AN: And Just like that Saturday is done again.... Haa...
Anyways here is the 2nd update for this week!
Chapter 98 is now up.
Enjoy reading~
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Heaven, DxD world..
The Seraphs guided Noah and the group through the corridors of Heaven, ascending toward the highest realm, the Seventh Heaven, where the System of God awaited.
As they walked, Michael spoke, explanting the current status of Heaven. "After the war between Heaven, the Fallen Angels, and the Devils reached a stalemate, our Father foresaw something beyond this reality. A being capable of ending all creation simply by existing. The embodiment of entropy, Trihexa, the beast of apocalypse."
Michael turned to Noah, his expression caught between gratitude and exasperation. "The very same beast that you, Noah-dono, burned away until not even its ashes remained."
Noah blinked, scratching at his cheek with mild awkwardness. "…You're welcome, I guess?"
That drew a round of dry chuckles, not only from Michael but also from Uriel, Raphael, Azazel, Sirzechs, and Serafall.
With a small sigh, Michael continued. "Knowing he would perish in his confrontation against Trihexa, Father created one final Sacred Gear and entrusted it to Gabriel."
"He called it the Crowned Clown," Uriel continued. "Unlike the other Sacred Gears, it wasn't designed for battle, healing, or anything else like that. It was made to serve as the system's control unit—to act as its heart."
"Father used his own essence as the main source of power for the Crowned Clown, just as Draig and Albion became the core of the Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing," Raphael explained, his tone softer than usual.
He paused, then added, "After giving Gabriel his instructions, Father set out to stop Trihexa from reaching our world. But its power was far greater than he anticipated. In the end, he can only create a prison for it, using everything he had, even his own life to ensure that the beast would forever remain asleep in a plane beyond."
Gabriel turned toward Noah, her expression soft. "Before he left, he entrusted the Crowned Clown to me." She lowered her eyes briefly, then lifted them with a faint smile. "He told me… that I would be the one to meet the person meant for it. When he finally arrived, I would walk beside him. Together, we would carry the fate of Heaven and of this world."
Noah took in her words with a slow nod. "That explains a lot. From what I've learned so far, the Crowned Clown works as a conduit, a control hub, an interface." He exhaled, looking ahead. "A master access key. Something built to fully command and access the very core of some system."
Michael stepped beside him. "Since Father's passing, it has been Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, and myself who've kept the System running. But even with all our combined strength and with Gabriel's authority as co-administrator we've only managed to sustain about thirty percent of its full capacity."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Thirty percent, even with all of you?"
Michael gave a weary nod. "That is the limit. Beyond this… we can only maintain what's already there. We cannot repair it nor expand its capacity but just keep it from collapsing."
As they passed through the final corridor, the door opened fully, revealing the divine mechanism at the center of it all: the System of God, glowing faintly… waiting for its new heart.
The group fell silent as they stepped into the core of Heaven itself.
The System of God stood at the center like a tree of light, its branches stretching infinitely. Each branch lit up like a thread of logic and rules. Yet the radiance only flowed through a handful of paths, leaving the vast network dim. Just as Michael had said, even the combined strength of Heaven's four greatest Seraphs could barely awaken a fraction of its true power.
Hajime, Alice, and Anisphia stopped in their tracks. Through all their travels across stars, realms, and chaos with Noah and the rest, they had never seen anything like this. Even Ingvild, Villhaze, and Ophis stood in awe, their eyes drawn by its magnificence.
Azazel, who had only ever heard rumors of the system after his fall, took a slow step forward. "…So this is it," he murmured. "The core of Heaven. The System of God."
Sirzechs stared upward, awe etched across his face. Even Serafall, usually overflowing with boundless energy, stood breathless beside him. "It's… so divine," she whispered.
By contrast, Noah, Kiana, Elysia, Lumine, and Sirin's reactions were far more subdued.
"I feel like I've seen this before…" Kiana murmured, furrowing her brows as she tried to remember.
Elysia lowered her camera, turning toward her in surprise. Noah, Lumine, and Sirin all glanced at her with the same stunned look.
Kiana blinked at them, puzzled. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
"Well, Kii noticing something like this at all is… progress, I guess," Elysia muttered with a small smile. Sirin rolled her eyes, Noah coughed into his hand while looking away, and Lumine simply shook her head.
"…And what's that supposed to mean?" Kiana asked, giving them all a half-lidded stare.
"Ano… forgive me for interrupting," Gabriel tilted her head gently, her voice soft. "I can't help but ask after hearing what Kiana-san said..... but did Noah-san and everyone truly see something similar to the System of God before?"
Her question made everyone turn to Noah and his group. Even Hajime, Alice, and Anisphia looked surprised.
Noah scratched the back of his head. "Well… yes, we did. Kind of."
That simple answer left the Seraphs, Azazel, Sirzechs, Serafall, and Hajime's group frozen in shock.
"Wait—really?!" Kiana yelped, just as surprised as the rest.
"Kii…" Lumine gave her a gentle and helpless look. "…For someone who's the reason we even got to meet Buer and Nahida, your reaction is a little disheartening."
"Buer… and Nahida… ah." Kiana finally realized it. "Wait, wait!! I didn't forget Buer and Nahida-chan, okay?! It just slipped my mind that they're the ones in charge of Irminsul!!"
"It's okay, sister. We already know you're an idiot," Sirin said bluntly, patting Kiana's head. "And we still love you anyway."
"That's not comforting at all!!!" Kiana cried, tears welling up in her eyes.
Noah shook his head and turned to the others to explain. "Back at the start of our journey, when it was just me, Kii, Ellie, Lumi, and Sii are the only members of the crew, we met a god who governs 'Irminsul', the living database that stores every memory and piece of history of that world."
He then gestured toward the System of God before continuing. "In every world, there's something at its core, there is a metaphysical deposit of the collective consciousness of all beings born within it."
The room went silent as everyone listened intently. At the side, Ingvild and Villhaze exchanged glances with Hajime, who gave them a small nod. Both remembered how Hajime had resurrected Villhaze back on the island, by pulling the information of her very existence from that place.
"Ley lines aren't just streams of mana flowing through the planet," Noah explained, his gaze tracing the currents of light. "They absorb memories, essence, and information from every life born in the world. Over time, that funnels into the deposit making a central repository of history itself."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes narrowing at the flow of energy across the System of God. "This system… it's closer to the 'divine tree' we once made. A kind of user interface to manipulate and access the data stored at the world's core. Think of it as a hub server, with the Crowned Clown acting as the computer terminal. That might be why you've never been able to fully utilize the System. You've only been running preset commands and weren't able to add new ones nor update and debug the codes."
The chamber went utterly silent. The Seraphs and the leaders of the Three Factions stood frozen, their faces reflecting shock.
"…That's… actually a lot to take in," Azazel muttered at last, running a hand through his hair.
Raphael exhaled and rubbed his face. "… we never truly understood how our world works."
Uriel frowned, his arms crossed tightly. Michael lowered his gaze, pensive. Sirzechs let out a sigh, while Serafall looked between them all with wide eyes. For beings who had lived in this world for centuries, the revelation hit like a heavy blow. None of them had known that the ley lines carried such depth, that they were more than streams of magic nor the archive at the core world, where all information about the living beings born to their planet is stored at.
Then here was someone not even born of their world, who had only walked its soil twice, yet already understood more after a single glimpse at the System of God.
Noah smiled wryly at their reactions, then without a word he stepped toward the central console. The moment he came close, the Crowned Clown flared to life, wrapping around him. His Express crew cape is gone, replaced by the flowing white coat of the Crowned Clown.
As his hand brushed the interface, the system woke up.
Dozens of screens bloomed into view, strings of symbols, languages, and layers of lines of code rushing past. One by one, each confirmed the authority of the Crowned Clown's bearer. Finally, a single window remained with the words: Authority recognized. Access granted. Identity verified.
A new prompt appeared.
Gabriel stepped beside him, raising her hand to the console.
"The last key," she whispered. "The last confirmation… is mine."
The screen changed, showing a progress bar.
The transfer began.
The Crowned Clown pulsed with light as the process advanced. Noah's mind is filled with knowledge, access lines, override permissions, encrypted truths once held only by God Himself. Screens appeared and disappeared in rapid succession, the room filled with hushed murmurs and nervous glances.
Hajime crossed his arms, gaze fixed on Noah. "So that's it… the access control's being transferred to him."
Michael inclined his head. "It will take a few minutes before the synchronization is complete."
Azazel gave a low chuckle under his breath. "Heh. Never thought I'd live long enough to see something like this."
—--
Moments later, the progress bar at the interface in front of Noah and Gabriel reached 100%. More screens came into existence, confirming the transfer of authority, before a soft chime rang, signaling its completion.
Gabriel's eyes open first, her chest rising with a breath of relief.
Noah followed a heartbeat later.
"…It's done," he murmured, the tension in his shoulders finally easing.
Heaven now had a new heart.
At the hands of Noah Alden.
Gabriel turned toward him, her eyes shining with pride as a gentle smile spread across her face.
"Congratulations, Noah-san," she said softly. "Now it's official. I can stay with you until the very end."
Noah couldn't help but smile back at her words. With a playful grin, he reached over and pinched her cheeks lightly. "Then I'll be counting on you, partner."
The others began to approach.
Michael offered a solemn nod. "Noah Alden. Heaven recognizes you as its new Administrator. The system is yours to command, and we shall stand with you."
Uriel followed. "You've taken on more than just a duty… you've inherited a legacy."
Raphael's tone carried pride. "From this moment forward, our Father's system and we ourselves, shall respond to you with trust."
At the side, the other leaders of the Three Factions stood watching closely.
Azazel stepped up, hands tucked into his pockets, amusement in his eyes. "So… Heaven's under new management, huh? Guess things just got a whole lot more interesting."
Sirzechs bowed with respect. "With the unification of the Three Factions, not only Heaven will stand by you. The Devils and Fallen Angels will also be with you at every step. You won't face this alone."
Serafall gave a playful twirl, her grin as bright as ever. "Administrator or not, you're still the most stylish outsider we've welcomed in centuries!"
Kiana and the rest of the crew stepped forward, standing near Noah and Gabriel.
Noah turned to face the gathered leaders. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "For placing your trust in me."
taking a deep breath, then continued, "It's a little awkward, but… while I've accepted the responsibility of being the system's administrator, I have no intention of ruling Heaven nor this world."
The leaders were stunned.
Michael blinked. "You… are declining authority over Heaven?"
"Yes. I'm not here to lead and take over," Noah replied, scratching his cheek with mild embarrassment. "I only did what the bearer of the Crowned Clown and what my Path demands: give you the push and the chance to once again run toward your own future."
Winking at the Seraphs and the leaders of the Three Factions, Noah said lightly, "Besides, you all understand this world far better than I do. You've been running it for years. Why should I, an outsider, take that away from you?"
Uriel's brow furrowed. "But you're now at the core of it all—the one holding everything together."
"I am," Noah admitted with a nod. "And I'll still be here to support it. But Heaven and this world doesn't need another ruler. What it needs is a chance to progress. That's why I accepted the role of administrator. The decisions, your future, still belong to you. I won't take that away. My only role is to give you the support you need and provide the path forward."
He turned to meet the eyes of each Seraph—Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and especially Gabriel standing at his side. "As before, you'll all have sub-administrator accounts. That will give you proper access to the system and the authority to use its functions fully and correctly."
A heavy silence filled the chamber. The Seraphs each wore different expressions—puzzled, conflicted, uncertain. None of them had expected the day to end like this. They thought the chosen one would take up their Father's mantle, not step aside from the throne.
Michael exhaled slowly. "…So you're really not taking the throne. You're just making sure things move forward."
"Exactly." Noah gave a small nod, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. "My way of Trailblaze has always been the same—to lay the path toward what lies beyond."
The Seraphs exchanged glances, still conflicted but slowly accepting.
"This won't be easy," Raphael murmured.
Noah gave a small laugh. "Nothing worth protecting ever is."
Reluctantly, and with respect, they bowed their heads.
It wasn't the choice they had expected.
Seeing their acceptance, Noah looked around and spoke clearly. "Now that the system's connected to me, I can start working with it… but with my current understanding, there will be limits."
He exhaled. "The transfer's complete, but I'm not at a point where I can unlock everything yet. For now, I can access the core programs, clean out old errors, and patch things that have been neglected."
Michael nodded slowly. "That alone is more than we've been able to do for centuries."
Uriel folded his arms. "Even partial access will be a game changer."
Raphael added with a faint smile, "Indeed. With all that you've already done, that's more than we could ask for."
Noah nodded, then turned toward Hajime with a knowing grin. "So, how much did you manage to figure out?"
Hajime blinked, rubbed his chin, then smirked. "Hmm… about forty-five percent, give or take."
In response, he raised a hand and, using the power of Reason, conjured a mask almost identical to the Crowned Clown's.
The rest of the crew chuckled helplessly, shaking their heads in unison, resigned to the familiar sight before them.
"Here we go again," Kiana muttered under her breath.
Alice pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. "These two are about to break every rule in existence… again."
Her words drew puzzled looks from the leaders of the Three Factions. Their confusion only deepened when they noticed the familiar mask in Hajime's hands—reminding them of his terrifying Campione authority, Sha Naqba Imuru, usurped from Gilgamesh. An authority that let him analyze and master virtually anything he touched or saw.
Noah arched a brow. "Well… that works, I guess."
He turned, gesturing for Hajime to follow. "Let's get to it."
The two walked toward the core interface, side by side.
And together, Administrator and Hacker began rewriting the system—cleaning errors, patching holes, and reshaping the framework of Heaven's core functions one line of code at a time.
Those watching stood frozen, caught between awe and disbelief.
Azazel let out a sharp whistle. "...They're rewriting the System of God like it's a phone update."
Michael blinked, his voice barely above a whisper. "...Are they really rewriting the entire system like it's second nature to them?"
Uriel and Raphael exchanged glances, disbelief and admiration in their eyes.
Even Gabriel, standing beside Noah, felt herself falling behind. Her eyes moving over the endless streams of code, lips parting as she tried to make sense of it. She blinked once, then again, the symbols already far past her comprehension.
"Huh…? Wait… wha—?" she mumbled, clearly overwhelmed.
Her wings twitched. She lifted a hand as if to touch the flowing code, then hesitated. "They're already this far ahead…?" she whispered, her voice carrying both awe and a hint of worry.
A gentle tap on her shoulder made her turn.
Elysia stood there, smiling softly.
"You look like you just got lost in your own system," she teased, though her eyes were kind.
Gabriel let out a shaky breath, her cheeks puffing slightly as tears threatened to fall. "I… I'm supposed to be the one helping…"
"You already are." Elysia gently took her hand. "It's just that when those two work together… no one can really keep up."
Gabriel sniffled, then nodded, letting herself be guided back toward the rest of the crew. Her fingers curled tightly around Elysia's, holding on to the reassurance.
—--
As Noah and Hajime continued to work side by side, fingers dancing across the interface like artists painting reality, the rest slowly changed into something more familiar, something warmer.
Elysia, ever the cheerful host, clapped her hands. "Well! While the world's being rewritten, we should at least do it with tea!"
With practiced ease, Sirin pulled out a tea table and porcelain from her imaginary space. Lumine retrieved a selection of snacks and sweets from her storage, carefully plating them.
"Come on, everyone, have a seat!" Elysia sang, waving them over. "Watching the world get rewritten deserves a cozy corner~."
On one side sat the friends from the DxD world: Azazel, Sirzechs, Serafall, Michael, Uriel, and Raphael. On the other, the Express crew: Kiana, Lumine, Elysia, Sirin, Alice, Anisphia, and the newest additions—Gabriel, Ingvild, Villhaze, and Ophis.
Ophis had been claimed by Elysia and was now comfortably curled in her lap, being hand-fed cookies like a pampered kitten. She didn't resist… more like she couldn't. Elysia's charm was still as overwhelming as ever.
Gabriel found herself seated between Kiana and Lumine, unsure how she ended up there but not minding it. She blinked as laughter and chatter filled the air—the kind of noise that didn't feel chaotic but peaceful. Sirin slid a plate of sweets her way with a wink, and a cup of tea appeared at her side before she could even ask. Gabriel glanced around, stunned by the ease of it all, by the strange, cozy whirlwind that was the Express crew.
It wasn't what she had expected.
But somehow… it didn't feel wrong.
Kiana nudged Gabriel's elbow as she bit into a cookie. "You okay there? You look like a kid who got lost on the road."
Gabriel turned to her, startled, then let out a soft, embarrassed puff of air. "It just… feels strange. Being part of something like this. It's loud and a little chaotic but strangely warm."
Lumine leaned in with a wry smile. "That's what everyone says at first. But eventually, you get used to it."
Gabriel blinked again, slower this time. Her wings eased at her back.
"…Thanks," she murmured, her voice touched. "I'd love to get used to it."
Kiana grinned. "Good! Because our team's always in this chaotic state."
That earned a laugh from Gabriel. The tension in her shoulders faded as she looked around the table, watching everyone mingle.
Alice and Anisphia exchanged glances as they watched Hajime seamlessly working side by side with Noah.
"Sorry," Anisphia said with an apologetic grin toward Gabriel. "Our Hajime kind of stole your job, didn't he?"
Gabriel blinked, then chuckled. "Ahaha… well, I didn't expect Hajime-san would be able to master the system more than me.""
Alice leaned in gently. "To be fair, trying to outpace those two when they work together always leads to self‑doubt. We've learned it's smarter not to interfere."
"But," Anisphia added quickly, "once they're finished, they love to be spoiled. So we always take advantage of that point."
Gabriel gave a small laugh, flustered yet grateful. "I'll… keep that in mind."
The groups blended together easily over warm drinks and playful banter. Stories from the battlefield turned into tales of misfired cooking attempts, awkward first missions, and arguments over who snored loudest on long journeys.
Noah's girls filled with curiosity as they finally met the ones Hajime had bonded with in this world.
While feeding Ophis another cookie, Elysia turned her attention to two girls seated nearby—Ingvild Leviathan and Villhaze. Both looked a little overwhelmed, eyes wide as they took in the playful chaos of the Express crew mid‑teatime. Still, their gazes shone with interest. Even if everything felt new and noisy, they were eager to learn more about this crew and what it meant to be part of it.
"Having fun, you two?" Elysia asked, her voice light and teasing as always.
Ingvild straightened slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Ah, yes… Thank you for your concern. Besides, it is quite interesting watching everyone."
Villhaze nodded beside her. "Honestly, we weren't sure what to expect. And, um…" she glanced at Elysia, "…you're not as scary as we thought. Just very… bright."
Elysia blinked, then gave a small laugh. "Ah, I see~ Chapter 96 reaction, huh."
"Ellie, don't break the fourth wall, please," Sirin said from the side as she munched on her cookies.
"Hmm." Even Ophis gave a small grunt of agreement.
"Nyahahaha~," Elysia awkwardly admitted, rubbing her cheeks. "Okay, maybe I was a little much."
Sirin rolled her eyes and turned to Ingvild and Villhaze. "Don't worry, Ellie isn't scary. She's the only one in the crew who can't even get angry. 'Anger' and 'scary' are words you just can't connect with her."
The atmosphere warmed around them as Ingvild relaxed and Villhaze let out a soft breath.
"Alright… maybe you're not as terrifying as we thought," Villhaze admitted, scratching her cheek awkwardly. "Still kind of intense, though… in a different way."
Elysia grinned and winked at them. "Well, I'm just charming as you can see~."
The table stayed busy with stories and laughter. Cups clinked, plates passed, and the earlier tension faded into quiet conversation. No one gave a speech. No one needed to. Just a few shared moments that felt honest and enough.
At the center of the room, Noah and Hajime continued rewriting the rules of the system, but for now no one paid them any attention.
At the table, things felt okay.
And for the first time, those from the Express and the DxD world: angels, devils, fallen, human, dragon god, and Nameless, just sat together, relishing in momentary peace.