In the city of Orario, Aiz found Loki drowning herself in a bottle of Soma Familia's infamous brew.
"Loki! There is something I need to ask you!"
"Aiz? What is it? It's not like you to be this fired up."
"Do you know anything about... Erebus?"
"Pfft!" Loki's reaction was instantaneous, a spray of liquor erupting from her mouth.
"Loki?" Aiz tilted her head, her expression remaining perfectly stoic—the quintessential kuudere.
Loki took a moment to compose herself. Setting her glass down with uncharacteristic care, she leveled a piercing gaze at Aiz.
"Aiz-tan... why the sudden interest in 'Absolute Evil'? What brought this on?" Loki's tone was gravity itself, stripped of her usual playful and eccentric demeanor.
"It's about the chat group. It seems the 'Black Mist' I've been exterminating lately is connected to the God Erebus."
Loki stiffened, falling into a deep, brooding silence.
"Loki?"
"Aiz-tan, let's change locations. We can't talk about this here." Loki whispered, her eyes darting around the room with sharp vigilance.
"...Alright."
...
"And that... is everything I know about Erebus," Loki concluded, her voice laced with a faint, lingering bitterness.
Aiz remained silent, her mind racing as she processed the revelation.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: So, that's how it happened.
White: A cunning manipulator. It is difficult to contend with such a figure, especially when the opponent possesses the overwhelming power of a god.
Time Eater: I don't quite understand the complexity of it.
Sword Princess: Neither do I.
Makoto: In the mythology I know, the God Erebus is depicted as a neutral cosmic entity. If he is 'evil' in a specific world, it might be due to the unique nature of that world itself.
White: Logical. Not bad for someone like you.
Makoto: Ahaha...
Tatsuya Yotsuba: It's possible there's no direct link to the Erebus of Orario, but Loki's story allows me to draw a conclusion.
Sword Princess: What kind of conclusion?
Tatsuya Yotsuba: Perhaps the 'Erebus World' is a realm ruled by the God Erebus. Chaos erupted there, leading to the world's destruction and the displacement of its inhabitants. To restore their home, they are traveling through dimensional rifts, harvesting resources to repair their collapsing world.
White: Plausible. So, their target is the worlds we inhabit?
Makoto: Could we be targeted specifically because we are members of this chat group?
Tatsuya Yotsuba: I suspect it's the opposite. We were recruited into this chat group specifically to combat the Black Mist invasion.
Time Eater: That sounds more likely, even if it is a bit annoying.
Kurumi's usual teasing laughter was absent; the sheer depth of the situation had grounded even her.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: What do you think, @Moderator?
(Moderator): (Not bad. You've managed to uncover one of the mysteries behind the Black Mist. Keep fighting them if you don't want your worlds to perish.)
Tatsuya Yotsuba: You don't have to tell me twice. There is no way I'll allow my ideal world to be destroyed—especially not by such malevolent entities.
Time Eater: Ara~ ara~... Me neither.
Makoto: Same here.
Sword Princess: I cannot allow the world to fall before I kill that creature!
White: My stance remains unchanged. I don't particularly care if the world ends, but I refuse to lose such an entertaining toy so easily.
(Moderator): (Splendid resolve. I appreciate that. From this moment on, the point rewards for your missions will be increased by 50%!)
Tatsuya Yotsuba: Incredible...!?
Time Eater: +1.
White: +2.
Sword Princess: +3.
Makoto: +4.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: Good grief. Now I'm actually feeling motivated to go on missions. It hardly feels like me.
Time Eater: What a coincidence. I feel the same way.
White: Me too.
Sword Princess: As do I.
Makoto: And me.
Tatsuya Yotsuba: Let's channel this energy into completing as many missions as possible.
The group members agreed without a second thought.
Tatsuya continued to chat with them for a while longer, discussing their colorful daily lives. From their stories, he realized that their respective journeys were only just beginning.
Makoto was preparing for his departure to Rotsgard.
Testarossa was readying herself for the war against the Eastern Empire under Rimuru's command.
Aiz Wallenstein was gearing up for an expedition with the Loki Familia.
Kurumi remained the most enigmatic member; every word she spoke seemed carefully calculated, making it impossible to guess exactly where she stood in her own timeline. Thanks to the chat group, Kurumi had taken on an almost angelic role, causing her story's path to shift entirely.
Even so, her yandere streaks remained—perhaps even more terrifying than before.
'I need to keep an eye on my own world as well. If I recall correctly, a terrorist attack is imminent. I should contact Sayaka.'
Tatsuya quickly fired off a message to Sayaka.
He had barely set his phone down when a notification chimed.
"That was fast!" Tatsuya muttered, startled. He immediately opened Sayaka's reply.
His eyes widened in disbelief. His body tensed, and his heart began to race against his ribs.
"This is..."
To be continued...Anvanced Chapter p*tre*n.com/AgamYupi02