Starting with No Game No Life: Infinite Chests

"What happened to Father Freed and the others?" Asia glanced around in confusion, uncertain about what had just happened.

"They did too many bad things, so I guess god punished them," Riku said with a shrug, teasing.

"Is that so...?" Asia blinked, then clasped her hands together in prayer. "Lord, you really haven't abandoned me after all."

From Asia's perspective, the brilliant flash of holy light that saved her in a moment of crisis could only have been divine punishment sent down from above.

Well, in a way, she was right since Riku was now the god of the faithful.

"Asia, are you really going to stay with those people?" Riku asked, his face serious. "It's too dangerous. You should come live at my place."

Normally, saying something that blunt would startle most girls, but clearly Asia was not "most girls."

"Really? You'd let me stay at your house?" The little nun's emerald eyes sparkled with excitement and happiness as she gripped Riku's shoulder.

"Of course. Aren't we friends?" Riku smiled gently, patting her head.

"Riku, you're so kind... I'm really glad I met you," Asia said, beaming with a bright, heartfelt smile.

"All right, enough with the gratitude. Before we head home, I need to take you somewhere first," Riku said with a grin, gently taking Asia's hand as he led her away from the dilapidated church.

Being led by Riku, Asia didn't resist; her cheeks just turned a little pink as she shyly followed.

-Kuoh Academy, Occult Research Club.

"Speaking of which, where has our lazy advisor run off to this time?" Rias sat on the sofa, rubbing her forehead as she looked at Schwi.

Over the past week, Riku had behaved like a harmless kitten; there was no sign of the terrifying monster that Serafall and her brother had described. As a result, everyone had started treating him more or less like a friend.

But what gave Rias a headache was how irresponsible Riku was as a teacher during PE class, he always just let the students do whatever they wanted. The only noteworthy thing he'd done was train Koneko in martial arts, which had greatly improved her abilities.

Other than that, he was nowhere to be found most of the time, only coming back in the evenings.

Rias really had no idea what to do with such a willful teacher.

"He'll be back soon," Schwi said, glancing at Rias, her eyes twinkling mysteriously. "And this time, you all can finally have a proper talk with him."

"Ara ara, so Schwi-chan isn't going to cover for Riku this time?" Akeno said with a smile, handing Schwi a cup of tea.

By now, everyone knew about the relationship between Riku and Schwi and were shocked to learn that they weren't siblings, but husband and wife. Basically, no matter what Riku did, Schwi was always on his side.

To be honest, the fact that they'd gotten married so young had startled the whole club.

Koneko even went so far as to give Riku the nickname "H-teacher."

Riku, for his part, was at a loss for words. Sure, Schwi looked like a loli, but she was legal, okay?

"Riku's been getting a bit too bold lately," Schwi said with a hint of a grumble.

"Which girl has the H-teacher been charming this time?" Koneko added flatly.

While the girls chatted, Yuuto simply pretended not to hear, lost in his own thoughts.

"Koneko, what do you mean, 'which girl have I charmed this time'?" At that moment, the clubroom door opened, and Riku entered with a grin. "Talking about people behind their backs isn't very nice, you know."

"H-teacher, before you try to argue, mind explaining the girl behind you?" Koneko said, staring at Riku before shifting her golden eyes to Asia, who was hiding nervously behind him.

"My, my, Riku-kun's getting bolder. Bringing another girl here right in front of your wife," Akeno said teasingly, clearly enjoying the drama.

"Mmm. Riku-kun, I don't really care who you bring home, but this is the Occult Research Club, the headquarters for devils in this town. Bringing someone from the Church here is a bit much," Rias said, covering her face in exasperation as she looked at Asia. "Honestly, you're out of control."

"Riku, we're not going to stop you from meeting girls, but isn't this getting a little out of hand?" Schwi pouted, obviously a little jealous.

Even if she'd never get in the way, it would be a lie to say she wasn't the least bit jealous. How long had they been in this world, and how many girls had Riku already met?

"So, this is a trial by committee, huh? You're going to scare the newcomer like this," Riku said, rolling his eyes.

"Let me do the introductions." He gently pushed Asia forward, patting her on the back to comfort her.

"This is Asia Argento, former Saint of the Church. Because she possesses the Sacred Gear [Twilight Healing], which can heal devils and fallen angels, she was exiled by the Church and targeted by fallen angels. Now she's homeless. I happened to run into her and decided to take her in. That's all there is to it," Riku said, completely serious.

"H-Hello, everyone. I—I'm Asia Argento," Asia stammered nervously as she looked at Rias and the others.

Even though Riku had already warned her, meeting devils face-to-face was still overwhelming.

"Twilight Healing...?" Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba all exchanged surprised glances, clearly recognising the Famous Sacred Gear.

"But that's not the issue here. We don't care if you take in a nun, but bringing her here isn't the best idea. After all, this is a place for devils. And she's a former Saint," Rias said, holding her forehead.

"Devils, angels, the Church, fallen angels... what do their conflicts have to do with me? I'll do what I want, and no one can stop me," Riku said coolly.

"I brought Asia here because I want her to join the Occult Research Club. I'll talk to Sona about transferring her over."

"You're out of control," Rias said, speechless.

"Ara ara, Rias, I actually think a boy who's both gentle and domineering is very attractive," Akeno smiled.

"This time, I support Riku-sensei," Koneko said.

Schwi just sighed helplessly.

As for Kiba, ever since he'd heard the word "Church," his mood had darkened noticeably

--

"Forget it, even if I refused, I doubt it would make any difference," Rias said to Riku with a touch of resignation in her voice.

"I apologise for my earlier words," Rias then added with a calm breath, turning to Asia and offering a polite bow.

"No, it's nothing, really. I'm the one causing trouble for everyone," Asia replied nervously, waving her hands in embarrassment.

Seeing Asia's reaction, Rias silently nodded to herself. Clearly, this girl's personality was genuinely good.

"Asia, welcome to the Occult Research Club," Rias said with a graceful smile.

Schwi, Akeno, and Koneko also chimed in, warmly welcoming her.

"Thank you, everyone." Sensing that everyone here was a good person, Asia's nerves eased, and she smiled brightly.

It did feel a little odd being surrounded by devils, but as long as Riku was by her side, she felt at ease. It was a feeling she couldn't quite describe.

"Asia, I know this is sudden, but... would you have any interest in becoming a devil?" Rias then asked.

"I'm sorry. I can't abandon the Lord," Asia replied quietly.

"I see, well, that's fine." Rias seemed a little disappointed but didn't press the issue. "Twilight Healing" was indeed valuable, but she'd never force someone to become her servant, especially not with Riku around; she couldn't even if she tried.

Watching the scene, Riku just shook his head. It seemed his interference had changed things again. But honestly, he'd rather see Asia become an angel than a devil; it suited her pure nature better, even if it might affect Rias a little.

Of course, these were minor issues. After all, both the Underworld and Heaven now listened to his word.

"Oh, by the way, Riku-kun, you mentioned there were fallen angels after Asia. Was it that same one responsible for the murder?" Rias asked, suddenly remembering.

"Oh, those guys? I wiped out all of them along with the stray exorcists," Riku replied offhandedly.

"I see. Then I guess there's nothing more for us to worry about," Rias said, unsurprised. If Riku brought Asia here, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened.

"Um..." Asia hesitated, remembering that Riku had previously said it was the Lord's punishment, but now he said he was the one who did it.

So... was Riku the Lord?

The idea flickered through her mind before she quickly brushed it off as unrealistic, deciding Riku had just been joking to comfort her.

Thinking that, she felt even more grateful.

With that settled, Riku took Asia to see Sona as well. After a brief visit, he left behind a speechless Sona and a stunned Tsubaki. As for the rest of Sona's peerage, they didn't get a say in the matter.

Later, while Rias and the others were busy with their devil work, Riku brought Asia and Schwi back home.

All the way back, Asia was a bit unsure how to interact with Schwi.

Riku reassured Schwi with a glance, and Schwi shot him a glare in return. But despite her tiny grudge, Schwi soon took the initiative to chat with Asia, and the two girls quickly hit it off.

Back home, Riku whipped up a few "heavenly" dishes, almost making Asia faint from bliss. Schwi, on the other hand, was much more composed. She'd had plenty of Riku's cooking by now, and being an Ex-Machina, she was built differently anyway.

Seeing the girls' reactions, Riku grinned in satisfaction, then got a room ready for Asia so she could bathe and rest.

And to soothe Schwi's little mood, he set up a few barriers and then engaged her in a "battle" in the bath, a long overdue rematch.

Clearly, Schwi's competitive side was showing; she seemed determined to drain Riku dry. But Riku wasn't about to lose he showed his pride as a man and, even against an Ex-Machina, proved he was more than up for the challenge.

Not until deep into the night did Riku finally carry Schwi back to bed.

The following month passed peacefully, returning to routine: chatting with the girls, strengthening their bonds, enjoying a laid-back life.

Asia soon transferred into Kuoh Academy, but unlike the original story (when she was a second-year), this time she entered as a first-year, in the same class as Koneko and Schwi.

Thanks to her adorable looks, she quickly became known as one of the school's "Three Little Mascots." Originally, only Koneko held that title, but with Schwi and Asia's arrival, the trio was complete.

As for Riku, jealous boys across the school nicknamed him "the Harem King," since all three mascots were often seen with him. Their relationships were clearly special.

In fact, even the school's four most popular older girls, Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki, were often seen with Riku.

Girls, meanwhile, mostly envied the ones who were close to him. Riku's looks and aura far surpassed even the school's former "Prince," Kiba Yuuto.

Not that Riku cared much for the attention, he just enjoyed his life as he pleased.

The only thing he found odd was that Raiser hadn't shown up to pressure Rias about marriage like in the original.

Still, he'd meddled so much by now that a little butterfly effect didn't bother him. It's not like, without Raiser around, he couldn't get closer to Rias.

Though things were calmer, over the past month, he'd managed to raise his favorability with Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Sona, and Tsubaki quite a bit.

If anything, he was just waiting for a decisive opportunity.

And as fate would have it, that opportunity had arrived.

At the school gates, two girls in black bodysuits and capes were quietly waiting for someone.

On the left stood a beautiful girl with short navy-blue hair, a lock of bright green in her bangs, and a massive item wrapped in cloth at her side. On the right was a cute brown-haired girl with twin tails.

No matter if it was their odd outfits or their looks, the pair drew plenty of attention. Luckily, it was class time, so not many people were around to stare.

"Two lost little lambs, standing at the school gates, are you waiting for someone?" Riku said with a sly smile, appearing behind them as if out of thin air.

"—!"

The sudden voice startled both girls, who whirled around to face Riku in shock.