It appeared to be a door. Solid, smoothly finished wood, a brass knob, but no frame around it. Hinges were on one side, but they weren't fastened to anything. And it was standing right in the middle of the sidewalk. It almost looked commonplace, for all the attention it was getting. An old couple walked past it without giving it a second thought, but watching the nine students who had gathered around it. A woman led her dog past, and it barked excitedly at them. That was when Konata realized - most people couldn't even see that it was there.

"What is that?" Tsukasa asked, after they had all stared at it in silence for several moments.

"A gateway," Nagato said. "It leads to a certain unspecified alternate world." By her tone of voice, she could have been telling them about the weather.

"Did I... make this?" Konata said.

"It would seem so. You don't know anything about it, Konata?" Koizumi asked. "I'm quite impressed by it, to tell the truth. I've never seen anything like this."

Konata shook her head. She watched as Mikuru circled around the door, looking at the backside of it... But, judging by her expression as she saw it, there was something wrong.

"There isn't a..." she started. "W-what's going on? Is it still there?"

Konata walked over to where she was, and turned back to look at where it had stood. Nothing was there now, she could clearly see the others who were standing on the other side. From this standpoint, everything, even the shadow it had cast, were gone, or just invisible.

"So this will take us back home, right?" Kagami asked. She walked forward to open it, Konata and Mikuru watching as her hand closed around the doorknob that was invisible from their perspective.

"Don't open it," Nagato instructed.

"Huh? Why not?" Kagami said. She backed away, awaiting an explanation.

"We still don't know exactly where this door leads," Koizumi said. "There's a good chance it might only be one way. Not to mention there are others left to investigate."

"There's more than one?" Miyuki said.

"So far we've found three other gateways like this one, all spread around across the city. We found the first one in the club room, actually. There's one in the center of an intersection, and another one at the train station just across the street." Koizumi looked over at Konata. "You did a good job with these. Do you have any idea where you're taking us?"

That was a weird thought, that she had created all these things that she didn't know a thing about... "Thanks, I guess... I don't know. What's the plan?"

"Um... these don't go anywhere dangerous, do they?" Tsukasa said. "You wouldn't do that, right, Kona-chan?" The question was added like a second thought.

"I don't think so..."

"This is all very exciting, but I need to get home soon. There's a big homework assignment - " Kyon started.

"No, if we're doing this, you need to come," Jason said. Addressing all four of the Brigade members, he explained, "Haruhi doesn't know anyone else in our group. If we find her, she'll most likely trust the people she recognizes. And..." He scanned the portal, which sat there motionless. "If there are four of these total..." He thought for a moment, and added, "We'll split into teams and go through them. One of you will be with each one."

Kyon stared at him. "You're suggesting all of us just drop everything and go off... wherever this thing leads?"

"I've got a really bad feeling about whatever happened to Haruhi. Somehow I just know... We need to figure out what's going on, maybe even stop it. It scared me even to let Konata into the Organization at first, and she was considered the safe choice. If Haruhi's been taken somewhere, who knows what's going on?"

His words sank in for a while. Konata circled back around so that the door became visible again, and laid her hand against it. The wood was solid, it even felt warm in the sunlight. What would happen if someone who couldn't see it ran into it? Would it still be there, or was it just an illusion, albeit one with a physical form? If this was part of her power, it just made everything that much more confusing.

"Something tells me that this is the best decision we can make for the time being..." Koizumi mused. "Though there is a fair amount of risk involved, and we would be dropping everything and going into the unknown."

"Um, I'll have to check with my superiors if I'm allowed to go into... different worlds... and stuff," Mikuru said.

"It'll be alright. Let's come up with teams..." Konata said, remembering Jason's idea, which had sounded good. "One of these has to lead to wherever Haruhi is. And maybe..." She remembered the night before, when she had tried to create a way back home. Nothing had appeared at first, but here it was. "Maybe one of them goes back to my world."

"How do we know which one?" Tsukasa asked. "I really just want to go home, Mom and Dad are probably so worried..."

"And what about the other two doors?" Kagami said. "How do we know which one goes where?"

There were four of them - Konata, Kagami, Tsukasa, Miyuki. Four gateways - here, the club room, the train station, and the intersection. Four remaining members of the SOS Brigade - Kyon, Nagato, Mikuru, Koizumi. An idea was forming in Konata's mind, all these pieces were coming together... and it wasn't a coincidence. Deep down she had known they would need all these things, it all fit together so perfectly. She saw it now - she had arranged this.

"How many other Eclipse members are there in this world right now, other than us?" she asked, her hand still up against the door, wondering what was on the other side of this one. The side that couldn't be seen from this universe, because it existed in another.

"Let's see..." He paused to total them up. "Seven. And if we can find Dante, that would be eight people altogether," Jason said.

"Find him," Konata said, gaining some confidence. An even sixteen. Last night she hadn't felt so good, but now it was like she was in control again. "We'll make four teams of four. If one of these goes back home, then whoever gets there needs to tell everyone what happened. Especially my dad... He's probably so confused." She looked at her friends, who were silent, but nodded in understanding. "And whichever one leads to Haruhi... We should have one of the SOS Brigade in each team, to talk to her, like you said. And then two more in each team for extra defense... just in case it's needed."

"Slow down, Konata, this isn't one of your games. You seriously want us to split up?" Kagami said. "I don't even know these people, I don't know if I can even trust them."

"I'd be going on my own... Without any of you?" Tsukasa said, suddenly panicking.

"Yeah, pretty much..." Konata said. She realized what it must sound like, but went on anyway. "But I know everyone who ended up here. I trust all of them. You'll be in good hands." She did know all of them, after all... More undeniable proof of what she'd been told. Somehow, she'd drawn them in to save her world, people she could trust... And now they were here to help her with this next task.

"Before we make any final decisions, we should talk to these other Eclipse members... Former members, I guess I should say," Koizumi said.

"That's good. Let's have a meeting right away to come up with team assignments." Something almost frightening flashed in Konata's eyes, a familiar spark not unlike when she would commit herself to some game or collecting merchandise. "And I think we should get going tonight."

"That soon?" Miyuki said. "Well, um... I suppose that... the quicker we get started..."

"You're sure this is okay, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa said.

"I wouldn't let anything happen to you guys. I'd never want that to happen. And doesn't that count for something?" Konata said. "You all read that file. Of course it does. We'll gather up supplies, extra clothes and food..."

"Hang on, I can't just let Tsukasa go on her own, either," Kagami said. She turned towards Tsukasa, who silently agreed.

"If I did that, it would be too many people on one team who couldn't do anything if the situation were dangerous... I don't like taking these risks, but I think it's for the best."

Chapter 24

No Direction Home

"I really can't talk you out of this..." Kagami said. "You're trying to get us all killed. That's what it is."

She had been trying to avoid this since Konata first suggested the idea. All throughout the day, as they bought supplies and met with the other Eclipse members, she'd been desperately trying to convince Konata that this went against all sense and logic. There was no way she'd just let Tsukasa go out to some unknown world on her own. Not to mention Miyuki, too. They weren't cut out for this.

This was the last chance. Standing outside the apartment complex, under the glow of a streetlight, knowing it could be a long time before they ever met again. Maybe it had been a good thing that Konata had gone back home to save them from their doomed city. And maybe it had even been logical when, after realizing where they were, they had met with the SOS Brigade. Hell, Kagami was even willing to try one of these gateways that Konata had poofed into existence - provided the four of them all went together.

"I'm sorry, Kagamin. I really am. But this is what we're supposed to do, I just know it," Konata said. "And you probably won't die... Uh, everyone knows where they're going, right?"

"I can't believe it... You really think it's a good idea for us to split up like this," Kagami said. "I'm sorry, I just can't agree to this."

"Look, one of those doors has to lead back home. I just wish I understood what they were... But if one of us goes into each one, then one of us will get back there."

"One of us?" Kagami said in horror.

"It'll be okay... right?" Tsukasa said. Her faith was impressive, though she was still shaky. "And... all of us will get back there eventually, right?"

"Of course. Everything will turn out fine, I'll make sure of it." Konata knew that she wanted all of them to go back home, once this thing was sorted out. She really knew nothing about the gateways she had created. For all she knew, the four of them could just end up in separate places in the same world. The only thing she had thought about last night was creating a way to go back home, nothing else.

She'd learned never to assume anything.

"Are you really so sure about that?" Kagami said, almost like she was reading her mind.

"Hey, weren't you saying you guys were getting ready to go off to different colleges? You'd all be apart?" Konata said. "Think of it like that - "

"That's nothing like what you're suggesting," Kagami said. "You're insane."

"So whichever one of us gets the one that goes back to..." Miyuki racked her brain for a moment, recalling what the file had called it. "Lucky Star, if I remember correctly. What do we do then?"

"I want you to tell them everything - to all of our families, definitely... Depending on how people are handling the whole demon situation, maybe go public, and tell them it's all over," Konata said. "But I'll leave that decision up to you guys."

"Everything. Including the part about you being God," Kagami mumbled. Her tone was bitter.

"Uh... yeah," Konata said. "That should probably be part of it..." Didn't anyone realize how that made her feel? It was probably more uncomfortable for her than anyone else. Nobody else had to worry about their subconscious ripping open the fabric of space and time. Or that they'd create a portal to a world that would be dangerous... Konata tried to focus on Haruhi, on her dad, and if anything else, just think about places that were safe.

"But if we get one of the doors that goes somewhere else, what do we do then?" Tsukasa asked. It was obvious she really didn't want that to be her - Konata herself was actually hoping that Tsukasa would be the one to go home. With any luck, it would end up just so. Kagami would probably be able to take care of herself, Miyuki was at least able to think rationally under pressure...

"You won't be alone... All of the Eclipse members know how to fight, they'll help you if there's any danger." Konata tried to emphasize the 'if.'

"This really is the only way to move forward, isn't it..." Kagami said. She wasn't really asking, but simply resigning herself to an unpleasant fact. "I know I'm going to regret this."

"Hey, it'll all turn out fine, you'll see," Konata said. "This might be an opportunity for me to figure out how to control this thing... And I'd like to go back home as much as you guys do. I had a promise to keep."

"You've really grown up since we last saw you... haven't you, Konata-san?" Miyuki said.

"I guess I have..." All was silent. Tsukasa opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. None of them knew when they'd be together again, and there wasn't much to be said anymore. Konata finally spoke again. "We shouldn't keep the others waiting... Time to head out, I guess."

They headed out in three directions - Konata in one, Kagami in another, Tsukasa and Miyuki staying together for at least a few blocks. The silence was deafening.

The four of them met in the club room - Konata, Junpei, Jason, and Koizumi. It was dark, though the door standing upright in front of the window had been immediately noticeable, a dark shadow against the navy-blue night sky.

"Excellent work getting us in here, Iori-san," Koizumi said.

"All I did was unlock a door... It's nothing special," Junpei replied. "I've done it before on certain occasions when we needed to break into the school. You guys remember that, right?"

"How could I forget that?" Jason said. Konata grinned at the memory.

Koizumi simply nodded contemplatively, and turned his attention back towards the portal. The club room was familiar - at least to himself and Konata - but somehow had an ominous feeling in the air. And the fact that one of the four portals had appeared right here, out of all possible places... Did it mean something? Perhaps this one had some sort of significance that the others didn't, it's placement seemed to serve a purpose instead of being random.

"We're doing this, then..." Konata said. "I'll open it."

She hesitated a moment after gripping the knob, then turned it and slowly pulled it open. It shifted soundlessly, the loose hinges apparently attached to something unseen, allowing it to swing outward normally. And inside...

Pitch blackness.

"You sure we should be going in there?" Junpei said, peering into the void. "I mean, I realize who you are and everything..."

Konata tentatively stuck her hand through, then her entire forearm. It was as if it was passing through a curtain, disappearing as it touched and entered the dark.

"Huh... It's warm..." Actually, it was almost hot. And windy. She couldn't be sure, but maybe some grains of sand were blowing against her. She tried pulling back out, and felt the shock of cool air of the vacant school again on her skin. "I guess it's safe, then. I'll go first."

Now she passed through the doorway completely.

Konata's black hair blew all around her, and she squinted in the intense sunlight. Turning around, she couldn't see any sign of the doorway anymore until the other three stepped out of what now looked like empty space. Jason was the only one she recognized at first - she'd never seen Junpei or Koizumi as real people before.

"Wow..." Junpei said. "So where are we now?"

Koizumi looked around. "Looks like a desert."

"I could tell that... Whoa. Konata, your hair's back to normal... Everything is."

"Speak for yourself. I guess I just don't like things being like this..." she replied. She gazed off into the distance, but couldn't see anything but more dirt and sand. In one direction there was a hazy mountain range against the cloudless blue horizon, too far off to reach. "What do we do now?"

"I take it you have no idea where you brought us, then," Jason said.

"I'm not even sure if I did this," Konata said. "It still doesn't feel possible."

She realized she was already beginning to feel thirsty. It hadn't been more than two minutes in this desert and she might already be getting dehydrated. When had she last drank water...?

"Here, look at this," Koizumi said suddenly. He had gone off searching for something, anything, and now had found it on the ground a few meters away. Following him to where he stood, it looked like... yes, this might be what was left of a road, and that would probably mean that following it in either direction would lead to civilization. Were there actually people who lived out here?

"So we've got a road. What now? We just walk?" Junpei said, trying to sound sarcastic but knowing that might actually be the only thing to do.

"Seems like a plan," Konata said. "At least if we know where we are, wouldn't that be something, at least?"

"Obviously this isn't Lucky Star, so one of the other groups must have ended up there..." Jason said. "That leaves us with the possibility that this door was one of the two extras... or possibly this is the world where Haruhi went to."

"If it's that, then we could find a town and ask if anyone's seen her," Junpei suggested. "I mean... what other plan do we have?"

Konata heard the flapping of wings behind her, and turned around to see a large raven land on the ground, near a patch of brown, scraggly grass. It seemed to be watching them. Were birds like that usually in the desert? It seemed odd, somehow. But then again, who knew what the natural laws of this world might be?

Ignoring the bird for now, she surveyed either way the path led. Pointing in one direction, she said, "I've got a good feeling about this way. Let's check it out."

Kagami was the last one to enter the door in the middle of the road. After watching the door from a distance as cars drove straight through it as they passed through the intersection, her faith, if anything, decreased. Once her three companions had left her there, she hated to admit to herself that there was no choice. At the last moment, the very sensible-sounding idea occurred to her to just walk away, they could handle themselves, this universe she was stuck in now wasn't all that bad, really -

There was a blast of cold like walking into a freezer.

"I should've brought a jacket..." she muttered, then remembered that Rei and Joshua would have all those things packed. "Rei, don't you have my - ?" She stopped when she picked her head up.

This was some kind of a freak blizzard. They were still standing in the middle of a road, but it was a different one than she had been in mere seconds ago - of course, it was a different universe, so that would be logical. On one corner was a fast food restaurant, the opposite one a shop advertising "Fresh Roasted Coffee" - all in English. She doubted the claim that anything would be freshly served here, it was a dump. The windows were all dark, the only cars here were blanketed by at least three feet of snow. The sky was gray and cloudy, but it seemed bright enough to be daytime. The clouds extended all the way to the ground, forming a thick fog that limited vision to about thirty feet away.

But most importantly, things looked real again. The third dimension was back.

"This is... It's not our universe? It's a different one?" Mikuru said. She stared at Kagami intently.

"From what I hear, you're a time traveler, right? I'd think you'd be used to this kind of thing. Think of it like that, except we've moved through time and space," Joshua said. "To put it simply... magic, I guess."

"Um... okay..." Mikuru shivered in the cold. Snow was collecting on her auburn hair.

She saw Rei hand out the maroon-colored jacket she had bought earlier today. "Here ya go, Kagami!" she said brightly.

As Kagami slipped it on, she realized her hair was still purple... She groaned. Something about this world still wasn't entirely real. Rei's hair was still kind of a pale blue instead of white. Joshua had red hair, but even that was actually kind of normal compared to purple.

"Well, this is just great. I can already tell this is nowhere near where I live, and what a surprise, I don't see Haruhi here, either. So we're pretty much just screwed," Kagami said.

"Hey, on the bright side, there's no one here. And that means nobody trying to kill us," Joshua pointed out.

"So where is everyone...?" Mikuru said. She tried to move towards the center of the group, closer to the others for both warmth and protection.

"Hello?" Rei called out, and was answered by her own voice, a faint echo. That was never a good sign.

"Nice work, Konata," Kagami muttered. "We're completely lost and there's nobody here to even tell us the name of the town."

The name of the street, though - she could see a signpost on the corner of the sidewalk. Bachman Road. Crossing it was Matheson Street. Judging by those names, they didn't even seem to be in Japan anymore.

Bachman... Something stirred in Kagami's mind at the name. She couldn't place it. Why would it sound familiar? Or not even familiar, but just somehow... Important.

"How about it, then? Let's go investigate, find out what's going on. We just have to find the houses where people live, all these businesses are probably just closed because of the storm - " Rei said.

"We don't even know what direction we're headed," Kagami interrupted. "Besides that, do we even know where we're supposed to go next? Face it, we got dropped here completely at random, there's no point to it. I knew this was a bad idea..."

As if to confirm the fact, a siren broke through the stillness. It sounded like one of those old-fashioned air raid alerts you heard in old war movies, announcing a bombing run. It rose to a loud wail and faded out, then came back in a second time. A third time.

"I don't understand! What's that mean?" Mikuru said, now in a full panic.

"If I had to guess, it means there's someone else living here. So that's a relief," Joshua said, seeming unconcerned. "God, these futuristic worlds have some annoying sounds, though..."

The siren continued to play, rising and lowering in volume, periodically about every five seconds or so. No planes in sight, and the weather didn't seem to be changing... But was it starting to get dark?

The stoplights above them flashed on unexpectedly, blinking all three colors at once. And the sky was beginning to get dark - in fact, those traffic lights were starting to be the only source of light.

"It's fine, I've got this," Kagami heard Rei say, but couldn't see her anymore. She sounded like she might be about twenty feet away. Why would she walk so far? A thin beam of blue light came on - a laser sword, as crazy as it sounded. Kagami remembered the flaming one that Konata had carried. Maybe it would have been a good idea to borrow a weapon from her, she mentioned having a lot of them -

The traffic lights shut off, and then even the glow of Rei's beam katana faded away. All was black.

The sirens stopped.

This really didn't seem like a good idea, not at all... When Tsukasa had seen Dante and Kyon sitting there at the train station, in similar slouching poses of disinterest but sitting nearly at complete opposite ends, she hadn't been sure exactly what to say. The door had been there in the center, waiting for them. Kamina had shown up a few minutes later - shirtless, wearing a huge red cape, and that spiky blue hair... How did he get around unnoticed? He probably didn't, did he? Konata had said she knew him, that they were friends from her Organization, they'd worked together. After some discussion, they had decided to go through.

Tsukasa hesitantly stepped through into the darkness, bringing up the rear behind Kyon. She bumped into his back once they were both on the other side. He was just standing there with his hands up... then she realized why.

"Human or demon?" The voice came from somewhere within the scattered platoon of soldiers pointing guns at them. Tsukasa had never seen that many Self-Defense Force members all at one time... and never expected to be in this kind of position. They were wide-eyed, shocked, and understandably so, since the four travelers had appeared out of nowhere. Tsukasa glanced behind her, but the door was gone.

"There you are, Tsukasa..." Kyon muttered. There was a crazed expression on his face. Everything was happening so fast and there was no time for any of it to make sense. "What the hell is going on here... And what happened to you? You look different... This really doesn't make any sense... Koizumi said this was a good idea? Sometimes I really hate him..."

"I'm the leader of this brigade. The name's Kamina!" The confident voice came from somewhere to their right, where Kamina stared down the numerous gun barrels like nothing in the world could stop him. "We're all humans. Except..." He nodded towards Dante. "Him over there."

"Damn it. He called it a brigade." Kyon was shaking his head, his hands still raised. "Why does it have to be a brigade...?"

A woman stepped forward, vibrant orange hair, wearing a brown military jacket. She motioned for the soldiers to lower their guns, gave a strange look towards Kamina, the self-appointed leader, and then focused instead on Kyon and Tsukasa. "You two," she said. "My name is Izuna Misaki, I'm the leader of this division. Tell us exactly how you got here."

"Um..." Tsukasa said. "I... don't know... if I can say..."

"This is top-secret stuff, it's classified to you civilians," Kamina broke in. "Really sorry, but my mouth is shut."

"Who are you calling 'civilians?'" Izuna demanded. "I'm a commander with the Japanese SDF. This area is currently under strict military control. Tell us where you came from."

"You idiot. Don't argue with the military..." Kyon muttered, glancing nervously at all the weapons still raised and ready.

"Point is, why would there be armed forces in the middle of a city?" Dante said. "Seems you're overreacting to our little group. None of us wanted to come here, especially not me. So do us all a favor and just leave us the hell alone." He mumbled, "Didn't sign on to be a goddamn babysitter anyway..."

Kyon's nerves had nearly snapped. "Look, I don't care what you do with the other two, but me and Tsukasa at least are unarmed. So if you wouldn't mind putting the guns down... I'm a loyal Japanese citizen, there's really no reason for this!"

"So you're human," Izuna said. She looked at Tsukasa. "You too?"

"Of course we are..." Tsukasa replied. "Why wouldn't we be... What's going on...?"

Izuna signaled the platoon behind her, and all the guns were lowered to the ground. "You really don't know what's been going on... Two days ago the city was attacked by demons. We've put up a quarantine on the Yamanote area until the situation is under control."

"We... We're in Tokyo?" Tsukasa said. "I live in Washimiya, if I could just go back - "

"I can't let you do that. We have strict orders that nobody crosses the border alive, in or out."

"You wouldn't really shoot us, would you? That's insane!" Kyon said.

"Actually, I agree..." Izuna had a remorseful expression, and sighed. "But they are orders, and we're in a really rough state here. I'm truly sorry, but I can't allow you to return home. Not until the demons are taken care of."

"But Kona-chan said... Didn't she..." Tsukasa's mind was spinning. Konata had gotten rid of all the demons, all the destruction they had caused... She couldn't see that tower anymore, but these people said the demons were still around? They had been for two days?

"Those bastards, what are they still doing here?" Kamina yelled, making everyone jump. "I'll personally help you kick all their asses! And my brigade'll stand behind me on that!"

Blank stares from the three of them.

"No thanks," Dante said.

"The two of us can't even fight," Kyon added. "So..."

Izuna's radio buzzed and crackled with static. A voice was on the other end, too muffled for any of them to hear, but she listened intently. "Alright. We're right in range." She put it back. "There's just been an ambush nearby. You're not authorized to handle this, so let it go. You'll just have to wait inside the barricade until the problem's solved."

Tsukasa's heart sank. At least she was back home... At least, it seemed like she was. Kona-chan had said that it would look this way, so maybe she'd just adapt to how it all looked like an anime instead of her regular life... More than anything, she wanted to be all the way back at her house. Just being in the same universe wasn't enough, especially if the city was still overrun.

When would she see the others again? Her sister? Where were they?

Kamina eyed the soldiers as they ran to position, the ones by the barricade staying in place as guards. The chances of getting past all the sandbags, barbed wire, and security seemed slim. "Everyone just follow me," Kamina instructed them. "We're not about to just back down from a fight."

Kyon placed his face in his hands. "Please get me out of here..."

"Mahora Academy... It seems to be a girls-only junior high school..." Miyuki said.

The building was huge - red brick, white trim, sloping green roof. All of it was still like one of Konata-san's anime, like the world they had just left. Right now it was crowded with the students heading up the steps to the plaza in front of the building, where the entrance was located. Some of them made a passing glance at the four of them standing there, but quickly moved on.

"I'm afraid I seem... out of place," Alucard said, his expression hard to read behind the goggles. Now that she saw him up close, Miyuki recognized him as the man they had seen fighting demons in the city. To think he was actually a vampire - and that he knew Konata, as well...

"Gotta agree with that, people are gonna get the wrong idea with us hanging around here... " Spike suggested. Of the three others in the group, Spike was the only one who was supposed to be a regular human. Even so, he claimed to be an interstellar bounty hunter from Mars. As frightening as it was, Miyuki had to admit that travel between different universes opened up fascinating possibilities. "How about this: I go into town with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Ugly here, and you two girls check out the school?"

Nagato nodded in confirmation.

"I'm afraid I don't exactly understand what we're looking for..." Miyuki said. "We arrived just outside the school, so... does that mean whatever we need is inside?"

"Our first priority is to find Suzumiya-san," Nagato said. "Currently I cannot detect her in the nearby area. If possible, we should find a way to continue forward to another universe. It's likely to appear in the shape of a door, like the original ones did."

"Wait, let me get this straight... Konata sent all of us out to different places, but... there's no reason for us to be here?" Spike said, a bewildered look on his face. "Probably just wanted to tour some more animes or something... Christ."

"Izumi created four different gateways, although she had only two goals in mind: find Suzumiya-san, and return home. We seem to have gone into the wrong one," Nagato reported. Miyuki couldn't exactly tell what she was, Konata had said something about her being an... Integrated Data... she couldn't remember all of it.

"I suppose we could try to see what's around here. It seems safe, right?" Miyuki offered.

Konata-san had mentioned that there was a potential for danger when they stepped through the door. Alucard and Spike were both carrying concealed firearms with them. But here... If anything, it actually felt even safer and more pleasant than the last world had. These junior high students were smiling, laughing with each other, completely carefree. It would all be fine.

"We'll regroup here in the afternoon," Alucard said. "About two in the afternoon." He paused, then added, "There seems to be a rather familiar smell around this place. One of them must be..." Looking towards a group of girls, he seemed to fix on one of them in particular. She looked no older than ten years old, even younger than the others, and was scowling in a peculiar way. Alucard grinned, showing his pointed teeth. "No need to concern yourselves with that now. We'd better be going."

He turned, the red coat flowing out behind him, and Spike trudged up behind him, slouching. He stopped for a moment, looked back at Nagato and Miyuki, then grinned and continued on.