To my readers,
It's been a wild journey this past few weeks. But I've done it! I've finished one week for all the seven girls, plus introduced another girl into the cast.
I hope you like the activities of each girl during their three hours. Initially, the objective of the first hours are the following: to resolve all outstanding issues between the girls and Keima, to make all the girls unconditionally accept being part of the schedule and share him with the other girls of the schedule, to make sure they understood what Keima's job as loose soul hunter really entails, to introduce them to Miyako as a conquest target. I think the objectives were met in this case.
Aoba Fuse wasn't an objective at first. But when I decided to introduce her early to throw a spanner in Keima's efforts, she became an objective for the girls: That all the girls would accept her just as a disciple and not as a love interest of Keima, and thus, they should not be angry at Keima and Aoba for "cheating" the girls in the schedule. You can see how well that objective was fulfilled in this chapter.
And of course, beyond those objectives, Keima's goal for the week and the next five years is to increase and maintain the affection levels of the girls to ensure their health and safety, without the girls and goddesses finding out the real reason for his efforts.
I'd like to ask you, dear readers, after reading this chapter and Kanon's last hour, please tell me which of the three hours of the girls were your favorite and you enjoyed the most. I certainly enjoyed writing some of Keima's time with some girls more than others.
Writing this fic gave me some appreciation for some of the heroines. Before this, I simply did not appreciate or understand some of the girls, Tsukiyo and Yui especially. My favorites are Ayumi, Kanon, Aoba, and Shiori. Before I wrote this fic, if given the choice, I would not have included Tsukiyo and Yui, as I was not too fond of them.
Writing this fic forced me to reread more and understand both Yui and Tsukiyo. Especially Yui. When I started, it was hard for me to make a plausible Yui that would retain her core personalities, but I did it. At least I hope I did. Yui was a surprise for me, and she turned out way better than expected than when I first wrote chapter 1.
Hopefully, I was able to balance the time spent on all the girls. If there's a girl that I missed or neglected, I am sorry. But hopefully, in over thirteen chapters, all seven girls were able to grab the spotlight when it was their turn, although I have to admit that Yui, and Aoba probably took more time than any other girl.
And so the first week ends! The next Arc will start soon. You can finally see the conquest of Miyako, whether or not Aoba will join the schedule, whether some new girl (but still canon) will join the cast and create problems, some new plot, etc. Just be warned, the second week will be very different from the first week.
Still, I will try to give as much time for each of the three hours of the girls in the schedule to make sure none of them would be neglected. I will probably incorporate your suggestions in your reviews which I had not the opportunity to do so in the first week. And also some of the hints in the first week will also happen.
The second week would probably the last week where I will give the details of every three hours of each girl.
For all the readers, thank you very much. For all the reviewers, thank you too for your words are very encouraging to me.
The World The Girls Also Knows: The Girls God Can Only Save
AU after Goddesses Arc. Keima has to keep the affection of the seven Goddess hosts and Chihiro at the same time. And he still has to exorcise loose souls from girls by making them fall in love with him. Miyako has a loose soul that needs to be exorcised, and the God of Conquests gets himself a new disciple in the game world named Aoba Fuse.
And I do not own The World God Only Knows.
And thanks to xellos540 for the beta job!
Summary of the last chapter
It's Kanon Nakagawa's time with Keima Katsuragi. Kanon makes amends for tasing Keima and destroying his PFPs. Kanon tries to make Keima abandon the schedule and is rebuffed. They go to Okada to fix Kanon's problems with her career and the schedule.
As for some characters:
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.
ARC I
SETTING THE STAGE
Flag XIII
The Closing of the First Week
Translation of Manga Terms that I use
Nii-sama = Big Brother, Exalted Brother, Beloved Brother
Kami-Nii-sama or Kama-Onii-Sama = Divine Brother
Kami-sama = Divine One, Godly One, God. Aoba Fuse calls Keima Kami-sama, so I use Divine One.
Kami = God
Sama = Lord or Lady so Kujo-Sama is Lady Kujo, or Tsukiyo Sama is Lady Tsukiyo
Otamegane or Otamega = Glasses Wearing Game Nerd or Game Nut. I left it mostly untranslated.
Sensei = Teacher. But in context, I use Mr. or Miss. So Kodoma-Sensei would be Mr. Kodoma.
Otome Games = Games for Girls. The female equivalent of male dating sims. I left it mostly untranslated. Sometimes, I would use Guy Games.
Ojou-sama = aristocratic lady or noble lady
Mai-Hime = Princess from Maijima, the title of Aoba Fuse in the Gaming Community
Part 124 – Start of the Third Hour With Kanon
Kanon Nakagawa clutched the arm of Keima Katsuragi as they walked through Maijima Park in that cold November evening. The wind was strong and biting, so both teenagers were wearing warm clothes, with Keima wearing a thick sweatshirt, a scarf, and a warm cap. He was also wearing thick gloves, which didn't stop him from playing his PFP—one of the new ones given to him by the idol— and playing Kanon's game. Kanon wore her usual disguise, which also doubled as her cold-weather clothes. Kanon's scarf was wrapped around her lower face, so only her bespectacled eyes could be seen.
After their 'agreement' had been hammered out, Miss Okada wanted to bring Kanon back to their studio. However, Kanon was able to persuade her manager to let her have a one-hour date to 'celebrate' the agreement. Keima, of course, made a show of reluctance, whining about how he had so many games to complete and how Kanon was wasting his time. Okada finally agreed after incessant pleading from the idol, and Keima reluctantly 'agreed' when the idol showed her 'puppy' dog eyes at him.
It was all an act, of course. Everything that happened with Miss Okada that night had been an act. Kanon still could not believe they pulled it off. That only proved that her Keima was a genius.
"I can't believe it! We did it. We fooled her. I still can't believe that I was able to say all those things with a straight face," Kanon exclaimed as they walked on the stone path through the trees. "Did I do well, Keima?"
"You did magnificently, Kanon," Keima complimented with a hint of pride. He had coached her well before they went to Miss Okada. And he had carefully selected what she would say. "But most of what you said was the truth, right?"
"Ninety percent of what I said was true, but I still didn't think I could say those things to Miss Okada's face!" she agreed. Still, Keima was right. Very few of what Kanon said were outright lies. Mostly, she had to react to Keima as if he was telling the truth in front of the manager. She only had to remember the portions where she had to lie and let the rest flow like a natural conversation. In a way, it was way easier than acting in front of a camera off a memorized script.
"I was only able to pull it off because you were there. If I were alone with her, I don't think I'd be able to do it," the idol admitted. "And you were great too."
He merely nodded as a cold wind suddenly blew.
"Winter's near," she said as she shivered in the cold.
"Yes. A perfect time for events," said Keima. "Many Galges were set in Winter. Some of the very best ones too."
"Yes, games," she said. "Have you ever played on the snow?"
"Oh, yes. When I was ten, I played my PFP while walking through a blizzard and sat on a mound of snow while I played the console. It was fun!"
"No, I mean, do things like building a snowman, making snow angels, and engaging in snowball fights!"
"Yes. I do all the time. It's one of the ways to win a heroine. In games."
Kanon sighed after that last answer. Sometimes, Keima was just impossible. She changed topics
"You know what's the most difficult thing that I'm going to do, Keima?"
"Yes, Kanon?"
"Going in front of the cameras and telling the world that I don't love you. I mean, I know I don't mean it, and it's part of our plan, but still! I hope I can do it," Kanon fretted. "I mean, it's going to be tough telling everyone that you're my best friend, and like my brother, but nothing else."
"It's for the best. You know we can't openly be together romantically, but it would give us cover if anyone catches us. My mission would be much easier once you say that. With that, girls I try to conquer won't keep asking me about you, Kanon. And if they do, I have an answer."
"Your mission, yes, yes," said Kanon as they walked.
The moon was still shining brightly above, even if it was not full. It would be perfect for a romantic encounter.
If Keima had even a single romantic bone in his body.
Oh, he can act romantic. But unless he's motivated to act, he won't even try.
"Speaking of my Mission, I have something that I need to talk to you about," he said.
That made Kanon apprehensive. He was using a serious tone. "Yes, Keima?"
"I have a new conquest target. She has a loose soul in her."
"Loose soul? Oh yes, your mission," she said, chuckling a bit to alleviate the tension inside of her. She was nervous.
"Miyako Terada. Remember her?"
"No. Sorry. Doesn't ring a bell."
"She's our classmate."
"I would recall her if I always went to class. Sorry, I don't even know most of my classmates."
"Remember the time when you sang at school? During the festival?"
"How can I forget?"
"You know Elsie, Chihiro, Yui, and Ayumi? They performed on that day on that stage, right? You sang with them, I am right?"
"I did."
"You noticed the girl with the long hair? The pianist?"
"Not really."
"Nevermind. Miyako Terada is the pianist of the 2B Pencils. She's the friend of Ayumi and Chihiro. She's my next conquest target."
"Okay."
"Just warning you. You may see me dating her, saying sweet things, or kissing her."
"Don't worry," smiled Kanon. "It's fine. I know it means nothing to you. It's just a job."
"You're taking this much better than the others," he commented, surprised at her reaction.
"It's nothing. I know you have no choice, and you're not really betraying me. Is it worse than dating six other girls in the schedule? If I can accept that, what's wooing a conquest target who'll lose her memory afterward?" she asked. "You want me to help? I can send a personal invitation to the studio to her, and you can temporarily bump into her. Or I can set you up on a blind date with her. You know I have a lot of influence with a lot of important people. Especially here in Maijima. They'd be dying to do me a favor."
Keima was about to say no but changed his mind. He was intrigued. If Kanon has that kind of power, maybe conquests could become more manageable in some cases. "I appreciate your offer. I really do. I'll tell you when I may need your help." True, she might mess up a conquest worse than Chihiro, but Chihiro does not have the influence or power of Kanon to compensate.
Part 125 – Feeding Frenzy
They reached a patch of grass beside the playground. This was a familiar place to the gamer since it was where he and Ayumi met during her reconquest. They were at the swings, and…too bad Vintage agents had to ruin the moment. He might have reconquered Ayumi then and there without the need for all that wedding shenanigans.
Looking around, it was so far into the night, with the temperature so low, and the wind so biting, that they were the only ones around.
…
"We haven't had dinner, have we?" asked Keima as they stopped their walk.
"Come to think of it, yeah," Kanon admitted as her hands went over her tummy. "With all that had happened earlier this night, food was the last thing on my mind."
"Then you wouldn't mind a picnic?" he asked in his usual cold tone.
"I would love to, but I see no picnic basket," she pointed out with a smile on her face.
"Really?" asked Keima. "Waitress! We want to have a picnic!"
Kanon giggled. "Oh, don't be silly, Keima. There's no waitress here!"
"Yes, Madame, Sir, what can I do for you?" a voice greeted.
And there she was. Elsie Katsuragi in a waitress uniform.
"Elsie!" cried Kanon.
"Hello, Madame," she said. She had two picnic baskets on her hand.
"Can you set it up, waitress?" asked Keima as he pocketed his PFP.
"With pleasure, Divine Sir," she smiled. "I hope you and your fiancée would enjoy your stay in our outdoor eatery."
That remark made Kanon giggle and blush while he just rolled his eyes.
"Why, I'm sure my fiancé and I would enjoy this," Kanon finally said. "Thank you."
With quick efficiency, Elsie pulled a blanket out from one basket and laid it on the flat grass. Then she put some cushions on it and laid out the food.
"Enjoy your meal. I'll be back when you've finished to clean up," Elsie said before leaving the two alone.
Keima took Kanon's hand and guided her so she could sit on one of the cushions. He sat on the other one.
There were sweets and a cake, which made him blanch a bit. He got a slice of cake, put it on a saucer, and put it in front of the idol.
"Lady Nakagawa, would you do me the favor of letting me feed you?" he asked.
"You may, Lord Katsuragi," she said in as haughty a tone as she could, before giggling like the schoolgirl that she was.
She ate the offered cake, Keima using a fork, and Kanon doing nothing but opening her mouth, biting and chewing. He wiped the corners of her mouth, and even her nose, with a paper towel, when it was smeared with icing.
She enjoyed it so much that she, without meaning to, ate the entire cake that way. Which was excellent for Keima, since he balked at eating sweet food. He cursed Elsie for bringing so many sweets.
He then fed all the other sweets to Kanon, making sure that nothing remained so he won't have to eat any sweet food.
"I'm stuffed. Are you trying to give me a tooth-decay with all the sweets?" Kanon asked as she drank a cup of water afterward.
"Did you like it, my lady?"
"Very much, my lord," she replied as he watched him grab the other food—the non-sweets. He was about to take a bite out of the double cheeseburger when Kanon slapped his hand.
"Hey, I'm hungry," the nerd complained. And his stomach growled.
"Let me return the favor," she said as she took the burger from his hand.
And proceeded to feed Keima with the rest of the food—the burgers, a plate of spaghetti, and two apples. Not that Keima complained—it was not sweet, so he enjoyed the meal.
She also wiped his mouth and nose, even if there was nothing to clean. Kanon thought about licking his face but refrained even as that made her blush. That was too soon. As far as she knew, the only physical contact he was okay with was kissing. And maybe hugging too and holding hands. As far as teenage boys go, he was remarkably chaste.
For example, he never attempted to touch her in inappropriate places, or insinuate any sexual activity, or make dirty jokes. Nor had she heard him do any to his other conquests. For such a playboy, he was such a gentleman. She would even call him a prude.
Which only made her love him even more. She knew she was totally safe with him.
She finished by letting him drink cold coffee from a straw.
"Thanks," he said as she wiped his mouth. "Well, that's that." He looked at the place, and it was a mess. All the food was eaten, but the plates, the forks, knives, chopsticks, and cups were all scattered around.
"I'll help you clean up," offered Kanon.
"No need. Waitress! We're done!"
Elsie emerged from the trees. "Did you enjoy your meal, Divine Sir and Madam?"
"Very much," said Kanon. "Your restaurant is wonderful."
"Thanks. I'll take care of that," she said, and with the efficiency of a cleaner with hundreds of years of experience, briskly cleaned up the mess. When it was all over, everything was placed in the picnic baskets. The younger sister then picked up the baskets and bowed to the couple. "Please come back again."
"Maybe I will," said Kanon as she shook her hand.
"I'm looking forward to your return. I hope I'll have the honor of waiting on you at your wedding reception," the waitress said with a smile.
Part 126 – Crazy Fan
…
"That was fun," Kanon said, clutching Keima's arm as they continued their walk in the park.
Keima merely nodded as he played his PFP—Kanon's gift. The game was also one of her gifts.
Kanon did not mind. The picnic was very touching and even romantic, so it was a small price to let Keima do as he pleased. And he was playing her gifts. Wasn't that the highest compliment he could give to her?
She looked around. It was quiet. The park was dark except for the lampposts. All she could see were trees. Beyond that, the violet sky was studded with bright stars and the bright moon. It was pretty.
Then she noticed it. Beyond the trees were bright lights. Strange. That direction was from the countryside, not the city. So, where were the lights coming from?
"Keima, look," she cried, pointing to the lights. "What's that?"
Keima looked at where Kanon was pointing at.
"Why don't we take a look?"
"That seems far," she hesitated.
"Seems near to me," he assured. "Come on."
"Whatever you say," she cooed, happy that he was taking the lead.
To her surprise, it was way closer than she thought. They came upon a clearing, and to her astonishment, there was a stage on it. Kanon wracked her brain to recall any instances where she performed here before or if there was even such a stage before. Her mind came up empty.
And it wasn't just a stage. There was colossal sound equipment on both sides of the stage, and there were lots of lights with different colors on it. In the middle was a mic stand with a microphone. And before it was a single chair.
Keima, while pocketing his PFP, looked at her and said, in a soft but serious tone, "Kanon, you said before that you are willing to sing for just one person. Can I be that one person, right now?"
Kanon separated from him, and looked at him, "You're always that one person, silly. And yes, I will sing to you. And only you! You should be happy. I haven't sung this song in public. You're going to be the first one to hear it!"
"Thank you," he whispered as she went to the stage and grabbed the microphone.
Before she could say or sing anything, she heard something.
"KANON! KANON! KANON!"
There was a voice shouting it like a crazed fan. She looked around, and it was Keima Katsuragi. He had a white cloth band tied around his head with the world 'KANON' written on it. On his left hand was a pink glow stick that he waved around while he was jumping up and down. On his right hand was a giant sign that says, 'KANON! THE GREATEST REAL IDOL!' He was wearing a sash with her name and various memorabilia of her.
Looking outward, she noticed that banners draped the trees surrounding the clearing. The banners had her name and picture on it. There were also balloons that held more banners.
Then there was crowd noise that simulated the shouting of her name. "KANON! KANON! KANON!" chants were piped in, but Keima's shouts drowned them all out.
"Yahoo! The greatest idol of the real!" he shouted as he jumped as high as he could. His eyes were wide, like a typical fan. "You're the best idol in the 3D! Yipee!"
She knew it was an act. But she did not care. And it even made her heart swell. For him to do all of this even if he cared not a whit about her songs or her career just showed how much he cared about her as a heroine, as a person. He did not love her, but at this moment, she did not care. It only matters that Keima cared about her.
She removed her coat, beret, and glasses. Surprisingly, it was not that cold.
She sang her new song. It was, by chance, dedicated to Keima. And she sang it passionately as if she was in front of thousands of fans and millions of television audiences. That only Keima was the audience made it even more special.
Surprisingly, music played that matched the tone of her new song. How that happened she did not know, nor did she care. Only that she could sing as she always did, just for the man she loved. If only he would love her back. But she had no worry. She had five years to win him over. It would be a hard struggle against formidable rivals, but she had the confidence that she could do it.
She would be the victor. She would do everything within the rules of the schedule to win him over.
Just you wait, Keima! I will conquer you! she thought as she ended one song and started a new one.
At the end of the second song, she bowed.
"Thank you Keima! Thank you for all that you did. I love you, Keima, more than anyone else, more than my life. You are my life. I hope you remember that because, in five years, you're going to say the same to me! I am going to defeat you! I am going conquer you!" she said like she was thanking a crowd, her hand pointing at the sole person in the audience.
There was thunderous applause heard through the sound system. Keima was shouting and applauding. He ran towards Kanon and produced a small notebook and a pen.
"You were great, Kanon! Can I have your autograph?" he said, perfectly mimicking a typical fan.
"My pleasure," she said as she took the notebook and signed it. After that, he got his phone and said, "can I have a picture too?"
"Sure," Kanon said, and they took several selfies together.
After that, he shook Kanon's hand. He then jumped, and shouted, "Yahoo! I got her autograph! I have a picture with the Great Kanon! And I shook her hand! I am never gonna wash this hand again!"
He ran to the trees and disappeared.
Part 127 – Finale for Kanon
"Keima! Keima!" she called in the direction where he went. "This was wonderful, but you can stop acting now."
There was no response as she wore her thick winter coat, scarf, beret, and glasses. Were the three hours over? She looked at her watch. There were still fifteen minutes left of the third hour.
She looked around.
Nothing.
Her worry was threatening to consume her when suddenly, she heard music. It was one of her songs, naturally. It was a slow song.
"Kanon," she heard him say, and she turned around.
There was Keima Katsuragi, in a formal black suit, with a bow tie and a top hat. "May I have this dance?" he asked, extending his hand.
"You may," she replied, blushing as she took his hand, and he pulled her towards him. With his other hand, held her waist, and she wrapped her arm around his shoulder.
They danced away the last minutes of the hour of Kanon's time at the stage.
"Thank you, Keima. This is more than I expected. More than what I deserve," she said softly as they danced.
He smiled. "You are Kanon. The idol. You deserve everything."
She looked at him quizzically. "Now, did you really mean that?"
"It's up to you to decide. As a real idol, I admit that you deserved everything that you got. All your talent, all your hard work, everything you have, you've earned. You got everything, and you deserve it."
"Not everything. Yet. I will earn you, Keima. You will be mine, and I will deserve it."
"We'll see what happens," he replied.
"And I must say, you dance pretty good," she complimented.
"I'm glad you like it. There was a time when I had two left feet."
"Where did you learn to dance?"
He shrugged. "I learned a lot in the course of my missions."
She looked up at his beautiful face. It was silhouetted against the bright moonlight, and he just looked heavenly. Her knees nearly gave as she stared at the boy she loved so much.
"Keima, I already said this before, but I love you," she said as she stared at those beautiful brown eyes as they continued dancing. She relished the feel of his hands at her waist.
"I know."
At the end of the music, he pulled her up by the waist, bent forward so that he towered over her, and she bent backward. She was hanging by his arm.
He pulled her towards her, and both their lips met. They kissed each other for a long time until both had to pull back because of lack of breath.
…
That kiss was the signal for the three hours to end. Elsie, who was responsible for the entire stage set-up, appeared and cleaned up the whole thing. Kanon, who was leaning on Keima, with her eyes closed, didn't want to let go but eventually relented.
"This night was wonderful," she said. "Let's do this again someday, Keima."
"Your choice," he said. "I better get you back to the studio."
"Aw, I don't want to!" she whined.
"Miss Okada will kill me," Keima chided. "Not to mention that the other girls of the schedule will cry unfair if you exceed your time for no reason."
"I guess so," she pouted. "But I want to stay with you."
Keima got back to his usual clothes before Elsie flew both of them to just outside the studio. When they entered the building, Miss Okada was waiting for them.
Keima quickly made his farewell before he walked away. When there was enough distance, and making sure that no one can see them, an invisible Elsie picked him up. He also turned invisible before they flew back home.
…
Part 128 – The Conspiracy
Meanwhile…
Yui was at home, in her room. The lights were out, and she was already supposed to be asleep. As far as the household was concerned, the heiress had turned in for the night.
But the crossdresser was still awake. She was lying on her bed, in her sleepwear, remembering the week fondly. The schedule was the best thing ever. The three hours she had with Keima were the happiest three hours of her life. She was able to kiss him and hug him and touch him, and the best part was, he reciprocated and kissed and hugged her too. And he wore the female uniform of Mai Hai Private School to her home! It was heaven! That wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the schedule.
The schedule was what gave her a chance with Keima. She looked back at the Goddess search, and after Mars was found, he barely gave any time to her. He virtually ignored her and all her efforts. She wouldn't give up, of course, but she did not have the results back then. Now, she was having it and more.
Granted, she was sharing him with six other girls, but it's not as if she had him for herself before the schedule. Now at least, they were in an even playing field. No one can have an unfair advantage over any other girl.
Except for that Aoba Fuse girl. She had all the advantages and none of the disadvantages. She's not part of the schedule, so she doesn't have to limit her time with Keima. And she didn't need the schedule to spend time with him since her interests and hobbies were identical to Keima. And Keima would gladly spend time with Fuse to indulge his own gaming addiction. Something that none of the girls of the schedule could do.
So there was one solution to that.
"Hey Mars," Yui called as she stared at a handheld mirror underneath her blankets. She was using the light from her phone to see the Goddess.
"Yui. What can I do for you?"
"Aoba Fuse needs to be on the schedule," Yui declared.
"But wouldn't that add to your rivals? Wouldn't that lessen your chance to be picked?" asked Mars.
"I have six rivals already. What's one more? Besides, I know that Keima will pick me if the playing field is level. But the playing field isn't level with her outside, is it?"
"But he wouldn't pick her anyway if she's outside," Mars argued.
"I thought that way too. But then, picture this scenario. What if he fell in love with her at the end of five years, even as she remains outside? Would any of us in the schedule complain that he picked her instead of the seven? When she's Keima's true love? No matter what Keima says today, he'll follow his heart at the end of five years, and if that heart says Fuse, then there's nothing we could do but give our congratulations. A marriage based on a mere promise without love is nothing, you know. As I always said, love conquers all."
"That's mature of you," Mars said.
"We can't let Fuse win on unfair terms. Let Fuse try to win his heart, but I want her to be fair about it. I want a chance to win, and that could only happen if she's in the schedule," Yui argued. "As it stands right now, Fuse would win hands down. None of us seven even have a chance against her."
"How did you come up with that conclusion?"
"Earlier this day. Just look at how easily she was able to persuade Keima to let her come to his home whenever she liked just because Keima owned a library of games. How can I fight that?"
"That makes sense. So yes, I agree with you. Fuse needs to be in the schedule. I'll do my best to help you. But how do we do that?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you to read the rules of the schedule?"
"Yes, you did," said the Goddess. "It's similar to the rules of war. As they say, love is war."
"Do you remember the rule about admitting new girls?"
"There isn't any rule about that," Mars argued.
The crossdresser smirked. "Not directly. Rule thirteen says, and I quote, 'New rules or amendments of existing rules could be made with the unanimous consent of all parties, which consist of the seven girls named above, Keima Katsuragi, Elsie Katsuragi, and Haqua du Lot Herminium.' "
"That doesn't say anything about adding new girls," Mars argued.
"But look at Rule One. I'll quote it. It says, 'This schedule is the tentative schedule by which Keima Katsuragi will spend his time with Tenri Ayukawa, Chihiro Kosaka, Ayumi Takahara, Shiori Shiomiya, Tsukiyo Kujo, Yui Goido, and Kanon Nakagawa.' "
"I think I'm beginning to see where you're going at."
"All we need is an amendment to that rule to add Fuse's name. It would read, and I quote, 'This schedule is the tentative schedule by which Keima Katsuragi will spend his time with Tenri Ayukawa, Chihiro Kosaka, Ayumi Takahara, Shiori Shiomiya, Tsukiyo Kujo, Yui Goido, Kanon Nakagawa, and Aoba Fuse'."
"That's brilliant!" said Mars.
"Yes. Our plan would be to convince all seven girls, Elsie, Haqua, and Keima to add Fuse to the schedule, and she would be included. Of course, that is easier said than done. I'm going to need all the help I can get. I'm not a genius like Keima darling or Fuse."
"Don't worry. I'll see if I can persuade my sisters to convince their hosts to vote your way. If all seven girls are for it, I'm sure Keima would consent. How about Haqua and Elsie?"
Yui yawned. "We'll think of something. Anyway, that's your marching orders. That's my plan. So how do the other Goddesses see this situation with Fuse?"
"Well, mostly, they'll see it the same way as their hosts," answered Mars. "So, they might not see it the way I see it."
"Well, that's more than my brain could take for one day. Goodnight, Mars," said Yui as she turned off the light on her phone and closed her eyes.
Part 129 - Evaluation
Keima gave a sigh of relief as they flew home. The Week's schedule was officially over.
Overall, he counted it a success. He was able to resolve all his outstanding issues with the girls. He made them fully accept the schedule and all its consequences. The girls would now be willing to share him with each other for the next five years. And they were far more accepting of his job as loose soul catcher. The only wrinkle was the entry of Aoba Fuse, but he was able to iron that wrinkle with all the girls. Except for Yui. But Yui can be handled.
"So, Big Brother, how was your week?"
"One of the worst in my life. Second worse to the Goddess search," he whined.
"Aw, don't say that. I bet you had fun."
He grunted, but he had to admit that in some parts, he did have fun. Not as much fun as he would have if he had just been playing games all day, but he had fun sometimes.
"So, which of the girls do you like most?"
"None of your business," he spat.
"But it is my business. Chief Dokuro said we must make weekly reports on your progress with the girls," Elsie announced. "Please, Divine Brother, tell us how things are going on your end."
Keima sighed. Damn bureaucracy. Even hell has been infected by that curse.
"Do I really need to?"
"Yes, Divine Brother. We wanted to see the danger level of each girl, by looking at their love for you, and your love for them," Elsie informed. "Haqua and I need this. Please!"
"Fine. Tell Haqua to meet me in your room," he instructed.
…
"You already know why you're here?" asked Keima Katsuragi to Haqua du Lot Herminium.
"Yes. About that report," the valedictorian began.
"I suppose you know enough not to tell anyone except your superiors what I'm going to say. Especially the Goddesses and the hosts," Keima warned.
"You don't need to tell me, Katsuragi. Who do you take me for?"
"So, what do you want to know? Their affection levels for me?"
"More like how you view them, and their chances of being picked," Haqua clarified. "It's relevant to see how much you love each of them because of this week's activities."
"Are you really sure that's what your superiors want? And you're not just after some juicy gossip?"
"Me? Gossiping?" an outraged Haqua said before grabbing Keima and slamming him against the wall. "I am the valedictorian of my class. I am above such petty things as gossip. I am just here to learn about how the girls are doing in the schedule. This is, after all, an official New Hell operation, approved by Chief Dokuro. I am above gossip."
"Don't you know that Nora has a crush on Ryou?" he remarked.
"Really? Tell me more!" Haqua shouted as her eyes widened. "Tell me every detail."
"My point exactly!"
"That's not gossip!" the violet haired devil grunted with evident embarrassment. "Now evaluate the girls! How did their efforts go?"
Keima sighed. "Very well. So how do I evaluate the girls? Those six girls, right?"
"Seven."
"Chihiro is not a Goddess host."
"She's not, but she's involved. She needs to be in the schedule if she wants her memories to be retained," declared the valedictorian devil. "So evaluate her as if she's a goddess host. Aoba Fuse too, so that's eight."
"Aoba Fuse? Why her? She's not even in the schedule!" he protested, eyes widening at the thought.
"She's getting involved. Slowly but surely, can't you see? She knows too much already. I'm telling you that if she finds out about the entire thing, either she joins the schedule, or we wipe out her memories," the valedictorian warned.
"Don't worry. No matter how brilliant she is, her logical mind won't figure out about the goddess stuff and hell. Her own rationality would prevent her from finding out," Keima assured.
"Still, you must give her the same evaluation," Haqua insisted.
"Fine. But you won't find anything about her, okay? So let's start."
How can he start? When the week began, he loved and liked Chihiro Kosaka the best. She's the only girl among the seven who he loved. But he can't say that. That would disrupt everything. That would cause an uproar among the devils, hosts, and goddesses.
To be honest, at the end of the week, he still loves Chihiro. She's still the only girl he loves. But if the schedule was a horse race with the prize his heart at the end of the five years, even if she remains in the lead, several girls were gaining on her. They progressed leaps and bounds in comparison to where they were at the start.
So how to do the evaluation without revealing his feelings for Chihiro at the start? By purely looking at it based on how their efforts during the week affected him and disregarding prior feelings.
Part 130 – Bottom of the List
"Okay, this is purely based on how they did during the Schedule, since Monday," he began. "I'll begin at the bottom and work my way up. If I am forced to choose at this very moment, and I will have to base my choice only on what happened since Sunday, then Kanon Nakagawa is dead last."
"Kanon? How could you? She was so wonderful! And you two were so romantic just a while ago!" Elsie whined when she heard him.
"Will you stop and listen, you bug demon?" Keima nearly shouted. "Every heroine has her own parameters from which the protagonist would choose if he's playing a harem game. Since I am the protagonist, I have to look at their parameters. And as such, I get to select which parameter matter to me."
"What do you mean?" asked Haqua. "Could you speak clearer?"
"Let's start with her positives. I did have a bit of fun with her—I enjoyed the PFPs she gave me, and it's a treat to play those games before they were released. Honestly, if that were the only thing that happened, she'd be pretty high on the list. But, among the girls, she did not do the best job of making me happy with the ideal. Shiori, Tenri, and Yui especially had her beat in that."
"Must you always use games? You know that it would be unfair to Ayumi and Chihiro," Elsie complained.
"But it would be even more unfair to Yui and Tenri and Shiori if I didn't use games to evaluate, wouldn't it?" he reasoned, looking at his sister. "Games make me happy. If they used games in trying to win, then I'll be thrilled."
"I guess so," Elsie conceded.
"And I'm very grateful that she easily accepted Aoba Fuse as my disciple," he remarked.
"That's only because I was there to help," Haqua added.
"Yes, that's it," said Keima, not wanting a fight over that. "And she easily accepted the need to conquer Miyako. In fact, I liked her reasoning for that. She also is very hopeful about being picked. In fact, she absolutely believes that's she's gonna win in five years. I like that. It means I don't have to reassure her over and over that she has a chance. That's one of the few things going against Tenri. And she has basic knowledge of the rules of the schedule. That showed when she didn't message me when I'm with another girl. I'm telling you both, I like it if the girl knows the rules very well. It's less of a headache for me, at least. Yui's the best on that score. Finally, Kanon's been helpful. She did heal me after Ayumi beat me up. That has to count for something, even if she's not as helpful as Tenri. And she was magnificent with Okada. Anyway, that's most of her positives at this point in time."
"Those are positives?" asked Haqua. "I'd hate to hear her negatives."
"Let's start with the small negatives. First of all, she inflicted physical injury on me. Slapped me and tased me. Normally, I wouldn't even consider it. It's part of the territory of conquering girls. But it would be unfair to the other girls that didn't beat me up, right? That would be unfair on Tenri and Shiori. They never laid a hand on me. That should count in their favor. So that's a negative for Kanon."
"That's still unfair on Kanon," Elsie whined, not wanting to hear her idol being criticized.
"Then, of course, she embarrassed me a couple of times. One is that cringeworthy walk to the café with her barely plausible excuse. She could've easily been recognized by my mother. What was she thinking? And I know almost all the other girls mocked her for it. If she didn't heal me beforehand, that would almost be impossible to explain away. Secondly, there's that confession in the middle of the test."
"But that happened last week! I thought you're supposed to evaluate solely with what happened this week?" Haqua complained.
"Yes, but the effects of that confession still lingers to this day. Until that is fixed, that is negative on Kanon. It's a major headache when I'm trying to conquer Miyako. It's not even incidentally helpful, like during the Goddess search.
"I guess you're right," conceded the valedictorian.
"Finally, this is the big one. If Kanon did not do this, the other negatives wouldn't matter too much, as her positives will pull her up. But this negative was so big that it pulled her score way down, so she's dead last."
Both devils looked at him in rapt attention.
"That is her attempt to get me to dump the schedule so she could have me by herself. That is such a large negative. You know that there's almost nothing that a girl could do that could make me genuinely mad. After all, I'm playing them like a fiddle. But that upset me. She promised in front of all of you in the café that she will accept the schedule. And it's not like what Ayumi or Chihiro were contemplating. They were uncertain if they would join the schedule, but either way, the other girls would still have a chance. No, if Kanon had her way, it's dumping the entire thing for all the other girls except her. She couldn't even think of the other girls when she tried that stunt. Her only saving grace is that she's unaware that if I did that, the other five girls would die."
"That's harsh," Haqua admonished. "After all, no normal girl would like to share her loved one with another girl."
"Well, yeah," Keima admitted. "Maybe I'm unfair on holding that against her, but it would be unfair for all the other girls who didn't do that if I did anything else."
"That's mean, Divine Brother," Elsie pouted at hearing her hero being badmouthed.
"That's the truth," he snapped as he wrote something on a piece of paper.
"What's that?"
"It's the numerical equivalent of what I just said," he said, handing it to Haqua. "In games, numbers like this determine the affection levels of heroines. As they are in a harem game wanting to win the heart of a protagonist, I'm going to act like the protagonist by assigning points."
"So Kanon only gets 8 points out of a possible 60 points based on this," said Haqua as he looked at the paper [1]. "I don't understand you, Katsuragi. Everything's a game to you."
"So, Kanon has no chance?"
"She has a chance. This is only one week. She has 259 weeks left," Keima said. "I meant it when I said that all the girls have a chance."
Part 131 - Sixth Place
"So who's next? The next lowest?" asked Elsie.
"Ayumi Takahara."
"Ayumi? But how can she be the next lowest? She's my best friend!" Elsie complained.
"I'll explain. First, her positives. Her positives aren't as great as the other girls. For example, her acceptance of the schedule. It's true that in the end, she accepted that she wanted to be part of it. That automatically earned her a positive score. But the fact is, she wanted to give way to Chihiro because she did not want to compete with her friend. I had to use some tricks to make her part of the schedule. I know you're going to say it's unfair, as it only shows how great Ayumi is as a friend to Chihiro, but it would be unfair to the girls who accepted the schedule without any issues. Those girls were happy about being part of the schedule since the beginning, and I did not need to persuade them to be part of it. In fact, they insisted. Like Tsukiyo. Or Tenri. Or Yui. It's still a positive since she did not ask me to dump the schedule, but it's smaller than all the other girls except Kanon," he stated in a level voice that he uses when analyzing game heroines.
Haqua shook her head, closing her eyes. "Always the gamer."
He ignored the violet-haired devil as he lectured. "There are other positives, as well. She gave me bento lunch twice. That's always welcome. And she and Chihiro know the rules very well. Not as well as Yui, for example, but well enough that it shows they made an effort to master it. That time in Denezi sea when they combined their times so they can have two hours each, so in total, have four hours total instead of the usual three shows that knowledge. I like it. Very creative use of the rules without violating it, I might add. And Ayumi accepted that Aoba Fuse is merely my disciple, and nothing else. And they tried to be nice to her. But not as much as Tenri or Kanon did, so she doesn't get full points for that. She accepted that I should conquer Miyako without much fuss, unlike Chihiro, for example, but not as much as Kanon, Tenri, and Yui did. Which meant that she doesn't get as many points for it as those three girls. Finally, she's very confident that she'll get picked, which is always a plus. She gets full marks for that."
"Geez. If I didn't know better, I would think that you're a teacher evaluating your students," the valedictorian mentioned.
"Then the negatives," Keima continued without missing a beat. "First of all, some of her activities with me made me miserable. I might be able to forgive it if that misery resulted in some great enjoyment for me, like what Yui did in her events. But it did not. That double date at Denezi Sea really made me cross. And the only thing remotely enjoyable about it is that shooter game, but that's small potatoes. I know that you think that I'm unfair, that they only wanted me to enjoy it, but I never experienced such misery with the other events with other girls. Except for Yui, but she made it up at the same time. It would be unfair to the other girls who avoided making me miserable if I simply ignored what I felt during that time. And while making it a double date was brilliant, it made it less enjoyable too. I'd rather have to date one girl at a time," he said.
"Don't say that about Ayumi," a pouting Elsie cried. His words were affecting her so much that it looked like she was about to sob.
"And finally, her biggest negative is she inflicted upon me such a grievous physical injury. She beat me up pretty bad!"
"You told her to do that to you! You know it!" the sister accused.
"I know. But she beat me up more than I expected. So much so that Apollo had to heal me. And normally, I would ignore it. But then, it would be unfair on the other girls who did not beat me up. Tell me, if I told Tenri, not Diana, but only Tenri, to beat me up for any reason, would she beat me up? No, she wouldn't. It's a character flaw of the athlete archetype. Normally, such an archetype has other compensating factors that would negate their penchant for violence, but in this case, her positives are not high enough to overcome it and her other negatives."
"So you're telling me that it's not the beating she gave you, but because she beat you up more than you expected?" asked Haqua.
"Yup. Partially," he said as he finished writing something on another card. He gave it to Haqua.
Both Haqua and Elsie stared at it.
"Ayumi got 16 out of 60?" Elsie cried, looking at it. "Only 16? That's mean!" [2]
"Hey, it's double that of Kanon. And think of it this way. If I have to choose between Kanon and Ayumi based solely on what happened this week, I'm going to choose Ayumi," he said.
"So who's next? Who's in fifth place?" asked a curious Haqua.
"I'll do that next time. Right now, I need to see your raiment recordings of Miyako," the gamer said to the valedictorian. "We're going to go to Terada tomorrow."
"Fine!" Haqua stated, a bit disappointed she didn't hear the rest of his list.
"Divine Brother, I want to ask. Why do you compare the girls? I mean, you didn't do it before," asked the younger devil.
"This is the pitfall of a Harem Genre. In a normal game, the question is whether you win the girl or not, or in an otome game, winning over one guy. So there's no need for comparison. You can ignore some characteristics, or some quirks or some faults, or emphasize another, depending on what the protagonist is like. But in a Harem game, it's not a question of whether the protagonist will get a girl. No, he will get a girl. The only question is who. In that case, he must compare the parameters of all the heroines. He must be fair to all. Thus, he needs to consider things that he would otherwise ignore if there's only one heroine. Every action of the protagonist with one heroine will also affect the others, and all the actions of the heroines would be compared to the others," he said. "Before I'm just conquering one heroine at a time, then they forget. Now, I need to maintain the love of seven girls at the same time, and they are the ones who are attempting to conquer me. See the difference?"
"I don't get it," the sister whined.
He sighed. "For example, if Yui did not memorize the rules word by word, then it really would not matter if the others didn't, only that they understood it. But Yui did. Therefore, the other girls are penalized for not memorizing the rules like Yui did. It's only fair. So Yui gets full points for it, and the others have lower points.
"Conversely, if Tenri did not doubt that she would even be considered at the end of five years, then their confidence would be irrelevant since it would be the same. But she did doubt. Thus, the other girls who were completely confident would have to be rewarded by having full points on that, don't you think?"
"That still makes my head hurt," Elsie said, "But I'm sure whatever it is, it's a good reason. You're wonderful, Beloved Brother."
"If it makes you feel any better, this is why I consider the harem genre distasteful," he admitted. "It's much harder than you think. Especially with someone unable to choose immediately, like me."
"Fine, fine," said Haqua as she prepared her raiment. "Are you going to review that Terada girl or not?"
…
Part 132 – Goddess Plans
"You're early," Vulcan noticed as Mars entered the Astronomy club.
"Yui's already asleep, Big Sister. I assume Kujo's tucked in for the night? I don't see Luna anywhere," Mars remarked.
"Tsukiyo's asleep," the eldest Goddess informed. "And her doll is back at her home."
"Our hosts won't know about anything that would happen here, I gather?"
"Of course not. It's a Goddess only gathering," remarked Vulcan. "So, why are you here early? You're hardly the most punctual of the Jupiter sisters."
"As expected by the Eldest Sister," Mars complimented, "Yes, I wanted to talk to you before the others arrived."
"Go on. We don't have much time."
"About Aoba Fuse."
"What about the gamer girl?"
"Yui thinks Fuse's in love with her beloved. I think so too."
"You're mistaken. She isn't in love with him," said Vulcan.
"I won't try to persuade you," said Mars. "I just want to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"What's the position of Kujo regarding the Aoba situation? If it's the same with you, I think she believes her."
"My host does not believe Fuse. Rather, Tsukiyo believes that vile bastard Katsuragi," said Vulcan. "So as far as we are concerned, the matter is settled. Fuse does not love him. That's that. End of story."
Mars told her about Fuse inviting herself to his home.
"What about it? It's just about games," Vulcan insisted. "You're letting your imagination run wild, Mars. That's not good. And by your own words, her motivation is that she wants to borrow games. That has nothing to do with love."
Mars sighed. You too, Vulcan? Did Fuse cast so potent a spell? "Anyway, let's just assume. Assume that Fuse is really after Katsuragi. Then what?"
"So you want hypotheticals? Fine. If that is the case, then Tsukiyo demands that Fuse join the schedule, or he should drop her as a disciple. It would be unfair to Tsukiyo for Fuse to have that much of an advantage," Vulcan stated.
Mars smiled. "So if we prove that Fuse is in love with him, then she should join the schedule?"
"Yes. It becomes her obligation to join the schedule!" thundered Vulcan. "But she's not after him, is she? So that question is moot."
"We'll see about that," said Mars. "Since you're so sure, I want to ask the rest of the sisters about it."
"What do you want from all of us?"
"If I'm right, and Yui and I can prove that she is after him, our sisters should persuade their hosts to vote in favor of her joining the schedule," Mars asked.
"That's reasonable. But I'm not sure I can just order it. I am the eldest sister, but I do not command them like a boss commands her employees," said Vulcan.
"That's why we need help. Someone who can think of a scheme to persuade our sisters," said Mars. "I called Diana early too."
"Diana?" asked Vulcan.
The said goddess entered the Astronomy club. "Big sister," Diana bowed to Vulcan.
"Diana," Vulcan replied.
"Diana," said Mars.
The Roman Goddess of the Hunt looked at her younger sister. "Mars, why did you call me early?"
"I want to ask you something," the Goddess of War began.
The tactician Goddess raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"First of all, Tenri's asleep, right? She won't hear of this."
Diana had a look of impatience in her face as she answered. "Yes. Well? Get on with it."
"Help me persuade our sisters to convince their hosts to vote that Aoba Fuse be included in the schedule."
It took a few seconds for the request to register with Diana. And when it did, her eyes bulged wide.
"You're crazy! Aoba Fuse in the schedule? That gamer girl isn't even in love with Katsuragi! How can you propose that?"
"But Fuse's in love with Katsuragi," Mars insisted.
"I don't believe you! I won't believe you! Tenri totally believes both Katsuragi and Fuse. It would be a betrayal of my host if I don't believe what she believes," Diana declared.
"Don't talk about betrayal! You already betrayed your host by falling in love with Katsuragi," Mars said.
Diana blushed red as her eyes popped wide open. "What—What are you talking about?"
"No need to deny it, little sister," Vulcan teased. "I can feel the heat rise in your face. I may be going blind and deaf, but I'm not stupid."
"Yeah, disregarding your host!" Mars added, shaking her head.
"Shut up!" Diana snapped, looking at the Goddess of War.
"Let's forget about that dirty little man. Let's get back to the topic at hand. Fuse. Diana, I know you believe Katsuragi and Ayukawa about the gamer girl. I believe Tsukiyo too. Fuse is not in love with Katsuragi. And that's final."
"So why are we talking about this?" asked the tactician Goddess.
"Sadly, our sister here does not believe that. She insists upon her mistaken idea that Fuse is after him, which is frankly, ridiculous. However, if indeed, it is true, then Fuse should join the schedule."
"What? But I thought you don't believe that—"
"I still don't. It's purely hypothetical. But Mars here wants to make a bet. She wants to prove that Goido is right by showing that Fuse is in love with Katsuragi, and she's after him. If she's right, then we should promise to make our hosts vote to let Fuse join the schedule."
"That's crazy!"
"Why? If you're so sure that Fuse is telling the truth, why don't you put your money where your mouth is? Or are you doubting Tenri? Are you afraid?" asked Mars.
"Fine, fine. But this is a wager. I want something in return if it turns out that you're wrong. If within the week, Fuse has not yet confessed her love to Katsuragi, then Yui Goido is to donate the three hours of the next week to Tenri. And Goido must promise to not even attempt to spend time with him outside of her three hours."
"Could you actually donate hours like that?" Vulcan asked.
"I studied the rules too. And I pestered Tenri to study it too," Diana proudly said. "I'm glad to announce that Tenri finally did it! Just this afternoon, she was finally able to memorize it word by word with help from me! I was able to memorize it last Monday, of course, so it was easy to assist Tenri in that. And unlike Goido, Tenri isn't so boastful that she would just tell that fact to Katsuragi's face."
"Whatever. So could you donate time?" asked Vulcan.
"Well, Rule Seven states, and I quote, 'It is preferable if the girl who cannot make it to inform Keima Katsuragi in advance. She can trade her time to any other girl if that happens.' Rule Eight says, 'Trading of time and schedules is allowed, provided both girls agree. Keima Katsuragi's approval for such is not needed.' See? We can trade and donate our time to other girls of the schedule."
"Yui already knew that since Sunday night. And yes, that's a fair bet. A week is nothing," said Mars.
"Fine then. This is for Tenri, not you, Mars. So what do you want to do next?"
"You're the tactician Goddess. I want you to devise a plan to get the other three to agree to this," said Vulcan. "And that goes for me too, Mars. If you're wrong, Goido must give the three hours of the week after that to Tsukiyo."
"So Yui's going to lose six hours in total if we lose? Fine then," said the Goddess of War. "The greater the risk, the greater the victory in war and in love."
"I'll get the others to agree," Diana conceded.
…
Part 133 – Sleepover of the Goddesses
Later…
All six Goddesses were in the Astronomy Club for their slumber party. All of them were in their sleepwear.
They were gorging themselves on earth snacks, something which they were not able to do in heaven. Most of them were sweets.
"You know, this schedule isn't too bad," Mars remarked. "Yui got far more time with Katsuragi than before."
"You're right. Though it doesn't change the outcome," Vulcan said. "This is just his form of charity."
"Charity?" asked Apollo before she nibbled on another sweet snack.
"Isn't it obvious? That terrible dirty man is going to choose Tsukiyo. Obviously, he's just sorry for the other girls, so he's giving them time for five years. After that, he's all Tsukiyo's."
"How can you be so sure about that?" asked Apollo.
"It's their destiny to be together," said the eldest goddess.
"Oh, that's rich!" said Diana. "Lest you forgot, he belonged to Tenri for ten years already. He's Tenri's fiancé. The schedule is charity, I agree. But charity to your hosts, not mine."
"How can he be engaged to Tenri Ayukawa when he already is married to Ayumi?" Mercury argued.
"Married? How can he be married and make the schedule?" asked the tactician Goddess.
"For some reason, this culture does not favor girls to marry so young. I still don't understand it, though. The primary function of marriage is to produce legitimate offspring with the one you love. Ayumi and Katsuragi are more than capable of it. Oh well. Obviously, he's not yet ready to acknowledge his marriage to Ayumi. So he's trying to sow his wild oats before he settles down with his wife."
"Huh? What does sowing wild oats mean?" wondered Minerva.
"Don't defile her young mind," Vulcan scolded, looking at Mercury and Minerva. "Minerva's just a child."
"I'm not!" Minerva whined. "And he belongs to Shiori! Shiori has the key to his heart!"
"Really? I'm sorry, but Yui has found the key! And I won't tell you what it is!" Mars argued.
"Is Goido gonna kidnap him and rape him?" asked Apollo in a teasing manner.
"Yui is very expressive of her feelings, and would not hesitate to do so if required. But it's not. She has found out the key to his heart!" Mars asserted. "That's why Yui's willing to share. Because at the end of the day, he belongs to Yui."
"Confident now, aren't we?" Apollo cracked. "How can you be so sure?"
"Well, Yui's at least more confident than Kanon Nakagawa. Ha, what kind of a Goddess are you to tell your host to dump the schedule? That tells me she's not that confident of being picked at all, and she wants to have him now by herself because she's scared," Mars accused.
"Take that back!" Apollo said. "I tried to tell her not to do so! It's not my fault."
"You can't even get your host to do the right thing," Mars added.
"Yeah! Dumping the schedule! That's low!" Diana agreed. "You can't even give charity to your sisters. If the other hosts knew about this…"
"Please don't tell your hosts what Kanon tried to do! Please!" a frantic Apollo pleaded. "They are asleep, right? Please tell me the hosts are asleep."
"They are," Vulcan said.
"Whew. I thought Kanon's a goner. Look, Kanon was confused. And now she knows better," Apollo explained.
"After Katsuragi chewed her out," laughed Mars.
"Don't worry, we won't tell the hosts," said Diana. "We're sisters, after all, and we shouldn't play dirty with each other. We must be fair to each of our hosts."
"True," Vulcan agreed. "Of course, that doesn't apply to the interloper."
"Interloper?" asked Minerva.
"Yes. That Kosaka girl. She isn't even a goddess host," the Eldest Goddess complained. "Why should she be part of the schedule? If it's Kosaka who tried this stunt, I won't hesitate to tell Tsukiyo. And you should tell your hosts too."
"I say we get rid of her," Mars exclaimed.
"Now, now, now. I don't favor Kosaka being part of the schedule. After all, this should be limited to our hosts," the Messenger Goddess Mercury cautioned. "But Kosaka's Ayumi's friend. So to make Ayumi happy, I'll protect Kosaka's interests, unless those interests clash with that of Ayumi. So we will not get rid of her—until she becomes inconvenient for Ayumi."
"I was not serious about what I said," the Goddess of War replied. "And so you're appointing yourself Kosaka's protector now, Mercury?"
"Why not? Unless it's against Ayumi, sure, I'll do it. I'm here to make Ayumi happy after all," Mercury shrugged. "What about it, big sister?"
"I'm not against it," Vulcan assented.
"And Kosaka isn't that much of an interloper anyway," Mars commented. "At least she's in the schedule. I can't say the same for Fuse."
Part 134 – The Goddess Bet
"Fuse?" wondered Apollo. "That gamer girl? Hello! She isn't even in love with him!"
"Yes. And she helped Shiori in winning Katsuragi," Minerva asserted. "So she's not after him."
"Really? What if I tell you this," Mars began. And told them about how the gamer boy invited her to his room and how Fuse invited herself over to his home whenever she wanted to.
"It's just for games," dismissed Mercury. "Ayumi believed her when she explained her situation. I can't see a reason to go against my host."
"Same for Shiori," Minerva added. "Fuse is in love with another guy, so she can't be in love with Katsuragi."
Apollo nodded. "Yeah. Kanon believed her too. Why shouldn't I? Why shouldn't we?"
"It's not as if she did anything that can't be explained by her being a gamer," Diana observed. "You're delusional."
"I am not. Yui also thinks that!" the Goddess of War defended.
"Your hostess is delusional too then," Diana accused. "Tell you what. If you are so sure about that, prove it! If Fuse does not confess her feelings for Katsuragi within one week, then Yui Goido must donate her three hours on the following week to Tenri."
"You can do that?" Apollo inquired.
"Yes," asserted Diana. "It's in the rules."
"Then same goes for Tsukiyo," Vulcan interjected. "After Ayukawa's week, Tsukiyo must get Goido's three hours for the following week."
"And after that, Kanon too," said Apollo, butting in to get the next week.
"I'll join that bet too. After Kanon's week, Ayumi should get Goido's three hours," the Messenger Goddess added.
All looked at Minerva. "Same for Shiori and me," she finally squeaked.
"Wait! Wait! I'm going to sacrifice five weeks of Yui's time with her beloved just for that?" Mars fretted.
"Not sure now, aren't you?" Diana teased. "Afraid that you'll fail?"
"Well, what do I get if I win? What if Yui and I prove that she loves Katsuragi?"
"Then Fuse should join the schedule," Vulcan thundered. "It would be terribly unfair to all the Goddess hosts that she could just court and win over him without following the rules, wouldn't it?"
"Wait! Her? Join the schedule?" Apollo panicked. "No way will Kanon agree to share with seven! She already balked at six!"
"Think about it. If Fuse really is after him, she'll win. Just look at this past week," Vulcan argued. "But you shouldn't be afraid. Her being after Katsuragi is just the figment of Goido and Mars' imagination."
"I agree," Diana said. "I don't like another girl in the schedule. But I'm so confident that Fuse is trustworthy that I'm willing to take the bet. How about you, Mercury, Minerva, and Apollo? How confident are you?"
"Confident enough that I'll take that bet too," the Messenger goddess yawned. "Fuse can be in the schedule if Yui wins. As far as I'm concerned, this is just free hours for that boy's wife."
"Shiori is right about Fuse. So yes, Fuse will be in the schedule if she's wrong," Minerva added.
"Fine. Kanon's right about Fuse. So yeah, I'll take the bet just to get the three hours for Kanon. If I'm wrong, then Fuse could be in the schedule," Apollo conceded. "But I'm not! Kanon's not wrong! So there!"
"Good," said Mars. She looked at Diana.
"Yes. As the rules state, a unanimous vote of the girls, Elsie, Haqua, and Katsuragi, is needed," Diana said. "Let's see. If Mars is wrong, we each get three hours. If she's right, then we need to persuade our hosts to vote for it when it's brought up."
"That's not enough," Mars insisted. "What if you failed? Apollo here failed to make Kanon back off trying to dump the schedule. I want one hour of each of your hosts for Yui if the vote failed, and another hour for the host who voted against it."
"So basically, two hours off for the girls who voted against it, and one hour off if they voted for it, but it still failed because of the others?" inquired Diana.
"Yes," confirmed Mars. "Unless you're scared of losing."
"Fine then," Diana agreed. "But to make it fair, Mercury here must not only persuade Ayumi but also make Ayumi tell Kosaka to vote for Fuse. What do you think, Mercury?"
"Why not?" Mercury said as she yawned. "As long as the others take care of Katsuragi, Elsie, and Haqua's votes."
"Yui should have another of Takahara's hour if Kosaka vote against it," the War Goddess demanded.
"If you insist," the Messenger Goddess conceded. "But the others must also sacrifice another hour of their host too. So, who shall guarantee Haqua, Katsuragi, and Elsie's votes?"
"I'll take care of Haqua's vote," Diana volunteered. "If she votes against it, that's another hour out of Tenri that goes to Yui."
"I'll take care of Elsie. She's such a big fan of Kanon. It shouldn't be too hard," said Apollo.
"And?" Diana asked her.
Apollo scratched her head. "Fine. If I fail and Elsie votes against it, that's another hour to Goido from Kanon. Happy?"
"How about Katsuragi?" asked Mars.
"I'll take care of it," said Vulcan. "That dirty little man will face my wrath unless he does what I tell him to. But if I fail, another hour of Tsukiyo will go to Yui. Not that it matters much. I'm sure Fuse is not after him, so all this is moot anyway."
"Good. Let's shake on it!" said Mars, a smile on her face. She did good on her mission for Yui.
End of Flag XIII
AUTHOR NOTES
First of all, to all KANON and AYUMI fans, I'M SO SORRY for putting them at the bottom rank. Please please forgive me! I like all seven girls, including Kanon and Ayumi, yet because of the nature of ranks, someone has to rank last. It just so happens that it's Kanon and Ayumi! Please please, I'm sorry! I'll atone for it! I don't hate Kanon and Ayumi. Believe me!
(Hides under a rock from angry fans)
When I started the fic, I already formulated the idea of Keima giving his opinions on the girls at the end of the week. However, the ranking wasn't yet fixed. It would depend on the events. What I did was, after nearly all the girls are done, I did the tally of the events involving the seven girls and ranked them. It should be events where the girls have control over or choices in their decisions, not something out of their control. So when I was done, using the criteria I have made, it turned out that Kanon and Ayumi are 7th and 6th place. I did not set their events just for the purpose of putting them last. It just turned out that way when I made the evaluation using an excel spreadsheet. Believe me!
In story, Keima did not even think of evaluating them like that from the beginning. He only thought of doing so when Haqua and Elsie asked him to. So it was rushed evaluation, based on his own criteria based on his gaming experiences.
Anyway, this evaluation has no bearing on who he will choose eventually. Unless the rankings do not change at all.
(After emerging from hiding from the wrath of the fans)
Now that that's done, the numbers Keima used are found below. The maximum a girl could have, without deductions, would be 60. The criteria used for the week was also explained. As you will see, for the week, Keima used fun with games and acceptance of the schedule as his biggest criteria.
Appendix
[1] Kanon's Evaluation Card
Fun Involving Games = 4 out of 10
Acceptance of Schedule = (-10) out of 10
Knowledge of Rules = 5 out of 8
Outside Schedule Rules = 0 out of 4
Embarrassed Keima = (-6) out of (-6)
Accepted Aoba Situation = 4 out of 4
Bento Lunches = 0 out of 4
Accepted Miyako Situation = 6 out of 6
Physical Injury to Keima = (-3) out of (-5)
Understanding Keima = 0 out of 4
Unhappy Keima Activities = 0 out of (-4)
Hope of Being Picked = 4 out of 4
Helpful to Keima= 4 out of 6
Total Points: 8 out of 60
[2] Ayumi's Evaluation Card
Fun Involving Games = 0 out of 10
Acceptance of Schedule = 3 out of 10
Knowledge of Rules = 6 out of 8
Outside Schedule Rules = 1 out of 4
Embarrassed Keima = 0 out of (-6)
Accepted Aoba Situation = 3 out of 4
Bento Lunches = 4 out of 4
Accepted Miyako Situation = 4 out of 6
Physical Injury to Keima = (-5) out of (-5)
Understanding Keima = 0 out of 4
Unhappy Keima Activities = (-4) out of (-4)
Hope of Being Picked = 4 out of 4
Helpful to Keima = 0 out of 6
Total : 16 out of 60
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
Thursday – Official Time
Tsukiyo – Lunch – 1 hour
Shiori – After School Events – 2 hours
Tsukiyo – Nighttime Event – 1 hour
Friday – Official Time
Tenri – Morning Walk – 15 minutes
Yui – Lunch – 1 hour
Yui – After School Events – 2 hours
Tenri - Visit After School – 45 minutes
Saturday – Official Time
Kanon – Evening Event – 3 hours
Total:
Tenri – 3 hours
Chihiro – 3 hours
Ayumi – 3 hours
Shiori – 3 hours
Tsukiyo – 3 hours
Yui – 3 hours
Kanon – 3 hours
Review Replies
To DarkSoulthe2nd, thank you for your review.
Yep. It fits Kanon's character. She's kind of selfish before her conquest, and I don't think it was solved by her conquest. Her conquest was about her self-confidence as an Idol, after all. Her selfishness for Keima was not carried over after the conquest because she forgot.
Yep. She was away from Keima for almost two weeks, barely having time to be with him, with schedule at the tail end of the week.
As for Miss Okada, your concerns will be addressed in a future chapter. I would only say that she was too stunned by the fast developments to be able to think it through dispassionately. Don't worry don't, it won't last, but by the time, it would too late for Okada to do anything about it. And it wasn't as if the deal was disadvantageous to Kanon and Okada.
To ZelgadisGW, once again, thank you for your review. I really appreciate reading your comments. It makes my day that my efforts are appreciated.
Yep. Kanon got a shock. Not that it wasn't deserved or unexpected. Keima was hoping that she wouldn't do so, but came prepared just in case she did. And yeah, the manga author stated that Kanon is a yandere idol, or a yanidol. A yandere is crazy about love. I tried to show that, but also mitigate it and toning it down. Hopefully, her hopes that she could be chosen would be enough for her. But don't worry, Kanon won't descend to the dark side that much, if at all. It's just normal jealousy.
Yep. Keima knows that one of the obstacles with Kanon participating in the schedule was her career. Doing that with Okada would solve a variety of issues regarding that.
Hopefully, this chapter was very fun for Kanon.
To xellos540,
Hello again, xellos540. When I receive and read your reviews, a smile always forms on my face. Your reviews and your comments are one of the reasons I'm always motivated to write and continue on with my story.
Anyway, I already gave this reply to you in PM, and I'm posting it for the enlightenment of the other readers.
Now for the reply proper:
I don't think Keima would ever consider game idols to be lesser than real idols, even Kanon. Even if he chooses Kanon in the end and falls in love with the idol, I still think he would consider game idols better than her.
Yep. To tell you the truth, the tasing scene when they met really soured me on Kanon at the time. I know that violence to Keima was common, but usually, Keima did something to deserve it. Here, it was so unreasonable for Kanon to do that. Even now, I still cringe when I watch that scene. You do not tase someone just because they do not know you, no matter how famous you are. That's why I always see Kanon as a little bit crazy, and she could do things that normal people won't do.
And yes, he destroyed his PFP and his game data when she did that. I don't think Kanon ever made amends for it in the manga or anime.
Luckily, I came to like her eventually, but I still think she needs to apologize for that first meeting.
Ha, ha, yep. Now, it's expected for Keima to play that trick on every girl. It's a good thing that the girls are not yet close enough to each other to compare notes. Otherwise, he may not be able to do it with each girl.
About which of them is correct about the effect on Kanon's popularity? Well, it depends on who you ask. Okada sees it as detrimental. Kanon sees it as a positive. Keima would see it depending on his needs and goals. Objectively, I won't confirm or deny.
As for "it's obviously impossible for girls to like him" lie, it's not really a lie because Keima did not say anything to that effect to anybody to persuade them of the fact. It's just his reputation. Remember when Elsie declared that all girls will fall in love with her brother when she came to Keima's class? Everyone laughed at her. That's because to the school, the idea that any girl would like Keima is so absurd and so ridiculous. Keima is a rude, anti-social gamer who hates real girls. What girl could like him? But of course, his reputation could change. But right now, even with Kanon's confession, I don't think his reputation would change that much. He's still a rude anti-social gamer who no girl except Kanon could like. And with Kanon's upcoming announcement, the "except Kanon" phrase would be removed again.
But will his reputation change and would that prove that statement false? It will. But it'll take time. Keima's reputation isn't set in stone at this point.
Yeah. I just had to put that scene with the stun gun. And anyway, it's 100% safe (not).
Yes, that scene with the confession in the middle of the English exam. I don't think Kanon really thought about how her confession to Keima really made his life more difficult. But with more time, it's not hard for Kanon to hear about his situation and how it affected him. So Kanon apologized to him for that.
Oh yes. It is in character for Kanon. And it was painful for Kanon for Keima to do that. Because, unknown to Kanon, Keima needed to keep the girls' love for the next five years. And because Keima had knowledge of the consequences of his failure, he's more sensitive about it than any other topic. So yeah, his anger was genuine. But even so, you're right that Keima mostly faked it, especially saying that he won't spend any more time with Kanon because of that. He would, of course. But like you said, he's playing dirty. And it turned out fine in the end.
Yup. With the next chapter, the week would end. All the girls had entirely accepted the schedule, and their issues with Keima is settled. As for what's the next thing that would happen, there's Miyako, and several things hinted in the previous chapters.
As for Miyako and how the girls will react to it, let's see. Of course, if Keima did his homework, he shouldn't worry about the girls of the schedule, but sometimes, things turn up unexpectedly.
After Miyako? The only thing that I'm going to say is that I won't be introducing my own OCs, but all of the coming characters are from the manga, anime, or light novels. And yes, more canon girls would be introduced. And yes, more Aoba shenanigans.
That's a nice way to describe how Keima handled Kanon. Keima really is a sly bastard. I wonder if this was more brilliant and devious than what he did with Ayumi and her issues with giving way to Chihiro? Both are underhanded and show Keima at being his manipulative best (or is it worse?).
About the "make public believe she loves him as a brother" plan. Let's just say that the school and the outside world will have slightly different reactions. Remember that outside school, Keima Katsuragi is a blank slate and does not have the Otamegane reputation. That's all I'm going to say. At school, as I said, the students would want to believe it since they were really sorry that Kanon's involved with someone as unlikeable as Keima.
As for "Keima pretends he doesn't want Kanon around" plan against Okada, the brilliant thing about this plan is that it's not far from what Keima really feels. Imagine the situation without him knowing that he needs the girls to love him or they would die. Do you really think Keima would want Kanon around him? Does he really want Kanon around outside of saving her life? Especially given his previous experiences with her?
At this point, not really.
And when Okada does her research, it would most probably confirm Keima's tale. He was bullied because of Kanon's confession. His life became more miserable because of that confession.
And I agree. That was a blunder of Kanon to propose the solution that quickly. Okada was simply too stunned and too surprised at that point to notice it, so it didn't have much negative consequence on their plans. Will Okada notice it in the future? We'll see.
As for Kanon's selective perspective, I know. It's what makes her Kanon Nakagawa, the yandere idol.
As for how Okada will act, I'm going to say that regardless of what she discovers, her deal with Keima is advantageous for the idol, that she would keep it for the sake of the career of Kanon. Besides, it also gives several benefits to the manager, like controlling the time when Kanon could meet Keima. That would solve so many scheduling issues and prevent the idol from just running off without her knowledge.
As for Haqua, thanks for the input. I'm going to consider it in the future. I like Haqua, and she's going to have a significant role in the plot. There's a reason I put her as a major character in the summary. (Well, Aoba was not an option, so it's Haqua). If she's going to be in the schedule, it's going to happen way in the future, after some of the plots that I'm planning ends. But yes, I'd probably put her inner thoughts sooner than later, and the same would go to how Keima thinks of Haqua.
Once again, thanks for the review!