Chapter 164: Kiana: I'm up! I was instantly killed!!
At this very moment, the Doomsday Chat Group was in an uproar due to the activation of the new features.
[March 7th: "New features! New features! A furnace and a battlefield? This sounds so cool!"]
[Saeko Busujima: "Has anyone had the chance to try them yet? The 'furnace' sounds particularly intriguing."]
[Esdeath: "I've looked at the Apocalypse Battlefield. It describes an extremely real space where one can freely unleash abilities, and any destroyed objects, including the space itself, will automatically recover."]
[Momonga: "That amazing? It sounds like a dedicated PvP or training instance from a game. The utility is enormous."]
When Ren saw this, he remembered there was another new function he hadn't fully explored. He quickly checked the system information.
[Apocalypse Battlefield: Simulates a real world, where everything destroyed can automatically recover.]
[Anyone can enter the Apocalypse Battlefield for 1 hour in a simulated form by consuming 1000 doomsday points.]
[Dying in the Apocalypse Battlefield only results in the death of the simulated body. The user's real body is unharmed.]
"Oh? This feature is very interesting," Ren mused.
If it was a real-world simulation where death had no consequence, then one could finally unleash their full power without holding back, right? This was the perfect training ground.
He still needed to properly introduce the features to the rest of the group members.
[Ren: "Let me briefly explain the features of the Doomsday Furnace and the Apocalypse Battlefield. The Doomsday Furnace..."]
[Ren: "And the Apocalypse Battlefield..."]
[Ren: "That's roughly how it is. The furnace can convert items into abilities, and the battlefield is a safe place to test them."]
[Aqua: "A Doomsday Furnace! Can it melt a Demon King? If I push Kazuma in, will he become an ability crystal?"]
[Shinobu Kocho: "Ah, this… Aqua-san is truly... creative, to even think of something like that."]
[Ren: "That's a unique idea. Perhaps you can try it if you ever capture one alive."]
[Ren: "However, the function of melting items drawn from the Chat Group to transform them into personal abilities is still very useful. I've personally tested it with the Space Stone, and the effect is excellent."]
[Ren: "I think the Imperial Arms from your world, Esdeath, might also be meltable."]
[Silver Wolf: "Melting the abilities and characteristics of items into one's own abilities? Can such a thing even be done? You're turning physical matter into something like a concept. Where is the conservation of energy in all this?"]
[Ren: "Who knows. It's a product of the system."]
[Seitenshi: "The Doomsday Chat Group is truly amazing, possessing all sorts of powerful and logic-defying features."]
[Esdeath: "I initially thought the Apocalypse Battlefield was just a simple pocket dimension, but I didn't expect it to be an entire simulated world. It's surprising. I'm very interested in this."]
[Nami: "The key is that you won't really die in the Apocalypse Battlefield! That means everyone can fight to their heart's content in there, right?"]
[Esdeath: "It's a place for slaughter. Since you won't die, you should slaughter to your heart's content."]
[Nami: "…"]
[Vivi: "…"]
[Esdeath: "Reinhardt, would you like to have a round of slaughter with me? I'm curious to see the power of the Sword Saint."]
[Reinhardt: "I'm very sorry, Lady Esdeath. I'm still dealing with kingdom affairs and temporarily cannot spare the time."]
[Esdeath: "A shame. I'll wait."]
[Reinhardt: "Alright."]
[Kiana: "For real? This is just like playing a game, right? Count me in, count me in! I wanna fight!"]
[Esdeath: "Oh? A new challenger. Are you very strong?"]
[Kiana: "Of course! This young lady is super, super strong!"]
[System: Ding! Esdeath has sent Kiana an exclusive red packet!]
[System: Kiana has claimed the red packet!]
[Kiana: "Whoa! 1000 doomsday points? Thanks!"]
[Esdeath: "Come. I'll wait for you in the Apocalypse Battlefield. Don't disappoint me."]
[Kiana: "Coming right away!"]
As long as it wasn't studying or homework, Kiana's excitement was instantaneous and boundless.
"Teacher!"
Kiana suddenly shot up from her seat in the middle of class, her long, white braids swaying dramatically behind her.
The teacher, who was lecturing at the podium, pushed up her glasses, visibly trying to suppress her annoyance. "What is it now, Kiana?"]
"I need to go to the restroom! Urgently!"]
"Go…"
An endless, verdant grassland stretched as far as the eye could see under a clear blue sky. This was the default special space of the Apocalypse Battlefield.
"You've come too?"
Esdeath's figure materialized, her sharp blue eyes immediately landing on Ren, who was already present and observing the new environment.
He nodded slightly. "It's a new feature, so naturally, I have to take a good look and understand its mechanics."
"Wow! I'm really not at school anymore! This is awesome!"
A joyful and cheerful voice suddenly came from the front.
A girl with the Kaslana family's ancestral white hair and striking blue eyes appeared. Her long hair was tied into two thick braids, and she was wearing the St. Freya Academy uniform. She was undeniably beautiful, with a vibrant, energetic figure.
It was, without a doubt, Kiana.
Kiana looked between Ren and Esdeath, her head tilting. "Um, which one of you is Esdeath-san?"]
"I am Ren, the administrator of the group," Ren introduced himself, before gesturing to the icy-blue-haired woman. "And she is Esdeath." He then stepped back, giving them space.
"Are you ready?" Esdeath asked, standing tall and straight. The air around her seemed to drop in temperature, her voice cold and sharp as an icicle.
"Of course! Bring it on!" Kiana smiled confidently, cracking her knuckles.
"..."
Ren wondered if he should remind Kiana that Esdeath was likely much, much stronger than her current self. But he ultimately didn't say anything. After all, no one really dies in the Apocalypse Battlefield. Some lessons were best learned firsthand.
[System: Ding! Ren has started a live broadcast!]
[System: March 7th has joined the live broadcast!]
[System: Silver Wolf has joined the live broadcast!]
[System: Tushan Honghong has joined the live broadcast!]
[Tushan Honghong: "Is Brother Ren also in the Apocalypse Battlefield?"]
[Ren: "Just observing this battlefield, and watching the upcoming fight."]
[Bronya: "Have you found anything peculiar about this space?"]
[Ren: "Hmm, I have. This grassland is just one 'stage.' My perception of space tells me its true existence is on the scale of a full plane or perhaps even an entire universe."]
After entering the Apocalypse Battlefield, Ren had used his new spatial abilities to probe its boundaries. He gained an immediate, deep understanding of its structure.
This place was, in essence, not unlike the parallel spaces he himself could now create. However, this one was unimaginably vast, likely a full universe, and it was permeated with a peculiar power that could instantly restore anything within it to its original state.
[Silver Wolf: "Incredible. The system can create a perfect simulated world, a 'simulated universe'? The processing power required would be astronomical."]
[Ren: "Something like that. Simulated universe, parallel universe... either name works. It's the ultimate sandbox."]
[Exusiai: "Oh! The battle has begun!"]
On the grassland, Esdeath manifested a slender rapier made of pure ice. Kiana, in response, held up... a metal baseball bat.
[March 7th: "A baseball bat? Why does that look so familiar... It's just like Stelle's!"]
[Bronya: "The Trailblazer's weapon of choice is indeed a baseball bat. A sample is even exhibited in the Belobog History and Culture Museum."]
[March 7th: "Stelle is super strong, and she even has a Stellaron inside her. You don't think Kiana does too, do you?"]
[Ren: "…"]
Ren held back a smile. March 7th truly lived up to her reputation as a great prophet. Kiana indeed had a powerful, hidden force within her body—namely, a certain Herrscher of the Void.
Their battle, if one could call it that, began.
"Here I come! Hiyah!"
Kiana charged, gripping her bat and running forward with all her might. But... nothing else seemed to happen. It was just a normal, athletic human sprint, with no abilities whatsoever.
Frowning slightly at the lackluster charge, Esdeath performed a simple, almost lazy, forward thrust with her ice rapier. In an instant, hundreds of massive ice lances, each one tens of meters long, materialized in the air and shot out like a tidal wave.
She was merely testing Kiana, not even using a fraction of her true power.
But even such a casual test left Kiana standing dumbfounded. Her confident smile froze and then shattered.
What is this? Superpowers? Ice? Isn't this just a game?!
Stunned, she could only watch as the forest of gleaming ice cones rapidly charged toward her from all directions. She had completely forgotten to dodge. How could anyone even dodge this?!
"Splat!!!"
"..."
Esdeath silently watched as Kiana's body was impaled by dozens of lances, turning her into a human porcupine before she dissolved into particles of light and disappeared.
Esdeath cast a questioning, almost disappointed, look at Ren.
Ren simply shrugged. This was, unfortunately, the truth of the matter.
[March 7th: "Uh... was Kiana-chan defeated instantly? Or did my eyes deceive me?"]
[Silver Wolf: "You didn't see it wrong. She was instantly killed."]
[Momonga: "Kiana-san, is this what you meant by being 'super strong'?"]
Inside St. Freya Academy, Kiana felt a moment of intense daze, her hand flying to her chest.
"I'm... not dead?"
She touched her chest and stomach. There were no wounds from the ice spears. But in that final instant, she had truly thought she was going to die. A flash of strange, terrifying memories had even flickered through her mind.
She shook her head, her face flushing bright red as she looked at the chat log. "What the heck! I thought it was a normal fight! Why are they using Psychics!"]
What Kiana couldn't notice was a faint, golden light flashing deep within her blue eyes before vanishing.
[Kiana: "Wow! Esdeath-san, why didn't you tell me you were a Psychic?! That's cheating!"]
[Esdeath: "..."]
Esdeath didn't think it was her fault in the slightest.
[Exusiai: "Ahem, this is... really awkward. I thought Kiana was a very powerful person, but I didn't expect..."]
[Momonga: "Kiana: 'This Miss is super strong!' (Refers to the speed of being instantly killed!)"]
[Vivi: "Miss Kiana probably just doesn't know the specific situation of the Chat Group yet."]
[Platelet: "Then... that... Kiana-san is also very brave for trying!"]
[Kiana: "Wuwuwu, stop talking, stop talking! Don't look!"]
Kiana thought of her previous confident words and wished she could find a hole to crawl into. Platelet's attempt at comfort somehow made it even more embarrassing.
It was too humiliating!
Ren's mouth curved into a smile. As expected of Kiana, she really brings joy wherever she goes.
Meanwhile, in another world.
Mikasa Ackerman saw the scene in the live broadcast where Esdeath casually pierced Kiana with a forest of giant ice spears. Her usually calm, gray eyes wavered for a moment.
"This kind of power... it should be able to kill Titans, right? Easily."
"Mikasa, why are you spacing out over here?"
Ymir and Krista walked around the corner of the dilapidated building, finding Mikasa sitting alone against a wall, staring at nothing.
All three of them were members of the Survey Corps. This was an internal area, supposedly safe, near the inner side of Wall Rose.
It was said that traces of Titans had been found, and several other locations had also reported new breaches. For the Survey Corps, the appearance of Titans inside the walls was an extremely serious and terrifying development.
This time, the Survey Corps had dispatched many squads to investigate, and the three of them had been sent here together. This dilapidated, abandoned village was their temporary resting place.
"It's nothing. Let's continue the investigation," Mikasa replied simply, standing up and checking her gear.
"Tch, this guy!" Ymir scowled, clearly furious. "I really want to punch her sometimes."
"Haha, Ymir, you know Mikasa is just focused. Let's go," Krista mediated with her gentle smile, dragging Ymir along as they followed Mikasa.
What none of them noticed was that behind a distant, crumbled wall, a pair of hungry eyes was watching them.
At noon, back at Sobu High.
Ren and Megumi Kato were alone on the rooftop.
It was because Megumi had specially made two bento lunchboxes today. One, she had specified, was just for him.
"Megumi, why did you suddenly think of making a bento for me?" Ren asked as he placed the immaculately cleaned, empty lunchbox down.
Megumi carefully packed up the empty box, her movements precise and graceful.
She gently tucked a stray strand of her brown hair behind her ear, then sat down beside Ren, their shoulders brushing. She spoke softly, "Because... I can't live with you like Eriri-san and Yukino-san can. So, I can only try to make up for it in other ways I know how."
These simple words touched Ren deeply, warming his heart and soul more than any grand gesture could.
He slowly wrapped an arm around Megumi's waist, pulling her closer. He leaned in, whispering softly into her ear, his breath tickling her skin, "Megumi, you don't need to 'make up' for anything. I'm already more than satisfied just to have your affection."
Megumi obediently tilted her head, leaning it against his shoulder. "Really?"
"Really," he affirmed.
She was quiet for a moment, before her hand, which had been resting on his chest, slowly began to slide down. "But in reality... it seems you're not completely satisfied, Ren-kun."
"..."
Ren tensed, a flush of embarrassment rising. Being so close to Megumi, inhaling her faint, clean scent, his body had... naturally reacted. He was unmistakably hard against her hip.
Megumi's clear and calm eyes, usually so placid, now held a distinct hint of playful teasing. Her fingers, having reached his abdomen, now brushed lightly against the front of his pants, tracing the rigid length through the fabric. Ren's breath hitched.
"I want to... truly satisfy you, Ren-kun," she whispered, her voice barely audible, yet carrying an electric charge. Her fingers moved from his fly to his belt buckle. "If this is... what you want."
[Inorin Note:
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