The World The Girls Also Knows: The Girls God Can Only Save
This is an AU. It is identical to canon until the end of the Goddesses arc. The Heart of Jupiter arc did not happen as I could not make it work with what I intend to do. Though I will take things from that arc if it suits me, and some characters in that arc will appear here too. For example, some future conquests of Keima would include some of the girls in that arc, just to minimize OCs.
This is a fic where I will attempt to make a harem ending for Keima while Keima still had to perform his duties as a member of the Capturing Squad. You have been warned. Though not all the conquered girls will end up with Keima. They are too many to fit. Though I will state it right now. I plan on adding more girls to the seven mentioned here. About twelve or thirteen girls in total. And all of them either goddess hosts or conquered girls. As to who those girls were, they're not going to be OCs, but all part of the manga or light novel canon.
This was inspired by Wraithie Winsre's fic Blue Rose Paradox and A Moonflower's Wish. So expect certain plot points to be very similar while being different too.
I'm going to use English dub terms, except for certain things like "Otamegane".
SUMMARY: 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.
Flag VI
Interloper
Part 44 – Mind of a Gamer
Aoba Fuse, unlike her master, listened attentively in class, her PFP in her bag. Or at least, gave that impression. For the teachers, many were wishing that she was the top student of the school, as she did not antagonize them like the Otamegane. For the class, her demeanor and looks gave her a mysterious aura, and thus, a certain level of popularity. Even her recent gaming habits were not enough to put a dent on it, as girls admired her cool nature and unflappability, and boys wanted her and wished to be the one to 'melt' the princess.
So to see her following the Otamegane was a shock. Rumors swirled, girls demanded she explain herself, boys were angry about how the so-called most unpopular boy had many of the most popular and eligible girls in school hanging about him. Elsie, they could excuse, as she was his sister. Ayumi, Yui, and Chihiro could be explained away as being his sister's bandmates, and thus his involvement with them could also be waived as the girls' being kind to Elsie.
But Kanon? The famous idol who barely comes to school? How did she get involved with the Otamegane? How did she come to know the anti-social game nut? And they could not easily explain her presence away like Ayumi, Yui, and Chihiro, because Kanon confessed in public. There was no getting around it. The conclusion that the students finally made was that Kanon was weird, as not only was she an idol, but that only a weirdo could possibly like Katsuragi.
But now, Aoba too? And her quiet library classmate too? What was the world coming to? How could they like Katsuragi?
Aoba Fuse ignored all rumors. She squashed all attempts to link her with her master, only stating that she was his disciple in games. That mollified the wider student body. Yes, the ice princess and the Otamegane were having a shared interest in games. That made sense. Still, it irked the boys that she was spending time with the Otamegane, while coldly rejecting the "popular" boys around her.
She gave the appearance of listening and being attentive to the teacher. She was still paying attention, and if called upon, could answer any question asked of her. But her mind was really on the events concerning Keima Katsuragi.
Keima Katsuragi—the God of Conquests. She was still surprised that the First Genius, the Otamegane, was the person behind Fallen God. Though she should not have been surprised. The only reason why she did not make the connection was she ignored all rumors about him except those which she could verify as facts. The only thing she verified before was the fact that he was the premier genius of the school. Rumors of him always playing games she dismissed as mere rumors. She did not interact with him at all so she could not and would not verify it. To her, he was a mob character.
So now that she obtained her position as a disciple, she began to think. What was her impression of the Otamegane? Scratch that, she should not think of him as the Otamegane—that would be disrespectful. To her, he was God. The God of Conquests. And he should be addressed as such.
The God of Conquests was a surprise. He thinks and speaks like she does. They both understood each other. Thus, they could hold meaningful conversations with each other. He was extremely intelligent. His eyes radiated brilliance. And he was a talented actor as she observed in his interactions with Shiori. He could at will change the tone of his voice to suit his purposes.
He was rude. But so was she. He was cold, but she was the ice princess. He was a huge nerd. But what was she but a nerd?
Thus, she found herself lost in admiration of the boy. She blushed as she thought of him, though her self-control was such that it was almost unnoticeable. If she were not in love with her first master, she would enter her second master's route. In such a case, just like how he used his gaming knowledge in his interactions with Shiori in the library, she would try to use her mastery of Otome games to conquer him. She was not sure if it would work, but she was willing to try. Apparently, it worked on Shiori too.
But her heart belongs to someone else, and she would not even try to conquer the Divine One. That would be disrespectful of her missing first master. She also hoped that he would not enter her route. She was not sure if she could resist raising her affection points for him in such a case. Hopefully, the flags would not be raised. And if it did, both would ignore them.
…
Part 45 – Two Heroines
Keima Katsuragi was contemplating his situation as he sat in class. Outwardly, he was playing as usual, but his mind was not on the heroine he was saving. His mind was on two real-world heroines—Aoba and Tsukiyo.
He admired Aoba. She was like him, a girl in the ideal. And thankfully, unlike the other conquered girls who approached him, she was not in love with him. Well, kinda. When she asked him about her absent master, it was clear that she was in love with that missing person. Just like the memories of Mio and Kusunoki, apparently, only his identity had been erased, but the events and the feelings remained the same. And in this case, Hell did not bother to give a replacement for his character.
New Hell's memory manipulations were shitty.
Still, as long as her affection was directed on that absent person, he would be safe. And he would make sure that that affection would remain.
He was safe from complications of her feelings. Thus, he felt free to indulge her request of being a disciple. He remembered her conquest, and he had to admit it was one of the most enjoyable conquests of real girls that he had done. To conquer a real girl by playing games—that was the best of both worlds, an ideal job. And to make Aoba Fuse even better at games—that was something he was looking forward to.
Now there was someone who will listen to his lectures with rapt attention. Someone who will gush at his gaming achievements. Someone who can question him about games, and make him think. Someone who will indulge and even partake of his creepy shopping at the game store.
Spending time with her would be a welcome relief from the drudgery of maintaining the affection of the Goddess hosts. The time he spent with them was a chore. Hopefully, being a master of Aoba would make it up and open up a whole new world of the ideal.
Sometimes, the real would throw a bone to the ideal. Such was the situation of the moment.
As for Tsukiyo, he had already planned and prepared many different scenarios. Like Shiori, she would be "easy" as there were no doubts in her mind about what she wanted. Still, there was the problem of Vulcan. He had no plans on getting on the good side of that Goddess. That would be impossible as she saw him as a no-good villain.
He looked at the clock as the teacher droned on about things that Keima already knew and did not care about.
Part 46 – Goddesses Displeased
…
"Surely, you do not believe her words. Just look at her eyes and how she acts," said Mars as she appeared on the mirror before Yui in the restroom.
"She said that she loves someone else," said Yui.
"And you believe that? I have made many observations, and conversations with my sisters and I cannot believe that a girl would approach your beloved without being in love with him," said the Goddess. "Just listen to me, if you want to win your battle for love."
"What?" asked Yui. "I don't need any help to win Keima darlings' love!"
"If you don't, you might lose. And you might even lose to someone who is not even an official rival!"
"Official?"
"You and the others are in the schedule! They are the official candidates for your darling's heart. You cannot do much about them. You bound yourself to act with honor when you agreed to be part of his schedule. But that new girl may steal him away from you right from under your nose. She is not bound by the rules or respect for the other candidates. She can do whatever she wants to win him over."
"Nonsense. Keima said he would not choose her if they were not part of his schedule," she asserted.
"That might be true now. But it could change," said Mars. "I'm just warning you. You need to prepare for battle. And the greatest enemy is not your official rivals, but her."
"So what do you want me to do?" asked the crossdresser.
"Just listen to what I'm going to say. Wars are not only won by bravery, and brute force, but also by stratagem, deceit, and treachery. That is the sad part of warfare, one that I detest, but one that I also acknowledge to be the truth. You need to be honorable to your official rivals. But there is no need to be so to those who are not part of the schedule. For those who go to war without declaring war first are the worst kind, and they need to be crushed without pity or mercy."
"Whoa! No need for crushing someone," said Yui. "For all we know, she doesn't really love Keima."
"Okay. Then we will proceed cautiously. Find out her true intentions. If she's really after him, we'll crush her beneath the boot of the Goddess of War! Now, listen closely. Here's the plan."
…
"Please, reconsider! This is for your own good!" the Goddess Vulcan, using Luna, pleaded with the blonde, blue-eyed girl.
"This is my time," Tsukiyo insisted. "Please, no matter what, do not come out. Or control Luna, or make her talk. Or do anything!"
"I need to protect you from that villain, that skirt-chasing playboy! I'm not saying that you should not meet him. What I'm saying is that I should be with you!"
"I can protect myself," she asserted. "And he is not a villain. I…"
"I saw him walking with a blue-haired girl. I do not know her, but I know that she is not part of the schedule. That means he is cheating!"
"Really? That's troubling. But let's not jump to conclusions. It's not beautiful. Let's see what he has to say first," said the blonde, a little jealousy showing in her blue eyes.
"Regardless. I will protect you from that sleazy man! Even ignoring that blue girl, don't you realize what he has done? He has created a harem of seven girls! Do you really want to be part of this?"
"I know what I'm doing," replied the human girl. "Please. If you interfere, that is not beautiful. If you even make one move during the meeting, I will not consider you my friend, and I will hate you forever."
"Tsukiyo—"
"Do not mess my chance. This is either it or nothing," she said, her voice steady. "I am not like the other girls."
"Listen to me. Tsukiyo, I know you agreed to share him with the other six. That's fine. I do not like it, but you have no choice. But we did not agree with him dating other girls! When he made the contract, he also agreed not to look at any other girls! If he does so, he is cheating and is playing with your hearts. Please, do not let him get away with it!" Vulcan pleaded.
"I'll take care of it," the blonde said.
Both were in the Astronomy club room. Tsukiyo had skipped classes for "club activities" to prepare for her hour with Keima, which was during lunch. Preparing was easier than trying to reason with her Goddess. Sometimes, Vulcan was more trouble than she's worth.
Part 47 – Surprise Interrogation
There was a knock on the door.
"Enter," she said in her most imperious voice.
And Keima Katsuragi entered, his hands clutching his PFP, and his eyes glued to his game. "Tsukiyo," he greeted in a voice barely above a whisper.
The sight of him made her blush.
She steeled herself and quashed her feelings.
"I am disappointed in you, Keima. It has not yet been one week, and yet you're already unfaithful," she scolded.
That caught him by surprise. He did not expect this. He finally raised his head and looked at her. Despite wearing glasses, his eyes made her even more nervous.
"I beg your pardon?" he replied.
"You know what I'm talking about," she said, hands crossed, her blue eyes icily looking at him, although he was not even fazed.
"What do you mean? I'm not going out with you," he asked, perplexed, "or with anyone at the moment. I am single until after five years. So how can I cheat?"
"Luna saw you with another girl this morning. With short blue hair," said Tsukiyo.
That stunned him. Already? And her?
"What? Aoba Fuse? She's my disciple. In games," he said. "Nothing's going on between us."
"I hope so. I know we aren't together, and therefore, technically, you can't cheat. But let me warn you. Go out with a girl who's not part of the schedule, or who has no Weiss, and I will consider that cheating."
"I don't even love her or like her," he rebutted.
"You don't love any of us right now," she shot back.
"I assure you, I won't even consider her," he said. "And she does not even like me!"
"How can you say that? You say her name is Aoba Fuse? Then she's one of your conquered girls," Tsukiyo spat. "That meant she's in love with you."
Keima regretted giving away the names of the other conquered girls.
"Yes, but her memories have not returned, and she has no Goddess," he answered.
"The same could be said for Chihiro," she shot back.
"Look, Fuse loves someone else, not the Otamegane," he said. He was not lying. From Aoba's perspective, she was not in love with Keima, but her unknown first master. "She's a denizen of the ideal just like myself. So she needs guidance to become a master."
"Do you expect me to believe that?"
"Look, I said that the girls in the schedule have a chance to be picked. And she's not in the schedule. I promise you I won't do anything romantic with her, okay?"
Her eyes finally lost that glare. "I believe you. Just be faithful. Remember your heroines," she said.
"I'll remember that," he said. He couldn't believe it. Why would Tsukiyo even think that? He's not a playboy. He hates 3D girls and won't approach them on his own volition. He thought Tsukiyo knew that of his character. He clearly explained himself during the meeting of the café.
"Anyway, I have prepared a bento for you. I know your habits. It's not beautiful to starve yourself outside of games."
"Thank you," he said in an even tone as he approached her and took the offered bento. They then sat around the table.
They ate silently, in a dignified manner befitting Tsukiyo's status as a lady.
"My lady," he said after finishing the offered bento, "may I serve you tea?"
That caught her off guard. "Yes. What a beautiful request," she said.
He stood up and bowed. He went to where the tea set was stored and made tea while Tsukiyo finished her lunch. He returned carrying the white porcelain tea set.
And like a perfect gentleman, served the blonde lady tea.
She took a sip. It was as beautiful as she remembered it.
"And would you like some sandwiches to go along with that, my lady?"
"That would be a good dessert," she said politely.
He again bowed and returned with a plate of sandwiches. It was like her first conquest when he helped the moon lover in her shrunken form.
"This was exquisite," she commented as she took a tiny bite. "Have some."
"Thank you, my lady," he again bowed and ate a sandwich.
…
Part 48 – Dramatic Histrionics
"So—" she began after the dessert.
"Lady Tsukiyo, I wish to apologize," he said.
"It's fine. You didn't mean to cheat on us," she said. "It's just a misunderstanding."
"Thanks. But I'm referring to another thing," he clarified.
"Oh?"
"For breaking my promises to you, my lady," he said. "Vulcan is right. I am a villain. I am scum. And I hurt you."
That surprised her. Of all the things that she expected him to say, such an admission was the last thing she expected.
Keima Katsuragi was such a proud man. To degrade himself like this was unthinkable for him. Well, he did apologize before the conquered girls as a group during that meeting at the café, but this was personal. Perhaps Tsukiyo didn't know him as much as she thought.
"You don't mean that," she began.
"I told you that we would find beautiful things together in the world, just the two of us. I did not keep that promise. And I deceived you by making it seem as if you shrunk even more," the gamer said.
"Keima," she began, "it was for the best. I cannot remain shrunk, no matter how much I might have preferred it. And you saved my life. I cannot forget that."
"Still, I wished to look for beautiful things together with you," said the gamer, "but sadly, it cannot be. For you can only do so with someone perfect, someone beautiful. Someone like Luna. Someone like me is filthy, like what Vulcan said. I am not beautiful. How can you stand to be with me?"
"If that's the case, if that's how you felt, why did you include me in your schedule?" asked the blonde girl.
"Because I thought it was the best choice at the time. You said yes, but that was only because you were swayed by the crowd. It's been nearly a week since then. You have thought this through. And come to the most logical decision. That my idea is ludicrous. It's mad. It's just the insane ramblings of a pervert. Making you wait five years? How could I be so selfish?"
"Keima—"
"Let me finish. I came here, to gaze upon Tsukiyo Kujou, for the last time. I will treasure the memories of this last meeting."
"Last meeting?"
"Yes. Will you allow me to spend the rest of the hour with you?"
Tears began falling from her eyes as her heart ached. "Keima, that was beautiful."
There was a bit of silence between them.
"Is that it then?" she said.
"Yeah," he said, looking directly at her eyes.
A hard slap from the blonde's open left palm was the reply, and his cheek reddened as he staggered backward from the force. Her eyes were steely, even as her face was stained with tears.
"You stupid, inconsiderate, insensitive boy! Listen to me before making baseless assumptions."
"Baseless?" he said as he stood up, his face without any hint that he was affected.
"You're wrong," she said. "You might not be the most beautiful thing in the world, but you can create the most beautiful things. Orchestrate the most beautiful events. Say the most beautiful words. Such a man cannot be anything but beautiful."
She looked at her tea.
"And for such a smart boy, you can be so dumb. Do you think that I was just swayed by the crowd in that café? No, I wasn't. Do you remember when you asked me to love you just a little longer?"
He nodded.
"I am. And for how long? For five long years if need be. The fact that you and I are here, together, is fate. So please, you asked me to love you a little longer. Then let me love you a little longer. A lot longer. Five years or more. I'll wait."
"Then are you—"
"Yes, I'll wait. I only need three hours each week. I'm not greedy. I know I can make you love me. It's destiny that you will pick me. It's inevitable."
"Is this what you really want?" he asked, leaning and looking at her in the eye.
"Yes. I love you, Keima. Just like you asked me too. You don't love me right now, but I can wait. We don't have any choice but to do it," she said, her face becoming red.
His face was confused, before her hands wrapped around his neck, and her lips pressed upon his. The wings on her back suddenly appeared and became even more magnificent.
When they pulled back, he realized that she had used his very words, spoken during Tsukiyo's reconquest, against him.
"I've done what you've asked. Properly this time. Now you would be able to protect me like you said. With this kiss, you and I will overcome any obstacle," the moon gazer said, her face as red a tomato, looking away. She was referring to the time Keima asked Tsukiyo to kiss him, but she only kissed him on the cheek. "Just don't die. I know you're willing to, but don't die, please."
"If that is what you want, then please, wait for me for five years. Be part of the schedule."
"Yes, I will. We don't have any choice but to proceed," she answered. "It's inevitable."
"If you make me fall in love with you, Tsukiyo, I promise, we will go home and search for beautiful things together," he said, before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her.
…
The slap was… not expected. Everything else was. Initially, Keima Katsuragi did not plan such an emotional event with her. He only wanted to spend some quality time with her, as her decision to stick by him was clear. But seeing the emotional roller-coasters that Chihiro and Ayumi had been through when they were conquered for the third time, and how it raised their affection points even more, he decided that all the girls needed to go through with it to cement their place in the schedule. In games, adversity overcome would strengthen the relationship. It should be the same in reality. Even if he had to create the adversity by dredging up old issues.
Which had the beneficial effect of airing and resolving all the issues between him and the girls. It cleansed their relationships of all past baggage and made it easier for him to proceed with the next part of the plan.
He needed to solve another thing, however. That was the issue of Aoba Fuse. He did not expect that the mere fact of taking her as a disciple would create problems. But it did. If he was not careful, the school might think that he was on Aoba's route. But that was furthest from the truth. He had no romantic interest in her. At that moment, he loved no girl but Chihiro.
So he needed to clarify it with the seven girls on his schedule. He sent a message to the girl gamer as soon as the hour with Tsukiyo was over.
…
Part 49 – Conspiracy Theories
Meanwhile…
"I wonder if Tsukiyo and Keima already kissed," wondered Yui as she and the rest of the 2B band members, minus Miyako and Elsie, were having lunch in their band room. Elsie had insisted on Miyako helping her with her lessons, so the two remained in the 2B classroom during lunch.
"What are you talking about?" Chihiro nearly shouted at the drummer.
"Yeah. We shouldn't pry," Ayumi agreed.
"Aren't you two even curious?" she asked. "He didn't kiss you two during your schedules, did he?"
Ayumi and Chihiro got very red in the face.
"So he did kiss both of you!" she teased. "I can't wait for my time."
"Shut up!" Ayumi shouted.
"That's none of your business!" Chihiro added. "Let's not talk about that."
"Okay, okay," the drummer backed off. "Hey, did you know that Keima has a girl friend? One that's not part of us?"
"Girlfriend?" Ayumi asked.
"Not girlfriend," Yui clarified. "A girl friend, as in, a friend who happens to be a girl. And get this. She's not just a friend. She's his disciple."
"What? Who wants to be that dweeb's disciple?" asked Chihiro.
"Aoba Fuse."
"Fuse?" both said at the same time. Then it hit them. Fuse was the school's second genius, after Katsuragi. Lately, she became addicted to dating sims.
"That makes sense," said Ayumi, "the two biggest gaming nerds in school joining forces."
"So how did you know about it?" asked Chihiro. "Or is it just another rumor?"
"I saw them walking to school together, just this morning," said Yui.
"What?" Ayumi explained, nearly spilling the food in her mouth. "What happened?"
"Oh, that Fuse girl was walking beside him, looking with that kind of eyes at him," she said. "And when I asked for homework help, she offered to help him check my homework."
Both Ayumi and Chihiro looked at each other. Was that jealousy that they were feeling?
"But don't worry. Keima darling does not like or love her."
"Small comfort for us," the normal girl replied. "That dweeb does not love any one of us at the moment."
"I asked the girl, and she already loved someone else," Yui assured, though in an amused tone.
The expression of their faces changed dramatically, and Yui could practically hear their sighs of relief.
"That's good to hear. So she's not after Keima," said Ayumi.
Chihiro looked at her best friend. "Keima? Since when do you call him by his first name?"
Suddenly, Ayumi blushed. She really did not notice herself changing her moniker for the game nerd.
"Um, well, so what? I can call him whatever I want to. And he's gonna pick me in the end anyway, so he better get used to it!" she asserted.
"Right," said Chihiro. She was not about to change how she called him just on a chance. "Anyway, back to this Fuse character, I'm glad she's not after him. We don't need more competition. It's not as if she was conquered before, right?"
"I'll check," said Ayumi as she took her phone and scanned her pictures. She had photographed the blackboard in the café during the meeting. Her eyes widened. "Did you say that her name was Aoba Fuse?"
"Yeah," said Yui.
"She's a conquered heroine," she said, showing the picture to the two others.
"So she's after darling Keima!" Yui exclaimed. "She lied when she told me she loves someone else!"
"Does that mean that her memories got returned?" Chihiro inquired, envious about it.
"Most likely. I mean, why else would she come after him?" the crossdresser replied. "We must unite, my sisters! Drive this interloper out! We can't just rest on our laurels!"
The other two looked at her as if she had grown horns.
"That's what Mars said, and I agree with her. We seven are special girls, and we can't let someone else share Keima darling while we wait," Yui asserted.
"Wait, wait, just stop," said Ayumi. "We aren't sure that her memories were returned. I mean, how? Why?"
"Does it matter why and how? It only matters that it is," said Yui.
"It matters because maybe her memories were not returned, and she really loves someone else, and she really wanted to be his disciple," replied the runner.
"Fine, fine, maybe she's not really after him," Yui conceded. "But promise me this. We must not let any other girl get close to or go after Keima other than the seven. Because if that happens, that girl will not play fair or by the rules Keima gave us. That would be a big strategic disadvantage for us."
"Let me guess. Mars told you that?""
"Yes. But it does make sense," the crossdresser said. "I am willing to share him with the seven until the five years are up, when he'll pick me. But no other."
"I guess that makes sense," said Ayumi. "He did promise us. So yeah. I won't give up my chance to an outsider. How about you, Chihiro?"
"Yeah. I can accept losing to you and the others. But an interloper? I will not take it lying down. Keima is cheating if he does this!"
"Cheating?" asked Ayumi. "He's not even dating anyone of us, so how can he cheat?"
"I don't care. If he gets dates a girl that's not part of the schedule, I will consider that cheating. And I'm going to pound that unfaithful boy to the dust!" Chihiro declared. "He can't just say he can't be with us because of his duties and tell us to wait, and date other girls that have no Weiss!"
"Wait! Could it be that Fuse has a Weiss? Maybe another gap opened in her heart?" wondered Ayumi.
Chihiro's face softened. "Come to think of it, that's possible. I mean, there's nothing that says that a girl can only be possessed once. Yui, do you think that Fuse has a Weiss?"
"I don't know. Is it even possible? Maybe we should ask Elsie," the crossdresser suggested.
"Yeah. Let's not talk about this until we're sure," said Ayumi. "Maybe we can ask Keima?"
"Keima will just tell us that she's his disciple," Yui insisted.
…
Part 50 – Elsie at Work
Meanwhile…
In the 2B classroom, Miyako and Elsie were eating lunch. After lunch, Elsie began to receive some supplemental lessons from Miyako. Because Elsie got a barely passing set of grades for the midterm examination, she begged the pianist to teach her more, since the devil was impressed with how Miyako taught her during their joint review for the midterms in Miyako's home.
She passed. Barely. Except for English, but that was only because she skipped the exam like her brother but without finishing it. So she was afraid that might fail in the future. So she told Miyako that she needed help early.
"Why don't you ask for your brother's help?" she asked as she pulled out her books.
"Well, last time he taught me, I still failed. I got 45 in English," she said. "Divine Brother's smart. Like really smart. But I don't know, he just isn't right for me."
"He pulled you up from 18," Miyako countered.
"But you pulled me past 50 on most subjects," Elsie said. "Pleeease! I need this! I failed English again!"
Miyako wanted to scold her. She ran off after her brother when Kanon confessed instead of finishing the exam. So, of course, she failed. She smiled. "Okay, okay, I already agreed to it, remember?"
Elsie gave a wide grin in turn. She was happy her mission for her brother was going so well. She wanted to be useful. With Haqua around, she might get overshadowed.
At first, Elsie was overjoyed that Haqua, her best friend, was with her. Yet she got a little peeved that her Divine Brother was not with her all the time. It was like the Goddess search all over again. Yet even during the search, the blow was lessened because the devil enjoyed being Kanon even if it was hard work. Elsie felt part of the team despite being separated from Keima. Now, she had nothing to take her mind off the fact that she's spending less time with him. Still, that did not diminish her admiration of her genius classmate one bit.
She had mixed feelings about the schedule and Keima's new "duties". On the one hand, she was in agreement with Keima that he had to save all his heroines. That was non-negotiable on Elsie's part. If Keima doing the schedule was what it takes to save them, then he should do it.
On the other hand, it did not make the fact that he would be spending more time with the girls, thus less time with Elsie, any easier to bear. She felt like a martyr, sacrificing herself for the greater good. And she absolutely hated the fact that it would mean a week's delay in the hunting of Weiss. So she was delighted when she was assigned to stick to Miyako as part of Keima's plan to conquer her even before the week was over. That meant that the loose soul hunting would not be delayed after all.
"So how are you, Miyako?" she asked in the middle of the lessons.
"Huh?"
"Do you feel down? Any trouble?" asked Elsie.
"Not really. Nothing in particular," she said.
"Are you sure? If you need any help, I'm here. Just talk to me," Elsie insisted. "You don't need to hide any of it."
"Look, I'm fine!" said Miyako, a little bit annoyed. "Let's go back to your lessons. I don't want to go to your brother and tell him you failed because of me!"
"He'll understand. He can be mean sometimes, but he always understands," said Elsie.
"Your brother sure is something," Miyako agreed. "He plays all day in class, yet he can finish and perfect an exam meant for two hours in just forty minutes! And no offense, but he acts rude and cold all the time, yet he gets Kanon to confess to him and made Ayumi, Chihiro, and Yui his close friends."
Suddenly, Elsie got an idea. She'll talk up Keima so much that Miyako would have no option but to fall in love with Divine Brother!
"Yeah, Divine Brother's amazing!"
"Em, by the way, I'm curious. Why do you call him divine?"
"Because he's God," Elsie said like it was the most normal thing in the world. "He can do anything he sets his mind to. Anything. Nothing's impossible for him."
Miyako looked at her funnily. This was beyond the reasonable hero-worship that a sister has for her brother. It was an extreme form of hero-worship. And to Keima of all people? He really was a lucky guy.
"Yes, your brother's amazing," the long-haired girl agreed. "I don't know much about him, but despite the negative opinion of most of the class, I don't think he's that bad. I mean, even Ayumi and Chihiro warmed up to him, you know."
"You never called him that name, didn't you?"
Miyako knew she was referring to Katsuragi's infamous nickname, the Otamegane. "No. That's disrespectful."
"Hey, Miyako, you don't have a boyfriend or a crush, do you?" asked the energetic Elsie out of the blue.
"Um, no."
"Well, why don't you and Divine Brother become girlfriend and boyfriend?" said Elsie. "I think you and he would make a cute couple."
The pianist's jaw dropped, and her pen fell to the floor. It was a good thing that it was in the middle of the lunch break, as there was no one else around.
"That's a funny joke," she finally blurted out.
"I'm not joking. I think you'd be cute together!" Elsie said.
"Are you hooking me up with your brother?" she finally asked after an awkward moment of silence.
"Yup."
"I don't even like him."
"It doesn't matter. Exalted brother can do anything. He can easily make you fall in love with him."
"That's not how love works, Elsie," Miyako replied. Elsie's really naïve. Keima Katsuragi making another girl fall in love with him? Not even Katsuragi is that deluded. Well, there's Kanon, but…
"Why not go on a date with him?" Elsie insisted.
"Um, no. Please, I don't think he even likes me. And isn't he dating Kanon?"
"Oh, that? Kanon's crazy."
Miyako was forced to agree with Elsie. Who confesses in the middle of an examination in front of the entire class, when she wasn't even sure he'd reciprocate? And there were no other sightings of Katsuragi and Kanon after that. So most probably, it was just a misunderstanding on the idol's part. And since Kanon was Elsie's idol, Elsie would not say that about Kanon if that were not true. Why would Elsie lie?
"I saw him with Chihiro."
"Chihiro and the Divine One are just friends. Chihiro wanted to go to the park, and he was the one available."
"She was clutching his arm!"
"Oh, she's just afraid he might run off to the next game store," she said. "You know how he is."
Miyako was out of words. Thankfully, a classmate entered, and their conversation was terminated.
"Hey, could I come to your house instead? You could teach me there instead of here," said Elsie.
"Um, I don't know," she replied, not wanting another "conversation" about her brother. But she did not hold it against her. Elsie was probably worried that his brother won't get married.
"Don't worry. I won't talk about the Divine One," Elsie assured.
"Fine. I'll teach you," Miyako relented. "But only if I don't have cram school."
"Thank you. You're the best, Miyako!" Elsie said. She beamed. She had done something useful, and it wasn't even part of Divine Brother's plan!
…
Part 51 – The Disciple's First Mission
"Divine One, may I accompany you home?" asked Aoba Fuse, waiting outside the 2B classroom, when the class ended.
He looked at his disciple, and said, "I would have liked to, but unfortunately, I've got plans. But, since you're here, it saves me a lot of trouble. Walk with me to the gate."
Agreeing to make Aoba his disciple was bringing unexpected complications. That being the unreasonable jealousy of the members of his "harem". Harem—that term left a distaste on his mouth. Couldn't a better term be found? It made him look like those stupid clueless protagonists found in countless anime!
Back to the jealousy part. He needed to nip the issue in the bud. If there's one thing that the third conquest of Tsukiyo did, it was that it made him aware of the potential disaster making Aoba his disciple could bring to his plans. The good thing was that all he needed to do was to be honest. No need for complex lies where the simple truth would do.
But telling the truth to the seven girls would be easy. It's how to tell the truth to Aoba without telling her much that's the challenge.
Looking at it, he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. To be accused of cheating when he was not going out with any of them was ludicrous! To cheat meant that he had to be actually going out with someone. He wasn't.
But he needed to be more careful. He had no intention to "cheat" anyway. Unless loving 2D girls more than the seven would constitute cheating. He did not want to do all of this anyway. He would be happiest if he could just hole up in his room and play games for the rest of his life, real girls be damned!
And he had a plan to defuse the situation.
"Aoba," he began as she followed behind him. "You do know the process of love, right?"
"Yes," she replied as she played her PFP. "First comes the after school event, then the exchange of information, then the first date, the repeat of steps one and three, until sufficient love points are generated for a successful confession."
"You do realize that what you suggested was walking home with the heroine, or in this case, hero. That's an afterschool event. Are you trying to conquer me?" asked Keima.
"If conquest meant trying to be the best disciple that I could be," she replied. "But pardon me for giving you such an impression. However it may look, I still consider it the responsibility of a disciple such as myself to serve God in such a manner. Learning from you is all that I need in exchange."
"If it weren't for the fact that you still love that first master of yours, I might think you're really conquering me," he said.
"How did you figure that out? I didn't say anything," the disciple answered.
"Just looking at your eyes and your face, when you asked if I knew that gamer who introduced you to games, told me everything. That he was your first master was obvious. That you love him was also evident," he says. "Am I wrong?"
"No."
He stopped and looked at her. "I am glad. Please, don't forget him. Your first love is very precious, and it would be a betrayal of his memory if you don't remember. I know that you will find him. A girl with the will and intelligence as you have, Aoba, will find a way."
She looked at him. She could detect nothing but sincerity in those brown eyes behind the spectacles. Her eyes moistened, although no tears fell. "That is very kind of you. I will never forget him. He is a great man. No offense, but he is greater than you. Just like I found you, I will find him. And I will conquer him," she declared in a very soft voice. "Just like he conquered me."
Keima Katsuragi was something else. Who else but the God of Conquests could so easily read her like she was a game heroine? She needed to step up her game. She needed to be able to read him like a game hero if she was to become a new game master. She felt a tightening of her chest. She began to feel something else as she thought of the Divine One, but she quashed it. No, what she felt for this boy was admiration. It would be disloyal to the memory of her first master to think of anything else.
Keima nodded. He had no intention of revealing himself to her. And as long as she had that love, she would not even consider looking at him romantically.
"Now I have a test for you," he said.
"A test?"
"Yes. Are you familiar with the harem genre?" asked the male gamer.
"Yes. A distasteful genre, but I have conquered many games in the genre."
"Good. Don't be shocked, but in the real world, against my will, I became a harem protagonist."
"Yes. I know. Kanon is one of the haremettes, am I right? And Shiomiya too. And if I'm not mistaken, so is Goido."
"That is correct. How they fell in love with a nerd such as myself would be one of life's mysteries, but such is my fate. Now, can you guess what my problem is right now?"
"That I would be considered a love rival," replied Aoba. "Yes, Goido already considers me one."
"It's time to apply your game knowledge in the real world. I want you to go and persuade all those girls that you are not in the competition," said Keima. "And make it stick. Since you would be my disciple, you would be seen with me lots of times. If it is possible, try to be friends with them as well."
"I will do so," she said. "Who are they?"
Keima got a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Aoba. "I trust that you could get enough information by yourself that I do not need to tell you more?"
She scanned the list. Her eyes widened at some of the names. "I'll take care of it."
"Good," he said as they reached the gate.
Part 52 – Introducing the Disciple
It was Chihiro's time for one hour, then Ayumi for another hour. So he was thrown off when he saw both Chihiro and Ayumi waiting for him. Still, he had business to take care of. There's no harm in easing the burden of his disciple.
"Ayumi, Chihiro, this is Aoba Fuse. She's my disciple," he introduced. "She wants to be better in playing games, so she seeks the guidance of the God of Conquests. Aoba, this is Ayumi Takahara, and Chihiro Kosaka, my friends."
"Miss Takahara, Miss Kosaka, nice to meet you," the Mai Hime greeted, bowing as she did so.
At that moment, Keima's phone rang. "Excuse me," he said as went take the call.
Aoba looked at him in gratitude. She looked at the two girls. One, an athletic archetype. The other, an average ordinary girl who had musical pretensions archetype. Typical. By the way they looked at her master, and their blushes, they considered her master to be their hero-protagonist. She looked at their eyes when they looked at her. And she could see jealousy. The normal girl has some hostility, while the athletic one had none.
"Ah, let's not be too formal, Miss Fuse," answered Chihiro politely. "Just plain Kosaka will do."
"Same for me," said Ayumi.
Aoba smiled and got to the point. "And Fuse will do." She stole a glance at Keima, and both girls followed her glance. "Both of you like him, don't you?"
That threw both girls off guard.
"Us, like him?" Ayumi answered, her face becoming red, surprised at her boldness.
"And you don't have to worry about me. I am not interested in him romantically."
"What? Why should we worry about you?" Chihiro said, raising her voice. Her face was the same color as her uniform. "It's not like we—"
"You both love Keima Katsuragi, don't you?" she said. "You blushed when you looked at him, and your eyes lingered at him. Right now, you keep trying to steal glances at him while he's on the phone. And the way you reacted to what I told you also is telling. He is in your route."
And, most importantly, of course, both of your names are on that piece of paper.
"And you don't?" asked Ayumi, finally answering.
"No. I love someone else," the genius replied. "And the Divine One knows it."
"Divine One? Are you Elly's twin?" Ayumi exclaimed.
"He is the God of Conquests," the genius replied earnestly.
"Gosh, you just are like Katsuragi," Chihiro finally said, looking at the blue-haired girl in the eye.
"Sorry for being so forward. I am now his disciple," she said. "And I don't want to be misinterpreted. I know how my actions could be seen, so I don't want to be the cause of hardship for my master."
"So when did you two first meet?" asked Chihiro.
"Yesterday. I found out that he was the famous God of Conquests of the gaming world. After that, I knew that I need to have him as my teacher and master," she answered.
"And before that?" asked Ayumi, curious.
"I only knew him from rumors. How he was the infamous Otamegane. I didn't know that he's such a master of dating sims before. Only that he's a dweeb and a nerd. And I also knew him as the first genius of the school, as he always gets perfect scores in every written test. But that's it."
There was no lie that Chihiro and Ayumi could detect. Her memories were not returned. She was in the clear.
Both Ayumi and Chihiro were silent for a while before Ayumi extended her hand. "Well, Fuse, if you have the time, why don't you hang out with us?"
"I would love to," said Aoba as she shook Ayumi's hand. She then shook Chihiro's.
"I'm sorry I doubted you. It's just, you know, things happened, and you jump to conclusions," said Chihiro. "I was wrong." Looking at Aoba and how similar she was to Keima, it's utterly believable that she just wants to learn games from Keima. Aoba was just as much a nerd as the dweeb. And she sounded sincere when she declared that she loved someone else. She now felt guilty at having her labeled as an interloper. She clearly was not trying to be one. When Fuse looked at Keima, it was a look of a student towards an admired teacher, not a lover's gaze.
Ayumi agreed. Interacting with Fuse convinced her that nothing was going on between the two except what they declared themselves to be: master and student. Yui and Mars were too suspicious.
She approved. At least Keima would learn to socialize with his peers and have friends that were not in love with him.
And both Ayumi and Chihiro found themselves liking the genius girl. Despite her reputation for iciness and nerdiness, they found her an honest and brilliant girl that could hold her own against Keima Katsuragi. She was a bit rude, but her rudeness was very Keima-like, which for Ayumi and Chihiro, somehow made her likable.
Either that or she was really gifted in acting. And they didn't think that anyone could be as gifted in acting as Keima Katsuragi.
Part 53 – Double Interrogation
Finally, the said boy returned, and Aoba excused herself. "I need to go somewhere else," she said. "Nice meeting you two. Goodbye."
And she walked away.
…
"Ayumi? It isn't your time," he chided.
"We decided to combine our time so we can have a double date, sort of," the runner replied.
"Your rules say we can swap, right? And that we decide how to spend it. So I would like to spend it with you and Ayumi, and Ayumi would spend her time with you and me! That way, we get two hours instead of one!"
Both resourceful generals! Keima had to admit. It was an unanticipated use of the rules.
"Fine. Where do you want to go?"
"Dezeni Sea!" both said at the same time, and both girls each grabbed an arm of Keima, Ayumi on the right and Chihiro on the left, throwing him off guard.
"Hey, no touching!" he said helplessly as he was escorted to the amusement park by the two girls. He was weak with physical contact he did not initiate. Especially two girls holding both his arms.
This was not going according to plan. He can easily handle a girl one on one. But two on one? That was cheating! If there were a game company where a scenario like that happened, he would personally burn that game company to the ground!
It was so unfair! Damn the real!
…
The first ride was in the Big Circle, a Ferris wheel. Keima had a feeling that there was a reason for it. He sat on one side of the gondola, while Ayumi and Chihiro were seated on the other side.
As they rose, Ayumi was the first one to speak. "You did a very bad thing today. Making us think you were cheating."
"Yeah. You could at least have given us advance notice," Chihiro agreed. "So we won't be left thinking the worst of you. Some God of Conquest you are!"
"Look, I'm sorry," Keima said. So this is the reason they agreed to the double date. To make sure they have the numbers to interrogate me. "I didn't handle it well." He really regretted taking Aoba as a disciple on an impulse. He really should have known it would have such a wide effect.
"Still, I need to know. Does Fuse have a Weiss on her?" Ayumi asked.
"Weiss? No. Only Miyako has a Weiss."
"What? Miyako?" Chihiro nearly shouted. She stood up, but it caused the gondola to sway, and she sat down again. "What are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to save her," he replied. "But it would take time. I still don't know the cause of the gap of her heart."
"Just make sure you're not mistaken before you make any moves," Ayumi chided. She remembered when Keima asked her to withdraw from the track and field club because of a mistake.
"And going back to Fuse, why did you accept her as your disciple?" Chihiro wondered. "Don't tell me you just want a girl to call you God and master!"
"She was my heroine. I made a promise that I'll help my heroines if they need me. It's the same reason I tutored you for the English exam," he said, looking at the both of them. "She wanted to get better at games, and she's my lost lamb, so I have no choice."
"Wait? Lost lamb?"
"Yeah. Those are gamers who asked me for help in games through the internet," he explained. "Aoba was able to find me."
"You really could not say no to your former heroines," Ayumi concluded.
"You could say that," he admitted. He would not, of course, reveal the real reason for accepting the disciple. Hopefully, as far as it concerned Ayumi and Chihiro, that would be the end of it.
Part 54 – Fun in the Real
…
The next attraction that they went to was Rock on Shooter. Both girls were expecting him to do terribly in the shooter game, as it was not a gal game.
"My ladies," he said with a smile, "I'm going to win for you all the prizes of this stall!"
The owner of the stall sported a grimace as he handed the toy rifle to Keima.
And to the amazement of both girls, he easily handled it. The bandits were all shot with precision and speed, and the cardboard girl who he had saved said, "You're my hero! Thank you!"
He gave the big brown bear that he had won to Chihiro.
Then he played another stage, and like before, easily beat the game. "You're a great man! Marry me!" the rescued girl in the gallery said. And he was awarded a large stuffed cat, which he gave to Ayumi.
"Wow! I never knew you could shoot like that!" Chihiro said. "And it's not even a galge!"
"It's a galge. As long as there's a girl to save, it's a galge!"
"Rrrrrright," said Chihiro.
"So where do you want to go next?" he asked. "I'm fine with whatever you two like."
"Um, how about you? Where do you want to take us?" asked Ayumi.
"We came to this park for your sake. There's no point to it if you have no fun," he replied.
"Well, in that case," Chihiro said, "Let's go!"
…
They went to various rides. The rotating swing. The roller coaster. The merry go round. And finally, Splash Canyon.
…
"That was fun!" said the girls as they emerged from Splash Canyon completely wet. Fortunately, there was a stall to leave their things in. So only their clothes got soaked.
"Did you have fun?" Ayumi asked.
"Does it matter? This event is for you two. There's no need for me to have fun," they said as they went to a large tunnel with a strong hot wind to dry off.
Both of the girls' mood darkened, and not only from their hair going all over the place as a result of being dried in that manner.
"You know, it takes the fun out of the date if we only had fun," said Chihiro as they walked out of the wind tunnel.
"I had fun in Rock and Shooter," he said before they went to the stall and retrieved their things. "The two hours are nearly up. What do you want to do next?"
"Well, how about we get something to eat. How about the meat bun stand over there?" Ayumi suggested.
That sent a grin to Chihiro's mouth, and she dragged Keima and Ayumi to the stand.
Keima paid for the food, and they ate, mindful of the time.
"I'm serious. We enjoyed the shooter game too, and all the other things we did," said Ayumi. "It's not fair if you didn't enjoy it too!"
"The real is not fair," said Keima. "As I said, this event is for you two. My enjoyment of this is completely irrelevant."
"But we want you to enjoy it too! So next time, you ought to pick half of what we do," Chihiro said.
"Or I could just pretend to really enjoy everything. You'll never even know I acted," he said.
That earned him a smack on the head. "Idiot! Don't say such things!" Chihiro scolded.
"Damn reals!" he muttered as he continued playing his PFP.
They bid farewell after the two hours were up. The thing about such a group date was that a heartfelt goodbye or goodbye kiss was impossible. Not that it was a big loss to Keima. He was just glad that Ayumi and Chihiro's three hours for the week were done.
Their reconquest was a complete success. Even if there was a hiccup because of his new disciple.
It's time to go to Tenri's home. He has forty-five minutes scheduled for the childhood friend.
As he was walking, playing his PFP, he received a message. He groaned.
Oh, Kanon!
But it was not from Kanon. It was from his mother. Mari was telling him to later go to the Terada's place and pick up Elsie as Elsie was having a study session in her friend's home.
What? I'm not ready to conquer the Terada girl!
It was supposed to be an information-gathering exercise. Elsie was doing her job sticking close to her and making Miyako talk. He cannot afford to be making conquests while the first week with the schedule was not done, as several girls might not look too favorably upon him until he clarified things. Just walking with Aoba Fuse nearly blew up in his face. Courting Miyako could end his life if he was not careful about it.
Still, he cannot avoid doing his brotherly duties. He would just have to adjust and see what he can do. He sighed as he neared Tenri's house.
End of Flag VI
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
Tsukiyo – Lunch – 1 hour
Chihiro – After School Event – 1 hour (shared with Ayumi)
Ayumi – After School Event – 1 hour (shared with Chihiro)
Total:
Tenri – 1 hour, 15 minutes
Chihiro – 3 hours
Ayumi – 3 hours
Shiori – 1 hour
Tsukiyo – 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.
I took inspiration from the manga for the scene at Dezeni Sea.
To ZelgadisGW, thanks.
I won't lie. Aoba Fuse is my favorite light novel character. There are so many things you could do with her. Anyway, yeah, he somehow became friendlier, but overall, was still cold. The greatest change was in becoming an obsessive gamer.
Yep. Doing Shiori's inner monologues was one of the most fun things I've done in this fic. Just contrasting the busy mind of the librarian with the shy exterior was very fun. And yeah, she's one of the most determined of the girls in her pursuit of Keima, even if it was not noticeable because of her shyness.
I'm glad you like how I implemented Aoba's inclusion in the story. Yeah, her actions made sense based on her personality and motivations. As for the dynamics, it would be to mess up Keima's carefully made plans.
As for Kanon, it's not really fair, I agree as it's not her schedule. And yeah, she loses points for subtlety. The reason Keima allowed it was Apollo just healed his injuries. And the only reason Kanon got away with it was technicality. As long as she has a different reason, it does not count. And her reason was she simply wanted to go to Cafe Grandpa. But yeah, completely shallow and unfair.
As for the comparison to Tenri's time, yeah. I agree. The only difference was that the walking to school with Tenri was actually planned, and thus, it counted, while Kanon was impromptu. The only consolation of Tenri was she got kisses out of the deal while Kanon did not.
As for future events, I'll keep that in mind, and figure out where to squeeze that trip to Narusawa City. And a certain ramen loving girl appear if that happens.
As for Tenri being more assertive, yeah, I think she could be, as she has hope this time. Still, her basic personality would be a hindrance. But maybe it will emerge slowly.
And thanks for the review once more!
To xellos540, thank you for your review, and your beta.
Yup. Shiori's monologues were very fun to do. It's one thing that is so endearing of her character. And the library tour was a very Shiori event!
Thanks. Aoba Fuse is my favorite light novel character, especially after reading Wrathie's stories. And Asami is also very interesting. The only thing about her was she's so shy, that she can't do half the things I want Aoba to do. She can't move the plot, but could only be moved by it. Except of course, when Ikumi was pretending to be Asami. Asami's crush predates the conquest, right? So she's like Chihiro, I guess. So basically, she still has that crush even after her memories were wiped out.
As for pre/post conquest interpretations, its especially difficult if you don't have much to work on. At least we have a glimpse of manga non goddess host characters. For light novel characters, you have zilch. So you have to extrapolate based on what you do know, and make the proper interpretations.
As for how badly it would mess up events, yeah, this chapter just gives a peek on who Aoba's entrance will affect future events. Keima will need all his skills to keep ahead of this one.
Kanon's time is not fair. Everyone knows it's not fair, including Kanon and Keima. It's just the exploitation of loopholes of the rules, like Yui using homework, but with less skill. But yeah, Kanon has less free time. As for the schedule, I'll just assume Haqua and Elsie helped him get a hold of her weekly schedule.
Well, they were in the Astronomy club. But that's only for her first hour. Who knows what she'll do for her second and third hours?
Nice suggestions, though the events of this chapter were already written when you submitted your review, so I can't credit you with the Dezeni Sea event, but I'll do for subsequent events.
As for date, it's late November. This happens after the five day absence of Keima after the Goddess search.
To TheGenesis, thank you very much. I'm glad you liked my story very much.