Fuyuki City.
This was a small coastal city located in the central part of Japan’s Honshu island.
The Mion River ran south to north through the heart of the city, splitting it into two sections with vastly different atmospheres.
To the east lay Shinto, a modern metropolis that had flourished alongside the rapid economic growth of recent years.
It was a place of towering skyscrapers, neon lights, and bustling crowds.
To the west lay Miyama-cho, the origin of Fuyuki.
It preserved much of its old-world charm, with buildings dating back several decades or even a century scattered throughout.
One such example was the Matou Residence, built over a hundred years ago by a family that had moved in from elsewhere and passed down through several generations.
‘Sigh, the tragedies of this world…’
Watching from a distance, Byakuya observed two men conversing in the courtyard of the Matou Residence.
One was a bald, withered old man who looked like a mummy, dressed in a dark kimono and clutching a wooden cane.
The other was an elegant man with refined features, wearing a red suit and a blue bow tie.
Byakuya shook his head, knowing exactly what this conversation meant for the little girl standing beside the man in the red suit.
Still, it was for the best.
At least the energy he had spent on this matter over the past few days hadn’t gone to waste…
Wait?
What is this?!
A sudden point of light appearing before his eyes caused Byakuya’s breath to hitch.
‘Was I discovered?’
The point stretched into a line, and the line expanded into a plane.
Under his gaze, the light transformed into a floating panel.
[Would you like to join the Super-Dimensional Mutual Aid Group?]
[[Yes] / [No]]
‘This…?’
***
Byakuya was a transmigrator.
Over seven years ago, on a certain day, while living on a planet that was vaguely similar to the one beneath his feet now, he had missed a step while walking downstairs.
He fell into an indescribable void, experiencing a freefall that felt both agonizingly long and instantaneous.
By the time his feet touched solid ground again, he found himself in a forest on the slopes of Shiraken-zuka in Miyama-cho, City D.
He had transmigrated—specifically, a physical transmigration.
Once he calmed down and realized his situation, Byakuya had gasped in shock.
While he was quite relieved that he had remained himself and didn’t have to hijack someone else’s body, the inevitable problems that came with physical transmigration—such as being an undocumented person in this world—gave him a massive headache.
As for whether he had brought any pathogens from his “hometown” that the creatures of this world couldn’t resist…
After a brief moment of thought, Byakuya decided to push those worries to the back of his mind.
After all, even if that were the case, there was nothing he could do about it.
Fortunately, as a “transmigrator,” he fell into the classic category.
During that freefall, certain mysterious substances had flowed out of his body and aggregated into his “golden finger”: the Heaven’s Reward for Diligence System, which featured an idling function.
“Heaven’s Reward for Diligence” simply meant that effort equaled reward.
Whether it was a talent or an ability, once the system recognized it, it would be solidified on the panel as a “trait.”
Setting talent traits aside, the ability traits worked exactly like skills in a video game.
As long as you were willing to train, you would inevitably gain at least one point of proficiency.
Once the proficiency was maxed out, the skill would level up.
As for “Idling,” the system came with three idling slots.
Whether it was a talent or an ability trait, placing it in a slot allowed the user to automatically gain growth values or proficiency at a rate of one point per second.
With the help of this system, Byakuya managed to survive his first stop after landing—the Shiraken-zuka forest.
After figuring out the basics of the system, he successfully integrated into this world and confirmed that the setting was not unfamiliar to him.
In the world he came from, this universe was commonly referred to on the internet as the “Nasuverse.”
More specifically, it was the worldview of the *Fate* series under TYPE-MOON.
The rest was simple.
Though he still didn’t know why he had transmigrated, the fact remained that he was now in the Nasuverse.
Given that, wouldn’t it be a waste of his “foreknowledge” as a transmigrator if he didn’t try to seize the opportunities meant for him, or prevent some of the tragedies that had once made him grit his teeth in frustration behind a screen?
For example, the fate of a certain girl not far away who was about to fall into a living hell.
He had originally thought that until he was strong enough to challenge the entire world on his own, these small interventions were the limit of what he could do while ensuring his own safety.
Now it seemed…
there was a new variable?
Snapping back from his memories, Byakuya saw that the conversation between the two men in front of the Matou Residence hadn’t ended yet.
He tried using his consciousness to click [Yes] on the prompt asking if he wanted to join the Super-Dimensional Mutual Aid Group.
The text on the panel refreshed.
[A default nickname 『???』 has been generated for you.
(Tip: You may choose your own nickname, but it must have some level of connection to your existence.)]
‘What’s with the three question marks?’
Byakuya hesitated.
Entering a group with such a mysterious nickname—without knowing where this Super-Dimensional Mutual Aid Group came from or what kind of people were in it—felt a bit too arrogant.
He erased the question marks and changed them to “Newbie.”
As a newcomer who had just received an invitation, calling himself a “Newbie” when facing the veteran members of the group…
seemed perfectly reasonable, right?
[Checking…
Verification passed.]
[Group Notification: Welcome new member 『Newbie』 to the Super-Dimensional Mutual Aid Group!]
The panel refreshed again, transforming into a chat interface that looked very familiar to Byakuya.
『Cancer of the Earth』: Hmm?
A newcomer?
『Cancer of the Earth』: Welcome, welcome~
『Utako Kasumi』: Another newcomer has arrived…
welcome~
『Esdeath』: How strong is the newcomer?
『Cancer of the Earth』: I knew this would happen [facepalm.jpg]
『Esdeath』: ?
『Esdeath』: Is something wrong?
『Cancer of the Earth』: Of course it’s wrong!
『Cancer of the Earth』: Who asks that the moment a newcomer joins!
『Esdeath』: You mean…
I should welcome them first, then ask?
『Cancer of the Earth』: …
『Utako Kasumi』: I think Chika means you’re being a bit too impatient.
『Utako Kasumi』: The newcomer just arrived.
It’s possible they were born in an ordinary world like Chika and I, and have never encountered anything “supernatural” before.
The Identities of the Group Members
『Utako Kasumi』: “Asking about their strength so bluntly right off the bat…
if the newbie were the cautious type, a single sentence like that could turn a month of lurking into a year, or even longer.”
『Newbie』: “So, before I answer that question, would some senior be so kind as to explain what this Super-Dimensional Mutual Aid Group is all about?”
『Cancer of the Earth』: “Oh, they spoke!”
『Cancer of the Earth』: “No problem, no problem!
Actually, even if you didn’t speak up, we’d @ you to introduce the basics as soon as we noticed someone joined.”
『Cancer of the Earth』: “First…
to summarize it in one sentence: the Super-Dimensional Mutual Aid Group is a chat group that allows us, who are in different worlds, to communicate in real-time by transcending dimensional boundaries.”
『Cancer of the Earth』: “Secondly…
how about I introduce everyone in the group first?”
『Newbie』: “Alright, thank you.”