This takes place shortly before the Manager announces the next viewing.
"Right, I am done for now," Kaeya grumbled, stretching his slender frame, his sapphire eyes catching the dim light of the theater. "All that...it's a lot."
"Agreed," Diluc said, his voice a low rumble, indicating a weariness that was not solely physical. "But entertaining nonetheless." He looked at the lingering images on the screen, a glint of curiosity in his crimson eyes.
"I am going to get some air," Kaeya suggested, turning to face Amber and Eula, who were still discussing Kamen Rider. "You girls want to go out or anything?"
Amber shook her head, her eyes bright with excitement. "No way! I want to see what's next!"
Eula, while more composed, also declined. "I wish to observe the next viewing. There may be valuable insights to gather."
"Suit yourselves then." He stood up, a mischievous smile on his lips, and walked to the exit. Diluc then followed him.
"Oh, don't break anything while I'm gone," Kaeya teased, throwing a wink over his shoulder. The girls chuckled, their gaze already returning to the lingering afterimages on the screen.
Not only did Kaeya and Diluc exit the theater, but so did a small group of others. Shun'ei, with a tired sigh, decided to accompany them, dragging a reluctant Isla along.
"Come on, paint girl, let us get some fresh air," he said softly, tugging on her arm. "All of this sitting is starting to give me a headache."
"Fine, but if I see anything boring, I will be back," Isla grumbled, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
Meanwhile, several people were still hanging out at the snack bar. Denji, holding a half-eaten skewer, was telling Yuji and Ruby about his devil-hunting adventures, exaggerating greatly for dramatic effect.
"And then, this giant bat devil, right? It was going to eat me! But I just pulled my cord, and BAM! Chainsaw time!"
Ruby's eyes sparkled. "Wow! That sounds so cool!"
Yuji nodded enthusiastically. "That's amazing, Denji-san!"
Paimon sat on a stool, happily munching on a rainbow-colored pastry. "Paimon thinks Denji is exaggerating," she mumbled through a bite of dessert, "but the stories are still fun! And these pastries are divine!"
Ron, who had discovered a dispenser that dispensed an endless supply of chocolate frogs, was happily munching away, occasionally emitting a startled yelp as one of the frogs hopped onto his palm.
"Blimey, these things taste brilliant!" he exclaimed, his mouth full of chocolate.
Across the room, a more serious conversation was taking place.
"Aw man, are we really stuck here until we watch the entire fucking multiverse or something?!" Ralf groaned, his voice full of frustration.
"At least it's just watching movies, not being trapped in a jungle naked," Clark commented, reminding the Colonel of their less memorable experiences while sipping a fizzy Coca-Cola.
"Lieutenant, who are we?" Ralf's voice abruptly became more intense. His eyes were as sharp as knives, fixed on the lieutenant.
"W-What sort of question is that?" Clark was caught off guard by Ralf's question. "We're soldiers. What else could we be?"
"You're damn right, Lieutenant. We spend our entire lives fighting countless wars." Ralf spoke as if he were a commander addressing his men. "No less than we have been putting up with life-or-death situations."
"Where are you going with this?" Clark asked, his confusion deepening.
"I am saying I will be damned if all I do in this place is sit on my ass for however long. We're soldiers, not spectators!"
Leona, sitting nearby and attentively listening, added, "You should be aware by now that this place is extremely…anomalous. And our Theater Manager does not appear to be an all-around benevolent entity either."
"The commander is investigating this place as we speak. What kind of soldiers are we if we are just sitting around while our leader does the work?" Ralf demanded.
"I can't say I disagree with you, Colonel. This place and that manager guy have not sat well with me from the start." Clark set down his drink, his face grimmer.
"The commander met with the Manager back there, then I saw him heading east from here." Leona stood up, drawing the two soldiers' attention. "He told me to remain here with you two."
"Really?" Clark asked, surprised. "Why would the commander go out alone?
"That doesn't matter. Right now, we will find him and regroup before deciding what to do next." Ralf commanded, his voice firm. Clark and Leona nodded, and the three of them followed the path their commander had taken, leaving the snack bar behind.
"Man, that was… intense," Ron muttered, stretching his arms. "But I'm starving. Anyone else?"
"Food!" Paimon chirped, her eyes light up. "Paimon's always ready for snacks!"
Yang, ever the laid-back one, stretched and cracked her knuckles. "Sounds like a plan. I could use a break from all that… existential dread."
Ron, rubbing his eyes, yawned. "Yeah, I'm knackered. Food sounds brilliant."
"Alright, snack crew, assemble!" Yang declared, leading the charge towards the brightly lit snack bar sign.
As the "chill group" began to attack the snack bar, Megumi stood and looked around, his mind set on something else. "Something's off about this place."
Aki nodded with a grim expression. "Agreed. This isn't just a simple theater."
Blake, with twitching ears, overheard the two depressed boys and asked, "The manager… What is he planning?"
Kaeya, a sly grin on his lips, leaned against a nearby wall. "Indeed. "A perfect facade often conceals a more complex truth."
Hermione then took a stand in front of everyone. "All right, everyone. We can all agree that this place is not as simple as it appears. That is why I am proposing to form an investigation team to look into this place."
"So, you are going to play detective, magic girl?" Yang questioned the young witch.
"I planned to investigate this place myself, but..." Hermione paused. "I can't do it myself, I need someone t-to help me with it."
There was an awkward silence as the young witch felt the stares directed at her. She feels as though she has just embarrassed herself there.
"I agree with her." A firm voice breaks the silence.
"If we want to understand this place, we must work together." Megumi said.
"So, who will be the leader?" Blake asked.
"Oh, well, I nominate myself to be the leader…" Hermione said before being cut off.
"No." Megumi and Aki spoke simultaneously.
"Sorry, kid, but I don't think you can do it." Yang said.
"Disagree." Diluc said. "I appreciate your initiative, but we barely know each other. I cannot put a kid like you in charge."
"Sorry, kid, but leading a book club is not the same as leading a team in this place. We need someone who can handle themselves in a fight, not just someone who reads about it." Kaeya explained.
Hermione's face flushed. "But I have helped Harry Potter through many dangerous situations; I am very capable and can perform magic." Her voice fell off. "Ron! Tell them!"
Hermione had turned to where Ron was sitting, a few feet away from the rest of the group. He was currently engrossed in a plate of snacks he had discovered on a nearby table, completely unaware of the heated debate. He had been happily munching away, his mouth full and seemingly lost in his own little world.
Ron, startled by Hermione's unexpected outburst, looked up, his eyes widening. "Huh? What's going on?" He mumbled while swallowing a mouthful of food.
Hermione's face flushed even more, a mix of embarrassment and frustration swirling inside her. "I-I just... never mind," she stammered, turning back to face the group, her shoulders slumped. Her cheeks were still red, and she avoided everyone's stare, a knot of frustration tightening in her stomach.
Yang snorted. "Yeah, never mind. Back to reality. We need a leader."
After Hermione's failed attempt to take over leadership, the air was thick with unspoken tension. Megumi kept silent, his dark eyes scanning the room and observing the others. Diluc stood near Megumi, his arms crossed and his gaze distant, while Kaeya leaned against a prop wall, a sly smirk on his face, amusedly watching the group.
…
…
…
"Alright, this is getting nowhere. How about we draw straws? The shortest straw wins," Yang declared, her voice sharp and impatient. She was clearly tired of the deadlock.
Blake raised an eyebrow with a skeptical expression. "That is a stupid idea. Well, at least it is something." she conceded, crossing her arms.
Yang's lips twitched with a smirk. "Does anyone have any objections?"
The silence stretched. No one spoke.
"Good," Yang said.
She then slammed her fist down on the nearby table, causing the wooden surface to splinter and shatter under the force of her blow. The violent outburst startled the entire group, including Diluc and Kaeya, who had been watching from the sidelines.
"Yang!" she exclaimed, a hint of reprimand in her tone. "Seriously? You couldn't have just... used the straws on the snack counter?" Blake's eyes widened, a mixture of surprise and frustration on her face.
Yang just shrugged, a mischievous grin on her lips. "Where's the fun in that?"
Blake rolled her eyes at her teammate.
Yang then began snapping the table's broken fragments into different lengths. Sharp cracks of splintered wood filled the room.
"Here." She held out her hand, and the hastily fashioned sticks spread out like a bouquet. "Shortest stick wins."
The group exchanged uneasy looks.
Blake was the first to step forward, keeping a poker face. She grabbed a stick, her fingers tightening around it. She didn't look at it, instead slipping it into her pocket.
Hermione hesitated, her thoughts racing. She had tried to take charge, and now they choose straw drawing over her? It was stupid, but she could not ignore the need for a decision. She sighed and reached out to take a stick, her hand trembling slightly. She kept her eyes lowered.
Yang, sporting a mischievous grin, grabbed a stick quickly and decisively. She looked at it briefly, her eyes bright with amusement.
Megumi stepped forward deliberately. He chose a stick while keeping his gaze fixed on Yang, then turned away with the same expression.
Finally, Diluc took his turn, followed by Kaeya, who selected his stick with a playful smirk.
"Alright," Yang said, clapping her hands together. "Show your sticks."
Blake pulled her stick out, revealing it to be medium in length. Yang showed hers next, which was a longer stick than Blake's. Hermione slowly revealed her stick, which was longer than Yang's. Diluc also had a longer stick than Yang. Kaeya presented his stick, which was also longer than Yang's. Megumi opened his hand, revealing the shortest stick.
A collective gasp sounded through the air. Megumi was now the leader of the group.
Hermione's stomach roiled. She experienced a mix of disappointment and strange relief. She had been rejected, but the decision was no longer in her hands.
Yang chuckled. "Looks like we got a winner. You in charge now, Scrawny Boy."
Megumi ignored the nickname as he turned to face everyone. "All right, everybody, listen here. According to what we currently know, we are trapped in a different dimension, which is controlled by a being known as the Manager. We know very little about this location or the scope of the Manager's authority. We know that his current intention is not to harm us. That is why I want us to proceed with caution. We have no idea what lies ahead in this place. Our top priority is to gather information. We need to understand the nature of this place, the Manager's motivations, and, if possible, any potential route back to our home. Any questions?"
"Megumi," Blake began, her voice low and serious. "You said we're in a different dimension. How much control over this dimension do you believe the Manager has?"
Megumi paused, contemplating her question. "I don't know yet, but we must assume he has a high level of control over his own domain if he can disappear and reappear everywhere."
Witnessing the Manager's warping ability brought back painful memories of the prison incident for Megumi. He was gripped by a chilling thought: how vast was this being's power? The fear of reliving that disastrous event gnawed at him.
"Megumi?" Blake's voice brought Megumi back into the present.
"My apologies," Megumi replied, regaining his composure. "The Manager's power is immense, but we cannot assume it is without flaws. There must be weaknesses or areas where his influence is less effective. "If we can pinpoint those areas, we can exploit them."
"You said we needed to gather information. What kind of information are we looking for? Are there any specific clues we should look for? Hermione stepped forward.
"Anything that seems out of place," Megumi stated. "Unusual objects, environmental patterns, and atmospheric changes. Pay close attention to any inconsistency. The Manager may be leaving hints, or they may be attempting to mislead us."
"You seem to know your way around these dimensions, Megumi," Kaeya said with a teasing smile on his lips. "Been there, done that?"
Megumi recalled the horrible of confronting the Cursed Womb and the tragedy that followed for his team, but his expression remained unchanged.
"I have experienced similar phenomena." Megumi said. "But this is the first time I have encountered a dimension controlled by such a powerful entity."
"I take it that it wasn't a pleasant experience." Blake's eyes didn't miss the subtle shift in Megumi. They held the look of someone who had watched their loved ones suffer, and carried the burden of what couldn't be undone.
Sensing the tension, Kaeya clapped his hands together. "Alright, alright, enough with the gloomy reminiscence! We are here to solve a problem, not to dwell on our past mistakes. So, Megumi, you mentioned loopholes? Let's brainstorm. What kinds of 'holes' are we referring to? Are we thinking of metaphorical wormholes? Literal holes in the walls? Or perhaps... tiny, adorable, dimension-hopping hamsters?"
"Aw, that would funny and cool!" Yang exclaimed, picturing little hamsters jumping across space-time. This lightens the mood a little and makes everyone chuckle.
Megumi cut in. "Seriously, a loophole is anything that feels out of place. Imagine the Manager has painted a canvas, but the colors don't quite blend. There'd be patches where the paint is thin, where the original canvas shows through. Those faint traces, those inconsistencies, are our loopholes."
"But how do we find them?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"By observing what doesn't belong," Megumi explained. "If the Manager has transformed this place into a theater, for instance, we'd look for anything a theater wouldn't normally possess. That's a loophole—something that defies the established reality."
"So, it's like finding a discordant note in a melody?" Hermione clarified.
"Precisely," Megumi confirmed. "We're searching for the discordant elements, the details the Manager overlooked or failed to fully integrate into his creation."
"One more thing," Blake added, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "What if we run into the Manager directly? What do we do?"
The thought of a direct encounter sent a ripple of unease through the group. They hadn't fully considered the consequences of being discovered.
Megumi's eyes narrowed. "If we encounter the Manager, we avoid engagement unless he initiates hostilities. As I've stated, he's shown no overt intent to harm us. Attempting communication might be our best option."
"Well, that's... reassuring," Yang said, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. While pleading was not her preferred tactic, fighting the Manager was even less appealing. What is the worst that could happen? she wondered, a dark undercurrent of dread settling in.
"That's everything. Anyone got questions?" Megumi said, his gaze sweeping across the group.
A tense silence filled the air. Blake then spoke up in a low, serious tone. "Do you have an idea of where we are going?"
"We are heading north from here." Megumi replied. "We need to explore the surrounding area for any clues or anomalies that could shed light on the nature of this dimension."
Diluc, his voice calm and measured, inquired, "What about our own abilities? Do we know if they will function properly in this dimension?"
"We'll find out as we go." Megumi replied. "However, we must be prepared for the possibility that they may be altered or suppressed."
"And what about you, Megumi? Are you certain you are ready for this leadership role? You seem awfully quiet for someone in charge." Kaeya asked playfully.
Megumi's expression remained unchanged. "I will do what is necessary."
…
…
…
"That is settled," Megumi said, breaking through the tension. "We'll move out right now."
The team began heading north of the theater, hoping to learn more about the dimension's nature. As Hermione headed out with her team, she turned to Ron, who was still chowing down on the snacks.
"Ron, aren't you coming with us?" She inquired, her voice tinged with frustration.
"What?" Ron gulped his food in response to Hermione's question. "No way, who knows what's out there? Besides, don't you just want to stay here? There's a mountain of food and drink here. Why would you want to head out and risk angering the Manager guy? He's been nice to us all this time."
"Ugh, I don't know what to say to you anymore," Hermione groaned, shaking her head. "This isn't a vacation, Ron. We need to figure out how to get out of here."
"Relax, Hermione," Ron said, waving his dismissive hand. "We'll figure it out eventually. Besides, someone has to make sure these snacks don't go to waste."
Hermione rolled her eyes and turned away, joining the others as they entered the unknown. "He's hopeless," she muttered under her breath.
"What's wrong with her?" Ron wondered aloud as Hermione left him behind, still clutching a half-eaten pastry.
"Maybe your girlfriend is angry that you don't go with her," a cheerful voice piped up. Ron looked over to see Paimon hovering nearby, crumbs clinging to her own tiny hands. She had clearly enjoyed the snack buffet just as much as he had.
"W-What, she's not my girlfriend!" Ron sputtered, his face flushed red. "Why would I even date someone like her? She isn't my type."
"Oh, you really are clueless, aren't you?" Paimon shook her head, expressing sympathy. "You're as thick as a treacle pudding."
"And what even are you?" Ron inquired, his curiosity piqued. "You have wings on your back and you fly, but you're not a fairy or like any fantastical beast I've read about."
"Hey! That's rude, Paimon isn't an animal!" Paimon exclaimed angrily, puffing out her chest. "Paimon is a very important… companion!"
"Then what are you?" Ron persisted, furrowing his brow.
"Well, Paimon is… Paimon," she declared, throwing her hands up.
Ron was completely confused. He stared at her with his mouth agape. "Right… okay."
"That aside, you should follow your friend. You shouldn't leave her alone like that," Paimon insisted, her tone softening.
"What do you mean? She's got all those cool people there, why would she need someone like me anyway? She could have asked Harry, or someone who actually knows how to fight." Ron dismissed it, taking another bite of the pastry.
"You really are dense, Ron," Paimon remarked, rolling her eyes. "She wants you to accompany her because you are her friend!"
Ron stopped, his eyes widening slightly. He was about to respond, when Paimon cut him off.
"Now, go! "Your friend needs you," she insisted, giving him a gentle shove. "Don't just sit here eating snacks while she's facing who-knows-what!"
With Paimon's persistent nudging and a sudden sense of guilt, Ron finally scrambled to his feet, abandoning his half-eaten pastry. "Fine, fine! I'm going!"
He hurried after Hermione's group, his footsteps echoing in the strange hallway.
"Hah, young love," Paimon said with a knowing smile as Ron vanished into the distance. "They'll figure it out eventually."
Heya, it's Daichung here. It has been a long time since I returned to writing. I don't really have an excuse for it, but I'm slowly getting everything back.
Anyway, as you can see, this chapter does not feature any Kamen Riders, but the next chapter will. Since I am starting over, I figure I will try something new instead. Do not worry, the characters will still react to Kamen Rider, just in a different way.
That's all I have to say for now. If you enjoyed it or have a suggestion, please leave a comment. Stay tuned for the next chapter; Daichung06 is out!