[Stelle]: Impossible…! How did this happen?!
[Belle]: What's wrong with you today?
[Megumi]: She's been like this since this morning.
[Stelle]: No… you guys wouldn't understand even if I explained it.
[Lumine]: Then, oh great Galactic Baseballer, what exactly happened to you?
[Stelle]: We just arrived at a new location—a massive ship, almost like a planet, called the Xianzhou Luofu. The atmosphere feels similar to Liyue… but more advanced.
[Lumine]: …So? What's the problem?
[Stelle]: …There aren't enough trash cans.
[Lumine]: …Eh?
[Belle]: …Eh?
[Megumi]: …Weren't the ones in Belobog enough?
[Stelle]: There's no such thing as enough trash cans.
[Belle]: Isn't it just… a trash can?
[Stelle]: No.
[Stelle]: Precisely because it's a trash can… it deserves to be treasured.
[Stelle]: Because trash cans never betray you.
[Lumine]: …Why do you sound so serious?
[Belle]: I'm more concerned about how you reached that conclusion.
[Stelle]: Because it's the truth.
[Stelle]: A trash can simply stays where it is. It accepts everything you throw away without complaint, without question, and without ever leaving. Therefore—
[Stelle]: The trash can will never betray you.
Even as she typed those words into the chat, Stelle spoke them out loud with the same level of seriousness.
Standing beside her, March 7th slowly turned her head to look at her, her movement unusually stiff—as if she had just witnessed something she shouldn't have.
Welt, who had experienced countless strange phenomena across worlds, chose to remain silent. Somehow, that silence made the situation even more unsettling.
[Stelle]: It doesn't mind what you throw away. It doesn't judge you for it.
[Stelle]: If it's something disgusting, it won't call you disgusting. If it's something precious, it won't thank you either.
The chat fell into silence.
Not just the chat—March 7th didn't speak, Welt didn't speak, and even the surrounding atmosphere seemed to grow subtly still, as if something invisible had paused to listen.
[Stelle]: People lie. Friends leave. Favorites change.
[Stelle]: But the trash can doesn't. It stays, holding everything you abandon, never once asking why.
[Stelle]: That's why—
[Stelle]: The trash can won't betray you.
A long pause followed.
For a brief moment, even the system showed no response, as if it needed time to process what had just been said.
[Belle]: …Why does that actually make sense? (⇀‸↼‶)
[Lumine]: +1
[Megumi]: …It's strangely convincing.
[Ding! Activity milestone reached!][New features are being activated…]
[Send Gift Feature: Activated][Exchange Shop: Activated][Wish System: Activated]
[Inviting new members…][Searching for candidates…][Invitations sent…]
[Stelle]: Eh—so sudden?! Belle!
[Belle]: I see it.
Belle's gaze moved across the newly appeared interface, her expression calm as she quickly analyzed the information presented to her.
[Belle]: These new functions are quite interesting. The Send Gift feature allows us to transfer non-living items between members.
[Belle]: The Exchange Shop converts items into points, and the Wish System is essentially a gacha.
[Belle]: One pull costs 1000 points, while ten pulls cost 9000. The rewards range from known items to completely unknown ones, meaning the outcome is unpredictable.
[Belle]: …It also states that each member receives ten free vouchers.
[Lumine]: Oh! Like opening treasure chests—I'm in.
[Stelle]: No, let me go first. The Galactic Baseballer will test it.
[Megumi]: …Shouldn't we wait a bit? New members are about to join, right?
[Megumi]: It might be better to greet them first.
As if responding to her suggestion—
[Ding! Saeko Busujima has joined the group][Ding! Erina Nakiri has joined the group]
[Welcome to the Mutual Aid Chat Group]
[Erina]: …Who are you?
[Erina]: Why am I here?
[Erina]: Explain. Now.
[Saeko]: Ara… how unusual.
[Stelle]: OHH new people!!
[Stelle]: Welcome!!
[Belle]: Please remain calm. This is a communication channel connecting individuals from different worlds.
[Erina]: Different worlds?
[Erina]: Hmph. Don't joke with me.
[Megumi]: It does sound strange… but we're still trying to understand it ourselves.
[Saeko]: I see. Then this is no ordinary phenomenon. How fascinating.
[Erina]: I don't have time for nonsense.
[Stelle]: Want proof?
[Erina]: …What?
[Chat Group Member Stelle is sending a gift to Nakiri Erina]
Seeing someone called Stelle sending Gift to her, Erina who still didnt believe in the devil, choose to received the gift!
In Erina's world, a sealed cup appeared on the table in front of her without any warning or visible cause. There was no sound, no movement leading up to it—it simply existed there, as if it had always been present.
The label read:
"Startaro Bubble Tea"
The liquid inside shifted faintly, not quite like normal fluid, as though it had reacted to her gaze for a brief moment before becoming still again.
[Erina]: —?!
[Belle]: That is one of the system's functions. A "gift" sent directly across worlds.
Erina narrowed her eyes as she examined the drink. Its origin was unknown, its contents unverified, and its method of appearance completely unnatural. Under normal circumstances, she would have rejected it immediately.
…However, as someone who prided herself on her palate, ignoring it entirely felt unacceptable.
[Erina]: Hmph. Fine.
She inserted the straw and took a sip.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then her expression froze.
Completely.
A second later—
[Erina]: !@!%!@%%!@?!?!?!?
She collapsed onto the floor with a dull thud.
[Stelle]: Eh?
[Belle]: …
[Megumi]: is…She collapsed?
[Stelle]: ....she's not dead, right?!
[Saeko]: …
A short silence followed before Belle spoke again.
[Belle]: …What exactly did you send?
[Stelle]: Just a normal drink.
[Belle]: Define "normal."
[Stelle]: …Startaro Bubble Tea?
[Megumi]: …The way you said that doesn't sound very convincing.
About a minute later—
[Erina]: …
[Erina]: …What… was that…?
[Erina]: That was the most horrendous thing I have ever tasted in my life.
[Stelle]: See? Proof!
[Belle]: That's not the kind of proof she needed.
[Saeko]: Regardless, the conclusion is clear. This chat group is real.
[Saeko]: Items can indeed be transferred between worlds.
[Erina]: …
A long pause passed before she spoke again.
[Erina]: …Fine.
[Erina]: I will acknowledge this… for now.
[Erina]: But if anyone sends me something like that again—
[Stelle]: No promises.
[Erina]: This Hatred! …I will remember it.
[Saeko]: Then allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Saeko Busujima. I look forward to working with all of you.
[Erina]: …Erina Nakiri.
[Stelle]: NICE!!
[Belle]: Welcome to the Mutual Aid Chat Group.
[Megumi]: …Welcome.