- Before -


    “Okay next!”


    Heiki, Takeshi and Aki lined up at the city gates before the check-in point. Besides collecting tolls for visitors and merchants, the check point actually had a magical circle to screen every person for crimes and diseases. This was a measure to prevent the start of epidemics and to improve security.


    “Neeeext! Oh hey Heiki, were you out for a hunt?”


    A guard called out to Heiki in a friendly manner.


    “Hey, Jereth. Well, kind of. But we didn''t do the hunt, just did the cleaning up after. ”


    “Don’t tell me it''s Takeshi. You won’t get any decent intact spoils with him, Kyahahaha.”


    “It’s Aki here!!” Takeshi slapped Aki’s back with so much force that she stumbled forward a little. “She’s really good with a sword!”


    “I see… It does say here that she''s registered as a Hunter. It’s rare to see one of those.”


    Jereth was looking down at a panel that apparently showed Aki’s details based on her registered pass that was loaded in her smart bracelet.


    Aki stepped into the magic circle and just like other times that she went through the gates, the magic circle glowed white with sparkles floating out of it, instead of glowing plain purple like everyone else.


    “AKI!!! You’re an Other Worlder?! Why didn''t you tell me that?!”


    Takeshi exclaimed in a loud voice. Aki jumped at his outburst and a small commotion arose. Some were trying to get a look causing them to leave their lines. There were small shoves and jostles here and there.


    “Did he say an Other Worlder?”


    “We have an Other Worlder here! Does she look human?”


    “Bakashi!! You’re causing a scene!” Heiki rushed them through the gates as the guards tried to get the others back in their orderly lines.


    “But she didn’t tell us?!”


    After taking a few turns, they stopped at a deserted pathway. Takeshi was waving his hands in an exaggerated manner, face flushed and agitated.


    This scene was strangely familiar to Aki. It wasn’t like Aki did not have any friends at first. But when they knew that she came from THE nishimura clan, they all kept their distance. After all they were rumoured to be cruel, heartless, cold-blooded killers.


    Well, they weren’t all that far from the truth.


    “Umm… I’m sorry… Sorry I made you uncomfortable. I''ll leave right now.”


    Aki lowered her head. Takeshi doesn’t like Other Worlders. It was bad not telling them the first time we met. It’s been only a few days and…


    “Thank you for every-”


    “NO! No, Aki u got it wrong!”


    Heiki hastily grabbed Aki’s shoulders to stop her mid bow. A pair of panicked eyes looked at her and it felt peculiar seeing such a flustered Heiki.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Usually Heiki would be cool and composed even when dealing with Takeshi’s random ideas. Like roasting the monster up on the tree branch because he thought collecting wood for the fire was troublesome.


    “Aki… Takeshi was just excited to meet an Other Worlder. He just really REALLY likes things like adventure and stories from a different world.”


    Aki turned to look at Takeshi. So he wasn’t mad but was excited instead?


    Takeshi was almost bouncing on his toes and nodded furiously. The dog ears and tail have popped out once again. Takeshi leaned in close to Aki and she could see his eyes sparkling exaggeratedly.


    “YES!!!!!!! SO AKI, where did you come from?”


    “From Japan…”


    “WHOOO!!!! Isn’t that from where they invented shoyu and the katana? Are there still Samurai warriors around? Or how about those beautiful Geisha? Do you know how to prepare a sashimi?”


    “Wait Takeshi, let''s find somewhere to sit and talk. How about having dinner with us Aki?”


    Heki’s hand pushed Takeshi’s face away. Aki did not know what to do but nod.


    The Mikatsuki was a little restaurant that served Japanese food. The interior was designed in such a way where customers would sit on a raised platform that is lined with tatami with a partition for privacy.


    Even though it advertised itself as a Japanese cuisine, they could not procure the exact same ingredients so it kind of turned out like fusion food instead.


    Aki ordered their Teriyaki Don which was made from a chicken-like monster with brown sauce drizzled on top. Little herbs were sprinkled to give it a little color and a poached egg was added to the side. Heiki got something that looked like Eel on top of white rice and Takeshi got a Saba set. Well, something that’s close to a Saba. For one, the fish was rectangular.


    “ITADAKIMASU!” Takeshi shouted in an excited voice before expertly wielding his chopsticks and picking out bones on his fish.


    Aki could see the intense concentration on his face with his tongue slightly poking out. Heiki smiled wryly and started digging in too.


    “Itadakimasu.”


    Aki said softly and also began to dig in. Although it has not been a long time since she tripped over, hearing someone else giving thanks before they eat sent a wave of nostalgia through Aki.


    “MUPH MHUM GUM FUPH?”


    Takeshi started talking to Aki with his mouth full. His hands moved continuously from his bowl to his mouth without giving much of a break to even say a word.


    “He asked which timeline of Japan did you come from?”


    “I don’t know. What do you mean by timeline?”


    “Different people can trip here at different times despite being from the same place. For example, some might have tripped from the future Japan in 50 years, but end up here earlier than you.”


    Heiki explained the phenomenon of tripping in detail to Aki. Trippers are people who fell through gaps in space and time. These gaps are connected to a void that are connected to other gaps. The void itself is full of uncertainties, where it can not only warp space but also time as well, allowing the person to travel to the past or the future.


    There are also different versions of Japan that come from different dimensional planes. No one really knows why these gaps actually opened. It is also impossible to predict where they would open next and the place it would lead to.


    “In simple terms, it''s complicated.”


    “AND THAT’S WHY IT''S SO INTERESTING!”


    Takeshi had finished his meal in that short explanation and turned to Aki in excitement.


    “Did you know there’s a version of Japan where they had invented the AI and incorporated them into the human bodies? Some may argue that an AI with self learning capabilities that can develop a personality and feelings are already on the level of a soul. How cool is that to have two souls in one body.”


    “Isn’t that scary?”


    “Think about it. If one soul was tired, the other could take over vice versa. What about a soul that is good in something the other was bad at?”


    “But they still can be in two bodies. Why must they share one?”


    “Bakashi here just wants someone to take over him during his math lessons.”


    “Yes! I mean why does an aspiring mage need to learn about numbers anyways.”


    “You still need to count and calculate your spoils…”


    “AND that’s my point! The AI can do it for me! Instead of troubling someone else like Heiki.”


    “Actually… that’s a really good idea. Then I don''t have to review your messy accounts anymore. Yosh, Takeshi, go get an AI.”


    “But I can''t?????”


    Time passed as they spent it talking idly and mostly about pointless things. Aki shared a little of what she knew about Japan’s current technology and culture. By the time she knew it, the sky was dark and when she looked out of the window, Aki could see the same countless stars that lit up the night sky.


    In this warmly lit restaurant, the starry sky did not seem as lonely as it did before.


    ~~~~~~~~~~


    - After -


    A strong heat wave slammed into Aki as the tunnel opened up at the end of the cave.


    A pile of glittering gold, jewels and treasures filled the area and what was nesting within that pile was a black dragon.


    Dragons were a mighty race that had wisdom and knowledge of the world as soon as they were born and is classed as a supreme being above humans. With innate ability to manipulate monstrous amounts of mana, it was an existential threat that could wipe out kingdoms easily.


    "PIYA!" Kit Kat cried in terror as the dragon opened its eyes and launched at Aki who was looking around carelessly.


    With its jaws wide open with gleaming sharp teeth that were ready to chomp down on the fragile small human. The next thing it knew, it was harshly flung sideways and slammed into the wall.


    The cave trembled.


    The dragon’s vision blurred, and she let out a pained groan at the impact.


    Wha... What happened?


    The last thing that the fire dragon saw was the girl''s silhouette squatting down in an unrefined manner...


    Aki had flicked her hand as if swiping left on tinder and moved the lizard out of her way.


    "There it is! I wouldn''t have expected the Nigrum to be sprouting at such a corner. Maybe the heat near the walls is stronger."


    Aki squatted down and started to dig, ignoring a pile of treasures that many would die for, one of the world''s most fearsome creatures unconscious and a Kit Kat who was very much shooked.