As Eriri and her group were enjoying their lively conversation, about twenty figures with various appearances gathered around Voban on the outskirts of Sardinia.
These individuals exchanged greetings, though their expressions varied—some remained emotionless, others grinned wildly, and a few wore calm smiles.
However, one trait unified them: they were all villains.
While conversing, each harbored ulterior motives, and the atmosphere was thick with deceit. This scene starkly contrasted with the lighthearted mood surrounding Eriri's group.
"Nice to meet you, Marquis Voban," greeted a short-haired young man dressed in modern casual attire, flashing a sinister grin. Both he and Voban were the strongest members of the Villains Chat Group, each boasting Fifth Level strength.
This young man was also a transmigrator. In his past life, after committing unforgivable crimes and dying violently in prison, he found himself reincarnated into a spirit-revived world as the wastrel of a noble family, awakening his cheat—the Strongest Villain System.
With the system's help, he swiftly became the most powerful figure in that world, violently seizing control of it through ruthless means, committing countless atrocities in the process.
Shortly after consolidating his dominance over that world, he was invited into the Villains Chat Group, becoming one of the founding members. Using his Fourth Level strength and information advantage, along with various methods, he rose to the position of Group Leader.
Thanks to both the system and the chat group, he had now become a near-planetary level powerhouse, just a step away from becoming a true cosmic entity.
He was self-aware of his villainous nature, often referring to himself as The World's Evil, reveling in it rather than feeling ashamed.
"I'm pleased to meet you, Group Leader," Voban greeted courteously. Although it was their first meeting, Voban could sense an aura from the group leader that was no less intimidating than his own, even if he wasn't sure whether the strength displayed in the chat group was fully accurate.
"Marquis, do you perhaps have a subordinate named Liliana Kranjčar?" The Villains Chat Group's leader flashed a knowing glance, pretending to ask casually.
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," Voban responded with a faint smile, "She's not one of my subordinates. Seems like even your intel can be wrong, Group Leader." He paused, adding with a sly grin, "But if you wish to meet her, I can arrange that—after we complete the group mission."
Though Liliana Kranjčar was the eldest daughter of the prestigious Kranjčar family from the magical world, few dared defy Voban, the most powerful Campione, aside from his fellow Godslayers.
"Perhaps the timing isn't right," the Group Leader replied without any embarrassment over the slip-up. In his past life, he had only watched the Campione! anime and remembered Liliana first appearing as Voban's subordinate, though the exact timing was unclear.
"I'm quite interested in that knight. Since she's not under your command yet, Marquis, I'll be sure to claim her for myself."
The Group Leader turned his gaze toward Sardinia, where Eriri and her group were waiting. Addressing the gathered villains, he declared, "It's time to complete our mission. The reward is a whopping one million villain points. How much you earn depends on your own abilities. Move out!"
His words immediately riled up the group of villains, and they all surged forward eagerly, following him towards the island.
Back on Sardinia, Eriri, still lounging on her chair, sensed their approach. She stood up, addressing the crowd of girls around her, "Alright, girls, the enemies are coming. Get ready for battle. I'll cast a defense buff on all of you, so don't worry—just go out there and smash them!"
With a wave of her hand, Eriri applied the same high-level defensive enchantment she had used on Erica, making everyone nearly invulnerable.
As warmth from the protective energy spread through their bodies, the group stopped chatting and focused their attention in the direction Eriri was looking. During this time, they had also learned a great deal about other chat groups from their own group.
It turned out that in the vast multiverse, chat groups weren't unique. However, compared to systems, chat groups were far less common. How they came into being remained a mystery, even to the chat groups themselves.
Chat groups also varied in rank. Some emerged as powerful entities from the start, while others only offered basic communication functions. Despite their differences, all chat groups, regardless of their level, possessed the ability to traverse the multiverse—a core feature that allowed them to thrive.
Chat groups could evolve by devouring systems or other chat groups. Only advanced chat groups developed self-awareness, while lower- and mid-level ones functioned based on preset programming.
Eriri's group belonged to a lower-tier advanced chat group. This was why the group could only help members ascend to Level 7, and it also explained why the chat group had no direct influence on Eriri's power level. After all, Eriri was already beyond its capabilities.
Encounters between chat groups were exceedingly rare. The odds of two individuals from the same world, in the same era, joining two separate chat groups were astronomically low.
When chat groups did meet, they would inevitably try to absorb one another, but since chat groups couldn't fight themselves, the task fell to their members.
Although the Villains Chat Group was on the same level as the Multiverse Same-Sex ♀ Friendship Group, Eriri's presence ensured their group's safety. Unless the other side had recruited a powerhouse on par with Eriri—someone beyond Eighth Level—the outcome was already determined.
However, the chances of randomly recruiting a Eighth Level powerhouse from the infinite multiverse were minuscule. The fact that Eriri had joined their group was pure luck—an incredible stroke of fortune.
This was why the chat group treated Eriri with such reverence, even going so far as to lock its gender permanently to female in deference to her. While Eriri's beauty was certainly part of it, her overwhelming strength was the main reason.
To absorb an enemy chat group, one needed to sever it from its host's mind (the group leader) and eliminate all other members. A quicker method, of course, was simply killing every member outright.
After about ten seconds, Voban and the other Villains Chat Group members, led by their Group Leader, appeared in front of Eriri's group. The two sides now stood face to face.
Eriri and Arifureta exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting mutual surprise. Among the enemy chat members were several familiar faces.
There was Naraku with his long seaweed-like hair, Uchiha Obito in his orange mask with black stripes, Donquixote Doflamingo in his gaudy pink feather coat and sunglasses, the scantily clad Raynare with her black wings, the intellectual-looking Kamishiro Rize with her purple hair, and a few others who seemed vaguely familiar but difficult to place.
Compared to the enemy's shock, the Villains Chat Group's leader was deeply frustrated. The sheer beauty of Eriri's group overwhelmed him.
His first thought upon seeing them was to capture them all and add them to his harem.
Though he already had many women in his collection, none compared to the twelve stunning girls in front of him. Especially Eriri, who was in the center—her beauty easily surpassed any of his previous conquests.
But the mission's objective required him to kill Eriri and her group. Even if he wanted to keep her, the other members of his group wouldn't agree, unless he compensated them—something he simply couldn't afford.
While he could have used his strength to forcibly suppress dissent, doing so would breed resentment, making future collaborations much more difficult. So, he had no choice but to give up his desire.
The Villains Chat Group's leader recognized Eriri. He couldn't help but curse the author of Saekano for lacking logic. How could someone as beautiful as her ever be a "loser heroine"?
He also recognized Ruri Gokou, Asuna, Erica, and Lala. As for the others, they were unfamiliar to him.
Unfortunately for him, he had only watched the first season of To Love Ru, so he was completely unaware of Lala's true capabilities. Had he known her full strength, he would have fled without hesitation.
But ignorance led to arrogance. He believed Erica, now a newly minted Godslayer and emitting Fifth Level energy, was the only one worth paying attention to.
"This mission is in the bag," the Villains Chat Group leader thought to himself.
"I usually prefer the taste of men," Kamishiro Rize spoke with a hunger in her eyes, "but you look so delicious, I can't help but want a bite." Her eyes gleamed red as she licked her lips, staring at Eriri.
"Oh? You want to eat me?" Eriri smiled sweetly at her. "Why don't you come and try? Let's see how strong your teeth are."
Eriri's smile stunned the enemies. Even Marquis Voban, nearing 300 years old, couldn't help but glance at her in admiration. The younger villains were even more affected—Uchiha Obito briefly forgot about Rin as Eriri's enchanting smile filled his mind.
"Fufufufu, truly terrifying. Even our world's so-called 'most beautiful woman,' Boa Hancock, couldn't compare to you," Doflamingo laughed, his wide grin showing off his pearly teeth. Then he turned to the Villains Chat Group's leader. "I bet you're interested too, eh, Group Leader?"
"Hmph!" The Group Leader snorted coldly, refusing to answer Doflamingo's teasing. Of course, he was interested. He was practically drooling over Eriri. If he had enough villain points to compensate the others, he would have already started planning to capture her.
"Fufufufu," Doflamingo continued laughing.
Their exchange brought Voban back to his senses. His gaze shifted from Eriri to Erica, sensing her new Godslayer aura. "So, you're the one who stole my prey. How bold."
Erica, emboldened by her newfound power and Eriri's backing, was unfazed by Voban's accusation. Instead, she smirked defiantly.
"Oh? Isn't this the Wolf King of Eastern Europe, Marquis Voban? What are you doing here, away from your pack of pups, causing trouble in Italy?"
"Hmph, foolish girl," Voban sneered. "Even if you've joined the ranks of the Godslayers, you're still far too inexperienced."
"Well, well," a red-haired villain with a lecherous grin interjected. "Looks like we've got a bunch of beauties as our opponents. Too bad for you. Beg me, and maybe I'll let you die a little more comfortably."
His mocking tone and lewd gaze infuriated Eriri's group. But without hesitation, Eriri waved her hand, and the red-haired villain exploded on the spot—literally. Blood sprayed everywhere, coating the nearby villains in gore.
The sudden and brutal display left the remaining members of the Villains Chat Group stunned.
The Group Leader's confidence wavered. Watching Eriri closely, he realized he had severely underestimated her. His face paled as he began to grasp the depth of her power.
With Eriri's blood-soaked "fireworks" serving as the signal, the battle between the All-Worlds Friendship Group and the Villains Chat Group began in earnest.
Both sides rushed at each other, with Eriri's group feeling a surge of excitement. Thanks to the defensive buffs, they could fight without fear, unleashing their full power.
But for the villains, the fight quickly turned into a nightmare.