[Kobayashi is now online.]
[Kobayashi: Good evening. How is everyone holding up?]
I finished sliding the cooked chicken onto a plate alongside some steamed vegetables, wiping my hands on a towel before tapping a reply.
[Kenji Sato: I'm doing fine. Just finishing up some dinner.]
[Subaru Natsuki: Alive and currently not being murdered, so I'll call it a win. But seriously, Miss Kobayashi, you missed a lot. Kenji is in a death game.]
There was a noticeable pause in the chat. I could practically picture Kobayashi sitting at her office desk, taking off her glasses, and pinching the bridge of her nose.
[Kobayashi: ...Excuse me? A death game? Kenji, how exactly did you manage to get yourself drafted into a war?]
I let out a quiet sigh, leaning against the kitchen counter.
[Kenji Sato: It wasn't exactly intentional. My world has a hidden magical society. The system planted my fake identity right in the middle of Fuyuki City, which is the battleground for a ritual called the Holy Grail War. Seven mages summon seven historical heroes to fight until only one remains. The winner gets a wish-granting artifact.]
[Kenji Sato: I accidentally provided mana to a summoning circle and ended up binding a Servant to myself. So now I'm a participant.]
[Kobayashi: That sounds incredibly dangerous. Are you going to be alright?]
[Kenji Sato: I'll manage. My Servant is strong, and the Medical System I was given is surprisingly versatile.]
[Kobayashi: I see. Well... speaking of the system. I wanted to ask you two about something that happened after your mission today.]
I raised an eyebrow, my attention fully captured.
[Kobayashi: It seems that even if a member doesn't actively participate in a system-generated mission, they can still receive a reward drop. It's apparently much rarer, but I got lucky. Or unlucky, depending on how you look at it.]
[Subaru Natsuki: Wait, really? Free loot for sleeping through the objective? That's totally unfair! What did you get?!]
[Kobayashi: I received an Ultra Rare item called a 'Random Member Invitation Ticket'. The description says it will instantly invite a completely randomized person from across the multiverse to join this group chat as a permanent member.]
[Kobayashi: I wanted to ask you both before I did anything with it. Should I use it?]
I stared at the glowing blue text, my mind immediately shifting into analytical mode.
An invitation ticket. It was very similar to the two 'Video Game Invite Tickets' sitting in my own inventory, albeit heavily flawed. Mine were targeted—I could specifically pull entities from gaming universes. Hers was a complete shot in the dark. She could pull a literal god of destruction, or she could pull a slice-of-life high schooler who just wanted to bake bread.
Still, having more allies in the chat was a net positive. Especially since I already had a very specific, selfish plan for my own tickets.
I had checked the Fusion Blade the system had gifted me earlier today. It was a beautiful, devastatingly sharp weapon from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. But tragically, it was entirely lacking in Materia slots. I had two incredibly powerful Summon Stones—Bahamut and Odin—sitting uselessly in my inventory because I had no way to equip them to my gear or my body.
My plan was to eventually use one of my specific tickets to invite someone from the Final Fantasy universe—preferably an incredibly skilled mechanic or someone deeply familiar with Materia—so I could learn how to modify my weapons and actually slot the pocket gods.
Letting Kobayashi use her randomized ticket now would save me the trouble of wasting my targeted ones just to bolster our numbers.
[Kenji Sato: I say use it. We're currently a small group spread across very dangerous worlds...Except Saki's but the more information and unique power systems we have access to, the better our chances of survival.]
[Subaru Natsuki: I vote yes too! What if it's someone super overpowered who can give us cheat items? Roll the gacha, Kobayashi-san!]
There was a brief delay on her end.
[Kobayashi: Alright. If you two are sure. I'll activate it now.]
———
[Kobayashi POV]
Kobayashi let out a soft breath, adjusting her glasses as she stared at the translucent blue screen hovering over her work monitor. The office around her was quiet, the rhythmic typing of her coworkers completely oblivious to the multiversal roulette she was about to spin.
"Well, they both agreed to it," she muttered quietly to herself. "And knowing my luck lately, I'll probably just summon another dragon."
She opened her system inventory and highlighted the golden ticket icon.
[Item: Random Member Invitation Ticket selected.]
[Are you sure you want to use this item? Y/N]
Kobayashi moved her finger and tapped 'Y'.
The golden ticket on her screen shattered into dozens of bright, glowing pixels. The interface chimed with a crisp, digital sound that echoed softly in her mind. A loading bar appeared, filling up rapidly as the system reached out across the infinite void of the multiverse, blindly grabbing a soul to tether to their chat.
[Searching Multiversal Coordinates...]
[Entity Located.]
[Establishing Connection...]
Kobayashi leaned forward in her office chair, her eyes narrowing as she waited for the name to appear.
[Entity Located.]
[Potential Member: Shou Tucker]
[Accept Invitation? (3 Rerolls Remaining)]
She blinked, adjusting her glasses. The system apparently had a reroll mechanic, which was generous for a gacha-style item. She immediately opened the chat.
[Kobayashi: The ticket found a match. The name is Shou Tucker. Should I accept?]
There wasn't even a second of hesitation on the other end. The typing indicator flashed, and Kenji's response appeared almost instantly.
[Kenji Sato: Accept it.]
[Kobayashi: That was fast. Do you know him? Who is he?]
[Kenji Sato: He is simply a great father and a dedicated researcher. Accept the invite so I can kill him.]
Kobayashi stared at her screen, her fingers freezing over her keyboard. She read the message twice just to make sure her tired eyes weren't playing tricks on her.
[Kobayashi: ...What? Why on earth would I waste an Ultra Rare invitation ticket to bring someone into our private group chat just so you can commit multiversal homicide?]
[Kenji Sato: I just want to talk to him.]
[Subaru Natsuki: Bro, you literally just typed 'so I can kill him'.]
[Kenji Sato: A slip of the finger. Invite him.]
Kobayashi let out a long, deeply exasperated sigh, rubbing her temples. Kenji was incredibly competent, but his casual approach to localized murder was becoming a running theme. If he hated this 'great father' enough to instantly demand his execution, there was probably a very dark, very messed-up reason for it.
"I am not dealing with that kind of drama today," Kobayashi muttered to herself.
She moved her mouse and clicked the 'Reroll' button on the system interface. The screen pixelated and began searching again.
[Entity Located.]
[Potential Member: Kiritsugu Emiya]
[Accept Invitation? (2 Rerolls Remaining)]
Kobayashi went back to the chat box.
[Kobayashi: I skipped Shou Tucker. I'm not funding your hit list. The new roll is a person named Kiritsugu Emiya. I have a hunch you know this one too. Should I accept?]
[Kenji Sato: REROLL THAT RIGHT NOW.]
Kobayashi flinched slightly at the all-caps response.
[Kobayashi: Why? Is he another person you want to kill?]
[Kenji Sato: NO. HE IS THE PERSON WHO WANTS TO KILL ME. He is literally an enemy Master in the Holy Grail War I am currently fighting in! He is an assassin who blows up buildings to kill mages! Do NOT invite him to the chat! He will track my system IP or something and snipe me through my window!]
[Subaru Natsuki: Oh man, yeah, definitely reroll the exploding assassin.]
Kobayashi let her head fall back against her office chair, staring up at the fluorescent ceiling lights. This was exactly why she hadn't wanted to use the ticket without asking. The multiverse was apparently packed to the brim with psychopaths and heavily armed assassins.
"Third time's the charm," she sighed, clicking the reroll button once more.
The system whirred, processing the request before locking onto a new coordinate.
[Entity Located.]
[Potential Member: Lucy Heartfilia]
[Accept Invitation? (1 Reroll Remaining)]
She relayed the information to the group.
[Kobayashi: I rolled again. I only have one reroll left after this. The name is Lucy Heartfilia.]
[Kenji Sato: Accept.]
Kobayashi's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
[Kobayashi: You answered instantly again. That's a girl's name. Are you just being a pervert?]
[Subaru Natsuki: Busted.]
[Kenji Sato: I am not being a pervert. Lucy Heartfilia is a fledgling mage with a lot of potential. She's in a circumstance where she wants to become a strong, capable wizard and make her own way in the world. She's genuinely a good person, her magic relies on summoning spirits, and she'd be a solid, trustworthy ally for the group.]
Kobayashi read over the message. Kenji's explanation was surprisingly detailed and entirely practical. Plus, a fledgling mage sounded entirely harmless compared to a child-murdering scientist or a heavily armed building-bomber.
She glanced at the (1 Reroll Remaining) text on her screen. If she skipped Lucy, the next roll could be completely unsalvageable. She didn't want to risk her absolute last chance on someone Kenji either wanted to violently murder or someone who wanted to violently murder Kenji.
"A fledgling mage," Kobayashi murmured. It vaguely reminded her of the 'Crush Magic' ability she had been given earlier. Maybe they were from the same universe?
Deciding it was the safest bet, Kobayashi hovered her mouse over the interface and clicked.
[Invitation Accepted.]
[Adding Member to Multiversal Groupchat...]
———
[Lucy Heartfilia POV]
"We made it! Welcome to Magnolia, Lucy!"
Natsu's booming voice echoed down the cobblestone street, completely drowning out the ambient noise of the bustling magical city. Before Lucy could even respond, the pink-haired dragon slayer caught the scent of roasting meat.
"Food! Come on, Happy!"
"Aye, sir!"
In a blur of motion, Natsu and the blue flying cat bolted down the street, leaving a trail of dust in their wake as they sprinted toward the nearest food stall.
Lucy let out a long, exhausted sigh, dropping her luggage to the ground. "Honestly, those two... I just got here and they're already leaving me behind."
She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, taking in the sights of the massive guild town. But before she could even take a step toward the Fairy Tail guildhall, the air in front of her shimmered.
A sleek, translucent blue screen materialized out of thin air, hovering perfectly at her eye level.
Lucy flinched, instinctively reaching for her celestial keys. "What in the world? Is this some kind of new communication lacrima? I didn't sense any magic activating..."
The screen immediately responded, the text scrolling rapidly.
[Notice: This interface is not derived from localized magic or lacrima technology. This is a Multiversal System Interface connecting you to entities across entirely different dimensions and worlds.]
Lucy blinked, lowering her hand. "Different worlds? Like... the celestial spirit world?"
[Negative. Entirely different universes with distinct laws of physics, magic, and reality. You have been selected to join the Multiversal Groupchat.]
"Okay, this is either a really elaborate prank by a high-level illusionist, or I've officially lost my mind," Lucy muttered. She poked the screen cautiously. It felt like tapping the surface of a still pond.
[Starter Gift Available. Open now?]
"A gift? Well... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look." She tapped 'Yes'.
A small digital box appeared on the screen, bursting into golden confetti.
[Reward Acquired: Party Invite Ticket]
[Description: Allows the user to instantly pull one randomized entity from the multiverse into the group chat.]
"An invite ticket?" Lucy tilted her head. "So I can invite someone else to this weird chat room? Let's see how this works, I guess."
She activated the ticket. The screen whirred, processing for a few seconds before a name popped up.
[Entity Located: Shou Tucker]
[Accept Invitation? Y/N]
"Shou Tucker?" Lucy read aloud. "That sounds like a perfectly normal name. No idea who he is, but if this really connects to other worlds, maybe he's a wizard too!"
Without overthinking it, she pressed 'Y'.
A new window expanded, showing a chat log.
———
[Kenji Sato POV]
I sat at the small kitchen table in my Fuyuki apartment, glaring at my plate of chicken and vegetables.
I was sulking. It was incredibly petty, but I was genuinely annoyed that Kobayashi had rerolled Shou Tucker. The man was one of the most universally despised characters in anime history—a guy who subjected his own daughter and dog to a horrific, agonizing alchemical fusion just to keep his state funding. Slicing him in half with the Fusion Blade would have been a public service.
I paused, my chopsticks hovering halfway to my mouth.
I stared blankly at the wall. 'Why am I so comfortable with this?' I thought, a sudden, cold knot forming in my stomach.
Yesterday, I was a normal guy in Los Angeles. Yesterday, I had brutally executed Hayato in an alleyway. Today I blasted Ryuunosuke Uryū through a mirror then finished him with a laser cannon, and was now actively sulking over missing out on a third murder. Was the Arthurian body messing with my morality? Or was I just fundamentally broken now that I had an overpowered system?
'I'll unpack that later,' I decided, aggressively shoving a piece of chicken into my mouth. 'He's an anime villain. It doesn't count.'
I glanced back at the glowing blue chat interface.
[Kobayashi has logged out.]
[Subaru Natsuki has logged out.]
Kobayashi had to get back to writing code, and Subaru had hastily typed out that he finally spotted Emilia and needed to go talk to her. That just left me.
Suddenly, the screen pinged with a new notification.
[Lucy Heartfilia has joined the chat.]
[Shou Tucker has joined the chat.]
I choked on my chicken, pounding my chest as I stared at the screen in absolute disbelief.
[Lucy Heartfilia: Um, hi! I'm Lucy. Is this thing
really connecting to other worlds?]
She used her starter pull. Lucy Heartfilia, the nicest, most trusting celestial mage in existence, had used her starter pull and yanked the exact monster Kobayashi had just thrown back into the void. The irony was physically painful.
Before I could even type a warning, the new guy sent a message.
[Shou Tucker: Hello there! Goodness, what a fascinating mechanism. My name is Shou Tucker. I am a State Alchemist. Thank you so much for the invitation, Miss Lucy. This research potential is simply boundless!]
My eyes narrowed. The sheer, polite normality of his message made my skin crawl.
[Shou Tucker: Oh, it appears I've also received a starter gift for joining. Let me see... Ah. A 'Free Travel Ticket'. It says I can temporarily invite a selected number of members of this chat to my location for a visit.]
My golden eyes locked onto the screen.
[Shou Tucker: Miss Lucy, and... Mr. Kenji, is it? As a token of my profound gratitude for bringing me into this miraculous network, I would be honored to host you both at my home. I can show you my laboratory, and introduce you to my lovely daughter, Nina, and our dog, Alexander.]
The air in my apartment dropped ten degrees. The knot of moral ambiguity I had been worrying about a minute ago vanished entirely, replaced by absolute, cold-blooded clarity.
[Lucy Heartfilia: A travel ticket?! Oh wow, that sounds amazing! I'd love to see another world! You sound like a really nice person, Mr. Tucker.]
I cracked my knuckles, my expression turning utterly flat.
[Kenji Sato: I would be honored. I would absolutely love to come to your home and have a long, thorough talk with you, Tucker.]
[Shou Tucker: Splendid! I shall initiate the tickets shortly.]
I closed the chat window, letting out a long, heavy exhale.
I felt genuinely bad for Lucy. She was a sweet girl who was just excited to meet new people and explore magic. Her very first experience with the multiverse was going to be witnessing me absolutely traumatizing her by brutally executing her first invitee in his own home.
'I'm going to have to make it up to her,' I thought, rubbing my temples. 'I need to give her an apology gift for the trauma. Maybe something from my inventory? I'll dig through the system later and find a magic item or something that's too girly for me to use.'
I stood up from the table, and summoned the Zolda Advent Deck to my hand.
It was time to pay the Sewing-Life Alchemist a visit.