In an unknown World, inside a slightly messy bedroom, a computer screen was glowing, and several opened snack bags and half-empty beverage bottles were scattered across the desk.
A girl with long white hair was sitting in front of the computer desk, her hands clasped together supporting her chin, staring intently at the air in front of her.
To be precise, it was a virtual light screen floating before her eyes that only she could see.
Jina gently swiped her finger, and the conversation on the screen slowly scrolled.
『［Jina］: Saeko, have you found any traces of zombies over there?』
『［Saeko Busujima］: There are no signs at the moment.
It hasn’t been reported in the news, and I’ve used all the resources I could to investigate…
but I’ve come up empty-handed.』
Jina bit her lower lip, her fingers hovering over the virtual keyboard for a second.
『［Jina］: I’m really, really sorry…
The memory in my head regarding the details of your World is just too blurry.
Aside from knowing what will happen, I can’t remember the specific trigger time or location at all.』
『［Saeko Busujima］: No need to apologize.
You telling me in advance about the danger this World is about to face is already the greatest help to me.
As for the rest, I will prepare myself.』
Jina looked at this line of text, took a deep breath, and typed rapidly.
『［Jina］: I’ve already hoarded a lot of supplies!
Compressed biscuits, medical kits, water purifiers…
If the situation is urgent on your end, I can send them to you at any time!』
『［Mami Tomoe］: If that day really comes, please be sure to let me go and help.
Although I don’t know how many zombies I can fight, I will do my best to protect more people.』
Jina’s eyes lit up.
［Jina］: As expected of Senior Mami!
You’re so reliable!
I admire you so much!
…
The conversation on the screen continued, Mami Tomoe sent a shy emoticon, and Saeko Busujima simply expressed her thanks.
Jina looked at these words, and the smile on her face slowly faded.
She leaned back against the chair and let out a long, silent sigh.
Her name is Jina, a person who doesn’t know how to define herself.
If you call her a transmigrator, her body is indeed a native of this World…
If you say she isn’t, her mind really does contain an entire life that doesn’t belong to her the memories of another person.
What that person was called, what they looked like, or what their personality was like she has almost forgotten it all by now, no matter how hard she tries to recall.
But some of the works that person had seen in their memories were clearly imprinted in her mind.
Those stories and characters were unlike any works that existed in this World.
And in this Chat Group system that had inexplicably bound itself to her mind, characters from that person’s memories who should have only existed in fictional works had actually appeared.
Saeko Busujima, Mami Tomoe…
they weren’t cosplayers, but living, breathing people who originally existed in stories.
“Zombies…” Jina’s gaze drifted involuntarily toward the neatly stacked cardboard boxes in the corner of the room, which were the supplies she had been frantically purchasing during this period, and she muttered, “Just thinking about it is terrifying to death.”
She closed her eyes and tried hard to search her mind for information about these two group members.
Saeko Busujima, a character from Highschool of the Dead.
The World she was in would suddenly experience a zombie outbreak one day…
Which day exactly?
She didn’t know.
Why did it break out?
She couldn’t remember clearly either.
All she knew was that the World would rapidly collapse, order would return to zero, and it would be filled with man-eating monsters and people far more terrifying than the monsters.
Mami Tomoe, from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
An experienced Magical Girl, and currently the strongest fighter among the three.
Her ribbon magic was elegant, and her guns were flashy.
Come to think of it, her personality was also very gentle, and to her juniors, she was…
“But there is one fatal problem…”
Jina opened her eyes abruptly, her brows furrowing.
“Senior Mami’s mental fortitude… doesn’t seem to be very good.”
A scene flashed through her mind a piece of candy, a smile, and then a giant mouth suddenly opening.
Jina shivered, shook her head vigorously, and threw the image out of her mind.
“She absolutely must not know what happens later.” Jina patted her cheeks and muttered to herself, “Otherwise, with her personality, something might actually go wrong… By then, forget about zombies, she could even fight a civil war.”
She looked back at the two names on the screen.
One was a high school girl destined to face the apocalypse, and the other was a Magical Girl who could die at any moment.
Their Worlds were full of despair.
And as the group owner, she wanted to help them, but felt that her own limited abilities were practically useless.
“What use are these few supplies of mine… If only someone who could actually fight could join the group.”
Just as her muttering ended, a system notification sound from the Chat Group rang in her mind.
『Ding—New member ［Kryptonian Orphan］ has joined the Multidimensional Chat Group—』
A newcomer!
Jina’s eyes widened instantly, her body sprang up from the back of the chair, and her hands clenched subconsciously.
Great!
A newcomer at this time might just be the key to breaking the deadlock!
However, as her gaze swept over the group name, the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but twitch.
“Kryptonian Orphan… Why does this group name sound like an insult? It has zero manners.”
Someone in the group had already taken the lead.
『［Mami Tomoe］: Ah, a newcomer!
Welcome to the group!』
『［Saeko Busujima］: Welcome.』
Jina’s fingers were already on the virtual keyboard, ready to type a welcome message, but her movements paused.
Kryptonian?
Why does this name sound a bit familiar?
Where have I heard it before?
Kryptonian…
Kryptonian…
She stared at these two words, and the memory belonging to that other person deep in her mind began to churn.
An image emerged—a red and blue bodysuit, a flowing red cape, a large S-shaped logo on the chest, and that face that was forever gentle and upright.
Jina’s pupils dilated sharply.
“Kryptonian!
Isn’t this—” Jina jumped straight up from her chair, her voice rising several octaves, and she shouted loudly in the room, “Superman’s home world!
Oh my god!
Superman has joined the group!”
She spun around in excitement, almost tripping over the cardboard boxes on the floor.
“Great…
that’s great!” Jina’s eyes shone as if they were about to emit light, “Superman is here, Senior Mami’s World is saved, and Saeko is saved too!”
She took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and sat back down in front of the computer.
Her fingers trembled slightly from excitement.
…
On the other side.
Karl stared at the virtual light screen in front of him.
He reached out a hand to tentatively touch the floating text, but his fingers passed straight through.
He secretly activated his Super Vision, attempting to see through the essence of the light screen, yet he saw nothing in the field of view of his Super Vision, there was nothing in that position, as if this light screen did not exist on a physical level at all.
“So, this thing is real.” Karl put his hand down, his brows furrowing slightly, as his mind quickly flipped through the web novels he had read in his past life as an ordinary person, “Chat Group… I’ve read quite a few novels of this type.”
His gaze fell on his group name, Kryptonian Orphan.
This title was accurate to the point of being somewhat ironic.
He began to think quickly about the situation at hand.
Generally speaking, in Chat Group novels, the protagonist is the group owner.
The group owner possesses foresight regarding the plot, relies on information asymmetry to act as an expert in front of the group members, lets the group members imagine things for themselves, and then obtains various benefits from them.
But the problem is—
“The group owner of this group is not me.” Karl muttered to himself, “That person named Jina is the owner. And—”
Furthermore, he carefully thought about his own identity.
He was not Superman, but Superman’s inverted counterpart, Ultraman.
The World he lived in was not a peaceful World guarded by the Justice League, but a shitty World where all the superheroes were supervillains.
Karl crossed his arms and fell into deep thought.
His gaze swept over the other names in the group.
Mami Tomoe, Saeko Busujima—he had seen the works corresponding to both these names, Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Highschool of the Dead.
If they were the original characters, and not imposters possessed by transmigrators, then both of these people were good-natured, kind people.
“So the question now is…” Karl began to consider how he should speak, “Should I first test if they are the original characters? Or should I just confess directly that I am a supervillain?”
Karl paused, finding the latter option ridiculous himself.
“‘Hello, I am a tyrant from the Earth-3 Universe, and what I have on my chest is a U, not an S’—that is too stupid; this is me without using Super Intelligence…”
Just as Karl hesitated, a new message popped up on the screen.
［Jina］: Um, may I ask if you are Superman?
Karl’s eyebrows raised slightly.
Jina?
He quickly searched through his memories of his past life; this name had not appeared in any work he had read.
Who was this person?
Why did she ask directly if he was Superman?
Was she a transmigrator?
Or was it because the identity of Superman was famous in many Universes…
He was silent for a moment, then chose the most prudent way to respond.
［Kryptonian Orphan］: May I ask, what is this?
Is this your way of calling for help?
Do you need help?
He tried his best to make his wording sound polite and gentle.
He did not use any specific terms that might expose his identity, nor did he make any promises.
He was just asking questions, just showing concern.
Letting his language…
draw closer to that figure in his childhood memories…
…
Jina looked at the new message that had popped up on the screen, and her breathing slowed by half a beat.
This newcomer, upon seeing an inexplicable Chat Group, did not show any particular vigilance, did not question them, but instead asked everyone if they needed help.
This reaction of caring about others’ safety first, this gentle wording—
“It is definitely Superman.” The corners of Jina’s mouth curved up, her eyes looking as if they were filled with stars, “Only Superman would be like this.”
Great!
It really is Superman!