1.) Sorry for the late update yet again. Hello from America! Man, the vacation feel just has me feeling lazy. Don't worry, while I was being lazy, I was doing TWOSK related stuff, (SPOILER: I'm talking about the Goddesses and their hosts. Yes, they're coming back!) albeit planning stuff, not actual writing. Also, my partnership with a certain other author whom you probably know (she's loved by the TWOGK fans, but she's a taskmaster) is keeping me busy too. If you're reading this, W, sorry for slacking off!

2.) For all those fans who wan't more interaction between Keima and the cast of BtT, this is the chapter for you. Aside from the crappy segue (I have to fix that), I'm pretty content with the game segment, which is ripped directly from the actual "episode".

Disclaimer still in effect.

Enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Three: Me, Hell, and Games

"Ugh," mumbled Keima, regaining his consciousness. Luckily for him, the explosion was so big and so fast, that his brain had immediately overloaded, cutting off his consciousness before the pain could be noticed. Unluckily, Keima forgot where people KIA-ed ended up. Lifting his forehead off of the desk he was placed on, he looked up just in time to see Ironman. From the angle Keima's head was tilted at, the hulking mass of a teacher looked forty feet tall, and was it just him, or was the classroom behind him on fire. Ironman's eye's glinted, as Keima's face paled. If Iromman was a giant, Keima was a little ant: completely different from the arrogant God he usually was.

"Long time no see, Akihisa," said the bouncer-like teacher, cracking his knuckles. "Welcome back to hell."

"Nooooooooooooooo!"

*Scene Break*

"That was almost as bad as Nora killing Yokkyun," muttered Keima, rubbing his arms with his hands like it was winter. He unsheathed his PFP, checking his reflection on the dark screen. It was a little blurry, but he could definitely tell that he was as pale as snow. It made Keima wonder how Akihisa survived going there all the time. It really was hell in there. "Ugh... oh. Hey."

"Yo, Akihisa!" said Yuuji, who stood by Hideyoshi, Kouta, and Minami, patting him and his frail constitution on the back so hard that he almost fell down. "Thanks to you, we carried the day! Your self-destruct tactic vaporized half of their fleet, including Shouko, Haqua, most of the heavy hitters: just as we finished preparations. By the end, there were no other casualties than you, Mizuki, and a few NPCs... and me. Yeah, Yuuko somehow got the drop on me just as her own Shoukanjuu was felled, so it's officially a draw. At the very least no one will try to beat down on F now that A's weakened - everyone wants that classroom."

"Well is Mizuki alright?" asked Keima, trying to keep in character. Out of his sight was a grimacing Minami. Kouta shrugged, his camera flashing into his hands in case the buxom girl in question was nearby. Yuuji shrugged his shoulders, as Hideyoshi asked, "Well, we were held up by the post-war negotiations, so we probably missed her. I'd phone her, but it's still getting repaired."

"Okay, okay, let's stop this meaty exposition," said Keima, pulling out his PFP. "Anyway, see you later-"

"Wait," interjected Yuuji putting a hand on Akihisa's shoulder. "We haven't hung out in a while, and Aiko's holding a game session 2-F. I don't know what the game is though. You in?"

Sighing, Keima pocked his PFP. He looked around for Elsie's unmistakable mug - she was sure to stop him from going, which was his preferred outcome. Of course, she wasn't around when she was needed the most. "Fine. It's not like I have anything better to do."

'Maybe I should've jumped out a window or something...' thought Keima, sitting at a round table beside people he didn't really know. He glared at them, just as they glared back at each other, the tension of the game turning their friendship into an anchor, an anchor that they had to cut off. The whole crew was there: clockwise from Keima was Yuuji, Mizuki - who had apparently dashed home to have a little nap before the game - Minami, Shouko, Aiko, Hideyoshi, and finally Kouta. The deafening silence was cut by Yuuji's battle cry. "The King Game!"

"Yaaay!" everyone but Keima cheered. Everyone - excluding stoic Keima and Shouko - was proclaiming their glee by thrashing about, and surprisingly, the most active one was shy and silent Kouta of all people. There was no questioning what was on HIS mind. The cheer was cut off by another round of glares, as Yuuji said, "Akihisa, explain the rules."

"Right," grumbled Keima, who would've lens flared had Akihisa worn glasses. "There are raffles in this wicker basket. Each has a number from one to seven... or the word 'King'. The one who drew the 'King' can give an order to those who drew numbers. For example, the king can order number one to buy him fifty galges, or order number two to Capture number three. And the King's orders are..."

"Absolute!" cried all but Keima, who said the word in a monotone. Slowly, his attitude lightened up. The first request example Keima had given out was actually possible! He could actually force these guys to buy truckloads of games for him! Slowly, a mad smile curled on his face, lens flaring despite the impossibilities. No one was deterred by Akihisa's sudden excitement, though, as Yuuji started the game. "Well then, let's start!"

All hands went into the wicker basket, each one nabbing a slip of paper. Yuuji smirked, holding up his still closed slip, and said, "Okay, are you guys ready!?"

"Yep," said Aiko, nodding her head, as Shouko silently held up her slip. The tension came back, as everyone's attention centered on Yuuji.

"Here we go! One, two..."

"Who's the king!?" cried all, pointing their slips at the sky. Everyone quickly opened their slips, everyone but one lucky student moping in despair. Keima was down too: he really wanted those free games. "Damn!"

Yuuji stood above all, the King card clenched tightly in his hand. "Alright! Now it's time for my order. Let's see... numbers five and six!" Instantly, Keima and Kouta froze, as the former cursed the Real for his misfortune. "Go see Ironman and tell him 'I love you, so please go out with me'."

Pale faced, Keima and Kouta protested right in Yuuji's face. "How dare you! What kind of order is that!? If we do that, he'll get the wrong idea for sure! Oh, how disgraceful..."

"You can't get away, Aki!" objected Minami, who was still a little ticked off from earlier. "You explained the rules yourself just a moment earlier, right?"

"She's right, you two!" added Aiko, sealing their fate. With the others joining in, she repeatedm "The King's orders are..."

"...Absolute...!" grunted both Keima and Kouta, seemingly defeated, as they ran off to their doom.

"See ya later!" said Aiko, waving them off. Once they were outside the 2-F door, Keima let Kouta run for a little while before stopping him behind a corridor.

"They forgot to send someone to check to see if we actually did the order," said Keima, waiting a little for Kouta's inferior intellect to catch on to what he was saying. Once a light bulb lit above the pervert's head, Keima knew that he was on the same page. "Yep. As long as we act well, we don't die. Get some costumes, Voyeur, for our survival!"

"Welcome back!" Sitting at their seats, dirt and ash on their tear stain faces, Keima and Kouta sported very demeaning signs tied around their necks which said "I regret that I made fun of a teacher". Their costume was so over the top that it was believable.

"Round two!" cried a raged Keima, mad for having to demean himself like that. "Let's go! One two..."

"Who's the King!?" Everyone opened their slips, and everyone fell into despair... except for Aiko Kudou, who had the King.

"Oh, it's me," said the green-haired girl nonchalantly, as if she didn't hold the power to make her friends do her bidding. Everyone sounded off their curses. "Well then... number two... will kiss number four on the cheek." All eyes darted to Akihisa and a shocked Mizuki. The former shot up, raising her number four sheet.

"Really!?" asked the flushed pink-ette, her hair accessory copying her expression. Everyone else zoned out of her vision, with only Akihisa and her in the world only she knew. He was still on the ground in despair, so he had to tilt his head around to face her. "A-Akihisa... You d-drew number two in the raffle, r-right?"

"Mizuki..." muttered Keima, holding out his slip, which flipped open to reveal... the number three. The red vanished from her face, as she was thrown into shock. Her shock was broken by a tap on the shoulder. The buxom lady turned around, to face Minami, who held out the number two.

"Come to me, Mizuki."

"I see..." said Mizuki, a dark glint in her eye. "It's okay to give... risqué orders too, huh? If that's the case, then I'll be merciless from now on! Prepare yourselves!" Cue projectile nosebleed from Kouta. Ignoring the poor pervert who was lying in his own blood, Hideyoshi tried to reason out with Mizuki.

"Normally, girls don't like naughty penalty games, but-"

"Here we go!" yelled Mizuki, darkness oozing out of her. "One, two..."

"Who's the King!?" Everyone looked at their slips... but no one cheered. No one even merely announced their reign like Aiko. Tense, everyone glared at each other, poker faces on. No one knew who had the King, and everyone wanted to find out. That was till Shouko flipped her card around for all to see. Yuuji froze: she had the King. He could practically see the deathly aura coming off of her, and the kana written in blood.

"Sorry! Something urgent just came up!" cried the red-head, who bolted up and tried to dash away. Kouta and Minami jumped at him, halting his egress, with the former yelling, "You're not getting away!"

"King, please give out your order," said Kouta, not relenting. As Shouko nodded, Yuuji thrashed all the more, giving the two who were holding him back a hard time.

"Very well. Please come with me, Akihisa." The answer shocked everyone (but Keima) so intensely, that Minami and Kouta froze, their grip on Yuuji now nonexistent. Too bad he was too shocked to move. Keima instantly straightened up, looking proud despite the pitiful appearance.

"Shouko, the order you gave is invalid," said Keima, matching Shouko's glare. "It's against the rules to give out a direct order. You must use the number system."

"Fine," said Shouko. "Number four, go with me into a vacant classroom." All was silent, gazes darting towards Keima. He sighed, and got up, the slip with the number four falling out of his hands.

"You got me, Shouko. Lead the way," said Keima, sliding the door open for her. Smiling slightly, she accepted his chivalrous offer, as she led him out of 2-F, everyone staring at their backs out of confusion. "So, what shall we talk about now, Shouko."

"'Now'? So we have talked before," said Shouko, leading him into 2-A. The place was as nice as ever, but the gravity of the potential discussion stopped Keima from enjoying the ambiance. "Does that mean that these are real?"

"What's real?" asked Keima, now very interested. Shouko would've explained, had her eyes not shut. Once they were opened, her formerly indigo eyes were now crimson red, and a halo floated above her head.

"These memories... and these feelings. Akihisa Yoshii, the Goddess Diana leaves Shouko in your care. Please take care of us."

3.) Plot twist! And no, she's not the only Goddess premiering. Good luck guessing who the Hosts are! (And prepare for an info-dumpy Chapter 35).

4.) Please, if you're feeling unsatisfied with how the story's going, leave a review voicing your constructive criticism. If you don't have any major complaints and just want to support the story, please add this to your favorites and alerts list, and leave a review (can be short or long, but I love long reviews). Okay, pitiful begging done!

Men cry not for themselves, but for their comrades - LOVELESS, Crisis Core: FFVII