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 thank you to xellos540 for the beta!
Short Summary of Flag XXX
Mari interviews Shiori. Will Shiori make it out alive? Keima's mother then grills Ayumi. Especially about how Ayumi treated Keima in the past. And then Yui. How will the crossdresser fare with the mother of her beloved?
ARC III – THE DISCIPLE
Flag XXXI
The Calm
Part 334 – A Time for Relief
Relief—that was the feeling all seven girls of the schedule felt as Mari wound down her lecture. Most girls were too timid, shy, or proper to do the things that Mari had expressly forbidden, and those that they had already done with Keima had, thankfully, been green-lit by the mother. And just as well. One could imagine what their reaction would be if the mother of the boy they loved forbade kissing or hugging!
And there was the fact that, from all outward indications, Mari remained ignorant of the true nature of the event. The girls were thankful that they got the approval of the mother, and that they could continue to spend time with Keima without hiding it from the formidable Mrs. Katsuragi. Yet they were also glad that she had not caught on that they were already doing what they were begging her for.
They had gotten Mrs. Katsuragi's approval by fooling her! But, as Keima had rationalized, by lying now, they would not have to lie to her afterward over and over again. One lie today would save lots of lies for the next five years.
And thinking about it, they realized that Keima had been right.
Not that it got the gamer off the hook. They were still peeved at him for feeling so scared, so inadequate, so insignificant against the formidable woman! Every single one of them, except Tenri, would make Keima pay. It was a good thing for them that according to the rules of the schedule, they get to decide how to spend their hours with Keima!
"Anyway, I still need to finish cooking our dinner!" Mari apologized as she looked at the clock.
"I can help," Tenri volunteered, raising her hand and approaching the mother.
"Thank you, dear," Mari answered with a smile. She beckoned the timid girl to follow her.
To the other girls, it was the start of a new kind of war. They realized that getting the favor of Mrs. Katsuragi was a critical battle. Keima had the ultimate choice in the end, but that night showed how big an influence Mari has with her son. Mari can make life difficult for any girl she takes a disliking to, and she gave the impression that she had no qualms of doing so if it was deemed necessary. And the girls no doubt knew that she could influence Keima to choose the girl whom she prefers—she might be saying that she's leaving the final choice to Keima, but they were not fooled. Mari can be the decisive factor in his final decision should she wish it.
Even though Tenri was sincere and just wanted to help Mrs. Katsuragi, the other girls concluded that it was a ploy to win over the mother and hence, Keima.
The other girls all volunteered to help Mari. "Please, let me help!" Ayumi nearly shouted.
"Yeah. It's boring waiting here. I want to help," Chihiro said.
"I learned how to cook just for this. Please let me show you my talents," Tsukiyo offered.
"I was trained on more than a hundred styles of cooking in preparation for being married," Yui, back to her proper lady mode, stated.
"Well, I'll help too!" Kanon shouted. "I can sing to provide music while the rest of you make the food."
Shiori just approached and stared intensely at the middle-aged woman.
"Very well. I sure could use the help!" Mrs. Katsuragi answered, glad that she would have assistance, as the amount of food she was preparing would undoubtedly benefit from extra hands.
Part 335 – A Keima-less Celebration
Cooking was fun. Each of the girls, to Mari's pleasant surprise, were excellent cooks. Of course, nobody told her that the reason for their skill was because they cooked bento lunches for Keima every schoolday. Each of them wanted their lunch to be the best that Keima had ever tasted, at least in comparison with the rivals. Thus, they endeavored to be the best cooks they could be.
Even Yui. She surprised her parents with her eagerness to learn cooking. She gave the excuse that she needed cooking skills to be a proper wife, and her parents were all too happy to have their cook give their daughter the best culinary education money could buy.
…
It took them one hour, but finally, they were finished. It was no ordinary dinner. It was more like a banquet. In addition to the food, there were bottles of coke, orange juice, and root beer.
After all the food and drinks were laid out in the café, Mari declared, "Girls, consider this your welcome party! Congratulations!"
They were greeted with shouts and cheers from the girls of the schedule and Elsie. From the girls' perspective, it was Mari's welcome party to their world with Keima.
The music was, of course, composed of Kanon's songs. And some of the girls had to pretend not to be too much of a fan of the idol, less Mari suspects them of lying during their interview. Still, others were unabashed in their fandom, reasoning that they could always say to the mother that they were merely being polite by acting like fans. And it was hard not to be infected by Elsie's enthusiasm for all things Kanon.
The only thing that marred the occasion was the absence of Keima. The girls demanded that the boy join the party. But Mari made excuses.
"I'm sorry, but my son can't come down right now. He's a little shaken by today's revelations, and he needed time to process it all in."
"Shaken?" Shiori wondered.
"Yes. He really didn't know that you all loved him. He thought that Elsie was making it all up. This night was supposed to be just proving Elsie wrong, and well, guess we proved him wrong instead. So he needed time by himself to reflect on just what happened."
"Couldn't we help him?" asked a skeptical Ayumi.
"I'm sorry, but because of what happened, and knowing my son, joining you here would not help," she said. "He does not want to be rude, but he needs to be alone. Don't worry. I'll talk to him. He'll come around."
To the mother's pleasant surprise, there was not much protest. And though she could detect some disappointment in their eyes, it was muted.
"He just learned that he's going to date all of you for the next five years. That's a lot to take in. He's trying to wrap his brain around it. I mean, to go from where he was before this entire business started, to juggling seven girls at once?"
The girls all looked at each other with wary looks and little chuckles.
"I don't know if you know what you're getting into. I don't think I know either! But either way, it's going to be a very interesting five years, don't you think?" Mari continued.
"Don't worry. I'm going to make sure he would have the best five years of his life!" Kanon asserted.
The other girls made similar declarations, except Shiori, who just nodded.
"Thank you for being so understanding," the mother said apologetically as she left the café. "Please, go on! Keima's mood shouldn't spoil your fun."
Part 336 – Corrupting the Innocent
The disappointed girls continued with their celebration. They knew that Keima'd come down for the Aoba vote; only they were not certain of the exact time when that would happen. After they had their fill of the food and drinks, they debated what to do next.
In truth, the girls had been so focused, rightfully, about Mari's interview that they had neglected to think or plan anything else besides 'how do I pass Mari's test?' They were at a loss of what to do next.
"So, where do we sleep?" asked Tsukiyo to Elsie.
"Oh, don't worry about it!" the little devil reassured.
"I don't know," Chihiro said, concerned. "I was too worked about talking to Mrs. Katsuragi. I wasn't able to think about it, but can we all fit in your room, Elly?"
"Unless we can split into two rooms," Ayumi suggested.
"And some of us can sleep in Katsuragi's room! I call dibs on sleeping with him in his bed!" the heiress proposed.
And the six girls looked at the crossdresser like she had gone crazy.
"Over my dead body, Goido!" Tsukiyo snapped. "We're not allowed to do that! Aren't you listening to what Mrs. Katsuragi said just a while ago? Or is your hearing as bad as your thinking?"
"What? I won't do anything that the missus won't allow. I mean, the worst thing that we could do is hug and kiss while lying down together," Yui defended.
"On the other hand, go ahead and do those things to him. I'm going to call Mrs. Katsuragi so she can watch you two do unspeakable things, and I'm going to be laughing when she dumps you from the schedule!" Tsukiyo snickered. "Fuse's going in, so it's a fair trade, don't you think?"
"How about you do it, and I'll rat you out to Keima's Mom, and she'll throw you out, your Ladyship!" Yui snapped. "This way, we can remain seven after Fuse's in."
"No, no, no!" Chihiro shouted. "No sleeping in Katsuragi's room! Elsie, you invited us here! I'm sure you have this covered, right?"
"Of course! Just you wait here!" Elsie exclaimed as she ran out of the café.
"Did Elly think this through?" Ayumi wondered.
"Knowing her, no!" Tsukiyo snickered.
"Now Lady Kujo, be nice!" Kanon gently chided.
"Are you really going to rat me out if we violate the rules?" Yui asked Tsukiyo seriously.
"All is fair in love and war. Yes. I am a proper lady. I won't do anything that isn't proper, and if anybody else does so, I'm going to make them pay," the doll-like girl declared. "That's less competition for me if that happens."
"We won't be doing anything forbidden!" Ayumi shouted, her face red at the implication of what they were talking about. "I mean, I don't think I'm ready for half the things that Mrs. Katsuragi said we're allowed to do, let alone those we were forbidden to. And I won't let him do it to me until he chooses me anyway."
"Will you please stop this talk about this stuff?" Chihiro shouted. "You're making it awkward for the innocent ones!"
"Innocent ones?" Tsukiyo raised her eyebrow.
"Them!" Chihiro pointed to Shiori and Tenri, who were silent the entire time.
"Yes! You're corrupting their innocent minds with all this talk!" Kanon nodded.
"Hello! Shiori and Tenri were with us when Mrs. Katsuragi gave us that talk! They're not so innocent anymore!" Ayumi pointed out.
"And besides," Yui said, with a feral grin, "I don't know about Ayukawa, but I doubt that Shiomiya is all that innocent."
"Um…" the shy librarian could only say.
"I saw Shiomiya when she thought nobody was looking, read some very interesting books. From the adult section. Let's see. Amours of the Handsome Soldier. Or how about, Passion in the Bed at the Palace?"
And Shiori became red as a tomato as she was mortified that her reading habits were exposed.
"And even if Lady Kujo here didn't see you read those books," the heiress continued, "we all know you read every book in the library, which meant that Shiori here read every single romance book in it!"
"Goido, don't be mean!" Tsukiyo gently chided.
Ayumi nodded. "Don't let them get to you, Shiori. They're just teasing."
Part 337 – The Intruder
It was at this point that Elsie came back.
"Well?" asked Chihiro, glad for a distraction.
"We will all sleep here!" Elsie proclaimed, followed by Mari carrying a big rolled-up foam.
"Yep. This is the best space for your sleepover," Mari informed.
"Wait here. I have more where that came from. Elsie, come on, help me."
"I'll help you," Tenri volunteered.
And the rest of the girls volunteered to help too.
When it was over, they were able to drag about six rolled up foams, multiple bedding sheets, a stack of thick blankets, pillows, and other necessities.
They carefully stacked the tables and chairs upon each other, at the edges, near the wall of the café, so there was a big space in the middle.
They placed the six foams in the middle, three by two, and covered it with a big white sheet. Then they put the pillows in the middle—eight in all. The foam was big, and the girls were small, so they fit comfortably when they tried lying down.
Mari then got a relatively small TV from the house and placed it in the café counter, and also put a small DVD-Blu-ray player beside it. Elsie got a stack of her favorite DVDs and Blu-ray from the living room for the other girls to peruse.
"Let's get changed!" Elsie declared.
"Um, where?" asked a conscious Tsukiyo.
"You can change in the living room," Mari offered. "Don't worry. Keima's in his room, playing, as usual. He wouldn't get down even for the apocalypse. But just to be sure, I'll stand guard at the stairs."
"Okay, thank you," Ayumi offered.
Mari nodded and left.
In the living room, they changed one by one from their school uniforms to their pajamas or nightgowns. True to her word, Mari stood at the top of the stairs to stop Keima if he tried going down, not that she needed to do anything as Keima did not even try.
When they were all done changing, Mari came back to bid them good night.
"So, what do we do?" asked Kanon.
"Let's watch some movies!" Elsie shouted, showing them her disc collection.
There was a dispute about what film they were going to watch until they decided to let Elsie, as their hostess, decide for them. And surprisingly, what she chose was agreeable to all the girls. It was a scary film. And to set the atmosphere, Elsie switched off the lights.
There were many shouts and screams as they watched, and they hugged each other, shivering with fright. They all wished that Keima was there with them to give them comfort, to hold them, and to make sure everything was all right.
"Whew! That was scary!" Ayumi remarked as she turned on the light.
"Yes. I wish Divine Brother were here with us!" Elsie whined.
"For someone who has seen actual monsters, you sure seemed to scare easily!" a voice suddenly said behind them.
There was a collective scream, and when they looked behind them, it was…
Haqua.
Part 338 – The Valedictorian In the Sleepover
"Haha! Tell me, is that thing you saw on TV scarier than a Weiss?"
"Well, that's different, Haqua!" Elsie pouted.
"So what are you doing here? Did Elsie invite you too?" Tenri asked.
"I'm here for the Aoba Fuse vote. Or have you forgotten it's going to take place tonight?"
"Well yeah," Chihiro nodded. "We're just waiting for that doofus to come down from his throne and humor us masses with his presence."
"I guess he's waiting for his mother to go to bed," Haqua speculated. "I mean, he wouldn't want to risk his mother walking in a vote to get Fuse in, right?"
"Wait! Does that mean that Fuse needs to get interviewed by Mrs. Katsuagi too?" Chihiro wondered. "Of course! Just to be fair to all of us! Oh, I wish I could watch that!"
"Yeah! I wonder how Fuse will get through that ringer!" Ayumi snickered. "How much will she squirm under Keima's Mom's gaze?"
"Wait! Why aren't you wearing your pajamas?" asked Elsie, looking at Haqua, who was wearing her usual outfit.
"Because I'm not here to join your sleepover. I'm only here to vote and make the declaration concerning Fuse's status. Besides, even if I wanted to, I didn't bring my nightwear with me," the valedictorian asserted. Hopefully, the last sentence would stifle any hope that Elsie might have for her.
"Oh, is that all?" the younger devil answered before she grabbed the purple-haired devil's hand. "You can borrow one of mine. Or Mom's. You're about her size, I think!"
"Elsie—" Haqua shrieked as she was pulled toward the living room.
But there was no stopping Elsie as she dragged her best friend to the main house.
And they ran into Mari in the living room, who was on her way to the kitchen.
"Look who's here?"
"Haqua? I didn't know you were invited by Elsie too!" the mother exclaimed.
"Well, uh," Haqua began. She wanted to deny it but considered the implications. Katsuragi and Fuse were right. If she was not part of the sleepover, then what was she doing there? Was she some thief or stalker who broke into a house full of teenage girls in pajamas? So now that Mari saw her, it's best to play along. "Yeah. She invited me. I'm sorry, I was late."
"And can you believe it, Mom! She forgot to bring her stuff! She doesn't even have her pajamas."
What kind of girl forgets her nightwear for a sleepover? Maybe you're an Otaku like Keima, and you just came from an anime convention. "Oh, that's no problem. I'm sure Elsie—" that thought died when she realized that Elsie's spares were in the laundry hamper. "Well, I have some you can borrow."
"Really? Well, I can't accept that—"
"Nonsense! It's better than sleeping in your cosplay costume," Mari retorted. "Don't worry. It'll be fine! Just you wait and see! Wait! You haven't eaten dinner yet, have you?"
"She hasn't Mom!" Elsie answered for her.
"Elsie, don't be rude. Haqua, please follow me."
Haqua had no choice but to follow Mari to the kitchen, where the mother served her with the left-overs of the earlier party. After being warmed in the microwave, it was still as delicious as before. Elsie got seconds so that Haqua won't eat alone.
After the meal, Haqua helped Elsie and Mari wash the dishes. Then Mari lent her some of her nightgowns.
…
"It fits you perfectly!" Mari exclaimed as she looked at the purple-haired girl don her nightgown. Being a nightgown meant that it did not have to exactly 'fit', unlike pajamas. And Haqua, to the mother's opinion, just looked elegant in her nightwear.
Haqua felt a bit awkward, but as she looked at the full-length mirror in Elsie's room, she had to admit that it was not bad.
"You look just like Mom!" Elsie cooed upon looking at her idol.
"Well, you two go down and join the others!" Mrs. Katsuragi said, shooing the two girls.
…
Part 339 – Truth or Dare
Meanwhile…
"That was weird," Tsukiyo mumbled as they watched Elsie pull Haqua out of the café turned makeshift room.
"So let's do some games," Chihiro proposed.
"What? I don't have a PFP with me," Yui mentioned.
Chihiro grimaced. "Not that kind of game! Games for sleepovers like…"
"Oh, I know! How about spin the bottle?" the heiress mentioned.
"Negative. These lips are for Keima. And only Keima," Tsukiyo objected.
The rest of the girls agreed to that.
"Well, if you put it that way, yeah," Yui laughed. "How about truth or dare?"
"I don't know. Based on what I've heard of this particular game, all the answers to the questions that would be asked would always be 'Keima' so what's the point?" Tsukiyo pointed out.
"Aw, let's try it!" Kanon insisted.
And so they did. And at first, Tsukiyo's prediction seemed to come true.
Most of the questions were of the following variety, and the answers were monotonous.
'Who do you like?'
'Keima.'
'Who's your first kiss?'
'Keima.'
'Who are you going to marry?'
'Keima.'
'Who's your crush?'
'Keima.'
'Tell me your most embarrassing moment.'
Most of the answers involved Keima.
Most of the dares were converted to truths since a lot of the dares would risk the wrath of Mari, and nobody was ready to drop out of the race. And a lot of the other dares were too tame.
The only time it became fun when some of the dares strayed from those forbidden.
"Tsukiyo, I dare you to sing Kanon's latest hit!" Chihiro dared.
And Tsukiyo, despite her earlier protestations about not liking the latest pop music, knew Kanon's latest hit, and how to sing it, including memorizing the lyrics.
…
"Ayumi, say I hate Katsuragi," Chihiro dared.
"I hate Katsuragi," Ayumi said with indifference.
"How can you say that?" Yui gasped.
"I lied a lot during the Miyako conquest," the athlete shrugged.
…
"Tenri, say a bad word," Kanon challenged. "Say the absolute dirtiest thing you could say! Say the word that would get your mouth washed out by your mother!"
"Uh, fiddlesticks!" Tenri muttered.
And that earned laughter throughout the room.
…
"Goido, I dare you to sing for one minute!" Tsukiyo challenged.
"Do you have any particular song in mind?" Yui asked.
"Anything will do," the blonde girl riposted.
Yui sang. It was an old traditional love song. And did it well that the others could only stare and applaud once Yui was finished and bowed.
"Thank you. But if you have to thank anyone, thank my parents. They insisted that part of an education for marriage is singing, and knowing the old songs would be a real benefit," Yui said before sitting down. She looked at Shiori. "Shiori, truth or dare."
"Um, dare?"
"Okay. I want you to hop around the café with one foot while reciting your favorite poem."
"Favorite poem?" asked the mortified librarian. "I don't know any!"
"There are hundreds of poetry books in the library," Yui asserted. "So don't give me that!"
…
"Kanon, if you win, a big if—it won't happen, since I'm going to win," Tsukiyo began, "but if Keima does the impossible and chooses you, and you marry him, will you retire from the idol business?"
"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. I don't want to, but Miss Okada said an idol couldn't get married without retiring," Kanon answered honestly. "Probably, it wouldn't matter. In five years, I'll be twenty-two, and I'll probably be retired anyway."
…
"Lady Kujo, I was waiting for you to choose truth. Okay, how rich is your family?" Yui asked.
"Not richer than yours," the moon-lover answered.
"Well, duh, but give me the figures. How much is the Kujo family worth? You're probably loaded! Just look at the Astronomy Club! The school paid for none of those! All the dolls and dollhouses aren't cheap. And your telescopes are not the garden variety ones either!" Yui exclaimed. "And you carry yourself like a rich girl! Trust me. I know the act."
"I honestly don't know," Tsukiyo said. "My parents never told me."
"What? Your parents never told what your family's worth?" asked a shocked Yui.
"Why are you so shocked? I mean, is it that unusual?" Tsukiyo asked, irritated.
"Every family discusses the financial state of their families with their children. And not only me! The parents of my friends, Urara Shiratori and Mio Aoyama, always discuss financial matters with them! Discussing your family's net worth with your children is a sign of good parenting! Right, girls?" Yui said, looking for the other girls for support.
The other girls just looked at Yui like she was crazy. "Um, Yui, that isn't exactly normal," Chihiro said.
"Only very rich families do that," Tenri pointed out. "My parents never discussed it with me."
And the rest of the girls gave similar answers.
And Yui was floored when she realized she was the odd one on that matter.
…
"Truth!" Tenri selected after being challenged by Kanon.
"So, tell me about Keima when he was a little? How was Keima when he was seven?"
And Tenri began to tell about her childhood with Keima.
…
"I couldn't believe he was already a game addict at that age!" Chihiro laughed after Tenri finished.
"I'm jealous! You're his childhood friend!" Kanon pouted. "You had lots of adventures together too!"
"Aw, you two are so sweet!" Ayumi cooed.
…
Part 340 – Gamers on the Gameroom
Earlier in the Night…
Keima was in his room, glad that his plan for his mother was successful. He was waiting for his mother to go to bed so he can get the Aoba vote over with.
But he was interrupted by a knock on his door.
"Open the door, Keima!" his mother called.
Irritated by the interruption, he nonetheless did not wish to ruin her mood, or she might change her mind. "Coming!" he said while saving his game.
"Keima, the food's done. Why don't you join the girls downstairs?" she asked.
"Not hungry. And I have enough of real girls for today," he answered.
"Keima, don't be a rude host. You can't just leave them there, or for that matter, Aoba alone in the game library! Go downstairs and talk to your girls! Like it or not, they're your responsibility now!"
Suddenly, he got an idea to limit his contact with the real. "How about Aoba? If I check up on her, I wouldn't have to go to the others, right?"
Mari raised an eyebrow then smiled. Thinking about it, the girls have each other for company, while the Fuse girl was all alone. Yes, it's better if Keima spends time with the girl gamer. "Fine. You spend time with her, but the moment you get tired of her company, go downstairs and talk with the others."
"Okay. Just bring food for Aoba and me to my room. I'll deliver her food," Keima volunteered, hoping that it would buy him precious few more minutes of gaming time alone. "Oh, and tell the girls that I won't be able to join them because I'm still shocked that they all love me and that they agreed to share me, and that I still need to process it all, and that I need some time alone."
"Why don't you bring the food up yourself?" asked the mother.
"Because they might see me and ask me questions that I'd rather not answer. Do you want them to discover Aoba accidentally?"
"I guess not. They might kill you if they find out!" laughed Mari as she went downstairs.
…
A few minutes later, Keima entered the game library with a tray full of food and placed it beside the table where Aoba was playing. Then he returned with a pitcher of juice and two empty cups.
"Hey Aoba, dinner's ready!" he said, setting up the tray on the tables beside her.
"Later. Not hungry," she said, her eyes and attention concentrated on her PFP.
Keima looked at the game she was playing. "Ah, Mirasaki 2. That was a classic."
"Yes. Another one of your recommendations."
"How many routes have you finished?"
"Seven."
Keima nodded. "Aren't you hungry?" he asked.
Aoba's stomach rumbled, but she dismissed it by saying, "I just ate food in the game. That's enough to sustain me."
And that made Keima want to laugh.
"Well, game food is not enough. You need to eat real food too, or you may not be able to sustain your rate of play," he said, even as he knew that it was hypocritical of him to criticize her for it.
"That is correct. I have not yet eaten food in the real since lunch," she informed. "Except for the light snacks your mother gave."
"Well, the food's here. You better eat it before it gets cold."
Aoba did not move from her place, nor did anything to stop her game. "Then, feed me."
Part 341 – Hunger Gamers
"Feed you?"
"Yes. I can't eat while playing because I need to use my hands to clutch the PFP. So why not feed me so that I can game and eat at the same time?"
"What? Do you realize that feeding a girl is one of the flags in a typical game? Are you trying to get me to conquer you?"
"You and I know that even if that were the case, I'd fail because I'm not in the schedule. So what's the harm? No matter how high our affection points are to each other, it won't matter because of your obligations to the seven girls."
"True. If you have any chance of getting in the schedule, this would be a big red flag for both of us, but since that's impossible—yeah."
"In exchange, when you get hungry, I will feed you while you're playing—I have an idea. Why don't I feed you while you play in your God of Conquest mode? You say that it feels like you're shaving off years of your lifespan while playing six games at once. Maybe if you're eating while doing so, it won't feel like it."
Keima laughed. "Well, that is something! Eating while in God of Conquest mode! Why not?"
"Then get on it!" she said cheekily. During the entire conversation, her eyes did not leave the game screen.
Keima chuckled as he began feeding her, first with a plate of spaghetti, then a slice of cake, then some takoyaki. He was careful to position the fork or chopsticks, as the case may be, out of her sight so she could continue playing. Aoba chewed slowly, opening her mouth wide to signify that she was ready to receive the next batch of food.
After she was full, Keima poured her cup full of orange juice and used a straw to let her drink off the cup. Aoba got full after consuming two glasses.
Finally, Keima noticed that her mouth was stained with the food and drink, so he got a paper towel and carefully wiped her mouth until it was clean.
At the end of it all, both were not surprised that Aoba was fully blushing, and her game speed slowed down, even if it did not affect her accuracy.
"That was romantic. This activity was present in 123 of the 254 games I played for the past few weeks. We must do this some other time."
"You enjoyed that!" Keima laughed.
"Very much. The next time I invite myself here, let's do this again."
Keima did not deign not to respond to that, instead saying, "Now that you're finished, why don't you watch me in the God of Conquest mode? Six games at once!"
"And I'm going to feed you while you're at it!" Aoba stated.
"It's the best way to save time. The time that I spend eating is time spent not playing games! So if I can play while eating, then it would be an efficient use of my time! I could save six heroines at once, while my body gets real food that gives me nourishment to energize my gaming," he declared.
At that moment, the words 'GOOD END' lit up Aoba's PFP. "We better start," she said.
Keima picked up the tray of food and carried it to his room while the girl followed.
Aoba looked at the eight screens of his wall with bitter envy. The hardest part of learning to do her own 'Princess' mode was buying the necessary hardware. It was easy to procure six PFPs, but it strained her eyes to play those PFPs at the same time. Doing it on large screens would be the optimal solution, but she doubted her parents would go so far just to indulge her hobby.
That was one reason she admired Mrs. Katsuragi. The mother of Keima was so supportive of her son's gaming lifestyle that she willingly spent a fortune buying all those giant monitors, all those game consoles, all those antiquated gaming hardware, just so her son could pursue his passion. Surely, if Mrs. Katsuragi were not supportive, she would not buy all those expensive equipment—doubly so as Keima had no employment or any source of independent income.
"Be ready for my real-world energy source!" Keima commanded, and Aoba prepared a plate of spaghetti and sat beside the gaming throne as Keima prepared by inserting the corresponding game discs.
And Keima activated his God of Conquest mode, playing six games at once. And Aoba began feeding him. Like Keima, she was careful to avoid blocking his view or interrupt his gaming.
Keima had done the God of Conquest mode lots of times—but this was the first time that he had done so while eating. Yet he could barely concentrate on his food as his attention was wholly on the game. His mouth and teeth moved automatically, and after he had swallowed his mouth opened wide to receive more food, and the food came—he bit, and the fork or chopstick was withdrawn, then he chewed then swallowed.
He barely noticed his stomach being filled, as his mind was on the six heroines he was simultaneously engaging. He only noticed when he felt something in his stomach and mumbled, "I'm full."
Yet again, his mouth opened wide, and he felt a straw being inserted, and he drank strawberry juice—it was not sweet, which was all he asked for.
Finally, he finished with the six games and noticed that he also finished drinking his third cup of juice.
Part 342 – The Princess of Maijima Mode
"So, how was it?" asked a curious Aoba.
He had to admit that this was a far different experience than all his other God of Conquest modes. Before, it was draining; he felt his life shorten and was physically taxing. Yet now, he did not feel any of the sort. His body was not as drained. He felt—normal. His mental and psychological triumph at saving his heroines were matched by physical contentment.
Maybe he should do this again. He wondered who he could do this with—his mother certainly would not, and Elsie might, but the devil might accidentally destroy his room or mess up the food. The seven girls would not appreciate their time watching him in the God of Conquest mode while feeding him, so there's only Aoba.
Yes, he could say this was part of her discipleship, and she would buy it.
He looked at Aoba and said, "thank you. That was great," and once more, patted her on the head.
She turned to mush as her face became red.
"You're welcome. I am amazed at how you can do this! Even now, I can only do so on four devices," Aoba said, her voice full of admiration.
"Four is great for your level," Keima comforted. "I want to see it."
"See it? See what?"
"Your Princess of Maijima mode, of course! You are my disciple, so I must monitor your progress."
Aoba eagerly sat on his throne, ready to show off her skills. She knew she was not even close to his level, yet she wanted him to know how far she was coming along. One day, she will reach his level and become his equal, but until then…
The girl gamer sighed. She deeply enjoyed her time with her Master—being fed by him and feeding him in turn made her giddy, and it was only her iron-clad discipline that prevented her from slipping her mask. If only this event could have a greater object than the current satisfaction of her personal happiness—the knowledge that she had no future with him as a lover tempered that happiness. Yet, if such activities could be made part of their Master-Disciple time even as the Divine One chooses another girl to marry, then it would be the next best thing—enjoying the presence of her Master while remaining only a disciple was something she would treasure all her life. Hopefully, that relationship would be a permanent one.
Still, if she became his equal, and thus, no longer a mere disciple, could those activities continue?
"You may begin," Keima commanded.
And at once, her fingers flew on the controllers. Thankfully, Keima had made sure that at least four were PFPs—Aoba was still not used to playing using other consoles—she was only proficient with PFPs in her Princess mode.
At once, Aoba's game was faster—the mere fact that her eyes were staring at four giant monitors instead of at the small screen of PFPs made all the difference, as she did not need to squint or bow low just to read all the text at the same time—it increased her speed. She wondered how long it would take for her to save to buy six screens? Probably her entire high school and college life!
Keima smirked as he watched. Pride swelled in him as he watched his disciple. Aoba was so amazing! She remembered everything he taught her. Granted, she was not yet close to his level of proficiency, but compared to where she was before…
Aoba indeed was the ideal disciple. I am so proud of you.
…
Part 343 – The Game Library System
"That was great!" Keima exclaimed as he sported a big smile on his face and applauded when the four screens simultaneously displayed 'GOOD END' signs.
"You really think so? I mean, I can do only four," Aoba said humbly.
"Which is more than anyone can do outside this room," Keima said. "Don't sell yourself short, my disciple. Good job."
And to signify his pride in his disciple's accomplishments, he patted her head again before playfully messing her hair up.
Aoba nearly melted at that. She really wanted to giggle like a lovestruck schoolgirl, but she kept her composure.
"Too bad you still don't have four giant screens for practice," Keima muttered.
"My parents are not willing to spend the money to buy it," Aoba informed. "You're lucky your parents are so willing to spend so much money on the ideal. They really love your gaming, Divine One. Unlike mine."
Keima did not say anything as he helped her out of his gaming throne.
"Time to file these games," he murmured as he put the recently played games back on their cases, and carried it back to the gaming library. Aoba followed, taking the games his arms could not hold.
Keima contemplated his next step. He dared not leave Aoba alone, or he might be compelled by his mother to go downstairs and spend his time with the seven girls. Given the choice, he'd rather spend time with his disciple. At least he could have fun and have some intellectual stimulation regarding the ideal.
Aoba was fun to talk with and to do things with, so he'll spend the rest of the evening with his disciple.
He carefully placed the gaming cases back to their proper places. While doing so, he explained the classification system in his library.
"I see that you arrange your games by date of purchase. But isn't this confusing? I mean, for example, Chiyo's Adventures 1, 2, and 3 are located on different shelves instead of together. Wouldn't it be better to arrange it by, say, genre or alphabetically to make retrieval easier? For example, I saw a game the last time I was here, Love at Third Sight, that I wanted to play again, yet I had a devil of a time looking for it."
"Normally, you'd be correct. But I am not normal. I am the God of Conquests, I memorized where I placed all my games. I arranged them by date of purchase to make arranging easier. I buy games every week. Imagine trying to rearrange the games every time I add a new one?"
"I guess that's true. It would take too much time fixing it every time," Aoba admitted.
"But all is not lost. Even in the unlikely event that I forget, there is a system I have in place. See the bookshelves? They have labels and numbers on it. And each section of the bookshelf is small enough that it can only hold about ten games."
"Oh, yeah. I was wondering about that."
"I catalog all my games using a computer spreadsheet—excel. I arrange it by name, year, publication date, date of purchase, price, place of purchase, edition, characters, and shelf and row number. And I have an updated copy of that spreadsheet on my phone, and on all my PFPs. So, for example, Hinako's Great Escape First Edition. Let's pretend that I don't know where it is. So what can I do?"
Keima got his PFP, opened the program, and typed the title of the game. And he quickly scrolled to Location. "It says S4RR2C13. Do you know what does it mean?"
"I have no idea."
"It means it's on the fourth shelf, on the right. Second row from the top. Thirteenth column."
Aoba could only nod at the revelation.
"Let's find it. So let's go to the fourth shelf from the door. So that's the first shelf, second, third, and fourth. Now, it's on the right. See? Now count the rows from the top. Row one, and row two. It's in row two. Then look for column 13. The numbers are displayed on the top. See? Now here it is."
And on the 13th column and second row were ten games, and Aoba easily found the game Hinako's Great Escape First Edition.
"That's really cool," she muttered. "Can I have a copy of that spreadsheet?"
"Sure. I'll send you a copy if you want."
"Please always send an updated copy, if that's possible," she requested.
"I will. Hm, maybe I'll just set up a hidden page on my website, and give you the password?" he offered.
"That would be best," the girl genius agreed.
Keima then selected one of the newer games he has not had the chance to play and popped it to his PFP. He walked to where Aoba had her table and chair, and PFPs set up and sat down on the floor beside it, his back leaning on the wall.
"You wouldn't mind me sitting here while I play, right?"
"Um, of course not. You own this place, after all, Master. You can sit where you like. Why don't you sit on the chair?"
"Because you'll be sitting on that chair beside me while you play. Unless you object?"
Aoba was scandalized. "Divine One, I can never sit on the chair while you sit on the floor! That's not proper."
"It's fine," he brushed as he proceeded to sit on the floor.
Aoba muttered a bit before she wandered in the gaming library. She finally selected an old game and popped it into her PFP.
And sat down on the floor beside Keima, on his right.
"Aoba, what are you doing here? Why don't you sit on the chair? It's much more comfortable."
"You are God. I am but a mere Princess. It's not right that you sit lower than me," she said. "Anyway, I like sitting here."
"Suit yourself."
They spent the next couple of hours just playing, sitting next to each other in silence. After an hour, they unknowingly began to lean sideways as their back arched and slid towards each other. But both did not notice at first as the game before their eyes transfixed their minds.
Soon, they were fully leaning on each other, their shoulders touching, Aoba's head resting against his neck, and Keima head on hers.
Aoba blushed when she finally noticed how they ended up but did nothing. She would enjoy all these moments. After all, she had no chance whatsoever, so what harm could it do?
Keima noticed it too but did not move. He knew Aoba knew that as things stood, this meant nothing. So why not grant his disciple this minor indulgence? This was a dead-end flag, after all.
As long as nobody walked in on them, it's fine. He had locked the gaming room, so there's no chance of that happening. Besides, it was such a comfortable position to be playing games in, and it felt so nice.
…
Part 344 – The Valedictorian and the Geniuses
"Aw, you lovebirds!" Haqua said, looking at the two gamers. "I wonder what the others will say when they find out you're cheating with a girl outside the schedule?"
Keima briefly looked up to Haqua, but otherwise did not move from his position. "Hello, Haqua. How did you get in?"
"I am a devil who can turn invisible. Getting in a locked room is child's play for someone like me," she answered. The purple-haired girl expected them to jump and shout and stammer to explain, so she was a bit disappointed with the lack of reaction of Katsuragi and Fuse to her presence. She should've stayed invisible!
"So, what do you need?" Aoba asked.
"Some devil business with Katsuragi," Haqua answered. "And what are you two doing?" Hopefully, that will get a reaction out of the two as they continued leaning against each other, like a…
"Playing games," Aoba answered flatly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Yes. You normally see me with my hands and eyes on my PFP," Keima added. "I thought you'd know us better by now."
"Yes… 'playing'. I'm sure that's the reason why you're leaning against each other. 'Playing' indeed!" Haqua scoffed.
"Of course. Sitting on the floor while playing puts quite the strain in your back. Leaning on the wall in our position is not that easy, so the best way to play to achieve maximum comfort and relaxation, and thus increase concentration, is to lean sideways against some kind of support. Unfortunately, there isn't any kind of support of that kind," Aoba began.
"So we leaned on each other as support," Keima finished without even looking at Haqua. "We can play at our maximum! I've achieved speeds only exceeded by my God of Conquest mode! Using only one PFP, this position of leaning sideways actually increased my speed."
"I can confirm," Aoba continued. "I've finished ten routes in a single game at the same time in this position, where sitting normally, I would only finish seven routes."
"Why don't you just lean against the wall sideways?" Haqua retorted.
"The wall is hard and cold, and would thus lower game efficiency. Leaning against each other meant that our support is soft and warm," Keima said.
"Thus, lessening energy lost and lowering fatigue."
"And I bet you two really had fun!" Haqua retorted. "And you two are not even sharing each other in the schedule. Katsuragi, you should know that you aren't allowed to do these kinds of things with girls not in the schedule!"
"These things? Whatever do you mean?" asked a mildly scandalized Aoba.
"Do I need to spell it out for you? This is all lovey-dovey stuff!" Haqua practically shouted, and that barely registered on the two gamers, much to her displeasure. "This violates the schedule."
"This has nothing to do with the schedule," Keima retorted. "This is just a Master and Disciple activity. Unless you're thinking … Haqua, are you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your mind obviously turned to improper thoughts, and you're thinking that we're engaged in that kind of activity," Aoba said.
"No, I'm not! I have a pure maiden's mind!"
"Then, if you really are pure, then you should not interpret what we're doing here as impure, but only of the most innocent of motives. We're just playing games and supporting each other in playing," Aoba said. "All this lovey-dovey thing is in your head."
"Well, I'm finished in this game. How about you, Aoba?" Keima asked as he turned off his PFP.
"Just a few more seconds, and there! BEST END attained in record time!" she exclaimed before she turned off her game console.
Both stood up.
"Haqua, I didn't know you were invited for the sleepover," Keima quipped.
"I wasn't. The girls don't even know I'm here. I'm just here for the..." Haqua began, but saw Keima glare at her, and the devil said nothing more, "devil business. It's about New Hell, and Elsie's buddy needs to know."
"If you're not here for the sleepover, then you better not let yourself be caught by Mrs. Katsuragi. Or she might think you're some kind of thief or trespasser. You don't want to be thrown out of the house, do you?" Aoba teased.
"Of course not. I'll be gone once my business with Katsuragi is concluded. Now, Katsuragi, I need to talk to you."
"Okay. We'll go to my room," he sighed. He looked at the girl gamer. "I'll be back."
…
"What are you really doing with her?" Haqua questioned when the two were alone in the attic.
"My mother told me that I need to be a good host, so I must spend time with them. So it's either her or the eight girls in the café," he said. "Don't tell them that Aoba's here. It might negatively affect the vote."
"Don't worry about that. As for the vote, that's why I'm here. Look, when are you going to hold it?"
"As soon as Mom retires for the night. I can't have her accidentally walk in on it," he answered. "Listen. As soon as she falls asleep, I need you to cast a spell so she won't wake up, for any reason, until morning. Wake her up at about seven in the morning."
"Understood, Katsuragi. Just remember to keep your part of the bargain."
"And so should you," he answered.
Haqua nodded, thinking about the bargain in which Keima, according to the rules of New Hell, would do his best to get Aoba in the schedule for the girl gamer to retain her memories. Should he fail through his own fault or Aoba's, then Haqua would take away her memories. But if it's not either of their fault that Aoba failed to qualify for the schedule, then Haqua would have no choice but to let Aoba keep her memories without requiring her to join the schedule.
Haqua nodded and turned to go down.
"Where are you going?" Keima asked.
"I think I'll join the girls in the café. I heard that they were watching some scary movie," Haqua snickered. "I want to see if Elsie gets scared of horror movies. I bet it's lame."
"Weiss are scarier, if you ask me," Keima agreed. "Don't let yourself be caught by Mom."
"Don't worry. Your mother won't even suspect another girl is in the house!"
…
Later…
Mari stepped in the game library carrying a small foam. There were faint lights, showing that Aoba was still playing. When she entered, she smiled.
Aoba and Keima were sitting on the floor, back to back, leaning on each other, as they played their respective PFPs. Both have looks of intense concentration, as each was lost in their gaming worlds.
She giggled. If it were any other situation, she would have thought that those two were actually dating.
"Ahem!"
Both turned to her, and Aoba stood up. "Good Evening, Mrs. Katsuragi," she said respectfully. "Let me help you with that."
Mari nodded as Aoba helped her set the foam in the space between the wall and the shelves. The foam was just narrow enough to fit the confined space exactly, and the space was just enough for one small person to sleep comfortably.
Keima just stood there, watching them while playing.
"Oh, Keima, Haqua is here," Mari mentioned.
"What?" Keima nearly shouted, shocked.
"Yeah. Elsie invited her for the sleepover," the mother continued. "But Haqua was late, and forgot to bring her pajamas."
Aoba raised an eyebrow. "She forgot?"
Mari laughed. "Yes. She may be a valedictorian, but sometimes, I wonder what goes on in that head of hers."
"So, where is she now? She's with the other girls, right?" Keima asked.
"Well, she ate in the kitchen with Elsie and me, then after she got changed, Elsie dragged her to her room, and they played some game that Haqua said came from her home country. They told me they're going to join the others later."
…
After her bedding was fixed, Mari told Aoba to get changed into her sleeping wear. Aoba had brought hers along, so Mari took Keima outside the game room while the girl genius changed. Then, in her pajamas, Mari led her to the bathroom so she could brush her teeth, wash her face, and do what else she needed to do.
Keima stood watch to make sure none of the other girls wandered and accidentally bumped into the girl gamer.
…
Keima spent the time waiting for his mother to retire for the night in the gaming room, playing more games with Aoba as he did so.
Once Mari got to bed, he sighed. He waited for an hour before saying to Aoba, "I'm going to bed. You should too."
Aoba yawned as she saved her game. "Good night, Divine One."
"Good night, my disciple," he said before he left the gaming library. It was midnight. He hoped that the other girls were still awake. If not, he would wake them up.
He looked at Elsie's room. It was empty. So the two devils had joined the others.
It's time to determine Aoba's fate.
End of Flag XXXI.
Author Notes
Review Replies
To xellos540,
This reply was first sent through PM, and I'm sharing it for the information of the readers.
Thank you for your review once again!
I agree it's wonderful that everyone's there. And Mari would make sure they would behave!
I guess Chihiro wanted to project a bit of confidence with that "piece of cake" comment to instill the same confidence in Shiori, but that didn't work. At all.
I agree with you on Tsukiyo not wanting her parents with her. She's just a bit miffed that Kanon has someone with her during the interview with Mari while the others were alone. Except Tenri, but I doubt the girls were envious that Haqua substituted for her.
Considering it's Shiori, she probably would think there are commas everywhere, with how her speech usually goes. Maybe she thinks there are commas after every word. XD
Yes, there's a reason Kanon was not focused on since the duet—aside from the fact that her three hours were finished way earlier in the week. Because Kanon was the same girl who tried to get Keima to drop the schedule and scolded for it. We'll see what happens with Kanon.
And yes! Asking Apollo advice is not the brightest idea ever. But I guess Kanon trusts her Goddess.
Disciplish. Hmmm. That's a new word that I may use for them.
It's really not fair for Shiori to go against Mari. But if Tenri had to do it, so do Shiori. But Shiori, I guess, is even shier than Tenri herself. And unlike Tenri, Shiori does not have Haqua to help her, not that she would like Haqua's "help".
As for Shiori engaging Mari in small talk, Mari has the skill to make people at ease when talking, but she can also make people really scared of her, and she used both skills on Shiori here. Mari knows how shy Shiori is. So she made her open up a bit. Shiori just couldn't refuse her blandishments, although the small talk was mostly one-sided.
And Mari dropped the nuke! Nice metaphor, by the way. And Shiori always has epic battles of thought followed by a small action. I remember Shiori's conquest. She always had such epic thoughts about what she should say and do, and half the time, she wouldn't even say or do anything! The nod is already hard work for her XD
Oh yes, Keima foresaw it. That's why he coached her and helped her prepare by telling Shiori the questions Mari would likely ask.
Now that would be hilarious! But it would make sense because that would mean that Shiori would make the fewest mistakes! And the other girls would have destroyed their own chances, while Shiori does nothing and looks better because of it! XD
Yes, Haqua would like that very much. I bet she was disappointed that no other girl accepted her offer to "help" them. And yes, the girls could see right through her. In fact, the only one who didn't is Keima himself. XD.
What I would be surprised in is if there was any situation that wasn't covered by at least one of his games. The fact that he was so dependent on gaming scenarios is offset by the sheer number of games that were published and the fact that virtually every conceivable situation in real life seems to be game scenarios too.
Yes, Mari approves of her very much. Shiori is very precious! The fact that Mari helped her along shows that.
Oh, both females were violent. Too bad Mari had a double standard with regards to violence done by parents as opposed to that done by girlfriends, to Ayumi's detriment. And yes, I agree, that makes Mari a hypocrite.
To Ayumi, just because she told someone you're somebody's girlfriend, doesn't mean that she'd like to tell she's "in bed" with someone. Maybe it's implied, but she would never admit it, even if it's true.
It's implied that Elsie accidentally told Mari about the kicking. It's later mentioned that Ayumi figured that it was Elsie.
Mari and Keima were conspiring with each other. Mari and Keima would arrange for Keima to "accidentally" meet the girl after the interview because Mari wanted the girl to confess to Keima like what Kanon and Tenri did. Remember than in Chihiro's case, Mari sent a message to Keima when it was time for him to "accidentally" meet the girl.
To Mari, it was supposed to be a surprise for the girl to meet Keima that way. They were not supposed to know that they had to confess to Keima. Because that's one of the conditions to pass Mari's interview—they should confess to him in front of her. So the girl must be "surprised" by Keima's appearance, and Keima must "act" surprised to see the girl or Mari might suspect that Keima and the girls are conspiring.
So yeah, Mari and Keima are conspiring against the girls, but the girls know that he is conspiring with Mari, and the girls are in turn conspiring with Keima against Mari so all would pass.
Well, there are many kinds of hurt. Physical, emotional, etc. And Ayumi inflicted all kinds of hurt to Keima. Maybe, she could just say that she meant emotional pain when she apologized if she was questioned. Of course, Mari knows, and Ayumi knows that Mari knows, but Ayumi would not openly admit it.
Both Ayumi and Chihiro had seen Yui in girl's clothes before the conquest but did not really know her before as she's just another girl in class.
And yes, Yui is lying to Mari, kinda. But she's not saying any lies, so she could always deny lying. xD
Nope! Keima did not know. His surprise at seeing her in that outfit is genuine.
Oh yes, that would probably happen, though I think Mari would have enough pride so she'd try to keep the café viable so as to not look like a sponge to the Goido family.
"I keep forgetting that Yui's the only one who has agreed, in canon, to Keima having multiple wives. Of course she'd be fine with mistresses. xD"
And that's why Yui's fine with Aoba and was the first girl to accept her as part of the schedule.
As to if Yui won't marry against her family's wishes, whether or not it's true, it's what Keima wants Mari to believe.
Well, Mari at least would be able to be part of the situation instead of being ignorant about everything. She would actually have more control over the situation now that she knows about the schedule.
Yes, it strains her more, probably, that's why she's acting as a boy most of the time, but she really does not know how to act like a boy. The short time she spent in Keima's body is not enough to overcome all her experience and training as a girl for the first 17 years of her life.
As for "the Talk", sorry, no details! Or might have to be forced to up the rating of the story.
And not only you. I am more excited to write the vote and the aftermath than Mari's approval since after writing about Chihiro's interview, it sounded similar for the other girls.
Please tell me if your assumptions turned out to be true?
And thank you, xellos540.
To Red888, thanks for your review.
I'm glad you liked the girls' confessions. And yes, Aoba was not yet included, but she did admit to Mari that she likes Keima. As for Keima's dad Keiichi? Just stay tuned. Once more, thank you!