Hikari Uchiha in Animeverse

"Huh??"

Uchiha Hikari blinked, processing the realization—new members had joined the chat group?

And three of them at once?

That was a rare event.

Switching to lurk mode, she started piecing together the identities of the new members based on their nicknames. Meanwhile, the group chat was already buzzing with activity:

[Bulma: Whoa, we finally got some newbies? Welcome, welcome!]

[Bulma: Let me introduce myself! I'm Bulma, 16 years old, living in West City, single, and currently in high school. My dad's Dr. Brief, the chairman of Capsule Corp…]

[Bulma: Uh, why's no one talking?]

[Bulma @Hikari @Yongdaime @IronHead: Hikari, Tanjiro, Minato-san, come check out the new people!]

…

Inuyasha World

In a small village nestled among the mountains—

Inside an ordinary house—

Kikyo, dressed in her red-and-white miko robes, was grinding herbs when she looked up, her calm, fair face showing a faint trace of puzzlement as she scanned the room.

"…No signs of spiritual energy fluctuations. Is this some kind of special illusion beyond my understanding?"

"West City… Never heard of it. And what's a Capsule Corp?"

Faced with things so far outside her comprehension—

Even someone as sharp as Kikyo felt a moment of uncertainty.

She was about to cast a spell to check for any traces of yokai activity nearby when a knock came at the gate. A villager in rough hemp clothes poked his head in:

"Kikyo-sama, you're here! Good news—a samurai lord heard about your healing skills and wants to invite you to the city to treat his master. The reward's pretty generous!"

"…One moment."

Kikyo replied calmly, continuing to grind her herbs.

Only after placing the herbs in a pot and carefully instructing the nearby farmwoman on the brewing time and details did she stand, brushing the dust off her clothes. "Kota-san, please take me to meet this samurai lord."

As she stepped toward the gate, Kikyo split her focus to the chat group, a growing sense of astonishment stirring within her—

…

[Nameless: Let me give the new friends a quick rundown on the chat group.]

[Nameless: In simple terms, this is a platform connecting different worlds. Each of us comes from a different one. For example, Yongdaime and I are from a ninja world; Bulma's from a world with advanced tech and martial arts; Tanjiro's in a world where man-eating creatures called demons roam… All you have to do is think about what you want to say, and it'll appear in the group as a message.]

[Yongdaime: I'm not sure who you all are yet, but it's great to meet you. I'm Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire. I'm, uh, currently dead, existing as a soul inside the Shinigami's stomach.]

[IronHead: I'm Tanjiro Kamado, a Rank Kinoe member of the Demon Slayer Corps, 15 years old!]

[…]

After a bit, the newcomers finally seemed to catch on.

[HauntedByGhosts: This is wild… Something this bizarre actually exists?]

[HauntedByGhosts: Uh, hi, I'm Miko Yotsuya, 16 years old, living in Tokyo, high school student. So, what's with this 'HauntedByGhosts' thing? Did you guys pick this nickname for me?]

[Nameless: Nope, it's not us. The chat group automatically assigns names, probably hinting at your current situation or future fate. You can change it if you don't like it.]

[HauntedByGhosts: Wait, what? Am I gonna get possessed by ghosts or something?]

[Nameless: …Something like that.]

Hikari, still bundled in her blankets, rolled over in bed.

She'd initially thought "HauntedByGhosts" might be Takanotsume from Akame ga Kill!.

But no—it was Miko Yotsuya from Mieruko-chan.

Well… that nickname did fit. In Miko's world, ghosts and evil spirits were everywhere. Most people were fine as long as they couldn't see them, but Miko's spiritual sensitivity was off the charts, forcing her to pretend she couldn't see the horrors to avoid being devoured.

From Miko's introduction, it sounded like she hadn't awakened that ability yet.

But it was probably close.

As for the other two members…

Hikari had a hunch about "LittleMonster" but needed them to speak to confirm.

"SolitaryMiko"…

There were plenty of characters who could fit the "miko" title, but combined with the status bar's "ClayState," there was really only one option—

[SolitaryMiko: I'm Kikyo, a miko from Musashi Province. Pleased to meet you.]

[Bulma: A miko? That sounds so cool! Like those people in storybooks who use magic to exorcise evil spirits?]

[SolitaryMiko: I do know a bit about exorcism. If Tanjiro-san or Yotsuya-san are dealing with anything like that and need help, I'd be happy to assist.]

[HauntedByGhosts: Really? That'd be amazing, thank you!]

[IronHead: Thanks! But the 'demons' in my world are kind of unique. They're humans who were corrupted by a guy named Muzan Kibutsuji using his blood, turning them into mindless monsters. They're still alive, though. I'm not sure if your spells could turn them back into humans…]

[SolitaryMiko: Corruption?]

[SolitaryMiko: I'm not entirely sure what your 'demons' are like, but from your description, they sound similar to the yokai I know.]

[IronHead: Huh?]

As Kikyo and Tanjiro started comparing the "demons" of the Demon Slayer world to the "yokai" of the Inuyasha world—

Hikari turned her attention to the one newbie who hadn't spoken yet.

After a moment's thought, she pinged them.

[Nameless @LittleMonster: Hey, new person, why so quiet? No need to be shy. Since you're in this group, we're all friends. If you've got questions, just ask—we'll do our best to help.]

[LittleMonster: …I think I've seen your names before.]

[Nameless: Hm?]

[LittleMonster: @Bulma, don't you have a friend named Goku? Aren't you all Dragon Fighters of the Golden Zodiac from the Zanscare Empire, searching for the legendary Holy Grail that can grant wishes to help fight off the Britannia Kingdom's invasion…]

[Bulma: ?]

[Nameless: ?]

(End of Chapter)