Multiverse: Starting by Creating Delta of Fate, Group Friends Go Wild

Conan: "?!"

Makima: "Oh?"

Aizen: "Interesting."

Shinpachi Shimura: "Holy shit, this Priest is actually... an NPC?!"

Naruto Uzumaki: "Believe it!"

Rin Tohsaka: "Haha."

Rin Tohsaka: "Could it be that you, fake Priest, are actually mentally disabled? Seriously, you should've said so earlier. I'll insult you less next time, lest people accuse me of bullying the disabled."

Kirei Kotomine: "..."

Aqua: "Pfft, pfft. You can tell just by looking that he worships some trash evil god."

Aqua: "But it's fine. Aqua, the great goddess of water, will bless her followers. As long as you convert to the Axis Cult, even idiots will be forgiven."

Kazuma Satou: "That doesn't sound like a proper god or religion."

Aqua: "None of your business, shut-in NEET who got scared by an NPC."

Kazuma Satou: "I'm Not a NEET!"

Aqua: "Then take down this fake Priest, NEET! NEET, NEET, stay-at-home NEET, cowardly NEET!"

An inexplicable fire rose in Kazuma Satou's chest.

Such an obvious and childish provocation—

How could he possibly fall for it?

He immediately switched to the small group chat at light speed.

Kazuma Satou: "Get him!"

Hachiman Hikigaya: "Bro... seriously?"

Kazuma Satou: "Dead serious."

Kurisu Makise rubbed her forehead. She was now ninety percent certain that this game differed from reality.

If that was the case, then she would see how her teammates wanted to play. After all, she had barely played any games before.

She asked in the group chat.

Kurisu Makise: "Any specific plan?"

Kazuma Satou: "Send your Imitation Noble Phantasm weapons. I'll see whether we can fight him right now."

Hachiman Hikigaya: "OK."

Kurisu Makise: "Sure."

Kazuma Satou quickly checked the information the two had sent in the small group chat.

Hachiman Hikigaya had been assigned a standard survival set:

Reserve Magician Standard Set A

Type: Survival

E-rank Magic Formal Wear: "Brillia's Shriek" x1

E-rank Imitation Noble Phantasm: "Oath without a sword" x120

Universal Command Spell: "Dao Tian Command Spell D" x1

Specialized Command Spells: "Healing Command Spell F" x2, "Enhancement Command Spell F" x2, "Levitation Command Spell F" x2

"Brillia's Shriek": A skill elevated from the legend of a young man who once seized and tamed the famous horse Brillia.

Imitation Craft Essence Effect: Passively increased HP E, HP recovery E, defense E, and agility E. However, it also made the wearer easier for enemies to lock onto, drawing their aggro.

Kurisu Makise, on the other hand, was support-oriented:

Reserve Magician Standard Set C

Type: Territory

D-rank Magic Formal Wear: "Person of All Trades" x1

Universal Command Spell: "Dao Tian Command Spell D" x1

Specialized Command Spells: "Enhancement Command Spell F" x2, "Healing Command Spell F" x2, "Levitation Command Spell F" x2

"Person of All Trades": A Craft Essence usable only by the handful of geniuses who had been praised as omnipotent, greatly influenced the development of civilization, and left their names in human history.

Imitation Craft Essence Effect: Obtained "Item Creation D" and "Territory Creation D."

Kazuma Satou instantly understood the roles of the three of them.

Hikigaya was the frontline tank. His Craft Essence boosted defense and was specialized in drawing aggro. But judging from how he had broken his leg earlier—

Either self-inflicted damage did not trigger the Craft Essence's effects, or the imitation "Brillia's Shriek" Magic Formal Wear could only protect the torso and could not cover the limbs as well.

They would know after a test.

Kazuma Satou said a few words to Hachiman Hikigaya, who nodded and grabbed a table knife from the Chinese restaurant.

Hachiman Hikigaya made a motion as though committing seppuku, gesturing at himself a few times, but he did not quite dare to stab himself.

He switched to a pair of chopsticks and jabbed himself once.

Eh, it didn't hurt?

What if he put some force into it?

He really felt nothing.

He poked at his limbs, and there was still pain.

Finally, he made a few cuts across his body with the knife for comparison, ultimately confirming that Kazuma Satou's guess had been entirely correct.

The effect of the imitation "Brillia's Shriek" could indeed only cover the body's main torso.

As for Kurisu Makise—

Kazuma Satou had originally thought she would be a firepower-focused type. He had not expected her to be support who made items.

No matter how he looked at it, their damage output was insufficient.

Kazuma Satou calmed down slightly.

"We can't fight him right now. We need to develop for a while."

Rin Tohsaka: "Just beat him up! Send him flying with one punch!"

Bazett: "Although I don't know what Servant Priest Kotomine has, it probably won't be worse than my Cú Chulainn. Combined with his own strength, these people should have no way of threatening him."

Cú Chulainn: "?! You..."

Cú Chulainn: "Damn it, it won't send."

Cú Chulainn: "Sigh, you're right. This bunch of brats can't hurt that guy."

Kischur Zelretch: "What's a country Priest supposed to be?"

The argument in the Livestream Room had nothing to do with the three who were playing.

This game world was simply too real. It was an entirely new experience.

Kazuma Satou suddenly remembered the map of Fuyuki City he had just seen.

Fuyuki City's terrain had one particularly distinctive feature.

"Hachiman Hikigaya, Makise... Saying your names feels weird. I might as well use your usernames..."

He opened Yu's Footprints Map and explained it to Hachiman Hikigaya and Kurisu Makise.

"Hachiman Hikigaya, look. Fuyuki City's eastern and western sides are separated by the Miyuan River, and the only way to reach the other side is by crossing the eastern bridge.

"We're currently on the snack street near Seaside Park in the Miyamasu District, on Fuyuki City's western side.

"Fuyuki Church, meanwhile, is in Shinto on the eastern side, so..."

Kurisu Makise and Hachiman Hikigaya were both intelligent, and they instantly understood what Kazuma Satou meant.

"You mean we should...?"

"Ambush him on the bridge?"

Kazuma Satou nodded.

"If Kirei Kotomine wants to return to the church, he has to cross Fuyuki Bridge. So the plan is simple. We ambush him while he's crossing."

He paused, then suddenly realized something.

"Who are you calling a shut-in NEET? My original nickname was 'Not a NEET'! Apologize to real NEETs—and to me!"

Kurisu Makise covered her mouth with her wide sleeve and smiled.

"Sorry."

Kazuma Satou's face reddened. He immediately lowered his head, too embarrassed to look at her, and stammered,

"Our Craft Essences and Noble Phantasms should be pretty low-level in this game. The highest-grade one belongs to Genius Beautiful Girl, so we need to let her develop.

"Anyway, we still need to develop first. Then we'll go block the bridge."

"No problem." "I agree."

Hachiman Hikigaya and Kurisu Makise both expressed no objections.

Kazuma Satou merely talked fiercely; he had not actually lost his head. He had a plan and respected his teammates.

Having someone like that lead the team was already pretty good.

"Next, let's go to a resource point... Hagunihara Academy. What do you think?"

Kazuma Satou suggested.

When it came to games, Hachiman Hikigaya acknowledged Kazuma Satou's superiority. There was no need to question an expert commander; he just had to trust him.

He said, "I have no objections."

"That makes two votes, so I don't really have a choice,"

Kurisu Makise lightly shook her sleeves. "But can I ask why?"

"Because it's a school."

Kazuma Satou sighed, looking conflicted.

"In an unfamiliar city, relatively speaking, the safest place is most likely a school. If anything happens anywhere, schools will be the first places to suspend classes and shut down."

Kurisu Makise nodded. Without any intelligence, this was the most reasonable decision they could make.

Kazuma Satou continued,

"Besides, we're in the shopping district. The closest places nearby are the Matou Insectarium and Hoi-Hoi Academy. I didn't ask, but... judging by the name, I'm guessing you probably don't want to go to an insectarium."

Hachiman Hikigaya: "Honestly, I don't want to go there either just from the name."

Kurisu Makise raised one small hand and formed a "Y" with her palm to show her agreement.

"Let's go. We can rummage through trash cans on the way."

Kurisu Makise rubbed her forehead.

"Uh, let's skip the trash cans."

Hikigaya dug another harmless-looking blue seaweed-haired doll out of a trash can.

"Oh? Harmless Shinji-kun. Why is it gray quality? Damn!"

He tossed the doll straight into an actual trash can—into the non-recyclables bin, no less—then turned to Kurisu Makise.

"The glowing trash cans are really clean... You sure you don't want to rummage through one?"

Kurisu Makise watched the two bizarre high school students rummaging through trash cans and manhole covers all over the street, occasionally climbing trees and rooftops to raid bird nests.

She took two steps back, maintaining a certain distance while smiling politely.

"No need, thank you."