Chapter 4
Welcome to this Jungle
They were in another hallway, a near perfect copy of the one from earlier.
The only difference was that instead of CAFETERIA and ENTRY, the walls read SMOTe Ops and DIRECTOR--.
Kanku: I gave you a heads up this time.
Subaru: I'm gonna go on a limb and say that we need to go to SMOTe Ops? And now that I think about it, its pretty on-the-nose with the name.
Eleanor: The others should be here already be here.
Eleanor stepped forward and opened the door. Emilia dispelled her icy aura, aware and grateful for "Air Conditioning."
They stepped inside and saw the shag rug flooring that covered the entire 25 x 30 foot (7.62 x 9.1 m) room.
10 feet (3 m) away from the door was an 8 foot (2.4 m) diameter white fiberboard table with 6 evenly spaced out black plastic school chairs, 5 of which were pulled out.
8 feet to the right of the table was a 15 foot (4.6 m) long cupboard, built with 5 equally spaced doors.
The doors, in increasing distance, were labeled:
Dry Foods; Dry Snacks; Guns; Melee Weapons; Games
A 7 foot, 3 layered, French Doored metal exterior fridge was resting in the immediate right corner. A small metallic trash can stood 3 feet away from the fridge.
Sound dampening foam pads lined the walls creating a perfect 4 foot thick square ring of noise absorption.
9 feet to the left of the table was a cushioned sectional sofa, divided into its 3 parts. Each had a memory foam pillow, and the middle section had a stray TV remote.
A 55-inch (1.4 m) Smart TV mounted to the wall was connected to an Xbox One and a PS4 sitting on a small ledge. On the floor were 2 plastic bins that contained 10 controllers for each console.
On opposite sides of the TV were twin booths that each had a rolling office chair and a PC built for maximizing processing power; each connected to a 24 inch (61 cm) HD monitor.
Kanku: Welcome to my Team's room. We got built-in touch activated doors in the back that lead to closets, beds, restrooms, and showers. Make yourselves at home, the rest of the Squad should be arriving anytime soon.
Emilia went to the left piece of the sectional couch and carefully sat down. She looked in wonder at the strange things in the room as Subaru followed her and sat on the center piece.
Kanku went to the unoccupied couch piece, removed his sandals and placed his pistols on them. He stretched his arms and legs, then laid down on the couch, putting his head on the provided pillow.
Kanku: Ela, is there any more Palmer in there?
Eleanor went to the fridge and produced a single bottle of Gold Peak Tea. She opened it and took a sip, taking the time to taste the advertised organic ingredients of the cold brew beverage, calling BS on it.
Eleanor: Just Peaks.
Kanku: *sigh* I'll place an order later.
The room was quiet; the lights never once flickering; the silence never once breaking.
Subaru wondered how much it cost to build and maintain this room alone. How many millions, no, billions of yen would it take to buy the items inside.
The silence was broken when the door unlocked and opened. 3 people walked in and occupied the seats starting from the left.
The first was a 5'4 (~163 cm) tall boy with pure diamond white hair, dull yellow irises, and cat-like pupils. He wore a featureless black t-shirt with a silver wolf pendant, grey GAP shorts with an iPhone 8 in his left pocket, and black steel-toed sketchers.
The other 2 were twins, one boy and one girl. Both were 5'6 (~168 cm), had chocolate brown hair, and wore matching 5.11 ATAC Boots.
The boy wore a casual denim over-shirt with a grey undershirt and black cargo pants. His left iris was bronze colored and his right was steel.
The girl wore grey flannel with a white undershirt and identical cargo pants. Her eye colors were reversed; steel left and bronze right.
Eleanor chugged her bottle of Gold Peak and threw it away. She walked to the table in the center and took the chair next to the female twin.
Kanku reached for his pistols with his left hand and placed them on the couch he laid on. He got up, put his sandals on, and took the seat next to Eleanor.
From the perspective of a clock, Kanku sat at 12, Eleanor sat at 2, the twins at 4 and 6, and the white haired boy at 8.
' Where's the last guy? Is he late or something?'
He felt the stares of distrust focused on himself and Emilia, being the odd ones out.
He looked at everyone's faces, looking for any signs of emotion. The diamond haired boy was ignoring him, but he saw that the twins' noses twitched and flared.
' Can they smell It?'
A dull white glow appeared in the female twin's right fist. She brought it up to her hip and opened her palm in his direction.
A 10 inch (25 cm) swirling ball of blue fire flew at Subaru's head.
Female Twin: GODDAMN WITCH THRALL! DIIIIIIEEEE!
Subaru couldn't feel the nerves of his face, but could feel the heat with his shoulders, and smell the evaporating hair, flesh, and fat.
He screamed. Screamed in pain. Screamed as loud as he could. Screamed for someone to save him.
Another ball of blue flame.
Another ball of blue flame.
Another ball of blue flame.
The sound of connecting punches.
No sight.
The smell of burning skin and hair.
The faint choking whispers of a silver bell, " Stay with me! Don't leave me!"
He felt the blue fire enter his mouth. Turning skin to ash, evaporating his tongue, and disintegrating teeth.
One by one, his senses extinguished, unlike the licking flames.
Sight
Hearing
Smell
Taste
Sensation
Darkness
Silence
Scentless
Tasteless
Paralyzed
Dead
….
….
….
He opened his eyes and saw the trio of people walk in. The twins flared their noses, potentially smelling the increased Witch Scent.
The twin balled her fist. Subaru stared intensely at the magic to be cast. Kanku caught sight of him looking at his teammate's glowing hand.
Kanku, in English: Hey guys. Thanks for showing up, glad we're all here. As you noticed over there (points to the couches), we got some new faces. I'd like to welcome Royal Candidate Emilia of Elior Forest and her Royal Knight, Sir Subaru Natsuki. (Looks at the female twin) Dispel that damn Rune Magic.
The twin loosened her fist, narrowly dispelling her fireball.
' They're all here. Except for… Oh…'
Emilia, in Japanese: Hello everyone. Pardon me for intruding. I'm lost, but Subaru here has told me that we're in his world.
Kanku: Sometime mid spring 2017, Subaru dropped from Chiba, Japan. He spent a year to his perspective in Emilia's world, then popped up in my room at 1200 hours today. Technically speaking, he's 18, but can be a but of a loon at times. I believe intr-
Diamond haired boy, in English: Kan, why the hell would you bring 2 fucking civies into the deepest Black Site in the whole world? We heard that you and Elly wacked some Sing-Flings this morning, but no one ever told us that you got some RPG lookin' janks.
Kanku: *AHEM* As I was saying, I believe some introductions are needed. Name, bio, specialties.
Diamond haired boy: UGHHHHH, fine. Name's Gericault Riveria; 16; Augmented; son of Geralt and Yennefer; I hate portals; I'm the best Monster Hunter of this world. My Augs are Thought and Perceptive Reaction Accelerator, Magi-Storage Enhancer, Possession Repelling Field, Portable Pocket Generator, ESP Detection, Language Translation, and Organ Overdrive.
Subaru, eyes bright: Geralt, as in Geralt of Rivia, The Witcher, The White Wolf, and Gwynbleidd?
Gericault: Fucking asshole couldn't spend the time to give me a better name after they got here. Mom was the one that took care of me, and the senile bastard hardly ever visits, probably sleeping around with the other Witches, but claims that all he's doing is getting coin. He started coming back here within the last 3 years and takes me over there for Witcher training and mutations of The Wolf School.
Kanku: We call him Geri. And he only claims to be the best Hunter.
Gericault: Well fuck you too.
Kanku, playfully smug: Is that an insult or a to-do list?
The Female Twin, in English with a slight German accent: Gretel Grimmhallow; 16; UnAugmented; daughter of Jack und Jill Grimmhallow; Hexanjäger und magic user. I can use almost every type of magic, from Aztec to Zairkhanin.
The Male Twin, in English with a slight German accent: Hansel Grimmhallow; 16; UnAugmented; the manly und better half of Greten; Witch Hunter. I specialize in Psionic, Mana, Angel, and Demon magic.
Subaru: Wir sind der jäger?
Hansel: Ich bin nicht Eren, verdammt.
Subaru: Guren no Yumiya?
Gretel: You should know that AOT finally finished the manga and anime this year.
Subaru: Awww. Don't spoil it please, I barely remember what happens.
Kanku: Guys…
Eleanor: Eleanor Van Hellsing; 17; daughter of George Van Hellsing the 5th and Delair Van Hellsing; Augmented; last of the Van Hellsing bloodline and Pro Vamp Hunter. My blood is poisonous to blood suckers and explodes when used in magic. My Augs are Possession Repelling Field, Thought and Perceptive Reaction Accelerator, Organ Overdrive, Portable Pocket Dimension, and Language Translation.
Kanku: Kanku Hisakata Kagirinai; 17; son of Nash Kōri Hisakata Kagirinai and Kariluna de Los Santos; Augmented; Source of our Para-Tech; TL of SMOTe. My Augs are Thought and Perceptive Reaction Accelerator, Organ Overdrive, Possession Repelling Field, Language Translation, ESP Detection, Portable Pocket Dimension, Magi-Storage Enhancer, Instant Travel, Curse Resistance, Magic Resistance, and Admin Access.
Subaru: Kaz, you know that you got a proper band of fairy tales and myths, right?
Kanku: That's the idea.
Everyone looked towards Emilia, hinting it was her turn to speak.
Emilia, in Japanese: I am Emilia, just Emilia. I am a 120-year-old Half-Elf that hails from Elior Forest. I have no Divine Blessing. I am a Spirit Art User and Magic User of the Ice Branch of Fire Affinity. I used to be contracted with the Great Fire Spirit known as Puck. I am a Royal Candidate to the 42nd Throne of The Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica, under the sponsorship of Margrave Roswall L. Mathers. I want to become Queen so I may use the blood of Volcania to melt the magi-frost covering the frozen people of Elior.
Subaru, ecstatic, in Japanese: I'm Subaru Natsuki, an 18 year old kid from Chiba that got isekaied in 2017. I became a butler of Roswall after saving Emilia-tan from a serial killer, The Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert. Killed Legendary Monsters and then became her Royal Knight. I'm a user of Yin Magic with a broken gate, but I have insanely high Spirit Affinity. I'm a good friend with 7 of The Witches of Sin, and the unwilling love interest of Satella, The Witch of Envy. I'm contracted with The Great Spirit Beatrice, making me a Spirit Knight. I possess no Divine Blessing, but instead, Authorities. The Authority of Sloth, Invisible Providence; an invisible hand made of shadows with a max range of 5 meters, causes me intense pain due to Sin incompatibility. The Authority of Envy, R- *ahem*- Return By Death; when I die, I go back in time, the "when and where" is decided by Satella. Normally, when I try and talk about it, she'd stop time to send invisible hands to squeeze the hearts if anyone in earshot, and my Witch Scent density increases temporarily, making me Ma-Beast bait.
Emilia, in Japanese: Subaru, please don't talk about dying so casually. We don't know when Satella might get fed up and take you away to her Shadow Palace.
Subaru: Been there before in a failed life at Sanctuary. Just a mess of voices and Miasma. All she really says to me is "Ashiteru" (I love you). Other than the hands, she doesn't do anything else to hurt me, asides from giving me crappy immortality.
Kanku: Progressive Time-Looping Deathfull is what we'd classify something like you. But since you're one of a kind, the label's a work in progress.
Gericault, in Japanese: Witches, uh? Make sure to keep 'em at least one portal away from The Bitcher so he doesn't go off and expand the bloodline.
Subaru: Don't worry Geri, some of The Sin Witches are children, but all of them are dead and stuck in a weird pocket dimension created by The Greed Witch, Echidna.
Gericault: Whew. For a moment there, I thought I'd have to ask mom to sling some magic at him for touching kids. Just make sure that he doesn't hear about them.
Hansel, in Japanese: Your "Witch Scent," is there any reason why it was so strong a minute ago?
Subaru, controlling his breathing: Tried to see if Satella would show up when I said, "Return By Death." She didn't appear, but I felt the Scent get a bit denser.
Gretel, in Japanese: Good, I thought that you were trying to purposefully draw Witch Thralls closer.
Subaru: Witch Thralls in our world? There's a Witch Cult in the world I got stuck in. They pseudo-worship Satella, and they all use a vaguely future telling book, which they call Gospels. I can't control whether my Scent density increases, but considering that we're in a whole other universe, we're safe from those freaks. But there's a Witch Cult equivalent here?
Eleanor, in Japanese: I knew you were hiding something deep, but good grief. Infinitely dying and restarting an event from zero? Why would that Satella give you such a half-assed power like that?
Subaru: No idea, but believe me on this, but it's a blessing disguised as a curse. There were times I wanted to truly die, and there were times I broke down and tried to run away. There were also times I broke down and just screamed my lungs out. I found my motivation to keep going in Emilia and all the others, risking lives and limb to make sure they could see a tomorrow.
Emilia, crying slightly: Subaru, you dunce. Don't say such stupid things like that. I don't want you treating your life so worthlessly, or for you to die and act like nothing happened.
Eleanor, in Japanese: Emi, he doesn't take his deaths lightly. You could see it in his eyes.
Emilia: His eyes?
Hansel and Gretel, simultaneously: You can't see it?
Subaru: So Kaz, I suppose that you had some ulterior motive for revealing the most classified of secrets to an absolute stranger that appeared in your house?
Kanku: Welp, y'caught me. I brought you here because I believe that with our team, your certain abilities, and some extra time, we can make the world, and reality as whole, safer.
Subaru: Does that mean I'll have to join the CIA, and your team? What about my parents? They probably think I'm dead or kidnapped. And what about Emilia's dream? We left an entire world at the mercy of so many dangerous things, and we don't know how we even arrived here.
Kanku: Don't get your balls tangled in your pantsu. I always have a plan. We're always experimenting with magic and tech. We make portals and blackholes on a daily basis, so I'm sure that once I put in a request, our coats'll find a way for you to go back to your second home.
Subaru: I can make Earth and the other world safer?
Kanku: (extending his left hand) Do you want to make sure that humanity lives to see the light of the morning again? Take the fight against the freaks and join our ranks? I can guarantee almost anything you desire, from money to power to a harem that'll make dead Muslim men jealous. In exchange for joining CIRCUS, you'll be saving billions of lives yet to come. So what d'ya say kiddo, you wanna become a Ghost?
Subaru, in Japanese: Emilia, what do you think about all this? Do you think that you can handle protecting billions of people?
Emilia: A life is a life, whether it's a newborn or an elderly person, life must be protected. If it means that I'll be helping innocent people, I want to assist in the best way I can.
Subaru, reminded of a previous deal: First of all, don't call me "kiddo", I'm older than you. Second of all, this is some serious SCP Foundation "save existence" propaganda. Third…
Subaru extended his right hand and shook Kanku's; sealing the deal.
Kanku: Welcome aboard, PATAUO Agents Natsuki and Emilia.
Subaru: Virtuous Mission, Start. Alright, now that I've got Dual Citizenship and a reliable career, can you please take me to my house? In Chiba, a few minutes away from the Mini-Stop?
Kanku: Yeah, the one 8 minutes away from Tokyo Station. Remember, I read your file?
Subaru, slightly smiling: Hey Emilia, we're gonna visit somewhere for a little bit. Wanna come along?
Emilia: Where could you be going now?
Subaru: To see my parents.
Emilia, walking closer: I guess I'll come along and supervise the 2 of you.
Kanku: Instead of taking 15 hours-
*SNAP*
-we only need 15 nanoseconds.
A/N: Thank you for reading so far! It really does make my day to see people take some time to read a small work in a large pool.