174 For The Court of The Crimson King.
*Ding!*
[Notice!
Modifier Adjusted: 200 times the gravity of Planet Earth.]
[Big Sister Lion: This makes me wonder how deeper she can go.]
*Ding!*
[Notice!
New Modifier Applied: 300 times the gravity of Planet Earth.]
[Bri-Bri: She is supposed to be immortal. Nothing should happen to her … But maybe we should tell Saitama.]
*Ding!"
[Notice!
New Modifier Applied: -200 degrees Celsius.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Hisss… Death doesn't sound so bad now. However, at least we know she's cool now.]
The Chat members watched Saitama's unchanging deadpan expression as Kaguya sank further behind him. She was buried in the ice without any visible struggle until they couldn't see her anymore. If not for the Chat Room assurance, they would think she's already dead.
[Note: The current limits of modifiers have been reached!]
"Gravity, temperature, pressure… Oh, there is a meteor shower? This is a sandbox game, isn't it?" Saitama sneezed and rubbed his nose as the coldness swept in sight, freezing the tips of his cape.
The various settings and modifiers made him curious as it looked like a game coming to reality, but soon, a troubled look surfaced on his face. Except for the default list of modifiers, each time he clicked something else, several smaller panels popped up.
"Gravity field and temperature effect on individuals, large or small range, pressure change, wind resistance, the chemical composition of air? Huh? Is this… Physics and chemistry?"
The numbers and symbols filled his eyes and made him dizzy. He had to slow down for a bit and avert his gaze because the painful memories resurfaced.
"This thing… don't tell me I need a physics degree"
A drop of sweat appeared on his forehead as Saitama felt the horror of the Control Panel. But as he reconsidered his choice of buying this simulation space, a colorful energy orb slammed into the back of his head.
*Boom!*
The orb exploded with the power of a grenade as Saitama shook his head and blew the smoke away, only to see a human-shaped pit with several other orbs floating around it. He felt strange because he didn't notice such a thing when he first came here.
"Hm?" Saitama felt strange because he didn't remember seeing this thing when he first came here.
Squatting next to the pit, he looked closely until he saw the figure of a person with long black hair, buried deeply in ice. "Are you alive?"
The response he got was the rest of the orbs slamming into his face, which made him lower his head with a troubled look. He had no idea what was happening, so he just put his palms together and said "Sorry."
[Advocate of Gender Equality: You bastard!! Why don't you apologize to me first!]
"For what?"
[Advocate of Gender Equality: For killing me!!]
Looking left and right, Saitama saw nothing except the layer of frost spreading on top of everything around him before saying "Are you dead?"
[Advocate of Gender Equality: … No, but I was… a few seconds ago.]
"…"
[Advocate of Gender Equality: …]
"More importantly, you… Who are you?" Saitama said seriously as his expression showed a genius confusion, which made Kazuma lower his head and take a deep breath.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: … Really now?]
[Big Sister Lion: Hahahahahaha!!]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Excuse me for intruding on your pleasant activity of murdering yourselves, but may I suggest choosing an explosion next time? It's a lot more appealing and gleaming than humiliating yourself by succumbing to gravity and eating dirt, although, and after deep consideration, dirt might be a good matchup for you.]
The eye-catching VIP icon and golden color that seems to be mocking the regular form of other members' usernames appeared as everyone was drawn to it.
Kazuma looked at this colorful shape as his eyes landed on his bland. Why does it seem like it's mocking him as a lowly peasant? No, this message is indeed mocking him!
Awakened from his short and painless death memory, anger suddenly rushed to Kazuma's head before he chose violence and vengeance against the tyrant.
[Advocate of Gender Equality:… Get out.]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Make me.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: *Compilation of Leo's Chunni Moments Part 1.mp4*]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin):... The risk I took was calculated but damn. I forgot I am a Fool. Wait… Excuse me, but do I see a 'Part 1' there? Oh dear, it is real and my mental illness isn't acting up.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: A Fool, indeed, and you're still here. Do I have to send the other volumes?]
Kazuma snored, raised his nose, and crossed his arms under the strange stares of most people in the adventure guild. His expression had so many changes in this short period that it even made Aqua worried. Her healing can't recover brain damage.
As a regular user of the Chat Room with a lot of free time, Kazuma can proudly say he's sitting on a pile of blackmail material. His treasury can easily give the Chat members a slap of reality check for all their stupid actions… including himself.
Obviously, such treasury shouldn't be used recklessly. No way, he doesn't want to die early or worse, get dragged to training(torture) by Whitebeard or receive a gift box from Leo, containing the Beater (Kirito) wooden dummy to… Well, beat him. In the name of training, of course.
Kazuma couldn't help but shake his head and lament his state. He has all this power, but he's too restricted by survival instinct.
Shaking his head, Kazuma paid more attention to his body. He just got crushed by gravity, but not a single scratch is left on him. It felt weird as if his body had never left this place.
He felt he shouldn't have clicked too quickly and read those notifications from the Chat before joining the simulation.
However, these thoughts were thrown away when he saw Kaguya sinking further and deeper into the dirt. For some reason, he felt much better.
[Hero For Fun: You guys sound like you're having fun.]
[Bri-Bri: Don't bother, just ignore them. In any case, if you want to apologize, try to turn off the modifiers.]
"Hm? Good idea" Saitama's eyes brightened as he stood up and bumped his fist on his palm. Why didn't he think of this earlier?
*Ding!*
[Notice:
The Simulated Reality #1 is set to the default state.]
The simulated reality switched back to the base state as the additional gravity field and temperature vanished.
*BOOM!*
"KYAAA!!"
Unaware of the sudden change, Kaguya, who was resisting gravity, launched like a missile towards the blue. Saitama watched her disappear to a point before he scratched his head and looked at the Control Panel floating near him.
Something told him this might have been his fault. His cape fluttered with the breeze as his expression grew a bit worried. She won't come back and sue him, right?
{We don't live in the same world, so maybe she can't…} Saitama wondered before he blinked and a figure flashed by.
Kaguya appeared in front of him with a dark face without any warning. Despite not showing any expression, Saitama sensed a lot of malice radiating from her.
"Give me"
"... Here"
Despite the clear malicious intentions, Saitama still gave Kaguya the Control Panel as he didn't care too much. He doesn't want this thing that needs a physics degree.
Kaguya operated the simulation sitting much quicker than Saitama before he heard a voice in his head.
[Modifier applied: Zero Gravity.
Applied on Specific Individuals: Hero For Fun.
Effect Range: 5 meters from each Individual.]
"Ohhhh…" Floating a bit above the ground, Saitama showed a bit of curiosity at this new state.
He looked at the stones and dirt under his feet floating too and marveled at this phenomenon as he wanted to grab a stone. However, his expression changed as he felt a tickle.
*BAAM!!*
Kaguya ignored Saitama's reaction and took a step forward and kicked him. Her kick sent him flying as he faded into the horizon and his body spun like a Beyblade.
".... Hissssss" Kaguya stood there silently until Saitama vanished completely before squatting down and pressing her foot.
She felt as though she had stubbed her toe on a steel wall, and the pain was excruciating. The pain, of course, went away as quickly as it appeared, but the psychological effects lingered. She might need a moment.
However, she forgot that all her movements are on full display in the Chat Room.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Well, to the orbit he goes. I wonder if he'll suffocate to death. Can't I change perceptive and spectate him?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): I wouldn't put too much faith in it, and I don't want the sun from space reflecting off his bald head into my eyes. He could, by the way, do the MoonWalk from One Piece.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Hee~Hee~]
[Bri-Bri: Are you two seriously finding this funny?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Perhaps.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Shut up, you hypocrite! You all watched me die! TWICE!!! You even laughed!]
[Bri-Bri: …]
Misaka felt ashamed and couldn't refute Kazuma's words. She indeed laughed at his death, but she couldn't help it! Why his death always ends up like some stupid joke?!
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): Um, don't you think we should focus on the new feature? A simulated space sounds very practical.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: And? I am obviously focusing on it to see if I could watch a bald man in a yellow suit do a moonwalk around the orbit.]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): No, I mean the real functions of it.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: So, spectating doesn't sound like a real function to you, huh?]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): … Why are you doing this?]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: I just died… Give me a break.]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): I see, I hope you'll get better.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Okay, I am feeling very uncomfortable. How could there be someone nice in this place?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): I sense a disturbance in the force. As if someone is trying to be nice in the Chat Room. Oh lord, there is. It seems that I don't need the trumpets to know that the end is near.]
[Bri-Bri: Even I am feeling strange. Why am I feeling odd by someone acting nice? This shouldn't be logical… I blame all of you. You made me like this!]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): Ehhhh?! What happened to you all?! Are you alright?]
Ritsuka was taken aback as she glanced at the heated conversation that had devolved into an uneasy silence, surrounded by a depressing air. They're all acting as if their common sense has been damaged because she's just sent one message.
[Big Sister Lion: If you want to know what happens then it's simple. These people are just allergic to niceness. Any genuine act of friendliness in the Chat would make them question if it's sorcery.]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): Excuse me?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): You're not excused and, on that note, no amount of sorcery could make this Chat nice.]
[Big Sister Lion: The sorcery of friendship would do wonders. I believe you would love it by looking at your past conversations.]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): ಠ_ಠ... I should really have paid a visit to your NightRaid headquarter.]
[Big Sister Lion: Aha-hahaha… You are joking, right?]
Staring at the ongoing conversation, Ritsuka blinked and tilted her head in confusion. The lack of context made her completely lost as the Chat went into another spiral of nonsense.
The fact that this Chat seems to have no intention to focus on important matters made Ritsuka sigh and to her distress, another figure appeared to fan the flames.
[The Strongest Man In The World: Oh? This Chat Room is indeed a magical device and very convenient. There is a suitable location, so shut your trap and come you brat!]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Sorry, but my good parents taught me to not abuse the elderly.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Are you saying you can beat Whitebeard old man with one punch? Sounds like a war declaration to me.]
[The Strongest Man In The World: Hm?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Not really. One finger is probably enough to erase him across the Four Worlds.]
[Big Sister Lion: What four worlds?]
[Bri-Bri: Probably one of those magic terms that don't make sense unless you're a magician.]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): Um, I am technically a magus, but I also don't get it.]
[Bri-Bri: …]
[The Strongest Man In The World: Oh? Aren't you confident? Guhahahaha! Interesting! I suppose you aren't running away this time. I really wanted to smash your face since the last time.]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Not running away?! How dare you. This is a sacred technique; I have you know.]
[NEET Princess: Hmmm, it seems you are in quite the dilemma, but no worries, I have a good solution that can satisfy all parties.]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): What made you think I am in a problem?]
[NEET Princess: Please, you yourself are a problem from head to toe.]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Fair enough.]
[The Strongest Man In The World: Hmmmm, speak what's on your mind.]
[NEET Princess: Of course, but don't you see? Rather than using the bland Chat, how about we enter this simulation? We should also figure out this simulation space, by the way.]
Kaguya's words suddenly clicked in the mind of the rest of the Chat members. Although utilizing the Chat Room isn't very inconvenient, some issues and topics are better discussed in person.
The simulation function allows members to meet without having to travel between worlds, which opens up a lot of possibilities. This finding made their eyes light up since meeting in person allows them to accomplish things that they otherwise would not have been able to normally achieve.
For example, having a 'talk' with a certain tyrant Admin, who is usually hiding behind the Chat Screen!
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Splendid as always, Ms. Kaguya, but I still have a doubt. This solution wouldn't perhaps involve ganging up on me.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Hm? No way! We aren't such barbarians. By the way, Kaguya. Could you edit an image about Leo calling Saitama all the bald-related insults? We might need it.]
[NEET Princess: Kazuma? I never knew you had such a bright future ahead.]
[Big Sister Lion: Brighter than Saitama's head under the sun?]
[Bri-Bri: Not you too!!]
"This feels so unreliable…" Ritsuka sighed slightly as she looked at the Chat Room. Everyone seems to be going at their own pace, especially Lucifer (Leo).
She didn't know what got into him, but every time his message would appear, Ritsuka couldn't help but feel speechless. Isn't this too much of a change? It felt as if a switch got flipped after he appeared in this Chat Room.
However, recalling what Lucifer (Leo) did in Fuyuki, she felt helpless again. "Maybe I have been too stressed lately… The singularities and Demon God Pillars"
Patting her cheeks, Ritsuka quickly focused and chose to deal with the matters at hand before deciding on a plan for the future.
First of all, she should figure out the simulation space, which seems to have a large practical value. Although she had a bad feeling looking at Kaguya's messages, the specialness of the simulation space was too tempting.
[Please choose the method of joining!
- Consciousness Simulation: Joining via consciousness as the Chat Room will simulate the user's body according to its current state. (Free)
- Full Transmigration: The user would be directly transmitted inside the simulated reality. (5000 points)
Note 1: Be aware that choosing Conscience Simulation would leave the user's body vulnerable. It's recommended to choose a secure location.
Note 2: All injuries, including death, would be recovered once the person exited the simulated reality. Keep in mind, however, that this function is ineffective against some types of injuries, including but not limited to mental and psychological traumas.]
Ritsuka summed up the information while looking at the panel, before selecting Consciousness Simulation. She doesn't have enough points right now, and it's not important to squander them only to test the simulation.
After a deep breath to calm her nervous mood, Ritsuka stood up and clicked 'join' as the scenery changed instantly.
"Ah!"
Ritsuka collapsed to the ground after being taken off guard by the abrupt change. As dust blew in the air, she opened her eyes to see the huge plain.
"How…" Ritsuka stood up slowly as the disbelief was unmasked in her voice.
It was impossible for her to grasp all that had transpired so rapidly. She was in Chaldea one second and then appeared in this place the next. Although Ritsuka is unfamiliar with the Rayshift details, she is aware that the specifics are intricate and time-consuming!
(A/N: Rayshift is the process of transferring Masters to the past.)
But now, a transfer to a place where different individuals from a variety of worlds gather has been achieved too simply! She is aware that the process behind it is unknown to her, but for it to happen in less than an eye blink is too much!
"Greetings, I presume you are, Fujimaru Ritsuka."
"Ah! Since when did you…" Ritsuka was startled by Kaguya's sudden appearance. However, her reaction didn't surprise Kaguya as she smiled and nodded gently.
"I am Houraisan Kaguya. It's a pleasure to make you an acquaintance"
"Ah, nice to meet you too."
Ritsuka cooled down a little and regained her composure. The unexpected emergence of someone isn't a huge deal in comparison to all she's seen, but she took note of this ability as she observed Kaguya more closely.
As a consequence, she was stunned and baffled. The long black hair, along with traditional clothing, creates a unique atmosphere. Unlike her usual performance, all of Kaguya's actions have a great disposition, as if she were a princess from a fairy tale with unrivaled beauty.
It was vastly different in person than seeing it through the Chat Room.
Ritsuka felt inferior to her and took a blow, fully oblivious to the fact that the person in front of her had just been crushed on the ground, probably eaten some dirt, frozen to a popsicle, and kicked someone into orbit.
Kaguya nodded with her smile hidden under her sleeve. Finally, a newcomer who recognizes her magnificent presence.
She felt gratified. All those brutes in the chat wouldn't appreciate her at all! Even the tyrant Admin would shoot a spatial energy beam at her at sight! This is injustice!
Her status as the Moon Princess must not be damaged! Kaguya felt Ritsuka to be quite appealing to the eye, despite her being a little depressed. She should work hard to maintain her positive image in the eyes of newcomers and to erase the misleading reputation in the Chat!
"Are we the only ones that joined? What about the rest of the members?"
"They are probably still arguing in the Chat"
Kaguya was jolted awake from her daydream when she heard Ritsuka's query and nonchalantly waved her hand. Ritsuka tilted her head to check the Chat, only to find that the messages were still coming in.
[The Strongest Man In The World: How do I join this… simulation?]
Looking at the Chat window in front of him, Whitebeard's eyebrows wrinkled as he didn't know where to click. The new update caused a big change in the Chat Room interface, which made him unaccustomed to it. He didn't even know where to go to find the new function.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Imagine not knowing how to use the Chat Room.]
[The Strongest Man In The World: I don't need to imagine, but I know you do.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: … Click on the globe-looking icon next to the mission section.]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Saitama, come here! I know you're still lurking, even if you are in space!]
[A Hero For Fun: …]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Oh, you are here. So, how is suffocation working for you? How long do you believe you'll be able to keep going?]
[A Hero For Fun: I don't really know, but this place… it's too quiet. Why do you want to know?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Don't mind me, I'm just curious to know if tossing you to a corner in the universe is a feasible plan.]
[A Hero For Fun: … Punching you to a corner in the universe sounds like a feasible plan to me.]
"This is… so unreliable" Ritsuka sighed and closed the Chat Room.
"I know right? I can't believe these people."
Kazuma shook his head in disapproval as if he couldn't believe the audacity of the rest of the Chat members while Ritsuka gave him a blank stare before turning away.
Ritsuka believed she would need to take a step back to acclimate to this Chat Room rhythm after so many battles in the previous singularity since, unlike her, who came with a serious attitude, the rest of the members are rather easygoing.
However, she still couldn't understand this atmosphere. Aren't they supposed to defend the worlds against invasions? Although the idea of worlds beyond the Swirl of Roots sounds very absurd to her, Ritsuka feels this mission is too heavy and important. Yet, they seem to be more interested in having the privilege to mute each other in the Chat!
"Anything on your mind?"
"Eh? Nothing, it's just I am still a bit… perplexed. Protecting worlds beyond the Swirl of Roots doesn't sound simple at all"
"Let me be honest, it isn't as glorified as you might think. Seriously, you'll be disappointed."
Ritsuka laughed a bit awkwardly at Kazuma's blunt words, but his serious look made her laugh cut short.
"That wasn't a joke, huh?"
"It's not, unfortunately. The first time we had a mission together, these people blew up an entire empire because singling out the target was too bothersome." Misaka sighed and shook her head before confusion appeared on her face and said "Why did I agree to that back then? It must be because I was still shocked by the existence of several worlds."
"But you still participated."
"No! I couldn't help myself! Everything was blowing up, and Saitama was punching... I had no idea what to do! Also, weren't you the one who insisted on me to shoot?"
Misaka refuted Kazuma's words quickly and pointed at him in anger, but the latter looked at her blankly and said "You could just… not have done it. Isn't it simple? Maybe I could have gotten more points, but no."
"You!!!"
"..."
Ritsuka stared at Kazuma shaking his head in sadness and Misaka with a blueish-white electric current zapping on her forehead before a more helpless expression appeared on her face. At this time, she misses the reliable Archer (EMIYA) and the sensible Mashu.
Kaguya patted Ritsuka's shoulder before saying "Please don't be like that, Ritsuka-san. To be fair, we are also a bit underwhelmed here. I think we have never actually started at all."
During all these missions, despite the danger or even the aftermath. Kaguya never felt the 'urgency' from any World's Will. This feeling grows stronger with the attitude of Konosuba World's Will.
{Maybe I'm looking too deep into it, but only the future would tell…} Kaguya decided to wait and see, but looking at Kazuma and Misaka, she doesn't think she will wait for long.
"Me too. The Grand Order is only at the beginning, but no matter what it takes, this time…" Clenching her first, Ritsuka said seriously, completely devoid of all the previous awkwardness.
"… Good to hear." Kaguya paused for a moment before nodding at Ritsuka's enthusiasm, despite having no idea about what got into her head. Maybe the crippling chunniness of Type-Moon inhabitants came into play.
"Well, if she can't handle this degree, she better leave before those 'special' servants come. Who knows, maybe she will willingly ask for Chaldea to get bombed at that time."
Suddenly, a new voice sounded from behind. Despite it being low, they were unable to ignore it even if the clacking sound of Misaka's electricity filled their ears.
"Lucifer?"
Ritsuka was startled when she saw Leo emerge out of nowhere and started gazing around in a daze. Her eyes brightened and she wanted to speak, but the words halted at her lips and were quickly replaced with a complex feeling.
"Hm, are you still calling me that? I know I have multiple names, but at least choose a good one." Leo looked at Ritsuka speechlessly before observing the surroundings again.
Nothing could be seen except a landscape of dirt and rocks, deprived of life. Even with his massive perception range, Leo couldn't feel any form of life in this place.
Not only that, but a weird feeling shrouded this space. It was hard for him to put his finger on, but looking at his current vessel, he found nothing uncanny.
The amount of similarity is a bit scary and he couldn't find any obvious difference, except feeling it's less durable and probably won't hold much if he did something crazy.
"I kinda regret coming here…"
"That's a shame"
Hearing this voice, Leo's expression changed slightly as he felt a distortion in the fabric of space and time.
*Ding!*
[Notice:
Modifier Applied: 300 times the gravity of planet Earth.
Applied on Specific Individuals: Annihilation Maker (Admin).
Effect Range: 5 meters from each individual.]
"..."
"..."
Kaguya and Leo stared at each other in silence as the crushing gravity descended on Leo's shoulders, but it couldn't play any effect.
Pink spatial waves steadily spread around Leo's body, neutralizing the gravity field's influence and casting a shadow on his expressionless face.
Ritsuka stood a bit far away as her vision shifted between them. Thinking about it again, she took more steps away, just for assurance.
"Good evening, Leo. It has been a while since we saw each other face to face. If I recall correctly, since the Akame Ga Kill mission. Time sure flies"
"Indeed, but you don't"
In Kaguya's astonished gaze, the pink gleam around Leo skyrockets before it manifests above her. The curvature in the fabric of space and time switched positions and landed on Kaguya's head.
However, in a split second, Kaguya appeared faraway, escaping the gravity field.
"HA! *Cough* I mean, don't expect me to fall for it twice." Kaguya nodded with satisfaction, but her face changed again as she dodged another spatial distortion.
"..."
The pink spatial distortion flared around Leo as the air twisted like paper. It looked like it'll explode at any moment, making Ritsuka sweat a bit.
She swiftly stared at the other two individuals and discovered that they were also watching the show.
"What? Do you want me to stop this? Good joke, but she can try."
Kazuma waved his hand before throwing the responsibility at Misaka, which made her roll her eyes, and an electric current flashed on her forehead.
She continued to watch Kaguya's dodging performance, although her gaze was sometimes drawn to Leo. Despite his regular look, Leo was wrapped in an ambiguous atmosphere.
Misaka became more aware of this as she sensed a difference in him since the previous time they met. It was a strange and hazy feeling that came from the depths of her mind, just where her Personal Reality lies.
{Is it because of that ritual and becoming an… Angel. What is an Angel exactly?} Misaka frowned before blueish-white arcs gathered on her right hand.
But those thoughts can be saved for later because she owes this guy electrotherapy to the face!
However, just as she was about to fire, a huge figure emerged out of nowhere. Ritsuka blinked as the earth rocked slightly and a shade was thrown over her.
A giant man appeared out of nowhere before vanishing again as the violent wind blew Ritsuka's face.
Leo, who had been bombarding Kaguya, raised an eyebrow and turned to the left. A massive fist flew at his face at breakneck speed. Now, in this really unfortunate scenario, Leo shows some helplessness before making up his mind and getting serious.
The spatial distortion around him shone with a bright pink gleam as they gathered in the way of the giant fist. From within the light, something faintly emerged as Leo's figure vanished.
The rest of the Chat members stared at this as their expression changed from confused to shocked, then straight up horrified.
*BAAAAM!!!*
A thunderous bang reverberated as the fist collided with something, and the wind from the impact swept a cloud of dust into the air.
"Absurd battle tactics, number one… Saitama, I choose you!"
As everyone realized what was going on, the sparkle dulled. Whitebeard stood with his arm stretched out, his fist on Saitama's face, and smoke billowed from the collision.
—Absurd Battle Tactics, Number One!
This is a set of very successful warfare methods made by Leo. Some claim they were created using the knowledge he gained after being linked to the Swirl of Roots (Akasha) for a brief moment. The number one strategy is regarded as the most powerful since it entails tossing Saitama at anything before employing the Joestar secret technique. It's a flawless approach worth praising, and Leo is quite proud of it.
Whitebeard moved his fist away and was greeted by Saitama's darkened expression. A vein clearly bulged on his forehead as he turned around to see Leo standing far away and waving at them with a smile.
A moment ago, he was floating near the orbit, but when he decided to come back, the scenery quickly switched. He got smacked to the face and an annoying guy is waving with a smile.
As he lifted his hand slowly and took a step, Saitama felt the anger rushing to his head, but the spatial strength that had held him in place dissipated, and he soon found himself spinning in place due to the absence of gravity.
*Ding*
[Notice!
Disabled Modifier: Zero Gravity.]
*Thud*
Kaguya immediately turned off the modifier, causing Saitama to fall to the ground before slowly rising and glaring at her. Kaguya, on the other hand, turned away as if she had nothing to do with it.
But just as Saitama was about to say anything, a gigantic hand grabbed his shoulder and Whitebeard said "He is mine to deal with. Don't stand in my way."
"…"
Saitama had no idea why, but every time he saw this bunch, particularly the smiling jackass who was still waving his hand, he became enraged, and his fist couldn't help but rise.
"If it is in this place, it should be okay… Right?" Staring at his red glove, Saitama's eyes became brighter.
Ritsuka blinked as the atmosphere became increasingly dangerous, then looked to her side to observe a variety of emotions. Misaka's jaw dropped, Kazuma took notes, Kaguya's thoughtful face as if she grasped something crucial, and Leone, who arrived out of nowhere, covered her eyes and averted her gaze. It barely lasted a second before she burst out laughing, tears in her eyes.
Ritsuka inhaled deeply before covering her face. It might just be a hunch, but she has a feeling the future is bleak.
…
Simulation Function—
As the name suggests, the role of this function is to simulate an alternative reality within the Chat Room. The drifting clouds across the blue sky, the landscape where the dust rolled as the wind blew, and the ever-expanding horizon that didn't seem to have a limit left most of the Chat members in wonder.
They couldn't help it. Although the Chat Room was no short of miracles like feats, especially the miracle of World Travel, the visual impact of seeing a whole reality constructed and presented for them was huge.
After a few twists and turns, most of the simulation function was quickly understood by the Chat members.
The Simulation Function simulates a reality within the Chat Room where various conditions can be applied, as long as they have enough points.
The new feature costs points and it's separated by three ranks where the prices get more outrageous with each raise, but correspondingly, more features that could be used. The ranks are classified as follows:
[- Low Rank Simulation (10000 points):
A space with no remarkable features. Good for testing abilities, practicing, or simply used as an arena.
-Medium Rank Simulation (25000 points):
Unlock several new modes, which include Training, Scene Reproduction, and State Change.
-High Rank Simulation (50000 points):
Besides upgrading all previous features, it unlocks the World Imitation feature.]
The prices made several 'poor fellows' in the Chat turn their heads away and shut up.
The simulated reality, on the other hand, does not vanish after one use. This piece of reality can be reserved for a month or longer if the user selects a higher-rank version.
Other members can also share the simulated realities if the user has granted permission.
According to Saitama, he directly paid for the High-Rank Simulation because it was at the front of the list.
Some members were hurt in the heart by this act of squandering money since something told them that Saitama would have spent more if the High Rank wasn't the limit.
Compared to the rest of the members, Saitama rarely buys anything in the Chat Room, making his points constantly accumulating, and probably because of the game-like daily check-in function, he doesn't take points as a real currency.
Of course, if the points suddenly changed into Yen, his expression would be something marvelous to watch.
On another note, the two alternative methods to join the Simulation were also intriguing, although they were quite straightforward, as the first form, which resembled a VR game, was named 'Link-Start' by Kaguya.
The simulated bodies created by this process are nearly identical to their originals, with the exception of a minor change that only Mr. Staring-at-the-Universe-Flaws (Leo) could point out.
However, it appears that this approach cannot be used to substitute sleep or rest, which immediately put an end to several members' plans to use it.
"Ahem, that's all we know about this function right now, and further testing is necessary. Do you have a question?"
Kaguya asked as she summed up the information about the Simulation before she compiled them into a file in the Chat Room. Most of the members nodded, but Whitebeard stared at her and said "Why should I stay here and listen to you now?"
"Fufufu, don't be like that. This is very important information for the future, but… Don't lie to yourself, you aren't catching him"
Whitebeard closed his eyes and took a deep breath before a heavy and dangerous aura slowly radiated from him. He recalled how many times he tried to attack Leo, and he simply teleported him back to where he rushed from over and over...
"Yes, do you want to say anything, Ritsuka-san?"
"Um… Yeah, what is that?"
Ritsuka pointed to the right as everyone turned their eyes to see a towering mansion and several figures standing in front of it.
"DIOchu, I know you want to greet DIOzuma but wait until I finish. Go and play with Mudkip."
"Thank you, Squidward. I'm not hungry"
"Novem, don't even try to sneak on me!"
"Regulus, stop trying to start a thunderstorm! Alrescha, don't think a blizzard is a good alternative!"
"Palkia, I feel you, but please, shoot that spatial beam at them later."
In front of the mansion, various creatures of different shapes and sides gathered in front of Leo. However, they caused a big commotion and a mess just by casually walking around, especially the giant white creature.
A pink mass of spatial energy gathered in their mouth, aiming at the rest of the group members, exactly at Kaguya's location. If not for Leo stopping it, the energy should have shot directly at them!
"Why are you dissatisfied, Kuriboh?"
"Woooo~!!"
"Haaah? You missed a good part? Are you watching Yu-Gi-Oh in secret again? What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Wooooo!!"
Kuriboh called Palkia before opening some distance and taking a serious stance.
Palkia stopped gathering energy as they started at Kuriboh, then Leo before shaking their heads. However, they were still honest as a pink aura flashed on Kuriboh.
"What? Where did you find that?!"
Kuriboh came out from the pink aura with a giant purple wig that looked like a starfish and waved to Leo.
"Wooo~~!"
"You… Fine, bring it on. Do you have a deck?"
"… Wo"
"So… You want me to give you one?"
Except for Saitama, who was focused on the cartoonish-looking octopus in a chef outfit, the group members sat in awkward silence as this unfolded. As his eyes sparkled, Saitama remembered that this was the creature that made that delicious food.
"Ignore him, we'll talk about him later. After understanding the basics of this simulation, I think we can proceed with the next step." Kaguya shook her head before looking at Kazuma and Misaka and said "I believe you two would be very interested in this."
{Why is my sword there?} Kazuma felt confused when he saw Leo pull the DIO sword out of his shadow.
He can understand that those creatures came with Leo here, but why didn't his sword come with him, instead it appeared at Leo? Kazuma thought about it for a moment, but when Kaguya mentioned him, he felt puzzled and forgot about it.
Misaka paused for a second before looking Kaguya in the eyes and nodding solemnly. The rest of the members, particularly Ritsuka, are still in the dark and waiting for Kaguya to continue.
She didn't know what to do because she felt so lost and out of place. Lucifer (Leo) was the only person she actually knew here, yet he ignored her and made a mess with his familiars.
To be honest, the scene there appears to be fun, and she wants to participate, but Ritsuka shook her head furiously. This isn't the time to have fun; she has to concentrate! This Chat Room might be crucial to her and Chaldea's future!
"I'm sure you're all aware of our flaws after the last mission. The opponent we're up against is tricky, and they have plenty of gimmicks under their sleeves. Despite the fact that we only met a handful, well, a very few, we may use the previous Lich as an example..."
Kaguya glanced at the Chat members before saying "He wasn't all that weak in terms of power, especially when you consider his army. But the important issue is that he has far too many tricks and abilities to adapt to any given situation. If there wasn't Whitebeard or any other person to suppress him with absolute strength, I don't see how you three can take him down. Running is still a valid strategy for him, you know?"
Kaguya and Misaka fell into thought as Leone honestly nodded. Her combat power is really singular and doesn't work against those weird enemies. But when they were thinking, Saitama raised his hand.
"No, Saitama, you weren't there. Wait until I finish if you want to ask questions"
Saitama lowered his hand slowly before returning to look at the Octopus Chef as Kaguya glanced at him and resumed "And this applies only in the event that they were weaker. What if those foes are on par with the strong Chat members in terms of strength? Alongside their diverse powers and the help of their different Outer Gods or Multiversal Spaces, the situation appears dismal."
Kaguya finished as the members fell into deep thoughts, but Saitama paused for a moment before raising his hand.
"Yes, Saitama, the multiverse is vast. Just wait and I believe you'll find someone who can one-shot you to dust."
Saitama nodded with a bit of joy as Kaguya sighed tiredly before Leone suddenly said "If you are bringing this topic up, I believe you have an idea in your mind"
"The opponent may be crafty, but keep in mind that they are severely restricted. Be it the Outer Gods or the Multiversal Spaces, they will be sure to keep a firm grasp over their forces. Of course, this also applies to us, albeit on a far smaller scale, if I am correct."
"Although I don't want to admit it, we have top powerhouses from a couple of worlds here."
"That's obvious"
Misaka raised her chest proudly and nodded, but Leone patted her head gently and said "Now, now, don't you think that Leo guy is more of a powerhouse of your world than someone, who didn't even know magic existed?"
"Pfff---!!"
Kazuma was taken aback as he turned his head away and laughed.
"You?!"
Misaka's face flushed with embarrassment as electric sparks crackled over her forehead, but she was stumped as to how to respond to Leone's statement.
"Unlike our adversaries, we have this to our advantage. The World's Wills offered us a great deal of flexibility, as well as a mechanism to connect across worlds, master the power systems from many realities, and even this Simulation Space."
"Don't you see? If we use these features correctly, this will be our strength…"
Kaguya finished her words as she took a deep breath and appeared a little tired.
She felt even more powerless when she saw this assemblage of chaos-inducing and out-of-control people. Kaguya truly doesn't want to play this tiresome role, but after the last mission, she realizes she needs to make a change before it's too late.
However, at least it seems her words had a positive effect as the chat members felt the idea is very feasible and their eyes couldn't help but brighten up. Ritsuka was even more exaggerated and took a small notebook from her uniform pocket and started taking notes.
Kaguya shook her head and exhaled a sigh of relief, not sure if she should warn Ritsuka that her notes may vanish later because she entered the simulation via consciousness.
She may not be concerned about many things, but Kaguya is concerned about being mistreated by adversaries, and after spending so much time in the Chat, she considers this group to be hers, therefore she does not want them to be abused harshly.
However, the most difficult portion is yet to begin, and it's difficult since it involves the second person in the Chat who she isn't concerned about throwing at enemies and running away, in addition to Saitama. Trying to make this work would be a challenge, and Kaguya wasn't optimistic.
"Hm? Did any of you mention me? I could have sworn I sensed it. No, you must have thought about involving me in something troublesome."
The group raised their heads to see Leo walking over with Kuriboh, who was wearing the giant Yu-Gi's wig, on his head.
"Anyway, we are going to do a Duel Monsters tournament. Care to join?"
"Wooo~!"
Kuriboh raised his head and shouted as the conspicuous starfish hair swayed with each move.
"Duel Monsters?"
Saitama tilted his head and questioned while his eyes were riveted on the giant wig.
"It's a children's card game. Kids love it, and adults love abusing them in it."
"Oh, how do we play?
Saitama joined quickly and Leo began to explain some rules as Kaguya felt speechless before saying "Can you save it for later? I need your attention now"
"Believe me, you'll be surprised by how many people want that, but what is going on here exactly?"
"Figure it out later." Whitebeard suddenly stood up and faced Leo before saying "Are you actually all this scared to face me? Hm?!"
"Pure obliteration does not appeal to me. By the way, where is your big stick?"
"Broken."
"Pfff---!!" Leo laughed for a moment before his face returned to normal and said "Ahem, that sounds very unfortunate. Do you want my help in fixing it again?"
"Yeah, after I settle accounts with you"
As the eve of battle drew closer, the chat members slowly moved away and left these two alone. Saitama looked left and right before walking toward the Octopus Chef, who took the grill out.
Looking at this, Leo sighed secretly before looking at Kaguya and saying "Although I feel I lack a lot of contexts, I can see that you have taken on a very irritating role. So, why don't you continue and stop him?"
"Now, why would I? I see this as a good chance to celebrate the old times. You've got a lot to say to each other. Perhaps if you did your job well, I wouldn't have to deal with this, but here we are. I wish you the best of luck."
Kaguya suddenly appeared far away and the rest of the chat members followed her out of the battle zone.
They looked like a line of spectators watching a show, which made Leo frown. That was supposed to be his own thing.
However, looking at Whitebeard's current state, there didn't appear to be any simple way out, other than annihilating him.
"… You aren't stopping unless I punch you to the orbit, right?"
Whitebeard didn't answer as a white halo with intense vibrations gathered on his fist. Sensing this change, a roar sounded from the back as Palkia flew over with his arm gleaming with intense spatial waves.
Regulus and Alrescha made no sound as they turned into energy and returned to Leo, waiting for instructions.
They are prepared to collapse all of the space in the vicinity of Whitebeard's head as soon as he moves.
Whitebeard, on the other hand, smirked as the Conqueror Haki radiated like a furious wave, leaving most of the Chat members gasping for air. As a result of his actions, Palkia's rage erupted as their eyes shone and the space trembled.
"They are fighting again, huh?" Misaka frowned but didn't show as much rejection as usual.
Her gaze was drawn to the two figures in front of her. This battle would serve as an excellent example for her since she had already resolved to work harder in order to get stronger.
"Yeah, I'm evacuating further. Wait, maybe I should hide in the mansion."
Kazuma could feel the Conqueror Haki from afar, and the oppressive pressure irritated him. He experienced it so much during the Konosuba mission that he got sick of it. He even developed a slight immunity!
However, he soon saw the mansion ahead of him. Saitama appeared to be having a nice time while eating several dishes that looked delicious.
But then he noticed a yellow electric rat with a sword the size of its body. The fact that both the blade and the rat had the same terrifying face made him tremble.
"Never mind."
"Is it really okay for them to fight like this?" Ritsuka frowned as she felt this situation was unnecessary.
"It's unreasonable, I know. But this would work better for them. You know, during our first meeting, everyone started fighting each other."
After seeing the messages in the Chat Room, Ritsuka had no doubts about Kaguya's statements. To be fair, she's a little irritated as well, having been threatened three times in a row there.
"Only fighting appears to improve their communication and understanding of one another. This is also beneficial to us. These battles will allow us to assess the Chat Room's overall strength and plan accordingly. You may use this with your Chaldea as well. You don't think all those historical figures who are notorious for their oppression will listen patiently, do you?"
Ritsuka's eyes lit up as she realized that Kaguya's words made perfect sense. Although she might rely on the Command Seals, they are very dangerous and can go wrong at any time. They'll even increase the Servants' dissatisfaction.
She hurriedly took the notebook and wrote it, but she couldn't help but slow a bit when she heard Kazuma saying "That's a lot of talk from someone who simply wants to watch these two beat each other, but who am I to judge? Excellent work."
"Fufufu, no worries, Kazuma-san. However, I don't expect them to beat each other… Whitebeard is doomed"
Kaguya spread her hands and Kazuma clapped his hands, praying for Whitebeard from afar as Ritsuka put down the pen slowly. She noticed Misaka shaking her head at her, rendering her more speechless.
"This sounds interesting. Is it okay if I serve as the judge? Hey there, you two! Okay, you may begin after the count of five."
Leone yelled to the front, and Whitebeard and Palkia's menacing gaze quickly locked on her. This made her internally scream, but she kept her cool and said "Are you both ready?!"
"What is she doing?"
"Having a death wish, that's what she is doing."
Palkia roared behind Leo, channeling the energy held in the orbs on each of their shoulders onto their right arm. Leo, on the other hand, lifted his hand and pushed them back slightly.
"This time I'll be wronging you, but I'll handle it. Is it possible for you to safeguard the mansion on my behalf? I appreciate it."
Palkia glanced at Leo before roaring and soaring back to the top of the mansion, peering viciously at Whitebeard as if they would tear him apart at any moment.
Whitebeard returned the greeting with a broad grin before looking down at Leo. As he prepared to show his full might, his body tensed up. He'll never forget the stream in Asgard or the strength Leo demonstrated.
He had been itching for this fight for a long time as he watched him grow stronger and stronger.
"I suppose this would be appropriate since these warnings are becoming a nuisance. Let's just get this over with because I have a few tests to perform..."
As a few red Chat windows flashed by, Leo shook his head as a light scarlet glow encircled his body.
Whitebeard launched Observation Haki and Armament Haki as he faintly detected something emerging from Leo, which made him a bit wary.
[Warning! Warning!
The Chat Room has determined that the member identified by, Annihilation Maker (Admin), has the ability to cause irreversible fatal harm to some of the members. Please proceed with caution and care.]
Brushing off another bothersome warning, Leo closed his eyes as the aura grew stronger, ultimately forming a faint humanoid silhouette.
Leone shrugged and raised her hand when she saw they were both ignoring her. "Ready? 5, 4—GO! Eh?"
*BAAAAM!!!*
The loud sound of something heavy being smashed covered Leone's surprised voice as she watched a large figure fly away before her horrified eyes.
As his body shot away like a rocket, Whitebeard's eyes widened. As though someone had punched him in the face, his face was burning and the smell of blood filled his nostrils. Twisting his body in mid-air, he quickly landed and raised his head.
Leo, who appeared in Whitebeard's previous location, was staring at Whitebeard with blank eyes and slowly walking forward… menacingly.
"Who starts counting from five? Huh? You can't even count propre— Wait, what just happened?" Kazuma blinked and had a weird sense of deja-vu.
"Isn't this…" Ritsuka took a look at the phenomena and realized she had seen something similar before.
Whitebeard exhaled violently from his nose as the fissures under him spread like spiderwebs. His form vanished in an instant, covering the gap and catching up with Leo in a moment.
His fist, which contained massive vibrations, swung like a rocket, shaking the air as it approached Leo's face, but as it was about to hit him, the scene flipped again.
*Crack!!*
*BOOOM!!*
As the quakes spread like a wave, the air broke like a mirror, causing severe devastation as if an earthquake had struck the region. Whitebeard, on the other hand, widened his eyes and clenched his teeth when it happened again.
Whitebeard's strike was over before he realized it, and Leo, who was intended to be hit, was standing in the same spot as if Whitebeard's fist had gone right through him.
Whitebeard stared at Leo as their eyes met before his mind felt blank and a sharp pain assaulted his chest.
*BAAAAM!!!*
Whitebeard was blown into the air once more, but this time he was more prepared, turning and landing hard, causing fractures to spread. Whitebeard frowned deeply as he peered forward, shaking his head.
He was completely unaware of what had just occurred. It felt as though he had abruptly skipped steps and found himself someplace without even recognizing it.
"As far as I can tell, I get where you're coming from. How long has that Asgard nonsense been bothering you? Don't respond; it appears that the last mission has had a greater impact on you people than I anticipated..."
Whitebeard flinched when he heard this and put more strength in his fists. His senses were sharpened, and the Observation Haki was pushed to his limits. It doesn't matter what kind of trick Leo is playing; he'll figure it out!
"You, on the other hand, are doing something incorrectly. Didn't I say that to you before? I am a cheater. If one trick isn't sufficient, ten will suffice. Comparing yourself to me is meaningless since our paths to strength are drastically different... I sincerely hope you do not do so."
When Leo's gaze met Edward's, he came to a halt. Edward didn't blink the following second, and yet, he had no idea when Leo appeared a few meters away from him. It wasn't teleportation or superspeed; rather, it was as if his memory had skipped over the events beforehand!
The rest of the Chat members were in a similar state since they had no idea what had transpired. Why are they moving about and speaking stuff without even realizing it? Saitama scowled hard, knowing that as soon as he took a mouthful, he would have swallowed it and would be unable to taste anything. This made him feel quite uncomfortable.
Kaguya and Kazuma, on the other hand, locked gazes as they verified their suspicions and felt enraged. This is foul play!
"But I know you won't be pleased with this, otherwise you wouldn't be Whitebeard, would you? So, consider this a test..." A surge of mana detonated over Leo's body as he took a step forward, and a red and white humanoid figure materialized behind him.
"Now, the following might be a bit cring— hard to swallow, but this child has asked for it and he has been with me for a while, so… I welcome you, Edward, in the court of King Crimson."
With those words, the horizon changed as everyone was tethered by rusted chains of befuddlement. The figure behind Leo swayed by the sun and grinned as if it were dancing to lullabies sung in an ancient tongue. For this is its court, here its lord and it's are the king!
Unfortunately, King Crimson was so eager to perform that it failed to detect Leo's strong desire to bury himself in a hole after speaking that line. He could only find solace in the notion that King Crimson is happy.
He's now only hoping that the delivery was adequate and that those obnoxious people won't roast him. This is just too much for his procrastinating soul.
