The strange dome beneath Nahul had been there since before anyone could remember, since before Grandmaster Meio himself seized power. The fact that Leon ended up trapped inside doesn't surprise me; I'm surprised he didn't trip and fall into it like an asshole, but not about that. If you were to tell me that that man went anywhere and didn't find its most terrifying secrets, then… well, I'd call you a liar.

Huan Strongarm: A Bartfort Folktale, by Lufas Maphaahl

The other side of the strange wall spat the wolfdog out like a bad piece of meat, sending him bouncing painfully over the hard ground. He whined with pain, the last tongues of flame winking out as they were smothered by his regenerating flesh.

"Urgh…" he said eloquently. "Brain freeze…" Leon had finally snapped out of his drooling blood rage, blinking as his mind adapted to its sudden clarity. "Where…"

The inside of the dome was a dim, ugly cluster of buildings made from modern stone bricks. They reminded him of a dingy abandoned warehouse district from his past life, the rust-coloured mist drawing parallels to early PS2 games like Grand Theft Auto 3. Even the light sources were the same, their smooth, oblong surfaces gleaming from beneath the eaves while the ugly yellow light was dimmed by a universal layer of grime.

"I'm in hell, aren't I?"

Leon turned and sniffed the inside of the dome; while the outer wall was an opaque black, the inside shimmered like a haze in the desert. He squinted, but not even the eyes of the God Hound you see through them; despite its appearance, the wall felt like cool glass against the tip of his snout.

"Oh god," someone whispered. "You poor thing."

An unknown woman had appeared while he was distracted; she was wearing tight yellow and blue clothes that exposed parts of her chest, belly and arms with a beautifully patterned cloth covering one leg, as well as a pair of stylish black heels. She wore metal bracelets around her wrists and had matching metal rings around her neck; she was Fricanan (which was Isekai for being black) with stern, beautiful features and dark dreadlocks woven with metal ornaments.

"Tanya?" Leon blinked. "Why are you in your Mortal Kombat One outfit? Were… Were those other girls dressed like strippers on Meio's orders? That is so funny!"

Tanya - a bodyguard of a royal family in her home game - knelt by his side as her eyes teared up. "You poor thing," she said again. "You wandered too close to the dome, didn't you?"

"Ah. I'm guessing you can't understand me."

"Mouthy, aren't you?" Tanya smiled. Leon nosed her cheek and whined as her eyes began to tear up. "Sorry, just… I haven't seen a dog or a cat in a really long time."

"A dire fate."

She led him through the desolate buildings, waving a greeting to another woman walking in the opposite direction; she wore grey body armour over pink Chinese clothes with matching gloves, and had an armband around one bicep with a tattoo on the other. She was Darhanish (which was Isekai for being Asian) and had black hair tied in a ponytail.

"Li Mei," greeted Tanya, nodding as she approached. "We have a new arrival."

Li Mei gave the wolfdog a sympathetic look. "Poor dog," she said sadly. "He probably has no idea what's going on."

"Lucky guess," woofed Leon; she was immediately captivated by his cuteness, getting down on her knees to fluff his fur. She realised quickly that he disliked getting his ears touched, which was a point in her favour.

"Hey guys! Look what Tanya found!" Two men approached; one had a staff with a glowing blue orb at its tip and wore ornate robes of blue and gold, with Xek features (which was Isekai for being ambiguously brown) and a hooked nose. The other wore similar robes but green, with lighter skin and a green mask covering the lower half of his face. He had green snake tattoos on his arms and a black snake tattoo over his right eye.

They looked a whole lot like Rain and Reptile.

"Is that a dog?" The man in green squealed delightedly, surrendering his coolness as he giddily cuddled the surprised wolfdog. Rain smiled and rolled his eyes, greeting Tanya with a kiss and an embrace. Li Mei smothered a laugh, dragging Reptile away as it became clear he was making Leon uncomfortable.

"Don't be silly, Syzoth!"

She giggled helplessly as he shot her a pleading look. "But look at him! He's so cute! HE'S SO CUTE! I haven't seen a dog in so long!"

"So?" She pointed at Rain for emphasis. "Zeffeero hasn't seen a dog since forever and he isn't acting up!"

"I'm great like that," grinned the man in blue. Leon had already known that Reptile was actually called Syzoth, but Rain's real name was new information. "Are you going to introduce him to the boss?"

Leon's ears immediately pricked up; Raiden, Liu Kang, Sindel and Kotal Kahn all sprang to mind. "That was the idea," nodded Tanya. "But I just remembered that I have… other appointments. Do you mind…"

"Not at all," smiled Li Mei. "You guys have fun." They watched as Tanya and Zeffeero walked away, their arms linked affectionately.

"Those are some horny, horny kids," remarked Syzoth, earning him a punch in the arm. "C'mon. Maybe this'll distract the boss long enough to make him take a break."

The two of them continued walking, chatting idly as Leon padded a few steps behind. Ahead of them were four women talking in front of a grimy building; while the wolfdog didn't recognise the three wearing stereotypical leather outfits, the fourth was far more distinctive.

She wore impossibly elegant white robes with the occasional piece of leather armour, while her long, beautiful black hair was held up by a thin metal band. She had sharp markings around her eyes that looked like they had been carved into her skin, while her actual eyes were pitch black.

"Ashrah!" Syzoth waved. "Look what we found!" The woman's eyes filled with tears as she saw Leon for the first time, placing a shaking hand on his shoulder. Her dramatic reaction - as well as the reactions of the others - suggested that the bizarre prison might not be a very pleasant place to live.

"He's beautiful," she whispered. "Perfect." Ashrah quickly wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her robe, turning to the other three women with a tearful smile. "Let us go, my sisterwives! Let us introduce the newcomer to our husband!"

"Did you just say sisterwives?" They ignored the wolfdog's concerned yip, opening the door to the grimy building and revealing what was inside; Leon's eyes widened as he saw their leader for the first time.

A man in tattered robes sat at a desk covered with charts, his skin the same colour as Zeffeero's. His bald head was tattooed with an odd red symbol, and he had familiar black markings around his eyes.

This was no hero. This was one of the most prolific villains of the Mortal Kombat universe. The right hand of the fallen Elder God of Death. One of the treacherous participants in the Deadly Alliance.

His name was Quan Chi, and at that moment he reminded Leon of a beleaguered office worker.

"Hey guys." His voice was heavy with exhaustion, and he blinked in the manner of someone who didn't sleep as much as they should. "I'm sorry, but I'm still trying to-"

"Quan Chi?" Leon blurted. "You guys are married to Quan Chi? Are you KIDDING me?"

He instantly regretted the outburst as the sorcerer became fully alert, his eyes flickering between Ashrah and the wolfdog. "Dear? Did you say my name aloud while you were outside?"

The robed woman immediately drew her sword from her hip, its blade oddly wavyas it hummed ominously in her hand. "No I did not."

Quan Chi nodded solemnly. "Then he almost certainly has memories of his past life."

"You have memories of your past… wait…" Leon had to remind himself that this man was a master manipulator in his home series. "What's the Mortal Kombat theme music?"

The sorcerer rolled his eyes and began scatting the legendary tune; Leon's tail wagged furiously as he joined in. Ashrah rolled her eyes and wandered off, while Syzoth and Li Mei watched curiously from the doorway. By the time they were done being morons, someone had brought a chair for the wolfdog to sit on, allowing them to chat on equal terms.

"So who were you in your past life?"

"Wage slave. You?"

"YouTuber. Had a whole series on Mortal Kombat, if you can believe it. I talked so much shit about Quan Chi, you don't even know." He chuckled softly, pouring himself a glass of something strong from under his desk; he even offered to share with Leon, which he refused. "By the way, everyone calls me Kwanchi now. Quan Chi is a villain name."

"Cool."

"So were you always a dog, or is this some kind of evil curse?"

"Close," woofed Leon. "Fairy curse. It's not all bad: I ended up getting a bunch of powers for fighting bad guys." He decided not to bring up his impending showdown with the Greatest Wolf to Ever Draw Breath. "So where are we?"

"No idea," said Kwanchi bluntly. "There's a big weird dome under Nahul and we're stuck in it. That's all I've got." He gestured vaguely over Leon's shoulder. "There's me and you. There's Zeffeero and Syzoth. Tanya and Li Mei. My wives Ashrah, Sareena, Kia and Jataaka. The cook and our meat trees…"

"Cook? Meat trees?" Leon blinked in bewilderment. "I'm not sure what to ask about first."

"The meat trees were here when we arrived," explained Kwanchi. "They have the qualities of both vegetables and meat at the same time. They taste disgusting, but they're actually really good for you. As for the cook… I think if I just use words you'd never believe me. C'mon, I'll introduce you."

They continued to talk as Kwanchi led him between the grimy buildings. "So is there really no way out? We're just stuck here?"

"Kinda." The sorcerer nodded at a twisted tower in the centre of the prison; it was one of the ugliest buildings that either of them had ever seen, and couldn't have been more than three stories high. "At the base of that tower is a Fog Wall… you know, like in FromSoft games?"

"Yeah."

"No one knows what's on the other side, but it's the only way to… progress, let's say. People go in there whenever living here becomes too much to bear. People who have nothing else to lose. That's why the only people still here are people with loved ones. Well, us and the cook. Speaking of whom…"

Kwanchi led him to a tiny building that constantly belched smoke from its chimney, pushing the door open and wincing at the revolting stench. The entire inside had been converted into a makeshift kitchen, a single young man dancing around as he attended the pots; he was wearing a light kimono with a black edge, black sandals and a black scarf. He was good looking and had an extremely athletic build, while his short hair was an unusual pink.

"Kwanchi?" Leon croaked. "Is that Itadori Yuuji?"

"Maybe," the sorcerer muttered back. "I haven't had the nerve to ask. We all just call him the cook." He gave the young man a friendly wave. "Hey! How's things?"

"Great!" Itadori grinned. "We're having meat tree brisket!"

"Meat tree brisket," the sorcerer muttered under his breath. "How original."

"Is that a dog?" Like everyone else in the prison, Itadori lasered in on Leon's presence. "Should I rustle up some food?"

"Tell him I'm magical and don't need to eat."

"He says he's magical and doesn't need to eat."

"Shame." He immediately forgot about them, returning with enviable cheer to his work. Kwanchi closed the door, and the last thing Leon saw was a huge cleaver rapidly dismantling a slab of meat.

"I wasn't expecting this to be easy," continued Kwanchi. "I was expecting Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, Dragon King Onaga or maybe even Shinnok. Why was my home taken over by the final boss of FUCKING STRIDER!"

Leon recognised the subdued panic in his voice; this was a man who had been fighting off despair for many years, who couldn't afford to show weakness even to his most trusted loved ones. He'd been there. "So Meio: what's the story there? Is he an alien? Or just some old guy who uses magic?"

Kwanchi frowned thoughtfully. "Tell me… I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Leon."

"Tell me Leon; in your past life, did you ever play a game from the Tenchu series?"

"Not really," he shrugged. "I remember it pretty much pioneered the stealth game genre way before Metal Gear Solid came out, I know FromSoftware was involved in some capacity and I know it was the inspiration for Sekiro, but that's about it."

Kwanchi sat down tiredly on the steps leading up to Itadori's door. "The first game to ever come out had a character named Meio as the main antagonist; at the end of the game he is cast into hell, and spends the next few games manipulating events from beyond the grave. Back when he first appeared in Nahul, I discovered ancient documents that described a similar incident; two ninja - probably Ayame and Rikimaru - sealed that man into a hell dimension of his own design, then slew his followers one by one until there was no one left to release him."

He ran his hand over his face, his fingers digging just a little too hard into the corners of his eyes. Leon gave him a moment to compose himself.

"With no other way out, Meio took advantage of his solitude to hone his craft to perfection. He escaped from his imprisonment and murdered Emperor Jerrod, plunging the continent into civil war." Kwanchi took a long, shuddering breath. "General Shao never turned evil. No Onaga to corrupt him, no Shang Tsung… he was just a stern man who loved his country. He died fighting, loyal to the end."

"So not all Mortal Kombat characters exist here?"

"Onaga didn't," clarified Kwanchi. "But Shang Tsung was there, even if never turned evil; I never saw him die, but he was a loyal member of the resistance. I watched him fight shoulder to shoulder with Liu Kang and Kung Lao, but…"

"It didn't end well?"

"No. Many of us were thrown into the dome as an example; Kung Lao was one of them, but the other two are unaccounted for. They're probably dead. Or worse." He looked at the tower that supposedly was their only escape. "None of us knew what was in here until Meio threw us inside. Nightwolf had a theory; he believed that something powerful was hidden deep below, that it deliberately created the dome in order to trap mighty warriors who might unleash it."

"So if I go in there-"

Leon couldn't finish the thought in time: the sparkly, unmistakable figure of Moissa Onemore fell screaming from the sky, crashing into the ground in an eruption of dust and debris. Kwanchi and the wolfdog yelled in fright, while Itadori came rushing outside and instantly tripped over them. The various Kombatants surged in with weapons drawn, only to stare in bafflement as they got their first good look at him.

Hilariously, the Comet General was still clutching the giant egg to his chest.

"Moz?" Leon barked. "How did you get here?"

"I was running from the police and fell through a manhole cover." Moz awkwardly pulled himself to his feet, squinting upward into the rust coloured mist. The impact of his body hitting the pavement had caused a large, amusing crater. "How far did I fall? I can't even see the ceiling!"

"That's because trapped in… It doesn't matter!"

Kwanchi leaned over his shoulder. "Friend of yours?"

"Yep. This is Sir Moissa Onemore, the Comet General. He's my familiar, my travelling companion and my friend."

"Ah. Gotcha." He straightened himself and addressed the confused warriors. "He's a friend of Leon's! False alarm!"

"His name is Leon?" Syzoth asked curiously.

Kwanchi ignored this in favour of a different question. "Why is he holding an egg?"

"It's an Elder Dragon in the middle of being reborn."

"Cool."

"The Elder Dragon had memories of his past life like we do; in my country they call people like us the Knowers of Secrets."

"Also cool."

Moz grabbed a handful of his cape and used it to wipe the grime off his armour. "So, about Meio: did you get him?"

Leon had to stop and think about it for a moment. "I'm actually not sure. At the very least I got an arm."

"Damn!"

"And his entire lower half."

"DAMN!"

Itadori raised his hand. "If he's a friend of the magic dog, does he need to eat?"

"Nope."

"He said no."

"Aw."

"You have great timing," said Leon blithely. "I just found out about a way outta here!"

"Great!"

"Woah there!" Kwanchi instantly jumped between them. "Have you listened to a word I said? No one ever comes back after going in there!"

Leon considered telling him about his appointment with the Wolf, and the fact that he had to escape to make it happen. Instead he grew to colossal size, his tail now big enough to knock those behind him off their feet as it wagged back and forth. "I'm invincible, Kwanchi. This isn't where I die."

Ashrah and her sisterwives tried attacking him, but their weapons couldn't even penetrate his skin. He ignored them, and eventually they gave up. "Okay," said Kwanchi faintly. "I'll walk you there."

"Hold on," said Moz. "What about the egg?"

"What about it?"

"It could be dangerous in there, boss!"

Leon huffed in annoyance, but turned reluctantly to the Knower Kombatant. "Would it be possible for you to look after the egg?"

"I don't see why not." Kwanchi waved over Itadori before he could wander off, nodding at the Comet General. "If you don't mind, could you hang onto this? Just place it somewhere out of the way."

Itadori shot him an annoyed look, but did as he asked. "You know I'm not the only one here with storage space, right?" He lugged the egg to his kitchen, while the sorcerer led Leon and Moz to the Fog Wall. He dumped it unceremoniously in the corner before resuming his work. "Now, where was I?"

He froze as a sickening crack echoed through the silent kitchen; as he turned back to the egg he saw a spiderweb of cracks spreading across its surface, exploding outward as the creature within was born. It flopped onto the kitchen floor, its body covered in mucus that flew in all directions.

Its body and hind legs were vaguely canine, covered in black fur save for a few leathery purple pads on its hips and ankles. Its forelegs were green and reptilian, tipped with sharp claws and covered with pointy barbs. Its tail was webbed with blue scales like a fish, while on its face was a bizarre brown muzzle inlaid with green gems that covered everything save for the feathery ruff around its neck. It also had a large crest that protruded from the top of the muzzle, slightly resembling an avian head with a fan of grey feathers.

The strange creature sniffed curiously at the floor, then escaped the building as the cook frantically pursued.

The hatchling was surprisingly fast, its claws skittering across the pavement as it stayed tauntingly just out of reach. It led Itadori all the way to the tower, where Leon and Moz had already passed through the Fog Wall; it was a literal wall of sparkling mist set into a doorway at the base of the tower, managing to be creepy and beautiful at the same time.

Kwanchi noticed them as he tried to walk away. "What on earth is tha-"

At the worst possible time the creature stopped, causing Itadori to trip over it before he could arrest his momentum; both of them squawked as they tumbled, and by the time the sorcerer had processed what was going on they had both staggered into the Fog Wall and disappeared.

"Oh balls."

Quest: Baroque Prison

Summary: this area is based on the obscure game for the Sega Saturn called Baroque, which was ported to the PlayStation and eventually remade for the Wii and PlayStation 2. The enemies of the game (referred to as Meta-Beings) are based on the Arcana of Tarot Card fame. If you are a fan of House of the Dead, Teraburst, Hyper Light Drifter, Dire Vengeance, the third Persona game or Part 3 of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, then the next few chapters will probably have something for you.

Most of the characters Leon meets here are from Mortal Kombat; Tanya was first introduced in the fourth game, Li Mei is from Deadly Alliance, Rain is from the third, Reptile was introduced in the first, Ashrah is from Deception and Quan Chi is from Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, as are Sareena, Kia and Jataaka.

The character of Kwanchi is based on real life YouTuber The4thSnake, who is actually exactly the sort of protagonist you would expect to see from certain Isekai stories. They tend to go like this: the main character plays a video game, pointing out one very evil character who they heavily dislike. They die (usually under a truck) and wake up as said character. They then have to spend the entire first arc running damage control on their reputation before any kind of plot can kick off.

Obviously, MatPat and Markiplier would be reborn in FNAF. The real question is: as who?

Itadori Yuuji is the protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen, while the hatchling should be recognisable to members of its fandom. If it doesn't ring a bell, don't worry: Leon will recognise it in the next chapter.

Recap: in Chapter 37 the main characters encountered a sealed monster, locked away by Leon's ancestor Twin Pupils. It was guarded by the Occuluncus, insects from the Inner Desert and the Golem from Bayonetta, and turned out to be an Elder Dragon called a Keoaruboru. Leon was forced to kill him to keep him from falling under Meio's control, but he survived in the form of an egg; Moz took it upon himself to protect the egg and lay low while Leon fought Meio, which is why he was holding it when he showed up again.