AN: Hello folks! How is your weekend so far? You guys enjoying it?
I do hope everyone is having a great day so far no matter where you guys are~.
So now here I am delivering the 2nd update for this weekend!!
Here is chapter 95 of Volume 2!
Enjoying reading!
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Courtyard of Yuuragi-sou, Kuoh Town, DxD world… The evening of the same day, after the apocalypse that had almost destroyed the world.
Hajime sat as always between Alice and Anisphia. Around them gathered the leaders of the Three Factions—Serafall and Sirzechs for the Devils, Azazel and Shemhazai for the Fallen Angels, and Michael and Gabriel for Heaven and the Church.
He and the girls watched as the leaders of the Three Factions sat together, each still processing the magnitude of what they had just faced.
"The Khaos Brigade…" Sirzechs murmured first, his voice heavy. His eyes never left the something sizzling in front of him. "We underestimated them. They nearly tore reality apart."
Azazel grimaced, downing his cup of sake. "We expected them to fight back, sure. But to think they'd have something insane like a tree that bore fruits of Stellarons… all I can say is they nearly got us."
"Indeed. Without the help of the Trailblazers, the world we know wouldn't even exist today." Michael's gaze swept across the others as he flipped a piece of something.
"But this event made, for the first time in centuries, angels, devils, and fallen angels stand together. Not just in truce… but in real unity," Gabriel added, sipping from her teacup. "It proves that our choice of peace is correct. That only if we stand together can we face such terrors."
Serafall nodded, wiping a red smear from her lips. "But if we truly want to protect our world, we need to reach out to the other factions as well. We must seek allies beyond ourselves. Our enemies showed they are willing to burn the entire world, and what happened today affected them too. Surely there are those who will answer our call."
Shemhazai let out a satisfied sigh after swallowing. "This was our first real victory… but it won't be the last war."
Hajime watched them, his cheek twitching. "What you're all saying is fine and good. Really! I'll even say that we Nameless will always stand beside you and this world. But… but!!! Just why are we talking about all of this while barbequing in Yuuragi-sou?!"
"Alice! I think this one's done! Can I take it now?!" Anisphia asked, chopsticks in position to snatch the tender piece of meat grilling in front of them.
"Mm, yes, that one's ready. Go ahead," Alice replied as she placed fresh slices of meat on the grill. "And don't forget to eat your vegetables."
"Ehh?! Why do you sound exactly like Ilia when she scolds me!" Anisphia groaned, wincing at Alice's reminder.
Alice only smiled at her, a beautiful, angelic smile adorned by her long blond hair. To Anisphia, though, it screamed of pain and doom if she didn't listen. So, with a sulky expression, she begrudgingly picked up some vegetables and put them on her plate.
"Good girl," Alice teased, earning another groan.
Just as Hajime had said in exasperation, the DxD group from the conference were in the courtyard of Yuuragi-sou having a barbecue. It was supposed to be a victory celebration marking not only the unification of the three factions, but also their triumph over the Khaos Brigade and their survival of the world-ending ordeal they had just endured.
At one corner, the Slash/Dog team and the Church group mingled with the Sitri and Gremory peerages, trading stories about their battles. Yaya Fushiguro listened intently as each group recounted their fights, her eyes sparkling with deep interest. Iseei tried to mimic their poses, drawing laughter, while Kiba offered a few calm nods as he added his own recollections. Even Akeno chuckled softly, covering her lips with her hand as the younger members argued over who had the scarier opponent.
"I'm telling you, that monster's claws were this big!" Issei squeaked, stretching his arms wide.
"Stop exaggerating, Issei-kun," Kiba said with a patient smile. "It was more like half that size."
"Half?! It almost swallowed me whole!" Issei whined, earning more laughter from those nearby.
Akeno tilted her head with a teasing grin. "Ufufu~ well, I think you were both brave. Though I must admit, Koneko-chan punching her opponent across the street was the most impressive."
Koneko, munching on a skewer, gave a flat look. "Wasn't even trying."
Nearby, Sae leaned her head on Tobio's shoulder with a grin. "Then you should've seen how Poh actually ate those dimensional monsters, it nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Ahaha! Poh even had a confused look after devouring them, like he was trying to figure out the taste!" Tobio added while laughing, his arms wrapped at Sae's waist enjoying her warmth.
Shigune chimed in, smiling shyly. "Poh said it was a strange mixture of flavors… like eating burnt candy and raw fish at the same time."
Natsume grins, tapping her chin. "Oh? So even the fiend of gluttony can't figure out their taste? Ahaha! As expected from monsters that came from different dimensions!"
Lavinia nodded, her eyes soft. "Hmm~ still though… If they weren't so hostile or grumpy, I'd almost find them cute."
"…Sometimes we question your aesthetics, Lavi-chan," Sae, Natsume, and Shigune deadpanned in unison
Everyone on the table laughed as they continued to swap stories, each tale a reminder of how close they had come and how proud they were to have stood together.
Meanwhile, Chitose Nakai, Yuuna Yunohana, and Nonko Arahabaki sat with Sagiri, Ingvild, Villhaze, and Ophis. Yuuna blushed furiously as Sagiri and Villhaze teased her while retelling Ingvild's bold move of kissing Hajime, which left the girls flustered.
"Awawawa!!! So b-bold Ingvild-san!!" Yuuna squeaked, hiding her face in her hands as the others laughed.
Nonko's eyes twinkled with inspiration as she peppered them with questions, furiously jotting notes. "Ingvild-san, how did you feel at that exact moment? Did your heart race? Was it destiny?!"
Ingvild's face turned crimson. "P-please don't put it like that… it was just… I wanted to be honest with my feelings."
"Honest and bold. As expected from Milady, truly worthy of being written into a heroine's story," Villhaze said.
It seemed the next chapter of Nonko's manga would feature a heroine with a very Ingvild-like bold streak.
"Vill-chan!!!!!" Ingvild shouted as her entire face went red.
Sagiri chuckled. "Honestly, Ingvild-san, I didn't think you had it in you. That was a gutsy move."
"Quite gutsy, yes," Chitose said, sipping her tea before glancing at Sagiri. "You'll have to step up too, Sagiri-san, or else you'll get left behind by everyone."
Sagiri nearly choked, her face flushing red as she waved her hands in protest. "P-please don't say it like that, Chitose-san!"
Back at Hajime's table, aside from the cheerful quips from Alice and Anisphia, silence briefly settled over Sirzechs and the rest.
Sirzechs raised his brows. "Well, we originally planned to have the after-party here to conclude the conference. We just didn't expect the events that followed to be this… monumental."
Azazel raised his cup toward Hajime with a grin. "Come on now! Eat, drink! Enjoy this hard-won moment and let's hope next time it won't be quite as apocalyptic."
"That is right, little brother-in-law! It's fine to relax, right? After all, we all worked hard to achieve this peace!" Serafall chimed in as she placed freshly grilled barbecue on his plate.
Hajime deadpanned at them, then sighed before finally taking a bite of the meat Serafall had given him.
Michael chuckled warmly. "Just as they say: to face tomorrow with strength, we must have good food and good drink today."
"Agreed!" Sirzechs, Azazel, Serafall, Gabriel, Shemhazai—even Alice and Anisphia—replied in unison.
Hajime gave in with a sigh and quietly ate, though a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Well… it's not a bad way to end the day.
Tonight, they would rest, share food, and laugh together. Because tomorrow they would once again work hard for the future they wanted to build.
For the beginning of something greater.
—----
Somewhere in the underworld.
In a grand mansion, a middle-aged man with dark silver hair and hazel eyes twirled his wine glass as he watched recordings of the battles of DxD against the Quantum Shadows.
"Ahahaha! Look, Euclid, we almost destroyed the world!!! Ahahahaha!" the man cackled with glee, watching humanity struggle against the shadows—how their proud buildings fell to rubble, how their fleeting, meaningless lives were snuffed out.
"Congratulations, Rizevim-sama. Your experiment to test the might of the Forbidden Fruits was indeed enough to bring the world down to its knees," Euclid said, bowing to the man now named Rizevim.
Rizevim Livan Lucifer, son of the Original Lucifer and Lilith, the Mother of all Devils. He was the father of Razevan Lucifer and grandfather of Vali Lucifer. A twisted being who carried himself in a lighthearted, joking manner that barely concealed his cruelty and malice. Behind the smiles and mockery lurked a vicious, brutal personality. With his power as a Super Devil and in his unique ability the Sacred Gear Canceller, he is overconfident with himself.
He also followed an extreme ideology: that Devils should embody nothing but evil and cruelty. To him, being wicked, brutal, and merciless was not just their nature but their duty. He reveled in calling them scum and monsters, and he went so far as to kill anyone who simply displeased him.
"Indeed! Magnificent!!" Rizevim cheered, kissing the fruit (a Stellaron) in his hand. "That's why I've decided to resurrect Katerea-chan, Shalba-kun, and Creuserey-kun with the Graal!!! Those three gave me such entertainment, after all! Bringing them back will be the best reward!"
"They will surely be overjoyed to receive such a magnanimous gift from you," Euclid said reverently.
Then the screen showed the moment Noah descended. Rizevim's smile faltered, turning cold and sinister. His eyes narrowed with a bottomless and creepy glint. He didn't blink as he watched Noah casually crush the rampaging Quantum Shadows across the world.
"Trailblazer, was it?" he murmured, voice dropping. "To think someone like that would appear in our insignificant little world… a shining star waltzing into my stage..... how irritatingly theatrical."
Rizevim carefully watched Noah, his movements, his mannerisms, the way he carried himself. Every detail was etched into his memory.
"Hmm, we'll need something or someone who can deal with him next time," Rizevim muttered as he replayed the moment Noah burned and utterly destroyed Trihexa. He snapped his fingers suddenly. "I know! How about using the fruits… no, they called it Stellaron, right?"
"Yes. As per the notes, the Trailblazers call the fruits Stellarons," Euclid confirmed.
"Yes! Yes! Stellaron, good. We'll call it Stellaron as well," Rizevim said with a maniac smile, rocking back in his chair. "Now, where was I? Right! How about using the Stellaron to summon that force again… what was it? Legion of something?"
He rubbed his chin, then waved dismissively before Euclid could answer. "Anyways, based on what we gathered, that legion sure has some big bosses, doesn't it? What did they call them again?"
"There was mention of an 'Aeon of Destruction' and a 'Lord Ravager' during the conference and their defenses," Euclid informed.
"Ohhh!!! Aeon of Destruction! Lord Ravager! Doesn't that sound strong?!" Rizevim cackled, his eyes gleaming. "These Aeons are what they call the gods in space, yes? Then surely whoever this one is will 'take care' of him, right?!"
"…Yes. Surely," Euclid answered.
"Good! Good!!!" Rizevim smirks, filled with madness and malice. "But! We won't make any moves for now. We need to lay low for a while. After all, we're currently short on Stellarons,"
He said in an exaggeratedly sorrowful tone, raising the fruit-shaped Stellaron in his hand. "Out of the three fruits borne by our great tree, two have already been used… ah, how tragic!"
".... As per our calculations, another fruit… apologies, another Stellaron should be borne by the tree within a year," Euclid corrected himself smoothly.
"Haa… a year. So long, and yet so short," Rizevim drawled dramatically before his grin snapped back into place. "Then let's give this world another two years to breathe! Once we gather three Stellarons, we'll call upon the great forces of destruction!!!"
He turned his mad eyes toward the image of the three faction leaders bidding their temporary farewell to Noah in Kuoh. "The stars will burn out eventually, even the brightest ones. So enjoy your remaining time, folks!! Entropy will come knocking soon! Ahahahaha!"
Euclid closed his eyes and bowed low.
"Come, Euclid. Let's visit our Vampire friends! Let's waste some time experimenting on the Graal!" Rizevim laughed as he hurriedly left the room, calling for his butler.
"By your will," Euclid replied, following close behind.
—---
Yuuragi-sou, late night after the party…
Fresh from the hot spring, Hajime walked down the familiar hallway of the inn, hair still damp. From the garden came the faint noise of the 'adults'—Nonko, Serafall, and Azazel—still going strong in their drinking contest, laughter spilling out into the night.
"Geez, those guys sure know how to party," Hajime muttered. His voice sounded exasperated, but the smirk tugging at his lips betrayed his amusement.
Shaking his head, he continued until he reached the room he shared with Alice and Anisphia. Sliding the door open, he tilted his head. It was unusually quiet. He blinked, glancing around, but saw no sign of the two girls.
"Are they still in the baths?" Hajime murmured, brows furrowing.
Sighing, Hajime decided to wait for them and stepped into their sleeping area. He slid the door open and found their futons already laid out. The moment he stepped in, two soft, warm bodies pressed against his sides, freezing him in place with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.
"Just what took you so long? We've been waiting for you for quite some time, you know?" Alice's graceful and noble tone had turned sweet and sultry to Hajime's ears. She wore an alluring teal-green babydoll dress, its teasing cut revealing just enough of her perfectly shaped figure to make his heart pound.
"We almost got tired of waiting and were about to come drag you here ourselves." Anisphia's usually bubbly voice had taken on a flirtatious edge, stirring Hajime's instincts. She wore the same dress as Alice, but in hot pink, the snug fit emphasizing her more generous curves even more.
"A-Alice? A-Anis? J-just what's gotten into the two of you?" Hajime asked, trying to stop the tremor in his voice. The warmth of their closeness was enough to make even the embodiment of Reason forget reason.
"Hmm? Is it wrong for us to want proper time with our beloved fiancé?" Alice asked softly, her eyes glinting.
Anisphia tilted her head cutely, pressing her chest against his arm. "Or maybe you don't like us anymore? Because you've found your new princesses?"
"Don't ever say something like that again." Hajime's voice turned serious, his earlier flustered blush gone. Alice and Anisphia's eyes widened as they stared at him.
"Listen. There is no way I will ever, ever, fall out of love with either of you." Taking their hands and holding them tight, he looked straight at both girls.
"Alice, you are my very first partner, the one who gave me the reason to take that step forward." Hajime said, intertwining their fingers.
"Anis, you're my partner in chaos, the one who showed me the kind of future I want to build." He placed their joined hands gently on top of his own.
"The two of you are the ones who shaped me into who I am today. You're the reason I look forward to every day. My source of energy, my motivation to make the future into what we dream of."
Hajime leaned in and gave Alice a soft kiss. "Just like I told you after we defeated Enkidu. Since you gave me your life, I will give you mine. You will stand at my side as my queen. And I won't let anyone or anything stop us—not even the gods."
Alice's breath hitched, tears spilling from her eyes. She leaned forward and kissed Hajime deeply, sweetly. When they parted, she whispered between breaths, "Same as my reply before—I will forever stand proudly beside you, my king. I'll make sure your will is carried out. My heart, my body, and my soul are all yours… I love you, my king."
"I love you too, Alice Louise Gododdin." After one more tender kiss, Hajime turned to Anisphia with a gentle look.
"Anis… there's something I should have told you long ago." Hajime's voice was warm and soft. "I love you, Anisphia Wynn Palettia... Marry me, and stand at my side as my Queen."
Anisphia's eyes widened at the unexpected proposal. Though she had teased him about giving her a proper proposal before, she never imagined he would hear it now.
"You don't need to be just the queen of the Palettia Kingdom anymore," Hajime continued. "You'll be the queen of a much larger, warmer, freer kingdom… the one we'll all build together. Our own family."
Anisphia let out a shaky sigh before leaning in to kiss Hajime, just as Alice had. The kiss was deep and full of affection. When they finally parted, she rested her head against his shoulder.
"You're really unfair, you know that… Even though you know that I don't want to be a queen.... you still went and asked me anyway." Her voice wavered between a pout and a smile. "Now what am I supposed to do? My dear Hajime will now give me the world itself....... since my desire to become the most awesome queen has awakened…"
Hajime blinked before chuckling. "...so is that a yes?"
Anisphia lifted her head, glaring at him with a pout. "Yes, yes, I'll be your wife and queen, you big jerk king."
Hajime laughed and pulled both Alice and Anisphia into his arms, hugging them tightly. "Let's make a big and happy kingdom(our family)."
"Leave it to us," they replied together, smiling.
After a while of laughing and holding each other close, Anisphia turned to Hajime with a mischievous glint. "So, my darling king, are you going to stop here? Or do you want to continue heating up our activities?"
"That's right, my King. You wouldn't dare make your future queens feel undesirable, would you?" Alice teased.
Hajime's shoulders twitched, his body freezing solid.
"...We were just having a very touching moment. Why are you both steering it in that direction?" He said in exasperation.
"Ara~ what shall we do, Queen Anis? Our husband-king is already lying to us," Alice said in mock sadness.
"That's right, isn't it, Queen Alice? Even though our darling king's 'scepter' has been standing 'kingly' for a while now, he still dares to lie to us. I fear how our married life will go on," Anisphia added with a sly smile.
Hajime's cheeks twitched as he watched the two girls lie down on their futons, their shoulders touching, expressions seductive as they looked at him challengingly. Their front got strangely emphasized due to their positions, the strap of their dress fell to their arms giving hajime a good look. And with the short hemlines of their dress, Alice's perfectly shaped tights and Anisphia's plump legs became even more enticing as the moon light touched them.
Hajime unconsciously gulped to the amusement of the two.
"So? Are you just going to sit there?" Alice said.
"Or will you show us your 'kingly' side?" Anisphia grins.
Exhaling deeply, Hajime licks his lips before snapping his fingers. Bands of light with zeroes and ones came to life surrounding their room. Hajime just used the power of reason to seal their sleeping area..
"Good.. you two want to see how a king should be right? Then I'll show it now. And will make sure both of you will never forget it." Hajime said as he leaned down to both.
"Kyaaa~"