Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
For the next few minutes after Sumire and the other girls left his bedroom, Tatsuo sat on his bed in silence with a dumbfounded expression on his face. His mother's last statement confusing him to no end.
"How?" Tatsuo asked himself.
Unfortunately, no answer came to him. Luckily, Tatsuo was not stuck in his confused state for too long. And when he realized that he could not answer his own question, he decided not to think about it anymore.
"Mom said she would explain it tomorrow." Tatsuo said with a shrug. "So, I'll just wait to hear it from her. For now, I should check the [Chat]. I'm sure everyone else has been talking about what's going on since they got back."
With that, Tatsuo took his smartphone out of his [Inventory] and laid down. However, before opening the [Dimensional Chat], he sat back up, threw his phone down on the bed, and jumped onto the floor.
"Before that, I'm gonna take a shower." Tatsuo muttered to himself as he moved towards his bathroom. "I plan to go to sleep after chatting for a little bit. Might as well get it out of the way now."
Twenty minutes later, after taking a shower, brushing his teeth, and putting on something to sleep in, Tatsuo finally logged into the [Dimensional Chat]. However, instead of starting to chat immediately, he took the time to read the chat before he joined.
{[Dimensional Chat]
James: That shit was weird
James: Moving around in frozen time was crazy
Lici: IKR?
Lici: Too bad I couldn't affect anything that was frozen
Lici: Otherwise, it would have been the perfect time for a prank
Alfonzo: Who were you with during the frozen time, anyway?
Lici: Marin and Sun
Lici: Marin was trying on a new cosplay
Lici: It would have been funny to take the outfit off of Marin and put it on Sun without anyone knowing what happened
James: Damn… I knew I forgot something
James: I wanted to take a picture of Flora while she was yawning
James: Would have been funny to see how she reacted to it
James: But since you can't actually do anything while time is frozen, I guess it doesn't matter
Violet: You all are terrible
Zelretch: Hmm… That sounds like something I would have done, too
Zelretch: Especially to those uptight magi from the clocktower
Zelretch: Unfortunately, they would have figured it was me immediately
Aletia: Alfonzo, where is Tatsuo?
Alfonzo: Probably talking with is family
Sakura: He's probably talking with is family
Akatsuki: I never even met them, but I'm sure he's talking with is family
Akatsuki: And based on the stories you all told after visiting his world, it's probably a chaotic mess right now
James: Wouldn't doubt it
James: He's got his own Ayane, a yandere like Mai, and the most doting mother in the world
James: I wish my mom was that nice to me
James: instead, the only thing she does is try to outdo me in pranks and slap me upside the head when I swear
Lici: Swearing is bad
Lici: I've been trying to tell Fonzie that for years
Alfonzo: it builds character
Lici: What does that even mean?
Alfonzo: No one knows what it means… But it's provocative
James: It gets the people going!
James: Ball so hard muh fuckas wanna find me!
Alfonzo: LMAO
James: LMAO
Lici: You two are ridiculous
Akatsuki: They really are
===Everything Hero Creati has joined the Chat===
Sakura: hello, Momo-Chan
Akatsuki: Yaomomo, welcome
Alfonzo: Yo, Momo
Everything Hero Creati: Hello
Everything Hero Creati: It took me a little longer than I wanted to join the chat
Everything Hero Creati: I had to wait until class was over
Lici: Don't worry about it
Zelretch: Indeed
Zelretch: We're just glad to welcome you among our ranks
Lici: yeah, what Zelly said
Violet: Welcome
Violet: Let's get along
Aletia: Hello…
James: Hey
James: So, do you mind if I draw a manga of your world as if Alfonzo, T, and the girls never showed up?
Everything Hero Creati: Huh?
Everything Hero Creati: Oh, that's right
Everything Hero Creati: Tatsuo-Kun mentioned that there are fictional versions of my world
Lici: Before we continue
Lici: Momo, you should change your nickname
Lici: That's a real mouthful
Alfonzo: That's what she said
Lici: Ugh!
James: Nice one
Lici: I hate the fact that there are two of you
Everything Hero Creati: I don't get it
Everything Hero Creati: She did say that
Everything Hero Creati: So, why was it necessary to point it out
Everything Hero Creati: And what made it so good?
Violet: It's not worth worrying about
Akatsuki: Violet-Sanis right
Akatsuki: They're just being immature
Sakura: I'm glad Tatsuo-Kun isn't like that
Aletia: Tatsuo is the best
Lici: I wouldn't go that far
Lici: But I do appreciate the fact that he doesn't say stuff like that
James: Whatever~
Alfonzo: 😝
Lici: And it amazes me that the youngest guy in the group is so much more mature than the two of you
Lici: But seriously, Momo
Lici: Change your name
Everything Hero Creati: Ah, yes
Everything Hero Creati: Tatsuo-Kun mentioned that, as well
===Everything Hero Creati has changed her nickname to Momo===
Momo: Is that better?
Lici: Much
Lici: Now, let's get down to business
Lici: Have any of you gotten your rewards yet?
Momo: I'm curious to see what kind of rewards can be obtained
Zelretch: I think we're all curious to see what everyone got
Sakura: Shouldn't we wait for Tatsuo-Kun
Alfonzo: Nah
Alfonzo: I bet he already pulled his
Alfonzo: I already pulled mine, too
Lici: Ooh! Whatcha get?
Lici: Whatcha get?
Lici: Whatcha get?
Alfonzo: Stop spamming and I'll tell you
Lici: 🤐
Alfonzo: I'm actually really happy with my reward
Alfonzo: I got 25 years of Zanpakuto/Bankai training
Alfonzo: And it actually translated to my soul armament
Lici: So lucky
Lici: That means you're gonna get your Bankai way before anyone else
James: I have a sort of Bankai, too
James: and I got mine a long time ago
Lici: Yours doesn't count
Lici: You don't even have a Zanpakuto or a soul armament
James: Is this discrimination?
James: It feels like discrimination
Alfonzo: Besides, mine isn't even a Bankai
Alfonzo: It's a full release
Alfonzo: Only Zanpakuto have Bankai
Lici: I swear
Lici: if you call it full release the first time you use it
Lici: Anyway, who's next?
Violet: Yes, Sakura-Chan, Akatsuki-San, what did the two of you get?
Akatsuki: I got the skill, flash step
James: Nice
James: I can use that, too
James: Had to create my own version, though
Momo: What kind of skill is that
Momo: It sounds like a movement technique
Akatsuki: yeah, it is
Akatsuki: It's a skill that lets you decrease the number of steps from point A to point B
Akatsuki: The fewer steps it takes to traverse the distance, the better you are at the skill
James: Yeah, mine works differently than that
James: but there's no point in explaining
James: More than likely, if you can't use demonic power, you can't use it
James: Either way, it's a good skill for someone with an assassin build like you, pipsqueak
Akatsuki: Don't call me that!
Akatsuki: Why is life so unfair?
James: huh?
James: I think I stepped on a landmine
James: What happened?
Alfonzo: During the mission, Akatsuki was given a body that looked closer to her age in that world
Alfonzo: So, instead of looking like a twelve year old
Alfonzo: ON the day we left, she looked like a sixteen year old
Akatsuki: Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!
James: Ooh!
James: Sorry about that
James: I tell you what
James: That nickname is off the table from now on
Violet: I hope she doesn't end up hurting her friend Naotsugu-San
Violet: Doesn't he always call her that
Akatsuki: He's got a broken nose right now
Akatsuki: And I told him he wasn't allowed to use potions to fix it
James: …
James: Yeah, I'm sorry
Violet: Let's give Akatsuki-San a chance to calm down
Violet: Instead…
Violet: What about you, Sakura?
Violet: What did you get?
Lici: Yeah, get anything good
Sakura: I think so
Sakura: But I'm not much of a swordsman
Sakura: So, I don't know how much I'll be able to use it
Alfonzo: That shouldn't be a problem
Alfonzo: besides, Tatsuo's an expert swordsman
Alfonzo: So, you could ask him to teach you
Alfonzo: 😉
James: Or you could give it to me
James: Naturally, I'd pay for it
Zelretch: What kind of sword is it
Zelretch: And what are its specifications?
Sakura: Right now, it's just a katana that has been converted from a spiritual item to a physical one
Sakura: It's called an Asauchi
Sakura: the description says it will evolve once I can hear its name
Sakura: but I don't really know what that means
James: OMG
Alfonzo: Well damn
===Tatsuo (Admin) has entered the Chat===
Violet: Welcome back, Tatsuo-Kun
Aletia: Tatsuo!!!!!!!
Alfonzo: She actually got an Asauchi
Alfonzo: And we were just talking about Zanpakutos
Alfonzo: What kind of coincidence is that?
Sakura: Hello again, Tatsuo-Kun
James: Seriously
James: This is bullshit
Momo: Tatsuo-Kun, it's nice to speak with you again
Zelretch: It seems young Tatsuo is reading the chat log
Zelretch: Though, I'm curious to know what his reward was, too
Lici: I'm sure he'll tell us when he's done reading
Lici: but seriously, I'm just as jealous as James
Lici: Although I love Scylla, a real Zanpakuto is cool
Lici: Oh, Scylla is yelling at me now
Alfonzo: Of course she is
Alfonzo: You basically said she wasn't good enough
Lici: Did I?
Lici: Hmm… I guess I did
Lici: I didn't mean that, though
Sakura: You're talking about Zanpakuto
Sakura: But I said I got an Asauchi
===James has sent file: Bleach_Manga.zip===
James: I'm guessing Bleach isn't a thing in your world
James: Or you just haven't read it
James: but if you read that, it should tell you everything you need to know
Alfonzo: That's the one you drew, right?
James: Naturally
James: Gotta spread the culture
Tatsuo (Admin): Hey, everyone
Tatsuo (Admin): Hey, Violet
Tatsuo (admin): I missed you
Violet: 😊
Violet: I miss you, too
Violet: Even if I saw you earlier today
James: This is too sweet
James: I think I'm gonna be diabetic
Aletia: 🙎🏽♀️
Sakura: Um… Violet-San
Alfonzo: Can devils even get diabetes?
Sakura: Can I talk to you in private later?
Violet: Of course
Violet: Though, I have an idea what you want to talk about
Sakura: Sorry…
Violet: It's okay
Alfonzo: Enough relationship drama
Alfonzo: T, what did you get?
Lici: yeah, tell us!
Lici: Tell us!
Lici: Tell us!
===Administrator has muted Lici for 30 seconds===
James: Holy shit
James: I didn't know he could do that
Tatsuo (Admin): Honestly, neither did I
Tatsuo (Admin): Apparently, the option only pops up when someone spans a similar message three times in a row
Tatsuo (Admin): And the prompt just popped up
Tatsuo (Admin): So, I just tried it out
Alfonzo: I can feel Lici pouting from here
Alfonzo: And she should be in her workspace while I'm in my workshop
Zelretch: Interesting piece of information
Zelretch: But I believe everyone is curious to know what your reward was, young Tatsuo
Tatsuo (Admin): Oh yeah
Tatsuo (Admin): I got a week of training with the God of Smithing and fire Yu Ilhan
Tatsuo (Admin): I'm just not sure how far into the timeline this version of Yu Ilhan is
James: Are you serious?
Alfonzo: Fuck
Alfonzo: I'm fucking jealous
Violet: Who is Yu Ilhan
Violet: The name sounds Korean
===Lici has been unmuted===
Lici: That was mean, Tatsuo
Lici: But Violet's reaction is kinda funny
Momo: What's so funny about it
Sakura: I don't see why it would be funny, either
Alfonzo: Because the world she's from, Infinite Competitive Dungeon Society was written by the same author who wrote the book about the world Yu Ilhan is from, Everyone Else is a Returnee
Violet: I understand now
Violet: It's still a little strange to find out that your world is fiction to someone else
Momo: I agree
Sakura: I think we all do
Zelretch: Through the omniverse, nothing is impossible
Lici: Zelly's right
Lici: You should just roll with it
Tatsuo (Admin): Yeah, don't have an existential crisis
Tatsuo (Admin): That would be bad
James: Understatement of the century
James: By the way, Tatsuo
Tatsuo (Admin): Yeah?
James: Aislynn has been asking when you're coming to visit again
James: And she's been quite persistent about it
Tatsuo (Admin): I'm not sure
Tatsuo (Admin): I wanna say for golden Week
Tatsuo (Admin): But I think using that for the training would be better
James: Please come soon
James: Last time I told her I didn't know, she almost destroyed the DxD base
Tatsuo (Admin): I'll see what I can do
James: I'll let her know
Tatsuo (Admin): Anyway
Tatsuo (Admin): I'm gonna go to bed
Tatsuo (Admin): Tomorrow's the first day of school
Tatsuo (Admin): Again…
Tatsuo (Admin): I think this is my third or fourth time starting high school
Tatsuo (Admin): I really hope this is the last
Violet: Good night
Violet: Have a good day at school
Alfonzo: It's not like he's not gonna talk to us during class
James: I do it all the time
Lici: You should pay attention in class
Violet: Lici-San is right
Tatsuo (Admin): School is too easy
James: Tatsuo is right
Sakura: Good night, Tatsuo-Kun
Aletia: Good night
Momo: Good night, Tatsuo-Kun
Momo: I'll talk to you later}
Reading the other farewells from the members of the [Chat], Tatsuo smiled. Then, after saying goodbye one more time, he put his smartphone on its MagSafe charger, turned off the lamp on his night stand, and laid his head on his pillow.
"*Sigh* I really hope this is the last time I have to go through this." Tatsuo muttered to himself while closing his eyes. "All the first day of school stuff is getting tedious."
With that, Tatsuo fell asleep, completely forgetting that his first two times going in for his first day of high school was nothing like a regular first day. The first time, school was canceled when a flock of monster birds attacked the school. And the second skipped the opening ceremony altogether in favor of having a Quirk Apprehension Test.