The new presence in the chat group instantly caught everyone's attention:
Water God has joined the group.
Momonga: "Aqua, quick! Someone just took your seat!"
Aqua: "Excuse me?! I am the true Goddess of Water!"
Water God: "How amusing. Truly entertaining!"
Furina: "Please, allow me to introduce myself—Furina de Fontaine, Water Goddess of the Seven Rulings of the Earth! The Queen of all Waters, all Directions, all Peoples, and all Laws! The shining star of Fontaine!"
Platelet: "Whoa… That name sounds super cool!"
White Blood Cell: "Big shot, for sure."
Hai Xiaomei: "Yeah, I didn't understand half those titles, but it sounded legit."
Furina: "Thank you for your kind words."
Nami: "Aqua, read that introduction again. Then read yours."
Aqua: "Damn it!!"
Aqua: "I am the all-knowing, all-powerful Goddess of Water! How can a faker compare to me?!"
Furina: "I'm not a fake. I'm the real Water God!"
Furina replied almost instantly—too quickly.
Tendou Kisara: "?"
Silver Wolf: "This Furina girl sounds a bit… defensive."
Momonga: "Something's fishy here."
Nanashi: "…"
He saw through it immediately.
This was the original.
Furina.
The moment she reacted so hastily, they knew. They had hit a nerve.
Because the truth was—Furina wasn't the real Water Goddess Focalors.
Not entirely, anyway.
To clarify:
The Water God Focalors did exist.
In response to a looming prophetic crisis inherited from the previous Water Goddess Egeria, Focalors had split her essence—dividing divinity from personality.
Her divine self hid away within the oracle machine, quietly accumulating the energy required to one day deliver divine judgment.
Meanwhile, the personality—the mask—was born as Furina de Fontaine, a persona meant to continue deceiving the Heavenly Principles by occupying the position of Water God.
That was Furina's true identity:
A character born to play the part of a goddess.
But Nanashi didn't dislike her.
On the contrary, he liked Furina very much.
Not the role.
Not the Water Goddess Furina.
But Furina—the woman beneath the mask.
"This is bad."
Back in the courtroom, Furina was already on edge.
She was still trying to grasp what this chat group was.
But worse, she now feared the truth of her identity would be exposed.
If that happened…
Centuries of effort.
Countless performances.
All of it—undone in an instant!
Just then, Furina noticed a message from Nanashi in the chat group.
Nanashi: "Furina, Tingyun—welcome to the Doomsday Chat Group."
Nanashi: "You might be confused about this group's existence. As the administrator, allow me to give a brief explanation."
Nanashi: "The Doomsday Chat Group is a platform that connects various doomsday-stricken worlds. Everyone here is a part of a larger community that supports and communicates with each other during their respective apocalypses."
Nanashi: "As for how real this is… you can judge for yourselves through the group's features."
Tingyun: "Thank you for the introduction. I'm very grateful. I do have a few questions—may I ask them?"
Saeko: "Such a polite person."
Emilia: "It'd be nice if everyone in the group spoke so considerately."
Tingyun's courteous tone made a positive impression on the other members.
Nanashi: "Feel free to ask. I'll do my best to answer whatever I can."
Tingyun: "Much appreciated. I've browsed through several of the group's functions and came across something odd in the visual interface: Future Doomsday (9 stars). Could you explain what this means?"
Nanashi's eyes flickered subtly—he may have already guessed Tingyun's true identity.
Nanashi: "That refers to the level of the apocalyptic threat facing your world."
Nanashi: "I believe March 7th, Silver Wolf, and Bronya may have something in common with you."
March 7th: "Huh? Are you saying our worlds are facing the same kind of end?"
March 7th: "But Bronya's world—Yarilo-VI—already went through its doomsday, didn't it?"
Silver Wolf: "Are you dense? Nanashi's saying Tingyun is from our world."
Bronya: "Yes, that's how I understood it as well. March 7th must have missed the hint."
March 7th: "Whoa! How did I not see that?"
Tingyun: "So… you three are from the same world as me. That means…"
March 7th: "Hi! I'm March 7th, a Nameless guest of the Astral Express!"
Silver Wolf: "Ugh… Do you have to introduce yourself like that?"
Lemuel: "Well, we are all in the same group now."
Silver Wolf: "Fine. I'm Silver Wolf, a Star Core Hunter."
Bronya: "I'm Bronya Rand of Yarilo-VI, former Supreme Guardian of Belobog."
Tingyun: "…"
Tingyun: "Miss Bronya, forgive my ignorance. I'm unfamiliar with the history of Yarilo-VI."
Bronya: "Not your fault. Yarilo-VI faced a calamity brought by the Antimatter Legion and a Star Core around 700 years ago. Since then, the planet has been hidden from the stars."
Tingyun: "The Antimatter Legion… the Star Core crisis. How tragic."
As a member of the Tianbo Division aboard the Celestial Vessel Floating Expanse, Tingyun was well-acquainted with both the Legion and the destructive potential of Star Cores. She understood how disastrous such forces could be. If what Bronya said was true, then Yarilo-VI had truly suffered deeply.
The Tianbo Division is responsible for communications, information, and sound transmission across the massive Celestial Vessel Floating Expanse ship.
Bronya: "But there's no need to grieve, Miss Tingyun. Thanks to the help of the chat group, the Astral Express, and Miss Silver Wolf, the crisis was resolved and the planet's cold wave has ended."
Bronya: "I believe it won't be long before we rejoin the stars."
Tingyun: "That's truly something worth celebrating and looking forward to."
Tingyun: "I've heard of the Astral Express—a team of brave travelers who explore the galaxy. They're an admirable group."
Tingyun: "But… there's something I don't understand."
Tingyun: "Miss Silver Wolf, please forgive my impertinence, but as far as I know, the Star Core Hunters are dangerous individuals wanted across the galaxy. Why would one of them assist Miss Bronya's world?"
Silver Wolf: "...Ask the chat group about that."
Tingyun: "I'm sorry—what do you mean?"
Shinobu: "Ara, let me explain. When a group member is exposed to doomsday-related anomalies, a Doomsday Companion Mission is triggered."
Shinobu: "Those selected can earn Doomsday Points by completing these missions, which involve traveling to other worlds and resolving the crisis."
Tushan Honghong: "Doomsday Points are amazing. They can significantly boost your power!"
Tingyun had already discovered the functions and benefits of Doomsday Points while exploring the group interface. If this was true, Silver Wolf's actions did make sense.
But that assumption relied on all of this… being real.
Furina: "Another world… what a fascinating concept. Performing a musical in another world would be marvelous!"
Now that the spotlight had shifted and no one was questioning her identity, Furina finally gathered the courage to speak.
[Ding! Group member Mikasa has been exposed to abnormal doomsday factors. Initiating Doomsday Journey.]
[Doomsday Journey]Participants: 3
[Duration]1 hour
[Travelers]Nanashi, Mikasa, Tingyun
[Mission]Eliminate the Trialist: Reiner Braun
Nanashi: "There it is, Furina—the stage play you wanted."
Furina: "Huh?"
Tingyun: "Is this the Doomsday Journey? It says I can traverse to another world upon confirmation. Is such a thing… truly possible?"
Kiana: "Hehe~ Yep, this is what we call Doomsday Travel. I've done it—it's insanely fun!"
Mumei: "Big Brother and his squad saved our world not too long ago."
Nami: "You'll see if it's real once you give it a try."
Tingyun: "Thank you, everyone. I know what to do now."
Nanashi: "Then I'll say no more. It's time."
Nanashi exits the chat group. Then, with a playful pinch, he pinched Kanae's pink bud eliciting a moan from the other party—an unspoken signal.
Understanding immediately, Kanae stops her horse riding.
Nanashi: "I'm heading to another world. You can rest in my spiritual domain for now."
Kanae: "Okay."
With that, Kanae turned into a radiant point of light and vanished together with Nanashi, who, with a snap of his fingers, changed into a new set of clothes
—The World Titans—
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed across the decaying ruins of the city.
Mikasa, Ymir, and Christa dashed away in panic, their 3D maneuver gear propelling them over crumbling buildings and broken roads.
A towering figure had suddenly emerged—a 60-meter Colossal Titan now stood amidst the rubble.
Its grotesque form was skinless, its body a mass of red muscle, releasing intense heat and clouds of steam. Its legs were thick, its arms oddly slender, and its head disproportionately small.
"Damn it! Why did the Colossal Titan appear out of nowhere?!" Ymir cursed, her heart pounding as adrenaline surged through her.
The Colossal Titan—a nightmarish symbol of humanity's helplessness. The scorching heat radiating from its body alone made close combat impossible.
They didn't need to be told twice: this wasn't an enemy they could fight. Their only option was to run.
They aimed to reach the forest at the city's edge—maybe, just maybe, the trees could offer some cover.
But fate had other plans.
"Christa, look out!" Ymir shouted, her pupils contracting in alarm.
A golden flash split the sky just ahead.
Another Titan rose from the forest.
Fifteen meters tall, with pale yellow armor plating its muscular body and short, white hair bristling atop its head—the Armored Titan had entered the battle.
And he was directly in Christa's path.
One of Christa's grappling hooks had latched onto a tree, but the other had only just retracted. There was no time to dodge.
The giant's armored fist swung toward her with deadly speed.