Chapter 174: Mumei! Psychic Who Wants to Be Ordinary!
"Ren-kun!"
As soon as he returned home, Neko (Mao) pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and rubbing her cheek against his.
Ren didn't resist, smiling as he let her rub against him like an affectionate cat, her purrs almost audible.
"Neko really clings to you," Kanae said, covering her mouth and chuckling softly from the kitchen.
"Tell me about it! She won't even let me pet her when she turns into her kitten form," Eriri pouted from the sofa, inexplicably annoyed as she hugged Haru, the other cat.
"Mao is a person, not a cat. As for a kitten, aren't you holding Haru?" Ren said with a chuckle.
"Meow!" Haru raised its head from Eriri's arms, as if in agreement.
"Ren Onii-chan, Aunt Sayuri said she left food for you in the rice cooker," Chito reminded Ren sweetly, looking up from the game console she was sharing with Yuuri.
Ren smiled and stroked her hair. "You've all eaten, right? Where's Sayuri?"
Yuuri raised her hand. "We've all eaten! Aunt Sayuri and Sister Mine have gone to Aunt Tamayo's to learn flower arranging."
Chito nodded, blushing slightly. "We'll play games for a bit longer and then go back. Cocolia Mama made us cake."
"Cocolia Mama?" Ren was surprised. "She's letting you call her that now?"
Yuuri smiled happily. "Yeah! Cocolia Mama said she wants us to be her daughters! We're so happy!"
It seemed Cocolia had really taken a liking to Yuuri and Chito, and was fully prepared to raise them as her own.
"That's great. Go on, go play."
"Mm-hmm."
Kanae brought the plates of food out—a warm and hearty curry—and placed them on the dining table.
Ren sat down, and Neko immediately sat beside him, still clinging to one arm. Chinu and Abe no Seimei also sat down at the table.
He turned to look at the two spirits. "You want to eat too?"
"..."
Abe no Seimei pouted, crossing her arms. As a spirit, she couldn't eat physical food at all!
Chinu, however, just smiled with her eyes narrowed. "I saw something interesting on the computer today and wanted to experience it."
Saying that, Chinu picked up chopsticks, skillfully picked up a piece of chicken and potato from the curry, and brought them close to Ren's mouth.
"Ah..."
Ren was stunned for a moment. Wasn't this... feeding him?
He glanced at Chinu, who just smiled with her eyes narrowed, showing no other expression. Abe no Seimei, however, was pouting even more angrily beside them, clearly annoyed by Chinu's actions.
Ren didn't care about their silent squabble. With someone feeding him, he didn't even need to move his hands. This was quite nice.
He enjoyed Neko's warm presence on one arm while being fed, relaxing after his eventful night.
Ren, however, was slightly distracted, turning his attention to the Chat Group in his mind. As expected of a scumbag, he could multitask.
The most important thing was that new people had joined again.
[Ding! Mumei has joined the Chat Group!]
[Ding! Psychic Who Wants to Be Ordinary has joined the Chat Group!]
[Aqua: "Mumei! Psychic Who Wants to Be Ordinary! Welcome, newcomers! Learn about the wonderful Axis Order!"]
[Momonga: "..."]
[Momonga: "Aqua is really fast today."]
[Aqua: "Hmph! Of course!"]
[March 7th: "But she still didn't get a single new believer."]
[Aqua: "..."]
Aqua had another day of being exposed and heartbroken.
[Shinobu Kocho: "Newcomers, aren't you going to speak? Feel free to ask any questions."]
[Exusiai: "I'm more interested in the 'Psychic Who Wants to Be Ordinary'. That's a long nickname, but it seems to mention Psychic."]
[Esdeath: "A world with special powers, then. How interesting."]
[March 7th: "I'm a bit curious what kind of Psychic powers."]
[Mikasa: "How can I get Psychic powers?"]
[Nami: "Emmm, for that question, I'm afraid you can only ask the Chat Group itself."]
[Ren: "What is this thing?"]
[Psychic Who Wants to Be Ordinary: "..."]
Ren looked helpless.
He also couldn't tell who the two were from their names alone, though "Mumei" sounded familiar.
...
Aragane Station.
A long railway track extended into the gloom, surrounded by massive steam-powered machinery and grime.
On the track, a pure black, fortress-like, dark train—a Hayajiro—was parked, venting steam.
People were busy moving cargo and performing maintenance around the behemoth.
A young girl walked on the bustling road, her wooden geta clogs making a distinct clack-clack sound, before she suddenly stopped.
The girl had short brown hair tied in braids on both sides with yellow hair ties. She wore a red-based sash, an orange bow-tied obi, and a pink-based Japanese-style outfit.
She carried a kendama with a bell and a red ball.
What caught the most attention, however, was the tight, glowing red ribbon around her neck.
Her sudden stop on the road drew the attention of the stoic woman beside her.
"What's wrong, Mumei?" Horobi frowned, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade.
"..."
After a silence, Mumei shook her head. "No, nothing."
She returned to normal and continued walking forward, her expression unreadable.
Horobi's frown deepened.
She didn't quite understand why the Young Master had suddenly dispatched her, one of his personal guards, to act as Mumei's bodyguard.
Moreover, the Young Master had been acting very strange for the past few days.
He was obsessed with studying the Kabane and had dispatched almost all the Hunters on various dangerous missions.
People's doubts could not be shared.
Mumei's current doubts, however, were entirely focused on the strange blue light screen in front of her, which only she could see and could not be explained.
...
In a certain room.
A young man with bright pink hair, green-tinted glasses, and two strange, antenna-like ornaments on his head sat seriously in a chair, deep in thought.
My name is Saiki Kusuo.
I am a Psychic.
Telepathy, psychokinesis, clairvoyance, precognition, teleportation, x-ray vision... I possess all these Psychic abilities. If I truly wished, I could destroy the world in three days.
If you think I am the happiest man in this world, then you are wrong.
I am simply the unluckiest man in this world.
Feelings of accomplishment, excitement, or surprise, tension... I have never felt them. Not only do I lack anger and sadness, but I also lack joy and happiness.
This has been my life so far.
But, at this moment, everything changed.
The world, which had been time-reversed countless times by his own power, had finally changed.
Something called the Doomsday Chat Group had entered his world, his mind.
Just now.
He had used every Psychic ability he had, even removing his antenna-like inhibitors, to test it.
Yet, he was completely unable to ascertain its fundamental existence. It was beyond his power.
For the first time in a long while, Saiki Kusuo's lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible, excited smile.
This meant it was unknown.
...
[Mumei: "Are you humans?"]
[Saeko Busujima: "Oh? It seems your world has non-humans. I suppose I'm human, yes."]
[Aqua: "I am the Goddess of Water, Aqua! Not a mere human!"]
[White Blood Cell: "I am a White Blood Cell (Neutrophil)."]
[Platelet: "I'm a Platelet! Hehe."]
[Tushan Honghong: "I'm a Fox Demon from Tushan."]
[Emilia: "I'm a Half-Elf."]
[Mumei: "...I completely don't understand."]
[Vivi: "Haha, the Chat Group is like that. It's very interesting, I promise!"]
[Silver Wolf: "Can the newcomers change their names? Especially that Psychic, your nickname is way too long!"]
[Saiki Kusuo: "..."]
[Silver Wolf: "Oh? You're that Psychic?"]
[Saiki Kusuo: "Yes."]
[Chito: "So cold!"]
Saiki Kusuo?
Ren, while still being fed curry, already knew who it was.
That naturally born, all-powerful Psychic.
Saiki Kusuo, the overpowered Psychic who was deeply troubled by his own abilities.
No wonder his nickname was 'Psychic Who Wants to Be Ordinary'.
As for the other person...
[Mumei: "My name is Mumei. I'm a Kabaneri... I'm not really considered human."]
[Seitenshi: "Your name is just Mumei? How strange."]
[Inorin's Note: Mumei (無名) literally means "Nameless" in Japanese.]
Mumei's eyes flickered.
The two titles, Mumei and Kabaneri, allowed Ren to confirm the newcomer's identity.
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress.
[Mumei: "What exactly is this place?"]
[Ren: "Mumei, Saiki Kusuo, this is the Doomsday Chat Group. It's a Chat Group for people from worlds that are facing, or will face, a doomsday, allowing us to communicate and help each other. You can confirm your world's doomsday information through the 'personal information' function."]
After a period of silence as the newcomers processed this.
Saiki Kusuo spoke first.
[Saiki Kusuo: "Future Doomsday (4). That's how it's displayed."]
Yare yare. Sure enough, Ren thought.
If he remembered correctly, the doomsday in Saiki Kusuo's world was caused by a massive volcanic eruption.
Although he couldn't quite understand how a single volcanic eruption could directly destroy the Earth, nor how Saiki Kusuo, who could literally travel through time, initially couldn't stop it.
But this 4-star doomsday further validated his guess.
A 4-star doomsday typically represents a doomsday that affects all organisms on a planet but cannot destroy the planet itself.
[Mumei: "World Doomsday... This world is already a doomsday. And... Future Doomsday (4), Abnormal Doomsday (5-Star)."]
[Nami: "It looks like things are pretty bad where you are, Mumei."]
[Mumei: "The whole world is full of Kabane."]
[Bronya: "Wait... does this mean... two doomsdays? Plus the one that's already happening?"]
[Momonga: "Hiss! Isn't this the treatment for a big shot?"]
[Nami: "Ren's side has three 12-star doomsdays!"]
[Reinhardt: "Is this the first time a world has encountered multiple future doomsdays?"]
[Ren: "Indeed, it's the first besides mine."]
[Ren: "The existence of Kabane should be the 'World Doomsday' that's already active."]
[Mumei: "You know about Kabane?"]
[Mikasa: "What are Kabane?"]
[Mumei: "A type of monster... very similar to ordinary zombies, but much stronger."]
[Mumei: "They are immortal, covered in a steel-like skin, and will not be destroyed unless their glowing hearts are pierced. Infected people become new Kabane very quickly."]
[Saeko Busujima: "They sound very similar to the 'Zombie' in my world!"]
[Mumei: "Yes, but Kabane are more flexible, faster, and... they can evolve to a certain extent."]
[Mumei: "Who are you? The administrator?"]
[Ren: "As you can see, the administrator of the Chat Group."]
[Mumei: "If it's true, as you say, that we come from different worlds... how do you know about the existence of Kabane?"]
[Ren: "No comment."]
[Mumei: "..."]
[Esdeath: "Heh. Trying to pry open Ren's mouth without possessing powerful strength? You're overestimating yourself, newcomer."]
[Momonga: "Well said! The boss is a super, super, super big shot!"]
[Saiki Kusuo: "How strong is 'strong'?"]
[Momonga: "He can easily destroy entire nations!"]
[Exusiai: "Hehe, your information is too outdated, Mr. Momonga. Ren can destroy planets now."]
[Ren: "Is it possible to destroy galaxies?"]
[Momonga: "???"]
[Silver Wolf: "???"]
A series of question marks appeared.
[Inorin Note:
If you wish to support me so I can continue to survive and afford proper food, you can join my membership on Patreon [patreon.com/InorinTL]. Be sure to check out "The Dedicated Fan"—a special, limited-time tier that offers all the benefits of "The Plot Uncoverer" at a discounted price! Slots are limited, so grab yours before they run out. Besides membership, you can also donate via Ko-Fi [https://ko-fi.com/inorintl].
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]