Throughout their lives, people are forced to choose "where" they want to go. The choices we make open up the path towards yet unknown futures, both good and bad. You could define life as the act of walking these treacherous crossroads blind and deaf, alone and insecure.
How many times have we tripped, I wonder? How many times have we fallen face-first onto the ground while on this journey of hope and believe we call life? Far too many to count, I'm sure.
Right now, "God" has to choose. Though his story is well-known, this story follows an alternative path. This is, indeed…
The World No One Knows: The Gods' Advent!
FLAG 190B! Singularity Point!
Like usual, his room was dark. "God," Katsuragi Keima, was sitting on his "throne"—read: the unique gamer chair only the God of Conquest can use—but the six screens in front of him were off. The only source of light in the room was the PFP in Keima's hand.
He wasn't even looking at it.
God was depressed. The events of the Goddesses Search had drained him, both physically and mentally. He had somehow managed to find all six of the Goddesses' hosts, thus saving not only them but the whole world from Vintage's plans.
This was cause for celebration, no? All of it is over, the girls are safe, Vintage's plans are thwarted and all's well in the world, right?
As if!
Yes, sure, the world is safe for now. But the Weiss are still out there. His contract with New Hell is still—quite literally—holding him by the neck, and to top it all off, he has no less than six, count them, six girls romantically interested in him!
And… he had to reject the one girl he was truly interested in.
He couldn't go back on his words. Not while the collar is still on, because he still has to help contain the Loose Souls. He couldn't choose, neither one of the six Goddesses' hosts nor Chihiro, when he knew he couldn't be loyal to them.
Argh! Stupid Hell, both Old and New! Stupid collar! Stupid Goddesses! And stupid 3D world!
If it weren't for the Goddesses, he wouldn't be in this position! New Hell removed all memories of him—or, at least, the more "romantic" ones—from the girls he conquered for good reasons, you know?! It's done to facilitate his job!
But the Goddesses restored the memories of six of his old conquered heroines, so now…
Oh, just thinking of Tsukiyo, and by extension, Vulcanus, or Kanon catching him whispering sweet nothings in some other girl's ears… Oh yep, he'd die right there and then in a storm of floor tiles, benches and tasers.
Game Over indeed.
An impossible route had opened: The Harem Route. Something utterly unthinkable in (most of) this world! Sure, he cared about the Goddesses' hosts, he admitted this much to himself (and no one else). But he didn't love them. He couldn't love them. Not while he's still Elsie's "Buddy".
How could he solve this?
… Did he… did he have to do to them the same thing he did to Chihiro? Did he have to break their hearts?
The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had felt like scum after what he had done to her. It hurt him then and it still hurts him now.
"Is this the only solution?" - He questioned himself for the millionth time. Ever since the events of the Mai-High Festival, he had done nothing but think, think and think. He thought of telling them the truth, of lying to them, of ignoring them, even of choosing one of them, but none of it would work. He firmly believed so, so…
"..."
"I guess there is no other choice," - he thought. With his decision resolved, his eyes turned cold like the eternal snows. He stood up with much effort. The weight of this decision seemed to pull him down. He felt like trash. - "Maybe I am trash," - he thought to himself while his legs slowly carried him towards the door.
It wasn't until his hand touched the door's handle that it hit him. His mind conjured up the memory of Chihiro's expression on the rooftop. Of her voice, telling him "Bye-bye" as she walked out of his life. This time for good. Then, he remembered her small, trembling frame hugging her guitar for dear life as she openly wept in front of the whole school.
He fell to his knees. The guilt is killing him. It has been killing him for five days, and now… Now he was supposed to hurt six other girlslike he had hurt Chihiro?
One by one, they showed up in his mind.
His first Conquest, Ayumi. To be honest, he didn't know her all that well. She is one of Chihiro's best friends. She is the school's famous "Human Missile". She's Mercuris' host and… his "wife". Sure, the wedding had been fake, but… ugh! "What am I thinking?!"
Next up is Kanon. She's an idol. An idol, for God's sake! If he were to accept her feelings, he'd destroy her career. That's just how it is for real idols. They can't date. So, really, he'd be doing her a favor by—an intrusive thought of Kanon, on her knees, crying her heart out, assaulted his mind—"Ugh!".
Shiori! He'd—an image of Shiori holding one of her books for dear life as she sobs uncontrollably—Keima slammed his head against the door. A huge "thud" echoed throughout the Katsuragi Household.
Tsukiyo… he had seen her cry plenty of times already. He had tricked her, hurt her, and she had forgiven all of those transgressions. She loved him. He'd break her heart. He had seen her cry before. This didn't make it any easier on him though. Somehow, it seemed to make it worse.
Tenri… God only knows why, but she's been in love with him for ten years. Ten years! Just how much would he hurt her if he just coldly rejected her? Moreover, would she even give up if he did?
No, of course she wouldn't. This girl had somehow managed to love him for over ten years. He'd have to be particularly vicious to her if he wanted her to truly give up on him. He'd have to hurt her badly. And…
He felt like throwing up. Doing something so cruel to Tenri of all people…
Tenri loves him for who he is. She accepted all of his quirks and loves him because of them, not in spite of them. She wants nothing more than his happiness. And how is he going to reward that? With pain. True, heart-shattering pain.
Yui would be difficult, too. How low would he have to fall in order for Yui to give up on him. Really low. At least, he couldn't imagine her crying. She might kick his ass six ways until Sunday, but at least she wouldn't cry.
"Right?"
Keima discovered, much to his own horror, that he was hesitant. But why? He had played the bad guy before, so what's so different now? Is it because if he did this, he would antagonize the Goddesses? No. Of course not. He was just sick and tired of seeing girls cry—of making girls cry.
Looking at that dead-end ahead, Keima attempted to reach for the PFP on his desk but his hand passed through the electronic device, to the player's amazement.
While he was trying to understand how such a thing could even happen, a male voice invaded the room. "Your mind is troubled"—Keima immediately assumed a guarded position, his sight darting from one place to the other in search of the intruder.
"But your skills are still the best, at least in the field of love"—a transparent, human-looking figure appeared in front of Keima.
"Can I help you?"—Keima asked the strange entity. His voice was full of distrust and hostility.
"Yes. But that's no way to talk to someone. You should tone it down"—the stranger spoke calmly, unfrightened by Keima's attitude.
"I see no other way to talk with things like you. I no do not trust the unknown"—growled Keima.
"You have no reason to trust me, it's true. But you could still give it a try"—Keima realized that the unknown figure was shape-shifting. Until he took the form of Keima himself. The doppelganger then began to approach Keima, who stepped back until his back clashed with the door.
"You no longer have freedom. It was denied to you by something dangerous. Indeed, not something, but someone. Someone who exploits humans at will, refusing them their free will, but I can help you."—the stranger reached out his hand to Keima's neck.
With his back against the wall, the God of Conquest closed his eyes, thinking he was done for now. But instead he felt as if something pierced his neck, and it came off cleanly without pain.
"?"—Keima opened his eyes, and saw his double handing him his collar. "I think this doesn't belong to you, but keep it anyway."
Keima began to feel his neck, feeling his skin and not the cold metal of the collar. Keima's mind stopped, unable to process what had just happened. Then, he jumped for joy.
"Freedom!" - the God of Conquest shouted to the skies. And who could blame him? This fixed so many things. He could now choose the minimal damage route. He could go back to his games! He'll have to worry about ludicrous things like Goddesses or Devils or Stray Spirits no longer!
Throwing caution to the wind, God took one of the entity's hands in his and shook it: "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! How did you do it? Thank you!"
Keima's clone laughed: "Everything is possible for us Gods, even playing with the Devils' toys. I am a God, and I can do many things that you humans cannot."
God.
Keima's excitement dropped significantly the moment he heard that word. He quickly composed himself, letting go of the God's hand while putting some distance between the two.
Nothing good ever comes from involving yourself with the supernatural.
The doppelganger's hair turned golden, his eyes became cerulean blue, and he spread white wings from his back: "I am the firstborn son of Jupiter and Juno: Cupid. The God of Love, and one of the Jupiter Brothers. And you, Keima, will become my vessel."
A shiver ran down Keima's spine. Then there were also male Gods?! And those foolish Goddesses never told him?! Oh this does not bode well. It does not bode well at all! He could see a red FLAG that said "DANGER!" In bold, cursive, capital letters and no less than three exclamation marks!
He was truly grateful to the God of Love though, as he had freed him from his contract with the Devils, but he didn't want to get involved in these kinds of situations anymore! He had already decided that his answer would be no, but he still didn't want to treat the God of Love like shit. Keima began to speak, kindly: "So, you are Cupid, right? Look, thank you for helping me, really. But I do not wish to work for the Gods. Now I am finally a free man. So, thank you, thank you so very much for the proposal, but…"
Cupid knew where Keima was getting at, and immediately interrupted him: "I'm not asking you to do it for my sisters, or even for me, but I'm asking you to do it for the girls who host my sisters. The girls you have conquered."
Keima visibly tensed, eyes becoming sharp like daggers as he analyzed the so-called God of Love: "I don't see how they're involved in this…"
"I know what you want to do"—the God of Love unmasked him—"You are trying to find a solution to your dilemma. The dilemma of the harem route, which you absolutely do not want to choose. And you believe you have found it now that you're free of the collar's curse"—Cupid's expression then mirrored Keima's—"Do what you plan to do, and you will have the blood of at least six innocent souls in your hands".
Silence.
The God of Conquest and the God of Love stood there in the most tense silence known to men.
"I will have their blood in my hands?"—Keima repeated. "Is this a threat?"—spoken in a voice even colder than your ex's heart.
Cupid gave him a solemn look. "Not a threat, Keima, no. A warning."
Keima froze: "What?"—he could barely articulate.
"You're trying to run away from them"—Cupid declared. Keima kept quiet. "You were going to choose one of them, weren't you? No, you were not. You've already chosen one, haven't you? Now, know that if you do, you'll cast six hearts to a frozen hell while simultaneously sentencing six girls to their graves".
"Stop it with these vague answers! If you're trying to tell me something, then make it clear and easy to understand!" - The teenager snapped.
Cupid nodded: "Very well then. To be blunt, my sisters feed on the power of love. This much you knew, yes? My sisters turn their hosts' love into power. In other words, the love you give to their hosts becomes the Jupiter Sisters' source of energy. I believe you knew this much?"—Now here, Cupid paused. Just to see if his soon-to-be host understood the implication.
He did not. He urged Cupid to continue. The God of Love sighed: "In the absence of love, there's nothing to sustain the Goddesses' power. Nothing except for their hosts' life force. Now, of cou—"
Suddenly, the mood in the room shifted. It took nothing but one look in the God of Conquest's eyes for the God of Love to feel like he stood in front of the storm itself. He had made the teenager livid.
"Now, now! They, of course, don't do this consciously! It's just something they do without even noticing! It's, like, you know"—Cupid now spoke very nervously—"A light bulb! Yes, my… the Jupiter Sisters!"—Cupid felt like reminding the incoming storm of his relationship with the Goddesses would be kind of like putting his own butt in the line of fire, so, for now, he decided, he's an only child—"They're like light bulbs. When light bulbs run out of power, they go out. But the Goddesses won't shut down so simply, you see. You're the electricity they need to keep going, but, if you stop giving them the energy they need, the hosts themselves will serve like emergency generators. But those won't keep the Goddesses going for long, you see. They'll run out of fuel, sooner or later, and then… W-Well, you need to know that the Goddesses don't even know they're doing this. It's an unconscious reaction, really!"
At the end of this explanation, Keima sharpened his gaze: "You're lying!"—said the gamer, pointing at the God of love with an accusing index finger.
"But why, Keima? Do you think I would lie to you in such an extreme situation?"—answered Cupid.
"..."—Keima didn't answer, now more indecisive than before.
"Now, uh, do you agree to work with me?"—Cupid asked timidly.
"..."—Keima kept quiet, seemingly lost in thought.
Cupid extended his right hand to Keima, while with his left hand he offered him a collar equal to his own: "Choose: Me, or the collar, and also the death of the hosts of the Goddesses"—Cupid decided to be bold.
Keima knew he was going to regret what he was about to do: "Fine! I will continue this shitty game!"—said Keima, shaking the hand of the God of love.
"Good choice!"—Keima's right hand lit up, and he screamed in pain. Keima instinctively tried to pull his hand away, but Cupid held it tight so Keima couldn't escape.
When it was all over, Keima looked at the back of his hand: "HEY! Did you want to set my hand on fire or what?! It hurts!"—the gamer got angry, looking at the mark, in the language of heaven, which seemed to be printed on Keima's hand.
"We successfully performed the Super Polymerization. From now on we will share the same body, and you will have access to my powers. Now, put this on."—the God of love put a collar on Keima's neck, identical to the one he had just removed.
Keima jumped him.
"Why you little…!"—Fueled by the power of pure, unbridled RAGE, the irate God of Conquest proceeded to strangle Cupid.
"C-Calm… d-down…!" - Cupid begged him.
"CALM DOWN?! YOU—" - Here, our MC spits the most colorful string of insults in history. Even Eminem would've been left speechless in front of it—"I have a double-agent asshole in my body!"
The God of Conquest freed Cupid only when he noticed the God of Love turn blue.
It took Cupid two minutes to recover from Keima's assault.
"Come on! Curb your prejudices!"—said Cupid, beginning to explain what he was trying to do—"This collar is not the collar you were wearing! You put the real one in your pocket! This collar is a fake!"
Keima calmed down, if only for a moment, and checked his pocket. It was true! His old collar was still in the pocket! Keima then repeated the last adjective given to Cupid's collar: "Is this collar a fake?"
Cupid smiled joyfully as he began explaining his invention, even though he looked like some sort of merchant: "It's special. It is a perfect copy… of the real thing. I built it. It has the same functions as its evil twin, except for one. This small object is harmless. It is like a snake that can bite, but ultimately has neither venom nor fangs. This collar is designed to keep an eye on your location, and works like the previous one. Except for one small detail. It can't kill you. You are free from the more lethal aspects of the contract. If the Devils want to kill you with it, it won't work. The collar will misfire. Observe!"—Cupid snatched Keima's old collar from his hand. The God of love closed his eyes, and an absurd phenomenon happened. The collar he had taken from Keima revealed a guillotine blade, which retracted after one snap, while the second one glowed red, but no blade appeared.
"This is amazing!"—Keima said, looking at the strange contraption.
"It really is!"—bragged Cupid.
Keima was ready to accept, but a new
doubt invaded his brain: "Wait! But what if I get assigned a new girl who has a Weiss in her body? If I have to concentrate on specific heroines, I certainly cannot let an intruder enter the circle. You know that, don't you? I'm someone who fights the Weisses using love. You can't say things like "I like you" or "I love you" to a heroine who isn't part of my plans. What do I do in these cases?"
"Good question…"—said Cupid, as he assumed "The Thinker" pose.
"I am ruined!"—said the Otoshigami, falling to his knees in despair.
"I was joking!"—said Cupid—"I am the God of Love! You will use my Authority, in the form of a weapon. You will fight against the Weiss! You will catch them personally!"
"And how? I have the powers to expel the Stray Spirit from the body, and that's okay, but I don't have the powers to capture them. I'm not a devil."
"Oh, that? If that's the case, you shouldn't even have my sisters' powers."
"I have… Wait, what exactly do I have?" - Keima asked, incredulous.
"You are the God of Conquest, the God of Capture. Your power is to capture the essence of a person, and replicate their talents, all it takes is a kiss. The powers of all my sisters have also remained dormant in your body. However, since you don't have something that stimulates the awakening of these powers, they are useless. And this is where I come into play. You will have access to all the skills and talents of all your old conquests! And you'll also have access to my little sisters' powers! Just use these!" - Explained Cupid, taking several CDs out of his pockets.
"I still don't understand. How can I access the powers of a Devil?"
"Think carefully."
"..."—Keima thought carefully, and… —"…Of course! Akari Kurakawa! It wasn't a real conquest, but I kissed her anyway! So I also have a copy of her powers!"
"Exactly!"
"But isn't this cheating?"
"No, it's your skill. God of Conquest, who also captures these abilities, you understand?"
"Anyway, in the end, couldn't you just take that collar off me? I don't feel comfortable wearing it."
"Of course I could. And if you take care of explaining to the Devils what's going on, and if you take that risk, I can do it." - Cupid's warning convinced Keima.
"Give me that stupid collar. The fake one"—specified Keima, to avoid misunderstandings—"Why do you do this?"—asked the God of Conquest while putting on the fake collar.
"Because I have to find a person who fits the role of my Host and who, at the same time, acts as a lover for my little sisters' hosts. And while you work with me, I wouldn't like it if the Devils took this discovery badly. You know how it is: trusting is good, not trusting is better. Especially if we're talking about Devils"—explained Cupid.
"Hold up. If you're the God of Love, then can't you make the girls fall in love with someone else?"—even if he agreed to do this, the God of Conquest still hoped to avoid the thorny Harem Route if possible.
To this, Cupid only laughed sheepishly: "My Authority won't work on my sister. It won't work on their hosts, either… Let us just say they've taken precautions against it".
Keima's eyes narrowed with suspicion: "What did you do?"
"It's a long story, and we don't have much time. I'll explain it to you later. Take these for now."—Cupid said, avoiding the question, and handing Keima a white PFP, with Cupid's symbol behind it, plus two CDs, one white and one gold.
"And what do I need these for?"—Keima asked, taking the items.
"This PFP is very important, it is invaluable to you"—explained Cupid, proud of his invention"— 'When you insert the golden CD into it, it gives you access to my powers, and you will also have the abilities of all the girls you have conquered, which are now in the form of these discs. Just think of a skill you need, and the disc most suited to the situation will materialize in your hand. Oh, and the white disc is what allows me to manifest outside of your body."
"You don't have to use my body to manifest yourself?"—asked Keima, grateful that this situation wouldn't happen.
"No"—Cupid reassured him—"I managed to invent this system, after an arduous process of trial and error. But let's not talk about how many times I've caused explosions in my laboratory, or how many scoldings I've received from my father because of them! Put it in any PFP you have, possibly not in this one, and I will be able to manifest myself outside of your body. Is this okay? That's how we can distinguish ourselves."
"That's fine. Now, can we begin?"—asked Keima, who was ready to go into action.
"Yes, once you wake up."
The words of the God of Love surprised Keima. "In what sense?"—he asked, puzzled.
"Get out of the dream, please."
Keima looked down, and saw himself sleeping in his gamer chair: "Oh man! I'm dreaming!?"
"And you just noticed it now?!"—the God of love scoffed, earning a glare from the God of Conquest.
****...****
Keima Katsuragi woke up abruptly: "A dream? Or was it a nightmare?"—checking his pocket, he saw that his old collar was still there. Checking his neck, he felt his fake collar attached and finally he saw the white PFP resting on his chest, with the two CDs on his lap. "No. All of it was real!"
(Keima? Keima! I'm here! In your miiiiiiind!)
"Cupid? Can you also talk to me like this? Through the mind?"
(Yes, I don't need a mirror to do this.)
"Okay, let's do it!—Keima got up from his chair, and opened the door - "Elsie! Come to my room immediately! We need to make plans!"—Keima yelled at his (fake) sister.
Keima turned in the opposite direction, looking for a PFP, and heard quick footsteps, followed by a voice, this time female, in his room: "I'm here, Kami-Nii-sama!"
Keima turned around, turning displeased seeing that Haqua was there too: "And you, what are you doing here?"—Keima asked, coldly, not at all happy to see the other devil.
"I just came to see Elsie, but if my presence is not welcomed, then I will take my leave."—said the valedictorian, offended by the treatment she received from the God of Conquest.
Haqua turned to leave: "Wait"—Keima commanded, making her turn around. Keima met Haqua's eyes as he stared at her carefully - "Tell me, can you keep a secret?"—he asked solemnly, looking at her inquisitive gaze.
Haqua was slightly surprised by the question: "Well yeah."
He hoped she could. They had worked together during the Goddesses Search, and he knew he couldn't have done it without her. If he could get her on his side, then things would (hopefully) go smoothly.
"I hope you don't make me regret involving you in this." - Keima concluded as he took his old collar out of his pocket before throwing it towards Haqua, who caught it without issue.
Elsie remained silent, since she didn't understand anything, while Haqua's gaze became serious, and slightly grim.
"Where did you get it?"—she asked him.
"From my neck. It's mine."—explained the gamer.
Elsie had to rub her eyes before speaking: "I don't understand. Nii-sama, have they absolved you of the contract?"
"Not exactly. I just changed employers."
"?"—the two devils did not understand Keima's vague answer.
Keima sighed despondently: "I guess they do say an image is worth more than a thousand words."—he took out a red PFP and inserted the white CD in it.
"What are you doing with your toy?"—Haqua asked, looking at Keima, even more curious than before.
(May God have mercy on me) —Keima prayed in his mind, closing the lid of the device and waiting for what he himself defined as something impossible. A beam of light enveloped the PFP, so much so that Keima dropped it in surprise. A human figure began to emerge from that dazzling light.
After the radiant light dimmed off, Elsie and Haqua found themselves in front of a unique show.
Before them was what looked like a clone of Keima. The physical appearance was almost the same. Only his hair, which was blond and not brown, and his eyes, which were blue instead of brown, distinguished him.
"Who are you?"—Haqua finally asked, surprised and wary in equal amounts.
Keima cleared his throat: "Cupid, those are Elsie and Haqua. Elsie and Haqua, this is Cupid"—introduced the gamer.
The God of love ignored the shocked looks on the devils' faces: "I'll explain quickly, and only once. But I'm open to questions. Let's start from the beginning…"
****A few minutes later…****
"So,"—said Haqua—"you are one of the Jupiter Brothers, directly related to the Jupiter Sisters."
"Exactly."
"You came to Earth because you need Keima to become your Host." - Cupid nodded at Haqua. - "And you freed Keima from the collar that holds him prisoner to this contract. And you have also created a second collar, harmless, which however has the same functions as the previous one, so as not to alert my superiors. And all this because the hosts of the goddesses risk death if they are not loved by Keima."
"This devil is smart. She understands quickly."— the God of love complimented.
"Wait, there's still something I don't understand. Why are you involving me in this?"
"Because I trust you"—answered the gamer.
"And if I refuse to help you? What if I spill the beans to my superiors?"—Of course, she wouldn't do that. Previous events had taught her better than to trust her "superiors," but still, she felt the need to ask.
"Then we will erase your memory"—Keima and Cupid answered in unison.
"Erase her memories?!"—Elsie asked.
"Be quiet, Elsie"—Elsie wanted to protest, but the grave glint in her Kami-Nii-Sama's eyes stopped her.
Haqua thought carefully: "Okay, I agree to help you."
"Good, the party has been formed!—Keima shouted in joy, dispelling the tense mood— "Now, we have to explain the situation to all the Goddess hosts, and to Chihiro. Let's make plans! But first of all, Cupid, your job is to keep your sisters at bay. Especially the more violent ones. None of them is really worth their salt"—said Keima, entrusting this problem to someone more experienced.
"I am aware of the problem, and I promise to take the appropriate countermeasures, just in case."—the God of love reassured him.
"Ok, now we just need an event that involves all of the heroines, and that'll start the real game. Listen…"
****The next day****
Someone rang at the door of Chihiro's house. The normal girl opened it, and was surprised to see Haqua in front of her door: "Can I help you?"
"Keima Katsuragi wants to talk to you. He's waiting for you at Café Grandpa."—said the valedictorian.
Chihiro made a face: "Why should I talk to that asshole?!"—questioned the band leader, with the memory of Keima's rejection still fresh and vivid in her mind.
"Because he would like to give you a proper explanation. Trust me, it will be worth your time."
"If he really wanted to explain to me, he would have done it much earlier. Not a whole week after the fact!"
"The fact that Katsuragi wants to explain things to you now shows that he really wants to clear up all the misunderstandings. So, will you follow me, or will I have to take you there by force?"—Haqua's tone made it clear that this was not an empty threat.
"Of course he has the guts to send you to threaten me!"
"These are someone else's orders."—replied Haqua, remembering Cupid's words.
Chihiro understood that Haqua would really take her to Keima, one way or the other. But if Keima really wanted to meet her, why didn't he show up himself? Was he being shy? That cold-blooded, stone-hearted boy?! If there is an adjective less suitable for Keima, it's shy! Besides, who is that other person giving Haqua orders?
"So?"—asked Haqua, getting impatient.
"So what? Lead the way."
"Stay behind me." - Said the purple-haired devil.
"So, Haqua, right?"
"Yes."
"How did you meet Katsuragi?"
"I'm friends with Elsie, and she introduced me to Keima."
"If you are a devil, then why are you working with Katsuragi?"
"I don't work with him, per se. He told me he was in a certain situation and he asked for my help. It seems like he trusts me."—Chihiro could see Haqua blushing slightly after saying that.
Wait, did that devil like Keima too? How can a girl fall in love with that guy? Besides Ayumi and Kanon there were also other people?! Seriously?! So she wasn't the only person who had fallen in love with that fool? If only that Devil knew what that idiot had done, then she'd quickly change her mind! Although, honestly, not even Chihiro understood anything of what had happened during the Mai-High Festival. Yes, to be honest, she wanted an explanation.
Haqua was irritated by Chihiro. She was confused about the situation. That girl doesn't host a Goddess, so why is Keima involving her in all of this? Is there anything Katsuragi hasn't told me? Maybe there's a seventh Goddess on earth, and Chihiro is her host? Impossible! Highly unlikely! But if the Jupiter Brothers really exist, nothing is impossible anymore... Haqua didn't know, she'd have to ask directly if she wanted to clear her doubts.
Chihiro wanted to continue the conversation, but they had already arrived at the café. As they entered, they saw that a table was already occupied by a girl with black hair, tied with two pink ribbons.
"Here!"—Haqua recognized her.
"I'm here because Elsie called me"—explained the girl.
"She is Kosaka Chihiro. She's involved in all of this too. Take care of her, please. I'll go get the others."
"The others?"—asked the ordinary girl
"There's more people involved in this"—answered Haqua before sighing, leaving the house.
****...****
An awkward silence fell over the house. Tenri was too shy to initiate the conversation, and Chihiro didn't know how to initiate it.
"So, Tenri, right?"—Tenri nodded—"How do you know Katsuragi?"
"We were classmates ten years ago."
"And then?"—prompted Chihiro. Tenri really didn't want to talk about her ten years of unrequited love with someone she didn't know. But she didn't have to worry about that problem anymore, not when Diana took control of her body.
Staring at Chihiro with her piercing, crimson glare, she asked her: "And how did you come in contact with him? Are you interested?"
Chihiro was surprised by the shy girl's sudden change of attitude and was immediately taken aback. Still, something in the other girl's aura compelled her to answer: "Huh? I met Katsuragi when…"—the café's door opened, and Chihiro was spared from Diana's interrogation.
Ayumi entered, panting from fatigue, due to the run, followed by Yui.
"Darling! Your future husband is here!"—Yui shouted, and then she looked around— "Huh? Where is Keima?"
"I do not know"—answered Chihiro, shrugging,"—"Hey Ayumi, you can relax, your husband is not here yet."—said the normal girl to the runner, seeing her exhausted and without energy.
"That wedding was fake!" - Ayumi yelled.
"Oh but you wish it was real, right?" - Ayumi blushed at Chihiro's teasing.
"Marriage?!"—Yui asked, surprised to say the least.
"Forget it, Yui, it's a bad story." - Answered the ordinary girl.
"Oh, c'mon!"—sighed the drummer, disappointed.
"Come on, don't be shy." - said Elsie, at two o'clock. Behind Elsie were Shiori and her goddess, Minerva, manifested in her ghost form. And also Tsukiyo, holding her doll, Luna.
(Oh why are there so many people here?! I thought it was only going to be Katsuragi-kun and me! Katsuragi-san didn't tell me! And then we went to pick up this other girl and I don't know her and I don't know anyone here and why are they all here?! Could it be that they also have someone like Minerva around? Katsuragi-san did say that Kei—Cashira—Katsuragi-kun! That Katsuragi-kun wanted to explain everything to me, so I accepted because, you know, finally, but then we went to pick up Kujō-san and she told her pretty much the same thing! Just how many people are involved in this?! Katsuragi-kun you dummy! I can't just—)
"Oh! Elsie, you're here!" - The normal girl cheered, happy because yay! Distraction! - "Who are they?"
(Oh shoot! Make yourself small, Shiori! You're one with the shadows! Like Soichiiro-san from "Makai no Shinobi"!) —Shiori thought while holding her copy of "Makai no Shinobi" for dear life.
The youngest (yet oldest) of the Katsuragi siblings answered with her usual smile and cheerful demeanor: "These are Shiori-san and Tsukiyo-san! They came here to see Kami-nii-sama too!"
Eeehhhhh?! So we're all here for—
"So you're all here for Keima, huh?" - Tsukiyo said, one elegant eyebrow raised in silent inquiry, her voice the very definition of the word "cold".
"Another one?"—Yui replied, incredulous.
"Unfaithful bastard"—Ayumi muttered. - (I'm so going to kick you to death, Katsuragi!)
F-F-F-F-First name?! She u-u-u-u-used his first n-n-n-name so casually! Who is this girl?! What kind of relationship does she have with Katsuragi-kun?!—Shiori screamed (in her mind).
(Please, Keima…)
Tsukiyo held Luna a bit tighter.
(I want to trust you…)
The Moon Child quietly walked towards an empty table.
(Please, tell me that isn't a mistake…)
A few minutes later…
The door opened and Haqua entered, followed by Kanon Nakagawa.
"Kanon! Is that really you? Thank you for joining us during the Mai-High-Festival!"—Chihiro thanked her, making a bow.
Kanon smiled: "I'm honored by your kind words, but it's all thanks to Keima that I was able to join you. He saved my life, and my life is his."
What was that? A declaration of love? A direct challenge? Well, for Kanon, admitting her love for Keima is no trouble. She confessed to him right in the middle of the school, and during an exam no less!
"We are all grateful to you! Tell me, can I have your autograph?"—Kanon satisfied Yui's request.
She spent another five minutes signing autographs and taking pictures with the 2-B Pencils members.
"They are all here"—Haqua noted.
"Our first assignment is finished then." - Elsie said.
****…****
"Why are we all here?"—Chihiro asked.
"I don't know. Maybe to decide who will become Katsuragi's girlfriend?"—offered Yui.
"That is impossible!"—Diana intervened—"Keima is Tenri's boyfriend!
She is his first heroine!"—Diana declared.
"No Diana, you're wrong!"—Mercuris intervened—"Ayumi is his first and last heroine! They even got married!"
"I don't allow you to talk about Yui's lover like that!"—counterattacked Mars.
"I do not agree! We're talking about Kanon's boyfriend!"—Apollo continued.
"That boy belongs to Shiori!"—cried Minerva with her little voice.
"You can't take Tsukiyo's boyfriend!"—Vulcanus shouted, joining the fray.
In that situation, Chihiro could only stare wide-eyed at the exchange. (Okay, what the hell?)—thought the normal girl.
A male voice invaded the room: "Little sisters, stop! You do as you did when you were little girls, but worse! You argue, then you go to blows!"—then they all took notice of a darkened silhouette in the room.
"Darling, is that you?"—Yui asked, noticing a certain similarity between the stranger's figure and her beloved's.
The unknown character was perplexed: "Darling? How many nicknames does my host have?"—the shadow went into the light—"Boyfriend, husband, darling, and those are just a few. Luckily I have already chosen the nickname I will call him by: Partner! It's very practical, don't you think?"—asked Cupid, expecting an answer to his question.
A glacial silence fell in the room: "But you... Who are you?"
The God of Love answered Chihiro's question: "You mortals call me Cupid! I am the firstborn of Jupiter and Juno, as well as the God of Love! And Keima Katsuragi, the God of Conquest, is my host!"
Diana, still in control of Tenri's body, quickly approached Cupid: "Brother!"—the Goddess of the Hunt shouted.
"EEHH?!"—A howl of astonishment echoed in the room.
"Brother?! But what does that mean?"—Chihiro asked.
"Oh, little sister Diana! It's been such a long time…"—Cupid spread his arms to embrace his sister, but…
*Swoosh!*
A swift kick below the balls, delivered with all the force of an angered Goddess, had Cupid open his eyes wide: "Ah!" - He immediately became acquainted with the floor where he lay on - "B-Broken… Y-You b-b-broke them…"
"Do you have the faintest idea of what happened while you were gone?! Where have you been all this time?!"—Diana asked him, livid.
Cupid, kind of wishing for death, defended himself: "Don't blame me! I had some trouble with star navigation. I arrived on Venus first, then Pluto, and then thanks to God, indeed thanks to our father Jupiter, I arrived on Earth. And I had to carefully choose the person to host me in his body!"—the God of love said, slowly beginning the process of standing back up - "And that kick was very uncalled for".
"Why did you choose that man, who is as disgusting as a worm, as your host?!"—Vulcanus asked him, in the body of the Luna doll, against the idea.
"I apologize for the question, which is not very delicate, but with what logic did you choose your guests? I carefully studied who was the most suitable person for me. But here, among you, I see almost no logical choice" - The Goddesses—minus Diana—blushed in embarrassment - "Well?"—asked the God of Love.
"W-Well… W-W-We don't know…" - Answered Minerva.
"Come on, don't tell me you haven't learned the character selection spell!"— the God of love mocked them, bursting into a hearty laugh, and earning dirty looks from almost all of his sisters.
"Oh, that explains everything!"—understood Apollo.
"Anyway, since we're all here, I will notify my host. I would not like to detain you or and your hosts for longer than it is strictly necessary"—Cupid cleared his throat—"PARTNER, THEY'VE ALL ARRIVED!"—Cupid's scream was so loud and shrill that everyone had to cover their ears.
"What the hell!? Couldn't you have gone and called him in person?!"—Haqua asked him, annoyed.
"I don't know. I did the first thing that came to mind. In addition, my Partner may or may not have his headphones on, so he might have not heard me otherwise."
The door slowly opened and Keima Katsuragi entered. His eyes were glued to his PFP, and he walked without looking where he was going. All the girls in the room wondered how he could do something like this without crashing into something.
"My host is here! The God of Conquest!"—announced Cupid, as if everyone in the room was blind… "Give me this electronic thing! I saw you reach the save point!"—Cupid removed the PFP from Keima's hands.
He shouldn't have done that.
"Don't take my things without permission, you divine misfortune! And don't lecture me!"—scolded the God of Conquest, kicking him in the shin, which brought Cupid to his knees. Cupid felt like he was going to be becoming friends with the floor if these things kept happening—"Damn you! I said some things about your sisters, but you're no saint! I have a voice; I can speak for myself! And now go sit down!"
Cupid zipped it instantly, hearing Keima, and got up from the floor: (Holy Christ, what power…)—Cupid thought as he went to sit down, limping with his right leg.
Keima sighed, almost desperate, seeing the situation he had gotten himself into. He too had to act severely with that God who was with him. Keima's House, Keima's Rules, damn it! He had to strike while the iron was hot, especially with people like that! He postponed Cupid's "education" for later, though. Now there are more pressing matters to address.
Keima's voice became serious.
"Girls!"—he looked at them all one by one, making sure to lock eyes with each one of them individually. Keima's gaze made all the girls present freeze in their spots. All were shocked. Even though most of them knew that look, their hearts still skipped a beat, and their cheeks turned red. How to blame them? After all, they were in love with that boy!
"Thank you for coming"—he said politely, keeping his eyes trained on his targets. He noticed their reactions were positive. Their attention was solely directed at him, and him alone. This meant that their "Affection Points" haven't dropped all that much in the time he had been away, or at least so he hoped.
Yes, this run was going to continue. He would save all of them no matter what!
Author's Notes:
Rickky06: Hi all guys, I'm Rickky 06! This story is an AU. The Heart of Jupiter Arc never happened. I tried to do this, and it didn't work properly. So, I'm here to try again. This story is a direct collaboration with Kyotō Yasuri. The story was inspired by William F Somebody's The World The Girls Also Know: The Girls God Can Only Save, so some parts will be similar, but it won't follow the same pace of the story. You will find out as you progress through the chapters. With that said, thanks for reading, commenting, turning on story notifications, and see you in the next chapter!
The story will start with Keima being chosen by Cupid as his Guest. Keima will personally fight the enemies now, in a story that will combine romance with action. Keima's duties will be to manage his harem, and to fight against Old Hell. Needless to say, the story will follow a harem ending. There will also be brand new male OCs joining Keima's team, three to be exact. Also some characters from the Heart of Jupiter Arc will appear here, but much later in the story.
Kyotō Yasuri: I need some sleep. Hi, this is Kyotō Yasuri.
New enemies! New romance! No time-traveling nonsense! This is a brand new world no one yet knows! So, if you're interested, hit that Follow button and see you next time. Bye-bye! ¡Chau! Ciao! We accept reviews! I REALLY NEED TO SLEEP! CHRIST!