Volume 3: Emergence at DesuMach
Chapter 147: Just Like Our Captain Always Says, Nothing Worth Protecting is Ever Easy.
Underworld, DxD Planet…
With Serafall leading the way, Hajime and his group arrived at the area where the leaders of the Three Factions had gathered. The Devil side was already present—Sirzechs, Ajuka, Falbium the Maous, with Azazel standing with them as the representative of the Fallen Angels.
Even from a distance, Hajime could already tell that whatever they were discussing was really important and serious. With his enhanced hearing as a campione, he was able to pick up fragments of it—"Michael," "Norse," "Odin," and "Slash/Dog." None of those were names you dropped during a casual chat.
"Yaahooo! Sera-tan is back!" Serafall announced cheerfully as she waved towards the others. "And I brought our guests~."
At her voice, the leaders turned toward them.
"Well, would you look at that," Azazel said with a grin. "The super VIP has finally arrived."
"Hajime-dono, Alice-dono, Anisphia-dono, Euphyllia-dono, it's good to see you all again," Sirzechs said as he stepped forward, offering his hand with a warm smile. "Greetings to you as well, Ophis.
"Nice to see you too, Sirzechs-san," Hajime replied, shaking it. Alice, Anisphia, and Euphyllia followed his lead, returning the greeting. Ophis tilted her head while looking at him and didn't move from her position beside Euphyllia, who was holding her hand, and Ram stood at their back like a bodyguard.
"Hajime-dono, Anisphia-dono, I've upgraded my model base based on what we discussed last time," Ajuka said as he stepped forward and shook their hands. "And I must say your suggestions improved the overall performance by forty-five percent."
"Ahahaha! I'm glad it helped, Ajuka-san," Anisphia replied with her usual cheerful smile.
"Haaa… your group just arrived and the atmosphere became lively," Falbium remarked, watching them with a lazy smile.
"What can we say? It's one of the Nameless' best qualities," Alice answered with a grin.
"No matter the situation, we always try to stay positive," Euphyllia added as she chuckled.
Falbium smiled wryly. "I see. No wonder the Nameless are too strong."
Off to the side, a certain Fallen Angel's cheeks twitched.
"…Am I being ignored?" Azazel muttered, pouting.
Yes. He was.
Hajime casually looked past him, scanning the area for familiar faces. "Huh? I thought Sagiri, Lavi, Tobio, and the others would be here already?"
"Ahaha… Tobi-kun and the rest are with Michael," Serafall replied. "They'll be arriving shortly—together with our 'main' guests."
"So Sagiri and the others are with the representative of the Norse Pantheon?" Alice asked, raising a brow.
The leaders of the Three Factions nodded, wordlessly confirming her guess.
"You're taking this pretty seriously, huh?" Anisphia let out a low whistle. "Sending humanity's strongest team just to escort the All-Father of the Norse faction."
"…Unfortunately," Sirzechs said with a helpless sigh, "not everyone in the Norse Pantheon agrees with allying with the Three Factions."
Hajime and the others blinked at that.
"So even after seeing how close your world came to ending," Hajime said flatly, "there are still stubborn foo—excuse me—people who think they can shoulder everything on their own?"
"That's just how it is," Azazel replied with a shrug. "There will always be those who refuse to acknowledge the facts right in front of them. Humans, youkai, angels, devils, fallen… gods. No one's exempted."
He let out a tired exhale, twirling his cup. "…And those people are exactly the ones Khaos Brigade openly recruits."
"Looks like you've all been under a lot of pressure these past few months," Alice said, her voice sympathetic.
Falbium gave a short chuckle. "And yet, we don't have the luxury of backing down. If we truly want to protect our home—our world—then we have to grit our teeth and keep standing to fight for it."
"Besides, it's not all bad news; there are also those who heard our call and understand our cause," Ajuka said with a smile. "We were able to reach out to those who were willing to meet us."
"That's right! So Sera-tan was sooo busy these past months, you know? I have been running to various places and meeting leaders of different factions." Serafall puffs her chest proudly.
"Hahahaha! Well, just like our Captain always says," Hajime added with a smile. "'Nothing worth protecting is ever easy.'"
"Which is why," A gentle voice cut through the conversation, "despite the obstacles, we'll keep moving forward. For the future we want to see."
When they turned, Michael came walking towards them along with an old man and a silver-haired, beautiful woman. They are all accompanied by Sagiri and Team Slash/Dog.
"Besides, from what we've heard from Gabriel, our problems here are a thousand times simpler than what you're facing," Michael added. "We only need to protect a single world, while you're fighting for countless worlds and civilizations."
"Michael-san…" Hajime muttered.
Michael smiled and nodded at him. "You, Noah-dono, and the entire Astral Express crew gave our world a chance for a better tomorrow. So now, it's our turn to carry that fight forward."
"Kakakaka! I never expected the Seraph Michael to be so sentimental!" The old man with long gray hair and a matching beard laughed as he stepped forward. A gold-and-white monocle rested over his left eye, unchained, and he wore a short blue robe trimmed with gold along the collar, sleeves, and hem.
"But I do agree with your sentiment," the old man continued. "Sadly, it's not one shared by the majority of our faction."
"You finally arrived, damn geezer of North," Azazel said with a wide grin.
"And you're still the same as ever, Fallen brat," the old man shot back, grinning just as widely.
"Welcome, Lord Odin," Sirzechs greeted him respectfully.
"I've come as per your invitation, Sirzechs," Odin replied.
"Which is something we truly appreciate," Sirzechs said.
Then Odin's eyes went past the others and landed directly on Hajime, who was standing beside Serafall.
"And you must be the famous Godslayer. The one called Campione," Odin said, narrowing his eyes. His smile sharpened as he visibly reined himself in. "Amaterasu warned me in her letter, but meeting you face to face is… different. My entire being is screaming that you are my mortal enemy. Someone I must be prepared to kill—and be killed by. In all my long life, this is the first time I've felt something like this."
'As expected of someone at the level of a chief god… his presence really is different,' Hajime thought, gritting his teeth to control himself from attacking the god in front of him.
"I actually feel the same," Hajime replied with the same tone. "I can tell you're suppressing your divinity, probably advice from Amaterasu-san. But the moment you stepped closer and I laid eyes on you, it took everything I had not to switch on my 'Godslayer mode.'"
"Kakakaka! So this old man can still stir your battle instinct," Odin laughed.
"Lord Odin, please remember your position," said the stern, tall, beautiful woman standing behind him. "You represent the will of the entire Norse Pantheon. Please do not embarrass yourself—or us."
"Tsk! You're far too stiff, Rossweisse!" Odin shot back. "That's exactly why you still don't have a boyfriend despite your age."
"Guh—!" Rossweisse held her chest as if struck by an arrow. Tears formed in her eyes. "T-th-that has nothing to do with this! A-and besides, I'm still young! I still have plenty of time!"
"Haaa… if you keep thinking like that, you really won't get married," Odin said with a casual shrug. "You'll turn into an old woman before you know it."
"Waaaah!!! I knew it! I really am an unattractive valkyrie that no one wants!" Rossweisse slumped to the ground, crying openly.
He then turned toward the clearly bewildered Hajime. "So, Godslayer—how about it? Would you like to take this girl as your concubine? Her name is Rossweisse. As you can see, she's quite the looker and very talented… just a bit too serious. That's why she still doesn't have a boyfriend."
"…Haa?" Hajime let out a dumb, empty sound. His face was a perfect picture of disbelief.
"Fufufufu, Odin-sama, you surely jest," Alice laughed elegantly as she stepped forward and clung to Hajime's arm.
"Hehehe, Alice is right," Anisphia added as she took hold of Hajime's other arm. "How could a venerable god such as yourself so casually give away such an amazing talent?"
Caught between them, Hajime felt cold sweat trickle down his back. Normally, he would have appreciated—no, enjoyed—being sandwiched between his beloveds. But the dark pressure leaking out from their sweet smiles made it impossible to do so.
"K-ka-kakaka! I-it seems you have quite the handful of women at your side, Godslayer," Odin laughed nervously, doing his best to ignore the menacing—should have been lovely—smiles aimed straight at him.
—----
A few hours later, outside the party venue, near the forest entrance, a different meeting was taking place. Kuroka and Bikou from Vali's team stood with Koneko Toujou and Issei Hyoudou. Both of them came here after Koneko sensed Kuroka.
"Nee-sama!" Koneko exclaimed the moment she saw Kuroka, running forward and jumping into her arms without a second thought for manners.
"Mou, Shirone! Don't suddenly jump like that!" Kuroka scolded her, though the smile she failed to hide made it clear how happy she was to see her sister again.
"Yo! Sekiryuutei," Bikou greeted with a grin. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yo! Damn monkey," Issei shot back, offering a fist bump. "How's everyone doing? And where the heck is Vali?"
"Ahahaha! Everyone's doing great," Bikou replied, returning the fist bump. "We've fought some tough opponents here and there. Though… it still wasn't as thrilling as when we fought the Nameless back then."
His eyes studied Issei. "And from what we heard, our godslayer friend personally trained you."
He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Whatever that training was, he definitely did a good job strengthening you."
"Ugh… just how far has this story spread?" Issei muttered, hugging himself as a shiver ran down his spine. "Everyone I meet keeps bringing it up."
Before he grimaced. "Honestly, it was less training and more survival… I'm still seeing black holes trying to tear me apart in my dreams."
Bikou let out a low whistle. "Damn. Sounds brutal."
A grin spread across his face. "So what does that make you—the guy who actually survived it?"
"Oh, just when I thought I sensed some familiar presences… It's you guys, huh?"
The voice cut cleanly through the warm atmosphere.
Bikou and Kuroka reacted instantly. Kuroka pulled Koneko behind her, shielding her with her own body as both of them kicked into a combat-ready stance. Issei, too, tensed the moment he heard the voice, his relaxed posture vanishing as instinct kicked in.
Then their eyes landed on the speaker.
They nearly stumbled before letting out relieved sighs, staring at him with a mix of dry looks and wide-eyed disbelief.
"Sup, Monkey-kun. Neko-chan," Hajime greeted casually, a small smile on his face.
Beside him was Sagiri, one hand pressed to her temple. She already looked tired. Unexpectedly, Ophis and Ram are also with them.
"Haa… Hajime, just what are you doing?" she murmured.
"N-Na-Nagumo-senpai?!" Koneko blurted out.
"Yep. It's me," Hajime replied, giving them a quick wink.
"Y-you—! Just what are you doing?! You almost gave us a heart attack!" Issei protested.
"Hm." Hajime tilted his head slightly. "Looks like I still need to work on your awareness, Hyoudou. I may be suppressing my power and minimizing my presence… but for you to not notice someone coming at you."
Hajime's eyes narrowed just a little.
Issei let out a yelp and immediately hid behind Koneko.
Sagiri suddenly took out a paper fan from nowhere and smacked Hajime on the head without mercy.
"Stop teasing them," she said flatly.
"Ow… ow…" Hajime hissed, rubbing his head. "Sagiri-san, you're really integrating perfectly with us, huh? You've even mastered the same Paper-Fan Technique of Alice and Anis."
Sagiri shrugged as she folded the fan away. "They trained us. Apparently, it's the only reliable way to stop you from going out of control."
"As expected of Sagiri-sama," Ram said with a smug smile.
"…I'm starting to fear for my position in this family," Hajime muttered.
"Ahem. So why are you here, Nagumo-san?" Issei asked after clearing his throat. "Shouldn't you be inside with the rest?"
Hajime turned his face away. "…I got kicked out."
"Yes?" Issei, Koneko, Bikou, and Kuroka repeated in unison.
"…I got kicked out," Hajime repeated, his tone unmistakably pouty.
They all stared at him, disbelief written clearly across their faces, before slowly turning their gaze toward Sagiri.
"Just as he said," Sagiri confirmed with a wry smile. "He was kicked out of the venue."
"WWWHHHHYYY?!" they all shouted in shock.
—--
Flashback from a few moments ago.
As the greetings and introductions of the young devils proceeded one by one, the four Maous offered their congratulations to each of them. Soon after, Sirzechs explained the current state of the alliance between the Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels—now unified as the Three Factions. He emphasized that this cooperation was necessary, especially with the threat of the Khaos Brigade still at large, and to prevent a repeat of the catastrophe from a few months ago, when their world had nearly been destroyed.
"…Will we eventually be sent to fight against the Khaos Brigade as well?"
Sairaorg Bael, the man Hajime had briefly encountered during Issei's training, asked the question directly, without hesitation.
"I don't know," Sirzechs answered honestly. "However, if possible, I don't wish to send young devils into battle."
Sairaorg raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with that response.
"Why? Even if we're young, we still carry the responsibility of devils. If we only receive the protection of our predecessors at this age and do nothing in return—"
"Sairaorg," Sirzechs interrupted gently, "I acknowledge your bravery. But you're also reckless." His gaze softened. "Above all, I want to avoid sending those who are still growing onto the battlefield. Losing the next generation would be far too great a price to pay."
He continued calmly, "You are all more precious than you realize. That's why I want you to experience things step by step—to grow properly, and to inherit this world when the time comes."
"…I understand," Sairaorg replied after a moment.
He accepted Sirzechs' words, but the dissatisfaction in his expression made it clear that the matter was far from settled in his heart.
After that, the discussion continued—formal words from the higher-ups, explanations about the upcoming games, and expectations laid out by the Maous. Once it ended, the focus returned to the young devils, who were asked to declare their dreams.
One by one, they spoke of their hopes for the future and how they wished to carry their families' legacies forward. When Sairaorg boldly declared his goal of becoming a Maou, it earned loud praise and clear anticipation from the older devils.
Then, it was Ingvild's turn.
"I'm Ingvild Leviathan, and to be honest," she began, her voice held strong despite the faint shaking in her hands, "I didn't know why I was even standing here before all of you."
She let out an exhale to calm her nerves. "Ever since I was born, I've been estranged from devil society."
Her eyes went toward the guest area, hoping to see her new family. There was Hajime, Alice, Anisphia, and Euphyllia beside him, all of them had a supportive smile, giving her the strength to continue.
"But since we're all declaring our dreams," she said firmly, "I'll share mine as well."
She took in a deep breath and spoke clearly. "I want to keep standing with my new family. Together with them, I want to continue our journey as the Nameless, to trailblaze this vast and unknown cosmos. In hardship and in joy, I'll be there for them, just as they've always been there for me."
Then it happened.
A rare and extraordinary moment unfolded. Something that the people of the DxD planet had never experienced. A vast presence made itself known. Something immense. Something greater than words.
Hajime and his group, along with Slash/Dog, knew exactly what that sensation meant.
An Aeon's gaze fell upon Ingvild at the very moment she declared her wish.
In those few seconds that felt like eternity, Ingvild, whose consciousness had momentarily been sent into the Path space, returned. She blinked, her expression caught somewhere between disbelief and awe at what had just happened.
Villhaze, standing beside her, was just as stunned. A moment later, emotion began to fill her eyes, and pride filled her chest as she realized that the Aeons had heard her mistress's simple wish.
"…Hajime, Ingvild, she…" Alice murmured, unable to finish her sentence.
"Yes," Hajime replied softly, still in awe. "An Aeon heard her."
Anisphia and Euphyllia were still too stunned to speak, their eyes fixed on Ingvild.
"…W-what was that?" Azazel asked, clearly losing his composure.
"That was a moment when an Aeon glimpsed at someone," Tobio answered. Even though he and the rest of the team Slash/Dog, had experienced it before, awe in his voice was impossible to hide. His hand reached for Sae's, and only when he felt her warmth did he finally relax.
"It felt a bit different from when Captain welcomed us to the Trailblaze, didn't it?" Natsume whispered.
Shigune nodded beside her. "…Yeah. Maybe because Ingvild-chan received a gaze from another Aeon."
"Ing-chan is amazing!" Lavinia exclaimed. "To be recognized by another Aeon through her own wish!"
"Nanaderu might be right," Kouki said. "I think Ingvild received a gaze from an Aeon we're not familiar with yet."
"That's a bold claim, Sharkbrain," Natsume said, raising a brow.
"Hm? What makes you say that, Kouki-kun?" Shigune asked.
"The Imaginary energy around her feels different from what we've sensed from the rest of the crew," he replied.
"I see… feeling it now, you might be right, Shark," Lavinia said as she analyzed the flow of energy around Ingvild. "Destruction, Harmony, Nihility, Hunt, Remembrance—none of them match this. Ing-chan feels sturdy, strong… protective. Wow. Just… wow. This is the first time I've felt something like this."
Once everyone slowly regained their composure, down in the venue hall where the young devils had gathered, Sona—who was standing beside Ingvild—took her hand and congratulated her.
"Congratulations, Ingvild," Sona said with a proud smile. "To be able to receive a glimpse like that… you truly are amazing."
"Sona-san…" Ingvild muttered shyly.
"Thanks to you, my resolve has grown stronger," Sona continued. "I will surely fulfill my dream."
Knowing exactly what she meant, Ingvild nodded with a gentle smile. "Then go for it, Sona-san. Tell them your dream with pride."
Smiling back and giving her hand one last squeeze, Sona stepped forward.
"I am Sona Sitri, the next head of the House of Sitri," she said, raising her head toward the higher-ups with a confident expression. "I once dreamed of establishing a school where devils—regardless of their status—could study the Rating Games."
At those words, several of the older devils let out looks of disgust or mockery.
"But not anymore," Sona continued calmly. "I've realized that dream was too narrow."
She let out a smile. "So now, I will declare a new one."
"My dream is to create a place where everyone can learn, grow, and pursue their own dreams—regardless of their race, where they come from, or their status." Her voice didn't waver. "I will build a school where those deemed unworthy, those who were looked down upon, can stand and confidently take their place in our world."
Silence followed. Aside from Hajime's proud smirk and Serafall's smug smile, the hall was completely silent until several of the older devils suddenly burst into mocking laughter.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
"That's impossible!"
"This is just brilliant!"
"Oh? So you're just a little girl with a dream?"
"It's good to be young. Truly. But for the next head of the Sitri family to declare something like that…" One of them scoffed. "Thank goodness this was said here, at a place of introduction, before your debut."
"And here I was expecting something impressive!"
"So in the end, it was nothing but a foolish fantasy!"
At the guest area, together with the rest of the leaders of the Three Factions, a similar commotion broke out.
"WAIT, HAJIME—LET'S NOT CAUSE A DIPLOMATIC INCIDENT!!"
"HAJIME, CALM DOWN!!! DON'T ERASE THEM WITH A BLACK HOLE!!"
"HAJIME-SAMA, GET YOURSELF TOGETHER!! AND NO, LASER BEAMS ARE NOT ALLOWED EITHER!!"
"NAGUMO HAJIME, PLEASE DON'T USE YOUR GODSLAYING AUTHORITY HERE!!!!"
"HAKKUN, NO USING THE POWER OF REASON EITHER!! AND DEFINITELY DON'T RECREATE CAPTAIN-SAN'S DIVINE KEYS!!"
"HAJIME, BRO, KEEP IT COOL—DON'T SUMMON THE CHAINS OF HEAVEN!!"
"BRO, DO NOT OPEN THE GATE OF BABYLON!!!!"
"S-SHOULD WE CALL CAPTAIN OR HACHIMAN-SAN?!"
"T-THAT'S THE FINAL RESORT!! USE THE PAPER FAN FIRST!!"
"....Will cookies help?"
"I don't think it will be enough, Ophis-sama."
…After considerable effort from Hajime's queens and the Slash/Dog team to stop him from outright obliterating the old devils mocking Sona's dream, Alice and Anisphia ultimately dragged him out of the hall to cool off, and they asked Sagiri to keep an eye on him. Since they have nothing better to do, Ophis followed them while Ram accompanied her.
—---
Hearing what had just happened at the venue, all four of them remained stunned, staring at Hajime as if he were some kind of dangerous creature.
"W-what? Why are you all looking at me like that?" Hajime asked, slightly unnerved by their stares.
"They must have reconsidered their opinion of you," Sagiri said dryly.
"…Sagiri-san, aren't your words getting sharper lately?" Hajime complained.
Sagiri looked at him and gave a small, confident smile. "Don't worry, Nagumo Hajime. I'm still not on the same level as Alice."
"…That doesn't reassure me at all," Hajime said.
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