Demon Sword Spirit: Welcome, welcome, newcomers!!

Li Er: A warm welcome. It’s not often we get new members, and both women no less. The balance in our group is finally shifting toward more female voices.

Chu Dashan: As usual, newcomers should start with introductions. Give your name and the world you belong to—whether it’s your country or your universe!

Demon Hunter: Don’t worry too much about identity. Even if you’re a monster or a robot, it doesn’t matter.

Queen of Vampires: Use your head, Constantine. Obviously they’re human. Don’t lump them in with monsters... pathetic.

Sam Witwicky (Blond Boy): Ahem. Allow me. My name is Sam, from a technological world. I’ve just been appointed as a two-star chief priest.

Tanjiro Kamado: I am the guardian of the Demon-Slayer world. We used to be plagued by demons, but thanks to divine aid, they have been wiped out.

The older group members had agreed long ago that for new arrivals, it was best to ease them in slowly.

The first step was always introductions—simple, straightforward. It let the new members find their footing without being overwhelmed.

The Fox Who Only Loves Money: Hello sisters! I’m Tu Shan Yaya, a ten-tailed celestial fox. You can think of me as a fairy if that helps.

Ninja Scientist (Orochimaru): My name is Orochimaru. As you can guess from my name, I am obviously... a good person.

For Peace (Monkey D. Dragon): I am Monkey D. Dragon, a man devoted to promoting world peace.

The chat scrolled quickly, introductions flowing one after another. Then, deliberately, silence fell.

They knew better than to overwhelm the newcomers.

Sam himself had nearly gone mad the first time he joined. Too much information all at once could make anyone think they’d lost their mind.

Demon Sword Spirit: If you’re overwhelmed, just keep your thoughts to yourself for now. You can type them when you’re ready.

If you don’t feel like speaking, it’s fine to lurk silently and watch. No one will force you.

But know this: there is a true God in this group. The Eternal God. He is omnipotent, master of thousands of worlds, beyond every universe, beyond every culmination you can imagine.

If you have lost family, or if you have wishes you believe impossible, you may offer sacrifices to Him. He will grant them.

Inuyasha’s World

In a quiet wooden hut, the sound of a child’s sobbing echoed.

Kaede, a little girl of no more than nine or ten, had been reduced to tears. Her small hands rubbed her eyes raw as she cried, utterly terrified by the strange voices that had suddenly appeared in her mind.

It was instinct—pure, childlike instinct. When the incomprehensible came crashing in, the only outlet was to cry.

Her older sister Kikyo, who had been cooking outside, dropped everything and rushed in. Her movements were swift, faster than most humans could even see. In just three breaths she had thrown the door aside and knelt at Kaede’s bedside.

The Sengoku era was fraught with demons and dangers. Even when she sensed no malice nearby, Kikyo never allowed herself to grow complacent.

Their parents had long ago fallen to demons. Only the two sisters remained, bound tightly together against the cruelty of the world.

"Kaede..." Kikyo’s voice softened as she saw her sister trembling, tears streaming down her face.

She reached out, fingers brushing the child’s hair. "What’s wrong? Did you have another nightmare? Don’t be afraid. I’ll always be here to protect you."

Her words were no empty comfort. As one of the most powerful shrine maidens of her age, Kikyo possessed spiritual power that terrified even demons. Her sacred arrows purified all evil; countless monsters had learned to fear her name.

But her blessing was also a curse. Humans, too, instinctively recoiled from her aura. Her power set her apart, leaving her isolated despite her compassion.

"Sister..." Kaede’s small voice quavered, "I... I can hear people speaking inside my head. Many people! They say their names are Demon Hunter, Queen of Vampires... and there’s one who calls himself a God. What should I do?"

Kikyo’s face hardened instantly. Her fingers formed a swift seal.

"Exorcise the demon!"

A purple stream of purifying light shot from her fingers, flowing directly into her sister’s body.

She probed deeply, searching Kaede’s soul. What she found shocked her.

Her sister’s spirit was pristine—untouched, uncorrupted. There was no trace of demonic influence.

Kikyo froze. So it wasn’t possession?

Her gaze fell on Kaede’s tear-streaked face, swollen eyes wide with panic. The child wasn’t lying. Kikyo’s chest tightened. For the first time in years, she felt true fear.

"Kaede," she whispered, "tell me everything. Slowly. From the beginning."

The girl hiccuped through her sobs. "I was sleeping... then a voice spoke. It told me to enter a group—the ’Ten Thousand Realms Chat Group.’ It said I had to choose a name, so I called myself a shrine maiden. And then... so many words appeared in my mind. They said each member comes from another world. I was so scared..."

Kikyo listened silently.

When Kaede finished, she wiped her eyes and asked timidly, "Sister... am I going crazy? Am I cursed?"

Kikyo forced a gentle smile. "No. It’s fine. Don’t be afraid. I’ll prepare dinner."

Kaede nodded, reassured by her sister’s composure. But when Kikyo turned her back, her face darkened with worry.

The Eternal God... Shenwu World... Fairyland... None of these names were familiar.

She fed her sister, watched her drift to sleep, then sat outside beneath the eaves, lost in thought.

From what Kaede described, this chat group was not a curse. It was an opportunity. Each world, apparently, had a chosen representative—the so-called "priest." Through divine methods, they were granted power beyond imagination.

If what Kaede said was true, some had already ascended to godhood. Others had become fox spirits with ten tails, or demons who conquered entire universes.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. Perhaps it is real. Perhaps it is a lie. But no matter what... I will protect Kaede. And if this God exists, I will not let Him take her without a fight.

The night deepened. Kikyo held her bow tightly and whispered into the darkness:

"No matter what fate awaits... I will guard Kaede. Even if I must guard the whole world."

She did not believe in gods—not truly. Not in free blessings, not in miracles without cost. Everything demanded a price. Her own power had given her loneliness, suspicion, fear.

There was no such thing as light without shadow.

The Next Morning

The sisters left home as always, traveling into the mountains to collect herbs.

Kaede tried to hide it, but the fear lingered in her eyes. Her lashes were red, her gaze unfocused from a sleepless night. Several times during the night, Kikyo had heard her toss and turn, whispering that she still heard voices.

"Kaede," Kikyo said gently, "why don’t you stay home today? You’ve caught a cold. Let me gather herbs alone."

"But..."

"No arguments." Kikyo’s tone firmed, rare sternness flashing in her eyes.

Kaede wilted under her sister’s authority. "...All right. I’ll cook porridge for you, then. But promise me you’ll come back soon."

"I will."

Kikyo slung her basket over her shoulder and set off into the forest.

The path to the mountain was long, nearly two hours on foot, but her body was swift and light, and she moved as easily as wind. Stray demons occasionally flitted past, but she ignored them. Unless they brought harm, she would not kill.

That was her creed as a priestess: to protect life, not destroy it needlessly.

By evening, her basket was full. She turned back toward the village.

But as she approached, a thick miasma rolled across the fields—dark, suffocating.

Her eyes narrowed. "Not good. Demons!"

She dropped the basket and sprinted forward.

Maple Village was ablaze. Flames licked the sky, and monstrous figures rampaged through the streets, tearing into houses and people alike.

Kikyo’s fury erupted.

Her bow came up in one smooth motion, arrow drawn, sacred light flashing across the dusk.

The arrow flew like a streak of violet lightning. It pierced a hulking demon, purifying it instantly to ash.

"Big sister!"

A scream tore across the battlefield. Kaede’s voice.

Kikyo’s heart clenched. She rushed toward the sound, loosing arrow after arrow. Sacred light cut through demon after demon, each one vanishing with a wail.

But there were too many. The villagers fell one after another.

And then she saw her.

Kaede, her little body crumpled on the ground. Her left eye bled freely, her arm bent unnaturally.

"No..." Kikyo’s legs buckled, and she dropped beside her sister, clutching her to her chest.

Tears streamed down her face, unstoppable. Why? Why must our lives be so cursed?

She had trained for years, endured loneliness, honed her powers only to protect. She fought tirelessly against evil.

And still... fate tore her family apart.

Parents slain. Now her sister, maimed and half-blinded.

Why would no god open His eyes to their suffering?

Kaede’s small hand tugged weakly at her sleeve. Her voice was faint but determined.

"Sister... it’s okay. I took your bow... I tried to protect the children. I’m a priestess too..."

Her bravery only broke Kikyo’s heart further.

An unmarried girl, now crippled, blind in one eye. In this harsh era, who would ever take her as a wife? People already whispered of witches as outcasts. Now Kaede was both a priestess and disabled.

Kikyo’s tears fell harder, dripping onto her sister’s bloodstained face.

She had devoted herself to light, but the world returned only darkness.