AN: Finally! It's weekend!! this week is really tough!!
Every single day was rushed! too many things to work on and etc..
haa.., anyways I don't want to continue ranting so here is it!
Chapter 100 for this fic! We are now at the last bits of this Volume~
Enjoy reading and have a good rest today~
PS: Once again thank you to After_Wing and Master_Sigil for the Power stones!!
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Yuuragi-sou courtyard, DxD world…
A few days had passed since Noah and Hajime updated the System of God. The changes caused headaches and sleepless nights for the leaders of the three factions, but despite their complaints, they welcomed the update. Heaven celebrated the return of angels who had once fallen, many of them in tears as they stepped through the gates after centuries.
Grigori, meanwhile, received the fallen who could not return to Heaven. These angels were silent, some unresponsive, still trapped in shock and unable to process what had happened.
Since the apocalypse, the supernatural world was no longer hidden from humanity. With the update, the effects rippled across the globe. Humans reported their Sacred Gears awakening. Those already awakened theirs and claimed something had changed. Their Sacred Gears became easier to use, some even seemed to reach out to them, sharing images or emotions. Many described it as if their gear had become protective or intimate, leaving them surprised.
And then came the unintended consequence. Almost immediately after the update, reports of explosions and screams flooded in. Slash/Dog, the Sitri and Gremory Peerages, and exorcists like Irina and Dulio were dispatched, scrambling to contain the chaos. Simply put, the DxD team shuddered at the grisly aftermath they found wherever someone had tried to forcefully steal a Sacred Gear.
"Waah… those two(Noah and Hajime) are really merciless," Azazel muttered with a grimace after reading the reports and visiting a few sites.
Hajime, who heard the news, grimaced as well—but for a different reason. "Waah… those idiots didn't waste any time trying to steal Sacred Gears."
"…Your Majesty, are you perhaps an 'S'?" Villhaze asked from the side, her voice cautious.
Hajime turned and gave her a playful wink. Villhaze trembled, but Sona, Lavinia, Sagiri, and Ingvild all noticed the faint blush on her cheeks. Meanwhile Alice and Anisphia, who had experienced it firsthand, quickly turned away to hide their red faces.
Not long after, Hajime and the rest finally met the rumored Belfast, an encounter that left Hajime, Alice, and Anisphia stunned. She looked far too much like a certain Royal Maid they all knew.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Your Majesty, Lady Alice, Lady Anisphia, Lady Sagiri, Lady Ingvild, and Lady Sona." Belfast bowed gracefully. "My name is Belfast. Please take care of me for the coming years."
"S-she really looks like her," Anisphia said in shock.
Alice, beside her, nodded, her expression mirroring Anisphia's. "Even her voice and mannerisms are exactly the same."
"Noah did say that in the vast universe.... there's always a chance we'll meet people who look like our acquaintances… but still, this feels like she copied herself and ended up here," Hajime said with equal disbelief.
Everyone else exchanged confused looks, especially Belfast, who suddenly found herself the focus of their stares.
"Is something wrong?" Belfast asked, a hint of worry in her voice as everyone kept staring.
"Hakkun? Al-chan? An-chan? Why are you all acting weird?" Lavinia tilted her head, blinking in confusion.
"Ah," the three snapped out of their trance and smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, Belfast-san just looks like someone we know," Hajime admitted with a wry smile.
"Look alike? Hajime dear, that's an understatement of the Amber Era!" Anisphia declared, pointing straight at Belfast. Belfast blinked at the sudden accusation. "Belfast-san here doesn't just look like Belfast—it's like she cloned herself and followed us, saying it's her duty."
Alice nodded firmly. "Honestly, if Belfast-san here weren't clearly a human, I'd believe 'Belfast' really followed us across worlds."
"Yes?" Belfast asked, bewildered, while the others also exchanged baffled looks.
"Ahh, sorry." Alice gave her and the group an apologetic smile. "We're just shocked by the uncanny resemblance between Belfast-san and someone we know."
To prove their point, Anisphia opened her terminal and projected an image of the Express crew posing with the Royal Navy Maid Corps. Everyone leaned forward and like Hajime, Alice, and Anisphia, they froze in shock. Even Belfast's eyes went wide as she stared at the other Belfast standing near Noah, Hajime, and the rest of the crew.
"There's a Bel-chan there even though Bel-chan is here??? Aree??" Lavinia's head bounced back and forth between the real Belfast and the image, utterly lost.
"Holy crap! What an amazing coincidence," Natsume said, eyes wide.
Tsubaki adjusted her glasses, though her trembling voice betrayed her composure. "So… something like this can actually happen in the universe."
"...I guess the universe really is as mysterious as it gets," Tobio muttered.
Belfast took a deep breath before turning back to Hajime and the rest. "Then, Your Majesty, Lady Alice, Lady Anisphia, to prevent you from mixing the two of us up, please just call me Bel from now on."
The three looked at each other, then nodded.
"Welcome to our family, Bel," Alice said warmly. Belfast responded with a smile and a bow.
"I look forward to serving everyone."
After welcoming Belfast into their lives, much to Villhaze's frustration and complete defeat, which earned endless teasing from Ram and Rem, Belfast quickly became the de facto head of the Maid team. Soon, she was proudly wearing her Reason-approved maid uniform.
Life for Hajime and the others continued, chaotic and busy as always. In a flash, the day of the promised party finally arrived. The DxD team and their friends took the day as a holiday for the farewell gathering before Hajime and the others left the DxD world. Guests from the Three Factions and the Shinto pantheon came to Yuragi-sou, chosen as the assembly point before boarding the Express. Belfast, Villhaze, Ram, and Rem moved seamlessly around the courtyard, offering drinks to visitors as they waited. An unspoken competition had already begun between the four on who could serve with the most elegance.
The tenants of Yuragi-sou mingled excitedly with the Sitri and Gremory peerages, while Irina, Ingvild, and even Ophis could be seen chatting comfortably among them. Everyone buzzed with excitement, curious about the legendary train said to travel between the stars.
"I can't believe it… we're finally going to see the train that Hajime-san and the others ride across the universe," Yuuna Yunohana muttered in disbelief, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.
"Ufufu, I can't wait to hear the outrageous stories from their travels~," Nonko Arahabaki added, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Do you think they have a bar car? I could write a whole novel about that."
Ingvild turned to Ophis, who, despite her calm face, radiated a quiet excitement. "Are you excited too, Ophis-chan?"
The little dragon gave an unexpected nod. "I want to see it… the place where the peace and warmth… that Hajime and Captain made."
Ingvild smiled softly at her answer and patted her shoulder. "Me too, Ophis-chan. I also want to see the home we'll be part of from now on."
Nearby in the garden, Sagiri stood with Yasaka, Amaterasu, and Nurahiyon. Yasaka's daughter Kunou and Nurahiyon's grandson Rikuo clung to Alice, peppering her with endless questions about the 'space train.'
"Do they serve ice cream on board?" Kunou asked, her golden tails swishing excitedly.
"Yeah! And is there a room just for video games?" Rikuo added, his eyes shining.
Alice chuckled softly, patting their heads. "Yes, there's a cafeteria with sweets. But no, it's not a giant arcade."
Both kids pouted in unison, making Yasaka and Nurahiyon laugh, while Alice patiently continued answering, smiling at their innocence.
Inside, Anisphia listened to Griselda, Dulio, Vasco, and the Slash Dog team discussing the recent Sacred Gear changes. The tweaks were still fresh, and thanks to Noah and Hajime's handiwork, their expressions were equal parts thankful and weary.
"I swear, we've been putting out fires nonstop," Griselda muttered, pressing a hand to her face.
"I've never been so glad to see the return of those excommunicated for accidentally learning the truth about God's death," Vasco added with a tired nod. "The added numbers really do help lighten the burden."
Dulio chuckled wearily. "It was almost worse than the last apocalypse…"
"Ahaha…" Anisphia scratched her cheek with a sheepish laugh. "But… I guess it's good to welcome back those who had no choice but to leave after learning the hidden truth."
Meanwhile, Hajime stood at the center of the courtyard, surrounded by the leaders of the Three Factions. On one side were the Four Maous—Sirzechs Lucifer, Serafall Leviathan, Falbium Asmodeus, and Ajuka Beelzebub. Opposite them stood the Four Fallen Angel Cadres: Azazel, Shemhazai, Baraqiel, and Benemune. And lastly, the Four Great Seraphs—Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel.
While Michael may have looked calm, the others didn't hesitate to voice their grievances.
"We will spend months cleaning up the changes," Uriel grumbled with a faraway look.
Raphael rubbed his temples. "I haven't seen Heaven's paperwork stacks this high since the Crusades."
"Even in Grigory, we had to practically rework everything," Azazel groaned. "Next time, warn us before rewriting the divine network."
Shemhazai, Baraqiel, and Benemune nodded at Azazel's complaint.
Gabriel, however, stayed silent. Her eyes wandered restlessly, scanning the crowd.
Hajime raised both hands in surrender, laughing lightly. "Ahahaha! Sorry about that. But it all worked out for your benefit too, didn't it?"
"That's the only saving grace… which is why we're keeping this to complaints," Sirzechs said with a wry smile.
The leaders of the Three Factions nodded at Sirzechs' words. Hajime mock-coughed awkwardly—then turned as the last group finally arrived. Vali walked in with his usual confidence, followed by Bikou, Kuroka, Arthur, and Lefay Pendragon.
"You're late," Hajime said, raising an eyebrow.
Vali shrugged. "Had to shake off some Khaos Brigade tails. Not as easy as it sounds."
"Huh? Still playing the spy game, huh?" Hajime asked, smirking.
Vali's cheek twitched. "You've got guts, Nagumo Hajime."
Bikou and Kuroka burst into laughter, Arthur allowed a faint smirk, and Lefay tilted her head curiously at Hajime.
"Wahaha! I feel like we're gonna get along just fine, Godslayer!" Bikou tried to hold back his laughter. "Name's Bikou, proud descendant of Sun Wukong."
Kuroka stepped forward with her usual playful smirk. "Hi~, name's Kuroka. Nice to meetcha."
Arthur gave a respectful nod. "Arthur Pendragon. A pleasure."
Lefay offered a polite bow. "Lefay Pendragon. I've heard a lot about you, Mister Nagumo."
"Just call me Hajime." Hajime smiled and gave a short wave. "It's Good to have you all here."
Bikou nudged closer with a grin. "Sure, Hajime! But now I called you by your name. We're practically friends already! Then as friends, how about a spar later?"
Before Hajime could answer, Vali stepped forward with a sharp look. "Back off, Bikou. I'm first in line."
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Come back when you've managed to beat any of the faction leaders. Then we'll talk," Hajime replied, dismissing him with a grin.
Vali's cheek twitched, but before he could retort, a familiar voice rang out.
"VAAAA-KUUUUN!!!"
Lavinia Reni rushed over and immediately latched onto him, hugging him tight and patting him all over as if checking for wounds. Her words tumbled out nonstop.
"How are you these days? You didn't say goodbye to me after the apocalypse! You weren't hurt back then, right? Are you ok? Have you healed properly? Oh! Are you eating properly? Those Khaos guys didn't bully you? You brush your teeth before sleeping, don't you? You didn't pick another fight with that bad grandfather of yours, right?"
Vali's face turned scarlet, so red it could rival Great Red's scales. The sight made even stoic Arthur snort in laughter, and soon everyone around was either shocked or howling with laughter.
"Pfffttt..!"
"V-Va-kun?! Wahahaha!"
"AHAHAHAHA! To think the 'bad boy' White Dragon Emperor had this side!!"
"Nyahahahaha! Make it stop! My stomach can't take it!!"
"Oi, oi! You're laughing too much!! Ahahaha!"
"Shut up! You're laughing just as hard!!"
"Hmph! Such a disappointing dragon."
"…Don't scold yourself, Draig."
"Wa?!"
"Ahahaha! The red dragon's a pervert! The white dragon just got burned by his big sister!"
Vali finally snapped, pushing Lavinia away. "Stop it already, Lavinia! I'm not a child anymore!!"
"Wah?!" Lavinia stumbled back, eyes wide and teary. She then jumped straight onto Hajime, clinging to him and sobbing. "Hakkun! Va-kun's being mean to me!"
"There, there, Lavi." Hajime patted her back gently, he turned to Vali, narrowing his eyes. Though his lips twitched with amusement. "Really now, Va-kun? How could you treat your older sister like that? She's only worried about you."
"Shut up! Don't call me that!!" Vali shouted, his bad-boy image shattering under Lavinia's Big Sis powers.
The courtyard erupted in laughter. Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, Humans, Youkai, even ghosts all felt a rare moment of peace in the shared warmth.
Once everyone settled down, with Lavinia still glued to Hajime, he tapped his terminal to call Noah on the Express and report that everyone had gathered. The screen lit up after a few rings, but instead of Noah, Kiana's smiling face appeared with Sirin hovering in the background.
"Yahoo! Is everyone there already?"
"...I won't even bother," Hajime deadpanned, answering without missing a beat. "Everyone's here. We're ready."
"Muu, such a plain reaction!" Kiana pouted, then smiled brightly and nodded. "Then Hajime, you can use the Anchor we set up at the launch point."
Hajime gave a small nod and gathered everyone around.
"Alright! Since everyone's here and the Express is ready, we'll teleport directly."
Excited murmurs spread as the guests formed up inside the triangle formation of Hajime, Alice, and Anisphia. Light of trailblaze wrapped around them, and in an instant, they vanished, transported directly onto the Astral Express.
—--
In the blink of an eye, everyone arrived at the Launch Point inside the Express. One by one, their guests blinked in awe as the light of trailblaze faded and they finally processed that they had reached their destination.
"...Seriously. This teleportation technique is smooth as ever," Natsume murmured, earning nods from Shigune and Sae.
Their trance broke at the excited voices of the two kids, Kunou and Rikuo.
"Mother, look!!" Kunou shouted as she ran toward the wide windows of the carriage.
Rikuo followed, eyes wide in awe. "Woaahh…"
Wide glass walls curved around the chamber, giving everyone a breathtaking view: on one side, the DxD planet peacefully rotates in orbit, a jewel wrapped in clouds and color. On the other, the vast space stretched into an endless field of stars and tranquil light.
For many guests, especially those who had never left their world, it was a surreal moment of realization they were no longer on their planet, but aboard the Astral Express, something unlike anything they had ever known.
"Magnificent… simply magnificent," Bikou whispered, eyes wide. "Okay, this is way cooler than I expected."
Even the more composed among them, like Michael and Sirzechs, couldn't hide their amazement.
"It's… beautiful," Lavinia murmured.
"So this is your home…" Sona added in wonder.
"I never thought I'd see something like this in my lifetime," Raphael admitted quietly, almost to himself.
"Neither any of us," Azazel smirked, though his eyes betrayed his awe. "This is their everyday ride."
Hajime, Alice, and Anisphia couldn't help but smile at their innocent reactions.
At the far end of the platform stood Kiana, hands on her hips and a grin on her face. She wore a cozy orange hoodie with a cute cat paw printed on the chest, her Pyro Astral Emblem shining proudly alongside Sirin's Quantum Emblem tied at her leg rings.
Floating just behind her was Sirin, wearing the same hoodie in lavender-pink, decorated with a chibi Benares. She curled her lips up, amused by the guests' reactions despite her nerves.
Beside them stood another girl, regal, with pale silver-blue hair and violet eyes. She wore a white shirt beneath a dark blue corset, a knee-length skirt, black knee-high socks with heels, and a white jacket with a short cloak secured by a blue ribbon.
"Welcome aboard the Astral Express," Kiana announced with a wave. "Glad you all made it in one piece."
Sirin gave a small, slightly shy wave.
The silver-haired girl stepped forward and gave a graceful curtsy, drawing immediate recognition from two people in particular.
Anisphia's eyes lit up. "Euphy?!"
Hajime blinked in disbelief. "Euphy… how are you here?"
Euphyllia Magenta gave a faint, knowing smile. "Anis-sama, Hajime-sama. It's been a while."
Anisphia wasted no time, dashing across the platform to pull her into a tight hug. "How are you here?!"
"Hehehe, Noah-sama invited us for this party," Euphyllia replied warmly, returning the embrace. "And I wouldn't dare miss a chance to see you both."
After a moment, they parted just in time for Alice to step forward and hug her too. "It's been so long, Euphy."
Euphyllia smiled gently. "Indeed, Alice-sama. I hope Anis-sama and Hajime-sama didn't cause you too much trouble?"
Alice chuckled under her breath. "With those two, it's always trouble."
Hajime walked up, nostalgia and affection in his eyes. "It's been a while, Euphy."
She met his gaze with warmth and amusement. "You still manage to cause chaos everywhere you go, I see."
"Guilty as charged," Hajime admitted before pulling her into a firm hug. "...I missed you, Euphy."
"...I missed you too, Hajime-sama," Euphyllia answered softly, basking in his warmth.
Kiana grinned at the scene. "Looks like our little surprise worked. Oh, Alice, you've got someone waiting to see you too."
Alice raised an eyebrow curiously.
The door slid open with a soft hiss. A dignified woman in her twenties entered, wearing a crisp maid uniform. She bowed politely.
"Kiana-sama, the party car is prepared to welcome the guests."
Alice's eyes went wide. "Patricia?!"
The woman smiled warmly. "It's good to see you again, Princess Alice. You look well."
Patricia Ericson, Alice's personal chief lady-in-waiting from her and Hajime's original world, opened her arms just in time as Alice rushed forward to hug her tightly.
A short distance away, Hajime stood frozen for a beat. When Patricia looked his way, she gave a graceful bow.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. I trust this world has treated you kindly."
Hajime sighed, smiling wryly. "You're still the same as ever, huh."
Around them, the guests exchanged curious glances, Lavinia, Sagiri, Ingvild, and Sona lingered on Euphyllia. While Belfast, Villhaze Ram and Rem peeked at Patricia with interest.
"Kii, it's time," Sirin tugged Kiana's sleeve, who nodded.
Kiana clapped her hands with a playful smile. "Alright everyone! Reunion time's over. Follow us to the party car and let's get this party started!"