Huh?
"Hey, you."
Reborn waved his hand and the bartender obediently approached him.
"Sir?"
The hitman pointed at the yellow translucent board floating a few meters from the tip of his nose.
"What do you see?"
The man blinked blankly. Double-checked it again just in case, then he glanced at him hesitantly, "Um, sir... How many glasses have you drank?"
"...you're right. Seems like I had too much I'm seeing things. Never mind then, go back to your job, I'm just going to rest here for a bit." Reborn threw him a winsome grin.
Once the man had stopped sneaking worried glances at him, Reborn examined the thing more closely.
On the uppermost left was his name. Or rather, the word 'Reborn'. While the left part had 'Luce', 'Verde', 'Lal', 'Colonnello', 'Fon', 'Skull', and 'Viper' in a list format with bright white dots beside each word. The lower hemisphere of the window was occupied with four rows of letters and numbers, and some signs, with one notably reading 'Enter' and another that said 'Send'.
An illusion? Then what was the purpose of showing him something that meant absolutely nothing to him? Something he couldn't make heads or tails with.
He thought back to the bartender doubtfully. Was it just to make him act crazy or something?
Beep.
He almost jumped. He looked at the screen and in the part that was previously empty, there was now something written.
Verde: Who is responsible for this? What is the purpose?
So 'Verde' is a someone.
Reborn narrowed his eyes but didn't move. He waited.
He didn't have to wait long.
Beep.
Skull: Hey, am I really talking to someone? Are you a person? Is this an illusion?
Then barely a beat went by before someone followed up.
Viper: I do not know what this is but this is not an illusion.
Reborn raised an eyebrow.
Colonnello: How would you know?
Viper: Mist. I would've known if someone was infringing their own Flames on me.
Lal: I second. This is not an illusion. Now someone answer Verde.
Skull: You're also a Mist?
Fon: I am a Storm. This is not an illusion. It would've already disappeared after the first time I flared my Flames.
Luce: This does not seem to be Flame supported from my side. At least not one that is foreign. It seems that my own Flames had somehow established my connection with this group and I would hazard it should be the same on your sides too.
He pursed his lips in consideration. He confirmed what she said.
But then... How?
Verde: Explain.
Luce: Sky.
Reborn had watched and carefully examined the words that were appearing. It seemed that this was some kind of communication platform connecting him to seven other random people.
Verde: Concerning. Suspicious. Try blasting it with your Flames.
He began with tentatively tapping on the 'D' letter, feeling a bit of marvel to see it appear in a bar.
Reborn: Doesn't react to sun flames.
Skull: Not cloud flames either.
Colonnello: Or rain.
Verde: Did this appear in front of you at around five minutes ago?
Lal: Positive.
Luce: Yes
Colonnello: Yes
Reborn: Yes
Skull: Yeah
Fon: Yes
Viper: Yes
Verde: There is a box button at the top right with the dash in it. It closes the board.
Reborn saw it exactly as Verde said and bowed his head, the screen following his line of sight so he could press the button while looking as if he just tapped the table rather than making an air quote as he suddenly realized it must've looked like to others.
Indeed, it was gone. A beep rang in his head.
He frowned and it reappeared again after a simple thought.
Colonnello: So what now? Do we introduce ourselves?
Stupid question?
But also clever at the same time? Reborn didn't know why but he could... feel, the slyness to his tone?
He glanced away, puzzled.
Skull: We already have names though? Written there?
Colonnello: Is your name really Skull? And why are you overusing your question marks?
Skull: Yeah, actually. Coz I wanted to. Hey, where are you from? Are we all, like in one city or just different parts of the world? That'd be cool right. I'm in Russia.
Colonnello: Huh. Easily saying that. Shouldn't you be more careful?
Skull: Oh yeah? Are you gonna try searching the whole Russia for me right now?
Viper: Interesting.
Lal: So we are presumably scattered across the globe.
Skull: Hey, why am I the only one who said my location?
Colonnello: You volunteered the information. No one agreed to do the same.
Verde: I'll examine this and see if it has any adverse effect.
Luce: Please let us know if you find anything.
Pip.
The light beside Verde and Fon dimmed and Viper followed not long after. Then Luce and Lal.
Reborn closed the window after a whole minute of no activity. He could sense that the others had been waiting for someone to make the first move.
He spent the next couple of hours blasting it with Sun Flames from multiple angles, with varied output, and just basically trying to get some kind of reaction.
He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Then he got up and saluted the bartender goodbye, leaving some lira as a tip for not being unnecessarily nosy while Reborn had been seemingly making expressions at thin air.
What to think of this...?
What was there to think of it?
Reborn supposed he was stuck with the ability to communicate to seven unknown people across the world for now.
At least until he got some rest and then try his hand at cracking the thing again later.
XxXxXxX
Reborn: Am I the only one who noticed, but I think I can feel your emotions?
He learned that he could operate the board with just his thoughts.
Verde: It's not just think. You are actually feeling it.
Verde: I have conducted multiple tests. After reviewing my emotional waves during that first conversation, rather than only my own emotions, it had also recorded Skull's annoyance. I've noted that only the emotions during the 'sent' are the ones transmitted to me. Though the reports imply that I myself am feeling the emotions, it was only the circumstances inadvertently tampering with the results. After I adjusted it, it showed that in actuality, I only received the impression of your emotions and nothing more.
That was quick. This person must be some family's scientist. With resources.
Reborn nodded to himself, now feeling assured about this whole thing. Assuming the man was being honest and not omittting anything.
Beep.
Rather than the words he expected, a scene of some kind of alcohol on a simple wooden desk popped up beside the name 'Skull'.
Skull: Hey. Guys!
Skull: I've been experimenting and look, this is so amazing. I can take photos with just one click with it. Hahaha! Try it. Just click your own name and there's a different board that'll show
Viper: This is useful.
Reborn felt a wave of what tasted like childish wonder and he wasn't sure whom it was from. As if on cue, the Rain guy popped up.
Colonnello: Let's list out our age. Anyone younger than me gets to call me senpai.
Skull: Sen-what? What's that?
Reborn: Anyone younger than me gets to call me your majesty.
Fon: No.
"-Lal."
Reborn's ears perked up and he glanced at the men in the table across him.