A/N: I am delighted to present to you the latest chapter of the All Worlds Alliance Stories series. I am deeply gratified by the positive reception of the preceding installment and eagerly await your engagement with this new addition.
My apologies for the delay in posting a new chapter over the last couple of weeks. The weather has deteriorated, and it's been a bit unsettling due to past experiences. Despite the adverse conditions this week, I've made sure to prepare this chapter for you.
Number01BlazblueFan - MyAnimeList and a number of YouTubers broke the sad news for me.
Below are additional characters with single names who have now been given both a last name and a first name in this story:
Ratchet - Ratchet Gregory (Someone from the devs made a joke about Ratchet's real name, so I went along with this)
Rein - Rein Sunny (Similar to her sister, Fine)
Reina - Reina Crimson (From her monicker, Crimson Reina)
Reki - Reki Steppingstone (Taken from the true meaning of her name)
Revy - Revy Lee (Taken from her last name, Rebecca Lee)
Ricky - Ricky Icebloc (Taken from his appearance)
Ringo - Ringo Stardom (Since he is based of Ringo Starr, I might based his last name from the aforementioned musician)
Roll - Roll Light (Since she is created by Dr. Light)
Rover - Rover Barc (Last name is a pun related to dog noises)
Roy - Roy Pherae (Since he is the Prince of Pherae)
Run - Run Mastema (Taken from the name of his Teigu)
Ryuu - Ryuu Hoshi (Ryuu's unofficial last name)
And with that done, let's get this chapter on the go!
Disclaimer: I do not possess any characters featured in this story, unless they are my original characters who seldomly appear.
-New Normal Earth-
-Izu Peninsula, Japan-
Following a fun evening of movie marathons, everyone was ready to hit the sack. But Nadeshiko Kagamihara, bless her heart, couldn't shake off the zombie flicks and ended up with a bit of a sleepy struggle. Despite her restlessness, she had a nice chat with Ena Saitou, which was a silver lining to her night.
Come early morning, Rin Shima was the first to rise, having turned in early to her tent the night before. With everyone else still snoozing, she figured she'd take the opportunity to explore Cape Kogane. She snapped some shots of the breathtaking Horse Rocks and couldn't resist getting a few candid photos of her friends sawing logs in their tents.
Feeling adventurous, Rin hopped on her trusty motorbike for a little jaunt through Sawada Park. It was a picture-perfect morning, and she managed to capture some great shots of the place while also stumbling upon Cu "Lancer" Chulainn trying his luck at the local fishing spot.
Once she'd had her fill of photography and sightseeing, Rin decided to treat herself to a solo trip to the Dougashima Hot Springs. You can imagine her delight when she found she had the whole place to herself for a lovely, relaxing soak in the warm waters.
-BREAK-
Later on, Rin returned to the campsite and found Akari Inuyama, Aoi Inuyama, Chiaki Oogaki, Ena, Minami Toba and Nadeshiko all wide awake. After they had freshened up and gathered their things, everyone agreed to grab a bite at the Nishiizu Dining Hall.
"No fair, Rin-chan." Nadeshiko pouted, "Going off on your own to freshen up at the hot spring." she complained.
"You guys were all asleep, and I was bored." Rin reasoned.
"Rinjuvenated." Aoi thought with a smile.
"Rinfreshened." Ena added.
Just at that moment, the waitress showed up with their food, which was a bunch of seafood bowls. When everyone took a bite, they all couldn't help but smile because it tasted absolutely amazing.
"It's so good." Nadeshiko complimented.
"It's like egg on rice but with seafood." Aoi described.
"Sashimi in the morning as we watched the sea..." Minami trailed, "... how lovely." she mused.
"It's noon already, sensei." Chiaki corrected.
"Aki-chan, we're going straight to camp after the Dougashima and the tombolo, right?" Ena inquired.
"Yeah, let's take it slowly today." Chiaki replied before taking notice that Akari is eating a lot, "You sure do eat a lot for someone so small." the bespectacled teen pointed out in disbelief.
"The tokoroten is so good." Akari replied.
Everyone was enjoying themselves when suddenly, the sound of a double door being kicked open echoed through the place. They all turned to see Chapatsu Doi, Lester Unlikely and Scott Howl standing in the entrance.
"What's the deal with them?" Chiaki wondered while raising an eyebrow.
The three of them, Chapatsu, Lester and Scott then made their way into the room, strutting across the aisle of tables in their own unique ways. Chapatsu had this proud look on his face, eyes looking up and hands tucked into his pockets. Scott was all smiles, walking with his head held high and his chest out, his arms swinging back and forth. Lester, though, he just ambled over with a kind of blank stare.
The trio headed to a round table and took their seats on these barrel-shaped chairs while a waitress came by to ask for their orders.
"They look friendly." Nadeshiko observed.
"Yeah but a bit intimidating too." Aoi chimed in.
Once everyone had enjoyed their food, the group collectively decided to check out the well-known attractions in the area of Dougashima. This included the many islands which had been created from volcanic ash, and the Tensodo cave, where they caught sight of Chrno, Curly Winds and Whiz Kid having a blast as they leaped into the refreshing water beneath.
Shortly after, they found themselves at Sanshiroujima, a place that resembles three or four islands that you can actually walk to when the tide is low.
"Early in the morning, local chefs brings supplies across the water by boat, and open up food stalls only during the low tide, when the path is clear." Aoi narrated, "That's where you get the gourmet barbecue of Nishiizu..." she trailed, "... the legendary Sanshiroujima Tombolo!" she concluded.
"We'll be right there!" Akari cheered, "Wait for us, tombolo!" she exclaimed in excitement.
"Can't wait, huh?" Aoi mused while sporting her "troll" expression.
Chiaki, Ena, Nadeshiko and Rin looks at the pair of sisters nervously, "What do we do about this?" the bespectacled teen questioned.
Once everyone had settled on the bench to wait for the tide to recede, Akari and Chiaki spotted some folks already making their way across to the island. When Minami finally showed up after securing a parking spot for her van, they took the opportunity to head out in front of the group.
Minami opted to hang back on the bench, keeping an eye on them as they went. The girls began to navigate the rough path, being careful not to trip. But, as luck would have it, Nadeshiko took a tumble and let out a small cry.
This caused everyone to pause and look around, noticing that more and more people were venturing into the water to get to the island. They thought about waiting a bit longer, but Akari decided to take the lead and removed her boots before wading through the water. This encouraged the rest of them to do the same, and as they stepped into the shallows, they couldn't help but feel a chilly shiver run through their bodies.
"I can't believe I'm in the water in March." Rin commented with a shivering look.
"It's really cold." Nadeshiko chirped, "I should've brought my sandals." she thought out loud.
"I know." Chiaki uttered in agreement.
Ena's eyes caught a woman gently holding her dog in her arms as she waded through the water, which made her think about her own pet. How on earth would she manage to carry it like that? She wondered while looking a bit perplexed. Meanwhile, Nadeshiko glanced over at her with a puzzled expression.
As they continued their journey, they stumbled upon a really weird sight. A group of three figures were making their way across the water, sitting on each other's shoulders like they were part of a human pyramid. The figure at the bottom was actually doing the walking which left everyone utterly baffled.
The first figure is young man with an average height, he had an average build and a fair complexion, he had a straight brown hair with points in some parts and he had round white eyes with black dots. He wears a green hoodie jacket with laces over a white t-shirt with the words 'Smeg Head' written on it, he wears brown khakis and green & white rubber shoes. This is Edd Gould.
The second figure is a young man with a square-shaped chin and an average height, he had an average build and a fair complexion, he had a spiky ginger-colored hair and he had round eyes with black dots. He wears a green overcoat over a purple hoodie jacket and black t-shirt, he wears blue jeans and black & white rubber shoes. This is Matt Hargreaves.
The third figure is a young man with an average height, he had an average build and a fair complexion, he had a brown spiky hair and he had hole-like black eyes. He wears a blue hoodie jacket over a gray t-shirt, gray pants and a black & white checkered rubber shoes with gray soles. This is Tom Ridgewell.
"This is terrible idea!" Edd exclaimed while visibly annoyed, "Why do I have to wade through the freezing water while you two are lounging up there?" he asked with a voice filled in irritation.
"Because I don't want my beautiful feet to get soggy with saltwater." Matt reasoned.
"And because you love getting your feet wet in cold water, Edd." Tom chimed in.
"Who said I had that kind of fetish?" Edd shot back and is clearly not amused, "I'm obsessed with cola but that doesn't mean I get a kick out of this!" he protested.
"Maybe Tom's the one with that fetish." Matt suggested.
"Not me!" Tom quickly denied.
"Looks like you're the one with something to project, Tom." Matt pointed out while raising an eyebrow.
"Edd's the one doing the projecting!" Tom insisted.
"Don't drag me into this, Tom!" Edd grumbled whom is clearly not in the mood for their banter.
Proceeding in front of them is another figure.
The figure is a middle aged man with a tall stature, he had a burly physique and a fair complexion, he had a long black messy hair alongside a facial hair, and he had dark-colored eyes. He wears a dark-grey hoodie jacket, black pants and is currently barefooted. This is Rhyno.
Rhyno glanced at the boys for a brief moment before focusing on them with the intense look of a bull ready to charge. His face turned beet-red and he crouched down slightly, swinging his right arm back and forth, looking like he was about to plow through a brick wall.
Edd, Matt and Tom's eyes went wide when they caught on to Rhyno's posture, they could see right away that he was gearing up for something big.
"Oh, man, no way..." Edd murmured with his voice shaking with fear.
"Rhyno, seriously, don't do this!" Tom warned while trying to sound firm.
"C'mon, Edd, move your butt!" Matt yelled with his voice high with panic.
"Am I supposed to run with all this junk in my trunk?" Edd quipped while sounding a bit like a scaredy-cat.
Matt gasped in response, "What?" he squawked, "Are you saying that I'm fat?" he asked like an offended lady.
"Dude, not now!" Tom yelled with his voice cracking with urgency, "Just get going, will ya?" he beckoned.
Just like a speeding bullet train, Rhyno rushed ahead and slammed into Edd with a powerful gore, which sent the poor guy flying into the chilly waters with a huge splash. Meanwhile, both Matt and Tom lost their balance and toppled over, creating an even bigger splash as they hit the water.
And like a goofy cartoon hero, Edd flopped across the chilly water, clutching his stomach as he let out a loud "OOOF!" that echoed across the water, "I'm split in two!" he yelled while obviously exaggerating his predicament for dramatic effect.
Tom, not looking thrilled, spit water out of his mouth with a grumble, "Tastes like someone forgot to change the pool water!" he uttered out loud.
Matt, meanwhile, was flailing about in the shallow end like he was fighting off a shark attack, "Help me!" he shouted, "I'm going to drown!" he shrieked while hamming it up for sure, "And now saltwater's ruining my good looks!" he added while laying it on thick.
Rhyno, on the other hand, was all smiles while jumping to his feet and threw his arms up in victory, "Oh, yeah!" he hollered, "Nailed it!" he cheered with a big grin.
As Rhyno made his leave while the guys climb out of the chilly water, Aoi, Chiaki and Rin, who've just seen the whole thing, exchange glances of shock.
"Well, that was something else." Aoi uttered while shaking her head.
"You can say that again." Rin replied in agreement, "I'm so not jealous of them right now." she shared.
"You guys..." Chiaki trailed while looking a bit overwhelmed, "This world we're in, it just stresses me out sometimes." she finished with a sigh.
Aoi, Chiaki and Rin then suddenly saw Ron Simmons standing beside them, his hands planted firmly on his hips, looking utterly unconvinced. He had a frown on his face that was so intense it seemed like he couldn't believe what he just witnessed. Before they could say anything, Ron took a deep breath and made a series of weird, nasally sounds, like he was trying to hold in his frustration. Then, out of nowhere, he yelled out, "DAMN!" so loudly that it made all three of the girls jump in shock.
Eventually, everyone made it to the island, and there was Rhyno, getting a good talking-to from Ursula Callistis. But you know what? He just kind of chuckled it off like it was no big deal. Meanwhile, Edd, Matt and Tom were giving it their all to dry their soggy clothes but they weren't having much luck.
"We made it!" Akari shouted with glee with her eyes darting around, "So, where's this Tombolo?!" she asked and her excitement was palpable.
Meanwhile, Aoi remained stone-faced, giving off her typical 'liar' vibe as the others glanced around uneasily. Just as Ena was about to come clean and reveal the truth, a loud, unexpected cry pierced the air.
"Tombolo, Tombolo!" a voice boomed, "You gotta try the Tombolos!" it urged while listing off tempting options, "Beef bowls, skewers, salad—whatever you fancy!" it continued, "They're absolutely delicious!" the voice claimed while working the crowd like a pro.
Their heads snapped around in surprise to find the source of the commotion. There it was—a food stand that perfectly matched the area's vibe, with Taizou Hasegawa at the helm, serving up a storm of Tombolo goodies. To their astonishment, Rei Kiriyama, Ren Tsuruga and Sara Werec were already there, chowing down on skewers like it was their last meal.
"Yay!" Akari cheered and took off running towards the food stand.
"W-W-W-What?!" Aoi stuttered witj totally shocked.
"You've got to be kidding me, a real Tombolo food?!" Chiaki exclaimed in disbelief.
Then, a voice interrupted their excitement. "Well, actually..." it trailed.
They spun around to see Robin Nico right there with a bowl of something that looked like 'Tombolo' salad in her hands.
"What do you mean, ma'am?" Rin questioned.
"It's not like the real deal." Robin revealed, "It's just a temporary stand." she added, "A friend of ours heard someone telling tall tales to a little kid about 'Tombolo' food, and they didn't think it was right." she explained, "So, they got that man to do a favor for them until the kid gets what they really want." she concluded before walking away.
Once Robin left, the girls looked at Aoi, "Maybe you should ease up on the fibs next time." Chiaki said with a no-nonsense tone.
Aoi hungs her head down in shame, "Okay..." she mumbled.
Once Akari finally had her hands on the Tombolo she'd been dreaming of, the whole group figured it was time to start exploring the island. And of course, they couldn't resist snapping some photos along the way to capture the moment.
Aoi, Nadeshiko and Rin then reaches one part of the island, "I don't think we can make it to that other island." the pink-haired big eater pointed out.
"Apparently this is as far as you can go without getting your feet wet." Chiaki replied.
"They're already soaked." Rin reminded.
Nadeshiko started to think about how amazing it would be to spend their summer vacation on these islands while hanging out in their swimsuits, "I bet it'd be fun to swim across during the summer." she thought out loud.
"I bet." Aoi said in agreement.
Rin let's out a sneeze while shivering at the same time, "Just thinking about it made me cold." she stated to which Nadeshiko chuckled in amusement.
"Some other time, huh?" Aoi mused.
"Yeah." Nadeshiko uttered in agreement.
"Guys!" Chiaki called out which got their attentions, "We'd better go back before we get caught by the hightide!" the bespectacled girl beckoned while Akari and Ena walks ahead of everyone.
"Okay, coming!" Nadeshiko responded with a smile.
So, the girls headed back as they carefully walked through the chilly water. At the same time, Minami was perched on the rocks, patiently waiting for her students to come back.
"In an hour, a path emerges from the sea." Minami uttered out loud, "And in another hour, it vanishes back into the water." she furthered, "It's a mystery of nature." she commented before taking out her phone and took a picture of her students walking across the waters, making her smile in joy.
"Hey, we're all here now!" Ena announced rather excitedly.
"Welcome back, girls!" Minami greeted with a wave of a hand, "So, how was the island?" she asked.
"Cold water, sure, but the scenery was fantastic!" Chiaki replied with a grin, "We saw some pretty bizarre stuffs but had a blast anyway." she added.
"And the best part?" Akari interrupted while practically jumping with joy, "I finally got to try some tombolo!" she exclaimed in triumph.
"Tombolo?" Minami echoed while her brow furrowing in confusion.
Aoi chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of her head, "It's a long story and let's just say it had an unexpected turn of events." she replied.
Chiaki pushed her glasses up her nose when she spotted Hidenori Tabata sneaking around and snapping photos of the scenery. She hadn't really thought about it earlier because he was caught up in a heated debate with someone else, but she couldn't deny that Hidenori looked pretty handsome when he had that serious expression on his face.
Then, out of the blue, Chiaki felt a knot in her stomach when the employee from Manpuku Shoten, the same employee Hidenori had a beef with the day before, came storming over and gave the bespectacled boy a little nudge.
"Thanks a bunch, buddy." the employee grumbled through gritted teeth, "Thanks for getting me fired, you four-eyed jerk!" he yelled furiously.
Hidenori looked at him with a smug smile, "You're welcome." he said casually, "See ya around, pal." he added with a chuckle.
"See ya!"
"Take care now."
"Take care!"
"Good luck with the job hunt, you'll need it."
"See ya later!"
"Bye, bye."
"See ya, see ya, see ya!"
"Bye."
"I'll get right on it!" the employee replied sarcastically.
"See ya later." Hidenori murmured to himself before strolling away.
The employee flips on him, "Beat it, man!" he ordered with his face red with anger but as soon as he faced the other way, Rhyno charged at him, delivering a powerful gore that sent him crashing to the ground, surrounded by rocks and gravel.
"Oh, yeah!" Rhyno bellowed in victory.
As Rhyno strides off, leaving the now unconscious and rude employee sprawled on the stone-covered ground, Chiaki and the others, who've seen the whole thing unfold, just stare in absolute shock.
"Wow, he totally had that coming." Rin commented whike shaking her head.
Chiaki facepalmed, "Seriously, I told you guys..." she trailed, "...this world is just too much for me to handle sometimes." she added with a sigh.
"Don't worry, Chiaki." Aoi comforted her friend, "Look at it as a learning opportunity." she suggests with a gentle smile.
"What's there to learn from that?" Chiaki uttered in disbelief.
After that, everyone bid farewell to Sanshiroujima and headed to a market named Aoyagi Food Store for a quick shopping spree. They all hopped into their vehicles, with Rin taking the lead on her motorbike.
On the road to Nishiizu Skyline, they pulled over for a bit at Mt. Daruma Highland to take in the breathtaking view. That's when Minami broke the news that she had successfully signed everyone up for the camp.
Before long, they reached the Daruma Forest Campsite. After they'd parked and started setting up camp, Chiaki, Ena and Rin playfully called Akari over to help them with a little secret. They wanted to keep Aoi and Nadeshiko busy while they got everything ready for the surprise birthday bash they had planned for the two of them.
Akari had a brilliant idea for them to check out the hot springs, and both Aoi and Nadeshiko were on board with it. But, when Nadeshiko requested Minami to be their designated driver, she spotted her in the middle of pouring a drink. Without missing a beat, they took the glass away from her, insisting she drive them sober.
After a quick trip and a relaxing soak in the hot springs, Akari, Aoi, Minami and Nadeshiko headed over to Cape Mihama. The soft breeze whispered by them as they took in the gorgeous view. Akari had been keeping mum about the surprise birthday that the other girls had planned for Aoi and Nadeshiko but it turns out both of them already knew about it. Chiaki had spilled the beans to Aoi at some point which Akari thought was a bit of a bummer. She commented that Chiaki and the other girls weren't very good at keeping secrets.
Upon receiving a text from Ena, they headed back to the campsite where Chiaki, Ena and Rin had set up a small surprise birthday bash for Aoi and Nadeshiko. The two friends were thrilled and couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the little party waiting for them.
Once they had blown out the candles on some pancake-style treats that resembled a cake, Aoi and Nadeshiko were handed beautiful, intricately crafted wooden tableware as presents. They couldn't hide their amazement and excitement.
Minami, their teacher, took some photos to capture the special moment before everyone dug into the delicious spread of seafood dishes at the party.
As the girls enjoyed their meal, laughing and chatting away, Minami sat in her chair with a warm blanket across her legs, holding a plate of food and a glass of something to drink, watching her students with a content smile.
At that very moment, Minami's phone started buzzing, and she quickly grabbed it, "Hello?" she greeted with a smile.
"Hello, sis." a female voice replied back, "How is it going over there?" she asked.
"They're having lots of fun." Minami shared.
The female voice chuckled in response, "From the sound of it, you're not drunk yet." she pointed out.
"I said I'd cut back, didn't I?" Minami reminded with a pout.
"That's good." the female voice complimented, "It sounds like you're being a good club adviser." she mused.
"Well, I don't know if I can say that..." Minami trailed, "For me..." she began, "... at first, I thought I wouldn't have time for myself if I took up the position, so I didn't really want to do it..." she admitted, "... but now that I've seen my students grown on these trips, I think I made the right decision." she said with a smile.
"You might've just been lucky up until now." the female voice commented to which Minami chuckled in response, "Be careful on your way back to Yamanashi then, Miss Toba." she advised.
"Yes, ma'am." Minami replied a little bit sarcastically, "I'll bring the car back to you tomorrow along with some souvenirs." she mused and with a contented sigh, she hung up the phone, "What a trip." she mused.
A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter, I appreciate your support and I hope you found it enjoyable.
These are the characters that debuted in this chapter:
Edd, Matt and Tom are from Eddsworld
Rhyno from WWE
The next chapter will continue the rest of the storyline, so please look forward for it.
Until then paalam!
At a nearby table, Umaru Doma, Utaha Kasumigaoka and You Watanabe were all deeply engrossed in a board game.
"Alright, it's my go!" You exclaimed.
But in her excitement, she tossed the dice with a bit too much gusto. One of them shot up off the table and smacked Utaha right on the forehead. Utaha couldn't help but look annoyed at the unexpected assault.
The dice ricocheted off Utaha's forehead and landed in the glass of juice that Umaru was holding. Without missing a beat, Umaru took a sip of her drink, looking utterly unfazed while You looks at her in shock.
"Mmm..." Umaru murmured while savoring the taste, "Taste a bit..." she trailed, "... dicey." she said with a cheeky grin.
Both Utaha and You stared at Umaru, not quite amused by the pun she had just made, which seemed to be in rather poor taste given the situation.
