AN: Haa.... another day is done once again...
I feel like the weekend just started but now we are halfway done...
Anyways I'll stop talking about such things and get into it!
Here is Chapter 101 for you guys to read!
Enjoy~
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Astral Express, DxD World orbit..
Kiana and Sirin led their guests through the corridor. Kiana casually glanced back with a grin. "Alright, keep up everyone! The lounge is just ahead. Make sure to follow us closely ok? We don't want any of you to get lost inside the Express."
The hallway buzzed with excited murmurs, mixing with the soft hum of the Express itself.
"So, how big is this train exactly?" Dulio Gesualdo asked, his eyes scanning every corner in disbelief.
"Big enough to feel endless when you're stuck cleaning it," Kiana replied with a smile. "Each carriage is as large as a mansion, and some can expand into a full port dock—big enough to hold our battleship. As you've probably noticed, the Express is much larger inside than outside."
"Using the Power of Trailblaze, we expanded the spatial dimensions in each carriage," Sirin explained.
"Hold on, did she say battleship?" Kiba Yuuto muttered, tilting his head.
Their guests' eyes went wide.
"You have a battleship?!" Issei Hyoudou, Sirzechs Lucifer, Serafall Leviathan, Falbium Asmodeus, Ajuka Beelzebub, Azazel, Lavinia Reni, Tobio Ikuse, Kouki Samejima, Vasco Strada, Irina Shidou, Xenovia Quarta, Genshiro Saji, Tsubasa Yura, Ruruko Nimura, Gasper Vladi, Yaya Fushiguro, Nonko Arahabaki, Bikou, Kunou, Rikuo, and Dulio all shouted together, voices spreading across the corridor.
"That big?!" Rias Gremory, Natsume Minagawa, Momo Hanakai, Yuuna Yunohana, Lefay Pendragon, Kuroka, and even Amaterasu added in disbelief.
The rest simply stood frozen, mouths wide hearing the sheer scale of the Express.
Sirin blinked at their reactions, tilting her head. "Why are most of you more interested in the battleship in our docks than the fact the Express is bigger inside than outside?"
"Because a battleship is pure romance!!!" a dozen voices cried out in unison.
"Forget the size of the train!! Just imagine the firepower of that space battleship!" Bikou said with a twinkling eyes.
Sona facepalmed, half exasperated. "Of course that's what excites you all…"
Sirin was left dumbfounded by their answer, while Kiana burst into laughter and Hajime nodded with a proud, understanding expression.
Meanwhile, the maid team: Villhaze, Ram, and Rem, nearly stumbled upon hearing how large the Express truly was. Belfast, however, narrowed her eyes, already calculating the fastest and most efficient way to clean every corner.
The group's chatter grew louder, awe and excitement filling the air as they followed Kiana and Sirin deeper inside.
Ajuka let out a soft sigh. "We just boarded… and our worldview is broken again."
"Hahaha! Try to keep it cool, alright? We haven't even started yet," Kiana grinned.
"You don't need to feel overwhelmed by all of this," Sirin chimed in. "The Astral Express is still a train, just with the small added feature of being able to travel the universe and beyond."
"Yep." Kiana nodded. "It's just a special cosmic train with its own mood swings, and a crew that sticks together no matter what. It's messy, unpredictable, but totally ours."
Hajime chuckled from behind. "Yeah, especially when you're crawling through maintenance shafts fixing power relays."
Alice placed her hand on her cheek. "Or spending half a day in the archive room sorting artifact logs while dodging cursed trinkets."
Anisphia let out a fond sigh. "And don't forget kitchen duty. Last time I helped, we nearly turned the stew into a chemical hazard."
"Which is why you were added to the list of people banned from ever stepping in the kitchen," Sirin added flatly.
"Sirin!!! At least leave that part out!!!" Anisphia shouted, face red with embarrassment.
Sirin turned to her with a gentle look. "Thank you for keeping Kii and Hii company in the corner while the rest of us cooked."
Kiana shot Sirin a betrayed look, shocked at her sister's words. "Eh?! Why did I get dragged into this, Sis?!"
Everyone's curiosity turned into eager anticipation as the group continued forward. Their steps slowed as the scent of spices and sweets filled the corridor, and soft music began to reach their ears. The atmosphere around them switched.
"The food smells amazing," Irina added, catching the scent drifting through the air. "Did you cook everything using the supplies you all got from other worlds?"
Kiana smirked. "Oh yeah. Every dish you'll see today came from every place we've been to. Some we traded for, some we cooked with the locals, and a few were... let's say 'liberated under pressure.'"
The group exchanged glances, a mix of intrigue and growing curiosity setting in just as the lounge doors slid open.
To one side, Noah wears the same hoodie in white color with ring-like outlines on each arm dyed with Orange, Lavender, Pink, Yellow, Crimson, Light Pink, Brown, Purple and Ash-brown colors. While the remaining five remain in plain white. On the chest was a chibi motif of Solgratia printed.
Beside him was Elysia, in her own pink hoodie with a crystal flower motif, watching him like a seasoned party planner overseeing her masterpiece as adjust a string of lights over the center table, carefully aligning them to match the symmetry of the layout.
"A little more to the left, Noah," Elysia said, pointing with exaggerated flair.
Noah looked back over his shoulder with a tired smile. "You said that three adjustments ago."
"Yes, and this one will be perfect~" Elysia chimed, folding her arms with a proud grin.
He gave a small sigh but made the tweak. "You know, for someone not touching anything, you're very hands-on."
"I call it creative supervision," she replied smugly, stepping forward to inspect it before smiling with satisfaction. "See? Now it's perfect. Trust in the vision of your very own Miss Fairy~."
Noah just shook his head with a tired chuckle. "Yeah, yeah. Your vision, my arms."
At another corner, Lumine, in her yellow-gold hoodie with an Inteyvat flower motif on her chest, was carefully arranging the final set of dishes she had prepared. She scanned every single dish on the table, ensuring every item looked as good as it smelled. Helping her were Illia Coral, Anisphia's personal maid from her home world, and Lainie Cyan, her trusted ward and companion. Both were dressed in matching maid uniforms, moving with the efficiency and grace of those used to high service.
Lumine handed a platter of roasted meat to Illia. "Please place this one on the center table. It's the highlight dish tonight."
"Yes, Lady Lumine," Illia said with a nod, moving smoothly to follow the instruction.
"Lainie, can you double-check the desserts? They should be chilled just right," Lumine added without looking up.
"Already on it," Lainie replied quickly, lifting a tray to inspect the delicate fruit tarts.
Lumine smiled softly to herself. "Good. Everything's coming together nicely."
The moment Anisphia spotted both of them, her eyes widened with recognition and joy. She let out a loud gasp, practically skipping the last few steps before launching herself forward with a gleeful, "Illiaaaa!"
Illia barely had time to brace herself as Anisphia wrapped her in a tight, enthusiastic hug.
"You're also here!" Anisphia beamed, squeezing tighter. "I didn't even know you could come!"
Illia stumbled slightly but recovered quickly, returning the embrace with a gentle pat on the back. "It's good to see you too, Anis-sama. You're as energetic as ever."
Anisphia stepped back just enough to look at Lainie standing not far from them, her voice softening. "Lainie… you've grown again. You look amazing."
Lainie gave a polite bow, her expression warm. "We're happy to see you again, Anis-sama. We've missed you."
Noah and Elysia both stopped what they were doing, turning toward the sudden, joyful commotion. Anisphia's voice rang clearly through the lounge, and they spotted Hajime and their guests stepping in.
Gabriel's face lit up instantly when she caught sight of Noah. "Noah-san!" she called out cheerfully, hurrying to his side.
Noah smiled. "Welcome aboard, Gabby."
Elysia, standing beside him, leaned in with an exaggerated pout. "Aww, Gabby~ and here I thought our tea party in Heaven made us best friends. You're breaking my delicate heart."
Gabriel jumped in surprise, clearly caught off guard. Her cheeks flushed as she waved her hands quickly. "Ah—! Elysia-san, I didn't mean to ignore you! You're important to me too!"
Noah chuckled, reaching over to gently tap Elysia on the head. "Go easy on her, Ellie."
Elysia stuck out her tongue playfully. "I'm just having a little fun."
Lumine stepped forward with a warm smile. "Welcome, everyone. We're glad you could join us."
Noah followed Lumine's lead. He stepped forward with a welcoming grin. "Glad to see everyone made it here in one piece. We've been working hard to make this party worth the trip. And hopefully you came hungry, as my Lumi has gone overboard with the food... again."
Hajime met him midway with a big smile. "Hey there, bro."
Noah raised his brow as Hajime came to him. "Sup, bro."
"You sure got us a surprise here by bringing Euphy and the rest," Hajime said.
Noah kept the same sincere smile. "Hehehe, if you feel that way, then I guess it was worth the effort of bringing them here."
"Heheheh. Thank you for that." Hajime narrowed his eyes toward Noah. "Still, it makes me curious how Euphy and the rest were able to come here?"
Noah shrugged casually. "Thanks to your hard work on this expedition, I was able to upgrade our facilities. Now ticket holders can teleport to the Express from anywhere." He gave a small grin. "Since it's been a while for you guys, and we needed help prepping the party, we figured… why not?"
Anisphia and Alice both turned to Noah with sincere gratitude.
"Thank you, really," Anisphia said.
"We're glad they're here," Alice added.
Nearby, Euphyllia, Patricia, Illia, and Lainie bowed their heads slightly in appreciation. "It means a lot," Euphyllia said softly.
Lumine, Elysia, Sirin, and Kiana exchanged glances, their smiles a bit too perfect, something Gabriel picked up on with a curious tilt of her head.
Hajime let out a laugh. "That's such a textbook Noah answer."
Without warning, Hajime conjured a small black hole in his hand and shoved it toward Noah. Gasps erupted through the lounge as Noah calmly raised a hand, catching the black hole with the Force and holding it just shy of touching him.
Only Kiana, Sirin, Lumine, and Elysia looked unsurprised, watching their banter like this was routine.
"Oi, oi, oi! What's that for?!" Noah called out, his eyes narrowing.
Hajime kept his smile, but there was a sharpness behind it. "Normally, I'd be grateful. But since it's you, I know there's always some hidden motive tucked inside that kindness."
Noah's cheeks twitched. "You're overthinking it."
"Noah," Hajime pressed, forcing the black hole forward, "you're my friend and my bro. And what do bros do?"
Noah tried, really tried, to hold back his grin. "Stupid, crazy things."
"Exactly."
Then it happened.
"Hakkun and Captain-san sure are really close," Lavinia said casually, watching the exchange with a bright smile.
Euphyllia, who had been smiling at the banter, slowly turned toward her. "...Hakkun?"
Hajime froze. Alice and Anisphia now fully understood why he'd been a bit on edge. Illia and Lainie blinked in confusion, while Patricia narrowed her eyes before slowly nodding as if she had just confirmed something.
"Yes! Isn't it perfect?" Lavinia offered a relaxed wave. "Oh! I'm Lavinia. I'm a new member of Hakkun's family. And over there's Ing-chan," she said, pointing casually. "That's So-chan, and Saa-chan too."
Ingvild gave a small, embarrassed wave. Sona coughed lightly, face pink. Sagiri gave a stiff smile.
"Oh, there's also Bel-chan here, Vill-chan, Ram-chan, and Rem-chan for the maid team!!" Lavinia added as she pointed at the maids.
Belfast, Villhaze, Ram, and Rem all bowed gracefully.
Noah, Kiana, Sirin, Elysia, and Lumine raised their brows at the sight of Belfast but didn't react much.
Euphyllia, on the other hand, kept smiling, but her gaze slowly turned toward Hajime.
"Hajime-sama truly has incredible luck for attracting… interesting people into his ever-expanding family," Euphyllia said, her smile sweet but unmistakably sharp.
Noah didn't bother to hide his grin as he looked back at Hajime.
Hajime shot him a glare, then turned to Euphyllia with an awkward cough. "E-Euphy, wait—it's not like that. I mean… maybe it is? But it just sort of happened, okay?"
"Hee…" Euphyllia tilted her head slightly, clearly not amused.
Alice and Anisphia exchanged helpless glances and smiled wryly at the unfolding scene.
Then, as if nothing was wrong, Euphyllia turned to Lavinia with elegant composure. "How do you do, Lavinia-san, Sona-san, Ingvild-san, and Sagiri-san. I'm Euphyllia Magenta, Hajime-sama's and Anis-sama's lover." She gave a graceful curtsy.
Lavinia blinked for a second before smiling brightly. "It's nice to meet you, Euphy-chan!"
Sona stepped forward next. "A pleasure, Miss Euphyllia. I'm Sona Sitri, Heiress of the Sitri Clan of the Devil Faction… and Hajime-san's fiancée."
Ingvild gave a shy nod. "Ingvild Leviathan, ward of Hajime-san. It's an honor to meet you, Miss Euphyllia."
Sagiri bowed slightly. "Sagiri Ameno, Liaison of the Shinto Faction of this world to your team. Likewise."
"Ameno Sagiri didn't mention it, but she is also our chosen candidate to be wed to Nagumo Hajime," Amaterasu chimed in with a proud expression.
"...Amaterasu-sama, please be quiet. You're adding fuel to the fire," Yasaka said with a sigh.
"Eh?" Amaterasu let out a dumbfounded voice.
Hajime let out a long, defeated groan as the introductions dragged on, the girls—both new and old—exchanging elegant pleasantries like it was some kind of diplomatic summit.
Then he felt a light tap on his shoulder.
Turning, he found Noah standing there, grinning like a fox who'd just raided the henhouse.
"Don't say a word," Hajime muttered.
Noah raised both hands innocently. "Me? Say something? Never."
That grin didn't fade, and Hajime sighed before lunging forward, catching him in a light headlock.
"You're enjoying this way too much," Hajime grumbled, giving him a playful shake.
Noah laughed, trying to wriggle free. "I'm just appreciating the show. Who knew watching you squirm could be this entertaining?"
"Keep laughing and I'll throw you into the kitchen with Kiana," Hajime shot back.
"Oi! That's cruel and unusual punishment," Noah protested, still chuckling.
Their laughter bled into the chatter around the lounge—warm, alive, and full of energy. It was the start of a day none of them would forget.
—--
As everyone settled down, the lounge filled with excited voices and lively chatter. In the background, a melody somewhere between a festival tune and space-age jazz played, setting the perfect ambiance for celebration. The smell of food drifted through the air, and stomachs grumbled in anticipation.
Noah stepped forward, standing near the head table. Around him stood the Astral Express crew. He raised his glass and offered their guests a warm, welcoming smile. "Welcome aboard the Astral Express, everyone. We're truly glad you all made it today."
He looked around at their guests, each one meeting him with a thankful smile.
"You've probably heard stories from Hajime and the rest and yes, most of them are true. This place has seen chaos, miracles, and way too many surprise attacks in the kitchen." He grinned, earning laughs and an embarrassed chuckle from Kiana, Elysia, and Anisphia. "But today, we'll share the same food, drinks, and stories. Proof that even if we all come from different parts of the universe, we can sit together at the same table. So eat, relax, laugh and if you're going to challenge someone to a duel, please wait until after dessert."
He glanced to the side, eyes locking with Hajime's. "Come on, Hajime. Say a few words too."
Hajime stepped forward, raising his own glass with a lazy grin. "Before we all get too distracted by Elysia's snack hoarding or Va-kun's permanent scowl, I just want to say thanks for coming. Our home has seen a lot of weird things and that's probably the most normal thing about it. But despite the chaos, we're glad to share this moment with all of you."
He looked at each of their guests before continuing. "Like our Captain said, relax, enjoy yourselves, and maybe don't challenge him to anything involving fire."
"Oi!" Noah barked out with mock offense, though the amusement in his eyes betrayed him.
That earned another round of laughter from everyone. The atmosphere lightened even further as the crowd warmed up, stepping into the celebration with growing smiles.
Kiana stood near the center, glass in hand, giving everyone a quick wave. "Alright everyone, food's ready, music's on, and the lounge is yours. Enjoy the ride!"
"Just don't touch my dessert stash!" Elysia called out from across the room, drawing another burst of laughter.
With that, the party truly began.
The Sitri and Gremory peerages were chatting with the tenants of Yuragi-sou, laughter breaking out every few seconds. Irina and Lavinia were sampling dishes with unrestrained curiosity, while Azazel was busy trying each cocktail from another world, despite Michael watching him.
Sona and Sagiri were talking with Euphylia and Anisphia, an awkward but surprisingly smooth conversation given the recent revelations. Alice, meanwhile, had found herself in the middle of a discussion about magic theory with Ajuka Beelzebub and Raphael with Patricia at her side, who had politely declined to drink anything but tea telling she is still on duty.
On one of the corner couches, Vali leaned back while Bikou tried to convince Kuroka and Lefay to try space sushi.
"Come on, Kuroka, it's just sushi… from space!" Bikou insisted.
Kuroka narrowed her eyes. "If it wiggles, I'm not touching it."
Lefay, already chewing, gave a cheerful thumbs-up. "It's delicious!"
Vali looked between them, clearly betrayed. "How could you…?"
Lumine had taken a seat at the piano tucked away in the corner, playing a soft tune while Illia, Belfast, Villhaze, Ram and Rem refilled drinks and food. Elysia bounced between groups, delivering charm and chaos in equal measure, occasionally blowing a kiss just to watch someone blush.
Noah stood near one of the panoramic windows, watching the stars, until Gabriel shyly approached and offered him a glass of juice. "Here, something to drink," she said with a small smile.
"Thanks, Gabby." He took it with a small smile and drank it. "So, how is it? What do you think about our home?"
Gabriel's wings gave a gentle flutter, her gaze turning from the view to Noah's face. "It's… peaceful and warm, even with the chaos all around you. I think I like it."
Noah chuckled at her answer. "Ahahaha! Well, that's the charm of our Express Family."
Nearby, Hajime sat between Ingvild and Ophis, the latter carefully working her way through a small mountain of desserts stacked on her plate.
Resting his chin in one hand, Hajime gazed out at the lounge. People were eating, talking, laughing—faces from different worlds all sharing the same moment of peace. His glass remained untouched. "This is the kind of life... I wanted to build," he murmured.
Ingvild turned toward him with a soft expression, while Ophis paused mid-bite. Without a word, she extended her plate toward him, offering one of her prized sweets.
Hajime smiled and took it without hesitation. "Thanks, Ophis."
"Sweet things should be shared," Ophis said simply before returning to her plate.
Ingvild gathered her courage and rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes following the gentle movement of people laughing and sharing stories around the lounge. "Hajime-san, thank you for giving me the chance to become part of this life."
She slightly tilted her head to look at him. "Seeing the kind of future you wanted to build unfold like this... I feel really lucky to have met you, and to be here with everyone."
She blushed slightly, then added with a small smile, "I might not have much experience... but I hope you'll let me stay here with all of you."
Hajime looked at her, a warm grin tugging at his lips. Without a word, he reached out and gently held her hand.
"Always."