Chapter 3: Arrival (3)

The sound of city life awoke Cayman as he offered up a wide yawn, allowing himself a few seconds to get immersed into the whole ensemble of urban music.

Cars driving by, horns blaring, the occasional aircraft flying overhead, shouted conversation, bumping music as bass-boosted vehicles drove by every now and again...it was a familiar tune, to say the least.

Rising from his newly purchased futon - intending to buy a bed and proper mattress as soon as funds allowed - the male went through his morning rituals and went about preparing breakfast, a simple and easily prepared platter of banana pancakes as he thought about what his current objective for the day was going to be...there was a lot of potential directions he could go in and not really enough certainty about anything to go about picking the best option.

Shrugging to himself Cayman reflected that he could either whine about the situation or go about fixing it, downing his food and wondering if he should drop off some cakes for the pair of Taimanin neighbors. A quick trip to their front door revealed that they were already gone for the day and he tabled that option, instead deciding to further explore the city.

Now that he had a better understanding of the 'setting' he was curious about the finer details, not to mention he may very well run into people that could fulfill the terms and requirements of his quest.

Decision made he wandered out into the bustling streets of Tokyo, eyes peeled for any interesting events or happenings...instead he got lost in the sheer difference between his version of Earth and this one.

Sure, major cities tended to be wild and full of all sorts of eclectic advertising but this was wild. Now that he had the proper context for it there was a clear struggle between three different mindsets, made manifest in posters and flags laced all throughout the streets. USF, Chinese Union and displays of support for Japanese sovereignty all meshing together.

"The wars of the past are a thing of the past, USF for Japan!"

"The neighbor close in distance and ideals, or the stranger an ocean of miles and values apart?"

"Japan for Japan and no one else!"

Clearly the wars had taken their toll, creating sharp divides in opinion and inclination...and that was nothing compared to the PSAs and other advertisements that centered on the fact that Demons and such Supernatural were close at hand, if not walking among them.

Rules and regulations on how people were supposed to act towards the more intelligent varieties and types of demons, suggestions and advice in the vein of wildlife safety posters on how to deal with the ones that were of less sentience but greater sadism...although Cayman noted a few curious bits and pieces as he continued his walk.

While there was the usual fare of Taimanin beasts with Orcs, Dark Beasts and Vampires there was also a few curious mentions of Devils, Fallen Angels, Dragons...creatures that had him wondering if the Nasuverse also wasn't fucked up beyond recognition.

Not that the Fate multiverse had been some grand culmination of coherence to begin with but a constant seemed to be that Phantasmal creatures such as Dragons and the like were either dead or residing within a more mana-rich environment...if Demons and their like could walk the Earth could those olden beasts do the same? Heck, the Dark World and other such domains would be pretty big game changers for a world of Magi.

"Well this is going to be one hell of a headache. I wonder if there's a dark web page that holds a basic history of all this shit."

Continuing his walk Cayman eventually came across a police department building that looked more like a military garrison than it did law enforcement, heavily armed and armored figures wearing powered armor - another exclusivity to the Taimanin universe - watching the street while a colossal board of wanted posters and papers dotted a section of its reinforced walls, small crowds gathering and looking at the assembled information with flinty expressions or confident smirks.

"A public bounty board? Yeah, that certainly fits the futuristic and dystopian future of an eroge series made manifest."

Striding towards it with a confident gait that belied how weak he probably was in comparison to everything else present Cayman ran his eyes over the gathered information, trying to spot any familiar faces or key bits of context.

While a few names sounded familiar or rang some distant mental bells the majority were completely unfamiliar, the male turning his attention to some of the more extravagant ones that offered a high reward-

-and felt his eyes widen as a thunderstrike of recognition hit with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

[Stray Devil Kuroka Toujou, Nekoshou base species.]

[Rank: SS]

[Reward: 500,000,000 Yen]

[Wanted for murder of Devil master and associated Peerage, suspected of dabbling and then being consumed by Senjutsu abilities. APPROACH WITH CAUTION.]

[Stray Devil Shirone Toujou, Nekoshou base species.]

[Rank: A]

[Reward: 80,000,000 Yen]

[Wanted for murder of Devil master and associated Peerage, suspected of dabbling and then being consumed by Senjutsu abilities. APPROACH WITH CAUTION.]

Sure enough right below the description was the familiar - albeit 3D - representation of the black and white cats themselves, every bit as beautiful as their anime counterparts with Kuroka sporting a feline smirk and Shirone a cool expression of distaste.

"...You have got to be kidding me. As if this whole mess wasn't already enough of a clusterfuck."

So not only did he have Taimanin Asagi and Fate to take into consideration...Highschool DxD was also thrown into the mix because why not? And apparently 'Koneko' never existed because both she and her sister were on the run, having never been adopted into Rias Gremory's Peerage.

"Christ, this is going to be a nightmare…"

"You thinking of taking on the Kuroneko and Shironeko, kid?"

Blinking at the sudden comment Cayman turned around and came face-to-face with a man who looked like he'd stumbled headfirst into an aftermarket cybernetics shop, wide grin on his plastic face as he cautioned, "I'd be careful if I were you, those kitties have some mighty fine claws! Took out the last band of hunters and left em' all behind with crushed dicks and snapped necks. Yikes, amirite?"

Settling for a nod Cayman dryly replied, "Then I think I'll steer clear, I like my testicles where they are, thanks."

"Hah, smart choice! You don't look like you could handle an Orc, let alone those fine pieces of murderous ass."

Shrugging to himself and being on his way as the cyborg chuckled to himself at Cayman's expense the young man continued his walk, very much lost in thought.

This whole scenario was going to be a real tricky one to navigate...Fate and DxD had pretty labyrinthine lore, the former more so than the latter but they both had one thing in common...the 'normal' world carried on mostly as usual, both the Moonlit and Supernatural attempting to keep to themselves and stay out of public sight if at all possible. While the Taimanin universe didn't have as much associated worldbuilding its inclusion introduced a real headache of a problem, in that the 'common history' of the world was vastly different.

He likened his situation to having a yacht, supplies, fuel and electricity while being lost in the middle of the ocean...but no compass or means to navigate said ocean. All the metaknowledge of scenarios and characters in the multiverse wouldn't do him much good if he couldn't apply context to it.

"So in other words, one hell of a daunting prospect...but also kind of fun."

Mood a mix of apprehensive and excited Cayman made his way back to the apartment as his day of wandering had quickly eaten away at the hours, the sun dipping below the horizon as the lights of the city began to flick on and provide their own unique brand of illumination, keeping his eyes peeled so that he didn't end up getting jumped or anything equally dumb-

"Ooh, I could have sworn this was the right turn to take...I should have asked Irina and Xenovia for more specific instructions on how to work a phone!"

-and blinked, eyes seeing but brain not comprehending.

"No, it's alright, let's just take a moment and say a prayer and perhaps God will shed light on the path to take!"

"...You have got to be kidding me. Guess 'canon' is already well and out the proverbial window."

No more than ten steps away from him, dithering on a street corner with a small bag at her side and simple phone in hand was none other than Asia Argento in the flesh, innocent eyes wide as she hesitantly and worriedly tapped away at the device.

Much like every other character that he was familiar with from previous source material it was a bit of odd dissonance, seeing them in person and with more 'human' features than anything the 2D version had managed...not that it distracted or took away from their beauty any. And Asia was indeed beautiful, with clean and innocent features and wide emerald eyes that screamed purity of soul and demeanor, simple robes concealing and unremarkable as a plain white habit adorned her flowing blonde hair, letting it drift freely in the slight breeze rather than tucked away.

"I better not be taking the place of Issei, getting shanked by Raynare would probably suck since I'm still only a level one and don't have any Devils conveniently interested in my wellbeing."

That all said he wasn't one to let opportunity slip by, putting on a polite and friendly smile that was only half an act as he approached, asking, "You look lost, need help finding your way around, young miss?"

Jumping slightly the nun whirled around, puppy-like eyes focusing on him as she tilted her neck slightly.

"Y-you can help?"

"Yup, I live around these parts. But it sounds as if you already have an address and are just having trouble getting your phone to work, right?"

The blonde stared at Cayman as he approached, unblinking for a moment...and sagged slightly in relief, giving him a radiant smile as she remarked, "Yes, that's exactly right. I'm, umm...not very good with technology."

"No worries, mind if you let me take a look at? I might be able to figure out where you're meant to be heading."

"Of course, thank you very much, err…"

"Cayman Lute."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cayman Lute! My name is Asia Argento."

Nodding in acceptance of information he'd already known the male accepted the simple but durable device, giving the fictional character come to life a closer look as he did so.

Asia Argento, LVL 10

HP: 100

MP:4000

STA: 100

STR: 15

DEF: 15

AGI: 10

MAG: 100

MAG DEF: 30

That stat spread certainly seemed to fit her profile of a fragile healer...but her MP and MAG stats were pretty damn high. A consequence of using Twilight Healing - her Sacred Gear that could heal practically any sort of wound in short order - or some other kind of training, he couldn't yet tell...and it didn't escape his notice that his ability didn't actually tell him anything about the target's skills or weapons, just a general overview of their stats that he was fairly sure could change at the drop of a hat.

Hiding that exasperated thought behind a well-worn mask of placidness he instead performed some basic tech support on the nun's phone, informing her, "I see the problem, you accidentally added about thirty destinations and it keeps taking you to a different location everytime you likely tried to fix it."

A pink flush appeared on the girl's fair skin, tone shy as she mumbled, "S-sorry, technology really isn't my strong suit…"

"No problem, easy enough to fix. Which was your original target, I can get it to show up."

"Oh, this one right here!"

At Asia's pointing to a specific address he took a closer look at it...and resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation.

It was his apartment complex.

"Go figure that the plot and all relevant characters would end up falling right into my lap."

Yet again hiding his wry thoughts behind the facade of affable kindness he stated, "It seems we have a bit of a coincidence on our hands, Asia. That's where I live as well."

Emerald eyes widened as the girl exclaimed, "E-eh?! Is that true? That's excellent, you must be a part of Sanctuary as well then!"

Sensing an opportunity present itself in the general naivety that was Asia Argento the male was quick to capitalize, commenting, "You seem enthusiastic about being a part of the group."

Blonde hair bobbing in excitement as they began their trek home the nun happily espoused, "Sanctuary has always been an entity that I've admired, what's not to like? An amalgamation of different factions, creeds and races working together to battle the forces that would cause pain and suffering to the innocents of the world, healing and aiding those not as gifted as we are."

"Someone's a fan."

Shyly pushing her fingertips together at his comment she bashfully replied, "Y-yes, although I suppose my first day as a member of Sanctuary would have been rather embarrassing and unimpressive if I wasn't even able to make it to the safehouse…"

Cayman nodded, quickly figuring out just what position and organization he was a part of.

While Asia had painted quite the rosy image of it Yukikaze and Jinglei's more cautious and abrasive reaction to his appearance suggested Sanctuary wasn't quite the amazing and incredible thing the nun imagined it to be, something Cayman could easily see given her innocent nature.

An assumedly unilateral group comprised of Magi, Supernatural, religious fanatics, Taimanin and who knew what else? Yeah, that was a recipe for disaster if ever he'd heard one. Hell, the fact that such a thing existed at all was already impressive enough. Whoever was in charge of forming and directing Sanctuary must have some serious pull.

[Context is Key, COMPLETED!]

[Details: Basic information about Sanctuary has been acquired, although there still remains much to be discovered…]

[Rewards: 50 EXP, 1 Reign.]

Smiling in approval at the first bit of questing done and cleared - even if it hadn't so much as pushed him up a single level - Cayman elected to keep the conversation going, commenting, "Well unless you had other plans when we arrive I can go ahead and introduce you to the other Sanctuary members staying there, I'm sure they'll be happy to meet another colleague."

"R-really? Thank you so much!"

Inwardly thinking that it was probably for the best that he did so - the Taimanin were probably going to be a little too intense for the timid girl, especially if they were suspicious of her - Cayman let the conversation move along at a languid pace, commenting here and there as Asia stared around at Tokyo's eclectic and wildly varied roads as if she'd never seen a city street in her life...which, assuming her backstory in this universe was similar to the one in DxD canon, probably wasn't too far off the mark.

Now if only they weren't being tailed by a suspicious group that no doubt wished them all manner of ill will. The male was used to keeping an eye out for anything approaching from his back and right now those old instincts were practically screaming.

His suspicions were only confirmed as a pair of figures stepped out in front of them, six or so meters separating the group as he set a restraining hand on the nun's shoulder, Asia blinking in surprise as to why he stopped her-

-and stiffened as she saw the simple but no less lethal shotguns held in the hands of the tall and hooded figures, not quite pointed their direction.

"The boss Doc said there'd be a church lady headed this way...he was right."

"And that means tonight will prove to be a most bountiful one, will it not?"

Three more figures took up position behind them, two additional stocky and hooded beings while the fifth was what he would generously describe as monstrous, standing half again as tall as a human man and possessing the mutated appearance of a tiger crossbred with a humanoid being, all fur and muscle as Cayman clenched his jaw, Asia's hand clasping onto his arm with desperate strength as she no doubt recognized the gravity of the situation and the trouble they were in.

"Wonderful. Not even a few days into my new role in this world and I'm already deep in the shit."

He cast a quick glance towards the towering beast-creature, the direness of the situation only increasing as he got a good look at its stats.

?, Stray Devil, LVL 49

HP: 1100

MP: 600

STA: 1800

STR: 140

DEF: 140

AGI: 190

MAG: 80

MAG DEF: 50

He didn't bother giving the other four an examination, since if they were toting guns then it was clear they themselves weren't quite as dangerous as the taller of the assailants.

Hoods were removed and revealed tusked maws, green skin and slobbering tongues as the Taimanin version of Orcs stared at Asia, one of them commenting, "Getting to have some fun with such a pretty nun? It's gonna be good eatin' tonight, boys!"

A round of guttural laughter left the group as they closed in, Cayman's mind running a mile a minute.

Evidently this 'Doc' had resources that allowed him to figure out the whereabouts of Sanctuary members and was in some kind of dispute with them, the mystery PHD sending underlings to thin the herd before they could assumedly take action against him...which was interesting and everything, except Cayman was stuck in the unenviable spot of having to get away from a bunch of much stronger and much more higher-leveled individuals who had nothing but ill wishes towards his person.

"Great, like my starting level wasn't already enough of a handicap now it's probably going to get me killed."

Eyes slowly scanning their surroundings his hand snaked outwards, grabbing a discarded length of rebar from a small stack nearby as the monsters paused, guffawing in laughter at his actions.

"And just what are you going to do with that piece of metal, hero?"

The Stray's rumbled words caused Cayman to smirk, hefting the length of old metal...that counted as a spear, allowing him to make use of one of his starting skills.

"This. [Flame Wheel!]"

Whirling the rebar in a circle enchanted flames poured out of the tip, blinding in their intensity and heat as their attackers cursed and backed away, wary of being caught in any kind of magical inferno...and paused as while the fire was uncomfortably warm it wasn't lethal, eyes blinking as they realized they'd been suckered, their quarry darting down a nearby alley and moving at a fairly quick pace, nun in tow.

"[Accelerate!]"

Using one of his Summoner class starting skills on himself Cayman tossed a surprised Asia over his shoulder, ignoring her panicked cries to know what he was doing as he sprinted through the winding and twisting back alleys, the sound of pursuit worryingly close even as he tried to make it back to the safehouse where the pair of Taimanin would likely be able to make mincemeat of the pursuing gang.

He didn't get that lucky, the end of the alley and street that lead to his residence just coming into view-

-and a sharp BANG alongside titanic impact to his midsection sent Cayman stumbling, a hiss of pain leaking past his teeth as he inwardly cursed.

"As a Gamer shouldn't pain be a non-factor?!"

Sure, getting shot by a scattergun in the navel - a straight up hole leaking red where the pellets had torn through - would no doubt be a lot more agonizing than it currently felt but a combination of stubbed toe and hornet bite was still pretty distracting, not to mention Asia was panicked beyond belief at his wound, eyes wide and face pale.

He ignored the nun and instead turned to face the approaching Orc that had caught him, shotgun raised and tusked maw peeled back in a smug smile as it leveled the barrel at his head, Cayman well aware that since a single clean shot had dropped his HP down to 20 another unmitigated round would finish him off...and blinked in surprise as instead of hot lead removing his head from his shoulders a length of red fabric shot outwards, restraining the Orc as it grunted in surprise, toppling to the ground in a display less than coordinated.

Cayman didn't hesitate, brandishing the length of rebar upwards like a javelin as he ignored the pain in his stomach and leapt towards the downed creature-

-promptly driving the business end of the pole through the tusked Demon's eye socket, jerking the improvised spear around and causing the creature to jerk and spasm before swiftly expiring.

Cayman simply couldn't stop smiling, the swift kill doing more to lift his spirits than any amount of quests completed or EXP gained...although there was indeed some of that to be had, a glance at his stats revealing the truth of the matter.

Cayman Lute, LVL 2

HP: 150

MP: 700

STA: 200

STR: 25

DEF: 35

AGI: 50

MAG: 95

MAG DEF: 100

REIGN: 1

EXP: 50/200

Of particular interest to the male was that his health had completely regenerated upon the level up, his wounds vanishing as if they had never existed in the first place although his ragged and bloodied shirt remained.

Inwardly shrugging to himself Cayman instead snapped his gaze back to the alley's entrance, the odd scarlet length of material unwinding from the Orc's body as he waited for the rest to make their appearance...and was left waiting as a few scattered shouts reached his ears, the rest of the group evidently deciding to retreat now that he'd put enough distance between them and backup had arrived.

The young man breathed out a content sigh, satiated and destressed by the kill as he turned around to greet the unexpected help-

-and blinked, caught off guard by the individual that sedately and calmly approached.

"To so eagerly engage a group of gunmen and a Stray Devil when one is so evidently unskilled and weak? The Pearly Gates do not accept early entrants, just in case you were unaware."

None other than Caren Hortensia stood before him, Shroud of Magdalene curling around her shoulders as her piercing yellow orbs bored into his own, Cayman settling for a slight grin as he responded, "I hear they're in the habit of accepting those that perform good deeds though. Thanks for the assist-"

"M-mister Caymen, are you alright?!"

Belatedly remembering that Asia had been nearby the whole time and saw him get shot the male gave the frantic nun a reassuring smile, responding, "I'm fine, I managed to heal myself after our new friend bought me a few seconds."

"Oh, already assuming we are friends? How quaint."

Visibly relaxing at the news that he was unharmed Asia breathed out a trembling sigh of relief, offering the gamer a brilliant smile as she bowed her head, stating, "Thank you for rescuing me, mister Caymen. If it wasn't for you, well…"

"Yeah. That's the kind of thing that happens when you end up in a dark fantasy eroge series."

Keeping those thoughts to himself he merely shrugged, saying, "No problem, happy to help. Besides, it was your fellow woman of the cloth that came to most of our rescue."

"All the same, thank you."

+30 REP with Asia Argento [30/100], +5 REP with Caren Hortensia [5/100]!

While not really surprised at Asia's large increase in REP he was surprised by Caren's increase. Sure, she wasn't her father - a poor and tortured soul who could only find enjoyment in the suffering of others - but she was still a little bit...crazy?

Shaking his head free of those thoughts he instead motioned towards the Sanctuary safehouse within eyesight of the road they were on, commenting, "Well, since we all seem to be here for the same purpose, how about we get acquainted somewhere that isn't the middle of the street?"