The day was going by as it normally did for humans all over the world. People went about their day as they usually did. Running errands, working jobs, nothing out of the ordinary. However, for a select handful of the seven billion humans on Earth, they had been chosen for something special. It was up to them to decide whether or not to accept the offer that was being sent to them. An angelic being read over the message that was going to be sent out, frowning. "And you're absolutely sure that this will get their attention?" she asked, glancing over at her superior, an angel clad in pure white

"How am I supposed to know?" the other angel said, shrugging. "Last time we tried, they didn't respond at all. Apparently the messages we sent all wound up in something called a 'S'paham Folda'. No idea what that is."

"Well, let's hope for the best then." The angelic Digimon flicked her hand, sending the message out into the humans' world wide web.

---

In a little convenience store on the outskirts of Tokyo, a young woman sighed quietly behind the counter. It had been a slow day with few customers. She couldn't really complain, though. The few people that had come in were regulars. Kids getting snacks on their way home from school, college students looking to buy cheap food on a meager budget, and that one older man who wanted a cup of coffee on his walk. They were all kind enough, though there was always that one kid who tried to push his luck trying to sneak candy. Her supervisor, an older woman named Hiiragi, came out from the break room. "Still quiet?" she asked.

"No customers," Yui confirmed. "Just one of those days, I suppose." The young woman took her phone out to check the time. "Mind if I take fifteen?"

"It's not a problem, Azuma," Hiiragi answered. "There's some snacks that were about to expire in the break room. Figured it would be better than throwing them out." The older woman gave a warm smile, and Yui did her best to return it, though she found it hard to meet Hiiragi's eyes.

"Thanks. I think I'll have some." Yui passed by her supervisor and went into the break room. Sure enough, there was a box full of snacks on the table. Most of them weren't very popular with anyone under thirty, but beggars couldn't be choosers when it came to free snacks. Yui took a moment to dig through the box until she found something she liked before sitting down in a chair and taking out her phone.

Din-don!

One new email, from someone she didn't recognize. It wasn't in the spam folder, so Yui simply assumed it might have been from a friend of her mother's. She opened it up.

The Digital World Needs Your Help!

Evil is afoot in the Digital World. Rival armies vie for control of the land, and heroes are needed to save the innocent! You've been chosen to protect those who can't protect themselves. What say you?

I want to help!

Yui cocked an eyebrow. Was this some kind of ad for a new game? It sounded like it to her. It couldn't possibly hurt to take a look, right? She tapped the link and-

---

There was a flash of light, and the next thing Yui knew she was somewhere she didn't recognize. It was bright, and the walls and floor seemed to be made from polished marble. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. The room she was in was relatively large, and shaped like a perfect circle. "Um... okay..." she mumbled. Yui was soon aware that she wasn't alone in this room.

In a cramped apartment above a 24-hour laundromat, Niko Watanabe lay belly-down on his bed, legs kicking in the air, his pink hair slightly ruffled from a full day at school. His tablet was propped up on a stuffed alpaca plush, and his attention was consumed by drawing a cute bunny knight with his stylus. Music blasted softly through his earbuds, some bubblegum J-pop track he had stuck in his head for days. His room was covered in posters of cute anime, and he had enough plushies to open a small gift shop.

Then—

Din-don!
One new email.

Niko blinked. “Huh?”

He sat up and yanked out one earbud, tapping on the notification.

The Digital World Needs Your Help!

Niko tilted his head, and kept reading.

“Evil is afoot in the Digital World. Rival armies vie for control of the land, and heroes are needed to save the innocent! You’ve been chosen to protect those who can’t protect themselves. What say you?”

Beneath that: a glowing pink button that said “I want to help!”

Niko’s eyes went wide with excitement. “Ohmygod is this a game? This looks so legit! Wait, is this one of those shady pop-up viruses? Oh no what if it’s malware? WAIT NO it’s too pretty to be malware!”

He thought about it for exactly ten seconds, biting his lower lip, before throwing his hands in the air. “YOLO.” He tapped the button.

A flash of light burst from his tablet screen. Niko shrieked and flailed backward, arms flapping wildly. “WHA-OHMYGOD—WHAT IS HAPPENIIIIIIING—!”

When he opened his eyes, he was sprawled flat on polished white marble.

Niko blinked at the ceiling. “Okay. So either I’m dreaming, or I got isekai’d via Google Doc. Honestly? Wouldn’t be the weirdest Tuesday.”

He sat up, rubbing his head. “Wait—is this a palace?! Am I in a fantasy palace?! Am I a chosen one?!”

He looked around—and then saw them.

Other people. Strangers. Probably also confused. Definitely not NPCs.

Niko immediately panicked.

“Oh no,” he whispered, trying to shrink himself. “Real people. With real eyeballs. What if they think I’m weird—what if they already think I’m weird—what if my hair looks dumb—”

But then, he spotted one girl. He took a breath. Put on his biggest, brightest smile. “Hi!! I’m Niko!” he chirped, bouncing up and down. “Isn’t this like, the coolest thing ever?! I mean, it’s also terrifying but like—I’m super ready to save the Digital World or whatever! Are you ready? I’m ready! I mean I think I’m ready—unless we have to fight bugs. I hate bugs. BUT I’M STILL READY!” He paused. Blinked. “…Sorry. I talk a lot when I’m nervous.”

Danny was on his way home from the comic shop, having bought the newest volume of One Piece as well as some Marvel and DC Comics and some other comics he would only ever read alone up in his room with the door closed. All in all a pretty good haul and he even managed to save some of his money for that Thousand Sunny model he had seen online.

He was about halfway home when he heard his phone. Wondering who would send him a message Danny took his phone out.

I want to help!

Danny stared at it for a while, he didn't recognize whoever it was that had sent the message but for some reason it wasn't in his spam folder. His first thought was to just delete it, since it was clearly suspicious but he was too curious.

As soon as Danny pressed the button there was a flash of light and he was in some large round room made from marble. "What the hell?"

"..BUT I’M STILL READY!" Hearing someone yell Danny finally realized he wasn't alone wherever he was however he got there. After quickly checking his bag to make sure his more private comics weren't visible he walked up to them hoping to get some answers but also doubting they knew anything.

"Hey, I don't suppose any of you could tell me what is going on?"

"Oh, what I wouldn't give for this day to just end..." Rick thought to himself, trying not to breathe through his nose. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he tried to retrace his ste(p)s, figure out how he got here.

It h(a)d been a day like most others- he did his level-headed best to not draw attention to himself, but, eventually, his tormenters must have gotten bored, because they came looking for him.

Must have ha(d) a plan, too! That, or they actually started paying attention to his escape routes (god knows they've seen as much of this city chasing him as he had running through it). He could think fast, but apparently they learned to surround him rather than just corner him. At least in a corner, with his back to a wall, he ha(d) somewhere to climb.

He kept turn(i)ng corners, hoping to find an ope(n)ing while their eyes weren't on him, but they had extra help this time, and they were closing in...

Before yet another pursuer could jump from around a corner, his quick thinkin(g) was turning to panic, and he seized on one possibility to stay out of sight, and wait for them to give up-

"-And now, I'm in a dumpster..." He muttered to h(i)mself.

He heard breathles(s), angry voices outside, now. He couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but it was definitely them. Sheesh, is there some kind of event, today? Did they chug a few energy drinks (b)eforehand?

As if things couldn't get any worse- his phone loudly pinged with (a) notification.

The voices went quiet as he pulle(d) out his phone, trying to silence it.

"...Haha, hahahaha, well-well-well, looky here, boys! The trash took itself out!" Maybe if he was quiet, they (w)ould leave it at that?

Or, maybe it was just getting sta(r)ted, as he heard what must have been zip ties- "Oh no, don't tell me..." A loud thump- one of them had cl(i)mbed atop the lid.

"Oh, please, not that-" He was still fumbling, but something awful had spilled on his hands, so the message was opened instead of dismissed, and buttons were pressing that he didn't mean (t)o-

"DUMPSTER DEMOLITION DURBY!!!" R(i)ck felt the container begin to move- they were shoving it around on it's wheels, jumping as it rolled over obstacles, crashing into various barriers and walls, all the while tossi(n)g him around like a marble in a spray can!

He did his best to not lose hold of his phone, and since he never read the messa(g)e, he didn't know what was happening when an unnaturally bright light emitted from it.

He lost the sense of motion(,) and everything became the bright white light. Soon, though, he realized the light had faded, and became a bright white room, carved from stone.

He just looke(d) miserable as he turned his head, and saw s(o)me other people were there with him. Aware he still probably looked like he'd bee(n) rolled in a dumpster, he pre-empted any questions, "... Don't ask."

With a heavy sigh, he shakily got to his feet, "I(')ve read enough manga- those jerks accidentally rolled my in front of a truck, or something, righ(t)? So, I must be dead? Or in a coma?"

Yui looked at the others with cautious gray eyes. The young men were around her own age, from the look of things. One was going on and on, apparently a chatterbox when anxious. Yui was familiar with the type, and frankly she wasn't looking forward to dealing with him. A second looked-- and smelled-- like a garbage can. She'd keep her distance from him. The third posed a very simple, and very understandable, question: "Hey, I don't suppose any of you could tell me what is going on?"

Another, masculine voice spoke up. "You opened the link. You accepted our invitation." Yui turned to see a tall, angelic being clothed in white robes. A sword was sheathed at his side, and his eyes were obscured by some kind of mask or helmet. To his side was a feminine angelic figure. "And for that, we thank you."

Yui frowned. Being a genre-savvy gamer, this felt familiar. Almost cliche, really. "I'm sure you have many questions," the female angel said. "However, first and foremost, no, you're not dead, and this isn't some kind of dream while you're in a comatose state. You've been selected out of hundreds of humans to go to the Digital World."

The masculine angel nodded. "Right now, we are in the Heaven of the Digital World. This place is closer to the human world than the Digital World is." Yui crossed her arms over her chest.

"So by clicking that link we've been abra-kadabra'd into some computer dimension?" she asked.

"When you put it like that, it sounds ridiculous," the female angel said. "But, yes, that's what has happened."

Niko’s eyes practically sparkled as he took in the angelic figures before him. “Oh my GOD!” He exclaimed, gripping the sides of his face. “It’s like something out of a magical girl anime! This is SO COOL! I have to draw this later!”

Niko bounced up and down excitedly as the angels explained the situation. He wanted to play it cool. He really did. The girl he was talking to before already looked like she was unimpressed by this entire situation, and he didn’t want to annoy everyone else… but that just wasn’t Niko’s style.

“So, wait… we’re really chosen ones here to save the digital world? Oh, that’s awesome? Does this make me a magical boy then? Do we get magical powers? Or cool weapons? Or cute talking animal companions? Oh my god, what if we get transformation sequences with awesome background music and, like, twirling ribbons and sparkles?!” He gasped. “What if I get an outfit?! Do we get outfits?!”

He stopped for a second, realizing he was practically vibrating with excitement, and forced himself to take a breath. “Sorry. I, um… I get a little overexcited,” he said, sheepishly running a hand through his pink hair. “But like… this is just so cool! I’ll try to chill. Maybe. Uh… anyway…” He grinned and threw up a peace sign. “Sugoi!”

Unsurprisingly none of the others seemed to know the answer to Danny's question but a boy covered in garbage at least offered an interesting theory, if they were isekai'd though it definitely wasn't because of them all dying. Before he could say anything someone else spoke, revealing that it was actually clicking the link that brought them there. Danny wasn't even too surprised to see the two angelic beings, bringing people from another world would most likely require godly levels of power.

Between the two of them the angels almost immediately answered Danny's primary questions. Despite being in Heaven of the Digital World they weren't actually dead and they were specifically chosen rather than picked at random.

The pink haired boy despite being somewhat overly energetic also asked some good questions about what kind of abilities or items the group would get to help them. Personally Danny hoped for transformations, though not the magical girl kind, and either magic or a cool weapon.

Either way since those things were already asked about Danny could only think of only two more questions himself, since their mission was undoubtedly going to be explained. "I have got just two questions. Will we be able to go back home after doing whatever it is you called us here for? And if so how much time will have passed in the our world?"

Rick raised (a) hand, "-and can we negotiate a shower? Change of clothe(s), at least?"

He didn't (k)now what was going on, even after the so called "angels" explained it. He didn't understand how the one with the pink hair could be excited about all of this. In fact, the more he saw from the others, the more sure he was that this wasn't real, and it would be a waste of time to fight it.

He would just go along, and hopefully get through this dream all the faster for it. Besides, going back immediately probably meant to the dumpster again, and he did not want that.

"In any case, uh, sure, count me in."

The masculine angel raised a hand. "Many questions, very little time," he said, waving a hand. An object appeared in the air in front of each of the humans: pairs of goggles or sunglasses. Yui cocked an eyebrow. "As for what you receive, these are Digivices. Each is specially created for each of you, and has multiple different functions."

The female angel answered another question. "The way time flows in the Digital World is very different from the way time flows in the human world," she said. "We're not quite sure of the rate, but the time passed there will be negligible at best."

"So theoretically, we could be gone for months or years, and only a few minutes might pass?" Yui asked.

"More likely than not," the masculine angel confirmed. "However, now is the only opportunity you have to return home until balance has been brought to the Digital World." Yui processed the words. This was their one out if they wanted it. After that there was no turning back.

Danny looked over the glasses that appeared in front of him. While everyone had gotten a pair his seemed to be among the most futuristic with only the pair belonging to the girl coming close. In fact the boy that looked like him had just gotten steampunk goggles and Danny wondered if their "Digivices" were chosen specifically to make it easier to tell them apart.

As he put the glasses on Danny was about to point that none of their questions had actually been answered but he worried over nothing. While it seemed the angels didn't know the exact ratio time moved much faster here and they would be able to go back home, right now even. However if they stayed they had to fix everything before their next chance to go back.

Danny honestly was unsure of what to do. If he stayed he could be in this new world for years and who knew if his physical age would be restored if he went, on the other hand he would never get another chance like this.

In the end Danny was too curious about what they had were summoned for and what other gifts he would get to do it. "Screw it, I'm in."

Niko’s bouncing slowed—only slightly—at the mention of “no going back.” He watched the goggles float in front of him with wide eyes, his reflection visible in the tinted lenses. His Digivice looked like something out of a limited-edition anime box set: round pink frames with star-shaped lenses.

He reached out and took them gently, as if afraid they might vanish. “These are so me!” But then the angels’ words sank in. No way back. Not until the job was done. His grin faltered for a second.

He looked at the others. None of them looked particularly ready. And honestly? Neither was he. This wasn’t a game or a dream. This was real. He could die here, right? Or worse—fail. What if he wasn’t strong enough? What if he let everyone down?

The doubt started to creep in. Just like it always did. Just like at school. Just like with his dad. Just like every time he tried to be himself and it backfired. But then, Niko tightened his grip on the goggles and took a deep breath. This was his chance. The kind of chance people like him never got. He couldn’t let fear take it from him. He slipped the goggles around his neck like a necklace, stood tall (well, tall-ish), and forced a smile back onto his face. “I’m in,” he said. “I mean… if the Digital World needs help, then I wanna help.”