Mine

Once the memory clips were uploaded, every member except those already familiar with the stories like Eriri and Arifureta—or those who didn't have time—began watching the clips.

Meanwhile, Arifureta had already left her classroom and was preparing to head over to Food Wars!' world. However, when she sent a cross-world request to Erina Nakiri, there was no response.

In a small, rundown town along the western borders of the Empire in Akame ga Kill! world, a ragged, emaciated young girl lay curled up against a crumbling wall. Her messy pink hair hung loosely over her thin frame. Due to prolonged hunger, she seemed dazed and lethargic.

This girl was none other than Mine, who had recently joined the chat group.

Mine was a half-blood, born from the union of the Empire and a foreign tribe from the West. She had been looked down upon by all the Imperial citizens in her hometown, suffering endless discrimination due to her bloodline. This led to a life of poverty, often without enough food or clothes. She was constantly bullied, her life filled with hardship.

Because of her loneliness, the sound and screen of the chat group that suddenly appeared in her mind not long ago seemed like nothing more than an illusion, a figment of her imagination. Seeing the memory clips uploaded to the group, she instinctively clicked on one that included the character for "food"—Food Wars!.

In the next instant, Mine was greeted with a world she had never seen before: immaculately clean streets, people dressed in what seemed to be comfortable, pristine clothing, and words she had never seen but could somehow understand and read.

She couldn't help but think that this was indeed a fantasy of her own making; her ability to understand the strange text served as a confirmation. After all, she couldn't even read the Empire's language.

As the video progressed, she saw images of people eating in a restaurant, savoring delicious-looking fried rice. She involuntarily swallowed, feeling an intense hunger.

Her imagination must be amazing to conjure such a world, she thought.

The various tantalizing dishes on screen soon captured her full attention. Watching people lose themselves in the flavors, their expressions filled with satisfaction, Mine felt a deep pang of envy.

Then, another thought surfaced: "If this is really my imagination, why can't I taste those flavors?"

At this moment, she began to entertain the thought that perhaps this wasn't just her imagination.

But with each new dish and scene, her curiosity was forgotten, replaced by an eager immersion into the beautiful dream unfolding before her, as a mere observer.

…

A while later, those who had watched the immersive memory clips were starting to come back to the chat. Meanwhile, Arifureta had received Erina's acceptance and had arrived in the world of Food Wars!.

Unlike Erina, who had no particular reaction to the story, Fubuki was left in a completely different state. After watching two seasons of One Punch Man, she realized she wasn't a supporting character—she barely had any presence beyond an extra. This unexpected revelation left her feeling quite down.

But what surprised her most was how that goofy, C-rank hero "Caped Baldy" Saitama turned out to be so powerful. And that S-Class, Rank 7 hero, called the "Strongest Man on Earth," KING, was actually an ordinary human. His so-called "Emperor Engine" was just his heart beating rapidly from nerves. The entire story shattered her expectations of what heroes and power meant.

[Chika Fujiwara (Level 4, Stage 4): So, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 km run every day for three years will make you a Level 5 or even Level 6 fighter? My mind is blown.]

[Ruri Gokou (Level 4, Stage 2): Or maybe going bald is the real key! Chika, if going bald instantly boosted you to Level 6 or 7, would you do it? grins]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): Oho, a bald Chika-chan? I'd love to see that! anticipation.jpg]

[Arifureta (Level 4, Stage 8/Group Leader): I'm curious, too! How about trying it out, Chika-chan?]

[Kaguya Shinomiya (Level 4, Stage 2): I agree!]

[Chika Fujiwara (Level 4, Stage 4): Agree with what?! No way! I'm not losing my hair—my hair is precious!]

[Rias Gremory (Level 2, Stage 9): By the way, Fubuki's world seems pretty dangerous. No wonder they have heroes as a profession.]

[Fubuki (Level 2, Stage 5): Yeah, there are always monsters causing trouble. I had no idea there was even a secret Monster Association behind it all.]

[Luo Cuilian (Level 5, Stage 6): That Boros guy is strong.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): Long time no see, @Luo Cuilian.]

[Luo Cuilian (Level 5, Stage 6): I've been training for a while. Dear sister, you should come to Mt. Lu next time.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): I definitely will!]

[Chika Fujiwara (Level 4, Stage 4): So, this "Dominator of the Universe" guy has earth-destroying strength, huh?]

[Elaina (Level 4, Stage 5): Yeah, that Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon of his could annihilate the earth's surface. Too bad he was defeated in one punch by the ultimate bald cheat code.]

[Erika (Level 5, Stage 4): From the description, he sounds way stronger than me.]

[Lala (Level 6, Stage 9): My dad is the universe's dominator too!]

At the increasing display of members at Level 5 and above, Fubuki couldn't help but feel unsettled. Initially, she'd adjusted to seeing mostly Level 4 members aside from that super high-level Eriri, but now she was realizing just how many high-ranking members were around.

[Fubuki (Level 2, Stage 5): You all are so strong...]

[Yuuki Asuna (Level 4, Stage 4): You'll catch up with your sister if you just earn enough points.]

[Fubuki (Level 2, Stage 5): ….]

Looking at Asuna's comment, Fubuki could only smile wryly. If she wanted to surpass her sister, she'd at least need to reach Level 3, Stage 9. She had already seen the vast amount of points needed to rank up. Given her current Level 2, Stage 5, it would take her close to five hundred thousand points to reach the peak of Level 3.

This realization left her utterly helpless—she didn't have any valuable weapons or items to exchange for points, and relying on the small number of points earned from daily sign-ins would have her saving for decades. Her only hope now lay in the group missions.

[Luo Cuilian (Level 5, Stage 6): Hmm, if you have the guts and the luck, maybe you could come to my world and hunt down a Heretic God. That would instantly make you a Level 5 powerhouse.]

[Fubuki (Level 2, Stage 5): Uh… just how strong is a Heretic God?]

As soon as she sent the message, Fubuki regretted it. She realized she had asked a foolish question. Given that it was a "God" and defeating it could instantly make someone Level 5, it certainly wouldn't be below that level.

Sure enough, the chat quickly provided an answer.

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): The weaker Heretic Gods are at Level 5, Stage 1, while the stronger ones are at the peak of Level 5.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): Oh, by the way, one of my maids is a former Heretic God too. [Image] Isn't she adorable?]

[Chika Fujiwara (Level 4, Stage 4): Athena-chan really is cute. It's been a while since we saw her.]

[Fubuki (Level 2, Stage 5): I think I'll pass… I'm not ready to die just yet…]

[Chika Fujiwara (Level 4, Stage 4): Hey, there's still one new member who hasn't shown up. @Mine]

[Chika Fujiwara (Level 4, Stage 4): Let me see... She's another five-year-old girl.]

The others also noticed Mine's profile, and with Sakura and Myne now in the group, the chat group had three members who were just five years old. Of course, these girls weren't weak: both Sakura and Myne were quite powerful. Forget about Myne's city-destroying strength—Sakura was now at Level 4 and could go toe-to-toe with members like Chika Fujiwara.

[Arifureta (Level 4, Stage 8/Group Leader): I wonder if something happened to Mine? She had a really tough childhood.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): That's possible. I'll go check on her.]

After sending this, Eriri met Arifureta and Erina's gazes. At that moment, in the kitchen of Erina's room, Arifureta and Eriri sat at the table in front of the cooking station.

Erina was preparing a large selection of ingredients spread across the countertop, with her assistant Hisako helping with the preparations. Initially, Erina had planned to cook lunch just for Eriri, but with Arifureta joining in, she decided to up the quantity. If she was going to cook, why not make fifteen or twenty servings and offer some to other powerful group members too? She was confident in her culinary skills, after all.

After all, she had been observing carefully: except for the yet-to-speak five-year-old newcomer, Erina Nakiri was the weakest member in the group.

"Erina, go ahead and keep cooking. I'll be back in a bit," Eriri announced, standing up.

Then she looked at Arifureta beside her, "You stay here, Yue-chan. I'll be quick."

"Got it," Arifureta nodded, agreeing without hesitation. Erina also nodded and turned her focus back to preparing food for nearly twenty people.

Standing nearby, Hisako had long since adapted to the bizarre exchanges happening around her. Ever since Arifureta had emerged through a glowing portal, her worldview had been turned upside down.

As the three explained, Hisako eventually accepted that Eriri and Arifureta were from other worlds.

In fact, Eriri and the others rarely bothered to hide the existence of the chat group from their closest friends or partners.

Using the coordinates given by the chat system, Eriri instantly teleported to Akame ga Kill! world, arriving not far from where Mine lay.

It was easy to recognize Mine; her pink hair was a striking feature.

Still absorbed in the memory clip of Food Wars!, Mine had saliva trailing down her chin, occasionally swallowing as her hunger built. Watching memory clips was like watching anime: you couldn't interact with the characters or scenes, so by now, Mine was likely beyond tempted by all the delicious food.

Eriri's sudden arrival did not go unnoticed. Although Mine was lying in a rundown spot, the place wasn't entirely remote, so there were many passersby.

Seeing Eriri's sudden appearance, they couldn't help but stare, admiring her flawless beauty. But most were poor commoners and knew their place, understanding that a girl as elegantly dressed as Eriri wasn't someone they could approach.

The extravagant Lolita dress Eriri wore was enough to signal her status.

Of course, there are always those in any world who lack reason. With the Empire so corrupt, its nobles had long developed a sense of untouchable arrogance, frequently committing crimes with impunity.

And now, one such noble, surrounded by a retinue of guards, was passing by in his carriage.

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