A/N: Hi guys! as promised this is the update for Sunday.
sorry, I was to exhausted yesteryday that I didn't have the energy to post the update.
anyways this should complete the update for last week end!
see again this coming week end for the finale of Volume 1 rewrite and the continuation of Volume 2 which should be the last Arc, the Peace conference!
now without further ado, Chapter 84 and rewrite 36 and 37 are now up! please do read all!
PS: Thank you to Gelo_Podcast, Reaper545,and Fauzan_Aditya for the Power Stones! Thank you for the support!
----------------
Two days later, in the late afternoon, Hajime, Alice, Anisphia, and Sagiri finally returned to Yuuragi-sou—with Ingvild and Villhaze now accompanying them. Ingvild walked close, eyes jumping everywhere, curious about nearly everything as she tried to grasp her new reality. The warm smiles and cheerful greetings from the inn's residents soon softened her expression.
"Welcome back~!" Yuuna chimed, floating happily in front of them. "You brought new friends too!"
Ingvild bowed lightly, while Ingvild hesitated before whispering, "...thank you."
Hajime patted her shoulder gently. "Don't worry. This place will feel like home soon enough."
Together with Villhaze, Ingvild was introduced to everyone, the inn quickly embracing them as part of their family.
That evening, Yuuna and Yaya took it upon themselves to help Ingvild and Villhaze settle in. Yuuna, in her usual cheery ghostly float, brought over extra bath supplies and insisted Ingvild and Villhaze join her for a relaxing soak in the hotsprings. "You've been asleep for who-knows-how-long—time to scrub off centuries of sleep, right?" she teased gently.
Ingvild blinked at the mountain of soaps and towels. "A-ah… is it really okay?"
"Of course!" Yuuna grinned. "A proper soak is the best welcome gift."
Yaya offered her usual sleepy but warm grin as she pulled Villhaze by hand through the inn's cozy hallways. "Don't worry. We're all a little weird here. You'll fit in just fine."
Villhaze raised a brow, muttering softly, "Weird, hm… sounds familiar already."
Ingvild, overwhelmed but smiling shyly, nodded and whispered her thanks. Yuuna clapped her hands happily, while Villhaze just silently followed her mistress—though the faintest curve tugged at her lips.
As the evening settled in, gentle laughter drifted from the baths, the steam carrying the sound of voices slowly growing familiar. The bonds between the newcomers and the inn's residents began to form, as if life was easing back toward something normal.
The following day, the lounge was filled with a lazy quiet. Hajime and the others lounged on cushions, some sipping tea, others simply enjoying the calm. The peace was promptly disturbed when Azazel sauntered in, a smug grin plastered on his face as always.
"Well, well," he drawled, one brow arched. "Looks like your little adventure went better than expected."
Hajime gave him a flat stare. "What are you doing here?"
Azazel clutched his chest in mock pain. "Ouch! Such dismissal! Shouldn't you be praising me instead? After all, aren't I the cupid who brought you Lavinia, Ingvild, and even your new maid?"
"Sure. Thanks," Hajime replied dryly, accepting the cup of coffee Villhaze set before him. He took a slow sip, completely ignoring Azazel.
Villhaze added softly, almost as if on cue, "Your Majesty, do you wish me to remove this noisy guest?"
Azazel nearly choked on air. "Chee! Such an ungrateful kid. And your maid's already scarier than you." He pouted, snatching up the cup of sake Nonko had left nearby.
Nonko giggled. "You came here for drinks anyway, didn't you?"
Azazel grinned sheepishly, raising the cup. "Can you blame me?"
Azazel glanced at Ingvild standing beside Hajime, studying her with curiosity. But his gaze snapped away when he suddenly felt a divine aura radiating from Villhaze, who was glaring at him for staring too long.
"...Oi, Nagumo Hajime. Just what the heck did you do?" Azazel demanded, pointing at Villhaze with disbelief. "How in the name of my father is a DEVIL radiating Divine power?!"
Hajime raised a brow. "Why do you automatically assume it's my doing?"
"Ha?! Are you even hearing yourself? Who else in this world could do such a thing?" Azazel shot back.
Hajime blinked and rubbed his chin. "...Hmm, fair enough."
Azazel stumbled at that casual reply, spilling his drink. Alice and Sagiri let out a long, tired sigh, while Anisphia laughed so hard she held her stomach. Ingvild could only sweat drop at the scene.
"It seems your absurdity is already infamous, Your majesty." Villhaze snorted, arms crossed with a sharp glint in her eyes.
Hajime's eye twitched at the heavy sarcasm. "....I can't wait for you to meet our Captain, maid. Then you'll see what true absurdity looks like."
Villhaze raised a brow while Ingvild tilted her head, both intrigued.
Azazel sighed and finally picked himself up, giving Hajime a tired look. "Anyways, good work on that island. Though the news we got along with it is… disturbing, it's still valuable."
Sensing the atmosphere change, the residents and Hajime's group sat straighter, their expressions turning serious.
"Tobio and the Slash/Dog team worked with us really well. Even Lavi surprised us with her magical talent," Hajime added.
"Yeah, from what I hear, she even managed to impress your 'blessed' queen." Azazel smirked, sipping his sake.
Alice's brows twitched as Anisphia patted her back while laughing.
Catching Alice's pointed smile, Azazel straightened with a forced cough, trying to look serious again. "Ahem… anyway, I have an update from the top. The peace conference between the Three Factions is finally scheduled."
That instantly caught everyone's attention.
Azazel set his cup down. "It'll take place in three days, this coming weekend. The location will be at Kuoh Academy. The first formal summit for the three factions, with major leaders attending for each group—Devils, Angels, and us."
Alice blinked. "At Kuoh?"
"Yes, the very same place where this situation occurred." Azazel shrugged with a smirk. "And besides, it was recently remodeled—by a certain godslayer. So, ironically enough, that's probably the safest building in this town."
Hajime gave him a deadpan stare. "You say that like it's a joke."
Azazel laughed. "Because it kind of is."
Hajime let out a long sigh. "That was fast... and way too organized. Almost like the Three Factions were just waiting for something big enough to tip the scales. Something to shake the balance so you could push peace and union more easily."
Azazel chuckled, tapping the rim of his cup. "You're not wrong. We've been setting the stage for a long time now. Peace doesn't just fall into your lap—you need the right opportunity… or the right chaos."
He swirled his drink with a tired breath, then glanced around at the group. "And with these so-called 'hidden threats' crawling in the dark, we've had no choice but to start thinking about the future more seriously."
Alice raises her brow gracefully, muttering, "Sounds like you were waiting for someone else to stir the pot for you."
Azazel nodded and added, more seriously, "With the Three Factions as they are now, we're nowhere near the strength we once had. Not since the God of the Bible fell, not since the original Four Maous were lost, and not with the deaths of our cadre. We've only been keeping up appearances, barely holding our ground. But after the Kokabiel incident, the news about the death of my father spread much wider than we ever wanted."
His sighs, downing his drink. "That's why we rushed the conference. If we don't unify, our fractured factions won't survive."
The weight of his words lingered in the air. For a moment, silence held.
Hajime's expression softened. "So it's not just politics… it's survival for the whole race."
Azazel gave a tired nod. "Exactly. We wanted to take advantage of the opening—and it was you who shook things up. With you being reasonable and even amicable, we might actually have a chance."
Alice placed her hand on cheek with a faint smile. "So in other words, you're counting on Hajime to act like a deterrent."
Azazel chuckled dryly. "Heh, something like that. Not that he looks thrilled about it."
Hajime clicked his tongue, muttering, "Never asked for the job."
Anisphia glanced at Alice and Hajime, then back at Azazel. "As trailblazers, we'll attend this conference—not just as witnesses, but as part of the future that's being built."
Alice added with a calm smile, "We also carry responsibility for what led to this moment. So yes, we'll be there, walking this 'first step' together."
Hajime muttered dryly, sipping his coffee, "Guess I don't get a choice in this one."
Azazel chuckled faintly. "That's reassuring. With you all at our side, maybe nothing will be impossible."
—--
The next day arrived with unusual tension in the air at the Yuragi Inn. A new presence descended loud, glittering, and completely unignorable.
Serafall Leviathan.
The Maou, the magical girl cosplayer, and most infamously Sona Sitri's overly doting older sister.
She didn't come quietly. In full magical-girl attire, complete with sparkling ribbons and an absurd wand, she marched through the inn's gates and announced in a commanding voice, "I have come to challenge the man who dares place his wicked charms on my adorable, innocent So-tan!"
Chaos promptly followed.
Hajime looked at the ceiling with a helpless expression. "She really came…" he muttered.
Alice groaned softly while Anisphia rubbed her temple, the two sharing a tired glance.
Sona looked like she wanted to melt into the ground. "ONEE-SAMA!!! What are you doing here?!" she cried, half hiding her face behind her hands.
Even Ingvild leaned toward Sagiri and whispered in confusion, "Eh… w-what is going on?"
Sagiri gave her a tired smile and answered quietly, "An inevitable event. A meeting has long been predicted."
Tsubaki, standing beside a flustered Sona, approached Hajime calmly despite the storm that had just arrived.
"She heard about your chess match," Tsubaki explained with a soft sigh. "Serafall-sama… apparently couldn't let it go once she found out you defeated Sona-sama last time."
Hajime dragged a hand down his face. "...Are we seriously doing this right now?"
"You won against the Sitri princess in an official chess match," Tsubaki replied with a sympathetic look. "For Serafall-sama, that's more than enough reason to go into full 'big sister mode.' Please go easy on her… for all our sakes."
Hajime groaned, glancing at Sona who was still trying to disappear into the floor. "Haa… let's get this over with."
-
The match was set.
Serafall, in all her magical girl glory, had taken Hajime into a pocket dimension she declared was "neutral, stylish, and appropriate." Facing each other in a copy of the kuoh Town, ready for whatever ridiculous challenge she had planned.
Meanwhile—outside the pocket dimension—the entire town of Kuoh may as well have declared a festival.
The courtyard outside Yuragi Inn was filled with spectators.
Yuuna and Yaya were already selling popcorn. Rias and Akeno sat under an umbrella sipping tea, around them were the rest of the gremory team.
Sirzechs sat beside his wife Grayfia, who had somehow been roped into acting as the official umpire for the match. She wore her usual maid uniform but now carried a floating scoreboard.
Vali stood beside Azazel, arms crossed, watching intently. Ever since his last confrontation with Hajime and his group, he became more curious about their real strength.
"Studying the power of the famous godslayer again?" Azazel muttered, taking a lazy sip.
"Yeah. Since they said that Great Red and even Ophis are at the lowest among the universal power scale, I want to know more about how truly strong they are," Vali answered, eyes never leaving Hajime's figure.
Azazel smirked. "Careful, you're starting to sound like a fanboy."
Vali scoffed. "Hmph. I just want to know if the hype matches the truth."
Just then, an amused voice joined in.
"They sure made a spectacle," Nurarihyon commented as he approached Azazel's side, hands behind his back and eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Nurarihyon," Azazel greeted, raising his cup of alcohol. "Only Serafall would turn a simple chess grudge into a public duel."
Nurarihyon chuckled, clearly entertained. "Well, at least we get front-row seats. I haven't seen something this amusing in decades."
Sona sat with Alice and the rest, her face buried in her hands. Her peerage lined up beside her, each trying to act composed while clearly holding back their laughs.
At the other side, the Slash Dog team mingled with Alice, Anisphia, Sagiri, Ingvild, and the Sitri group, the atmosphere lively with chatter.
Tobio wore a small smile. "We heard about the match and came to show support… though I didn't expect it to blow up into a full-blown spectacle."
Meanwhile, Natsume and Kouki were placing friendly bets with the Gremory and Sitri group—bets supervised, of course, by Villhaze.
"As his majesty's maid, it is only right for me to oversee this betting pool," Villhaze declared proudly. The sharp sarcasm in her tone when saying his majesty made Hajime twitch somewhere inside the dimension.
Alice, Anisphia, Sagiri, and Ingvild exchanged knowing glances, giving Villhaze soft smiles.
Lavinia, happily munching a mochi ice cream, threw her fist in the air with childlike excitement. "Hakkun, fight!!!"
Back inside the dimension, Hajime stood awkwardly as Serafall waved her wand. "You may have defeated my adorable So-tan in a chess game, but to earn the right to be with her, you must face me—in honorable magical combat!"
Hajime looked at her pleading, "...can we just talk about it? Maybe over tea?"
"Denied!" Serafall struck a pose, wand sparkling. "Rules are simple: impress me. Survive. And don't you dare make So-tan cry, ever!"
From the viewing mirror, Sona shouted in panic, "ONEE-SAMA, PLEASE STOP!! YOU ARE THE ONE MAKING ME CRY!!!!"
Grayfia raised a hand from her position as judge. "Commence when ready."
Hajime let out a long sigh. "...Here we go."
And just like that, the match began—with eyes watching, commentary already flying, and a betting pool growing by the minute.
—-
The match opened with flair—Serafall didn't waste a second. With a grand sweep of her wand, the entire stage froze over in an instant. Magic circles came you life, summoning pillars of ice and a shower of freezing blasts.
She twirled, posing dramatically. "Taste the might of Maou Levia-Tan's Magical Ice Comet Beam!"
A dazzling barrage of icy lances and frozen beams rushed toward Hajime.
He didn't even blink.
Deadpan, Hajime lifted a single hand and swatted the largest beam aside like it was nothing, the spell bursting into harmless mist.
"…Eh?" Serafall's voice cracked, eyes wide. "Y-you just slapped it?!"
Hajime pointed to himself with mild exasperation. "Sorry, but I'm very resistant to magic."
Serafall's jaw dropped. "That's cheating!!"
From the spectator side, Sona palmed her face while Rias nearly spilled her tea from laughing.
Azazel slapped his knee, roaring. "Hahaha! I told her he was the worst matchup for this kind of show!"
Nurahiyon chuckled, stroking his chin. "She's not even trying to hold back. This should be amusing."
The audience buzzed as they watched.
"Is she seriously just spamming spells now?" Kouki muttered, blinking at the spectacle. Serafall kept firing one beam after another, the attacks bursting into harmless twinkling lights.
"Looks like a magical fireworks show," Natsume added dryly.
Lavinia clapped cheerfully. "That is so sparkly! Go magical beam lady~!"
Shigune tilted her head, voice soft. "Is he… going to fight back at all?"
Back inside the dimension field, Hajime stood still, lazily swatting aside another barrage as though they were buzzing insects.
Alice leaned forward, deadpan. "At this point, he looks more like a teacher letting a child throw tantrums."
Anisphia rested her chin on her palm, unimpressed. "And he hasn't even drawn a weapon yet. This is kind of painful to watch."
Sagiri sighed. "She's going to tire herself out before even touching him…"
Ingvild's eyes followed Hajime, her heart skipping at how calm he stood under the storm of spells. "...He looks cool," she admitted softly.
"My!, it seems the sea princess has had it bad for our godslaying demon king," Anisphia teased with a sly smile.
Ingvild's cheeks turned pink. She didn't deny it, she just kept her gaze fixed on Hajime.
Alice chuckled, nudging her gently. "Don't worry, Ingvild. We've all been there before."
Serafall huffed, clearly annoyed now. She spun mid-air, summoning a massive swirling sphere of ice, layered with spikes.
"Oh, you want serious?! Fine! Let's see how you like THIS!" she shouted, twirling her wand like a baton.
With a dramatic cry, she launched the colossal frozen mass down toward Hajime.
The spectators leaned forward, murmuring with anticipation.
Yuuna whispered, "That's huge…"
While Kouki muttered, "No way he's just gonna swat that too, right?"
Hajime looked up, sighing under his breath. Then, in a smooth motion, he drew one of his signature black pistols. A single pull of the trigger fired a bullet of concentrated gravity.
The shot went straight upward, pierced into the ice sphere, and collapsed it from within, turning it into crystalline dust that scattered like falling snow.
Silence. An awkward, stunned silence settled across the entire dimension as everyone froze, mouths half open.
No one cheered. No one booed. There was just… silence.
Serafall's jaw dropped again. "WHAT!?"
Yuuna blinked. "...Did Hajime-san just turn a Maou-level ultimate spell into dust?"
Yaya nodded, eyes wide. "I thought he'd at least grunt or something."
Tobio gave a low whistle. "Now I feel a lot better about him tanking that nasty barrier back on the island without blinking."
Even Lavinia had paused mid-lick of her ice cream. "Hakkun's really cool… like, super cool."
Serafall floated midair, completely still, her wand drooping. "…Seriously?! This was supposed to be dramatic! You're supposed to look like you're struggling to stop it, then finally break it, grin, and say, 'This wasn't much!' At least act like you're at your limit!""
Hajime rubbed the back of his neck, visibly uncomfortable. "...Sorry?"
Rias snorted into her tea, while Akeno tried—and failed—to hide her giggles. Sona groaned and covered her face with both hands.
Sirzechs finally burst out laughing, and even Grayfia had to cough into her fist to hide her amusement. She raised the flag slightly with a neutral voice. "...Point, Nagumo-sama."
—---
Hajime looked up at Serafall with a helpless smile. "Is that enough? Can we end this already?"
The Maou twitched.
Her pride flared. "End it? Just like that!?" she screeched, flying higher into the air, wand raised high.
"This isn't just about flashy spells anymore! I am Serafall Leviathan! Elder sister to Sona Sitri! And I—will—not—be—embarrassed!!"
She began conjuring another barrage, her magic swelling as she tapped into a finisher spell meant to regain her dignity.
"…Here we go again," Hajime muttered under his breath, shoulders sagging.
At the edge of the mirrored screen, Alice reclined against the table, swirling her tea calmly. "Honestly, she's more dramatic than half the actors I've ever seen."
Anisphia was beside her, munching a rice cracker with one leg crossed over the other. She gave a small shrug. "At least it's entertaining."
Their casual demeanor was so mismatched with the intensity rising inside the dimension that it made those around them glance toward them, bewildered at how little they seemed to care.
Ingvild, however, was far less relaxed. She tensed as she sensed Serafall's power spike. "Alice-san! Anis-san! Shouldn't we do something?! This amount of magic is no joke!"
Alice only raised a brow, calmly sipping her tea. "Hmm? Hajime will be fine."
Anisphia leaned back with a dry chuckle. "Relax. She's just trying to reclaim her pride."
Lavinia blinked at the two, then puffed her cheeks before turning back to the screen and waving her fists. "Go Hakkun~! You got this!"
Sagiri leaned forward nervously. "Uh… the space… the dimension's starting to crack!"
Sirzechs shot up in alarm. "Not good! The dimensional boundary's weakening! We need to reinforce it!"
Nurahiyon, for once dropping his usual casual tone, flared his youkai energy and layered support into the space. "I'll patch the outer frame."
Azazel was already sketching a glowing magic circle midair, muttering as his fingers traced faster. "Tch, on it."
Serafall raised her wand high, a fierce spark in her eyes as a crystalline magic circle bloomed before her. "Now behold my ultimate spell—Celsius Cross Trigger!" she declared with dramatic flourish.
The entire stage groaned. Frost spread from Serafall's feet like living veins, racing across the battlefield and transforming the pocket dimension into a frozen wonderland. The ground, the air—even the space itself—began to lock under the promise of absolute zero.
Hajime watches as the dimension itself warps, ice crawling along its edges like hungry vines.
"…She's seriously trying to freeze the dimension itself," he muttered.
He took a deep breath. The core of Reason flared—his brown eyes glowing a fierce red, a gear-like pattern spinning within as if a machine had awakened.
Blue lines of code spun around him, zeroes and ones circling like streams of data as his Herrscher of Reason powers fully came to life.
Alice sat up straighter, nearly choking on her tea. "Wait… he's serious?!" she gasped, eyes wide.
Anisphia froze mid-bite, a half-eaten rice cracker at her hand. "He's using the power of Reason against her?!" she blurted, the disbelief clear in her tone.
Hajime calmly opened his palm, a small blue sphere forming with streams of zeroes and ones swirling inside. With a flick, he tossed it upward. The ball soared high, expanding into a massive satellite-like construct that took shape above the battlefield. Plates aligned with mechanical precision, channeling imaginary energy as storm clouds gathered within the pocket dimension.
"That's… the Fourth Divine Key, the Key of Restoration," Anisphia muttered, her rice cracker slipping from her hand and falling on the ground.
Kouki blinked in confusion. "What exactly is he doing?"
Natsume tilted her head, awe in her voice. "That thing… It looks like a satellite."
"Because it is," Alice replied, eyes fixed on the screen. "The Fourth Divine Key—Key of Restoration. It was designed to purify corrosive energy called Honkai. It can control weather and environmental conditions and even restore them to their natural state. Hence its name."
Anisphia leaned forward with a sly grin. "And for the record, that satellite is in the same league as Hajime's black hole-making weapon, the Star of Eden. He's going to use it to wipe away the freezing dimension and return everything back to normal."
Sona's jaw nearly hit the floor. "W-wait! That's the same kind of thing he used to create a black hole?!"
"Yep." Anisphia popped another rice cracker into her mouth, crunching casually. "Both the Star of Eden and this Key of Restoration belong to the Captain. Hajime just got the privilege of tinkering with them."
Tobio blinked and tilted his head, a complicated look crossing his face. "Captain, huh… the same guy who pranked you all?"
Alice let out a small, tired laugh. "The very same. Our beloved Captain."
Above them, the satellite hummed with power as it finished calibration. Hajime snapped his fingers, and the Divine Key responded in kind, releasing the stored imaginary energy downward.
The frozen field lit up as the weather and environmental conditions returned to their initial state. Light coursed across the battlefield, dissolving Serafall's frost layer by layer. The blizzard calmed. The frozen towers shattered into harmless particles of snow.
Hajime stepped forward through the mist, completely unfazed by the lingering cold. The digital glow of the Herrscher of Reason dimmed as he powered down, leaving the divine key to finish cleansing the field.
Serafall hovered above, mouth agape at the battlefield clearing before her. Her proudest spell—her ultimate move that had once frozen the underworld during the Devil Civil War, the very power that had earned her the title of Maou Leviathan—had been solved before everyone's eyes.
"No way…" she whispered, voice shaking.
Hajime tilted his head slightly, his voice dry. "That's all you got?"
Serafall's cheeks puffed, torn between disbelief and indignation. "At least try to look a little overwhelmed!"
"Sorry," Hajime replied, shoulders slumped. "...Guess I'm bad at acting."
Grayfia finally lifted her hand, her eyes cool and her voice calm but final. "Victory… Nagumo Hajime.""
The audience roared. A few cheered. Some simply stared.
Lavinia sparkled in place. "Hakkun's so dazzling~!"
Meanwhile, Hajime rubbed the back of his head, turning to Serafall. "Are we good now?"
Serafall slowly nodded, pouting. "...Fine. You win. But you better treat So-tan properly, you hear me!?"
Hajime gave a two-finger salute. "Noted."
And with that, the dimension began to dissolve as the match came to an end.