1. In response to people saying that there wasn't enough character development (I'm looking at you, my Beta), I've decided to split Kusonoki's route into ~3 chapters.

2. Might not be able to update next week. You can thank the Periodical Exams for that

Disclaimer: I don't own Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai

Enjoy!

Kusonoki Route Part One: The Assault

"Weakness is so unsightly," said Kusonoki, crushing Keima's hand. Kusonoki never really liked weakness. It was inevitable though, due to the fact that she was raised as a cold-hearted boy ever since she could remember. Sure, that meant that she perfected the Kasuga fighting style, but as a consequence, she lost her feminine side. All she could feel was emptiness, and resent for the weak.

That meant Keima, who was the epitome of weakness, was out of luck. All he could do was save his game and hope the Goddesses were on his side, as the life was crushed out of his hand. Luckily (or unluckily), a certain bug demon was on his side.

"Get away from Kami Nii-sama, you parsley-heads!" cried Elsie, wielding her broom like a sword. She ran into the fray, and crashed into Keima, miraculously knocking him out of the third year's grasp. Once Elsie felt a body under her, she mercilessly whacked the said body with all her might. "May Docrow have mercy on my enemies, for I shall not!"

"It's me, Keima, you stupid bug demon!" exclaimed Keima, swiftly pocketing his PFP for its safety. He then grabbed Elsie's wrists, effectively restraining her. Blushing at the contact, and the risqué position they were in, Elsie said, "I'm sorry, Kami-sama!"

For some reason, Kusonoki felt a pang in her heart at the sight of the intimate position our protagonist had with the demon, and the third year wondered why. Her mind drifted to jealousy, but Kusonoki pushed the thought out of her mind and simply attributed the pang to the weakness the two members of the Escaped Spirit Squad emitted. "You two... so full of weakness! I never want to see you again!"

Doro doro! Keima silently cursed. An Escaped Spirit!? The hallway was devoid of others, so the only possible Host would be... Kusonoki Kasuga. Keima prayed to whatever omniscient entity was out there, hoping that there would be no fighting. "Please, anything but a fight!"

"P-Please make me your student, Miss Kusonoki!" said Keima, prostrating himself in front of the martial artist. Kusonoki had to hold in a facepalm. Didn't he see the sign outside that said "Women's Martial Arts Club"? Why would a boy want to join a girls-exclusive club!? She voiced her opinion, which was met by another response. "You just looked so... cool, when you defended me. I... I want to be just like you, Ma'am." She sighed, and told him to raise his head, and stand up. She said that she would let him into the club, on one condition.

"You're going to have to lose your girlfriend," said Kusonoki, referring to Elsie. Of course, Keima knew that, since Kusonoki saw Elsie and him in an intimate position, but he decided to play dumb. "One can not have any attachments if one wants to learn my family's art."

"I don't have a girlfriend," replied Keima. He blushed, remembering his past Conquests. If one were to count, he would've had four girlfriends, and at the rate he was going, he'd have five soon enough. "That is not a problem."

"What about the girl with the broom? She seemed to be really worried for your safety, so much so that she actually risked her safety for your own weak self!" contradicted Kusonoki. Her eyes darkened, and she swore that if the boy in front of her were to be lying... well, they do say that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

"Wouldn't a caring sister want her older brother to be safe?" countered Keima, shattering all of Kusonoki's arguments. Keima allowed a smirk to grace his features, and luckily for him, it went unnoticed by the martial artist.

"...Fine, you may join the club... as my disciple, of course."

After officially signing up (and getting a taste of harsh disciple-ship), Keima walked home alone, since Elsie had to go ahead. As he played with his PFP, something lurked from the shadows. Its narrowed eyes passed over Keima, and the figure grimaced. It said, "I will not allow my Mistress to be affected by this weakling."

Feeling eyes glaring daggers at his head, Keima whipped around, only to see bushes. Keima looked up, the creamy white moon filling his view. He sighed, knowing that onfe he got home, he would be in for a long lecture courtesy of his mom, Mari Katsuragi. Oh well, all the new games he bought would make up for it. He was shaken out of his gaming reverie as a silhouette made its presence known, standing in front of the geek. Keima could feel the blood lust radiating off of the person, and he knew at that moment that he was doomed. The figure stepped into the moon's limelight, the soft light accentuating her figure. Keima silently cursed in his thoughts, 'Oh Goddess, Kusonoki Kasuga!'

Something about the girl was a bit... off, though. Like her all-black attire, or maybe the way her eyes looked bloodshot. Or maybe the way her hair was as white as the full moon that loomed over the two figures. Keima found himself backing away as the martial artist made her way forward. Keima was sure that the situation wasn't natural by any means.

"Hello there, pebble," said the girl, cracking her knuckles. Every crack sounded like a gunshot, and it chilled Keima to the bone. Not only that, she wasn't calling him "disciple" anymore. She was dead serious. "Prepare to die." Then, she ran at him.

"Gwah!" exclaimed Keima, Kusonoki's fist slamming into his abdomen with the ferocity of a jackhammer. How she closed the distance between them, Keima didn't know, but it didn't really matter to him at the moment, as his life - and Elsie's - was on the line. He crashed into a nearby tree, splinters entering his back. As he laid there in immense pain, all Keima could see was red.

"D-Damn it... my body... it hurts all over." Barely conscious, he wondered why he wasn't cut in half by the blow. At the sight of Kusonoki readying another strike, Keima tried to stand up, only to find that he didn't have the energy to rise from his slumped condition. As the assailant stood firm, ready to deliver the final blow, Keima said, "I-I guess I'm finished."

Then he was whisked up into the air.

"I wonder what's taking Kami Nii-sama so long," remarked Elsie, sweeping the floor till she could practically see her reflection. How she was able to do that without floor polish was answered by the magic broom in Elsie's grasp that had four tick marks. Four Escaped Spirits in custody. Elsie's smile grew at the thought. She was so close to catching up to her sister, and it was all thanks to the boy she... liked? "I hope he's safe."

Keima Katsuragi was whisked into the air by an unknown flying entity. Keima looked below, to see the tree Keima was slumped against earlier snapped in half. So were the other trees in the first tree's proximity. Keima sighed in relief. He was out of Death's grasp... for now. Of course, only God knows the identity of his savior, and Keima wasn't looking forward to finding out. "Not to be rude, but... who are you? Sure, it's obvious that you're working with New Hell, with the Robe and all, but who are you, exactly?"

The girl didn't really want to reveal her identity to the boy, but it seemed that she had no choice. She knew from her previous observations that Elucia de Lute Ima's partner, Keima Katsuragi, was a very... "aggressive" individual when he wants to get information out of a person, and she didn't want to risk dropping him a hundred feet from the ground. Elsie might die!

"...Haqua du Lot Herminium."

Ah, don't you just love cliffies and plot twists. Oh, that could make a pretty good title of a chapter to a certain fic! I can see it now: Shouko, Cliffies, and Plot Twists!

(For those of you who know my fic The World Only the Summons Know: Yep, this will be a planned title for Chapter 18! Are you excited! And yes, my Beta, you can ask me for the details.)

Anyway, please review, and look forward to the next update!