Hello! As promised here is the second actual chapter and Keima finally makes his appearance! I'll hope you'll enjoy it.

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A week of searching for the goddesses. The Mai High Festival. Three days in the past. In short, it had been the most hectic and game-deprived two weeks of his life as far as Keima Katsuragi could remember. And his memory was top-notch. Well, during that time he had five days he could use for resting and playing, but that definitely wasn't enough. It wouldn't be enough even without all the guilt and wailing.

In other words he needed his games. Even with all the things that had happened the games were still the air he breathed. The ocean he swam in... And his hands twitched a little every time he thought about pulling out his PFP from his pocket and starting playing.

But, as he looked in front of him, he decided that it wasn't an option now. If he thought about it all, and he was trying not to, then it was becoming painfully obvious that there was not going back to his previous life either.

He did enter a specific route, even with the real putting spokes in his wheel, being it's usual uncooperative random cluster of illogical nonsense. Despite that he had seen the ending. The ending for everyone. It wasn't easy to get there, but he had seen it and reached for it. And that would be all.

In games...

In games ending was truly the end. The heroine and hero would realize their (hopefully happy) fate and then disappear as soon as the game was turned off, the player free to play another game. In games there was nothing beyond the ending.

The real, as usual, refused to comply with the will of the God of Conquest. The God has reached the ending... except nothing ended. His life hasn't disappeared, nor has it returned to the way it was before. He predicted it of course, but that didn't make things any better.

Deep down Keima knew he was changed forever and could only imagine how far he will continue to change in the future. Granted, the entire deal with the devils and goddesses had ended (more or less), but he still doubted he could forever stay the way he was now... No, he will get further involved with the world. The real would take care of that...

He had been trying to settle everything. Tie all the loose ends once and for all. But what had he really accomplished?

The goddesses hosts? He guessed that Yui hadn't given up on him and he wasn't sure that the others had given up either. And those that had will probably still pester him with questions, asking for the truth or just wanting to hang out. After all, he did write that he wanted to "continue walking" and that they were "his friends". And he did make a few promises, especially with Shiori. If he was lucky Tsukiyo would take offense and give him a cold shoulder for a while... and Kanon rarely came to school anyway.

And Tenri...

Keima hoped that she would be alright. He had told her that they will go their separate ways and even that was half-truth at best. They were neighbors for crying out loud! It's not like she could just move out with her family, especially since she had moved in next to him less than four months ago. It would probably be years before they truly separate and that still didn't mean she will let go. There wasn't much he could do about it either. He couldn't see the correct choices when it came to real life girls, so that was entirely up to Tenri. Least to say, she, and by extension Diana, was going to stay in his life for a while.

Actually the same went for Dokurō... Nikaidō... whatever. She had said she was going to quit teaching. Yeah, right. At the end of the school year maybe... she wasn't going to just disappear overnight and leave all of her students. She wasn't a bad teacher all things considered.

Even Elsie was still with him, not that he complained... much. Without all the runaway spirits she will be a considerable less annoying. And she was now his genuine sister, crashing into his life again, this time with a fully functional BMW. Why change the name though? For someone so simple-minded she really did some complicated things. Speaking of doing things... Keima wondered how much of the actual reality she changed? He remembered everything... but what about his mother? What about their classmates and 2-B pencils? What about Haqua, Nora and the rest of the New Hell? What about Elsie's older sister? What about Nikaidō? Elsie... Eri... his twin sister probably messed something up somewhere along the way... if his experiences with her were anything to go by.

Above everything else he needed information. In order to navigate any route one required information and Keima knew surprisingly little about what had happened in his original timeline after he was sent back in time. He needed to get his bearings and clean things up... which brought him back to the task at hand, as he looked at the person sitting in front of him.

Chihiro Kosaka was looking away from him, her chin placed on her hand, her face showing a mix of embarrassment and ignorance, as if she was completely unsure of her own emotions and how to express them. A typical Chihiro. Keima almost expected her to bring out her guitar and smile in a futile attempt to mask her mood.

Keima couldn't blame her of course. She still didn't know much of what had happened and she had to go through some things he didn't want her to go through. It was for the greater good and at that point he had been genuinely concerned about the well-being of the girls, but that didn't make the pain they suffered any smaller.

And Keima was responsible for it... it was his fault. With his gaming experience he should've predicted it and notice all the hints. He should've done it better.

But he didn't.

Even if he liked Chihiro it was completely fair for him to remain alone as punishment. But it wouldn't be fair for her. She had truly liked him, even if it seemed illogical to him. Now she was, of course, troubled and angry, but still liked him. Chihiro deserved the truth. Maybe not the entire truth about the devils... she deserved it alright, but Keima didn't want to get her anymore involved. Still, she deserved to know about the two of them.

Frankly, Keima himself wasn't sure where they stood. As Nikaidō had remarked, it was the first time he got serious in the real world. Keima for once was willing to act as a regular teenager. Therefore, he'd done what any seventeen-year-old would had done – he had confessed. He had been open and serious, the fact that Chihiro was here a proof of that. That his honesty was real.

Keima had been honest with her, but that didn't mean he understood his own feelings. He had definitely felt something, but it was difficult to pinpoint for someone as logical and pragmatic as him... especially with all those other worries and emotions during the past two weeks...

No... Keima realized he knew next to nothing about love in real-life. He had once berated Chihiro about taking love too lightly, but he had been operating on game logic and such logic didn't apply here. Long story short – Keima wasn't really sure what he wanted and how to get there, but he wasn't going to miss that route, wherever it might lead him to.

His musings were finally interrupted when the waitress arrived with their tea. At this point Chihiro couldn't ignore him anymore and he couldn't stall any longer either. They needed to talk. He just hoped that Chihiro would start talking first... From his experience he was considered a rude cockroach, cold otamegane and insensitive trouble child. Making Chihiro speak first was a bad move, but much better than him saying something he would regret.

"So..." Chihiro for once decided to cooperate with him, as she turned and looked at him with sharpest look that wasn't yet considered a glare. It didn't faze Keima though. I mean, Chihiro? Glaring and being angry with him? Picking a fight with him? Nothing new. "I guess we have some things to talk about... or rather you have some things to tell me, right?"

Keima just nodded, his default serious and expressionless look on his face.

Chihiro narrowed her eyes.

"Just to be clear, I'm still pissed" she stated what was obvious from a mile away. "And I know that you weren't telling the truth this morning" she told him bluntly. Keima broke the eye-contact and glanced to the side, being embarrassed in his own way. Chihiro stayed quiet for a few more seconds, waiting for some other response and then sighed. "Unfortunately, I think you weren't lying either... if that makes any sense."

"It's good that you understand that much" Keima told her, still not looking at her. This should have encouraged Chihiro, but made her uncertain instead. She grabbed the cup and started to sip the still hot tea in order to compose herself. She needed to change the topic. "And where are you beloved games? Ah, let me guess. You had five peaceful days of non-stop playing. You didn't even come to school. Am I right?"

This time Keima looked at her with a glare on his own. This brought a smile on Chihiro's lips. She still had it in her. Keima calmed himself quickly though.

"Your assumption isn't entirely wrong. I had five days of peaceful playing" he started, his eyes focused on her. "But you aren't completely correct either. First, after those five days I had three days that weren't peaceful at all-"

"Hold it right there" she told him. "You think I can't count? There were five days. Where did you get the three days?" she openly mocked him, now actually angry.

Keima only sighed.

"And what if I told you that I traveled back in time?" this statement was so outrageous that Chihiro went silent for a few seconds and then burst out laughing.

"That's good one otamega!" he didn't know why, but that had to be the first time the use of that old nickname of his actually bothered him.

"Ten years ago" he started, trying to remain calm. "You went to Maijima East Elementary School with Ayumi, right?" Chihiro looked at him blankly. "And Ayumi used to swim in the first grade, I am correct?"

Chihiro blinked and then frowned. "How do you know that? Well, it's not like it was a secret-"

"And..." Keima interrupted her. "And on the day of the closing ceremony on your first term a girl followed you to where Ayumi was swimming and then that girl stole your bike" Keima paused here and watched Chihiro, looking for a hint of recognition on her face. It came at last and then Keima added "and the girl was wearing a wig."

"Wait..." Chihiro told him. "You're not trying to imply..."

"At the beginning I found it hard to believe myself. Remember that I needed the power inside Ayumi? Turns out it wasn't enough, so I was sent back in time to put on those..." Keima paused for a second, remembering how Dokurō Skull had put it. "...finishing touches. Yes, the goddesses apparently can send someone back in time. And yes, that girl with a wig was me."

Chihiro remained quiet for a minute and Keima used that time to drink some of his tea.

"It... it was you?" Chihiro finally sputtered out. "And what do you mean a goddess?"

"So Haqua didn't tell you that much" he noticed Chihiro's confused look, so he explained "Haqua is the violet-haired girl with a big scythe you met during my conquest of Ayumi at the festival. Haqua is a devil. And no, she's not evil" Keima put his cup on the table before continuing. "The story is quite complicated, but in short we needed the power of the six goddesses to save the world. And the power of the goddess is love, thus I had to make six women fall in love with me and no, we didn't have enough time for the girls to find their one true love. I didn't want to do it, but it had to be done. Do you think I enjoyed making real girls fall in love with me? You think I didn't know that it wasn't fair to Ayumi? Or to you? Do you know that from the very beginning my life was put on the line? If I have refused I would have lost my head. Literally."

He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. He definitely wasn't his usual self today, but Chihiro always managed to make him lose his nerve. Scratch that, she managed to make him care before he even started her original conquest.

"And that brings me to the point" he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah I mean... Wait, you're what?" Chihiro asked dumbfounded.

"I didn't really mean what I said back then on the rooftop" he confessed. If Chihiro was going to say anything that particular sentence shut her up. "One of the other hosts for the goddesses was Kanon. Remember when she confessed to me in class?" Chihiro nodded looking at him blankly. "Then I learned that she had a goddess in her. And the very same day she was wounded. Her life was in danger because of me."

"Wait a moment!" Chihiro stopped him. "I saw Kanon on TV during the festival."

"We didn't want an outbreak of panic, so we slipped in substitute for her... don't ask how we managed to do it" Chihiro didn't need to know about Elsie's involvement. That was really ironic though. Almost no-one had any idea that his "twin sister" was one of the most involved in this whole thing.

"Anyway, Kanon's life was on the line, the situation was getting more and more dangerous. And you confessed to me. I needed to reject you to keep you safe. I couldn't let Ayumi see the two of us together in order to bring out her goddess" Keima looked to the side. "Though that plan failed as well. That's why I rejected you so harshly. I wasn't tricking you with that date."

Chihiro face was turned downwards. "Then why?" she asked. "Why did you go on that date with me?"

Keima hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell her. "Frankly, we didn't know which girls hosted the goddesses. But it turned out the girls with the goddesses would be already partially in love with me. And you liked me, so I figured you were hosting a goddess, but obviously you weren't. In the end it was you who tricked me. And don't think you were the only one that suffered."

"What do you mean?"

"Before this entire thing started I wouldn't get involved with any of this, even if the world was to be destroyed... probably. But somewhere along the way I started to care... a little. You think I enjoyed making the girls fall in love with me? You think I enjoyed breaking you heart? Or Ayumi's? That I enjoyed being called the worst? You think you were the only one that cried that night? Or during the concert?"

"You... cried during my concert?" Chihiro asked and then for the first during this talk blushed. "You mean you realized that my song was about-"

"Yeah, I realized" Keima interrupted her. He also knew that Chihiro herself didn't realize just how ironic the title "The memory of my first love" was.

The girl was quiet for a while, probably processing all the information he had given her. The silence was nice, but the entire talk was getting too long. Keima felt the need to play some games increase with each passing second. He decided to drink the rest of his tea before it went cold.

"Then, let me guess" Chihiro spoke after a moment. "Yui was also a goddess host?"

Keima choked on his tea and coughed. "How do you know that?" he asked for the first time seeming truly surprised. Chihiro looked to the side, blushing a little as if she has accidentally learned some secret she was not supposed to learn. "During the concert I could see the wings on Ayumi, Yui and Kanon" she paused for a moment. "And on the other girls who were sitting above the stage. I don't know them though."

"You could see their wings?" Keima didn't know that. And it didn't make sense. Chihiro wasn't a devil, goddess or buddy. And the rest of the audience couldn't see the wings. So why?

Tch... there was still so much he didn't understand.

"Let's say I believe you" Chihiro's voice brought his attention back to her, she was glaring at him. "Still, I don't care if you were saving the world like knight in shinning armor. I'm still pissed..."

"That's hardly surprising and-" he told her bluntly.

"Buuuut" she cut him off. "I'm willing to become a little less pissed if you explain more to me. Let's start with-"

"No" it was his turn to cut her off. "I'm not telling you anything more."

"Huh?" she was clearly surprised. "Why not?"

"Because I already got you more involved than I should."

"You mean I'm still in danger? You're still in danger?"

"I doubt that" Keima responded. "That thing is over. But I don't want to take any chances" he looked at her. "If you want to know anymore you should ask Ayumi. Her goddess can explain some general things, but she won't tell you everything either" not that the goddesses know everything in the first place. "I'm not recommending it though. Ayumi has no idea of your involvement, aside from me going on a date with you and you revealing my conquest to her. Whether you ask her or not is your decision. I won't stop you."

"Then at least tell me this – did you enjoy our date?"

Keima remained quiet for so long that Chihiro was sure he wasn't going to answer, but he did.

"Frankly, if I wasn't searching for the goddesses I wouldn't go on that date in the first place. And I couldn't enjoy it because I was constantly worried about saving everyone and about not kissing you in the public, because the enemy was already close and they would be able to see your wings" Chihiro looked down once again. "But" Keima spoke, making her look up. "if I were to choose now then it wouldn't be such a bad date. I still don't get you real girls and I hate your imperfections and shenanigans... but I think that's part of your charm" he glared at her. "You should be proud to hear those words from the God of Conquest."

"So you're still a cold jerk, aren't you?" Chihiro told him, but she was smiling a smile that was almost non-hostile.

"That didn't stop you from liking me. How did you put it? You don't need a reason to like someone?"

Chihiro blushed, but didn't look away, her gaze only becoming more determined.

"So... let's sum it up" she told him. "You're not going to tell me anything more. You still prefer virtual girls over real girls, but you start to see the real girls as charming as well. That means almost anything in the real life, but for an otamega like you it is enough to try and confess to me, right?"

Keima looked away and... was this a blush on his face? "Yeah, something like that."

"That's the strangest thing I heard in my entire life, all the things I heard today including. "You like me, but you don't like me. That's really messed up."

"You don't know the half of it" he told her.

By now the both of their cups were empty.

"So what now?" it was Keima who asked this question.

"You ask me?" Chihiro was incredulous.

"Who else? Among the two of us you're the one that knows the real."

Chihiro bit her lip, but the look in her eyes was that of determination.

"I need time. I think both of us need it. I don't know if I want to get involved with you. I don't know if those small, tiny feelings I still have for you are worth it. And I refuse to accept your 'I love you, but I don't get real girls' bullshit. You better use this time to figure out whether you're want to stay with real or with the virtual."

"I won't abandon my games if that's what you're implying" he told her with his usual ignorant and sarcastic I'm-better-than-you voice. "But I can promise you that I'll think about getting more involved in the real. Actually, you should think about getting less involved in the real."

"After my dead body" Chihiro told him.

"Oh?" Keima smirked at her. He actually smirked. "Wasn't you the one who thought of yourself as normal and average and tried confessing to every hot guy in school? And despite being the embodiment of the real you didn't put any effort into your life. We were really alike back then, except I was content with me life and you were just trying to not make any efforts, because you feared it would go to waste."

By the time he finished talking Chihiro was blushing a brand new shade of red. Of course she didn't remember her conquest and she didn't remember the talk they had on the Akanemaru.

"Thank you for the tea" Chihiro said, grabbing her bag and standing up. "Umm..."

"I will pay for the tea" Keima said. It was good to be one step ahead of her for once.

"Yeah, thanks..." she replied, her blush intensifying. "See you at school, I guess..."

"Yeah" he told her and watched her leave in quite a hurry. And then he sighed. Chihiro was unpredictable as ever, he just couldn't figure her out and actually just now managed to enter her route even though he hadn't be planning to do that soon. The real was a pain, he concluded as he paid for the tea and left.

Ten seconds later he was already playing one of his dating sims. Tomorrow would be probably a busy day as well, so he should play as much as he could now. And he shouldn't probably go home just yet. Who knew what his little devil sister was up to.

(* * *)

As you have probably noticed I took the liberty of interpreting the manga ending in my own way. In result Keima and Chihiro are not as close as they could have been at this point. I needed it for the plot, but to me it looks surprisingly natural.

Also the part when Keima explains things... you should probably get used to that... and sorry if Keima is more or less OOC here...

Trivia: the title of this chapter is a reference to Flag 27 of the original manga.

Anyway, the next chapter should appear on Wednesday. Drop me a review if you liked this one!

See you next time!