Now.
The Doomsday Chat Group was buzzing with excitement over the newly unlocked functions.
March 7th: "New features! New features!"
Saeko: "Has anyone tried them out yet?"
Esdeath: "The Doomsday Battlefield is a fully realistic space. You can use your abilities freely, and everything you destroy regenerates automatically."
Momonga: "That sounds… fantastical. Like something out of a game."
Nanashi, reading through the chat, suddenly remembered—he still had one more feature to explore.
He opened the information tab:
[Doomsday Battlefield]:
A simulated world that replicates reality. Any destruction within this space is automatically restored.
Entry requires 1,000 Doomsday Points, and participants enter using a simulated body for one hour. Death inside this space only affects the simulated form, not the real body.
"Oh? This one sounds interesting…"
A world where nothing is permanent, where death doesn't matter?
He could release his power without restraint.
This definitely needed to be shared with the group.
Nanashi: "Let me explain the new features real quick. The Doomsday Furnace… And the Doomsday Battlefield allows…"
Nanashi: "That's the gist of it."
Aqua: "The Forge of Doom! Can it melt the Demon King?!"
Shinobu: "Ahh… Aqua is amazing. She always finds a way to surprise me."
Nanashi: "Honestly? That's an interesting thought. Might be worth trying."
Nanashi: "But seriously, the item-to-ability conversion is incredibly useful. The results have been impressive so far."
Nanashi: "I bet you could smelt the Teigu from Esdeath's world."
Silver Wolf: "Turning item abilities into personal ones? Isn't that kind of breaking the laws of energy conservation? Like turning food into a concept…"
Nanashi: "Who knows? Ask the chat group logic."
Seitenshi: "This chat group is amazing. These functions are on a whole different level."
Esdeath: "I thought the Doomsday Battlefield was just some isolated space. Didn't expect a full world simulation. Surprising."
Nami: "The best part is that you can fight freely without actually dying."
Esdeath: "Exactly. It's made for slaying. No consequences? You should be slayed."
Nami: "…"
Vivi: "…"
Esdeath: "Reinhard, how about a match?"
Reinhard: "Apologies. I'm currently tied up with kingdom matters and can't spare the time."
Esdeath: "I'll wait."
Reinhard: "Understood."
Kiana: "What?! This is like a real-life game! Count me in!"
Esdeath: "Oh? Are you strong enough?"
Kiana: "Of course! I'm super strong!"
[Ding! Esdeath has sent an exclusive red envelope to Kiana!]
[Kiana has received the red envelope!]
Kiana: "1,000 Doomsday Points? Sweet!"
Esdeath: "Come. I'll be waiting in the Doomsday Battlefield."
Kiana: "On my way!"
As long as it didn't interfere with class or homework, Kiana was always ready for a fight.
"Teacher!"
Kiana suddenly shot up from her seat in class, her long twin braids swaying dramatically.
The teacher paused mid-lecture, pushing up his glasses with barely restrained irritation.
"What is it now?"
"Bathroom!"
"Go."
An endless grassland stretched out before them.
This was the special dimension of the Doomsday Battlefield.
"You're here too?"
Esdeath appeared and spotted someone already standing in the space—Nanashi.
He gave a small nod. "It's a new feature. Of course I had to check it out."
"Whoa! I really amn't in school anymore!"
A cheerful and surprised voice called out from ahead.
It belonged to a girl with long white hair tied into twin pigtails—an unmistakable trait of the Kaslana bloodline. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement, and she wore the standard Chiba Academy uniform.
It was none other than Kiana.
She glanced between the two of them. "Umm, which one of you is Esdeath?"
Nanashi stepped to the side. "I'm Nanashi, the group administrator. She's Esdeath."
Esdeath stood tall and poised, her eyes cold and alert. "Are you ready?"
"Of course!" Kiana responded with a confident smile.
Nanashi hesitated for a moment. He wondered whether he should warn her—Esdeath was far more powerful than she probably imagined.
But in the end, he said nothing. After all, in the Doomsday Battlefield, no one actually died.
[Ding! Nanashi has opened a live broadcast room!]
[March 7th has joined the broadcast room!]
Tushan Honghong: "Brother Nanashi entered the Doomsday Battlefield too?"
Nanashi: "Just observing. Watching the battle."
Bronya: "Have you noticed anything strange?"
Nanashi: "Yeah… I've made a few discoveries. This area—this grassland—it's only a small part. The actual space might be an entire universe."
After entering the battlefield, Nanashi had used his spatial awareness to analyze the environment.
What he sensed was a parallel dimension—likely generated using his own spatial ability.
A full-fledged, self-contained universe.
And within it existed a strange force—one capable of restoring anything that was destroyed.
Silver Wolf: "Incredible… so it created a perfectly simulated universe?"
Nanashi: "More or less. You could call it a simulated world, a parallel universe, or whatever fits."
Lemuel: "The battle's starting!"
Esdeath raised a thin rapier. Kiana gripped a baseball bat in her right hand.
March 7th: "A baseball bat? That looks a lot like Stelle's!"
Bronya: "Pioneers did use baseball bats as weapons. There's even a display in the Belobog Museum."
March 7th: "Stelle was crazy strong… and she had a star core inside her. Could Kiana be similar?"
Nanashi remained silent.
March 7th had an uncanny knack for prophecy.
There was indeed a dormant power deep within Kiana—like a certain Herrscher of the Void.
The battle began.
"Let's go!"
Kiana charged forward—but did nothing beyond running. No special moves, no powers—just raw enthusiasm.
Esdeath's eyes narrowed slightly. She thrust her rapier.
Hundreds of massive ice lances, each over ten meters long, erupted forward, streaking through the air toward Kiana.
It was just a test.
But Kiana froze.
What is that?! Superpowers?!
Her eyes went wide as she stared at the deadly ice projectiles coming at her full force. She forgot how to dodge.
No, she didn't even think about dodging.
"Splat!"
Or rather—shatter.
In the next instant, Kiana was impaled and scattered into light particles, vanishing from the battlefield.
Esdeath looked at Nanashi in silence, raising a questioning brow.
Nanashi just shrugged.
That's how it goes.
March 7th: "Wait… Did Kiana just get one-shot? Or am I seeing things?"
Silver Wolf: "Nope. You saw right. One second—instant KO."
Momonga: "Kiana: I'm super strong! Also Kiana: Dies instantly."
Back at Chiba Academy…
Kiana sat at her desk, stunned.
"Huh? I'm… not dead?"
She patted her chest and abdomen—no wounds, no ice spears.
The moment before her defeat had felt so real. So terrifying. And then…
Strange memories had started surfacing.
She shook her head, looking deflated.
"Seriously? I thought this was a normal spar! Why are you using superpowers?!"
What she didn't notice was the golden glimmer that briefly flickered in her eyes.
"Wow! Esdeath, you should've told me you were psychic or something!"
Esdeath: "…"
She didn't feel responsible for Kiana's misunderstanding.
Lemuel: "Ahem… That was awkward. I thought Kiana was a powerhouse… but I guess not."
Momonga: "Kiana: I am strong! Also Kiana: Instantly obliterated!"
Vivi: "Maybe she just doesn't understand how the group works yet."
Platelet: "U-Um… Sister Kiana is still really brave!"
Kiana: "Wahhh! Stop talking! Please stop!"
Thinking back to her bold declarations earlier, Kiana wished she could crawl into a hole and disappear.
Even Platelet trying to cheer her up just made it worse.
So. Embarrassing.
Nanashi couldn't help but smile.
As expected of Kiana… She really knows how to bring entertainment.
Meanwhile, from the world of Titans,
Mikasa watched the broadcast replay—Esdeath impaling Kiana with a massive ice spear.
Her usually calm eyes flickered.
"That kind of power… could probably kill a Titan."
"Mikasa? Why are you just sitting here staring?"
Ymir and Historia approached from a nearby alley. Mikasa was sitting against a wall, lost in thought.
All three were part of the Survey Corps.
They were currently stationed in a remote area near Wall Rose—investigating rumors of Titan appearances deep within the territory.
This abandoned village was their temporary outpost.
"It's nothing. Let's keep investigating."
Mikasa stood up and walked away without another word.
"Tch, this girl!"
Ymir scowled. "One of these days, I swear I'm gonna punch her."
"Haha, Mikasa's always been like that. But hey—we're awesome too."
Historia smiled and gently pulled Ymir along.
None of them noticed… the pair of eyes watching them from beyond the broken wall in the distance.
Noon
Nanashi and Megumi sat together on the rooftop.
Today, Megumi had gone out of her way to make two bento boxes—one of them specially prepared for Nanashi.
"Megumi, what made you suddenly decide to make a bento for me?" Nanashi asked, glancing at her with mild curiosity.
Megumi quietly tidied up the empty lunch box he had already finished. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she sat down beside him and whispered softly, "Because I can't live with you like Eriri and Yukino do... I can only try to make up for it in other ways."
Her words were simple—but they warmed Nanashi's heart in a way few things could.
He gently wrapped his arms around Megumi's waist and murmured into her ear, "Megumi, you don't have to do this. Just knowing that you like me is more than enough."
She tilted her head slightly, her voice soft and playful. "Really?"
"Really," he replied with quiet sincerity.
Then she held out her small hand. "But... it seems like you aren't quite satisfied yet."
"…"
Nanashi froze, caught off guard. Her scent, so close to him, was intoxicating—and it stirred a flustered discomfort he struggled to hide.
Megumi's usually calm eyes shimmered with a teasing glint. Her fingers twitched slightly as she added, "I want you to be truly satisfied. Let me help you~"