8.2

part 2

This illusion barrier certainly isn't like any other I've entered before.

Rather than a misty recreation of the immediate area with the ghostly impressions of the people on the other side, this was a recreation of the temple, and only the temple. The rectangular boundaries held only a singular line of trees as mementos of the vegetation that should have been there. And stretched out across an impossible large distance where there would normally be a representation of the Ōizumichō district but held nothing at all.

A bright blood-red color dominated everything on sight, to the extent that it suppressed every other color and made it hard to make out edges, angles, and perspective. As if the whole world was a solid block of red. The only thing allowing us to detect distances and shapes were the dashes of deep black that washed over things like endless shadows, more intensely represented by the soft black rain that fell from the equally black clouds covering the pitch-black sun above. The splashes of the black droplets over the overbearing redness were the only thing giving the world shape, and it drenched our bodies in something I hope was water.

"Great." Grumbled Ranma-chan in an oddly echoy pang in her voice. I spared her a look and noticed that this world's effects had made her shirt blend so seamlessly to the area around her that it made look like her head and arms were floating over her legs. Her hair was producing a similar effect.

I would undoubtedly have made a witty comment about this fact if the situation were less tense.

"Stay sharp. This Illusion barrier is not like the others."

I looked around the place. While there are few things of notice, they were surprisingly hard to make them out, the overwhelming sound of rain also wasn't helping.

"No shit," Ranma grumbled once more before focusing. "So, where's Haruka?"

"I can't see her." Impaired visibility, unknown enemy, really creepy ambiance, and Haruka nowhere to be seen; yeah, I'm bringing out the big guns.

And by that, I meant I produced Ryoga's umbrella from my inventory. I could handle its weight much better now, but I still placed the tip on the ground to help me support it.

"I said we spit and look around—"

"OI HARUKA, WHERE YOU'RE AT!?" Ranma bust out.

"Or we could just try this."

To my surprise, we didn't immediately attract some enemy or anything but instead produced a very high pitch sound.

"Kyah!"

It echoed through the rain.

"Oi, is that?" Ranma choked

No time to think about the implications. I called out. "HARUKA, WHERE ARE YOU!?"

"Here!" She shrieked, her voice thin with terror. The sound made us bolt to meet her as soon as her running silhouette appeared in the rain.

She nearly collapsed in my arms, her whole body shaking in fear. But once she realized she was with us, she immediately started to gather herself enough to control her breathing.

"Hiroshi!" She called out after she recovered some of her composure. "What is this!? Where the hell we are!? What's happening!?"

I kept my hand on her shoulders to help steady her. Frankly, I'm immensely glad I found her safe and sound— and this fast, too, I was expecting for it to be a lot harder.

"I'll explain everything after we get out of here. One second!" I closed my eyes and reached out.

ID escape failed, disparity between levels is too high.

Of course there'd be a catch.

"Shit!"

"What? What was that 'Shit'?" Ranma asked, making herself known.

"I can't get us out until we beat up whatever's in there."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry, who are you!?" Haruka demanded of the strange girl.

"I'm Ranma- Err."

Great fucking way to confuse the girl even more Ranma, time and place, man, time and place-

And then my thoughts screeched to a halt, and I realize just why Ranma had trailed off on her dumb response.

We could see Haruka better now that we're close. The rain made easy for us to catch the sparse details the color contrast allowed. She went out with us this morning wearing a striped shirt and overalls. We could see the shirt just fine due to it's red on black colors, but the other piece of clothing…

"Where are your pants!?" Ranma put things bluntly.

Indeed: there was nothing hiding the black silhouette of a pair of long, runners legs crowned by striking bright red panties around the surprisingly shapely hips.

"I-I-I had no choice!" Exclaimed the half-naked girl, now trying to push her shirt downward to hide her modesty. I have no idea how the color them was translating mine and Ranma's blushes. "It had gotten in my clothes!"

I yanked my teenager eyes from the enticing vision enough for me to process that statement.

"What do you mean?"

*Squeak*

"AH!" Haruka exclaimed suddenly and jumped in my arms, latching herself around my neck.

"H-Hey!" I grunted while warping my arm on her lower back. Do you know how hard balancing a tall, athletic girl and an ultra-heavy umbrella is? Very. "Get a hold of yourself!"

"What was that!?" Asked Ranma whipping her head around.

"I-It's here!" Haruka screamed. *Squeak* "AH!"

"What is this squeaking!" I called, desperately trying to concentrate through the tight body being pressed on mine, damn teenage hormones! Why are you reacting at a time like this!?

"I see it!" Ranma declared. "It's fast!"

"What, god damn it!?" I can't see the shit, and Ranma was blurring her head trying to follow it. 'Fast' is an understatement.

"Keep it away from me!" Haruka continued to scream.

*Squeak!*

I felt it, not the thing, but the growing feeling from before, when Ryoga attacked, a mixture of Goosebumps and a chill and an urge to fucking move coming from a particular direction. Like before, it stunned me for e second.

"Not so fast!" Ranma shouted, throwing a punch so fast that it propelled some of the rain horizontally.

*S-Squeak!?*

"Aha!" The martial artist cried out victoriously, her other hand joining the first to grip a… what?

Squinting my eyes and moving close to see, I could make out a—

"Is that a squirrel?" I asked. The fuck was a squirrel doing a last boss zone of all places!?

"E-Eh!?" Haruka finally detached her face from my neck to glance at the thing. "It isn't a rat?"

Is that what she was afraid of?

"No, it's a squirrel," Ranma said while she relaxed her stance somewhat. "Sheesh, all this drama because of a squirrel! Lameee."

"Hey, now!" The blonde girl said, her voice growing stronger. "How the heck I was supposed to know it was a squirrel!? I was trying not to freak out for the, you know, creepy hallucination! And then some furry thing just got into my pants and started rubbing itself on me!"

"Hallucina—HAH! Check it out Hiroshi; she thinks she's hallucinating!"

"This is what a normal person would think, yes." I sighed.

I swear Ranma, your female voice's a sexy raspy purr that sounded like liquid chocolate to the ear, but it can really get on someone's nerves if you tease them like that.

"Who even are you!?" Haruka demanded.

"I told you, dummy. I'm Ranma—OUCH!"

It appears that the squirrel has, perhaps predictably, sank its teeth on Ranma's gripping fingers. She lashes out with a movement that would have laughed at any other squirrel to the stratosphere, but this one not only managed to cling on her hand, but to circle up her arm and into her shirt in a clean, but somewhat hard-to-see movement.

"GAH! What in the world—Hya!?" Ranma cried out. It was tough to see due to the colors, but I blinked as the pair of heavy breasts began to violently bounce in her shirt.

"AH, S-STOP IT!" She continued to shout, finally overcoming her initial shock enough to pat around her chest area, trying to grab the running rodent. "ARG! This-This thing-Kyah! It bit me!"

"See! That's what happened to me! Who's lame now!?" Haruka shouted vindication heavy in her voice.

"ARHHHH! STOP YOU DAMN PERVERT SQUIRREL!" Ranma was wiggling in a way only someone with squirrels in their pants would— Shirt, in this case. She fell down on the wet ground and I swear the Phineas and Ferb's song began to play in my head.

"H-H-Hiroshi! DO SOMETHING!"

At my friends' cry, I double slapped my face and focused. Right, Ranma got squirrel Happosai in her shirt. What to do.

"What do you want me to do, anyway!?" I complained.

"ANYTHING!" Ranma shouted back.

And that would be the time to raise the super heavy umbrella over my head and start to comically beat Ranma until she is blue and purple. A true display of anime trope and what anyone of the Ranma 1/2's cast would do. However, I only follow anime tropes if they amuse me, and I don't fancy laying the mother of beatdowns on Ranma if she doesn't deserve it.

So instead, I reach down to my writhing friend and completely rip her Chinese shirt off. Making Haruka gasp behind me.

*Squeak?* The squirrel looked up at me from his place between Ranma's sizable cleavage, confused as it to why it could feel the rain again. Right to the point where I slapped it to the ground.

"Kya!" Ranma let out a feminine gasp while her breasts bounced over the impact of my slap.

"GAH!?" Haruka gasped for another reason.

"Gasp." I vocalized calmly, not wanting to feel left out, "There, fixed it!"

"You ripped out her shirt!" Haruka squeaked tightly.

And speaking of squeaks, the pervert squirrel was now squeaking angrily at me from its place on the ground. The only thing left was a little rodent fist shaking in my direction to complete the image.

Yeah, this is not a normal squirrel.

Ranma let out a breath as she sat up. "Bah. Thank Hiroshi, should've thought of that."

"T-That's your reaction!?"

Ignoring poor Haruka for a bit, I rose to my feet and offer a hand to pull Ranma up. After both our fighting force we back in action, we did the obvious thing and loomed over the perceived threat.

Of course, Ranma was only looming cuz she was pissed at it, but I? I could see its name tag.

Semurahamaru of the small delights.

Level: 50.

The title certainly paints a picture, but the way it's displayed was creeping me out; only monsters had their name and titles in a single line like that. Plus, the level… this might end up turning into a monty python's rabbit situation.

Still, the rodent seems to be getting worried under our long and unnaturally dark shadows, and I don't think the red sky behind us is helping the matters. It kept shaking its head, looking at me and Ranma while slowly stepping back. If I hadn't deduced this squirrel wasn't normal, this abnormal show of emotion would have convinced me of it.

"What is all this ruckus!?"

The grouchy voice that echoed was so unexpected that it almost sent us stumbling. Both Ranma and I snapped our head to where it had come from at the same time that Haruka fell on her ass with a scream on her lips.

An enormous thing has surged from gods known where and was now towering over us like a freaking mountain. A long shadow had darkened it to the point that it looked like a giant rectangular block with what I could only barely make out was four legs.

"Ranma!" I hissed.

"I see it!" She said, already on battle stance and sizing the thing up, and there was a lot to size.

A boss battle. A boss battle that I hope can to avoid.

"Who are you!?" I asked, raising my voice to pierce through the rain. Ranma gave me a look and decided not to rush in.

A protuberating appeared in the shadow, raising itself and turning weirdly to our direction. It wasn't until three baseball-sized spheres of bright red opened that I realized it was its head. Then it breathed, letting out a burst of intense heat followed by a trail of flames that turned to vapor under the rain.

It can breathe fire too? Greattt.

"Hiroshi! What the hell is that thing!?" Ranma snapped.

I can't see its name, title, or specimens, nor I can see its level. It's not that it doesn't have a tag telling me these things, is that it was too high for me to have a proper look, much less when it was raining like that.

"Hum. What you brats looking at?" It spoke. Its voice sounded ancient, like, it had all the wear and tear of an old man on the verge of dying, but still loud and clean and, if not full of vitality, firm. A contradiction in form of noise. "Ah! I get it. It's these blasted colors! Mō-Mō, move away! You're blocking the damn view."

A low, grave noise echoed around us, blasting the chilly rain and unexpected heated air in our direction.

"Is that… is that a 'Mooo'? It's that thing a cow!?" Ranma's incredulity was palpable in her voice.

My mind wondered about the correct word to the sound a cow makes for a single moment before focusing back to what was important, just in time to process the massive, hulking thing moving to the side.

It's dark, unnaturally long shadow was like a perfect blanket over everything it covered, but now that it'd moved, the place where it once stood was overtaken by red, thus revealing a new, much smaller figure in black.

The details were hard to make out, but it was an old man. A very, very old man. His body was of an odd, pear-like shape, with a somewhat bloated belly with gaudy limbs hidden beneath a very loose kimono sticking out of it, all weirdness in his body was also accentuated by his hunch over posture, making his chest sink backward under the half-open gap of the outfit.

His face was something that barely seems human; thought putting like that might be a bit rude. It has clearly been affected by the ages, a crosswork of wrinkles and age lines scrunched up the skin of the oddly elongated head, there was a noticeable sag in the cheeks and forehead, making his eyes look like sunken holes rather than proper eyes. He doesn't seem to have any hair in his head, but his facial hair was sharp and long enough to make Shaolin masters proud.

I got the impression of a man that aged way past what most people should.

"Who're you, old man!?" Ranma asked. She was still holding her battle stance. Good thing too.

Because I doubt this guy is human.

"Humph!" The old man grumped nasally. Stepping forwards a bit. Only then I noticed the rain was shirking around him as if to not daring to get him wet. The odd phenomenon allowed me to clearly see his tag. "The state of youth of this age… You will address me as honorable elder, do you understand, brat!? And cover your bosom! Have you no shame!" He chastised.

Tōtōsai

Ancient Yokai Blacksmith.

The Father of the Fangs.

Level: ??

Well fuck, not only his level is the troublesome '??' but he also has two freaking titles. What the fuck does this mean!? Can this even happen!?

Wait a second!

A youkai blacksmith named Tōtōsai? That sounds like—

IT'S THAT DUDE FROM INUYASHA!

"What was that old man!?" Ranma shouted, making Tōtōsai the blacksmith grumble.

"Ranma, hold on," I said before she could add any more rudeness.

Now, how to go about this? I can't call him by the name or give any indication that I know him, and I certainly can't mention Inuyasha. The problem is that I can't explain how I know that without spilling the beans about everything, and I don't want to lie about a reason to know either. Lies like that never last and end up provoking troublesome situations in the future.

So the only option is to act like I don't know him, which… was true.

I never actually met him, and I don't remember the Inuyasha anime that well. All the knowledge I have only served to color my opinion about him, and he looks different than he did in the show, a lot… older—Wait!

Older…

Oh god.

"Hum? What are you looking at, youngster?"

"… Sorry." I tried to remember the proper way to address yokais from my memories of Japanese folklore. There isn't a set rule, but the main thing seems to be politeness. "It's my first time talking to a Yokai. I ask for forgiveness if I caused any disturbance. We just wish to retrieve our friend."

And speaking of it, where's… Ah, Haruka still on the ground, looking at Tōtōsai and the giant, possible cow-like thing with wide eyes. I think she's in shock.

"Another indecent girl I see, and if I have to guess, you're also involved with the other ruckus on the other side." The old blacksmith commented and continued to grumble. "I had just managed to fall back to sleep! Have you come to bring yet further torment to this poor old man? Oh, the shame!"

He's not like I remember… from the few recollections I had. I remember who he was, but it has been too long since I last watch the anime to remember how he acts. Plus…

I think- no, I'm certain that this isn't the Tōtōsai I knew; If my hunch is correct, then this is a Tōtōsai that outlived the anime.

From the Sengoku era to now, 500 years, he lived all this time, that means…

No, I'll think about the full implications of that later.

"If you are referring to the fight outside this dimension, then I participated in it, I apologize for having disturbed you then too," I said, trying to appease him.

"'Dimension'? Huh, you speak like a foreigner. I'm Tōtōsai of Adatara, youngster with indecent females, who are you?"

"My name is Ōe Hiroshi, Tōtōsai-san, this is Saotome Ranma and Tenou Haruka. We are honored to meet you." By that point, Haruka started to get to her feet. She still needed to grasp on mine and Ranma's waistbands to pull her trembling legs up, however.

"Hey, old man, how are you making the rain avoid you like that?" Ranma asked bluntly, she was more relaxed now, but still made no movement to cover her large tits.

Tōtōsai scoffed her disregard for modesty and apparently decided to drop the subject. "I've befriend it. Now, can one of you explain what that ruckus was all about?"

"On the outside, or here on the inside?" I began. "The ruckus on the outside happened because some guys challenged me for a fight, and the one here happened because of the squirrel."

It occurred to me that, unlike what I've been expecting, we probably wouldn't have to fight anything in here. Going by what I knew about Tōtōsai, it's unlikely that he would start anything, and that giant cow monster doesn't seem to be violent despite its size and fire breathing. Currently, it was sitting on the side, pulling a tall tree branch while munching on its leaves. I don't think it's very smart.

"Where is that damn squirrel, by the way?" Ranma asked.

"Ah yes, Semurahamaru, he was melted back into this oumagatoki. It was using it to survive until today, but something changed recently. I was surprised when he managed to take a physical form." Tōtōsai's wrinkled hand caressed the length of his long goatee. "Must have thought the maidenhood of these girls were offering, but now the perceived power must have run out."

The old yokai turned his back to us and walked to there the frame of the temple stood. It was a bare foundation with four columns and a roof. Settled on a circle under the roof, was a futon, a micro television, and countless others object big and smalls that I couldn't make out due to the shadows, but I reckon by the anvil and the boiler among them that they were related to blacksmithing.

"You live here?" I asked, unsure where to go from here.

Tōtōsai sat on the center of his belongings with difficulties, each vertical movement he made seems like a struggle, his thin legs trembled so much as he was lowering himself that I thought they might snap for a moment.

His sunken regarded me for a long moment before he finally spoke.

"Passing thought." He shifted to the side, laying an elbow on his knee and his head on his raised fist. "No matter where I go. Be it the haunted meadows of the world of illusions, the ever-shifting landscapes of the land of legends, dreams, and gods, or even the rotting scenery of the world you humans have inherited, people always find me, they always ask for my creations. So I always move."

Ok I… definitely caught the subtle meaning of his words

"We don't wish for anything from you. As I said, we are just there to get our friend." As a show of goodwill, I raised the ultra-heavy umbrella to my shoulder and let it slid down into an inventory screen, disarming myself of my most dangerous weapon.

"Are you…" A voice started behind me. I could feel Haruka tightening the grip she had on my shirt. On the other side, she did the same with Ranma's waistband, it was an uncomfortable place to grip, but the martial artist made no comment. "Are you the one fixing the broken things… Around the area, I mean."

Oh yeah, there was something like that.

The ancient yokai shrugged. "It's a hobby." Was his explanation.

He's fixing things around the neighborhood, seemly at random and with no incentive, from simple fixes like everyday cracks on the stonework to complicated endeavors like the whole electric system of a car. How he's doing it I don't know, I'd never related a blacksmith to an electrician but nevertheless; he's assuming responsibility for the acts.

Maybe he could…

"Ah, there is it." Tōtōsai leaned in, making the shadows dance across his face. His voice had turned cold. "You want something from me."

I nearly choke on my breath as I felt the weight of his words. But I can't deny that it's true.

"What is it? What is it you want from the great Tōtōsai? A sword that inflicts incurable diseases in each cut? A spear that can pierce through heavens as easily as it would a man's chest? Perhaps a mace able to grind mountains to dust?" The yokai rambled, his tired voice growing louder and tenser with each word. I could see his fist clenching over the fabric of his kimono, trembling in fury. "Come on, off with it! Tell me what you want so I can add it to the piles of denials I've been accumulating over the centuries!"

Shit, there it goes all the goodwill we could possibly have build. Still, if he really wanted to know.

"I want you to repair my baseball bat."

He immediately began to reply, only to shallow back his word and stutter. As if too shocked to react.

"Repairs!" He choked out. "You wish to purchase services of Tōtōsai of Adatara, the father of the fangs, the one who armed the heavenly ones, to make repairs!?" Without waiting for a response, he threw his head back and laughed. Laughed so hard his thin chest trembled and heaved, only to be interrupted by a coughing fit.

"What was that about?" Ranma asked me in a hushed, but quiet tone while the old man recuperated.

"I really am trying to fix my bat." I saw no reason to lie about that.

"Yeah, but couldn't you've done it without provoking the cow? Haruka is here!"

Ah…

Yeah, the cow demon, Mō-Mō, I believe, was now looming a bit too close to us, close enough that put us well inside the range of its flaming breath. And I agreed with Ranma, picking a fight with Haruka so close would be unwise.

"Ehk." Tōtōsai finished with a dry cough very characteristic of an old man. "All my age, I'd never…"

Well, he certainly seems to have lost the heat he was building up and went back to being a grumpy old man, that's… good, I guess. I open my mouth to speak, but he interrupted me.

"Now say what you wish to say, Semurahamaru…"

*Squeak!*

"Ah, it's there!" Ranma exclaimed, pointing at the squirrel perked on the youkai's shoulder.

The thing began squeaking in Tōtōsai's ear. Its squeaks that once sounded so prevalent now barely made it out the rain.

Hum, the rain seems less intense somehow.

Ironically, that fact made it harder to see the world.

"I see, I understand now." The old yokai said, and then sunk on himself with a breath. His eyes or the holes where his eyes laid hidden by flesh turned toward me.

"You've done a service for my little friend, boy; his first offering in 68 years. I've decided." He shifted, holding out a hand. "Give me this baseball bat you wish to see fixed."

I couldn't follow the line of reasoning, but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

It was weird, putting words to what happened next. I remember taking a step forwards under Ranma's protests, something about stealing my shoelaces or something he'd experienced before, but then, not even two steps in, my bat slip from my hands as the squirrel, moving at higher speeds than what he displayed before, took it to the blacksmith in my stead. Seeing a large, broke down baseball bat being carried by a tiny squirrel to an old yokai was admittedly a weird sight.

I would have protested, or at least approached to see the process. But my shirt was pulled from behind, not strongly, just enough to halt my steps. I look back, expecting to see Ranma, but instead, I found Haruka staring at me.

The black and red contrasted on her expression. Shit, I've forgotten how terrifying all this must be for her.

"Tōtōsai-san, I think I should-" Come back later, was what I meant to say, just so I could take Haruka out of here and back to normal reality, but I didn't get the change was something came spinning towards me. I caught it reflexively.

"There."

I…

The metal bat gleamed if the spark of red over its black surface was any indication. I don't understand how he'd done it so fast, It took only a minute, perhaps even less.

But then again, maybe it was yokai bullshit; I suppose I'll never know.

"Right," I said, gripping the immaculate handle tightly. "Right, thank you," I repeated and drew back. What I gave Haruka wasn't a hug, it was a shoulder to steady herself, Ranma was doing the same on the other side.

"I have an… ability to get us out, but to activate it, I need to be the strongest thing in this place…" I said out loud as an explanation for my friend and to hopefully prompt a suggestion to the yokai, honestly, without my skill, I don't know how we would get out.

"Yes, this Twilight told me about it. Try it again, that odd thing you did, you should be successful this time."

God, his words, his mannerisms… This was a friendly yokai, a friendly yokai from a series that I know off, and that is at least non-antagonistic towards humans. I could stay for a bit. I could ask him so many things.

But Haruka comes first.

So I took both her and Ranma by the shoulders, almost instinctively drawing them close to me before activating the skill.

And just like that, we were gone.

-0-0-0-​

I stepped out of this Illusion barrier like I've done to so many others in these past few days. This time, however, my mind was heavy with the revelations…

In a way, I've learned more things from my talk with the Shiori, we'd talk for a long time about many things, and even now I still processing what she'd said.

This time though, this time was different, I haven't learned things from a pleasant, date-like meeting, I experience them, for the first time I got I taste of the world I now have context for.

Inuyasha was real, just like Ranma ½ and Campione. Yokais, true yokais, not those mysterious mindless beings from my Illusion Barriers are real. Natural Illusion Barriers can exist; they are called 'oumagatoki' by the locals, and they… They're alive… in some manner of speaking.

I felt it granting me permission to exert my exit ID skill upon it. I… Frankly, I don't know what to think right now.

"Ah!" Fortunately, the first thing I saw after stepping back in the real world proved to be enough of a distraction.

"Rin?"

The Taimanin was kneeling on the ground immediately in front of the temple, most of the clothes that once covered her topside were discarded into a pile near her, leaving out a sweaty white bra tautly spread over her mammoth-sized bosom. Normally something like that would've garnered my complete attention, but I couldn't look away from her naked arms when I noticed them, for they're gleaming with countless rivulets of bright red blood that tattooed the entirety of the two limbs with jagged lines.

The source of the blood was a series of finely carved glyphs that descended over her skin, markings of an unknown form of kanji the Japanese part of my was trying to decipher, by the slightly bloody kunai on her side I say it was self-inflicted. The same markings were being drawn in the blank scroll spread open in front of her, she seems to be drawing with her fingers, using the flowing blood was ink.

Needless to say, it was quite unexpected.

I saw her eyes going from shook to surprise, then blurry with tears. "Aruji-sama!" Rin exclaimed while she threw herself at me. Her body hit my waist, but it wasn't enough to throw me off, her bloody arms circled tightly around me. "A thousand, thousand pardons Aruji-sama. Oh, unforgivable, if something had happened to you and yours this one would, this one would." She cried against my skin, her body trembling with the tiny spasms of her half-muffled sobs.

"I-I back, we're back, what." Haruka was whispering against my shoulder. She hadn't processed Rin's presence yet. "I-I don't feel so good."

"What the hell is this? Who is this lady!?" Ranma, however, was quite aware of her. "W-why the hell is she half-naked!?" She shouted, completely ignoring her own topless state, her large breasts, not as large as the ones mashed against a dangerous part of my body, brushed against my side as she looked up at me. "Oi Hiroshi! Do you know who the hell—hehhh!" She blinked at the distance between us, her nose scrunching in a cute frown. "Oi, bastard, why the hell you are holding me!?"

Well fuck, is this what being overwhelmed feels like? Too many things happening at once and you don't know what to address first. It fucking sucks.

"NII-SAN! WE'VE COME TO SAVE YOU!"

Of course it wouldn't end there.

The viper guy that we 'saved' early and had hauled ass as soon as he was free of bound appeared again in the temple's entrance, leading 18 other Vipers delinquents ready for a fight.

… Okay.

At least he wasn't escaping like it first seemed, but his timing really sucked. Something that became clear now that he and the rest could see the prone bodies of every Ragnarok delinquent littering the grounds. They we're too late.

A series of 'woooah' and "Ohhhhh" broke through the crowd as they finally looked at me. I could see their weapons falling from their limp fingers, and their eyes growing bigger and filling with sparkling stars. Some of them even began to whistle.

I frowned, why in the world are they acting like that—

"And who the hell are those guys?" Ranma exclaimed a question. Her cheek had unconsciously brushed against the arm I had over her shoulder while she turned to look at the new arrivals. "Urg, do we have to fight them too?"

I… closed my eyes.

At my left, a slightly off girl without any pants was slowly leaning more on me as the stress of the day got to her. At my right, a completely topless girl was brushing her cheek on my arm while shamelessly displaying her 'assets', one of it still clearly mashed against my side. And on my waist, with head lodged on a position that would make for an interesting vision for any onlookers, an unbelievable hot milf loudly choked her sobs, her enormous breasts swaying pendulously beneath her.

"GAh!" Choked a Ragnarok grunt who had recently awaken to the sight. He pointed a fearful finger at me. "D-Dandy bat!"

Fucking hell.