The moment Akari asks, “What kind of place do you want to go to?” chaos breaks out at the table.
“Alright, hear me out,” Isak starts, leaning forward with way too much excitement in his eyes. “We should definitely go somewhere with a harem. You know, a world where I’m surrounded by gorgeous women who adore me. Maybe a fantasy world with a cool castle and—”
Jiho snorts, interrupting him. “Seriously, Isak? A harem? That’s your priority? I’d rather go somewhere that’s comfortable. No wild, freezing mountains or deserts. I need somewhere where I can relax, maybe a nice, temperate village, good food, and a soft bed.”
“Comfort?” Abel shakes his head, looking annoyed. “You’re missing the point. If we’re going somewhere, it has to have history and fantasy. We’re talking ancient ruins, magical creatures, and a deep lore we can explore. Not some lazy village where you can nap all day.”
I sit back, arms crossed, rolling my eyes at all of them. “You guys are all thinking with your hearts, not your heads. Sure, the idea of a fantasy world sounds cool, but how about someplace where we can actually survive? You know, low risk of dying, maybe somewhere where we can understand the language? I’m not trying to end up in some world where the first thing that happens is we get eaten by a dragon or thrown into a war we don’t understand.”
They all groan in unison at my practicality, but I stand firm. “Come on, guys. We have to think this through. We can’t just jump into a death trap because it sounds fun.”
Isak waves his hand dismissively. “Oh, come on, Haru. Where’s your sense of adventure? If we die, we die! At least it’ll be in an epic place, right?”
Jiho looks at him, wide-eyed. “Yeah, well, some of us would rather not die, Isak.”
Abel’s about to chime in again when Akari finally cuts in, his tone sharper than before. “Alright, alright—stop.” He waves his paw at all of us, clearly exasperated. “You’re just going in circles. I don’t have time for all this bickering. We need to figure this out, and we need to do it fast.”
We all go quiet, turning our attention to him.
“Here’s what we’re gonna do,” Akari continues, leaning forward with a serious look. “Each of you is going to grab a piece of paper, and you’re going to write down exactly what you really want. No arguing, no bickering. Just write it down. Then we’ll break it down from there and figure out something that works for everyone.”
I glance around the table. Jiho and Isak exchange a look, while Abel just sighs, nodding in agreement. It’s clear we’re not getting anywhere with the back-and-forth.
“Fine,” I say, pulling out my phone to take some notes instead of paper. “But we better make sure this makes sense. We’re not exactly pros at this multiverse stuff.”
Akari grins. “Don’t worry, we’ll get it sorted. Just write down what’s most important to you, and we’ll go from there. No more wasting time.”
With that, we all settle in, ready to figure out the adventure of a lifetime.
We hand our papers over to Akari, who takes them with a focused look, the beer-induced haze from earlier seemingly fading. He sifts through the notes, his eyes scanning each one as we sit there waiting. The tension in the room feels almost ridiculous—here we are, four random dudes waiting on a red panda in cyberpunk gear to figure out the fate of our multiverse adventure.
Akari taps one of the pages thoughtfully before looking up at us. “Alright, there are a few things that are pretty clear here,” he starts, setting the papers down. “First off, all of you want a place with a good quality of life. Meaning… decent toilets and, like, hot water, right? So, no medieval dungeons where you’re roughing it, got it.”
We all nod, some of us more vigorously than others. Yeah, living out some fantasy dream was cool, but no one wants to go back to the stone ages when it comes to basic hygiene.
Akari smirks and continues. “And, of course, you all want a place with beautiful women.” He pauses, glancing over at Isak and me. “Two of you—let’s see, Isak and… Haru? You guys are looking for a harem?”
I shrug, leaning back in my chair as everyone turns to me. “What? I’ve never had a girlfriend. Gotta make up for lost time somehow.”
Isak grins like an idiot, raising his beer in solidarity. “Finally, Haru’s speaking my language!”
Abel snorts, shaking his head, but he’s smiling. Jiho just rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything. I mean, it’s not like I’m lying. A little attention wouldn’t hurt, right?
Akari, ever the professional, moves on without missing a beat. “Next up, you all seem to want fantasy and history—someplace that’s old, medieval-like, with plenty of exploration potential. That’s doable. Lots of worlds like that.”
He scans the papers again before continuing. “Now, this one’s a little mixed. Most of you want some level of safety—a decent start, at least. Except for Abel here.” He glances up at Abel, one brow raised. “You’re okay with high risk, high reward?”
Abel shrugs, a small grin on his face. “I’m not afraid to take risks. If we’re going on an adventure, we might as well make it interesting.”
I groan. “Yeah, but let’s not die within the first five minutes, okay?”
Akari chuckles, then finishes up. “And finally, you all want to be heroes. That’s clear across the board. You want to make a name for yourselves, save the day, that kind of thing.”
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We all nod in agreement. Being heroes sounded pretty damn good. I mean, what kid didn’t dream about slaying monsters and saving the world?
Akari sets the papers down, clapping his paws together. “Alright, I think I’ve got a pretty solid idea of what you’re looking for. I’ll need to do some digging to find the right world for you, but I’m confident I can make this happen.”
He gives us all a wink before standing up, swaying just a little. “Give me a bit of time, and I’ll get back to you.”
We all sit back in our chairs, a strange mix of excitement and nervousness buzzing through the air. It’s happening. We’re actually doing this.
It doesn’t take long before Akari saunters back into the room, looking like he’s just closed the deal of a lifetime. There’s a twinkle in his mismatched eyes, and he’s grinning like a salesman who’s convinced you to buy the most expensive car on the lot.
“Alright, boys,” he says, rubbing his paws together. “I’ve got it. Earth 8007. It ticks practically all your boxes.”
We all lean in, curious, as he starts explaining, but thankfully he keeps it simple.
“First off,” he begins, pacing slightly like he’s giving a presentation, “you don’t have to worry about language barriers. Everyone there speaks a unison language, which happens to be the one you speak right now. Easy communication, no need to figure out weird dialects.”
Isak breathes an audible sigh of relief, muttering, “Thank God, I thought we’d end up grunting at people or something.”
Akari continues, ignoring the comment. “The world itself? Diverse kingdoms and territories, much like Earth, but with its own unique twists. Castles, villages, forests, mountains—you name it. Plenty of places to explore, lots of different cultures to experience.”
Jiho raises an eyebrow. “And the comfort level?”
Akari nods. “Oh, you’ll be fine. They’ve got the essentials—good food, warm beds, functioning toilets. And yeah, hot water.”
“Sold,” Jiho mutters, leaning back in his chair, satisfied.
Abel, still listening intently, leans forward. “What about the fantasy element? Magical creatures, beasts?”
Akari grins wider. “Oh, yeah. You’ll get plenty of that. Fantastical beasts, creatures you’ve only dreamed of, and more. It’s got history, too. Old kingdoms, ancient ruins—you’ll have a lifetime of adventure ahead of you.”
I glance around the table, and everyone seems pretty on board. Even I can’t help but feel a little buzz of excitement. Low risk, good communication, plenty of exploration... It’s starting to sound like this could actually work.
Akari claps his paws together again. “So, what do you think? Earth 8007—it’s practically perfect.”
I exchange a glance with my brothers, and judging by the looks on their faces, we’re all thinking the same thing.
“Let’s do it,” I say, a smirk forming on my lips.
Haru Tadashima’s POV
Just as we’re all about to wrap this up, a thought hits me, and I hold up a hand. “Wait, Akari—one more thing. Are we going to have any powers or anything like that when we get there? I mean, we don’t want to show up completely powerless. There’s a good chance we’ll need to defend ourselves, right?”
Akari’s grin falters just a little, and he taps his chin thoughtfully. “Powers? Well, I don’t have all the info on Earth 8007, so I can’t guarantee that. But I wouldn’t count on being all-powerful right off the bat. You’ll have to figure things out as you go, and there might not be anything protecting you from the start. But…” His grin returns, sly and confident. “I do have something to give you a little boost.”
He reaches into his futuristic rucksack and pulls out a bag that looks old—well-worn but sturdy. As he places it on the table, we all lean in, eyes wide with curiosity. Slowly, he opens the bag and reveals its contents: crystals, gold, and various types of jewelry—rings, necklaces, and raw materials in different colors and styles. The shine catches in the light, and it’s immediately clear this stuff is worth a fortune.
Akari slides the bag over to me, his eyes serious for the first time since we met him. “Haru, you’re the most level-headed one here. I trust you to handle your group’s finances when you get there.”
I blink, looking down at the treasure before me. “Uh… okay. But this seems like… a lot.”
Akari shrugs. “It is. But you’ll need it. When you get to Earth 8007, make sure you get some local support, a benefactor or something. With this much wealth, you can afford to do whatever you need—whether that’s protection, starting a business, or getting the lay of the land. Just make sure to keep it secret and safe. You don’t want the wrong people knowing you’ve got a stash like this.”
The others nod in agreement, and I carefully take the bag, weighing it in my hands. It’s heavy—way heavier than I expected. I tie it up and set it down in front of me, feeling the weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders.
But Akari’s not done yet. He reaches into his rucksack again and pulls out three smaller bags, tossing them to Jiho, Isak, and Abel without much ceremony. “Here. You’re all good kids, so I figured you should each have a little something for the journey. Don’t let Haru hog it all.”
Isak’s eyes go wide as he catches his bag, already grinning from ear to ear. “Holy crap, this could buy us the highest quality of life here, let alone in a medieval fantasy world!”
Jiho opens his bag cautiously, his mouth practically dropping open at the sight of the gold and gems inside. “We’re… rich?”
Abel, ever calm and collected, weighs the bag in his hand, his brow furrowing. “This is… way more than I expected.”
I look around the table at my brothers, who are still marveling at the sudden wealth in front of them. It’s hard not to get caught up in it—this kind of money could change our lives in an instant.
Akari leans back, crossing his arms with a satisfied grin. “Yeah, yeah, revel in the wealth. Just remember, it’s only useful if you play it smart. Get yourselves set up when you arrive. Then? The rest is up to you.”
We all nod, still in awe of the sheer amount of gold and treasure now in our possession. I can already feel the shift in the room. The reality of what we’re about to do is finally sinking in.
With this kind of fortune, anything is possible. Any dream. Any future.
But it’s also clear that this wealth comes with its own risks.
I secure my bag, tucking it away carefully. “Alright. We’ll keep it safe.”
Akari nods approvingly. “Good. Now, when you’re ready, we’ll head out. Get your things in order. Your adventure is about to begin.”
We all sit there for a moment longer, the weight of our decision—and the wealth we now hold—hanging over us like a cloud of both opportunity and danger.