Shark-Faced Guy: Were we tricked? Was that new member not actually Makoto Itou?
This is an Actor: Judging from his username and how he acted, that's unlikely. Usually, when someone's about to die, all they want is a way out. Faking their identity just to mess with us? That'd be nuts.
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Yeah. People are usually honest when they're close to death.
Doujin Artist: Then how do we explain this? Is it some parallel universe thing?
This is an Actor: Not impossible, but...
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: ?
This is an Actor: Miss Kotonoha, please check the support panel and turn on the intruder detection tool.
Cleaver Girl: O-okay.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Intruder detection tool?
Doujin Artist: What's that? Since when did our group have something like that?
This is an Actor: When the group was upgraded, two support systems were added. One is the energy converter—you all know that one. The other is the intruder detection tool... which you all ignored.
Machete Girl: I tapped it. It looks like a mini map popped up, like in a video game. What does the yellow dot mean?
Right now, the screen in front of Katsura Kotonoha was split in two. On the left was the group chat, and on the right was a mini map that looked like a radar.
And on the front-left side of the mini map, a yellow dot kept blinking.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: If I had to guess, that yellow dot is where the intruder is?
Ruiko also opened her intruder detector, but her radar showed nothing but an empty screen.
This is an Actor: If it's just a yellow dot, then it's probably nothing serious.
Shark-Faced Guy: I see. Do the colors here mean something?
This is an Actor: Miss Kotonoha, you can try switching the detector to detailed mode and check again.
Machete Girl: Got it.
Kotonoha didn't doubt Aizen's suggestion for a second. She quickly switched the radar to detailed mode. Right away, a yellow ring appeared above Makoto Itou's head.
As she stared at the ring, a new message popped up in front of her.
[Intruder: Wicked Spirit]
[Invasion Mode: Possession]
[World Destruction: 1]
[Kill Reward: 200 Points]
[Origin: This intruder came from the Realm of Black Mist, entering reality through a space rift.]
[Hint: Wicked Spirits are drawn to twisted human desires. While possessing someone, they can be killed using only physical attacks.]
Kotonoha paused, then quickly took a screenshot and sent it to the group chat.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Wicked Spirit?
Doujin Artist: What's this Realm of Black Mist? And how do they even decide who counts as an intruder?
This is an Actor: Do I really need to explain? Anything that doesn't belong in the original world is considered an intruder.
Amegakure Village's Angel: If that's the case, then you...
This is an Actor: Ah, yeah, technically I count as an intruder too. But since I'm a group member, I don't show up on the radar.
Doujin Artist: That's a double standard if I've ever seen one.
Killing other intruders gives you points, but if a group member is an intruder, they just don't show up? How is that not a double standard?
Machete Girl: Eh? The group leader is an intruder too?
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Anzen-san was probably forced into it. She just woke up one day and crossed over.
Machete Girl: Crossed over? But I don't see any memories of that in the memory list.
Amegakure Village's Angel: They're there. You've already seen them.
Doujin Artist: Here's a hint—Anzen-san is that man standing next to Sister Konan.
Kotonoha blinked, and her thoughts started racing.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Arisu-chan, weren't we not supposed to say anything?
Doujin Artist: Hmph! I just gave a hint, I didn't say it outright!
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: That's still twisting the rules, Arisu-chan. It's basically the same as saying it. But I guess that fits your personality. You act like a cool older girl, but you're actually really kind and gentle.
Doujin Artist: Cool older girl? What the heck is that? How do I even look like that?
This is an Actor: How do you not?
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Yeah, how do you not?
Amegakure Village's Angel: What doesn't fit?
Doujin Artist: Damn it, stop repeating that! This isn't my fault, it's all Aizen's! If it weren't for that bastard influencing me, I wouldn't be !
Curly-haired Guy: Why are you dragging me into this? I just got out of confinement and you're already blaming me!
Shark-Faced Guy: I'm still curious—don't different levels of invaders show up with different colors? Is it based on how destructive they are?
This is an Actor: There's also the level of evil and malice. But those aren't fixed; they can change.
Let's take a traveler as an example.
When a traveler first arrives and isn't that strong, the damage they cause to the world is minimal.
But as time goes on, if the traveler's power grows and the number of innocent people they kill increases, their destructive power and evil score will go up, and their invasion level will rise accordingly.
On the other hand, if the traveler doesn't commit evil and instead does a lot of good deeds, their invasion level will drop.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: The malice score is five, that's pretty high, right?
This is an Actor: That's the highest it can go.
Doujin Artist: But its evil score is zero... So that means, even if they have deep malice toward this world, killing Makoto is still not a crime?
Curly-haired Guy: This is so real!