Multiverse Anime: Starting Out by Creating Delta of Fate, the Group Chat Goes Wild – Chapter 13

"Cut it out. What are you guys eating?"

Looking at that pile of food, Kurisu Makise could not help thinking about how it had been scavenged from a trash can.

Forget it. She was eating for free, so she had no right to complain.

"I’ll take an onigiri, thanks~"

"Here, take it."

Kazuma Satou also handed her a bottle of Merlin Bubble Wine.

The two boys had nothing much to choose from. They just grabbed whatever they got and ate it.

Neither Kazuma Satou nor Hachiman Hikigaya was the picky type.

"Let’s eat." x3

Hachiman Hikigaya took a bite of Mapo Tofu, feeling the breeze as he looked at the school’s blue sky.

He had never felt… that school could be such a wonderful place.

This was great… Wait, it was so spicy!!

Holy crap, it was burning!!!

He stuck out his tongue, his throat feeling as though it were on fire.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss… Water… water!"

Kazuma Satou silently set down his Mapo Tofu. He had not taken a bite yet; he had been waiting for Hachiman Hikigaya to try it first and "test it for poison."

Kazuma Satou grabbed a bottle of Merlin Bubble Wine and handed it over.

"Here."

Hachiman Hikigaya accepted the sparkling wine and took a sip. His mouth was immediately filled with… the scent of cherry blossoms.

Healed.

He set down the Mapo Tofu in his hand.

"I can’t eat this anymore."

"Mm."

"This Mapo Tofu is abnormally spicy."

"Mm."

"It reduces your maximum health."

"Mm."

Hachiman Hikigaya turned his head and saw Kazuma Satou’s completely untouched bowl of Mapo Tofu. He immediately understood.

"You bastard! You never planned to eat it! You were just waiting for me to try it first, weren’t you?!"

"Nothing of the sort. Don’t slander me."

"Take a bite!"

"Nope."

"Take a bite already!"

"Not a chance."

Watching the two bicker, Kurisu Makise quickly finished the onigiri in her hand.

These two clowns… were surprisingly good accompaniment for a meal.

After their little scuffle.

The three regrouped and entered the first floor of the teaching building.

Right inside the entrance stood a Saber Class Dragon Tooth Soldier.

"Sniper shot~"

Kazuma Satou instantly killed it with one arrow, using a D-rank Yew Poison Arrow.

"Move."

Hachiman Hikigaya quickly stepped forward and picked up the drop.

Item: Cursed Bone x1

Type: Material

Description: An ominous bone entwined with curses, dropped by a Dragon Tooth Soldier.

Note: This item can be used as material to strengthen an Operator's personal skills and Spiritron Dress enhancements (requires returning to Dao Tian Palace), or as a one-time consumable catalyst for constructing specific magecraft.

"Can you give that to me?"

Kurisu Makise blinked and suddenly made the request.

Hachiman Hikigaya handed it to her without hesitation.

"Sure."

Kurisu Makise closed her eyes in thought. A faint silvery-white glow flowed over her pure white Magic Formal Wear.

"Give me a Dragon Tooth too."

Kazuma Satou did not ask why. He simply found one in his inventory and handed it over.

The three pushed deeper inside. Kazuma Satou stayed at the rear, Hachiman Hikigaya led the way with his sword, and Kurisu Makise stood in the middle of the team.

"What fascinating knowledge."

Kurisu Makise murmured inwardly. Holding the Dragon Tooth and Cursed Bone, she pondered as vast amounts of magecraft knowledge utterly different from science entered her mind.

But she did not passively accept that vague information wholesale. Instead, she considered analyzing it and building her own system.

"Let’s search the classrooms."

"Let’s go."

The three entered a classroom. It was empty, but white and green points of light were scattered throughout the room—the glow of items.

As they searched, the sound of a door sliding open suddenly rang out.

"Who are you?"

A middle-aged man in a suit suddenly pushed open the classroom door and walked in.

Before Kazuma Satou could speak, the man spotted the Command Spells on their hands and took a sword step, instantly "sliding" before them.

With a terrifying aura around him, he threw a punch straight at Hachiman Hikigaya’s face.

Kazuma Satou had already anticipated his hostility when he slid over and wanted to warn Hachiman Hikigaya, but the man was simply too fast.

It was only when the middle-aged man threw his punch that Kazuma Satou managed to get the warning out.

"Watch out!"

Hachiman Hikigaya noticed as well. He desperately raised the sword in his hand, barely moving it into the path of the incoming fist.

Bang—!

His imitation Noble Phantasm was shattered into fragments by that single punch!

Several bloody cuts were gouged across his face.

But it was not over.

The second and third punches followed like cannonballs.

One punch struck his chest. The sounds of cracking bones and bursting organs made him spit out his final breath.

Death declared on the spot!

Blood at the corner of his mouth, Hachiman Hikigaya knew he could not be saved. Enduring indescribable agony, he summoned his sword once more.

"Oath without a sword!"

"Hm?"

The middle-aged man seemed slightly surprised, apparently wondering how Hachiman Hikigaya could still move, and threw another explosive punch.

Hachiman Hikigaya was sent flying sideways, smashing through row after row of desks before finally collapsing in the corner by the wall.

Without moving at all.

His breath completely ceased.

Dead on the spot!

Master Souichirou Kuzuki – Killed – Reserve Operator Hachiman Hikigaya

A blood-red announcement immediately rang out.

Those three sudden punches.

Had utterly shattered their tomb-raiding dream!

Chapter 11: Downed State Mechanic (3K)

"By the name of the Command Spell, conceal my form."

Seeing Hachiman Hikigaya die instantly.

Kazuma Satou did not hesitate. He immediately activated his Command Spell to turn invisible, opened the classroom’s back door, and ran out.

Leaving Kurisu Makise alone in the classroom.

Mao-chan: "This game’s physics engine is way too realistic… Isn’t it censored at all?"

Asuna: "Is this really just a game?"

Komachi Yuigahama: "Big bro???"

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Hikigaya…?!"

Yui Yuigahama: "Hikki… Don’t die."

Shibakiza: "General Hachiman! If you’re not dead, get up!"

Hachiman Hikigaya was now in a strange state. He could see what was happening around his body.

But he could not take any action.

Was this death?

He glanced at the chat. If he did not say anything, people would probably think he was playing dead, and something unpleasant might happen after he returned.

He should… show that he was still around.

Hachiman Hikigaya: "Yahallo."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "?"

Yui Yuigahama: "?"

Orochimaru: "He’s actually still alive? This game… is interesting."

Mao-chan: "Looks like it really is a virtual game."

Akihiko Kayaba: "Incredible. Is this something magecraft can accomplish? I truly want to speak with whoever is behind it."

Medea: "If magecraft could accomplish something like this, the Divine Era would not have perished."

Luffy: "I just want to ask, did Kazuma straight-up abandon his teammate?!"

Kabul: "Running away was the wisest choice at that moment. Compared to getting wiped out as a team, as long as someone survives, there is still hope."

Zhu Xuan: "Ran away? That remains to be seen."

Aqua: "Isn’t that just running away? Pfft, pfft, pfft. A stay-at-home NEET is still a NEET."

Kurisu Makise did not say anything about Kazuma Satou running away.

She was inside the classroom while Kazuma Satou was nearby outside. Even if he came back, with the speed of that NPC, "Souichirou Kuzuki," she would probably be beaten to death immediately.

Abandoning her at a time like this was an incomparably wise choice.