AN: Finaaaaly!!! I finished the DxD arc!
I originally intended it to be only around 5 chapters same as Noah's MCU arc. But before I knew it, the entire arc's length became twice of what I planned.
It should have been a quick peek at how the two groups are doing while Hachiman's group is busy doing their own things.
Those arcs are actually made to prepare the foundation for the future volumes.
Haaa.... I actually wanted to show the start and ending of Loki battle and Issei's Juggernaut drive but I feel like it will lacking of depth and context so I expanded the story... but it became like this.
Anyways, how do you guys think about those two arcs? Was it good or boring? Made you excite for the future chapters?
Please do share your thoughts!
Next, please enjoy today's chapter!
As we are now back at the original protagonists of this Volume.
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Seiryuu City, DesuMachi Planet…
Another week had passed since Hachiman and Mei brought the former slave sisters—Arisa and Lulu—along with the newly named Fran to Seiryuu City. In this world, a month was divided into three weeks of ten days each, and this first stretch had been anything but idle.
True to his promise, Hachiman began training Fran. However, having spent most of her life as a slave, she had only ever received the bare minimum in nutrition and care. As a result, her body and muscles were far weaker than those of others her age.
Because of this, Hachiman sought the expertise of both Mei and Ruan Mei. Mei, who deeply understood and sympathized with Fran's situation, went all out. She prepared nutritious, well-balanced meals that were as delicious as they were restorative. As for the slightly embarrassing aftermath of her enthusiasm… those scenes were promptly, and mercifully, filtered out of her own memory.
"Eh? Sound? What sounds?" Mei tilted her head innocently, smiling. "I didn't hear any moans or anything like that."
Meanwhile, Ruan Mei used her advanced medical knowledge to examine Fran's health thoroughly. After assessing her health, she created a series of supplements designed to strengthen Fran's body and encourage proper development.
During this period, Hachiman also guided Fran through light exercises to gradually build her stamina. Partway through, the rest of the villa's residents naturally joined in. Starting from Sora, Liza, Pochi, and Tama, until the somewhat reluctant Arisa and her sister Lulu, into the routine.
This routine continued through the first four days. Then, from the fifth to the seventh day, the training changed gears. Mei began teaching Fran the basics of kendo, while Hachiman focused on practical combat techniques.
During those three days, Fran began to show her innate talent. As a Beastkin, her senses are far sharper than those of ordinary humans. She could see and hear with remarkable clarity, allowing her to track the direction of incoming attacks. Even the bullets fired from Hachiman's pistol were something she could clearly trace with her eyes.
Sadly, her stunted physical development held her back. Despite her sharp senses, she wasn't yet able to fully take advantage of her racial abilities, and her reaction time remained painfully slow, but it didn't dampen her enthusiasm.
Also, since Hachiman had a good impression of Yukel, he invited him to join the training under the guise of Fran's sparring partner. Liza, Pochi, and Tama were also brought into the sessions, turning the practice into a small but lively group effort.
Then, on the eighth day, Hachiman took Fran, Arisa, Lulu, and even Yukel to the Labyrinth for some power leveling. The group stayed there for two full days, only leaving the Labyrinth on the evening of the ninth.
The results were undeniable. By the end of the excursion, all four of them had gained ten levels.
On a side note, when Sora, who had just finished her studies on that day, learned that Hachiman had already taken the others to the Labyrinth without her, she immediately sulked. Being left behind felt like a personal betrayal.
"Whaaaaat?! Hachi-nii already left with Fran-chan and the others for the Labyrinth?!"
"Why do you look so surprised?" Mei raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't that the plan from the start?"
"I know! I was even looking forward to it!" Sora puffed out her cheeks. "And Hachi-nii just left me behind!"
"Left behind by Master, nanodesu."
"Left behind~."
Pochi and Tama immediately copied Sora's pout, their voices drooping in exaggerated misery. Liza, on the other hand, remained silent, but Mei could clearly see the same disappointment in her eyes.
"Hm, this is training for Fran-chan, after all," Mei explained softly. "And we're also testing which weapon suits her best."
"Then why did Arisa-chan and Lulu-chan go with them?" Sora pressed.
"Because we wanted them to gain some levels," Mei answered, gently patting Sora's head. "They need to reach the same level as Liza, Pochi, and Tama if they want to accompany us safely. Plus, we want those two to properly join your kids' party, so it's only reasonable that they'll need to be on the same footing."
"Muu… I understand, but still…" Sora's pout softened slightly, though the sulk hadn't completely faded.
After that small episode, the tenth day arrived, which is today.
Hachiman declared a complete break from training. No drills, no exercises, no responsibilities. Everyone was strictly ordered to relax, laze around, and do absolutely nothing productive for the day.
…Of course, that wasn't the only reason.
This little outing was also a peace offering to Sora, who was still sulking. She responded to Hachiman's attempts at conversation with nothing more than a stubborn pout, pointedly looking away whenever he spoke.
And so, the Hachiman party found themselves strolling through the lively streets of Seiryuu City. At Auna's recommendation, they eventually stopped to watch a stage play. One that was supposedly based on a real historical tale.
"You! You were working for the marquis all along?!"
"You are unworthy of the princess's hand!"
Despite being stabbed squarely in the back, the protagonist loudly denounced the maid-like actress. After delivering his accusation, he collapsed to his knees with exaggerated flair.
Too late, the heroine rushed to his side.
"That dagger is coated in deadly poison from the tail of a wyvern. You will never be able to save him," the maid declared—providing the audience with some entirely unnecessary exposition.
The heroine ignored her, instead clinging tightly to the dying protagonist.
"Let us meet in the afterlife, my love…"
"Oh, Zen!"
Finally, the leading man expired.
"Princess, you must return to the marquis."
"Never! This body belongs only to Zen. I shan't let the marquis do as he wishes with me!"
With that, the heroine pulled the dagger from Zen's back and plunged it into her own breast.
Cries of sympathy rippled through the crowd, especially from the female audience members.
"…This scene feels like déjà vu," Hachiman whispered, tilting his head. "Just where did I see this…?"
"Are you perhaps comparing this play to Romeo and Juliet?" Mei leaned closer and whispered back.
"Ohh… yeah. Now that clicks." Hachiman's eyes widened in recognition.
He glanced around at the rest of their group. Iona, Lilio, Ruu, and Patricia were seated upright like the rest of the audience, their expressions soft with sympathy for the heroine's fate. Yukel, on the other hand, had his eyes on Auna before letting out a melancholy sigh.
Liza's expression remained blank—but Hachiman caught the faint hitch in her breathing.
'It seems that even Liza was affected by this tragic story.'
To his left sat Ruan Mei, who hadn't paid any attention to the play at all. Her focus was entirely on the engrossed Kagura sitting on her lap, small hands clasped together as she watched the stage.
Despite the baby's unusually serious expression, Hachiman could clearly see the confusion in her eyes.
'This kid… is she imitating Sora and the others?'
Just as he thought, seated in front of them were Sora, Zena, Auna, Pochi, Tama, Fran, Arisa, and Lulu—the ones most visibly affected by the tragedy unfolding on stage.
But when Hachiman's eyes went on Arisa and Lulu, his cheeks twitched.
His thoughts went back to the conversation they had after returning to the villa. When Arisa told them about her identity and the painful truth behind how she and her sister became slaves.
——-
Ten days ago, Villa, Seiryuu City, DesuMachi Planet…
Arisa sat across from them on the sofa in the villa's drawing room. Hachiman, Mei, and Ruan Mei occupied the opposite side, the low table between them holding untouched cups of tea. The atmosphere seemed to be relaxed on the surface, but everyone could feel that this conversation would not be a light one.
The others gave them space without being asked. Sora took Lulu and Fran around the villa, with Pochi, Tama, and Liza following behind. Kagura, tired from the recent excursion, had fallen asleep in Hachiman's room, Patricia keeping watch over her.
Auna, Zena, Iona, Lilio, Ruu, and Yukel were clearly curious, but none of them intruded. Zena and Yukel accompanied Auna back to the Parion Temple to check on the Labyrinth's progress, while the soldier trio returned to the barracks for the same reason.
Only when the door was fully closed did Mei take her teacup and speak gently. "So… can you tell us more about your story, Arisa-chan? We want to understand you and Lulu-chan better."
Arisa straightened, placing a hand over her chest with a bright smile that felt just a little practiced. "Of course, Mistress Mei! Ask me anything. What would you like to know?"
"How much do you remember from your previous life?"
Before Mei could say anything, Ruan Mei spoke instead. Her tone was the same as always, but there was a clear interest behind her otherwise flat expression. Mei and Hachiman noticed it immediately. So did Arisa.
"Ehh… maybe around eighty percent? I'm not really sure."
Arisa took a moment to think before continuing.
"I can't remember most of the names or faces of my friends, family, or classmates. Even the earliest parts of my old life are kind of hazy. But I still remember the basics. My name. What I was doing before I died. How society functioned. I also retained knowledge about manufacturing, farming… even governing."
Mei tilted her head, her mouth slightly open. "Why do you even know those things?"
"Well…" Arisa scratched her cheek, her face turning red.
"Because she's one of those, Mei," Hachiman said lazily.
"Those?" Mei blinked.
He looked at her straight in the eye, a faint smirk forming.
"An otaku. The kind who dreams of 'winning at life' in another world using the so-called wisdom of the modern age."
"Gaaahhh!"
Arisa held her chest dramatically like she was pierced by an arrow. "That is mean, Master!! You don't have to say it like that!"
"Oh."
Mei's eyes widened for a brief second before she looked back at Arisa. Her expression softened, gentle in a way that almost made Arisa feel pity.
"How interesting," Ruan Mei murmured, tapping her chin lightly. "Although you lost the memories that formed the identity of 'Arisa Tachibana,' you still retain most of her knowledge and much of her personality."
"Eh?"
Arisa blinked, staring at her.
Ruan Mei continued without pause. "Can you tell us how you realized you had been reincarnated?"
Arisa straightened, momentarily forgetting her earlier embarrassment.
"Well… it was gradual, I think." She crossed her arms, brows furrowed as she searched her thoughts. "As I grew older, more and more memories from my past life started coming back."
"Really? So it wasn't like in those light novels where the protagonist remembers everything the moment they're born?" Hachiman raised an eyebrow.
"No… not like that." Arisa shook her head. "My personality and mannerisms were already similar to my old self. The memories just surfaced naturally as I grew up. By the time I was two or three, most of them had returned."
"Hmm… it might be because a baby's brain isn't fully developed at birth," Ruan Mei replied calmly. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she organized her thoughts. "As your brain matured, your memories likely returned along with it."
Arisa blinked, then slowly nodded. "That… actually makes sense."
Mei hesitated for a moment before speaking again, her voice softer than before. "Sorry, Arisa-chan… but do you remember how you were reincarnated? And—if it's too painful, you don't have to answer."
"It's okay, Mistress Mei. It's not that bad." Arisa gave a small, reassuring smile. "I died from heart failure. Stress and overwork."
"Oh…"
Mei fell silent, unsure what to say. Hachiman only nodded, his expression turning serious.
'That's exactly why I once wanted to become a househusband,' he thought. 'Watching my parents wake up before sunrise and return home exhausted every night… I realized how harsh corporate life really is.'
"…And yet you work harder than anyone else."
Ruan Mei's voice cut cleanly through his thoughts. Hachiman looked at her in surprise.
"No. I didn't read your mind, nor did I develop a way to do so."
"You're just easy to read, Hachiman."
A faint smirk curved Ruan Mei's lips. Mei added a gentle, amused smile of her own.
Hachiman's expression turned awkward. A little embarrassed… but also strangely pleased at how well they understood him.
"By the way… There are a few things I want to know."
Just like he'd learned from his brothers, Noah and Hajime, when things got awkward with the women you cared about, you changed the topic and kept moving.
"He's changing the topic, isn't he?"
"Yes. Very obviously."
Mei and Ruan Mei caught on immediately. They didn't even try to hide it this time, exchanging looks before rolling their eyes. Even Arisa let out a small, knowing smirk.
"Why is purple hair considered a bad omen?"
Hachiman ignored them and pressed on.
"It's treated as an ill omen. Both purple hair and purple eyes." Arisa shrugged casually, but there was a faint pout at her lips. "No one really knows why. But whenever something bad happens, it somehow gets blamed on my hair."
Hachiman's eyes narrowed for a brief moment before his usual expression returned.
"That's unfortunate. It's actually the kind of color a stylish grandma would confidently dye her hair."
"Wh-why would you compare me to that of all things…?"
Arisa's shoulders dropped, looking tired and crestfallen. Her lovely purple hair swayed as she lowered her head, clearly not sure whether to be offended or amused.
"It's a shame such a beautiful color is treated like something vile for no reason, isn't it, Hachiman?" Ruan Mei gave him a knowing glance, a faint teasing smirk on her lips.
"Ehh?!" Arisa's eyes widened, completely caught off guard.
"Fufufu. Don't take it to heart, Arisa-chan. That's simply how Hachiman expresses himself." Mei giggled, offering no further explanation.
Hachiman didn't rise to the bait. Aside from a small twitch at the corner of his cheek, he remained still. With a sigh, he ignored the two of them and looked back at Arisa.
"Arisa. I have one last question."
"O-okay… let 'er rip!"
The overly cheerful reply made her sound like a baseball player stepping up to the plate.
"May I ask how you became a slave? This isn't an order. If you'd rather not talk about it, that's fine."
The warmth in the room thinned instantly, replaced by a heavy silence. Arisa hesitated, fingers tightening slightly in her lap before she began to speak.
"I tried to use what I knew from my previous life to help my hometown prosper… but I failed. I was a princess back then, you know," she added with a faint, almost self-mocking smile.
"It worked at first. Things were improving. But then… failures started happening. Failures so unnatural that the kingdom fell into civil war. And in the end, a neighboring country invaded and captured me."
"What exactly did you do?" Hachiman asked, his brows coming together.
"Just basic agrarian reform." Arisa let out a small, helpless laugh. "As the foundation of our reign, I introduced humus enrichment, proper fertilizer processing, four-field crop rotation… simple improvements. Nothing revolutionary by modern standards."
"So you applied knowledge from your previous world to strengthen your kingdom's agriculture," Ruan Mei summarized calmly.
"But how could something like that fail so badly that the entire kingdom collapsed?" Mei tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.
"That's why I called it an 'unnatural' failure." Arisa's fingers curled slightly against her skirt. "Every field enriched with humus lost its yield. Fertilizer that should've decomposed safely became breeding grounds for insect-type monsters. The fallow fields we planted with clover and turnips to restore fertility… they withered and turned barren instead. It was like the land itself rejected everything I tried."
'That sounded like a fantasy-world anomaly…' Hachiman narrowed his eyes. 'But she emphasized unnatural.'
"Did someone interfere?" he asked.
"Yes." Arisa nodded once. "But I didn't realize it until much later. Back then, I blamed myself. I thought maybe the soil composition was different from Earth's. Maybe I had overlooked something."
Her lips pressed into a thin line.
"The people didn't think so kindly. They began calling me the 'Witch of the Lost Kingdom'… and the 'Mad Princess.'"
She gave a small, bitter smile.
'So that's where those titles came from,' Hachiman thought, recalling the names tied to her status.
"Still, if the perpetrator wanted to take over the kingdom, what would they gain by ruining it? That doesn't make sense." Mei frowned.
"They didn't care about the kingdom itself," Arisa replied. "They only wanted the 'Withered Labyrinth' beneath the castle."
Arisa bit her lips as her hands curled in frustration.
"After they seized control, they calmed the furious citizens by staging a public execution of the reigning monarch and the crown prince. My father… my mother… and my elder brother were all put to death before the crowd."
Her voice trembled. Regret and grief clouded her face as tears welled in her eyes.
"Then they gathered the remaining princes and princesses. They told us, 'This kingdom fell because of your incompetence. You are unworthy of royalty.'"
She swallowed.
"On their orders, the royal sorcerers invoked a gift called 'Geass' on us—starting with me. It brands the victim as a slave until the day they die. At that time… I believed it was my fault. I thought everything had collapsed because of my reforms."
Her lips curved into a fragile smile.
"So I didn't resist. I accepted the curse and became a slave."
Mei stood up from Hachiman's side and moved to Arisa. Sitting beside her, she wrapped her arms around the girl and gently wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, offering comfort without a single unnecessary word.
"Why would they make you become a slave?" Hachiman asked, his tone flat.
"To complete the ritual to revive the Withered Labyrinth," Arisa answered quietly. "Slaves can't fight back or run. And unlike a normal contract… There was only one person in the entire kingdom who could undo a Geass."
She tightened her hold on the handkerchief in one hand and Mei's arms in the other.
"Every month, on the night of the full moon, one of us would be sent into the labyrinth as a sacrifice for that ritual…"
Her grip on Mei's trembled.
"For a whole year, it continued. And in the end, the labyrinth was restored. The only two sacrifices who survived were Lulu, my father's illegitimate child, and me… the girl with purple hair."
She let out a small breath.
"We were moved from the tower where we were imprisoned to a nearby villa. I don't know why they spared us. Maybe they wanted replacements ready… in case the labyrinth ever needed to be revived again."
'So Lulu was the king's illegitimate child,' Hachiman thought. 'That would still make her royalty by blood.'
He paused.
'Since they looked so different, I had assumed they were stepsisters. But they were related after all.'
"Then, on the night of the next full moon… a tragedy struck. A demon appeared without warning. It tore through the castle and the surrounding town. The villa we were kept in caught fire as well, and Lulu dragged me with her into the mountains."
Arisa's face went blank, as if she were watching it all happen again.
"I truly thought I would burn to death that night. But when I checked our status, I noticed Lulu's title had changed to 'Masterless.' That meant the one who held our Geass was gone. We ran while everything was in chaos. If I had been alone… I wouldn't have made it."
Mei gently rubbed her back, slow and steady, saying nothing.
"After that, we wandered in the mountains for days. We were starving. Exhausted. Eventually, a slave trader named Nidoren found us when we were barely conscious."
She gave a weak laugh.
"Slaves without masters can't just stroll into a town and ask for help. So I did the only thing I could. I made just enough trouble to avoid being sold to some disgusting noble. I smiled when I had to. I resisted when I could."
Her hand trembled slightly. "The stress alone felt like it would tear a hole through my stomach."
When she finally fell silent, Mei pulled her closer, pressing Arisa gently against her chest. Whispering, "You did well," "You did great." "You endured a lot." "You're safe now."
"…Just what was that demon trying to accomplish?"
Hachiman crossed his arms, the question slipping out almost to himself. Still, Arisa heard it.
"I don't know," she answered, raising her head from Mei's embrace. "But demons often found labyrinths. If I had to guess, it was trying to find one or create one so it could nurture a demon lord."
"Do labyrinths truly exist to raise demon lords?" Mei asked.
"There are scholars who support that theory," Arisa replied. "The gods have never confirmed it… But almost every known demon lord was first reported near a labyrinth."
She gave a small shrug, though her expression remained serious.
"Then… did that Eyeball demon create the labyrinth in Seiryuu City to summon a demon lord here?" Hachiman's expression darkened.
Ruan Mei crossed her arms as she arranged her thoughts.
"Judging by the amount of imaginary energy accumulating inside that labyrinth, that possibility is not far-fetched. Plus, it is somehow able to latch itself to the ley lines, siphoning energy directly from the world to sustain its structure."
Mei and Hachiman both turned to her, waiting for her to continue.
"Whatever the mechanism of a labyrinth is, it appears capable of accessing the data stored within the ley lines. It can use that information to generate, resurrect, or even summon these demons."
She paused briefly.
"That would explain why the demon 'Wagahai-kun' reappeared after you killed it, Mei."
Mei's expression tightened. "…So that's how that black greater demon was still able to remember me."
Silence settled for a moment.
"What exactly are demons?" Hachiman muttered. "How are they tied to labyrinths? What is miasma, really? What defines a demon lord? And what is the Demon God ultimately planning?"
He leaned back in his seat, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
"We have too many questions… and not a single clear answer."
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