke me. Though, I doubt he expected Anis to bite back that hard."
Sona chuckled softly, fingers lightly resting on her next piece. "From what I heard, she certainly didn't hold back. We even felt it from here."
There was a pause as she slid a rook forward.
"So… what do you think of that list he mentioned? About this world's strongest?"
Hajime leaned back slightly, fingers drumming against the edge of the board. "There's no denying your world has its fair share of powerful figures. There is no doubt about that. Some of them would probably overwhelm most localized systems."
He paused, then moved a pawn. "But on the scale we operate on? Where cosmic forces face each other...."
He met her eyes with finality. "They're strong here, sure. But they're not ready to stand on the grand stage called the universe. Well at least not yet."
"I see...." Sona answered, thinking carefully about her next move.
Hajime glanced up at her, curiosity in his eyes.
"Say, Sona," he asked, keeping his voice light, "who would you say are the strongest beings in this world?"
Sona blinked once, taking a moment to choose her words.
"As expected, that would be Great Red, the Dragon of Dragons, also known as the True Red Dragon God Emperor who roams the Dimensional Gap and Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon, the embodiment of Infinity."
Hajime raised an eyebrow, fingers hovering mid-air above a chess piece. "So Vali wasn't wrong. Those two really are this world's top dogs."
"Did that pique your interest?" Sona asked, a teasing edge to her voice. "Does the mighty Godslayer wish to test his might against our world's strongest beings?"
"Ahahaha..." Hajime gave her a deadpan stare. "Don't tempt me."
She snorted, amused by the exchange.
Their pieces continued moving across the board, each play measuring and calculating each other's intent, but their attention was more on the discussion than the match itself.
"Still to surpass Great Red and Ophis," Sona said with a faint, knowing smile. "Vali's ambitions aren't small."
"Neither should yours," Hajime replied with an easy grin.
That made her pause. Her expression softened, and her fingers lingered longer over the next piece before moving it.
"My dream…" she murmured, "It's simple, but not easy to reach."
Hajime leaned forward, genuinely interested. "What is it?"
Sona glanced up at him, then looked away with a wry smile. "I want to build a school. One open to all races. A place where everyone can learn together, without fear, without hiding."
Hajime leaned back in his chair, visibly impressed. "That's… actually a really noble goal."
Sona blinked. She hadn't expected that kind of response. Her cheeks flushed slightly. "...It is a dream worth fighting for."
Hajime smiled, a little more warmly this time. "I get that."
He moved another piece, then paused. "I had a normal life once too. Just a regular guy in my home world. No magic, no powers and a very ordinary person you can find anywhere in the street. Then... everything changed."
He glanced at the board, then at her. "Now I'm part of a group exploring the stars. One world at a time, across the vast unknown. Life with the Express crew Noah, Kiana, Elysia, Lumine, Sirin, Alice, Anisphia, it's wild. Chaotic. But every moment means so much to me."
Hajime chuckled to himself, recalling the chaotic, hilarious, and heartwarming moments that he and the crew had been through together.
"It's chaotic and wild... but I've never once regretted joining them."
The rest of the student council members attentively listen to his story, pretending to focus on their work. The match became less about victory and more about the connection and understanding between two very different people.
Although Sona said nothing, she was already aware that her position was slipping. Hajime was gradually cornering her. Yet rather than resign herself, she pressed forward, maintaining the flow of conversation.
"Nagumo-san," she said, placing her queen defensively, "You've mentioned your crew a few times. But… just how strong are they, really?"
Hajime looked at her and saw honest curiosity.
"Hmm… it's hard to describe in words," he said scratching his chin. "But let's just say that we redefine the established rules by never giving up."
He met her gaze, "Together, we're a force that can and will change the fate of the world... if we chose to. But that's not why we fight. We fight to protect each other, and the people who still have something to believe in."
Sona studied him for a moment longer. The proud smirk on his face hadn't faded. Then, as if something crossed her mind, she asked, "What about your leader? The one guiding all of you?"
Hajime blinked, then his smile deepened. There was no hesitation in his answer. "Noah Alden. He's our captain. And most of all he is our anchor, the one who keeps us together no matter what. We trust him with our lives… and he does the same for us. To him, we're not just a team, we are a family. The kind of family you can laugh with, cry with, carry burdens together, and still find joy at the end of the day."
Sona and her peerage took in his words silently, their expressions thoughtful.
Hajime chuckled softly. "He's the type of leader who doesn't demand loyalty because he never wanted to. His actions speak for him. Every step he takes, every word he says… we follow because we trust him. Because he trusted us first."
There was a moment of silence as Hajime's words settled over the room.
The student council had long stopped pretending to work. Pens were frozen, papers untouched. Even Saji sat there with his mouth half-open in stunned awe.
Tsubaki blinked, her voice barely above a whisper. "That's… honestly inspiring."
Momo murmured, "For you to speak about him like that... he must be someone really special."
Saji leaned forward slightly. "Um... yeah. Now I even kinda want to meet this guy."
Sona allowed herself a small smile at her peerage's reactions, but her eyes stayed fixed on the board. She moved her next piece, a bit slower this time, more thoughtful. A decision was made in her mind. She wasn't just playing chess anymore. She now wanted to know more about Hajime and the story he is with.