I just watched the plane I was on starting to land on the runway while I adjusted my seatbelt to make sure it was secure, then the plane moved on the runway until it came to a stop before the flight attendants gave me and the other passengers the all-clear to get out of our seats. I removed my seatbelt and stood up before I reached up to grab my backpack and left the plane as I headed through the tunnel and entered the airport until I saw my friend Takashi waiting for me while the person on the PA spoke Japanese.

"Takashi!" I called out and he smiled as he saw me before we approached each other.

"Brad-san, good to see your flight went okay," Takashi said as I did the customary bow and he repeated it until we walked to the exit.

"Yeah, the flight went well but the food wasn't exactly tasty," I remarked and Takashi chuckled.

"Well, just wait until you visit one of our noodle shops and you won't want to leave Japan after that," Takashi joked and I smirked.

"It sounds tempting, but I'm on summer break and have to go back home once I'm finished visiting Japan's historical sites but I'll consider coming back once college is done," I said as we left the airport and arrived at a parking lot where a sedan was at.

We got into the car and Takashi drove us through the city while I marveled at the sights since this was my first time in Japan and I was thankful that Takashi told me to come here, then we kept driving before we left the city and headed into the mountainous regions until we arrived at the To-Ji temple where a tour group had already showed up until we parked next to the temple grounds and got out.

"Well, we are here so be sure not to touch anything since this temple has sacred value to it," Takashi warned and I nodded as we joined the tour group and stayed with them.

After a while, I listened to the history of this place while enjoying the view as the tour continued until everyone took a lunch break and I spent the time wandering around the temple grounds with Takashi while I was astonished at the sights and took out my phone to take pictures, then I put my phone away as we arrived at a large field not far from the temple and stopped to take everything in.

"Holy crap..." I trailed off and Takashi smiled at me.

"It is an impressive sight, am I right?" Takashi asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, it is," I said as I watched the view and Takashi patted my shoulder.

"Well, I am going to get some refreshments so come see me once you're done enjoying the view," Takashi said before he left and I took out my journal to start drawing the landscape, then a few minutes passed by and I was finished until I spotted something in the sky that was moving.

I squinted my eyes in confusion as I put away my journal and the object got closer until my eyes widened at the sight of a flaming meteor falling from the sky, then I let out a startled gasp and started running before the meteor crash-landed nearby and I was flung to the ground before rolling to a stop. I coughed as I lifted my head and managed to stand up before I saw the impact sight and I wanted to run, but curiosity took over and I cautiously walked over to the impact sight until I was taken aback by what I saw.

Instead of a crater that was supposed to have a meteor inside, there was a hole that was filled with a pool of black liquid and something about it set off red flags in my mind while my instincts were screaming for me to run away as fast as I could for some reason, but I couldn't deny that something about that black mass was triggering my fear response like some animalistic part of me knew that there was something highly dangerous about that liquid and it wanted me to flee from it as fast as possible.

Suddenly, before I could react, a black tentacle formed from the liquid and lashed out at me until it coiled tightly around my torso and threw me down to the ground, knocking me senseless and I started getting dragged to the pool of black liquid while I regained my composure and struggled to get free as I grabbed the black tentacle and tried to pry it off of me but its grip was very strong and it felt slightly soft like rubber but as hard as steel.

Pretty soon, I was clawing at the ground while I screamed for help with my body flooded with fear until I was pulled to the black mass and let out one last terrified scream until I was dragged into the liquid, then there was nothing after that as the black mass felt as thick as jello and pliable as clay while it rippled and moved all around me like it was alive until my flesh started tingling all over.

I felt strange as uncontrollable thoughts of hate and vengeance appeared in my mind but I struggled to push them back while I realized that I was feeling what the black mass was feeling and it horrified me that this malevolent alien being was attempting to absorb me into its form and take over completely, but I was giving it hell as I fought back hard and something seemed to click while everything became fuzzy and disoriented after that.

Next thing I knew, my vision seemed to become clear again and I let out wheezing gasps as I soon realized that I was laying on my back in a big hole and noticed that it was the same one the black mass was in, but I noticed that something was wrong as the smell of crisp spring air seemed much stronger and I heard chirping of birds like they were right next to me, despite the fact that I was in a large hole with the black mass somehow gone.

I looked at the dirt wall with narrowed eyes and started to climb up before I noticed how easy it was and that something about my body felt wrong, then I climbed out of the hole and clutched my head with a dizzy groan as my vision blurred slightly until I felt two protrusions on the top of my head and froze before I saw a lake nearby and quickly rushed over to it before peering at my reflection.

I sucked in a breath when I saw the head of a golden jackal staring back with a stunned expression but its fur was as black as coal and I moved my head to the right with the jackal doing the same, then I let out a yelp of alarm before I frantically touched my face and felt a muzzle until I looked at my hands and saw that they were humanoid paws as I started hyperventilating and tried to convince myself that I was dreaming.

Unzipping my hoodie and lifting my shirt, I saw that my torso was toned with a muscular chest and a six-pack but it was covered in the same black fur before I looked back and my mind nearly shut down from the sight of a black tail that was twitching agitatedly and I grabbed it before yanking, but it wasn't coming off and I felt no pain but the feeling of fur and the extra appendage made me panic as I realized that this wasn't a dream since it wouldn't feel this real.

At that moment, I heard Takashi calling my name with a worried tone and I knew that he couldn't see me like this since who knows how he would react, just before I fled the area and ran into the forest for a short amount of time until I noticed that I wasn't getting tired, even though I was running for an extended amount of time and eventually stopped on an old stone path that led to a torii gate that appeared to be ancient.

I didn't pay close attention to it as my mind was struggling to comprehend that I wasn't human anymore and I couldn't go back to civilization or I would be turned into a science experiment, so I had no choice but to live in the wilderness for the rest of my life and my family would try to find me but I would stay on the move to avoid them since I didn't want them to see me like this, then I felt exhausted and laid down next to the Torii gate before I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep.


An unknown amount of time later, I was stirred awake by loud noises that were coming from all around me and I opened my eyes to see that I was in a dirty alley and I was highly confused by how I got here, though I stood up and brushed off any dirt that was on me while I wrinkled my nose at all the nasty smells in the air and left the alley until I found myself in a street of some kind. I heard the sound of loud buzzing traffic above me and when I looked up, my eyes bugged out in pure bewilderment at the sight of actual futuristic hover cars flying overhead and I let out a gasp of shock.

Despite that, I focused on the sky and noticed that there wasn't one to see since it was completely obscured by a thick heavy smog and even the tips of the tallest buildings in the city around me seemed to disappear into the yellowish-brown void, looking like a hopeless and dreary sight and it made me uneasy as I had a bad feeling about this place.

Not knowing what else to do, I just walked down the street and did a double-take when I noticed that the streets were filled with the strangest of creatures like robots, aliens, mutants, cyborgs, and swore that I caught a glimpse of a human or two but then I saw that they had either gills or a tail and couldn't help but stare as I felt a chill up my spine and started to consider that I wasn't in Japan anymore, not the one I'm familiar with anyway.

Taking a deep breath and trying to stay calm, I was hit with the putrid stench again and I grimaced as I covered my nose and muzzle with my hand while I wondered how everyone was just walking around casually and breathed in the horrible exhaust and fumes from machines since it wasn't this bad back in the United States, not where I lived at least.

From what I could see, the city was dull and dirty like all the life had been sucked out of it completely but the only bright thing about it was numerous screen projections of a black ogre with flames for eyebrows and branch-like spikes for hair, the screens scattered all over the place with the creature advertising all sorts of commercials such as fast food and vacation resorts while I couldn't help but look at the creature on the screens.

"Fuck, talk about one hell of a mascot," I muttered as I eyed a projection of the ogre resting on a hammock at a white sandy beach while holding a martini and winking at the audience while the words 'Aku Island Resort, you wish you were here but you can just keep dreaming' flashed over it and I couldn't help but made a face at another advertisement that said 'Aku is always watching you'.

"Well, that's not very creepy at all," I mumbled sarcastically just before I was shoved to the ground without warning and landed onto my hands and knees.

"Hey, watch where you're going, prick!" I snapped irritably and stood up before turning to give this asshole a piece of my mind, only I saw a very peeved-looking robot and my anger died down before it was replaced with complete nervousness.

"Move it, skin-bones!" the robot retorted harshly with a mechanical voice until it motored away and I decided to let it go since getting into a pissing match with a robot was a bad idea and I needed to keep a low profile until I figure out what was going on.

"Oh dear, are you okay?" a British male voice asked in concern and I nodded.

"I think so, thank you," I said gratefully and looked at whoever spoke, only to not see anyone and looked down before spotting a blue dachshund wearing a safari hat and a red bow tie while he had a monocle on his left eye.

"Oh, that's good since I was afraid that rude individual hurt you," the dog suddenly spoke without warning.

At that moment, my eyes became as wide as saucers at the sight of the dog speaking like a human and standing up like one as well while my brain struggled to reboot at seeing the impossible before me, though I could tell that he wasn't a person wearing a costume and he wasn't a robot either since his movements were too fluid to be a machine.

'What the...fuck?' I thought stupidly as I was outright staring at the talking dog, who started looking worried until I snapped out of it and needed to say something before this guy got suspicious.

"Well, thanks for your concern," I said with a slight stutter in my voice and the dog perked up.

"It's no trouble at all since we canines must stick together in this dreary world, don't you agree dear boy?" the dog questioned and I nodded while I noticed a terrier and a bulldog approaching us, the terrier smoking a pipe while the bulldog smiled at me.

"Ye dimwit, don't be wandering off like that and who's that?" the terrier wondered in a Scottish accent and the dachshund looked embarrassed.

"Dreadfully sorry about that, Angus, but I noticed this polite fella getting shoved down and I wanted to check and see if he was okay," the dachshund explained and I waved meekly.

"Hello, my name is Bradley Chase but my friends call me Brad," I greeted and the dachshund suddenly had a look of realization.

"Oh, where are my manners? I am Sir Colin Bartholomew Montgomery Rothchild III, Rothie for short and these are my associates Sir Angus McDuffy and...ugh...Dreyfuss, you're drooling again," Rothchild reminded Dreyfuss, causing him to look sheepish before he shook his head and sent saliva everywhere while the rest of us was hit by the spray until Dreyfuss noticed.

"Sorry," Dreyfuss muttered in embarrassment as Rothchild took out a handkerchief seemingly from out of nowhere and started wiping himself off.

"And that is Sir Dreyfuss Alexander," Rothchild finished dryly after he was done and I made a face.

"Right..." I trailed off with an unamused expression as I flung my hands to try and get the saliva off of me while feeling disgusted until I asked, "Actually, I'm new in town and a little lost so can you tell me where I am?"

"Most certainly, we are currently located in the central hub of the city, Sector D," Rothchild answered and I frowned slightly since that didn't exactly help.

"Okay, but this city wouldn't happen to be Kyoto, would it?" I questioned and the dogs looked at each other with puzzled expressions until Rothchild returned his attention to me.

"Ki-yoto? I'm afraid I have not heard of this Ki-yoto so is that where you're from?" Rothchild asked in confusion and my stomach started sinking.

"No, I was touring in Kyoto with a friend before I found myself here but this country is Japan, right?" I inquired since everyone seems to speak English and I haven't encountered anyone yet who spoke Japanese while Rothchild scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, it used to be called Japan several hundred years ago but now that you mention it," Rothchild muttered as he pulled out an electronic device of some kind before typing on it and appeared to have gotten the result he wanted.

"Aha, there it is! Kyoto, the once-thriving capital of Imperial Japan," Rothchild said and I looked over his shoulder to see a map of Japan with a blinking red dot that I assumed was Kyoto.

"Yeah, it was the capital until they changed it to Tokyo," I stated until Rothchild looked back to send me a puzzled expression.

"Tokyo?" Rothchild muttered and typed it in before an error screen popped up.

"Hmm, it appears that you must be mistaken since I'm afraid that Tokyo isn't a part of our history," Rothchild informed me and my eyes widened as I froze after straightening back up.

"What? That can't be right, it's the current capital of Japan," I stated in shock and the dogs sent me strange looks.

"No, Kyoto was the last and final capital before the Aku era began and as I said before, this isn't Japan anymore," Rothchild explained, though he stared at me with a confused expression as I started breathing heavily and gripped my head with both hands.

"Oh god, this isn't right...everything's all wrong and it can't be possible...Aku, I keep seeing and hearing that name everywhere so he must be that ugly ogre on all those ads, right? What the hell is up with that guy?" I questioned after I managed to calm down, then the dogs started looking very disturbed and begun to gaze around nervously as Rothchild took my hand with his paw.

"Come with us, better that we talk more privately so the wrong person doesn't hear you say that," Rothchild suggested in a hushed tone as he tugged my hand in a gesture for me to follow.

I let him pull me along with Angus and Dreyfuss right behind us and once we reached an empty street, Rothchild took out a device that was the combination of a dog muzzle and scanner before he planted it onto his nose, then I fidgeted slightly as he got into my personal space and sniffed me with it until he quickly turned his attention to the small computer that was hooked up to it until his eyes went round at the results and he removed the scanner.

"My word, as I live and breathe...not only are you not from this town, but there are no DNA trace records of you anywhere while the results also say that you aren't any lifeform that's ever been recorded on this planet!" Rothchild gasped and his scanner was ripped out of his hands by Angus.

"What? Let me see that!" Angus demanded and read it until he huffed, "Clearly this contraption is faulty and it looks like you've been scammed, Rothchild. I hope you can get your money back."

"Nonsense, this is my very own invention and I'll have you know that my inventions are always fault-free," Rothchild argued as he snatched the scanner back and Dreyfuss cleared his throat.

"Then why is it saying that he doesn't exist and isn't a canine?" Dreyfuss asked as he pointed at the screen and the dogs became silent after that until Rothchild started looking uncomfortable.

"Perhaps I may have forgotten to adjust the stabilizer," Rothchild said uncertainly as he shook the device next to his ear as if to check for loose parts.

"Um, not to be rude, but what the fuck are you guys talking about?" I questioned hesitantly while I was growing more and more uncomfortable with the current situation.

"That's what we're trying to figure out, laddie," Angus grumbled while Rothchild hummed thoughtfully before shrugging and stuffing the scanner into his bag.

"I suppose that we will have to do this the old fashion way so tell me, my dear boy, is it true that you do not know who Aku is?" Rothchild asked me with a concerned look and I started stroking the bottom of my muzzle.

"Well, now that you mention it, I have heard stories about him from a friend," I muttered and Rothchild smiled as he nodded to his friends, seeming to accept my answer.

"Wait, isn't he that horrific demon who terrorized Japan until the Emperor's son finally killed him after becoming a full-fledged samurai warrior? My friend, Takashi, always claimed that he was a descendent of the samurai but I was unsure about it, though I enjoyed the stories he told me either way," I commented and Rothchild nodded.

"Alright then, question number two...when were you born?" Rothchild questioned and I smiled since that was easy.

"January 16, 1996," I answered proudly since I knew I wouldn't get that wrong, but my smile disappeared when I only saw the dumbfounded looks on two of the dogs' faces due to Angus's fur and hat covering any expression he might have and their looks told me that something was wrong.

"What country do you hail from?" Rothchild asked.

"The United States of America," I replied while the sinking feeling in my gut grew bigger and Rothchild started looking astounded.

"I have never heard of such a place so who is the ruler of that land?" Rothchild inquired eagerly.

"Um, well, we don't have a leader exactly but we do have a president and the country is mainly run by the federal government," I answered hesitantly and the dogs looked even more stunned while Rothchild pulled out a notebook and began writing down notes about what I said.

"Who was the first person to step on the moon?" Rothchild asked and I was taken aback by that since it was a random question.

"Neil Armstrong," I responded awkwardly and Rothchild continued writing on his notebook until he stopped and slowly closed the notebook before looking at me with a serious expression at first, then he started beaming.

"Bradley, my dear boy...I think that we have found the cause of your predicament!" Rothchild cried excitingly as he smiled at me with a eureka gesture and Dreyfuss started looking puzzled.

"We have?" Dreyfuss asked, looking rather lost and Rothchild nodded.

"I thought it was strange when I saw you looking so full of life than everyone else who is under Aku's rule since someone like you is either very rare or practically non-existent in this day and age, especially in a big city such as this one," Rothchild told me and it made me wonder just how bad things were for people to become completely drained of hope and life altogether.

"Aye, an endangered species that's practically extinct, you are," Angus agreed with a nod and I was being overwhelmed by everything that was happening since it was like the entire world had gone completely nuts.

"Normally, I would've said that you are from another planet because of the results of you not being a recorded lifeform on this world but my device has clearly labeled you as an earthling, despite denying your existence and strangely not being a canine while I stand by my word that my invention is working perfectly.

So, having gathered enough information, I can safely conclude that you come from an alternate reality, one where Japan still exists and one without Aku in it!" Rothchild exclaimed ecstatically.

"Aye, either that or he's a complete nutcase but let's not forget the part where your contraption says that he's not a canine," Angus pointed out and Rothchild nodded.

"Yes, that is a bit strange but there must be an explanation for that and only dear Bradley can tell us," Rothchild agreed and I cleared my throat while holding a hand up.

"Hold on, you're trying to tell me that I'm from a different dimension entirely?" I questioned in disbelief as I pinched the space between my eyes and struggled to take this in.

"Precisely, and it's the only logical explanation as to why my invention can't trace your family roots," Rothchild stated and I sighed.

"Okay, I guess that makes sense," I mumbled, but nothing about all this made sense and I had half a mind to claim that this was all a dream since nothing else would explain me changing into a black humanoid jackal and the extreme change in settings after falling asleep and waking up later.

"Anyway, who is this Aku fella that you all have been talking about?" I asked and the dogs started looking depressed.

"He is the source of our suffering, our demon overlord, the Shogun of Sorrow, and unlike the story in your world...he has taken control of our poor planet and has gripped others with countless unthinkable horrors," Rothchild explained solemnly, the sadness in his eyes and voice contrasting with his cheerfulness earlier.

"I wish we had a samurai hero..." Dreyfuss trailed off sadly and I frowned in concern.

I looked at one of the ads of Aku eating a footlong sandwich and couldn't imagine what it was like growing up in a world that was ruled by someone like Aku, who fittingly had a name that meant evil thanks to Takashi for teaching me Japanese and it was probably a good idea that I didn't stay in this world since it was terrifying to even think about what Aku would do to me if he were to discover that I was here.

"So, you wouldn't happen to know of a way for me to get back to my world, do you?" I inquired and didn't like the way the dogs looked at each other with worried expressions.

"Well, the thing is laddie..." Angus began uneasily.

"While space, time, and interdimensional travel are not unheard of here..." Rothchild added tentatively.

"You need special permission," Dreyfuss finished and I tensed up since I had an idea of who I needed permission from.

"From who?" I asked hesitantly and prayed that they weren't going to say who I thought they were going to say.

"Aku," the three dogs answered simultaneously, confirming my worst fears and my shoulders slumped.

"No one comes and goes without his say, so you're lucky that he hasn't noticed you if he hasn't already," Angus stated and I swallowed heavily since that wasn't the answer I was looking for and it looked like I would have to make a deal with the devil to go back, though even I knew that was a very bad idea.

"And what are the chances of him helping me?" I inquired uneasily and Rothchild shook his head.

"Not very likely and even if there was the slightest chance, I would not recommend it. In fact, I would highly advise against it because, from the sound of it, your world has been pure and untouched by Aku's cruelty for generations and if he were to find out that such a world exists..." Rothchild trailed off and shuddered at the thought.

Hearing that, I knew that he was right since Aku discovering my world will bring unimaginable horrors to my home with god knows how many people getting killed or worse, then I felt distraught as I looked down and clenched my hands into fists while I tried not to cry at the thought that I was trapped here permanently. I understood that asking Aku for help was out of the question, not that I wanted to in the first place and I was actually relieved that I didn't have to but at what cost?

"Then what the fuck am I going to do? I have a family, home, and future," I wondered with my voice cracking as I tried to not break down in front of the three dogs, who were staring at me sympathetically until Rothchild came over to pat my leg.

"I'm so very sorry, dear boy, but I am afraid that there is nothing that can be done," Rothchild solemnly.

"If we had a way, we'd offer it to you in a heartbeat," Angus pitched in until Rothchild smiled up at me.

"But, that isn't to say that you can't have a family, home, and future here. We can help you get settled in but first, there is this pub we know that isn't far from here so how about a pint to cheer you up?" Rothchild offered and I looked surprised.

"Really? But, I'm not sure the money I have on me will pay for the drink," I pointed out and Rothchild shook his head.

"No need to worry, we'll take care of it and consider it a way to make our new friendship official," Rothchild reassured and I smiled at his kindness and that I wasn't going to be alone in this situation I was in.

"That's all well and good, Rothie, but how do you propose we get the lad settled into his new life?" Angus chimed in.

"He's going to need a place to stay," Dreyfuss drawled.

"Not only that, but he's also going to need a job to provide for himself if he doesn't want to be homeless," Angus added and Rothchild smiled.

"Not to worry, I know of just the place but let us have that pint first," Rothchild reassured before we started walking again.

I followed Rothchild in silence as we joined a crowded street with Angus and Dreyfuss on either side of me in a companionable comfort as I thought about my current situation and became depressed again, my eyes becoming downcast and my moral low since I wanted to protest living in a filthy city like this one and go home because everyone back home and Takashi was most likely scared of how I disappeared and were trying to find me.

It was true that I was supposed to be touring in Japan for a couple of weeks, but Takashi has probably called the police by now and search parties were out looking for me, though they won't ever find me and the thought of being trapped in a dark world run by a cruel demon scared me while it had become clear that this wasn't a dream because of smelling the fumes with such clarity proved that this wasn't a dream.

"So, what are you if you're not a canine and how did you get here?" Angus asked suddenly and I looked down to stare at him, only he wasn't returning eye-contact and I realized that he was trying to distract me from my current worries.

"Oh, well, I'm not exactly certain but let me start from the beginning," I began as I recalled what happened earlier.


"And that's when I found myself here but I don't know how I got here since I was asleep," I finished after telling my story and the dogs were fully focused on me with looks of surprise.

"So, you were a pure-bred human who was consumed by a large black alien mass and found yourself in the form you're currently in? That's pretty strange, laddie, but nothing about this is normal either way," Angus stated and I nodded in agreement until we came to a stop in front of a building.

"Ah, here we are!" Rothchild notified us as he spread out his arms gleefully at the sight of the black metal door that was illuminated by red lights, the shady-looking building making me feel uncomfortable until I could hear a distant beat inside that sounded familiar.

'Is that a rave I'm hearing?' I thought and recalled one of my friends dragging me to a rave once, though I didn't see the appeal in it since it was deafeningly loud and people kept rudely bumping into me without so much as apologizing.

Rothchild knocked on the door three times with his tongue sticking out goofily out of the corner of his muzzle, then three vertical eye-slots opened one after the other as three eyes peered out.

"Who's there?" a gruff male voice demanded and Rothchild chuckled.

"Why, don't you recognize me, Fuzzy?" Rothchild questioned while smiling brightly and the three eyes looked downwards until they saw him and the eyes widened.

"Oh, just one moment," Fuzzy said and the slots slid shut before the door slid open.

At that moment, music blared out from the inside with such intensity that I could physically feel the beat pounding down on me and I instinctively covered my ears to protect them from the noise as I saw a large alien with three pairs of eyes, four arms, and covered in brown fur.

'I see where the name Fuzzy comes from,' I thought as I tentatively removed my hands from my ears once they slowly but surely adjusted to the volume.

We walked in while Rothchild waved at Fuzzy and that's when I got a good look at the place, my muzzle dropping open as I could see stripper girls dancing in luminescent bubble cages and wearing nothing but cosmic swimsuits while I was glad that they didn't strip further than that as we headed to a private table booth and the rave music thankfully died down after that once the sliding door closed.

Pretty soon after that, we were chatting with an alien lizard and Rothchild was asking for help in freeing his kind from Aku's slavery, only the alien glared at him and picked him up before garbling something and threw him down until leaving the booth.

"Um, the fuck did that guy just say?" I asked awkwardly and Angus looked at me.

"He said that Rothie is out of his damn mind and that he would rather shoot himself in the foot before helping us on our suicide mission," Angus told me and I was puzzled as to why Rothchild wanted to stand up to Aku suddenly.

"Rothie, why do you want to stand up against Aku?" I questioned with a hushed tone since it wouldn't be a good idea to say something like that out loud.

"Because, my dear Bradley, hearing what you told us and seeing the evidence with my own eyes has given me hope that Aku can be stopped so I want to find someone who can help save us from that demon's cruelty," Rothchild explained and I heard the sounds of things breaking nearby before I looked and saw an Asian man with black hair that was tied back while he was wearing a white Japanese gi and wooden sandals as he was slicing amphibian aliens apart with a katana and my eyes widened at the skills he was displaying.

"Uh, what about him?" I implied as I pointed at the man and Rothchild perked up at the sight of the man while he was being surrounded by more aliens, then I noticed that the ones he sliced apart were robots.

"You mean the lad who's about to get his arse disintegrated?" Argus remarked and Dreyfuss covered his eyes.

"Ohh, I can't watch," Dreyfuss whimpered and Rothchild grinned as he looked at me.

"Yes, I can see what you're talking about and I like him," Rothchild admitted excitingly as more fighting broke out.

I could see the robots firing tiny missiles at the man and he expertly dodged them before slashing a few with his katana as explosions erupted and I was just amazed at how the man was easily defending himself as Rothchild beamed at the action we were witnessing.

"By Jove, he's good," Rothchild muttered in astonishment.

"Aye, but it ain't over," Angus agreed as the fighting continued.

I could barely see what was going on in the smoke but I could witness enough as the robots tried to kill the man with sharp claws, though he kept dodging and slicing off their arms until the smoke cleared up and I was stunned by how he managed to take down many attackers like it was just another Sunday for him.

"Holy shit..." I trailed off in disbelief and Rothchild nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, that's our boy so he'll help us," Rothchild stated.

"Aye, he's good alright, but he'll never do it," Angus pointed out cynically and Rothchild adjusted his bowtie.

"We'll see about that," Rothchild said in determination.

"Be careful, Rothchild," Dreyfuss warned nervously and I realized what Rothchild was about to do.

"Wait, you're going to talk to that man? Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked as Rothchild was about to leave the booth.

"No worries, Bradley, everything is under control," Rothchild reassured as he went to walk to the man and I decided to come with in the event things don't go well as we walked over to the man and Rothchild cleared his throat to get the man's attention as he holstered his sword.

"Pardon me, fine sir," Rothchild announced and the man looked around with an expression of confusion before Rothchild grabbed his gi and tugged on it.

"Down here, old fellow," Rothchild added and the man turned to look until he saw the blue dachshund and me while I waved shyly and Rothchild's tail wagged before the man's mouth dropped open in shock.

"I was just wondering if you would be so kind as to join us, as we are-" Rothchild started to say and was cut off.

"Talking demon dogs!" the man exclaimed as he flinched back and Rothchild started looking around frantically.

"Good heavens, where?!" Rothchild yelped while he was looking and I knew that this wasn't going well.

"Um, Rothie, I think he's talking about us," I clarified and recoiled when the man reached for the handle of his sword with a suspicious expression.

"You will not best me this day, vile henchmen of Aku!" the man declared and I waved my hands frantically to try and dissuade him from attacking us.

"Holy crap, take it easy because we're not demons or have anything to do with Aku so please don't hurt us!" I reasoned in a panic and Rothchild nodded.

"He's correct, so you can keep that sword holstered because we don't mean any harm," Rothchild agreed and the man frowned as he let go of his sword and knelt down in front of him with his hand holding his chin in thought.

"But you two speak the language of men," the man argued distrustfully and Rothchild beamed.

"But of course and I take it that you aren't from around here, are you?" Rothchild asked the look on the man's face told us everything.

"Hey, why don't you join us and our friends for a drink while we explain everything," I offered to try and ease the tension that was in the air, then the man appeared to ponder my invitation for a short time until he finally nodded and Rothchild grinned.

"Splendid, right this way!" Rothchild said happily as he gestured for the man to follow us and he stayed right behind us as we headed back to our booth.

Soon after, a long silence stretched between all five of us as we waited for our drinks and if there was a way to describe the current atmosphere, awkward would most certainly be it as the man looked at Dreyfuss and the bulldog smiled, causing the man to slowly smile back while I cleared my throat uncomfortably until the sliding door opened and a waitress with three eyes appeared with a tray of drinks.

"Refreshments are here~" the woman announced with a sweet sugary voice and I nodded to her.

"Splendid!" Rothchild cheered as the woman gave three martini cups to the dogs, a bottle of beer for me, and a glass pot of cold tea for the man while he picked it up and inspected it curiously before he could see a clam inside that was breathing and blinking right back at him, causing the man to look discomforted as he gently placed the pot down and scooted it away.

I felt sorry for the Asian man who looked clearly out of his element and I sent him a reassuring smile, which made him nod in response as I took a sip from my beer and Rothchild cleared his throat.

"My boy, I do apologize and how rude of us. We haven't introduced ourselves so this is Sir Dreyfuss Alexander, Chief of Excavation...um, Dreyfuss old boy, you're drooling again," Rothchild pointed out quietly and Dreyfuss blinked at that.

"Oh, sorry," Dreyfuss muttered sheepishly until he shook his head and we all got sprayed again while the man shielded himself with an arm and I groaned irritably.

"Ye damned idiot, you're getting everybody wet!" Angus complained as I flung the saliva off of me and sent a glare at Dreyfuss.

"He's right, now would you please stop that because it's getting fucking annoying and it's highly disgusting," I said with a look of annoyance and Dreyfuss had the decency to look embarrassed as Rothchild gestured at Angus.

"Anyway, this fine gentleman is Angus McDuffy and he is artifact aficionado, I am Sir Colin Bartholomew Montgomery Rothchild III or Rothie for short, and this is our new friend Bradley Chase, a young lad we just met today," Rothchild continued before he chuckled and the man wiped his cheek to get rid of any saliva that was on it.

"I'm sorry, I'm very confused and your world is new to me so what has happened?" the man asked and Rothchild held up his hands in a reassuring gesture before he fiddled with his bowtie.

"No, that's quite alright so let me explain...since the beginning of history, the immortal Aku has cruelly ruled the earth while plundering its resources as he sees fit but it was still not enough. He opened his ports to the galaxy so that he might take the riches from other worlds as well.

Since then, his otherworldly business affairs has drawn scads of ruthless criminals, mindless idiots, and questionable mercenaries to our pitiable planet, making this world a truly hellish place if I do say so myself," Rothchild explained and I was shocked at how the world had become in this alternate reality and prayed that Aku never finds out about my home or he would unleash a terrible hell on it.

"There are other worlds across the stars?" the man wondered in shock as he looked up at the ceiling and I didn't blame him since I felt pretty overwhelmed myself at the knowledge of aliens existing and it's possible that they might exist in my reality.

"Well, of course, silly so what world do you hail from?" Rothchild asked and lapped at his drink.

"But...I am from earth, yet this world is nothing like the world I remember," the man stated and it caught the interest of Angus and Dreyfuss while my curiosity peaked.

"How so, lad?" Angus inquired and the man looked thoughtful as he looked up.

"Even the grandest of cities was never as overwhelming as this one while chariots did not fly and dogs did not speak in human tongue," the man answered and it appeared to catch all three dogs off guard while I paused at that after taking a sip from my beer.

"What do you mean?!" the three dogs exclaimed in disbelief and the man seemed to ponder the right words to tell them.

"Well, I mean no insult and they were wonderful companions, but the dogs I knew merely barked," the man clarified before Dreyfuss inhaled sharply with his eyes wide in shock as Rothchild started looking excited.

"You see, the ancient myths are true!" Rothchild blurted to me and the other canines and I started thinking about where or when this man is from since he is talking like he's from ancient Japan or something as Angus slammed his fist onto the table.

"Impossible! If what you are saying is true, then he would have to be thousands of years old!" Angus shouted in disbelief and that's when the pieces started coming together as I looked at Rothchild with wide eyes.

"Um, Rothie, I'm starting to believe that this man is actually from the distant past," I chimed in and Rothchild smiled at me.

"Well, let us find out," Rothchild stated before he took out his scanner and put it on his muzzle.

Rothchild leaned forward to sniff at the man, who scooted back in alarm until the device was finished and Rothchild took off the scanner to look at the results before he gasped in bewilderment.

"Astounding, the age-o-meter dates your particles all the way back to 25 BA, twenty-five years before Aku enslaved the earth...you, my friend, are a living fossil," Rothchild explained as the man's eyes widened at the revelation and I was stunned that I was looking at an actual samurai from ancient Japan while the man started stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"So, the question is not where I am but when I am," the man muttered and Rothchild nodded.

"Precisely," Rothchild agreed and Angus scoffed.

"What is with you humans and getting yourselves lost in space and time? This is the second time this week," Angus snorted, looking like he was trying hard not to laugh while the man appeared to be surprised to hear that.

"The second? You mean that this has happened before?" the man asked and Rothchild beamed as he gestured at me with his thumb while I started feeling uncomfortable with all the attention being thrown on me.

"Take dear Bradley here, he's gone through a very similar predicament you have but his situation is completely different, though you two have so much in common because of it," Rothchild answered as he reached up to pat me on the shoulder and the man started staring at me with a look of surprise.

"I hope that this does not come off as an intrusive question, but were you sent into this future by Aku as well?" the man asked me and I shook my head while shrugging.

"No, I have no idea how I got here since I fell asleep in my reality and woke up here in this alternate one but why would Aku send you here?" I questioned in confusion and the man's eyes hardened.

"Because I am the only one who is capable of vanquishing him and I cannot allow for his evil a chance to fester and infect the entire world," the man stated and I was surprised at the bold, if not arrogant claim while I could see his hand clutching the handle of his sword tightly as if itching to act on his words.

"Well, it feels pretty infected since you can't even see the sky from here," I added and Angus sighed.

"Aye, and I'm sure he plans to spread his unspeakable horrors though the stars as well," Angus agreed and the man narrowed his eyes in determination.

"No, I must return to my own time so that I might undo Aku's evil reign before it envelops the earth...this ageless demon must be stopped," the man declared as he clenched his fist tightly and Rothchild practically jumped at those words.

"Oh, I'm so glad we agree on that point, which brings us back to our proposal. You see, we are archeologists trying to dig up the remains of our ancestors to find out more about our past and it is only a few years ago that we discovered that our ancestors walked upon their arms and legs!" Rothchild explained happily while spreading his arms to empathize it, then the man and I unintentionally shared a look while I thought about how very odd all of this was.

"T-That's incredible and you must be quite proud of such a discovery," I complimented with a slight stutter in my voice as I forced a smile for the three dogs.

"Oh, we certainly are, but..." Rothchild trailed off as he started looking solemn.

"One day, during the excavation, we actually stumbled upon rare jewels," Dreyfuss continued and I looked puzzled.

"And that's bad?" I questioned, not understanding why they weren't happy about that when they should be ecstatic as Angus nodded.

"Aye, because these jewels ended up being a source of power for Aku," Angus clarified and I let out a noise of realization at how that would get the demon's attention.

"So, he enslaved us to forever dig up his jewels...thus stifling the excavation of our glorious past, which is why we need you!" Rothchild begged the man as he grasped the sleeve of the samurai's gi, causing the man to look down at him with a troubled frown.

"But what can I do?" the man asked.

"With your tremendous skill, you can break us free from Aku's cruelty and we can escape in secret to keep discovering our history," Rothchild answered and the man closed his eyes as he appeared to think about what he had learned while I cleared my throat.

"Um, that...sounds like a really risky request and I don't mean to be a fucking pessimist, but this Aku fella sounds highly deadly and appears very powerful considering everything I have seen and heard, not to mention that he's a really nasty demon so how can one man, who is completely out of his element mind you, free an entire civilization?" I pointed out since this whole thing seems to be too much for one man to handle, even if he's really skilled with a sword.

"But we are running out of options and almost lost hope until we met you, but we have spent years trying to find someone who could help us! You have seen him with his sword as the rest of us have, haven't you? He is the best chance we have, a chance that I'm afraid we shall never have again," Rothchild stated desperately and I understood where he was coming from, but this was too much to ask a stranger and was about to argue.

"I will help you," the man said suddenly and our attention was turned back at him while my mouth dropped open at his definitive answer and Rothchild looked more than pleased as he hopped out of his seat and headed to the door.

"Splendid, we're off then!" Rothchild cheered as the door slid open and the three dogs led the man out of our private booth while I just sat there and stared at him in bewilderment, stunned by what I had just heard since never before in my life have I met someone who was willing to start a revolution for free.

"Are ye coming or not?" Angus called out, snapping me out of my stupor and I scrambled out of the booth.

"S-Sorry, I'm coming!" I yelped as I rushed over to the others and we were about to leave when Rothchild stopped us and looked back at the man.

"My dearest apologies, kind sir, but we never got your name," Rothchild pointed out and I felt stupid for not asking the man for his name, though I was really stressed out at the moment so it's understandable that my mind is all over the place.

The man didn't answer immediately and looked deep in thought, appearing deep in concentration that I started to wonder if he forgot it but he finally looked at us with resolution in his eyes.

"They call me Jack," Jack introduced firmly and there was a long period of silence after that until Rothchild decided to break the ice.

"Jack...I see, that quite nice and so simple, yet who am I to comment? Come along, Jack," Rothchild said and we continued walking to the entrance as I stared at the samurai with a puzzled expression.

Is this guy's name really Jack or did he come up with it to hide his true name? I couldn't help but wonder with the way he dressed, looked, spoke, and behaved was so Japanese that him having a name that wasn't was so completely strange but, then again, I had become a humanoid black jackal while also being in a dystopian reality and friends to three talking dogs so perhaps I was overthinking it as I walked up next to Jack.

"Hey, um...Jack? Is it really okay for you to agree to this?" I asked hesitantly.

"Aku's evil must be stopped, that is my duty," Jack stated in a tone that allowed no room for argument while he simply stared straight ahead with a sharp focus, just as I watched him and tried to figure him out until I shrugged and decided to let it go.

"Shit, you're a strange fellow but who am I to judge?" I mumbled since I couldn't tell if he was chivalrous or stupid.

At first, I was relieved that I had met someone who was in the same unexpected situation I was but now I was starting to have doubts since I was considering that Jack came from an era long gone in my reality that I couldn't help but feel that this samurai was just as alien as everyone else, though he was polite and kind so it wasn't all that odd.

"So, are we walking the entire way?" I asked Rothchild as we left the building and he chuckled.

"Don't be silly, we'll take our rocket ship," Rothchild said and Jack looked puzzled.

"Rocket ship?" Jack questioned in confusion and Rothchild simply winked at him.

We continued on with Rothchild being the main source of conversation as he went on and on about everything, but mainly about his archeological finds with Angus occasionally piping up with a sarcastic remark and Dreyfuss drooling again while Jack was silent during the entire duration but I could tell by the tightness of his mouth and the wrinkles between his brows that he had a lot of questions.

I merely smiled and nodded as Rothchild kept babbling until I eventually tuned him out as I looked up at the sky and the heavy smog that were as thick as storm clouds while I still held onto the slight hope that maybe there was a way to get back to normal and find a way home so that I could escape this dark and hopeless world.


A/N Hello everyone and I know you're wondering why I'm making another story since I have so many...well, the truth is that I loved Samurai Jack when I was a kid and finding a few clips of the show while watching the fifth season recently has gotten me to wonder what would happen if a normal college student became a being similar to Aku and joined Jack on his quest to return to the past.

Well, this idea was in my head for a while and I also thought about the video game Okami so I thought to myself 'Why don't I make those two into a crossover?' and now I have since I'm pretty sure that this is the first crossover of the two because I haven't seen any and I'm sure you're all excited about it.

Anyway, I just want to let you all know that Brad won't have the knowledge of fully using his shapeshifting abilities and other magic powers since he just got his new form and he'll master them as time goes on until the events of season five where he's fully experienced in his abilities and other skills that he's learned from Jack from over fifty years of survival.

So, let me know what you think about this story and stay tuned.