While he was sleeping, Tatsuya was jolted awake by a transparent panel glowing brightly right in front of his face.
"What is this?" Tatsuya muttered, his voice laced with caution.
[Destiny characters found. Binding Chat Group in progress...]
A mechanical voice echoed directly in Tatsuya's mind.
"Destiny characters? Chat group? Is this the 'legendary cheat' that usually pops up in novels?"
[Binding successful. Please enter your name...]
Tatsuya wasn't the type to hide behind a mask, so he typed his real name: Tatsuya Yotsuba.
[Name confirmed. Welcome to the Destiny Chat Group!]
The transparent panel flared with light, transforming into a familiar chat interface with an easy-to-understand layout. Currently, there were only a few main menus, but the most eye-catching part was the group chat, which was already being flooded by confused participants.
Time Eater: "Is this another Spirit attack? Why can't I get rid of this?"
Sword Princess: "A hallucination? It seems I need more rest after that dungeon exploration."
White: "Hoo, is this Diablo's doing? Strange... even with my current power, I cannot destroy it."
Makoto: "Hmm? This transparent panel looks like something out of a game. Isekai is great and all, except for that trash goddess."
Tatsuya Yotsuba: "..."
Even though the members' names were obscured by titles, Tatsuya recognized them instantly.
Time Eater definitely referred to Tokisaki Kurumi. She mentioned "Spirits," indirectly identifying herself as the Spirit of Time.
Sword Princess was none other than Ais Wallenstein, a member of the Loki Familia and the primary heroine of Danmachi.
White was a bit too broad to guess at first, but once she mentioned "Diablo," it was clear. She was Testarossa from Tensura.
Finally, Makoto. Tatsuya felt most familiar with this name; in his previous life, he had been quite fond of the Tsukimichi series.
[Welcome to the Destiny Chat Group. You are the chosen ones who have been granted access to this collective.]
Time Eater: "..."
Sword Princess: "..."
White: "..."
Makoto: "..."
Tatsuya Yotsuba: "..."
[First, allow me to clarify: you are not from the same world! The Destiny Chat Group allows you to interact with chosen beings from other dimensions. If you don't believe it, please introduce yourselves.]
Time Eater: "Highly suspicious, but I suppose I have no choice. My name is Tokisaki Kurumi. A Spirit of Time."
Sword Princess: "Ais Wallenstein. A human? Level 5 Adventurer."
White: "Why the question mark? Whatever. I am a Primordial Demon, the incarnation of the color white. My name is Testarossa, bestowed upon me by the great Rimuru-sama."
Makoto: "I'm Misumi Makoto. Just an ordinary human from Earth who had to move to another world for family reasons."
From their introductions, Tatsuya could deduce several things:
Tokisaki Kurumi hadn't encountered Itsuka Shido yet.
Ais Wallenstein wasn't close to Bell Cranel yet.
Testarossa had already been named by Rimuru.
Makoto had only recently been transported to the other world.
The random nature of these timelines suggested that the people invited were truly just those who were "chosen."
Time Eater: "@Tatsuya Yotsuba, why so quiet? You haven't said a word since the beginning."
Tatsuya Yotsuba: "Ahem. My apologies. My mind was just a bit overwhelmed after encountering such a strange phenomenon."
Sword Princess: "More importantly, why not introduce yourself?"
Tatsuya Yotsuba: "You're right. My name is Tatsuya Yotsuba, a Prince of the Yotsuba Family."
White: "A Prince? You are a member of a royal family?"
Tatsuya Yotsuba: "Not exactly. But my family is one of the most influential in Japan. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say we own a tenth of the country."
Makoto: "Incredible! So you're from Japan?!"
Time Eater: "There is a Japan here as well. Perhaps we are in the same world?"
Tatsuya Yotsuba: "I'm certain we aren't. My world is a world of Modern Magic."
Makoto: "Eh? Modern Magic? What's that?"
Tatsuya Yotsuba: "Simply put, it's magic combined with technology."
Makoto: "Amazing... that means you don't live in the Japan I know."
Time Eater: "I suppose so. Human technology here is advanced, but when it comes to magic, they are quite lacking."
Sword Princess: "Forgive me... where is this 'Japan'?"
White: "+1"
Tatsuya Yotsuba: "Japan is a country on Earth. Even if we all know a place called Japan, the version we know is not the same place."
White: "In other words, this chat group really does unite us from across different worlds. Am I right?"
Tatsuya Yotsuba: "Yes. Now, the real issue is why we've been gathered here. There must be a specific purpose for us joining a group like this."
Time Eater: "..."
Sword Princess: "..."
White: "..."
Makoto: "..."
The atmosphere in the chat grew stiff. Tatsuya and the others suddenly became very wary and alert.
To be continued...