AN: Thanks to Novel_Pirate, SparkleEyeMole and DragonConquer1 for the power stones!
And everyone please enjoy this chapter!
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"Everyone, thank you for showing up to this strategic meeting," Noah announced, both arms resting on the table in the lounge. His fingers laced together as he spoke behind them, fake glasses shining suspiciously with every tilt of his head. To top it off, a dodoco plushie with a red witch hat sat proudly on his head like some strange crown.
Lavinia perked up from her seat at the round table. "Wow! Lumi, these cookies are amazing!"
"Right?! That's our Lumi for you!" The still glowing Elysia answers proudly before Lumine could even reply. Sitting beside Noah, she looked more smug than the baker herself. "Still undefeated in the kitchen!!"
"Thank you, Lavinia," Lumine replied with a soft laugh, taking a delicate bite of a scone. "I tried something new with the ingredients we picked up on our last stop."
Kiana, sitting between Noah and Sirin, shot her sister a betrayed look. "Ahh, Sister! I was aiming for that one!"
"First come, first serve~," Sirin teased with a grin, already munching happily on the macaroon Euphyllia Magenta had brought from her and Anisphia's home world. She lifted it like a trophy before taking another bite. "Mmm! It's really good."
"Hey! Leave some for the rest of us, will you?" Kiana groaned, leaning across the table in vain.
Elysia giggled behind her hand. "My, my. Already fighting over sweets before the meeting even begins. You sisters really do live up to the Kaslana foodie reputation~."
"What do you mean by that?!" Kiana and Sirin snapped in unison as Elysia stuck out her tongue with a playful grin.
"This is so good, Mei-nee!" Sora cheered through a mouthful of dango, her feet swaying happily under the table. Seated snugly between Mei and Hachiman, the youngest member of the crew, the girl Hachiman rescued from Nagazora, was clearly making herself at home between them.
"Slow down, Sora-chan," Mei chided gently, wiping a bit of sauce from the corner of the younger girl's mouth with a napkin. "It's not going to run off your plate."
Beside them, Hachiman sipped his coffee while scrolling through the data on his terminal. His eyes studying the details of the world codenamed DesuMachi, where he, Mei, and Sora would soon take their 'First Steps.'
A gentle tug at his sleeve pulled him back. Glancing down, he found Sora holding up a skewer of dango with both hands, eyes sparkling with expectation.
"Hachi-nii, try it! It's really sweet!"
He raised a brow but leaned down all the same.
"Thanks, Sora." Taking a bite, he gave her one of his rare, small smiles. "Not bad at all."
Sora beamed proudly, turning to Mei. "See, Mei-nee? Hachi-nii liked it too!"
Mei covered her lips to hide a laugh, her eyes soft. "Of course he will."
"Here, Anis-sama—your cake." Ilia Coral offered a slice to Anisphia.
"Thanks, Illia! You're always good to me," Anisphia said happily.
"Hey, slow down or you'll choke—wait, no—" Hajime warned, but it was too late. Anisphia stuffed too much cake in her mouth and started coughing.
"Water, quick!" Hajime shouted, while Euphyllia and Lainei jumped up in panic.
"Anis-sama!" They cried together.
Belfast, ever the dutiful maid, reacted instantly and handed over a glass of water. "Here, your majesty, Princess Anis."
Across the table, Alice exhaled contentedly. "Fuu… your tea blending has improved again, Patricia."
"Indeed. The temperature and flavor are well-balanced," Sagiri Ameno added with a small nod.
"It's truly delightful. Would you mind showing me sometime?" Sona Sitri asked politely.
Patricia Ericson beamed as she refilled their cups. "It would be my pleasure, Sona-sama."
At the side, Ingvild sat with a plate of fruit slices, absently twirling a fork while watching the chaos unfold. Her gaze went to Villhaze, who was gritting her teeth at having been too slow to offer water to Anisphia and impressed Hajime.
"Nee-sama, Nee-sama, Villhaze-chan is jealous again," Rem whispered or at least tried to while standing beside Villhaze and Ram.
"Rem, Rem, Villhaze-chan is still craving His Majesty's 'recognition(love)'," Ram added with a teasing lilt.
Villhaze's cheeks flushed as she snapped, pointing at the two half-human, half-oni maids. "J-just what are you two implying?!"
The twins exchanged a perfect smile but said nothing.
"Hey!" Villhaze huffed, stamping her foot lightly.
Ingvild only sighed, choosing to ignore their bickering. Instead, she turned to the little dragon seated beside her, who was staring curiously at the mochi on the plate in front of her. "Would you like to try this, Ophis-chan?"
Ophis blinked once, then gave the mochi a poke. "This one is squishy."
"It's supposed to be," Ingvild replied with a small smile. "Try it. You might like it."
Ophis picked it up, took a small bite, and gave the tiniest nod in approval.
Noah sighed, staring off into space. "…I'm being ignored again, aren't I?"
Gabriel, ever gentle, leaned closer with a soft smile. "I'm listening, Noah-san. Don't worry."
"Gabby!! Ehem…" Noah straightened, puffing his cheeks in an exaggerated pout. "Okay, okay—I know everyone's having fun, but could someone please pay attention to me? I do have feelings, you know." He slumped dramatically in his seat.
Gabriel chuckled warmly and patted his back with delicate care. "There, there, Noah-san. We're listening. I promise."
Mei glanced over with an apologetic smile, folding her hands neatly on her lap. Hachiman didn't even bother to look up, sighing as he sipped his coffee. Hajime, just finished helping Anisphia recover, let out a long breath.
"Geez, what am I going to do with you," Hajime muttered, before glancing up at Belfast. "Thanks, Bel-san-san."
Belfast responded with her usual grace, bowing lightly. "It is my duty, Your Majesty."
"Ahhh… I'm alive again," Anisphia declared dramatically as she set her empty glass down, thumping her chest before letting out a relieved sigh. "Phew! Saved by Bel-san-san… Eheh, maybe I should slow down a little."
Euphyllia, Illia, and Lainei all let out sighs of relief.
Alice glanced at her, shaking her head slowly. "Restraint and Anis? That would be a very unusual combination." she muttered under her breath.
"Teehee~" Anisphia winked as she tapped her head cutely, and stuck out her tongue.
Meanwhile, Kiana and Sirin were busy comparing their stash of sweets with competitive sparks in their eyes. Elysia was too occupied devouring her third cupcake to notice, while Lumine calmly sipped her tea without a care.
Noah let out a long groan and dropped his forehead onto the table with a dull thud.
"Noah-san! Are you alright?!" Gabriel gasped, rushing over in concern.
Gabby… you really are an angel, Noah thought with a faint smile, his face still pressed against the wood.
———
"Ahem. Well then, shall we get this meeting started?" Elysia said with a bright smile, clapping her hands lightly to bring some order to the lounge.
At the center sat Team Star-Pulse: Noah, Kiana, Elysia herself, Lumine, Sirin, a stand-in for Miss A, a Dodoco plush with a red witch hat perched proudly, Citlalin and Itzpapa standing in proxy for Citlali, and their newest member, Gabriel.
To their right was Team Reason, made up of Hajime, Alice, Anisphia, Euphyllia, and the DxD girls: Ingvild, Villhaze, Ophis, Sona, Sagiri, and Lavinia. Patricia, Illia, Lainei, Belfast, Ram, and Rem were technically also part of Team Reason, but they handled more of the off field support and the daily life of the entire crew.
And on the other side of the table sat the most recent additions: Hachiman Hikigaya, Raiden Mei, and Sora.
"Apologies for our Captain," Elysia added with a sheepish laugh, gesturing toward Noah, who was slumped dramatically in Kiana's lap. "He's in the middle of a sulking fit."
"Noah, it's okay," Lumine said, leaning forward with a patient smile. "We're paying attention now. You can stop pretending to be pitiful."
"Noah-san..." Gabriel naturally wrapped her arms around him from behind, her voice soft and sweet. "Please cheer up, we are here for you now."
"Captain," Kiana teased, a playful grin spreading across her face, "if it's attention you want, I'll give it to you." She hugged him tightly, burying his head against her chest.
"Noah? Captain? Are you still breathing?" Sirin asked, poking him with a finger. He remained completely still, arms locked around Kiana's waist like he's clinging to paradise.
Elysia laughed lightly and turned to the rest of the crew, offering a helpless shrug. "Sorry, this is what happens when we spoil him too much."
And well, his bros? Completely unmoved. Hajime calmly sipped his coffee, not even blinking.
Meanwhile, Hachiman sighed, hands over Sora's eyes covering it.
"Hachi-nii, why are you covering my eyes?"
"No need for you to see this kind of nonsense."
"Alright, that's enough, Noah. Haven't you buried yourself in there long enough?" Hajime finally said, sighing as he crossed his arms, clearly unimpressed.
"There's a child here, by the way," Hachiman added dryly. "Stop abusing the privilege of having a girlfriend."
"Please don't mind me! Just continue as you were!" Sora chirped innocently from behind Hachiman's hand which was still covering her eyes.
That drew a round of chuckles and awkward glances around the table. Kiana only smiled, looking pleased with herself. Team Star-Pulse, however, caught the smug twinkle in her eyes.
Noah peeked up from his spot, giving his bros a playful side-eye. "Hmph! If you were in my place, you wouldn't stop either."
Hajime blinked, eyes wandering just a little toward Alice and Anisphia's generous figures. "…Yeah. I wouldn't."
A beat of silence passed.
The girls of Team Reason all whipped their heads toward him in unison.
"!?" Alice gasped.
"H-Hajime!" Anisphia's voice cracked, her face red.
Hajime looked up at the ceiling, avoiding the stares from their side of the table. "...I regret nothing."
Hachiman stared at him in utter betrayal. "Bro…"
"It's okay, Hachi-nii! Mei-nee is big as well! She won't lose to An-nee or El-nee! I checked it, trust me!" Sora declared, as she removed Hachiman's hands from her eyes, with way too much confidence.
Hachiman blinked, eyes widening. "Oh…Hmm?.....Wait… checked? What exactly?!"
His gaze instinctively went down before he jerked his head back up, scolding himself. No! Focus, Hachiman! Don't go there… Though… it probably would be really comfortable…
"S-SORA-CHAN!!" Mei yelped, her face turning scarlet as she crossed her arms over her chest. Faint sparks of lightning danced across her shoulders. "D-don't say things like that in front of everyone!!"
Sora blinked innocently, holding up her dango like it was the most normal thing in the world. "What? I was just telling the truth."
"Still!" Mei scolded, cheeks puffed and brows furrowed. "You can't just blurt things like that out... especially in front of everyone!"
Sora ducked slightly behind Hachiman's arm, peeking out with an innocent smile. "But it is true…"
"I—I can't… with you…" Mei groaned, slumping forward onto the table, burying her face in her arms.
Hachiman covered his face with one hand, ears glowing bright red.
The rest of the crew stared at Sora in disbelief. Some exchanged glances, a few snorted while trying not to laugh. Even Kiana had to cover her mouth to muffle her giggles.
Elysia chuckled, covering her lips whispering behind her hand. "My! Sora-chan is already weaponizing cuteness… dangerous~."
Lumine sighed with a faint smile. "Poor Mei…"
Noah finally straightened up, clearing his throat with a light cough. "Alright, alright. Let's try to get serious now... well, as serious as we ever get." That drew another round of laughter from everyone at the table.
———
"Now then," Noah began, tapping on his terminal. The lights in the lounge dim slightly as the central projector flared to life, displaying a rotating image of a lush blue planet. "As most of you already know, our next destination is this world. Home to gods, demon lords, heroes, and countless races. It will be entered into our archives under the codename: DesuMachi."
The lounge fell into silence as the hologram of a blue planet expanded. Continents slowly rotated into view, scattered islands looking like tiny dots under the swirling cloud patterns and wide blue oceans. Lavinia, Anisphia, and Sora all leaned forward, eyes wide with awe.
Excited whispers spread across the table. Even Hachiman, Hajime, and Sona found themselves studying the shapes of the land masses, not wanting to miss anything. It looked like something came straight from a fantasy novel, alive, vibrant, full of stories waiting to be told.
"Since this world isn't connected to the current Silver Rails, it's up to us, our generation of Nameless, to explore and document it," Noah explained. He leaned back slightly, letting the projection wash over them. "This is a good thing for us, since we will be able to gather a huge amount of Trailblaze energy. Enough to upgrade a lot of our systems on the Express."
He paused, letting the images being projected fill the silence, his eyes scanning across the table as the crew absorbed his words.
"Whoa…" Sora whispered under her breath, earning a few smiles from those near her.
"Looks like a world begging for adventure," Anisphia said brightly, bouncing excitedly on her seat with a big grin.
Euphyllia's eyes fixed on the image. "It's beautiful, indeed… but beauty often hides dangers as well."
Noah smiled at each of their comments before continuing. "Euphyllia is right. Each world has its fair share of dangers, especially to a new world not connected with the current Silver Rails. We won't have the safety margin that the existing worlds connected to the rail provide. No known information. No pre-charted routes. We'll be stepping into this world completely blind."
The older crew members, Kiana, Elysia, Lumine, Sirin, Hajime, Alice and Anisphia, all nod in agreement from Noah's words.
"Yeah… who'd thought that our simple beach trip will turn into leading those ship girls against those 'Sirens'." Hajime shudders as he remembers their planned team building trip turned into a world saving fight.
"Hey! Don't be like that 'Shikikan', your lovely ship girls will be sad." Noah teased.
Hajime raised his brows and turned to Noah with a smirk. "Says the 'Kanchou' who almost got married to them."
"Ehem… Moving on, it may be limited, but we are still capable of gathering information before we send down a team." Noah turned to everyone, giving them assurance.
He just wants the meeting to continue, definitely not to escape the sharp eyes of Kiana and Sirin, Elysia's 'beautiful' smile, Lumine's cold stare or Gabriel's shock expression. Yes, definitely. It's true!
Hajime let out a satisfied 'I win' grin, much to the exasperation of the girls in Team Reason. While Hachiman, cheeks on his fist, deadpan at the 'competition' of his bros. Mei and Sora look at each other and don't know how to react.
Noah slowly then turned to Lumine, smiling for her to continue, but everyone can see the cold sweat in his brows.
Lumine snorts at him before she taps on her terminal, and new images displayed into the projection. "Noah's almost getting married aside…. With our current observation capabilities and the support from the second Divine Key aboard the Hyperion, we confirmed the existence of various intelligent races here. Humans, elves, lizard-like tribes, and beastkin with ears, tails, and fur-covered features. Each has its own culture—some forming nations, others living in scattered communities."
She tapped again. Marketplaces bustled on the display, cities standing proud showing wealth, and villages built deep within forests. "It's worth noting that many of these races interact freely with each other. Building trade routes and hints of diplomatic ties. There's even evidence of a shared language system."
A few more taps brought up scenes of winged shapes and monstrous figures. "We also confirmed the existence of phantasmal creatures: dragons, fairies, goblins, orcs, wyverns, those kinds you'd expect straight from fantasy. Some hostile, others neutral, and a few seemingly coexisting with locals."
"Looks like a fantasy light novel with very long titles, trending back home," Hachiman muttered, leaning back in his seat.
"Dragons and elves… it really is like a fantasy world," Hajime said, a childlike twinkle brightening his eyes.
Alice and Anisphia couldn't help but exchange fond smiles at his rare enthusiasm.
"…Isn't your life already the definition of fantasy, Your Majesty?" Villhaze muttered under her breath, which Hajime chose to ignore.
The rest of the crew leaned closer, curiosity fully captured. Seeing it all displayed like this made the mission feel less like a distant plan but more like a story they were about to step into.
Sora's eyes twinkled with excitement. "This is amazing! Mei-nee, Hachi-nii, look! That one's flying and that one looks like a talking lion!"
Mei chuckled softly, gently patting the girl's head. "Yes, I see it. Looks like this world's full of surprises."
"I'm so excited! I'm gonna say hi to everyone we meet!" Sora grinned brightly, bouncing a little in her seat.
"That's our Sora," Hachiman muttered, though the corner of his lips betrayed the faintest smile. "Just… try not to greet any monsters, alright?"
"I'll think about it," Sora said cheekily, making Mei laugh again.
Elysia tapped her pink terminal, and a series of images began to cycle across the projection. Scenes of diverse races engaging in daily life filled the display: merchants trading at sea ports, caravans rumbling across dirt roads, airships gliding over mountains, and marketplaces overflowing with colorful produce and handcrafted wares. Farming villages tended their crops with old-fashioned tools, supported by simple yet efficient systems of irrigation and storage.
"From what we've gathered, their civilizations rely on basic yet functional means of transportation—ships, carts, and even airships in some areas," Elysia explained. "That shows they're already engaging in trade between nations and across continents. The visuals also suggest a feudal system ruled by monarchies and nobles. Their development sits somewhere around a middle-ages level."
She clicked once more, switching the display to highlight glowing diagrams and charts.
"Now, on the topic of energy and power structure," she continued. "Based on the flow of imaginary energy across the planet, we didn't detect any traces of Aeons or Paths. From this, we can hypothesize or even boldly conclude that this world may be outside the direct influence of the usual cosmic forces. However, we did confirm three distinct energy signatures: Mana, Divinity, and Aether."
She gave a thoughtful nod as murmurs rippled around the room.
"In short, magic, divine blessing, and pure elemental essence are all natural to this world, and likely been incorporated into its culture, faith systems, and combat techniques."
"...It's a little short, but I managed to pull this footage using my Void abilities, enhanced with my emblem," Sirin spoke softly, her voice almost too faint to be heard.
Her fingers brushed nervously against the edge of her terminal as she stayed half-hidden behind it. Even though she could now manifest fully in the real world thanks to Hachiman's help, speaking before the entire crew still made her uneasy.
Kiana leaned slightly toward her sister, giving her a small encouraging smile. "Sister, you're doing great."
Sirin's cheeks warmed faintly, and though she ducked her head, a tiny smile flickered across her lips.
Noah, Elysia, and Lumine exchanged warm glances. Seeing Sirin actually initiate herself to speak in front of the full crew brought small smiles to their faces.
The central display lit up as a video began to play. It showed a young man, likely of East Asian descent, standing tall in ornate blue armor. In his hands rested a weapon that radiated unmistakable holy energy, its glow piercing even through the recording.
"This person has traces of divine energy… like he's been blessed by some god. It isn't quite at the level of a demi-god, however," Sirin added, her voice growing softer until it nearly vanished at the end. "We also discovered that his physical and spiritual makeup is a little different from the local humans of this world… as if he wasn't naturally born on this planet. Which makes us suspect that…"
"That's why we believe he might be a hero and perhaps even someone who was summoned here," Lumine explained gently, stepping in on Sirin's behalf. Sirin fidgeted nervously behind her terminal, grateful for the assist. Her limit for speaking up had already been reached.
The video looped on the projection, and the crew fell into thoughtful silence. Each of them weighed what they had seen, what it meant for the world ahead—and what role they themselves might have to play in it.
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