French Restaurant
Polished silver cutlery shimmered softly under the restaurant's warm, ambient lighting.
The air was rich with the aroma of toasted bread, black truffle, and top-grade steak.
Rei Ao, Utaha Kasumigaoka, and Sonoko Machida had just taken their seats by the window at a cozy, upscale booth.
A waiter approached, handing them the menus with practiced elegance.
Utaha casually flipped hers open, scanning the options with her usual grace.
Her wine-red eyes danced across the selections, but it was obvious her thoughts weren't entirely on the food.
She glanced sideways at Rei Ao, who was focused on the wine list, and the corner of her lips curled into a knowing smile.
Sonoko, clearly entertained by the silent chemistry between them, was just about to crack a playful jab—
When suddenly:
[Ding! Kirishima Touka has joined the Trade Chat Group!]
[Ding! Mitsuha Miyamizu has joined the Trade Chat Group!]
A soft notification rang in their minds. Not aloud, but deep in their consciousness. Only certain people could hear it.
All three of them paused for a split second.
Even though Utaha and Sonoko weren't technically part of the main chat, their strong link to Rei Ao let them pick up the system alerts.
Utaha looked up and met Rei Ao's eyes. No words needed—he got the message.
Sonoko raised a brow and gave a sly smirk, like she was thinking "More sisters joining the club, huh?"
"Looks like we've got new members in the group," Utaha said, closing her menu and tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear.
She gave Rei Ao a teasing smile. "Go on, you're the group admin. Sonoko and I will handle the food."
She knew the drill—new members needed a proper welcome, and that was Rei Ao's job.
Sonoko nodded, took the menu from the waiter, and added, "Yup, leave it to us. You take care of business—we'll make sure you eat something amazing~"
She even threw in a wink.
Rei Ao smiled at the both of them, genuinely appreciative.
"Thanks. I owe you."
He put down the wine list and closed his eyes—not to rest, but to dive into the multiversal space known as the Trade Chat Group.
The interface was already buzzing.
Touka and Mitsuha's arrival had stirred the quiet like stones tossed into a still lake.
Akame: "Oh? New faces? Been a little while since we got new people."
Frieren: "Welcome. Curious—what kind of worlds are you two from?"
Saeko Busujima: "Welcome. Don't forget to check the rules."
Ayame Yomogawa: "Welcome, you two! The vibe here's really chill. No need to stress!"
Mai Sakurajima: "Hey there. If you're confused, check the pinned announcements."
Stella: "And if you need help, don't be shy."
Megumi Kato: "Yeah, everyone's super friendly here."
The chat exploded with greetings, intros, and a few humble brags.
Beings from every imaginable world—humans, elves, dragons, gods—showed just how wild and diverse this group really was.
Rei Ao: "Welcome to @Kirishima Touka and @Mitsuha Miyamizu. Glad to have you in the Trade Chat Group."
Rei Ao: "This group connects every world in existence. There's a lot to take in, so don't feel rushed to speak up. Just explore, and ping me or check the announcements if you need anything."
As the admin spoke, the flood of messages slowed a little.
All eyes shifted to the two new names, everyone wondering—who were they, and what kind of worlds did they come from?
…
Mitsuha Miyamizu sat curled up on a tatami mat, hugging her knees. Her shrine maiden robes spread neatly around her.
A glowing blue screen hovered in front of her, flooding with messages scrolling faster than she could read.
"Dragons... elves... gods?" she murmured, still in disbelief.
None of this made sense.
It felt like her entire worldview was being ripped apart at the seams.
She pinched her arm—hard.
"Ow!"
Definitely not a dream.
So... it was real?
This chat group really did connect infinite worlds?
And the people talking… were actual legendary beings?
Excitement and confusion crashed over her like a tidal wave.
As a shrine maiden, she had a lifelong understanding of what "gods" were supposed to be.
But these people—these "gods"—were they the same as the guardian deity enshrined at the Miyamizu family shrine?
Her curiosity and spiritual instincts were in overdrive.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, and finally gathered the courage to send her first message:
Mitsuha Miyamizu: "Um… excuse me… is this… a message from the gods?"
Another ripple hit the chat.
Stella: "A message from the gods? Hmm. If you're talking about how this group works, maybe—but it's probably not what you're imagining."
Stella: "Some of us here have actually reached the level of divinity."
Saeko Busujima: "Gods? Heh. In a sense, yeah. We kinda are."
Couronne: "Totally! We've got a bunch of insanely powerful deities in this chat!"
Sui: "Mitsuha-san, don't worry. Everyone here comes from different places and power levels. A lot of what we are depends on our strength—and how we understand the world."
Mitsuha stared, jaw slightly open.
They... really were gods?
And from the sound of it, not just one—but several?
She couldn't hold back.
Mitsuha Miyamizu: "Then... um... is there a guardian deity here? The kind we call 'Itomori God'—like the one enshrined at Miyamizu Shrine?"
The chat paused.
Misaka Mikoto: "Itomori God? Sounds like a local thing—probably unique to your region's belief system."
Megumi Kato: "Yeah, sounds like a hometown guardian spirit. I don't think we have anyone with that title here."
She couldn't recall Rei Ao assigning anyone a title like that.
Ai Hayasaka: "From the name and your description, it sounds super localized. This group pulls from all kinds of world systems—and usually, divine ranks come from Rei Ao. So… probably not."
Julis: "There's no record of a 'Itomori' shrine in my kingdom either… but that's not surprising. We're clearly not from the same world."
~~~
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