Chapter 21. The actions of various forces, the opening shall be greeted with thunderous applause!
In Japan, the sea of clouds surged, mountains upon mountains stacked like layers of waves, as if an ocean was floating across the sky.
At the heart of the mountain range, the "Demon King" Shuten Douji – self-proclaimed master of Ooeyama, with a seductive figure – leisurely drank sake, suddenly sensing some movement in the sky. Her fair, jade-like legs gently swayed, and her interest was piqued.
Fine sake dripped onto her pale, flawless skin, but she didn't mind at all. Turning to the side, she teasingly said:
"So noisy. Are humans playing around with some new kind of technology again?"
"Ibaraki, what was it called again…?"
"Hologram?"
Beside her, the busty Ibaraki Douji scratched her head, unsure.
Shuten Douji gently patted her best friend's shoulder, glanced up at the sky, and her beautiful face revealed a smile full of anticipation.
"Truly a race favored by the heavens. Every time we get bored, they bring us something fun to watch."
"Let's sit down and enjoy the show together."
…
In Hoori Town, Kobe City, at a solemn shrine adorned with engraved golden butterfly motifs on its roof tiles.
An ancient divine sword named "Murasamemaru", which had calmly protected this land for hundreds of years, was now violently trembling on its stone pedestal, as if sensing an unprecedented danger. The sword quivered instinctively, as though it wanted to fly away.
A faint green mist gently rose from the sword's blade, taking the shape of a little girl with green hair in a kimono.
Trying hard to look stern, she rolled her eyes around and then shouted loudly:
"Some damn evil spirit dares to cause trouble in front of me?!"
Inside the shrine, it was deathly silent.
After a while.
Sensing that the anomaly originated from the sky, the little spirit finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As the guardian of Murasamemaru, this was the first time she had felt her life threatened. In the past, it was always her who smashed the heads of those evil spirits.
Terrifying, really!
But…
"What on earth is that thing?"
Looking up at the sky that was now enveloping the whole world, little Murasame fell into an unprecedented state of confusion.
(Note: This character is from a game called Seren Banka, which has no Wikia or other reference materials, so I may have made a mistake somewhere. If there are any errors, please let me know.)
…
Itomori Town, Gifu Prefecture, the old and solemn Miyamizu Shrine.
A girl in a sailor uniform stood dumbfounded, looking up at the sky.
Has the world outside… developed this far already?
…
Fumizuki Academy.
"Hideyoshi, get out of Hideyoshi's bathtub right now, something big is happening!"
Accompanied by a shout, a stunningly beautiful "young girl" stepped out of the bathroom with a flustered expression.
…
"Could this be a sign that I'm about to transmigrate to another world and become the winner of life?!"
On a rural village path, Satou Kazuma – a Hiki-NEET – shouted in astonishment.
…
Similar scenes were unfolding everywhere.
Some were worried, some were afraid, some were confused, and some didn't care at all…
There were even bottom-tier wage slaves who got excited and raised their hands, shouting, "Mr. Alien, please come destroy the world!"
In any case, this shocking spectacle had already etched itself deeply into the hearts of countless people.
Amid the myriad expressions of human nature, the light from the sky began to change, and lines of jet-black text appeared, explaining the current situation.
[The world is full of wonders, nothing is impossible. Have you ever wondered if there exists "another you" in this world, living a life so dazzlingly different that it makes you envious?]
[Clearly the same person, yet with completely opposite moral boundaries?]
[If history had taken a different turn, would those famous figures still exist?]
[Next, we will reveal classic events that occurred in the parallel world.]
["Fate/staynight", begins broadcasting!]
…
Toyogasaki Private Academy.
A blonde twin-tailed girl stared blankly at the sky, and within her field of vision, two options appeared.
——[Normal Mode]!
——[Physical Sensation Mode]!
What the hell is this?!
Sawamura Eriri felt a little tense.
She had only curiously glanced up at the sky, and now things had turned into this.
The sky didn't seem to interfere with her choice. As long as she looked down, the options would disappear.
But now, she was really, really curious!
Could the story of the parallel world… actually be real?
And Fate/staynight, wasn't that the PV from the Observer Network?
In the end, is all of this… the dark technology of some secret tycoon, or an alien invasion?
Maybe… just try watching it first…
Everyone's watching it anyway, so it should be fine, right?
Normal mode—literally, it should be just the regular viewing mode?
Then what's physical sensation mode?
Could it be… a mode with stronger immersion?
"How about choosing physical sensation mode?"
Eriri hesitated a little, but curiosity quickly overpowered her reason.
The moment she thought of selecting [physical sensation mode], the giant sky seemed to transform into a black hole.
A terrifying suction force rose from above her body, as if trying to pull out her soul. The girl instantly panicked.
No…
It wasn't an illusion.
Eriri stared blankly at her body below, her whole body feeling unbelievably light.
Her soul… really got pulled out?!!
She froze, then her vision went dark, and she fainted.
…
"Young Master is here, move aside!"
"Can we even return to Earth anymore?"
"So light, floating into the sky… Mashiro has gotten weird."
"Madoka, where are you?"
"Is it a trap from the Holy Regulator? Evil Eye of the Demon Lord will never submit!"
"I'm so curious~."
"What a coincidence, Shikimori-san is here too?"
"Eh, Ookami-san!"
…
One voice after another echoed noisily in her ears.
Eriri woke up, and in a panic, discovered that she was in a dark world.
She had become an invisible observing entity, like a spirit.
All around her were many "ghosts" just like herself.
Here, she even saw a familiar woman… Kasumigaoka Utaha!
And also… someone she had seen in the PV of Fate/staynight—the female Servant who fought with twin short swords, eyes shining with pure righteousness, a flat chest, black hair—but the aura she gave off was not as tough as in the video.
Could it be… this is her version in this world?
And the figure in the Fate anime was her from the parallel world?
Is everyone here someone who chose the physical sensation mode?
The girl frantically thought, while carefully observing her surroundings.
The place was packed, with at least several hundred people—maybe even over a thousand…
There was a red-haired little girl with twin ponytails chewing on a lollipop, a sharp-eyed male high schooler, a girl holding a drawing tablet, a bearded police officer in uniform… it looked like every type of person was present.
While glancing around aimlessly, she discovered an exquisite red button in her hand.
[Escape Key].
The moment she saw it, Eriri was shocked to realize that she instinctively understood the function of this item.
At the same time, she could also feel the condition of her real body.
Just how much of a genius does it take to create something like this "physical sensation mode"?
That's way too impressive…!
Before she could investigate further, the dark surroundings suddenly twisted.
Under the astonished gaze of the girl, a dazzlingly colorful world unfolded.
She had arrived at Fuyuki City, Homurahara Academy, surrounded by cheerful students laughing and chatting, with the breeze carrying a faint floral scent—everything felt astoundingly real.
Eriri secretly glanced around, noticing that everyone in "soul form" was just as amazed.
"Sawamura-san, you're not as cowardly as I thought."
A teasing voice came from behind.
The blonde girl turned around to see Kasumigaoka Utaha mocking her.
"I'm definitely bigger than you!"Eriri puffed her cheeks and shot back.
Eriri phồng má và đáp trả.
"Oh really?"
Utaha raised an eyebrow, then immediately gave the blonde girl a pitying look.
With each slow breath, her chest gently rose and fell.
"…Kasumigaoka Utaha, don't get too smug! One day I'll surpass you!"
Eriri's hair bristled in anger, shouting in embarrassment.
But no matter how heavily she panted, her flat chest didn't show the slightest movement.
This pair of eternal rivals had started a new round of bickering once again.
Today, Sawamura Eriri suffered a crushing defeat~.