Chapter 8: I, the Geo Archon Morax with 2.1 Billion Mora, Have Joined a Chat Group [8]
Witch's World
The incandescent glow of the phone dimmed as Subaru Natsuki turned it off, leaving only the pale moonlight filtering into the cold, slightly musty room.
He tilted his head, gazing through the cracked window and worn stone walls at the bright, unblemished moon outside.
With a soft sigh, he leaned back.
Ever since he was transported to this world, confusion and helplessness had been constant companions.
The only sources of solace were the mysterious chat group on his phone and the saintly figure of Emilia.
It was for her that, on the very day he arrived in this world, he died repeatedly.
Through pain and hardship, he had managed to save her.
And now, living in the border count's mansion by her side, he could enjoy moments of peace.
Wasn't this happiness?
In his former world, he was nothing—unloved, worthless, and discarded like trash.
But now, perhaps he had some value?
Maybe, he thought.
If he could make Emilia smile, then anything—his life, his pain—was worth it.
Even if it meant… giving up his life.
No, no! Don't think about such depressing things.
Now he had Emilia and the cheat-like power of the chat group.
Blending these two blessings, what could he possibly fear?
Time to sleep.
Tomorrow was their promised day.
He closed his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips.
---
Superpower World
Nana set down her phone, and the room was plunged into darkness.
The cramped quarters of the warship felt suffocating, the still air heavy.
She exhaled slowly, releasing the tension coiled in her chest.
She was Nana, a powerless girl, a government-trained assassin born and raised to fight the [Enemies of Humanity]—a living weapon.
Her expertise lay in reading people and crafting the perfect lies.
The same lies she had told in the chat group.
Her name was Nana, not "Nana" (the pronunciation was slightly different).
Her world was Earth-334, not Earth-77.
She was not a mind reader but a powerless human being.
And she wasn't a high schooler but a soldier raised in a military base.
Her purpose was to eliminate the "inhumans" residing on their designated islands—beings who wore human skin but could shoot fireballs from their hands or teleport across space.
How could such monsters still be called human?
Her phone's predictive app had already warned her: these "inhumans" would one day bring calamity, potentially causing the deaths of millions of ordinary people.
She was humanity's hero, the one who would stop them.
But… was that truly the case?
Opening the chat group, she peeked at the conversations and files shared by its members.
Many of them were monsters in their own right—far more terrifying than the superpowered beings in her world.
She couldn't forget her trip to the world of Dragon Tohru. The sight of Tohru's true form had been seared into her mind.
That colossal body blocking out the sun, the oppressive gaze from her draconic head, the sharp fangs and enormous maw.
The sheer vitality and overwhelming presence of her being made it clear: nothing in Nana's modern world could harm such a creature, not even humanity's most devastating weapons.
Thermobaric bombs, nukes, cluster munitions, armor-piercing rounds, neutron bombs, railguns—none of it would have any effect.
And yet, Tohru chose to dedicate herself to a seemingly ordinary office worker named Kobayashi.
She cooked meals, woke Kobayashi up in the morning, and provided comfort when Kobayashi wasn't feeling well.
Tohru refrained from harming humans or ruling over them, even showing restraint when provoked.
If a being as powerful as Tohru could live in harmony with humans, couldn't the superpowered individuals Nana was sent to kill do the same?
Were there good ones among them?
The question circled endlessly in her mind, unanswered.
Closing her eyes, Nana let the thoughts swirl as she drifted into uneasy sleep.
---
A Certain Magical World
What am I doing? Sleeping?
Accelerator opened his bleary eyes, the discarded phone beside him still lit up with chatter from the chat group.
It had been five days since his fight with Touma Kamijou.
And his life felt… directionless.
"Haha… haha…"
Covering his eyes with his arm, he laughed bitterly. But before long, the laughter dissolved into sobs.
What kind of joke is this?
The so-called [Hopeless Villain], defeated by a powerless boy wielding nothing but justice.
The plan to kill over 10,000 clones to become the strongest—failed.
All for what?
Picking up his phone, Accelerator stared at the quiet group chat. Ignoring the recent messages, he opened a file he'd downloaded long ago: [The Complete Index of a Certain Magical World].
Starting from Volume 1, he read again about Touma Kamijou's struggles—how the boy without powers worked tirelessly, how earnestly he fought, how deeply he cared.
Touma saved everyone he could, offering his all to those in need.
A saint in every sense of the word.
Not the "Saints" of the magical world, but a truly virtuous human being—a shining beacon of goodness.
If I had found this phone earlier, Accelerator thought. If I'd read the chat group's files on this story three months ago… maybe I could've been like him.
But it wasn't too late.
He could still save people.
In five days, he would meet Last Order.
He could save the remaining Misaka Sisters.
Five more days.
When that day comes, how should I address her?
Should I still call her "brat"? Or "Misaka clone"?
Maybe… something else entirely…
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T/N: i like how its going into the thoughts of the other chat members fleshing it out, this is usually a good sign for a stories quality.