A/N: Hello everyone! as promised this is Chapter 74 along with Chapter 25 rewrite version!
Hahaha! I really enjoyed writing both chapter and if I say to myself I'm also quite proud on how both chapters turned.
Which kept my imagination and writing motivation active during this weekend. I'm also in the process of writing the next chapters while I'm still on roll.~
HOWEVER!! this will be last chapter for this week. I will post again next weekend. Sorry about that.
anyways please do enjoy this chapter and check out the rewrite version of chapter 25.
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The bullet train to Kyoto runs peacefully across the tracks. As planned, Hajime, Alice Louise, Anisphia, and Sagiri were en route to meet Yasaka of Japan's Youkai faction and also Amaterasu from the Shinto Pantheon.
It had been two days since the conclusion of Hajime and Sona's chess match. And, just as he feared, Alice and Anisphia's reaction was terrifying not through rage or shouting, but through a silence so chilling it made even the Godslayer tremble.
They didn't yell. They didn't argue. They just… ignored him. And to Hajime, that was far scarier than any explosion of anger.
In a moment of panic, he called Noah for advice.
Noah, after hearing what happened, froze. Then, in a rare display, burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter.
His laugh was so loud, it startled the nearby Kiana, Elysia and Lumine.
Kiana blinked and nearly dropped her cookie. Elysia glanced up from her console with a raised brow, already pulling out her datapad. Lumine perks up from her seat, and Sirin, inside in Kiana's consciousness, lets out a dry, "…What now?"
The looks they gave him were a mix of exasperation and mild amusement especially Elysia, who was already tapping away, no doubt recording the entire drama into the Express's databank.
Noah, after finally managing to control his laughter, gave Hajime a wide grin and a smug thumbs-up before ending the call without a word.
Damn you, Noah!!! I swear I'm never asking you for relationship advice again!!
Hajime scowled up at the night sky as if Noah's smug spirit were saluting at him.
—
Back in the present, inside the silent, private cabin reserved by the Three Factions, Hajime sat rigidly. In front of him sat two women of his life, Alice, sipping her tea with her usual regal grace as she watched the countryside blur by; and Anisphia, who was demolishing her third bento box from the station store. Neither had said a word to him since the match.
The silence wasn't peaceful. It was the kind that made even gods nervous.
Sagiri sat beside Hajime, doing her best to shrink into the corner of the cabin, she had no intention of getting in the way of what could only be described as a lovers' cold war.
"...Would you like more tea, Alice?" Hajime asked carefully, voice cautious like he was stepping on sacred ground.
Thankfully, Alice didn't ignore him. She calmly placed her empty cup onto the saucer, allowing him to pour.
As she took a slow sip from the freshly refilled cup, Hajime let out a silent inner cry.
Waaah!! Alice! My good, merciful Alice!!
Determined, he turned toward Anisphia, who had just finished off her third bento with mechanical efficiency.
"...Hey Anis? I picked up these cookies at the station. They looked really homemade, so I thought... you might like them?"
"Thank you." Anisphia smiled sweetly as she accepted the cookies then immediately returned to her expressionless chewing, like nothing happened.
Huhuhu… Anis! My sweet, adorable Anis!!! Huhuhu…
Hajime cried silently in his mind, clutching his chest like he'd been stabbed in the heart by politeness.
Sagiri let out a sigh. The tension in the cabin hadn't eased if anything, it had only grown heavier. She noticed Hajime's shoulders trembling, his usually unshakable composure visibly fading. The way he was trying so hard to mend things with Alice and Anisphia… it was starting to take a toll.
Then, without a word, Hajime looked at the two girls in front of him, took a deep breath and, with smooth, practiced precision, performed a full dogeza.
"I'M SOOO SORRYYYYYYYY!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!! ALICE!!! ANIS!!!!" he shouted, voice shaking with raw desperation.
Sagiri nearly jumped from her seat. The sheer feelings behind his cry, sadness, guilt, frustration, and loneliness, hit her like a wave.
WHAT A PERFECT DOGEZA! No wait—that's not the point!! she screamed internally, smacking her palm to her forehead.
She looked again. Yep, it was flawless. Hajime's dogeza would have made the ancestors weep with pride. The bow, the posture, the remorse, it was all textbook.
Sagiri shook her head, trying to realign her thoughts.
What am I even witnessing right now?
This was Nagumo Hajime. The man who crushed Kokabiel's army, punched a corrupted beast to space, and once summoned a black hole that nearly erased Kuoh Academy from the map. The one known as the Godslayer.
And right now, he was kneeling on the cabin floor, crying, begging forgiveness from his two silent fiancées.
It was surreal.
Just what kind of world have I been dragged into?! Sagiri thought, utterly baffled.
Alice and Anisphia looked at Hajime, still stubbornly holding his dogeza pose. They exchanged a long sigh, then nodded to each other in silent agreement.
"…Hajime, you can stand up now," Alice said gently, her tone much softer.
"Come take your seat before we change our minds," Anisphia added, sliding over and tapping the space between them.
Hajime's eyes lit up. In a blink, he zipped into the middle, Alice on his left, Anisphia on his right. Without missing a beat, he reached out, grabbed both of their hands, and placed them against his tear-streaked cheeks.
"Uhhh… finally, I feel at home again," he sniffled.
"There, there…" Anisphia muttered, lightly patting his head.
"It's alright now. We're not mad anymore," Alice said with a sigh, gently wiping his tears away.
Hajime just nodded silently, still clinging to their hands like lifelines.
The almighty Godslayer… completely crushed in just two days… because his fiancées ignored him? Sagiri folded her arms. The universe really is full of mysteries.
She quietly gave up on trying to understand the surreal situation.
Outside, unnoticed, an ethereal bird peeked in from the window, watching with a glint of amusement.
"... I really am sorry, both of you... I didn't expect a simple chess match to turn into this," Hajime said, half-laughing, half-crying as he scratched his head.
Alice sighed softly, taking her cup sipping her tea. "Before this expedition even began, we already expected some things to happen... but even we didn't imagine that simply informing Sona-san of our plans would spiral into... this kind of situation."
"We were mentally prepared for duels, death flags, or some ridiculous world-ending scenario where you'd have to choose between the world or a girl," Anisphia added dryly. "But a chess match? That didn't even make it into the list."
"Ugh…" Hajime flinched, visibly sinking lower in his seat.
Alice continued, setting her gaze on him. "Anis and I spoke with Sona-san."
"She wasn't unreasonable," Anisphia said. "In fact, she understood our stance. And her own."
Hajime's head snapped up, a drop of sweat forming. "You two did what?! When?!"
"While you were busy asking the Captain for help," Alice said flatly, crossing her legs, "we had an honest talk with her."
"We told her exactly what we thought," Anisphia chimed in. "For now, she's on provisional status. Nothing official will happen unless both of you agree to it, mutually."
"And that condition was her own idea," Alice added. "She understood our position and accepted it. She won't force anything... not until after the conference. But it's clear she's not backing off either."
"So," Anisphia said, exhaling sharply, "as per our agreement, you two can go on a few dates, talk things through, see if there's even a future. Then decide if it's something real or just a passing moment."
Hajime groaned and clutched his stomach, voice weak. "...Is it possible to just forg-"
"Don't even think about finishing that sentence, Nagumo Hajime," Alice snapped, her voice suddenly sharp.
Hajime's mouth clamped shut like a steel trap.
"Seriously, Hajime," Anisphia said with a hard stare, "don't say dumb things just because you're overwhelmed. Face it. You made the first move, now deal with the aftermath."
"You must face the results of your actions and decisions," Alice said firmly, her eyes never leaving him.
"Whether you like it or not, we have to properly deal with the consequences," Anisphia added, arms crossed.
"…Understood," Hajime muttered, resigned. Both girls nodded in approval.
That's when Sagiri, who had remained completely silent, cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt… but you might want to mentally prepare yourself, Nagumo Hajime."
Hajime blinked, confused. "Huh?"
Sagiri gave him a pointed look. "Sona Sitri… is the younger sister of the current Maou Leviathan. And… she's kind of infamous for being a sis-con."
Hajime groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
Alice and Anisphia both burst into laughter. Anisphia giggling uncontrollably while Alice tried, and failed, to keep a straight face.
"Oh, I am so looking forward to that meeting," Anisphia said between laughs.
"You're doomed~," Alice added with a teasing sip of her tea.
Slumping into his seat like a man defeated by fate, Hajime mumbled, "Great. An accidental fiancée and now a possessive Maou big sister. What's next? Matchmaking from a goddess? A blonde magician? Some purple-haired girl on a beach?"
Sagiri blinked. "...You really need to stop tempting fate."
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At the Express, Noah choked mid-sip of his tea and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Pfftt… AHAHAHAHAHA! Hajime~ oh my dear Hajime~ you really have no idea! AHAHAHA!"
Kiana, who had just bitten into one of the cookies Noah made, gave him a deadpan stare.
"Captain, you're enjoying this way too much, aren't you?"
Elysia and Lumine exchanged tired looks as they watched Noah gleefully spy on Hajime and his group through his bird familiar.
"Noah, don't you think spying like this is a bit much?" Lumine asked, trying to sound reasonable.
"What are you saying, Lumi?! As Hajime's loyal and supportive brother, it is my solemn duty to witness and enjoy his suffering," Noah declared smugly, placing a hand over his heart.
The three girls groaned and shook their heads, deciding to leave him to his antics.
"…Are you perhaps wondering why that unexpected event even happened?" Sirin's voice came from her emblem. "You know... the chess match? The one even you didn't sense through the Force?"
Hearing Sirin's words made Kiana, Elysia, and Lumine pause, curiosity showed in their eyes.
"...As expected from you, Sii. You caught me there," Noah admitted with a small chuckle, glancing toward Sirin (through Kiana's eyes). "Sona's situation threw me off completely. I was only anticipating some chaos with that purple-haired dreamer girl… maybe even that blonde, airheaded magician who's dangerously innocent."
"So this trip really does involve the 'Encounter' you hinted at before," Elysia said, leaning forward with interest.
Noah simply smiled at her.
"I did nudge Hajime toward the purple girl. That one's on me. I wanted her to stay near him. She's important for this world in ways she hasn't realized yet," he said calmly. "And along the way, they will cross paths with the blonde magician... whether she ends up forming a true bond with Hajime and his group will depend on their choices."
"Do you think they'll become part of our crew?" Lumine asked softly, watching him.
"Hmm… that, I don't know yet," Noah admitted, his tone thoughtful. "The Force only shows fragments. But it told me that they're connected to us, especially to Hajime in one way or another."
He leaned back slightly, resting his arms on the backrest of the sofa. "There's also one more person... a half-vampire half-human. She's the nexus point of this world. But for some reason, even the Force is uncertain. It can't see clearly whether intervening will lead to salvation... or ruin."
"I see," Sirin murmured. "So that's why you're watching Hajime so closely. You want to see how Sona's unexpected involvement affects the course of things... and based on that, you'll decide if we step in for the other person."
Noah gave a soft smile and, without warning, scooped Kiana into his arms though it was clear Sirin was in control, her eyes now glowing gold instead of Kiana's blue.
"N-Noah?" Sirin blinked, startled by the sudden affection.
Noah didn't speak. He simply hugged her from behind, resting his forehead against her shoulder as he looked out the lounge window at the planet below.
Then, in a small voice that carried the weight of countless choices, he whispered:
"...We have the power to change the fate of everyone in this world. But we also have to ask ourselves, what kind of future will our actions create?"
The silence that followed was heavy but reflective.
Sirin, Kiana sharing that inner space together, Elysia, and Lumine all blinked, thinking the weight of Noah's words took a moment to truly settle.
"...Truly," Elysia murmured, her voice thoughtful, "fate is a fickle thing. We came to this world to practice the path of Trailblaze... but maybe this is what it really means to step into lives we never expected, to bear consequences we never asked for."
With a soft smile, she rested her head on Noah's shoulder.
Lumine said nothing, but her eyes stayed on the distant world beyond the window. Sirin stayed silent as well, though her expression became thoughtful. And within, Kiana watched too and her heart tightened with understanding.
None of them spoke.
But in that shared silence, they all knew.
Trailblazing wasn't just about moving forward.
It was also about choosing how.
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Back on the DxD world, inside the private cabin of the bullet train..
Hajime froze mid-thought, eyes widening. "…Did I just jinx myself?"
Anisphia burst into laughter, nearly doubling over. "Absolutely~! Without a doubt."
"With your luck?" Alice added dryly, watching the leaves drift past the window. "It's not a question of if. It's a matter of when."
Hajime let out a long groan and buried his face in his hands. "This was supposed to be a normal diplomatic meeting… with a goddess! Why?! Why does it always turn into a mess with me?!"
Alice and Anisphia both snorted in unison.
"Because it's you, dear Hajime," Alice said, sipping her tea without missing a beat.
Anisphia leaned in playfully. "And chaos just seems to love you."
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As the train finally rolled into Kyoto, Hajime kept glancing around suspiciously as they disembarked, like he was expecting another unexpected romantic event to jump out at him.
Anisphia and Alice exchanged amused looks as he walked stiffly between them, arms firmly wrapped around their waists like a man clinging to his anchors in a storm.
Meanwhile, Sagiri walked ahead with perfect indifference, keeping a healthy distance as if she didn't know them at all.
Once outside, a suited agent from the Ameno Clan was already waiting. With silent efficiency, they were ushered into a sleek black car bound for the Inari Shrine, where Yasaka and Amaterasu awaited.
Hajime leaned back into the seat, trying to relax. Finally, a diplomatic visit… maybe this time, something would go as planned.
Moments later, they arrived at the shrine. But the second Hajime stepped out of the car, a jolt ran down his spine. His Campione instincts flared.
A god was near.
His head snapped towards the inner shrine, eyes narrowing, and his grip on the car door tightened with a metallic crunch, the frame bending inward under his hand.
Sagiri flinched at the sound and turned. "Nagumo Hajime…?"
Alice and Anisphia exchanged a glance, both immediately recognizing his sudden change.
The Chuuma Ninja escort let out a strangled squeak as he noticed the dented frame of the luxury vehicle.
That noise was enough to snap Hajime back. He blinked, took a long breath, and a soft blue glow lit up his hand as he activated his HoR powers. With a gentle tap, the door straightened out, returning to pristine shape.
"…Sorry about the car," Hajime muttered, brushing a hand through his hair.
The escort nodded stiffly, pale and shaking slightly.
Sagiri looked between him and the repaired car, then turned to the girls. "What… was that?"
"His Campione instinct," Alice said calmly as they resumed walking toward the shrine's main hall.
"He must've sensed a god," Anisphia added, her tone uncharacteristically serious. "His body probably automatically went into battle mode."
Alice nodded calmly. "Campione and gods are natural enemies. When they're near each other, they'll always sense it. There's no avoiding that."
Sagiri's expression tightened, her usual calm replaced with concern. She understood that perhaps this meeting with Amaterasu might not be as peaceful as she was expecting.
Hajime kept his breathing relaxed, focusing on every inhale and exhale; it was the only thing keeping him focused. His instincts were screaming at him to be ready. Every step they took through the shrine grounds, passing each torii gate, made his body tensed further. His body preparing for battle, the godslayer instincts within roaring to fight the divine.
And then, they arrived.
Just in front of the ornate sliding door that separated him from the goddess of the sun herself.
Hajime clenched his fists, grinding his teeth. His entire body trembled as he fought back the overwhelming urge to confront the divine presence beyond the door.
Not now. Not here.
Using sheer will, he forced himself to stand tall.
As the grand sliding doors opened, the group stepped into the inner hall, expecting a scene of elegance, divine dignity, and solemn presence.
Instead, they were greeted by a surreal scene: Yasaka crouched gently, coaxing someone half-hidden behind her elaborate shrine robes.
"Amaterasu-sama, please… come out already. Your guest is arriving soon," Yasaka said with a sigh, her smile patient but strained.
"NO!!!" came the muffled response, high-pitched and trembling. "I thought it was just a rumor! I didn't think he was real! That person is a true godslayer! I can feel it! If he wanted to, he could send me straight back into myth! I'm going to hide in the Amano-Iwato, seal the entrance, and not come out until he's gone!!"
"Please don't! If you do that, the sun won't rise across the nation!" Yasaka pleaded, clearly trying not to lose composure.
Hajime froze mid-step, blinking rapidly. "…What."
Alice blinked twice, visibly trying to process the situation. "...Did the Sun Goddess just say she's going back into the cave?"
Anisphia covered her mouth, but her shoulders were shaking from the effort of suppressing her laughter.