Multiversal Movie Night: the worst group therapy ever

by culturedindividual0gmail.com

The most traumatized characters from a variety of anime are brought to a theatre to watch their pasts unfold! They will be joined by several mentor figures from several anime to properly work through their grief! Don't try this method at home kids, it's not ACA-approved.

So, I'm starting this new project under a fresh account.

I will be posting on , Archive of Our Own, and Spacebattles. Maybe I'll add Wattpad and Webnovel to that list in the future.

I will be writing under the name TheCuriousOne. If someone does not have that name, they are probably not me.

If I have to use a new name on certain sites because TheCuriousOne is taken, I will tell you guys my full username in the introduction of my latest chapter (Right here, by the way)

This chapter was not edited at all, so it might be the worst one. I'll do a little better on the next one.

When Riko opened her eyes, she almost expected the sight before her. Reg, always the fierce protector, was screaming at her again about some kind of threat. His worried face was blurred in her nearsighted gaze, a fuzzy splash of dull color against a black backdrop.

"It must still be nighttime."

"Riko! Wake up, Riko, we have a problem!" Reg was frazzled, his remaining robotic arm—courtesy of Bondrewd the Novel—waving comically above her head. He was an amnesic robot boy she discovered at the very top of the Abyss, the great deep hole stretching all the way down to the bottom of the earth, to strange, alien landscapes unknown to man.

Reg himself was a strange being as well, seemingly human at a glance, but also… not. He appeared to be a brown-haired human child, but his arms and legs were completely mechanical, and his head donned a futuristic helmet of unknown functions.

Riko, who was still rubbing the sleep out of her tired eyes, yawned as she rose, stretching her arms above her head. Meinya, the furry little creature, plopped itself atop her head.

"Meyaa~" it purred. Riko smiled and patted its head before turning to her friend. Meinya was the dear pet of her dear friend Prushka. After her… transformation, it was up to Riko to care for it.

"What is it Reg, what did you find now?"

"It's not what we found, it's where we are!" Answered Riko's other companion, Nanachi. Their furry green friend's voice seemed uncharacteristically panicked, like they were in the Ido front.

Just the thought of that place sent shivers down Riko's spine. The mad immortal scientist Bondrewd and his abhorrent experiments involving human children were still fresh in her memory. How could she forget when her own friend, Prushka: that monster's own daughter, was transformed into one of his abominable cartridges?

Nanachi, poor Nanachi, who had suffered the most through that man's experiments—forced to euthanize her best friend whose very existence was desecrated in his "experiments".

Reg was reliable and strong, but relatively inexperienced compared to Nanachi, who braved the worst depravities of both mankind and the Abyss. So while the former may have had (adorable) moments of overaction, the latter was usually calm and collected, unless the situation was truly and utterly abysmal.

Riko immediately put on her glasses, checking her gear—consisting of a brown delver's outfit with a plethora of pockets and a glowstone on the fitting hat, shining a bright green light in the darkness. Still struggling against sleep, her spacial awareness was still murky, but as she met gazes with Nanachi, the explorer could see that the backdrop to her furry friend was nothing like the place they last slept.

As Riko pointed her head—and subsequently her glowstone—at her surroundings, she realized that they were definitely not in the wilderness of the sixth layer anymore.

Eerie green light revealed… rows of crimson seats made from an unknown material resembling leather. The bottoms of the seats were folded inwards—possibly to allow easy access into the row—and twin sets of black armrests laid to each side. There were about ten rows of these seats, each positioned lower than the last. A single black line of stairs split the seats vertically, covered in some sort of strangely fuzzy carpet. Their group, or at least Reg, her, and Nanachi, were standing at the middle of the stairwell, overlooking the bottom half of the theatre.

Riko's eyes widened in terror. Something wasn't right. Something was horribly, horribly amiss!

"Faputa! Is Faputa with us?!" Riko shouted, voice plagued with panic. The new member of their little party hadn't been with them for long, but she was treasured nonetheless. Riko and Nanachi had quickly grown to love the endearing, animalistic little furball, and Reg… Reg had a special relationship with her that extended years into the past. It was clouded by a firm fog of selective amnesia, but it was surely deeper and more heartfelt than Riko could imagine. In fact, she wasn't sure why Reg wasn't more worried about this, surely, out of them all, he should have been the most-

"Faputa? Oh, she's over there," Reg replied offhandedly, refocusing his attention back on the seats with furrowed brows.

Riko felt like she was splashed by a bucket of cold water. Deadpanned but relieved, she turned her gaze behind her, illuminating the silhouette of a giant white moth-like creature at the very back of the theatre, right below a wide-but-thin window with a strange-looking projector behind it. Faputa was poking at the glass with one of her claws, but it didn't seem to scratch at all.

Comforted by the presence of her newest companion, Riko turned her attention back to her surroundings, scanning the area through the bright cone of her glowstone. She noticed the ceiling was many meters tall and studded with strange inactive lightbulbs, barely protruding downwards from the ceiling itself. The walls to their sides were dozens of meters away, with cylindrical lightbulbs—inactive as well—embedded sideways within them.

Like all theatres ever built, there was a stage built into the lowest part of the room, far beyond even the frontmost row of seats. But unlike the theatres of Orth, where actors and actresses sang and danced across it, this stage seemed hollow, almost atrophied. After all, there was a massive screen right above it, dwarfing the stage in both presence and size.

"I see. The projector behind us shoots a beam of light onto that big screen, displaying an image to the audience sitting in these chairs," Riko eyed the red leather(?) seats. "A-Are we about to be shown something?"

"This place, it's like the classroom back in Orth!" Reg exclaimed. "Oh, but the seats aren't as scary," he added as an afterthought.

Riko nodded. The seats back in her orphanage were stacked vertically on a wall, and while people weren't usually prone to falling, anyone with a fear of heights was out of luck.

She heard Nanachi mutter "must be nice" to her side. The blonde suppressed a wince. Nanachi wasn't fortunate enough to be picked off the streets, and never even saw the shabby insides of an orphanage classroom, let alone the luxurious interior of a genuine theatre. She resolved to tell her furry friend all about Orth later. Granted, Riko wasn't exactly high class, but she was just a bit more privileged than Nanachi, so there were a few stories to be told. It would be better than nothing.

"But it's also pretty different, Riko!" And she knew exactly what he would say next. Maybe Nanachi wouldn't understand, (Faputa definitely wouldn't) Reg eyed the projector behind them before returning his gaze to the screen. Surely he had already made the connection back to that puppet show he saw back in Orth.

"R-Riko… what is that?" Asked Nanachi in wonder. Of course, Riko thought, Nanachi wouldn't know about this either. A projector was as new to them as any artifact of the Abyss.

"I-I think it's a-"

Everything was suddenly brighter as the party's ears were suddenly invaded by the sound of a sharp click, shortly followed by an unearthly screech, the three delvers swiftly turning to investigate its source. But unfortunately for Reg, the only thing he saw was a world of brown and white as Faputa launched herself at him, knocking the poor boy down the staircase, and bringing them closer to the tile.

"Too bright-sosu! Don't like surprises-sosu!" Faputa screeched, eyes narrowed and dark as she latched onto a struggling Reg who was desperately attempting to unfurl her limbs around him so he could see what was going on.

All the lights on the ceiling and walls had suddenly been activated simultaneously, and the lensed contraption behind the slit-like window had turned on, projecting what appeared to be a soft beam of light onto the giant tile behind them, which Riko noticed was now glowing white as she turned around.

It was now the primary source of light in the room, and while the tile's light wasn't strong enough to drive the shadows from every corner, it was enough to overwhelm the soft green cone of Riko's glowstone.

"To answer your question, Mx. Nanachi, the contraption you see before you is called a screen, which also happens to be my name. It is a device designed to present vivid visual information to an audience," Proclaimed a charismatic-yet-soothing voice from the screen, reverberating from the furthest walls of the theatre. The authoritative voice was genderless in pitch and serene in tone, yet there was a soft strength in every word.

The group collectively flinched, and Faputa wrapped Reg in her fur, leaping to join the rest of the group in their elevated position, detaching from the dazed-but-alert robot boy.

"Who-sosu! Enemy-sosu?!"

Reg quickly regained his bearings and tactically scanned the room, evaluating the theatre. His remaining hand pointed to the screen, the Incinerator in his robotic arm ready to fire.

"Who are you? How-why did you bring us here?!" He demanded, and Riko could ask the same. She was so engrossed in examining the theatre's workings that she seemed to forget that the only reason they were here was that they had been abducted. Chiding herself for her carelessness, Riko clutched her large delver's backpack, desperately brainstorming a way to escape this unknown potential enemy.

Nanachi whispered in her ear, "Is that screen thing even the main body? What if it's that thing over there?" they pointed to the projection device behind the glass slit. "Could that be it?"

But before Riko could begin to think of focusing her attention on Nanachi's words, and subsequently, the projection device, the entity named behind the screen answered Reg's question.

"Please calm down, Mr. Reg. I bear no ill intent towards you, your party, nor the VIPs who will be joining us shortly." Reg did not seem to be convinced, refusing to lower his destructive arm a single inch.

Riko furrowed her brows.

"VIPs? So more people will be coming? Better keep that in mind. But first,"

"So, Screen, are we still on the sixth layer? D-did we intrude on your territory when we left the village? If so, I'm sorry, but we need to get to the bot—"

"Ms. Riko, if you would allow me to interject," Screen interrupted. Riko nodded stiffly, and it seemed to interpret the action as a suitable response. "Neither you nor your party are currently within the Abyss, if you refer to the 1,000-meter-wide hole extending 20,000 meters into your planet's crust. Instead, I have brought you to my theatre, a… different dimensionif you will."

"Why go into such specifics about the Abyss? It's so infamous everyone in the world should know about it…"

"A-a different dimension?" Riko asked, stunned. She had learned something about this in science class, but couldn't remember most of it. But what little knowledge she could retain of its scale was… frightening.

"S-so, w-we're not just away from the Abyss or Orth, or-or even our planet, but our entire dimension?!"

"R-Riko, I don't know what you're talking about, but I can't sense the Abyss' forcefield! I don't know if this guy really brought us somewhere else, but we're at least in a part of the Abyss where the forcefield is weaker than I've ever seen!" Nanachi whispered in her ear, giving further credence to the Screen's claims.

"Correct, Ms. Riko, and thank you, Mx. Nanachi, for giving further credence to my claim."

"Nnnna!" Nanachi jumped, not expecting her whispers to be heard. Riko frowned. "Can it hear everything in this theatre? Why does it call Nanachi Mx.? Is that supposed to be a non-gendered version of Mr. and Ms.?"

Faputa immediately positioned herself in front of Nanachi as if prepared to protect them from an attack, four sets of claws sharp and glinting in the faint light of the theatre. Despite the potentially perilous situation, Riko found herself swelling with pride. Their new friend cared enough about the non-Reg members of their group to defend them instead of running. Faputa had really warmed up to them.

"There is no need to worry, 'Princess of the Narehate'. As I have said, I mean you no harm. You have merely been brought here for an… intervention, if you will."

"Why should we believe you?! You could be tricking us, using us for experiments! You won't even show your face!" Reg shouted with the disposition of a cornered animal, Incinerator still primed. Sensing his agitation, Faputa hissed in fury. When Reg was angry, she was angry. Anything Reg hated, she hated as well. Riko winced as her moth-like companion practically readied herself to pounce on the screen.

They did not need to escalate the situation. Screen held all the cards here. It somehow knew Faputa's previous title, which was impossible if it didn't traverse the sixth layer. But it had also said that it brought Riko's entire group out of the Abyss, meaning that it was either a being of such great power that it could nullify the Curse of the Abyss and control its own dimension, a delver who had discovered a method of escaping the Abyss while evading the curse, or a deceptive trickster pretending to be tougher than it really was.

Riko was currently leaning towards option one. Two and three were far more believable, of course, but Riko was a delver; she had witnessed more insanity in a year than most others have in their lifetimes. Somehow—reasoned her twisted common sense—the crazier option seemed more likely. Was this why her mother was the way she was? Was the attainment of this alien common sense the reason Ozen the Immovable ended up so twisted? Riko shivered in both excitement and fear, fearful of the strange, unrecognizable person she would become, yet excited to tread the thorny road which would bring her to that point. Such was the insane nature of a delver of the Abyss.

As Riko was speculating the nature of their abductor, Reg's Incinerator began to thrum with power as the center of his palm began to shine with a vicious light.

Nanachi's eyes widened in shock. "Naaaaaa! Reg, that idiot! He's gonna start a fight we might not be able to win!"

"N-Naaa! Calm down, Reg," they jumped on his outstretched arm with superhuman agility, the weight of their furry body forcing Reg to lower his arm, almost toppling in the process.

"W-Whooooa!" Reg spun around to balance himself as he was dangerously close to being dragged to the ground. Faputa tilted her head, confused.

"I-Irredeemable! What are you doing, Nanachi?!" he shouted in confusion and disbelief. Ignoring his stressful protests, Nanachi whacked the robot boy on the head with an outstretched arm, causing him to yelp in surprise.

"Don't pick fights willy-nilly, you idiot!" they scolded. "We don't know if this Screen guy is an enemy yet!"

Reg whimpered. "But the way this feels—this sense of powerlessness—it's just like-"

"Bondrewd the Novel, correct?"

Both Reg and Nanachi flinched, not expecting the name of their worst enemy yet to be so casually mentioned. Riko felt a wave of complex emotion emitted through her white whistle, a gentle heat spreading throughout her body. Apprehension, disillusionment, disappointment, and love, all conveyed in a single mournful pulse. "Prushka…" Atop her head, Meinya purred sadly, as if sensing the complex emotions of its former owner.

"I… am sorry I remind you of that creature. I am sure he inflicted no small amount of trauma onto you. Yet…"

"Yet?" Reg gulped nervously, now unaggressive but very very suspicious.

"Yet, this is simply how I speak, and it is certainly true—like that man, I hold considerable power over you and the majority of the guests who will be joining us. My apologies for cornering you, but I assure you again; I do not mean my guests any harm whatsoever."

Reg gritted his teeth in frustration. More empty promises under an unreadable viseage, just like Bondrewd. They were just too similar for him to trust this person—screen—thing. However, even the boy knew that this association was an unreasonable one. Screen had done nothing so sinister as to warrant being compared to Bondrewd. However, his instincts were beyond his control.

Riko, gauging Reg's apprehension from months of experience traveling with the boy, decided instantaneously that she needed to intervene and deescalate, not only to soothe Reg's traumatized mind, but also to by for information from their mysterious-yet-polite captor. Screen had no expression, no features she could read, but there was something in its voice that was decidedly non-hostile. Riko desperately hoped she was right. After all, if she wasn't, then the grand powers of this being would surely crush them all.

"Earlier, you said that a screen was a tool designed to present visual information to an audience. Is that why you brought us—why you'll bring the other 'guests' here?"

"Yes, Ms. Riko, that is correct. How very astute of you."

"B-but why? If you're so powerful that you can resist the curse of the abyss, so powerful that you can send us into your own dimension, then why would you bother doing something like this?"

"Yes, indeed. That is an excellent question."

Reg snorted, causing Faputa to narrow her eyes dangerously at the screen and Nanachi to smack him upside the head.

"But to understand my motivations, you must first understand the manner of being I am, my nature, if you will."

"What are you then, Screen?" Riko asked, head tilted in question. "Yes! It's freely offering information. Now we can get a better grasp of our situation!"

Screen laughed faintly, lighthearted and amused, almost as if in reaction to Riko's thoughts.

"I am a being born within the gap between dimensions, born without kin, born without a home."

Riko found her kind heart throbbing with sympathy.

"That's horrible."

"Ever the lonely existence, I searched, desperately, within my place of birth, for a companion—a friend—a family. I searched far and wide, high and low, and yet… at innumerable years' end, my search bore bitter fruit."

The group was beginning to sympathize more. Reg especially, the machine boy beginning to feel guilty for his harsh treatment of the entity. Nanachi, however, noticed its strategic use of embellishment to dramatize its story.

"This guy might be dangerous after all."

"Eventually, I gave up, giving myself to the harsh tides of my homeland, in hopes of dispersing my consciousness across the cosmic planes," Screen paused for a moment, then a new emotion broiled the tranquil river of its tone: excitement. "As my body touched the barrier between dimensions, I soon found myself with the ability to view them, and to influence them, albeit in a limited manner. In a fit of boredom-fueled desperation, I quickly began to observe these other realities, filled with all manners of strange beings, absurd physics, and eldritch landscapes."

The group collectively gulped. If what it said was true, Screen was probably the mightiest thing they had ever faced, an insurmountable opponent they could never hope to defeat. They truly, sincerely hoped it was lying.

"And in my viewings, for the first time in my life, I discovered entertainment. I could not truly enter these worlds; no, my existence is far too large to the point where universes would buckle under my metaphorical weight."

Riko was drowning in a flood of her own cold sweat. Faputa was almost shivering, her eyes wide and pupils dilated, staring at the screen as if it were a pack of Turbinid Dragons.

"I witnessed heroic journeys, epic battle, absurd phenomena, great heroes, dastardly villains, warm compassion, tooth-rotting fluff!" Screen practically shouted, its voice drastically increasing in excitement until it reached a crescendo. There was an unhealthy pause, and the air suddenly felt thick with discomforting negativity.

"It was wonderful, my viewings. Through observing these realities, I learned empathy, kindness, restraint, and so much more. I felt things I had never felt before. And—" for the first time, the entity's serene voice strained with grief. "And yet, when there is light, it shall always cast a shadow."

Riko's group all knew exactly where Screen would go next. After all, it had been the same for them. Reg was now truly, utterly regretful of his suspicions. Screen wasn't like Bondrewd at all. They could feel, they could get hurt, they could emphasize. It wasn't just polite words behind a soulless mask, there was actually a person behind that motionless screen. (Metaphorically)

"I observed unspeakable atrocities, blood-boiling injustice, unforgivable cruelty, dreadful callousness, ungodly horrors! Suffering… beyond the imaginations of the cruelest men."

And it was precisely at this point that any resemblance between Screen and Bondrewd was completely demolished, for Reg and Riko at least. Screen had paused his story for a moment, either to recollect himself or to give them a chance to speak, a chance Reg took gladly.

"Screen, I'm sorry. I really misjudged you. You aren't like that bastard at all!" Proclaimed the boy with a sincere bow. The things he had seen—he would surely have broken under the Abyss' apathetic cruelty if Riko had not been the everlasting bonfire she was.

Despite an angry protest from the whistle on her neck, Riko gave Reg a proud smile.

"That's the Reg we know and love."

"Naaaa~ If Reg's saying that then there's no helping it. Maybe you're not a bad guy after all," Nanachi conceded, though there was yet a sharp suspicious glimmer in their eyes.

Faputa was eerily silent, eyes downcast, as if in thought. She was now decidedly nonviolent, and seemed to be wrestling a cocktail of mixed emotions, each instructing her to behave a different way. Screen, while thoughtfully accepting his guests' vocal reevaluations of his person, offered the princess an olive branch.

"Ms. Faputa, there is no need to hold back. Please, let me hear what you have to say."

Faputa trembled, as if uncertain if she should carry on. Then, in a blur of white, she nested atop Reg's helmet, clutching it for emotional support. The boy's reaction was a perfect deadpan. He was used to it at this point.

"Faputa knows what it's like to see something unfair! Like mother who suffered to make others happy!" That was all Faputa could get out before she buried her face in her fur, still embarrassed that she had misjudged Screen's character. Everyone noticed that she didn't use her verbal tick in the sentence; those who knew her well understood this change to be evidence of her sincerity.

"Yes, Ms. Faputa. That is precisely why I brought you here."

"Huh?"

"My viewing of your reality, you see, was in some ways one of the most horrific in all my years. The suffering of the poor souls, swallowed by that callous Abyss—it was enough to move me to tears."

Rico's brain short-circuited.

"Wait, so you're telling me you brought us here because you felt sorry for us?" "But why? What will this 'viewing" give us? New information on the Abyss, the creatures on the next layer? Reg's origins? M-My mom?"

"No, no, no, goodness no! You brave souls are certainly in no need of my pity. No, I simply—hmm…" Screen stopped, as if in thought.

"Screen? What's wrong?"

"Say, Ms. Riko. Do you remember what I said at the beginning of our conversations? Specifically of the other VIPswho will be joining you shortly?"

"Um… yes, I remember?" Then, Riko's eyes widened as she gasped in realization. "Are you bringing people from other worlds—uh, realities—here?! W-Wait?! What kinds of worlds are they from? What do they eat? What languages do they speak? Can we talk to them as we watch whatever you're going to show us?! I have to find out—"

Nanachi interjected, knowing that Riko would go on for hours on end if they didn't stop her. Besides, they had their own questions to ask. "Wait a minute, so you'll be bringing all of these people from other realities so they can help us?"

"And you them."

"Wait, how? I get if these guys have some awesome powers or something. Maybe they can do something to fix Riko's arm, or Reg's arm, but we can't really do something for them, you know. None of us have magic healing powers."

Nanachi had quickly come to the conclusion that Screen was uniting their so-called VIPs as some sort of healers' circle, that these newcomers would possess incredible, outlandish abilities capable of repairing the group's injuries.

This was the sort of thing Nanachi could only imagine in times past, but here they were now, in front of some impossible powerful entity who; even if they were overstating their own abilities, possessed enough of it to invalidate their group as a potential threat.

In the darkest crevices of Nanachi's contemplative mind, a small, treasonous part of them wished that Mitty was here. Maybe those people could do someth—

"No! Why do you always think these things, stupid?" Nanachi chastised themself. "Damn it, why do these unnecessary thoughts always come to me?"

"Unfortunately, Your injuries cannot be healed. I will be sending you back after this intermission, and your physical forms must be near-unchanged."

"Why," asked Nanachi wryly, disappointment thick in their voice. "Didn't you say you were some super powerful dimension traversing guy? Or are you not actually all that?"

Screen hummed in consideration, answering patiently, "I am not as powerful as you assume me to be. There are certain… regulations I must follow, lest I anger the entities reigning over the realms of which I visit. They could sever my connection with their dimensions, you see, and some may even possess the power to invade my territory."

"So there are other people—beings out there just as strong as you?"

"Yes, certainly. Within their realms, they are often known as gods."

Riko's entire group froze.

"G-gods? They're real?" Riko gasped in disbelief. The mere implications behind that statement were enough to stun each member of the party, even Faputa, who had little to do with the numerous and complex religions of the surface.

"A-are we about to find out which religion i-is right? Waitwaitwaitwait, I'm not ready! Ah, what if it's one from some faraway country I've never heard from before? What if I've been committing some kind of religious taboo this whole time?"

"I understand what you may be thinking, my dear guests, but for your sakes and mind, I am afraid the identities of these entities must remain unknown to you. Some of them are of great strength and cunning, and will not take kindly to any perceived transgressions such as the reveal of their identities. Surely you astute individuals can understand this cautious line of reasoning, no?"

"Y-yeah" Riko answered weakly. She couldn't lie and say she was not curious, but she was not about to debate Screen on the plausibility of divine retribution. While the adventurous young explorer was known for keeping her zeal in the face of death, she knew better than to challenge risk of this magnitude for such little reward.

"Now," began Screen, voice now prim and business-like. "As much as I have enjoyed conversing with you brave children, it is now time to introduce ourselves to our next VIP."

Nanachi's eyes widened.

"Y-you mean one of those people from another world?"

Screen hummed before answering, "Not quite, Mx Nanachi. While the VIPS are usually brought into my theatre in singular batches for every realm, this guest in particular originates from your world. You see, I didn't want to spoil the surprise," there was a hint of amusement in Screen's voice as they clarified their actions, and as Riko was about to ask just what "surprise" her magnanimous captor could be referring to, she—along with the rest of her party—was blinded by a supernova of bright white light.

When the light finally receded, and the children opened their eyes once more; those same eyes would widen to the size of saucers, for the most inexplicable of persons greeted them with an unsure grin.

A young woman sat in the seat to Faputa's right, sharing no rightward neighbor of her own. Bearing an uneasy smile and dressed in a long robe several sizes too big, she meekly hid her face between her signature long red-and-white hair which leaked from the twin leg openings of a strange pair of shorts she wore on her head.

The woman's name, as the party knew all too well, was Vueroeruko— or Vueko in short. Though she was meek, she seemed to be warily scanning her environment through prey-like eyes, unsuccessfully trying to hide her reconnaissance attempts with her sleeves and hair.

It was only after the woman's eyes settled on Faputa that they stopped zipping around in their sockets, widening and dilating and tearing up, as if she had seen something precious and fragile, something she had never expected to see again.

And it was only then the spell was finally broken for Riko's group, as every member, especially the moth girl, had been too shocked to react. But the bubble had burst, and the fragile dam containing their volatile, disbelieving emotions caved under the weight of a flood of red and white. After all, this woman had transformed into a half-narehate and died right in front of them; but here she was again, alive, well, and decidedly human. The ironclad laws of life and death had been broken, and the dead walked amongst the living once more.

"Vueko!" Faputa was the first to act, taking not even a millisecond to cover the minuscule distance between and wrap the woman in a furry, four-limbed hug. Vueko, still dazzled, having just been retrieved from the land of the dead, embraced the animal girl instinctively, even though she wasn't sure just what was going on. They just stayed that way for a while, a ball of fluff in the arms of a dingy redhead, cozy and fulfilled. Faputa was reduced to a fit of choking sobs, and Vueko could feel a warm wetness in her chest in tandem.

"W-Why-sosu? Why does Faputa cry-sosu? Vueko is Mother's. She's Mother's, but…"

Vueko's awkwardness evaporated in an instant, her voice growing motherly. Seeing that face, so similar to her Irrumyui's, invoked a deep strength within her that would have never emerged for anyone else.

"It's alright, Faputa. You're Irrumyui's precious daughter; you are her final, precious legacy. So, in a world without her, you are the most important thing to me," Vueroeruko untangled herself from the hug, gently peeling Faputa's four furry claws—their grips long since loosened due to their owner's lack of composure—off her back. She set the beast girl down on her two feet, moving her hands to her face after they were firmly planted on the ground.

She stretched and squeezed Faputa's little cheeks, marveling at the softness of the girl's skin.

"Your hairless spots are soft, just like your mother."

"I-I am your Haku-sosu?"

"The thing I hold most dear? Yes, I guess that's right. Right now, you're my Haku, Faputa."

The girl took a few steps back, away from Vueko's doting hands. She examined the red-haired woman for a second, less—but still quite unsure of the authenticity of her own emotions. After all, almost all of her memories of this woman came from the memories of her mother, and even those were scant in number. However, that same mother had shrouded most of those memories from her, as if trying to keep them for herself until the very end. But wasn't that sentiment in itself the most enticing proof of her mother's love for the woman…?

"Vueko… Vueko was Mother's Haku. Faputa's Haku is Reg. Faputa doesn't know enough about you to be your Haku, and Vueko doesn't know enough about Faputa either," Faputa said in a weighty voice, deeper and lacking her usual cute verbal tick.

Vueko seemed to wilt in an instant, nervously touching her index fingers together. She began to laugh with a self depreciating gloom, monologing silently as she retreated into herself.

"Hehe, of course, of course… Why am I acting so familiar? I'm just a shady stranger who came up to her calling my precious… Hehehe, I'm just a creepy old lady, heheheh—huh?"

Faputa had jumped onto Vueko's shorts-covered head, two little paws gently gripping the woman's forehead.

"So Faputa wants to know Vueko-sosu! She wants to know the woman mother liked so much-sosu! Vueko, tell Faputa lots of stories, ok?"

Faputa's declaration stunned the timid woman for a few moments. Still, when she finally understood that she had been offered a figurative olive branch, she smiled her widest and most heartfelt smile of the last hundred years, extending a hand up towards her head to scratch the girl behind her big fuzzy ears. Faputa squealed adorably in response, finally acting like a girl her age—though she was still definitely more animalistic than any girl.

Meanwhile, the rest of Riko's group was watching from the sidelines, not daring to intrude on this sentimental reunion(?) between their friends. The woman and child were connected through the girl known as Irumyui, tied together by bonds of blood and unconditional love.

It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that Faputa was Vueko's granddaughter.

No one would deny the importance of this moment. No one wanted this moment to end, especially the two lead actors. So they all waited until Faputa and Vueko got their fills of each other's presence.

When the moment was finally, sadly over, and Vueko's hand finally dropped hesitantly from her granddaughter's head back to her side; the first person she addressed was Riko, the leader of their group and the first member she had met.

"U-um, I-I'm not complaining about being brought back to life, but how?! And where is this?"

Riko scratched the back of her head and chuckled.

"It's a long story."

After Riko and Screen—who made Vueko yelp in terror when it revealed itself—explained the situation to her, the woman settled down quickly. She accepted the plausibility of their cross-dimensional abduction and her resurrection much more matter-of-factly than Riko's group had, even when she was one who had been dragged out of the afterlife.

Riko reckoned she had been in the Abyss for so long that nothing, no matter how impossible, could surprise her anymore. Either that, or she just didn't care. Maybe her resurrection was just a happy miracle she didn't see the point in questioning.

Screen, seeing that Riko's group had regained their bearings in full, decided to move on to the next step, beginning by clearing their nonexistent throat to get its audience's attention.

"My dear guests, now that you have received my little surprise," Vueko nodded in thanks, though she was still too timid to speak a word, "It is time to move on to the next step."

"You mean you're going to summon the next batch of guests?" Riko asked.

"Precisely, Ms. Riko. Now, please cover your eyes. There will be a brief flash."

Remembering the insanely bright light from Vueko's summoning, the group collectively covered their eyes with their arms and other extremities. Vueko followed their lead, though she had not experienced it before.

In the next moment, the expected flash washed over the theatre, disappearing as soon as it came, and as the group of children and woman uncovered their ironclad lids; two rows below them, they were met with a…

"What?" they looked around, mystified, the tails of a thin white lab coat flailing about at their motions, eyes nervously scanning their new environment. "Where am I? Kurisu?" Their eyes widened. "Kurisu! Kurisu, where are you?!" Then his eyes met with the groups' and they finally got a good look at him from the front.

He was a decently tall man, slim but not unhandsome, wearing a strange white cloth shirt and brown cloth pants of a thicker variety, secured to his waist by a black leather belt. Short dots of stubble lined his chin, shaved but messy.

The man, after he spoke that strange name, was suddenly frazzled, limbs tensing as his movements grew snappy and sharp.

"C-cosplayers? No, d-d-don't tell me! Those clothes, that aesthetic! Don't tell me I'm in a post-apocalyptic setting?! I know Einstein said 'WW4 would be fought with sticks and stones', but I don't want to be there! H-how?! How could the worldline change this much?! Don't tell me, the Americans made a time machine?! No! Maybe it was the Russians! Damn it, what do I do?! I-I need to go back, but how do I get my hands on a time machine here?!" He pointed to Vueko, whirlpools of desperation in his eyes, "You! Please tell me! Where are we?!"

Vueko, the most socially awkward member of the group, put her hands in front of her in a placating manner, moving them about adorably, "P-please calm down! I-it's not as bad as you think… it… it's probably… not? I mean, I don't know what you would consider bad, but maybe something like this is too much for you, I-I don't want to be insensitive and… and…" her voice had devolved to a whisper for the majority of her response. "U-um, Screen!" Seeing no other way out, she gave up completely, pleading to Screen for help.

"Screen? Who is that? Wait, are we in a theatre? Is this some kind of makeshift shelter for post-apocalyptic—"

"Welcome to my theatre, Mr. Okabe Rintarou."

"It's Kyoma!" The man, Okabe, responded with a snap, as if the refutation of his name was instinctual. "Wait, no…" he caught himself. "It's… it's Okabe Rintarou." Something seemed to die inside of him died when he admitted it, the weirdo. Then, as he finally registered just exactly what had spoken to him, he yelped. "Wait! Who are you?!"

Apparently, Screen's theatre was equipped with a translation function, so although the new guest from another realm spoke an entirely different language from Riko's group, they could still understand him. Names were not translated, however, which led to some butchered pronunciations.

After one lengthy explanation, the eccentric man named Okabe Rintarou became well-acquainted with Riko's group. He was in a state of disbelief for a while, and it took a long time to convince him that they weren't 'foreign agents from an alternate worldline' trying to extract information from him. Though, in all fairness, their story was a bit of a stretch.

But even after Okabe finally accepted their explanation, he was still just as weird. Riko, when she had first met him, assumed the majority of his eccentricity came from this inexplicable situation. She was wrong. She was so, so wrong.

Even now, he still claimed his name wasn't Okabe Rintarou, but Hououin Kyoma.

"Is that some kind of title?" Nanachi asked.

Okabe, now sitting in a seat on the row in front of them, turned back with a snap, grinning smugly.

"Yes, that is correct, fluffy rabbit creature!"

"Naa~ what's up with these nicknames, naa?" Nanachi asked with a deep sigh.

"Fufufu, Hououin Kyoma, it is the name of the greatest mad scientist in the history of the world! The name of a dashing rogue, clad in silver armor", he stood up and posed, flourishing the coattails of his labcoat so they would flap dramatically, "battles the forces of The Organization to save the world from their evil clutches!" He retrieved a red rectangular object from his pocket, flipping up the top portion of it with flamboyant ease, revealing a screen on the top half and a set of buttons on its bottom. "Jack, Jerry, Simoooooooona! They may have been lost on the field of battle, but their memory lives on in me, and through my hands!" He raised a clenched fist to the air, "they shall be aveng—"

"Oi, Riko. I think this guy has a few screws loose," Nanachi deadpanned. Reg nodded tacitly in agreement. Riko just chuckled awkwardly. She was a bit too nice to say they were right, but she didn't exactly… disagree. Vueko was chuckling awkwardly, but her opinion towards Okabe didn't seem to be too favorable. Was this guy telling the truth, secret organizations and mad scientists and all that? Even if he was, the way he presented himself didn't exactly make his story any more believable.

Okabe didn't seem to hear Nanachi, and if he did, maybe he just didn't care. He pointed to the screen, asking, "Kukuku, have you summoned me to this world because you have been made aware of my ingenious exploits?"

"Yes, Mr. Okabe. That is precisely the case."

"What?" Okabe was stunned. No one but Faris would ever take his childish fantasies seriously. Unless, this thing knew about his real exploits!

"Your victory over the Committee of 300 and their branch organization SERN was certainly very impressive, not to mention the prevention of WW3. I especially appreciate the ingenious method you utilized to save Shiina Mayuri and Makise Kurisu despite both of their deaths being fixed points in the nearest two worldlines. I do hope you will establish a loving relationship with Ms. Kurisu, you certainly deserve it, " Said Screen in a wile tone that Nanachi did not miss.

"Wha-wha-wh—" The man named Okabe flapped his lips uselessly in the likeness of a goldfish. "

Riko's group was speechless, seeing Okabe with new eyes. They had no idea what Screen just said, but it sounded awfully impressive; far, far more than they would expect from this sleazy, crazy man.

Without waiting for the self-proclaimed "mad scientist" to regain his composure, Screen declared, "Now, it is time to greet our next guest."

Riko's gang, knowing what was about to come, quickly told Okabe to shield his eyes, which he did.

There was yet another flash of light, and when everyone opened their eyes, they found their next fellow abductee sitting in the same row as Okabe. On the very next seat to his right, in fact.

When Okabe opened his eyes, there was someone sitting in the seat to his right. He was a young man, maybe eighteen, wearing a black and white jumpsuit with orange highlights. His hair was somewhat spiky, but not aggressively so, much unlike his sharp, menacing eyes.

The combination of those sharp eyes in addition to their owner's surprise appearance made Okabe yelp in shock, which in turn induced the same reaction in his new neighbor.

"Who are you?!" they shouted at the same time, pointing towards each other, yet again at the same time.

Riko couldn't help but chuckle at the scene. She couldn't help it! It was like they were twins!

The spell was broken between the two men. Okabe turned to Riko, now pointing at her.

"What are you laughing at, little girl?!"

The other man, having just now noticed Riko and her group's presence, beheld them with wide eyes.

"Whoa, what's up with this animal girl explorer aesthetic? And wait, is that a robot?!"

"It's nice to meet you, um…"

"Subaru, Natsuki Subaru. Nice to meet you."

The man nodded, turning his attention to the room that looked a little too familiar. This wasn't the kind of place that would be in Lugnica or Vollacia "So, what's up with you guys," he turned to the so-called "mad scientist" at his side. "And the sleazy dude?"

"S-Sleazy?!" Okabe exclaimed, apparently taking great offense. "Hmph, someone like you could never understand. I am the mad scientist Hououin Kyoma—" he was interrupted by Subaru's chuckling, which Riko presumed was caused by the meaning of Okabe's false name.

"Subaru, do you understand Okabe's language?" Riko asked, tilting her head.

"Is there something funny about his made-up name?" Reg asked, feeling left out of the loop.

"It's Kyoma!"

"Y-yeah," Subaru struggled to contain his chuckles. "What's up with that stupid chunni name, man? Did you seal the Darkness Demon God in one of your eyes too?"

Okabe's face went red like a ripe tomato. "I-I-I-Inconceivable! You must be a member of the organization!" He opened his fliphone, pretending to dial a number.

"Whoa, is that a cell phone? And is your name really Okabe? You're Japane—"

"There has been a breach! We have been infiltrated by a spy of the organi—what?! Eliminate them? Are you sure—no, there must be another way! No, no, you're right, I understand. So… this must be the choice of Stein's gate…"

"This guy's a real weirdo, Naa."

"No, no, he's great!" Subaru laughed, though Riko found it strange the man was so happy just from Okabe's behavior. Perhaps they were countrymen?

Screen chose that moment to show themself.

"Welcome to my theatre, Mr. Natsuki Subaru. I trust it is to your liking?"

"W-whoa. Who are you, the theatre owner? Sorry, I don't have any money for tickets, and I don't have any popcorn either," Subaru joked, although his body was as rigid as a stone; his humor not quite reaching his wary eyes.

"Please relax, Mr. Natsuki. I mean you no harm. Although, I'm afraid you will not be able to utilize Return by Death within my theatre."

Subaru bolted from his seat, eyes wide and hands shaking.

"H-how do you know?! How could you know about that ability?!" His eyes darted around like those of a frightened rabbit's, as if danger could strike from any angle.

"Mr. Natsuki, please. There is no need to worry. Satella has no power within my domain. Her tendrils cannot breach the walls of this theatre even if she is made aware of its existence."

"Wha!" Subaru's eyes were so wide Riko thought his eyelids would tear. His jaw was so slack it seemed it would detach from his head.

"U-U-Um, what do they mean by Return By Death?" Vueko asked. There was something ominous in the name, eerily similar to some of the more eldritch horrors of the Abyss. It sounded almost like the name of a special-grade artifact.

Subaru didn't seem to hear Vueko. He stared intently at the screen, gauging the entity's words until he finally seemed ready for something.

"I…I-I, I can return by death!" Natsuki screamed with horribly clenched eyes. Okabe looked at him like he was insane, though the opinion was not entirely unreasonable.

Slowly, the young man opened one eye, peeking into the world with the most fearful gaze Riko had ever seen.

"What could have happened for him to look like that?"

Then, gingerly, tentatively, Natsuki Subaru opened his other eye, stared into his hands in bewilderment, and proceeded to grin a most gleeful grin. It was almost maniacal in its joy, like the grin of a desert wanderer in the face of a lush oasis.

Vueko knew that smile.

Okabe knew that smile.

Vueko had seen that smile on the faces of her very own companions, the Ganja squad, as they finally found a path past their end. It was a smile of a fervent hope realized, a warm bright flame fueled by coals of despair. As she began to pity Subaru, Vueko wondered what unspeakable horrors could have driven the man to this wretched state.

The self-proclaimed mad scientist immediately grew serious as he realized that perhaps, there was a profound reason Screen sat Subaru next to him. Maybe the two had more in common than he thought. Return by Death, Return by Death. Those words, even though he didn't know what they meant in detail, sounded far, far too familiar to the time traveler.

Subaru, not quite comprehending the pitying and understanding gazes now directed at him, continued to scream in absolute joy and euphoric glee.

"I CAN RETURN BY DEATH! I CAN RETURN BY DEATH! I CAN RETURN BY DEATH! I CAN RETURN BY DEATH! I CAN RETURN—Cough! Cough! Cough!" Subaru choked on his own spit, coughing violently as he did.

If Subaru looked a little less broken and his expression a little less relatable, this would have been a comedic moment that Okabe would have gladly capitalized on; but the strange sense of camaraderie he shared with this man would not leave him. No matter what, the time traveler could not find it in him to laugh at Subaru's misery.

"Whoa, calm down, Evileye Reborn!" Okabe exclaimed as he patted Subaru's back.

"Wha-what kind of chunni nickname is that?" Choked out Subaru, weakness tainting his voice. There was a smile on his face, a wide, brilliant smile that seemed to light up the room with beams of joy. His body, having been tense for so long, far, far beyond his time in the theatre, finally relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever.

Even Riko could tell, despite not knowing the man, that he had not been free—been truly relaxed in a long, long time.

Nanachi was reminded of herself after she met her new friends; after… after she put Mitty to peace.

"This guy's been through a lot, naa."

No one in the theatre would disagree if they could glean her thoughts. After all, they were all of the same mind.

"So, we're here to… watch movies?" Subaru asked, almost incredulous. He had been informed of the situation, and had found it more absurd the more he was told.

The concepts weren't hard to wrap his head around, but he was just a little suspicious of Screen's motivations and abilities.

"Yes, that is correct."

"Uh… why?"

"Please think of it as a group therapy of sorts."

Subaru glanced at Riko's group and Okabe. "So you expect us to watch a movie together like some kind of highschool film club?"

"That description is… adequate."

Subaru gaped.

"You know, you might just be the only 'overpowered mastermind' type of guy I've met who doesn't have some kind of super convoluted and self-serving plan," Subaru said finally, wetting his lips before continuing. "But this innocent motivation isn't just a lie to get us to drop our guards, right? I've met a few guys who come off as cute and cuddly at first who are actually—"

"Puck, correct?"

Subaru could never get used to how much Screen knew, but decided that if it had the power to repel Satella, this much was only natural.

"Yeah. You're not hiding your fangs like that guy, right?"

Screen was eerily silent. In but a moment, the jovial atmosphere within the theatre soured like milk.

"Right, Screen?" Reg pleaded nervously. He wasn't sure if he could protect Riko if this powerful being was truly malicious in nature.

"Y-you said you would help us, right Screen?" Riko asked as fearfully as Reg.

After what felt like an eternity for the poor, tense, audience, Screen spoke; though its words were not comforting in the least.

"This intervention is designed to help you overcome your traumas through peer support and understanding. However, I must confess I am no psychologist."

Subaru laughed nervously.

"Your tone's not all that convincing, man."

"I see," the unfathomable entity responded, and its audience could detect a concrete sense of finality in its tone which permitted no challenge. The conversation had ended.

"Please cover your eyes. I will now summon the next batch of guests."

Once again, the room was engulfed in a brilliant flash. But not even the brilliance of that light could wash away the unease of the diverse group of men and women within the theatre; now more aware of the reality of their kidnapping than ever before.

The next VIP was a child who appeared to be between twelve and fourteen years old, sporting a head of messy snow-white hair and deep blue eyes. He wore a dark blue turtleneck shirt with a loose white T-shirt on top and light grey shorts with strange laceless purple shoes.

For a moment, his eyes were as childish and innocent as any boy his age. But when that microscopic moment passed, those ocean blue eyes narrowed, sharpened, darkened; the cold eyes of a predator, devoid of warmth and hesitation.

"Where… am I?" He asked, suffocating wisps of bloodlust emanating from his body, glacial eyes piercing each of the people behind him from his seat on the immediate row down from Riko's group, inducing shivers in even the most hardened individuals in the room. For them, the theatre's temperature had dropped by ten degrees, an irrational sensation of suffocation clutching tightly to their lungs.

Faputa screeched, taking up a protective stance in front of her group, growling at the newcomer. Reg, while more reserved in action, was just as terrified as his furry friend. While he did not aim the Incinerator, his arms were pointed forward and ready to launch, standing atop his seat even as he shook in anticipation.

Riko and Vueko were near wetting their pants, and Nanachi's fur stood on edge. For Okabe, the experience was like having a gun pointed at his head, something he had experienced multiple times; so he could accurately make the comparison.

And Subaru? He had experience with bloodlust—built up a tolerance to it, but he was definitely not immune, especially to this level of intensity. Even so, he was the most rational of his fellow audience members, holding up his hands in a placating gesture.

"L-let's calm down, ok? We won't do anything, and we didn't bring you here, so can we just sit down and talk?"

The boy furrowed his brow, squinting down towards Subaru for a moment—a veritable eternity to the young man—before gradually relaxing his features. The bloodlust which had choked the room dissipated in an instant as if it was a brief illusion, and the boy shoved his hands in his pocket, smiling.

"Ok. Let's talk."

Exhaling a clear sigh of relief, Subaru began, though he was still nervous, and the sharp contrast between the boy's current and former demeanors certainly didn't calm his anxiety.

"S-so, what's your name?"

"Killua."

"I-it's nice to meet you, Killua," Riko greeted, being very careful to be respectful. She was even more nervous than Subaru, but she had faced worse… probably faced worse. It was as if she was appeasing a wild, ferocious beast that would kill her on a whim. A single mistake, known or unknown, would likely lead to her death.

In other words, it was just another Tuesday for the young cave raider.

Killua nodded in acknowledgment.

"So, what are your names?"

Everyone wearily introduced themselves, and Killua simply nodded halfheartedly in response, a shallow sort of acknowledgment just a step ahead of complete indifference.

The whole time, Killua's cool blue eyes were scanning them halfheartedly, not the least threatened by any in their group even after careful examination. Even Faputa, the most dangerous amongst them, seemed harmless in his eyes.

Riko wondered where this boy, who seemed only a year or two her senior, had acquired this degree of confidence.

"So, Killua," the girl gestured to her group. "We're delvers. Okabe is a scien—"

"Mad scientist!" Okabe corrected. Killua deadpanned.

"—tist. Subaru is…"

"I am the one and only knight of E.M.T., Emilia! Maji! Tenshi!" Subaru declared pridefully as if he bought that title with a mountain of gold, emphasizing every word of the strange abbreviation. Killua deadpanned again, harder this time.

"Killua, what do you do?" Riko inquired. She wasn't trying to gather information or seek leverage. The girl was genuinely curious about the life of the newcomer. Out of all of the people so far, he seemed the most interesting, not that Subaru and Okabe weren't. It's just… those two were a little too ordinary, was all.

"I'm a hunter," Killua took out a strange card from his pocket. It showed his mugshot on the side, with rows of strange unknown letters covering almost everywhere else on the paper. The card was utterly intelligible to every other person in the room. He was not from Japan, and it was unlikely he was from Riko's world either.

Okabe and Subaru determined that although Killua didn't come from Japan, his world still had a lot more in common with theirs than Riko's strange group of furry, exotic, robotic, miner-looking folk.

"A hunter?! That sounds so cool! What does a hunter do?!" Asked Riko excitedly.

"A hunter tracks down precious artifacts, discovers places unseen, and arrests criminals who've committed horrible crimes," Killua replied, a genuine smile curling into place. He liked the girl; she reminded him of Gon in certain ways.

He only started talking to these people so he could find his way back to his sister Alluka, but it was turning out to be an enjoyable experience, even though they didn't know anything. These people were all horrible liars. The robot, upright rabbit person, and labcoat guy all lied to him at least once, but they were so bad at it that Killua wanted to roll his eyes. All it took was one look into their eyes and he knew. The boy let down his guard. These people couldn't hurt him or manipulate him.

"Ohhh! You're just like delvers! We also look for precious artifacts and explore unknown places, though we only go down into this giant pit called the Aby—"

It was at that moment Screen chose to speak, just as Killua was listening to Riko with apt attention, conveniently cutting off the girl's sentence.

"Hello, Mr. Killua. How was your day?"

Killua narrowed his eyes. Something about this Screen guy really rubbed him the wrong way.

After some initial misgivings, Screen explained the situation to Killua. The boy promptly calmed down when the entity promised that nothing had happened to his sister Alluka. He now sat quietly in his seat without any need for further attention, though his gaze occasionally darted back and forth from Riko to Screen.

"Killua, let's keep talk—" Nanachi promptly interrupted Riko. Slowly but surely, the furry rabbit was beginning to regain their initial apprehension regarding their abductor.

"Naa. Stop it, Riko. Screen doesn't want us to talk about our world for some reason. 'Mad Scientist' over there got his prestigious little backstory exposed almost immediately, and Sharp-eyes actually had some secret in his world that he's free to tell here." Nanachi paused in thought before continuing to organize their thoughts. Screen was surely listening, so they couldn't make their question too aggressive in a way that may offend the virtually omnipotent being, but there was a certain degree of defiance that they absolutely had a duty to voice. Screen couldn't just do whatever it wanted to them! "So that begs the question, why are we being silenced?"

Riko nodded, understanding. She would bring up the issue later. Screen could hear their whispers, so if they didn't respond to Nanachi's accusation just now, they were choosing to remain silent on the matter. Confronting the entity right now would only be a waste of breath.

"Please cover your eyes. The next guest will be arriving shortly."

Killua needed no warning, casually slinging an arm over his eyes. Immediately, a blinding flash engulfed the theatre.

When the light dispersed, a new audience member appeared, sitting on the seat to Killua's right.

She seemed to be a girl about fifteen years of age, close to her seatmate in years. Her messy, curly hair was a fiery orange, with two cowlicks strands standing proud atop her head. She wore a white coat that covered her thighs along with a grey turtleneck and a pair of light brown hiking boots. Most interestingly, the girl was missing her left ear, and the number 63194 was printed neatly on her neck in black ink.

Killua's reaction to the sudden appearance of this new guest was but a raised eyebrow.

"Hmm. From those eyes, she's definitely seen a lot. The missing ear and the… serial number, is it a serial number—is probably some kind of identification code. A lab rat? A slave? Well, she doesn't have any nen or other weird powers from what I'm seeing, though her body language is that of a hunter's. Physically, she's nothing special. But… but those eyes, they kind of remind me of Gon."

The girl looked around, confused, though she registered her surroundings.

"Where am I? Is this a… theatre? "

Killua tapped on her arm.

"Yo."

"Oh! Hi!" She turned, only just now seeing Killua. The boy could be very, very sneaky even when he didn't want to be.

"I'm Killua, I was also brought here. What's your name?"

"I'm Emma, nice to meet you Killua!" She smiled again, and that smile was like the sun, and it was so, so much like Gon's that it made Killua's heart ache. It hadn't even been a week since he rescued his best friend from the jaws of death, and although he had already been brought back, Killua's heart had not yet recovered. Seeing that smile again felt like melting.

He had a strange urge to befriend Emma. From a single glance it was apparent she possessed the same sunny-bright power of attraction as his best friend, and just like with Gon, he suddenly found himself reeled into this girl's sunny orbit. Call him a fool, falling for the same trap twice. But is a fool truly foolish if their foolishness begets nothing but joy?

"So, what do you lik—"

And it was precisely that moment that Screen decided to intervene, cutting Killua off mid-sentence.

"Hello, Ms. Emma. Allow me to…"

Killua didn't hear the rest of his captor's address. The only thing he needed to know was that Gon's orange female clone over there was named Emma, and that Screen was sabotaging their interactions for some indescribable reason, just as he did to Killua's conversation with Riko.

The boy was not pleased, not at all; not only because of this interruption, but the way Screen talked and interacted with him and his fellow audience members. Something simply felt… off. Yet another sign had reared its ugly head, and Killua was not one to let such things slide.

Screen's words are sensible and kind, and they nearly always replied to both questions and scrutiny.

Yet, those same kind words and mindful responses directly contrasted the entity's actions. Mass kidnapping, forcing its audience to watch films of unknown content, and now: abruptly interrupting their interactions for unknown reasons. It simply made one wonder.

Killua was no stranger to manipulation, having been subject to his brother's puppeteering for the better half of his life, as well as the abuse and indoctrination of his father and mother for the duration of his childhood. He was very, very well-versed in the mind games he was almost sure Screen was playing, and he could discern the telltale signs of manipulation in places where others would find only kindness.

Did Screen truly accept its audience's agency, or were its hospitable words simply the mask of a megalomaniacal puppet master, dangling transparent strings over the heads of its unenlightened abductees?

"Please cover your eyes. Our next guest will be joining you shortly."

The next VIP appeared sitting on the seat to Vueko's right, eliciting a squeak of surprise from the timid woman.

He was a blonde man, about 180 centimeters tall. His right eye was obscured by his hair, and his right was garnished by an eyebrow so curled it would better be described as a spiral. He wore a black suit with six buttons on the front with black dress pants of the same color and a pair of similarly-colored leather(?) shoes of unusual solidity.

For a moment, the man did not seem to understand what was going on. His eyes were wide and one of his hands was close to his lips as if holding an invisible cigarette. His eyes descended upon his own clothing, and he frowned a very perturbed frown. Something was clearly amiss.

"Since when did I put these back on?" He mused aloud. The blonde shook his hand, examined it, and was unable to believe there was not a cigarette in it. Now profoundly disturbed, he finally analyzed the theatre before him, which caused his body to tense sharply in alarm.

Fight-or-flight responses taking over, the blonde man swished his head side to side, presumable to scan for threats. To his right, he found nothing but empty rows of velvet seats. Nothing of note.

"Um… um…"

A voice to his left. A woman's voice.

The man's head snapped in the direction of that voice. That adorable, hushed, vulnerable voice. A lifelong womanizer, the man felt it in his bones; knew it in his heart that the woman behind that voice would be a beauty worth more than a hundred million berries.

And when his eyes reached the target of his future affections, the man knew he was absolutely on the money.

A crimson-locked angel sat timorously at his side, fidgeting adorably with her long, slender fingers which poked through two mantis-like sleeves from a robe three sizes too big. Her hair, a few streaks of grey in a river of crimson, parted by a hat that looked… far too much like a pair of underpants. Her ruby eyes, twin heaven-sent jewels of priceless value, twinkled above the heavy black bags which only served to accentuate the maiden's meek, demure nature.

"H-hello…" she muttered in a voice so low it could easily escape the untrained ears of an ordinary plebian. But this is no ordinary man. He was a true gentleman(self-proclaimed), and therefore, it was only natural that his auditory apparatuses would be honed to such a degree that no womanly timbre could escape their ravenous canals.

"It's rare to meet an irresistible beauty in a place like this," not that he had any idea where this place was. "Your ruby eyes." He leaned closer, taking the lady's fidgeting fingers in his own, eliciting a mousy squeak. "They are more beautiful than the brightest rubies bejeweled upon the crown of the most lavish king. Could you tell me what pristine thoughts lie behind those vaunted jewels, my lady?"

Vueko squawked like a dying parrot, utterly baffled by the stranger who had begun to flirt with her despite only having arrived five seconds ago. Being the shy woman she was, she had no idea how to react to a man's romantic advances. The only experiences of that nature she had with the opposite sex was… she really didn't want to think about that, nor did she want her brain to form a baseless association between that bastard and this man who—while he was a little too touchy—really did not deserve that degree of ire.

Women on the other hand…

But this man was most certainly not a member of the fairer sex if his light beard was anything to go by, and by the way he was clutching her hands, he was definitely not looking for a platonic relationship.

"I-I-I-I… I, can we get to a first-name basis first? I don't know you, and, and…" Vueko whispered out the latter half, eyes downcast. Her sudden suitor's aquamarine eyes were beautiful, but far too fiery to meet with her own.

Luckily, the man heard her voice, responding to her words bashfully with a blush on his face while his hand scratched the back of his hair.

"At least he took that hand off of me."

"Oh, my mistake, my lady. My name is Sanji, a chef whose dream is to discover the All Blue. May I ask for your yours?"

"Ah, I-I'm Vueroeruko, but that's too hard to say so j-just call me Vueko." The woman tugged weakly at her hands, which were still under Sanji's grasp. "And also, um, um… can you let me go?" she asked with eyes squeezed shut, almost afraid of a violent response.

"Calm down, Vuerueruko. This isn't him. It isn't him. You don't have to be afraid."

Sanji, as if only now comprehending his phalangal transgressions, quickly withdrew his remaining hand, sheepishly muttering an apology which Vueko accepted hesitantly.

"I-It's really nice to meet you, Vueko-san!" His lovesick tunnel vision broken, Sanji could finally see for himself his fellow, non-Vueko audience members within the theatre.

On the row below him, there were two kids; the cute girl with orange hair who looked at him with a puzzled expression, and the white-haired boy who was wearily examining him with two of the sharpest eyes he ever saw. He knew that kid had killed before. Was he some kind of assassin or something? A child soldier?

"Ah, what a damned shame. I could have been just like that if I didn't escape my shitty family. Doesn't look like this poor kid had that much luck."

On the row below the two kids, there were two men; a shorter one with nasty eyes and a taller one with a bland-looking face. They looked at him all exasperated-like— they probably didn't like womanizers much. Jealousy towards his superior allure, perhaps?

Most of the audience members were seated in the top row where Sanji was brought. Past his darling Vueko-san—whose closed heart's doors he had surely opened—sat a little moth girl. Sanji was reminded of the Mink people of Zou, the animal people who had built their civilization upon the back of a gargantuan moving elephant whose lengthy legs reached the sea floor.

The girl was snarling at him, emitting a weak aura of killing intent. Due to Sanji's past battles, he was so desensitized to killing intent that such minute amounts could not even shatter his lovestruck tunnel vision. To him, it was just a mosquito bite—or a moth bite in this case.

Vueko was embracing the girl now, patting her head and whispering sweet nothings into one of her large ears.

"Faputa, don't worry. The strange man won't hurt us… probably?"

The woman's reassurance soothed the moth girl, understandably, to a limited degree.

"So her name is Faputa. What a cute girl. Ah, Vueko-san! What a saintess! She's embracing that kid like a mother to her child! …wait. A mother to her child? Don't tell me!"

Could it be that Faputa was Vueko-san's daughter?! Then that would mean, that would mean!

The grotesque, unfathomable image of a faceless moth man intruded upon Sanji's woman-and-cooking-dominated mind, filling the man with soul-shattering despair.

Shaking his head to rid himself of such disturbing insinuations, the chef continued scanning his row in an attempt to distract himself.

Next to the moth girl sat a boy, no more than twelve years of age, who wore a lopsided high-tech-looking helmet. Three cybernetics limbs took on the likeness of a hand and legs, designed with the same kind of aesthetic as the helmet. One of the arms was clearly missing.

"Poor kid. What could have happened for him to lose his arm like that? That said, it looks like he's a cyborg like Franky. I wonder who built his limbs?"

The boy was staring at him strangely, expression shifting from bewildered, to uncomfortable, to pitying, to confusion, and back to bewildered again. He probably didn't know what to think about Sanji.

The girl next to him looked like a Mink too, but less feral than the moth girl. This one was a green rabbit girl wearing a hat attached to a fur cape with wooden boards sewn on the inside layer. There was a profound intellect hidden in her swamp-green eyes. She seemed to be weary of something—not of Sanji himself, per se, but how he would react, or how something would react to him.

The girl next to her was a blonde just like him. She bore no animalistic features or robotic limbs, though a pair of glasses perched neatly on her nose. There was a strange glove on her left arm, differing from her right. She was staring at him with a spark of wanderlust in her eyes, and Sanji suddenly saw a mirage of his own captain in her place. He had just met the girl and they hadn't even spoken a word to one another, and yet, the thirst for adventure in that girl's eyes that was far, far too familiar.

"Better keep an eye on this one. She's like a kid version of Luffy. Then again, Luffy might actually have her beat in that department…"

Having seen enough, Sanji began to ask for answers.

"Vueko-san. What is this place? Were you also brought here—"

"Allow me to explain, Mr. Vinsmoke."

The room suddenly rose ten degrees in temperature as Sanji leveled a scorching glare toward the screen from whence the voice came. Vueko squeaked in fear, and the little girl in her hands whined with terror even as her mother(?) rubbed soothing lines on her fur, no doubt due to her heightened sensitivity to killing intent. Sanji swore he would make it up to them later.

The boy on the second row down was glaring at him with fear-filled eyes. His eyes were now the color of the morning sky, his hair standing tall and sharp like white bolts of lightning. Azure tongues of electricity snaked around the boy, the air beside him sizzling into foul-smelling ozone. The girl beside him yelped in shock, more towards the boy than Sanji, though there was no terror in her emerald eyes.

There were some very perceptive people in this room, and he may have just alienated them. Sanji sighed. What a mess. He would apologize later. Still, it was imperative to show resistance against his abductor, even if his efforts may prove fruitless. This mystery man had a ridiculously powerful Devil Fruit ability, and a complete mastery of stealth to boot. Sanji prided himself on his Observation Haki, which should have at least given him some inclination of the enemy's presence before their ability took effect.

The fact he was caught completely off guard regardless was, troubling.

"Who the hell are you, and what do you want with me? I was in the middle of a fight." He glanced lovingly towards Vueko with hearts in his eyes. "Not that I mind much."

"Yes, Mr. Vinsmoke—"

"Don't, call me that." Sanji glared.

"I, yes, certainly, Mr. Sanji. My apologies for the insensitivity." Screen apologized.

"Tsk, I don't need you to be sensitive. That name just pisses me off, that's all!"

The brat on the third row had calmed down and was shooting him a sympathetic look. Maybe he had family issues as well. Poor kid. What was he, fourteen? Sanji hoped he found a loving family like him. Not many kids were as lucky.

"Well then. Shall we begin?"

Sanji didn't miss the way the kid glared at the screen, eyes sharper than the edges of Mosshead's blades. He definitely had a problem with this guy, and the chef couldn't really blame him. The kid was probably kidnapped just like him. But from his lack of surprise towards the bastard's voice, he was already given the explanation. If he was still so wary, then that explanation probably wasn't any good; or so good it was suspicious.

Either way, Sanji would not be deceived. He had faced manipulators before, and it was becoming more and more apparent that this guy was another one. He would keep his mind sharp and punt the chocolate filling out of any bullshit that would come his way.

No matter what, Sanji would not let his guard down against this fishy, kidnapping bastard.

The next batch of VIPs contained two women.

To the immediate seat to Killua's left now sat an androgynous middle-aged woman(?) with guava-colored hair. She wore a suit shirt with a yellow tie, dark grey khakis, and a large pair of brown leather shoes Like Riko, there was a pair of glasses perched neatly on her nose. Like Subaru, her eyes could kill.

But where the young man's eyes were sharp and menacing, this woman(?)'s eyes were as those of a dead fish. Her pupils, scleras, and irises were but tiny pinpricks floating atop endless oceans of white. Unlike Subaru's eyes, which made you want to look anywhere but them; the woman's eyes sucked you in like twin black holes, forced you to stare into them until their gravity crumpled your very soul.

Yet, Killua could sense no power from her, so unless the woman was extremely adept at hiding her abilities, she probably couldn't back that intimidation. That was probably a good thing for him, all things considered; but he couldn't help but think it was pretty disappointing.

"Laaaame!"

And then, Killua sensed the aura of the other thing seated to guava-hair's side, and froze.

This was not like his reaction to Sanji's arrival: a cat hissing at a tiger in defense of its territory. In a battle against the superior blonde chef, he believed he had a chance. A one in a thousand chance, but a chance nonetheless, similar to his odds against a Chimera Ant king.

But now, Killua was scared stiff. His body could not even entertain the notion of a fight or flight response, for both—if the newcomer would be hostile—would surely lead to a swift and immediate death. He was an ant at the foot of an elephant. There was absolutely nothing he could do but pray, pray that this 'guest' would be well-natured enough to refrain from atomizing everyone in the room before they could even react.

He knew Sanji could feel it too, with his weird powers or whatever. Killua vaguely recalled him saying something about Haki. Probably some power like Nen from his world.

As Killua twisted his head to look behind him, he could see that the chef was shaking in his leather dress shoes; teeth clattering in his mouth. His pupils were as slight as pinpricks, kind of like guava-hair's.

Then, for some inexplicable reason, that weirdo's eyes transformed(somehow) into twin pink hearts that extended outwards from his sockets like frog tongues, while twin rivers of blood flooded from his nostrils.

"B-b-beautiful ladyyyyyyy!"

"What the hell is that guy doing?! Did he get hit with a charm ability?!"

Killua's gaze trailed back down, to the thing, no—after a better look it seemed to be a woman. Every instinct in his body told him to look away, to freeze and make himself look as nonthreatening as possible in the likeness of a small animal to a predator ten times its size. It took every last drop of his willpower to force his eyes to open and look toward this absolute monster sitting just two seats beside him, a ludicrous contrast to the powerless woman between them.

She, it, took the form of a beautiful human woman, perhaps the most beautiful Killua ever saw.

"At least I know why the perv over there changed his attitude so fast."

She was blonde, twin-tailed, and well-endowed, with fiery orange eyes and reptilian pupils of a darker shade. A pair of twin-pronged light brown horns with flat tips sprouted from her head, and a thick and long green tail covered in reptilian scales protruded aggressively from her behind, draped over the back of her seat so as to not prevent her from sitting. The thing was massive. It was at least three times as thick as her leg and nearly as long as she was tall. It drew so much attention from Killua that his eyes locked on that monstrous appendage nearly as rigidly as Sanji's heart eyes to the back of the woman's head.

But somehow, somehow, the lizard features and the oversized tail weren't the freakiest part of the woman's apparel. No, the bearer of that ridiculous trophy would be the frilly maid outfit which caressed her form oh so snugly, complete with a dark blue apron and mob cap. There was even a pink tie under her collar, the same shade as the other woman's hair.

And the worst part of all was that Killua wasn't fazed by any of this in the slightest. He bored witness to much, much stranger during his fights against the Chimera Ants. That centipede guy with the massive rack of arms across his torso? You really can't be surprised much after you see that.

"So she's a, lizard… maid? But the guy next to her is totally normal!"

Killua was just trying to wrap his head around the fact that this maid-looking lizard lady, who could probably rival if not surpass the Chimera Ant king in power, associated with a woman who couldn't even use Nen, or whatever passed for Nen in their realm.

Suddenly, the lizard woman stared him right in the eyes, those smoldering reptilian pupils piercing through him like a hot knife through butter.

Killua would deny to his dying days that he almost screamed then.

Slowly and meticulously, the lizard woman disengaged her gaze from him—possibly, hopefully, deeming him a non-threat. She scanned everyone else in the room with those fiery eyes. Killua noticed her gaze stayed on most others for a second at most, with the exception of Sanji, who she thought worthy of a whole three seconds of examination. She examined Killua for only two seconds. Fair enough.

It was worth noting that as the lizard lady's eyes landed on Subaru, she wrinkled her nose. Killua too had noticed something off about the guy. He gave off a weird nen, nen far too sinister for a guy like him. Was he hiding his true personality—if so then he was by far the best liar Killua had ever seen—or was he maybe cursed by someone? Pissed off a particularly nasty Nen user? Killua had a hunch that Subaru's story would be an interesting one.

But as interesting as Subaru was, he paled in comparison to guava hair. Seriously, what the hell was her story?!

"I don't see people this strange even in my world," thought Tohru as she examined the cyborg boy two rows above her who looked like he came straight out of that Saturday morning cartoon she would watch when she finished all the housework.

Ever since Tohru and Kobayashi-san arrived to this 'theatre' as the humans called it—which wasn't even ten seconds ago—she had been on high alert. To start, Tohru had been abducted instantaneously without her knowledge.

The daughter of the Emperor of Demise, one of the most powerful dragons in her world in her own right, had been abducted without her knowledge. Theoretically, not even a god should be capable of such a feat!

Certainly, Tohru could be overpowered by a sufficiently powerful forced teleportation spell. She would not deny that. However, she should have at least felt her magical shields buckle under the weight of such tremendous magic. Even if it was a split second, a fraction of an instant, she should have been able to struggle! To resist even if her efforts proved ultimately futile!

And yet, to Tohru's horror, she had been caught as unprepared as her beloved Kobayashi-san was brought here. The beautiful pinkette was seated gracefully to her right. A normal, powerless human! Not to discredit Kobayashi-san, of course. Even if she didn't have much magic power, she was still the most dashing—alluring—dazzling—elegant—captivating—handsome—enchanting—sexy goddess.

"No", she thought. Those bitches are unworthy of licking Kobayashi-san's toes! That right belongs exclusively to Me! Only I have the right to lick Kobayashi-san's to—"

She was getting off track… But it couldn't be helped, she just loved Kobayashi-san too much.

If this entity was capable of overpowering Tohru as easily as she would a normal human being, then she was clearly out of her league. This thing, whatever it was, boasted superior power to the dragon goddess Quetzalcoatl.

Cold sweat cascaded down the dragon's back. Icy, ethereal tendrils of fear penetrated effortlessly past her limbs, coiling around a fast-beating heart.

"Today might be the day I die." Tohru accepted her powerlessness. "But at least, at least I have to save Kobayashi-san!"

Resolve hardened the dragoness' eyes. In an instant, she reverted to her true draconic form with the utmost speed. Tohru knew she had no choice but to channel every last drop of mana coursing through her body through the highest-output medium she could reasonably procure; all this, for just an infinitesimal chance of victory.

And her victory condition itself was as bleak as her chances.

Suddenly, a large jade-scaled quadrupedal dragon exploded from the body of the young woman. It flew at the very moment of its metamorphosis, leathery wings flapping viciously, each wing the length of a dozen men.

She floated in the space between the ceiling and seats, violent gales erupting from the flaps of her wings. In the corner of her eye, Tohru saw the strong blonde man shoot abruptly from his seat, legs jet-black and refractive in the light. At the same time, the white-haired boy blurred (in human eyes) into a standing position, encased in fickle tongues of azure lightning.

They were summarily dismissed.

Friend or foe, neither of these two humans possessed strength worthy of her attention; especially not when faced with such a superior entity.

Tohru gathered every last drop of mana in her reserves. Energy stored from centuries of accumulation from her heart to her wingtips flowed like a thousand torrents of raw power, gathered at her fingertips.

A kaleidoscopic orb of magic formed between her great claws, its magical density so great spacetime distorted around it in the likeness of a black hole.

She would use all this power to cast just one simple spell. Several centuries' worth of energy would be spent for the sake of a single proverbial lifeboat.

Tohru turned to meet the bewildered eyes of her beloved one last time, accepting that this would be the last time they would ever see each other.

"Tohru?" questioned her beloved Kobayashi-san. From the uncharacteristic quiver in her voice, Tohru could tell that on some instinctual level, the woman understood their situation as well as her.

The dragon's serpentine eyes softened, and her reptilian lips curled into a gentle, loving smile. Tohru engraved the image of her dearest in her mind one last time, inhaling the details of Kobayashi-san's visage like the most delicious meal. She supposed this would be her final supper.

"I love you, Kobayashi-san." This time, her words were anything but casual. By the widening of her beautiful bespectacled eyes, Tohru could tell her Kobayashi-san truly understood the weight of her words.

Tohru smiled, eyes crinkling as thin trails of tears trickled down her scaled cheeks.

"For the longest time, my life has been lonely and aimless. My body has suffered a thousand wounds from war and betrayal. But I'd go through all of that a thousand times over if I knew I would meet you. Goodbye, my Ms. Kobayashi."

"Tohru… Tohru!"

And the world exploded in a cascade of brilliant colors.

"Hello everyone. My name is Kobayashi, and this troublemaker," the pink-haired office lady gestured to the flaccid dragon woman whose twin-pronged horn was gripped firmly in her hand, "is my idiot maid Tohru. As you can see," she shook the dragon up and down, "she is a dragon. We apologize for the disturbance." Kobayashi bowed, dragging Tohru into the same motion.

The two women stood on the aisle closest to their seats, facing south towards their fellow audience members.

"Not at all, Ms. Kobayashi. I should have been more clear of my intentions from the very beginning. I apologize for my silence, and of course, for inflicting upon Ms. Tohru unnecessary stress. I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course, Screen-san. If you don't have any violent intentions, there's no need for a violent response, right Tohru?" She glared towards her sweating maid with her dead fish eyes.

"W-Well, that wasn't a violent response! That was a teleportation spell I had to put all my power into to send you away! It wouldn't have done anything to those guys, and there's no way it would even scratch you." She pointed accusingly at Screen. "And do you really think an apology is enough?! You kidnap us, scare me half to death, and now you won't let us go! Why did you cancel my teleportation spell?! Kobayashi-san shouldn't be here! She should be in her house on Earth, cuddling naked in the sheets with me!"

Okabe coughed awkwardly. Subaru shifted uncomfortably. Reg went red in the face.

Kobayashi's hand transcended the speed of light as it speared through the air to cover Tohru's mouth.

"While I don't really mind staying around to watch—whatever you want me to watch on that screen for a while—wait, you did bring us here to watch something, right, seeing there's a theatre and all?"

"Yes, Ms. Kobayashi. It is the reason I have gathered this audience."

Kobayashi considered her fellow audience members for a few seconds, finally letting go of Tohru's mouth in the meantime. The dragon got the memo, keeping her loose mouth closed.

"Right. So anyways, how long is this going to take, because I've gotta go to work at seven a.m. tomorrow, so…"

"There is no need to worry. You have been removed from the temporal axis of your original universe. No matter how long you stay here, when you return, you will arrive a mere instant after you left. In the meantime, you are immune to hunger, thirst, fatigue, and the need to relieve yourself."

Kobayashi glanced at Tohru, who begrudgingly nodded in affirmation, though the dragon didn't exactly look happy about it.

Plopping herself in the seat next to the white-haired boy—who had named himself Killua—the programmer gestured to her dragon maid to join her at her side.

Tohru complied with her mistress's request, though not with immense hesitation, swishing her tail in nervous protest as she slowly slogged to her seat. When she did, Kobayashi squeezed her shoulder, applying so much pressure the guava-haired woman's hand whitened.

Kobayashi was no ignorant bystander. Years of navigating around the irrational requests and whims of inept-yet-despotic bosses had left the woman with a keen sense of social awareness and an outstanding endurance of frustration and powerlessness. She knew when she should open her mouth and when she should keep all its wonderfully colorful opinions hidden under a dozen layers of mental safes like the core of a matryoshka doll.

She understood exactly what Tohru had attempted to do, and was never more grateful to the dragon for it.

Yet, Kobayashi also understood that showing such gratitude may offend their seemingly gracious 'host', and who knows what the man/god/thing would do to them if angered?

The programmer's barely noticeable shoulder squeeze was a silent attempt to deliver Kobayashi's sentiments to her dragon maid, and Tohru, understanding both the disposition of her mistress and the capricious natures of the divine, as well as similar beings of great power and age; gave a subtle nod in recognition. Kobayashi's message was received.

But little did the programmer know that her little squeeze letter reached one more recipient than intended. To Kobayashi's side, with his face in his palm and a smirk on his lips, the victorious Killua resisted the urge to jump for joy.

For the little skeptic duo had advanced to become a trio, though its newest member was yet unaware of its existence.

The next VIP, who had appeared on the seat to Riko's left, somehow managed to be the strangest one yet. Yes, even stranger than the shapeshifting and very horny dragon maid with a thing for dead fish eyes and back problems.

How is this possible?

Well, just imagine this: a yellow octopus with an emoji face, draped in a graduation gown and cap, of all things. Oh, and he claimed to be a high school teacher.

When he first introduced himself, Subaru had fallen out of his seat in shock, and Okabe's jaw crashed against the floor. It was especially hard on them because, from the thing's diction, it was Japanese.

Meanwhile, Riko's gang was barely startled by the appearance of this yellow emoji octopus. They had seen stranger (and creepier) features in the narehate. Sanji simply raised a spiral eyebrow and did not react further. He too, had seen stranger things from his world. Neither Kobayashi nor Tohru flinched at the creature's entrance, the former having seen stranger from the latter, and the latter being so strange she would treat the octopus as a common species in comparison.

Somehow, the audience member most affected by this comical emoji octopus teacher was none other than the terrifying Killua Zoldyck himself, who had fought and slain stranger and more grotesque creatures than it. In fact, he had already fought a similar octopus creature in his battles against the Chimera Ants.

But Killua felt something in his bones, an unsettling terror; a disturbing chill at his backside. To the young assassin, the seemingly harmless creature felt like family.

"An assassin," was his first thought. "No, it couldn't be. That thing? An assassin? …then again, that silly-looking octopus may be a terrifying monster in banana wrap. I'm the same, after all. It wouldn't be much of a surprise."

Mere moments after the creature cemented himself in Killua's mind as a fellow assassin, Screen announced itself and explained to the "teacher" his current position.

Most would say the octopus took it rather amicably, though Killua could swear he saw a twinkle of mischief in one of its beady eyes. A strange reaction for an assassin. Maybe he was just confident? Or was Killua wrong about his profession entirely?

"I see. So I have been granted another chance at life," the creature said, its voice contemplative. His expression was unusually grave, his voice no longer as jovial as before. "While I am surprised that you seemingly have these supernatural powers, Screen-san, I am more interested in the contents of our viewings." He paused, filling the air with an uncomfortable silence. "After all, there are children here. Surely, you will not be showing them any… inappropriate content, right?"

"...We will be moving on to our next guest."

Killua and Nanachi scowled. Kobayashi frowned. Neither the assassin nor the rabbit actually minded viewing explicit content—having lived through much worse than whatever could be displayed onscreen. However, the way Screen denied the octopus' request so offhandedly, and the fact that the entity denied it at all, was troubling. Moreover, Screen had not even allowed the teacher to properly acquaint himself with his fellow audience, unlike most of the former VIPs.

In fact, both couldn't help but notice that each VIP had less time to socialize than the last. What was Screen's game? Was it running out of time? No, that couldn't be it. There would surely be no rush for a creature as powerful as Screen.

So what in the world was the rush here? It just didn't make any sense.

As the two clever children and shrewd adult pondered over the possibilities, the octopus teacher voiced his complaints.

"Wait! Screen-san! You didn't answer my quest—"

He was promptly ignored.

And the world went white once more.

The next VIP was, again, a human from Japan. Appearing in the seat to Koro-sensei's right, she was a middle-aged woman who looked somewhere between her thirties and forties. Her features: black eyes, black hair cut straight and at shoulder-length, were not particularly noteworthy compared to most of her fellow audience members. Even Okabe, who bore much of the same features, was strangely dressed in his white lab coat.

In comparison, the woman's attire was entirely regular, at least for a Japanese. She wore a pink blouse with a thin white collar and tight cotton pants, casual indoor attire.

Subaru was wistfully reminded of his own mother when he saw the woman, which led to him asking for her name before any of his fellow audience members.

"Oh. Hello there, sir. My name is Hana." She looked around her, taking in the surrounding scenery. "Could you tell me where I am? I was in my house, but when I closed my eyes, I found myself here."

Killua raised an eyebrow. This 'Hana''s reaction to her abduction was surprisingly blase. From what he knew of Japan from his short conversations with the twin stooges, Japan was not a place where the supernatural was well-known. That land bore much resemblance with his world, where Nen was known only to a select few.

Was she like Kobayashi then? A normal Japanese with experience with the supernatural?

With mounting interest in Hana's experiences, Killua decided to answer her question to capture her attention.

"We've been kidnapped by a—"

"You have been brought here to join my audience, Mrs. Hana."

The woman yelped in her seat, finally surprised. Killua scowled in annoyance. Why in the world was Screen interrupting its audience's mingling so frequently now? Was it in some sort of hurry, or were the people it was bringing in increasingly inquisitive? They seemed to be older, perhaps that was a factor?

Screen proceeded to explain the circumstances of her kidnapping to the middle-aged woman, who seemed far too comfortable talking to an omnidirectional voice while surrounded by animal children and yellow octopuses.

After the explanation, Hana rubbed her chin in thought, and after coming to some kind of conclusion, nodded her understanding.

Kobayashi balked.

"No questions? You'll just accept all this," she waved her hands around her, gesturing to her surroundings. "Just like that?"

Hana nodded, smiling. She appeared indecisive for a moment, but soon replied,

"This is not the first time I have encountered… the supernatural."

"Ah." Kobayashi was satisfied with the response. After all, her circumstances were the same. "Well then, my name is Kobayashi. Nice to meet you, Hana-san. I—"

"Well then, dear members of the audience!" Screen declared, much to the annoyance of Kobayashi, who scowled at the interruption. "I appreciate your patience towards this long and tedious process, and of course, my interruptions as well." Killua and Nanachi flinched. "I will be happy to inform you that your frustrations will end in but a moment! We are about to welcome our final two guests. However, be warned, ladies and gentlemen. These two Goddesseswill be exceptionally powerful; so much so that I may not be able to contain them. If any unforeseen circumstances occur, please appeal to the woman in pink and avoid provoking the one in black. Now then, please close your eyes!

Nanachi's eyes widened in fright.

"Wait! What do you mean Goddesses?! If you can't control them then don't bring them here! Screen!"

Killua cursed under his breath, dreading the inevitable. Kobayashi sighed, rubbing her brow with exasperated acceptance.

A second after Nanachi's final cry, the expected flash came once more.

This time, the flash shone magenta, and blinded every member of the audience through their eyelids and hands.

And then, the universe trembled.

Character list

Made in Abyss: Riko, Reg, Nanachi, Vueko (Chapter 62)

Stein's Gate: Okabe Rintaro

Re:Zero: Natsuki Subaru (Post Volume 5)

Hunter x Hunter: Killua (EP 148)

Promised Neverland: Emma (post-manga ending because season 2 bad)

One Piece: Vinsmoke Sanji (uh, newest chapter, I guess… I haven't read One Piece in a while)

Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: Kobayashi, Tohru (Chapter 124)

Assassination Classroom: Koro-sensei

Wolf Children: Hana

? ? ? ?: ? ?, ? ?, ? ?, ? ?, ? ? (? ?)