Interlocking Gears

Well, I ended up delaying this chapter quite a bit, unfortunately. I sincerely apologize for that.

The last ten days have been pretty awful. First, I got sick—and, in a way, I still am. I've had the flu for about seven days now, and it just won't go away. Despite my almost pathological aversion to hospitals, I'm actually considering going to one.

Seriously, it's cold as hell for some reason.

Second, my mother injured her knee while exercising with my sister. It's nothing serious, thankfully, but it still messed with my already fragile mental state, which wasn't exactly in great shape thanks to the flu and fever.

In fact, this chapter probably has a few writing mistakes here and there, since I wasn't able to do my usual editing pass.

Once again, I'm sorry for the delay. I'm already working on the next chapter now that I'm feeling a bit better, and I'll post it as soon as I can.

I won't ramble any longer.

Have a great night, and enjoy the chapter!

(P)(A)(T)/CalleumArtori.

[...]---[...]

The rest of the meeting was more of the same. Negotiations here and there, a few questions that were clearly trying to get me to reveal where I came from and how I had obtained my abilities.

I wouldn’t have minded answering normally, but honestly, beating around the bush and watching Shigenori and Koichiro grow frustrated at not getting answers amused me more than it should have.

Of course, I would have answered properly if they had asked the right questions. But insisting on pressing the same key would always result in the same letter appearing on the screen.

Surprisingly, they didn’t push it. It seemed Shizuka’s warnings and whatever reports they had on me were enough to make them understand that trying something like that would only make me ignore them and leave.

Yoji wasn’t frustrated like the other two; if anything, he seemed lost in thought and eager to learn magic.

Overall, I didn’t spend much time there — around an hour to an hour and a half. I got the promises for the materials I wanted and some information on where the soldiers and creatures sent by the Sadera Empire were.

I had knocked them out and left them in the middle of the street; after that, the Japanese government took care of detaining them in an improvised facility, both to gather information and to handle negotiations with the people on the other side once contact was established.

I left a warning to avoid inhumane experimentation, torture, and the like — especially on those who weren’t human and, in theory, weren’t protected by any laws.

Not that the humans from the Sadera Empire were protected either; besides being from another world and not really counting as people under Earth’s laws, they were also invaders.

Overall, it was more for my own peace of mind than anything else.

I can’t say I put much effort into that warning.

My compassion only went so far.

They had invaded my planet, and I didn’t really care what happened to them — especially since the people kidnapped from Earth would probably be treated as subhuman and enslaved.

Whatever happened to them from here on out was no longer my problem.

I also told Shigenori to send the selected people to learn over to the portal, since that was where I’d be.

With everything done, I left the meeting room and the Kantei shortly after, with Shizuka following behind me as I lit another cigarette.

Unsurprisingly, there were plenty of reporters and Japanese media outside. Given how quickly they showed up and how close they were to the residence — without the police or guards really pushing them back — it didn’t take much to figure the government had a hand in it, maybe trying to squeeze some kind of answer or reaction out of me.

“Have I mentioned how much I hate dealing with politics and politicians?” I asked, not really directing the question at anyone.

Still, Shizuka replied, “A few times, yes. And I haven’t been watching you nearly as long as the others.” She took a drag and exhaled. “Can you unlock my stream? Not knowing what you were doing on my planet gave me a few gray hairs.”

I let out a short laugh and grabbed the Slick Cane with my left hand, tapping it against the ground a few times.

I pulled out my phone and unlocked Shizuka’s stream, leaving the other two viewers still blocked — just because I felt like it. I might run into them out on the street; if not, I’ll unlock them shortly before heading back to Terraria.

I tilted my chin and started walking again, completely ignoring the reporters pointing their cameras at the Kantei as if they were waiting for someone to come out.

“They can’t see us,” the teacher beside me commented casually. “Your powers are even more terrifying up close.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” I replied. “By the way, how long have you been watching me, and what’s your stream nickname?”

She opened her mouth as if to say something, then shook her head and said, “Since the first time you became a teacher at Beacon. About three months ago, almost.”

She blushed for a moment; I could feel the embarrassment leaking out of her slightly before she added, “My stream nickname is Hiraishin…”

I blinked, stopping on the sidewalk, and looked at her.

“A mix of Hira, from Hiratsuka, and Shi, from Shizuka, slightly stylized to make sense? Or are you a fan of the ninja world some people on the stream come from?”

Naruto existed in this world, after all. I had to censor the manga when I found it, since that would raise questions I didn’t want to answer for Minato, Pa, and Jiraiya.

They already had information I’d given them, of course, but both Pa and Jiraiya had told me not to say much more — knowing too much about the future was never a good thing.

Shizuka blushed even harder.

“If I say it’s because of my name and surname, would you believe me?”

An amused smile spread across my face.

“A Minato fan, I see?” I asked.

She didn’t answer — not that she needed to.

Taking the opportunity, a few messages appeared in front of me, teleported from a three-pronged kunai thrown from afar.

[BestToadSannin]That’s my student! Even has fans in another world!(Emote of a frog clapping proudly and whistling)

[YellowFlash]That’s not something I expected… I’m flattered, I think?… But I’m glad you like my character!(Emote of a young frog giving a thumbs up)

[YellowFlash]It’s still strange knowing I’m a story in another world, but compared to some things I’ve seen, I’m getting used to it…

[JiraiyaIsAnIdiot]For Kami-sama’s sake, thank you for her being a Minato fan and not Jiraiya. Dealing with his ego would be a nightmare…(Emote of an old frog sighing in relief)

I grabbed the messages and turned them toward Shizuka so she could read them. The embarrassment on her face only grew.

“I can get you his autograph when I go there. Want one?” I asked.

I doubted Minato would mind, and to confirm it, he sent a message in the (CHAT), saying, “I can set aside one of my kunai and leave it signed, if you want.”

Shizuka blushed even more and coughed into her hand, both to compose herself and, I could tell, to hide a smile. I could feel that she wanted to scream in excitement but held herself back.

“I… I’d accept that, yes. Thank you.” she said after regaining her composure, then extended the bag she was carrying toward me. “By the way, here — take this. It’s a gift.”

I blinked, taking the bag with my free hand… I wasn’t expecting that.

I looked inside: there were a few manga and anime.

“I thought they might be useful. I remembered you always look for these when you go to other worlds, so I picked the ones I like…” She took a drag and looked away. “I hope they help…”

(“She’s cute. Can I squeeze her?”) Jinn’s voice came out in a way that Shizuka could hear as well.

Obviously on purpose, since the redness on the teacher’s face deepened along with Jinn’s laughter.

I chuckled.

“You can later. We’re in the middle of the street right now,” I said. Shizuka looked slightly scandalized and exasperated. I added, “Thanks for the gift. That was kind of you.”

In response, she just nodded, taking another drag.

I stored the bag in the Voidbag, in the useful items section, and took out a Purification Powder pill, tossing it to her.

“To get your lungs back in shape,” I said, starting to walk again. “Take better care of yourself. I won’t keep handing these out if you keep smoking.”

She looked at the pill inside the small vial for a moment before putting it in her bag.

“You’re really similar to that idiot student of mine. Or maybe he’s the one who’s like you.” She let out a sigh and put out her cigarette. “I’ll take the pill later — I don’t want to throw up impurities in the street. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll see if I can cut back on smoking — you’re the third person this week telling me to quit…”

“I couldn’t ask for more.” I nodded.

In the end, it wasn’t really my business. I was just giving advice. The fact that she was willing to consider it was already enough.

With that, we headed toward the gate.

[…]

The walk to the gate would have taken a while on foot, since Shizuka wouldn’t be able to keep up — about an hour or so.

So I pulled a random car out of the Voidbag and drove us there in about ten minutes.

Could I have used the Proto-A or carried Shizuka and gotten there in ten seconds? Sure. But it had been a while since I last drove a car, so I took the opportunity.

I parked near the gate, which was completely surrounded and barricaded. Several soldiers from the Sadera Empire were still lying around the street, tied up, handcuffed, and unconscious.

The scene was still somewhat chaotic.

I stored the car back in my inventory and went with Shizuka toward the gate.

I used the Slick Cane and the concealment of my nightmare energy to make everyone ignore us. They’d probably already been warned about me, but I didn’t want the headache.

I isolated an area around the gate, making everyone nearby unconsciously avoid it, then looked at the structure.

The structure of the gate was massive — a monument made of dark gray stone that strongly reminded me of the kind of classical Greek or Roman architecture I’d seen in movies and descriptions.

It had thick, rounded pillars on the sides, supporting a rectangular façade topped with tiled roofing.

At the center of the structure was a wide, tall opening, with no doors or gates — which, considering I’d been calling it a “gate” this whole time, was kind of funny.

Still, since it was a passage to another world, calling it a “gate,” “portal,” or “door” wasn’t wrong. And it didn’t really make much of a difference anyway.

The interior of the opening was filled with a dense, absolute darkness. I extended my senses into it, but couldn’t perceive anything past a certain point — only that it was a distorted space connected to another.

Even when I used the Transparent World, the most I could make out were faint glimpses of what looked like a plain or a lush green region, but nothing beyond that; the space was too warped to allow any clear view.

“It’s going to get a bit boring from here on. If you want to go somewhere else, just say so,” I said out loud to Shizuka as I approached the portal’s columns.

Before she could even open her mouth, Jinn stepped out of the Spirit Realm, jumping out of my shadow and hugging her.

“I said I was going to squeeze you.” She spoke during the hug before letting go. “Nice to meet you, I’m Jinn, the Spirit of the Relic of Knowledge and Devas’s travel companion.”

Shizuka blinked, a bit lost for a moment, before nodding.

“I’m Shizuka Hiratsuka. Nice to meet you, Jinn-sama.” She gave a slight bow.

Jinn waved a hand dismissively.

“Drop the ‘-sama.’ You didn’t use it with Devas, so don’t use it with me. Just call me Jinn.” She let out a small laugh.

While the two of them interacted, I crouched down and rested one knee on the ground, examining and touching one of the columns supporting the gate.

At the same time, I used Analyze: Item — the result I got was exactly the same.

“It’s for decoration and stabilization,” I murmured. “The gate’s mist would spread, creating a wider opening without the structure, but only by a few dozen extra meters at most, and it would be more unstable, making the edges dangerous to pass through.”

I had thought it might be some kind of special stone, or that there would be runes and/or magical inscriptions I could take for myself and add to the ones I already had — but no.

A shame, really — it was just marble and ordinary stone.

As I shifted my gaze back to the black mist at the center of the gate, I felt two soft mounds press against the back of my neck.

“Done hugging Shizuka, Jinn?” I asked.

“Mhm… The space here is completely wrong. It looks like someone cut it open with a dull knife.” she commented, resting her chest against my neck and her chin on my head. “I don’t think this portal would last more than an hour if it weren’t for the deity sustaining it.”

“That’s more or less the conclusion I came to as well,” I agreed. “It feels less like something carefully made and more like something forced open.”

Which, by itself, made the situation even more unsettling. Tearing open the space between worlds with brute force didn’t sound very friendly.

I reached into the Voidbag with my right hand and pulled out two items: a leather map and a container with some soil — respectively, the partial map of the Special Region (Sector: Alnus) and a soil sample from that same region.

Two of the four rewards I’d received for completing the mission. The ten thousand gold coins were already tossed into a random pile somewhere in my inventory.

I handed the map to Jinn, who grabbed it and stepped away, walking in circles as she examined it.

I used Analyze: Item on the soil inside the container and inspected it with my senses as well.

The soil was rich in magic — something close to Terraria’s soil. There was nothing poisonous or harmful to human or animal life. It was also identified as “soil from the sacred land of Alnus Hill,” which, according to the description, was where the gate opened on the other side.

Finally, I looked at the continuation of the mission, which was basically a description of what I already knew, and whose objective was: “Enter the Special Region and investigate the other side.”

The reward was “???” It had been a while since those damned question marks showed up in any reward section — they could’ve stayed gone, in my opinion.

I sighed and stood up, brushing my right hand against my knee as I grabbed the handle of the Slick Cane with the other.

“Nothing very useful here. Find anything, Jinn?” I asked, turning toward her.

Jinn answered without stopping her pacing.

“Sadera is one of the largest empires ruling that side. The main one, actually. But there are other nations and smaller kingdoms listed here, like the Kingdom of Elbe and the League of Principalities, further west.” She stopped and turned the map toward me, tapping the center of the leather with her nail. “If I’m reading this right, the gate opens exactly here. Alnus Hill. It’s elevated terrain in the middle of a plain, surrounded by large forested areas.”

She dragged her finger downward across the map.

“To the south there’s a large point marked as Italica. Looks like an important trade city, if I had to guess, because of the roads converging there. To the north there’s a mountain range, the Romalia Mountains.” She rolled the map back up and handed it to me. “There are no patrol routes, military bases, or forts marked on it.”

“Just a basic geographic map…” I muttered to myself.

I took the map from her and tossed it back into the Voidbag.

“It’s enough to keep us from walking in blind,” I said.

Even though, with the minimap, having this kind of information was simple, having a baseline reference was always useful.

“Alnus Hill is an obvious tactical point,” Jinn commented, crossing her arms. “Whoever controls the high ground controls the gate’s exit. If this Sadera Empire has even a shred of military sense, they must’ve set up military posts right on the other side of the portal.”

I hummed in agreement, but didn’t really respond.

The military and the empire themselves weren’t a threat. I was almost certain the Japanese army alone could deal with them without much trouble.

And speaking of them, I’d see about negotiating the information or a copy of the map later — I just wasn’t sure what for yet.

The real problem wasn’t just the army on the other side. There were gods in that world — plural, an entire pantheon. I didn’t know exactly how they worked; whoever had gathered the information didn’t know either.

If they were like, say, the Greek gods who walked freely among the world, rather than some kind of restricted pantheon that couldn’t manifest casually, the situation could escalate to FUBAR levels pretty quickly.

I looked at the empty space in the middle of the gate as I scratched my chin.

“Jinn, can you handle the people Shigenori’s sending when they get here? They should arrive in about ten minutes or so,” I asked, pulling a white plastic chair out of my inventory and sitting down, facing the portal.

“That weird chair again…” I heard Jinn mutter before raising her voice. “I can. Are you going to keep studying the portal?”

“That’s the plan. I want to see if I can get anything just by observing it.” As I spoke, I had a Nightmare Beowolf emerge from my shadow, walk up to the portal, and step inside.

The Nightmare disappeared into the darkness, and I immediately lost my connection to it.

A few seconds later, it returned intact — and without any information, since without the link, I couldn’t see through its eyes.

The only reason it came back at all was because I had “programmed” it with a set of actions: go in, stay still, come back.

I could’ve let it roam freely, but without the connection, the chances of something going wrong were too high, so I handled it this way.

In fact, all the Nightmares that were far away from me — whether in Terraria or Remnant — had a set of rules programmed into them to prevent problems.

(“I can go take a look myself, if you want.”) Ozma offered, speaking directly into my mind so only I could hear.

(“Negative. I lost my connection with the Nightmare; if you go and something happens, the chances of you dying are high.”) I refused immediately. (“And I have a way to deal with this.”)

I considered sending Tyrian, but the faunus Nightmare was far too important for that. He was my go-to for discreet operations — losing him would be a problem.

So I did the most efficient thing in that situation: I tied a camera to the Nightmare Beowolf and sent it back through the portal.

(“…Sometimes I forget you can solve things the simple way too.”) Ozma’s voice echoed this time for everyone.

“I always try to solve things in the simplest way possible, with the least amount of effort.” I scoffed, drumming my fingers against the Slick Cane.

A couple of messages appeared in front of me, slightly melted, as if they were sleepy. The letters yawned before straightening themselves:

[So-Tan]For a moment, I could’ve sworn you were about to… I don’t know, tear space open with your bare hands just to take a look on the other side. I guess absurdity has become the new normal…

[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]Simple?! You literally created a damn sun less than two weeks ago! You threw a nuclear bomb with your bare hands! What part of that is simple?! (╯°Д°)╯ ┻━┻

I flicked the messages away.

It wasn’t really a sun, but whatever…

“That’s why I said I try to solve things simply and with minimal effort. Doesn’t mean I always succeed.”

Almost a minute later, the Nightmare Beowolf returned with the camera.

As I checked the footage, Ozma commented:

(“Let me handle the people Minister Shigenori sends.”) His voice seemed directed at Jinn. (“I’d like to stretch my legs a bit as well. Relaxing is nice, but the years I’ve lived have made me used to working.”)

“Didn’t you say being inside a Nightmare feels like being submerged in liquid filth?” I asked absentmindedly as I watched the short recording.

I needed to figure out a way to create a proper body for Ozma. The body itself would already be somewhat complicated — though feasible — but shaping it so it would be durable and accept his soul without any side effects was the real issue.

Sighing, I opened the footage.

On the other side of the portal, there were several Sadera army outposts — some farther away, some closer to the portal. But they all seemed to avoid setting up any structures within at least a hundred to a hundred and fifty meters of it.

I had ordered the Nightmare Beowolf to stay hidden, so no one seemed to notice it.

Given that the humans on that side were very similar to those here — and I had already checked using Analyze: Item and the Chalice — the air should be breathable, without any major differences.

There was no particularly aggressive fauna or flora nearby either.

Once I finished reviewing, I removed the camera from the Nightmare Beowolf and tossed it into the Voidbag, sending the Nightmare back into my shadow. Another useful item to trade with the Japanese government — I’d record more footage later.

In the meantime, Ozma had replied:

(“It is unpleasant, yes. But nothing unbearable. And Miss Jinn will be far more useful here helping you study the portal than teaching whoever gets sent to learn.”)

Jinn, who had been talking to Shizuka, paused.

“I can do both, old man.” She turned to respond. “I’m studying the portal while talking to Shizu-chan. Splitting my attention across twenty things is easy, let alone two.”

(“I don’t doubt your capabilities. But as I said, let me handle this. It’s been a while since I last taught anyone, and I’d like to take the opportunity.”)

Jinn didn’t argue and agreed easily.

“I won’t stop you, then.”

With that, Ozma shaped his Nightmare body, as he had done before, and stepped out through my shadow.

I spoke to him mentally, making sure no one else could hear:

(“Don’t awaken their Aura. Teach them the basics of meditation and guide them so they can begin to sense ambient mana and use magic. The humans of this world are capable of it.”) I said, without taking my eyes off the portal. (“Someone with Aura, even if not fully trained, could massacre hundreds of civilians. Giving a country the means to field an army like that would completely destabilize things.”)

I tossed The Long Memory to him, along with some clothes.

(“I agree. I highly doubt the Japanese government wouldn’t try to start something with such a massive advantage in their hands.”) Ozma replied as he dressed. (“Especially with a portal to another world full of resources now open.”)

(“Teaching them proper meditation and how to sense magic is something they could technically learn on their own, but with guidance — and with your presence here stirring the ambient mana — it’ll just speed up the process. Even if they teach others, it would take far longer than learning to awaken Aura. And it’s something other countries could easily learn as well.”)

He paused, then added: (“That is, if they don’t already know. I highly doubt there aren’t secret orders in various countries that possess this knowledge.”)

I gave a slight nod in agreement.

It was good talking to intelligent people; I didn’t have to spell everything out for them to understand.

And I wouldn’t be breaking the agreement I made, either. I hadn’t specified what I would teach, nor whether it would be something simple that could be passed on, much less something groundbreaking.

Shigenori should’ve read the fine print before making a deal with the Devil…

[Archetype: The Devil — Synchronization +3%]

[…]

The next few minutes were calm.

Ozma requested some materials and chairs, setting up a sort of improvised classroom a few meters away. Shizuka was with him, since she had asked if she could learn, and there was no reason to deny her.

The excitement coming from her at being able to learn was even greater than what I’d sensed from Yoji. And, considering she seemed to be a fan of the shounen genre — judging by the manga she had given me as a gift, which she herself admitted were among her favorites — her excitement was understandable.

Either that, or she just really wanted to learn magic. Magic was cool.

She’d probably try to make a Rasengan; I’d have to warn her not to attempt that without supervision and end up blowing out her hand and the veins in her arm by accident.

Because actually pulling it off? I highly doubted she could.

Meanwhile, Jinn and I continued studying the gate, running a few tests and making more recordings.

Jinn had the palm-mark tattoo on her thigh activated, essentially extending her senses through mine and using them to better analyze the portal.

We managed to figure out a few things in those few minutes.

First: the flow of time between the two worlds was basically the same — more or less one-to-one.

There was a tiny difference, something like one to one point zero zero zero two two two… and so on, with time on the other side being slightly slower, but it was so minimal that it would only be noticeable over millions of years. So, for all practical purposes, it was one-to-one.

That would make things easier if it were possible to run cables through the portal. If information could pass through without interference, communication between both sides would be much simpler.

Second: we confirmed this was really something done in a sloppy, half-assed way. If a properly stabilized, well-made portal was like a door in a wall, this thing was more like someone had kicked a hole through it.

It seemed that, with enough divinity, you could just skip a bunch of steps and ignore common sense, along with logic and proper structure.

Gods really were something else…

The upside was that we now had a “model” of a possible dimensional portal — or rather, a dimensional tear, which was still potentially useful for the future.

The third — and most important — thing we discovered was that this thing is a ticking time bomb.

A simple example I came up with — and used to explain it to the (CHAT) — was this: imagine Earth and the Special Region, as the stream called the world on the other side, as two massive gears, each connected to a different system and a different engine, rotating at different speeds and in different directions.

The portal was basically a steel bar forcibly jammed between the two. The bar kept a point of contact open between the gears, and that point acted as a “bridge” between the two worlds.

But the gears didn’t stop because of that.

They kept trying to turn the way they were meant to. The engines driving them were still running, forcing against the metal without caring that something was in the way.

Over time, that would keep building tension. The gears would keep trying to move. At first, the stress is manageable — then a small crack forms in the “bar” — and if it isn’t removed or broken quickly… the gears themselves start to crack and collapse.

In the end, it doesn’t matter which gear fails first. The result is the same: collapse.

“Can I destroy this now, or is it still too early…?” I asked, massaging my forehead.

I was almost certain I could use the Moon Shield to destroy it. If not just the shield, I could create a Hallucination Storm around the portal and toss a proto-planetary core in there — this thing would be gone.

Ginza would go with it, but then it’d just be a matter of evacuating people first and rebuilding afterward. Even so, that would still be a better outcome than the world collapsing.

“We don’t know what destroying the portal will cause. Want to accidentally tear open space between worlds?” Jinn replied instantly, without taking her eyes off the private (CHAT), where she and Jarvis were running calculations that made my head hurt.

“Preferably not…” I muttered. “And we don’t know how to close it without brute force. Not to mention the civilians who were taken to the other side…”

Saying that a few lives would be a small sacrifice to save the planet would be an understatement — but I’d try to save them for as long as there was any alternative.

Sacrifices would always be the last option — and one I’d avoid as much as possible.

If it were up to me, I’d already have gone to the other side, retrieved the people, and come back to figure out how to close the portal. But considering I wasn’t selfless enough to risk going up against an entire pantheon of gods for strangers, we were still studying the situation.

Sending my Nightmares to rescue them was also an option, but giving them complex instructions without a direct connection would be problematic.

Sending Tyrian would be the simplest answer. He could go in, coordinate the rescue with a few thousand Nightmares, grab the people, and come back.

But then again, there was the chance he’d get killed.

We didn’t know the full extent of the power on the other side; from the information I had, I knew there were some “blessed” and “apostles” of the gods in that world, who could be ridiculously strong.

Losing Tyrian was something I wanted to avoid as well.

Sending the Shadow Puppet was also a no. Losing it would be like losing an arm and a leg permanently — if not worse…

Overall, the situation was annoying. Not exactly complicated, but annoying and unpleasant…

As I considered the idea of turning a dozen death row inmates — convicted of heinous crimes — into Hollow Puppets to see how they’d perform on a rescue mission, maybe forcing one of them into a complex pact without transforming him so he could act as the “leader” of the operation, coordinating the Hollow Puppets and my Nightmares, my “students” finally arrived.

Two of them I already knew: Yoji and Koichiro.

Yoji was the same as before, just wearing different clothes — a standard Japanese military camouflage uniform.

Koichiro wasn’t a surprise either. He was a Lieutenant General — his rank had come up in the earlier conversation — and he would be responsible for the expeditionary force that would pass through the gate after further testing.

The other three were new faces. Two women and one man.

The man looked about my age, maybe a few months younger — twenty-one. Just under one meter seventy by a centimeter or two, wearing glasses, short black hair, and the same camouflage uniform.

Takeo Kurata — that was the name the Chalice revealed to me from the information in his blood.

The first woman, and the shorter of the two, was Shino Kuribayashi. Two years older than me, twenty-four. Short brown hair, an athletic build, and wearing the same uniform as the others.

[YellowHuntressLive]By the Brothers, don’t her chest hurt? They’re packed in there like sardines in that uniform.(Emote of a golden-maned lion with a sympathetic expression)

And, as Yang so eloquently put it, Shino had a large chest, compressed by the uniform.

I didn’t pay much attention to that, since the second woman was the one who truly caught my interest.

Like the others, she wore a military uniform. Her black hair was tied up in a bun, her features were sharper, and she was twenty-four.

She reeked of blood.

“You shouldn’t be here…” I stated, staring at her.

The woman held herself back from flinching. I could see her rigid muscles fighting the tremor, her heart rate spiking, cold sweat running down her back, her pupils shrinking.

She swallowed visibly, then pulled a letter from the inside pocket of her jacket, holding it with both hands and bowing as she offered it to me.

“I-I was asked to deliver this to you, Devas-sama.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly. I pulled the letter into the Voidbag and made it reappear in my hand.

It was a letter sealed with red wax, stamped with a symbol that was very familiar to me — like a regional variation of something standard.

The Continental emblem.

The emblem consisted of a golden circle containing a stylized cherry blossom in symmetrical geometric patterns. Beneath the seal, the inscription “Osaka” was engraved in minimalist black lettering.

I ignored the letter for a moment and looked at the woman: the Concierge of the Osaka Continental, Akira Shimazu.

I knew there was a Continental in Japan. I just didn’t expect them to contact me — especially this quickly. I hadn’t even been in the country for three hours.

I looked away from Akira and released the Slick Cane into the air, letting it float beside me, held by a black hand where mine had been, as I used both hands to open the letter.

The letter read, in polite English:

—

Esteemed Mr. Devas Asura,

The Osaka Continental has been informed of your arrival in Japan. Please accept my sincerest apologies for our inability to extend the hospitality befitting your presence, particularly in light of your actions in defense of the Japanese people.

The High Table has been apprised of the events in Ginza, as well as of your presence. They are presently mobilizing, though not without hesitation. The swiftness of your arrival took them by surprise, as they had anticipated you to still be in the United States.

I write to assure you that the current situation is not a design of my own making, and I humbly ask that you not regard it as an affront. By direct order of the High Table, I was compelled to dispatch my daughter, Akira, in the capacity of an infiltrator. Through directives from my superiors, and with the aid of certain governmental connections, we were forced to place her in this position in order to assess you and verify the accuracy of the information in their possession.

I am aware of what transpired at the New York Continental. In our profession, information travels swiftly. I have long been acquainted with John Wick, and upon learning of your presence in this country, I sought his counsel—if anyone were to possess such knowledge, it would be him.

I assure you that Mr. Wick has not betrayed your confidence, nor disclosed anything beyond the bare essentials. He merely cautioned me against causing you offense and advised that you be treated with the utmost respect—guidance I have faithfully imparted to my daughter.

I earnestly request that you do not take the actions of the High Table as a personal slight from me, nor direct any displeasure toward Akira. Were the decision mine to make, I would never have proceeded with such a regrettable and inadequate test.

With the utmost respect,one who remains in your debt,and Manager of the Osaka Continental,

Shimazu Koji

—

After finishing the letter, I had to hold back a sigh.

I knew those people were keeping an eye on my movements, even if not directly. But still — they should have had a pretty clear idea of the route I took.

This, though, was just ridiculous.

Infiltrating someone into the Japanese military using government contacts just to confirm their information on me? Seriously, hadn’t I just neutralized an army in broad daylight, in the middle of the city?!

Didn’t I cross half the planet in under two minutes less than three hours ago?!

I swallowed a second sigh, put the letter back into its envelope, and stored it in the Voidbag.

Ignoring the looks the five of them were giving the Slick Cane floating in the air, I grabbed it again.

Then I spoke to Akira: “You can stay. Don’t worry.”

This didn’t even begin to irritate me. If I cared that much about the opinions of a bunch of old men, I would’ve died of stress before I turned fifteen.

I didn’t explain anything and simply gestured toward Ozma with my chin. “Since I’m busy studying this poorly made tear in the fabric of my planet, I’ll have my friend over there teach you.”

With the concealment effect lifted from Ozma, they were finally able to perceive him. Their reactions were more or less the same: shock, surprise, a bit of disgust, and fear.

Koichiro was the first to recover. The others were still somewhat stunned, and Akira seemed more focused on the matter of the letter than anything else.

“The contract we made specified that you would be the one teaching us,” he said, slowly shifting his gaze away from Ozma.

“And technically, I am teaching you,” I replied calmly, tapping the Slick Cane against the ground and summoning a few Nightmares from my shadow.

They — the people in front of me — reacted exactly as expected, freezing at the sight.

“These are my creations. My friend over there is something similar.” I pointed at Ozma. A half-truth — only his current body was. I sent the Nightmares back. “So again, technically, I’m the one teaching you.”

Taking advantage of their shock, Ozma struck The Long Memory against the ground, making some of them flinch, and called out:

“Alright, let’s get moving. I don’t have time to waste. Let’s see if I can still teach as well as I used to.”

He turned as soon as he finished speaking, not waiting for a response, and started walking toward the improvised classroom he had set up further away.

The four soldiers exchanged uncertain glances. Akira was the first to move, giving one last bow before following Ozma. Shizuka was already seated at one of the desks.

With Akira taking the lead, the others followed shortly after.

Once they were farther away, I isolated Ozma’s “classroom” and the surrounding area from Jinn and me.

“Planning to do anything about this so-called High Table?” she asked, stepping a bit closer.

“I’ll find out where its members live and throw pig heads onto their yards and rooftops — for the psychological damage and the laughs.” I replied with a shrug. “Or nothing, if I end up forgetting. It’s not important either way.”

“…I’m genuinely surprised. You manage to be like this quite often, you know? It’s quite the talent.”

[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]You’re disturbed.

[(MOD)GeniusBillionairePlayboy]The guy does this stuff purely for the love of the game…

“Thanks for the compliment.” I didn’t specify who I was replying to as I turned back toward the portal. “Alright, back to work.”

[...]---[...]

Another slower, more explanatory chapter. I enjoy writing these character interactions, though I’m not entirely sure how many people enjoy reading them, so I try to keep a balance.

The next chapter should kick off some action—probably not what you’re expecting.

Since I already have a few worlds in Amalgam World, I went ahead and dropped some John Wick characters in there. I’ll be doing more things like that, since everyone shares the same world and doesn’t strictly follow their original storylines.

Good night, everyone, and enjoy the read!