AN: Hello everyone!!!! Hoping everyone had a great weekend.
Thank you to everyone who is still following this book!
I hope you still found this book interesting, or at least the story is still worthwhile.
Anyways... before we start, I just want to announce that I won't be able to update this Wednesday due to some RL reasons.
BUT don't worry! I will still update on Friday until Sunday, so I will post the chapter on Saturday as well.
Well that's all for me!
Please do leave a comment and review!
I want to know what you think so far about the story's progress.
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Underworld, DxD Planet…
Hajime and the others are running through the broken hallways of the building, their footsteps ringing against rubble and shattered windows. With every step closer to the function hall, the possibility of casualties pressed on their minds. Issei and Koneko couldn't hide their worry, fear creeping into their chests as thoughts of Rias and the rest of the Gremory peerage crossed their minds.
The moment they reached the hall, they rushed inside. Hajime took the lead instinctively, with Sagiri and Issei close behind. Ram and Ophis stayed near the rear, while Koneko stayed alert, watching their back for any sign of another attack.
They stopped the moment they saw what was inside.
The entire hall was destroyed. Nothing remained intact. Pillars had collapsed onto the floor, and the ceiling had been torn open, leaving the night sky of the Underworld visible above.
What caught their attention instead was a wide, water-like barrier surrounding the hall. Its surface rippled slightly. Suddenly, a low growl followed, and when they looked up, a massive serpent made of water stared straight at them.
Issei tensed and instinctively took a fighting stance, but Hajime and Sagiri only stared back at the serpent without reacting. Before he could even move, the serpent's massive form began to break apart, dissolving into countless droplets. The water veil dropped before slowly disappearing.
Those who had remained inside the hall reappeared in the next second, completely unharmed. For a moment, no one spoke. Faces were frozen in shock and disbelief; their minds still hadn't fully processed what had just happened.
Hajime finally let out a sigh of relief, tension leaving his shoulders. "...The power of preservation is truly reliable."
From the young devils gathered on the lower level to the guards, servants, and high-ranking officials, all the way up to the leaders of the Three Factions, not a single word was said. None of them even noticed when Hajime and the others returned through the ruined entrance.
The crew who remained in the hall, however, reacted differently. They simply let out a sigh of relief that everyone is somewhat safe. Alice and Anisphia—both sensitive to Hajime's presence—turned toward the doorway.
"Ahh… welcome back, Hajime. Feeling better now?" Alice asked casually, as if the hall hadn't nearly been attacked just moments ago.
Hajime gave a small, tired smile at her almost carefree tone. "Yeah. I'm good now."
Sagiri glanced between the ruined hall and Alice, unable to hold back a sigh. "...Isn't your sense of priority a little off?" she said flatly. "Shouldn't you be more concerned about the attack that just happened?"
Alice and Anisphia blinked in unison, while Euphyllia, Lavinia, Tobio, and the rest of the Slash/Dog team exchanged wry smiles.
Sagiri's words seemed to make sense. Anisphia's lips curled, and mischief appeared across her expression.
"WAAAAAHHHH! Hajimeee! Some self-important god almost blew us up!" she cried(fake), throwing herself into Hajime's arms with exaggerated acting, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. "If Ingvild hadn't acted so fast with her new power of preservation, everyone would've been doomed!"
"Ah… there, there?" Hajime said, patting her head awkwardly, already resigned to the situation.
"Hey, Anis! That's not fair!" Alice protested immediately.
"An-chan, that's cheating!" Lavinia puffed her cheeks.
"...Anis-sama," Euphyllia sighed, pressing a hand to her temple.
"...Isn't that nice, Nagumo Hajime?" Sagiri murmured dryly.
The sudden burst of noise finally snapped the rest of the hall out of their stupor. Heads turned toward Hajime's group, expressions still dazed.
"Haaa… what a day," Azazel muttered, his cheek twitching. "First, we get blown up by an evil god, and now we're being bombed by a love comedy."
"Hohohoho! The Godslayer is quite the amusing fellow," Odin said, stroking his beard as he cast a sideways glance at the Valkyrie beside him. A brief, mischievous glint crossed his eyes.
—----
"So… let me get this straight," Hajime said, rubbing his temple as he pieced everything together. "You were in the middle of discussing a possible alliance with Odin, and right as things were about to be finalized, Loki barged in and interrupted the talks. He ignored Odin's warnings, summoned Fenrir, and turned the whole place into a battlefield. When things started spiraling into a bad direction, Ajuka stepped in, sealed Loki and the big wolf, and teleported them out, but not before Loki retaliated by blowing up the entire event hall as a last move."
He looked around the table. "Does that cover it?"
"More or less," Azazel replied lazily, swirling the liquor in his glass.
With the immediate chaos over, the leaders of the Three Factions, Odin, accompanied by Rossweisse and the Astral Express crew's Team Reason, and Team Slash/Dog, had regrouped in a separate meeting room to go over what had happened and decide their next course of action.
"Huh… you guys really had an explosive day," Hajime said simply. His comment earned a mix of helpless laughter and tired sighs from the leaders of the Three Factions.
"As the leader of the Norse Pantheon, I will take responsibility for this attack," Odin said firmly. "Loki will be dealt with by us."
"Please, Odin-dono. We all know this isn't something the Norse should shoulder alone," Maou Falbium Asmodeus said, his tone calm but resolute. "Loki wouldn't have been able to teleport into the event hall so casually without internal assistance."
His words earned a slight raise of Odin's brow, while the rest of the Three Faction leaders nodded solemnly.
"A spy or collaborator likely opened a breach in security to allow Loki to interrupt the proceedings." The usual lazy, sleepy look on Falbium's face was gone, replaced by a stern, battle-hardened Maou.
"Umu. Just as Amaterasu warned me," Odin said grimly. "The hands of the Khaos Brigade have reached deep into every faction."
"Even knowing we have moles among us, we can only set that aside for now," Michael said evenly. "What matters at the moment is dealing with Loki."
"The seal I placed on Loki should hold for one day," Ajuka added. "That should give us enough time to decide our strategy."
"To defeat Loki, I will need to retrieve Mjolnir from Asgard," Odin said. "I could ask Thor, but he is currently unavailable."
"So we just need a task force capable of buying us time until Mjolnir arrives," Azazel summarized, glancing toward Tobio and his team. "Normally, this would be the point where I'd ask Slash/Dog to handle it. But now that you're part of the Nameless, I can't assign you missions the same way I used to."
"You don't need to hold back, Governor," Tobio replied with a wry smile. "This planet is our home world. Of course, we'd be willing to fight for it."
"Tobio-san is right," Alice added without hesitation. "We, the Nameless, promised to stand with the people of this world and protect it."
"Yeah. And I'm pretty sure the Captain wouldn't mind letting us lend a hand either," Anisphia chimed in.
Azazel shook his head slowly. "Believe me, I appreciate the sentiment. I really do. And we'd love to ask for your help…. but we can't rely on you for every problem, especially when this is still a manageable situation."
"Loki's actions and his attempt to start Ragnarok could eventually spiral into a major war," Michael said gently. "But at this stage, it's something we should be able to handle ourselves. If we truly wish to walk the path of Trailblaze and move toward the future alongside you, we must learn to take responsibility for our own affairs."
"The Nameless fight for the future of all that exists," Serafall added. "If we can't protect our own world without being coddled, how can we proudly claim that our civilization stands on the same path?"
"Hahaha. If you're that set on handling Loki yourselves, we won't force the issue," Hajime said with a wry smile. "Just you know that we'll always be close by. If you need help, we'll answer."
"Thank you, Hajime-dono," Sirzechs said warmly. "Knowing you're at our backs is enough."
The rest of the Three Faction Leaders nodded in agreement.
"Keh! And here I was actually looking forward to seeing how a fight between Loki and the Godslayer would turn out," Odin said with a laugh. "I even thought of offering this perpetually single Valkyrie to your group as compensation."
"Huhuhu!! I didn't choose to be boyfriendless! I didn't choose to be single! Sob!" Rossweisse dropped to her knees, smacking the floor dramatically.
Hajime glanced at the beautiful Valkyrie with mixed feelings. 'I thought she was a cool beauty… but the gap between her appearance and personality is enormous…'
"Fufufu. Odin-sama certainly enjoys his jokes," Alice said with an elegant laugh.
"Hehehe~. Instead of teasing like that, how about we continue planning how to deal with your little problem?" Anisphia added sweetly.
Despite their smiles, everyone in the conference room twitched. Feeling the heavy pressure from the two, even Hajime, seated between the two, wisely chose silence. Especially with Sagiri, Euphyllia, Sona, Ingvild, and Lavinia all staring daggers into his back.
'Such a heavy presence…' Odin thought, a bead of sweat sliding down his temple. 'Even in my prime, I don't think I could match these two.'
'S-so strong… J-just one of them already feels on par with the gods of Asgard!' Rossweisse stiffened. 'Maybe even stronger than any of the gods I met.'
"A-ahem! Anyway," Azazel said quickly, steering the conversation back on track. "Regarding the team we'll assign to stall Loki until Mjolnir arrives—I'm thinking of sending Rias Gremory's peerage. More specifically, Hyoudou Issei is to confront Loki."
"Hooo… so you want to send this generation's Red Dragon Emperor, huh? How interesting," Odin said with a smirk.
"You want Issei-kun to fight Loki?" Sirzechs asked, brows furrowing. "Why him?"
"Simple," Azazel replied. "That kid has the highest chance of surviving this battle—and he might even win against Loki."
Doubt remained in the eyes of the other faction leaders. Sensing it, Azazel met their gazes one by one.
"During the past ten days," he said plainly, "Hajime Nagumo trained that kid. And he survived."
The reaction was immediate. Their expressions quickly changed. Heads turned toward Hajime—some in shock, others with clear apprehension—before slow nods followed. Somehow, that explanation was enough.
"Oi, oi, oi! Why is that explanation being accepted so easily?" Hajime protested, exasperation clear in his voice as his cheek twitched.
'Am I some walking survival benchmark or something?!' The look in his eyes seemed to say.
"Hmm, this might be a good chance to test the younger generation," Falbium said. "Let's also add Sairaog Bael and Seekvaira Agares."
"If that's the case, my peerage should be eligible to join as well, right?" Sona spoke up. "I may be technically a member of the Nameless, but in practice, I operate under Hajime's team—with my peerage acting as a sub-unit. You could treat them as honorary members."
"What's this?" Azazel chuckled. "You devils planning to show off your Rookies Four or something?"
"Then Heaven shall lend one of our Ace and Joker for this mission," Michael said with a calm smile, unwilling to be left out.
"...Even you, brother?" Azazel stared at him. "Tch. If we, the Fallen, don't send anyone now, this will be a serious loss of face."
Tobio and the rest of Team Slash/Dog watched Azazel with barely concealed pity as he pulled out his phone, already contacting someone—most likely Shemhazai—to see who could be dispatched.
"Since this incident involves a god from our pantheon," Rossweisse said, her tone shifting back into that of a Valkyrie, "I will join the battle as well, as a representative of the Norse."
'Hard to believe this domineering war maiden turns into that whenever her relationship status comes up,' Hajime thought. 'Or rather… the lack of one.'
"With our forward team decided," Falbium said decisively, "let's begin the operation."
—----
8 hours before the operation, the Guest room at the Devil Government building…
Hajime, along with the entirety of Team Reason—Alice, Anisphia, Euphyllia, Ingvild, Ophis, Villhaze, and Ram—Team Slash/Dog—Tobio Ikuse, Lavinia Reni, Sae Toujou, Natsume Minagawa, Shigune Nanaderu, and Kouki Samejima—the Sitri Peerage, and, somewhat unexpectedly, Rossweisse, were gathered in a conference room, waiting for the remaining members of the Anti-Loki task force. At the moment, the Gremory, Bael, and Agares peerages had not yet arrived.
Aside from Rossweisse, who sat stiffly with her back straight, her hands on her lap. The others in the room were surprisingly relaxed. Even the Sitri Peerage, despite their nerves about the upcoming battle with Loki, didn't appear tense. Casual conversation flowed as they chatted with Team Slash/Dog and the ladies of Team Reason.
Watching from the sidelines, Rossweisse couldn't help but feel unsettled by how calm everyone seemed. It was as if facing a god in battle wasn't something worth stressing over.
She fidgeted, then stole a glance toward Hajime. He was sitting on the couch, eyes closed, cheek resting against his hand. Cool. Confident. Completely relaxed. Although they wouldn't be joining the fight directly, as requested by the Three Factions, they're here to show support for the forward team.
"Are we really not going to intervene in this mission, Hajime?"
The question came from the man seated beside him. Rossweisse remembered the name. 'Tobio Ikuse, leader of the famous Slash/Dog team, wielder of the Longinus Canis Lykaon, and known throughout the supernatural world as the Fallen Dog God.'
"I'm also a bit worried about this mission," the delinquent-looking boy said. "I trust everyone will be fine, but staying on the sidelines still makes me restless."
It took Rossweisse a moment to recall his name, but it came back to her. 'Kouki Samejima. Holder of the independent-type Sacred Gear, Byakusa. Member of the Slash/Dog team.'
"Hm. I know you all might be feeling impatient," Hajime replied as he lazily opened his eyes. "But Azazel and the others asked us to stay out of this one."
He covered his mouth as he yawned before continuing, his tone remained casual. "I do understand their reason, though. They didn't want to keep relying on us for everything. And I agree with them. They want to be able to say they can stand alongside us."
"I see…" Kouki said, accepting the answer, though a hint of dissatisfaction remained in his expression.
'Aw....they really won't join this mission…' Rossweisse thought, her shoulders drooping slightly. 'Just like Lord Odin. I was actually looking forward to seeing how the Godslayer fights.'
"By the way, Hajime," Tobio spoke up, changing the topic, "when are you and the others planning to leave? Are you staying to watch the Rating Games?"
"Ah… about that," Hajime said, straightening himself. "We'll probably leave after this mission."
Rossweisse's eyes widened a little. Hearing that made her chest sink more than she expected. 'Ehh? So soon…?'
"Do you have a destination in mind?" Tobio asked.
"I was originally thinking about going to Anis's homeworld," Hajime replied, "but now I'm considering heading back to my and Alice's home for a while."
"Hoho! Planning to introduce your new fiancées to your family?" Kouki smirked.
Hajime rolled his eyes at the obvious tease. "Yeah. Now that we finally have the coordinates to Noah's homeworld, as he told us in the Bros group chat, to stop overthinking things and freely visit our homes whenever we want. No need to be overly considerate toward him."
He gave a small, wry smile as he remembered Noah's long rant in the group chat. "Besides, Shadow Hachi's enjoying his school life back home. He basically told me to stop hesitating and just go."
"Ah… that incident," Tobio chuckled, clearly remembering it. "I'm pretty sure Hachi's still annoyed about getting tricked by Noah-san into that experiment testing the second Divine Key's observation of parallel selves."
"Hahaha! At first, the Captain told Hachi he just wanted to check whether the coordinates of a parallel self would match the location in our world," Kouki said, laughing. "And then—boom. An 'accident' later, and we end up creating a version of Hachi living peacefully back home."
"Noah-san really does love his elaborate plans," Tobio said, shaking his head, though his amusement was obvious.
"Well, at least this way Hachi gets to live the normal life he always wanted," Hajime said quietly. "He can finally keep the promises he made to the people he cares about back there."
"He deserves that much normalcy after everything he's been through," Tobio added, nodding.
"So that means our planned 'trip' after Hachi's group finishes their First Steps is still on?" Kouki whispered, making sure only Hajime and Tobio could hear him.
"Yeah," Hajime replied just as softly. "Noah's mapping the Sea of Quanta with VA's help. He's going to pick up his brother's… wife candidate. She's stuck there."
"Wife candidate?" Tobio blinked. "Did something happen to Bronya-chan? Shouldn't she be training with Welt-san? Didn't she inherit his position as the Herrscher of Reason?"
"Not Bronya," Hajime said. "Her sister. Seele."
Tobio and Kouki stared at him, then slowly turned to look at each other.
"…Just how many wife candidates has the Captain lined up for that poor guy?" they asked in unison
"I think it's eight or nine by now," Hajime said, crossing his arms, his brows knitting together.
"That many?!" Tobio blurted out.
"And we've only met, what—three?" Kouki muttered. "Asta-san, Lefay, and Bronya."
"And the scary part?" Hajime added with a helpless sigh. "I don't think he's satisfied yet. If I had to bet my life on it, I'd say Noah's definitely going to keep nudging his brother toward even more people."
Despite never having met Touya Alden, Hajime felt an odd sympathy toward him, as a fellow victim of Noah's unstoppable matchmaking instincts.
He turned to Kouki and Tobio, fixing them with a look that made both men feel a bit unnerved.
"…Good luck, you two," Hajime said flatly. "Just pray Noah doesn't decide to play cupid for you next."
Both men shuddered at the implication.
"E-ehem! I already have Sae, so I think I'm safe," Tobio said, trying to sound confident as he glanced at Kouki.
'Oh… crap.'
Kouki, meanwhile, broke into a cold sweat. Among the bros, he was the only one without a relationship.
"W-well, I don't know about that, Tobio," Kouki replied, forcing a grin as his shoulders trembled. "I mean, Hajime's already with Alice-san and Anis-san, and the Captain still played cupid for him."
The grin he gave clearly said, 'If I'm not safe, I'm dragging you down with me!'
"You bastard… and you call yourself my brother?!" Tobio shot back, eyes wide in betrayal.
Watching the silent standoff unfold, Hajime couldn't help but smile wryly. "Relax. Right now, Noah's priority is dealing with the threats targeting the Express."
He continued casually, "On top of that, he's planning to bring back his childhood friends slash girlfriends from his homeworld. And once his brother and sister join us too, he'll be busy for a while."
That explanation was enough. Both Tobio and Kouki let out audible sighs of relief.
Just then, the doors to the room opened. The remaining teams they had been waiting for finally arrived—Sairaog Bael, Rias Gremory, and Seekvaira Agares, along with their respective peerages.
"Sona, Nagumo-kun, Ikuse-kun… everyone's here already?" Rias said in mild surprise.
"It seems we're the late ones," Sairaog added, glancing around the room.
"...Apologies for the delay. Our preparations took longer than expected," Seekvaira said, giving a brief bow.
Sona rose from her seat beside Alice, Anisphia, Ingvild, Lavinia, and Sagiri, stepping forward to welcome the newcomers. "Please don't worry about it. We simply arrived early—there wasn't much we needed to prepare. In fact, you're actually ahead of schedule yourselves."
"Yeah, just like Sona said," Hajime added as he moved to stand beside her. "Aside from her peerage, we're really just here as moral support."
"Eh? Everyone's already here?" a laid-back voice called out from the doorway. "Aren't you all a bit too eager?"
"Geez, Dulio-senpai! This is the first joint mission since the alliance was formed—please mind your manners!" another voice snapped back.
Everyone turned toward the entrance. Standing there were the forces Heaven had dispatched for this mission—faces familiar to Hajime and the others. Dulio Gesualdo, along with Issei's childhood friend and Xenovia's former partner, Shidou Irina.
Dulio gave a lazy wave, wearing his usual easy grin. "Yo. The team Michael-sama sent reporting in—Dulio Gesualdo, with Shidou Irina."
Irina let out a small sigh before turning into a bright smile and waving enthusiastically. "Ise-kun! Xenovia! It's been a while!"
As they greeted each other, Hajime and the Astral Express crew noticed something off. The presence around Dulio and Irina felt different, even though they still looked the same as before. The Imaginary energy within them felt more like that of angels than humans.
"Looks like everyone's here," Sairaog said with an excited grin.
Sona nodded. "Now that everyone has arrived, shall we have a debrief before the mission begins?"
"Agreed," Seekvaira said with a short nod. "Having clearer information on the enemy—and a proper outline for our approach—will make this operation smoother."
"You're too stiff, Seekvaira," Rias said with a sigh, rolling her eyes. "Though I do agree. Before that, why don't you and Sairaog introduce yourselves? This is your first time meeting everyone here."
Seekvaira raised an eyebrow and glanced at Sairaog for support. He only shrugged in response.
"…Fine," she said after a brief pause.
"Then everyone, please take your seats," Sona said, clasping her hands together. "We'll begin our Anti-Loki briefing… over tea and snacks."
The words earned her a round of surprised looks from Rias, Sairaog, and Seekvaira.
"…To think there'd be a day when the strict, no-nonsense Sona Sitri would crack a joke," Rias muttered. "The world really might be ending."
Sairaog laughed, while Seekvaira gave a nod of agreement.
"…Just sit already," Sona sighed.
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