Wow! All the extra notes and replies to review amounted to more than 4,000 words! In truth, the actual story would amount to about 12,000 words, so the official word count of more than 16,000 is extremely misleading of the actual story content.

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!

And I do not own The World God Only Knows.

Summary of the last chapter

Minami gets interviewed and tells how Middle School sees Keima. Yui tries to spill the beans to Aoba. Tenri gets interviewed by Mari. Mari talks to the Ayukawas about Tenri and Keima. Keima reveals his plans to Tenri.

As for some characters:

Aoba Fuse, Ikumi Yoshino, and Asami Yoshino are light novel heroines. I took their characterizations both from the light novel and also from Wrathie Winsre's stories.

ARC II - CONSPIRACIES

Flag XXI

Welcoming Kanon

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.

Ojou-sama = aristocratic lady or noble lady

Mai-Hime = Princess from Maijima, the title of Aoba Fuse in the Gaming Community

Senpai = Upperclassmen. I mostly left it untranslated. And for consistency's sake, I reversed the order. So instead of Fuse-senpai, I went with Senpai Fuse.

Plot Points

There are currently five ongoing plot points in this story. Every scene belongs to one of the five.

1. Miyako's Conquest

2. Keima spending time with the girls of the schedule (yes, this is the main focus of the story since the beginning, and I will tell all that happened during the hours of the girls in the week. Because after this week, I won't do this again since it takes too much time).

3. Yui's quest to include Aoba Fuse in the schedule.

4. Aoba's quest to make Keima respected and feared in the school.

5. Mari and the parents getting involved in the Schedule

Part 228 – Plotting in the Dark

Yui Goido was happy, and at the same time, disappointed with how her plans turned out.

She was happy because she could see a path forward, a way of proving to the others that Aoba Fuse was in love with Keima Katsuragi without exposing the girl genius as a liar to everyone else. And now, she also had a road to Aoba's inclusion in the schedule! Oh, Yui couldn't wait until Aoba's the same as the rest of them. They'll be eight all in all! And she couldn't find a better addition to Keima's darling's girls than Aoba Fuse.

Still, Yui's first attempt was a fiasco. She thought that Fuse would easily believe her. And thus, Yui would be able to pressure Haqua into helping the genius join the schedule. But apparently, the girl gamer didn't believe her. Not that she blamed the gamer. After all, looking back at it, Yui wouldn't believe herself if she was in Fuse's shoes.

I looked like a raving loony in her eyes!

And why bringing out Mars didn't work?

"Hey Mars, you did come out, right?" she asked the reflection on her phone as she stood at their rendezvous point. She was in a dark street under a street light. Normally, it would be unsafe, but Mars was there to protect her if need be.

"I did."

"So why didn't Fuse see you? You were my trump card!"

"I'm not sure. The same reason, presumably, why the audience during your last concert didn't see your wings sprout out. Ordinary mortals can't see us Goddesses."

"But Chihiro was an ordinary mortal! And she saw the wings."

"Hm. I didn't know about that," Mars answered. "So, can you run your plan by me again?"

"Well, Haqua said that if Fuse found out the truth, she needed to be in the schedule, or else she loses all her memories. So if Fuse finds out, Keima darling has to put her in. Otherwise, he would lose his precious disciple."

"That's a fine idea, but that doesn't solve the problem of whether the other girls will vote for her," Mars explained. "Would they care if Katsuragi has a disciple? But, you don't have to worry about anything, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"If she lost her memories, then she won't matter. She won't be any competition. She'll be gone," the War Deity argued. "You don't have to worry about any competition from Fuse if that happens."

"But that can't be! I don't want to lose her like that," Yui riposted. "She's my friend. And besides. I want darling to be the Student Council President. And only she can make him that!"

"So the option of her forgetting should be shelved?"

"Yes. Fuse will be the eighth girl of the schedule!" Yui declared.

"So, what's next? What if you ask Chihiro or Haqua how Chihiro saw our wings? What is it that made Chihiro so special?"

"You think Haqua could make Fuse see?"

Mars pondered. "If Haqua wants to make Fuse remember, then maybe. But if she doesn't, we've got a huge problem."

"Mars, couldn't you just cast a spell on her eyes and make her see?"

"No. Maybe New Hell has that kind of spell?"

"So, everything depends on Haqua?"

"Maybe. Or why don't you just ask Katsuragi or Haqua to give back Fuse's memories?"

"Keima may not agree," Yui answered. "We'll talk later. It's my time in my schedule."

…

Part 229 – Return of Keiko Katsura

"Hello, Yui," Keima suddenly said as he appeared in front of Yui.

"Gah!" Yui shouted at his sudden appearance as he became visible. "Don't do that! You frightened me!"

"Blame Elsie," he shrugged.

Yui recovered her composure. "Aw! Thanks for wearing that, Keima, I mean Keiko! You're so adorable! We look like a pretty good couple, me in the boys' uniform, you in the girls' uniform! We're a matching pair, if I say so myself!"

Keima, playing the heroine, answered, "You really think so? Thanks."

Yui got her phone and sent a message. A minute later, a limousine arrived.

"Thank you, Mr. Okamoto," Yui said to her chauffeur. "Please don't tell Mom and Dad I had a girls' night out with Keiko here!" Yui had constructed a tale that she and Keiko had a girls' night out, then invited Keiko to do "homework" for about two hours.

"It's still within your curfew, Miss Goido," the chauffeur answered. It was about eight in the evening. "How are you, Miss Katsura?"

"I'm fine. Thank you," Keima answered politely. He had asked Yui in advance the schedule of her parents and had deliberately constructed the girls' schedule so that his visit to the gaming complex at Yui's warehouse would coincide when both the Goido parents were out of the house.

Once again, Yui whisked "Keiko" through the compound, straight to the warehouse, with just a barely passing hello to the family servants. She was the mistress of the household when her parents were gone and could do what she wanted—within reason.

For his part, Keima was anticipating another hour and a half of gaming time. And he resisted all temptation to just run and sit on that throne when he entered the dark warehouse.

"I have a surprise for you!" Yui said as they entered.

The crossdresser switched on the light, and Keima was astonished.

Inside the vast warehouse was the big screen, the throne, and the games, as expected, but on the previous unoccupied space, there was a small table, covered with a luxurious tablecloth. On the table was a tray of dishes and bottles of soda and other drinks, and two plates with spoons, forks, knives, and chopsticks at its side. In the middle were four unlit candles.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"I don't need any food but game food!" Keima declared, before his stomach growled. The truth was, the last meal he ate was Chihiro's bento during lunch break. He had not eaten dinner yet due to the events in the Ayukawa household.

"C'mon. Eat first, and you can play," the heiress instructed.

He answered by pouting, stomping his foot in an immature manner, and yelled, "But I wanna play right now!"

Yui glared, and said, "Keiko, eat first, play later!"

"Fine." Keima gave in. He could talk and charm Yui to get his own way, but he was famished.

Yui smiled as she lit the candles for a romantic candlelight dinner.

She pulled a chair and motioned for Keima to sit.

"I've always wanted to treat you to a candlelight dinner," Yui giggled as she stared at him from across the table. "Just like how a gentleman should treat his lady."

"Can we eat now?"

"Oh. Sure. Dig in."

They said their thanks for the meal, then ate. And to the disappointment of Yui, Keima ate like a man possessed. In just ten minutes, all the dishes laid out before him were finished, all the drinks were empty, and his side of the table was swept clean.

Yui had barely touched her meal.

It was very unromantic.

"Can I play now?" he asked cheekily.

"That isn't how you're supposed to do a romantic dinner," Yui pouted. "We still have some steps to do."

Keima stood up and walked towards her, while she was still sitting on her chair. "What steps?" he asked.

Yui looked at the table. "Well, first, we have to play some music, then we should dance and—"

He cut off her off by bending down, wrapping around his left arm around her neck and turning her head towards his, and pressed his lips upon hers.

…

Again, Yui got surprised by him. Damn. She wanted to be the one to surprise-kiss him. Oh well. She closed her eyes as she felt herself being pulled up as his right hand grabbed her left arm and lifted her into a semi-sitting, semi squatting position. This was the third kiss of the week and the seventh one overall. She recounted each one. First was during the first conquest, the second was the reconquest, third and fourth during the first week, and fifth and sixth on Monday.

The feelings remained exquisite as she enjoyed the sensations. She wanted to wrap her hands around him, but her awkward position in the chair and the way he held her meant that she couldn't do it. She could only try to stand up and press against his face to kiss back.

Like the previous ones, it was a long kiss, and they broke up when they ran out of breath.

"Oh Keima, I mean Keiko," she said in a daze, her eyes glazed as the feelings overwhelmed her.

"Can I play now?" he said in a very sweet, loving voice, after removing his glasses and showing his adorable face.

"Anything for you, Keima," she said, swooning as she hung limply on his arms.

"Thank you," he said, letting go of her and jumping to the throne.

Keima chuckled. That plan worked wonderfully. And that was kiss number two down for the week. He wondered if that tactic would work for the other girls? Probably, though he would try to experiment to see how they would react.

He knew one thing for sure. Kissing an already conquered girl was an effortless way to raise affection points. Same for the girl kissing a guy, but it's easier to just kiss them than to provoke them to kiss him.

…

Part 230 - Once More, the God of Conquest

He picked some games from the shelf, switched on the consoles, and began his "God of Conquest" mode.

…

Yui, as soon as she recovered, ate as much as possible while Keima was preparing his God of Conquests mode. All thoughts of a Romantic Dinner before games were scrapped as her mind kept going back to that wonderful kiss. Her face was still the color of her uniform.

Oh well. There's always next time. At least she got him to eat dinner with her for a change. And she needed to be more alert. She was supposed to surprise him with a kiss! Maybe if she got to surprise him with a kiss next time, he would do what she asked?

She took a chair and put it beside the gaming throne. Keima was already absorbed with the games, his fingers moving on all six game controllers before him as if it was a piano.

Yui looked at the screen, and she was nearly overwhelmed. Just how does he do it?

Now that she had experienced playing games, the magnitude of his achievement in the God of Conquest mode became clear. Concentrating on one game was a huge mental task for a beginner, as all the text and all the choices could sometimes overwhelm a novice. Playing two games at once, let alone six, shows how much mental acuity Keima had. It showed Yui how godly Keima really was. She now understood why Aoba Fuse worships him so much.

And that only deepened the love Yui felt for Keima. She was so tempted to hug him or even kiss him during his playing, but she knew better than to interrupt him and invite his wrath. That was his red line—and she was willing to respect it.

She wondered—could there be a way where he could still hold her or she hold him while playing in the God of Conquest mode? Maybe even sit in his lap and curl into him while he's playing in that mode? That's an idea worth exploring. If she could discover that method, then she would be the happiest girl in the world!

Maybe that could be subject to future experiments? Keima could already play one game while cuddling with her or being cuddled. Perhaps he could try two games at once? Or three? It would be the God of Love Mode—the special version of the God of Conquest mode where you play six games at once while cuddling or being cuddled by your loved one!

She allowed herself to be lost in those eyes that kept darting to the six screens as she daydreamed how to "improve" his gaming experience.

Keima was so wonderful! It's a pity that she may lose him for the next six weeks.

She shuddered. She will not allow that to happen.

…

Keima finished his second gaming session at about 9:40 p.m. He still had twenty minutes left, but even he knew he could not complete another six games in the remaining time.

So he stopped. Once again, Yui blew away his world. He had so much fun. And the heiress once more got full positive points in having fun with the ideal. She and Kanon were running neck and neck for the top stop, with Tenri snapping at their heels.

"So, did you have fun?"

"Yes. Absolutely! Very much so! This was so much fun!" he squealed like a raving fan as he pumped his fist. "Thanks, Yui!"

"When we get married, you can spend as much time playing in this warehouse as you want," Yui cooed as she took advantage of this by leaning on him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Keima was too happy to push her away. So he let her be and even stroked her hair. He then led her to the couch. She sat beside him at his right and continued to lean on him, resting her head on his chest as he put his arms around her before playing his PFP.

"You know, you are playing the player the entire time. What happened to me being the player half the time?" Yui pointed out as she looked at the game he was playing.

"Technically, we are."

"Huh?"

"I am wearing the female uniform," Keima pointed out. "As long as I am wearing this, I am technically a heroine. With my clothes that of a heroine, and my actions that of a player, we're actually splitting the two hours fifty-fifty, if you think about it. And didn't you take me to dinner before playing? That's the job of the player."

"You know, being the heroine isn't just wearing the clothes, you must play your part too," Yui pointed out.

"Does that mean that when I'm the player, you must wear girls' clothes too? Because if I should act the heroine if I'm wearing the heroine's dress, you should wear the heroine's female dress when you're the heroine!"

Yui just laughed. "Maybe, I will."

"Now that is something that I want to see. It would be as rare as aliens landing in the park!" he mused.

Part 231 – The Aoba Question

"Keima, can I ask you a question?"

"You'd ask even if I say no."

"Don't be mean. This is about Aoba Fuse."

And Keima wanted to groan. He knew all about this. Yui thinks Aoba was in love with him. And thus, Aoba was taking advantage of being his disciple, to the disadvantage of all the girls in the schedule, including Yui.

"She's not in love with me. She forgot, like all of you, and she has no Goddess to bring back her memories." Keima hoped that that would settle the issue. He could only hope. He could feel the crossdresser's jealousy. Thankfully, that jealousy did not spill over into her behavior. She was very friendly and polite to Aoba, and that made him very happy.

"I know. But what if she remembered?"

"I hope to God she won't. Then Haqua will have to erase her memories once more. And she would forget everything since I met her once more."

"You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"No."

"But what if she did? Is there a way to retain her memory even if she remembered?"

Then Keima suddenly realized what she meant. The answer, of course, was inclusion in the schedule—the same reason why Chihiro retained her memories. And somehow, Yui knew of it. She was afraid that he would force Aoba's inclusion in the schedule just to keep her as a disciple. She was afraid of another competitor.

He did not want Aoba in the schedule—nor any other girl—as it was a burden to him. But saying that would not reassure the heiress, as she might think that he would do so just to keep her as a disciple.

Which was not far from the truth.

But Yui and the girls could stop him from including her. Time to reassure her.

"That's why I don't want her to remember. If that happened, the only way to retain her as a disciple will be for her to be included in the schedule. And you know how to make another girl part of the schedule?"

"All of us have to approve?"

"Yes. It's impossible for all you girls to approve of it. I can't force the seven of you to share me with another girl," he reasoned. "You would need to vote unanimously. And that includes you. If you vote against her, no matter what I say or how much I wish it, she cannot be part of it."

That should calm her mind. It's in Yui's hands to prevent Aoba from becoming part of it. And her eyes brightened at that.

"I know. Still, be honest with me. If you have to choose between permanently losing her and including her in the schedule, what would you choose? Don't lie."

Keima looked at her.

"It's her being in the schedule, right, Darling?"

Keima nodded a little too fast. Damn it! He wasn't supposed to reveal his cards.

"Keima, she's my close friend too. I don't want to lose her. I'll lose her if she loses her memories. Please don't let that happen."

He could say to her that he'd rather have Aoba lose her memories than have her be in the schedule. But that would be a lie. He really didn't want to lose Aoba no matter what, as she was his partner in the ideal, and he had dreams of making her a very great gamer like him. And Yui won't believe him anyway if he told that lie. She had seen him act around his disciple and how happy he was when the girl gamer was around. And she would think he's hiding something.

Well, he's not.

Of course, there's no chance for Yui's hypothetical situation to happen, so he or Aoba won't need to make that decision. He's perfectly happy with the status quo with the girl gamer. All in all, Yui was silly in thinking about it.

But he still needs to reassure the heiress in such a way that she believes him.

"Yui, I cannot force the seven of you to accept Aoba Fuse as part of the schedule, even if I wanted to. If Aoba finds out the truth or remembers, and the seven of you voted against her, then I would have no choice but to lose her as a disciple. You seven are my priority. Your safety and happiness are what I desire. It's in your hands, not mine."

And that would assuage Yui and clear his conscience. It's the girls' decision, not his. And he knew perfectly well that Yui or the other girls would never ever vote for Aoba's inclusion. Because no matter how much they became friendly with the disciple, they don't care for her much, and even if they did, they would not like to have a new rival, let alone a formidable one like Aoba Fuse.

Besides, he was sure that even if Aoba Fuse remembered, and the girls of the schedule accepted her as an additional member, the girl gamer would not accept being part of the schedule. She's a proud girl, and it would be galling for her to accept being one of eight girls instead of being the only girl in his life. If given a choice, he was sure that she would rather forget rather than accept such a role.

That was why Aoba's memories cannot be restored. It would mean losing her. And he had enough on his plate with seven girls on the schedule. He did not want another girl to worry about.

Thankfully for his peace of mind, there was no chance of Aoba Fuse finding out about anything. For one thing, the disciple was too rational and scientific to believe anything supernatural, even if someone accidentally blabbed it to her. And New Hell had means and methods to make sure that mortals like Aoba would not see or hear about them. If nothing else, Haqua would make sure Aoba continues to forget.

"Still, would you like us to vote for her in that case?"

"Yes, but I won't force you too. You are free to decide on your own," he said. And he hoped that would close the issue. Yui can rest her mind about the silly scenario. Hopefully, her jealousy would disappear now that she knew that Aoba's fate rests in her hands.

"Thanks for saying that, Keima," she whispered.

Keima just nodded. Hopefully, that issue would forever be settled.

…

"And darling, I've another question," asked the heiress.

"What is it this time, Yui?"

"Chihiro and Ayumi told me they're going to witness you conquer Miyako."

"They said they wanted me to see me kiss her," he finished bluntly. "And Tenri too."

"Yes. About that. They say it's for you. They want to be able to understand your mission. I want to see a Weiss. I want to be there too with Ayumi, Chihiro, and Ayukawa."

He looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure? It might hurt you to see me do that to another girl."

"I don't care. I want to see what your mission really means," she insisted.

"Fine, you can go and see. Just don't blame me if you run away crying at seeing your darling kiss another girl!"

"It's just another girl!" laughed Yui. "So when will you conquer her?"

"I'm planning on doing it on Thursday evening, after the piano duet."

…

Part 232 – Goodbye, Yui

It was 9:55 p.m. He saved his game. Time for her two hours to end.

"Yui, it's time," he whispered.

"Aw? Already?" she whined as she extricated herself from Keima's arms. She stood up and watched him save his game.

"So, this is my last time until next week."

"Yes. Your three hours are over."

"It was an enjoyable three hours, darling."

"Very much so, Yui."

Yui was sad. She would not be able to touch or kiss her darling until next week. Wait! She still has one kiss left. If she kisses him instead, that won't count because he needs to kiss her, not the other way around. So he has to kiss her outside her time.

Could that work?

She didn't know. But that's something worth exploring.

Yui walked with him through the estate until they reached the outside gate, greeting the household staff and guards. When they were outside, they walked to a secluded space where they would separate.

Giggling quietly, she waited until she was sure that his attention was on something else.

Then she jumped, aiming herself at him, her hands ready to go around his neck. This would be a total surprise for Keima.

But he stepped aside at the last moment, and she grabbed nothing but air. She lost her balance, and she was about to fall to the ground as a result of her forward momentum.

"Keima! Don't let me fall!" she shrieked as she flailed her arms in panic.

Luckily, she felt his hand around her waist as she was about to hit the ground. He then flipped her around so that she was lying limp on his left arm, facing him, as his other arm was around her shoulders.

"Thanks, Keima. I really thought I'd be a goner and fall face-first on the ground. Wouldn't that be emba—"

And she was cut off by his lips crashing into hers.

And she got surprise-kissed once more. Damn. She wanted to do that to him! And there goes kiss number three for the week.

And there goes her plan for making him kiss her outside her time. She wouldn't dare do it herself outside her schedule, as it would violate the rules, so she again had to wait until the next week, or God forbid, January, before she could have more personal Keima time.

She put her disappointment on the back of her mind as she decided to enjoy the sensation. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up and closer to him, kissing him back.

They ended the kiss when they ran out of breath, Yui again panting and utterly red in the face, while Keima had a slight blush. He was acting composed.

"Goodbye, Yui. See you next week. Elsie!"

And the younger sister of her beloved appeared. Did Elly see that last kiss?

…

Keima congratulated himself as Elsie flew him home. He could see Yui's kissing plans a mile away as they walked out of her estate, so it was a simple matter to turn it around. And he fulfilled his promise to her regarding the three kisses per hour per week rule.

Through practice, he was finally able to get the better of the crossdresser!

…

Unlike the last time he went home dressed like a girl, Elsie was more careful. They entered Elsie's room while invisible. There, Keima, after turning visible, changed into male clothes and sneaked into his room. He then pretended to do his homework. Luckily, his mother was still at the neighbor's house.

Part 233 – Once More, With Tenri

Wednesday Morning…

Tenri was accompanied by her parents as she walked out of her home. On the gate of her house stood Keima, waiting, playing his PFP.

After the usual greetings, Mr. Ayukawa went to where Keima was. "Listen, I know you can't do more for my daughter, so all I'm asking is that you be fair to her. Don't favor Kanon over Tenri. Give my daughter a chance," he pleaded. If there was any anger, it was directed towards Okada.

"I will, sir," he answered politely.

"And Mister, don't take advantage of my daughter. She loves you. Treat her well, please. I can't ask for her to be your only girl, or that you choose her at the end, but give Tenri a chance to prove that she is the girl for you," Mrs. Ayukawa stated, looking him in the eye.

"I will not disappoint you," he said graciously. "In five years, you can say anything to me, but I guarantee that you can't say that I wasn't fair."

"This is part of her three hours, I assume?"

"It is."

At that, the parents said their goodbyes.

"They took it well," Keima observed as they walked.

"They spent the night and morning cursing Kanon's manager," Tenri mentioned as they walked together. "They see you as an innocent victim in this. But—"

"I know. What will happen when they do find out I have five other girls? But don't worry about that. I will be forced to give my time to the other girls. Just you wait. And they will see that I am just some poor innocent nerd who's out of his depth."

"I hope so. They have such high hopes for you. Ever since you started spending time with me last week, they've been planning our wedding. They were so convinced that you and I were already together. And they really do see you as an ideal son-in-law."

"And you're hoping that I won't disappoint them in five years."

"Will you?"

"I don't know yet," he said. "I can't make that choice right now."

"I understand," said a slightly disappointment Tenri. "Oh. Diana has a message for you."

She gave him a folded piece of paper. "She said you should read it just before our time ends."

He pocketed it, not giving it any more thought as he continued his game.

"So why?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Why do they see me as an ideal son-in-law? I'm just a gamer who's rude and anti-social."

"But they didn't see that. You were always so polite when you're in front of them. You said all the right things. And you're the only boy that paid any attention to me. So you became the ideal boy in their eyes for me. And because of that, they won't blame you for anything. That's why they accepted the deal last night. They believe you're so perfect and ideal that they felt they could trust you with me."

"I really shouldn't have acted that polite," he muttered. "Oh well. And should they have trusted you with me?"

"Y-y-y-yes, Keima. I t-t-trust you with m-m-my life," Tenri stuttered.

"Would they still have that opinion even if they hear of me giving chances to five other girls?"

"Their opinion of you is so high that they'll believe any excuse you give them, I think," Tenri opined. "They know your circumstance with Okada. And they'll just blame Kanon's manager for all the 'bad' things you're 'forced' to do."

The gamer nodded. "That's good."

"Keima, will I still need to act in the future?"

"Maybe. I'll tell you when I need you to," he said. "But don't worry. You won't do anything you can't do."

"I know," she whispered. She was happy that Keima was not disappointed in her for her failure to properly do her part.

Part 234 – Diana's Ultimatum

They were nearing the crossroads. Their fifteen minutes were nearly up.

Keima took the piece of paper and unfolded it.

There was a message written in a strange language. Suddenly, as if by magic, it reformed itself into English, a language Keima knows how to read well.

Katsuragi. You will not do your usual farewell to Tenri. What you will give Tenri before you separate is what you gave her last night—that which made her go to sleep. Do not worry. I will walk her to school if she faints. Don't tell her what you intend to do, but make sure she is utterly surprised. If you don't, I will tell the other Goddesses what you feel towards the bandleader. This is your absolution for letting that devil Herminium kiss you when it's Tenri's time and she's taking Tenri's form. Diana, the Goddess of the Hunt.

After reading the message, the symbols transformed back into their unreadable state.

Keima knew what Diana wanted him to do. He had no objection, as it would contribute to the three kiss per week rule that Yui had made for him, but it rankled that he would be blackmailed into doing so. And for something that he had no control over. He internally cursed both Haqua and Diana.

Oh well! He had no intention of finding out if Diana was bluffing.

…

"So, what did Diana say?" asked Tenri, who was popping the bubble wrap she held.

She was ahead of him. Then suddenly, she felt his hand at her shoulder.

"Keima?"

It was too fast. His arm wrapped around her waist, another clutched her right hand and she dropped the bubble wrap as she got spun around and faced Keima. Then he drew her closer and closed his lips to hers.

She was utterly surprised. And she closed her eyes. It was wonderful as her deepest dreams came true. She did not care that they were outside, or that he didn't love her at the moment. What mattered was the feeling of his warm lips on hers.

Her feelings of happiness were great. So great that she felt like swooning as the kiss went on and on. She felt her legs weaken, and her body hung limp in his arms. Then the excitement got too much as their lips separated, gasping for breath. And the excitement refused to subside and she blacked out of pure happiness.

…

Keima didn't let go of Tenri as he broke off the kiss. He knew she would faint. Looking around, he was thankful that Elsie had cast an invisibility spell just as he grabbed her. It would be embarrassing if someone caught them.

Luckily, Diana took over. She looked at the boy holding her, and she suddenly slapped him hard in the cheek.

"What was that for?" he shouted as they turned visible, his hand clutching his cheek, the force of the slap nearly tearing his head off. He fell backward onto the sidewalk.

"You pervert! Don't you dare touch me!" Diana shrieked as her face turned the same color as her eyes.

"You asked me to do that!" Keima growled. "You blackmailed me!"

Diana was still blushing. So much so that she produced an umbrella—to hide her halo and her utterly embarrassed face.

Diana felt the kiss, as she did the kiss the night before. She berated herself for trying to find some pleasure at Tenri's expense—no, Tenri felt that too. She felt everything that Tenri felt. And she wanted Keima to repeat the kiss the night before—for Tenri's sake, of course. Everything to make Tenri feel happy. Any happiness and bliss Diana felt was just a bonus. This was for Tenri. Only Tenri.

"Just because Tenri loves you doesn't give you the right to take advantage of an innocent Goddess like me! It's your fault! If you hadn't let Haqua kiss you, this wouldn't have happened!" she shouted, hiding her pink face behind the umbrella, before storming off to Misato High.

It was true that Diana loved Katsuragi. But her obligation was to her hostess, not to her own feelings. She must drive Katsuragi away from herself for Tenri's sake. Or she would commit the unforgivable sin of stealing the love of her hostess in addition to that terrible sin of falling in love with him that she already was guilty of.

Part 235 – The Stage

…

"What a tsundere," he muttered as he continued his walk towards Maijima High, again playing his PFP. "That's the last time I do that Goddess a favor."

Then he heard a car—a limousine—approach. He turned around as it stopped beside him.

He gave a sigh. At least Kanon and Okada remembered the plan. After Okada instructed that he act as Kanon's Chaperon for Wednesday, he immediately formulated a strategy to take advantage of the opportunity, and the next morning, he sent a message to its participants, asking if they would do him a favor, and giving an outline of what he wanted from them. They all said yes, and so he sent them scripts. Well, more like general guidelines for the others who he knew can't memorize like he does. Let's get this show on the road.

…

A girl with light brown hair and twin pigtails walked through the gate of Maijima Private High School. She looked around if her close friends were around—they were not. There were already many students milling around the campus, High Schoolers and Middle Schoolers, though the former were near their own building, and the latter near theirs, forming two separate masses distinguished by their uniforms.

Mobuko walked towards the mass of High Schoolers. She wanted to slap her palm against her head as she saw the High School building. Lately, weird things have been happening in school. Mostly because of that man—Keima Katsuragi.

It's not like she hated him for being a nerd, an otaku. She had plenty of friends who were nerds. It's just that that man was so rude! He clearly did not want to make friends, and by his actions, clearly invited hatred by his peers. She remembered the time when she dropped her eraser—and he so rudely refused to do that simple act of decency!

That boy deserves the hatred of his peers!

She nearly lost her temper at remembering that rude man—that Otamegane. How she hated him!

And what infuriated her further was that the weird events were mostly because of him.

The first shock was the confession in the middle of the examination. That was the most surreal thing she had ever experienced. A national idol that everyone, including Mobuko, admired, confessing to the Otamegane?

That proved the saying, 'Love is Blind'. After that, it was generally accepted that he was Kanon's 'boyfriend'. And he earned even more hatred as he was seen with other girls, and he got the reputation of a two, or three, or even four timing bastard.

As the days went by, Mobuko concluded that because of the rarity of Kanon's attendance, the idol had not seen that boy's rudeness and nerdiness. So it was plausible that Kanon might have had a crush on a boy she barely saw because he was quite handsome, as even Mobuko admitted. And he had talent—his academic achievements and his coffee testify to that. The idol just had not been exposed to his negative qualities like the rest of the High School had been.

The High-schoolers thought that it was only a matter of time before Kanon learned how awful the Otamegane really was, and she would dump him.

And lo and behold, she was right! That Kanon announcement earlier that week confirmed it! She was dumping him! And she, and all her schoolmates, were not fooled by her brother-sister act. It was all to be nice to him, to cushion the blow. And to her delight, it turned out that all the girls were not really after him—they were after his help because he was such a genius, or to placate his likeable sister Elsie, or to learn more about games.

Because how could any girl like the Otamegane?

And in addition, it annoyed her that not all her peers saw it that way. A couple of students actually apologized to how they treated him. And some even began to admire him for helping Kanon—couldn't they see that it was just Kanon being nice to the boy she dumped?

Still, most people in High School still detested him—as they should.

She walked to her circle of friends and began to chatter about the usual things when they heard a commotion.

There was a limousine in front of the school gate. She immediately recognized it—it was Kanon's!

She joined the throng of students at the entrance to welcome their idol and schoolmate.

The chauffeur emerged and opened the back door.

And to the utter astonishment of the entire student body, someone unexpected emerged.

It was Keima Katsuragi—the Otamegane. True to form, his eyes were on a PFP clutched in his hand.

There was a bit of silence as he looked up and his eyes scanned the crowd. He walked towards them, and involuntarily, the crowd stepped back.

"Okay! Make way for Kanon!" he yelled as he walked with his hands forward, and the crowd parted to give way—they were too shocked to do anything else.

"Little Sister, you can come out now!"

"Thank you, Exalted Brother!" a voice shouted from inside the limo. A tiny voice in Mobuko's head hoped that it was Elsie, but Kanon's voice was too distinctive.

Then Kanon emerged, wearing the female high school uniform.

The crowd began to excitedly close in on her.

"Hold it!" Keima shouted in such a loud voice and in such a manner that the crowd stopped. Katsuragi never did this before, so they were shocked that he was so bold and sure of himself. Who was that assertive guy giving orders to them? That didn't sound or look like their Otamegane!

"My dear lil' sister is here to study, not to do idol work like taking selfies with you or signing autographs or asking questions about her work or songs!" he began.

"Hey, you're not the boss of us!" a high school boy, having gotten over his shock, shouted. "Who do you think you are?"

"My big brother!" shouted Kanon, walking close to him, and clutching his arm, like a little sister would do so, in an innocent way. Her eyes looked adoringly at him, not in a lover kind of way, but in a family kind of way, the kind of eyes each of the students with little siblings recognized.

Mobuko just stared at the scene. Don't tell me! Kanon was serious about that sister thing! Those eyes! She's looking at him like he's really her big brother!

"Not now, little sister," he said, looking at her with a slight smile as he gently pried her off. And his body language was that of a slightly irritated but caring older brother. All of the students, who were older brothers, or who had older brothers, immediately recognized what he was doing.

"Aw, you're so mean, Exalted Brother," she pouted.

The crowd wanted to laugh. Kanon was acting almost exactly like Elsie Katsuragi, down to calling him those names.

"Not now, lil' sister," he said. He then looked at the crowd and continued. "No autographs, no selfies, no approaching her unless you're her close friend!"

There was uproar in the crowd, and they rushed at them. "Stop!" he shouted at the crowd.

Part 236 – The Greatest Show

And the crowd stopped as if there was an invisible barrier preventing them from coming closer.

"Beloved brother, I don't think it's nice to stop them from having my autograph. I mean, I may be a student, but I can't stop being an idol just because I wear this uniform."

"You're here to study, sister. Why don't you go join your friends and act like a student?"

"I don't have friends here, you know that!" she said. "I'm too busy!"

"You don't? Well, maybe we could fix that! And maybe your idol duties too." He then looked at the crowd. "My little sister doesn't have friends. Who wants to be friends with her? Of course, they must be the same age, and be girls too! And they must be willing to assist her in her idol duties in school. Kindly raise your hands if you want to volunteer!"

All of the girls in the second-year high school raised their hands and shouted, "Pick me!"

"I want to be Kanon's friend!"

"Please! I want to be your friend, Kanon!"

Keima looked at the crowd and picked a girl. "You, come forward. And state your name. Tell me why you deserve to be her friend."

The girl stepped from the crowd, the rest looking at her with envious eyes.

"My name is Chihiro Kosaka, Otamegane. I deserve it because I played with her during the festival!"

"Kanon?" Keima asked.

"Yes, I remember you! Yes, you can be my friend!"

Chihiro beamed. "Thank you, Kanon! It would be my pleasure!"

"And Kosaka, if you are to be Kanon's friend, I want you to do Kanon a favor!" Keima said.

"Anything for her," the normal girl shouted as she walked to Keima. Keima whispered to her and she nodded.

Afterward, Keima said to the crowd, "All of you who want to have autographs and take selfies from Kanon must go through Kosaka. She will choose who will and won't get autographs!"

"Yeah! Kanon is busy. She can't do everything," Chihiro shouted. "And if you have questions, just write it and send it to me. I'll give it to Kanon!"

"Thank you. I still need more friends for Kanon. Who wants to volunteer?"

More girls raised their hands at him.

And Keima pointed to another girl.

That girl stepped forward. "Thank you, Mr. Katsuragi," she politely said. "I am Ayumi Takahara. I deserve to be Kanon's friend because I can keep off all the annoying classmates who bother you," she said. "And I played with Kanon too at the festival!"

"I like her!" Kanon immediately shouted, a smile on her face.

"Yes, Takahara, you can be my sister's friend," he said as the athlete bowed to the two of them. "You can be the bouncer!"

"Hey, don't forget me!" another voice shouted.

"Elsie!" he said as she literally ran from the crowd to him.

"How can you forget me, your actual sister, Divine Brother?"

"I didn't. It's because it's not necessary, little sister," Keima scolded. "You're practically Kanon's sister, aren't you? So yes, you can hang out with Kanon."

"Oh, thank you, Divine One!" she shouted as she hugged him and went to Kanon and the other girls.

"We need one more friend," he shouted, and the girls in the crowd screamed even louder.

Mobuko desperately wanted to be friends with Kanon. She knew she was a long-shot since Katsuragi was unlikely to pick her after what happened in the past, but she raised her hand anyway.

"I'm looking for someone outside class 2B, since my sister, Takahara and Kosaka were already from our class," he announced.

And Mobuko and her other classmates groaned in disappointment, while the girls of the other class got more excited.

"Hm. Okay, I pick you," he said, pointing to another girl.

The girl stepped forward. "Tell your name to Kanon, and tell her why you deserve to be her friend."

"I am Aoba Fuse, of Class 2C. I deserve it because I already am her friend, as Kanon could testify."

"Yes, you're my friend, Miss Fuse!" shouted Kanon as she stepped forward and pulled her. "Oh, I'm sorry I forgot you! Yes, we're friends!"

Mobuko stared at her. Since when was Katsuragi's shadow Kanon's friend? Come to think of it, all of Kanon's new 'friends' were girls close to Katsuragi! I never had a chance! This was just a damn pantomime!

"Okay, break it up, break it up!" he shouted as he walked towards the crowd. "If you want autographs and selfies, just talk to Kosaka."

Part 237 – Theatre of the Absurd

The crowd, which was mesmerized by the entire thing, was inclined to do just that, when three boys pushed their way to Katsuragi.

"Hey, just because Kanon thinks of you as a brother doesn't mean you can just throw your weight around!" the tallest of them shouted.

"Why, if it isn't the Parsleys?" Katsuragi said in contempt, his eyes looking down at them, no fear whatsoever present.

And he was promptly punched in the chin. He fell to the ground, his lip cut and bleeding.

The crowd gasped even as Mobuko wanted to cheer the bullies. That's right. Teach that otaku a lesson!

"Ha! Is that all you can do? You really are worthless background characters!" Katsuragi shouted, laughing loudly like a maniac, as he took a handkerchief from his pocket to staunch the bleeding.

"Why you!" the three bullies shouted angrily, and they approached him to give him more of a beating.

The crowd, at least the high school one, began to cheer the bullies.

"Beat him up!" one high schooler shouted. And then the crowd followed, giving vent to their dislike of the gamer.

The middle school crowd seemed to be shocked in silence, their faces looking at him in pity.

Kanon suddenly came over and put her arms around the injured figure.

"Stop it! Are you alright, Beloved Brother?" she said, sending more gasps to the crowd.

"Stay away from him, Kanon," one of the bullies said. "He's just using you. We'll take care of him!"

"Stop it!" the idol yelled.

Then to the shock of everyone, she stood up and slapped the three boys, in the face, in quick succession.

"I am ashamed that you and I attend the same school together!" Kanon shouted at the three.

"But Kanon—"

"I owe my career to Keima Katsuragi! I owe everything to my beloved big brother! You all know that! And this is how you treat him? What's your name?"

"Kanon—"

"What's your name? You can't tell? Don't worry. I'll find out. And I'll have you expelled. If not, I'll get you three in trouble! From now on, I do not want to see your faces. You hear me? If anyone tries to hurt or bullies my big brother, they will answer to me! I will make sure that they are miserable for the rest of their lives!"

The vehemence of Kanon's tirade shocked everyone.

The idol looked at the high school crowd. "I am proud of being a student of this school. But lately, with how you treated Exalted Brother, I don't think I can stay that proud. How can I, when you are so mean to him? You hurt me. You hurt me so much!"

One of the bullies groveled apologetically. "Kanon, we don't mean that! We're sorry."

"Then apologize to him! Grovel to the boy you hurt so much!"

"What? Us, apologize to that Otamegane? I'd rather die!"

"Apologize!" she shouted, facing down the three bullies.

That broke it. The three bullies then bowed to Katsuragi. "We're sorry for punching you, Katsuragi."

"And?" Kanon demanded.

"For everything we've done in the past. Please forgive us."

Keima stood up. "I forgive you," he said. "Now lil' sister, you didn't have to do that."

"But I want to do that, Exalted Brother," she said, looking at him with adoring eyes.

…

Mobuko looked at Katsuragi with even more hate as he separated from Kanon. The four girls, the new 'friends' of Kanon, surrounded her and did an excellent job of keeping annoying teenagers away from her.

Keima Katsuragi, just because you got Kanon to think of you as a brother doesn't make you better than us. And she could tell that most of her classmates had the same attitude.

Well, up to a point. Distressingly, a lot more classmates changed their minds about him and began to approach him. They were actually apologizing! Still, those numbers were just a few.

When she entered the classroom, he was already on his chair and was surrounded by classmates. She ignored him as she sat down on her chair. And listened in.

"Hey, how did you help Kanon's career?"

"I'm so sorry for how I treated you, Katsuragi."

"You did wonderful this morning! You showed us who's boss! You are!"

Katsuragi was just as rude as ever, as he tried to tell them off, but the crowd just laughed it off. They were used to him.

"Hey, Mr. Grumpy! I know you don't like friends, but please, don't consider us enemies!" one said.

"No matter how much you try to drive us away, we still want to be friends—well, since you don't like friends, how about friendly acquaintances?"

"Shut up and leave me alone!" he shouted at them.

And it had no effect on them.

"That's our Katsuragi!" one said as he patted him on the back.

"Don't ever change! We love you as you are!" another said.

"We're proud of you, Kanon's brother!"

The rest of the classmates, more than half, just sneered at them silently. They won't dare insult him publicly since that would displease Kanon, but they wouldn't go out of their way to befriend him, either. And they were disgusted by those who tried to be nice to him, even as the Otamegane tried to drive them away. Mobuko was part of that crowd.

"I'm gonna kill that Katsuragi," one boy said to her as they watched the scene around his table. "Who does he think he is? Just because he's Kanon's dog doesn't change who he is!"

"I hear you. But what can we do? We either shut up or lose Kanon."

"We'll teach that otaku a lesson when Kanon's not around. Just you wait," the boy said as he clenched his teeth.

Then Kanon arrived, with her new "friends" minus Fuse. This time, Mobuko and others tried to go to her, but they were stopped by Ayumi, who stood in front of Kanon.

"Please, if you want autographs or selfies, go to Chihiro and make a request," she politely said with a smile on her face.

The crowd got disappointed, but a few lined up to Chihiro. Chihiro got a small notebook and a pen and began to make a list of names for the autograph session.

…

Part 238 – Scheme for Suitors

At lunch break…

Keima didn't know what to think as he walked, hands playing his PFP, towards the clubroom. He would eat lunch with Kanon—it was her second hour.

Almost everything that happened in the morning at the school entrance was part of a play he devised for the benefit of the school. Although he didn't mind being thought of as being dumped by Kanon, he wanted to cement the idea of being the big brother to Kanon in the minds of the students. That worked brilliantly.

And he wanted to get out of being the constant chaperon for Kanon. Kanon desperately wanted to follow him around like Elsie does, but it would inconvenience him. He needed privacy, and he still needed to practice with Miyako for the duet for the next day. So getting Kanon new 'friends' who, in effect, would chaperone her for him was his solution to that problem.

Kanon begged and pleaded when she found out that she wouldn't be with Keima all the time like she hoped. But he was firm. And Kanon gave in when he explained it was part of his plan. He knew that Kanon was supportive of all of his plans for the schedule.

And Ayumi, Chihiro, and especially Elsie were delighted to be 'friends' with Kanon. Who knows? Maybe those four would become genuine friends with the idol. He welcomed more concord among the girls of the schedule—girls fighting over him would just give him headaches. And Aoba Fuse was more than willing to play the part assigned to her.

Elsie, Chihiro, Ayumi, and Aoba—he chose them for one reason. They can act really well. Even Chihiro, with her doubts in the Miyako operation, showed how good she was when she put her mind to it. A second reason was that they can do the parts assigned to them.

"Hey Katsuragi!" a boy called him. He was a second year, just like Kagsuragi.

"I'm busy," the gamer tried to brush off.

"Hey, listen man. I'm sorry for how I treated you," he began.

Keima just ignored him.

"Anyway, I want to ask if I can see Kanon."

"Why ask me?"

"Because you're her brother, and I want to know if I can approach her—"

"You want to court her," Keima finished.

"I want to ask your permission," he said.

And Keima was glad. This was proof that the school had already put the notion that he was Kanon's boyfriend to bed. The boy wouldn't do that if that was not the case.

"Look, I like her not because she's an idol," the boy continued. "Honest! I just like her. Can I?"

And Keima knew that the scheme was working. Those four girls would keep annoying teens away from Kanon. If they want autographs? They needed to talk to Chihiro first. If they need requests like copies of her songs, they need to ask the normal girl too.

If they want to ask questions or requests, they would need to put their requests in writing and give it to Aoba Fuse, who would give them to Kanon after scrutinizing their requests.

If they were too pushy and tried to still talk to Kanon, Ayumi would kick them. And since Ayumi was a girl, she could kick both guys and girls who tried to get fresh with Kanon without prior permission.

He smiled. He finally found an excellent use of Ayumi's propensity for physical violence. And if it proved too tough, Elsie would use her magic to enhance Ayumi's fighting prowess. So even the most hardheaded bullies would bow before the athletic runner.

And if someone wanted to woo Kanon, the girls around Kanon would tell him that he should go to Kanon's brother first and ask for his permission. He would take a look at the boy and see if he was fit to woo Kanon.

Of course, while he knew that Kanon would reject all, he could not just do so or it would fuel the rumors that he was Kanon's lover. So he mostly approved all the boys who asked his permission—he only disapproved thugs or delinquents or those who bullied him or those whom he actually hated.

"Well, I approve of you," Keima said, looking at him with a friendly smile. "You're a fine man. Good grades, friendly, member of the council, a darling of the teachers."

"Really? I can approach Kanon?" asked the delighted boy.

"If it were up to me, you could. You and Kanon would make a fine couple. I would love to see you and her date," Keima said.

"Really? Wow, thanks!" said the boy in gratitude. "You really are a swell guy!"

"But it's not up to me. Anyway, go to Aoba Fuse. She has the final say."

"Aoba Fuse?" said the boy as his face paled, and all his hope fell away.

"My disciple. I'm afraid that as a boy, I don't know what type of boy Kanon likes. But Aoba does. If you can persuade her that you're fine for Kanon, then you can talk to Kanon."

"Um, could you tell her that you sent me?"

"Sure, sure," said Keima as he got a card from his pocket. "What's your name again?"

The boy stated his name. Keima wrote something and signed it.

"Give this card to Fuse. That would tell her that I approve of you."

Aoba Fuse. The truth was, his original plan was to simply send all the suitors straight to the girl gamer for her approval. Her ice princess nature would deter all but the most determined, and her demeanor and scariness would ensure that rejections would not be contested. Yes, Fuse was still a scary girl to most of the high school population.

But Aoba argued that the boys should go through him first since he was her "brother", and that he should approve a lot of them before sending them over to Aoba. Keima immediately saw the benefits to that, as it meant that the more boys he approved, the less likely the students will think that he was still Kanon's lover. So putting up with annoying suitors for Kanon was worth it to keep up the ruse. So he approved of Aoba's plan.

Aoba Fuse would then reject most of the applicants he sent her. Just approve one or two who she deemed worthy. And before Kanon would leave the campus, Kanon would talk to that boy, give him an autograph, and even take a selfie with him. And gently reject him.

That way, the throng of boys who would deluge her now that they were convinced she's single could be reasonably managed.

"Really? Thanks!" said the boy as he eagerly took the card. That card would give hope to the boy that Fuse would at least consider him for Kanon.

Keima wondered if that boy would at least reach the autograph stage with Kanon? Who knows? The gamer didn't care. If he only wanted an autograph, that soul would have more luck by approaching Chihiro. He was the twelfth boy that day to contact him about wooing Kanon and the tenth one he sent to Aoba Fuse. Aoba Fuse rejected all but one of them.

Just as planned.

The only thing that went off the script that morning was the punch he received in the lip and Kanon's reaction. He was surprised by what Kanon did. It was so unexpected that he was not sure what the effects would be long-term. Would it be beneficial, or would it be detrimental to his plans? He would just have to wait and see.

…

Part 239 – Aoba Fuse and Kanon's Suitors

He reached the door of his club. And waiting for him were Elsie and Kanon—his two "sisters".

"Divine Brother!"

"Exalted Brother!"

"Sisters," he answered.

"I heard you set up a club! I want to see it!" Kanon asked enthusiastically.

"Yup! Divine Brother! Let's eat lunch inside!" Elsie proposed.

"Fine," he said. It was Kanon's time, her second hour for the week. Elsie's purpose was to head off rumors. With Elsie inside, what else could it be than a meal between siblings?

"Thanks, brother!" Kanon exclaimed as Elsie opened the door. Keima went in first, then Kanon, and finally, Elsie herself, locking the door behind her.

…

Aoba Fuse was walking towards the 2B Pencils band room to have lunch with Ayumi and Chihiro when somebody called her.

"Miss Fuse," shouted a boy. He was panting as he had been running. "I heard you were passing here, so I ran."

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I came from Keima Katsuragi, and he told me I could see and talk to Kanon," he panted.

"Oh, another suitor? You have it?"

The boy proudly handed her the card that Keima Katsuragi gave him.

The note read:

Miss Aoba Fuse,

It's your decision, of course, but I heartily recommend Mr. Shiro Emiya. I believe that he is a decent young man, who can make Kanon happy if only Kanon gives him a chance. I would love to see the two of them date.

(signed)

Keima Katsuragi.

Of course, Aoba Fuse was not bound by his recommendation. In fact, she and the Divine One agreed that only one or two per day should be approved so Kanon won't be overwhelmed. He was the tenth boy to approach her with an identical card with an identical message from her Master. Meaning she had already coldly rejected eight of them.

Aoba congratulated herself on that idea. The Divine One had wanted to send all would-be suitors to Aoba directly, but she insisted that they go through him first. Not only would that suit his role as a protective older brother, but also, by approving most guys, kill any remaining rumor that he was Kanon's lover. But Aoba had another motive.

Keima Katsuragi would be acting friendly and encouraging to the boys who wanted to court Kanon. By doing so, he would be increasing the opinion of himself to the High School male population. Any rejections would be blamed on herself, not the God of Conquest. True, her primary strategy was to overwhelmingly win the Middle school vote, but increasing the potential voters from high school that would vote for him instead of Kaori Yuuzaki would not hurt.

She looked over the boy, who was sweating. Her eyes drilled on him. "So you want to court Kanon?" she icily asked. Her voice sent a shiver to him. "You're the tenth guy the Divine One sent, and I've rejected eight of them already. Why should I approve of you?"

"But Kanon's brother Katsuragi approved of me!"

"And I don't care about that," said Aoba. "I care about Kanon. So what makes you think you can be her lover?"

"Um, I like Kanon very much," he began.

"So do all the others," she said. Then she smiled. "Anyway, I'm approving you!" She then took a pen and wrote something at the back of the card. "Show that to Takahara at the time and place I wrote in this card."

And Aoba left him. He had a big smile on his face. "Yahoo!"

And the crowd looking at the scene congratulated him.

…

Aoba supposed that she should feel sorry for the guy. In a way, they were playing with the hearts of all those poor souls wanting to date Kanon, but she had no regrets. It was a direct order of the God of Conquest. And the Divine One's will must be done.

She entered the bandroom, and there were Ayumi and Chihiro. "Where's Terada and Yui?"

"Miyako's eating in class," said Chihiro. "Yui's at the Astronomy Club."

Aoba nodded.

"Can you believe it? I am Kanon's friend! Well, a pretend friend, but hopefully, I can be her real friend," Ayumi exclaimed. "And I do enjoy being her bouncer! Haha! Did you see the look on the faces of those boys I kicked when they tried to be too pushy with Kanon?"

"Yeah! Hilarious!" Chihiro agreed as she ate. "I wish I could beat up people as good as you. I'm stuck with paperwork, trying to choose who among those who asked will Kanon give her autograph to. I mean, I can't just say yes to everyone, or that defeats the entire point of it all!"

"Hey, at least people are nicer to you," said Aoba Fuse. The mere fact that they became gatekeepers to Kanon made people play nice to them. For example, a lot of boys acted nicer to Aoba once word got out that she had ultimate say on who could court Kanon. The same would apply no doubt to Chihiro and Ayumi.

"Yup. But they're all suck-ups. They're nice because they want something from Kanon. Not that I'm complaining!" Chihiro said. "At least I know who my true friends are."

"It was nice of Keima to ask us to do this. Sure, it was a lot of work, but Kanon's only in school once in a while, and it really was exciting to be close to Kanon. Knowing her from the schedule was one thing—this is totally different!" Ayumi exclaimed.

"Yep. People know that we are close to Kanon. That makes all the difference," Chihiro agreed. "That dweeb really knows what he's doing."

"Speaking of Keima Katsuragi, Takahara, may I ask you something?" Aoba began.

"Sure. If you do us a favor! If you aren't doing anything later this afternoon, why don't you hang out with us? I mean, you aren't in the schedule, but with how much you know and how you're involved, you might as well be," the athlete said.

"How about five in the afternoon?" the girl gamer offered. She remembered that Chihiro had invited Aoba Fuse to hang-out with them during that weird meeting at the café.

"It's a deal!" Chihiro agreed. "So Fuse, what do you want to ask Ayumi about?"

"Takahara, how about running for school council president next year?" Aoba asked. "The Divine One would like you to."

"What? Keima wants me to run?" asked Ayumi, surprised.

"Yes. He told me so."

"I'm glad Keima had such faith in me. Unfortunately, I'm not interested. I'm already busy with two clubs. And my grades aren't the best," Ayumi admitted.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll have to disappoint him in this," the athlete answered.

"How about you, Kosaka?"

"Same. Not interested. The band and the schedule and doing little favors for the doofus is already too much for my plate," Chihiro said.

Part 240 – More Supporters

And the genius gave a visible sigh of relief. "In that case, may I ask the two of you to support Keima Katsuragi as School Council President for the next school year?"

The other two girls just looked at her in stunned silence for a few seconds, their eyes wide and their mouths hanging open.

"Katsuragi's running?" Chihiro finally barked.

"When did he decide that?" asked Ayumi. "He never told me!"

"He isn't running."

"So this is just a joke!" the band leader concluded.

"No. It's a long time from now until April. He can change his mind. He will change his mind. In the meantime, we must prepare the way," the genius informed.

"What do you mean, prepare the way?" asked Ayumi.

"I want him to become School Council President," the gamer declared.

"But that's impossible! You know how the school views him!" Chihiro stated.

"Right now, it's impossible. But in April, he may have a chance," she declared. "Lady Kaori Yuuzaki will win today. But the Divine One will be the Master of the school next year."

"But why? Why are you so bent on making Keima School Council President?" Ayumi pressed.

And the genius stated her reasons.

Both girls sympathized with her. Both girls had 'bullied' Keima Katsuragi in the past, and both felt a little guilty as they listened.

"Well, count me in!" Chihiro declared as soon as Aoba finished her explanation. Chihiro still wanted to do something nice for Katsuragi ever since she regained her memories. She owed him everything, and she had treated him terribly. In contrast to what he gave her, there was very little that she could give him back. And here was Fuse, offering her a way of giving him the entire school. And a way for him to get back at all those schoolmates who were so cruel to him.

It was perfect.

"Yeah, me too. If Katsuragi, with just his words, could make the school dance to his tune by just using Kanon, just imagine what he could do with real authority," Ayumi mused. She owed so much to Katsuragi. The problem was it was hard to think of something equivalent to give him as he gave so much yet required so little himself. And here the disciple was offering something that would solve that problem.

And Ayumi was very proud of Keima. She wanted the school to know just how amazing Keima was. "Yes, there are no better hands to leave the school to than Keima's. Well, I know he'd probably use it to play more games, but I don't care! Keima has done so much for me and for all of us, that he deserves that power in his last year in school."

"Thank you," said the genius gamer. "Anyway, please don't tell him that we're doing this for him until he changes his mind. I want to keep this as a surprise."

"Not to mention he might stop us in our tracks if he finds out before he's ready to switch," Ayumi nodded. "But what if he doesn't change his mind? Would you force him to run?"

"Heaven's no! I would not force the Divine One to do anything against his will! If he doesn't change his mind, then all that I did would be for nothing. And he may even cast me aside as a disciple if he learns of this before I'm ready. But I won't regret anything even if that happens."

"So, you're risking everything based on that?"

"Yes. For Keima Katsuragi, I'll do everything to make him greater. Even if the Divine One hates me for it afterward. But I have faith that he'll come around."

Both girls were just astounded by Aoba Fuse's determination. And she wasn't even in love with him! Both girls decided they can't be outdone by the disciple—it would be embarrassing if two girls who were in love with him couldn't muster the same devotion towards Katsuragi.

"Yes. Even if Keima got mad at us, this would be worth it," Ayumi agreed. "So, do you have any idea how to make him win?"

And the blue-haired girl just smiled as she said, "I do."

"What? Already?"

"Yup. By the way, I already lined up Kanon, Yui, Asami Yoshino, and possibly a third-year middle-schooler named Minami Ikoma."

"What! Already?" the athlete nearly shouted.

"Wait! Minami Ikoma? That name is familiar," Chihiro pondered.

"And this is one reason I asked the Divine One to form a club. Those who like him or admire him may try to join it. I'm using it to find like-minded students. That's how I bagged Ikoma and Yoshino."

"And Kanon and Yui too. Fame and money," Chihiro added. "But what's our plan?"

"Middle school. The Master, according to Ikoma, is popular with Middle schoolers."

"What?"

"Hard to believe, I know. If it's true, then all we have to do is make him more popular than Lady Yuuzaki among middle-schoolers. We can ignore high-schoolers, and the Divine One will still win easily."

Ayumi and Chihiro, for the first time, acknowledged the possibility that Fuse's dream wasn't so unreachable after all.

…

The three then talked about random things until it was near the end of lunchtime.

"So, Fuse, are you watching?" Chihiro asked.

"Huh? Watching what?" answered the gamer as she got her PFP and loaded a game.

"The piano duet of Keima and Miyako," Ayumi answered. "Tomorrow evening. There's a duet contest."

"Really? I didn't know the Master could play piano," Aoba answered in surprise.

"I didn't know either. But apparently, the dweeb's been practicing. I'm telling you, he's good. Better than most, if I'm honest. The two of them are gonna wipe the floor with the competition," the normal girl asserted.

"The Divine One? Good at piano?"

"How about watching him and Miyako practice after class today?" asked Chihiro.

The genius nodded. "Who else is going to watch the contest?"

Ayumi answered. "Mostly parents and the girls of the schedule. And piano enthusiasts. You know these things. Nobody attends piano recitals. The music hall would be mostly empty."

"Mostly empty," Aoba said to herself. Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration. "I got it! I got it!"

"Got what?"

"This won't win him the school by itself. But the Divine One's going to get even more popular," she said as her brain went into overdrive.

Then she received a message on her PFP.

Ayumi and Chihiro looked at it.

"It's from Tsukiyo. I need to go," the gamer said.

End of Flag XXI

Stats for the Week

Official Time

Monday

Tenri – Morning Walk – 15 minutes

Yui – Lunch – 1 hour

Kanon – Night Event – 1 hour

Tuesday

Tenri - Morning Walk - 15 minutes

Chihiro – Lunch – 1 hour

Tenri – After School Visit – 1 hour

Yui - Night Event - 2 hours

Wednesday

Tenri - Morning Walk - 15 minutes

Total:

Tenri – 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yui – 3 hours

Kanon – 1 hour

Chihiro – 1 hour

Author Notes

Aoba Fuse and Asami Yoshino are a light novel heroines. I took their characterization both from the light novel, and also from Wrathie Winsre's stories.

Review Replies

To xellos540, thank you for your review.

Once again, this was originally sent by PM. I'm sharing it for the enlightenment of the readers.

And thank you for your super very early review! I think there's fifteen minutes between the posting of the chapter and the review! :D

Yeah, the scheming was a bit repetitive, but it was necessary since it involved so many actors and their POV was necessary for dramatic effect!

Yep! Who knew that Keima's act of verifying if Minami retained her memories would be the same act that would lead to her falling in love all over again! And to be honest, talking and meeting with Minami would is as much a catalyst for falling in love as seeing Keima swim!

Oh yes. Minami is much more stalkerish than Elsie, for example.

Oh, many others notice those "female friends." That's why Keima worked so hard to construct those ruses to make sure the rumors will go in his direction. It would be much harder to conquer girls with Weiss if he was known as a playboy. Of course, it won't work with everyone! Like Asami! Or Minami!

And yep! Minami doesn't seem the sort to deny something very obvious. In the manga, she quickly accepted that she was in love with Keima after he invited her to go with him to the Tanabata Summer Festival!

Of course, she doesn't understand why she fell in love that quickly, so she must invent weird excuses!

I wonder how Aoba would do as an actual interrogator in court or in employment interviews :D

"Lol, Keima's popular in highschool." You mean, middle school, I assume. He certainly is not popular in high school. And yes, being older by two years was a factor, but the Senpai Factor and the Kanon confession and announcement were more important. (Granted, the Senpai Factor was because Keima's two years older, so you're right about that!)

And that's the purpose of Minami in this fic. At least in this arc. She's the key to winning the School Council Presidency!

As for how Asami feels, I'm sure she understands Minami's situation and sympathizes, but was probably a little peeved at another competitor. But since she already has so many competitors as it is, it probably won't have that much of an impact. Her biggest fear was that some of the other girls surrounding Keima were really after him (Ayumi, Chihiro, Yui, Shiori). Little does she realize that all of them were after Keima. And also Tsukiyo, Kanon herself, and Tenri.

Yup! You're right about the Senpai Factor! It's a conscious reference! That's the key to Keima winning. You see, I remember when reading the manga during Minami's arc that Middle School generally don't know who Keima is before Kanon's confession. So it's easier to construct a favorable reputation for him from middle schoolers than high schoolers. And add to that that the current third year high schoolers would graduate soon, and the third year middle schoolers will be first year high schoolers, so we could give Keima all of middle school and first year high school, and even if he loses second and third year high school, Keima could still easily win! That is, if he can make himself more popular than Kaori in middle school! That way, Keima could lord it over the school without his peers liking him at all.

In short, he could continue to be rude to his school mates in high school! And he could still win!

And Yui's shells were duds! Because why would Aoba believe it in the first place? As to why bringing out Mars didn't work, just wait and read Flag XXI!

As for the "her Keima" bit, yes, you're right about that. She is getting ahead of herself. Since the amount of time and attention Keima spends of Tenri gave her hope.

Oh yes! One of the things I love to write about was the perspective of the characters who doesn't know any better, and see how they interpret things based on their own logic. And see how hilariously wrong they are!

And yes, Tenri is so precious! As for interviews? I assume Tenri had some interviews before, particularly in school, but that's just my guess.

Well, Keima was supposed to be that ignorant oblivious boy who doesn't believe Tenri loves him despite all evidence, and it required Tenri confessing to his mother to actually open his eyes. To not be surprised would destroy his image to his mother—that of a game addict completely oblivious to love unless that girl openly declares her love to him to his face.

Well, give Tenri a chance at him. Basically, he "conceded" his mother's request to give Tenri a chance at winning him by giving Tenri the same terms as Kanon. So Mari thinks that Keima was doing her a favor.

Misunderstandings, the fanfiction! Ha ha! Yeah, wanted to change the title of the fic for a long time to something more descriptive. But maybe not. And there are more misunderstandings that would actually lead to headaches for Keima, just you wait. Actually, the next flag would give even more misunderstandings!

Yep! Mari is lying to the Ayukawas. Mari could manipulate people if she put her mind to it—but seldom has too as she can usually get her own way without resort to it. What she doesn't know was that Keima manipulated her to manipulate the Ayukawas! So to the Ayukawas mind, Keima did nothing wrong at all!

I guess you know that's Haqua. I actually didn't plan originally for Tenri to be substituted for Haqua. Yet after I wrote the scene, I seriously doubted Tenri could actually perform those speeches in front of her parents and Mari and Keima since she was so shy and she could barely speak to Mari earlier.

Plus, I need Haqua to be involved in all schemes being made, so I needed Haqua to be involved here too. And I need to progress her character and development while doing so. So I decided Haqua would substitute too. Then when I finally figured out what to do with Haqua, and decided her future, then I knew I had to have her kiss Keima.

(Don't worry, you'll know more, but it'll take a while. There would be a series of events for Haqua that would culminate in something big for her).

And to Haqua, let's just say it was something she could do without getting caught (even by Keima)—she can always plausibly claim that it was needed by the plan—Keima would suspect nothing as Keima himself had kissed so many girls just to advance his plans without feeling anything for the girls he kissed—so Haqua correctly assumed that Keima would believe her that it was part of the plan. Though her true thoughts of how she decided to do so would be told in a future chapter.

Actually, I have a confession. This entire scene with the Ayukawas was partially conceived from your review in Flag IV. You said, "Not sure how I feel about Keima being polite in front of Tenri's parents. That might bite him in the ass in the future." So I began to think how being polite to Tenri's parents could bite his ass. And it lead to this! And to that quote "But I know Keima" from Haito! All he and Yuuko sees were Keima being polite, so they began to think he's normally like that. And in Flag X, Tenri's parents caught her kissing Keima. So how could that kiss further other plot threads? So I decided to use it to further Mari's plot. Sorry for that digression.

Don't worry. I won't do similar scenes with the parents. It would be, as you said, superfluous. I would probably be covered by a quick description of a sentence of paragraph, like "Mari, Keiichi and Keima, and Ayumi, in the previous week, had played and tricked Ayumi's parents to accept Ayumi having the same terms Kanon." Readers could probably imagine how they did it, but I won't elaborate more.

Still, if you have parents who you want me to individually cover, I will do so if you or other readers request it. But I won't otherwise.

Except Yui's parents. I plan to make Yui's parents accept and even fight for Keima as a son-in-law for Yui. I know it's seems impossible right now, but, in the future, it'll happen as part of the struggle against Kaori. This is just a heads up on some of my plans. Let's just say that Yui's remark on making Keima rich to make him acceptable to her parents wasn't just a throwaway line without any relevance. Just remember it.

And yes, Haqua kissed Keima! Don't worry, you'll hear Haqua's inner thoughts soon. But I want more individual events for Haqua so I can construct a coherent series of events for her character evolution with regards to Keima.

Well, that's what Haqua gets for clobbering Keima time and time again! Anyway, yeah, Haqua doesn't have complaints! He was praised by Keima on her acting! And I wonder if she will insist on substituting another girl when Mari's interview comes around? xD

Yes, Tenri's a good listener. And I have another confession. I took the Tenri listening to Keima's stories for his time with girls from your Kanon fic, when Tenri asked Keima to tell her his time with Kanon.

Yeah, I think Keima got some of his intelligence from his parents, but some of what he says is just his opinion of them, and some of it might be inflated. But his parents are very bright, and Keima got the best of both parents!

Well, I think it's obvious that Keima loves both his parents—that story about him buying presents for Mari at the request of his Dad during Mari's birthday should be enough to show it. And yeah, it's a secondary reason for getting 100%. As for forgiving Elsie, yeah, I think at the latter parts, Keima clearly wasn't that resentful of Elsie anymore. And because of how he loves his parents, I genuinely think he really doesn't like deceiving them—even if he had to for the greater good.

"It's kinda interesting that the only girl Keima loves is not any of the ones after him." You mean Mari, right? Haha! But you forgot Chihiro too.

"So... initial lie at first and then no lies afterwards, huh?" Yep! In fact, the entire fic could be summarized as Keima trying to minimize his lies. And in fact, he told as much truth to the girls as he possibly could, including the Weiss, the five years, Elsie being the devil, that he doesn't love them, that he will conquer girls to save them from the loose souls, that they have a chance after five years, that he might lie to them in the future, that the girls will have to share him for the next five years, etc. The only thing he kept from the girls was the fact that they would die if they didn't love him because of the Goddesses, because that would be counterproductive to his efforts.

It's the same for Mari. He's trying to minimize his lies to her, by constructing a tale of Okada forcing him to act like a playboy, so he won't have to lie about the seven girls afterwards. Obviously, Keima would like to tell Mari about the collar around his neck, but he cannot do so because it was forbidden. And it would ruin Elsie.

Yes, Mari would know all the girls, during the sleepover. And the girls better prepare, because Mari won't go easy on them. Especially if she finds out that some of them were a little too violent on Keima.

Well, Keima considers all the girls as someone he could love—otherwise, he would be lying and playing with their hearts. It's just that Tenri was the first girl since Chihiro that he specifically had feelings that he might love her after all.

Keima knew he could fall in love with multiple girls since the beginning, and he planned to pick the girl whom he loved the "most" or hates the least. But what if he couldn't decide and found out that he loved the girls equally? That would really discombobulate him as that doesn't happen in games!

You're right! Objectively, Tenri isn't incompetent. And Keima doesn't think Tenri is incompetent. It's just Tenri thinking herself as incompetent as a result in her failure to play her part because Keima decided to let Haqua play her instead.

Tenri has no loose soul. She's just feeling guilty because she felt useless after Keima chose Haqua to play Tenri because Keima believes (correctly, IMO) that Tenri cannot act like he wants her to act, so he called Haqua to play her. But yeah, I get it, the way I wrote made it seemed like she has a loose soul.

Yeah, I wonder what the parents would think? The Ayukawas would probably think that they were doing naughty things, while Mari would think that they're just playing games. (Both would be right).

And once more, thank you for your review!

To Ghostdevil,

Hello. Thank you for your review, Ghostdevil.

Once again, this was originally sent by PM. I'm sharing it for the enlightenment of the readers.

True, if you remove the context, Keima would be a very big jerk, an abuser par excellance.

But the same would apply in the manga and anime.

Imagine if you didn't know that Keima has a collar in his neck, and that the girls have Weiss that needed to be removed, and all you see were his romancing of girls, kissing them, then moving to the next girl, about 19 times? And without an intention of truly loving those girls he wooed? And you didn't know that the girls all forget? Well, he's the biggest playboy abuser of all, a gold standard of a womanizer.

Or if you didn't know that the world will end if Keima doesn't bring out the Goddesses from the Goddess hosts, and the only way he could do that is by making them fall in love with him all over again? What does it look like to romance six girls at the same time, making them fall in love with him, without loving them, and with the intention of dumping them afterwards?

Look at what Keima does with how he played with Chihiro's feelings, with his cruel words when Chihiro confessed? And how he played with Ayumi the entire time, outright manipulating her and lying repeatedly, telling her that he loves her when he does not?

But that's without context. But we know that Keima's not a jerk, not an abuser, because we know that everything he does is necessary, and that the alternative would be that he and Elsie would die because of the collar, the girl would fall victim to the Weiss, becoming a host to a Weiss when it got reincarnated as her child, or the world ending because of Vintage.

Keima sacrificed so much, his reputation, his time, his physical safety, just to save the girls and the world. All in exchange for some bruised and hurt feelings. And he got no thanks for it. In fact, he was abused, and he was reviled.

Keima's more of a victim here, than the girls. And unlike the girls, he made things right and saved them.

The same is with my fic. Keima doesn't want to do this. He wants just to shut off the real world and just play games. And probably confess to Chihiro if it were possible and have a normal relationship.

If he really doesn't give a damn, if he were really an abuser, he would just say no, and not care if the girls died because their love of him died, since the world won't end, and he could resume his normal life, only catching Weiss to save his life.

But he sacrificed his happiness for the next five years just to save the girls.

But in order to do so, he needed to do some manipulations that might hurt the girls feelings. But what are the feelings of the girls compared to their lives in this case? Keima was saving them, because he cared for them, even as he has to continue to capture loose souls because of the collar. I don't think that's he's doing that because he's an abuser.

In fact, he tried to minimize his lies.

1. He told them about the Weiss, and that he cannot have a girl for the next five years because of that. (which is true).
2. He told them that he would have to kiss girls to drive out the Weiss. (true)
3. He told them that if they wanted to spend time with him, they must share him (true).
4. That he would have to sometimes lie and manipulate them for reasons that he can't tell them (true).
5. That he would pick one of them after the end of five years, if they can wait (true).

He didn't want to make them guilty by not believing his lies. He only told them that he may have to lie and manipulate them in the future because of the nature of his work with the devils. And that was the truth as he cannot tell them that they would die if they stopped loving him. He told them because he wanted them to understand that he could not be 100% honest, and he would have to lie sometimes. He was just telling them what to expect from him in the next five years. He was giving them no illusions about what staying with him meant.

The girls feeling guilty about not believing them was just an unfortunate by-product of it. He never intended it when he made that speech about lying. He only telling them what to expect so they won't get mad or abuse him or kick him if they caught him lying about something important relating to his works with the devils.

I'm sorry for the long reply, I just want to say that I have no intention of making Keima look like an abuser. He's not.

To issei,

Thank you for your review. I agree with you about Tenri xD