A/N: Hello people of the internet! As promised here is the chapter 69 which I finally finished! That was tiring.... fuuu.. anyways. I also have some small announcement to make. I will pause on making new chapters for awhile. Right now in my head the reversion is the one playing. So I want to write finished the rewrite for Vol 1 or Teyvat arc before continuing the DXD arc. So tomorrow I won't post new chapters but maybe I will give new Short Stories instead. As the short stories will help to explain so of the events in Vol 1. I also want to use it as the groundwork for the future Arcs. If I do as I plan I should be able to finish the rewrite in 2 weeks time. I will also try to do update of the story in between, if I made new chapters. So please do bear with me.
Also Chapter 6 Rewrite is up! please do check it.
Thanks! J's out!
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Despite the chaos unfolding in the DXD world, life aboard the Astral Express rolled on with surprising normalcy. The interdimensional train cruised smoothly along planetary orbit, unaffected by black holes or reality-breaking revelations. It was business as usual for Noah, Kiana, Elysia and Lumine.
In the cozy lounge, Noah sat quietly, a cup of tea warming his hands as he leaned into the cushions. The calm of the room wrapped around him like a gentle pause from the chaos outside.
A soft tune played from the phonograph tucked in the corner, "Lonely Feather," a song from his home world. It had been composed by someone important to him, a girl named Sylvia Lyyneheim or Sylvie, as she liked to be called. He first met her by chance when He'd gotten separated from his friends after a concert. As he tries to find his way back when he found himself wandering deep alleys of Asterisk's Rotlicht district. The place was a mess of glowing signs and shady dealings, a playground for danger. When the local mafia mistook him for some nosy outsider, things started heading south.
That's when she appeared.
"Are you perhaps in trouble?" she asked, amused by the chaos.
Before he could say a word, she took his hand and pulled him into a run, weaving through alleys and laughing like it was the best thrill of her night. He'd barely caught his breath before realizing he'd just been saved by the most famous star in the world. The very same star he'd just watched performing on stage with his friends earlier that night.
She wrote the song for him, saying that if he ever drifted too far into the stars, it would guide him home. As the melody flowed through the lounge, the memories returned warm, and just a little bittersweet. They brought back the memories of where it began and a promise not to lose himself.
Footsteps padded across the lounge floor, interrupting the tranquil mood.
Kiana, Elysia, and Lumine entered in a burst of energy, arms filled with snacks and drinks. Their laughter brought warmth to the room, mingling easily with the melody still playing from the phonograph.
"Captain!" Kiana beamed, trying to balance a tray of sandwiches while somehow not dropping any. "We come bearing supplies!"
"Pastries, tea, and juicy reports from our dear friends down there~," Elysia added playfully, giving a graceful twirl before plopping down with her haul.
Lumine followed with her usual calm presence, cradling a pot of tea.
Noah looked up from his cup, the edges of his lips tugging upward with a familiar smile as he watched them settle in around him.
The air grew warmer, more alive, as they plopped down onto the couches and chairs, spreading out their feast. Kiana immediately tore into a sandwich, her cheeks puffing out adorably. Then, with a bright, infectious smile, she scooted closer to Noah and held up her half-eaten sandwich toward him.
"Here, Captain! You gotta try this!" she said cheerfully, her eyes sparkling with warmth.
Noah blinked in mild surprise, but the smile that spread across his face was soft and genuine. Leaning forward, he took a small bite from the sandwich Kiana offered, their hands brushing lightly for a moment.
The simple act, the easy trust between them, filled the lounge with an even deeper sense of family, an unspoken bond that tied them not just as comrades, but as irreplaceable parts of each other's journeys.
"So, anything new from Hajime and the others?" Lumine asked, setting the tea pot on the table after filling their cups.
"Oh, you have no idea," Elysia said dramatically, laughing as she fanned herself with a napkin. "They turned what should've been a calm little investigation into a full-blown mess. Honestly, it's a miracle the entire planet isn't spinning off its axis right now."
Kiana nearly choked on her sandwich, giggling through a mouthful. "W-Wait, what?!" she spluttered, blinking in confusion. "I thought it was supposed to be a normal expedition on an unknown world!"
Lumine leaned forward, wide-eyed. "...What just even happened?"
Elysia giggled musically, tapping her pink terminal. "That's what we thought too! But from the daily report Alice just sent... well, let's just say things escalated."
Kiana pouted slightly. "Nobody tells me anything anymore...!"
Elysia leaned in dramatically, lowering her voice like she was about to reveal the biggest secret of the century. "According to it... things escalated way beyond expectations."
Lumine perked up, curiosity flashing in her golden eyes. "How bad?"
Elysia flashed a mischievous grin. "Let's just say... black holes got involved."
For a heartbeat, the entire lounge froze. Even the old melody drifting from the phonograph seemed to hold its breath.
"Black holes...?" came a soft voice. Tt was Sirin's voice, faintly rang from the quatum emblem pinned beside Kiana's own pyro emblem.
Elysia grinning as she poke the emblem gently. "You heard that right, Sirin! Hajime went full 'disaster' mode again."
She paused, then laughed fondly. "Last time he pulled something like this was when we visited Anis's home world. When Anis fought that giant dragon? Hajime got so carried away helping her that half the mountain got leveled. I swear, Hajime and 'small-scale' don't belong in the same sentence."
After a small pause, Sirin muttered shyly, "...that sounds like him, isn't it?"
"Aahaha," Elysia added gleefully, "He even end up blowing up half the academy grounds and in Hajime style he casually fixed it with a snap!"
Lumine blinked rapidly, processing the absurdity. "....Then he must have cause the poeple there to question reality."
Kiana clapped her hands together in disbelief. "So he demolish the school and then rebuilt it afterwards?!" she said, laughing breathlessly.
Noah, seated quietly nearby, sipped his tea, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. His gaze warmed as he watched them all, Kiana, Lumine, Elysia, and even the timid voice of Sirin, share laughter and wonder beneath the timeless song that wrapped around them all like a memory carried on the rails of stars.
-----
Kiana leaned back, munching thoughtfully on her sandwich before glancing at the phonograph still playing the soft melody.
"Captain, you really like this song, huh?" she asked, tilting her head curiously, her voice warm and casual.
Noah's smile deepened slightly as he set his teacup down with a soft clink. He looked toward the phonograph for a moment.
"Yeah," he said softly, almost to himself. "This song... reminds me of where I started. Of someone who gave me the courage to take the step forward, when the road ahead was still unknown."
He let the words linger in the air, the notes of "Lonely Feather" wrapping around them like a gentle embrace, filling the lounge with a warmth.
Kiana paused mid-bite, slowly lowering her sandwich. Her eyes narrowed on Noah.
"So... is she someone special?" Her tone sound casual, but has the faintest hint of jealousy and curiosity .
Noah chuckled softly, casting her a helpless, fond smile as he picked up his tea once more. "Maybe," he said, his voice gentle, leaving the answer floating ambiguously between them like the song's lingering notes.
Kiana stared at him with a straight face for a moment longer, then huffed quietly and looked away with a pout. "Hmmm."
Elysia, not letting this chance to tease Noah. "My, my... our Captain sure is popular."
Noah turned his gaze toward her, a playful edge in his smile. "Are you jealous, Ellie?"
"What? Me? Jealous?" Elysia blinked far too quickly and waved a hand with exaggerated grace. "Absolutely not! That girl, whoever she was, is in the past. I mean, the Captain lives in the now, right? And I'm part of that now. I'm his present. His future!"
Lumine arched an eyebrow knowingly. "Very... confident perspective."
Kiana gave a slow nod beside her, the corner of her mouth tugging up. "I agree."
Elysia turned red, then straightened with theatrical pride. She placed a hand delicately on her chest and smiled sweetly. "Isn't it true? The past belongs to memories... but the present and the future well, those are ours."
Then, with a mischievous wink, she added, "Or maybe... it's just me and the Captain."
Kiana immediately froze, her eyes narrowing as she leaned forward slightly. "Excuse me?"
Noah, still sipping his tea, merely sighed and smiled, caught between amusement and helplessness.
The rising tension between Elysia and Kiana sparked into low bickering, their voices overlapping as they exchanged snappy remarks.
"Hmmp! you're the future that might come after all I am Captain's present," Kiana huffed.
"You're barely breakfast," Elysia countered with a grin. "I'm the full-course dinner."
Kiana narrowed her eyes. "At least I don't over-season everything with glitter."
"Says the girl who can't cook and keeps exploding the kitchen!"
Their words danced between teasing and challenge, loaded with playful rivalry a until a small voice broke everything.
Lumine reached forward and gently tugged at Noah's sleeve.
He blinked and looked over, surprised by the softness in her eyes.
"I'm jealous," she said plainly, her voice small but unwavering. Her face remained mostly composed, but the tips of her ears had turned red, and a faint blush dusted her cheeks.
Elysia and Kiana froze mid-argument.
Noah set his tea down slowly, his gaze holding Lumine's. He didn't say anything he simply opened his arms.
Without hesitation, Lumine jump forward and eased herself onto his lap, wrapping her arms gently around his shoulders. She rested her head against him releasing a content hum.
The soft sound of her sigh seemed to say everything that words couldn't.
Elysia and Kiana stared at her in stunned silence.
And then, like a synchronized spell breaking, both turned to Lumine with narrowed eyes and dark expressions.
Lumine simply closed her eyes with a peaceful smile, as if to say, My win, deal with it.
-----
A soft chime rang out from the lounge terminal, followed by a brief flicker across the comms panel. The next moment, a bright, familiar voice crackled to life through the speakers.
"Heeey~ Captain! Everyone! It's Anis! Can you hear us? We finally got the uplink working!"
Another voice chimed in, upbeat and slightly exasperated. "And I told you not to lead with that tone, Anis."
A third voice followed, unmistakably Hajime's.
"Just start the report already..."
The holographic call connected.
Alice, Anisphia, and Hajime's faces flickered into view above the table only for the three of them to freeze mid-greeting. Their cheerful expressions slowly twisted into bewilderment.
Elysia and Kiana were both sitting stiffly, their gazes dark as they glared silently toward Noah... who was currently pampering a very satisfied-looking Lumine curled up in his lap.
The atmosphere was tense.
Hajime coughed awkwardly. "Uhh... bad time?"