Location: Earth - Branched world [Date a live], Japan.
Time: Afternoon.
Tragedy.
A term so foreign that she had always been aware of but had never truly felt herself.
Throughout her otherwise normal life, she had not encountered it.
Coming from a wealthy family where her parents placed no restrictions on her, and being their only child, she enjoyed a certain freedom.
However, this freedom also instilled in her an unusually strong sense of justice.
Spacequakes.
No one knows their origin, except that a few years back, a colossal earthquake hit the Eurasian border, resulting in the loss of millions of lives.
Initially, scientists attempted to study this phenomenon and, had came to the conclusion that it was a one time event.
Not so.
It occurred a second time, a third, a fourth, happening everywhere around the globe, transforming this inexplicable supernatural event into a common occurrence.
Naturally, they tried to rationalize it in human terms. Yet, science always lagged behind Gaps theory; nonetheless, people simply accepted it.
Now,
Since the advent of spacequakes, as if that alone weren't enough chaos for humanity, people soon began to battle for territory.
Fortunately, it wasn't a full-scale war between two major nations, but rather smaller countries along the Eurasian border, struggling with limited resources.
As a result, many became homeless, with most of them stranded along the coastline of Japan.
It is safe to assert that even the Japanese Government was hesitant to offer assistance to them. Consequently, she pondered.
"Why…? With so much power people have, why don't they try to make the world a better place."
As she walked home from school alongside her best friend, she would express such sentiments while her friend would merely empathize with her.
Indeed.
What began as a mere thought, a sentiment towards the powerless, soon transformed into a source of tragedy for her.
No.
To phrase it in that manner would be unjust. After all, she was manipulated; she could not have known. Like another, she was deceived by 'god.'
Both placed their trust in the 'Almighty,' and lo, where did they find themselves? Deep within the abyss of suffering.
For 'that person,' he was ensnared in a continuous cycle of death and life for an entire decade, a duration that felt far longer than it truly was.
And for her, she developed a bitter, resentful, and vengeful heart, losing her innocence and, in the process, transforming into something her former self would abhor.
At present,
"Hiiiee—Help! Somebody help me!"
"My~ my~ You utter those words, but do you not believe that the kitten you were tormenting was pleading for the same?"
"I—I promise I will never harm cats—or any animals—again! I assure you! Please allow me to leave!"
In the dimly lit alleyway, two figures stood. The surrounding environment was undeniably grim.
Lifeless bodies lay scattered on the ground. Not merely bodies, but deceased ones, each punctured with gaping holes, crimson blood oozing from the wounds.
The last survivor leaned against the trash near a wall, desperately pleading for his life, tears streaming down his face.
He bore the typical appearance of a delinquent, and to be honest? He merely sought some amusement.
They—a quartet—had been taunting, or perhaps bullying, a kitten with a sprained ankle, mocking its frailty. Then, out of nowhere, this 'atama no okashi' girl appeared.
"My, my, how could you bully such a feeble kitten like this~"
(Note: Atama no okashi translates to insane.)
However, that is not the crux of the matter. As she approached them, an ethereally beautiful girl, unlike any they had encountered before, captivated their attention.
It could be said that their unfortunate male instincts were triggered, and naturally, they responded with a lewd tone.
"Hehehe~ forget about the cat, why not come with us, heh...."
"Let's move to that corner over there… you know…"
Miserable lives.
Kurumi's golden and crimson eyes swirled like a vortex. Due to spacequakes, many things, although not immediately apparent, were impacted.
Regrettably, at this moment, the frequency of spacequakes had diminished to the levels observed in the past.
At the very least, within a week, she would have resolved more than five to ten issues related to the causes of spacequakes.
Often, she encounters individuals like this. Rather than striving for a better existence in this desolate world, they…
"My~ certainly, I would like to go~"
Without overtly displaying her disdain, she concealed it with a smile, as she always did. A harmless and enchanting smile capable of captivating anyone.
Like the unsuspecting smile she offered, they nearly leaped for joy. And,
BANG—!
Screams.
BANG—!
Despite their frantic attempts to flee, white arms erupted from the ground, emerging from the shadows, covering their mouths and restraining their legs as they sought to escape.
"M–monster!"
"My, who is the monster now~ am I not doing you a favor in your miserable life~"
As soon as they had entered this place, ready to commence whatever debauchery they had planned, she had transformed.
Initially clad in a simple schoolgirl outfit, it had now morphed into a gothic ensemble. Red and black, with ominous red and golden eyes.
"I—I will change, I—I promise…"
"Ahhhh~ too late. It is already too late~ Simply hand me your life and we will conclude this matter."
He could neither run nor hide. Thus, in a final desperate attempt, he screamed and tried to flee…
BANG—!
The finishing shot.
After that last shot, her hand fell, leaving her alone in this place, her body smeared with blood.
The light in her hand dimmed as she gradually lifted her head, consuming the remnants of them.
More specifically, their time.
"Mhm. Not enough~"
She hummed sorrowfully. It was only to be expected. Thugs like them did not have long to live. They had perhaps ten to fifteen years or so remaining.
'What should I do now~'
She brought a finger to her lip in contemplation.
Ultimately, she was still pursuing her investigation into Deus, the omnipotent being, without any leads or direction.
This was a moment in time when she had not been guided by destiny.
Then—
[DING!]
[Do you wish to uncover the truth of this world? Do you desire to reverse the tragedies that plague your world? Are you discontent with the law and order of your fractured world? If you seek to alter fate, consider joining the All-World Alliance Guild today.]
[Accept invitation?]
[YES] [YES]
[P.S: There is no option to decline :)]
It resembled something from a low-quality advertisement, aside from the floating blue panel before her.
"My, what an unusual occurrence..."
She murmured as she attempted to walk around the blue object, but it followed her with every step.
"...."
With a deep breath, she cautiously extended her finger towards the panel, only for her hand to pass through it.
Observing this, she glanced at the text once more, a small chuckle escaping her lips.
"Then, why not indulge~"
She did not dwell on it for long. Simply clicking it, she assumed it was a prank, albeit a sophisticated one, and her curiosity was piqued.
In an instant, she was drawn into another interface, reminiscent of the Discord community updates where one could view announcements, rules, and similar information.
"A collective of individuals from various worlds..."
The basic description conveyed this notion, and at first, she couldn't help but laugh. Being somewhat of a 'chunni' herself, she decided to indulge in the experience.
"But first~ time to make my exit~"
With that, her shadows began to extend from the ground, and she slowly started to sink into them.
Within an infinite dark void, her shadow realm, she floated effortlessly.
"Let's see..."
To gain a clearer understanding, she navigated through several channels where she encountered bizarre images of peculiar mechanical dragons and other objects.
[Information Channel]
[Weakest Undefeated]: [Drag-Ride Blueprint.jpg]
- [Drag-Rides are mechanical weapons unearthed from the Ruins. Those who wield Drag-Rides are referred to as Drag-Knights.]
Uploaded by [Number 002].
[Vampire Ancestor]: [Skills]
- [Skills represent a unique phenomenon activation system that automatically triggers inscribed supernatural effects known as powers ｢"authorities"｣.
[Vampire Ancestor]: [Oath of Time.jpg]
- [A fool brought me to another world to acquire a device capable of accelerating and decelerating time around a short distance. While it may lack versatility, it holds great potential.]
'They are quite committed, aren't they~'
Kurumi laughed softly. Yet, she hesitated, as these items appeared quite real. Thus, she chose to remain patient.
Returning to the #main_channel, the conversation certainly was lively and engaging.
[Fourth Calamity: Maeshvara…?]
[Demon of Okinawa: So, that's the situation here…]
[Fourth Calamity: I take it you've gone through everything? As expected of you.]
[Weakest Undefeated: …to give a newcomer such praise…]
[Vampire Ancestor: Before the reveal, Laurel, you know what…]
[Fourth Calamity: …?]
[Vampire Ancestor: Do I really need to spell it out?]
[Fourth Calamity: I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but no. It's probably the other newcomer, though.]
[Demon of Okinawa: It's hard to believe, but what I see is an undeniable fact. It stands to reason; you all are actually from other worlds?
[Fourth Calamity: Umu!]
[Demon of Okinawa: —And, if I'm not wrong, you typed a text I haven't seen in a while. How did you know?]
[Fourth Calamity: Hehe! I'm the administrator, of course. This much is expected of me!]
[Weakest Undefeated: Laurel is dodging it again isn't he?]
[Vampire Ancestor: He hasn't pulled this crap in a while. Let him have his moment...]
[Fourth Calamity: You two…]
[Fallen Heiress: Uh, what about the other person?]
[Fourth Calamity: Ah yes, Luminous, this newcomer's abilities control time. Well, though, if I were to choose, I'd say the newcomer's abilities are better than the Oath of Time in your hands.]
It was at this moment that her smile turned to ice. She had been going through the comments, and this Fourth Calamity individual appeared to possess some knowledge.
Based on their writing style, it certainly seemed that way. Yet, she chose to remain quiet for a bit longer.
She was biding her time, hoping for anything that could provide her with an informational edge.
[Weakest Undefeated: Why did Laurel go silent all of a sudden?]
[Vampire Ancestor: Who knows?]
[Demon of Okinawa: If I'm not wrong, that 'Fourth Calamity' user, Laurel, is something like the leader of this group.]
[Weakest Undefeated: Pretty much.]
[Vampire Ancestor: Tch.]
[Fallen Heiress: Perhaps, Laurel is lost in thought?]
A long pause.
[Fourth Calamity: Sorry, was lost in thought.]
[Fourth Calamity: …]
[Weakest Undefeated: …]
[Vampire Ancestor: …]
[Fallen Heiress: …]
[Demon of Okinawa: Anything wrong?]
[Fourth Calamity: Don't worry about it, hahaha.]
[Vampire Ancestor: You aside, what about the newcomer? Shy, or what?]
Haah. Kurumi sighed. Eventually, either they would call her out or she would have to speak like this.
But then, to rush a lady like that was not nice at all.
[Nightmare: My, my, how pushy. Can't you give a lady time to get her thoughts together.]
[Vampire Ancestor: Laurel, good job *thumbs_up.*]
Suddenly, seeing this message, she felt like she had lost a battle and a war to someone she didn't even know until now.
[Fourth Calamity: Heh.]
Not to mention this smug like reply. She could practically feel it.
[Fallen Heiress: Why do I get the feeling Laurel and Luminous are scheming something again…]
[Weakest Undefeated: Mei-san, you're right—but don't forget, their eyes are still on you, too.]
[Fallen Heiress: Eh?!]
The conversation sounded strange, but certainly, they weren't directly showing it.
Both were like closet perverts. Just that, they didn't seem like the overly lecherous type.
[Nightmare: My~ my~ What is this? Are both of them perverts? You two definitely seem like the type who'd be unpopular with girls.]
[Fourth Calamity: Unfortunately for you, my partner-in-crime is a woman.]
[Vampire Ancestor: Contrary to your expectations, that idiot's actually very popular with women.]
Kurumi froze.
What was with the unexpected reverse reply?
The vampire ancestor being a woman was understandable, but the Fourth Calamity person being popular with females…
[Nightmare: My, I guessed wrong?]
Or was it simply their delusion? She thought to herself, still maintaining that neutral ground.
She didn't want to be overly rude until she decided.
[Fourth Calamity: Anyways, my concern is @Demon of Okinawa, let me modify your powers, hehehe~]
[Weakest Undefeated: He's at it again.]
[Vampire Ancestor: This gives me an unpleasant sense of déjà vu..]
[Demon of Okinawa: Why should I allow that?]
[Fourth Calamity: I can completely remove the setbacks of your ability. Perfect destruction and resurrection.]
[Demon of Okinawa: …I appreciate it, but I'll have to decline.]
[Fourth Calamity: I see.]
[Weakest Undefeated: …Wait, Laurel backed down that easily?]
[Vampire Ancestor: Laurel, are you okay?]
[Fourth Calamity: What do both of you take me for???]
[Vampire Ancestor: The fool I know would be grinning ear to ear, talking in that grating, smug tone.]
[Weakest Undefeated: And if rejected, he'd just pester you endlessly until you gave in.]
[Fourth Calamity: Tsk.]
Ultimately, she didn't gather much information; all she was aware of was that Fourth Calamity was the leader and somehow had knowledge of her.
She realized she should have inquired, even if not directly, at least hinted at it.
For the moment, since this was her first encounter with something like this, she chose to wait.
"Moreover, this peculiar translation feature that conveys my thoughts. It's truly real~"
Indeed. She was quick to embrace it. She couldn't be astonished by the existence of other worlds.
Having witnessed her share of absurdities, this much was manageable.
"So then… what should I do? If that person truly knows who I am, as he suggests in his text, the chances are high that he already understands what I am~"
"~Yet, at the same time, wouldn't that make for an intriguing battle? Don't you think, other versions of me~?"
She had been solitary for quite some time, not until she uttered her final words. Gradually, other silhouettes began to appear.
"Very well then, me."
"Yes, yes~"
Figures that resembled her, dressed in the same attire, wore unsettling expressions as they laughed.
"Kihihihihihi~"
Their voices gradually fading into the abyss of darkness.