The Lone Vigilante Issei – High School DxD
Hey everyone, it's me Hide Shinyama.
Sorry for the long delay. A lot of things have been happening lately.
What keeps me especially busy is the fact that my training as an office administration clerk is coming to an end and I have to prepare for the future.
But I managed to finish this chapter, so please enjoy.
This chapter is a transition chapter, focusing on how our heroes arrive in Tokyo.
So, pardon me, if this chapter fails to be exciting.
Anyway, let's see how Matsuda, Motohama and Issei start their lives in Tokyo with…
Chapter 23 – Settling in
16th September, Sunday, 6:03 am – Saiko Doman Green Park
It wasn't easy for Matsuda to land the Chopping Board Type 2. He realized finding an ideal spot to land when it still rather dark was not easy. He had to make sure the area he landed on was even ground.
In the end, he succeeded in finding such a landing area, more specifically a parking lot right next to a pond. His landing wasn't as smooth as it was intended to be. They landed with a small thump, causing the chopper's passengers to get thrown off balance by the impact. Motohama and Issei had lots to complain about the landing, though Matsuda defended himself saying he was still learning. He also said they should be grateful, considering that the last landing was basically a helicopter crash.
After the squabble had ended, they got out of the chopper, took their belongings (the two boar furs and Motohama's seax), shrunk the chopper to its smallest size and made their way out of the park.
The park was empty, without anybody to witness the otherwise impossible feat of shrinking a helicopter. That was a good thing. The less people, the less likely someone is going to ask them awkward questions.
They didn't know which direction to go, but with the help of Phoebe (she could even function with the Chopping Board Type 2 at this size) they could find their apartment. It turned out that Phoebe had the location stored in her memory. With the now shrunken down chopper, they could use its navigation functions to find it.
Monika really thought of everything.
Furthermore, according to Phoebe the helicopter's navigation functions would work better, if it was allowed to fly high up into the sky. That is why the chopper was currently out of view, unless one looked focused hard on finding it in the sky, which no one would do anyway.
This came in handy for two reasons: One, less awkward questions, if nobody could find the Chopping Board type 2. Two, the miniature helicopter could serve as a local GPS without having to rely on satellites, making the chopper and our heroes practically untraceable.
While they were on their way, they figured they might as well enjoy the view.
Saiko Daimon Green Park – quite a nice place, they had to admit. It probably served as a recreational area, meant for picnics and a variety of outdoor activities. The view towards Aya Lake was fantastic. The water sparkled in the rising morning sun, as the beauty of the place started to show. The three boys came to realize that the lake itself was rather longish, for the length of the shore they walked alongside of seemed to be… far longer than the distance between their side and the opposite side of the lake. This was further more confirmed by the existence of the highway bridge over the lake, stretching to the Northeast and onwards.
And the weather wasn't too bad either, despite the fact that it's nearing autumn, so that's a plus.
Anyway, as the three boys made their way towards the city, they were chatting lively about a certain topic…
"When I get to Akihabara, I'm going to buy the newest Hentai Moon game. As far as I'm concerned, that game out last week and now I'm going to get it!" Matsuda spoke, as he rubbed his hands in glee.
…which is porn… of course…
"Why that game? I heard that game had glitches. Test gamers were giving it negative reviews and as far as I'm concerned nothing has been done to correct it so far. Why not "Catty Cat Sex – The Game?" Motohama suggested up, metaphorically pouring cold water on Matsuda's dreams.
"Oh, yeah?" Matsuda raised an eyebrow at that. "And how would you know about that?" he asked.
"I read about it on the internet the day before the police hauled us off to jail," Motohama answered.
"Well…" Matsuda reasoned, as he looked for an answer. "They probably must have fixed the glitch by now."
Motohama noticed how weird his friend was behaving and decided to question him.
"Dude. Why are you so intent on getting that game? There so many other better games. Why are so insistent on Hentai Moon?" Motohama pressed Matsuda.
"Well… uhh…" Matsuda struggled to find for a reply.
"Hmmm?" Motohama interjected, as he eyed him sharply.
That was when Matsuda stopped and raised his arms in exasperation.
"All right! It's because there is flexibility fan service. That's why!" Matsuda exclaimed frustrated.
"Oh… so that's why… It's all about that weird flexibility fetish you have…" Motohama called him out with a smirk.
Matsuda glared back defensively. "So? I like flexible athletic girls! And it's still better than the fetish you have!"
Motohama's glee turned to shock, before turning to a glare as well.
"Don't you say it…" Motohama threatened Matsuda.
"Oh, yes… Your fetish is…" Matsuda wanted to say the answer, but Issei, wanting to prevent an escalation, cut in.
"Guys, knock it off!" Issei silenced them, getting the two of them to stop glaring at each other and look to Issei instead with surprised looks. "As excited as I am about visiting Akihabara. There is one problem… no two… no three problems! There are three problems!" Issei held up three fingers.
Matsuda and Motohama looked at Issei in confusion.
"And what are those?" Matsuda asked.
"Yeah, what problems?" Motohama wondered.
Issei sighed, as he showed one finger, signifying the first problem.
"One, in order for a game to work, glitches or not, you need to have a console," Issei told them.
And that is when Matsuda and Motohama understood.
"Oh… right… I forgot…" Matsuda said, as he realized his mistake.
"Yeah. Can't play a game without a console… I guess we have to buy one while we're there…" Motohama reasoned. But Issei wasn't done yet.
"And that is our second problem. How are we supposed to buy games? Do you guys have any money? I know I don't!" Issei pointed out the second problem.
This time Matsuda and Motohama felt like they were complete morons.
"Agh!" Matsuda cried out, as he slapped his forehead in realization. "Of course! We're completely broke!"
"Yeah! Forget about buying games! We've got more important things to worry about!" Motohama added.
"Exactly," Issei said with a nod. "And that leads me to my final problem. We need to get our lives in Tokyo in order, before we do anything free-time related."
"Well, but that's already taken care of, right? Didn't Monika say she arranged that apartment for us?" Matsuda reminded Issei.
"Yup. And that's probably the only reason why things are going to get better ultimately. But first, we have to get there. No lollygagging. We're heading straight to the apartment in Nerima," Issei laid out the plan for them all.
Matsuda and Motohama clicked their tongues in annoyance at Issei's tone.
"Yeesh! You don't have to be such stick in the butthole!" Motohama complained.
"Agreed. You're getting as bossy as Ddraig," Matsuda remarked, before resuming the journey.
Motohama followed right after that. Issei, on the other hand, remained standing where he was as he tried to take in that last statement.
"Bossy as Ddraig?" Issei asked himself, talking to no one in particular.
Yet, Ddraig decided to speak anyway.
[Grumble… Grumble… Bossy? Grumble… Grumble… Me? Grumble… Grumble…Idiots…] Ddraig murmured, fully audible to Issei's ears.
Issei ignored his ramblings and decided to resume walking as well, trailing behind Matsuda and Motohama.
16th September, Sunday, 6:16 am – Shimosasame, at the banks of the Arakawa River
After several minutes of walking, they finally reached the end of the lake. However, what followed was a relatively narrow strip of water. That strip of water led into a wider strip of water that was flowing eastwards. They realized that the lake from before was connected to a river.
And if they guessed correctly…
"…this must be the Arakawa River," Issei deduced.
"Yeah, you're probably right. I don't know of any other big river that flows through Metropolitan Tokyo," Matsuda agreed.
"Yup, I agree. As far as I'm concerned, no other river fits the bill," Motohama deduced.
The three of them stood there, just waiting.
Just waiting.
[…]
"So… how long to the nearest bridge?" Motohama spoke up to break the awkward silence.
Matsuda looked at his friend, as if he were an idiot. "Are you blind? There's one over there!" he pointed at a bridge not too far away from them, leading over the bridge.
"That's a highway, dork! I meant one for pedestrians!" Motohama rebuked Matsuda.
Matsuda was taken aback by the response. Right… he hadn't thought of it…
"Say, Matsuda. Can you tell Phoebe to tell us where the nearest bridge is?" Issei asked his friend.
Matsuda, deciding to distract himself from the awkward mistake he made, took the controller from his pocket and called the miniature Chopping Board Type 2 from his wristwatch.
"Phoebe. How far is the nearest bridge from our position?" Matsuda asked Phoebe, holding the wristwatch to his lips.
{About three kilometers East from your position} Phoebe replied.
"*Sigh* This is going to be a long walk, isn't it?" Motohama groaned after hearing Phoebe's reply.
"Unfortunately, it's not like we can just walk on water…" Matsuda said in resignation, as he prepared to move.
"Wait, guys!" Issei suddenly spoke up, holding his arm up.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Matsuda asked Issei.
"Maybe, we can walk on water…" Issei answered, much to Matsuda's and Motohama's disbelief at what they were hearing.
They broke out in laughter.
"Wahahaha! Walk on water!? What? Does Ddraig have Jesus-like powers or something?" Matsuda mocked.
"Ahahaha… Are you for real? Ahahaha…" Motohama laughed hysterically.
Issei was miffed at their mockery and decided to show them that they were wrong.
"No, by freezing the water…" Issei said with a frown.
The two of them stopped laughing.
"Freezing?" Motohama blinked in surprise. "But… Ddraig is a fire-type, isn't he?"
"Yeah, how do you want to…?" Matsuda asked next, but Issei answered him, before he finished his question.
"Through Freyr's ice orb. Remember?" Issei reminded them.
The two of them blinked again, before finally getting it.
"Ohhh… I get it…" Matsuda said.
Issei nodded and walked to the edge of the river. "Exactly, so let's try it out…" Issei said with determination in his voice.
[Boosted Gear!] Issei summoned the Boosted Gear and put it right over the surface of the water.
"Ddraig? What do I do?" Issei consulted with Ddraig.
[First, focus on the ice orb, and then focus on what you want to achieve] Ddraig answered.
"You know, Ddraig, by the way you put it, it sounds like as if all you need to do to achieve things is to will for it…" Issei remarked.
[The desired goal must be within the abilities and functions of the tool; only then can you achieve things. For the ice-orb, the only thing you can do with it is cooling things down or freezing them, just as an axe is only good for chopping things up] Ddraig explained.
Issei nodded in understanding at what Ddraig said. "Good point…" he remarked, before closing his eyes and focusing.
Nothing happened in the first few seconds… Then, Matsuda and Motohama noticed the water around Issei's gauntleted hand slowly freezing.
Issei opened his eyes and marveled in surprise. "Whoa! It's working!" Issei exclaimed.
However, the freezing stopped and the newly formed ice draft, flowed away from him.
[Partner, focus! If you stop now, the freezing process will stop. Keep in mind that you need a lot of patience and concentration to freeze the river] Ddraig advised Issei.
Issei looked discouraged. This was going to be harder than he thought it would be.
Ddraig sighed. He knew that Issei merely wanted to freeze the river and cross it, but the boy also had to learn patience and discipline.
For now, it was good that Issei understood the skill gap needed to reach the desired level of competence. And he had just the exercise for him.
[Partner, why not boost yourself and then focus on freezing the river] Ddraig suggested.
Issei widened his eyes. Of course, why didn't he think of it?
Issei readied himself again and focused again.
[Boost!]
The water around Issei's hand froze and spread, this time over a much bigger area, at a diameter of one meter.
"Whoa! Doing great!" Matsuda gave Issei a thumbs-up from the sidelines
Issei smiled, but decided not to get too distracted.
[Boost!]
The ice spread faster and the ice got thicker. This time the ice had covered a diameter of three meters.
"Look at that! He's actually doing it!" Motohama said with excitement at what is happening.
Issei remained focused. He knew that he couldn't stop now or else his efforts would be in vain.
[Boost!]
Issei didn't know how much of the river had been frozen, but he kept on going.
"Um… Issei?" Motohama spoke up, but Issei paid him no heed.
He just focused on freezing the water.
"Issei?" Matsuda spoke up, too.
Again, Issei paid no heed and continued focusing.
[Boost!] The Boosted Gear rang for a fourth time.
[Partner, that's enough!] Ddraig called out, finally getting Issei to stop what he was doing.
"Wh-what…?" Issei asked Ddraig what the matter was.
[Look at the river] Ddraig pointed out.
Issei looked… and what he saw greatly surprised him.
Not only had Issei frozen the river from one bank to the other, but he froze it in such a way that it had spread about 20 meters to the side as well. The ice was even encroaching on the land, too, turning the riverside into a scene that resembled a frozen wasteland. What's more, when Matsuda knocked on the ice for good measure, they were sure. The ice was thick enough for them to walk upon.
"You did it…" Matsuda said to Issei without turning back, clearly in disbelief upon felling the frozen river.
Motohama whistled impressed. "Ohh… nice…" he said with satisfaction.
[Reset!]
Issei's power drained from him, as his strength turned back to normal.
"Man, that was one heck of a workout…" Issei said, as he panted for air. Granted, this was not as tough as fighting a huge boar, but any effort to boost multiple times was hard for Issei – physically and psychologically.
[But it was good practice, Partner] Ddraig said to Issei. [Keep this up and you might use the power of the ice orb to its fullest advantage.]
Issei nodded. Another step forward in using his abilities. This was great.
And just like he took a step forward metaphorically, he did so physically after standing up. Issei gently put his foot on the frozen river to be sure… and then walked over it. Matsuda and Motohama followed suit, heading towards their destination.
The frozen portion of the river that they left behind would remain there for the next two days, before it thawed. Until then, baffled locals were wondering how the ice got there. This would later go on to make headlines in the local news… With speculations going on from a powerful refrigerator being there for a long time or some mysterious ice machine having been created and then tested out… or even aliens causing this to happen.
Or perhaps supernatural beings caused this to happen.
Not that the perverted quartet cared anyway…
16th September, Sunday, 6:43 am – Nerima Ward
The three boys had crossed over the Shingashi river (through a bridge this time) into the town of Wako. A really nice place, they had to admit. Nice, buildings, parks, temples, shrines and so on. They even found some nice stores, but had to refrain themselves from going in because of their lack of money. Resisting this temptation was especially bad, given that by then…
…they were hungry…
…and thirsty, too…
But they held it in. All in order to get to their desired destination, which was at least two kilometers from where they were.
After much walking and endurance…
"Welcome to Nerima…" Motohama read the words of the sign out loud.
"We're here!" Matsuda whooped.
"Yeah…" Issei said, as he took a look at the city.
They have heard a lot of things from Nerima, such as the fact that it was a nice place to live in or that the prices weren't as high in some places even in Kuoh (a much smaller town). They had also read Ranma ½ when they were young and long had the idea that it was a crazy place full of whacky characters (including overpowered martial artists).
Of course, they were older now, so they no longer believed these stereotypes… Whatever the case… they were going to find out.
First, they had to figure just how long it will take to get to their apartment… As far as they were concerned, it was near some café called "Neko Neko" and Sophia University. They have to keep an eye on these places, if they were to look for the apartment.
Which is why having a navigation A. I. was really advantageous.
"Yo, Matsuda. Ask your girl just how far this apartment is from here," Issei requested of Matsuda, throwing a light jest in to it.
Matsuda frowned at that. "My girl…?" he asked a bit annoyed.
"Yeah, Phoebe obviously serves you well. Listens to your every command. And given that we're all single, you might as well…" Issei halted his joking, when Matsuda gave Issei a menacing look.
Matsuda took a step forward, while Issei withered back. Motohama wanted to go between them, but didn't dare to do it.
"Don't… And I mean don't… remind me that Natsuki is gone… Clear?" Matsuda said with a low and dangerous voice.
"C-clear…" Issei said visibly intimidated.
Seeing that Issei got it, Matsuda moved on, leaving behind a stunned Issei and Motohama.
"Oh… Guess he still hasn't gotten over that, huh?" Issei remarked, as he looked at Matsuda from behind.
"Then again, now that he mentioned it… I haven't really gotten over the fact that… well… you know…" Motohama said, not wanting to say what he was pointing at.
Issei just nodded. It was obvious what he was talking about.
"Truth be told… it's the same here…" Issei said, as he sobered up.
Both of them looked down in silence. It was strange really… The three of them had girlfriends just yesterday and now… they were gone... And for what? Because of their circumstances that didn't allow them to remain.
Issei and Motohama sighed.
While they were on that subject, Issei wondered about something. How were the Sayori and the other girls doing anyway? Had they found a world for them to live in? Or were they still looking… travelling around in that magical boat of theirs.
Either way, they would never be able to hear from them again…
"OH, CRUD! WHY?" Matsuda cursed from the distance.
Issei and Motohama perked up and looked, as they saw Matsuda cause a scene.
They could see Matsuda turn around.
"HEY, GUYS! PHOEBE TOLD ME THAT IT TAKES ANOTHER 5 KILOMETERS TO GET TO THE APARTMENT! GET YOUR BUTTS OVER HERE OR I'LL LEAVE YOU BEHIND!" Matsuda called out from the distance, before resuming his journey.
Issei and Motohama looked at each other, before nonverbally coming to an agreement and run.
Whatever their thoughts about their girlfriends, that could wait. For now, they needed to get to their destination – Monika's apartment. They rushed past streets and stores and some other sites, before finally catching up to Matsuda… but they didn't stop running.
Seeing his friends run, Matsuda gave chase. He was still brooding about Natsuki, but was shaken out of his thoughts by his two buddies running past him. That was when he… no, they all remembered, as they ran to their destination.
"…I know you may be crying right now that we're gone, but please… What I want is for you to be happy… so please don't cry…"
Sayori…
"Yes, that counts for the other two as well…Even though we may not be here bodily. We are with you in spirit…"
Yuri…
"So, please… for our sakes… don't cry… suck those tears up and look forward!"
Natsuki…
"Yes, I know it's hard for you. It's also hard for us to let you go. But when we say goodbye, at least we don't want it to end in tears… but with joyfulness… and a bright smile, knowing that we all are fine and are off… to a better life."
"""MONIKAAAAA!""" the three of them shouted, as they ran like their lives depended on it.
They ran past houses, traffic lights, restaurants, buildings and other sights that would normally have piqued their interest. Issei, Matsuda and Motohama were running, as if their golden opportunity Monika and the other girls had given them would slip past their fingers.
Yes… the apartment… their apartment…
Their ticket to start a new life…
All the girls told them to stop crying and instead be happy…
And that was what they were going to do.
Besides, the sooner they got to the apartment, the less they have to suffer walking around hungry, thirsty and broke.
The three of them mutually agreed to a match to see who would get there the fastest. There would be no problems with getting lost, since Phoebe could tell them where to go and so far, she told them to go straight for the next few kilometers.
And thus, they hurried, ready to receive their girlfriends' gifts with open arms and-
[WHAM!]
"WAGH!?" "ARGH!" "UGH!"
Before they knew what was happening, somebody ran into them with full speed from the right. He collided into them and causing all of them to fall to the ground.
As they tried to get their bearings together and were able to make out a young man around their age, wearing a blue Mao-suit and a pony-tail.
Their vision was still kind of blurry, but they could see the young man look them in the face for just a moment,
"Sorry, ya guys!" he apologized to our heroes, before he looked in a certain direction and hastily scrambled to get away. The Mao-suit wearing youth continued to run his path down the street to the left of where the trio wanted to go.
"Wh-What was that…?" Motohama said groggily, as he tried to get up.
"Bastard… I hope he didn't break any bones or something…" Matsuda cursed.
"Man, that was dangerous… I could have sworn we would have been killed…" Issei held his head in pain.
But before anybody could do or say anything more…
"SANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!"
[WHAM!]
"AGH!" "UGH!" "HIDEBU!"
Once again, they were knocked to the ground – this time by another guy, wearing a bandana and wearing a tank-top, army camouflage pants and army boots.
Unlike the other guy, that person did not let himself get knocked to the ground, but continued on his pursuit. Unlike the pig-tailed boy before him, this person treated the three boys as if they were nothing but air (or should I say concrete).
Again, the three boys stirred up groggily, more mangled than before.
"What… a… piece… of… s***!" Matsuda cursed, as he watched the bandana-wearing boy run down the street.
"Yeah, f*** that guy…" Motohama agreed, as tried to get up once again, his movements shakier than before.
Issei grunted in agreement. But, as he slowly got to his feet, he couldn't help but wonder. Something about those two boys seemed familiar, like they came out of a manga that he read in his childhood. He felt like he talked about it earlier. What was it again?
Issei decided to disregard for a moment and get up from the ground.
"Ugh… First, that… Chinese-outfit wearing guy… and now this… juggernaut… Could it possibly get any worse…?" Issei muttered to both himself and Matsuda and Motohama, forgetting the one important thing about saying this particular sentence.
Never say it or fate will prove itself to you.
Matsuda and Motohama remembered this particular rule and quickly admonished Issei.
"Issei! Don't ever say that again!" Matsuda exclaimed warningly, causing Issei to give him a surprised look.
"Yeah! Whenever you say that. Things will get worse! Remember back in Kuoh Academy when we were doing clean-up duty?" Motohama reminded Issei.
Recovering from his surprise, Issei tried to shrug off their warnings.
"Guys, come on! What could possibly happen?" Issei asked them rhetorically.
Not a moment sooner did Issei say this that the three boys heard the rumbling of feet heading their way. They looked and then widened their eyes, for there came a great throng of people rushing in the direction of the two boys from earlier – and the perverted trio was still on the road!
"""OH, F*** NO!""" the three of them screamed in horror at the incoming throng.
They tried to avoid the mass of people, but it was no use. All three of them were mercilessly trampled by the masses of quirky people.
The mob was made of all kinds of people of all ages, genders and sizes, shouting all kinds of things.
"SANMA YOU IDIOT! COME BACK! TASTE MY CUPCAKES!"
"AIREN, COME SLEEP WITH ME!"
"SAN-CHAN! COME BACK! YOU FORGOT TO TASTE MY OKONOMIYAKI!"
"OHOHOHO! YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM ME, DARLING! OHOHOHO!"
"COME BACK, RAOTOME! I SHALL DEFEAT THEE AND FREE NAKANE FROM THY CLAWS, FOUL MAGICIAN!"
"WHOOO! WHAT A HAUL! WHAT A HAUL!"
"FOOLISH BOY! HOW DARE YOU RUN AWAY FROM YOUR DUTIES!"
"INDEED! YOU MUST FULFILL THE HONOUR OF OUR FAMILIES AND MARRY MY DAUGHTER!"
"I'LL KILL YOU, SANMA AND THEN CAT-FU WILL BE MINE!"
"SON-IN-LAW! YOU MUST COME BACK TO CHINA WITH US!"
After the mass passed through, the perverted trio were lying practically mangled beyond repair, completely dazed.
"What… was… that…? Ouch…" Issei asked in shock and pain.
"You see… what I… ugh… mean…?" Matsuda groaned in pain, as he glared at Issei.
"Mean… what…?" Issei asked confused.
"'Could it possibly get any worse…?' Never… say… I mean… ask that question… again… OK…?" Motohama answered.
"OK…" Issei simply answered, before falling unconscious.
The other two boys fell unconscious as well. Thus, if one walked by, one could see three teenage boys lying in the middle of the road, completely unconscious.
It was still early in the morning and not that many people were out (aside for the weird mob for some reason), which is why our heroes were lying on the street completely unnoticed.
Several minutes passed and still nobody passed by, with the perverted trio still lying motionless on the asphalt road. It was then, that a certain man with black hair, black shoes, jeans and a blue rain coat passed by. Furthermore, the man was pulling a platform trolley with his right hand behind him.
"Well, well… look who we have here…" the man said, as he looked on the downed form of our heroes. "You guys still have a long way to go…"
The man bent down and hauled Issei to the platform trolley. Then he laid him down on the trolley and repeated the process with Matsuda and Motohama. Thus, all three boys lay piled up on top of each other on the platform trolley, while the mysterious man pulled the wagon, moving slowly.
The man made his way down the road – in the direction of where the boys' destined apartment was.
After ten minutes, he arrived at a specific apartment complex. It was colored white and had five stories. The complex itself was not all that impressive, but it wasn't too bad either. Furthermore, it had a lift on the inside, which the man took along with the still unconscious trio.
The man pressed the button to the fifth floor. The door closed and the lift moved to the desired destination. Once the elevator got to the fifth floor, the man got off and dragged the trolley along. He went down the hallway to his left and halted at the third door.
The man looked at the door for a while, before turning his face to the unconscious trio. He smiled, before opening the door.
"Home, sweet home, boys," the man remarked, as he pulled the platform trolley in with him.
16th September, Sunday, 9:33 am – 5th floor, Apartment complex, Nerima
"Ugh… Wha…?" Matsuda woke up groggily.
The moment he woke up, he knew something was off. One second, he was knocked out unconscious on the concrete floor, only to then feel like he had been placed upon some kind of… moving object. And if that hadn't been enough, he felt like he had been placed on something soft, but smelling of sweat. Yuk! And then something else was placed on top of him, reeking likewise of sweat, leaving him sandwiched in the mass of smelly bodies!
Matsuda was surprised, he hadn't woken up then, but despite the discomfort of that time, he was thankfully liberated by the stench when he the smelly body on top of him was removed. To top it off, he himself had been removed from that smelly mass beneath him and placed on something else that was soft. This one did not reek of sweat, but was fresh, soft and comfortable. Moreover, another similar object had been placed on top of him, which felt similar to what lay beneath him.
Now that Matsuda was awake, he now knew what the fresh objects in question were. They were a futon and a blanket.
Looking around him, he saw Motohama and Issei next to him on both sides, also covered in blankets.
And that was when alarms went off for Matsuda.
Where were they? Who had brought them here?
Matsuda looked around the room. It was obviously a place in which he had never been in before. Also, judging by the look outside the open balcony, they were somewhere high up in some apartment. But whose apartment was this?
Whatever the case, he had to wake up the others.
"Guys! Guys, wake up!" Matsuda implored Issei and Motohama to wake up. With groans, they reluctantly did so.
"What is it?" Issei asked groggily.
"Yeah… Where are we?" Motohama asked, while looking around the room.
"That's just the point! I don't have the faintest clue on where we are," Matsuda told Issei and Motohama.
"Then… who brought us here? And whose apartment is this?" Issei asked confused, as he, too, took a look around.
All three of them were looking around the room now. In addition to the balcony and the fact that they were in a high rise building of some kind, they noticed that they were in a rather small bedroom with a table, a chair, a wardrobe and a cupboard. There were two doors leading out of this room, one lead into the bathroom and another to the living room.
Despite all their efforts, they couldn't seem to find the owner of the place.
So, where is he?
As if on cue, they heard a flushing sound coming from the direction of the living room. They looked hard in that direction. It seemed like there was a bathroom there, too. And whoever was in there, must be the owner to this place.
The sound of the door unlocking was heard and out came a man in his twenties and black hair. He seemed like an average guy, nobody special, but he was the owner, so all the focus was on him.
The man entered the bed room. He looked at them with a slight smile.
"Good morning. You're awake. Nice to see that you're OK," the man said friendly.
Issei did his best to give the man a slight smile. "Yeah, umm… were you the one that brought us here?" Issei asked.
"Yes, I was," the man answered.
"Umm… Thanks for helping us, sir. Sorry for bothering you," Issei answered respectfully.
"No, problem. After all, what kind of landlord would I be, if I left my tenants out there on the streets like that? That's no way to treat another human being, more so if the rent for this apartment has been paid for the next five years," the man replied.
Matsuda, Motohama and Issei looked confused for a moment. What was he…?
And that was when it dawned on them. Could it be…?
"Judging by the look on your faces, I can already guess what you're going to ask. Yes, I am your landlord and this is your apartment. So, I guess I should be saying: Welcome home, Matsuda, Motohama and Issei," the man revealed.
All three boys' mouths stood there agape. This was their apartment!? They couldn't believe it. Multiple questions floated through their head and they shot them out like bullets.
"We really are at our apartment!?" Issei asked the man.
"Yes, yes… You heard that right… Monika arranged everything, so no worries," the man answered calmly.
"And we really have to pay no rent for the next five years!?" Motohama asked next.
"Exactly…" the man answered.
"Is the Neko Neko café nearby?" Motohama asked again.
"Indeed, it is. It's right down there," the man gestured outside. "You can see it down below."
"I heard Sophia University was also nearby, right?" Issei asked.
The man raised an eyebrow at that. "Umm… That's in Chiyoda Ward. Not in Nerima…" the man corrected.
Issei looked at the man confused. "Really? I thought it was nearby here. Monika said so."
"Well, Monika must be mistaken then. Because it is not here," the landlord clarified.
The boys looked at each other for a moment.
"So, Monika had been giving us wrong information, huh?" Issei remarked.
"Seems like it…" Motohama stated with a nod.
"Monika…" Matsuda said with a deadpanned expression in a low voice.
Meanwhile in some other dimension…
"Achoo! Oops!"
"What is Monika?"
"Nothing, Sayori. I just realized I gave the boys some wrong information. Teehee…"
Back with the boys…
After discussing among themselves, they resumed their questioning.
"How did we get here?" Matsuda asked the man next.
"I found you lying on the road. You didn't look in good shape, so I brought you here… with my platform trolley," the landlord answered. The last part of sentence he said in a rather sheepish way.
"Platform trolley?" Motohama asked.
"This thing," the landlord gestured at the rather small pulling vehicle in question. "I had to pile you up, since there was so little space on it. Sorry…"
At that, the three boys looked at each other, before wrinkling their noses in disgust.
"Ugh…" "Disgusting!" "That explains everything!" Motohama, Issei and Matsuda said respectively, backing away from each other, as if trying to stay clean.
The moment they did so, the covers came off and they realized that aside from their underwear, they were pretty much naked.
They quickly covered themselves, before slowly turning their faces towards the landlord once more.
"Where are our clothes?" Issei asked embarrassed.
"Oh, I threw them away. Pretty nice uniforms I have to say, but after you got mangled by the crowd, they have been torn. The condition your uniforms were in would not be acceptable for school standards, so I threw them away. In the meantime, please wear the clothes in the wardrobe next to you," the landlord gestured at the wardrobe.
The boys nodded. The man turned on his heel and headed out the room.
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions. But I think it's best if you got changed for now. I'll be in the living room, if you need me," the landlord told them, before heading out.
"Umm… Mr. Landlord?" Issei addressed the man, who stopped in response.
"Yes?" the man asked.
"Thank you. You know… for everything… We're really grateful. Right, guys?" Issei nudged his friends lightly at the side.
Matsuda and Motohama took the hint and all three made a bow in appreciation.
"Yes, thank you, sir," Matsuda thanked the man.
"Yeah, thank you very much," Motohama added.
The man chuckled with a toothy grin. "It's no problem. After all, it is the least I can be doing after you saved my life."
The three raised their heads in surprise.
"Wait. Saved your life? Have we met?" Motohama asked the man.
"Indeed, we have, Motohama. And you, too, Matsuda. Don't you recognize me?" the man pointed at his face.
The boys stared at the man's face. Now that he mentioned it, he did seem familiar, but where had they seen his face before?
And then… Matsuda's and Motohama's eyes widened. Issei noticed their reaction and was curious.
"Guys, is what he saying true?" Issei queried.
"Yes, but… that's impossible…" Motohama said in disbelief.
"How are you still alive? You were trapped in that dimension back at Sakabasu," Matsuda asked in shock.
"Sakabasu!?" Issei voiced incredulously.
"That's right. I shouldn't have survived. But thanks to certain circumstances, I was able to escape and bring the succubus down a notch – all thanks to you," the man answered with a wink.
It was then that Issei realized who the man was. Issei remembered about how Matsuda and Motohama had told him about this man who they had rescued from the succubus. To think that they would meet him here and alive…
"Wh-who are you? What's your name?" Issei asked of him with an earnest desire.
"Me? Oh, yes! Where are my manners…?" the man hit his forehead in realization. He forgot that he hadn't introduced himself yet and had yet to do so.
"My name is Shinyama Hide. And I will be your landlord from now on. I hope we get along."
Hello, everyone.
Surprised to see me in the story?
Well, there's a good reason for that.
I realized the best way to help the perverted quartet is by helping them directly (and also because it's more fun to do it this way). Do not worry, I will remain on the sidelines as much as possible. It wouldn't be fair, if I just breezed our heroes through all the challenges like that.
And speaking of challenges… Thus far, our heroes have finally reached the apartment that they are looking for (with me as their landlord).
Now, how are they going go on from there? How will their daily routine be from now on? How will they cope from now on? How are they going to hide from the law for the next two years? Where will they go to school? When will they contact their parents?
And most importantly: What kind of challenges from the supernatural realm will they encounter next?
Those questions will be answered soon…
Also, I ought to address another detail in this chapter.
I'm sure a lot of you may have recognized those characters that our heroes have encountered just now. However, I should mention that these are not the same characters as in Ranma ½. They just resemble those characters and will appear from time to time as cameo characters or supporting characters. They may have similar quirks, but will have their own differences from their original counterparts.
It's not that I hate Ranma 1/2, it's just that I don't want to turn it into a crossover of some kind, which is why I changed some (if not all) the names.
Oh, before I end this chapter, here is an omake, partially answering one of the questions above.
Hold on, I need to dial something…
16th September, Sunday, 9:41 am – 5th floor, Apartment complex, Nerima
[…]
[…]
[…]
"Hello, this is Shinyama Hide speaking. I am currently calling from Nerima, in Metropolitan Tokyo right now."
[…]
"I am currently calling you on behalf of your son, Motohama."
[…]
"Calm down, sir. Calm down… You heard me right. He is all right. In fact, he is with me in the apartment he and his friends are sharing right now, which is part of a complex owned by me."
[…]
"Look, I know you have a lot of questions, but hear me out. I have called to inform you that 1) he is all right and in good hands and 2) to keep this a secret as much as possible.
[…]
"Why? Officially, they are fugitives and are wanted by the law, thus it wouldn't be a good idea to spread the word. If you know what I mean…"
[…]
"Sure, you can call him… Once he gets a cellphone… Yes, you can even come visit him… But… he will be having a pseudonym…"
[…]
"That's an alias. An alternate name from one's real name. I don't have one yet, but I will inform you when I have one…"
[…]
"Unfortunately, he and his friends are getting dressed. They are even taking a shower right now. I don't know if he is finished…"
[…]
"Look, I understand your mistrust, but that's how it is. I'll tell you what: If he does not call you back within the next thirty minutes, you can call the police on me. My number is…" (tells cellphone number)
[…]
"That's right…"
[…]
"Well, now that that's settled… I will tell him about your call once he comes out."
[…]
"You need not worry about the Hibikis. I shall call them as well."
[…]
"Yes, I have their phone number. Why?"
[…]
"I found out their number through your son. I found out your number through your son, as well."
[…]
"How did he get to Nerima? Well, I'll let your son explain that. He's probably the best person to tell you that."
[…]
"Yes, he will be in contact with you soon. So, don't worry."
[…]
"Yes, thank you for your understanding, Mr. Todoriki. I wish you a nice day."
[…]
"Yes, farewell."
[…]
[…]
[…]
Well, now that that's settled… I should be getting to work on other matters.
Please read and review.
I hope to hear from you.
Until then.
Hide Shinyama