The World The Girls Also Knows: The Girls God Can Only Save
AU after Goddesses Arc. Keima needs to maintain the power of the Goddesses by giving love and affection towards their hosts, while at the same time continuing his duties as a member of the Runaway Spirit Squad. How will he balance his duties, how will the hosts view him as he makes girls fall in love with him, and how can he maximize his game time while doing all of this?
And I do not own The World God Only Knows.
And thanks to xellos540 for the beta job!
Oh and an announcement and request. In the near future, I probably would run out of events that the girls could do with Keima during their "official" time. So if any of you could suggest activities that they could engage in one hour, two hours, or three, as long as those activities are in character, please tell me. I'd probably include it, with full credit of course.
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Geniuses
Part 34 – The Girl Genius Gamer
Aoba Fuse sighed as she spotted the notes and bag of her classmate. It was after school. She and a mob character, unworthy of notice, were cleaning. They were silent, as Aoba, the Mai Hime, the Princess of Maijima, preferred to remain silent rather than speak without reason. And she was so cold and standoffish that few people would approach her. She was the second genius of Mai High Private School, after Keima Katsuragi, though her reputation was much better than the boy from 2B. The 2C Princess did not actually play during class when the teacher was around, but otherwise, they might as well be twins.
Not that Aoba would agree about such a comparison. She was too immersed in the ideal world that her forgotten master had introduced her to that she cared little for the real. She cared only enough so that she could indulge in the ideal as often as she could. Thus, she did not care that there was a problem student from 2B.
Of course, she has some knowledge of the real—especially her classmates in 2C. Mob characters and parsleys, boys who could not even be considered side characters in even the worst of games, tried to hit on her, but such was her gaze and the look of her face that after one try, all backed off.
She only cared for two things in the real world. One was that certain person, that master, who introduced her to the wonderful world of Galges and Otome games. She was in love with him—yes, she was confident that that person was a he, as only a boy would be interested enough in gal games to introduce it to her—and such a person who effected such a profound change in her was worthy of her love. Still, no matter how she wracked her brain, she could not remember him, how he looked like, or even his name. How could that be? How could something so important just be forgotten?
The second thing she cared about was…
She took the bag and notes. It belonged to her classmate Shiori Shiomiya. The library girl. Her personality would be a perfect fit for a game heroine. So much so that she wondered if the game creators knew Shiomiya and based the librarian archetype off her. She noticed that all day she was tense, nervous, and sweaty. When the final bell rang, she ran out of the classroom as fast as her legs could carry her, clutching a book in her chest. She was probably preparing herself to meet a boy that she was crushing on. That's how librarian heroines act in games.
She knew where she was. Shiomiya will always go to that place—the library. If she weren't around, she'd just leave it at her library desk. It would be a much safer place than leaving it in the classroom.
Part 35 – Meeting the God of Conquests
Aoba Fuse entered the library and saw her classmate with a boy. Her suspicion was correct.
She didn't have much time. She would have to interrupt as she wanted to leave early. She knew it was not proper etiquette to interrupt an event, as she was not a childhood friend or a little sister, but she did not care. She was the protagonist of her own story, and those two were just minor side characters that did not matter.
As she walked closer, she identified the boy. It was the Otamegane, the glasses-wearing game nut, who she called the First Genius. It was because he always was ahead of her, even just a little. Despite her vast knowledge, she was always second. Her exam scores were usually in the late 90s range. For example, in the most recent exam, her history was 99, her Japanese 98, her Science 100, and her Mathematics 99. While she heard that he got 100 on all subjects.
But since he was just a side character, on a different class, it didn't bother her much. She wasn't competing in school. She only had one goal in mind, and that was to become the best in the ideal world of games. On that world, she was third, and unlike in the academic world, she was way behind at least two players.
So the First Genius was with the Book Genius. Book Genius was her moniker for Shiomiya, since she had read all the books in the library, and she retained the knowledge that she got from it.
She approached them, then heard from his mouth, something that stopped her in her tracks.
"I am indeed the God of Conquests, but it's irrelevant in this story," he heard him say.
God of Conquests. Could he be…
The second thing she cared about, after finding out who that mysterious person who changed her into a gamer, was finding out who the person behind the website Fallen God was, the person who called himself the God of Conquests, or the Capturing God.
At first, she harbored a suspicion that he may be her master, but after asking many careful and surreptitious questions designed to draw him out, his replies would always confirm to her that he was not that first master. The God of Conquests did not know things that her master would know.
Still, she had eagerly followed his exploits in the ideal. She was glued to his website when she was not playing. She absorbed every word he wrote, her eyes always watched his playthroughs, and she always listened to his advice. But she did not always follow such advice, for sometimes, she had her own path to victory, but generally, she conceded that his path was always the fastest.
She had written him many times using the moniker Mai Hime, and she hoped that among his 'lost lambs', she would become the greatest. And she already was the number one outside contributor to the Fallen God website.
She had sought him out, but he was always reticent. He never gave away clues as to his identity in his email replies. She pieced every other clue to try to find him but came up short. She wanted to meet him and see how he plays games in person, and to directly be coached by the second greatest gamer. (The first one being the person who introduced her to the ideal world.)
Could he, Keima Katsuragi, be the actual God of Conquests?
She stopped, put aside her things, and went to the game novelization section to wait them out until they separated. She cannot be rude now that Katsuragi may be the God of Conquests.
Part 36 – The Book Genius
Shiori Shiomiya was nervous. She was sitting on a chair, by a table, that could directly be seen from the door. Her shift had ended, and Keima Katsuragi was coming to visit her. It was her time, after all.
She was clutching a bound manuscript. It was a draft of her second novel. The first one was shown at the Mai-High festival, and it had gotten good reviews.
A really nice piece of writing for a high school librarian, one critic wrote. Tells the heart of a literary teenage girl, another said. A true book genius, to have read so many, if what she wrote is true, a third said. I look forward to reading the book when it's complete, the fourth critic commented.
Of course, the final line, I love Katsuragi, was not part of what was shown. That was too embarrassing. I mean, what would they say if they knew I loved a crossdressing perverted freak?
It was her story. And how was she going to write about how she got the courage to speak? That would be so embarrassing! Writing about her interactions with Katsuragi would make her novel like a trashy romance novel! Still, it was part of her story.
Maybe Nebula Synthetic Negi Ramen would be a better story. It might not be a classic, but at least it's not embarrassing.
I already wrote the second part. It begins when that weird firetruck girl—Elsie Katsuragi, the little sister of Keima Katsuragi—asked for books on firetrucks. And I made myself look like a creep! I mean, who reads all the books in the library? Calm down, calm down. Don't be nervous. It's just Katsuragi. The cross-dressing freak. The breaker of promises. And the man I love! The amazing boy who has such a strong presence.
It's my first hour! Don't mess it, Shiori! Time to make a good first impression. Well, maybe not the very first one, but the first one since that meeting at the café.
How embarrassing! I hid my face behind the menu during the entire thing! He must think I'm creepy! How could he choose me after five years? I'm such a hopeless nerd!
The door opened, and there he was. In all his magnificent glory, the boy who gave her back her voice, Keima Katsuragi. He walked towards her, PFP in hand, without looking up from his game.
She inwardly smiled. He's like me, immersed in his own world. He in games, me in books. He's so cute. I hope I don't mess up. I need to do my best. What do the romance novel heroines do in this scenario?
"Shiori," he said, as he sat opposite her. She stared at him as his eyes never left the gaming device. "What do you want to do?"
What would we do? Oh yes, the rules that he drew up says that the girl gets to decide. Or he would decide. What to do! What to do! Wait, why am I hesitating? Why am I wondering what'll I do? I already decided that. I know what I am going to do!
She looked at the bound manuscript in her hand.
Should I give it to him? Should I show it to him? But it is embarrassing. But if I don't show it, then we won't do anything. And he'll decide what we'll do. But is it so bad? I mean, what could go wrong? Where will we go? The video game store, or that arcade, that's where. A crowded, terrible place with so many people! No, no, no. I'm sure it isn't that bad a place. The game store might be quiet.
Who am I kidding? I need to show this to him. How could I show it to him? Perhaps, I should give it to him and ask him to read it? But that's awkward. Maybe I should introduce it first and ask if he'd like to read it? But would he like to read it? He's playing his game. Maybe he doesn't like being disturbed. Oh my. He gave me my voice and made me talk, but I can't seem to speak when it comes to him! Why? I can talk just fine with Fujidera and the library committee members. I talk little, but it's better than before, where I don't talk at all. Why can't I talk to him right now? How can I tell him to read my manuscript?
"You want me to read that?" he asked, his eyes looking at the manuscript.
She nodded. "I'd like you to," she squeaked.
He put his PFP away and waited. She gave it to him.
She got nervous as he took it. "Please start here," she instructed by pointing at where he should read.
He nodded.
Part 37 – Slip of the Tongue
As she silently read, she looked at him in silence. I hope he likes it. I poured my soul into it. But what if he doesn't? No, he'll like it. But who am I kidding? I am not the best writer. I'm just a beginner. I hope it isn't too corny. And I hope he doesn't get offended by what I wrote. I either praised him to the skies or derided him. No middle ground. He's the guy who wanted to burn the books after he scanned it. He's the guy who accompanied me during my darkest hour during the strike.
She looked at his face, and there was a look of pure concentration. At least I'm not boring him. I hope he likes it. And I hope I didn't make mistakes about the facts. Please like it. Please like. Please like it. Please like me. Please like it and me.
"Please like it and like me too!" she said.
He looked at her.
Did I say that out loud? Oh my, how embarrassing! I said my inner thoughts!
She tried to hide her very red face, but sadly, there was no book. "Nothing, Nothing," she said.
His eyes went back to the manuscript.
Now he's gonna hate it. After that slip, he's probably gonna think that the author's a creep! A non-speaking creep! Well, it's better than a perverted cross-dresser, but I'm a creep! I mean, who reads all the books in the library? No, I'm not a creep. It's normal that a member of the library committee read all the books in the library. But the others might think that I'm a creep nonetheless!
She can tell that he was getting interested by looking at how his eyes quickly darted through the text.
At least it's interesting. Though it could be that it's so bad, it's interesting? I hope not. Please, please, be gentle with me.
She waited patiently until he finished after about ten minutes.
"Not bad," he said. "It needs a little polish, but you have the potential to be a great writer. Your grammar's good, and there are no glaring errors. As for the story, well, it is from personal experience. I don't think we can criticize the plot if it actually happened."
She beamed at the praise. Her beloved was actually saying nice things about her!
"And I commend you for refraining from mentioning any supernatural stuff. That would ruin the story. Even if it's true, nobody would ever believe it to be true anyway. Although I would refrain from mentioning some other facts. I am indeed the God of Conquests, but it's irrelevant in this story."
"I'll take it out," she said. Oh, my God! I really messed up. Why didn't I know that he doesn't like his title to be mentioned? But didn't he brag about it during the meeting at the café? Still, I should have known better.
"Um, could I ask you something? Can you… you tell me what you were thinking during that time? To complete the story?" she shyly asked.
"I would like to, but I can't. You can't mention what Elsie and I were really doing," he said.
She nodded. "I… I understand," she said. Oh well, it was worth a shot.
"That's it. I'll be looking forward to the third part," he said, as he gave her back her manuscript. "Thank you for letting me read and share your thoughts."
"Y-y-you're welcome," she said. His words and his honest critique made her feel happy and warm inside. And just him sitting across from her—it was enough to make her jump for joy. How could that be?
"So, what do you want to do next?" he asked.
Oh no. What can we do? I haven't thought about that. I planned for him to read my story, but only that. I never knew it would end so fast! I need to think of something!
Part 38 – Three Geniuses
"How about giving me a tour of the library? You can start by telling me your favorite sections," he said.
He really wants me to show him around the library? That's so wonderful! "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I only spent a tiny amount of time in this place. Perhaps it's time I get to know this place. It's quiet, and it has few people. An ideal place for me to escape the real, don't you think?"
"Y-y-yes," she said.
"So, let's go!" he said.
They both stood up, and Shiori unthinkingly grabbed his hand and guided him to parts of the library.
They walked around the building, and the shy library girl walked him through the sections from the first, second, and third floors. Thus, Keima got to know about where the history, mathematics, Japanese, English, literature, fiction sections were. She even gave a tour of the Audio-visual part, and Shiori visibly pouted when she had to mention it.
For his part, Keima pretended to be interested. In his opinion, real-world books were vastly inferior to their digital counterparts. But unlike before, he kept his opinion to himself. And it helped that Keima pretending to do something was better than many people seriously doing something. Still, he filed the information Shiori given him, as it might be useful in the future.
The only time he was genuinely interested was the section where game novelizations were kept. Seriously, there was a section that featured game novelizations? He saw titles that he had played, and one which was one of his favorites! The odd thing was that there were more Otome games or games for maidens than gal games novelization books.
He would go back to this section one day.
"I didn't know you had this section," he said, his eyes wide at the books.
"It's a new section," said Shiori. "Someone suggested it."
"Someone?" asked Keima.
"Yes, I did," another female voice said. They turned around and saw a blue-haired girl who was also scanning the titles.
"Fuse!" Shiori said, and let go of Keima's hand. "Um, this is Keima Katsuragi."
"I'm Shiomiya's classmate," she introduced. "I'm Aoba Fuse."
"Nice to meet you," he said in a calm voice, his eyes looking at the novelization books, refusing to look at his former conquest.
"Shiomiya, you left your bag and your notes in class," she scolded. "I brought it here. It's dangerous to leave your things in class. It might be stolen by mob characters."
"I'm sorry. And thank you. I'll take it later," Shiori said, before grabbing Keima's hands, and pulling him away, literally running because of nervousness.
That was awkward! I messed up in front of him! Leaving my bag and notes in class because I was too nervous about my time with him! You're the worst, Shiori! And oh my God, she saw us! The second genius of Mai High! She saw him and me! I hope she says nothing!
What am I going to do? I want to crawl under a pile of books and never return! Especially her! The one I accidentally blurted out that I read all the books in the library! She looked at me like I'm a creep! Good thing she never told anyone, but still…
They ran until they reached a secluded part of the library, with topics that barely anyone was interested in.
"I'm sorry," she said, unable to look at him. Her hands were still holding his, and it stubbornly refused to let go.
There was a bit more silence. "No, Shiori, I'm sorry."
Wait what? What could he be sorry about? I'm the one who embarrassed both of us.
She looked at him once more, and he was staring at her soul. She blushed even more.
"For lying to you. For playing with your heart," he explained. "I promised you that I'll visit you every day. I broke that promise. And I cannot fulfill it. But I do promise that each week, I'll give three hours of my time to you if you'll have me again."
"Katsuragi—"
"Listen, I want you to know that you don't have to be part of the schedule I gave. I know you probably got carried away with the crowd and were pressured. So I'll ask you again, do you want to wait five years for me? For a chance to be picked?"
"I do, I do! If you'll have me, I'll wait," she squeaked. Does he doubt me? How could he! I'm gonna wait for you and make you fall in love with me! Just you wait! You stole my first kiss, and heart, and I cannot forget you! I love you, Keima Katsuragi. I love you. I love you! "I love you!"
Did that come out? Oh, that's so humiliating!
"I know. Thank you," he said, and he pulled her towards him. And their lips met. And she felt wonderful as she would have fallen to the floor if he wasn't holding her. It was like their first kiss when he pulled her from under the books.
After that, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his chest. "Tell me, do I really have a chance?"
"Yes, you have. I promise," he said as he stroked her black hair. "Right now, I don't love you or like you. But I'm giving you the chance of making me love you. The story of Shiori and me still continues, and you can make it so it never ends."
She hugged him tighter. "I'll do that. Just wait!"
She began crying. They were tears of happiness. His uniform got wet from tears after a while. He continued to pat and stroke her hair.
Afterward, they looked awkwardly at one another, and finally, Shiori separated from him. "Thank you, Kei—, I mean, Katsuragi."
"Wouldn't you want to finish the tour?" he asked.
"Y-yes," she said.
He offered his hand, and she grabbed it. She began pulling to the parts where they haven't gone yet.
…
Part 39 – Questions and Identity
It was nearly the end of the hour and almost closing time. Both of them walked back to their table, and there was Aoba Fuse, sitting on a third chair, playing her PFP. On the table was Shiori's bag and notes. And her manuscript.
Shiori immediately let go of his hand, and her face flushed an even deeper shade of red.
"It isn't wise to leave your personal things unattended, even in the library," Aoba said.
"Um, thanks," said Shiori as she packed her notes and things.
"You're welcome. Katsuragi, congratulations."
"What for?" he asked.
"Don't be so modest, First genius of Mai High. You left forty-five minutes midway through a tough examination, and still got perfect!" she said.
"What? Who calls me first genius?" he asked. "I'm the Otamegane. Nobody calls me a genius."
"Some do. Just like many classmates call Shiomiya a 'book genius.' Or me the Second Genius. But that doesn't change the fact that you are the premier genius of this school. I merely finished it in an hour and ten minutes and got a 98 for my trouble. Honestly, you are amazing."
"It's nothing," he finally said. "Anyway, thank you for bringing Shiori's stuff."
"You're welcome. I see that you're currently playing a protagonist, and you're on Shiomiya's route."
Shiori was confused. Route? Protagonist? What are the two talking about? What kind of language are they talking?
"If that game was about exploring the library, then I am in her route. Shiori's giving me a tour of the library," he said. "I haven't been here enough to know the place. It's useful to know, especially when I need to study for the university entrance examinations next year. Before that, I was looking at and reviewing her manuscript for her second book. Have you read her first book? It was shown at the festival."
"Yes, I have. A very interesting read too. She has her own ideal world, just like you and me," she said.
"Indeed. One of the marks of a true heroine. The librarian type is a very popular one in the market," he said. "Shiori indeed fits it to a T."
That made Shiori even blush more. Even if she did not understand a word they were saying.
"I'm gonna leave you with your heroine, Mr. Protagonist," the blue-haired genius said, standing up. So he does talk like me. Almost exactly like me. He may be behind Fallen God.
She left the two, walking towards the exit.
Shiori and Keima relaxed. He was annoyed that his time with Shiori was interrupted. Aoba Fuse was his heroine, but since she did not regain her memories, and was not involved with Vintage and the Goddesses, he did not have to interact with the genius at all. And that was rude of her. As a denizen of the ideal, didn't she know that the worst thing someone could do was to interrupt an event, especially as she's not even a side character or a family member of the heroine?
Aoba stopped and turned around. "One more thing, I almost forgot. Katsuragi, are you the God of Conquests? Are you behind the website, Fallen God?"
What? How could she? There was no way she could have known that. She must not know.
Calm and cool, with a perfect poker face, he answered. "No, I am not. I am too busy with the ideal to bother creating a website," he lied.
"Thank you for that, Katsuragi. I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Shiomiya," she said, before going out the door.
"I'm sorry for that," Keima apologized to Shiori. "I didn't expect us to be interrupted."
"It's okay. I'm sure it was not intentional," she said, looking at her bag and notes.
How could I have forgotten that! That's so clumsy of me!
"Well, it's more than one hour," said Keima, looking at his watch. "One hour and twenty minutes to be exact. But I think Fuse's interruption more than made up for it. Anyway, I enjoyed my time here. See you next time."
Shiori wanted to walk with him outside the school, but she needed to help in closing up the library. And she still had two hours left for the week.
"Bye," she said, taking his hand, squeezing it a bit, letting it go, before running to the back of the library.
Oh my God, that was so wonderful! I'm gonna make him mine within five years!
"So how did it go?" asked Minerva, emerging from one of the bookshelves.
"It's fine," she said.
"I'm very happy for you," the Goddess replied, as her wings got even bigger.
…
Part 40 – Idol Healing
Keima Katsuragi was upset. It was time for Shiori's event! And the genius comes in barging in. If he wasn't sure that her memories were taken away, he would have said that it was a jealous girl trying to one-up her rival. At least Shiori's real rivals weren't so crude.
Still, it helped in setting the mood for the event and made it easier to raise Shiori's affection points. But that does not justify the interruption!
"Hello, Keima!"
It was Kanon, wearing her long brown coat and beret, disguising the idol.
"Kanon?" asked the gamer. He had forgotten about her last message.
"Keima," she said as she ran and hugged him. "Oh, I missed you! I can't bear the thought of other girls having your time, and I'm just in my dressing room, helpless to do anything!"
"You're hurting me," he complained as the hug was a little too tight, and he was still hurting from the beating Ayumi gave him the day before.
"Oops," said the idol as she let go. "Oh, you poor thing. Beaten by ten bullies! Please don't go through that alley again. A game is not worth getting that beat up for!"
"Yeah, advice duly noted," he said as he got his PFP and began playing. "How did you come? I can't see how as you've got a busy schedule and your manager just wouldn't let you go."
"Oh, Apollo flew," she said, "and she'll fly me back. Anyway, I'm here to heal you. Or rather, Apollo is."
Kanon changed into Apollo, and Keima found himself looking at a face with stripes. "Apollo," he coldly greeted.
"Hi, Kanon's boyfriend," she said. And she grabbed his hand, and some kind of wave got transferred to his body. He felt all his remaining injuries heal. By the time she finished, he felt fresh as a daisy, and his stamina and energy went through the roof.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome. Just remember, your heart belongs to Kanon,"
That remains to be seen.
"Are you feeling better?" asked Kanon when she reappeared.
"Much better," he said, resuming his playing.
"Um, so, could I walk with you? Not that I'm here to spend some time with you, but I'm thirsty, and I decided I need something to drink before I go back to the studio. And I was thinking, what about that famous Café Grandpa? I heard that the barista who worked there makes wonderful coffee. So I decided, why not try it? And since we're going to the same place, why not walk together? It's totally a coincidence!"
She was totally transparent. But as he was just healed by her, he cannot refuse. Besides, at present, no other girl had a schedule with him, so there's no harm in it.
"Yes," he said.
And the two walked
"Are you excited for Saturday?" she asked shyly.
"Have you thought about what you'd like to do that day?" he asked.
"Come to think of it, no," she said, her finger on her lips.
"I'm sure you'll think of something. I'll be looking forward to it."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure it's gonna be fun for both of us," she said in an excited voice.
The rest of the walk was quiet, with Keima busy with his games, while Kanon was just listening to her music. Kanon had lots of things to say, but she wanted to wait until it's her time. At that moment, she was just content to be with him, at his side.
When they reached his home, the two parted ways. Keima went directly to his house, while Kanon entered the café.
"Good evening," Mari Katsuragi greeted. "May I have your order?"
"Hello. Coffee please," Kanon ordered. "I heard that your son had made heavenly coffee for the Mai High Festival. I'd like to try it."
"My son? Coffee?" asked a bewildered Mari. "He isn't here, so I'm—"
"Hello, Mom," Keima said as he entered the café. "So, it isn't closing time yet?"
"We have one last customer, dear. She heard that you made some good coffee for the school festival. Why don't you serve it?"
Keima sighed before putting down his bag. He went to where Kanon, the lone customer, was sitting. "May I have your order please?"
She giggled. "I like to have your special coffee, please," she said.
"An excellent choice, Miss," he said, before bowing.
"Keima, do you know that girl?" asked Mari.
"A schoolmate of mine," he said as he prepared his coffee.
"So you brought a girl home? Aw, my Keima is growing up!" she cooed.
"No, Mom, it's just a coincidence," he lied. He and Kanon had agreed to this arrangement so he wouldn't have to explain to his mother why he brought a girl home with him. He really didn't want to answer any awkward questions about his non-existent love life. His mother might mistake him as courting a real girl, or God forbid, for having a girlfriend. He knew he would never hear the end of it if his mother learned what was really happening.
The only girl he would bring home as a girlfriend was a 2D girl. Preferably Yokkun!
He saw the look of slight disappointment in his mother's face when he answered, and he gave a sigh of relief. At least she believed him.
…
It was the most wonderful coffee she had ever tasted. The rumors did not exaggerate. It did make all other coffee taste like mud.
"This is very nice," she said, one eye on his mother who was at the counter, and the other at Keima who was standing in front of her. "I would like to come again another time and take another sample. Could I have your recipe?"
"Sorry, it's a secret," he said as he went back to the bar.
…
After Kanon left, his mother peppered him with questions. Keima repeatedly insisted that he did not know her, that it really was a coincidence, and that she came to know about her coffee through rumors, nothing more. And Elsie backed him up on it, so Mari eventually relented.
…
Part 41 – Mai Hime
After dinner, he was on this gaming "throne". But before he began playing games, he answered some questions from his "lost lambs". He answered some random ones before opening the mail of his favorite lost lamb.
God of Conquests,
I recently bought the infamous game Crayon: Sora's Canvas. No matter what, I could not believe that it was unbeatable. It may be the worst game, but I was curious. Just how bad is this game? Luckily, I saw it in a bargain bin, so it was incredibly cheap.
You were not exaggerating when you reviewed how bad it was. I tried to save Sora. Yet I cannot do it. I kept running into this loop whenever I reached the part where Sora asks me if I want to look at her painting. I said, yes. Then nothing happened. I said no. Nothing happened too.
That's just the least of the problems.
According to conventional wisdom, nobody, not even you, has beaten it. The game is so buggy that nobody actually believes it when you claimed to have beaten it. But I knew they were wrong. You are God. I know you have beaten it. Have you?
Mai Hime.
He smiled. His favorite lost lamb, and the most intelligent too. He knew it was Aoba Fuse, but he kept that knowledge to himself. Normally, he would expect her to play guy games, but because of his influence, she plays lots of gal games too. Of course, he too played lots of guy games, stemming from his body-switching episode with Yui.
He shuddered at the memory. Yet it was still one of his proudest conquests. Who else can, as a girl, get herself conquered by a boy, using Otome game strategies? And it also gave him deep insight into strategies from the point of view of a girl, that he otherwise would not have known by just playing gal games.
Aoba Fuse, as the Mai Hime, was a newcomer in the world of games. Yet she quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with and shown herself only second to the God of Conquests. Yet through all that, she did not let the fame and renown get into her head. She remained humble when interacting with the God of Conquests himself, though she could be overbearing on other players.
She was the one person who he could have an intelligent discussion on games with, one who could hold her own against him in the world of games, and in some instances, best him intellectually. He had to admit that it was only his long experience, which spanned more than ten years, that actually allowed him to remain on top of the Mai Hime.
So it was a little curious that the Mai Hime picked up the worst game of all time.
Mai Hime,
It's true. I have beaten it. It took me seven hours or more. I literally went through all options just to beat it. If you want, I could give you a walkthrough, so you won't have to go through the hell that I did in solving that puzzle. If I wasn't so determined to save Sora, I would have given it up and wrote it off as hopeless. Believe me, victory was not satisfying at all. It was not worth it other than to say that I have saved Sora.
God of Conquests
…
God of Conquests,
I salute you in your determination in saving heroines. Indeed, as you said before, there are no bad heroines, only bad games. I have the same attitude to both the heroes and heroines.
I would have to decline the walkthrough. I would see if I can beat the game. It took you seven hours. Let's see if I could best that record. If not, I'll ask you how to beat it. I'll tell you tomorrow if I'm successful.
Mai Hime.
…
Mai Hime
I'll be waiting for your results. Hopefully, you'll post a video of your efforts.
God of Conquests
…
He was proud of Aoba Fuse. She had come a long way. From novice, to expert, second only to the God of Conquests himself. He remembered her conquest fondly, and wished more real heroines were like her. And he was not surprised by her success. Her genius would ensure that she would quickly rise to the top of the ranks, and her dedication would ensure she stayed there. The Mai Hime was worth more than all his other lost lambs put together.
With that, he closed his email and activated his God of Conquests mode.
…
Part 42 – Morning Walk
Wednesday…
He stepped out of the house, PFP in hand, and Tenri was waiting for him. It was her time, after all.
"Morning Tenri," he greeted, looking up from his game.
"Keima, good morning," she replied shyly as he walked beside her.
They started the walk towards their respective schools. For the first five minutes, the walk was silent, with Keima just playing, while Tenri walked beside him.
"You're feeling better?" Tenri finally asked.
"Yes. Apollo healed me," he replied.
"You met Kanon?"
"Yes. And yes, I know it's not her schedule, but she came so that Apollo could heal me. I couldn't refuse," he said.
"No, I understand," said Tenri. "So how was Shiori?"
"She's fine."
"So did you two have fun?"
"Yes. I reviewed her second book, and she gave me a tour of the library," he said nonchalantly.
"Shiori's a real nice girl," she said.
There was more silence as Tenri walked closer to Keima, happy that she got to be so close to him while playing his game. She sighed.
"So what are you planning to do?" he asked, referring to their next scheduled time, about forty-five minutes, after school.
"I'm not sure yet. I'm sure I've shown you all my magic tricks," she said.
"I'm sure you'll think of something," he said.
They reached the crossroads after fifteen minutes. "Bye Tenri," he said, before giving her a light peck on her right cheek, making her face as red as a tomato. She became weak at the knees, but at that point, Diana took over.
"That boy!" the goddess sighed, before opening Tenri's umbrella, and walking towards Misato High.
…
"Hey, Katsuragi!"
Keima had just left Tenri when he heard her. It was Aoba Fuse.
"Wait up!" she said, walking beside him, a PFP on her hand. "We're going the same way."
"Fuse," he coldly acknowledged, before resuming his game. He was still sore about her interruption of Shiori's time, but seeing her play her PFP, decided that it was not worth it to explain what Fuse was interrupting. And since she was busy playing her games, perhaps she would keep quiet.
They walked silently for a few minutes, both in their own worlds.
"So Katsuragi, about last night, I'm going to ask you for a walkthrough to save Sora. That game is really hard."
Without thinking, Keima answered, "I thought you told me that you're going to try it? Try to beat my record of seven hours? Anyway, it's no shame to give up trying to figure it out. I nearly went mad. All for a weird screen."
"True. The price, even as cheap as it was, was not worth it. But Sora needs to be saved. As you said, it's never the heroine's fault."
"There are only bad games, not bad heroines," he agreed. "Do you want me to send it to you by email tonight?"
"Maybe, Mr. God of Conquests, Keima Katsuragi."
He stopped. And looked at Aoba Fuse.
"Don't deny it," she said. "You are the God of Conquests behind the website Fallen God."
Keima wanted to smack himself. He fell for the most basic trick imaginable. All because he was too busy playing his game, and he was too absorbed talking about that Crayon game, that his brain just answered automatically. How could he trick the most discerning of heroines yet fall for such an obvious trap? Was it because it involved talking about games?
"You got me," he said, "Aoba Fuse, or should I say, Mai Hime!"
At first, he slightly regretted that his most fond conquest was going to forget about him. After all, Aoba was one of the few that he could get along with even under his old personality. She was the person he introduced to and pushed to the ideal world of games.
But like all the other heroines, he soon forgot about her. It was for the best. Conquering other girls would be difficult with a lovesick disciple. And he works best alone. He was Keima Katsuragi, God of Conquests, and he needed no one. Not even his most prized disciple.
"You are correct. If you are wondering how I figured out it was you, I wasn't sure at first. You first gave yourself away when you called yourself the God of Conquest. And the way you talk also gave you away. So, I asked you if you were him. You denied it. At first, I believed you. But then, it occurred to me that the God of Conquests was hiding his identity. So if you were him, you would naturally lie to conceal it. So I made a test," she explained.
He looked at her, dumbfounded. He laughed a bit.
"What's so funny?" the Mai Hime asked.
"Nothing. I was just so stupid. So blind!" he said. "To have fallen for that!"
"I was blind too. How can I not realize that our Otamegane was the God of Conquests? It took you literally admitting it to Shiomiya to make me even look your way," she admitted. She had always ignored any rumors about people outside her class. She only knew of Katsuragi as the First Genius, since she knew of his scores in examinations.
"Well, nice knowing you. Just remember to keep this thing about Fallen God a secret. I don't want people knocking on my door asking for game advice," he said.
"God of Conquests," she said, "may I ask something of you?"
Keima tensed. Don't tell me she remembered? It would be a pain to deal with a lovesick Aoba Fuse.
She made a deep, respectful bow. "Divine One, I want to be your disciple."
"Come again?" he asked, taken aback.
"I want to be your disciple. I want you to be my master," she said.
"Of what?"
"Of the ideal world. I don't want to sound immodest, but I am very good at games. Yet compared to you, I am a beginner. I want to be as good as you and to surpass you. And if I cannot, to be as close to you as is possible. I want to learn from you directly," she said, still bowing.
He was at a loss of what to do. On the one hand, he really liked the idea of having a disciple in the ideal world. He lives for the ideal, not the real. To Keima, having a disciple in the ideal was part of living the ideal. And he admired Aoba Fuse, the Mai Hime. And it would really would not be gaining a new disciple, but regaining one he had lost. She would be a literal lost lamb. He could make her even greater than before.
On the other hand, it may be just a pretense of Aoba to get close to him because she's in love with him. That was the one thing he needed to avoid. No need to expand the harem and antagonize the seven girls in it.
"I'll think about it. I'll let you know later," he said equivocating.
"Thank you for considering it, Katsuragi," she said as she straightened herself.
He nodded before he resumed his gaming and walked to school.
Aoba did the same. She resumed her gaming and followed him. "Our class is next to each other."
They walked together, Keima in front, and Aoba just behind, through the gate.
Part 43 – Two Tutors
"Darling!" a voice shouted and stood just in front of Keima.
"Yui," he said, looking up from his game.
"Look, I've already done my homework! Could you check them for me, please?" she said, waving her history, English, Japanese, and Math homework.
He sighed. "Fine, let me take a look."
Yui's eyes then noticed the blue-haired girl who walked and stood beside Keima, still playing her PFP.
Is that a girl Keima? she pondered. Is she a cousin? And why is she so familiar?
"Hello," Yui greeted her. "I'm Yui Goido. I'm Keima's…" she was going to say future spouse, but decided on… "friend."
"I'm Aoba Fuse. I hope to be the his disciple," she said in a toneless voice.
"Fuse! Ah, you're Shiori's classmate, from class 2-C," she said. "Wait, disciple?"
"That's right. She wanted to learn more of the ideal, and she surmised, correctly, that I am the best one to teach her," he confirmed. "The band room's empty, right?"
Yui nodded.
"Let's go there," he said and began reading her history homework.
"Katsuragi," Aoba said, "if you are checking Goido's homework, may I help you? I may not be as smart as you are, but I am the second-best student in the year."
"You sure?"
"I am. It would be an honor to share the burden of the God of Conquests," she offered, hoping that it would help swing his opinion towards accepting her.
"Fine," he said, "if you don't mind Yui."
Yui blinked, unable to process what had just transpired. She just nodded dumbfoundedly.
"Here," he said, handing the Math and Japanese homework to Aoba.
She put away her PFP and took the cross-dresser's homework.
The three walked towards the band room, silent, as both Aoba and Keima were checking the drummer's homework. Yui was still tongue-tied about the entire situation.
At the band room, Keima lectured on Yui's mistakes, while Aoba took a scrap paper and listed the drummer's mistakes. When Keima was done with history and English, he took the Math and Japanese homework. He scanned the list of errors made by Aoba.
"Excellent Aoba. You didn't miss a single thing," he praised, then turned to Yui, and began to lecture once again.
…
"Katsuragi, could I ask you a question?" asked the girl genius as they finished looking at Yui's homework.
"What it is, Fuse?"
"Do you know someone who is as good or better than you in games?" asked the girl genius.
"Why do you ask?"
"I am looking for him. He was the one who introduced me to the world of games and gave me a new purpose in life. Yet he disappeared afterward. Not only in my life, but in my memories. I can't even remember his face, let alone his name," she said.
"No, I don't," he lied, "but there are many gamers out there who may be better than me. Who knows? Not all of them prowl the internet, so they might not want to be discovered."
"That's too bad," she said, sighing.
"I accept you as my disciple," decided Keima. He was now sure that Aoba was not in love with him, as, looking at her eyes and noticing the slight change in tone when talking about her "first" master, she's still in love with that master. As long as she does not regain her memories, she shouldn't fall in love with him. Thus, it was safe to take her under his wing.
Aoba stood up and bowed to Keima. "Thank you, Katsu— Master," she said as she did so.
To be called a Master by a disciple tickled his gaming ego. As long as it was related to gaming, he didn't mind being praised to the skies by her. Ah, this was getting better and better.
That further confused Yui, who was packing her homework in her bag as it was happening. "Um, congratulations," she finally said.
"Thank you, Goido," said Aoba.
"Okay, then. If you have any questions about games, just come to me directly, and I'll answer it," he instructed his new disciple.
For Aoba Fuse, it was the happiest day in her life. The only thing that could have surpassed it was finding her first master, the one who started it all, the one who stole her heart. But since she was no closer to finding him, being with her second inspiration was the next best thing.
For now, she'll cling to her new master. Maybe if she became so much better than she currently was, she could meet again the mysterious person in her life.
…
The three walked to the 2B classroom, Aoba walking behind him, Yui besides him.
He turned to the two girls, and said, "see you later. And good work, Yui. You're getting better and better. And Aoba, thanks for the help."
Yui blushed at the compliment, while Aoba had a poker face even as she beamed inside. She was playing her PFP the entire time. "It was nothing," she said as she briefly glanced from her game to meet his eyes.
As soon as Keima went in, Yui took Aoba's arms and pulled her aside. "Listen, are you going to be a rival?"
The genius pulled her arms from her grip, hrt eyes not even leaving her game. "What do you mean? Are you going to be his disciple too?"
"You know what I mean," said Yui. "You have eyes on Keima Katsuragi."
She suppressed an urge to laugh. "If I have eyes on him, it's only as a master of the ideal," she said.
"But you like him," Yui pressed.
"Yes, but only as a student might like their master. If you are insinuating that I am romantically interested in him, then you can be rest assured. I don't have such interest in him," she said, still toneless. "He is not in my route."
"Rrrrrrrright," answered Yui skeptically. "You expect me to believe that?"
She finally looked her in the eye. "I already love someone else."
That led Yui to back off. That was as definitive an answer as she could expect. Still, she had the nagging suspicion that Aoba was not telling the entire truth. That look in her eyes when she looked at her darling, was something else…
She was going to get to the bottom of this. Pity that he's not available for lunch, as it was Tsukiyo's time, but she'll have to interrogate him again when the opportunity arose.
End of Flag V
Stats for the Week
Monday – Official Time
Tenri – Morning Walk – 15 minutes
Chihiro – Lunch – 1 hour
Ayumi – After School Event – 1 hour
Tenri – Visit After School – 45 minutes
Tuesday – Official Time
Ayumi – Lunch – 1 hour
Chihiro – After School Event – 1 hour
Shiori – After School Event – 1 hour
Wednesday – Official Time
Tenri – Morning Walk – 15 minutes
Total:
Tenri – 1 hour, 15 minutes
Chihiro – 2 hours
Ayumi – 2 hours
Shiori – 1 hour
Author Notes
Aoba Fuse is a light novel heroine. I took her characterization both from the light novel, and also from Wrathie Winsre's stories.
Oh and an announcement and request. In the near future, I probably would run out of events that the girls could do with Keima during their "official" time. So if any of you could suggest activities that they could engage in one hour, two hours, or three, as long as those activities are in character, please tell me. I'd probably include it, with full credit of course.
To Guest, thank you for your review.
Yes, five years is a really long time. But they would be only be 22, so theoretically, it's not too bad. Of course, something may or may not happen before the five years are up, and things could change or not. Depending on what happened, of course.
Well, as for your suggestions, the coffee thing did happen, if you call it that, with Kanon. I may have him teach them how to make his coffee in the future, with actual instructions on keeping it a secret, of course. And Diana had already started the shenanigans with Tenri's body, like making her kiss Keima.
To ZegaldisGW, thanks you very much.
Chapter 2
Yes, he has not experienced the developments in the Jupiter Heart Arc, though sometimes, I may unknowingly apply some such developments, and for that, I apologize in advance. But there are some developments in the Jupiter Arc that he will experience in parallel, as he may learns lessons in that Arc in this fic too.
Yes, he cares for his heroines since even before the Goddesses Arc, and that is more pronounced here, as he is aware of the effects of failure. It would be the ultimate bad end, and he doesn't want that. He wants to save his heroines, come hell or high water. And if it means lying and manipulating, then he'll do it. That's what I like about Keima. He isn't constrained by traditional morality of right or wrong, but by game logic.
Yep. Right now, except for Chihiro, he doesn't love any of them. But he'll allowing a chance that he'll do so in the future. And that is what gives the girls hope. And hope is the most powerful weapon now.
Well, yes, it is a chance. However, whether or not they like the real him is irrelevant to Keima. He will keep them in love with him for their survival. It's just more convenient for him that they love his true self. And he'll try to do so. Although not at the same time. For example, Chihiro and Tenri already loves the real him. While Tsukiyo and Yui, not so much. In fact, Yui fell in love with Keima as a girl and again fell in love with a cross dressing Keima, which it's safe to say is not the real Keima.
It's just that if he failed to make them love his true self, he'll just continue acting.
As for the rules, don't worry. I'll always remind the readers about it when parts become relevant. Yui is specially useful as she would be the one who would try to exploit the rules for her benefit the most, and thus, she would memorize it as she did in the next chapter.
Chapter 3
Yes, Tenri is one of my favorite characters. The one thing that I regret about the Jupiter Arc not happening is missing out on her character development. But still, this fic is about giving all the girls hope, even a slight one, about winning Keima in the future. And Keima is sincere in making them hope. It's not a vain hope. He does genuinely wants to give them all a chance.
As for Chihiro, yeah, he needed a ton of preparation just to win that confrontation with Chihiro. Unlike before, he could not just read her and assume things about her. He could and was mistaken before, with huge consequences. But right now, he already knew that she loved him, and she loved him for no reason, etc., so that helped a lot.
Oh yes, he's biased at the moment. He really did not need her to keep her memories. Logically, the best option was to cut her off, but he has feelings for her.
As for Ayumi, she's the same self-sacrificing character with regards to Chihiro's feelings. That's the most significant obstacle. Note that in canon, Ayumi only fully commits to Keima when she's certain Chihiro does not want Keima, when she seemingly told bad things about Keima to Ayumi during her reconquest. But Keima knows that, so in chapter 4...
Yeah. Yui is adjusting to the new rules. And she's the one that's exploiting the loopholes the most!
As for Miyako's gap, we'll see.
Chapter 4
Well, it wasn't played for laughs because getting beat up and really hurt was part of Keima's plans. Well, kind of. He was planning on acting really hurt to make Ayumi vent, but you can tell how hurt Ayumi was by what happened in the Goddesses arc by how she lost herself, so he never had to act to get the desired outcome.
Agreed. Keima played Ayumi like a fiddle. She used her friendship on Miyako to checkmate Ayumi on whatever arguments she would want to make by making Ayumi make those arguments herself! And yeah, even when Ayumi realized, it was too late. She can't say anything without looking like a hypocrite.
Yep. Tenri is just adorable. She's so loyal and obedient to Keima!
And yeah, but notice that the acting he made with them was clearly exaggerated. And it's not only Kosaka, but Tenri too! And by this time, I think Ayumi's used to his usual personality, not just his fake one, even if she fell in love with that fake personality in the first place.
As for her problem, maybe, maybe not. You'll see!
To xellos540, thank you very much.
Yep. Keima knows that Ayumi probably gave way to Chihiro. Thus, he cannot allow Ayumi to take control of the conversation. And he does this magnificently. First by getting himself kicked in the opening salvo, then by the way he turns the conversation to Miyako. And yes, Keima is not only God, but also the Devil at the same time, and that is most clearly seen in how he manipulates Ayumi into going after him. He knows that directly confronting Ayumi would be hard, so he did what he did, by making Ayumi make the arguments he would make and so, cut off whatever reasons she had.
Yep. Keima's a very good actor, even in pain, so it's natural for Elsie to react that way. As for her feelings for the entire situation, that would be revealed in future chapters.
Yes, what is The World God Only Knows without kisses? It's practically required.
Yeah. By the nature of Tenri's schedule, she would almost always get much screen time. And it's fun using the combination of Diana and Tenri to make Tenri do things that Tenri would never do on her own.
As for being polite, he's just acting. But yeah, it might lead to bad things for Keima. Like the parents misinterpreting his becoming polite for some other reason.
As for Keima fooling Mari, it's not that hard. He was able to fool Mari into thinking her husband is near death in South America, after all.
Keima just instructed Elsie to make up a fib, but not to tell that Ayumi was the one responsible. As to whether she actually believed that about ten bullies or she wants to believe it to be true... Maybe.
It's not the girls who initially asked. It's Keima who offered to show his acting side. So they got curious, as they mostly got exposed to his "normal" self. And note that Keima really exaggerated his acting. So when he's subtly acting...
Yep, the gap in Miyako will be revealed in time.
Yeah, Kanon and Shiori is in this chapter, though Aoba Fuse was the main star, I think.
It was fun writing her in the playground. I actually got inspired when Ayumi and Keima were at the swings during the reconquest arc in the search for the Goddesses.
And once more, thank you for your review!