The day went as Rick expected. Gintoki's group, the police group, and the rest went to study the facilities.
In the afternoon, they decided to return to Edo to gather their belongings. Kagura, in particular, was eager, as her cute dog was waiting for its food. Rick followed the trio for other reasons, knowing that time was of the essence and every minute lost could affect his controlled diet.
In Edo Gintoki's group suddenly appeared in their familiar surroundings. The colors and bustle of Edo starkly contrasted with the cold solitude of the deserted university.
"Great! Let's hurry, Sadaharu must be hungry," said Kagura, running towards her home.
Gintoki and Shinpachi exchanged knowing looks. They also felt the pressure of leaving their daily lives behind, even if only temporarily.
While Kagura fed Sadaharu and gathered her things, Gintoki and Shinpachi began packing the essentials. Gintoki, true to his carefree style, only gathered what was immediately within his reach.
"Do we really need all this stuff?" asked Shinpachi, seeing Gintoki randomly tossing a few items into a bag.
Shinpachi adjusted his glasses and sighed. "Yes, Gintoki. Unlike you, some of us like to be prepared."
Gintoki shrugged, tossing random items into his bag. "Sure, sure. The essentials," he said with a yawn, picking up a dusty manga volume and a half-eaten bag of chips.
Kagura burst in, holding Sadaharu's massive food bowl. "Gin-chan! Don't forget the mayo for Hijikata! He's useless without it," she said with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah," Gintoki muttered, stuffing a bottle of mayonnaise into his bag along with a few other random items like a rubber chicken and a toy lightsaber. "This should do it."
"Sure, sure. The essentials," replied Gintoki with a yawn.
Meanwhile, Rick watched with interest. He was clearly impatient but understood the necessity of this brief detour. His eyes narrowed each time he saw things like a golden Chinese cat entering Gintoki's sack.
He won't say anything, in the future decoration stores will open doors in his citadela
Once everyone was ready, Rick ensured no one was left behind. "Alright, we've wasted enough time here. Back to the university."
The group reappeared in the silent hallways. Rick took the floor. "Now that you're more or less settled, I need to talk to you about something important."
"What now, old man?" said Gintoki, still adjusting to the change.
Rick smiled slightly. "We're going to need more help. We can't face this alone. There are other individuals with special abilities on other planets who could be crucial to our mission."
"Other planets?" exclaimed Shinpachi. "How are we supposed to find these people?"
Rick pulled out his portal device. "With this. We're going to look for potential students and allies. You had already a taste of what it can do "
Kagura, with her usual energy, raised her hand. "I want to go! I want to see other planets and meet more strange people!"
Sakamoto grinned broadly. "That sounds like an epic adventure! I'm in."
Hijikata and the others nodded, knowing they couldn't ignore the magnitude of the mission.
Rick nodded with satisfaction. "Good, get ready. Our first destination is a planet called... I really didn't thought that much. We need to convince them to join our cause. As for Hijikata and the extras... I didn't actually invite them."
The group's hostility was aroused, but they could do nothing.
"Well, except for Hijikata, who tried to uselessly hit me."
Kagura, with her usual energy, raised her hand. "I want to go! I want to see other planets and meet more strange people!"
Sakamoto grinned broadly. "That sounds like an epic adventure! I'm in."
Hijikata and the others nodded, knowing they couldn't ignore the magnitude of the mission.
Rick nodded with satisfaction. "Good, get ready. Our first destination is a planet called Krylox. It's a dangerous place, but its inhabitants are very powerful. We need to convince them to join our cause. As for Hijikata and the extras... I didn't actually invite them."
The group's hostility was aroused, but they could do nothing.
"Well, except for Hijikata, who tried to uselessly hit me."