AN: Alright! Our happy days are done time to face the world again!
But before that I will drop first the last chapter update for this week!
Now Chapter 99 is up for you guys to read!!
See you again next week!
PS: As always thank you to After_Wing and Master_Sigil for the Power stones!!
--------
Seventh Heaven, where the Central Console of the System of God is stored, DxD World...
While Noah and Hajime remained at the center, working non-stop on the system, the rest of the room grew lighter. What began as a tea break had turned into a lively chat between very different groups.
The girls from the Astral Express soon found themselves surrounded by curious leaders from the three factions. Serafall, eyes wide and expression half disbelief, pointed straight at Elysia. "So you're telling me you stopped a Stellaron… like the one that nearly wrecked our world… with a smile and an umbrella?"
Elysia took a sip of tea and smiled. "Well, the umbrella was a prototype Hajime and Anis made for sealing Stellarons. But the smile? That part was all me."
Ophis, still sitting on Elysia's lap, froze mid-bite. Her blank face didn't change, but the way her eyes stared at Elysia said enough, a clear disbelief.
Even Ingvild and Villhaze, seated nearby, gaped with their mouths slightly open. The scary image of Elysia now truly gone.
None of them could tell if Elysia was joking or if that was simply how she was.
"…I think I'm in love," Serafall whispered.
On the other side, Michael and Azazel were deep in discussion with Alice and Anisphia.
Michael leaned forward, curiosity plain on his face. "How do you even keep track of the worlds you've visited as you travel across the universe?"
Alice pursed her lips, thinking carefully about how to put it into words. "We have an interstellar map we call the Silver Rails."
The name alone immediately caught both Michael's and Azazel's attention.
Anisphia perked up, spoon still in hand. "The Silver Rails are paths created from the power of Trailblaze. Imagine railways made of light, stretched across space and dimensions."
Alice nodded. "It's the cosmic version of what Captain did last time, when he linked everyone together to form that massive shield. Except instead of people, the Rails connect world to world through channels created by the power of Trailblaze. Once the Express arrives in a new world, it's added to the map, like building a new station on an ever expanding railway."
Azazel arched a brow, a grin tugging at his lips. "So that's why it's called the Astral Express. You're literally running on train tracks across the stars."
Anisphia chuckled, lifting her cup. "Exactly. It's a universe-spanning train route with plenty of weird detours and the occasional system crash."
Kiana and Sirin were speaking with Uriel about their powers.
"So the energy source of your strength isn't mana?" Uriel asked, brows raised in curiosity.
"Nope." Kiana tapped her chest. "It's called Imaginary Energy. It powers my Herrscher Core instead of Honkai Energy. Me and my sister are Herrschers like Hajime. His ability is Reason, mine is Flame, and my sister's is Void."
Uriel turned toward Sirin. She gave a small nod and explained, "Imaginary Energy is the purest form of energy. It's the original source, before being processed into the many systems you know—Holy, Divine, Demonic, Ether, Mana, Honkai, Elemental, and so on."
Uriel's eyes widened at her words. "...So even such things exist."
The sisters nodded together.
"Captain told us each civilization harnesses this energy in its own way," Kiana added, scratching the back of her head with a sheepish laugh. "That's why it transforms into so many different power systems. If you want a detailed explanation, you should ask my sister or the others because I don't really get all of it myself."
Sirin pressed a palm to her face. "...Sorry about my sister. Thinking isn't exactly her strong suit."
Uriel blinked, surprised. "...That's surprisingly honest."
Kiana puffing her cheeks in protest. "Hey, that's mean, Sis!!"
At another part of the table, Lumine sat with Raphael and Gabriel, both clearly curious.
"So how do you decide which world to visit next?" Raphael asked.
Lumine set her cup down neatly on its saucer. "First, Noah and I search for worlds relatively close to our current position. Then Ellie and Sii gather information. If the world is already part of the existing Rails, we retrieve the data from our databanks. If not, they'll run deep scans and long-range observations."
She paused for a moment to let her words sink in before continuing. "Once we've gathered enough, we vote on which world to visit next."
Gabriel blinked, tilting her head. "So you follow those steps every time you go to a new world?"
"Not exactly." Lumine shook her head. "Timing and reason matter too. Sometimes we just go where it feels right or when Noah feels we need to be in a specific world."
Gabriel opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Serafall suddenly raised her voice with a look of pure disbelief.
"What?! Did you just say you were wanted criminals in two worlds?!"
Elysia giggled behind her hand. "Well, sort of. Things like that happen every three worlds we visit. One was just a misunderstanding. The other… yeah, Noah and Hajime may have stirred up a scene."
Azazel leaned in with clear interest. "Oh? And just what kind of trouble did a Godslayer and your Captain cause?"
"Ahh, that…" Kiana's cheeks twitched as she sighed. "Captain tripped and ended up falling over the saint of the biggest religion back in Anis's world."
Lumine chimed in with her usual dry tone. "Croix Eden, the very same saint our dear Captain fell into, already had a fiancé. A prince of a powerful nation. So seeing Noah on top of her in that position… well, it looked a lot worse than it really was."
Kiana's face went flat, her tone bone-dry. "…It was the moan... That's what really made it worse."
Alice groaned softly, covering her face with both hands. "And Hajime, trying to help, ended up with Princess Riche Eden, Lady Croix's younger sister in his arms instead. The guards panicked, everyone froze… and instead of explaining, our wonderful boys bolted. With both sisters in their arms."
Michael blinked slowly. "…That sounds like a poor choice of action."
"It was," Lumine admitted. "We ran three times. They almost caught us twice."
"Turns out Croix was the one who told Noah to take her away. Her fiancé was working with Snake Crest, the enemy organization trying to use her for their shady plans. Hajime didn't bother arguing. He just carried them both and ran. Princess Riche got dragged along in the process." Sirin added with a small shrug.
Raphael nodded slowly. "So in the end, they did what they thought was right."
Elysia laughed at the memory. "Yes~ and luckily, our dear Anis helped smooth it over. Her identity as Palettia's Princess calmed the Nation of Eden. Thankfully, their kingdoms already had good ties."
Everyone turned to Anisphia with newfound respect.
She crossed her arms, cheeks puffing. "Please stop looking at me like that! I'm still a real princess, you know! Croix and Riche are good people. It all worked out in the end."
""Too well,"" Kiana and Alice still looked sour. ""They almost got engaged to Captain/Hajime…""
The table erupted in laughter. Despite their differences in worlds, powers, and beliefs they shared stories, smiles, and food like old friends.
—--
Noah entered the final command and watched the system begin compiling. He let out a deep breath, finally relaxing.
"Looks fine on your side?" Hajime asked, rolling his shoulders.
"Yeah," Noah nodded, cracking his neck. "…Just hoping I didn't miss any semicolons."
Hajime let out a low groan as he stretched. "That would be a disaster if we did."
"…No need to remind me," Noah muttered, glancing over as chatter and laughter drifted from across the room.
Only then did they notice the ongoing tea party.
They exchanged a glance before wordlessly heading toward the table. Without warning, Hajime slipped between Alice and Anisphia and casually reached for Alice's teacup. He took a sip like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The room went still.
Alice blinked, her face quickly turning red. "H-Hajime… that's my—"
Hajime simply nodded. "Yeah, I know."
Anisphia gave him a half-pout, half-glare. "Seriously? using her cup right in front of me?"
Across the table, Ingvild's eyes widened. "H-Hajime-san…!?"
Villhaze coughed politely. "Aren't you getting a little too bold lately, Your Majesty?"
Meanwhile, Alice looked down at her cup, still flustered. "I was… drinking that…"
Hajime tilted his head as he turned to her, brows raised. "Why are you flustered about me drinking in the same cup? We've already done way more intimate things than sharing a cup."
Alice shot up, her face crimson. "HAJIME-SAMA!!!"
Hajime smirked. "Wow, it's been a while since you called me that, my princess… ah, I should call you my Queen now?"
"DON'T—just—DON'T!" Alice shouted, flustered beyond belief. She pulled a paper fan seemingly out of nowhere and smacked him across the head.
He winced, rubbing the spot with a grin. "Ow. Still worth it."
Then he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. Turning, he found Anisphia holding out her cup with a twinkle in her eye.
"You can drink mine too," she offered sweetly.
Hajime raised a brow, chuckled, and accepted it without hesitation, sipping as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Meanwhile, Noah walked straight over to Kiana. She opened her mouth to greet him, but let out a startled yelp as he suddenly picked her up.
Without a word, Noah sat down on her chair and gently placed her on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin comfortably on her shoulder like it was second nature.
Kiana froze, her arms hovering awkwardly in the air. Her entire face flushed bright red—ears, neck, everything.
Noah only hummed, completely relaxed.
Across the table, Gabriel nearly dropped her spoon. "H-he did it so naturally…"
Serafall covered her mouth, giggling softly. "Aww… she's completely stunned how cute!"
Azazel gave a low whistle. "Now that's some serious muscle memory."
Kiana finally managed a squeak, her face still crimson. "...C-Captain, everyone's watching…"
Noah didn't move an inch. "And?"
Elysia leaned over with a playful smile. "My! If you're that embarrassed, Kii, I don't mind exchanging positions with you."
Sirin shyly lifted her hand. "…I wouldn't mind either."
Lumine coolly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she sipped her tea. "Feel free to say it, Kii. We're more than willing to 'sacrifice' ourselves for you."
"…No, I'm good." Kiana turned her head away, cheeks burning as she muttered softly.
"Tsk!" Elysia, Lumine, and Sirin all clicked their tongues in unison.
—-
Michael cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Noah-dono, Hajime-dono, what's the status of the system?"
Hajime leaned back slightly. "All done on our end."
Noah gave a casual thumbs-up. "Cleaned out the bugs and… added a few surprises."
Raphael blinked, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. "…Surprises?"
Hajime and Noah exchanged a look, then smiled in perfect sync. It was the kind of smile that reassured no one.
That alone made Azazel twitch. Michael and Sirzechs tensed.
"I might have tweaked the physical 'settings' of the Angels," Noah explained calmly. "You can now procreate like any other race."
Gabriel blinked. Uriel choked on his tea. Raphael's jaw dropped.
"And," Noah continued, "we adjusted the sin parameters. Some conditions that used to cause you to fall no longer apply. And some angels who fell… can now possibly return."
Azazel's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean fallen angels can—?"
"Yep~." Hajime replied with a smirk. "We added an atonement feature. If they truly repent, they can get a second chance. On the flip side, anyone abusing loopholes to dodge punishment? They'll fall now."
Azazel groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "So half our manuals just became junk…"
Hajime grinned. "Basically. You're welcome."
"Oh, and one more thing. We added protections for Sacred Gear users," Noah explained, still holding Kiana close. "No one can forcefully extract them anymore. Unless someone follows the proper method, no one can take it out from them."
Azazel sighed deeply, slumping back in his chair. "Great. There goes years of research down the drain."
"Honestly, I just wanted to see how the ones trying to steal them react when their tricks stop working," Hajime added with a sharp grin.
Azazel visibly shuddered, muttering under his breath, "That's… downright terrifying."
"I'm sorry, Noah-san…" Gabriel lowered her gaze, her voice soft with guilt. "I couldn't help you at all… I'm supposed to be your partner, but you had to do this without me."
Noah reached out and gently pinched her cheeks, smiling faintly. "Don't take it to heart, Gabby. Hajime and I just tweaked the system a little. You'll still help me a lot once we keep it running."
Gabriel blinked, startled, but didn't pull away. A faint blush dusted her face as she let him.
Michael cleared his throat, glancing between them. "When will all these changes take effect?"
Noah and Hajime exchanged a glance. Instead of answering, they raised their hands in perfect sync and began to count down together.
"Five."
The table went completely silent.
"Four."
Michael's eyes widened. Raphael and Uriel straighten in their seats, tense. Gabriel tilted her head, sensing something was about to happen.
"Three."
Kiana, Sirin, Lumine, Elysia, Anisphia, and Alice exchanged glances that screamed, Here we go again. Villhaze stood near Ingvild and Ophis, her posture stiff. Azazel let out a tired sigh, while Sirzechs and Serafall became alert.
"Two."
Everyone braced themselves, gripping the edge of the table or their chairs. A faint pulse tremored through the floor—a warning of what was about to come.
"One."
A low hum filled the chamber as the System of God restarted. Rainbow-colored light swept across everyone, carrying with it the adjustments Noah and Hajime had made.
Outside, voices erupted. Some confused, some surprised, others stunned into silence. Angels who had used loopholes to commit sins suddenly collapsed, their wings blackening as their hidden acts came to light. Gasps and cries filled the air as those around them recoiled in shock and disbelief.
Meanwhile in Grigory, where the fallen angels resided, an opposite scene unfolded. Those who had long prayed for a second chance felt a warmth bloom within them. A soft light wrapped around their bodies, and wings slowly returned to those who had truly repented. Tears fell freely as families embraced, voices breaking with laughter and sobs of joy. Hymns rose where silence had once reigned, redemption turning sorrow into celebration.
Across the world, Sacred Gear users, whether active or not, suddenly felt a jolt deep within. They didn't know why, but something inside them felt lighter, as if a lock had been undone.
The System of God was now updated and live.
The leaders of the three factions sat frozen, eyes wide and jaws slack, their minds still processing what had just unfolded in the last few minutes. Michael's fingers hovered near his cup, as if he had forgotten what it was. Uriel looked caught between sighing and facepalming. Raphael's brow twitched, clearly already calculating how much damage control would be needed.
Azazel blinked slowly, then leaned back in his chair with a weary groan. "I should've known," he muttered.
Sirzechs glanced around and finally gave up trying to pretend this was normal. Serafall, on the other hand, looked absolutely delighted, practically sparkling with glee.
Meanwhile, the crew wore identical half-smiles that said it all: Yep. They did it again. And no, they're not sorry.
Noah adjust his hold on Kiana in his lap into a more comfortable position, making her squeak. He did it so smoothly it looked completely natural. Kiana's face stayed a furious shade of red, her hands holding the table for balance. Sirin, Lumine, and Elysia exchanged playful glances, a silent contest sparking in their eyes over who would get the next turn to steal Kiana's spot. Gabriel fidgeted nearby, like someone who wanted to be close but didn't quite know how to ask.
Hajime, as casual as ever, slipped his arms around both Alice and Anisphia. Alice jolted, cheeks flushing in full embarrassment, while Anisphia leaned in with a smug grin, resting against his side like she'd just claimed a prize.
From across the table, Serafall whispered, "I can't tell if this is chaos or romance."
Azazel chuckled under his breath. "With them? Definitely both."
Ingvild muttered, "…Is this really going to be our norm too?"
Villhaze stared off with a faraway look, clearly at a loss for words.
Ophis just munched her cookie, entirely unbothered by the spectacle.
—-
Even if the world gets rewritten, life still goes on. The culprits of the incoming headaches for the leaders of the three factions walked out as if nothing unusual had happened. At the front was Noah, Gabriel holding his hand while Sirin clung to his arm. Kiana, Elysia, and Lumine followed behind, chatting casually as if they hadn't just witnessed Heaven's system being rewritten minutes ago.
Right after came Hajime, flanked by Alice and Anisphia, with Ingvild, Villhaze, and Ophis following close behind.
Near the entrance, Noah stopped and reached into his coat. He pulled out a small hexagonal device and tossed it near the door.
"Space Anchor… installed," he murmured as it locked onto the Trailblaze network.
Gabriel's eyes widened slightly. "You're putting a Space Anchor here too?"
Noah nodded. "It'll make reaching the system easier, and it keeps the link between the Express and Heaven stable."
Gabriel gave a small nod, accepting his reasoning. Just then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, Sirzechs, Serafall, and Azazel approached.
Michael offered a faint smile. "It was an honor, Noah-dono."
"It was chaotic," Raphael muttered.
"Still is," Uriel added dryly.
Sirzechs stepped forward. "But it was also… necessary."
Azazel's lips quirked. "And now we'll have to rewrite half our laws for the next decade."
Noah grinned. "Better now than when it's too late to fix them, right?"
But before anyone could offer any final words, Michael called out in a grateful yet weary tone. "Just one thing, Noah-dono. Hajime-dono."
Hajime, who had conveniently just walked in with a bag of cookies from the tea table, blinked. "Hm?"
Alice, Anisphia, Villhaze, and Ingvild, who was holding Ophis's hand, stopped and looked at Michael.
Michael's brow twitched. "Please, if you're going to do another major upgrade to the system in the future, kindly give us proper notice not literally five seconds before."
Hajime looked at Noah.
Noah looked at Hajime.
Then both of them turned back, smiling completely, utterly innocent.
"No promises~," they said in perfect unison.
Every leader's cheek twitched in silent betrayal.
"You little…" Azazel started, but Serafall was already laughing too hard to care.
Uriel sighed. "Guess we're pulling all-nighters cleaning this up."
A collective groan rose from Michael, Raphael, Sirzechs, Azazel—and the laughing Serafall.
Noah gave an awkward cough, scratching the back of his head. "Ahahaha… Ehem… well then, me, Kii, Ellie, Lumi, and Sii will head back to the Express for now."
Gabriel blinked in surprise. "You're leaving already?"
"We are," Noah replied. "We can't leave the Express unattended for too long."
"We'll also return to the Express soon," Hajime said. "A week should be enough to wrap everything up on our side and make sure nothing explodes while we're gone."
Noah chuckled and nodded. "Sure~, no worries. Take all the time you need. We'll keep the Express ready."
Elysia suddenly raised her hand like she was answering a classroom question. "Ooh! What if we invite all the friends Team Reason made here for a Thank You and Farewell Party on the Express?"
Everyone turned to stare at her.
"Team Reason?" Hajime, Alice, and Anisphia said in sync.
"Party?" Noah, Lumine, Kiana, and Sirin asked with curious eyes.
Elysia nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! As friends and comrades who not only welcomed us here but also fought with us. Wouldn't it be nice to invite them to our home?"
The crew exchanged thoughtful looks.
"That's nice and all… but why are we Team Reason?" Anisphia asked, raising a brow. Hajime and Alice both turned to Elysia with the same question written on their faces.
"Because that's what you are!" Elysia declared proudly. "All of you are bound to Reason, aren't you?"
Alice and Anisphia glanced at Hajime, whose cheek reddened as he rubbed his nose. Ingvild, Villhaze, and even Ophis stared at him.
"If they're Reason, then what about us?" Kiana tilted her head. "What's our team name?"
Elysia's grin froze. "Uh… I… haven't thought that far yet."
The four of them stared blankly at her.
Noah shook his head in amusement and turned toward the three faction leaders. Michael, Sirzechs, and Azazel all wore the same expression visibly interested. Even Serafall was bouncing on her heels, her earlier complaints forgotten, eyes sparkling at the mention of visiting the Astral Express. Gabriel's face was especially bright, her hope plain for all to see.
"Alright, we'll sort out the team names later," Noah said with a wryly smile. "As for the party, sure, why not? Let's set it the day before departure. Sounds good?"
Everyone nodded or voiced their agreement. Elysia, seeing Noah's approval, let out a delighted squeal and leapt onto him from behind, hugging tight and nuzzling her cheek against his.
"I knew you'd say yes~!" she giggled.
Noah sighed, both tired and amused, and gently patted her head. "Yeah, yeah. Anything for my beautiful Fairy."
He looked around at everyone, winking at everyone. "Alright then… see you all soon. Don't be late to the party."
With that, golden light wrapped around the group, and Noah, Kiana, Sirin, Elysia, and Lumine vanished, teleporting back to the Express.