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!
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.
Flag VII
The Conquest Begins
Part 55 – 2C Classmates
Aoba Fuse felt guilty as she left Chihiro, Ayumi, and Keima at the gate. She had caused trouble for the God of Conquests by being accepted as his disciple. Was causing trouble for him worth it to be his disciple? Then again, he accepted her despite knowing that he would have problems. Her gratitude only deepened upon considering that. The Divine One truly was a remarkable boy.
She must do a good job, or it would be a disaster for both of them. She had brought this problem for the God of Conquests. She must solve it for him, or he might cast her aside as too much trouble.
She stared at the piece of paper her master gave her.
It still boggled her mind that he had seven girls going after him. Seven! She might not be too surprised with each individual name. But taken together, it was shocking. She was stunned at the sheer number and the fact that he had them all at the same time.
And such a diverse harem too. So he got Takahara, the second most popular girl and the unguided missile of the Mai High Private School. He got Nakagawa, the idol and most popular girl in the school. He got Goido, also very popular, especially since she became a crossdresser. He got Kosaka, leader of the 2B Pencils band. Those four names alone would cause shockwaves, but there were more.
He also had her classmate, Shiomiya. And Goido's classmate Kujo. Both girls were unapproachable, and therefore, had a mystique around them that translated to popularity, not that those girls were aware of it.
And finally, an unknown name from Misato High, Ayukawa. But she already had a hint on who she might be.
Who was this Keima Katsuragi, and how did this boy get six of the most eligible girls in school? And based on his words, he got his harem against his will. So that meant that he did not even try to win over the said girls. She knew that he was a remarkable boy, brilliant, and divine, and were it not for her first master, she might have fallen in love with him. But to the rest of the school, he was a rude, cold, asocial, game nerd. How did he get seven girls with him having such a negative reputation, and with such deep unpopularity? Especially since he wanted nothing to do with the real world and real girls, and he did not hide such fact?
…
She entered the library and headed for the librarian's desk.
She needed to make an impression. Although she already knew Shiomiya, it was as a distant classmate, notwithstanding that fact that she brought her things to the library. Still, she had to thank her for that. She wouldn't have met God if she didn't do so.
"Miss Shiomiya," greeted the girl gamer in front of the librarian, bowing respectfully.
What? Why is she so formal? Did I do something wrong? Or right? And why is she bowing? She's so much better than me! Is she mocking me because of what happened with Kei—Katsuragi? Oh no, that's embarrassing! I needed to say something. Something, something!
"Nothing like the truth!" she squeaked, then hid her face behind her book, titled Nothing Like the Truth. "Sorry. Shiomiya will do, Miss Fuse."
"Fuse will do," said Aoba, knowing precisely what had happened, looking at the librarian's book.
"H-h-how may I help you, Fuse?"
"I would like to apologize, Shiomiya, for what happened yesterday. It was rude of me to interrupt your time with Keima Katsuragi. I am sorry. I only wanted to give back your bag and notes, but if I knew, I would just have left it on this desk."
"That's okay," the librarian replied. "No harm done." She blushed as she remembered what had happened as a result of her "interruption" in the game novelization section.
"Thank you."
She dropped her book. Did she just thank me? For what? Did I do something wrong?
"I know you didn't mean to, but thank you for forgetting your bag and notes in the classroom," she continued. "I never would have figured out who the God of Conquests is if that didn't happen. And I would never have fulfilled one of my dreams. For that, I would be forever grateful to you."
Shiori was dumbfounded. She stared before giving a slight nod. She had no idea what to say.
"I have been searching for the God of Conquests. He is a true master of the ideal world of gaming. Before yesterday, I would not even know where to begin the search. But because of you, I was able to track him down. Earlier this day, I asked, and he agreed to make me his disciple in the world of the ideal. Keima Katsuragi is my master."
"Um… You're welcome… I think…" the librarian squeaked, not really understanding what her classmate just said. Then some words registered. "Wait? Master?"
"Yes. He is my teacher in dating sims and related games. But nothing else. I am not romantically interested in him. I already love someone else…"
That made Shiori feel better. If there was one thing she does not need, it was more competition over Katsuragi's heart.
Wait! Why is she telling me this? Does that mean she knows that…
Her face became an even deeper shade of red.
She offered her hand. "I hope we become friends," she said in friendly, for her, tone, even if it still came off as cold to Shiori.
She managed to shake her hand, still dazed about what had just happened. It's as if this was all a nightmare. Still, Fuse's handshake reassured her a bit.
"Well, I've got to go. Bye," the gamer said. "Oh, by the way, this is for you." She gave a folded piece of paper to Shiori before she left.
The librarian stared at the retreating form of her classmate. What just happened?
…
Aoba hoped that was enough. She knew that she was nowhere near close to being friends with any of them. But at least, she hoped, the hostility would be gone or at least lessened. Her words would at least give them reassurance that she was not a love rival. And if Shiomiya would follow the written advice she gave, she was sure she would have the librarian's eternal gratitude.
If she knew she would bring this much trouble, she might have not approached God in the first place. But what's done is done, and her pride would not allow her to back away without attempting to fix it.
…
Part 56 – Meeting the Childhood Friend
The next girl on her list was unknown to her. Tenri Ayukawa. The first time she had heard the name was when she saw it on the list. Thinking about it, it was most probably the girl who accompanied her master to school. Based on her uniform, she was from Misato High. And she was his neighbor.
The truth was that Aoba had stalked Katsuragi earlier that morning. Finding his address was a trivial matter. She lived nearby, so she simply got up earlier than usual, and waited, around a corner, for him to come out of his home. However, he was immediately joined by a girl, wearing a Misato High uniform, who had come out of the neighboring house. They walked towards the school, and Aoba had to tail them. She even saw him kiss her on the cheek before they separated.
So after visiting Shiomiya, she walked to Keima's neighborhood and stopped at the front of his neighbor's home. Looking at the sign, it was the Ayukawa residence.
She rang the doorbell.
And a black-haired girl, still wearing the Misato High uniform, came out. She was the same girl who her master had walked with that morning.
Still, she had to be sure.
"May I help you?" the black-haired girl asked.
"Hello. I am looking for Miss Tenri Ayukawa," the blue-haired girl greeted.
"I am Tenri Ayukawa," the girl shyly replied.
"Good Evening. I am Aoba Fuse, student of Maijima Private High. I was sent by my master of the gaming world, the ideal world, Keima Katsuragi."
"Keima?"
So she is first-name basis with the Master. Interesting.
"Yes. He sent me here to give you a message."
"So you're friends with Keima?"
"I am his disciple," Aoba said. "I hope I can be his friend."
Tenri then remembered receiving a message from Keima just a few minutes earlier.
I have a new disciple. Fuse. Please let her explain. I am grateful if you do that.
Inside of her, Diana was furious. How dare that man get on with another girl? And one outside the seven girls in his schedule. Has he no shame?
Tenri was not prone to rushing to judgment, and she suppressed Diana. The childhood friend was, after all, obedient to Keima. At least most of the time. "Hello. I am also a friend of Keima. Would you please come in? We can talk inside."
Aside from complying with Keima's wishes, the childhood friend was interested in what kind of "disciple" would her Keima have. She observed her. She was pretty, but despite her polite tone, had an iciness to her that Tenri couldn't place. She conducted herself with dignity even as she played with her PFP as they entered her home.
Wait? Play the PFP?
That surprised Tenri. Was she a game nut too like Keima?
"I'm sorry. I'm not used to seeing someone outside Keima play that console," she said.
"Yes. It was unusual at first. But they got used to it," she said as the blue-haired girl put her game away.
"Did Keima teach you to play?"
"Oh, no. Someone else introduced me to the ideal world of games. The Divine One was just another expert of the ideal."
"Divine One?" Tenri suddenly asked. She had heard Elsie speak of Keima that way. But only her, so it was strange that another person, let alone a girl her age, would talk to him that way.
"Yes. Your childhood friend is the God of Conquests. It is as the God of Conquests that I first learned of him. It's why I sought him out. As he is God, isn't it natural that I call him that?" she replied in a reverent tone, her eyes filled with admiration as she spoke.
"How did you know I'm a childhood friend?"
"Based on the pictures hanging around. You were friends for ten years, am I right?"
Tenri just stared at her. "How did you…"
"That class picture. There's my master, and there's you."
"Oh, yes," she began.
"And you were separated for a long time. And you just recently moved back."
"How did you know that?"
"Oh, it's one of the scenarios in games involving a childhood friend," she said. "There are tons of games like that. You fulfilled every criterion. Plus, I always pass through here, as I lived nearby. I only recently saw your family here. So, therefore, you moved recently.
Part 57 – New Friends
Tenri could only stare in shock at the girl. She was so like Keima, it was scary. She stopped wondering why Keima took her as his disciple.
Curiosity filled the amateur magician.
"So how did you find him?"
"There was a certain gaming website that specializes in dating sims," Aoba answered.
"Dating sim website? Wait! I think I saw a documentary on TV about one. The website's called Fallen God. Yes, that reminded me of Keima," Tenri said. She had not yet moved back when she watched that show.
"I was one of those who always visit that website. The owner calls himself the God of Conquests, the Capturing God. I really wanted to find him and become his disciple. I just found him. And I asked him to accept me. And he did."
In spite of Diana's growing anger, Tenri was happy for Keima. Even if the childhood friend liked Keima the gamer, liked Keima playing games all day, liked Keima who was stuck in his PFP, she could never share the fun that he had. She had no desire to be a gamer or to understand his world. That was her one regret. Their interests were just too far apart.
But here was a friend who shared all that. And thus, could have fun with Keima. Tenri was not jealous. She wanted what was best for her friend. And becoming friends with Aoba was the best thing for him, as it would give him a best friend that shared his interests, hobbies, and pastime.
"I'm glad of that. Keima is a misunderstood boy. Everyone makes fun of him. No one knows him like I do," she began in a whisper. It took all she had to say what she wanted to say. This was for Keima, after all. "Yet I still don't know him that much. You can know him better than anyone else could. I am so happy he took you in. Please be his best friend. He needs one."
That threw Aoba off guard. Of all the responses—jealousy, anger, rage—acceptance was not one she anticipated. Oh, master, you are so lucky to have such a childhood friend.
"And can I be your friend too?" Tenri asked, taking the gamer's hands in hers. Tenri wanted the girl gamer to be her friend, as she had a feeling that she would come to know Keima even more if she knew this girl.
"Yes," she replied, again surprised. "Anyway, I still have to deliver the Divine One's message."
"Thank you," Tenri said.
"I am his disciple. Therefore, I'll always be seen by his side. I'm proud of it, but such a situation might be misconstrued. It's a common enough situation in games that I immediately recognized his predicament. He is, after all, the protagonist. Thus, many heroines are after him."
The childhood friend could only nod.
"You are one such heroine, am I correct?"
"How did you—"
"I'm here to tell you that despite how it appears to outsiders, I am not after him. I do not wish to be his heroine, and I am not in his route, nor is he in my route. I do not wish to raise flags that would lead to that. We are not protagonists in each other's stories."
"What?"
"I am not in love with him. In fact, I love another boy," she bluntly stated. "Therefore, you don't have to fear that I'm going to steal him from you."
"Oh," she said, and Tenri could feel Diana's anger fade. That was such a relief. She was prepared to have her as a rival love interest if it came to that. But she felt happy that this formidable girl would not be in contention for Keima's heart.
"That's it then. Well, I need to go," the genius began.
"Um, couldn't you stay for a bit? Keima is coming over. You could at least wait for him," Tenri said.
"I'm sorry, but I do not want to intrude on your event," she said.
"No, no, it's no intrusion at all. You can leave when he arrives. But I want him to introduce you to me," said Tenri, who wanted to see how Keima acted around her.
"Very well, Miss Ayukawa," Aoba conceded. It would at least help in raising friendship points with her.
"Now then, I have a favor to ask of you. Could you tell me about his ideal world? So I can better understand him, Miss Fuse?" Tenri asked shyly.
"Couldn't you ask the Divine One?"
"I can't ask him that!" she admitted. "He always talks about it, but I'm just too afraid to sound too eager, too obvious. I can't just say that I want to know about games just to get him to fall for me, you know. Even if I don't say it, he'll suspect it, and he might resist."
"It would be my pleasure, hero's childhood friend," Aoba said, a small smile forming on her lips. And I am rooting for you. "If you do me a small favor in return."
"Anything."
"Can you tell me more about the other heroines? I have a mission, so it's better if I knew them."
…
Part 58 – Quality Time with the Childhood Friend
Keima Katsuragi arrived at Tenri's home for her forty-five minutes. He was surprised when it was not Tenri but Mrs. Ayukawa who opened the door.
"Come in, Keima. Tenri's waiting inside with her friend," she said.
Friend? So Aoba Fuse already made her move?
His questions were answered when he entered and saw Tenri, on the couch, clutching a PFP, with the blue-haired girl watching her play. On the table were empty cups that told of their earlier tea party.
"Tenri, Keima's here," her mother said.
"Eep!" she shouted as she dropped the PFP, then embarrassed, took it, and gave it to Aoba. "I'm sorry."
"Well, I better go now," said the genius.
"So, you two met? Tenri, meet Aoba Fuse. She's my disciple of the gaming world. Aoba, this is Tenri Ayukawa, my childhood friend," he said with a small smile.
"We already know each other, Divine One," said Aoba, standing up and gathering her things. "I better go. It's getting late. Can I walk with you tomorrow morning to school? I want to discuss some aspects of that Crayon game. I was not lying when I told you I played it."
"Fine, my student," he said. "Take care."
…
"So what happened?" asked Tenri when the two were alone. They were upstairs in Tenri's room, as her parents insisted as they would "clean up" downstairs.
"Aside from what Aoba already told you?" asked Keima.
The timid girl nodded.
"Well, first of all, you need to tell me what she told you," he answered cheekily as he began playing his PFP.
"Um, okay. So…"
…
"Okay, so tell me more," asked Tenri as she finished her story. "How did you conquer her in the first place?"
"If you could stomach hearing me conquer another girl," he asked.
"What you're doing is heroic," the black-haired girl replied.
"This is a secret, so don't tell anyone."
"I won't betray you, Keima."
"Fine. Fine. Let's see. Where shall I begin? Okay…" And Keima recounted his conquest of Aoba.
…
"So you were the reason she became a gamer?"
He nodded.
"Now, after all that, we didn't meet at all. Like all heroines, she forgot about me. We were in different classrooms, so we never interacted. And she became a great gamer. Not as great as me, of course. As she is by nature, a genius, she became second only to me. She became the Mai Hime. She found out about me when she heard me call myself the God of Conquests. And so that's how she became my disciple. And before you ask, no, I am not in love with her. And she is not in love with me. She loves someone else."
"Well, I'm glad you got a new friend who shares your hobbies," she said.
"She's not my friend. She's my disciple. A friend denotes equality. She is my subordinate," he declared.
"Don't say that. Please try to be friends with her," Tenri said. "You know, she'll be a better gamer if you're her friend."
He merely nodded, his eyes not leaving his game during the entire conversation.
…
"So what do you want to do?" asked Keima again.
"Just sit there, and play your games," Tenri said, looking at him. She blushed, before getting her bag and taking her notes. "I'm going to do my homework."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Playing games is fun for you, and I want you to have fun with me," Tenri said as she started doing her homework.
He nodded as he continued playing. Occasionally, he would look at Tenri, who seemed to have difficulty doing her schoolwork.
"You want help with that?"
"No, no. I know you're brilliant, but you won't enjoy our time together if you do my homework. Please, just play," she said. Listening to the sounds of Keima's PFP was really soothing for her. She was just happy being by his side.
"Fine," he said. "But let me look at it after my time is up, okay?"
"No. I'm serious. If I need help, I'm going to ask for it. Just play," she insisted, her face becoming red as she got more nervous.
He finally relented, and focused on his game.
…
After the forty-five minutes were done, Keima was again invited to have dinner with the Ayukawa family. But he begged off, citing the need to get Elsie.
…
"Well, bye," said Tenri as they stood at the door.
"See you next time," Keima said, briefly looking at her.
Tenri's eyes became pink, and a halo appeared. Then as he was looking at his game, he felt a peck on his right cheek. His eyes looked at hers, and it was bluish purple.
"Diana!" Tenri chided, very embarrassed.
"That's for earlier this morning," Diana said as she again took over. "Katsuragi, thank you for making this week very special for Tenri. But I'm warning you. Do not cheat on her with that gamer girl."
"I'm not cheating!" he said before huffing out of the house.
…
Part 59 – Study Time for Elsie
Meanwhile…
Elsie was in Miyako's room, and she was reading her English textbook. Again.
"Aw, Miyako, do I have to reread this? This is so boring!" she whined.
"Again, if you want to do good on your next test, reading is unavoidable," Miyako patiently said. "Promise me you'll try to read?"
Elsie nodded. The truth was, the real reason that she had so much difficulty was that her natural written language was Hellian. It took so much effort to learn the human written language from her base of Hellian that getting a barely minimum passing grade in English was a miracle.
Basically, it's not as if she had difficulty understanding what she read, provided she could read. It's that she had trouble reading it in the first place. It's as if she went back to elementary, trying to learn to read all over again. And she's in High School.
Still, she had gotten the very basics of literacy. And thus, she can read Human, but barely.
Why isn't everything written in Hellian?! It's so unfair!
Looking around the room, she saw Haqua, who was invisible, just hovering near the ceiling. She was so jealous of her. Why does she go and be invisible while doing her job while she had to do all this grunt stuff? Of course, it's natural! Haqua was an honor student, so she had the right to have the easy stuff. That only made Elsie prouder of her best friend.
Still, her Divine Brother was depending on her, so she needed to make an effort. She concentrated on reading the English textbook. But that meant she could not observe Miyako and see what her gap was, or talk to her about it. Or ship her together with her brother.
Life is so unfair!
"So could you read this line?" asked Miyako, pointing to a sentence.
"Um, the Tower trees blossom in the sprog," she read.
"That's Flower trees and spring," Miyako said. "How about this one?"
"Many years ago, my mother gave forth to my lady brother."
"That's birth, not forth, and baby, not lady," she said, sighing. Elly really had difficulty in basic reading. Miyako had found out about her problem when they first studied for the midterm exams. Still, compared to where she was before, she had progressed by leaps and bounds.
Miyako wondered. Just how did Elly pass through the lower years? Did she study in some isolated school of such low quality that they let her go through the years without making sure their students learned even the basics? Where was she before she came into Keima's life?
Maybe that's why she's so naïve and childlike.
…
While Miyako was downstairs getting snacks and drinks, Elsie turned to where Haqua was. "Couldn't you help me?" she whined to the floating devil.
"I am helping you. Do you think I'm just here because I like to stalk young girls? I am not like that pervert Katsuragi," the valedictorian devil retorted. "And honestly, learning to read and write human isn't hard."
"But I'm not as smart as you!" Elsie whined. "I need to do something, or divine brother would be disappointed with me."
It's not like he's not disappointed with you all the time. Who am I to talk? I can't get as much Weiss as you have.
"Look, I'm recording everything the human's doing. What Katsuragi would do with it is his call, but that's what he assigned me to do. You should draw her in conversation. Find out about the gap in her heart."
"That's what I'm doing. It's not that easy!"
Haqua was about to retort when they heard footsteps, so she clammed up.
…
"Couldn't we take a break?" asked Elsie, sick and tired at looking at her textbook.
"Compared to my cram school teachers, I've been taking it easy on you," Miyako smiled. "Trust me, it works. But I think we could use a break."
"Thank you."
…
Part 60 – Miyako Terada
As Keima Katsuragi walked to Terada Dry Cleaning, he thought about what he should do next.
He really did not want to start Miyako's conquest just yet. He still had to finish the third conquests of the rest of the seven girls—mainly Kanon and Yui. Although to be fair, he really did not need to do much about those two—they were already madly in love with him, and he doubted that courting a girl outside the seven would decrease their love points that much, if at all.
The main obstacles—Ayumi and Chihiro—had been dealt with, so if they caught him doing funny stuff with Miyako, they would understand. Still, they might do something that would accidentally interrupt her conquest. Miyako herself had been such an obstacle during the hunt of the Goddesses. Because of which, he made a childish promise to her.
He laughed to himself as he remembered the vow. That if Miyako was possessed by a loose soul, he would not save her. Oh, how he wished he could deliver on that promise.
But still, he had to save her. The moment a Weiss entered her, she became his heroine. And therefore, it would be inevitable that she would fall in love with him.
So how to approach her? Miyako knew him too well for any acting to work. She would be on guard if she detected that he changed his personality around her. So the best solution would be to conquer her using his own personality. But how to do that? Perhaps changing his character would work, but it must not be too drastic so it could be easily explained away.
He finally arrived. Terada's Dry Cleaning. He remembered the last time he was there—the reconquest of Ayumi during the search for the Goddesses. It was where he thought Chihiro betrayed him by recording his words on the phone and making Ayumi listen. That was because the ordinary girl thought she knew more than him about conquering girls and tried to "help" him.
It became even more complicated and messy even as he triumphed. And he had to work hard to repair all the relationships ruined by the Goddess search.
He pressed the doorbell, and a middle-aged lady answered.
"Hello, Ma'am. I'm Keima Katsuragi. I'm the brother of Elsie Katsuragi, and I'm here to pick her up." Please don't invite me in. I'm not yet ready to proceed with Miyako's conquest.
"Come in, come in," she said.
Damn you, real!
"Thank you," he said politely, and he entered the house for the second time.
"Come and wait. I'll call the girls," she said as she led him to the living room, and he sat on a couch.
He looked around the place and saw that Miyako was a girl who made her parents proud. Countless awards, trophies, and medals decorated the walls and the fireplace stand. Looking at it, it seemed as if Miyako was always one of the best—first runner up in running, second best student in class, third best student in the year academically, a silver medalist. There were occasional gold medals, and first-place finishes in whatever endeavor she competed it, all in elementary.
So a typical overachiever? Combined with her very ordinary personality, it was a maddening combination of archetypes. He played several games where there were such heroines, yet he was unsure of how to proceed due to her relationship with Ayumi and Chihiro.
No matter. He still did not need to know the gap in her heart. That can wait until the next week. Now, what he needed was to create a strong impression on the normal girl.
"Divine Brother!" a voice shouted as he was grabbed and hugged by Elsie.
"Hello, Katsuragi," Miyako greeted as she followed the energetic devil downstairs.
"I hope Elsie wasn't much trouble," he said, prying the enthusiastic young girl off of him.
"No trouble at all. She learns really fast," Miyako complimented.
"Really? Of all the times I've taught her, she's never a fast learner. That just goes to show that you're a good teacher and I'm a rotten one! Thank you for a great job."
"Who are you, and what did you do to Keima? What happened to the rude, obnoxious gamer who would never thank someone like me?" she laughed.
"True, I'm normally rude, but sometimes, for the right person and the right reason, I can be polite," he said, walking towards her. "I could be a jerk right now if you want, but I don't want to be kicked out of the house by your parents."
Miyako laughed at that. "Oh, you can be polite here, I won't tease you for it," she said. "Honestly, if you're like this at school, you'd be popular, even if you continue to be a game nerd."
"The opinions of the real does not matter," he said, "right Elsie?"
Where was Elsie? She was nowhere to be seen.
"She probably went upstairs to pack her things," she said.
"Anyway, I need a favor," asked the gamer.
"A favor?"
"Yes. You see, I want you, no, I need you to teach me how to teach Elsie."
"What? How can I teach you anything? You're the greatest genius our school has ever had!" she complimented.
"It's no good if I can't teach her any of it. I can't palm off Elsie to you every time she has a test. I need to be there for her when she needs me," he said, playing the role of a concerned older brother. That ought to give him extra points with Miyako.
"Oh, don't be too modest! I heard you made Ayumi, Kanon, and Chihiro get 100 in a previous English exam. You're teaching methods can't be too bad if that's the case."
"But it doesn't work on Elsie! At least when she studied with you, you got her to pass! I can't do that. Please, tell me how you teach, so l can be a good brother to Elsie!"
"Well…"
"Tell you what, I'm going to do you a favor! If you teach me how you teach Elsie, I'm gonna tell you how I taught Ayumi and Chihiro!"
"Huh? Why would I want you to teach me that?" asked the pianist.
"You were surprised when I got 100 in that English exam even if I didn't use all two hours, right? You were curious about how I got that high even if I kept gaming in class," he said. "And you are curious how I made Ayumi and Chihiro get 100 too!"
She blinked at him several times, before laughing. "That's right. I am curious. As for your offer, I'll think about it."
Part 61 – The Terada Family Dinner
"Miyaaaako! Please!" Elsie, who just came down with her bag, suddenly said, kneeling in front of her friend, and giving the pianist the most adorable puppy dog eyes Keima had ever seen. "I need him to know how to teaaach me! And only you could do that! Please! I need to pass! I can't get held back! Miyako, please do it for meee?"
"Fine, Elsie. Katsuragi, we have a deal! But only when Elsie is around, okay?"
"Fine," he said. He got the first part of the conquest down. He now had an excuse to spend time with Miyako. And having Elsie around was an excellent cover to the gossipy. All he had to say was that it involves teaching Elsie. And the more interactions he could have with Miyako, the higher the possibility of the conquest. And he could easily have Elsie "disappear" when he needed to be alone with the pianist.
"THANK YOU!" shouted Elsie as she suddenly hugged Miyako. Then grabbed Keima and hugged him too. And then hugged both of them at the same time, wrapping her arms around their necks, and the hug was so forceful that both Keima and Miyako bumped their heads against each other.
…
Elsie and Keima got invited to dinner in the Terada household. The Katsuragis accepted, after calling Mari.
"Keima Katsuragi. Where did I hear that name again? I'm curious, but are you the guy that Kanon is dating?" asked Mr. Terada as they were eating.
"Oh, no. That's just a misunderstanding," Keima explained. "I was her classmate, and I helped her with a problem of hers way back. And that was it. The next time she talked to me, she confessed out of the blue. I guess she fell in love with me because I helped her."
"So that's the real story," Miyako said. "What kind of problem?"
"Miyako, don't pry," Mrs. Terada said, giving a stern warning.
The daughter pouted but did not pursue it.
"So you were the guy that Kanon confessed to in the English midterms. And according to my daughter, you left halfway through. And you still got perfect," said Mrs. Terada.
"Yes, that's true. It's just a matter of right studying. If you do that, you can easily answer the questions very fast. I was done before Kanon confessed," he explained.
"Miyako, maybe we should drop you from the Cram school and make Katsuragi here your tutor instead!" Mr. Terada laughed.
"Oh, yes. Divine brother got Ayumi and Chihiro from 35 and 65 to a hundred!"
"So it's settled," laughed Mr. Terada. "Katsuragi, are you willing to settle for half the pay that I pay the cram school?"
"Dad! I told you, just because I got cram school doesn't mean I'm going to always get the top grades," Miyako whined before shoving her food into her mouth, wanting to sink into her chair.
"And let me guess, this boy here is at the top of your class? The reason my daughter isn't number one?" he said.
"Don't say that," Mrs. Terada said, sending a scolding look at her husband.
"Yes. Exalted Brother is the best student in the entire school! Nobody can have better grades than him!"
Keima just kept silent, adopting an embarrassed expression on his face, and sending a scolding look at Elsie. "Actually, I'm not that good in P.E.," he modestly said.
"Your parents must be so proud of you, always at the top," Mr. Terada said, his eyes filled with respect as he looked at the boy. "Tell me, do you have a girlfriend?"
"No, my Divine Brother does not have one!" Elsie answered for Keima. "He is very available."
"Let me tell you, Miyako here is single too," the father replied, in a hushed whisper that everyone could hear.
"Dddad!" Miyako complained.
And his father laughed at her reaction. And Mrs. Terada was laughing too. So Keima joined the laughing and so did Elsie, all at poor Miyako's expense, whose face became as red as a tomato.
"Dear, don't tease our daughter," Mrs. Terada finally said.
…
"Sorry for my father. He loves to tease me," Miyako said as she walked Keima and Elsie to the front door.
He merely nodded, his eyes were fixed on the PFP.
"Thanks, Miyako!" Elsie said in a loud voice, hugging her bandmate. "I'm gonna bring Exalted Brother next time!"
As soon as the door was closed, they walked around a corner, and when they were sure that they were unseen, both turned invisible. Elsie then flew and carried Keima home.
…
Despite all his misgivings, the night was a success. It accelerated the conquest considerably. And he could use Elsie as an excuse when people see them together. And he got good information that would be very useful in completing the conquest.
He was just thankful that he was not under severe time pressure, like during the hunt for the Goddesses. Even if he did succeed during that hunt, the endings he got were not always ideal. He hoped he never had to deal with a love triangle like the one involving Ayumi and Chihiro ever again. That was really painful.
That night, before he got to sleep, Haqua came, and they reviewed her raiment recordings.
"Well?" asked the section chief, hoping for a gesture of appreciation from her new buddy.
"Nothing! Nothing that I don't know already," he said, voice disappointed. There were things that he would not have known had he viewed it before visiting the Terada home that night. "This is useless."
"What? I am not useless!" Haqua shouted as she slammed the butt of her scythe at Keima's stomach, sending him to the floor of his room, clutching his stomach.
"It's not your fault," Keima assured as he rose to his feet. "That girl is lying to herself about the gap in her heart. That's why we can't see anything. I still need you to follow her around. Maybe, just maybe, she would show her true self."
"So you still need me?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Tell me that you need me! With conviction!"
Keima looked at her as if she grew horns. Why was she repeating the same lines she said during the Goddess search? "Fine. I need you, Haqua," he said, acting really grateful. He really wondered if the devil had a screw loose, but with Haqua, he could never know. Genius and insanity were clearly the different sides of the same coin, as could be seen with the devil genius.
"Well, since you really need me, I guess I have no choice but to help you," the devil said smugly before leaving.
…
Part 62 – Walking with Elsie
Thursday…
That morning, Elsie was in a good mood as the family ate breakfast. She felt she had done an excellent job the day before in the conquest of Miyako. Truthfully, she did not expect her Exalted Brother to pick her up, so it was a pleasant surprise. Now, all they had to do was to follow through Keima's plan, and all would be well.
She was delighted to be useful to her brother!
"Let's go, Divine Brother!" Elsie said as she ran out of the door of her home. Today, there was no scheduled girl for the walk to school, so she could walk with Keima like before. It was one of those things that she really missed since the start of the Goddess search.
But when she arrived outside the fence, a blue-haired girl was standing by the gate. Her hands were clutching a PFP, and her eyes were glued to the gaming device. She was very familiar. Who was she again? Aoba Fuse! One of her brother's conquests. Wait! What was she doing here? Did he regain her memories?
"Aoba!" Keima said behind Elsie, making the devil jump.
The blue-haired girl looked at him and made a slight bow. "Divine One," she said.
"Meet my sister, Elsie," he said.
"Hello, Miss Katsuragi," the girl gamer greeted, bowing to her.
"She's my disciple in the gaming world, Elsie," said Keima.
"Um, hello!" Elsie said cheerily. "You can call me Elsie or Elly. Can I call you Aoba?"
"Okay, Elsie, you can call me Aoba," said the gamer as she resumed her game. Her voice was still cold, even if her words were warm.
"Wait, disciple!?" the devil yelped as the implication of her words finally dawned on her.
"Yes. She's my disciple," he said. "Let's go."
They walked to school, with Elsie in front, Keima in the middle, with Aoba at the back. Both Keima and Aoba's eyes were glued to their gaming devices as they walked.
"Master, I have not yet completed the Crayon game. I kept trying, but all I got was a headache," Aoba began.
"So are you giving up? I have a walkthrough ready, just in case," Keima said.
"No, no. I can do it. I've still not yet finished trying all the paths. I'm not halfway through all the food choices," she said. "That game really is shitty. It's like reality. Poor Sora. To be trapped in such a state."
"So what do you think of the game company that made the game?"
"Their bankruptcy is deserved. If only that didn't mean that they can't fix the game. But looking at their past history of patches, more likely than not, they'll even make it worse."
"You're right. And to think they had the cheek to market a second disc when it was only a defective patch!" he ranted.
And so they got lost in their conversation, and Elsie tried to listen in. Fortunately, she had helped Keima play the game, so she was able to contribute and tell stories of Keima playing the game.
"Divine Brother was so mean! He made me get a paper and pen and list all the choices! We spent almost all day on the rooftop bench!" Elsie said, laughing. "He was in such a bad mood."
"Master, you got into a bad mood playing a game?" asked Aoba.
"You would too if you were me!" said Keima. "Sora is in such a state that I got to save her! Damn that company! I wish it were still around so I could burn it to the ground!"
"If that's the case, I'm going to be with you carrying the gasoline and matches," Aoba agreed.
"How many companies were you going to burn, Divine Brother?" Elsie asked, recounting all the times Keima ranted about his arsonist tendencies. "I can easily help you burn anything you like!"
"All those companies who just want a quick cash grab without caring for the heroines!" he ranted.
And so they continued their talk as they walked to school. For the first time in her life, Elsie was thankful for all the lectures that Keima did as she was able to participate in the gamer's talk, even if she needed to be corrected more than once.
…
Part 63 – It's a Date
"You can stop here," said Yui to the driver of their limousine.
"Are you sure, Miss Yui?" asked her chauffeur. "It's still a bit off till Mai High Private School."
"Don't worry," she said as she left the car.
"Take care, Miss. I'm going to pick you up at the usual time," the driver said before he drove home.
Yui picked this spot for one reason. This was the same spot that Keima Katsuragi always passes through on the way to school. And since there was no girl scheduled to walk with him to school, she could go and claim the time, with her homework ready so she could have a plausible excuse.
Not like what Kanon did the night before. What kind of excuse was that? Going to the coffee shop at the same time? But Yui didn't blame Keima for that. Apollo healed him, so he had to say yes or risk being labeled an ungrateful bastard.
She looked at her watch. And heard voices. Three of them.
It was Elsie. Troublesome. She didn't expect the little sister to be with them. And there's Keima. And Fuse.
Her mood darkened. That meant that Keima could just shove her homework to the other genius.
No fair!
"Hello, all of you!" she said, joining them.
"Yui!" shouted Elsie, walking towards her.
"Yui," said Keima, his eyes briefly glancing towards her before his eyes went back to his PFP.
"Goido," Fuse said.
Before Yui could say anything, Elsie began asking her questions about the band, and strangely, Miyako. She did her best to answer her fellow bandmate, but she also tried listening to the conversation of Keima and Aoba and tried to join in too.
"So what's the next step?" asked Keima.
"I'm going to finish all the food choices. Those paths should lead to the happy ending. Still, the fact that the game crashes your device every time you make a wrong choice gets on my nerves," the girl genius answered.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Just be prepared for the poor graphics and atrocious sound. For example, Sora sometimes sounds like an old man," he said.
"Or looks like an old woman," Aoba agreed. "I mean, what happened to the quality control of that company? Was it the first branch that got downsized?"
"Looks like it," said Keima. "Looking at their other titles, I'm not too impressed."
"And that game is creating more gaming backlog! Seriously, I'll have to grow more arms so I can play more than one game at a time just to catch up after finishing the shitty game. They ought to rename this game, Reality!"
That made Keima laugh loud.
"I kept saying that reality is a shitty game, but I think, just this once, a game is even shittier than reality. Anyway, you can't play more than one game at a time?"
"Surely, you jest. It's just the nature of the physical body. I have only two arms and two eyes. Can you?"
Keima looked at her with an air of superiority. "Of course. I can play six games at the same time."
Aoba looked at his face waiting for the punchline. But he was serious.
"I'm not joking," said Keima.
"Really?" asked Aoba, looking at him skeptically.
"Yes! I saw Divine Brother do that very thing!" Elsie butted in before resuming her talk with Yui.
"Then I am not worthy of being your disciple," she said, her voice nearly cracking in disappointment and awe. She thought she might be closing the gap between student and master, but she was still a rookie in comparison.
"Don't be so down," he said. "You're still one of the best players in the world."
"That doesn't matter. I can only play one game at a time. Please, show me how it's done! I want to see the master at work!" she said, determination in her voice. She would become the best gamer as she was fueled with a desire to become even better.
Keima was pleased. He longed to show off his God of Conquest mode to someone who could appreciate it. Elsie certainly couldn't.
"Then if you want, go to my house after school on Saturday. I have four hours free in the afternoon," he said. "In my room, I'm going to show you why I am God!"
"Really? Thank you, Master," said Aoba, her voice filled with gratitude.
"Then it's a date," he said proudly.
That set off Yui. She had tried listening to the conversation, but she just could not follow. It flew over her head. And she couldn't even figure out how Aoba, of all people, made Keima laugh. So she couldn't join even if she wanted too.
Then she heard him inviting him to his room and calling it a date. "Wait! Wait! She's not even in the schedule! How can you date her?" she exclaimed, and all stopped what they were doing and looked at her. "And four hours? That's more than anyone of us could have in a week!"
"It's not really a date," said Keima nonchalantly. "It's just an expression. It means setting up an appointment with someone."
"Yes, a date is an event where the protagonist and the heroine, or the hero and the protagonist, attempt to raise the other's love points, which, if successful, would generate further events, and would, if continued, raise flags so that a confession could succeed," Aoba recited. "I'm just there to see if the Master could actually play six games at once. There is no intention of raising the affection points of the other. And both of us are players. Two players cannot be on a date."
Yui just stared at her and Keima. How can she argue with that?
"I don't know about that, but whatever it is you're trying, it's a date," Yui insisted.
"Ah Yui, denizen of reality, you are so ignorant," said Keima. "A date is a serious event after the after-school events, exchange of information, intended by the player to conquer the heroine. Now, I am not on Aoba's route, nor I am in hers, and there's no intention of conquest, so how can it be a date?"
"Furthermore, neither is he a hero, nor I a heroine. And asking for a date has a process, and needs an atmosphere, all of which are lacking. So how can this be a date?" asked the blue-haired girl, backing Keima up.
"Fine. You win. You're not on a date," she said, her face not showing she's convinced but utterly unable to argue with the two. She knew it was bad to argue with Keima alone, but at least she can be aggressive and throw him off his game. But arguing with Keima and Aoba together? Impossible. "So, um, Keima, could you please look at my homework?"
Part 64 – Yui in Crisis
She took her math homework from her bag and showed it to Keima. She had more homework, but she knew he would just palm it off to Aoba, so she did not bother. She wanted Keima to pay attention to her.
"Aoba, do you want to take a look at Yui's homework?" Keima said as he read it, missing the grimace on the drummer's face.
Aoba looked at Yui, before looking at Keima, and said, "I'm trying to finish this game," she objected in her usual cold voice. "It's only one homework, and I think you can do it by yourself."
"You're right. I can't make you do things that have nothing to do with being a game disciple," he admitted.
The cross-dresser had a look of gratitude on her face. She made a small nod at the girl gamer as Keima resumed his examination of the cross-dresser's homework.
They spent the rest of the walk to the school discussing her Math problem.
…
During a break, Yui was in the girls' restroom. And she now knew what Mars meant by Aoba being the most formidable adversary, despite not being an "official" rival.
"I told you so," said Mars from the mirror. "We need to get rid of her."
"What? There's no need for that! I'll win darling's heart," Yui said.
"I can see it now. With things as they currently are, you're going to lose to her, even if she's not official," said the Goddess.
"What? That's not right!" Yui argued. "And even if it is, there's no need to get rid of her. She's just a gamer girl!"
"And your beloved is a gamer boy. Wake up, don't be complacent. Anyway, you did well in formulating the rules about cheating to Ayumi and Chihiro. At least they won't close their eyes."
"I have three hours tomorrow," Yui reminded the Goddess. "I'll win his heart then!"
"Do you really want to win? If you do, please listen to me. I have a good plan to do so," said the Goddess.
"Okay, I'm going to listen," Yui said, a bit worried.
…
Lunch…
The moment the bell rang for lunch, Keima Katsuragi had gone off to Tsukiyo as it was her second hour for the week.
The 2B Pencils were slower to leave the room, going out together, where they were met by Aoba Fuse at the classroom entrance.
"Hello, Takahara, Kosaka, Elsie, Goido, and Terada," she said to the group, bowing a bit.
"Hello, Fuse," Ayumi, speaking for the group, said. "What's up?"
"I'm fine. May I speak with Goido, please, alone?" asked the girl gamer.
The others looked at the cross-dresser.
"Um sure," she said, a bit nervously, as she looked at her bandmates. "See you later."
…
The two girls walked to the yard outside the school.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" asked the drummer when they were in a secluded spot outside the building.
"You know that I am his disciple," Aoba began speaking.
"I know already," she said.
"Just to make sure you understand, I probably am going to be seen with him a lot. I know I already said this to you, but I am not in love with him, and I am not after him romantically," she said, looking at the Yui in the eye with a stern expression. "Please don't misconstrue any action between him and me except as actions of master and disciple."
"Of course. But why are you telling me this?"
"Because you're one of his heroines. You're in love with him, aren't you?"
"What? Who told you that?"
"It's obvious. Do you want me to tell you how I figured that out? You raised countless flags, like homework for two days in a row. You really want him to check it, not anyone else, right? I saw your face when he tried to pass the homework on to me, but then, you became happy when I refused. Don't deny it."
Of course, it also helped her that her master had given her a list of names, but she wasn't going to say that.
Part 65 – Aoba in Check
Yui laughed. "You got it! And can you blame me? Keima darling is remarkable!"
"Agreed. He's the second greatest man in the world," Aoba said. "But you don't have to fear anything from me. I am not in his route, and he is not in mine."
"Do you expect me to believe that you're not in love with him?" Yui challenged.
"I love someone else," Aoba replied, "and that man's the greatest."
"Maybe, but until I see you marry that other guy, I won't believe you," said Yui. "Keima has that effect on girls."
"You underestimate my faithfulness to my love," said Aoba. "But I understand your position. Seeing is believing, right? You suspect I have some nefarious scheme by asking to see him play games?"
"Naturally. When a girl and a boy go to the boy's room alone, what else can you expect?"
"True. In games, even the most innocent events can raise unwanted flags. Tell you what, if you can persuade the Divine One to let you go with us, you can see what we are really up to," she said.
"What? Are you telling me that you're allowing me to crash your Saturday date?"
"For the last time, it's not a date," Aoba insisted. "And yes, you can tag along. I'm fine with it. But you have to persuade your darling Keima to allow you to."
"Oh, I can easily do that. So, you're fine with it?"
"Yes, as long as the Master is fine with it too."
"That's swell! Thank you," Yui said unexpectedly, and grabbing the gamer's hands and shaking it. "And thanks for not taking my homework. You're not so bad after all."
"A piece of advice. If you want to conquer him, you must do so with the ideal. That way, you two may create a connection of shared interests, and with such a connection, your events with him would be more likely to succeed," she said.
"What? Why are you giving me advice on how to win him?"
"Because I am not aiming to conquer the master. Please understand that. I will help you if you want, but only if you understand that I am not a heroine of Keima. I am a Player, and he is not a hero."
"Thank you! Listen, I still don't believe you when you say you're not after him, but right now, I'm not your enemy. If you can help me become better in games, I may consider you my friend. A rival, but a friendly rival," Yui offered.
"If you think that I am a rival, aren't you mad or angry with me?"
"Why should I? You're not the only one. If I am, I will lose my closest friends," Yui said, smiling.
"Is there anything that I can do to dissuade you from thinking I am after him?" Aoba sighed.
"Yes. Marry the guy you say you're in love with," she answered.
"You can't possibly be serious! I'm just seventeen! A high school student!"
"Ayumi is willing to marry Keima darling now! And she too is a seventeen-year-old high school girl!"
"Now I know you're just joking about Takahara, but fine. I'll help you in games if you want. Just don't give my master a hard time because of it," Aoba conceded. "I don't want him to regret taking me on as a disciple."
"Don't worry. I won't take it against you or him," said Yui. "But it's better if you get into his schedule. You know, to make thing's fair for all of us. It's not right if you can just take his time because you're pretending you're not in love with him. If you don't do that, they'll all think Keima's cheating on them."
"Schedule? What are you talking about?"
"Ask Keima about it," said Yui.
"And please don't tell anyone what you mistakenly believe about me and the Divine One," she asked.
"Got ya. I won't tell anyone you're in love with Keima! But you shouldn't be ashamed of it! You're far from the only one!"
For the first time ever, Aoba failed in her mission. But at least, Yui's not her enemy. And she made her master's life much more comfortable. And surprisingly, she got along well with the heiress.
Still. All was not lost. If he allows Yui to join them on Saturday, then Yui would see that nothing was going on between them. And she would have to believe her.
And what was the schedule that Yui was talking about?
End of Flag VII
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)
Tenri – Visit After School – 45 minutes
Total:
Tenri – 2 hours
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.
To ZelgadisGW, thanks.
I also enjoyed writing the Tsukiyo scene too, for the same reason you enjoyed reading it. Hehe, too bad Keima has to do all that charade to get them to love him more.
Oh Tsukiyo thinking she's inevitable would be seen in the future, so I guess that would make her even more memetic!
The Maihime being around Keima, as his disciple, did change things around her just by existing. It could threaten the existing order that Keima had done so much to create. How and why is part of the plot this story. And yes, her memories is like raw gunpowder. Highly likely to blow up in everyone's faces.
Though Elsie's actions by themselves were irrational and dubious, it at least, in this chapter, lead to something useful, though that could be attributed to Keima's gift for instant improvisation rather than brilliant thinking from Elsie's part. And yeah, troubles are inevitable. Though it could delayed, like how Keima handled the Miyako situation.
To xellos540, thanks.
I'm glad you're seeing that, although the chapters keep getting longer and longer. I didn't intend to, but usually, I have a few scenes set up for a chapter, and when I type it up, it's much longer than anticipated.
As for Aoba, thanks. I really wanted her to be part of this story for the later parts of the plot I have in mind. But trying to justify her hanging around Keima and her being accepted by the other girls was the tricky part. Still, I'm glad that her introduction worked.
Yep. She would have fallen for Keima if not for her absent master, which is incidentally, Keima too! So yeah, extremely tricky. As for him admitting it to Aoba, Keima deemed it the best solution, as trying to hide it would be futile, and the scene with Tsukiyo accusing him of cheating made it clear that his relationship with Aoba could wreck his careful balance with the seven girls. It's not enough to reassure the girls. He needed to show to the girls that Aoba was not in love with Keima, and thus, no threat. And the best way to do that was for the Aoba herself to tell the girls she's not in contention for Keima's heart. And so, he needed to tell her about his situation
Well, he did tell her, kinda, why. He was in a setting 'against his will'. Which is kinda true but vague. And up to interpretation, but at least it would tell her that he's innocent. As for her questioning why Keima does not do something about the harem situation, see future chapters.
And her meeting with Chihiro and Ayumi would show why Aoba needed to talk to the girls. If she didn't, the girls would be suspicious of Aoba because of what Yui told them. And it went well, for the most part. As for meeting Tenri, this chapter covers it. As for Tsukiyo, see future chapters.
Yeah, Mars totally misinterpreted the situation, and she might drag Yui into it, too. Still, it's not a totally unreasonable interpretation, even if wrong.
Yep. That was deliberate on Yui's part, with the girl friend situation. But more as a joke. And for the reasoning, yeah. The girls can't just approach Keima outside of their time without a valid reason, while those outside can do so willy nilly. It would be totally unfair if Aoba's really in love with Keima and she's courting him that way.
The thing with the Goddesses was that they would not appear at the schedule because it would interfere with the girls' time, and the Goddesses knew that the time was crucial in their battle for Keima's heart. But Vulcan wanted to be with Tsukiyo because she saw him with Aoba, and was angry at Keima because of his supposed infidelity. But for the most part, she's going to appear outside of the schedule, mostly talking to Tsukiyo.
As for the slap, yeah, Keima deserved that for his act. Still, it was worth it from Keima's point of view. He needed her to affirm that she would be part of the schedule and wait for him for five years. Even if he already knew that.
Yep. Luna could appear at the most unusual places. She was probably waiting for Keima to arrive to tell Tsukiyo what he was doing. And they'll soon meet... in future chapters.
Haha, yeah. Elsie really likes to work with her Divine Brother. So she gets a little bit jealous of Haqua. But still adores Haqua as her best friend. And Haqua did show some of those feelings in this chapter, and as usual, Keima does not get it.
You're right. The conquest happened earlier as a result of Elsie's trying to act smart. Good thing Keima is such a good improviser. Otherwise, it might have made things worse.
And coincidentally, those two girls consider Keima God. Except Elsie has more variety, as she could call him "Divine Brother" or Kami nii Sama, or "Exalted Brother" or Nii Sama. Aoba could only do with "Divine One" or Kami Sama. And Elsie became aware in this chapter!
Yeah. Keima does not look too fondly at the Harem route. And that was inherited by Fuse when he taught her during the conquest. As he believes that it will only result in a bad ending. And technically, he's not aiming for a harem end. He does mean to choose at the end of five years, resolving the situation. But in the meantime, he's stuck in the route...
Well, she was surprised at Ayumi, Chihiro, and Tsukiyo. She did not know Tenri. But more than that, she was struck by the sheer number, and the fact that he got almost all the popular girls in school, despite his negative reputation.
Yeah, that scene with Denezi Sea was inspired by that manga chapter. And yeah, it's a dirty way to corner Keima. But it's within the rules, so...
As for caring for his fun, I actually got that from your Ayumi fic. In the date chapter, where she let Keima take her to the game shop after seeing that he did not have fun from the Romantic movie they had. So yeah, full credit to you. And Tenri in this chapter also wants Keima to enjoy his time with her.
Thanks. I actually reread some manga chapters while writing this fic. So it's obvious.
Once again, thanks!