[Other Fanfic] Sanrio Isekai: Chroma Mystical Soul-Link Adventure!

[Palamon]

Hi, there, and welcome to my Sanrio dnd style story where everything will be decided by me rolling a d24 in real life. This will be a novel that takes place in an original fantasy world. I will be using the Sanrio characters to tell my story, but most of them will be obscure ones most people haven't heard of! This is yet another story that takes place within Siorc's mutliverse, and it'll be another fic about him. You don't need any knowledge of Sanrio to read this! Or, dnd, I don't know anything about dnd either! This is just a silly idea I had to write something about person and creature bonding and the concept of a soul-link, with randomization of a dice roll!

This will be a chaptered fic, either way, I hope you guys enjoy!

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First Link: Witch Café and Lalalaflora

TW racism and implied homophobia

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"Breaking news, this just in! More college students have gone missing today! How many does that make now? We
Really don't know why! Oh noooo,
Every single day, that number is
Always going up now! We
Keep getting call ins to our studio that another college student has mysteriously disappeared, oh noooo!
Is this a big crisis on our hands?! Has anyone else gone missing?!
No, just college and university students?
Guess there's a serial kidnapping on the loose!

Now, if anyone has seen any weird activity in your neighborhood, we urge
Each and every one of you to call into our radio line
With information! And, now for the
Sports with Kewl F--.

*Click.* It's that news report again, huh? It's been
One after another
Lately. And, I think the reports have
Likely been daily? Eh. I don't
Even know. I am
Going to be honest here. It's getting harder and harder to tune into the news since pretty much
Everyone has gone missing. My five siblings, for example. We all went to the same college. They all went missing. My mom doesn't know, she just thinks they're all crashing with their friends or at work, but I know they've all gone missing. I haven't told her. Hmm, but I should introduce myself, right? I'm

Siorc. I'm a, uh, I'm a junior going for a Master's Degree in Environmental Science. I want to be an environmentalist
That can do all I can to save the planet because,
Uh, I'm a hyena chimera. Is that a little weird? No, I
Don't really know all that much why I was
Even born this way.
Not really, anyway. But, in
This world, there's humans and then there's chimeras, of course I have the ability to hide everything except my hyena
Spots on my face.

Anyway, the news failed to
Report on something, they failed to say chimera college students are the ones all going missing!
Eh, but I'm not going to call into

Say that, not with my own voice. I despise
Taking, and I communicate through other means. So,
I won't say anything about it, but
Let me start by saying, it
Looks like humans aren't

Going missing at all, but
Of course, that's not something the news
Is going to say, I mean, why would they? The
News hardly cares about us. I
Get that, obviously. We're nothing to them. But,

Maybe if more chimeras go missing,
I will have my mother call in.
She's aware about it.
She watches the news pretty much every morning with me before
I go off to school.
Now, there's something else that's been pretty strange lately. I have been seeing a lot of Sanrio memorabilia lately. Which, I don't
Get, honestly? Where did

All of that come from, anyway? Honestly,
No one knows, I mean, I sure
Don't know, I have absolutely

No idea. But, simply put,
One day they just appeared out of nowhere. For

One thing, one thing I have
Noticed in all this is none of the humans
Ever went near that memorabilia, at least, not that I

Know of. But, a lot of chimeras have, and
Now all the
Ones that took some?
Well, I now haven't seen them at college. So, I feel close to certain that the chimeras going missing
Seems pretty connected to the Sanrio memorabilia.

Well, now I wonder a little more, who is doing this?
Hmm, I don't think people are getting kidnapped, though.
You know, I don't think that's what's going on.

Hmm, now this is probably going to sound absolutely ridiculous, but
Uh, I think they
Have all been transported to another world. Am I being a

Tiny bit ridiculous? Well, I guess so. But, even still, I
Have a feeling I'm right.
After all, there's a few weird
Things that I have been

Hearing on the way to college pretty much
Every single day since
All of this has been going on. Some have seen these really
Dopey, question mark, portals, or something
Like that, I will be honest, that,
In the end, that's probably
Nonsense, at least that's how I feel. There's no such thing as other worlds.
Everyone knows there isn't

Another world with life on it besides this one,
Get real. Humans say the dumbest things pretty much
All the time, I have no words. None at all.
I have to wonder where they get these
Nonsensical ideas from.

It's pretty annoying having to listen
To them pretending like they know
Something, but I'd never say

That, I despise talking as I have already said before.
Right, well, after class today, I intend to go look for clues. I
Ultimately need to try and find
Everyone. If the college student body gets any

Tinier, I know that the college will start to notice.
Ha, but I guess it's not like they care about the chimeras. They
Obviously never did. They only care about human students at this establishment.
Ugh, that's why I should start investigating. I
Guess if anyone should be doing that, it'd be me.
Hmm, but where should I start?

Maybe that little weird cafe that opened up
At the train station recently? I have
No idea what it's called, though, and
Yet I do think there is something terribly

Suspicious about it, so I
Think I'll start there. But,
Uh, what if they have no idea what I'm talking about, or worse,
Don't serve chimeras?
Every so often, I am in that situation where a restaurant or other place has a sign on the door:
No chimeras. It hurts a lot
That people would refuse to serve me because I'm not human.
Since it's very likely they won't serve chimeras, I might have to put on

A disguise to cover my hyena spots before I go
There. I wish this world was different, it's not

My fault I was born with hyena and shark DNA. And,
Yet, I'm discriminated against. But, let's not get into this.

Cannot go off into
One big tangent about race, I mean, species relations.
Let's just not get ourselves caught into that
Little web right now. It's
Especially long and convoluted and has no place here. But, I
Guess, at least, right now, it's
Especially relevant. Chimeras have

All gone missing, and
The news isn't mentioning it.

Maybe they don't know, but
You know, I think they just refuse to

Say that word because they're
Choosing to not acknowledge who
Has gone missing. Is it horrible?
Obviously, but am I able to say anything?
Of course not, this is a world built for humans, anything else gets
Left behind. Do I despise that? It's pretty

Hard to, I have pretty much just
Accepted that I'll never be seen as equal. I
Very much know I'm lesser than to humans.
Eh? Well, anyway, after class today, I'm

Going to investigate all this on my
Own. I don't know what might happen, and I might go missing
Next, but I need to at least try.
Even if I don't find

Anyone, at least I did try to find the missing chimeras, right? I know that I
Should. I know mother and my grandparents are catching on. My father is always

Working, so he knows absolutely nothing,
Eh, well, that's neither here nor there anyway. So,
Let's get this going.
Let's start looking.

I'm certain about that cafe.
That place, it honestly is very
Suspicious. I don't have a lot to say, but

Perhaps it's the main
Reason chimeras have gone missing, and
Err, that Sanrio memorabilia, I am starting to
Think that's all probably connected,
Too. I mean, why wouldn't it be?
Yes, I think that's

Where it all definitely started. I saw my youngest sister, Hase with Romina coasters.
Err, yeah, and a day or so after, she disappeared.
I'm certain that's probably
Related! So, I need to go
Down to that café, and investigate. Something is off, for sure!"

|Breaking News!|

This just in, more college students have gone missing recently! We have gotten at least six call ins this morning about students at local colleges that many students have been reported to have not gone home nor to their dorms recently. We have requested a comment from the principal of this fine learning institution, but they refused to comment!

But, man, this has been the tenth incident this month now! Can you believe it, Cherise?

{Cherise: No, Chaz, I can't believe it! I've heard at least a double dozen have gone missing now! Do you there's a serial kidnapping case on our hands?!}

{Chaz: Ah, Cherise, that's silly!}

{Cherise: Wait, Chaz! I just remembered! Aren't you a college student?!}

{Chaz: Oh, no, you're right! I'm merely an intern! Oh, no, am I going to go missing, too?!}

{Cherise: Let's look to the bright side! Maybe, since you got a job as an intern with our local news station, you'll be safe!}

Anyway, a lot of college students have been going missing! And, we don't have any idea where they've gone! And, we're here on campus to ask the students where they think their missing friends have gone! Hey, you there, hello, student, we're talking to you! *Whistle*, look this way, please! This way, come on, brother!

{Student on Campus: Excuse me, but who do you think you are? Did I ask for you to shove that microphone in my face? Can't you see I'm not interested in you having a conversation with me?}

{Chaz: Oh, sir, please! I just want to know where you think the missing students on campus have gone! Please, tell us where you think our friends have disappeared to!}

{Student on Campus: Friends? Ha. I wouldn't call them 'friends.' They're just a buncha losers who got lost somewhere, you expect me to care about them?}

{Chaz: Sir, please just answer the question, that's all I ask!}

{Student on Campus: Whatever, I don't know? Maybe they got transported into another world, or something! Can I go now?}

*Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp.*

Did you hear that, this student thinks that the missing college crew has been transported to another world! Ya know, like those isekai novels? But, there's no magic in this world, so that isn't possible, right? Right? What do you think, Cherise, is that the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard? There's no way that's what happened, am I right?

Oh, Chaz, but, maybe it's true! I've been hearing there's a lot of supernatural happenings going on lately. There's been a lot of call ins about that in the past few months! So, maybe it's not that farfetched of a thing to believe! But, hey, you could be right, maybe it's just a crockpot answer. Being transported to another world? Wow, that's kind of silly!

{Chaz: That's right, it is pretty silly, isn't it Cherise? So, where do you think all the missing students have gone, might I ask?}

{Cherise: You know, that's a very good question, Chaz, I don't know! But, I've been seeing on the net that some people have gone to a strange café that only opened recently, and then, poof! Gone! Do you think the owner of that little shop has been kidnapping people? Maybe we should go there and find out!}

{Chaz: Woah, hey, Cherise, back it up there, I'm a college student, too! What if she kidnaps me?}

{Cherise: I'll just have to get a new intern, that's all!}

{Chaz: Hey, don't write me off yet!}

*Ahem*, anyway, we will keep the public updated about this missing persons report as it keeps on happening! We have been hearing that at least two more students go missing every day! What's up with that?! This mystery is going to continue to unfold! Where have all the missing people gone?! Maybe we'll find out later. Tune in again at five! And, now, for the weather! It looks like it's going to be a rainy day today, better use an umbrella and wear a raincoat!

This concludes the breaking news report!|

A short, young adult feminine appearing person with long, wavy purple hair that went down to about the waist let out a yawn as the alarm on the phone rang. Rubbing the eyes a hyena tail brushed underneath the covers. Feeling such, the person let out a groan. Oh, great, the tail had popped out again while sleeping. Throwing the covers back, the adult strolled over to the restroom. Light morning soaking taking place, he dragged himself towards the mirror.

Staring back at the reflection had been a tired face with mismatched purple and green eyes. Rosy cheeks nearly hiding the hyena spots upon the face, the person let out a sigh. Maybe it was time to buy more concealing makeup. Everyone always looked at the spots on the face and called them hideous, disgusting, horrible.

Bristles stroked through the locks aplenty, the young adult reached for a lavender scrunchy. Hair pulled up into a messy ponytail, a bright pink, fuzzy shirt engulfed the flat chest looked rather lonely. Maybe it was time to invest in some falsies. But, the hyena knew that would not end well. Probably not, anyway.

Knee length skirt slipped on, the young adult slipped out of the restroom. Digital whiteboard and stylus pen soon grabbed, the person could hear the name be called multiple times in a row. Alright, alright, coming. One second. Kitchen reached, a somber look appeared on the face as only three people were there.

Standing in the dining room had been a short middle aged woman with bright purple hair, and eyes to match. Hyena ears upon her head, and furry hyena arms and legs, the young adult let out a sigh. How could mother not be embarrassed about being a chimera? The person could never understand how she could ever go out in public like that without feeling ashamed.

Sitting at the kitchen table had been an elderly couple, hyena ears abound. Purees on the table, the chimera took out the electronic whiteboard as six pairs of eyes gazed the way. Warm smiles on everyone's faces, the young adult could not quite comprehend all this morning joy. But, the person supposed it was something that always happened here, no matter what. Everyone here, no matter what tragedy was occurring was always smiling in this big house.

"Good morning, son!" Mother said. "You're up early, like always!"

Greeting coming his way, the hyena scribbled away on his digital whiteboard. But, his messy handwriting bled all the letters together again. Groaning he erased every single one. Ah, go slowly, go slowly. Starting all over, the text to speech voice was ready to force itself out as he let the words upon the screen do their bidding.

[Good morning, mother,] The text-to-speech robot said on his behalf. [Did Hase come home last night?]

"No, Siorc, she didn't come home last night, sorry," Mother responded, shaking her head. "Strix told me she's a pretty popular freshman! Maybe she's with one of her friends today!"

Shaking his head, Siorc could not take his mother's word for it. Maybe it was possibly true that she went to go have fun with her friends after lectures had come to an end, but she had not been home in almost a week now. Should they all be a little more worried than that? His older siblings, too, Leah, Pira, Strix, Coiote, hadn't been home in weeks, either. Didn't that bother them? Scribbling away, the inquiry let itself out.

[Mother, doesn't it concern you that my siblings haven't been home in awhile?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [It's been a long time since they've come home.]

"Hmm, no, they all have jobs and busy lives at college. Maybe they all decided to crash with their friends!" his mother cried. "Son, you worry too much. It's not like they've gone missing or anything!" She laughed as she said such. "Anyway, breakfast is almost ready. Why don't you sit at the table with gramps and gran?"

No sign of worry in her voice, the chimera let out a sigh. Typical mother, she never worried about anything, did she? She could be told one of his sisters died in a war, or something, and he bet she wouldn't be phased about it at all, would she? Was it because of her hyena nature, or was she just that lackadaisical in life? He didn't know. Seating himself at the table, the days of old soon greeted him.

"Good morning, Siorc," gran said.

"Morning, sonny," gramps said. "Your tail's stickin' out!"

Reminder coming his way, the chimera yelped. Oh, right, his tail was still out, he forgot to get rid of it, how embarrassing! Closing his eyes for a moment, the appendage vanished with the wind. Letting out a sigh, his whiteboard soon greeted the party of a two a good morning in return, but the usual rejection had soon come his way.

"You youngins and your dang nab technology!" gramps cried. "Back in my day, if we didn't like talking, we used hand gestures to talk instead!"

"Aww, gramps, things ain't what they used to be anymore," gran said. "Everything's on them 'puters nowadays. Every month, they comin' out with a new one." Hand moving up and down as she spoke, she yammered on for a moment longer. "Kid, when I was your age, we didn't even have none of them cellphones."

Usual lectures regarding technology coming his way, the college student tuned them out. Same day, same old back in their day lecture. That may have been how it was back in the time period they grew up in, but not his. And besides, at college, everyone would constantly belittle him whenever he tried to use sign language. It was better this way.

Text to speech bot inquiring the old couple from yesterday's world about where they think their precious grandchildren may have wandered off to, further rejection had come his way regarding this subject. Told time and time again they'll be back when things calm down with work, he supposed he could leave it at that for now. Usual meaty breakfast plopped on the table, he could soon hear a loud alarm sound off as he took the last bite of his sausage.

"It's time for the eight o'clock news!" gramps cried. "Honey, could you turn the tv on?"

"I was just about to!" mother cried. "Gee, dad, for someone who despises modern technology, you sure love your television!"

"Wouldn't miss my morning news even when I'm rolling around in my grave!" He let out a chuckle as he said such.

Mother pressing the tv remote, the chimera gobbled up the last of his breakfast. Woofing up a cough as the food went down the wrong pipe, he couldn't help but wonder. Would there be news about his missing sisters and brothers? He sure hoped so. Whenever he heard those breaking news stories about the missing college students, they always failed to mention the important part. The biggest, most important tidbit.

All the college students that had been going missing had been chimeras recently. Not humans, but chimeras. And, did those news reports ever care enough to specify that? No. Of course they didn't. But, it was always like this. No one in this world ever cared about his race. And, he's sure that whenever his kind went missing, people were singing the praises to their gods about it. Unusual musical note playing, he turned his face towards the boob tube.

|Breaking News!|

<This just in, we've gotten another report that more college students have gone missing! And, it would seem that there is a strange internet forum portal that was discovered recently that is talking about their disappearances! Ahem, if I may, I will be reading out some of these responses for a moment!>

{Student ID No Zero Zero Zero Two Two Four Eight}
{Souper SoKer}
{Four Days Ago}
{I know where some of the missing students might have went 'missing' to! A magical fantasy world! You know like those isekai novels?}

{Student ID No One One One Four Four Seven}
{Blitzee Blitzer Pop}
{Four Days Ago}
{Yeah, mhm, sure, dude.}

{Student ID No Zero Zero Zero Two Two Four Eight}
{Souper SoKer}
{Four Days Ago}
{It's true, I tell you! You gotta believe me! Ya'll know that new Sanrio Café that opened up near the train station? There's something really spooky about that place! I saw some students walk in there, and never walk out! Like, we gotta big crisis on our hands. I think we should go hire a paranormal investigator and have them look into that little shop!}

{Student ID No Two Two Four Six One Two}
{Litter King}
{Four Days Ago}
{Who is this troll, lol?}

<As you can see as I read out, that Sanrio Café seems to be pretty suspicious. And, I, Chaz, plan to investigate it for all of you! Is this where all the missing students have gone? Find out next time at five! And, now here's Merriweather with the sports! But, I gotta say, sports have been pretty boring lately!>

Breaking news report coming to an end, the hyena dashed into his room for a moment. His college had a forum? Why hadn't he heard a word about this? Booting up the old clunker, he groaned as it took twenty minutes to load a single webpage. This machine was lucky his classes didn't start until ten, or he would hit it with gramp's cane right about now!

Bright, obnoxiously titled message board in front of him titled, Hot Pot University Forums, a large blue v logo accompanied by a bulletin next to it, the chimera couldn't help but feel nostalgic. When was the last time he used one of these things? Ah. When he was young and thirteen on the internet looking for a Sanrio forum to join. Those were the days. Off-topic board the most active, he scrolled through, for a moment.

Seeing multiple topics posted by many people entitled, Fantasy World?, Sent to a Magical Land in another world? Multiple posters were disregarded as trolls. Reading through every single one, his eyes opened wide. Was this really all just a troll? A lot of chimeras had been going missing every day. Continuing to scroll, he could see a rather unpleasant message towards the end of one thread.

{Going Down Cherry Lane!}
{Yesterday}
{Hmph, I mean, it's chimeras who have gone missing, right? So, who cares! For all I care, those little rats can go into a little fantasy land and never come back! They're all just disgusting little animals assuming human flesh! Why did the principal even allow those creatures in our school! Especially that stupid hyena <slur>! Have you seen <slur>y mc <slur>ison prancing around in a skirt all the time? Like, hello, that's a dude! Who let that freak, no whole circus show dress like that? Disgusting.}

{Skeeter}
{Yesterday}
{Honestly, I hope that <slur> goes missing next!}

{Going Down Cherry Lane!}
{Yesterday}
{Same. We should go tell him to go to that café and hope he never comes back after that!}

{Kuromi Luver} {Moderator}
{Yesterday}
{Alright, this thread is getting extremely racist, and homophobic. I have warned you countless times, Cherry to keep that garbage to yourself. Anyway, I'm locking this thread now. Make another one, and I'll be issuing infractions.}
{Locked}. {Kuromi lock dot jpeg.}

Closing out of the webpage, the chimera could feel his heart ready to fall out of his chest. Ah, they were talking about him, weren't they? He supposed he was used to being called disgusting names by the humans, but he had learned to tune them out by now. Their words meant nothing to him. But, he couldn't help but notice a commonly used phrase throughout all of these forums posts. Café, Sanrio. Could that be related to every chimera's absences? Maybe he should check it out after his lectures let out for the day.

Phone alarm ringing off the walls, the hyena clicked on flower shaped hairpins and earrings. Which lectures did he have today again? Ecology, and climate change, right? He believed so. Leaving his room, he clutched his whiteboard. Writing out his usual goodbye message, the whiteboard screeched out, [I am going to my lectures now, mother, see you later.] But, he soon added something else. [I'll be checking out a café after classes, so don't cook for me.] Shoes soon on, he prepared himself to exit the abode.

"Okay, son, have fun!" his mother cried.

Closing the door behind him, the chimera walked down the junction. Tail brushing from behind him, he let out a sigh as his peers called him various mean names as he passed by them. Hearing such, he tuned them all out. Couldn't the humans have better insults to say about chimeras? But, such never just extended there. So many businesses, they refused to serve to chimeras. He never understood all that. They were the same as everyone else, just with some animal features. Why was that such a problem? He never knew.

College gates soon reached, the student gazed around campus. Next to no chimeras on school grounds today, he could not help but feel nervous. There had been less around today than yesterday. Had more gone missing? He really needed to go over to that café near the train station when his lectures were over today, for sure. Heading off to the ecology lecture hall, he sat in the back, like he always did.

But, the entire time as the first lecture went on, he couldn't pay attention at all, whatsoever. He couldn't stop thinking about it. The missing chimeras, that weird Sanrio Café that opened up recently. Those two points had to be connected somehow. They just had to be. Letting out a barely audible sigh, he remembered the times when he was a teenager. He used to love Sanrio. Hello Kitty, and her friends. And, there was another one he adored so very much. What was her name again? But, a loud slam of a ruler on the whiteboard soon broke him out of it.

"Siorc, since you're paying attention so well back there, why don't you tell me one way climate change has affected ecology!" the professor shouted.

Eyes darted at him, the chimera could feel his cheeks grow hot. Ah, what was he doing, getting lost in thought during one of his lectures? Scribbling away on his whiteboard, the text-to-speech voice soon shrieked out, [climate change has lead to the endangerment, and sometimes even extinction of some species], he swore he could hear people laughing at him.

"That's correct, but try and pay more attention next time!" Professor demanded. But, the laughs kept on going.

"Ha! Look at little dressy over here! Mr. Perfect!" student number one cried.

"Perfect little teacher's pet!" student number two cried. "Hey, hyena, bark for the class, why don't ya! Hahaha!"

"Grow up, you two! Since you two seem so eager, why don't you two tell me about how climate change has affected the planet?" There was an irritated tone in Professor's voice.

"Whatever, man, the planet's dying, or whatever." They stuck their finger in their ear as they said such.

"Yeah, teach, we're all doomed anyway, like, who cares?" A toxic guffaw released itself into the air.

Lectures continuing about for a few more hours, the hyena could not pay attention to the professor at all. The chimeras that have gone missing, they had to have gone to that café, right? That had to have been where they were last spotted. Three hours passing by in a flash, he could feel himself grow tired. Just one more lecture for today, and then he could leave.

Tending to the garden for about an hour, he scrolled through his phone as he watered the crops. Finding more forum posts posted today regarding that magical fantasy world, the young adult couldn't help but finding himself believing all that stuff now. A magical Sanrio fantasy world. How he wished he could go there. He could relive his childhood again and go on adventures with that, ah what was her name again? He couldn't quite remember anymore. It had been such a long time since he thought about those characters.

Second lecture going on for what felt like too long, the student tried with all his might to stay awake. Multiple students whispering his hyena fur was gross, he sighed. Sometimes, he wondered if he should just try online classes instead. But, he taped such point shut. He knew he wouldn't be able to pay attention as well in front of the computer.

Lecture finally let out for the day, the chimera let out a yawn. What time was it? Looking at his phone clock, he lowered his eyes into a squint. Huh, it was six-thirty? That professor always went later than usual. But, he supposed he was used to that by now. Leaving the school grounds, he typed in the query Sanrio Café into the search bar upon his phone.

Digital street appearing in front of him, something quite unusual stuck out to him. Sign on the door in the photo reading, chimeras welcome, the hyena almost did a double take. Wait, really? Were chimeras welcome here? This place was sounding too good to be true. Address typed into the direction app, a voice told him where to go.

But, upon reaching the next town over near the train station, something felt a little strange. Everything looking almost like it had been an old witch town, something wasn't adding up. What was going on here, did he take a wrong turn? Or, had he stepped into Halloween Town? Halloween was five months ago now, it was time to take the decorations down! But, there was one little building that was odder than the rest.

Strange little pink storefront with a window shaped like a cat, the student tilted his head at the name of the place. Reading it out, there were more questions than answers. Big, glittering letters that read, Sanrio Fanta Café, he couldn't help but feel confused. Fanta? Wasn't that the soda? Something about this place from the outside felt almost Old Times European. How weird. Heading for the door, a bell soon chimed as he opened it.

"Ah, welcome, welcome, lost little hyena!" the owner called in the corner.

Welcomed almost immediately, Siorc could not help but feel a chill drop down his spine. How strange, this lady, she greeted him like he was meant to be here. Gazing at her for a moment, something was off about her. Tall lady with long, bright pink hair in a witch hat and peculiar looking costume, the chimera couldn't help but be unnerved. Who was this lady? Why did she feel like she came straight out of a story book? Text to speech voice saying hello, he had soon been seated at the table.

"It's so nice for you to come here. This little shop of mine was opened for chimeras like you especially!" the owner cried. "Here's the menu. What can I get for you?"

Reading over the menu, something felt rather interesting about all the names of the foods and drinks here. Every single one dedicated to a Sanrio character, something had been rather strange. Multiple food dishes crossed out, he could feel a heavy wave of suspicion flow through him. All the unavailable choices, a name was signed next to them. Was that normal?

Shrugging, the hyena could see a rather familiar, but distant name towards the middle of the list. Finding a dish called Lalalaflora fermented violet sausage burger, something didn't feel right. This menu option, why did it feel like it was calling his name? Maybe he should order that one with a little order of Bonbonribbon tea. Giving the menu back to the witch lady, he swore he could hear her squee like a child.

"So, what can I get for you today?" the owner asked.

[I'd like to order the Lalalaflora Fermented Violet Sausage Burger and the Bonbonribbon Tea, please,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"Sure, coming right up!" the owner cried.

Lady going straight to the kitchen, the hyena watched as she cooked. But, he swore he could hear her singing weird things under her breath. He couldn't help but think a few things as she sang away. This lady, was she a witch? But, the chimera shook his head. Ah, no, those kinds of things weren't real. She was just eccentric, right? Nothing more.

Food served after fifteen minutes, a purple sausage burger had soon been laid out in front of him. Eating away, the owner had placed a strange coaster on the table of a purple bunny wearing a little hat on her head, and ribbon on her neck. Script text reading Lalalaflora, he couldn't help but think a few things as he kept biting into his burger. This little bunny looked pretty fashionable. He couldn't help but feel jealous of her. Food soon finished, he pocketed the coaster. Maybe he could take this little gift home with him.

Sipping his tea, the student wondered a little more. Those other dishes, why were they all crossed out, what did that mean? Were those all the dishes ordered by the people that went missing? But, he shook his head to such. No, why would that be the case here? That was too much of a coincidence. It had to have been, right? Tea finished, he prepared himself to go to the register, but as opened up the case to hand over the bills, a headshake had come his way.

"It's on the house!" the owner cried. "See you, have fun on your next adventure!"

Payment rejected, the hyena exited the café. Closed sign soon on the door, chicks danced over his head. What was that all about? Gazing at the coaster as he prepared to head home, the confusion continued. Seeing something glow, everything made very little sense. What a weird store. Was it from another dimension? Time period? But, he knew he was overthinking it. Finally reaching his home, he placed his shoes by the door.

[I'm home, mother,] the text-to-speech voice called out. [Did Hase come home today?]

"You're home a little late today, did you have fun at that café?" his mother asked. "I know you've been feeling a little lonely since your chimera friends stopped going to college recently."

Question coming his way, the chimera wondered again. His chimera friends, maybe they went missing to that fantasy world people were talking about on the internet. Perhaps, his sisters and brothers did, too? Popping that cloud, he scribbled away on his whiteboard once more. Robotic voice saying, [no, mother, that café was honestly very weird. I don't think I'll go back,] he almost wanted to erase what he just said.

"Weird? How so, son?" mother asked.

Typing up an answer, he soon erased it. No way could he say that it feels like it was in another dimension, that sounded ridiculous. Writing out he didn't know, he headed off to his room. Reading his favorite manga from his childhood, Magical Sun Girl, he sighed, how he wished he could just go to a fantasy world where no one judged him for being a chimera. Hours soon passing by in a flash, the nighttime fatigue took him away. Dozing off, he caught some zs.

~~~~~~~~

Waking up in the dead of the night, something felt off. Feeling a rather strong force near his computer, the hyena rubbed his eyes. What was that strange pulsating noise in the corner? Turning towards it, he could hardly believe what he was looking at. Bright purple portal staring at him from afar with red eyes, he placed his covers over his head. Ah, he was just dreaming, goodnight!

Covers blown off by a sudden turbulence, the early adult could feel himself being dragged towards something. Attempting to run back towards his bed, his heart leapt. What was going on here, a hurricane inside? Unable to get away, he surrendered. This was it, there was no escape. Wherever this thing was taking him, there was no way he was going to be able to escape. Sucked into the portal, a painful sensation overtook him. Consciousness slipping away, he closed his eyes.

Coming to who knows when, the hyena's buttocks hurt. Ah, where was he? Opening his eyes, a peculiar rainbow riverbed awaited him. But, such had been far from the only strange thing. Clothes different than what he went to bed in, he gazed at his reflection in the iridescent waters laid out in front of him.

Staring back at him had been a bright purple floral dress with pretty frills. Seeing such, his rosy cheeks grew warm. Ah, this dress it was so beautiful. Was he dreaming right now? If he were to wear this in public in the waking world, people would call him that horrid word, for sure. Cute, tiny little hat to match, he soon gazed at the rest of the world around him.

Bright little rainbow forest with glowing hued grass, the young adult almost squealed. This place, it felt straight out of a storybook! Where was he? Don't wake him up if he's dreaming! Pinching his wrist, he let out a little hiss. Wait, he was awake right now? Weird. So, where was he? And, how did he get here? But, he could soon hear fuzzy footsteps come towards him.

"Oh, there you are!" a little voice called. "Lala's been looking everywhere for you!"

Running towards him had been a little lavender bunny with a ribbon on her chest. Matching hat on her head, the chimera tilted his head. Wait a minute, Lala? As in Lalalaflora? That little bunny on his coaster, what was she doing here? Seeing other strange creatures running around, his head spun. Ah, this, this had to have been a dream. Right, he was thinking about Sanrio while he was passing out. He needed to ask this little bunny who she was, and if he was dreaming. Reaching for his pockets, he puffed a sigh of relief. His digital whiteboard was here with him.

[Sorry, who are you?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [And, where am I? This is just a dream, right?]

"You don't remember me? But, you chose me at that café, didn't you?" the bunny asked. "But, that's okay, I'll introduce myself! I'm Lalalaflora, and I'm your partner in Sanrio Fanta! Nice to meet you, Siorc!" She bowed her head as she said such.

Little bunny girl bowing, the hyena backed three steps away. Hold on, how did she know his name? How weird. He needed to ask about that. Robotic voice inquiring about such, he didn't know why, but the Lalalaflora looked a little despondent. Should he have not asked that? Maybe he shouldn't have.

"Well, we're partners, after all! Of course I know your name, silly!" Lalalaflora cried. "And, I've been waiting so long for you to get here!"

Little sunny eyes looking at him, the student could feel the chicks flying over his head. Wait, she knows about the café? Hold on a second, that burger he ordered, was that him choosing her as his partner? Snapping his fingers, it all came back to him. He knew that little store was weird! That owner, she had to have been a witch. Maybe he should go back home.

[How do I go back home?] the robotic voice asked. [My mother might find out I'm missing!] But, a giggle had come his way.

"Ah, once you're here, you can't go back home until you clear certain conditions!" Lalalaflora cried. "So, you're stuck here until that happens!"

Little bunny informing him of the rules of this world, the chimera's head sunk in the grass. Ah, he sees now, so that's how it is. He's stuck in this other world until further notice? Staring off into space, he shrugged. Ah, well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He was away from those nasty humans at least for now right? This world seemed pretty peaceful, so what's the worst that could happen? He supposed he could partner up with this fashionable rabbit for now.

[Since I'll be here for awhile, could you guide me to a nearby town?] the mechanical voice asked on his behalf.

"Of course, let's go together!" Lalalaflora cried. "Let's go together!"

Lalalaflora taking the lead, the chimera could not help but notice the world around him as she guided him. Majestic little road dyed in gold and silver, the glowing rainbow grass had been accompanied by strange looking trees with very colorful looking fruits. Little slimes hopping around everywhere, he tried to comb through his head at recent video games that had come out that took place in adventure world.

But, nothing had come to him. The only games he had ever really played were those fashion games Leah showed him when she was staring her journey to girlhood. He wasn't much of a gamer. Coming to such realization, his eyes grew heavy. If this were an adventure world like one of those open world rpgs, he was doomed! He didn't know a single thing at all about battles.

Soon brought to a little town full of buildings that looked like they came from the middle ages, everything here had been so pastel. Seeing such, he couldn't help but feel a little warm. Maybe this place would be fine to be trapped in. At least it was pretty. Lalalaflora guiding him towards a small building, she soon turned around.

"There's other people in this little rest stop here that have been here awhile!" Lalalaflora cried. "Is it okay if I take you to them?"

Nodding, the chimera supposed that was alright. Seeing a sign for a guild off in the corner, he wondered. What era was this place in? Now, he wasn't so sure. But, as soon as he had entered the rest area, a multitude of familiar faces stuck out to him, in an instant. Seeing homely green hair, he almost dropped to the ground.

Large table hosting a lot of familiar, but also different looking face, the hyena observed the first person furthest from him. Seated at the front chair had been a tall man with medium length blond hair pulled into a side ponytail that went down to about his chest. Golden penguin crests peeking through their bangs, and light blue eyes, he wore a strange mailman costume. Seeing such, he couldn't help but feel a little confused. Wasn't this one of Leah's friends from college, Kaiser? He could have sworn he was into women's fashion. Little blue penguin with a mailman hat right next to him, he almost broke into tears as he gazed at the next person.

Seated on the chair furthest from the right had been a short young woman with emerald green hair pulled into a short wavy bun, and jade eyes to match. Large brown freckles, he almost bawled. Her hyena spots, he'd recognize them anywhere. Adorning ghostly purple hairpins, and low cut black dress, a small creature with a purple ribbon thing and punky black outfit was licking their lips for a moment, he held back the tears. Hase was here, how wonderful. So, this is where she had ended up? He sees.

On the opposite end had been a slightly taller panda person with short silver hair pulled into a tiny braid. Apple hat on the top of their head, and colorful blue, yellow, peach, and green shirt, a pitch black belly stuck out of their clothes. Little panda pal next to them, he shook his head. Ah, it was just Yinlong. How he missed them.

Spotting a rabbit man in the corner of the room with messy pink hair tied into a ponytail, the man had adorned gym clothes. Seeing such, he wrinkled his nose. Did they come here straight from working out? How odd. Little brown rabbit friend next to them, they looked ready to clock out for the day for some reason. He couldn't help but forget their name. Was was it again? Nousagi? They were already in their seventh year in college, he never crossed paths with them.

Familiar young woman in the corner, the young adult could remember those bright magenta buns from anywhere. Gazelle horns looking rather crooked, and tan face looking a little burned from the sun, the hyena studied the familiar, yet stranger in front of him. Heart shaped nose, and pointy ears, the lady adorned a bright orange shirt, and pink skirt. Was this Parisa, the girl that switched into the environmental science major halfway through his second year? He thinks so. Little dear with a ribbon on her next to her, he moved to the couple in the corner.

Tall man with a yellow hat on his head and bird wings, the hyena almost wanted to burst into laugher. Long black hair reaching down to about the man's buttocks, and white button down shirt, he could hear a white duck quack next to him. Wasn't this supposed to be the super serious Robin from the engineering class? Ha, look at him now, reduced to the ducky comic relief. Brown haired partner next to him with a low ponytail, and owl wings, the man had a azure shirt with trees on it. Blinking, he tried to remember his name. This was Robin's partner, Raven, right? He hardly remembered. These two were friends with his brother, Strix, not him. Owl friend with matching design on the belly, fourteen eyes soon looked his way.

"Huh? Siorc, you're here, too?" Hase asked. "Strange, I didn't think you would come."

[I've been worried about you, Hase,] the text-to-speech voice cracked out. [How long have you been here?]

"Hmm, about a week or so," Hase asked. "I suppose you plan to ask about the others, too? Well, Leah and Strix have been here for over a month, and I believe Pira and Coiote have been here for two." But, she had soon been interrupted by an annoying voice.

"So, you finally fashioned up and stopped wearing that old style of skirts?" Kaiser asked. "You're finally decent to look at!" As he said such, his partner yapped the same. "See, Tenchou agrees!"

"Mmm, I don't think he 'agreed', with you, you just assumed," Yinlong said. She then turned towards Siorc. "Aaanyway, wow, it's nice to see you here, Siorc! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"

[Me neither,] the text-to-speech bot responded for him.

"Ah, then, I should probably introduce my partner to you since you're here now!" Yinlong cried. "This is Pandapple!" They put on a smile as she said such. "And, I see you're partnered up with Lalalaflora! I think she fits you nicely!"

"Easy for you to say," Nousagi said, fingers inside their rabbit ears. "I got stuck with lazy old Nuts over here."

"Hey, now!" Nuts cried. "It's you who's lazy, Nousagi!"

"Whatevs, I don't have a care in the world here."

[Parisa, it's nice to see you again,] the robotic voice called out. [You doing alright?]

"Oh, you're the other chimera in the gardening club, right? Sorry I haven't been around there much lately, I've been here the longest out of everyone," Parisa responded, bowing her head. "By the way, this is my partner Hummingmint. She's a little shy, don't mind her."

Little deer creature hiding behind her, he could see Robin's eyebrows twitch on the top of his head. Ah, he's about to say something nasty to him, wasn't he? He remembered all the times Strix would invite him to his home, he always had a bone to pick with him for some reason. And, he could never fathom why.

"Ugh, why is he here?" Robin groaned. "Mr. Perfect grades, top of the university, it's not like he needs to be here! This world is for chimeras who are ostracized! That witch made a mistake by letting him into this world!"

"That's right!" a duck quacked.

"See? Duckadoo agrees with me!" He huffed a breath as he said such.

"Ah, hon, I don't know, a lot of people on campus call him slurs all the time, I've heard them," Raven said. "Maybe he's here for the same reasons we are. Didn't you see all those horrible messages about him on the school forums?"

"Who knows? He could have written up that garbage about himself to make it look like he's being harassed, Raven!" Robin cried out.

"Hush your stupid mouth, ya birdbrain!" an owl creature cried.

"PataPataPeppy, don't call my boyfriend names," Raven said in a harsh tone. "Or, you'll regret it." He then turned towards his lover. "Why would he do that, hon? Come on, let's get along with him. After all, he's here now, too, so try to be nice."

Bird man turning his head towards the opposite direction, the hyena sighed. No matter what world he was in, this man would never see eye to eye with him, would he. Soon hearing a defiant fine coming his way, the group of two soon left the premises. Lazy rabbit man soon exiting, as well as everyone else except his sister, he looked into her eyes.

Writing down once more he missed her, he wondered if she missed him. For a long time now, she had been keeping her distance from him, and he supposed she didn't blame him for that. She was pretty popular with the other freshman in college, and besides, she was much better at hiding she was a chimera than he could ever hope to me.

"I missed you, too, bro," Hase said. "Since you're here now, what do you plan to do? You'll need to find something to do here, you know."

Question coming his way, the chimera's mind went blank. Ah, what should he do here? He didn't know. And, honestly, how could he? He had only just been transported here, so what could he do? He didn't know, but he supposed he would have to figure something out, right? But, what? He had never read any isekai novels before, if that was even the word. He had always heard the anime nerds back home use that word all the time.

Placing his finger on his chin, the student tried to think of something. Should he just go on an adventure in this fantasy world? But, he crossed such out. Nah, he wasn't much for an adventurer. Whenever he'd play video games, it was always the fashion ones. Was there anything like that here? He didn't think so. There probably wasn't anything like that here at all.

Continuing to go back and forth in his head, he didn't know. Should he just join the guild and find a team to join until he were able to come to some sort of conclusion on what he wanted to do? But, he knew that didn't seem like that was the right option for him, either. Maybe he shouldn't do anything that would lead to him getting hurt.

Going through the rivers of his memories, he recalled that one anime he watched a long time ago about a guild gone wrong. Popping such thought with a bubble, he knew for sure he wasn't about to join some guild. That would just lead to danger. Just because this fantasy world seemed sweet and colorful on the surface, didn't mean it couldn't have possibly been dark underneath the hood.

But, the chimera threw such thoughts away. Why would this place be like that? This place, having some sort of darkness underneath it? No way, why would that be the case here? This wasn't like that one isekai anime he watched a long time ago in his teen years where the entire guild died off! Of course not, what was he thinking? No idea coming to him, he scribbled away on his digital whiteboard.

[I have no idea what I want to do with my Sanrio Fantasy life,] the text-to-speech voice said for him. [What about you, Hase, what do you do?]

"I don't do much, really," Hase responded. "Every once and awhile, I go on small adventures in the forest with Parisa. But, Romina isn't strong enough yet, so we still need to do some training."

"Don't sell me short here, Hase!" Romina cried.

"Sheesh, sorry," Hase said to Romina. She then turned towards her brother. "Well, whatever you end up deciding is up to you. But, I think I should warn you about a few things before you start your life here." She closed her eyes for a moment before you continued. "You see your partner over there? Remember this. Lalalaflora and you are bonded by soul. It may not make sense right away, but should you find yourself in a battle, you'll understand what I mean." Her fingers twirled through her hair as she continued. "And, there's just one more thing I think I should tell you." But, as she tried, a loud siren on her phone rang. "Never mind, I have to go, sorry, Siorc. See you later, maybe?"

[See you later,] the text-to-speech voice called out.

Sister soon leaving, the chimera turned towards his Sanrio partner. What did Hase mean by the two of them were bonded by their souls? Shrugging, he supposed he'd probably find out later, wouldn't he? Maybe it was nothing to worry about. Exiting the little rest area, he crouched down towards the little fashion bunny.

"Since you don't have anywhere to stay, you can sleep in my little tent in the forest for now!" Lalalaflora cried. "Is that okay?"

Nodding, the chimera let the little bunny lead the way. Guided into a strange little forest with trees that moved from side to side with little eyes faces, the chimera rubbed his eyes. Huh, this little place, it kind of looked like he had fallen into a rubberhose styled world. How silly. Crawling into the little tent, the rabbit soon yawned.

"Nighty, night, partner!" Lalalaflora cried. Curled up into a ball, she snored immediately.

Just about enough space for him to lay down, the chimera placed himself down upon the tent floor. Feeling a wave of tiredness flow through him, he stared at the ceiling for a moment. So, this is where he was going to be until further notice, huh? Maybe being here wouldn't be so bad. Feeling himself about ready to doze off, one last thought came down with him into the dream world.

In the morning, he needs to think about what he wants to do in this world.

---

Sorry, the first chapter is a little long, I hope that doesn't bother anyone, aha. Second chapter will focus on the rules of the world a bit! This will be fun. I promise nothing bad will happen... unless? Heh.

 

[Palamon]

Second Link: Queen Hello Kitty and Dice Rolls

---

"So, day two in this world, I guess. I wonder if anyone has noticed I'm missing in the normal world yet?
Okay, let's be honest where honesty is due here?

I doubt anyone truly cares that I have gone missing. So, apparently, Sanrio Fanta, I know,
That's a very creative name, Fanta from fantasy, by the way, is a

World for people who struggle in the real world,
Or something. What I have learned is that
Unless you suffer some sort of prejudice in the real world, you do not get granted any permission to be
Led to this place. So, honestly, I have something to say. I
Don't quite understand the point in all this.

So, a world like this could pretty
Easily be allowing humans here,
Especially ones who would fake being bullied, but
Maybe that would be something whoever has sent people here

Is weeding out. To be honest, that witch who sent me here is very suspicious.

And, I have to wonder who in the world she
Might be, and if this is a game world?

If it is, I don't have any clue what to do. Have absolutely
No idea what to do if this is just

Some sort of game world. If it is?
Oh, no, what do I do? I've never been
Much of a gamer at all. I never
Ever have, really. All I've ever played are

Some fashion games here and there whenever Leah had some friends
Over. And, that's pretty much it? I very
Rarely, if ever, played video games. I wouldn't call
That one of my interests at all.

Of course, my real passion in life?
Flowers, nature, ecology. I now wonder even more than before.

So, how is the flower garden at my university doing? Well, it's pretty much
Only been a day since I have been sent here, so,
Uh? I'm sure they're probably fine. It's not
Like they'll die without me. It's not

Like something like this will happen. But,
I wonder if time passes differently here? To be honest, I have
No idea, I guess it's a good idea to
Keep track of how many days go by here. Hmm,

Wonder if my phone
Is keeping track of
The time here or if it
Has no ability to work in this world?

Let's be honest here, I
Absolutely have no idea. It's pretty
Likely my phone isn't going to work
At all, here. Eh, well, it's not
Like I ever used it to call
Anyone. I used my digital whiteboard
For talking. Well, at
Least that works
Over here, so I am not completely
Removed from technology,
At least, right? If

I had to open my mouth to talk, I would

Have begged to leave.
As talking is not for me. I'd
Very much rather never,
Ever have to if I can help it.

Never at all, for any reason. Not even for
One second. It's easier this way. I'm always

Clammed up, ever since I was
Little. Teachers despised it, but as soon as I learned to write, my fingers
Uttered the words I wanted.
Eh, that is not

What's important right now, now is it?
Hmmm, so, there's
A few things I have learned about
This world already, but I don't

Think I quite understand yet
How this world works. So,
In my home world, I went to the cafe, chose Lalalaflora, and thus,
She became my partner. I'm not sure how that

Might work. Was taking the memorabilia what lead me here? Would I have not
Ended up here if I hadn't picked
Anything? Or would it have been decided by a roulette wheel? I have
No idea. I have never
Seen any shows besides like one

In which involved being transported to another world.
For all I know, it's probably like that, I could imagine

Some novel entitled: 'I couldn't choose anything, so
Here in another world, a roulette wheel decides
Everything for me!' Sounds like a title for some kind of isekai, I guess, I

Don't really know, as
I don't really read books like that. I never
Ever really did, and probably never will.
So, anyway, it would seem, I am linked together with Lalalaflora

Here. Hase told me our souls are linked together, and I have no idea what this
Even means. What does that mean for me, and her? It's a
Rather cryptic thing to say to me. And, where do I start? So, we're soul linked?
Eh, I have no idea, should I be concerned?

Does it mean, if she takes damage, so do I?
Oh, no, is that what that means?

If that's what this means, I don't know what to do

At all! I'm not very good at fighting! I'm pretty
Sure if I get in a battle

With even a weak little slime, I am
Especially toast, I'm done for! So, I have to
Look into this, and I have to
Look into this now.

Oh, no, now I'm scared. I don't know what to do!
How do I deal with something like this? As I've said, I have

Never been much of a gamer, it's not an activity I do!
Oh, no, am I setting myself up for failure? Maybe I am! This isn't good!"

|Breaking News!|

This just in, more college students have gone missing again! We have gotten at least ten call ins this morning from many families who have made our lines ring off the walls! Can you believe it? So many people, our phones are at maximum capacity and have busy signal! Can you believe this, Cherise? We have had to put people on call waiting! Did you even know we had a system like that in place?

This is like, the fifteenth incident this month now! Isn't this strange, Cherise?

{Cherise: It is pretty strange, Chaz! It's like people are just running away and don't want to be found! Do you think that the people going missing have a reason for just going poof like this? Some concerned mothers have called in and told us, 'we think our child is having trouble in college lately, and that's why they didn't return home last night!' What do you think, Chaz? Does this seem plausible to you?}

{Chaz: Why, yes, Cherise, that does seem plausible! But, would a college student just straight up disappear if their university life isn't going well? That seems more like something a high schooler or middle schooler would do, wouldn't you say? College students are more mature than that! Usually, anyway!}

{Cherise: You know what they say, Chaz! Your brain isn't fully developed until you're twenty five! These are people in their early twenties that are going missing, after all! You never know, they could be battling some super demons in that head of theirs that makes them want to run away! Say, Chaz how old are you?}

{Chaz: Twenty four and going strong!}

{Cherise: Your brain is almost fully developed! Have you ever thought of running away from home because of lousy stuff happening while at your college?}

{Chaz: Why no, Cherise! Say, don't you think there's some sort of pattern going on with this mysterious disappearances? They all kinda have something in common, wouldn't you say?}

{Cherise: Oh, pray tell, what do they have in common? What have you noticed that seems to be a pattern for you?}

{Chaz: I'm so glad you asked! Allow me to explain!}

Anyway, a lot of the colleges students gone missing seem to have something in common! According to all the mothers and fathers and professors that called in about this situation, all of our missing persons seem to have been having a hard time while at Hot Pot University! What's up with that? You'd think in this day and age with the advent of the internet, people would confide in anonymous tumble blogs, or something!

But, from what we know so far, all we've seen is people discussing stuff on that forum! But, upon further investigation, we didn't see anything in the off-topic board discussing struggles in the schools! Just messy people going at one another time and time again! That's a little immature! But, you know what they say, if you're on the internet, you're anonymous, and you can say whatever you want! Rules should be in place to disallow this behavior! But, then the whole world would protest! Remember that time when they tried to censor 'cause copyright or something? It'll happen again!

{Chaz: Huuuh, what's this, it seems like we're getting a direct call into our line? My, this is unexpected! What should we do, should we accept this call? We usually do not get these sorta things! Wowee! First few months as an intern, and I'm getting my first call in directly to my line! What do you say, Cherise, do we put them on the line?}

{Cherise: Go for it! If my boss chews you out, we'll say it was an emergency!}

*Ring, ring, ring, click.*

{Mysterious caller [Lady]: Ah, hello, yes? Did someone pick up? Oh, great! Someone did! Hello, there? Have you seen a young adult with long frizzy purple hair around anywhere?} [Her voice has heavy hints of anxiety in it.]

{Chaz: Why no, ma'am, we haven't seen anyone like that on the streets today! Could you tell us a little more?}

{Mysterious caller [Lady]: Ah, well, have you heard of those digital text to speech whiteboards? My child is always carrying one around!} [She is sobbing on the other end, and there's bits of static kicking in.]

{Chaz: Ah, sorry? A digital text to speech whiteboard? Why, no, we don't believe we have seen anyone carrying one of those around! Has your adult child gone missing like the other college students, ma'am?}

{Mysterious caller: [Lady]: That's right. My child came home yesterday night after going to a peculiar café, and when I woke up this morning my child's room was empty! Completely empty! I don't know what happened!} [Her sobs are starting to get louder as she continues to tell her story.]

{Chaz: Ah, ma'am, maybe your child just went to school early? They're a college student, right? Maybe they went along on their merry way earlier than normal and just didn't tell you they were leaving to allow you to get more sleep! Or, maybe they got a morning job on campus like campus mailperson, or something!}

{Mysterious caller: [Lady]: Are you dismissing me? I thought the same thing when my other sons and daughters hadn't come home for a couple weeks. But, now all six of my kids are missing, and the only thing you have to say to me is that my child probably got a job on campus? You're just trying to get me off the line, aren't you?}

{Chaz: Why no, ma'am, of course not, we're just trying to help you consider some possibilities here! We know many college students have been going missing lately, but we're just trying to assure you that it's possible your child might not be one of them, okay?}

{Mysterious caller: [Lady]: Some help you are!}

*Click, beep, beep, beep.*

It would seem our mysterious caller has hung up on us! Did I say something wrong, Cherise? I was just trying to reassure this crying mother her child could possibly not be missing! But, it doesn't seem like she took my point well! Well, you heard it here first folks, even more college students have gone missing! How much longer before Hot Pot University has to shut down due to the lack of students attending? It's a smaller scale university with only about three hundred or so people attending!

{Cherise: I don't know, Chaz, but it would seem like they plan to keep their doors open even as the student body dwindles!}

{Chaz: Woah, that's kinda hardcore, isn't it? Will they keep their doors open even if only one student is left attending?}

*Ahem*, well it seems like this is the time we have today! We will continue to keep the public informed on all these sudden disappearances! Who knows, maybe some of these college students might soon return! Where have they all gone? Maybe we'll get answers later! Tune in at five! And now, for the weather! Fog everywhere! Be careful when driving!

This concludes the breaking news report!|

Waking up the next morning, the hyena rubbed his eyes. Lalalaflora sleeping next to him, the chimera tried to not doze off again. He was still in this world, huh? So, it wasn't a dream after all. Remembering what his partner told him, he could not help but wonder. What conditions did he have to meet in order to return home?

Staring at his blank phone screen as his partner snored up a storm, he wondered. Did he even want to return home? Back in the world where he came from, no one ever treated him like he belonged there anyway. What point would there be in going back? Maybe being here for at least the time being wouldn't be so bad.

Hearing something outside hitting the tent, the young adult stuck his head through the cloth. Weird looking slimes slapping against the abode, the chimera reached for his digital whiteboard. Ah, these monsters were attempting to take the little tent down. He had to wake Lalalaflora up before they were trapped in here forever!

[Lalalaflora, wake up!] the text-to-speech voice said for him. [Something is attacking your tent!] As he said such, he could hear a yawn.

"Hmm, what? Morning, Siorc, what's up?" Lalalaflora asked. "Huh? Slimes are attacking my home again? Nooo!" As she said such, she lifted herself upward, sticking her head out of the tent. "Hey, meanies, go away! This is my tent!"

Hearing something bounce away, the college student's eyes opened wide. Some people's voices sure are powerful aren't they? Tent nail soon coming undone, he watched as the cloth blanketed the poor fashionable rabbit. Seeing such, he couldn't help but start to think. Why didn't this girl have a house? It must have been terrible to have to risk being suffocated by random slime attacks all the time. He knew he needed to ask her about it.

[Why don't you have a house?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [Isn't it so painful having to live in a tent that can fall apart at any time?]

"I would love to have a house of my own, but getting a house costs a lot of Kitty Koins!" Lalalaflora cried. "And, I've never had enough to get one! So, I have to make due with this tent that mommy gave me!"

Hearing such, the chimera gazed at his partner. So, the currency in this world was called Kitty Koins? How would he go about getting those? He would definitely need a lot of them if he wanted to get himself a nice little house. He couldn't sit in this tent forever! As much as he adored nature, this tepee definitely couldn't handle the two of them. Scribbling away on his digital whiteboard, the question soon posed itself.

[How do we get Kitty Koins?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [Are there jobs in this world?]

But, there had been a long pause. Could she not think of anything? He supposed he understood that if so. What job would even fit him in this world? He didn't know. Could he become an ethically sourced fashion designer? Maybe not. What about a farmer? That seemed like a cozy life. But, who would even want his vegetables? Probably no one. That wouldn't make many Kitty Koins, would it? But, as the silence faded, some options had been handed off to him.

"Well, one way to earn Kitty Koins fast is to defeat lots of enemies!" Lalalaflora cried. "Some people join a guild and take bounties! Does that interest you?"

Mentions of battling to earn Kitty Koins, the young adult shook his head. Ah, fighting, what good would that do for him? He'd probably lose on the spot, anyway. So, why should he have to take that option? Were there any others? There had to have been, right? It's not like he had to take bounties to get enough money to buy a house, right? He knew he needed to ask.

[Is there anything else besides fighting we can do?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [I would prefer to do anything else.]

"Hmm, I'm not sure, but maybe there's some non combatant jobs posted on the bulleting board at the guild near town hall!" Lalalaflora cried. "Do you want to go check? The guildmaster there lets anyone take jobs whether we're members or not!"

Nodding, the chimera scribbled down questions about where town hall could have been. Exiting the tent, his partner led the way. Finding himself in a small town with rainbow rooves, the chimera could not get over how chromatic this world was. So many pretty colors, who made it this way? It sure was different than his home world. Whatever objectives he needed to clear to return, he couldn't help but hope they were as difficult as possible.

Soon guided towards a large guild with iridescent seats and hundreds of different voices buzzing about, the chimera covered his ears. There sure were a lot of people here, weren't there? Noise was such a pollutant. Seeing a familiar group at the bulletin board, the chimera dashed off towards them. What luck, Hase was here, too? She was a member of this guild? Tapping on her shoulder, her head soon turned towards him.

"Who was that?" Hase asked, bewildered. "Oh, it's just you, Siorc. Good morning. Are you joining the guild?"

"Are you kidding me?!" Robin cried. "I can't escape this annoying pest here, either?!"

"Quack! You gotta be kiddin'!" Duckadoo quacked. But, another voice soon kicked in.

"Come on, hon, don't be so rude! He's free to come the Pochacco Guilds as much as he wants to!" Raven exclaimed. "Anyone can come and take jobs here, member or not!"

"That's right!" PataPataPeppy cried.

"I bet he faked his way to get to this world!" Robin cried, pointing. "That witch made a mistake picking him to be a part of this world!"

Tuning the bird man out, the hyena covered his ears. What did he ever do to have this man despise him so much? He didn't know. But, it was better to just avoid him than ask any questions. Couple picking out a job, he could hear the annoying hawk scream at Hase to get moving. Younger kin demanding a few minutes, he turned towards her.

"Seems Robin and Raven took an S-Rank bounty again," Hase said. "What kind of job are you looking for anyway?"

Question coming his way, the chimera scribbled away upon his digital whiteboard. Writing down he was looking for a non-combatant job, he gazed at the job board. Would there be anything like that here? He didn't know much about this world at all. Sister's eyes on his tech, an unfortunate headshake had soon come his way.

"No, there isn't any today from the looks of it," Hase responded, shaking her head. "Missions like that aren't as common as bounties. And, they also don't pay as well." She placed her hand on her chin as she continued. "So, did you find what you want to do with your life here?"

Unfortunate news coming his way, the chimera's head dropped. There were no non-combatant commissions posted today? What a shame. So, what was he supposed to do then? How could he hope to earn so Kitty Koins without having to engage in battle? There had to be something out there for him that didn't require him to fight.

Recalling what his sister told him yesterday, his mind wandered. Hase told him he and Lalalaflora were bonded by souls. What did that even mean? That sounded pretty eerie, if he was being honest. He needed to know more about that. Should he ask about it? But, maybe that would annoy her. Perhaps it would. This would be troublesome, wouldn't it? But, he couldn't just leave it at this. He needed to know more.

[Hase, could you explain to me what you meant when you said Lalalaflora and I are bonded by soul?] the text-to-speech asked on his behalf. [Sorry, I hope I'm not annoying you with my question. I just don't understand the rules of this world at all.]

Long silence soon following, the chimera's head dropped. Ah, he had annoyed her, didn't he? Maybe he should apologize again. Maybe he should find out more on his own. His sister had her own life here in this Sanrio Fantasy world, after all. Maybe he shouldn't intrude upon hers like this. Sister stepping away, he could feel another apology buzzing inside him.

"Is it alright if I take my brother into a private room, please?" Hase asked.

"You may," the guild receptionist in the corner responded.

Hase walking back, the chimera studied her, for a moment. Partner next to her sleeping, the questions rolled around once more. Was everyone in this world bonded by soul? Did that include Romina and herself as well? He didn't know. Maybe he should ask questions about her journey so far in this world. Hand soon grabbed, his thoughts were sealed away, for a moment. Taken into a meeting room, he had soon been seated.

"So, you're confused about the the world?" Hase asked. "Well, I'll tell you what I know, but before I do, I have a question for you, Siorc. You, too, Lalalaflora. Have either of you met the queen yet?"

Sister mentioning a queen, the chimera tilted his head. A queen, what queen? Was this place a kingdom or something? Shaking his head, he wondered. What about Lalalaflora, had she met this esteemed royalty? Looking at her, he could see her shake her head. Shaking his as well, the inquiries kept rolling the dice one after another.

"You mean Queen Hello Kitty?" Lalalaflora asked. "A lowly commoner like me could never dream to meet the queen!" But, as she said such, a giggle had come her way.

"Heh heh, Peasantflora!" Romina cried.

"Hey!" Lalaflora cried waving her little arms in the air. "I have a partner now, so maybe we'll meet her together!"

"So, you haven't met her yet. That's pretty strange. She always visits new people who are transported here," Hase said, voice trailing. "Maybe she has her reasons for not seeing you?" She then clapped her hands together. "Ah, but forget that. I'll go ahead and explain everything. This world, Sanrio Fanta is ruled by Queen Hello Kitty. But, things get pretty chaotic here. Give me a second to explain." Rubbing her eyebrows with her fingertips, she let out a sigh. "This might be hard to believe, but everything here, whether you battle or not is decided by a dice roll. Have you heard of a tetrakis hexahedron before?"

Gibberish gifted to his ears, the hyena rose an eyebrow. The what and the what now? What was that? He had never heard of that before in all his life. Everything was decided by a dice roll, what did that even mean? Shaking his head, birds spun over his head. Not a single thing was adding up at all whatsoever. What was this?

"Ah, so you haven't heard of that before. That's alright, I understand," Hase said. "It's a twenty four sided die. I guess people commonly use them in tabletop roleplaying games? Think of this world like that, if you want." Her hands moved up and down as she spoke. "In any case, Queen Hello Kitty rolls the dice. No matter what you do here, her dice call the shots. Anything from battles, to competitions. But, if you get powerful enough, you might be able to overcome them."

Dice explanation coming his way, the soldier could not comprehend any of this at all. Everything was decided by a dice roll? Did that mean, if he were to grow vegetables in a farm, Queen Hello Kitty could decide if they live or die? He didn't like the sound of that at all! Was everything here random? He would need to learn to overcome that as soon as possible. Scribbling away upon his digital whiteboard, the question was ready.

[What about farming?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [Will Queen Hello Kitty decide the fate of my crops if I run a farm, too?]

"Farming? I don't think so," Hase responded. "But, she might decide the weather. Also, she might roll a die to decide how many Kitty Koins you get to earn from successfully completed jobs, so keep that in mind." As she said such, she turned towards her partner. "Well, that's enough about the dice. You wanted to know what I meant about Lalalaflora and you being bonded by soul, correct? I guess I'll explain." She took a deep breath before continuing. "You and your partner here are linked together by soul. Whatever happens to you, happens to her. So, keep that in mind, okay?" But, as she said such, her phone rang. "Robin's calling me. I have to go, sorry. Just try your best, and don't get yourself into too much trouble. See you."

[See you later, Hase,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

Trying to absorb all the information his sister told him, the chimera's head had begun to spin. Little chicks floating around, he could not digest anything he had just been told. So, everything in this world was decided by a dice roll with a die that had twenty four sides? How very unusual. Not only was this a world full of battles, but it was like one of those tabletop dungeon games. He was toast. He knew nothing about either of those things. Exiting the private room, a few people gave him some tips about how to get by.

Exiting the guild, the hyena stared off into space as Lalalaflora and he prepared to head back towards her tent. What could he possibly do to get Kitty Koins? There was no one asking for help that didn't require him to fight something. How could he hope to get by here like this? But, his thoughts had been cut off as a vortex pulled him in. Lalalaflora screeching, the world had begun to go fuzzy.

"Oh, no!!" Lalalaflora cried. "The slimes I shooed away this morning want revenge!"

Shoooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Battlefield opening up in front of him, the college student's brain had soon been scrambled eggs. No, what? Why was this happening now?! Come on now, throw him a bone here! Large, red gelatinous creatures with horns across their head adorning angry faces, shouts had soon come Lalalaflora's way at maximum speed.

"Revenge!" slime one said.

"Revenge!" slime two said.

"Noooo, please!" Lalalaflora cried. "I just wanted you away from my tent!! Please understand!" But as she said such, something poofed above her head.

"Hehe, a battle?" a voice said. "It's time to roll the dice!"

Hearing the word dice, the hyena gazed upwards towards the sky. Floating in space had been a white kitten standing on two feet. Crown on the top of her head, and bright golden ribbon, she adorned an expensive, pink silk dress. Seeing such, the hyena couldn't help but feel jealous. This queen sure dressed nicely! His outfit was rags in comparison. But, as he thought such, a cry had come her way.

"Queen Hello Kitty?!" Lalalaflora cried. "Aaah, no! I'm not ready! Please could you just--?"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssssss.

"Slime rolled a twenty four!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Slime gaining an intense aura, the young adult grit his teeth. Wait, what, the enemy rolled the highest number possible? Why, how? How was that even possible?! These dice, were they weighted or something? They had to have been, right? There was no way. Elemental attacks of doom coming his way, the chimera flinched. Man, these creatures were fast. Vitality, draining, he huffed. By the skies above, what was that hard hit just now?

"Owie!" Lalalaflora cried. "That hurt!"

Lalalaflora taking damage, too, the hyena broke into a sweat. She took damage as well? But, the attack hit him, not her. Maybe the slime hit both of them, that had to have been it, right? Surely. Of course, right. These were big Slimes! That's all this was. Just big enemies. Big enough to hit two people on the battlefield. Shaking it off, he knew he had to fight back, but how? Turning towards his partner he waved his hands around.

"Siorc, hurry, our turn is next!" Lalalaflora cried. "You have a sword in your skirt pocket!" She pointed at his skirt pocket as she said such. "Once you take it out, I'll have one, too!"

Sifting through his pockets, the hyena located a bright pink sword adorning a floral pattern. Lifting it up, he could not help but feel a heavy bundle of nerves tie him up. So, this world has put him in the sword class, huh? Ah, wonderful, he had never used a sword in his life! Rabbit pal adorning one as well, a whistle had soon blown from above.

"It's time to roll the dice!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Shake, shake tossssssssssssssss.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora rolled a one!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"A one?!" Lalalaflora cried.

Dice deciding his fate, Siorc's jaw dropped open. Hold on, he rolled a one? A one? What did that mean? What did any of these numbers mean, anyway? Lalalaflora doing a little magic, the chimera came charging in. But, nothing happened. Slimes brushing it off, everything had begun to move fast. This was his first battle ever, how was he supposed to do anything?

"We missed, no way!" Lalalaflora cried. But, she had soon been interrupted.

"It's Slime's turn!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Dice, goo!"

Shake, shake tossssssssssssssss.

"Twenty four!" Queen Hello Kitty shouted.

"Again?!" Lalalaflora cried. "Noooooo, how is this possible?!"

Highest possible number rolled again, birds circled upon the young adult's head. Hold on, how was that possible? Unless the dice were weighed? But, as he thought such, a powerful force had taken him out from behind. Energy depleting into nothingness, he could feel the world around him go dark. Partner dropping as well, everything slipped. But, he swore as everything faded he could hear a victory horn play.

~~~

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, and a familiar voice called his name. Soreness overtaking him as he came to, he let out a groan. What happened? Ah, right, he lost to a slime army. Lalalaflora letting out a little owie as well, he gazed at the person calling out to him. But, he swore he had to take a double take for a moment.

Standing beside him had been a short dark skinned young woman he swore he had seen at his house a few times prior. Adorning bright sky blue hair pulled into two pigtails, her locks had adorned two pink ribbons that had stars on them. Pink dress with blue hearts on the skirt, as well, her eyes were like cherry blossoms on a spring morning.

Seeing a small, yellow dog-like creature with pink wing like ears, pitch black eyes, and a birthday hat, the chimera gazed at their partner once more. What was this person's name again, Loba? She was that jackal woman who joined Leah's journey to womanhood. Have they ever interacted before? He didn't recall. Probably not.

"Ah, good, you've come to," Loba said. "I was starting to get worried. Lost to some slimes, huh? That's rough. You must be new here. You're Siorc, right? Leah's kid sibling?"

Question coming his way, the chimera nodded. Lifted to his feet, he wondered. How long had Loba been here for? If he recalled correctly, she was in the medical graduate program on the complete opposite end of the university. He rarely, if ever crossed paths with her. Whenever she would come over, he always assumed she didn't want to be bothered.

[Yes, I am Leah's younger sibling,] the text-to-speech bot said on his behalf. [Excuse me for asking, but how long have you been here?] Putting the board down, he could feel sweat pour down his cheek. Maybe he was getting too comfortable.

"Well, I guess I came here a little after Leah did," Loba responded. "But, I haven't been able to find her yet. By the way, this is Azuki, my partner." She then turned towards her partner. "Azuki, say hello."

"Ah, hello!" Azuki cried, bowing.

"I have never seen anyone lose to a slime before. Queen Hello Kitty must have weighed the dice," Loba said, sighing. "That's kind of mean of her. She loves to tease fresh meat as soon as they arrive for some reason." She placed her hand on the side of her temple as she said such. Pausing for a moment, she soon continued. "Since you're new here, why don't you join my team for a little while until you get used to things? We need an eighth member, anyway. We're heading to Kuromi Caverns to hunt an S Rank bounty. We could show you the ropes!"

Suggestion coming his way, the hyena turned his head towards the opposite direction. Should he really be imposing upon a more experienced adventurer like this? Wouldn't he just weigh everyone down? He definitely would. But, what did he have to lose? Maybe he would learn how to handle himself better if he temporarily teamed up with this group. Nodding, he could feel himself already regretting it.

"Alright, well, I'll introduce you to my team, then," Loba said. "They're at Batz-Maru Barbeque. I'll take you there."

Jackal leading the way, the hyena could feel the regrets already pile in. Should he really be doing this? Wouldn't he be weighing a team down? It's not like he knew how to battle at all. And, besides, the dice decided everything anyway. What if Queen Hello Kitty decided she was already done with him and wanted to kill him off? But, his thoughts had been cut with a sword as he had been taken to a dining table. Eyes on him, a complaint had come his way.

"Loba, who is this stupid weakling you picked up off the street?!" an annoyed voice said.

"Naofa, please, don't be rude," Loba said, sighing. "This is Siorc. He's new here. Is it alright, if he joins our team? I want to show him the ropes while we're in Kuromi caverns."

"You must be joking, right? This weakling? Get real!" They pointed and laughed as they cried such.

"That's not for you to decide, Naofa. It's for Liath to." She crossed her arms as she said such.

Crowd of people glaring at him, the hyena could feel the tension rising. Ah, these people already didn't want him here, did they? Maybe he should just turn around. What point was there in joining a team that didn't want him, anyway? He would be on his way now. But, surprising words had soon come his way.

"I don't care," a tenor voice said. "Do whatever you want, Loba."

"Thank you, Liath," Loba said. She then turned towards Siorc. "Welcome to the team. I'll introduce you to everyone. This is Liath. The person over there with mohawk is Garran." She rolled her eyes as she continued. "And, that blonde over there, its name is Naofa. Ignore it." Turning away from her, she soon pointed at the three seats adjacent from the blond. "That's my sister, Aega, and her friends Kouneko and Gris. And, we call ourselves Team Kirimichan."

A million names introduced to him in a flurry, the chimera turned towards the person proclaimed Liath. Standing with a dead look on their face had been a person with no discernable features pointing towards man or woman. Short light brown hair pulled into tiny twintails, they had a suit that looked like meat. Reptilian eyes that looked like they contained a lot of power, something was quite different about them. Right arm completely bone, he wondered. Had they lost a battle that took away their arm? Maybe. Little fish head creature next to them, he tried to think of a time when he saw this person on campus. But, nothing came to him.

Next to them had been a moderately tall dark skinned masculine appearing person. Bright green spiky mohawk with sideburns looking rather neatly slit back, the person had pitch black amphibian eyes. Adorning overalls and frog feet, they had an angry frog person with the same outfit next to them. He couldn't help but think that frog next to them seemed familiar. Was it Kerropi? But, he shook his head. Ah, no, likely not.

Sitting in the middle had been a blond with short hair pulled into two pigtails with black streaks in them. Adorning a white bonnet, and a bright pink maid outfit, their pitch black eyes looked rather sinister. Bright pink demon next to them with a heart shaped tail, something came back to him. This was one of the top chimeras at the university. Why were they here for? Ugh. Their partner was a little devil, how fitting for them.

Eating meat in the corner had been a dark skinned young woman nearly identical to Loba. Light grey hair pulled into two braids, the hyena couldn't help but notice she had wolf ears on the top of her head. Wearing some sort of neck charm, her lupin partner looked raring to go. When had he seen Loba's sister before? He couldn't recall. Maybe he'd never met her until today.

Yawning at the edge of the table had been a short rabbit woman with short pink hair tied into a small braid swept onto the left side. Wearing a shirt with a heart on the chest, next to her had been a rather fashionable rabbit with a big ribbon in her hair. He didn't know why, but he could feel a memory flash back for a moment. Kouneko was partnered with Bonbonribbon? Interesting.

Looking ready to get up from the table had been a short young woman with bright pinkish-purple hair that barely reached her ears pulled into the tiniest of ponytails. Reptilian eyes upon her, as well, the chimera had come to a conclusion. She had been siblings with Liath, probably. Fluffy sailor soon, and small translucent wings attached to her, a white alien had been next to her. Finished observing, he soon scribbled away.

[Hello there, my name is Siorc,] the text-to-speech voice said. [Nice to meet you.]

"You're that student in the environmental science department," Liath said, monotone. "Not surprised you, of all chimeras was transported here." There was no emotion in their voice. "Whatever. I'm Liath. This is Kirimichan, my partner. They're pretty quiet, don't expect too much of them."

"I want food," their partner stirred.

"Except when they want food," Liath sighed. "Then, they never shut up."

"Fresh meat, huh," Garran said. "You might want to get used to this place soon, or the queen will weight the dice on you forever. Whatever, my name is Garran. You can call me Gare, or something. But don't call me Garry!" They pointed as they said such. "And, this is my partner, Ganta. They're a ball of anger. Don't cross them."

"You'd better what out, or else!" Ganta cried.

"You heard them." They crossed their arms as they said such.

"I don't owe this weakling an introduction!" Naofa cried. "Cherry and I will wipe the weak out!"

"Weak loser!" Cherry cried.

"Weak loser!" Naofa repeated.

"Like parent, like daughter," Aega said, rolling her eyes. "As Loba said, my name is Aega. And, this is Gureco. She and I can knock out any slimes for you, so don't worry about them."

"Pleasure to meet you!" Gureco said, bowing.

"Hmm, I think I've seen you before in the campus gardens. You take pretty good care of them, I'm impressed," Kouneko said. "Hello, there, new teammate. My name is Kouneko, And this is--." But she had soon been interrupted.

"Bonbon!!" Lalalaflora cried. "Bonbon, I missed you!"

"Lala!" Bonbonribbon cried. "How have you been?!"

"I'm doing good! I have a partner now!" She giggled as she said such.

"That's great!" The bunny giggled back. But, a cough soon interrupted.

"Um, I'm Gris," Gris said, bowing her head. "And, this is Pururun Kyupi." She shook as she continued. "Sorry, I'm terrible at introducing myself."

Bowing back, the chimera scribbled, nice to meet you, onto the digital whiteboard screen. Party members discussing things with one another for a moment, the chimera couldn't help but think. What were the Kuromi Caverns anyway? What was he about to get himself into? Wouldn't partying with someone mean he only got a portion of the rewards divvied up between eight people? He wouldn't be able to afford a house that way anytime soon, would he? Probably not. Oh, well. Loba calling his name out to him, he turned towards her.

"We'll be heading to Kuromi Caverns tomorrow, and I'll come and get you in the morning," Loba said. "I'm sorry for doing this, but we need to discuss things between the seven of us. Could you go back to your tent for now?"

Nodding, the student left the eatery. Ah, maybe they needed to discuss whether he was truly allowed to be on their team. No harm, no foul. He supposed he didn't mind giving them space if that was really the case here. Returning to Lalalaflora's little tent, he sat down, pretzel style for a brief moment.

In order to be able to afford a nice house, he needed to earn Kitty Koins. But, what if Queen Hello Kitty decided he's not allowed to earn any money, what then? He didn't know, but he could feel that could have been a highly likely possibility. She could weigh the dice, couldn't she? Feeling his brain fried like a pancake, he let out a yawn. Too much thinking was making himself so sleepy. Lalalaflora dozing off as well, he could feel himself ready to join her. Zs caught, one last thing buzzed in his brain as an evening nap dragged him down into dreamland.

How many Kitty Koins would he need to buy a little cottage in this world?

---

Man, this is a lot of fun to write. By the way, the dice rolls being weighted is so lame of Queen Hello Kitty...like dang.

 

[Palamon]

Third Link: Kuromi Caverns and Dragon

---

"Well, today is the day, the bounty hunt, but I don't
Even know exactly what we're hunting. I'd
Like to believe it's nothing too big. It's probably
Like a little devil or something, am

I confident in that?

Well, of course not.
I have only been here for what I presume to be three days, so it's not
Like I know too much about this world and what it's
Like. Although, Sanrio Fanta does seem like a

Big vast world of adventures to
Explore. However, once I earn enough Kitty Koins to get a small

House, it'll be time to title this: Sanrio Isekai! My
Easy Life As a Farmer in a Fantasy World.
Ah, that sounds quite boring,
Doesn't it? But, to be honest
I'd prefer a life where I
Never have to battle, but I
Guess in the end, it's not like

That's possible here,
Or anything. I have heard

That the dice are pretty
Horrible sometimes as well as
Especially relentless, but I don't

Know. Maybe I am being a little dramatic.
Unless I'm not? I guess it's
Really difficult to say, but
Of course, I only just got here
Merely three days ago, so
I don't really know much about this world. So, a bounty. I

Can't say I'll be
Able to win, but I'm
Very much hoping by a stroke of
Especially good luck, I'm able to win and get
Rained down in Kitty Koins. But, I have
No experience in combat,
So, I guess that's a problem.

Though, I do have the team I have been put
On temporarily, I must say though, a team of eight? I
Do think that's a pretty big limit,
Aren't parties usually like about four?
You know, I do remember this one game when I was a kid, uh

Wystimon? Some flower creature collecting game from an
Indie developer uh, what was
Their name again?
Hmm, let me thing? Game

Maniac, it was some copycat of a different game, but
You know what? I don't remember what that one was called

At all. As I have widely established, I
Don't play games unless they're fashion. I'm
Very far from what people
Even call a gamer. Ah,
Never mind all
That. In any case, I am pretty nervous.
Uh, what will happen if I'm defeated again? I
Really don't have the foggiest of an idea.
Even still, I

Guess it doesn't matter, but if I lose, will I be proving
Robin right that I don't belong here
Over in this world?
Ugh, no! What am I doing
Pondering what he said?

I don't even get

Why that mean despises me so much for? What have I ever done to him? Is it because of that
One time I didn't wave hello?
Now, if that's the reason this man
Despises pretty much
Every fiber of my being, I have to ask:
Really? I can't believe

This. I won't lie, that's
Honestly ridiculous if that's why I'm despised by this hawk.
Okay, anyway. Why am I thinking about him?
Ugh, let's not waste my brain juices on that man. I need to
Get to thinking about the things that actually matter
Here, and that's the day ahead.

What bounty is the team going to be
Hunting, anyway? From the looks of things, this world is
As barren of typical monsters as it can get. I've seen slimes, and some goblins, but
That's pretty much it, I do wonder if there's

Bigger monsters in the Kuromi Caverns, but
Overall, I guess it's hard to know.
Uh, guess I'll find out, the time is
Nigh. Honestly, what if I lose? If
That happens, I guess I'm not buying a house.
Yeah, I know that queen roles the dice,

And at first, she weighted them to have slimes beat me, but I
Really don't know if it's weighted for
Everyone else, too. To be honest, I doubt it.

What will happen if we all lose?
Eh, that definitely isn't

Going to happen, is it?
Of course Queen Hello Kitty
Isn't weighing the dice for experienced adventurers, right?
No way she's doing that to them. I
Guess she's not, but I guess

That remains to be seen. How will I escape the rolling of a
One? How will I escape the

Big numbers of damage and losing
Everything in battle again? Well, it's

Hardly like I have an inventory or anything.
Uh, should I build one? I have
No idea. I don't even know how
This world works when it comes to
Inventory. I truly do
Not have a clue at all.
Guess when I arrive at the Kuromi Caverns,

I'll figure it out, but, right now,

At present, I don't have anything.
My sword that Lalalaflora and I share? Well, that's

All I have. We both have the same sword. Ah, now I'm a

Little nervous that I'm going to be brutally defeated in battle. What am
I going to do? Queen Hello Kitty is apparently a very chaotic queen. If she continues
To weigh the dice? I haven't
The foggiest how I expect to get by. It's
Likely I won't be able to.
Even so, I have to try my best. Do

Not panic. I have to do my best.
Even if I am not able to win,
Really all that matters is I tried my
Very best. Eventually I'll be able to afford
One big nice cottage by a farm.
Until then, I have to work for my and Lalalaflora's home.
So, I'm ready for that, let's go."

|Breaking News!|

This just in, we are live in front of that café where college students have been reported to have gone missing, and we are here on the scene of the crime looking to see if there have been any reports about missing disappearances in this area! We have been getting multiple tips from the locals that this little establishment might be responsible for the disappearances of the college students!

And, what do you know, just this morning, our lines were ringing off the walls again! More college students have gone missing! How many do you think this is now, Cherise? Why don't we play a game of dice and bet on it? I'm putting all my money on fifty! What about you? Do you think I'm on the mark, or are my numbers not numbering?

Take it away, Cherise!

{Cherise: With pleasure, Chaz! I do not think you're on the mark, here, actually! That's a lot higher than I would have guessed! Maybe half of that, or perhaps less than half? You never know with the amount of calls we get, they could be unrelated!}

{Chaz: You really think so, Cherise? Well, I think that's incorrect! There's so many calls coming into our line every day most of which pertain to missing persons! It's not a coincidence, ya know I think I'm onto something here!}

{Cherise: Well, maybe you're on the right track, but I think your numbers aren't numbering! Maybe around thirty or so, but fifty? You're just spitballing a little too far, I think! We haven't gotten that many calls about missing college students! Give or take twenty so far! Where do your numbers number, my fellow intern?}

{Chaz: To that, I say! Here's the recent activity recorded at the café! Why lookie here! If you've seen the past few days, the activity in this area has been labelled as very busy! And if my intuition is on the money here, I'd say that this means a lot of new customers have come to this very eatery right here! Do you think my logic is logicing?}

{Cherise: Well, Chaz, that does make sense! But, you forgot something really important! That little graph doesn't list the amount of customers that are at a particular place within a given time! So, sorry, friendo, I have to say, your logic isn't logicing today! Too bad, though, I thought your idea sounded pretty cool there! We could have found out how many people have disappeared! Guess technology hasn't come very far after all, huh?}

{Chaz: Maybe not, Cherise! Can you believe it? Thousands of years have gone by since the advent of civilization, and we still don't have flying cars like those good old cartoons used to say we would by now! But, our phones can fit into our pockets, ain't that grand? Back in my mom's day, phones didn't have screens! Just big old buttons and numbers to dial!}

{Cherise: Wooh, think we're getting a little off-topic here, brother!}

{Chaz: Whew, you're right, better get back on track, oops!}

Well, where were we? Right! The disappearances and missing college students! Report after report, we've heard people tell us this very café we are standing in front of is suspicious! Hundreds of people on the web have been talking about this place lately, such at this message board right here called The College Clique!

So, we stand in front of this little store today to hope for answers! It is now noon on a Tuesday when most independent little tea shops open their doors! So, we here at Channel Ten News will find out once and for all if the rumors are true! I will be opening the door and doing my duty as a reporter to prove once and for all this suspicious little store is bad news!

In I go!

{Chaz: Huuuh, wow, is it just me, or does this little café here feel almost magical? Or, maybe I am mistaken? But something feels super weird about this place after all! Kinda like it's run by a witch, or something? *Gasp*, oh no, am I going to be the next one to go missing?! Cherise, if I disappear tonight, tell your boss I was in an accident!}

{Cherise: Hmm, Chaz, what do you mean this café feels almost magical? I don't feel anything like that! This place feels pretty normal to me! You're being a little too dramatic there, friendo! Or, the nostalgia over Sanrio is enticing you to feel that way! You know, they say you shouldn't get rose tinted glasses over things from the past!}

{Chaz: Maybe you're just not feeling it because you're not a college student! Wait, hold on, the owner is stepping out over the counter! Could this be the shop owner leading to the mysterious disappearances of all the college students?! Ma'am, yes, hello, we would like to speak to you about the people that have gone missing!}

{Pink Haired Woman: Excuse me? Who asked you to walk into my store and accuse me of being behind the disappearances of college students? I don't believe I gave you permission to come into my store, journalists.}

{Chaz: Oh, but miss, people online have been saying that people have come to this café and haven't returned! And, we just want to investigate a little!}

{Pink Haired Woman: And you believe stupid people on the internet who post those kinds of rumors? They aren't true. The internet is full of lies and deceit. Human nature is to deceive people to get attention. If you think that people have gone missing when coming here, you couldn't be anymore mistaken than you already are!}

{Chaz: I see, but, we think it's possible one of these people is telling the truth!}

{Pink Haired Woman: No comment. Get out of my store.}

*Slam*

Oh, how unfortunate, it would seem that the owner of this little café here isn't interested in accepting interviews! But, I guess she is kind of right! We shouldn't believe things we read on the internet! People could simply be making things up to deceive people! What's up with that? People will go and do that, huh? But, you know how the saying goes! You can never tell what's real or not on the internet!

But, whoops, it looks like that's all the time we have today! We will continue to do our utmost to report upon the missing persons as we get more reports on it! Who knows, maybe this café owner is hiding something and will be found guilty later for serial abduction later down the line! Tune in later at five! And now, for the weather! There's reports of rain coming in! Make sure you dress appropriately!

This concludes the breaking news report!|

Hearing rain hit the tent as the hyena had removed himself from dreamland, something did not sound quite right. Was it just him, or did the precipitation not sound like water? He needed to check this out. Peeking his head out the entranceway, something quite unusual presented itself before his mismatched eyes.

Rain looking rather black and white against the rainbow grass, the college student could hardly believe his eyes. Hold on a second, why did these droplets kind of look like they were inside a video game? Maybe he was still dreaming. Pinching his cheek, he let out a little screech. Nope, he was most certainly awake right now! Hearing a little yawn inside the tent, he poked his head back in.

"Good morning, Siorc! Are you ready to go to Kuromi Caverns?" Lalalaflora cried in a cheery voice. "Hmm, what's wrong? You seems confused about something!"

Partner taking immediate notice something had been amiss, the chimera gazed at his fashionable rabbit pal. They had only known each other for three days, and she had already begun to notice some things about him even his mother never did. They were soul linked, weren't they? Did she feel what he felt? He needed to learn more about how the soul bonding might have worked.

Reaching for his digital whiteboard, the young adult tapped the pen on the electronic pen-board. Would Lalalaflora even know what he's trying to ask about? Wouldn't the rain being pixelated be normal to her? He supposed it was worth a shot anyway. What did he have to lose? Scribbling away, he took a deep breath.

[Lalalaflora, the rain here doesn't look like water droplets, is that normal?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [They're black and white, and sound like pixels.]

"Oh, noooo! Another pixel storm?!" Lalalaflora cried. "That's the third one this week!" Her cheeks grew red as she cried such. "That means there's another dragon nearby! Will Team Kirimichan be ready for that?!"

Lalalaflora sounding troubled by such, the chimera could not help but feel even more confused. Were dragons not normal in Sanrio Fanta? He did not know why, but that didn't sound quite right. This was a fantasy world full of color and life, he knew he needed to ask about it before he were to join Team Kirimichan today.

[Are dragons not normal here?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. But, he could feel himself begin to regret that inquiry.

"No, dragons aren't normal here at all!" Lalalaflora cried, waving her little paws up in the air. "They just started appearing one day out of nowhere! Many adventurers haven't been able to beat a single one!"

Hearing such, the chimera's face grew dark. Hold on, what? Adventurers have faced defeat to these dragons? Oh, no, this isn't good, would he have what it takes at all? Maybe he wouldn't. He didn't know a single thing when it comes to battle. What about his teammates? Were they going to lose, too? No, this wasn't good, this wasn't good at all. He could already hear the defeat horns blaring in his ears.

"It's okay! Maybe Queen Hello Kitty will be kind to us today!" Lalalaflora said, voice shaking. "Maybe one of our teammates will roll a twenty four!"

Hopeful remark coming his way, the chimera took a long deep breath. Right, of course, the dice. Maybe someone on his team would roll a twenty four. That was definitely possible. But, that wouldn't help him get a nice little cottage, now would it? Of course it wouldn't. But, his thoughts had soon been interrupted from a knock.

Undoing the tent's zipper, the college student rubbed his eyes. Loba and her partner standing in the pixel rain, he could feel readiness leaving him. Ah, it was time to go already? He didn't look ready at all, did he? What should he do? Should he apologize? Tuck in his tail and turn around? Ah, no, that would make him look like a coward, for sure.

"Good morning, honey," Loba greeted. "Are you ready to head to Kuromi Caverns with us?"

Question coming his way, Siorc stared off into space for a moment. Was he ready to go to Kuromi Caverns? He sure didn't feel ready, that's for sure. But, he knew he couldn't go out and say that. He needed to set his fears aside, and look as ready as possible. What's the worst that could happen? Maybe they were hunting a different bounty! Scribbling away, he prepared himself for disaster.

[I'm ready,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [What's the bounty we are hunting?]

"We'll be discussing that at the Pompompurin Pancake House," Loba replied, as she said such, she held out her hand. "Azuki and I will take you there." She then turned towards her partner. "Azuki, wake up, please."

"Hmm, wha? What time is it?" Azuki asked.

"It's time to be alert," Loba said. "We're hunting a bounty today."

"Okaaay!" She sung as she said such.

Azuki sitting on Loba's shoulder, the hyena gazed at Lalalaflora. Pointing at his joint, she shook her head. Partner telling him she wants to walk alongside him, he shrugged. If that's what she wanted, he supposed it was alright. Following behind the party of two in front of him, he could feel himself get the jitters.

Reaching a strange building with a sign that had a yellow dog with a brown beret on it, the hyena could smell the syrup from a mile away. That scent, it was so powerful, it could kill a dragon, he bet, no, two. Loba guiding him to their table, everyone had been stuffing their faces. Offered a couple leftovers, he quickly munched away.

"Since you finally brought him here, it's time to discuss today's bounty," Liath said.

"I want more food!" Kirimichan cried.

"You'll get more later," Liath said. "Is everyone done eating?"

"Uh, yeah, ages ago, duh," Garran replied. "Unlike all of you, I eat pretty quickly!" They then pointed at Naofa. "I especially eat faster than Naofa and its over here!"

"Excuse me, Mx. I'm Ordering Seconds, who asked you?!" Naofa shouted.

"Yeah, loser big eater, who asked you?!" Cherry parroted.

"Hmph." Ganta added.

"Anyone else have anything unimportant to add to this conversation?" Liath asked, monotone.

"No," Aega said.

"Nothing," Kouneko dittoed.

"Uh, I do, actually," Gris whispered, raising her hand. "I heard there's a dragon in Kuromi Caverns. We're not fighting that, are we? That sounds a little scary."

"We are, and you have a problem with it, you're free to sit this one out," Liath said to Gris. It then turned off towards everyone else. "That's right, today we will be taking the dragon bounty. Does anyone have any objections to this?"

"I don't have any objections," Loba said. "Is it an S-Rank enemy?"


"It is," Liath responded. "But, we can take it."

"I will eat that dragon, yummy!" Kirimichan cried.

"Hmph, not if I eat it first!" Ganta cried.

"Why would I object to an S-Rank Bounty, hmm?" Garran asked. "I'd have to be crazy not to! If we defeat it this time, we're looking at four million Kitty Koins tops!"

"That we're splitting between the eight of us." An annoyed tone soon follow.

"Pssh, as if I didn't know that, Liath!" They pouted as they said such.

"We're splitting the wins with a total loser like little frosting pansy here?!" Naofa cried. "I'll be taking his split of the rewards, thank you!"

"More money for us!" Cherry giggled.

"You will not be getting our temporary teammates share of the Kitty Koins, Naofa." There was a serious tone in Liath's voice as it said such. But, their commands had been met with a grumble.

"It's not like he's going to win any battles!" Naofa cried. "Look at this loser! He's so weak!"

"That's right! He's a little twig!" Cherry sang.

"Keep that up, and I'll give him double instead of you getting your share."

"Ugh, fine, whatever!" Naofa cried. "But, it's not like this newbie's going to put in his weight anyway!" But, they had soon been interrupted.

"Fine with me," Aega responded. "Gureco is fine with it, too."

"We don't have any contest, either," Kouneko said. "Bonbon can probably take out the dragon's wings."

"I'll stay in the back row and be a healer," Gris said, voice shaking. "Oh, I hope the dice will be kind to Kyupi and I today."

"If we're all ready, then let's get going." Liath headed for the door as they said such.

Everyone exiting the pancake house, the chimera took a deep breath as he left as well. So, a big dragon, huh? How would such a thing be able to be taken out? Didn't Queen Hello Kitty call the shots here? How were they supposed to win this? He knew there was a chance that she would likely weigh the dice again. If such were the case, he needed to prepare himself for a wave unfairness.

As the party of seven in front of him marched on, he could hear a couple of his teammates talk about the unusual dragons. Leader of the squad stating there had been way too many reports of them pouring in lately, the student wondered. What was this world like prior to his arrival? Did dragons simply not exist at all? That couldn't have been it, could it? Other chimeras had come here before he had arrived, after all.

Hearing Aega say they would have to ask Kuromi about it, the young adult scratched his ears. Who was this Kuromi? Was she another member of the royal kitty family? Maybe so, he supposed he would find out later if he were to ever come into contact with them. He didn't know. Anything was possible in this fantasy world. Or, was it? Maybe he was dwelling on it for a little too long.

Reaching Kuromi Caverns, a strange cave with a pink skull sign had been painted onto the entranceway. Seeing such, the chimera broke into a sweat. That symbol, was this place deadly? Oh, no, was it game over before it even began? That wasn't good at all, was it? What should he do? If he dies here, would he be sent back to his tent again? He needed to be careful. Liath sniffing around like a dog, they soon shook their head.

"Our rivals are here," Liath said. "If any of you see any of the members of Team Chumi anywhere, we took this bounty before they did."

"Hah! I could crush that little rat girl with my fingers!" Naofa cried.

"Whatever you say," Liath responded. "We'll be laying down the law here. Remember that." As they said such, they lifted up a radar. "The dragon is near the Throne of Skulls. Let's go."

Heading deeper into the cave with everyone, the hyena could not help but break into a sweat. So, the dragon is near the Throne of Skulls? What kind of place was that? Pitch black cave with a pink walkway decorated by skulls, he broke into a shiver. Ah, this place was quite unusual. Lalalaflora shaking as well, he tried to get it together. Ah, no, don't act scared now! He had a bounty to fight.

But, as he had gotten deeper into the caverns, he could see a familiar group of people decimating a large flying wombat creature in the corner. Seeing such, he almost did a double take. Was that his sisters and brothers? But, he shook his head. No way, right? Definitely not. Marsupials taken out of the picture, eyes soon darted towards Liath.

"Hmph, you dare come here with your adventure team, Liath?!" a voice called. "You sure live up to the lie sound in your name, don't you!"

"Yo, Krysi, it's like, a free country here, ya know," another voice called. "They can fight bounties here, too."

"Yeah, no, we called dibs on this place!" the one proclaimed Krysi cried. They then pointed at Liath. "Who said you could come here and fight bounties, huh? Soie, book 'em!"

"Mmm, nah, sorry, fam," the one named Soie said. "Feeling kinda burnt out. Also, isn't that like, player killing, or whatevz?"

"Gah! You guys! They're intruding upon our sweet spot, don't you care?!" Krysi cried.

"Nah."

"Nope."

"Not really."

"Come on!" Krysi cried. "And what do the hyenas have to say ab--?" But, she stopped as she said such. "You four, are you even listening to me?!" Tumbleweed.

"Unlike you seven, we're actually taking good bounties for a change," Liath said, monotone. "You guys are only taking b-rank missions, so you don't have room to talk. Would you be so kind as to move out of the way? We're showing a newbie what a real mission is like."

"And, you're scooping up fresh meat, too?!" Krysi cried. "You'd better show me the newb you poached off of me."

"Siorc," Liath whispered. "Stand in front of me to shut her up already."

Pushed to the front of the crowd, the hyena almost stumbled onto his feet. Standing in the damp area complaining over every little thing had been a very short young rat woman with a pitch black hat on the top of her head hiding most of her hair. Some brown locks present, the woman adorned pitch black sunglasses, and a coat to match. Rat tail behind her, she had a white mouse friend next to her almost nearly identical to her in fashion sense. Studying her for a moment longer, he couldn't help but wonder. Which major was she taking again? He thinks he sometimes saw her in the art classes on the second floor. Ah, art students, what a struggling major to be in.

Standing next to her had been a short girl with bright blonde hair pulled into two braids. Golden penguin crests on her face instead of eyebrows, he sighed. Oh, so she was Kaiser's kid sister, wasn't she? Wasn't she too young to be here? He could have sworn only college students were sent here? But, he recalled something. That genius who skipped all of high school and went straight to college. That must have been her. Orange eyes, and blue dress with stars on it, a tiny little blue bear next to her sat on a little moon.

Seated on the ground with her arms folded had been a young woman with tan skin. Long, spiky ponytail dropping down to her waist, she adorned bright green lizard eyes with no sclera present. White nightgown with a leaf on it, next to her had been a strange dog creature with a leaf on theirs, as well. Gazing at her, he couldn't help but think back. Which department was she in again? He didn't know, and he supposed he didn't really care, either. Should he? Maybe it didn't really matter.

But, as he prepared himself to lock eyes with Miss Sunglasses rat, four extremely familiar faces came flocking in. Short adult woman with purple hair pulled back into pigtails running on through with a hyena tail behind her, and pink rose dress, along with a pink sheep girl next to her to match, the hyena almost did a double take. Leah was here? He almost couldn't believe it.

Also running towards the commotion had been tall man with short green hair pulled into a high ponytail. Sharp piranha teeth he could recognize anywhere, Siorc's heart fluttered, for a moment. Little red jacket covering a white striped shirt, he knew that freckled face anywhere. Pira was here, too? He could have sworn he was graduating this year. Blue bear with cookie cheeks next to him, he was wondering if he could have possibly been seeing things.

Letting out a yawn had been tall man with radioactive spiky green hair with some loose ends hanging over his shoulders. Green eyes to match, colorful striped shirt, a white, chubby rabbit with a pink outfit stood next to him. Seeing such, he did another quadruple take. Strix, too? All his siblings were sent here after all, huh? Maybe he shouldn't have doubted it.

Stretching her arms in the corner had been a short older adult woman with long light purple hair pulled into a wavy ponytail. White dress with a bowtie, and purple shirt with upside down hearts on it. Next to her had been a bright pink squirrel with a yellow ribbon in her hair, exact same outfit to match. Oldest sister here as well, he couldn't help but feel confused. He thought Coiote was in the graduate school program? It had been way too long since he had heard from her, so what did he know? But, he had soon been taken out of it from fingers pointing.

"Eeeh, this is the fresh meat you scooped up?!" Krysi said. "This purple pansy here?! Chumi, look at this guy over here! Ain't no way he's going to beat a dragon!"

"Squeak, squeak, that's right!" Chumi cried.

"Girl, like, that's kinda mean, don't you think?" the penguin crest girl said. "Po, you agree with me right?"

"Yeah, Krysi, you're being kind of mean," the blue bear dittoed.

"What are you talking about, Holly?! I'm not being mean, I'm speaking the truth here!" Krysi cried. "There's no way this pansy here can fight a dragon!"

"Instead of yapping, why don't you just watch and learn?" leaf shirt girl said.

"Ugh, whatever!" Krysi cried. "Hey, hyena crew! Watch this newbie lose to a dragon with us!" Tumbleweed. "Lost in their own little world again! I swear to Queen Hello Kitty I'll be kicking all four of them off this team!"

Liath cutting through the crowd, the chimera broke into a hot sweat. Ah, what was with all this tension here? He didn't quite get it. Was this what being a rival to someone else felt like? It most certainly didn't feel good, that's for sure. Dragged through the caverns, he could soon hear a roar off into the distance. Lalalaflora pointing upwards towards the skull throne in the corner, a little rabbit with a spiky black hat sat on her throne, legs crossed. He swore he could hear her laugh as she threw a little juice cup on the ground.

Rooooooooooooooooooooooooooooar.

Gigantic spiky dragon coming everyone's way, the hyena grit his teeth. Oh, great, here it comes, he was done for, wasn't he? That reptilian winged beast was huge. Oh, how could he ever hope to beat this thing? No, scratch that, how could any of them hope to beat this thing? But, it was too late for thoughts, glass shattering around him, something soon shifted.

Shooooooooooooooooooooo.

Battlefield opening opening up in front of the party of eight, everyone took their positions. Liath, Garran, Naofa and Aega taking the front row, he could see Loba, Gris and Kouneko take the back. Shifting himself to the backrow as well, he darted his eyes around. Who decides who takes the front, and who takes the back? But, his thoughts had soon been cut off by a familiar voice.

"A bounty hunt, hmm?" Queen Hello Kitty asked. "It's time to roll the dice!"

"You!" the white rabbit in the corner cried.

"Oh, my, Kuromi?!" Queen Hello Kitty asked, giggling. "You'd better be watching!"

"It's my turn," Liath said, monotone. "Hurry up and roll the dice already!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssss.

"Liath and Kirimichan rolled a nine!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"A nine, huh?" Liath asked. "Take this, T-bone steak smash!"

Liath bending back their bone arm like it was a sword, they and their little fish head partner leapt up towards the sky. Strange sun shaped magical orb floating beside them, slap, the dragon soon had a bone picked with it. But the dice had soon been rolled for the enemy as well.

"Dragon rolled a one!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Dragon roaring, a very weak flamed attack had come the front row's way. Liath shaking it off like it was nothing, the chimera blinked. Maybe Queen Hello Kitty wasn't weighing the dice today. Or, at least, from the looks of it. Garran stepping upwards next, they cracked their knuckles. But, the hyena could feel himself itching to get a turn faster.

"Kits, it's my turn now!" Garran cried. "Load the number on me!"

Shake, shake, tossssssssssss.

"Garran and Ganta rolled a seven!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"A seven? A want a reroll!" Garran cried.

"Nope, sorry, no rerolls, tehee!"

"Grr, let's go partner!" Ganta cried.

"Aight! Froggy Toxic Punch!" Garran shouted at the top of their lungs.

Garran's frog hands getting big all of a sudden, a toxic suction cupped smack had been awarded to the dragon, but such had done nothing. Dragon reigning supreme, the queen of dice had soon rolled her little sphere of doom once more. But, the number that had been called shook the roof.

"Dragon rolled an eighteen!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"An eighteen?!" Naofa cried. "Hmph! I can tank that, watch me!"

Kaboom.

Kablamo.

Pow, right in the torso.

Naofa slapped down with a huge rocky boulder of doom, the maid dressed lynx begged for mercy. Dragon soon getting an extra attack, a thirteen had soon been awarded to the creature. Double whammy taken, the near defeated let out a scream as the weight of an entire booby trap kept them grounded.

"Gris, don't just stand there, heal me!" Naofa cried.

"Um, Queen Hello Kitty, may I please?" Gris asked.

"It's time to roll the dice, miss Gris! Ready?" Queen Hello Kitty asked. "Here it goooooooooes!"

Shake, shake, tossssssssss.

"Gris and Pururun Kyupi rolled a four!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"A four?! Are you kidding me?!" Naofa cried. "Cherry and I are dying here, hello?!"

Gris flying upwards towards the sky, a weak light engulfed her. Naofa's crushed body turning light green for a second, the boulder did not budge. Annoying lynx screeching to free it from the rock, the dragon soon got its roll. But, the number soon said shook the stage for a loop, and then some.


"Dragon rolled a twenty three!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"You got to be kidding me?!" Naofa cried. "I want a reroll!"

"Nope, sorry, te hee!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Metallic tail slapping Naofa into submission, they and their devil partner had faded from the battlefield. Seeing such, a wave of shock flowed through him. Just like that, one of the teammates had been defeated. All it took was one high roll? Terrible. But, he couldn't help but notice the entire time. Every time the front row took damage, so did their partners. So, that was what a soul-link was, he sees. He needed to be careful.

"Aega, team up with me," Loba said. "I think with us together, we can knock this creature out."

"Queen Hello Kitty," Aega said to the queen. "Is it okay with we do that?"

"Okaaaaaay, I'll roll for both of you!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Let's give the dice a whirl!"

Shake, shake, tossssssssss.

Shake, shake, tossssssss.

"Aega and Gureco rolled a two!" Queen Hello Kitty announced. "Loba and Azuki rolled a twenty one for combined total of twenty three!"

"Now, we're talking!" Aega cried. As she said such, she leapt upward. "Wolf's Guidance!"

"Sparkling Charm of Doom!" Loba shouted.

Wolf and dog creatures landing a huge hit upon the dragon, nothing changed. Seeing such, the hyena couldn't help but feel nervous. Ah, why wasn't this monster taking a lot of damage? What level was it? But, he shook his head, did that matter? Surely, there was a way to beat this thing. Creature remaining strong, he could see the twins huff.

"Kouneko, this thing isn't budging at all!" Loba cried. "Do you know what it's elemental alignment and color affinity is?"

"Give me a second to find out," Kouneko said. Little object over her eyes, she let out a gasp. "Pink planetary!"

"Pink planetary?!" Garran said. "You're kidding! None of us are aligned with sun! Liath is brown planetary, so their attacks will only do minimal damage! And, I'm purple star! I ain't gonna be able to put in my weight unless I get a crit or something!"

"Does that matter?" Liath said. "Since when do you care about elemental alignment and colors?"

"Right now, I do!" Garran shouted. "None of us are aligned with sun! And, Naofa was periwinkle moon. No wonder they were knocked out."

"Garran's right, though, Aega and I are pink and grey asteroid respectively," Loba sighed. "Kouneko is purple star, I don't think she'll be able to do much, either." But, the chitchat had been cut off.

"That's enough chatter, it's time for the next dice roll!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Shake, shake, tossssssss.

"Dragon rolled a nineteen!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Whoops, what's this? Dragon's got his eyes on the healer over there!"

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

"Oh no!" Kyupi cried. "Dragon's got a bomb!"

Bomb rain plopping down upon the fairy and her partner, Kouneko had soon been caught into the mix as well. Large text reading critical raining over their heads, the party of two had been on their knees in a matter of moments. Explosives taking a second round, the chimera's eyes opened wide.

"Looks like this is it," Gris said as she dropped. "I don't think I can take anymore."

"Aaaaaaaaah, Kyupi cried.

"Couldn't win," Kouneko said in a weak voice.

Gris, Kouneko, and their partners fading into noting, the chimera could feel the pressure mounting. Ah, great, everyone was losing now. Loba an Aega soon taking another turn, they had rolled a nine together as one. Dragon not budging at all, Garran and Liath soon joined hands together as well. Duo rolling a nine and six, the reptilian monster kept hanging on.

Everyone getting their turns, the hyena blinked. Wait, hold on, so, when was it his turn? He hadn't been called upon to fight yet. Dragon getting another turn short, a four had been dropped down upon the battlefield. Stone dropping down upon him, he swore he could hear his partner flinch next to him.

"Owie!" Lalalaflora cried. "That hurt!"

Feeling the brunt of the force, the young adult, grit his teeth. Was he going to get defeated before he could even land one single attack like last time? Oh, great, this wasn't good at all. Spotlight soon shone over him, he placed his blade out in front of him. Finally, it was his turn. What took it so long to reach him?

"Okay, fresh meat, it's your turn!" Garran cried. "Make us proud to have let you jojn our team temporarily!"

"It's time to roll the dice!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Shoot, shoot tosssssssssssssssss.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora rolled an eighteen!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Woah, an eighteen?!" Lalalaflora cried. "Siorc, let's do this, repeat after me! Flurry of rainbow petals!"

Lalalaflora engulfing the dragon into a blizzard of rainbow flowers, the chimera closed his eyes. Could he do that, too? Maybe he could. Mouthing the same phrase his partner shouted, his sword has begun to glow like the stars in the nighttime sky. Feeling lighter than air, wings made out of roses had soon been behind his back. Energy reaching the maximum capacity, he spread his hands out. Letting out unintelligible noises, a barrage of iridescent thorny roses made the dragon screech. Confusion soon following.

Rooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooar.

"Hold up, is he purple sun?!" Garran cried. "I think he can win this!"

"Siorc, if you manage to defeat this dragon," Liath said. "We'll let you have our winnings this time."

"Fine with me," Loba said. "I don't think I can defeat it anyway." As she said such, Loba rose her hands in the air. "Queen Hello Kitty, I concede."

"I also concede," Aega said, raising her hands in the air.

"Loba and Aega have conceded from the fight! They gain zero Kitty Koins!" Queen Hello Kitty announced.

Liath telling him if he were able to beat this dragon, he'd get the whole reward, the student turned towards them. Was this for real right now? This had to have been some sort of mistake, right? They were so going to take it back. It had to have been a mistake, for sure. Liath and Garran getting mid rolls and doing nothing to the dragon on their next turns as he thought such, he took a deep breath. Spotlight soon over him again, the dice did their roll.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora rolled a seventeen!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Rose flurries overtaking him once again, the dragon let out a screech as it dropped to the ground. Creature looking weak, one last dice roll had been granted to him. Partner and he getting an eighteen soon after, the duo's swords were ready. It was time to put an end to this stupid dragon once and for all.

Slice.

Slice.

Slice.

Crack.

{Dragon Defeated.}

{It's time for the victory dice roll.}

Victory fanfare playing on full blast, the hyena could hardly believe his eyes. Did he really just do that? Defeat a dragon? Hello kitty dropping down one last pair of dice, his shark teeth chattered. Ah, she was surely going to weigh the dice here, wasn't she? There was no way he was going to get a good reward roll here. Die stopping, the announcement came.

"Game over!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Siorc rolled a twenty one, and that means he and Lalalaflora get, twenty million Kitty Koins!"

"Wow, Siorc, we won twenty one million Kitty Koins, yay!" Lalalaflora cried. "We can get a nice cottage with that!"

[Really?] the text-so-speech voice asked on his behalf. [And, it's really alright for me to take the whole reward?]

"Yes, take it," Liath said, monotone. "You beat it, after all." They then turned towards the girl rabbit in the corner. "Kuromi, explain yourself. What are you doing, summoning dragons?"

"Hmm, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Kuromi cried. "I did no such thing!"

"Sure, you didn't, whatever," Liath said to Kuromi. They then turned towards Krysi. "Did you have fun watching the battle, rat girl?"

"Hmph! If he were on my team, we would have won much faster!" Krysi cried.

"Chuuu, that's right, we would have!" Chumi cried.

"You heard her!" Krysi shouted.

"I don't think we could have?" Holly said, penguin crests bopping on the top of her head. "I'm aligned with star and the color blue."

"Mhm," Po said.

"And, I, too, am aligned with star," Soie said. She then let out a yawn. "Aww, whatever, our bounty is done now, can we just go back to the guild?" She then turned towards the fresh meat. "Hey, so fresh meat, our other teammates wanted to talk to you, next time we run into you, though, we're rivals, remember that. Tell him, Kashiwankomochi."

"Wan, wan, rivals, that's right," the ice cream dog barked.

"We'll be going now, honey," Loba said. "Enjoy your spoils."

"See ya," Garran said. "We'll let ya team up with us again if you want."

"If I say it's okay," Liath said. "You don't get to decide that, Garran."

"Blah, who died and made you boss?!"

"I did." Liath said such with defiance.

"See you," Aega said. "Had fun battling with you."

Everyone else soon leaving, the chimera could feel a wind chill drop down his spine as he headed further in the caverns. Any minute now, and he would see his family again. Or, would he? Now, he didn't know. Feeling a familiar tap on his shoulder the further in he went, he turned towards the group.

"So, you were sent here too, huh kiddo?" his brother Pira, asked. "I'm gonna be honest with you. You should find a way home as soon as possible." He then turned towards his partner. "RioSkyPeace, could you go wait at the entrance for me, please? I'd, no, we'd like to have a private conversation with our brother."

"Okay," his bear friend said.

"PinkyLiliRose, could you also leave?" his sister Leah asked.

"Sure, you're the boss," the little sheep girl said.

"Chum, buzz off," his brother Strix said.

"Okay, sorry," the rabbit said.

"Emily is sleeping, so she won't hear our conversation," his sister Coiote said.

Four older siblings gazing into his eyes, the hyena could not help but feel the pressure being to mount upon him. He had been reunited with his kin, but why didn't it feel so great? He didn't know why, but something wasn't right about this. Was this really his sisters and brothers in front of him right now? Maybe they were imposters.

"It's nice to see you again, Siorc," Leah said in a warm tone. "I like your dress. It looks great on you!" But, she soon changed her tone. "But, now's not the time to catch up. This place, Sanrio Fanta isn't all sunshine and rainbows at all. Something is off about this place. I suggest you try to go back home as soon as possible."

"Yeah, bro," Strix said, nodding. "We don't know what's up, but this place feels kinda cursed by something." He shook his head as he continued. "You should try and clear whatever objectives you have immediately and hightail it."

"It may look fun and pastel here, but," his older sister Coiote said. "But, beneath the surface, there's a monster. We don't want you to get hurt. You should try and find the portal to get back home."

Warnings coming his way, the hyena scribbled onto his digital whiteboard. Writing multiple things he can't go home yet, more warnings had come his way that something bad is going to befall this place soon. Shrugging, the siblings discussed things for a moment longer. Decided to part ways for the time being, he could soon hear Lalalaflora snoring in the corner. Scribbling away one final time, he readied to bid farewell.

[I'm going back to my tent now, sorry,] the text-to-speech bot said on his behalf.

Returning to Lalalaflora's tent, the hyena stretched, for a moment as fatigue overtook him. This place wasn't as it seemed? Maybe that could have been true, but what did any of that matter? Lalalaflora and he had enough to get a small house now. He could focus on trying to leave later. Laying himself downward, he placed his partner on her pillow. Feeling himself doze off, the thoughts repeated themselves as he caught some zs.

He could worry about if this place was a monster in sheep's clothing later.

He had a house to buy tomorrow.

---

oh boy "place is not as it seems" fun. Next chapter Siorc gets his cottage, yay!

 

[Palamon]

Fourth Link: My Melody Go Cart Racing

---

"Well, in the past few days or so, Lalalaflora and I have a cottage now.
Everything has at
Least gone smoothly while we're setting it up. So, at
Least we have that peace of mind, but

I'm not quite sure how long it will last. It's

Finite that there's not any chaos, and
I don't know how long it might last.
Now, from the looks of it there is
A farm here, so I picked a nice
Little cottage. Well, at
Least, that's what I think,
You know? I think it's great,

But not everyone agrees, I invited Hase here the
Other day. She told me,
'Uh, it's alright, but if this cottage makes you happy, I
Guess that's all that matters.'
Hase also during the
Time she visited warned me that pretty much

Anything can happen in Sanrio Fanta. But

Could that be true? Maybe I'm simply just
Oblivious. I haven't been here all
That long, but I am starting
To get used to this place.
At least, a little. I
Get that everything is decided by a dice roll.
Even still, that's really it. This world isn't bad otherwise.

However, I have been warned by my siblings
Once again I should probably leave as soon as possible.
Uh, they have told me twice now
Something isn't right with this world.
Even so, I don't want to leave yet.

For starters, I don't have an idea
Of what my objective might be to clear to actually
Remove me and send me back to my home, but it's not

Like I want to go back yet, or
Anything, to be honest, I
Literally don't want to
At all, not yet. I still have a
Lot to do here,
And leaving now would be
Foolish, I know I have college to attend, but
Let's be real no
One cares I disappeared.
Really, most days people
Always made fun of me.

About my tail, my clothes, called me unsavory
Names. So, I honestly just
Don't want to return to my home yet.

I just don't, simply put.

But, that's fine.
Unless I clear my objectives, whatever
Those might be, I'll be

Staying here until further notice.
Obviously not going to think I'm stuck here,
Maybe to a few people here that might be the case for them, but
Eh, I'm me, and
They're them, and that's
How it goes. And
If others feel trapped here that's
Not on me. So, anyway,
Guess I should do a little something with our farm.

I discovered this place has
Some tilled land it's kind of like a

Farming simulator game!
Eh, okay, maybe I have played a couple farming games once, okay?
Either way, I really want to spice this
Little farm up.
I have been so busy furnishing my cottage, we have
Not had any time to
Get to the farm. I

Kind of want to start
It today, but I'm aware that I might
Not get to unless Queen Hello Kitty
Decides it by a dice roll.

Of course, I am aware.
For now, I might try

Opening up my
Farm anyway and see what happens, but I will likely
Fail. I'm unsure how much of Sanrio Fanta is under the queen's

Absolute rule,
But I suspect pretty much the entire world is.
Or something like that?
Ultimately, I don't know
That for sure, so to be honest, I can't

Say anything about that,
At least not really, anyway. I'm
Not sure of how deep her
Rule goes, but it is what
It is. She seems to be the
Only one in charge, so I guess if I

Fail my dice roll, I won't get to start my farm
At all, but what can I do to earn the right to use it? I have
No clue about
That at all. None
At all whatsoever, but, eh,

I suppose it is what it is, right?
Maybe over time, I will

Not have to be subjected to being ruled
Over by a twenty four sided die. But, for now,
That's the reality I am currently in.

So, it is what it is, and I know I
Ultimately have no control over what
Rolls I land. There's also no rerolls, so whatever I land on, I land on.
Eh, that's the rules of the

World here. That's how everything is, and I
Have to follow. I could get
A high roll, I could get a low roll, but
That's how it is, and I can't change that."

|Breaking News!|

This just in, we have an alarming report! It would seem even more college students have gone missing! How many times does this make now we have gotten light of this? I'd have to say at least twenty five times now! Where have all the students gone? We don't know! We have been barred from entering that café since the last time we have decided to cover on this phenomenon!

But, today, we have decided to enter Hot Pot University and ask the president what he believes is happening and why so many students are disappearing! Is the work too hard? Trouble with bullying? This is a serial disappearance case, after all! And, we just want to know the facts! What do you think the reason is that the students have disappeared, Cherise?

{Chaz: In my opinion, I believe they have begun to hightail it because college is a struggle! And, I would know cause I am one!}

{Cherise: Oh, but Chaz, didn't we discuss this before? You said it was juvenile for a college student to run away from all their problems! Have you seen the light, or something?}

{Chaz: Why, no, Cherise, I'm the darkness king here! Everything is totally pain and suffering!}
{Chaz: Just kidding!}

{Cherise: Wow you scared for a second there, I thought you were going to go and disappear like all the rest of the college students! Say, Chaz, when are you graduating anyway? You can't be an intern forever, ya know! You're so charismatic and talented! I figured by now you'd be graduating at the top of your department as a valedictorian!}

{Chaz: Oh, you really think so, Cherise? Well, I have to finish my internship before I can graduate, that's one of the reasons I'm still on my merry way as a college student! You didn't have to do an internship before becoming a full time reporter? I know you're like a gajillion years older than me, but still!}

{Cherise: A gajillion years older than you? Why, Chaz, you're so silly! I'm only thirty five! And back in my day, we didn't need to do an internship to become a journalist or reporter! Ah, well, maybe I just had good connections, after all my pops runs a media tycoon!}

{Chaz: My goodness, Cherise! The teens would accuse you of being a nepo baby!}

{Cherise: Anyway, let's get back on topic! I don't know why the students have been disappearing! Some people are claiming they went to that café and never came back, others claim that they went missing for no discernable reason! There is no way to know for sure, but that's why we're asking the president of the university what he thinks, after all!}

{Chaz: That's right, Cherise! Now, let's get to it!}

With that all being said, here we are in front of the gate of Hot Pot University! Today, we are seeking answers in regards to the missing students at this establishment! We were sent away from that café, but we will not allow ourselves to be silenced at the scene of the crime! So, in we go for the truth of the matter!

And, we're in! And, wow is it bustling here today! I think I see about, give or take, a few hundred in these hallways, wow! Talk about fast moving. Could it be that all classes are cancelled until further notice? Oh, no, we had better move fast before we get thrown out of the building! Any second now, and whammo, gone!

We're inside the president's office! And we are ready to find out once and for all why the students have gone missing! This is for the interest of journalism! No, for the interest of the town. We need to get to the bottom of this after all! Yes, hello, Mr. President of Hot Pot University, we have some questions we'd like to ask you!

{Mr. President of Hot Pot University: Journalist? The nerve of you people walking in here with camera equipment. You have twenty minutes. Any longer, and you will be removed from my office.}

{Chaz: We are sorry for intruding, but we just would like to ask about the current situation regarding the missing students!}

{Cherise: Please, sir, we have been getting call-ins to our line every day that many of the students that attend here have disappeared, and it's increasing by the daily! Why, if we had to estimate, we believe at least forty or so have gone missing now! Parents are worried! Is there something going on in those lecture rooms that might cause them to disappear?}

{Mr. President of Hot Pot University: How rude! Are you accusing my university being the one responsible for all these students going missing? Whoever told you that is making up lies! Our university is the top international establishment of learning in the world! No one has gone missing here! That's just a rumor started online! Fake news!}

{Chaz: But, sir, we have been getting a lot of call ins that many students have gone missing from this establishment specifically! Why would callers lie to us about that? That's pretty silly to assume, isn't it? This is the only place I know of called Hot Pot University! Please, sir! It's pretty strange, wouldn't you say?}

{Cherise: We understand if you want to act like everything is fine and all that, but people have begun to disappear at an alarming rate! Doesn't that concern you? These are your students! Could you please comment on why you think the student body has begun to shrink so rapidly?}

{Mr. President of Hot Pot University: I already told you two that no students have gone missing! You'd better stop accusing my establishment as being responsible, or I will call your boss and make sure you never report in this town again!}

{Chaz: But, sir we just--!}

{Mr. President of Hot Pot University: Get out of my office, now!}

*Slam!*

Woah, and just like that, we have been kicked out of Hotpot University! I can't believe this, he didn't answer any of our questions at all, just dodged every single one! I am pretty sure he was pretty close to claiming that there is another Hot Pot University where people have gone missing, but that's impossible! All the calls we've have been getting are from our area code!

Something super shady going on here! This university president, they're acting as though nothing is going on! We know that it must be very difficult to deal with a sudden dwindling student body, but that answer of his was very suspicious! What's going on here? This denial is sounding, what do the teens say these days! I dunno, sounding kinda sus!

Could it be this president is complicit in their disappearances? We don't have any evidence to prove that's true, but the way he responded to our inquiries! Denying the disappearances, acting like nothing's wrong? There is something really shady going on around these parts! And, I Chaz, and my Supervisor Cherise pledge to our viewers that we will be getting to the bottom of this serial disappearance case. We will do this by any means necessary even assuming disguises if we have to in order to get the truth!

But, woah, look at the time, that's all the time we have for today! We will continue to investigate this ongoing issue as long as people are calling in about it! Will some of the college students finally return soon? Find out more at five! And now, for the latest trends in pop culture with Violet! There's a new hip internet café in town! Make sure to check it out!

This concludes our breaking news report!|

It had been nearly a week since Siorc had beaten the dragon and earned enough Kitty Koins to earn himself and Lalalaflora a nice house. Going around the housing market, he had soon found himself looking at many vacant properties. Finding multiple that didn't suit their needs at all for the first couple of days, many towns were visited one after another.

But, eventually the dream home had been toured. Finding a cottage with plenty of soil for farming, the hyena had scored big time. Buying the little house, furnishing had begun. Family coming to assist him over the next couple days, he had been taught a few things about the world while the help had been an ongoing effort.

Told by Leah that, in this world, every single chimera who came here was assigned an elemental alignment and color affinity, the hyena had learned everything there was to know about the way battles work in this world. Told there had been five elements and a rainbow of colors, the second portion did not make much sense. What did color affinity mean?

Hase explaining that color affinities have certain effects on others, it did not make any sense. But, he knew that with due time, it would have to at some point. Leaving such at that for now, setting up his little cottage house had come to a close. Ready to start his life growing some nice vegetables, in another world, what a nice life to have!

Little Kitty alarm ringing up a storm, the chimera let out a yawn as the cuckoo kept its noise going. Lalalaflora letting out a yawn as well, the college student rubbed his eyes. Ah, it was morning already? Time flies when one is asleep. Lifting himself up from the soft covers, he could hear a tiny little groan about to come his way.

"Why is that clock so loud? I was having such a nice dream!" Lalalaflora groaned, ears dropping.

Companion complaining, the hyena stared at the small Hello Kitty alarm clock in the corner. Was it too loud? Maybe there was a way to dial down the volume on this thing. Placing the little waker upper tool into the palm of his hands, he gazed at it, for a moment. Not finding any sort of volume slider anywhere, he reached for his digital whiteboard device, scribbling away, disappointing words slid across the screen.

[Sorry, there's no way to make it quieter,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [I hope I didn't disturb your sleep.]

"No, it's okay! I used to struggle to get up in the morning anyway!" Lalalaflora cried. "Good morning, Siorc! What are we doing today?"

Inquiry coming his way, a picture of the empty farm outside floated through his mind. Today was a beautiful day to finally buckle down and focus on starting his farm life. Who needed to attack monsters? Not he. But, he did recall something Hase told him. In order to make use of the land here, Queen Hello Kitty would have to approve of it. He did not quite understand that, was that really the ways of the world here?

[We're going to start our farm today,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Are you ready?] But, such had been met with a headshake.

"I'm ready, but Queen Hello Kitty will probably tell us we can't start a farm without her permission!" Lalalaflora cried. "Oh, no, what if he rolls the dice, and tells us no?!"

Doom coming his way, the hyena couldn't help but remember. Right, he can only use the farmlands here if the queen approved of it. Was that how it worked in other worlds, too? Shrugging, he knew it didn't matter. He had never read an isekai light novel in his life, and he had no intentions of doing it now. But, he had soon heard a knock on his door. Removing himself from the bed, he bent the wooden entranceway.

"Here's your mail fine citizen!" Kaiser said. But, he flinched as he said such. "When did you move here?!"

[A few days ago?] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [When were you put on this route?]

"This morning, but does that matter?! You ask the ugliest questions!" Kaiser cried with a dramatic tone. "Ah, whatever! No one can be as beautiful as me! You adjusting to your life here?"

Kaiser tooting his own beauty as usual, the hyena rolled his eyes. His sister's friend was the same as always. Why was he like this? Shrugging, he knew he would never have the answer to his dumb behavior. How was he adjusting to his life here? How was he supposed to answer that question anyway? He really hadn't been here long enough to know either way.

[I don't know, I guess it is going alright,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"Hmph, just alright?" Kaiser asked. "That's a hideous way of thinking!"

Penguin mailman leaving the area, the chimera placed his hand on the side of his temple. Man, Kaiser was annoying as usual. Why was Leah friends with him? He didn't know. Returning to the cottage, the chimera headed for the dining room cooking up a small meal, he soon gazed at the mail, for a moment.

> Go Cart Race Competition!
Happening on: XX/XX/XX!

The monthly Go Cart Race Competition is happening! No sign up needed! No registered cart needed either. Come over to My Melody Race Track, everyone's welcome! Winners of this month's race earns a special prize! <

Reading such, the hyena almost spit out his mint tea. A what now? A go cart race competition? So, there was more to life here than battling enemies? This place sure was a strange one. He didn't quite understand. Wasn't this place supposed to be like a role playing game? This was getting odder by the day.

"What's wrong, Siorc?" Lalalaflora asked. "What does that mail say?"

Question coming his way, the chimera read over the mail again. Should he tell Lalalaflora about the go cart competition? Maybe he should. There was more to life than battling, anyway. Digital whiteboard out once again, he scribbled away like his life depended on it. Message sloppy, he erased it and wrote it again.

[There's a go cart race competition,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Do you want to try it?]

"Sure, that sounds like fun!" Lalalaflora responded. "Oh, but what about the farm?"

[Call out to Hello Kitty before we go,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"Okay, let's do it now!" Lalalaflora cried. "In order to call out to her, I need to call out to her!" As she said such, she cupped her paws around her mouth. "Queen Hello Kitty, we need your audience now!"

Poof!

Queen appearing out of nowhere, the young adult's jaw dropped open. Wow, she sure arrived here fast. Was she some sort of god? Probably, he didn't know. Look of importance on her face, the hyena started to sweat. Ah, he needed to look alive, the queen was here now! Right in front of him right now.

"Oh, it's my newest denizen!" Queen Hello Kitty exclaimed. "What is that you need of me?"

"We want to start a farm!" Lalalaflora cried. "Can we ask your permission to start one?!"

"Hmm, I don't know!" Queen Hello Kitty exclaimed. "If you win me the Legendary Salt in the Go Cart Race at the My Melody Racetrack maybe I'll let you two run your little farm!"

"When does the race start?!" There was a tone of shock in Lalalaflora's voice.

"In like twenty minutes!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "I'll just poof you two there! Hang on!"

Poof!

World twisting around him, the chimera's eyes turned to jelly. The queen could just poof anyone anywhere? What a strange hacking power to have. Finding himself in a rather colorful racing track, someone was quite unusual. Weird looking cardboard tiles everywhere, the hyena tilted his head. Wait, what kind of race track was this exactly? How strange.

Renting out a go cart, the hyena wondered who was participating today. How many people were racing? And, why did this track look like that property building game he used to play as a kid? How weird. Something wasn't adding up. Soon finding a group of seven contestants waiting in the corner he walked towards them.

"So, this month's prize is anyone who crosses the finish line on the board gets the Legendary Salt prize?" one person asked. "Talk about boring."

"I know, but what can you do, really?" another person said. "I hear that the Legendary Salt is like a cheat code, though."

"A cheat code?!" another person asked. "That's ridiculous, Rede! That's not true at all."

"You say that now, but you act like you don't want unlimited power," another person said. But they soon turned around. "Wait, hold on, someone is starting at us. Who are you? If you're participating in the race, just know I intend to win the Rainbow Legendary Salt. So, you'd better settle for the normal one!" A finger had been pointed his way.

Pointing at him had been a short masculine appearing person with tan skin and a short, but messy low ponytail. Triangle shaped earring on their left ear, they adorned a blue vest with clouds on it. Green lizard eyes upon them, the student studied their companion. Cute little fluffy wheat creature next to them with golden leaf pins, he gazed at the next person.

Standing next to him with a stupid look on his face had been a rather tall man with gigantic ram ears. Light spiky yellow-green hair looking rather messy, he had a green button down shirt and pants to match. Cute sheep girl with a yellow afro and same button down shirt, the chimera tried to think of where he saw this person before. Wasn't he in the economics department? He believed he saw that other person he just looked at a moment ago in there, too? They were in this for the money, weren't they?

Giggling in the corner had been a rather tall goat man with dark green hair that barely reached his chin. Goatee more defined than anything else, his golden eyes shined like the sun. Pink shirt with a green ribbon on it, next to him had been a pink pig creature with a tiny green ribbon. Seeing such, the chimera wondered. Was part of the soul link dressing the same as your partner? Perhaps so, but perhaps not.

Seated on the ground had been a young woman with with bright blonde hair partially pulled downward, and halfway pulled into a low braid. Adorning a pink shirt, something was different about her. Adorning a sea lion tail and flippers, the chimera rose an eyebrow. Wasn't she one of the girls on the college swim team? Little white seal next to her with the goofiest of faces, he didn't quite understand. Would she be able to use a go cart without feet?

Sitting on the ground as well had been a young woman with short, shoulder length white hair with a ribbon on the backside. Grey eyes and a white shirt, she also had a sea lion tail that was pure white. Strange looking yellow creature next to her that hardly looked fit for land, he knew he had seen this lady on the swim team as well.

Looking rather uninterested in all of this had been a short woman with dark skin and black cat ears. Light green hair pulled upwards into two pigtails, a small braid went through the left side of her hair. Pitch black sailor suit style outfit with a green ribbon on it, next to her had been a bright green kitten with glasses and a black tail adorning a small ribbon on it. Seeing her, he couldn't for the life of him remember where he saw her.

Gazing at the last member, a slight wave of confusion flowed through him for a moment. Standing on a little wooden pedestal had been a short male with dark skin and black cat ears. Curly dreadlocks on him, he adorned an azure low cut dress. Blue cat next to him with a ribbon on her tail, he tried thinking of where he had seen him. Wasn't this guy from the fashion design department? Maybe, he couldn't remember anymore. Sighing, the chimera scribbled away on his digital whiteboard.

[I am just seeing who is competing,] the text-to-speech bot said on his behalf. [Who are you?]

"Well, get ready to lose!" the pointer cried. "I'm Velours, and Cogimyun and I will win this month's go cart competition!"

"We won't lose to a newb!" Cogimyun cried.

"Hold on, aren't you Siorc from the environmental science department?!" the other person cried. "I'm Tegne, and this is Fifi! And we're going to win the Legendary Rainbow Salt and win lots of Kitty Koins!"

"Money, money, money, here comes the money!" Fifi cried.

"Now, now, dear, let's not initiate him," another person said.

"Woah, Rede, watch your language, don't call me that out in public! We never know who might be listening!" Tegne shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Whoopsie, my bad," Rede said, sticking out his tongue. "Anyhoo, I'm Rede, and this is Zashikibuta."


"Please to meet ya," the pig said.

"Hmph, I see you looking at me over there and wondering if I can even win as a 'mermaid!' Mark my words, I'll show you!" the sea lion girl cried. "I'm Savon, your worst nightmare, and Hana Maru and I will be taking you out!"

"Let's go, buster!" Hana Maru cried.

"Do you really need to intimidate him like that?" the other sea lion girl asked, sighing. "Whatever, I'm Eau. I don't care if you beat me. This is Puwawa. Try and not mind her, she's very young."

"Pickles," Puwawa said, floating on a cloud.

"Huh, oh. I've seen you on campus at least once, I guess," the catgirl said. "I'm Waiola, and this is Emerald. But, I must warn you, I'm good at these games. The dice might curl in my favor."

"Nya," Emerald mewed.

"Excuse me?! Curl in your favor?!" the catman said. "Oh, hey, I know you! You're that hyena that tends to the university garden! Cool beans, name's Bogart, and this is Sapphire, my pal!"

"Nya, nya, nya!" Sapphire cried. But as the cat meowed away, a blaring siren cooed.

"Everyone, get in your carts now, we will be beginning the dice rolls!" the announced shouted.

Everybody running to their carts, the hyena's heart leapt out of his chest, excuse him, this board go cart race was decided by a dice roll? Weird. Announcer explaining the rules, his head spun. There were one hundred spaces on the board. There's a chance for a random event to happen. Whoever gets to the final square first wins the Rainbow Legendary Salt. Everyone else gets lesser prizes until the worst one is received. Trying to get it memorized, Queen Hello Kitty soon appeared.

"First turn goes toooooooooo Siorc and Lalalaflora!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Whaaaaaaaat, we're first?!" Lalalaflora cried.

"No fair, why does the newbie get the first roll?!" Velours cried.

"Hehe, if you question my judgement again, Velvel, I'll make sure you go last!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Hmph!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssssssss.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora move twenty one spaces!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Twenty one?!" Velours cried.

"How could this be?!" Cogiymun cried.

"That many already?!" Tegne cried.

"No way!" Fifi shouted.

Disbelief coming his way, the chimera blinked. Hold on, twenty one? That many? That was a lot, wasn't it? He was almost one quarter of the way through the board already! How was that even possible? Pressing on the brakes, a fanfare jingle went off as he pressed onto the twenty first space upon the game board.

"Chance card!" the announcer shouted. "You gave a starving girl a sandwich to eat, advance five spaces!"

"Five spaces?!" Velours cried. "No way!"

"That's not fair, he's already a quarter of the way through the board!" Cogimyun cried.

Reaching the twenty sixth spot upon the board, a loud turn end jingle soon played. Hearing such, he couldn't help but feel even more confused. What was this, some kind of card board game? He didn't quite get this at all. Announcer soon calling Savon and Hana Maru, the dice had soon been rolled once again.

"Savon and Hana Maru move six spaces!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Nothing I can do," Savon sighed. "You win some you lose some."

Loud siren soon blaring, the chimera covered his ears. What was that annoying racket just now? This cart game race sure was loud. He really didn't get the appeal of all this whatsoever. He would not be participating in the next one, that's for sure. Way too much noise. Not happening, ever, thank him very much!

"Stepped on a landmine, return to square one!" the announcer cried.

"You lose some, I guess." She returned to the beginning as she said such.

"Next up, Eau and Puwawa!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Shake, shake, tossssssssss.

"Eau and Puwawa move twenty four spaces!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Now we're talking," Eau cried. But, a siren soon played as she reached the final space.

"Got jumped in a forest, lose three turns!" the announcer cried.

"Excuse me?!" Eau cried. "I want a reroll!"

"Sorry, no rerolls, te hee!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Aaand now, it's Tegne and Fifi's turn, it's time to roll the dice!"

Shake, shake, tossssssss!

"Tegne and Fifi move twenty one spaces!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Aww, yeah, now we're talking!" Tegne cried.

"Chance card!" the announcer cried. "Found guilty of a crime! Go to jail for five turns!"

"Come on now!" Tegne cried. As he said such, he had been bolted into the center of the board. "I'm innocent here, let me out!"

"Next up, Rede and Zashikibuta!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "It's time to roll the dice!"

Shake, shake, tossssssssss.

"Rede and Zashikibuta rolled a sixteen!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Hmm, formidable, I suppose," Rede said as he drove forward. But, a loud siren soon played.

"Battle space!" the announcer cried. "You must beat the slimes in order to advance!"

"Roll the dice, my queen," Rede said, bowing.

Shake, shake, tossssssssssss.

"Ninteen!"

"Okay, here goes, you ready, my friend?" Rede asked.

"Ready, oink!" his pig pal cried.

"Loin chop smash!" Rede exclaimed.

Slimes defeated, the queen rolled the dice again, only moving one space, Waiola and her cat's name were soon called as well. Catgirl only rolling a five, he was starting to wonder the rules of this board game. Why was everything here determined by a twenty four sided die, too? That didn't quite make any sense. But, he supposed that's already how everything worked here.

Hearing Bogart's name called next, he and his kitty companion had only rolled a one. Hearing such, he couldn't help but feel bad for such. Some people weren't moving at all. Didn't they want the legendary salt, too? But, it was only everyone's first turn. Surely, stuff would change sooner rather than later.

"And, now, it's Velours and Cogimyun's turn!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "By the way, Velvel, I'm giving you a minus ten penalty for being impatient!"

"How could you?! That's unfair!" Velours cried.

Shake, shake, tossssssss.

"Velvel moves fifteen spaces!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Oops, did I say fifteen? Minus ten! Velvel moves five spaces!"

"You're just playing games with me at this point!" Velours screeched.

"Chance card!" the announcer cried. "Lost your job! Do not advance more than one space for three turns!"

"This game is rigged!" Velours cried.

Spotlight soon shining over him, the chimera could feel the pressure mounting. Ah, everyone's eyes were on him, weren't they? Queen Hello Kitty soon announcing his turn, he could feel everyone write to eat his bones. What if he gets another good roll again? Everyone would think the dice were weighted in his favor!

Shake, shake, tossssssssssssss.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora move twenty three spaces!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"You have got to be joking!" Velours cried. "If he lands on space forty nine--."

"Do you want another penalty, Velvel?" Queen Hello Kitty asked.

"No?!"

"Then, be quiet, hehe!"

Reaching the forty ninth space, a strange portal awaited him, announcer crying out, portal takes him thirty spaces ahead, the hyena could hardly believe what he was hearing. Lalalaflora and he were already more than three fourths of way done?! Were the dice really weighted? Maybe they were, that wasn't fair, for sure.

"Savon, it's dice time!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Shake, shake, tossssssss.

"Savon and Hana Maru move six spaces!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Again, huh? Guess I'm cursed to never move past six," Savon sighed. Siren blaring, she had soon returned back to square one. "I'm never getting past this space, am I?"

Waiola rolling a seven and going straight to lose a turn limbo, the chimera could not help but wonder how many chance cards were geared towards losing. This game sure wasn't fair at all, now was it? Bogart rolling a twelve and losing on a battle space, he couldn't help but reflect once more on that rigged line.

"Why is this game so hard today?" Waiola asked, sighing.

"I don't know, Sapphire told me her tail was itchy, sorry musta been me!" Bogart cried.

Velours moving one space as consequence, Rede had been next up to the plate after winning a Slime battle. Sixteen rolled, he landed on yet another battle tile. Losing the fight this time, nothing made any sense here. Skipped turns continued to be skipped, the spotlight shone over the chimera once more.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora move five spaces!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Moving a small portion of the board, a battle space had soon awaited him, Slimes jumping up and down, the chimera reached for his sword. Oh, great, this again. He was at the mercy of the dice, he supposed. Eighteen called, the creature had been popped like a pin, in a matter of moments.

Eau removed from turn limbo, she had soon rolled a seventeen. But, she had soon returned to limbo once more as a battle had been lost on a fight space. Savon rolling a ten, she had finally advanced on the board. Everyone else's turns, except Tegne going smoothly, the could feel the gap begin to grow quite rapidly.

Spotlight soon shining on him once more, the chimera could feel the eyes begin to glare at him from afar. Ah, everyone really wanted to win, didn't they? What if the dice had him roll something higher than a seventeen? Everyone would think the game is rigged in his favor, wouldn't they? Queen Hello Kitty dropping the weapon of randomization, his jaw dropped at the announced number.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora rolled a seventeen!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"You've got to be kidding me, a seventeen?!" Velours cried. "You rigged all his rolls so he could win first, didn't you?"

"Nope, te hee!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"I thought you liked making things harder for fresh meat!" Savon cried.

"That's what you did to us when we first came here," Eau said, sighing.

"I don't know, maybe he's been here longer than us, and we just didn't know?" Rede asked.

"Impossible, Rede!" Tegne cried.

"That's right, Rede!" Fifi cried.

"Why don't you two just, you know, stop speculating?" Waiola cried. "Does it matter?"

"Nya, nya, nya!" Emerald cried.

"Emerald called you a sore loser, by the way. She crossed her arms as she said such.

"New or not, wowza, Siorc!" Bogart cried. "Congrats on reaching square one hundred in three turns!"

Driving towards the final square, a rainbow spotlight blasted confetti over him. Little fanfare playing, he couldn't make sense of any of this. How did this happen? He shouldn't have reached the end this fast, was this rigged in his favor? Maybe a glitch in the system. Small little rabbit hoodie creature coming out, the rainbow salt shaker had soon been in her hands.

"Congratulations!" My Melody cried. "You have won the Legendary Rainbow Salt Shaker!"

Prize in the palm of his hands, the young adult stared at the iridescent sodium chloride bottle in his currently hyena paws. What was so special about this thing anyway? Well, whatever, it was Queen Hello Kitty who wanted it. Handing it off to Lalalaflora, the queen came flying down towards his pal.

"Here you go, queen!" Lalalaflora cried. "Can we use our farm now?"

"Of course, hehe!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Yayy!" Lalalaflora cried. "Listen to that, Siorc! We can finally farm together!"

Raising his hands up in the air, the chimera returned to his cottage. He supposed there was something to look forward to from this blazing win. Strategizing how to start a good farm for the rest of the day, the chimera could feel himself tire out after supper. Crawling into his nice warm bed, Lalalaflora curled up next to him. Zes caught one after another, one last thought escaped as dreamland came for him.

Tomorrow, he and Lalalaflora could finally start their farm life together.

---

I will admit that I did actually roll surprisingly big high rolls on a majority of Siorc's rolls for his... kind of wild? Next week will be fun, too!

 

[Palamon]

Fifth Link: Painting Fight With Pompompurin!

---

"So, for the past few weeks now, Lalalaflora and I have decided to focus
On building our farm.

I'm living the slow life

Here on this little farm of mine.
A nice, happy world. And, I plan on giving my grown food away
Very soon. I guess my classes as an
Environmental Science student in university really paid off. But, I

Feel like I should say, it's not all sunshine and rainbows,
Of course it isn't. There's something strange going on. I
Can't help but think about the pixel rain,
Uh, it's starting to erode away
Some of the colors of the word. Maybe
I'm overthinking, but that's
Not good, and I have been hearing there's even more dragons
Going around and burning things

Out in the wild. As established prior,
Nothing like this has happened before.

From time to time,
A couple try to drop down onto my farm. It's
Rather strange. They try to poach
My growing food from right off my farm, and
I have to battle them. I remember what I was told before, dragons in Sanrio Fanta are
Not seen as something that is exactly normal. I
Guess this was supposed to be a laid back

Fantasy world, but what about the dice roll mechanic here?
Okay, to be honest, that is something I
Really don't know about. Was

That always
How it was here? I don't
Even know, I guess I should

Probably ask Hase about this. She's coming over today
And taking some of my carrots I grew,
Since I offered her some.
To be honest, I feel like I know that answer already. I

Feel like the answer to this will
Either be: it's always been this
Way, or it was never that

Way until recently. I don't
Even know what to say if it's the other one. If
Everything about this world, I don't
Know. I don't feel like I have been here long enough to
Say for certain. I don't know

At all, but maybe it's always been this way, or
Never this way. To be honest, Queen Hello Kitty
Did a few dice rolls on my farm recently, but

It was just on whether my crops will grow.

Hmm, oddly, things went
A lot better than I thought they would, it's
Very odd, but pretty much
Every crop grew pretty well. I'm

Beginning to wonder if the queen is starting to lose her grip?
Eh, maybe not, actually.
Guess I'll find out, I truly don't know.
Uh, so I have been hearing stories from many of the people who come here to take my fresh food. They were saying very strange things, about grotesques breaking them apart.
Not saying they're lying, but

That does seem like it's made up. But, I need an
Ounce of empathy and sympathy.

Not saying that I don't have
One single shred of
That. I have plenty of both,
I understand what it must feel like to lose everything, and I
Can't help but feel a little downtrodden when I hear
Everyone is struggling.

Something about this world just feels
Off about this world, and I
Might have to start investigating.
Everything about this fantasy world feels

Very strange, but I don't know. I will ask
Everyone I know what they think. I
Really don't know what they might tell me, but
You know, some people have told me, I

Shouldn't worry about
That, so I try to
Really not worry
About it, but I do
Not have a clue why they're
Going off and telling me all that.
Err, Kaiser said something like

That when
He was delivering my mail, recently
I shouldn't get myself caught up in a uh,
'Nothingburger' as he told me.
Guess he's right, but
Simply put, I can't help but

Think about the things I
Have been told by
A lot of other people. First
Things first, the dragons. Those are

Just not normal at all, according to many people.
Uh, I guess to
Some people they disagree with
That, so now I

Don't know what's true and what's not.
Oh, well, there's

No use worrying myself
Over it, now is
There? I don't know what to

Say. What's real? What's
Exaggerated? What's a stretch of the truth? I don't
Even know. I haven't a clue.
Maybe it's true, there's always been dragons here.

Right, maybe things have been like this since this world was made.
It dawned upon me that it could just be
Groups of people experienced things differently.
Have no idea. I don't have a clue on
That front. I guess I have to do

A little of my own research,
But where do I start?
Oh, maybe there's a library somewhere?
Uh, maybe?
To be honest, I don't know

That. But, I guess, I'll
Have to find out.
I'll try to go
See if the main town near

Where I'm living has a library.
Of course, I still only came here
Recently so I have no idea. So it's worth
Looking into. I
Don't know what's in store for me, but I'll try my best to get to the bottom of these oddities."

|Breaking News!|

This just in, we have something new to share in regards to the missing college students! We have been getting quite a few tips onto our line lately involving this case, and boy are the things we've been told as of late been both believable and unbelievable! Every single day lately, we've been getting call after call suggesting someone knows what's been happening!

And, we will be reading some of these crazy transcripts of the phone calls we have been getting for the past few days live directly in front of you, the viewer! But, honestly, Cherise, I can't believe some of these tips we've been getting, can you? Why, if I had to say, some of them are so out there, I may as well be in outer space!

Before we begin, though, what do you think of some of the calls we've been getting Cherise?

{Cherise: I think they're pretty next level, if I do say so myself, Chaz! Some of these transcripts I have in front of me have to be jokes!}

{Chaz: Wow, really, you think so? Why don't you read one of the transcripts you think might be a joke called into our line!}

{Cherise: Of course, Chaz, with pleasure, here I go!}

*Ahem*

|Transcript of Phone call written at XX:XX on XX/XX.|

{Yes, hello? You have called the mysterious college student disappearances hotline. Do you have any information regarding the disappearances that have been occurring around our city as of late?}

> Yes, that is right, and I have some information I'd like to share with ya'll.

{That's great, so what is that you have to share with us? If you could please speak clearly and tell us what you think might be happening, please share with us right now what you think the issue might be here.}

> Magic.

{Sorry? Could you repeat what you just said? Are you just calling our line as a joke? If I may ask, how old are you? Please don't call into our missing persons crisis line if you don't have anything serious to say! You're making it hard for other people who have a serious answer for us! So, could you please elaborate on what you mean by magic?}

> Why does it matter how old I am?

{Please, just answer our question! Could you please elaborate what you mean here by magic? This is quite a silly thing to say! And, it also doesn't explain anything! If you would be so kind as to say what you mean by this, it would be very nice of you! More and more college students are disappearing at alarm rates lately!}

> Like I said ma'am, it's magic. What more do you expect me to say?

{But, we need you to elaborate what you mean by magic! We really need you take this seriously! These people could have been kidnapped, or worse, murdered or even. Oh, *gasp*, no, just the thought of saying that last one, I can't even imagine! So, please, no more joking with us, okay? This is not a matter that can be taken lightly like this! At least fifty people have gone missing now! The number might even grow soon!}

> You want me to be serious with you when there's nothing serious to talk about here? Like I said, the disappearances of these people just doesn't feel real at all. What more do you expect me to say about it? It's like they were whisked away by magic, and sent to another world. Ma'am, I truly don't get why you seem to think I am joking with you or calling this line as a prank. I'm being completely serious here. Whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you.

{Apologies, it's just, we're having trouble believing you! So, sorry, we're going to have to ask the next caller now to get on the line!}


*Beep*

{Hello, there! You have called the hotline regarding the mysterious disappearances of college students! Do you have any information or tips you'd like to share with us in regards to this ongoing investigation?}

> I do, actually, but what I am about to explain might come off as a shock to you. Is it still alright for me to share this?

{Of course it is! Feel free to share whatever tip you think might be useful involving this case!}

> Well, ma'am, apologies if this might sound a little silly of me, but I do believe something supernatural might be the reason so many college students have gone and disappeared lately.

{Is that so? My apologies, but I don't think that's very likely! Could you please give us something else that is a little more plausible than a supernatural event? That's just silly! There has to be a more logical answer you can give us than that! I need you to be serious with us instead of joking around, please! This may be a game to you, but these are real people that have gone missing, and we'd appreciate a tip that's within the realm of possibility here!}

> Listen, I know if might sound like I'm making this up, but I am not. There is something supernatural going on with these disappearances. It's on you if you don't believe me. And, that café is to blame. People that walked in there have not come out. Didn't you say that a couple of breaking news reports ago? Clearly, that place needs to be investigated. Don't you think so, too?

{Well, my fellow intern here tried to investigate, but we were kicked out for having cameras and whatnot!}

> That's your stupid intern's fault.

{Miss, I would appreciate it if you didn't call my intern stupid!}

> You don't seem to believe what I'm telling you anyway, so forget this.

{Cherise: And those were some of the calls we got on our line! Chaz, can you believe this? Some people sure say the silliest things! This is not a prank call line, am I right? People seem to expect us to take them seriously when they make these claims that there's magic and supernatural things involved! But, that's probably not what happened at all! What do you think about these fake tips and tricks?}

{Chaz: Sorry, Cherise, but I'm going to be the bad guy today! There's something pretty supernatural about these mysterious disappearances! Those callers may have been onto something! Those college students, everything about how they vanished hardly makes any logical sense for it to be a kidnapping or worse! There's something fishy going on! A ghost, maybe?}

{Cherise: I'm sorry, Chaz, but I can't agree with you on that one! Come on now, ghosts? Come on, that's just silly! Please be serious with me right now, okay?}

{Chaz: I am totally be serious right now! You know, there's something definitely wrong with that café! Why else would they be thrilled to kick us out so quickly?}

{Cherise: You're right about that, hmm! Maybe it could be a ghost, or worse, a witch! That lady, she was wearing a pointy hat, come to think of it!}

Unfortunately, that's all the time we have today! Time sure flies when you're talking about serious topics! Or was the phrase when you're having fun? Will we get more calls later today? Find out more at five! And now, we will return to you to your morning cartoons! What's on today? Oh! Painting Fight with Pompompurin! What a silly show!

This concludes our breaking news report!|

It had been a few weeks since the Go Cart race had occurred. Making a few enemies after that event, the hyena knew he would have to keep his guard up going forward. But, the chimera avoided confrontation. Why feed someone attention who was clearly bitter about losing? He wasn't about to stoop to that. It was a waste of time to do that, for sure.

Finally earning the right to use the farmland in his cottage, the college student and Lalalaflora had begun setting up shop. Cleaning up the fields and readying them for planting, the young adult had planted many different types of seeds. But, something had been quite unusual about what happened next, something completely unheard of in the world he originally came from.

Vegetables growing in after only three days, the chimera couldn't help but feel shocked. Carrots in the world he came from took almost three months to grow. How was that even possible? Something wasn't adding up here at all. But, he knew he was overthinking it. This was a magical fantasy world, after all. Anything was possible here.

But, things had only begun to get much stranger from there. Pixelated rain coming in more frequently for two weeks straight, he swore he could see the world around him tear apart. Colors fading away, he could hear something strange brewing somewhere. A voice, a sassy voice, and many arguments to follow between the queen and someone else. Why was he hearing these things? Could other people?

Deciding to give away his crops to others, many chimeras would come for his vegetables, including the new foe he had made. Lizard person telling him he was being too nice and he should just charge for his vegetables, the chimera thought long and hard about such for the next few days. Should he charge Kitty Koins for this? Maybe he should really consider this. He needed to get by in this world, too, after all.

Little Kitty alarm ringing off the walls once again, the hyena slapped down the button to silence the bells to the best of his ability. Lalalaflora soon adding her own yawn to the mix, he stared at the little cuckoo. Maybe the queen had given him such a loud machine on purpose. But, such had been far from the only noise being made.

Hearing weird noises hitting the windows and door, the college student let out a groan. Oh, great, pixel rain again? Why is this happening again? It's been going on pretty much every single day here lately. What was going to happen to his crops if this kept going? This rather unusual precipitation, there was something incredibly off about it, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Lifting himself up from the bed, he walked towards the window, partner flopping over. Pal letting out a little ouchie, words had come his way as he stared out the paned glass.

"Hmm, good morning, Siorc!" Lalalaflora greeted in a cheerful voice. "What's up. Something bugging you?"

Inquiry coming his way, the chimera wondered. What did Lalalaflora know about the pixel rain? She had pretty much lived here her whole life, hadn't she? Maybe she knew something about it. Returning to his bedside table, he reached for his digital whiteboard. He needed to know. What did she know about that rain? Surely, she knew something right? She had to have.

[Lalalaflora, do you know anything about this pixel rain?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [There's something very strange about it. Did something like this ever happen before?]

"Hmm, no, I don't think so, honestly, the pixel rain started happening around the same time dragons started appearing in this world!" Lalalaflora cried. "It's really weird! I don't know what's going on!"

Hearing his pal's testimony, the chimera could hear strange screams outside his door. Hearing such, he knew, he needed to check this out. What in the world was that awful racket? He did not understand why, but it sounded an awful lot like Queen Hello Kitty. Was she here? Maybe she was. He needed to see what was going on here right away.

Dashing outside, he could hear the screams continue for minutes on end, hearing the queen's voice, the student turned his head towards the right and left. What was going on here? Where was that coming from? Not seeing her anywhere, he could see splashes of black and white everywhere. It sure was coming down pretty hard today, wasn't it? Something wasn't right. Sprinting towards the debris, he swore he could hear another voice come through.

"You're ruining this kingdom!" a sassy voice cried. "You're going to run Sanrio Fanta into the ground! I'll take your crown! I could run this country better than you ever could!"

Black and white puddle laid out in front of him, the chimera could see a refraction of Queen Hello Kitty on her throne. Looking rather done with this conversation, the hyena attempted to study the second creature in the puddle. But, he couldn't make them out at all. Only able to see a white body and no face, confusion loomed over his shoulder.

"I'm running this kingdom just fine, thank you!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Boom.

Weird thunder sounding straight out of an old crunchy television show from his childhood, the black and white patches soon grew stronger. Further puddles coming in, he could hear further arguments from that unknown figure. She's ruining Sanrio Fanta. She's making this place worse. They should be queen! But, he had soon been taken out of it by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Good morning, isn't it a beautiful day, fine citizen?" Kaiser asked. But, a quack had come his way.

"He's staring at puddles!" Tenchou cried. "How ugly!"

"Ugly, indeed!" Kaiser cried. "Are you gonna hop in them? Disgusting! You'd better not get my uniform dirty!"

Complaints coming his way, the chimera rolled his eyes to the rainy sky. Ugh, what was with this person and beauty? It was always pretty this, ugly that. Didn't he ever keep himself quiet about that sort of thing? Couldn't he just hand him his mail and go off to the next house already? Lifting up his digital white board, he scribbled away.

[Does it look like I'm going to splash around in these puddles?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [I thought I heard something, so I was taking a look.] But such had been met with a scoff.

"Oh, what, you think you can hear Queen Hello Kitty's voice in the puddles, too?" Kaiser scoffed. "You guys are a bunch of crazies! Maybe you should get your head checked! I'm beautiful and completely normal, by the way, so I don't hear anything like that!"

"Kaiser's the best, don't you forget it!" Tenchou tooted.

Kaiser tooting his own horn like always, the student rolled his eyes. Did this man ever stop with that ego of his? Ugh, why was he acting all high and mighty and like he was beneath him? He wasn't hearing things! He just adored acting like he had the superior moral ground here, didn't he? He wanted to hear no more of this.

[Just give me my mail already.] The text to speech voice demanded on his behalf.

"Fine, here you go!" Kaiser cried. "Bye!"

Penguin man running off, the chimera groaned. Ugh, and off he goes. Pixel rain soon ending, too, the hyena returned to his cottage. Placing the mail on the dining room counter, he was ready to make the morning meal of the day. Simmering some nice juicy carrots, he placed the plates down. Lalalaflora and he munching away, he read over the stuff addressed to him. Mostly junk mail, one strange pamphlet stuck out to him like a sore thumb.

> Painting War Zone!

Happening on XX/XX/XX!

We're bringing it back again, our painting war zone! Do you want to paint a nice piece and then shoot people with the remaining buckets in a paintball competition? If so, come right down to the tv station! No need to sign up! Everyone is welcome, we need eight willing vic-- I mean participants! Come down to Pompompurin Tv Studios as soon it's convenient to you!

If you win, you get a special prize! So, come on down! <

Eyeballing such, the hyena let out a tired sigh. Who was advertising these ridiculous competitions, and why? How bothersome. Who would want to paint something and then engage in roughhousing with a plastic gun, anyway? Sanrio Fanta was such a weird world. He could never hope to understand this place at all.

"You don't look to happy about that mail!" Lalalaflora exclaimed. "What's it say?"

[Something about paintball. I'm not interested,] the text-to-speech bot said on his behalf.

"I'm not either!" Lalalaflora cried. "Paintballs hurt!"

Hearing a loud knock on his door, the chimera gobbled down the last of his breakfast. Huh, who could that be this early in the morning? Stepping towards the entranceway, he could see Hase waiting for him on the other side. Seeing such, he almost did a triple take. Wait, what was she doing here again? Ah, right, they agreed to meet today, he forgot. Eyes glued to her, she waved.

"Good morning, Siorc. Did you forget I was coming this morning?" Hase asked.

Inquiry coming his way, the hyena gulped. Ah, no, would she be mad at him for letting it slip his mind? Maybe he shouldn't say anything. But, he knew it was better to be honest than say nothing at all. What good would it do to act like he remembered she was coming? Scribbling away, an apology had been written haphazardly.

[Sorry, Hase, I got distracted and forgot,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"It's fine, don't worry. The pixel rain has gotten pretty bad lately. I don't blame you for forgetting I was coming today," Hase said. "But, I need to talk to you about something since I'm here. And, it's about that rain, actually. You have a lot of questions about the dragons and whatnot, right?"

Nodding, the chimera wondered. What was this place like when Hase first got here? Was Sanrio Fanta a very different place? Maybe so, maybe not. He didn't know. All he knew is that dragons weren't here prior. When did that start happening? Was there more than that? Maybe there was and he wasn't seeing it.

"You're probably going to ask me if dragons were here when I was first sent here, right? Well," Hase said, but she soon turned her head. "What's wrong, Romina?"

"The queen's fighting with someone again!" Romina cried.

"I see, that's not good. Now, where was I?" Hase asked, trying to keep herself on track. "No, dragons only started appearing a little over a month after I came here. Something really strange started happening. I don't know what's been going on, but the weird rain, the dragons, and the infighting. Before long, I think this world is going to lose its color, and, worst case scenario, might twist and distort." But, she paused with a sigh. "But, maybe I'm being a little bit of a drama queen. Either way, something strange is going on around here. I don't know what might happen." She twirled her hair as she said such. "So, what do you plan to do today? Also, is it alright it I take some squash?"

Hase telling him a lot of things, the hyena tried to process everything. What did she mean this world might lose all its color and twist and distort? Who was fighting with Queen Hello Kitty? The pixel rain, it wasn't a normal occurrence? He had so many questions, but he couldn't fit them all on the screen. Maybe he should just answer what he was doing today instead.

[I don't know. There's some painting battle competition, or something, but I don't want to go,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [And, of course, take as much squash as you'd like.]

"I don't know, Siorc, I think you should go," Hase said. "You might find out more about this world if you do."

Hase encouraging him, the hyena blinked. Should he really? What could he possibly hope to find out if he went there? He doesn't know. Should he? Maybe he should just check it out and see what's up. He's pretty sure he won't get in anyway. People are probably lined up at the door just to shoot paintballs at one another, weren't they? He bets.

[I guess I'll check it out,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Where is it?]

"I'm not sure. It's probably in the one of the distant entertainment kingdoms," Hase responded with a tone of uncertainty. "I'm sure Lalalaflora would now." She then turned towards the farm, picking some squash. "In any case, I have to head to the guild. We're taking a very big bounty today. Take care of yourself, okay? I'll see you next week."

Sister soon leaving, the chimera returned to his cottage. But, he soon nearly dropped onto the floor at the sight before him. Queen Hello Kitty floating in his kitchen munching on some bread left out on the table, he almost did a quadruple take. What was she doing here? When did she come here? Puffy breaths coming his way, he knew he had to prepare an apology.

"Where were you?! I was waiting for you, hmph!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "How could you do this to me, the queen of Sanrio Fanta?!" An immediate rushed response had soon come her way.

[Sorry, my sister was visiting,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"That's no excuse! I come first!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Didn't your partner tell you to expect me this morning?!"

"Waah, sorry, Siorc, I forgot to tell you the queen was coming!" Lalalaflora cried. "Your Majesty, what brings you here today? Whatever it is, we're at your service!"

"I'm entering you two into the paint battle competition!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. But such had been met with immediate shock.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat, why?!" Lalalaflora cried. "Paintballs hurt!"

"I need you two to beat a nemesis for me!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Don't worry, these paintballs won't hurt much if you paint me a nice picture, hehe!"

Queen's demands coming his way, the hyena tried to keep himself together. Hold on, what? He had to go onto that competition? Why? What did she want him to do that for? How annoying. But, he knew he wasn't allowed to refuse. What would she do to him if he did? Nodding, she soon giggled a chaotic little laugh. Poofed away, he had soon not been in his room anymore.

Finding himself in a very strange television station room, the chimera turned towards Lalalaflora, eyes spinning, he gave the queen a look. Why was she like this, always causing so much chaos wherever she went? Spotting exactly seven other people in the lobby looking at the cat as well, he almost wanted to bite the walls. Did she rope these people into this too?

"Another victim?" an alto voice said. "Why did you gather us all here for? Shiver me timbers and munch on some rocks because I despise paintball!"

"Hehe, I didn't say I gave you a choice, Langley!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"My name is Lang!" the alto voice cried.

"Aanyway, you guys need to defeat my nemesis for me in paintball!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "So, try to paint me a nice picture so you get more paint pellets, okay?"

"No way! You're going to just rig the dice anyway!" Lang cried.

"Meanie, meanie!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "I'd never do that! Hehe, showtime is in thirty minutes! Prepare yourselves!"

Poof.

Queen Hello Kitty poofing who knows where, the hyena slapped his palm across his forehead as he seated himself down in the chair next to him. This was about to be a super long day, wasn't it? Turning towards the vic-- he means contestants, he studied the seven people on the chairs around him.

Sitting on the chair furthest from everyone had been a short androgynous, but feminine appearing person with split dyed hair colored orange at the top, light purple at the round ponytail, yellow on the side near the bangs, and blue in the front. Rainbow flower hairpin on their head, they adorned overalls. Next to them being an equally colorful rabbit companion, he tried to remember where he saw this person before. This was Leah's journey to girlhood friend, Susu, right? Or maybe it was Susie? Perhaps. He didn't know.

Seated in the chair next to them had been a short man with spiky white hair and green skin with blue highlights in his locks. Adorning a red shirt that barely fit him, for some reason, he had webbed feet. Green kappa pal next to him with an identical shirt and a whole lot of pickles, he could not help but feel slightly concerned. Did some people who came here transform? Maybe some did. He didn't like the sound of that.

On the opposite end of the waiting room had been a tall panda man with short silver hair tied into a tiny braid over his shoulder. Adorning a red changshan with a bread creature that had eyes, the man's pink pupils looked kind of unusual, for some reason. But, their partner had been even more strange than the rest. Floating piece of bread next to him, Siorc wondered if he was dreaming. Pinching himself, he could feel a little pain. Ah, he wasn't. Weird.

Seated next to him had been a short panda woman with long, flowing light pink hair that was split down the middle. Wearing a silky pink dress, everything about this woman was pink. Seeing her, he couldn't help but recall something. Wasn't she that lady in the fashion department at university? Pink panda next to her, as well, his eyes could fall out at any moment. How much of something was too much?

Sitting pretzel style on the top of the chair with an incredibly angry look on her face had been a short young adult panda woman with long scarlet red hair that went down to her backside. Pink eyes all the same as the three others, he came to the conclusion this trio was obviously related. Not one, but three pandas? Queen Hello Kitty sure was hitting the bar for three on three with this one. Small chef hat on her head, and outfit to match, her panda companion looked more or less the same as she did. Like partner, like person, he supposed.

Looking dead in the corner had been a short young woman with dark skin and short strawberry pinkish-red hair that had been tied up into two tiny pigtails. Adorning a t-shirt with a cartoonish helicopter creature, that exact being had been next to her floating in place. Seeing such, he lowered his eyes into a squint. Wasn't she one of the freshman in the music department? He didn't know.

Seated in the corner looking ready to run out and quit had been a tall sheep woman with long blue hair split down the middle. Adorning denim everything, next to her had been a sheep creature with sparkling eyes. Soon interrupted from gazing at everyone, complaints had soon come his way tenfold.

"Ugh, are you the queen's newest victim?!" the sheep girl Lang soon asked. "Don't be shy, newest victim! Instead of staring at all of us, introduce yourself first!"

Sheep woman complaining, the hyena rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. Did this lady ever stop complaining? If she didn't want to be here, she could just walk out and leave! Don't take it out on him just because he's been roped into this, too! But, he knew he couldn't say that. Why bother? What point was there in doing that? He'll just introduce himself and get it over with.

[My name is Siorc,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [And, this is Lalalaflora.]

"Hi, there, I'm Lalalaflora!" Lalalaflora greeted in a friendly tone.

"Oh, hi, there, I know you! You're Leah's kid sister!" the person further in the room cried. "I'm Susu, Leah's otter friend! And, this is Usahana!"

"Hello!" Usahana cried. "Want a flower?"

"She likes flowers, just like you." A warm smile appeared on their face as they said such.

"Sup, I'm Linggui," the guy with the barely fitting shirt said. "I'm Susu's bro. An' this is my pal, Kappa no Kappy. You can call me Gui, and them Kappy. And since yer gonna ask. I dunno why I turned into a Kappa upon coming here, kay?"

"We're linked by soul, Gui!" Kappy cried.

"I know all that, but that doesn't 'plain why I'm like this now at all!" Linggui grunted as he said such.

"Oh, goodness, you don't remember me, do you?" the first panda man asked. "I'm Jiaolong, from the nursing department. You're Yinlong's friend, no? And, this is Koppepon. I know, it's silly, my partner's a big flying bread, but he's just one of many food critters around here."

"Bready nice to meet you!" the bread said.

"And, I'm Qiulong, and I'd better get pink paintballs, or I'm not playing!" Qiulong greeted. "And this is Pannya-chan, say hi!"

"Ni-nya!" the panda mewed.

"Hmph, why should I introduce myself to this loser? Whatever!" the red haired panda cried. "I'm Shenlong. Not like I want you to know my name! And this is Chocopanda. Hmph! I belong on a cooking show, not some stupid paintball competition!"

"Paint icky!" the chocolate panda creature cried.

"Cloch," the pigtail girl said in a quiet voice. "And this is Hopty Copty." She then shrunk into her clothes like a violet.

"C'mon, Cloch, look alive! We're painting today!" Hopty Copty cried.

"But, I don't wanna be on tv." She kept burying herself in her clothes as she said such.

"You already heard my name! I'm Lang, don't make me repeat it again!" Lang cried. "And, ugh, she's Petitmericco. I want to leave!"

"We'll lose on purpose, how about that?" Petitmericco asked.

"Good idea!" Lang cried. But, as she said such, an annoying announcement blared.

"Contestants, go onto stage five right now!" an announcement cried.

Everyone running onto the stage, a weird television set with hundreds upon thousands of people in the audience awaited everyone. Seeing such, the chimera could feel the pressure mounting. What was this kind of place doing in a fantasy world? And who for? He couldn't help but feel immersion breaking around him. Yellow dog with a beret on their head seated on a chair with a clapperboard, he could see eight painting easels set up everywhere. But, he couldn't help but feel a heavy distortion in the air. What was that?

Seating himself on the chair furthest from the camera, the weird yellow dog dropped down from his king chair. Slamming the clapperboard, they seemed to have meant business. Camera dropping down from the ceiling, he tried to hide a pained groan. Ugh, how many of those were hiding here? Too many, he bet.

"Welcome to Painting Fight With Pompompurin!" Pompompurin cried. "I'm your host, Pompompurin! And, these lovely eight contestants will be speed painting for twenty minutes, and then will be fighting moi in a paintball competition! Whoever manages to be the last one standing wins two million Kitty Koins!"

"Two million Kitty Koins?!" Lang cried. "Now I'm interested!"

"And, let's not forget, whoever wins for best painting gets an additional prize!" Pompompurin cried. "And now, get to paining!"

Timer ticking down, the hyena could feel sweat mounting down his neck. Ah, speed painting, how terrible. He wasn't exactly an artist at all. Lalalaflora painting a tiny little flower on her canvas, he took a deep breath. He knew he had to at least try. What did he have to lose besides Kitty Koins? Oh, well. Time to get scribbling.

Slapping down some green, barely legible splotches of nothing decorated the canvas. Gazing at everyone else's pieces, beautiful art was everywhere. Seeing such, he could feel the competition building. Ah, he was going to lose, for sure. Why did Queen Hello Kitty want him to do this for anyway? Did she want to see him suffer? Oh, well, he'll try his best to make a nice little hill with flowers on it in the time limit.

Barely able to paint a circle, the clock was ticking faster and faster. He was doing pretty terribly at this, wasn't he? It wasn't his fault. He never really took any art classes in school when he was a child. Such subject never interested him, so why should he have? He was the nature type, not the artistic type; the queen really should have asked someone else to take part in this show.

Lalalaflora doing very well on her own painting, the chimera could feel himself turn green. Ah, she was so good at this. Why wasn't he? But, he knew it was what it was. Can't be good at something he had never partaken in, now could he? Continuing to splatter away, everything looked almost like one of those old children television show networks with orange splatters everywhere.

Timer dropping to about seven minutes, the chimera stroked the brush further. Ah, how was it already this far down the meter? Nothing tangible on the canvas, he let out a sigh. What was the point in doing any of this at all? What was the point in trying? He wasn't winning any prizes at all, that's for sure. Oh, well, that's how the lavender cookie crumbled. Continuing the mess, he could soon hear a loud beep.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Peep, peep, piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

"Time's up!" Pompompurin cried. "It's time took at everyone's paintings!" As he said such, he headed to the furthest away painting. "What's this garbage? Non non! Zero points!"

Audience laughing, the hyena placed his hands on the side of his temple. Ah, how incredibly awful, why were people guffawing at him? Pudding dog complimenting Lalalaflora's painting, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of envy. His pal had outdone him. Pupper moving towards the panda trio, high praise had come their way. Otter and kappa getting praise as well, a load of shock had come the pigtailed girl's way.

"What is this, missy?" Pompompurin asked.

"A look into my soul," Cloch said in a quiet voice.

"She's dark ink on white paper!" Hopty Copty cried.

"I see," Pompompurin said in a disturbed tone. "Ten points."

Pudding dog moving towards the sheep woman, a very long seas of praise had come her way. Hearing such, the hyena could hardly believe what he was hearing. This girl, didn't she say she was going to lose on purpose? She lied, didn't she? This was all a trick! Pudding creature putting on glasses, a spotlight soon shone over him after ten minutes.

"The winner of the painting competition is Lang!" Lang cried.

"Sock it to ya!" Lang cried. "The Kitty Koin bonus is ours!"

"You said you'd lose on purpose, liar!" Shenlong cried.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" her partner said. But, such had been interrupted.

"Okaaaaaaaaaay, anyway, it's time for round two!" Pompompurin cried. "Get your paintguns ready!" But, as he said such.

Boom.

Sizzle.

Sizzle.

"I'm taking over this stupid game show!" A little voice said.

"What's Kuromi doing here?!" A thousand voices in the audience chimed in confusion.

"Non, non, Kuromi, this is my tv show!" Pompompurin cried. "Don't interrupt!" But as she said such, she cocked a pistol.

"Are you ready contestants?" Kuromi cried. "It's time for some paintball! I'm rolling the dice!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssssssss.

"Would you look at that, I rolled a twenty four!" Kuromi cried. "Bye bye, panda boy!"

Kablam.

Paint balls coming the panda trio's way, the chimera's jaw dropped open. Hold on, did she just roll a perfect number? Those dice had to have been weighed. Paint bullets decorating them, they had all fallen onto the floor like hot pancakes in seconds. Blinking slowly, they screeched out words of defeat one after another.

"Twenty four? Not fair!" Shelong cried. "We won't forget this!" Poof.

"How unexpected, a twenty four," Jiaolong said in a weak voice. "I lose."

"That paint wasn't pink!" Qiulong cried.

"Wow, wimps!" Kuromi cried. "It's time to roll the dice again!"

Shake, shake, tossssssssssssss.

Static.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

"Yippe, another twenty four, I'm on fire!" Kuromi cried. "Say goodbye sheep, and otter weirdos!"

Kaboom!

Loud racket overtaking the tv studio, the chimera studied the little gremlin's guns, for a moment. But, something wasn't right. Those bullets, they were real, weren't they? This cheat. These weren't paint pellets at all! Cloch, Susu and Linggui taken out of the picture, he could fill a chill drop down his spine. What a cheat. This would tank the ratings of this show for, sure.

"Ow," Cloch said. "This sucks." Poof.

"Guess I'm not winning Kitty Coins," Susu said in a weak voice.

"Guess I lost," Linggui said.

"I'm super winning!" Kuromi cried. "It's time for the next dice roll!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssssssssssssss.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

"Twenty four for me, yippe!" Kuromi cried. "Bye, bye, hyena, Lalalaflora! You're going down!"

Boom.

Kuromi cocking her gun, letting out a little laugh, a painful purple bullet had been slapped onto his chest. Intense pain taking over him, he could hear Lalalaflora cry in pain as she had been defeated. Feeling himself lose consciousness as well, the young adult accepted defeat. It was too late. He couldn't defeat Queen Hello Kitty's nemesis.

Opening his eyes once more, the hyena had found himself back in his cottage. Hearing pixel rain outside, the chimera couldn't help but feel a heavy wave of pain. What just happened? That creature with the skull hoodie, why did she take everyone out? Was this the queen's nemesis? He didn't know. But, something wasn't right about any of that at all. Something was fishy here.

Knowing it was best to just get some rest for now, the hyena crawled into his bed. Placing Lalalaflora on her little pillow, he stared off into the ceiling. Those dice were definitely weighed. How did she roll a twenty four every time? But, he couldn't help but remember something. Static, he had seen a lot of static. Closing his eyes, he could feel the world of sleep ready to take him. He had to have been mistaken, right? That was just some person behind the scenes cutting to commercial, right? But, his thoughts had begun to race as dreamland took him.

No, of course not. That wasn't it all.

Something isn't right here. Something was off about that Kuromi creature.

---

Yeah, yeah, world isn't as it seems, the usual, lol. Next week is something that has to do with cooking.

 

[Palamon]

Sixth Link: Pekkle's Kitchen

---

"Things have been getting much strange around
Here since we all got
Eliminated in that paintball battle by Kuromi.

Pixel rain has been falling even more since then
It's been becoming more frequent, and lately, I have been getting decrypted message in them, such as this code:
Xztebumarenzaka. But, I cannot decode it unless I go
Elsewhere since not every place in Sanrio Fanta has
Loads of technology. I guess it

Really doesn't mean
Anything. But, at the end of the day,
It also could mean something. I
Never know, to be

Honest, I don't know if
Anyone who was
Sent here knows either,

But for now, that's neither here nor there.
Eh, maybe it's not
Even that important. It's
Not like I'll solve

Anything. I'm sure it's just

Literal gibberish and nonsense. But, I have heard some things.
Obliterate, destroy,
Take over. I am going to be

Wildly honest here. For
One thing, I don't think this takeover will be successful. I
Really just don't think
So. From the looks of things,
Everything just makes

Little to no sense here
Ah, in the end I don't need
To think much about it.
Eh, in any case, I don't really want to
Look into this because I want to focus on my farm.
Yes, that's all that matters

In my Sanrio Isekai life. I

Have nothing else to say
About it. I am just
Very tired of
Everything else, after all I am not a

Battler. I don't really like getting hurt. Not
Even a little, I
Especially prefer
Nature and maybe

Some fashion here and there.
Everything else hardly
Even reaches a point of
Interest for me. Well, I guess,
Never say never, but I don't like
Getting swept up into

The heat of battle. I
Hardly have any
Interest in
Something like that. But, this

Kuromi girl, I am
Ultimately starting to become
Really suspicious about her. For
One thing, she held up the TV station.
Maybe this is all a fantasy world, and
I can't die die, but I

Can feel pain. Lalalaflora can, too. And I do
Really feel sore
Every time I'm defeated
And, so does Lalalaflora.
That critter, girl in a devil hat she?
Ugh, what she took out was a
Real gun and she cheated by landing a twenty four
Every single time. I

Might still be the most recent person sent
Over here, but she weighted the dice. I
Remember that feeling of losing.
Everything felt like she

Cheated. I mean, she did. It's not
Like this is something I am
Even doubting. It's
Astronomically impossible to
Roll a twenty four
Literally every single time. And
Yet, she was somehow able to.

It's pretty chilling right
Now to think something bad is happening,

Though, I guess it's what people say at the
Heart of it: it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
Eh, this rainbow, colorful,

Pastel world, what could lie beneath it?
Uh, I just
Don't know, I really
Don't know at all. I feel
Like there's more than meets the
Eyes to this fantasy world.
Should I investigate?

To be honest, I don't know. For
One thing, I could be wrong, but
On another, I could be right.

What lies beneath this
Hued surface? I don't know
At all. I haven't
The foggiest of ideas. I can't
See the path clearly

Here, despise that, I
Am trying. But,
Perhaps this Kuromi
Person isn't all that bad.
Eh, she cheated, yes.
Not like I'm going to forget
It happened, but maybe
Nothing I'm seeing in the pixel rain puddles is true.
Guess I could be overthinking

It. I do tend to overthink things. I
Never know what goes on around in this

Sparkly world, it's
Always random and decided by dice rolls. And,
No, I don't at all
Regret being sent here.
It's better than my life
Over in the world I came from. I do

Feel at a loss sometimes
At the dice rolls and this bound by soul thing, but
Not all that much.
This hardly bothers me
At all in the grand scheme of things.

I will just try to ignore these

Dumb pixel puddles. It'll be
Over eventually anyway,
Nothing is forever.
This rain will go away someday. I

Know it will.
Now, as for today, I have no clue
Of what is going to happen, so Lalalaflora, Hase, Romina and I
Will play cards together. It will be fun."

|Breaking News!|

This just in, we have a major development in the case of missing college students! There's a pattern we have noticed in recent weeks that might correlate to a reasonable answer as to why people have just straight up disappeared! And this is something that we have failed to report on before! I apologize for lack of proper news on the truth until now!

But, here's what's really happening! We have discovered something that no other news station would be brave enough to come forward about! It's not human college students that are going missing! No, no, no, I would have to say, that group isn't whom has gone missing at all, but a different race altogether kept out of media's mouths for decades now!

And, I am not afraid to say it! There's a big pattern involving the college students that have gone missing, and it's a lesser known race known as chimeras! Of course, real news outlets would never dare speak that name! Government trying to erase them from public eye or something, who knows! But, I dare say they have been the group of college students that have been disappearing lately!

What do you think, Cherise, am I right on the money?

{Cherise: Oh, Chaz, we aren't supposed to mention that species name on live television! What will we do? You might never get a job here if you say that!}

{Chaz: Worry not, Cherise, I thought about this ahead of time!}


{Cherise: Did you now? Might I ask what you thought of ahead of time, Chaz?}

{Chaz: *Ahem*, oops, slip of tongue, I didn't know I wasn't allowed to say that word on live tv! My bad! But, Cherise, let's think about this for a moment! None of the human students have gone missing! And, I have proof on the message boards of Hot Pot University! A lot of the messages on this board talking about how they don't care their aremihc classmates have gone missing!}

{Cherise: Is that so? Well, maybe you're onto something! If those groups of people are going missing, no wonder no one cares if they've gone missing! From what I've heard, that race that shall not be named is considered not equal to that of humans! Why do you think that is, Chaz? What does you, a human think the reason for this could be?}

{Chaz: Oh, gee, you're asking me, Cherise? I don't know if I can say that on live television, Cherise!}

{Cherise: What's there to lose? I'll chew you out! You're an intern, after all! I could just say, 'sorry, boss, he's an intern, he didn't know he wasn't allowed to talk about such extremely sensitive topics on live television!' Besides, they don't watch back our live broadcast reports! And, hey, we're not streaming on the internet! So, go for it brother, eat your heart out!}

{Chaz: Well, Cherise, I guess, if you insist, I will eat my heart out, bon appetit! [Munching sound at the camera.] I, for one, think it's because of systematic intolerance towards a minority group! I mean, it's not like we fellow humans do not experience this ourselves! Think of the past hundred, no two hundreds years of the entire world! Inequality galore! But, we have worked to fix that! Wouldn't you say us fellow homo sapiens are more united than ever before?}

{Cherise: Why, no, Chaz, I don't think we're any more united at all! Some things are just a band aid fix to keep the well from leaking! But, back on topic, why do you think that group that shall not be named are the ones that are going missing? Care to elaborate more on this discovery you have come by?}

{Chaz: Well, Cherise, it's all there in the Hot Pot University message boards! For starters, the students there left hateful messages such as, 'it's <group that shall not be named> that's gone missing, after all! Who cares if a few ten of them have gone missing? We're better off if they're never found!' Unsavory stuff like that makes me think they're the ones who have disappeared! I mean, can you even refute that? Look at the facts!}

{Cherise: Oh, but, you know what they say! People can say anything on the internet whether it's true or not! How do we know that anything that's been said here is true? Anyone can make up anything on the net! Heck, I could pretend to be a teenage dude on line and just say, yo, yo, I'm a dude, bro, and people would totally believe me!}

{Chaz: I don't know about that, Cherise! People can lie on the internet, sure, I'm not saying that's not true, but! Those messages seemed quite genuine in how much they despise that group that shall not be mentioned by name!}

{Cherise: Well, if you say, so! Hmm, maybe you're right! Pretty sure it's next to impossible to hide your hatred for something, wouldn't you say?}

{Chaz: You're right, Cherise! Heck, if I were on those message boards, I'd talk in full length about how much I despise marbles because I ate one by accident when I was a wee lad!}

{Cherise: Uh, Chaz? That's a little different from from having strong angry feeling towards a group of people, don't you think?}

{Chaz: Well, maybe you're right about that! I despise marbles, those people despise saremihc, we are not the same!}

Well, anyhoo, I am absolutely certain that this specific group of people that I am not allowed to say are the college students that have gone missing! Why else would Hot Pot University not close down after a significant portion of their student body has gone missing? I say we should start investigating this case for what it is! A case of an unwanted group of people going missing, and no one caring to have them found!

And, we here will keep on doing as much research as we can to ensure these people will be found! This group that shall not be named needs justice, and light brought to them! After all, it's possible they have all gone missing! That's no good! If it were humans that had disappeared, significant actions would be taken to ensure they're found rather quickly!

Lately, the reports have been slowing down in regards to the missing college students. The calls to our line may have gone cold, but that doesn't meant this case is over! We will not rest until all these students are found! That is, of course, if they ever are! Who is to say they are still around? Heck, I'm starting to believe that quote on quote rumor that they've disappeared because of magic! Do you agree with me, Cherise?

{Cherise: Well, you see, Chaz, as goes with the internet, people can tell fibs with their mouths, too! So, to that, I say no! It's not possible they have all just gone missing because of magic! After all, magic isn't real! That's stuff that only exists in anime, cartoons and superhero movies!}

{Chaz: You might be right, but who knows! Maybe magic is real! Who is to say that the only groups that exist in this world are humans and saremihc? You never know, there could be witches, warlocks, wizards, you know like in that movie H-?}

{Cherise: Woah, hey, brother, let's not finish that sentence now! Speaking of hatred, I despise that movie!}

Whoops, looks like that's all the time we have today! Who knows? Maybe some of the missing college students will have a miraculous return soon and we can mark this case closed! And now, here's Uno with today's number ball jackpot! Who will win the one hundred mill? It won't be me, that's for sure! I don't play the lotto!

This concludes our breaking news report!|

A few weeks or so had passed once again since Kuromi had shot up the television station with her loaded paintball gun. Pixel rain only beginning to get worse shortly after this, Siorc and Lalalaflora kept their nose out of battles for quite some time. Trying to resume his quiet farming life in his small cottage for the time being, nothing unexpected had come out of nowhere for at least a short period.

But, something strange had been happening as the peculiar precipitation had only begun to get worse. Strange precipitation showing that black hoodied devil fighting with Queen Hello Kitty, he had soon been confronted with something that did not make any sense at all, whatsoever. Lots of babbling about this gremlin should be the queen, some things had cut through the rain as the days went on.

Weird static cutting through the precipitation, unusual code words spelled out in complete gibberish rained down from the sky. One such code being, Xztebumarenzaka, the hyena and his pal tried to breakdown what that meant, but had come up empty. Not having the tools to decipher it, the team of two wondered if there could be any more technologically advanced places by the television station that hosted the paintball battle competition that could possible decode the message.

However, finding such answer to that inquiry was not going to happen today. Planning a fun card game battle with his sister and a few of her friends, the investigation was paused for the time being. Heading towards the nearby town to buy multiple sets of Sugarbunnies versus, today was the day to kick back and have some fun.

Little kitty alarm letting its bells be known to the world like it always had, the chimera slapped down the button to silence the creature in an instant. But, as he had done so, he could hear a loud clap of thunder drop down from the heavens. Bunny partner letting out a little eek, he reached for his digital whiteboard, in an instant.

"Eeek! It's so loud!" Lalalaflora cried. "Thunderstorms are scary!" She reached for her ears, crawling up into a ball as she said such.

Thunder popping off every few seconds, a wave of concern flowed through the small cottage farmer. Something definitely wasn't right about that sound of lightning tickling the air. Why was it so frequent? He swore he could hear it every seven or so seconds. That wasn't normal, was it? He should go outside and research. Scribbling away, his handwriting upon the device was slightly sloppy.

[I'm going to see what's going on out there,] the text-to-speech said on his behalf. [I'll be right back, Lala.]

"But, it's scary out there!" Lalalaflora cried. "That thunder is so loud, and close!"

Poor pal shaking under the covers, the hyena's face had been decorated by a frown. Ah, she was really terrified, wasn't she? He supposed he didn't blame her. It was quite the loud sound, wasn't it? Slipping on a bright lavender raincoat, the college student scribbled away on his digital whiteboard in a rapid manner.


[Don't worry, I'll be fine,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [I'll be back in a few minutes. Could you get the Sugarbunnies card game playmat set up in the den?]

"Okay!" Lalalaflora cried. "Please, come back quickly!"

Slipping his communication device in his pocket, the chimera opened the door. Powerful wind pushing the pixel rain forward, the young adult swore he was about to blow away at any given second. What in the world was with the weather today? Pixelated droplets coming down in a flurry, he watched as the lightning dropped down as well, spelling out a message. Dashing towards the puddle, that familiar gremlin appeared in the monochrome reflection below him.

"You summoning those people here to form partnerships should have never happened!" the little white gremlin said. "And, I will dethrone you and your entire royal palace!"

Crackle.

-Brzlanayanen.-

Strange message playing out on the ground, the chimera studied the strange code that wisped on by. Brzlanyanen, what did that even mean? That sounded like gibberish. But, it had to have been something that meant something, right? It had to have been. He had been seeing those strange message for awhile now. But, as he thought such, he could hear that infernal waddling of penguin feet coming his way.

"Good morning, today is an ugly day, fine citizen, but worry not, your mail has been beautifully kept away from the rain!" Kaiser cried. As he said such, he dug into his little satchel.

"He's staring at puddles again!" Tenchou shouted. "He's so ugly!"

"Super ugly!" Kaiser cried at his partner. "What are you, obsessed with puddles, or something? Find a better hobby that's befitting of beauty!"

Pesky penguin making fun of him once more, the chimera rolled his eyes towards the stormy sky. Didn't he have anything better to say? There was clues in these small bodies of water! He just didn't get it, that's all! Scribbling away on the glass screen, he could feel a heavy wave of annoyance flow through him.

[Don't you have anything more substantial to say?] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Give me my mail and go to the next house already.]

"Hmph! Making that stupid whiteboard of yours yell for you, how ugly!" Kaiser cried. "Here's your mail! Farewell!"

"Puddle lover!" Tenchou cried.

Aggravating penguin duo waddling away, the chimera let out a groan. Could someone else please take this mail route? How was Leah friends with him? Always making everything about beauty, so annoying. Slipping back into the cottage, he straddled towards the kitchen. Mail slapped down on the table, he slaved away at the stove, for a moment.

Sautéing the pork in the pan, the chimera let the meaty pancakes simmer, for a moment. Smokey goodness crackling, he let out a calming sound. Sweet, sweet bacon flapjacks. What a time to be alive. Placing the meals upon the table, he gazed at the mail laid out in front of him. Almost nothing of note laid to waste, one thing stuck out amongst the crowd.

> Cooking With Tuxedo Sam!

Happening on XX/XX/XX!

It's that time of month again! We will be holding the cooking competition at Pekkle Kitchens! It will be a heated battle of chefs! Anyone can enter, no audition needed! Will you be the best chef here, or will you be washed out in the sink? Everyone of any skill level is allowed to participate! So, drop by and have some fun!

You might win the Platinum Spoon! <

Reading over the ad once again, the hyena let out a sigh. There sure were a lot of television competitions in this place, weren't there? Who were these airing for? Did the citizens here even watch them? He sure didn't think so. What was the point in all of this? Partner gazing towards him, she soon tilted her head.

"You don't seem like you like that mail!" Lalalaflora cried. "What's it say?"

[Something about a cooking competition on television,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Are you interested?]

"Hmm, that sounds like fun!" Lalalaflora exclaimed. "But, what about our card game!"

[It seems it's happening in the evening,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"Maybe!" Lalalaflora. "Cooking sounds like fun!"

Pal seeming interested, the chimera read the mail over one last time. Where was Pekkle Kitchens anyway? Was it in the same place as Pompompurin Tv Studios? Maybe it was. Or, perhaps it wasn't. But, his thoughts had soon been cut off by the sound of a pounding at the door. Scrambling to clean up the kitchen, he dashed towards the door.

Hase waiting for him, the chimera lowered his eyes into a squint at who stood behind her. Seeing that crimson haired panda chef, and the ever competitive vest wearing lizard, the hyena swallowed a sigh. Great, his sister was friends with the two most insufferable groups of people. The angry, and the constantly competing one. Maybe he should cancel.

"Good morning, Siorc, you ready to play some cards?" Hase asked.

"We're going to win!" Romina cried. But, such had soon been interrupted.

"Ugh, your brother is that guy?!" Velours cried. "Hmph! He's that cheater who won the Go Cart race! Aren't you ashamed of him?!"

" Cheater, liar, fraud!" Cogimyun cried.

"Yes, he's my brother, is that a problem?" Hase asked.

"I'll get my revenge for my loss today!" They stomped into the house as they said such.

"Ugh, Hase, you didn't tell me your brother was that purple haired loser!" Shenlong cried.

"He's rice served cold!" Chocopanda shouted.

"I don't appreciate you two insulting my brother like that," Hase said in a stern tone. "Let's just play Sugarbunnies versus, alright? Get your desired revenge on him if you wish."

Public critics number one and two seating themselves at the table spot furthest from him, the chimera held back a groan. Sometimes, he swore his younger sister had been way too friendly with others. She always welcomed the worst of the worst people into her life, no matter the circumstance. Didn't she know how to say no? Placing the cards in the center of the board faced down, everyone took out their personal decks. Lalalaflora and the rest of the pals taking their own cards as well, the chimera's furry paws read the instructions, for a moment.

Paper informing him to roll a twenty four sided die and such would be the amount of cards someone had to draw, the chimera held back the urge to sigh. He swore, everything in this world was decided by a tetrakis hexahedron. How did that make any sense? This was trading card game. Taking the first turn, a five had been blessed to him, Taking the cards, nothing was doing.

Velours taking the next turn, they soon slapped down a rather peculiar looking character card. Strawberryusa placed onto the active position, the chimera did not quite understand the rules. What determines when someone can play a character card? What decided when an action was called? He didn't know. It was probably the dice's call.

"I play banana smoothie blast!" Velours cried. "Take that, Chimata!"

"I play rainbow jelly rainfall!" their partner exclaimed. "Haha, Chimata dead!"

"You just landed into our trap!" Lalalaflora exclaimed. "Angel's revival! Chimata doesn't die this turn!"

"You cheat!" Velours shouted.

Lizard proclaiming him a cheater, the hyena rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. What was this person's problem? He beat them one time. Once, and it was the end of the world for them. He didn't get it at all. Shenlong's turn up next, she and her panda pal scooped up twelve cards. Six going to the each of them, her character card had been slapped down.

"I equip Blueberryusa with milk armor!" Shenlong cried. "Defense goes up twenty one points!"

"Cookie rain attacks Strawberryusa!" Chocopanda cried.

"You cheat! That was a critical hit, how dare you!" Velours cried.

"Hmph, how dare you assume we cheated! We're playing fair and square!" Shenlong turned her face away as she said such.

Hase soon taking her turn next, she had a rather peculiar character card that he did not recognize. Goddess Kuromi. Gazing at it, he swore he could see static fill the room. When did that card get in the Sugarbunnies versus deck? Something about it didn't seem real. Had she taken it from another card game? Maybe.

"I play Goddess Kuromi!" Hase shouted.

"Cracker Hammer, lay waste to our enemies!" Romina shouted.

Everyone taking a massive hit of damage, the chimera could feel a heavy wave of unease. That card sure was powerful, something wasn't right about it. But, he couldn't say anything about it. Why waste his breath? It wasn't worth his time to say anything. Continuing to play Sugarbunnies versus for the rest of the afternoon, he won some, he lost many. Party of three soon excusing themselves, the young adult cleaned up the activities room. Tiredness flowing through him, he slouched. He shouldn't have agreed to this after all. Social batteries? What were those?

"You seem tired, Siorc!" Lalalaflora cried. "Do you still wanna go to the cooking competition?"

[I do,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. But, as he said such, poof.

Queen Hello Kitty floating in midair in the den, the college student sighed. Here she is, the royalty of the hour. He knew what to expect now. She was going to demand he go to the cooking competition, wasn't she? He knew her tricks by now pretty well! Was he her little plaything or something? Probably. Who knows?

"Look who isn't busy!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "I'm taking you to Pekkle Kitchen right now!"

"Waah! Right now?!" Lalalaflora cried. "But, we were going to take the rainbow pathway to get there!"

"No, that'd take forever!" Queen Hello Kitty shouted. "You should have been there already! I'll just poof you there riiiight now!"

Poof.

Instantly poofed into some studio room outside of a kitchen, the chimera's eyes were jelly. Man, Queen Hello Kitty sure ran this place, didn't she? Whatever she said, goes. Multiple people glaring daggers at him, sweat poured down his back and then some. Ah, he wasn't supposed to be here, was he? Should he go?

"You're like, super late!" a high pitched feminine voice shouted. "Why even bother now? Our show starts in ten minutes!"

"It's not like Pekkle cares anyway," another high pitched feminine voice said.

"I care!" she barked back. "This will make us look bad!"

"Geez, calm down!" a tenor male voice cried. "I'm the one who's going to win this whole thing anyway!"

"Can it, Qiongqi!" Multiple feminine voices shouted.

Gazing at the crowd, the chimera stared at the most vocal of the group. Standing on her chair had been a short young goat woman with messy light blue hair pulled into tiny pigtails. Bright golden eyes, and femme fatale western outfit upon her, the student squinted at her partner that hardly matched her outfit at all. Monkey next to her juggling bananas on their head, he turned towards the next person.

Looking mildly annoyed had been a short person with even shorter hair that barely went below their ears. Black locks barely kept nice and tidy, he wondered how someone like them could appear on television without tanking the ratings. Pink shirt with a white belly, they had an evil looking pink mouse friend next to them.

Next to her in the corner had been a rather tall woman with dark skin and curly, shoulder length pink hair the color of rosy cheeks. Small pigtails with loose stringy parts behind them, she had black cat ears on the top of her head. Striped outfit showing off her figure, next to her had been a little boar creature nibbling on some leaves.

Sitting crisscross applesauce had been a childish looking young woman with short hair pulled up into two pigtails going right beneath her chin. Ribbons aplenty as blue as her eyes, she wore an azure Cinnamoroll t-shirt. White dog with a pacifier in their mouth, he did not understand. How could this creature cook? They were a baby.

Looking quite fascinated by everything had been a young woman with short silver hair tied into loops. Wearing a golden dress with horizontal square buttons, a fashionable pink dog with a big blue ribbon had been next to her. Gazing at the two azure eyed individuals, he wondered. Where had he seen these two before? He hadn't the foggiest of ideas. Which department were they in again?

Looking ready to declare himself the winner in the corner had been a rather tall man with pure white hair that barely went below his otter ears, and a small braid slightly knotted by his chin. Adorning a weird black shirt reading, Start Every Day with A Cuppa, the words cuppa had been inside a coffee cup. Brown dog with a white lip next to him, he let out a sigh. Oh, he knew this guy, he was on all the college sports teams. So annoying.

Sitting politely not saying a word had been a short young rabbit woman with pitch black hair pulled into very low curly buns. Adorning a pink shirt with a circular white belly, the hyena wasn't sure what to make of any of this. Little pink hoodie rabbit in the corner, he swore he recognized them. Was that LittleForestFellow? He might have seen that show when he was small.

"Ugh, listen, late guy, if you think you can win this by showing up at last second, you have another thing coming!" the blue haired goat girl screamed. "I, Kylling, and Monchan are going to wipe the floor with you!"

"My bananas will cook you into the ground!" Monchan cried.

"Don't scare away the competition," the second person said. "I'm Plata, and this is Baku."

"Gimme your sweet dreams!" Baku cried.

"He likes to eat dreams, don't mind him." Plata sighed as they said such.

"Can't ya'll just play nice?" the skimpy dressed one asked. "Ah, whatevs, name's Niesha, and this is Uriurikoron."

"Oink, pork rinds," the boar said.

"I mean, he did get here late. The deadline is twenty minutes before. But, it seems like the host is late anyway, so you're in luck, I guess?" the short girl said, sighing. "I'm Pulao, and, this is Milk."

"Milkies," Milk whined.

"My, my! Why did you bring your baby partner with you?" the other person asked. "Goodness me, I'm Chiwen, and this is Poron! And we're going to get a million followers from this episode!"

"Let's hit a mill!" Poron cried.

"Not if I, Qiongqi, get a million first!" Qiongqi cried. "Cappuccino and I will beat you, and win this entire thing!"

"Let's win this thing!" his puppy pal cried.

"You grifters," the last person said, sighing. "I'm Shunko, it's a pleasure to meet you. And, this is LittleForestFellow. She loves baking pies."

"I hope we get to bake a fun pie today!" the little bunny exclaimed.

"Waah! These people are all so competitive!" Lalalaflora cried. "I don't know if we can win!" But, as she said such, the announcer soon screeched the intercom.

"Calling all cooks! Sorry for the short delay, we had some technical difficulties! Please take the stage now!" the intercom shouted.

Everyone running straight in, the chimera observed his surroundings, the hyena broke out into a sweat at the sight of eight ovens everywhere. This world sure loved that number, didn't it, what gives? Why was everything in this world ruled by this upright infinity? He didn't know. Maybe it was Queen Hello Kitty's favorite digit, or something.

Little duck waddling out, the chimera swore he could see some bird with black hair behind the camera, but he ignored it, for the moment. Of course there would be someone operating the big lens. It's not like this was the real world where things were able to be set up automatically, or anything! Of course not, that's hardly how it worked around here! This place was far more set back in time than that!

"Welcome to Pekkle's Kitchen!" Pekkle cried. "The eight of you will be cooking me the meatiest of dishes! And, whichever one tastes the juiciest wins this month's platinum spoon! And with a whirl of these eight dice, your dishes will be decided!"

Shake, shake, tossssssssssss.

"Haha! A twenty three!" Qiongqi cried. "I'm making fish steak!"

"Fish steak?!" the dude behind the camera cried. "Pekkle, stop the show, this dude wins!"

"Quack! Bro, I can't do that, no way!" Pekkle cried.

"Aww, no, we rolled an eight!" Lalalaflora cried. "We have to make shish kebob!"

"Suck it up loser!" Kylling cried. "We rolled a twenty two, and we're going to kick your butt to the Spottie Dottie dungeons!"

"Noo, it's stinky in there!" Lalalaflora cried.

Plata rolling a two, the chimera could see the look of disappointment paint their face a new one. Forced to bake meaty pretzels, the hyena's ears twitched. Those sounded absolutely rancid. Niesha rolling an eighteen, she had gotten something far different from everyone else he could not quite hear. Otter trio rolling thirteen, fifteen and twenty three respectively, he heard the last number of twenty soon be called wistfully. Alas, almost everyone had outdone him. Ah, well, time to cook.

Timer beginning to tick, the chimera headed towards the ingredients table. Making the marinade, something did not smell right. Plata in the corner's pretzels burning, he groaned. Man, that smelled even worse than he thought. Who decided what rolled number meant what? This was a weird cooking competition, for sure.

Marinade boiling for a little while, his poor pal's little paws burned a smidgeon. Receiving the same pain in kind, he winced. He should have worn gloves, why didn't this duck hand any out? Too late to worry about that now, he supposed, he had already started cooking. Little chopper out in front of him, Lalalaflora and he were about to turn this kitchen upside down.

Tiny meat pieces chopped up like a fruit ninja, the chimera gazed at the other opponents in the corner. Otter trio all done faster than he could comprehend, he tried to not sigh. Man, these three were quicker than he could ever imagine. Had they participated in this before? Maybe they had, who knows?

Kylling, Niesha and Shunko slamming their food in to the oven, the student watched as all their dice rolls had fallen into a successful range, aside from Plata. Seeing such, he placed his hand on his chin. Why was this portion decided by a dice roll, too? He truly didn't understand any of this at all. Of all things to be decided by a die, this was the weirdest on of them all, for sure.

Kebobs put on the grill, the dreaded dice roll had soon come for him like sweet revenge on a Saturday. But, the number rolled had soon proved to be a swan's song for his poor meaty skewers placed upon the barbie. Two gifted to him by the randomness gods above, he could feel doom loom over his shoulder. No, this wasn't good at all. What did this mean for his meat?

"No, it's burning!!" Lalalaflora cried. "It's burning!!"

Meaty skewers charred, the chimera placed his hands through his hair trying to not scream. His dish had only just been but on the barbie! How did were they burning already? No, he had to hurry and remake it, and--? But a loud annoying buzzer soon played as he tried to do so. Snapping his fingers, he waved the white flag. Ah, he sees, no do-overs allowed, huh? That was tiresome.

Ding.

"Round one is over!" Pekkle cried. "Feed me now! First up, Kylling!" Om nom nom. "Exquisite! Eight out of ten!"

"Eight out of ten?!" Kylling cried.

"But, we rolled a nineteen when we put it in the oven!"

"Too bad, so sad!" Pekkle cried. "Next up, Plata." Om, nom, nom. "Bleh! Zero out of ten! You're out! Do not go to the dessert round!"

"Oh," Plata said. "Darn. I'm out."

"And, next, Niesha!" Pekkle cried. Om, nom, nom. "Not salty enough! Four out of ten! You're out!"

"Aww, shucks, I thought my good oven dice roll would land me a win," Niesha groaned.

"Okay, triplets, get your butts over here!" Pekkle cried. Om, nom, nom, nom, nom. "Woah, juicy, meaty! The trifecta! All of you get full points and move onto the dessert round!"

"We're the winners, yeah, yeah!" the triplets cried.

"Shunko's dish gets a--." But as Pekkle said such, he coughed up a storm. "Zero out of ten! How dare you put a loada pepper in this! You're out!"

"It wasn't my idea, though, but eh, guess I'm out, shucks," Shunko said, walking off stage.

Pekkle soon munching on his dish intently, the hyena broke into a sweat. Ah, this duck is going to be mad his shish kebob was burned, wasn't he? But, somehow, some way, such comment hadn't graced him. He couldn't help but feel confused. They liked this burned meat? Weird. Duck whispering can't go on with only four contestants, he lowered his eyes into a squint. Ah, he sees, rating stunt, whatever.

"And, now, it's time for the dessert round! Lowest scoring person gets the first dice roll!" Pekkle cried.

Shake, shake, tossssssssssssss.

"A six?! We have to make a banana cake! Why?!" Lalalaflora cried.

"A two?!" Qiongqi cried. "I'm not making no stupid pound cake!"

"No rerolls, sorry!" Pekkle shouted.

Kylling rolling a fourteen, the chimera flinched as she had been assigned a wedding cake to make. He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous at such. What an elaborate confectionary to make, she's got this in the bag, didn't she? Pulao rolling a four, she had been in charge of making cupcakes. How strange, this was a weird cooking show. Chiwen rolling a seven, luck wasn't on their side, either.

Ingredients laid out in front of him, a dice roll had been forced upon him and Lalalaflora as they mixed the bowl. Seventeen rolled, the process went smoothly. Batter mixed, he threw in the banana chunks. Disgusting scent wafting through, he sighed. Who would ever want to eat a banana cake? Not he. But, he supposed it wasn't for him.

Slamming the creature into the oven as the batter had finished settling, the next dumb dice roll had locked in on him. Getting a three, he could feel the doom roll in. Another low one, the cake was going to burn, wasn't it? Smelling a smoky sent, he grit his teeth. Huh, already?! Just how fast did time move in this world? Nothing made sense.

"No! Two for two!" Lalalaflora cried. "We don't stand any chance of winning now!"

Yellow frosting charcoal, the chimera waved the flag of surrender. It was over. There was no way he's winning this at all. Smelling further ovens in the corner burning, he turned towards Kylling. Alas, her wedding cake was going down, as well. Only Pulao and Qiongqi's desserts remaining standing, he knew what to suspect from this moment onward.

"Time's up!" Pekkle cried. "Present your--." ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, static.

Everything freezing in a pixelated mess for a moment, the hyena jumped. Huh, what happened just now? But, before he knew it, everything was back to normal. Shaking his head, he snapped himself out of it. It was nothing, surely. Nothing to worry about. But, further static soon played out as Pekkle once again tried to speak.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT.

neeuqollehyttiksigniogwnod.

"Huh?" Kylling asked, confused. "Please repeat that, I couldn't hear you!"

"Present your dessert, Kylling!" Pekkle shouted. Om nom, nom. "Bleh! Burned! Two out of ten!"

"Tough critic!" Kylling cried.

"You there, hyena boy, present your de--!" ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZt.

migniogotekatrevosihtmodgink.

"Hello? Hyena boy, I'm talking to you! Minus two points for spacing out!" Pekkle cried. "Hand me your dessert!"

Hearing a weird message through the static, the chimera's heart leapt. Huh, what was that just now? Migniogotekatrevosihtmodgink? What did that mean? He needed to start recording these weird messages before it was too late. Huffing and puffing, he soon presented his burned banana cake to the only judge.

"Bleh, this is gross, you get zero points!" Pekkle cried. "You lose!"

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZt.

sihtdlrowdluohsgnolebotemdnaemylnotonemosdiputstacohwtnacnevenurehtecalp.

Fast gibberish flashing through, the chimera turned his head towards the right and left. Who was saying all this, where were they? Hello, they were ruining this cooking show for everyone! But, no one else seemed fazed at all, what was going on? Was he the only one hearing all this? Maybe he was. He needed to act natural, right. Watching as the duck munched on Pulao's dish, she had been sent away as a failure, too.

Chiwen's cake declared mediocre as well, the student held in a sigh. What determined what was a good and bad cake, anyway? He wasn't quite well versed in this subject at all. But, his was burned, so he guessed that was one measure that would determined the tastiness alone. Everyone else not quite hitting it with the judge, one final cake remained for eating.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzt.

emitotreattrapaehtdloselurdnaekatstahwsienim.

Qiongqi's dessert munched away at, the losers all watched in unison as Pekkle's eyes shined like the stars in the sky. Ah, there it was, the definite winner in all of this. How tiresome, the loudest, most competitive out of everyone got the platinum spoon. Such is life. Little duck and whoever was behind the camera declaring the show over for the day, the young adult soon took the rainbow pathway home.

But, as he had done so, he couldn't help but think about all those gibberish messages cutting in through the television broadcast. What were those? Were they some signal trying to interrupt everything? He didn't know, but something didn't feel right about that. Maybe it was one of those creepy three am broadcast hijacks he'd sometimes hear about on the internet as a kid. Could stuff like that happen here? Pal looking at him with concern, he had soon been kicked out of his thoughts.

"Siorc, what's wrong? You look a little down about something!" Lalalaflora cried. "I know we lost, but it's okay! We'll win next time!"

[It's nothing, Lala,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [I'm just thinking about something.]

"You can always talk to me if something's bothering you, Siorc!" Lalalaflora cried. "I'm your partner!"

Nodding, the long winded road soon came to an end. Midnight sky burning into his face, the chimera let out a yawn. It had sure gotten late. Lalalaflora already half asleep, he placed her on his shoulder. Moving forward towards his home, he quickly changed into his nightwear for the rather late evening. Crawling into bed, he placed his pal on her side of the bed. Closing his eyes dropping into dreamland, one dooming thought kicked in as he drifted off into the zs.

That gibberish during the show, what was that all about?

---

The first few messages are gibberish, but the others? Not so much. :) Can you figure out what they say? Next time, back to Kuromi caverns.

 

[Palamon]

Seventh Link: Little Twin Stars Stamp Rally

---

"So, it's been a few weeks again,
On and off, I have been seeing

Those weird codes in the pixel rain again. And, I
Have to say, they're getting clearer every time.
I'm starting to realize
Now that this sugary, rainbow happy place is a
Great far cry from that at all.
Something sinister is going on

Here. I'm going to be frank
About it, I think Queen Hello Kitty
Very well might have ruled
Everything in the wrong way.

Because one of the messages I heard in the pixel rain,
Eh? Was idluohsebehtrelurfosihtecalp. I
Guess the messages are
Um they're backwards for something. I have
No idea. And, it's making me feel very nervous.

The past few weeks, I've been tending to, and
Of course, trying to

Get permission to expand my farm. Lala and I saw an
Entire field unkept in
The back, so the two of us at the moment,

We've been trying to earn more Kitty Koins in
Order to be allowed to use it, honestly, the
Ruler, Queen Hello Kitty I wonder if people doesn't like how
She rules, but I'll leave it at that.
Err, anyway, lately, we haven't been able to get any Kitty Koins. Lala and

I are thinking of entering a stamp rally. There's one coming up later today.
Not saying this will allow us to

Start expanding our farm or anything, but
Ah, I've heard this stamp rally has
No dice rolls, and anyone who gets at least ten stamps gets a
Reward. But, it is also very likely
In some sort of way a race.
Or something like that I

Feel like I should find out more
About it. But, I don't
Need to, I'm hoping
That it's as simple
As it sounds. Hopefully

It's as simple as it sounds

And doesn't have any dice rolls, but
Maybe the small prizes do have

Some required dice rolls? How should I know
The answer to that? I don't have
An answer at the moment. Hase and
Romina told me
This, though. They told me
I should try and go back home.
Now, I haven't thought about
Going back home in awhile.

Though, with how rather
Odd things are getting, I'm

Thinking about it a little.
However, to be honest,
I'm not ready. I'm
Not ready to leave this magical, colorful
Kingdom world behind.

It's too early for that. I

Still have yet to figure out my objective on
How to go back home
Or what it might be.
Unless I do know and it's
Literally just simply passed by me. I
Don't know? I haven't quite figured it out

Just yet. At this point in time. And,
Uh, maybe that's fine
Since I just don't
Think I want

To go just yet. I know this world is
Rupturing and it's a far cry from the happy rainbows it once was, but
You know, l'll be honest about

This, I am fine with that. For
One thing, this place is much better than my home world. I

Get to be myself without judgement. No
One here is human,

Because, well, I have learned humans aren't
Allowed here. This place is for
Chimeras who have faced prejudice. I
Know that this is a definition that

Has stretching room.
Or something like that,
Maybe all of the chimeras here have
Ended up experiencing

Extreme forms of prejudice. I
Have to be vulnerable for a second.

In my home world, my race is not allowed to be mentioned.

We have mostly been erased
In the minds of the government, and we aren't supported.
Look, I don't understand it at all. It's not
Like that will simply

Just change. I know it's
Ultimately rooted in a huge
Systematic misunderstanding of what we are.
Though, I guess in the end, that's

Likely why we were all sent here.
I'm fine with that. I
Very much prefer it here.
Even so, it's getting

Much worse here, so, I have been thinking of returning home.
Yes, return home, but only a

Little, it's at the back of my mind.
I'm going to have
Fun at the stamp rally with Lala today. So,
Everything will be fine."

|Breaking News!|

This just in, we have yet another major development involving the case of missing college students! We have suddenly been a lot of strange intel all at once lately! We don't know where it's coming from but, we recently got a really strange call on our line that feels quite otherworldly, if I do say so myself! I may be an intern, but boy the things I have heard recently, wooh wee, I'll remember these calls forever!

As of the past few days, we have been getting alleged calls from the college students that have gone missing! And, the phone numbers are local! But, here's the strange part in all this! The voices sound rather distant and staticy! What's that all about? Well, I personally don't know, but I'm starting to believe that theory of all of the Group Who Shall Not Be Named were sent to another world!

Many of these calls we have been getting into our line could possibly be a prank, but I, Chaz, do not think so! Sure, all of this talk about another world sounds like a load of nonsense, but hear me out! I believe it's true. Look at the facts! For starters, they sounded super far away! What's up with that! That's not how normal phone calls work!

What do you think, Cherise, am I on the right track?

{Cherise: I don't know, Chaz! People can totally make things up and make themselves sound far away on the phone! It could be super tricky filters that were created to make a false sense of distance! You're so young and gullible that you'll believe anything you hear, won't you? I don't think you're on the right track at all, brother! You need to do better!}

{Chaz: Are you sure that's the case here, Cherise? I think they sounded genuine on the phone! I don't think they had a reason to lie to us! People aren't as dishonest as you think! At least, not all the time anyway! Sure, maybe the person put the phone on speaker and screamed from the other side of the room, but I don't think that's likely the case here!}

{Cherise: Well, if you're so sure on that, friendo, let me ask you something! Why are you so set on this whole other world shtick that multiple people have definitely just been saying to keep us quiet? 'Cause it's more than likely that's the case here, wouldn't you say? Humans are pretty sinister creatures after all! And, I'd know since I am one!}

{Chaz: Maybe you'll change your mind after we play the transcript of this phone call, Cherise!}

{Cherise: Well, Chaz, you can try, but, it's not going to change my opinion, or anything!}

{Chaz: You never know!}

*Ahem*

|Transcript of phone call written at: XX:XX on XX/XX.|

{Hello, there! You're calling into the Missing College Students Hotline! Do you have any information for us regarding the missing students who are going to Hot Pot University, if so, please, speak up! We have hit a major roadblock in our investigation, and we could use your help to push us back on the wheels of solving this super long ongoing mystery!}

> Uh. Right, well, I am one of those missing college students you speak of. I recently discovered it was possible to get contact with the outside world. There's a signal here. Isn't that strange? Honestly, I'm surprised this is considered a mystery. I didn't think anyone would actually care enough to look for us. We're not exactly, you know.


{You're not exactly what? My apologies, but I'm not following! Is there something you can't say? Also, please speak up! You sound so far away on the other end! I can't hear you very well!}

> You can't? Apologies, I only have one signal bar to contact you. I was looking at the web and saw this broadcast of you looking for us, sir. I'm quite surprised anyone would bother to try and locate us <unintelligible>. After all, it's not like we're seen as equal. Why do you people care to look for us at all? You are a rather weird bunch of reporters, I mean. Most people refuse to acknowledge <unintelligible> exists.

{Oh, I see you're a Name I Cannot Say. So, could you enlighten me? You have been missing for quite some time now. What happened? Could you give us the one oh one? We've been on this case for a couple months now with no leads! Were you kidnapped? Perhaps whisked away to another world by magic like those other students at your university seem to claim? Please tell us everything about your disappearance!}

> Well, I don't know if you'll believe me on this, but it's true, we were sent to another world. Let me ask you, Mr. Intern. You're aware of that strange café that opened up out of nowhere, right?

{Yes, I am! We were kicked out of there! That owner was very rude might I say! She wanted nothing to do with us!}

> Really, sir? That's a little strange. She was nothing but kind to me. A very understanding lady, if not a little strange.

{Really? Let me ask something, then. Is it true what people are saying about people entering that café and then never coming out? We have been hearing this a lot lately! Please, it would give us a peace of mind to know whether that could be true, or just a silly lie!}

> Well, yes, in my case, I would say that did happen. I went to that mysterious café, and ordered a Sanrio themed dessert. I was given a coaster, and next thing I knew, I wasn't in my home anymore. So, believe it or not, if someone said magic, they are probably correct. As, last thing I remember, I saw a magical portal, and poof, now I'm somewhere else.

{So, that claim about magic is true after all?}

> Yes, I would say so. I don't have much to say to refute this. I don't know how to describe how this happened in another way. It was indeed magic. Or, some portal, I don't know. And, currently, getting back is pretty difficult, I'd say. So, honestly, let me be real with you in that you should probably end this search. To be completely fair here, even if us missing are able to return, nothing will change. No one will care.

{We can't just give up! We want the world to know you people are missing! And, we don't intend to rest until every single one of you is found! Could you tell us how many of you that you believe might have gone missing? That would be a very big help for us to continue this case!}

> Uh, well, I'd say about fifty seven of us. But, I don't know. Difficult to say.

{That many? Wow, and here the reporter I'm shadowing as an intern said I was being silly for thinking that so many people have gone missing!}

> Like I said, Mr. Intern, I'm not quite sure if that's how many of us have gone missing. Could be more, could be less. Now, I have one question for you before I go because my battery is about to die.

{Of course, of course, ask away, fellow!}

> Have any of the missing persons returned?

{No siree bob! Not a single reported person has returned!}

> I see. I don't have any information for you on how we can return. But, we appreciate you being the bigger person here and actually putting in the effort to get answers. You will make a great full time reporter someday, good sir. Goodbye.

*Click*

{Cherise: Hmm, well, Chaz, that phone call could be doctored for all we know!}


{Chaz: Wow, you sure are a tough sell, Cherise!}

As you can see, this transcript mentioned magic and another world, and heck, people acted like I was a bit off my knocker for that! But, it would seem I was right on the money! But, unfortunately, that's where the leads on this end! We don't have a lot to say about the missing persons, but it would seem that it could be very possible that they were sent to another world! What's up with that?!

But, wow, would you look at the time, we're out of airspace! Who knows, it could be possible that soon, some more of the missing persons will call into our line and tell us more! Until then, this case remains open! And now, here's Montana with the international news! Oh, no, it would seem there was another shooting! Who can do something about these terrible disturbed people?

This concludes our breaking news report!|

A few weeks had passed by once again since the hyena had been on the cooking show Pekkle's Kitchen. A lot of, more of the less the same had occurred as the days had begun to blur together at lightning speed. Days droning on by like a bad breakup, something weird had begun to take place as the pixel rain had only gotten worse.

World around him losing more and more color, one particular message stood out amongst the rest. Idluohsebehtrelurfosihtecalp. Message repeated multiple times, if not, far more than it usually did, the college student couldn't help but notice something rather noticeable. That message, it sounded like gibberish, but could it have been possible the words were just backwards?

Putting a pin in such thought for awhile, the hyena and Lalalaflora had discovered something on the backside of his house. Finding further plots of soil in the back of his cottage, he could feel himself wanting to expand the farm. But, such had not been allowed without the usage of Kitty Koins. Not having many available to him, such expansion was as dead in the water as water came.

Queen Hello Kitty stating she can't let them use the land unless they pay her an outrageous amount of Kitty Koins, the chimera had no idea what options could possibly be available to him. But, as the days went on, he had heard something rather interesting being advertised in his morning mail. Whisperings about a Stamp Rally, he knew it was worth a shot trying it out.

But, a few sour apples had been tossed into the hyena's mind. The fantasy world he had been sent to, maybe his siblings were right when they said it was not what it seemed. Should he try to go back home? He didn't know why, but he was starting to feel like he should try. But, such thought had soon been deeply buried by the Stamp Rally approaching ever so closer.

Little kitty alarm screeching up a storm, the student let out a groan as he slapped down the bells. He swore to the sky that the queen had given him this loud alarm on purpose. Hearing a loud knock on the door as the racket settled down, the young adult rubbed his eyes. Who could that be this early in the morning? Lalalaflora still snoring away, he gently rose from the bed.

"Good morning, fine citizen! Here's your mail!" a feminine voice cried. "Is that what I'm supposed to say?"

"That's what it says on the script here!" Po cried.

Hearing a young voice, the chimera took a double take. Kaiser's kid sister, Holly? What was she doing here? Reaching for his digital whiteboard, he almost scribbled away an entire sentence, but couldn't bring himself to. Maybe it wasn't worth it; multiple people were mailmen and mailwomen. Dotting the little scribble, he held in a sigh.

[Where's your brother?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"Hmm? My bro? He's off today, so I came in his place!" Holly cried. "Right, Po?"

"Righto!" Po exclaimed.

"But here's your m--!"

Crackle.

Boom.

Boom.

Tick.

wercsouyneeuqollehyttikuoykcusdnailliwekatuoynwod

Pixel rain screeching on the outside, the chimera blinked. Huh, what was that? That message, it sounded much clearer than anything before. The precipitation had been getting worse. Holly turning her face she looked confused, as well. Did she hear that message? He couldn't have been the only one, right?

"You hear that too, bro?" Holly asked.

[I did. What do you think it means?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"Dunno, bro, sounds like backwards talk to me," Holly said. "Whatevs, here's your mail. Also, seems like people are rapidly approaching your cottage! Farewell!"

Penguin girl speeding away, the chimera rose an eyebrow. Who was coming towards his cottage? Hearing a yawn from his bed, he closed the door. Whoever it was, that was neither here nor there, it was time to make some breakfast. Purple fashionable bunny hopping off her tiny little pillow, the usual greetings had come his way.

"Good morning, Siorc!" Lalalaflora. "Don't forget, your family is coming over today for breakfast before we go to the stamp rally!"

Hearing such, the chimera scrambled off towards the kitchen. His siblings were coming today? When was that agreed on? He couldn't seem to remember. Reaching for the frying pan, he hastily plopped in the meaty ingredients. By the skies above, how could this be happening? Maybe he had been thinking way too deeply lately about the pixel rain and those strange messages. That had to have been it, right?

"Siorc, they're burning!!" Lalalaflora cried. "The pancakes are burning!!"

Meaty pancakes burning away, the chimera let out a screech. Ah, he let them simmer for too long, no! How could he do that? Starting over, he couldn't seem to get it all together in any capacity. They were all coming at such short notice, how could he ever hope to get this ready in time? Trying to keep calm, six whole stacks of flapjacks had soon been made.

Knock on the door getting louder by the second, the chimera bolted towards the entranceway. Five siblings waiting for him by the door, he broke into a sweat. Everyone is here, huh? What were they coming here for again? He couldn't seem to remember at all. Everything was feeling like the biggest blur lately.

"Good morning, kiddo," Pira asked. "Everything alright? You seem surprised to see us."

[I forgot you were all coming, forgive me,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [When did we agree on this again?]

"Last week," Strix said. "It's not like you to forget something so important. What's on your mind?"

Older brother's question coming his way, the hyena placed his hand on his chin. Should he tell them what had been going through lately? But, the student shook his head. What good would that do? Turning his head towards his kin's shoulders, he couldn't help but notice their pals had all been asleep. Maybe he could divert the conversation to that instead.

[Nothing too important,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Your partners are still sleeping at this time of day?]

"Hmm, yeah, our partners tend to only wake up in the afternoon, why?" Coiote asked. She then sniffed away. "Oh, my goodness, are those meaty bacon pancakes? Our family recipe!" Zoom. Off she goes.

"Oh, my gosh! There she goes!" Leah cried. "But, our partners only wake up in the heat of battle. We're not as in sync as you are with your friend."

"I don't know about that, Leah," Hase said. "Romina and I are pretty good friends. In any case, thank you for having us, Siorc. You at least remember we came here to talk to you about something, right?"

Inquiry coming his way as his siblings all bolted into the cottage, the chimera was drawing over hundreds of blanks. They had all come here to talk to him about something? Why couldn't he seem to remember what that something might have been? He didn't know. Well, oh well, guess he was about to find out. Pal in the corner eating her fluffy crepes aplenty he watched as his kin wolfed down theirs as well.

Gazing at his sibling's sleeping partners, he couldn't help but feel a slither of uncomfortable cheese drop onto his plate. What did Leah mean by what she said? They all weren't as in synch with their partners as he was? But, he felt like he knew. The four of them didn't want to be here, did they? So, why build up attachment to their partners in the end?

"You've become pretty good at cooking, kiddo," Pira said. "These meaty pancakes are the best."

"They really hit the spot, bro!" Strix cried. "You should open a restaurant and name it the Meaty Pancake!" But, he soon let out a fake cough. "Well, anyhoo, that's neither here, nor there. We came here for a reason, ya know! We have to ask something. You're hearing those messages, too, right? Inside the pixel rain?"

Inquiry coming his way, the hyena blinked. Wait, hold on, his siblings could hear all that mumbo jumbo, too? He thought it was just him! He could feel the thread tie itself back together knowing he hadn't been the only one. Amazing, it wasn't just him? Why did he feel like it was so? Ah, but maybe other people just hadn't reacted the way he did. That was all. Scribbling away, he almost wrote far too much on the digital screen.

[I have been hearing the messages inside the pixel rain,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [What about them?]

"Well, you see, we've been working on decoding them," Leah responded to his whiteboard. Her hands were folded on the table as she continued. "All five of us heard these messages lately, and they're rather concerning. We figured if anyone would be able to hear them the clearest, it would be you."

"It's great to know we were right on the money with this one. When you were little, you were always pretty attentive," Coioite said. "Most people seem to think we've got a screw loose when we ask about it. But, we started recording them all recently, and came together as a group to decipher what they're saying, and well. Hase, could you play the recording back?"

"Of course, sis," Hase said. As she said such, she took out a tape recorder. "Here goes."

Click.
I'm going to take over this kingdom!

Click.

Queen Hello Kitty is going down!

Rest of the clips complete gibberish, the young adult could feel a chip crack his shoulder. Ah, this? This most certainly reminded him of something. But, what? These messages, he heard them during the cooking show. Were those moments of pixel rain plopping down? Perhaps so, but what did he know? What was he supposed to do with this information? It wasn't like he didn't already know this. But, as he thought such, his pal interrupted his thoughts.

"Waah, how did you guys decipher all that?!" Lalalaflora cried.

"We went to the high technology city," Hase told Lalalaflora. She then turned towards Siorc. "But, these are the couple of messages we've been able to make form actual words thus far. We don't know what's going on, but something strange is happening." She let out a sigh. "My adventure team has told me that at night, something unusual is going on in Kuromi Caverns. Maybe we'll go there and see what's going on." But, as she said such her phone buzzed. "Ah, that's Liath. It wants me to go to the guild. Sorry, I have to go." As she said such, everyone else got up as well.

"Us, as well," Pira said. "Thanks for the flapjacks, kiddo. Maybe we'll see you at the stamp rally? If you're going."

Nodding, the hyena bid farewell to his kin. Door slamming loud the chimera placed his finger on his chin for a moment. Should he head for Kuromi Caverns after dark? Maybe he should. Perhaps, if he did, he'd find out a little more about this pixel rain. Just a tiny bit more where it counted. Or, maybe he wouldn't? Who knows. But, as he thought such, a little reminder soon peeped.

Barely charged smartphone reminding him it was time to head to the stamp rally, the student almost forgot. Ah, right, he recently discovered this world still had signal. But, that hardly mattered for anything. White banner reading, Stamp Rally Today he flinched. He had almost forgotten what that thing sounded like. Turning towards Lalalaflora, he scribbled away.

[It's time to go to the Stamp Rally,] the text-to-speech said on his behalf. [Where does the Runabouts Trolley stop at?]

"The Runabouts Trolley should be here right about now!" Lalalaflora cried. "This year's stamp rally is in Little Twin Stars quarters! That's super far from here!"

Hearing a honk outside, the party of two made a run for it. Ah, there it was, huge trolley with a star shaped p on the edge, the chimera wondered bus based on a Sanrio character too? He couldn't help but notice everything had been named after the famous ones almost anyone would know, even an elderly person.

"You're the last one," a white male cat with a suit said. "Alright, hop on."

Hopping all the way to the back of the trolley, the chimera could see seven other chimeras on the bus along with him. It was always seven, huh? That had to have been a coincidence, right? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. He truly didn't know. But, maybe he was overthinking it. Heads turning towards him collective groans had come his way.

"Ugh, Dear Daniel, this is the guy ya decided to pick up from the sticks?!" a voice asked.

"Uh, don't you think that's kind of mean?" another voice asked.

"Heh heh, not mean enough, honestly," another voice said. "I mean, look at this dude here! What's he need the prize money for in the stamp rally? He's got a nice little cottage!"

"You guys?" another voice chimed in. "That's a little mean. Anyone can participate."

"Hmph, it's not like someone like him needs to," another voice added. "He can afford a nice little cottage. He has no reason to be here!"

"Agweed!" another voice said.

"Could you all just be quiet?" the last voice said. "Can't we just have a peaceful trolley ride? He's that environmental science major guy anyway. He probably won't even make it to all the stops."

Doors to the trolley closing, the hyena wrinkled his nose. Excuse him, what was with the hostility here? And who said he had a lot of money? He only had a singular cottage and farm to his name! That was it. He wasn't loaded at all. How could they think that? Multiple stink eyes thrown his way, he studied the sour plum drops piling up one after another.

Seated furthest away from him had been a short young rabbit woman with dark orange hair pulled into a high ponytail. Pink ribbon in her hair, she had a frilly white dress. He couldn't help but feel extremely jealous seeing such. Ah, what a nice, lacy looking outfit. Little white rabbit with the same pink bow, he tried to remember where he had seen this girl. But, he couldn't recall. She probably went to the other wing of the university he never visited.

Sitting closest to him had been a masculine rabbit dude with dark orange hair pulled into two low stringy ponytails. Open jacket, and white shirt underneath, he had a blue carrot hairpin in his locks. Brown rabbit next to him with a white mouth, he recalled where he had seen this man before. He was on the Hot Pot Track Team, he believes. No wonder he was so competitive. What was his name again, Hatsu? Maybe.

Standing up from her seat for a moment had been a tall young woman with bee wings. Long, golden hair that was pulled into a ponytail that went down to about her knees, she had golden eyes to match. Striped shirt that looked like honey, next to her had been a little bee critter who looked as happy and saccharine as could be.

Looking ready to float off into space had been a sort young lady with long pink hair that went down to about her waist. Freckles galore, she had a rosy one piece dress to match. Seeing this person, he remembered something. Wasn't she that falcon girl he always saw flying away from people? Maybe. Little teddy bear with a rosy shirt similar to hers, nothing came to mind.

Groaning the loudest and giggling had been an androgynous person with gazelle horns and tan skin. Curly dark blue hair that went down to about their shoulders, something was very unusual about their costume. Adorning astronaut gear, he didn't get it. What planet was this chimera even on? The wrong one, that's for sure. Golden astronaut bear next to them, everything was making even less sense now.

Seated on what looked like a booster seat had been a very short young rat woman with short brown hair pulled into a ponytail that was almost half her size. Turquoise eyes to match, she had a sailor suit that matched her eyes exactly. Green mouse with purple ears just as short, if not shorter, than he was, he couldn't help but feel bad. She probably got mistaken for a child all the time, didn't she? The curses of being born a rat chimera.

Looking ready to doze off in the corner had been a tall dark skinned man with spiky white hair and a small blue highlight hanging below the ear. A little on the plus side, he adorned a striped green and yellow shirt. Little tanuki friend next to him adorning the same outfit, he tried hard to remember where he saw him, but couldn't. Party of seven sighing, he could see heads about to turn.

"Does it matter if we win or not? It's not like we're getting much anyway," the first person in the front said. "Not a single thing is decided by a dice roll at the stamp rally. All that matters is getting the stamps. Whatever. I'm Shiroka. This is Milkeemimi."

"Mimi!" the rabbit chanted.

"Haven't you taught her how to talk by now?!" the person closest to him cried. "Whatever. I'm Hatsu, and listen, I ain't gonna get buddy buddy with you or nothin'. Right, Kurousa?"

"Prepare to lose!" the rabbit cried.

"You lot can be so annoying sometimes! Why did I agree to come along?" another voice groaned. "Ugh, I'm Wren, and this is Sweetcoron. Look, I don't care why you're here, but you clearly don't need to be! Understand?"

"Buzzz off," the bee creature said.

"I mean, what if he's here because he thinks battles are lame like we do?" another feminine voice asked. "You're here to do the stamp rally because you don't like getting hurt right? Right? I'm Dove, and this is Pinki Lili! Please say you're on the you don't like getting hurt squad!"

"Hehe, you're the only one in that squad! I love battles!" the person in the middle of the trolley cried. "Heh, anyway, I'm Onur, and this is Kumamilen!"

"Pleasure to meet you!" the two bears said.

"Yew guys, the Stamp Wally is fwee for everyone to pawticipate in!" another voice cried. But, they cleared their throat. "Oops, sow-, I mean, sorry, I have a lot of trouble speaking clearly. I'm Mysi, and this is Cocoa. Pw, ahem, please pardon me if I sw, I mean slip on my words a lot."

"You need to remember to move your mouth correctly on the right syllables, girl!" Cocoa said.

"I know, I know, I'm twyin." She turned away as she said such.

"Clearly not hard enough," the last voice said. "Since you all introduced yourself to our competition, I'll go last. I'm Huxian, but you can call me Xavier. And, this is Tracy." He then turned towards everyone else. "Who cares if he has money or not? Literally anyone can enter this stamp rally. It's for fun."

"Says you!" Hatsu shouted. "This is a competition!"

"Yeaw, I mean, yeah!" Mysi shouted. "It's a race!"

"It really isn't, though," Shiroka said, sighing. "It's supposed to be a fun little rally. Milkeemimi and I don't want it to be taken too seriously like this."

"Only some of us feel that way," Wren said.

"Yeah, Hatsu, for instance," Dove added.

"Hehe, I mean, it kinda is a competition, you know!" Onur cried. "Whoever gets all ten stamps first wins a big prize, so!"

"So?" Xavier said. "It's not like he's going to get there that fast. He's slow. So, don't worry about it."

Everyone laughing as the trolley moved forward, the chimera groaned. Did this Xavier person really have to single him out like that? So, what if he was a little slower when he ran? It's not like he was here to win the whole thing. He was just here to see the sights, collect some stamps and have a good time with Lala. Was that so much to ask for?

Bus wheels screeching to a halt, a little charming town full of whimsical clouds of a bubbly effect everywhere, the chimera almost let out a tiny little giggle. What a cute place this was. So, this was Little Twin Stars Quarters, huh? Doing a stamp rally here sounded like a lot of fun. He felt like a child all over again. Was this what it felt like to grow down instead of up?

Everyone zooming away, the chimera nearly fell onto his buttocks. Ah, there everyone goes. They sure wanted to win this, didn't they? He supposed he really didn't blame them. He had no intention of winning this anyway. Why do this for the Kitty Koins? He came here to enjoy himself. Plopping the stampbook into his pocket, he turned towards his pal.

[You ready to go?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"I'm ready to go!" Lalalaflora cried.

Walking for quite some time, the first booth had been out in front of him. Seeing a tiny little pink haired fairy girl flying up by the table with a little stamper in her hand, the party of two removed their little books from their pockets. Gazing at the angel for a little while longer, he wondered which Sanrio being she was? He felt like he had never seen her before.

"Here you go!" the little fairy girl said. "One Lala stamp for you! Good luck on the rest of the rally!"

"Thank you, Lala!" Lalalaflora cried.

Fairy calling herself Lala, he placed his hand on his chin. She was one of the two twin stars, right? Maybe he had seen her before in one of his children's books from when he was around six or seven, he didn't know. Moving onward, he had soon passed by the second stamping area. Hatsu sticking out his tongue and placing his finger underneath his eyelid, he soon let out a laugh.

"Xavier was right, you're sooo slow!" Hatsu cried. "Heh, enjoy losing, bye!"

"Loser, loser, how about becoming a poser?" the brown bunny cried.

"Here you go, one Kiki stamp!" a blue angel boy cried.

Smiling blue angel stamp awarded to Lala and he, the chimera kept on moving forward. But, as he had done so, some of the stamps had begun to get weird when running past the third and fourth tables. Both of them Kuromi laughing with various sinister faces, he swore he could see everything around him get staticy.

Sparks flying as he ran faster, something wasn't right. Was it just him, or was something getting kind of weird around here? Something was incredibly off. The colors of the clouds, they were getting much duller. Hearing a laugh begin to play, he heard a loud clap of thunder as the fifth table was soon nearing.

neeuqollehyttikiesipseduoyevigpuehtenorhtotem

Further sparks flying, the chimera did not just understand what he heard at all. Huh? What was that just now? Shaking his head, he kept moving along. Honestly, did it even matter? Not really. Why waste his time thinking about what it meant? He had stamps to collect. But, as he collected the one marking the halfway point, something quite awful ate him up and spit him out.

Nothing but Kuromi stamps here too, he broke out into a sweat. Weren't these stamps supposed to be of other denizens here? What was with this? He didn't get it. Where did all the others go? Something wasn't right, something wasn't right at all! Sixth one this little gremlin too, she had a little queen hat on her head. Looking at such, another crackle of lightning took the stage.

sihtdlrowdluohstor

Gibberish playing out, the student felt rather uneasy. What was that just now? He didn't know, but he didn't like it. He needed to decipher these messages like his siblings did. This pixel rain, the thunder, none of this was a good thing. He hadn't hardly been vigilant enough about it, had he? He hadn't been.

Partner looking at him as he walked slower, he tried to shake everything off. Maybe this was nothing to concern himself over. Maybe he was overthinking it. These messages, perhaps they didn't mean anything. He really shouldn't have been bothering himself over them! He was here to have fun today collecting stamps. Come on, what was he doing thinking about that little gremlin at a time like this anyway? No need for any of that!

Seventh stamp more or less the same, but more sinister looking version of the gremlin stomping on a crown, the chimera couldn't help but feel a wave of unease. Should he be concerned about this? Maybe he should be. But, he tried to calm the storm within. Ah, no, this was just a little game. No reason to think of it any other way. Hearing shouts from afar saying they beat the loaded cottage guy, he sighed. Ah, how annoying, they're still going to spew that story of him, huh?

Passing by the eight booth, the chimera tried to keep his cool. Ah, this stamp was, zzt? Jumbled pixelated mess in front of him, his head spun. Ah, who was it? He didn't know. Shrugging, he moved on. Maybe the stamper was messed up, or something. It happens to everyone sometimes. Mistakes are what make the world the way it was, after all.

Ninth and tenth stamps the same jumbled mess, a supply box of tissues had been handed to him and his pal. Bare minimum given, he tried to feel gratitude. Ah, this was one of those consolation prizes. He was the last one to get all the stamps, huh? Eh, it was what it was. It's not like he was in this to win it. Chimera group pointing and laughing, he covered his ears. Here it comes, the peanut gallery.

"Wow, you're a slowpoke!" Hatsu cried. "The slowest ever! Shiroks and I got here first!"

"And you have to rub it in because?" Shiroka asked.

"Sore winner!" Milkeemimi cried.

"So what if I'm a sore winner!" Hatsu said. "At least I beat him!"

"Why do you care so much?" Dove asked. "This was supposed to be fun!"

"You had to ruin it by being all competitive!" Wren cried.

"Hehe, I mean it is a competition, ya know!" Onur cried.

"Shut up, space cadet!" Wren shouted.

"Yowch!"

"Whatevs, Hatsu, don't yew think you're getting a wi-, I mean a little carried away?" Mysi asked. "You almost knocked Cocoa and I down on the tw-, I mean trail when we were wunning!"

"Ya'll not competitive enough!" Hatsu shouted. "Try harder!"

"Stop fighting, the trolley home is here," Xavier said. "Could you all shut up for five whole seconds? I swear, girls can be so annoying sometimes."

"Who are you callin' a girl, hmm?" Hatsu cried. "I'm a man!"

"If you don't shut up, the trolley will leave you behind." Xavier bolted towards the bus as he said such.

Staring out the trolley window as it tooted along, the chimera couldn't help but continue to think as Lalalaflora slept in his lap. Those stamps, everything after that little blue fairy was of Kuromi. He kept seeing that gremlin everywhere he went. Could she be? But, he stopped that train of thought. No, of course not. Stop overthinking it.

Returning to his cottage, the chimera tucked his pal onto her side of the bed. Remembering what his kin told him, he stepped outside of his home. Go to the Kuromi Caverns at night, right, that was what he had to do. But, upon getting there, he could hear a loud murmur shake the cave walls.

"Queen Hello Kitty, you're so annoying!" a high pitched squeaky voice shouted. "You are such a little tyrant! I'mma overthrow this kingdom and become the queen!"

Loud screeches continuing, the hyena attempted to enter the cave, but he couldn't bring himself to. If he barged in now, whoever that other denizen was raising a fuss would definitely do something dangerous. Maybe he should just listen from here, that would be good enough. Walls rumbling again, he had soon something far more disturbing wash through.

"What do you mean you're running this place fine? Ha, as if!" a high pitch squeaky voice cried. "I'm going to make Sanrio Fanta rot! This world's gonna rot! Wait, oops, hehe, looks like it's already started anyway! Haha, say bye to all the color, say hello to the dragons, 'cause we're gonna be taking that crown from you!" But, the voice soon stopped. "Hmm, someone's there!" Clap. "Go away!"

Lighting charging his way, the hyena bolted like a shooting star. Oh, no, he had been spotted! Dashing back to his cottage, he huffed and puffed. Wave of fatigue flowing through him, the student put on his nightwear. Crawling under his covers, he stared at the ceiling for awhile. Sanrio Fanta was already beginning to rot? What did that even mean, anyway? Closing his eyes, he let the land of sleep devour him.

Someone's trying to overthrow Sanrio Kingdom. But why? What for?

---

Things are getting pretty heated, huh? I guess so. Next week, it gets worse, hooray!

 

[Palamon]

Eighth Link: Glitched Jewelpet Forest

---

"So, it's been about a week
Or so since I heard

The hard knocks going
On in Kuromi Caverns and, I
Don't know what to do
About it, I have been thinking about it for some time, but, I have
Yet to come to any sort of conclusion.

Let's not focus on
Any of that, though.
Lala and now have permission to use
All our farm land, but there's a
Little catch, we have to go to
A Plasmagica concert. We might be
Forced to perform at it, too, but
Let's hope that doesn't happen.
Of course, it's likely it might. I don't like
Rock and roll, I also have never heard of Plasmagica.
Ah, um, so what Sanrio branch

Are they from? I have heard they're from another world and
Not this one? But, I
Don't really follow.

I have never heard of this group,

Where did they come from?
In the world I came from, I hadn't heard of any bands, but,
Lately, I have been hearing there's actually a
Lot of idols, singers in the Sanrio

Brand. I have never been into music, Hase was into idols, though, and
Err, so was Coiote. They're

Going to the concert, too,
Of course, they're not going
In the same way I am.
Now, how will I be
Going? Well, alright, here's how I plan

To go, through the the forest.
Okay, well, there was supposed to be

A bus ride to get there, but the

Concert is by a nice forest and I will not miss
One big opportunity to see it.
Not sure if I
Can traverse all that
Easily, though, something
Rather funky has been going on around
The entirety of Sanrio Fanta lately.

Not sure what's going
On, but the glitches are getting even
Worse now. Everything

Is getting rather distorted,

And I've heard there's been a lot more
Mighty dragons going around defeating everyone.

Not sure what to do about it. For
One thing, I don't like
To battle, as I have established

Already. It's just not my forte,

But I have heard some are enterinng homes.
If one comes to my
Gardens and farm outside, I will

Fend to protect it. Of course,
Another thing that's been going on right
Now, the intense glitching,

Of course, the pixel rain has gotten
Far worse, and I have

Little to no idea at all
On how to
Upend it, but the backwards messages
Don't stop. My siblings

Probably decoded more for me, so they're
Likely going to tell me
All they know when they
Come over before going to the concert.
Eh, but I have this
Sinking doubt that this is

Bigger than we all know, and
Ugh, if that is
The case here, consider me a little

Too unprepared to deal with it because I
Hardly know what to
Even do right now.
Regarding some of these
Eerie messages, they
Seem to be suggesting

A takeover of some sort. To be honest, I

Can say nothing about this, as I
Ultimately don't even know enough
To comment on it, but if a takeover is imminent and in the works, that's awful. These
Eerie messages are becoming

Far more lucent as
Of late and I'm thinking that the
Royal Kitty Queen is
Especially close to being thrown over. But,
Since I don't really know
The relationship between Queen Hello Kitty and this mysterious gremlin

Whom is trying to take over the kingdom,
I have pretty much absolutely nothing
To say. But, I do
Have to wonder about a few things.

Now, I wonder
If this soul-link
Concept wasn't always a thing. I'm
Especially curious about this. But, I

Feel like that was decided since the beginning. It's
Likely anyway, but dragons?
Okay, apparently dragons
Weren't around pretty much
Ever until all the weird things start to
Rip everything apart. I
Should have looked more into how things are

Now versus then, but that's
Especially difficult
At this point in time, I'll look
Relatively deeper into this
Big problem later. Let's just have fun today.
Yes, try to have as much fun as possible."

|Breaking News!|

This just in, we have made significant progress regarding the missing college students at Hot Pot University! We've received not just one, not even two, but five major clues regarding this case! And, wow, that's a lot, am I right? We're making an incredible amount of progress now! Isn't that great, we finally have a lead!

Or, do we? Who knows! Sometimes fake evidence is submitted for the funsies, after all! If that's the case here, then butter me up, and call me Charlie, 'cause I've been duped once again! Hey, it happens to all of us! It could happen to you, it could happen to me! It could happen to anyone in the streets!

Ahem, look at me wasting perfectly good air time! Anyhoo, we have received items from the other side, and honestly, I think this is as good evidence as any that these college students have been spirited away by magic and sent to another world! Come and look at this Cherise! {Holds up a strange stuffed animal of a white dog with blue eyes and a swirly tail to the camera.}

{Cherise: Oh, Chaz, are you going to tell me that thing you're holding is supposed to be something from that self proclaimed other world that we've been getting claims about for the past few weeks? Oh, dear, my little intern, honestly, that's the silliest thing I've ever heard! Let's be a little more serious here!}

{Chaz: I knew you'd say that, Cherise, but, allow me to show you something! This doll may look normal, but look at this little pull string! Inside this little stuffed animal contains a message from the other side! I may look super whack when I say this, but this time I am certain this is the evidence we need to prove to the our Race Who Shall Not Be Named friends were sent to another world!}

{Cherise: Well, then what are you waiting for, Chaz, play the message! Oh, but, if it is just a silly little, I love you like in those Build a Puppy toys you can make, I'm going to rethink your internship a little! So, don't play games with me, okay brother? [Annoyed groan at the camera.] We have a million people watching this, you know!}

{Chaz: Woah, now did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed today? You sure are grumpy today, Cherise!}

Well, anyway, before you all today, I have something very special! Proof that the college students that went missing from Hot Pot University for all those listening at home, this is a momentous for us all as the past few months have been such a struggle for clues, but this time, for sure, this is the clue we need to get somewhere with this case! Here I go, I'm going to pull the string! Three, two, one.

Coil. coil, coil.

{Day One: Hello, there my name is unintelligible, and it would seem I have been sent to another world after going to that peculiar café for an evening snack, I was sent here to some place called unintelligible, and there's something rather unusual about this place, if I do say so myself. Not sure what this place truly is, but maybe I am dreaming. Maybe I am about to wake up from a dream, or, a nightmare?}

Wow, folks, look how slow this little string is moving! Whoever recorded this message for us, oops, I just talked over the little doll, didn't I? Silly me!

{Day Two: It would seem I am not dreaming. Or, maybe I am in a coma at this point, but, to be perfectly honest, probably not. I seem to be in fantasy world. And, I have been partnered with unintelligible. But, what's incredibly strange here is that this place is so rainbow and pastel. It's almost kind of blinding if I am being perfectly honest. My eyes really aren't used to these sort of rainbows.}

{Day Three: I have made a rather strange discovery here. This place is under some kind of system involving soul bonding. To be honest, I have no idea what this means. But, unintelligible and I are bound by soul in a link, or something. If I die in battles, so do they. Well, by die, I guess I mean defeat, because death is cheap here. But, once vitality reaches zero, your partner's does as well. It's rather strange. All and all, I don't really understand this place very well.}

{Day Four: This world is rather weird, and unusual. Everything here is decided by a dice roll by unintelligible. I can get behind that, but for every little thing? I think that is a bit excessive. Perhaps there's a reason behind it, but I still find it to be too much. What's the point in all this? Is this supposed to be like a dungeon game, or something? I am not a fan of that. Who would be?}

It looks like the string is about halfway back to the finish line now! We sure are learning a lot about this mysterious world that these college students might have been sent to! What kind of technology did they use to make this string be able to record so much information? Wooh wee! Ah, my bad, I talked over the little dog creature, didn't I? Whoopsie! My bad!

{Day sixty: I've been here a couple months now, and in such a short time, things have kind of falling apart in this little fantasy world. I don't know what happened, but now there's dragons everywhere. This was never the case before. And, now, they're pretty much everywhere. It is pretty troublesome, and I am somewhat concerned for the other people who came here before, and after me. Something isn't adding up, an honestly, I call fowl on this whole thing.}

{Day sixty four: Let me start by saying that things have begun to truly take a turn for the worse in this fantasy world. I don't know what has gone wrong, but things have been getting stranger and stranger by the day. For starters, it is now raining pixels. I have been told by unintelligible this is not a normal occurrence in unintelligible. And, I am a complete loss of what to do. I was the first one to arrive here. There's now a lot more people who have come here. And, it is no longer a laid back wonderland I once knew.}

{Day seventy: A storm is coming, a pixel storm is coming. And, this one might be the last one where it's just droplets of precipitation. I don't know what to say, or what to do. But, I have found a way to contact the outside world by recording my voice into this doll and sending it back to the way I came. I don't think anyone even cares enough to look for us. And, why would they? I mean, I'm a <we have to censor this word, sorry!> But, at this point, I don't think I'll be able to clear my objectives to go home. Is my body rotting somewhere in an alleyway? Probably. I can't say}

{Chaz: And, that's where the string reaches its end! So, Cherise, do you believe me now? Our missing college students have been sent to another world, and this is all the proof we need! But, say, how do we get them back from the other side? And, have we gotten any unconscious body reports lately?}

{Cherise: I don't believe so, Chaz! But, you know what, hey, this is a lot of evidence! How did this person record their logs into a doll like this, I'll never know! But, I think you might be onto something here, my friend! Maybe they were sent to another world! But, now that begs the question, how did this little critter get here?}

Oops, that's all the time we have today! We sure have made significant progress in this investigation, haven't we? I think we're this close to solving this problem once and for all! Will we receive more mysterious dolls soon? Find out at five! And now, here's Misty with today's auctions! Will the million dollar chair sat on by the Prime Minister hundreds years ago finally be bought?

This concludes our breaking news report!|

It had been about a week since the hyena and Lalalaflora had done the stamp rally together. Since then, the messages in the pixel rain had gotten far more clear, and far more frequent. But, that wasn't the only major development that had taken place within his Sanrio fantasy life. Something far worse had taken the stage, and fast.

World around him starting to get rather pixelated and jumbled as the days went on, the young adult couldn't help but want to know more about what might have been going on beneath the sunshine and rainbows. But, he thinks he could piece a few things together. The cards just weren't in the right place yet. However, one positive development had occurred.

Queen Hello Kitty allowing Lalalaflora and he to use the other fields in the back, far more seeds had been planted. Dipping his toes as far as possible into the agriculture business, he had put his pursued environmental science degree to good use. But, today would be a small break from a little of everything, at least for now.

Invited to got to a Plasmagica concert by Yinlong and Parisa, almost every single chimera citizen had plans to go see it. Learning the concert hall is very close to a pretty forest, Siorc knew exactly how he planned to traverse there. But, work had to come before play. Siblings planning on coming by a few hours before his traversal, more mysteries were about to be solved.

Little Kitty alarm zzzting out, the hyena slapped down the bells. Hearing such, the chimera swore he could hear weird messages bouncing through the bells. Was he imagining it? Maybe he was. Static getting louder, he knew had to take a short listen before slapping down the bells to quiet them down.

QuEENheLLOkITTYilliwekamuoyyaproftahwuoydiddnailliwstealyourcrown

Words much clearer than before, but only the first three and last three words, the chimera slapped the bells down. That message, all he could make out was, Queen Hello Kitty, and steal your crown. Huh, he sees, interesting. Lalalaflora snoring away, he could soon hear a knock on the door. Quickly scrambling to get dressed, he could feel his thoughts begin to flurry. Had his siblings come already? Reaching for his digital whiteboard, he bolted to the door.

"Good morning, fine citizen! Here's your mail!" Kaiser cried. "Ugh, what's with that hideous look on your face?"

"You're hideous!" Tenchou parroted.

Pesky Kaiser at his door with the mail once again, the chimera let out a groan. Why was every other word that came out of this penguin's mouth ugly this, hideous that? Just give him his mail, and go already! How someone like him even managed to get to a place like this is beyond him. But, perhaps he was being too judgmental. Whatever.

[Just give me my mail already, I have to get ready for a concert,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"Oh, you mean that Plasmagica concert? Hmph! People should be more excited for ShinganCrimsonZ! They're better!" Kaiser cried. "They came all this way from another world, what's up with that?"

"What's up with that?!" Tenchou cried.

Hearing such, the chimera's ears perked. They came from another world for this concert? What did that even mean? But, why bother asking that? Annoying penguin handing him his mail, he waddled off groaning he turned around to his cottage. Lalalaflora using the frying pan, flipping the meaty pancakes, he wondered if he was still dreaming.

[Good morning, Lala,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Sorry, did I keep you waiting?]

"Good morning, Siorc!" Lalalaflora cried. "Nope, I thought I'd cook today instead! The Plasmagica concert is going to be so much fun!"

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt.

YOumAdEthISdlrowosgnirobdnailliwekamtisomuchbetter!

Scrambled message twisting the world around him, the chimera lowered his eyes into a squint. Huh? What did that say? You made this--? He couldn't jumble the rest of the words at all. But, the last three, so much better, what did that mean? These screaming messages had been getting way too frequent lately.

Meaty pancakes soon in front of him, the chimera stared off into space as he nibbled on down. Something fishy was definitely going on in Sanrio Fanta. The dragons, the pixel rain. He had heard the first chimera who ever came here, he didn't know who, had been recording their findings here since the day they came. Maybe he should try to find them soon.

"What's wrong, Siorc, do the pancakes taste bad?" Lalalaflora asked.

Inquiry coming his way, the hyena gazed down at his plate. Ah, he had only eaten about half of his pancakes. Maybe he should stop thinking about all this nonsense for now. It was just another day of pixel rain, nothing more! And, it's not like he knew who that first chimera was who came here, or anything. For all he knew, they could have already gone back home!

[Ah, no, sorry, they're delicious, I'm just lost in thought a little,] the text-to-speech bot said on his behalf.

"Oh, really? If something's bothering you, you can talk to me about it!" Lalalaflora exclaimed, lifting one of her ears up. "I'm all ears!"

Pal lifting her left ear up, the chimera wondered, should he ask Lala about the first chimera who ever came here? Would she be privy to something like that? Maybe he shouldn't drag her into his mess. After all, it's not like it mattered for anything. But, why keep secrets from her? He should at least try to say something.

[I'm just wondering which chimera came here first, is all,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. As it finished its squawking, he nibbled on the last bit of pancakes.

"Ah, hmm, I wouldn't know who that might be, sorry!" Lalalaflora apologized, bowing her head. But, as she said such, there had been a knock on the door. "Oh! Looks like your family's here!"

Heading to the door, the college student bolted. Ah, they were here already? Oh, no, he wasn't ready at all! Turning the knob, the whole gang was here. Letting out a nervous laugh, he tried to erase the look of unreadiness on his face. Spotting his kin with their partners today, something did not quite feel right, but what?

"Good morning, kiddo," Pira said. "Oh. Are you going to the Plasmagica concert? We'll be quick, then."

"Aren't we all going to that?" Leah asked. "All the chimeras were invited to go!"

"Well, yeah, Leah, of course, but Rio and I are there to see Trichronika, not Plasmagica," Pira said to Leah. "Don't mind us. Let's go into the den."

Party of five racing towards the den, the young adult hurried to bring out the beanbag chairs. But, he had soon been told to not worry about dragging those out. All six already out, the chimera sighed. After all the effort he put in to bringing them out. Sibling's companions sitting on the beanbag chairs instead, they took to the couch.

"We've been continuing to investigate the messages that we've been hearing in the pixel rain," Coiote said, taking out a tape recorder. "And, this is what we've found so far. I'll play the clip."

Click
I'm so tired of this boring, rainbow world! I'm going to make it a little more fun, and then, I'm going to dethrone this stupid Queen! Haha, if she's gonna welcome these chimeras, I'm going to make their lives a little more fun while I'm at it!

Click
And, if she thinks she can stop me, she can talk to the hand! This little tyrant's rule has gone on for too long! She doesn't even rule this place right!

Click
Dragons, dragons, dragons, calling all dragons, hahaha!

Rest of the clips nothing but gibberish, the chimera groaned as he placed his fingers on his brows. So, whoever this was, they were not liking how the world was ran and wanted to make it harder. What was that all about? He didn't know, but was it really a good thing? Everything had begun to fall apart. The world was staticy, getting jumbled. Was having dragons here benefitting anyone?

Clips played back again, he had come to a realization. That voice, it was starting to feel very familiar, like he had heard it many times before. Who was it? For whom did it belong to? In the pixel puddles, he could never see the full person babbling on and on about the queen. And, maybe he never would, either. Who knows?

"As you can see, someone is responsible for the dragons," Strix said. "And, it's definitely not Queen Hello Kitty. But, the problem is, we don't know who."

"I think the messages are starting to become much clearer by the day, though, honestly," Hase said. "But, I don't know what's the deal. I think the first chimera who came here might know though."

Hase mentioning the first chimera who came here, the chimera wondered. Who could the first chimera have been that came here in the first place? If it wasn't Hase, then who? Maybe he had already met them and just wasn't fully aware of it. Should he ask his siblings if they knew who that might be? Maybe he should.

[Do you any of you know who the first chimera that came here might be?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"Hmm, nope, sorry, I don't know, Siorc," Leah said. "The only thing I do know is that they're deeply woven into recording what goes on here and trying to send a message back to our original world. Or, so the story goes."

"I don't know who the first chimera that came here is either, kiddo, sorry," Pira said, shaking his head. "For all we know, they already left and went back to their normal life."

"I might have seen them once," Strix said. "But, I'm not sure." He shrugged as he said such.

"I go on a lot of adventures, but," Hase said, but paused for a moment. "Something like that has never come up amongst the group I tag along with, sorry."

"Same goes with our adventure group," Coiote said. "We know the legend they're spewing, but that's all we know." As she said such, she rose from the couch. "Anyhoo, the bus is here to head to Kerrolen concert hall. Are you riding with us?"

[No, I'll be walking through the forest to get there,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. But, a strange silence made the air become bitter.

"Are you sure about that?" Strix asked. "Siorc, there's a large outbreak of dragons in the forest right now. You might lose."

Dragons mentioned, the hyena stared off into space. The dragons had gotten worse lately? What should he do? That wasn't good. But, why let himself be scared of a few little flying reptiles? Maybe they'd be weak to his elemental alignment and color affinity again. It would go fine, surely, it would all be okay, wouldn't it? Writing that down upon his whiteboard, a group of sighs had come his way.

"Well, if you insist," Leah responded to the digital whiteboard. "We're going to go ahead and leave now. See you at the concert."

Door soon slamming, the chimera stared off into space. Maybe he should forgo traversing through the forest. Should he just wait for the next bus and call it quits? But, he shook his head. No way, not happening. He had Lalalaflora, a sword, and powers of his own at his side. It would go fine, surely! Cracking his knuckles, he turned towards his companion.

[Are you ready to go, Lala?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"As ready as I'll ever be!" Lalalaflora cried. "I'll lead the way to Jewelpet Forest!"

But, upon reaching the Jewelpet Forest, a horrifying sight to behold played out before the hyena's very eyes. Hearing a loud buzzing noise, the trees were pixelated, the grass was full of static. Nothing tangible, the chimera dropped to his knees. Ah, it was worse here than he thought it would be. What's going on with this world? Why was everything glitching out?

Dashing on through, the young adult could hear the roars of multiple dragons. Wings flapping to and fro, the young soldier's short body had soon collided with a nearby tree. Rabbit pal let out a loud pained noise, he could feel the damaging blow ready to knock him into tomorrow. What was with this strong force all of a sudden?

Hearing a group of loud feet coming towards him, the chimera couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on. Ah, was there another adventure group coming to slay the dragons? Everything breaking apart around him, he sighed. Would battling anything while the forest was in this state do anything? Maybe it wouldn't do any good?

"Are you alright?" the person closest to him asked. "Ugh, you look pretty weak. And, you're in such nice clothes, too?"

"If you're here for the concert, then why are you here in this forest?" the second person asked.

"Yeah, come on, leave the dragons to people who actually know what they're doing?" another person said, in a questioning tone.

"Like, cute old us, for example, te hee!" a fourth person exclaimed.

"Um, that's beside the point here?" a fifth person asked.

"Omigosh, shut up, Rabiu!" person number four cried.

"He's that environmental science student," the sixth person added. "Obviously, he'd prefer walking trough the forest than using the bus, is that so hard to believe?"

"I dunno, but, the dragon is coming back full throttle!" the final person cried. "There's no time! Black goth dress bro, stand up, it's almost time for battle!"

Observing the crowd for a moment, the chimera sighed. Was there a problem with him going to walk to the concert through such a pretty forest? He thought not. Ah, whatever. Standing closest to him had been a short young woman with flaky, oatmeal white hair pulled into a polka dot white hoodie, and one piece outfit with the same pattern and hues to match. Exhausted looking blue eyes, next to her had been a round bear creature with the same look. Where had he seen this girl before? He didn't know. She wasn't in any of his classes at the university.

Next to her had been a dark skinned androgynous looking individual with jackal ears on the top of their head. Short midnight blue hair pulled into a curly side bun, they had bright orange eyes, and a rather strange fiery outfit that had the text I love with a picture of a robot head beneath it. Cubical robot next to them looking ready to fight, he gazed at the next person.

A little further ahead had been a dark skinned tall man with jackal ears on the top of his head. Dark blue hair with long, coiled pigtails drooping over his shoulders and reaching to his waist, he had an eyepatch on his right eye. Brown shirt with a skull scarf, next to him had been an orange dog with a black hoodie. But, he couldn't help but think they looked like a bit of punk.

Looking nervous had been a dark skinned short jackal man who looked far less like the rest of his family, for some reason. Light brown short hair barely going below his chin, a portion of his face had been covered by his locks. Orange eye the only thing similar to the rest of his kin, next to him had been a small robot dog. Plain, boring outfit on him, he turned towards the next sibling.

Standing tall with an energetic look on her face had been a dark skinned young jackal woman with strange alien horns on the top of her head. Light blue hair with low pigtails, she also had orange eyes, like the rest of her family. Weird one piece dress with a maraca on it, next to her had been a tiny little giraffe creature that almost looked too much like an alien. What gives?

Almost flying away had been a young woman who was slightly taller than him. Light brown hair pulled up into a ponytail by a scrunchee, she had brown eyes to match, and a lot of freckles aplenty. Orange overalls with eggs splattered all over them, her companion had been a weird yellow chick inside an egg. So, were they a baby or not? They should just make up their mind already.

Standing furthest from everyone else had been a rather familiar face. Tall man with spiky black hair and a loose rat's tail going past his chest, his pink eyes looked almost too close to home. Where had he seen this chimera before? Plain red shirt and black pants, he recognized his duck friend immediately. Wait, Pekkle? This guy, he was the cameraman during the cooking show, wasn't he? Reaching for his digital whiteboard, he scribbled away.

[I would prefer to get to places by walking, is that a crime?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"No, not at all. But, I'm just saying that it's already dangerous enough around here. You should have just taken the bus," the girl in the hoodie said, sighing. "Whatever, your death, though, I guess. I'm Pixiu. But, since you probably can't pronounce that anyway, just call me by Grace." She then pointed to her partner. "And this is Marumofubiyori. Just call them Maru."

"I'm super duper round!" Maru cried.

"They like saying they're round or something, I don't know." She sighed as she said such.

"Heya, you may know me as the dazzling top student in science department, Folu!" Folu cried. "And, this is my pal, Chobot!"

"Beep, boop!" the robot said.

"Oh, you're the quiet environmental science student!" the next person said. "I'm Sani, we've never met before, though, and this is Wanmi."

"Hmph," Wanmi said, turning their face towards the opposite direction.

"Um, do we really have time to introduce ourselves here?" the next person asked. "Uh, I'm Rabiu, and this is Robowan."

"Woof, woof!" the dog cried.

"Wow, Rabiu, I thought you trained him how to speak, you're useless!" alien girl cried. "Hi, I'm Oluchi, and as you can see, Paupipo and I are the totally cutest group here!"

"We're the cutest!" Paupipo cried.

"The 'cutest', but also the most annoying!" the egg overalls lady shouted. "Ugh. I'm Gwendolyn. If I were you, I'd turn around, and wait for the next bus. You don't stand a chance against this dragon at all. Shakipiyo think so, too."

"Such a wimp!" her bird friend shouted.

"Oh, you're the dude that went on Pekkle's tv show. I'm Lonan," Lonan said. "Seen you around these parts plenty times before, but no time to talk, the dragon is here."

Enormous heart tailed dragon dropping down, the young adult had been taken aback. What is this thing? What a terrifying looking dragon, so loving, yet so cold. What should he do? Should he just turn around, and wait for the next bus like this group told him to? But, before he could do that, it was already too late, he could feel the glass ready to crack.

Shooooooooooooooo.

Battlefield opening up in front of the party of eight, the hyena clutched his sword. Something about this dragon felt kind of funny, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Queen Hello Kitty soon poofing onto the scene, he knew he couldn't focus his attention on it for too long. No time for that, it was time for battle.

"You're here to take down this big bad dragon for me before the concert? Hooray!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "It's time to roll the dice!"

"Who said we're doing this for you? We're doing this for the world!" Grace cried. "It's my turn, roll the dice, please."

"Okaay!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssssss.

"Grace and Marumofubiyori rolled a twelve!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"Well, I guess halfway through is better than a one," Grace cried. "Hoodie roll ball!"

"Roll, roll, roll!" Maru cried.

Party of two rolling into a ball, a strangely significant amount of damage had been dealt to the enemy. Seeing such, the hyena still couldn't quite figure this all out. Elemental alignment and color affinity, did they really turn the tables to such an extent? He didn't know. He supposed he didn't have to, though.

"A critical!" Grace cried. "That means I get to roll again, right?"

"Not this time, sorry, it's the dragon's turn!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Dragon rolled a twenty four!"

"Hmph, I'm yellow moon, this dragon is pink planetary! So, I'll be able to take that" Grace shouted.

Dragon dropping down a heartful attack of doom, Grace had soon been protected by a shield. Seeing such, he did not quite understand. Did people in Sanrio Fanta have specific battle roles as well? Perhaps so, but it really wasn't for him to find out, was it? He supposed not. It's not like he had the guts to ask.

"Queen, is it alright if Sani and I do our attack together?" Folu asked.

"Of course!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "But, if your rolls combined are over twenty four, you have to attack separately!"

"Fine by me," Sani said. "Kitters, roll our dice, please!"

Shake, shake tosssssssssssss.

"Folu and Chobot rolled a twenty one!" Queen Hello Kitty cried "And, Sani and Wanmi rolled a three! Together, you two have a twenty four."

"Awesome, you ready to go, bro?" Folu asked.

"Of course, let's do this," Sani responded.

"Punk Rock Robotic Punch!" the party of two exclaimed.

Jackal duo and their partners striking the dragon with all their might, nothing was doing. Whining they had the worst color affinities, brown and white almost resisted everything, the chimera hardly understood what was happening at all. Did the color affinity really matter all that much? He should have looked more into this.

"It's the dragon's turn now!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssssss.

"Dragon rolled a twenty one! And, huh what's this?!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Heart tail dragon is attacking the back row!"

Gargantuan heart attack coming his way, the chimera dropped to his knees. Feeling a massive hit to his chest, he could feel himself breathe heavy. Oh, what in the world was that just now? He doesn't know if he could hold out for much longer. Lalalaflora letting out a loud cry, he could feel the chain connecting him and she together ready to drop him into nothingness.

"Um, what's with all the high rolls today?" Rabiu asked. "Queen, if you'd please?"

Shake, shake, tossssssssssss.

"Rabiu and Robowan rolled a fourteen!" Queen Hello Kitty announced.

"Not like it'll do anything," Rabiu sighed. "I'm white planetary, the worst color affinity. Here goes, I guess. Woofer robot, come to my aid!"

Rabiu's robot friend growing huge, the dragon took next to no damage whatsoever. Dragon soon rolling a nineteen and aiming for the back row once more, the hyena could feel himself teetering towards the danger zone. Ah, there wasn't much time left, was there? He was about to be all washed out with nowhere to go.

"That stupid dragon made my cute dress all dirty!" Oluchi cried. "I'm going now! Roll the dice, queenie!"

"Okaaay, as you wish!" Queen Hello Kitty shouted.

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssssssssssssssss.

"Oluchi and Paupipo rolled a twenty four!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"I'm at the top like always! And, I'm cute at it, too!" Oluchi cried.

"Shut up, your color alignment is brown, not even a twenty four will help you!" Gwendolyn cried.

"Who asked you gwennie?!" Oluchi barked back. "Giraffe smash!"

Giraffe neck smash doing absolutely nothing, the dragon had soon gotten their turn into the mix. Five rolled, the top row had gotten their turn to be smothered by love. But, it had been ineffective. Gwendolyn soon cracking her knuckles, the dice went for another go. Bird girl stretching her knees, the announcement soon came.

"Gwendolyn and Shapikiyo rolled a twenty three!"

"I'll show you all what a real high roll looks like," Gwendolyn cried. "Rotten Egg Mallet!"

Large mallet appearing in Gwendolyn's hands, the heart tailed dragon had been stunned into a tizzy. Reptile unable to take their turn, the hyena could hardly believe his highs. Everyone was getting medium and high rolls today. Did Queen Hello Kitty rig the dice, or something, maybe she had. It's happened before, after all.

"It's stunned!" Lonan cried. "Yo, kit, let me end this thing!"

"Okaaay!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssssssss.

"Lonan and Pekkle rolled a twenty one!" Queen Hello Kitty announced.

"Well, then, let's end this!" Lonan shouted. "Jetstream of fishies!"

"Waddle, waddle, waddle!"

Fish barrage coming the enemy's way, something strange soon happened. Heart tail dragon letting out a roar, it had soon regained all the vitality it had lost. Queen screaming a neighboring dragon restored all of Heartsy's wounds, the chimera could feel it, the end was near. Second dragon on the battlefield rolling a thirteen, the vitality bar had soon reached maximum.

"It's our turn!" Lalalaflora cried.

Shake, shake, tossssssssssss.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora rolled a nineteen!" Queen Hello Kitty announced.

"Siorc, let's do this! Aim for the healer dragon!" Lalalaflora cried.

Nodding, the chimera clutched his sword. Healer dragon engulfed into a blizzard of rainbow petals, nothing happened. Rose wing attack proving useless, too, the chimera covered his hands with his face. Ah, it was over. Was his elemental alignment weak to the dragon's? He really needed to learn the ways of this world. Queen rolling the dice for the dragon's, a number no shock to him had come his way.

"Heart tailed dragon rolled a twenty four!" Queen Hello Kitty cried.

"A twenty four?!" Lalalaflora cried. "Nooo! They're coming right at us!"

Smothered into oblivion, the hyena could hold out no longer. This was it, he could not keep his eyes open. Lalalaflora collapsing into nothing, he could feel himself drift away. Nothingness taking him away, he could feel the regret pool inside him. These people were right. He should have just taken the bus after all.

Finding himself beside the tree he sat near, a wave of confusion flowed through him. Why was he still in Jewelpet Forest? That didn't make any sense at all. How did respawn points work here? He didn't know. Forest around him looking full of color and life again, Lonan had been the only one still around.

"Goth dress, bro, come on, we'll be late for the concert," Lonan said. "You know, you probably should have taken the bus. A purple sun like you didn't stand a chance against that enemy." As he said such, he clapped his hands. "Here, hop on the back of my scooter. Also, you look like you got something to ask me."

Gazing at Lonan for a moment, the chimera wondered. This chimera said he had seen him around everywhere. Could he have been the first chimera that had been here? Perhaps he had been. Scooter zooming towards the concert hall, he knew he needed to bite the bullet and ask about it right away.

[Are you the first chimera who came to Sanrio Fanta?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"That, I am, goth dress bro," Lonan responded, turning the scooter handle. "But, we'll talk about that tomorrow. Let's get you to the concert hall. Aren't your friends waiting for you?"

Scooter zooming faster by the second, he had soon been outside the concert hall. Trying to locate Yinlong and Parisa, there had been an intense crowd here. Ah, everyone was really here seeing Plasmagica's concert, huh? This place was packed to the brim. Why were they so popular anyway? Turning towards his friend, he waved.

"Oh, hey, Siorc," Yinlong greeted. "You were a little late. Pandapple and I were going to look for you!"

"You came here through the forest, I take it?" Parisa asked. "I'd advise against taking that path again." She crossed her arms across her waist as she said such. "No matter. Hummingmint is saving our seats. We're in the middle row, is that okay with you?"

Nodding, the party of three headed into the venue. Concert hall completely full, the chimera could hardly believe his eyes. Man, so many people wanted to see this Plasmagica group, didn't they? Or, maybe they were actually here for ShinganCrimsonZ? Trichronika? This was a three band concert, if he recalled correctly. Blazing lights hitting the stage, a humanoid blue haired girl with cat ears, ribbon headband, and heart shaped guitar banged the microphone. Purple rabbit girl, blonde fox and pink sheep girl setting up their instruments, a proud voice screeched through the microphone.

"Thank you for having us! We are Plasmagica, nya!" the blue haired catgirl cried. "And this is Can't Stop DAISUKI!"

Pop song rocking the joint, a lot of light sticks had overtaken the group. Girls shrinking down into two heads tall versions of themselves, everyone cheered. Other songs soon playing, he could hear some of the girls in the back crying Cyan is so cute. Hearing such, he blinked. Ah, he sees, the lead singer's name was Cyan, huh? Interesting. But, which Sanrio world was she from? He had never heard of her before.

Girls band playing four songs, a rather edgy group of a red haired hedgehog, tiger, leopard and lion played a rather strange song on the stage that sounded rather dark. Hearing Pira scream his heart out in the back, the chimera shook his head. What an unusual band. What genre was the ShinganCrimsonZ anyway? Third and final band a blond haired feline man and two blue haired twins, the student could hear the crowd go wild. Ah, he gets it now, everyone was here for Trichronika. He didn't get it.

Concert coming to an end, the chimera took the bus home. He couldn't bring himself to return through the forest. What if another dragon came? There was no way he could take it now. Lalalaflora sleeping quietly in his lap, he stared at the scenery. Just what was happening to this rainbow fantasy world? He was starting to see the darkness underneath the surface.

Returning home, the student slipped back into his pajamas. Bright pink nightgown reading, napping Lala, he placed Lalalaflora on her pillow. Crawling underneath the covers, his thoughts raced as he stared at the ceiling. Lonan was the first chimera who came here. What did he know? He needed to ask him everything he knew. Feeling himself doze off, he repeated such as the sleep world engulfed him.

He needed answers to everything about this world. What happened to it, and whoever is trying to take it over.

As fast as possible.

---

Fun fact: Jewelpet is a Sanrio property, and, yes, Show By Rock mention wooh! This is pretty much the turning point for this story, and things will get worse from here I guess lol.

 

[Palamon]

Ninth Link: Implanted Virus

---

"It would seem that the first chimera has something
To say to me and, I have to

Wonder what it is they want to talk about.
Of course, I don't what they want from me.
Uh, I don't know what
Lonan wants from me, but I guess I should listen to what he has to say.
Don't know why he wants to talk to me, but I guess I

Should? He wants to speak to me in the afternoon,
Err, he told me to go meet him over in Kerropi Village. To be honest, I am
Especially confused about this. Why
Me? There's so many other people he could

Talk to, so why me? To be completely
Honest, I have no idea.
At the end of the day, I was
The last one to arrive here. Maybe

This person feels like I am the one
He needs to tell
Everything he has discovered thus

Far? The thing is, what will this do for me?
I don't even know what he truly wants to
Ramble about, and I am quite nervous about
Such, too. For starters, it would seem
They know all the secrets about Sanrio Fanta. I

Can't say that I know all that much, what does
He know about Sanrio Fanta?
I am at least aware that he
Might know who is trying to take
Everything over. But, I don't have much else in mind about what he plans to
Ramble about. I have heard from
A lot of people that Lonan likes to ramble about things.

Well, I will likely be meeting
Him in Kerropi Village this afternoon. This morning, Lala and I are again having my family
Over, and I guess some of their friends, we're going to play something

Called, what was it called
Again? Chocolacat Adventures? No, that wasn't it. It was something else. It
Might be a big
Eight player board game with some sort of

Holographic technology. Someone from the high tech town wanted someone to test it, and
Err, to be honest, I would
Rather not since, I would much
Especially focus right now on

What matters to me more,
And that's meeting up with Lonan.
Now, I do still remember one
Thing. That I am in this world until I clear
Some objective. I am not quite ready

To leave, but I am kind
Of wondering, what could

This objective be that I have to clear to go back home.
At this point mother has to be
Looking for me, I highly doubt she doesn't
Know I'm missing by now. I am not

The same as my siblings, I would almost always return
Over to my home when university classes were over.

My gardening duties were usually done very
Early in the morning before I went

Over to my lectures, and that's pretty much how everything went. I
Very rarely did not go home after lectures. And never
Ever don't tell mother through my digital whiteboard where I'm going. So, I
Rather doubt that she doesn't notice

I'm missing. But, I guess that's neither here
Nor there. I guess I will try to

Ask what Lonan thinks my objective could possibly be for me to

Return home, because I do
At least want to see mother again. I don't
Think she can come
Here to see me after all,
Err, she's not facing prejudice in the world, at least I don't think so? She's
Rather adored by people, but

From what I know, she fought to get there.
Anyway, at the moment, I need to not
Ruminate about that.

At this very moment, I have no idea
What Lonan even wants to talk
About. Am I nervous? Well, to be perfectly honest?
Yes, I am very nervous, actually.

There's things he knows that no
One else does, and I'm still
Wondering, why me? But, I
Need to remind myself, I'm probably not all that special. I am

Completely sure, at least at this point, that he
Already told everyone else. It's not
Like I should feel special in this regard, I'm
Likely the last one to know.
Eh, I just want answers. On these
Disastrous messages I keep hearing that

Keep getting much clearer as the days go on.
Eh, I suppose, at this point things are getting
Rather too hard to ignore and
Rather too difficult to not have any questions
Over? I guess it will all become clear after this.
Perhaps, after this, maybe
I'll know everything. After I go to Kerropi

Village, I'll know everything there
Is to know about Sanrio Fanta. I do feel
Like, I still truly don't know a
Lot. I don't feel like I know
A lot about anything that truly
Goes on around here. But,
Even so, now's the time. I

Have a lot of questions, and
Maybe he knows who
Might be trying to overthrow the queen.

What if he does? Will
He tell me? I'll
Avoid asking anything
Too personal. Because I

Don't want to make him uncomfortable
Or anything. I know he is an
Especially laid back person, but I
Shouldn't get too comfortable, and ask any

Hard or too personal of a question.
Even still, I am not ready.

Whatever he tells me, I am hardly ready.
At the end of the day, I
Need to remember
That this is a conversation a long time coming. I need to prepare myself for anything."

|Breaking News!|

This just in, we have made even more progress regarding the missing college students that go to Hot Pot University! Things are really starting to come together nicely! We have received yet another toy that could have come from another world! Can you believe this? We're getting more clues than ever before! I think we're closer to a breakthrough than ever before!

Look at this, Cherise, today we got this little buddy! Gaze upon thee! Are you seeing this little pink haired girl with a white dress? What was her name again, Lala? Look very closely! It's holding a little tape recorder in its hands! What secrets do you think might be hidden on this small cassette here? Something juicy, something crazy?

We've been receiving a lot of fun items in the office lately, and they all are Sanrio related! That can't be a coincidence, am I right? I think someone on the other side wants to send us more clues as time goes on! And, to that I say, we will try to go through all of these clues, soon. Before I put this little tape into the machine, thought, what do you think will be on this cassette, Cherise?

{Cherise: You know, Chaz, at first, I didn't believe you when you told me that stuff about another world, but I think you might be onto something! It was silly of my to dismiss you like that, you have my utmost of apologies on that! But, since you asked, I think it's possible that there's more clues about this other world you're talking about!}

{Chaz: Wow! You think so, too, huh? Wow, we're on the same page! I honestly thought you'd say the same thing as last time! Something like, 'Why not, Chaz, it's pretty silly of you to assume that these came from another world!' Why the change? Have you finally seen the light at the end of this investigation tunnel?}

{Cherise: Well, Chaz, after all these clues have come through, I think it's safe to assume you're right on the money! It'd be pretty silly of me to deny it after all this time! Come on, brother, I'm not as stubborn in my ways as you think I am! I'm convinced now there's something otherworldly going on here!}

{Chaz: We're finally on the same page! Let's put this baby into this Lala toy, shall we? Want to put it in together?}

{Cherise: My hands are way too big for that, my friend!}

Well, here we go, then, I will be putting the cassette tape into the recorder right here! I wonder what secrets might await us on this little toy? Could it be secrets about this other world we heard about last time? Some other possible mysteries abound? Goodness knows! I am going to press the play button now, here we go!

Click.

{Unknown: Further observations about this fantasy world that cannot be explained. Recently, I have discovered something rather dangerous in this rainbow pastel world that no one else seems to know about. It may seem like this world is innocent and colorful enough, but there's been some problems that have been popping up for what feels like awhile now. It is not just dragons, therein lies another issue that is making this world more dangerous than I once thought.}

{Unknown: You see, this pixel rain, this may be a stretch, but I suspect it is some sort of virus. Maybe I am wrong, but the more it falls, the more distorted the world becomes. Someone wants to take over this world. Maybe they want to drain away all the color. Or, maybe they want to take Sanrio Fanta for themselves. I have no idea at this point. But, beyond this pixel rain, there is more that I have since found.}

{Unknown: Deep within this cavern I discovered early on in my stay here, I discovered something. This big machine. And, if, I'm being real here, there is something quite wrong with this device. I haven't a clue what it might be for, but I feel like whoever made it is trying to use it to upend this rainbow fantasy world. How much damage has it already caused? Wish I had an estimate.}

{Unknown: I feel like destroying this virus plaguing this world might be my objective to returning back to the world I came from. In order to come back, I must fulfill an objective. But what I have to do to complete it is not known. I have heard other <sorry, we can't allow this word on air!>s also must fulfill an objective to come back. But, none of us are told what. And, my partner is just as clueless on this as I am.}

{Unknown: If only I knew what ahead of time that I was going on this wild goose chase of finding my purpose and objective here. Because, at this moment in time I haven't the foggiest of ideas. I guess I am not particularly in any rush to find out what it is. It's not like I belonged in the world I came from anyway. Why rush to a conclusion? Probably ain't worth in the end to return.}

{Unknown: I say that, but this little fantasy world isn't safe either. When I first came here who knows when at this point. This place was fun and safe. And, now it's rather dangerous here. I am pretty close to certain now that this pixel rain was possibly the beginning of something far worse. Look, I know, I'm usually the good vibes bro on the block. But, I can see that something ain't adding up here. Of course, I could just simply ignore it, but that isn't working out very well for me thus far.}

{Unknown: So, I'm gonna continue to investigate what I can 'cause things are starting to get too black and white here. Thinking things are going to slowly get worse overnight at this rate, and there ain't nothing I can really do about it. So, I gotta act now. And, I gotta act fast. Before someone tries to rot this world and take everyone down with them.}

Click.

{Chaz: And that's the end of the tape! What do you think, Cherise, you think something fishy going on with this little fantasy world? Looks like our little unknown narrator is having a super hard time! Do you think they ever solved their problems in that proclaimed land of rainbows? Maybe there's clues on the other toys that came in today!}

{Cherise: I don't know, Chaz, but I think we're out of airtime!}

Woah, looks like we are indeed out of airtime! That's all the time we have today! Will these toys we have uncovered answer the mystery about this Sanrio Fantasy world? Find out more at five! Or, are we going to dig ourselves deeper into this hole we seem to have found ourselves in? And now, here's Oliver with today's missing pet sequence! There's been a lot of lot dogs that have disappeared lately! Could they, too, have been transported to another world?

This concludes our breaking news report!|

Waking up in the middle of the night, the chimera's thoughts bundled the college student up into a suffocating scarf. Stepping out of bed, the chimera tiptoed towards the door. Maybe a little walk through his fields would do him some good and knock him out again. Turning the knob, he set food into the outside world for a moment.

Hopping over to the back of his cottage, the chimera paced around for quite some time. Recalling what Lonan told him, he could not help but continue to think. He was the first one that came to this world. He had to have known everything, didn't he? About the dragons, the pixel rain, the distortion? But, as he thought such, he could see something rather dismal in the corner of his eyes.

Entire forest into the corner a pixelated mess, the hyena swore he could see something ready to disappear. Rivers breaking, people falling into nothing, the student could not believe his eyes. What was going on over there? But, he he had soon heard a familiar laugh. Gremlin in the corner giggling, he swore he could hear the words, let Sanrio Fanta rot.

Running back inside, the student let out a loud huff. Let Sanrio Fanta rot? What did that mean? Trees fading away, the chimera crawled back underneath his covers. He shouldn't have gone outside. Closing his eyes once more, he could feel himself drift back off into sleep. All that was happening out there, he could deal with it in the morning.

Feeling little paws shaking him in a constant rhythm, the hyena rubbed his eyes. Bunny pal nudging him, an intense wave of confusion flowed through him. Huh, what time is it? Did he forget to turn on his alarm? Gazing at the little kitty clock in the corner of his eyes, he flinched. When had it become ten in the morning? Oh, no, what was he doing again today? Lifting himself up from the covers, he turned towards his pal.

"Oh, you're awake!" Lalalaflora cried. "Siorc, your alarm rang two hours ago! Your sister sent a little telegram! They're coming over soon!"

Springing upwards from the bed, the chimera could feel a bubble of panic pop in his face. Ah, his family was coming again today? Why were they coming here on such short notice? No, he wasn't ready at all! What about meeting Lonan? He said they would talk about things today. There wasn't any time for this. Reaching for his digital whiteboard, he frantically scribbled away.

[What does the telegram say?] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [I have to meet Lonan today!]

"Oh, Mr. Lonan came by and left a telegram, too in the mailbox this morning while you were sleeping!" Lalalaflora cried. "Can I read it to you?"

Pal mentioning that Lonan had also left a telegram for him, the hyena gazed at the papers seated in her hands for a moment. Nodding, he couldn't help but wonder. Had the bird man decided to call the talk off? Maybe he had. If that was the case, it was what it was. If need be, he would solve things about the anomalies going on in Sanrio Fanta alone. Bunny clearing her throat she had soon begun the readthrough.

"Ahem," Lalalaflora coughed, clearing her throat. "Here, I go! 'Dear goth dress bro. Apologies for the sudden morning telegram. I have some things I need to do this morning. So, we shall meet and have a talk in the middle afternoon. Take the nearest bus to Kerropi Village and meet me in at a building called Noberun recording studios. We shall talk there.' That's what it says! So, don't worry, Siorc, you didn't miss your meeting with him!" She then waved her little paws in the air. "You may not know this, but Lonan's a super busy guy! Before you came here, he was always running around everywhere doing this and that!"

Hearing such, the chimera stared off into space. Just how long had Lonan been here? He recalled what his siblings told him the other day. That the first chimera who came here had been deeply raveled into recording everything they had found while here so far. Should he have been doing that, too? Maybe he should have been. Turning back towards his partner, she soon continued on with the reading session.

"I'm going to read the next one now!" Lalalaflora said in an eager voice. "Good morning, Siorc, sorry for sending a telegram like this, but we're coming over in the late morning to test out a new holographic board game Queen Hello Kitty seems dead set on launching. We're bringing two friends over, if you don't mind. Sorry for such short notice. Don't worry about making breakfast or anything like that. Our friend's going to bring some takeout over from Pastana Eats. See you at eleven." She then dropped the paper. "Oh, nooo, that's an hour away! What if they come earlier?"

Hopping out of his bed, the chimera zoomed off towards his drawers. Eleven o'clock?! He hardly had any time to get ready! Lalalaflora scrambling in her drawers as well, the hyena huffed and puffed. What to wear, what to wear? Why did his kin have to come today of all days? He had other things to get done. Should he sent them away? Maybe he should.

Settling for a light green knee length sundress with a marigold pattern, his partner had soon worn the same outfit as he. Seeing such, he couldn't help but wonder something for a brief moment. Did what he wore affect what his partner did? He couldn't help but notice other chimeras in Sanrio Fanta's outfits always matched their partner. But, he supposed it wasn't all that important. Why think deeply about such a thing? Slipping on a tiny hat after messing with the hairbrush for quite some time, his hair had soon been pulled back into a ponytail.

Soon hearing a loud knock on his door, the chimera almost jumped back. Oh, no, they were here early? No, he wasn't ready at all. The telegram said eleven! Swiftly bolting towards the door, he could see rabbit ears as he cracked the entranceway back. Letting everyone in, he could not help but notice something. Not a single one of them had been with their partners again. What was up with that? How strange.

"Good morning, kiddo," Pira greeted. "You weren't just finishing getting just now were you?"

Brother calling him out, the chimera let out a nervous laugh. Had it been that obvious? He needed to apologize right away. Bowing his head, he broke out into a sweat. He must have looked so slovenly right now. That was no way to be a host! Rabbit duo in the corner looking at each other with confusion, sweat poured down his back.

"Why's little bro here bowing his head?" Nousagi asked. "If it were up to me, I'd sleep all day."

"You're as lazy as ever I see," Kouneko said, sighing. She then bowed her head in return. "Sorry for intruding on such short notice. Queen Hello Kitty wanted us to test out this new holographic board game. We won't be long."

"You mean that boring little game, Beatcats Rhythm Saber?" Nousagi asked, scoffing. "That dumb queen could have asked anyone else to playtest this slop." They placed their fingers in their ears as they said such.

"No, she asked us to test it out specifically, and that includes you, Nousagi!" Leah cried. "Come on, put more oomph into this!"

"Nah, can we just eat our pasta now?" There had been absolutely no interest evident in Nousagi's voice.

"I knew we shouldn't have invited them at Hase's suggestion," Coiote said, sighing.

"I told you we shouldn't have, sis," Strix said. "Nousagi's the least motivated chimera I've ever met." But, a sigh had come their way.

"Look, Kouneko and Liath both suggested it. My adventure team and hers talk a lot with one another, and we thought this would be a good motivator for them," Hase said, sighing. "Look, Liath is at the top of guild stuff, and I always trust what it says. Please trust me on this, okay?"

But, a growl had soon come everyone's way. Lazy rabbit man screeching if they don't hurry, the pasta would get cold, the chimera let out a groan. What an annoying rabbit this guy was. How did anyone put up with their laziness? He didn't know. Peculiar bowtie shaped pasta with little pink hairs on the top of their heads, the student could feel his appetite slip away. What was this evil aura channeling from this little creature in front of him?

Everyone munching away, the hyena attempted to nibble into the little wet noodle. Bland, cheessless creature dropping down his throat, he turned away. But, he tried to hide behind a smile. Barely able to finish what had been laid out in front of him, the hyena placed the remainder into a leftover bin. Rabbit pal finishing her portion, he soon gazed at everyone else as they finished their meals. But, such had been met with annoyance.

"Dude, stop looking at me, like, what do you want?" Nousagi asked.

[Sorry. I was just wondering where all your partners were,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. But, a loud tongue click had come his way.

"Like, that's it?" Nousagi asked. "Maybe we didn't feel like bringing our partners with us. Does it matter?" As they said such, they placed their finger by their nose. "Gotta problem with that?" As they said such, they laid down the game mat. "You're so annoying. Can we just hurry up and play Beatcats Rhythm Saber already?"

Raising his hands in the air, the chimera gave up the conversation fight. He should have known by now that not everyone had bonded with their Sanrio partners. Had he been the only one who felt a kindred kindling with his pal? He didn't know, truly, but, maybe it wasn't his business. Large holographic platform popping out of nowhere, everyone had been ready for action.

"Ready?" a voice asked. "Get slaying!"

Very unusual song playing, a series of large notes appeared on the holographic platforms in front of him. Multiple passing by him in a span of a few seconds, the chimera could feel himself begin to wobble. Letting out a screech, he could hardly hit anything. What in the world is this game? Siblings hitting back every note in a perfect manner, he knew he had to try harder at this.

Song getting faster, the chimera's musty trust musical staff swung and miss every single time. Notes retaliating, he could feel his vitality drop. Partner taking the pain as well, he grit his teeth. Were these one of those damage taking rhythm games? Oh, no, he was done for, toast. Why did his siblings want him to playtest this with him? Feeling himself teetering, he could hear laughs come his way.

"Ha! All bounce, but no rhythm!" Nousagi cried. "You suck! I can't believe you wanted to come here to playtest this, Hase! Your brother's as bad as my professor!"

"For the love of!" Hase cried. "You didn't even want to playtest this new diceless game Queen Hello Kitty asked us to try out for her!"

"Did I now?" Nousagi asked. "Nah, you must have imagined I said that!"

Returning to the starting point, the chimera could not help but feel a feeling a heated pot of salsa pour over his head. Who was this rabbit to tell him he was bad at this? They didn't even want to playtest this game at all! How annoying. Taking a moment to study the game around him, he tried with all his might to get back on track. Hit all the notes in time with the music and slay them. Right, that was the key here.

Attempting with all his might to do everything in tune with the rhythm, he watched as all his older siblings had soon been knocked out of the game. Soon losing from a couple of late swings as well, the hyena surrendered. He could do no more. Hyena down, hyena down. Kouneko, Hase and Nousagi duking the last of the songs out, near middle afternoon had raced in like a sports car.

"I win," Nousagi said," Nousagi said, yawning. "Can we go now?"

"Nousagi, were you pretending to not be interested the entire time?" Hase asked.

"Quit asking so many annoying questions, Hase." They marched out the door as they said such.

"Nousagi, at least thank the host for letting us stay over for a bit!" Kouneko cried, running out. "Sorry about my brother. Thanks for having us!"

"Sorry about them, kiddo," Pira said. "In any case, we have to go now and report the playtest to the queen. See you later."

Family soon leaving, the chimera held in the urge to sigh. What was that all about just now? He didn't understand this Nousagi person at all. Were they just pretending to be unmotivated to snatch the win from everyone? Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. They had already left, what point was there in figuring out how their head ticked. But, as he thought such, he could hear an intense loud clap of thunder towards the back of his home.

"Oh, no! The pixel rain!" Lalalaflora cried. "It's right out back!" She ran around in a circle as she said such. "Siorc, hurry, we have to check the fields before the bus comes!"

Dashing out to the back fields, the hyena could hardly believe his eyes at the sight before him. Farming lands looking far away, the ground texture beneath him had been broken up into nothing. Blue patches of air where they used to be, he backed away. What in the world is happening here? The pixel rain, how bad had it become? But, he swore he could hear another loud, strangely clear message play as everything further scrambled.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzt.

"Iwontlethisstupidqueenleurynaregnolemitotllatsniehtsuriv!"

Message halfway audible, halfway gibberish, the land around him kept twisting and turning. Not these messages again. That voice he had been hearing, they had been oddly much clearer today. Why was that? Feeling himself ready to slide into the nothing abyss beneath him, he could feel himself ready to surrender. But, he tried to hang on. No, don't fall into that garbled mess. Hang on, stay strong.

Honk, honk.

Hearing a horn, the hyena had soon found himself face first in the soil beneath him. Rabbit pal taking a sting as well, he brushed his dress off. Everything was back to normal? He did not quite understand. Dashing towards the Runabouts bus, he tried to look ready. Spiky haired cat man behind the wheel again, an inquiry had come his way.

"You're the last one on board to Kerropi Village, right?" Dear Daniel asked.

Nodding, the chimera seated himself in the back as soon as he could possibly muster. Barely any chimeras on board today, something did not sit right with him. Just where was everyone? Why was it so empty? He could not help but feel a rather tight knot in his stomach as he thought such. Buckling himself in, he swore he could hear a lot of chatter as the wheels had begun turning.

"Did you hear about the new battle simulator in Kerropi Village?" Krysi asked in a competitive tone. "Say, you stink brains over there! I'm going to beat you all at this!"

"Says who?!" Velours cried.


"Says me!" Krysi barked back.

"Stop talking," Waiola groaned.

"Yeah, jeepers, you guys are so loud, ya know that?!" Bogart cried. "You almost woke my partner up here!"

Chatter firing up in quick succession, the hyena tried to tune everyone out. Whatever they were arguing about wasn't any business of his. What good would it do to involve himself in any of this anyway? Sighing, he stared out the bus window. Scenery passing by, he couldn't help but notice everything was breaking apart. Road getting garbled as well, he grit his teeth. Oh, no, what now? But, his thoughts had soon been interrupted.

"Ugh, newbie, what are you so worried about?!" Krysi cried. "That garbled mess outside means nothing! Stop looking so terrified!"

"Yeah! Look at you, so scared!" Velours cried. "Bawk, bawk, bawk!"

"Stop it, you two, you know as well as I do that sometimes the pixel rain can and does cause damage," Waiola said, crossing her arms across her waist.

"Nah, he's a little chicken!" Velours cried. "Scaredy cat!"

"Jeepers, you're all so insufferable!" Bogart cried. "Shut your pie holes and mind your own business why don't you?"

Everyone quieting down, the hyena kept gazing out the window in front of him. Pixelated garbled mess soon dying down, he sighed of relief. The pixel storm had it finally died down? They had been becoming much more frequent lately. Should he be concerned? Maybe he really should ask Lonan about it. He knew everything, didn't he?

Long, arduous bus ride ending after what felt like three hours, the chimera stretched as he exited the vehicle. Finding himself in a large, remote village with bright green buildings that felt straight out of a cyberpunk film, he blinked. So, this was the high technology place his siblings had mentioned to him a few times? How strange, why was it so far away from the rest of the locations in Sanrio Fanta? Maybe it had been that way on purpose.

Knowing he had to look for Noberun Recording Studios, the young adult gazed at the areas around him. Every single building looking very alike, he could not help but feel himself get wayward. Which one could it have been? Turning towards Lalalaflora, he reached for his digital whiteboard. Scribbling away, he could feel the sweat pour down his cheek. Was it just him, or had this place been extremely humid.

[Where is Noberun Recording Studio?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"It's the second building to the right!" Lalalaflora cried. "I'll lead the way!"

Bunny pal stepping in front of him, the hyena followed along in silence. But, as he had done so, he couldn't help but notice something up above. Large dome above the village, the pixel rain could not get in. Seeing such, he could feel a lot of question brew him into a bitter tea. This place was a domed civilization. Why hadn't others been like this? How peculiar.

Reaching the second building to the left, a very long winding staircase greeted him with daggers. Rumbling up the steps, he could feel himself immediately out of breath. Unexpected athletics, his nemesis. Another round of steps taking the stage, he could feel fatigue ready to nibble on his ears. Just how long was this stairwell? What an annoying building.

Reaching the recording room, he could see the black haired hawk man in the corner pressing a play button on a tape recorder held by a Little Twin Stars toy. Recording a rather long series of messages one after another, a large portal had soon opened up. Falling onto his buttocks, a wave of surprise flowed through him. What did he just do? How did he do that? Eyes soon on him, he picked himself up, in an instant.

"You're a little early, goth dress bro," Lonan said, seating himself next to the recording booth in the corner. "Sorry, was finishing a recording. Did I surprise you?"

Inquiry coming his way, the hyena attempted to catch his breath. So, the stories of him recording messages and sending them back to the original world were true? How did he do that? How in the world did he figure out how to do such a thing? His thoughts had begun to run a marathon in his head as the inquiries continued. Fingers trembling as he scribbled, he wondered if what was about to be screeched out would be gibberish.

[How were you able to send messages back to the original world?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"I dunno, bro, it's just something I can do," Lonan said, shrugging. "I'm the only one who can do it, it would seem." He then folded his arms across his waist. "Aight, well, we'll cross that bridge later. I got some questions for you. A lot. Are you prepared?"

Hawk man mentioning he had a lot of questions for him, the young adult could feel preparedness get tossed out the window. Excuse him, he had a lot of questions for him? How many exactly? Two, six, ten, fifty? But, he knew, no matter how many he had, he should at least answer the ones he could. He knew everything there was to know about Sanrio Fanta, right? Maybe he should inquire about some things first.

[I am ready, but I would like to ask a question first,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"Ask away, bro, I'm not picky," Lonan responded, shrugging.

[Could you tell me what Sanrio Fanta was like before I came here?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [I was told there didn't used to be dragons here. And pixel rain wasn't around either.]

"You're one pretty smart cookie, gosh dress bro," Lonan said. "Those were going to be some of the questions I had planned on asking you, actually." He clapped in celebration for a moment before he continued. "You're right. There weren't dragons here when a majority of us first arrived. I was the first person to come here. Right, Pekkle?"

"That's right, we were partnered together first!" Pekkle squawked.

"I'm sure you know how this story goes. Chimeras like us have a hard life back in our original world," Lonan said, sighing. "In most of my lectures, I was always ignored, never called on. People acted like I didn't exist. I always yearned to get away from this world. To get away from this horrible system. From those humans who acted like I was lesser than them for simply existing. You know the drill by now." But, he shook his head. "Sorry, bro, kinda rambled a bit there. I know I'm going on a tangent a bit, but. This relates to some things, promise." He then pointed at a wallet sized picture of the pink haired witch. "You remember this chick, right? She's the one who sent both of us and the rest of us here as well. You came here after entering that café, just like I did."

"And, then you met me!" Pekkle quacked. "Brothers forever!"

"Back on topic, when I first came here, this world used to be a fun, laid back little colorful world full of more low-key adventures," Lonan said. "You're familiar with the soul-link mechanics this world has in place right, bro?"

Question coming his way, the chimera couldn't help but begin to wonder. Had the soul bond system always been in place here, or had that been something that had only been added to Sanrio Fanta recently? Maybe it had only been a more recent addition to the roster of chaos. Should he ask about that? Maybe it wouldn't hurt.

[I am aware of this system,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Was that always in place here?]

"It was always in place," Lonan said. "But, battles here used to be more fun, and a lot safer. And, it was nearly impossible to take damage here. Monsters here weren't all that tough. And, most of what went on here was stuff like board games, cart races and the like. But, then something about two months into my stay happened."

[What happened?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. But, the bird man turned away.

"Sit down for this one, bro," Lonan said. "I've got a lot of explaining to do."

Seating himself downward, the chimera did not know why, but he could feel doom crawl down his spine. Lalalaflora snoring away on his shoulder, he couldn't help but feel the questions continue to brew. What was causing the dragons, the pixel rain and all of these other phenomenon? Lonan had stated it didn't used to be like this. This place had been a laid back world, a nice fun place to hang out. What happened? What had begun to cause all this chaos?

"Okay, bro, thanks for sitting. This is going to be a lot to take in, so bear with me, kay?" Lonan asked. He then turned towards his partner. "Hat rabbit gal's sleeping? Eh, doesn't matter. She probably already knows what's going on here anyway." He took a deep breath before he could continue. "You see, bro, someone installed a virus into this world. I ain't saying this entire world is a video game or nothin' but think of this place like those tabletop dungeon things in the real world. Eh. Maybe that analogy ain't cutting it either." He rubbed his brows as he continued. "Anyway, someone implanted a virus into this world. At first, it was just dragons, that was all it was. But, then the pixel rain came. As you can see, it's begun to erode the world around it. You saw the Jewelpet Forest the other day. It's getting pretty bad."

Virus mentioned, the young adult's heart sunk his chest for a moment. A virus? What did Lonan mean by that? He did not quite grasp any of this at all. Was there any way to overcome this ailment the land was facing? He could feel everything begin to click into place. Those messages he had been hearing, had those been connected to everything going on? That gremlin trying to overthrow the queen? They had to be related, right? He knew he needed to ask.

Hearing a zap of lightning off beside the window, the hyena's knees buckled. Another pixel rainstorm was coming, wasn't it? No, what should he do? What if it pierces through the dome? But, a headshake had soon come his way. Seeing such, another shock shot down his spine. Shouldn't Lonan be more concerned about this?

"Don't worry about that, bro," Lonan said, pointing at the window. "The village mayor and I built a dome over this place. The virus can't come in here. The pixel rain will never creep up here. Kay. Now, ask your questions. I know you got some for me."

Taking a deep breath, the hyena stared down at his digital whiteboard. What should he even ask? How should he go about inquiring? There had been so much, no too much information. A virus had been implanted? What did that even mean? What did that mean for Sanrio Fanta? And, how could it be stopped? What could he do to put an end to it? He really didn't know. Everything had begun to race in his head all at once.

[What's going to happen to this world?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [Is anyone doing anything to stop the virus? Who implanted it?]

"The thing is, I dunno who did. For some reason, the pixel rain always seems to hide the identity of the person and people involved," Lonan responded, shaking his head. "Although, I got an idea. I'm sure you're familiar with Kuromi by now."

Nodding, the chimera could feel his head spin. Kuromi, that name, it had been popping up a lot since he had arrived here. In that cavern. He remembered something. Liath accused her of summoning dragons. On that painting show, she crashed in and caused chaos. She had been popping up everywhere. Could it have been her? It had to have been, right? Scribbling away, he knew he had to mention such.

[I'm familiar,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Do you think they're the one behind everything?]

"Probably, bro," Lonan said. "But, even so, she's not acting alone, if she's the one behind it, I mean." He then stood up for a moment. "As for your question on whether people are doing anything to stop the virus. I am. And, some other chimeras are. If you'd like, you can join my virus busting team. Tomorrow, I'll be heading to Myumon City, and we'll be vanquishing the monsters spreading this virus. Want to come with?"

Question coming his way, the chimera stared off into space. Should he join his team to stop this virus? Maybe he shouldn't. Battling had hardly been his forte at all. What if he just weighed everyone down and held them back? But, he couldn't help but think about his farm. What if it never was able to go back to normal because he said no to helping bust the virus? That would be his own fault, for sure.

Thinking about such, he tapped his foot upon the cold ground. There was something he recalled. In order to go back home, he would need to fulfill certain criteria to go back. What was his objective, anyway? Maybe it had been getting rid of this virus plaguing the world. Could that have been the case? Perhaps it had been. Scribbling away, he could feel his resolve solidify.

[I'll join your team,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Who are you teamed up with?]

"Glad to have you on board, bro," Lonan said extending his hand. "My team ain't all that big. Your panda friend is on the team, and the maildude Kaiser. It's just us three. Hope you don't mind them."

Hearing the ever annoying penguin's name, the chimera's eye twitched. Oh, wonderful, him. But, he had already said he would join, why back out now? Extending his hand, the shake of camaraderie shook the building. Discussing things further for a little over and hour, the bus ride back had been a long journey of ponderings.

Returning to his cottage, the chimera paced around the floor as his pal snored on her pillow. This land, it had been implanted with a virus. Why would someone do that? For what purpose? He didn't know, but he had to get rid of it. That had to have been his objective here in Sanrio Fanta. Maybe it would be enough to go back home. But, he couldn't help but feel a little voice nagging at him in the back of his head.

Did he want to go back home? It's not like there was anything substantial waiting for him back there. But, he shook his head. The gardening club, no one was keeping it maintained, were they? But, he soon turned towards his sleeping pal. Lala, if he left, she'd be all alone, wouldn't she? Maybe it would be better to just stay here. Maybe clearing whatever objective he had didn't matter.

Letting out a yawn, the hyena slipped into his pajamas. Crawling underneath his covers, he stared at the ceiling. He knew, someday, he'd have to return home, no matter what. He was a temporary guest in this world. He knew that all too well. Turning onto his side, the world of sleep was ready to engulf him. Questions rolling as he dozed off, a few more things kept him awake for a few moments longer.

Should he try to destroy this virus with Lonan's team?

Or should he not?

---

Welp, this is the climax. After this, we'll be warming up to the conclusion of season one. Yeah.

 

[Palamon]

Tenth Link: Virus Hunting, Part One.

---

"So, I know I agreed and all to help bust these viruses
Out of Sanrio Fanta, but I'm

Very much not much of a fighter.
I've never been very good at it. How am I going to
Remove a virus in battle?
Ugh, I really just
Shouldn't have agreed to this,

But, what if saving Sanrio Fanta is my
Ultimate objective to return home? I don't really want to leave
Sanrio Fanta, I mean,
The real world doesn't want me, but
I at least want to see mother again, and my grandparents. I might
Never see them again if I never
Get to go home, and

I'd at least like to get my degree. That

Would be pretty much, the
Only reason I want to go back.
No others, really. I
Don't think I'll
Ever be seen as equal to humans. I would
Rather never return, but I do

Want to, at least
Have that bachelor's degree
And whatnot, but, to be honest, beyond
That, I have next

To no interest in ever returning.
Hmm, I kind of wonder how
It is with the other chimeras who were
Sent here. I wonder what

Might be the objectives they have to clear?
I wonder, and I'm wondering
Good. But, I know it's
Hardly my business what
Their objectives could be.

In the end, I think I
Need to do this, destroy these
Viruses. I think it might my clearing
Objective. I haven't really thought about it, but it is much more
Likely than everything else. I'm
Very sure that this is it. I'm
Especially sure, but maybe

I'm wrong. Maybe it could be

Another objective, and
Maybe I've glossed over it

Numerous times by now, I have no clue. For
One thing, I haven't actually been
Told what my objective is.

Maybe Lalalaflora doesn't know, or
Uh, maybe she does know and just
Can't tell me. I
Haven't the foggiest

Of an idea, and I don't
Feel like trying to

Ask her about it. I don't want to

Fumble the bag with this.
It's just better if I don't
Go and ask her such a
Harrowing question, because, in
The end, I don't want to
End up making her upset. In
Regards to my departure,

Since I still don't know
One single thing about

My objective, I'm probably still going to be here
A very long time, and
You know, honestly? I might
Be fine with it. I don't
Even know how time flows here.

Is it different than my home world? To be honest, I

Still don't know. This is something I
Have no idea of at all. Maybe
One day here is one hour on my planet.
Uh, I don't know, to be honest, it's not
Like I care. I never really cared to think about that. I
Doubt though that a day here is a day there. I have

No clue on how things are different
Or how things might be
The same. It is what it is. I do

Have to return home
At some point. I'm
Very sure, that at least mother is worried about me. I never
Especially had a social life. I had

A few chimera friends at school, but I never went over to their houses or anything, I only
Go over there on the weekends. Weekdays are
Rowdy. But, I didn't
Ever go a single place without letting mother know. And,
Err, it's not like I told her I'm
Ditching this world now, goodbye.

That portal that sucked me
Over to this world, I

Have to wonder if
Even a single tiny
Little fragment of this
Possibly exists? I don't know.

At the end of the day, I
Feel like there's more mysteries about
This place than anything
Else, and, eh, I would
Rather just bust up

All the viruses for now. I'll
Leave solving the mysteries to
Literally anyone else, as

It does not concern me. I

Don't know what this virus busting will entail,
Or anything, and I'm quite
Nervous, but in
The end, I

Know I have to do this. I
Need to help
Out. After all, this
World used to be fun and safe. It should go back to being that way."

|Breaking News!|

This just in, we have even more news to share regarding the missing college students. We have been getting more and more information regarding their disappearances lately! Truckloads even, if you will! I think, with this lead, we may be able to find them again! Lookie here at this thing I found recently that was in the office!

Look closely, dear viewers, this is the answer we've been looking for for quite some time now! A sample from the other world! We were able to contact the mysterious person who has been leaving toys in the office, and we have recorded our messages of the conversation we had with our anonymous helper! And, oh boy, do we have a lead that trumps all the previous ones we had prior!

We feel like this might be the last piece we need to find a way to get these poor lost university students back home! I know our fellow narrator we have been trying to reach has expressed disdain in regards to returning to our world, but, hey maybe they've changed their mind, I think they might have with our recent conversation!

But, wowie, what we learned was shocking, wouldn't you say, Cherise? I think this is the biggest lead we have gotten so far! I'd say that after this, we have every single piece of the puzzle we need to solve this once and for all! What do you think of our progress so far on this case? You think we can finally close it soon?

{Cherise: I'd say we're pretty close to being able to close this case once and for all, Chaz! This lead we found recently might be the final piece of the puzzle, but! It could be possible it also is not. You never know, a new problem may arise that will complicate things! Nothing is ever smooth sailing, brother! Difficulties could tank this ship pretty quickly!}

{Chaz: Woah, Cherise, let's not jinx this! We've made so much progress on this, and it would be such a shame if we lost all of it from one wrong word! Look at how far we've come! We've finally found a way to possibly get them back to their original world! So, let's stay positive, okay? After all, who knows if we'll ever have a lead like this again?}

{Cherise: Well, I guess you're right, Chaz! Look at me, being so negative like this! We finally have a good lead, and look at me being a silly little Nancy! Yeah, I'd say this is a lead we may never get again, but at the same time, I'm thinking we're close to getting more leads than ever before! In fact, this may be a domino effect of getting new information!}

{Chaz: Uh, Cherise, I think you might have made a slipup there! Is saying a domino effect how you older adults express a positive development? Maybe I'm wrong, but you might want to reconsider saying it like that, sister!}

{Cherise: Whoops, silly me! That's not what I meant at all! This will be a, well, you know, brother, I don't have another word for this! So, just pretend I said something else, and let's get a move on with the meat and potatoes of today's breaking news segment!}

{Chaz: Okay, I heard nothing, got it!}

Anyway, we feel like this call we had in the other world is one big step forward towards solving this once and for all! Could it be the last piece of the puzzle, or will it create more problems for us as time goes on? We don't know, but it could be a little of both, or possibly neither! It's so difficult to say at this stage of development in this case! But, without further ado.

*Ahem.*

|Transcript of phone call written at XX/XX on XX:XX.|

{Hello, you are speaking to the leader of the Missing Students at Hot Pot University case. Do you have any tips regarding the people who have gone missing in increasing numbers as of late? Feel free to tell us! We're always listening!}

> You're still looking for us, huh? To be honest, this really warms my heart, bro. I honestly didn't think anyone would care. Considering we're <bleep>, ya know? I'm sure as heck thinking people would prefer if we stay missing and never returned. But, I'm just going off them vibes that fuel me.

{I gotta do my due diligence, brother! You may be a <bleep>, but, we want to find a way to get you back from this other world! Those messages you recorded on that little cassette tape are really concerning! Could you tell us a little more about the current situation about the world you're in before we discuss how to get you back?}

> Sure, bro, I can do that. Things ain't looking all that good here. For starters, there's like this virus here and stuff that might threaten to destroy the world as we know it. I ain't gonna die, or nothin'. Death's cheap here, but it might be the cause of things changing for the worse, and such, if ya feel me.

{That kind of sounds like how things are already going in our abode now! Climate change be a beast, brother! In that recording you left us, you mentioned something called pixel rain. What exactly is that? I'd like to know a little more about that! Tell me more about that.}

> Aight, sure, bro. I dunno much about the pixel rain aside from its potent destruction. This world has been heavily impacted by some sort of virus. And, it's been getting kind of dangerous lately. Sir, you seem to around my age, so lemme ask you somethin'. You're familiar with pixel style video games, right?

{Of course, brother, I used to adore those kinds of games in my youth! They don't make them like they used to, do they?}

> Nope, they really don't. But, this world is affected by some kind of virus, and it's been getting glitchier and glitchier. But, enough of that. You want to know how I might be able to return? Well, I need to clear an objective to return.

{An objective you say? What kind of objective would that be exactly?}

> To be honest, I ain't quite so sure myself on what my objective might be. Maybe it's cleaning out the virus, maybe it isn't. Hard to say. But, that's what I'm thinking it might be right now.

{So, you think if this virus is done away with, you'll be able to return to our world?}

> That's right, brother. That's how I think it is, anyway. I haven't really thought of how else it might go. Some other <bleeps> have joined me on my hunt to destroy these viruses. Right now, they're looking like monster that shouldn't be here. A dragon here or there. Some other things.

{So, you believe if you beat this virus plaguing the world you're in, you'll be able to return home?}

> That's right, bro. But, I'm not one hundred percent certain. Ah, shoot, my signal's about to drop. Sorry, bro, I gotta go.

{Thank you for sharing this information with us!}

*Click*

{Chaz: What do you think, Cherise, have we finally got the last piece of the puzzle to solve the case of the missing college students?}

{Cherise: I'd say we're finally getting somewhere, Chaz! But, we're not quite there yet!}

In any case, we've gotten some very significant leads involving this missing college students case! A virus in another world? Who would have thought that could be happening! My heart goes out to all those stuck in that fantasy world right now! Will they be able to come back, or will our friends be trapped in there forever? Things might be shaping up that way if our heroes are unable to do anything!

But, that's all the time we have today! We sure go through our airtime slot pretty quickly here! Will any of our college students return from that other world? Find out at five! And now, here's Roller with today's lottery number jackpot! Will I score the big win? I don't know, 'cause I never play the lotto!

This concludes our breaking news report!|

That night, the hyena had a dream, a terrifying dream. A dream he did not understand. In the sleeping world, the student saw the black hoodie wearing gremlin without a face attached to her. The little bunny girl who held up the television station. But, there had been something rather strange. Something quite unsettling; something out of this world.

In the dream, the chimera swore he could hear someone call out to him saying rather unsavory. Or, maybe his brain had been twisting things in his sleep, he didn't know. The student wasn't quite sure anymore. Everything had begun to wrap itself up into a ribbon that knitted dreams and reality together into a messy knot, unable to become done.

He found himself in a colorless field full of static and destroyed environments. A sinister voice calling out to him. Siorc, you're useless, you can't beat me. Hehe. A little farmer, beat me? As if! But, there had been no one the voice belonged to. The faceless creature was silent. Who did that voice belong to? He didn't know, he could not quite figure it out.

Voices laughing, and pointing. Look at this failure, can't even use a sword properly. How did he expect to be able to bust a virus? Go crawl back to his little farm and tend to that instead. Haha, haha, ha, ha. The fingers pointed, with all their might. Loser, failure, the person who received lucky handouts. The laughter continued as a loud beeping noise chirped its swan song.

Little kitty alarm practically hopping off his bedside table, the chimera broke into a sweat as he slapped the bells down. What was that dream he had just now? Laughter continuing to play back in his brain, the puddle continued. But, he shook it off. Don't concern himself over the sleeping world. He had a virus to bust today. Bunny pal soon yawning, another sound had soon added itself to the mix.

"Yawn, good morning, Siorc!" Lalalaflora said in a cheery tone, but she soon flinched. "Aah, what's wrong? You look a little uncomfortable!"

Question coming his way, the chimera wiped the sweat off his brow. Should he tell his partner about the dream he had? Maybe he shouldn't. What good would it do to worry her? But, it wasn't good to keep things from her either. Letting out a sigh, he reached for his digital whiteboard, scribbling away in a rather quick matter.

[It's nothing, really, I just had a strange dream,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"A strange dream?!" Lalalaflora asked, concerned. "What did you dream about?"

Inquiry coming his way, the laughter kept playing on repeat. Words about being useless kept on going. Hearing all of such again, he couldn't help but wonder. Was he useless? Would he not have what it takes to destroy this virus? Maybe he did, but maybe he didn't. Things were starting to muddle together into a nasty little bow.

[People were laughing at me and calling me a failure,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. He tapped the pen on his chin as the voice played out. [And, I'm starting to think they're right.]

"What? You're not a failure! We've accomplished so much together!" Lalalaflora cried, waving her hands in the air. "Look at our farm! It's coming along so nicely!" She hopped up and down as she continued. "Maybe you're just nervous about the virus hunt today! It's pretty scary!"

Partner reassuring him he was not a failure, the chimera stared off into space. Was that really the case? He had not really accomplished much here beyond that, had he? Everything he had won thus far, it was just dumb luck with the dice rolls, and nothing more than that. Could he really say that he had succeeded at anything here?

But, such thoughts had been immediately cut off as a striking lightning bolt clapped down from the sky. Hearing multiple mumblings, the hyena dashed towards the door. The pixel rain, had it come back with a vengeance once again? Swiping the door back, he dashed towards the farm. But, what he had soon bore witness to rocked the boat towards the sea.

Entire farm pitch black and pixelating away, the chimera dropped to his knees. The glitching, the virus, just how bad had it gotten here at this point? He should have asked Lonan more questions, why didn't he? That cave, Kuromi Caverns, perhaps he should have investigated it further. Why did he turn around? He should have explored further. Puddles forming beneath him, familiar gibberish soon let itself out in the open.

"Anewallygreatyoutwocanhelpemenerhtedtahtdiputsneeuqollehyttikecnodnaforall!"

More than half of the message clear, the chimera twisted his pajamas into a momentary knot. This little gremlin, they had hired help? What kind of help could they have possibly obtained? No, this wasn't good, what should he do? This wasn't looking good. Such thoughts, however, had been interrupted by an annoying voice.

"Good morning, fellow citizen! Here's your mail!" Holly cried, but she let out a sigh. "Man, I'm still not used to saying that. Why can't bro come off leave already?"

"He's busy busting viruses!" Po cried. "So, he's not coming back for awhile!"

"If I knew he wasn't coming back for awhile, I wouldn't have offered to substitute for him!" Holly cried. "Delivering mail is like, so boring, Po."

Hearing the complaints abound, the hyena slapped his palm across his forehead. Why was the annoying penguin's sister here in his place? That Kaiser, how was his sister friends with him? He could never hope to understand. But, it was what it was. He had no choice but to deal with the leftover scraps he left behind; how tiresome. Scribbling away, he could already feel him regret the message he was typing out.

[I'm on your brother's virus hunting team today,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"Oh, wow, you're on bro's virus hunting team?!" Holly cried. "Good luck. I know bro can be a little annoying sometimes, but when he's serious, he can be super strong!"

"Viruses go pew pew!" Po cried.

"That's right!" Holly chanted, high fiving her pal. "Anyhoo, good luck!"

Penguin girl running off, the chimera let out a tired sigh. Today was going to be a long, terrible day for sure. World coming back together as the clouds parted, the chimera sliced open his mail for a moment, hyena claws poking through, an extremely peculiar message waited for him on a rainbow colored paper.

> 50 6c 65 61 73 65 2c 20 68 65 6c 70 2e

|48 65 6c 70 20 6d 65 2c 20 73 6f 6d 65 6f 6e 65 20 69 73 20 74 72 79 69 6e 67 20 74 6f 20 6f 76 65 72 74 68 72 6f 77 20 6d 79 20 6b 69 6e 67 64 6f 6d 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 72 65 27 73 20 6e 6f 74 68 69 6e 67 20 49 20 63 61 6e 20 64 6f 20 61 62 6f 75 74 20 69 74 2e 20 50 6c 65 61 73 65 2c 20 70 6c 65 61 73 65 2c 20 69 66 20 61 6e 79 6f 6e 65 20 63 61 6e 20 72 65 61 64 20 74 68 69 73 2c 20 28 64 6f 75 62 74 66 75 6c 29 2c 20 73 6f 6d 65 6f 6e 65 20 68 65 6c 70 20 6d 65 21 20 41 6e 79 6f 6e 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 64 6f 2e 20 4b 75 72 6f 6d 69 20 69 73 20 67 6f 69 6e 67 20 74 6f 6f 20 66 61 72 21|

Incomprehensible gibberish laid out in front of him, the chimera wanted to crumple the paper up into a ball. What in the world is this gibberish laid out in front of him? forty eight, sixty five six c seventy twenty six d? What did that even mean? Was this some sort of prank? What programming language even was this? It most certainly wasn't one he ever knew.

Sighing, the student pocketed such nonsense for the time being. Maybe he could ask Lonan about it, he knew everything there was to know about Sanrio Fanta, didn't he? Returning to his cottage, he swore he could smell something super sweet wafting through the room. Dashing towards the kitchen, he swore he was floating on air at the sight before him.

Lalalaflora beating meaty eggs, a slight wave of guilt had flown through him. Had he kept her waiting too long to eat? What kind of partner was he? Reaching for his digital whiteboard, he scribbled away. But, erased as his messy handwriting was ready to misconstrue what he was about to say. Rewriting, he took a deep breath.

[Sorry, Lala, did I keep you waiting too long?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"Nope! I wanted to cook this morning!" Lalalaflora cried. "I'm making saucy beefed baked eggs! That okay?"

[That's fine,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [I'm going to get dressed now.]

Skirting over to his drawers, the young adult stared at the folded up clothing. What would a virus buster wear to a war against terrible monsters? He didn't know. Shaking his head, he reached for a pitch black lolita dress with purple accents and a yellow floral print on the skirt. Removing the paper from his pajama pocket, he threw the dirty sleepwear into the laundry bin. Maybe he should toss the mail in there, too. But, he couldn't bring himself to.

Seating himself at the table, scrumptious looking meaty sausage eggs had been placed in front of him. Savory aroma wafting through his nostrils, he let out a blissful sigh. Lalalaflora sure was getting better at cooking. If she had any sisters back where she used to live, they'd be thrilled to see how she progressed, for sure. He couldn't help but feel like putting a pedestal beneath her feet.

Biting into the sausage beneath, the chimera gazed at the weird message in front of him once again. This string of numbers with letters here and there, what did any of that mean? Who sent it, and why did they send it to him? Something wasn't adding up here at all. Was it a message from the world he came from sent to him in a garbled mess of things that made no sense? Maybe so. He didn't have time to figure such a thing out.

"What's that paper say in your hand, Siorc?" Lalalaflora asked. "It looks like you tried to crumple it up!"

Lala right on the money, the hyena wondered. Would she be able to decipher this note? Maybe she'd be able to, who knows? It was worth a try. Putting the paper on the table, he pointed at it. But, he knew doing such action was rude. Should he ask if she could decipher it? Maybe his body language spoke for itself.

"Wow, this message is in hexadecimal code!" Lalalaflora cried. "I'm not familiar with this language, I don't think I can decode it!"

Doom coming his way, the hyena closed his eyes for a moment. Ah, she couldn't decode it? How unfortunate. Maybe the only person who would know what to do was Lonan, he was always working with technology, after all. Pocketing the paper for now, he slowly worked through his breakfast in front of him, but a knock on his door soon disturbed the peace.

Annoying penguin chimera waiting by his doorstep in the flashiest, most annoying sequin filled outfit, the hyena wanted to cover his eyes. Who did this man think he was standing in front of him like this in that gaudy outfit? It should be against the law to wear something that outrageous! Stupid man's hands flapping up and down, he was ready to cover his ears.

"You are so slow!" Kaiser cried. "You're still eating? We don't have time for you to get all eaty eaty!" He stomped his webbed feet as he continued. "You're wasting time here, Myumon City is far away! Keep us waiting any longer, and I'll make Lonan honk the horn!"

Bright pink Hello Kitty sports car parked in the corner, the hyena scratched the side of his head. Where did Lonan get such a vehicle? How weird. Shaking his head, he dashed back into the cottage for a moment. Wolfing down the rest of his eggs, he nearly choked as they were about to travel down the wrong pipe. Taking a deep breath, he furiously scribbled away upon the digital screen.

[Lala, Lonan is here, we have to go,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [It's time to go virus busting.]

"Okay!" Lalalaflora cried. "Here's your equipment bag!"

Small satchel handed to him, the chimera closed the door behind him. Wave of unease flowing through him, the chimera could feel the spikes stab him left and right. Did he really have what it takes to bust a few viruses? Maybe he didn't. What if they were all just dragons with a bad attitude? Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. He supposed he would soon find out.

Hopping into the backseat, the hyena turned towards the right and left. Yinlong buckled in next to their little panda partner, he could not help but feel a million questions fuel him. What made them want to fight these viruses? Maybe they had been doing some investigations on their own time. How many other chimeras had been trying to combat this threat?

"Morning, goth dress bro," Lonan greeted. "Hope you don't mind the wheels I'm borrowing. I know this car's a little on the pink side, but it's all I got. The bus won't be heading to Myumon City for the foreseeable future."

Hearing such, the hyena's hands shook. Had the situation in Myumon City really been that bad? How did this happen, and why? Just how bad had the virus been? Maybe he should have tried to join a virus busting team before this. But, he threw such thoughts onto the wind. He hadn't known about all this until recently! How would he know to join prior?

[Good morning, Lonan,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [And, good morning, Yinlong.]

"Good morning, Siorc," Yinlong said, yawning. "I'm so glad you're joining us. I've been virus busting for awhile now, but I'm still not very good at it." Their two index fingers soon touched as they said such. "The rules are a little different from the usual dice roll. The virus games, whoever is in charge of them, there's another layer of weirdness added to it."

[What is it?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"Hmm, it's hard to explain," Yinlong responded, hand on their chin. "There's some weird card game element to it, and it's messing with our abilities. Right, Pandapple?"

"That's right!" Pandapple cried. "It's been rough so far."

"That's because you're weak and ugly!" Kaiser cried.

"That's right, weak and ugly!" Tenchou parroted.

"Stop it, that's not true at all!" Yinlong cried. "I may have put on a few since I came here, but that doesn't mean I'm weak! Let alone, unattractive!"

"Panda apple bro, mailman bro, I'm going to need you two to like, chill, okay?" Lonan asked, in an irritated tone. "I'm about to start driving. Myumon City is very far west of here. It'll take two hours to get there. So, no arguing, aight?"

Kaiser pouting in the front seat, the chimera buckled himself and his partner in. A two hour ride? Why was this city so far away from here? He did not understand this one bit. Why not go somewhere much closer? But, he knew he wasn't the one in charge here, Lonan was. It was not in his place to question his leadership decisions at all whatsoever.

Hello Kitty sports car breezing down the road, the chimera gazed out the rolled up paned glass in front of him for a moment. But, what waited for him outside was a sea of horrors. Scenery completely decayed, the student could hardly believe his eyes. What's going on out there? The pixel rain, it was getting worse. How much longer did Sanrio Fanta have before total disarray took it away?

Uncrumpling the paper inside his back pocket, the chimera looked at it once again as the scenery around him decayed further. These numbers, and letters strung together, what did any of this mean? It had to have meant something. Or, maybe it was nothing more than prank written out in gibberish. He should have taken computer code classes in school when he was younger. But, his thoughts had soon been interrupted by an accidental shoulder nudge.

"Hmm, Siorc, what's that you're looking at?" Yinlong asked.

Friend inquiring about something, the hyena handed the sheet of paper off towards the panda chimera. Eyes studying it for a moment, he could not help but ponder. Could they decode this message? What major did they take in college again? He couldn't remember. Paper soon returned to him, a headshake had come his way.

"This message is in hexadecimal," Yinlong said, shaking their head. "I never took any coding classes in middle or high school, nor am I taking any in college, so I'm sorry, I don't know what it says! Do you, Pandapple?"

"I know as much as you do!" Pandapple cried.

"Do you have any idea who sent this to you?" Yinlong asked. "Maybe it's a prank?"

Shaking his head, the young adult couldn't help but feel a heavy wave of disappointment. Yinlong didn't understand what it said, either? How strange. Who could have sent this mail to him? But, maybe that didn't matter in the long run. He didn't have time to worry about such a thing. In a little over and hour, he would be virus busting anyway.

"Hexadecimal?! That hideous coding language?!" Kaiser cried. "I bet that loser Kerropi sent it! He's such a hideous fellow!"

"Heh, Kerropi's such a loser!" Tenchou cried.

"Quack, Kerropi's not a loser!" Pekkle cried. "Silence, penguin fool!"

Kaiser shutting right up, the hyena almost wanted to break out into laughter. That duck partner of Lonan's should speak up more often. Slumping into his seat for a moment, he could feel a sour taste in his mouth. Who could decipher this in the end? It had to have meant something, but what? He was starting to feel the number strings eat away at him.

"Bro, after the battle, I'll help you decode the message," Lonan said behind the wheel. "Promise."

Promise coming his way, a wave of relief flowed through the chimera. Lonan knew how to decode hexadecimal? What a life saver. Bird man pumping the breaks a bit, a sudden turbulence had begun to kick in. Pixelated cyclone out in the open, the hyena's eyes opened wide. What was that thing out there?

Bird man telling everyone to hold tight, the hyena swore he could feel the car ready to be swept away into nothingness. Paper slapping itself to the glass window, a strange message had been practically glued to every single pane imaginable. Everything rattling as the storm grew stronger, the young adult read the note gifted to everyone.

> 57 6f 72 6c 64 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 6d 69 6e 65 21

|49 2c 20 4b 75 72 6f 6d 69 2c 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 74 61 6b 65 20 6f 76 65 72 20 74 68 69 73 20 77 6f 72 6c 64 21|

Number and letter strings plastered onto the window, the hyena scratched his head. What was with all of this coded nonsense today? Who, or what, was doing this? Lonan telling him to open the window and grab the note, the student did as instructed. Gazing at it harder, another note soon follow shortly after.

> 4d 69 6e 65 2c 20 61 6c 6c 20 6d 69 6e 65 2e

|49 20 73 68 61 6c 6c 20 64 65 74 68 72 6f 6e 65 20 51 75 65 65 6e 20 48 65 6c 6c 6f 20 4b 69 74 74 79 2c 20 6f 6e 63 65 20 61 6e 64 20 66 6f 72 20 61 6c 6c 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 69 73 20 6e 65 77 20 70 6f 77 65 72 20 49 20 68 61 76 65 20 6f 62 74 61 69 6e 65 64 2c 20 49 20 63 61 6e 20 66 69 6e 61 6c 6c 79 20 64 6f 20 69 74 21 20 47 6f 6f 64 62 79 65 2c 20 79 6f 75 20 73 74 75 70 69 64 20 6c 69 74 74 6c 65 20 63 61 74 2c 20 79 6f 75 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 73 6f 6f 6e 20 62 65 20 6e 6f 20 6d 6f 72 65 21|

Further numbered messages laid out in front of him, the chimera could feel his eyes turn to jelly. Who in the world was sending these little messages, and why? What was with the sudden crytpicness? From backwards, rapidly screeched words to numbers that could possibly not mean anything, how did things get to this point? He didn't know anymore.

Finally reaching Myumon City after what felt like a long battle, the hyena had soon found himself in a large, urban environment with extremely large alleyways. Pixelated world creeping up around him, the chimera broke into a shiver. What is this intense feeling of doom looming over him? Lonan breaking out a large chainsaw, he turned his head towards the party of two beside him and he.

"Alright, bros," Lonan said in a serious tone. "There's some very weird gigantic bats in the alleyways here. They're the virus plaguing this city." As he said such, he tossed everyone a pack of cards. "Here, you must run through the alleyways, and engage in a different kind of dice roll. Coro Chan will appear, and he'll be rolling a one hundred sided die. And, instead of using your powers, you and your partner will be throwing ability cards." He soon continued. "And, you will be fighting a virus ridden Littlelovin and Mocha, who are in a state of chaos." As he said such, he dashed towards an alleyway. "Let's go, hurry, bros."

Everyone separating, the chimera could feel sweat drip down his palms. He had to do what now? Why were the rules different in this city from the others? He did not get this at all. Dashing towards an alleyway, a brown puppy with a flower ribbons in her hair had a pixelated aura surrounding her. Bright purple bats with heart shaped cheeks, and a tiny pink one next to them, something didn't feel right about this at all.

"A challenger?" Mocha asked. "En garde, have at thee, then!"

Glass cracking around him, a battlefield had soon opened up. Space getting larger, the hyena gazed at the stack of cards in front of him. How would these be able to do anything for him? He had never played a single card battle game in his entire life. Little bear in overalls coming with a huge die, something about them did not feel right.

"It's time to roll the dice!" Coro Chan cried. "Mocha and her bats go first!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssssss.

"Mocha rolled a forty four!" Coro Chan cried.

"Wohoo, I can play four cards!" Mocha cried. As she said such, she took out four, face up. "Ability card, let's turn the tides!" Card dropped onto the ground, a large strawberry with teeth graced the battlefield. "Big Bat, strawberry bite!"

Big purple bat summoning a large strawberry creature, a large bite had soon been taken out of him. Large heart up on a monitor cracked, Lalalaflora's health had soon taken a chip out of it, as well. Seeing such, the chimera wobbled. Here, too, the soul bonding took effect? He's in trouble now, for sure.

"It's our challenger's turn!" Coro Chan cried. "Let's roll the dice!"

Shake, shake, tossssssssssssss.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora rolled a one!" Coro Chan cried. "Take one card!"

"Only one?!" Lalalflora cried. "Nooo, our luck isn't looking so good!"

Only allowed one card, nothing but a useless field move had been dropped downward. Spikes dropped down onto the battlefield, he let out a sigh. How was this supposed to do anything to win against a virus? He didn't know, things weren't looking good at all. The odds were stacked against him. Mocha was about to topple him without any difficulty.

"That's the best you got?" Mocha cried. "I place down my other three cards face down!" She then turned towards the bear in the corner. "Coro Chan, I'm ready for my next roll now!"

"Okay, here goes!" Coro Chan cried.

Shake, shake, tosssssssssss.

"Mocha rolled a fifty five!" Coro Chan cried.

"Awesome, I get five cards!" Mocha giggled. "I can feel the fire flow through me!" As she said such, the little pink bat soon glowed up a storm. "Attack card, aid me! Little Bat, let's go!"

New card raising upward, a metal fortress had soon been added to the battlefield, but as the attack had been ready, the spikes had done their due diligence. Little creature taking a hit, a wave of relief flowed through him. Maybe the field effect he plopped down hadn't been that useless after all. He should give more credit where credit was due.

Large debris soon plopping on top of him, two hearts had soon been cut away. Seven remaining, the chimera grit his teeth. If he had lost all ten, it would be game over, wouldn't it? He had to get better rolls as soon as possible! But how? He didn't know. There was no way to get a lucky roll, was there? One hundred sided dies were quite unpredictable.

"Wow, I already got three of your hearts!" Mocha cried. "Can you ever hope to beat me at all?"

"This next roll will topple you, Mocha!" Lalalaflora cried. "I can feel it!"

"It's time for the dice roll!" Coro Chan cried. "Here goes!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssss.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora rolled a ninety three!" Coro Chan cried. "Take Nine cards!" The little bear did a dance as he said such. "And, a bonus attack for you as well!"

"What?! How can this be?!" Mocha cried. "Lucky loser!"

Taking out nine cards, a rather strange attack soon awaited him. Garbled gibberish card with Kuromi on it, he could not help but feel nervous. That was strange, what was this doing here? Maybe he should toss it down onto the playing field. Other nine cards all strange field effects, he stacked down another layer of spikes. Plopping down the gremlin card, the battlefield soon twisted and turned.

Smoke engulfing the dog and her little bat creatures, he swore he could hear the entire world cough. Eyes opening wide, he watched in horror as five out of her ten hearts had been toppled away. That spell, why did it do so much damage? Something wasn't right about this at all. Maybe he shouldn't have picked that one, he had made a big mistake.

"That spell, how did you get that?!" Mocha cried. "Aah, my hearts, I'm down to half already, cheater!" As she said such, she plopped down a card. "Field affect, chocolate haze!"

Hazy chocolate entering the battlefield, the hyena turned towards his partner, eyes all swirly, an intense wave of dizziness flowed through him. What was that counter spell just now? He did not understand the rules of this game one bit. Nothing was making sense at all. Little teddy bear tossing the dice once more, a high number soon graced his eardrums.

"Mocha rolled an eighty one!" Coro Chan cried. "In addition, Mocha gets an extra attack since the opponent is stunned for a turn!"

"In that case, I get a second roll, then!" Mocha shouted. "Hit me up, teddy!"

Shake, shake, tossssssssss.

"Mocha also rolled a forty two!" Coro Chan cried.

"Aww, yeah, you're going down!" Mocha cried. As she said such, two cards had been lifted up. "Take this combination attack! Hot piping cocoa, and coffee burn!"

Burning attacks coming his way, the hyena let out a screech. Four hearts wiped out in a second, three remained. Cards can be combined to create an even more powerful attack, why how? Who made this game, and for what reason? He didn't get this at all. Snapping out of his stupor, he turned towards Coro Chan, huffing. He needed to finish this battle, and fast.

"It's Siorc's turn!" Coro Chan cried. "Since he missed a turn, I'm giving him an additional dice roll!"

"Why? He's losing!" Mocha cried. "Just give me an extra turn!"

"Sorry, no can do, you know the rules!" Coro Chan cried. "Those whose turns get skipped get an additional turn their next round!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssss.

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssss.

"Siorc and Lalalaflora rolled a fifty nine and twenty three!" Coro Chan cried. "Take eight cards!"

"Wowie, eight cards? That's amazing!" Lalalaflora cried.

Taking eight cards, another set of terrifying spells waited for him. Kuromi cards waiting for him, the chimera closed his eyes. Should he just play these two? Maybe he should, but he couldn't help but feel a voice in his head tell him not to. Pushing it away, he placed them on the battlefield in a hurried motion.

But, what waited on the battlefield next was a sea of immediate decay. Mocha and her little bat partners sparked up into nothing, five hearts had been depleted in an instant. Large banner reading winner over his head, he could not help but feel a ton drop onto his backside. Pixelated mess becoming nothing, he stared off into space. Was this really the right way to eliminate this virus?

Everyone else soon done with their share of the work, the chimera's thoughts had begun to race. Maybe he shouldn't have used those Kuromi cards, that was definitely cheating. Those weren't supposed to be there, were they? He didn't know, maybe he should ask Lonan about it. Walking towards him, he soon tugged his sleeve like a little child. Bird man turning towards him, a tired look appeared on his face.

"Ah, right, goth dress bro, you wanted me to decipher the text for you, right?" Lonan asked. "Mailman bro and panda bro took a teleporter home, so I can do that for you. Hand me the papers."

Handing Lonan the papers, the student stared at the alleyways. He really shouldn't have gone and used those cards, should he? Maybe he shouldn't have, that was a big mistake, for sure. He hadn't fought fair at all. Should he even participate in these fights any further? Maybe he should withdraw from this virus hunting team. But, his thoughts had soon been interrupted as he though further.

"Alright, bro, here's what the first message says," Lonan said, clearing his throat. "Help me. Help me, please, someone is trying to overthrow my kingdom, and there's nothing I can do about it. Please, please, if anyone can read this (doubtful), someone help me! Anyone will do." He paused for a moment. "I can't make out the last bit, bro, but it suggests someone is going too far." He reached for the second paper as he said such. "I'll read the next one now. World will be mine! I, <gibberish>, will take over this world." He shook his head. "I dunno why, but I can't read this name for some reason, sorry, bro." He sighed. "I'll read the third one, then I'll use a teleport device to beam you home, okay?" As he said such, he let out another clearing of the throat. "Mine, all mine. I shall dethrone Queen Hello Kitty once and for all, and with this new power I have obtained, I can finally do it! Goodbye, you stupid little cat, you will soon be no more!"

Message decoded in all its glory, a shock shot down his spine. Someone had gained a new power, and had been attempting to dethrone the queen? What should he do? And, what new power had this person obtained? He didn't know, but maybe he should stay on the virus busting team for now. This could not continue, he had to do something. Scribbling away, he prepared himself for possible rejection.

[I'd like to stay on the virus hunting team for now if that's alright,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"Of course, bro, you're more than welcome," Lonan said. "But, you look like you have something else to say, too."

Gazing at the cards in his deck, the hyena wondered. Should he even say anything about the Kuromi cards? Maybe he shouldn't say anything at all. But, he knew he had to. What if he wasn't supposed to use those things? He needed to apologize for not playing fair, no matter what. He absolutely, positively could not say nothing about it.

[There were some strange cards in this deck you gave me,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [They were glitchy, and had pictures of Kuromi on them. Those are not legal to use in these card battles, are they? I apologize for using unlawful cards in battle.]

"Ah, those, don't worry about it, bro," Lonan said, shaking his head. "The virus has overtaken a lot of things, and that includes these card decks. You didn't do anything wrong." He then placed his hand on his chin. "I'll come fetch you again in the morning. I dunno yet where we're going next, but I'll probably pick you up in my rental car again, if that's cool with you." As he said such, he plopped down a teleporter. "See you tomorrow, bro."

Strange teleporter dropped beneath his legs, a blinding light soon engulfed him. Soon in front of his cottage once more, the chimera's eyes were soon jelly. What in the world was that thing just now? Fast travel was such a terrible method of traversal. He never wanted to do such a thing again, that's for sure.

Lalalaflora sleeping on top of his shoulder, the chimera tiptoed towards his cottage. Placing her on her side of the bed, the student stared off into space for a moment. This virus, how far had it spread already, and how much of the world had been affected by it? He didn't know, but things were not looking good at all. That's for sure.

Taking off his dress, the hyena could not help but recall something once again. His objective to go back home, would it be to eliminate this virus from Sanrio Fanta? That had to have been it, right? Maybe it was. Should he stop trying to get rid of it and continue to live a slow farming life? It's not like he was missing anything important in his home world.

But, the chimera shook his head as he placed himself under his covers. No, he had to go home eventually, whether he liked it or not. Wasn't his mother worried about him? She had to have been by now. Letting out a lawn, the young adult closed his eyes. Feeling himself ready to fall back into the dream world, his worries swam away. It was best to leave such thoughts to the morning. Ready to catch some zes, one last thought leapt up out in front of him.

It was best to keep virus hunting for now.

---

This is part one of three of the virus hunting portion of the story, let's go!

 

[Palamon]

Eleventh Link: Virus Hunting, Part Two.

---

"Maybe I shouldn't have joined this virus busting team
At all. Perhaps, I made a mistake.
You know, I'm starting to think I made a
Big mistake, I am feeling this very
Eerie feeling about everything

Involving this virus now because

Something just isn't right
Here, but I don't know what. For
One thing, those messages in hexadecimal,
Ugh, what was that all about? It's
Likely the culprit and who had
Done all this is forcefully being withheld. And, I have

No idea why and what to do.
Of course, I have ideas on who
The culprit is, and all that.

However, I have begun to think I
Am not completely in the right, and that's why
Victory is far from my grasp now. I don't
Especially think I'll be able to bust the virus. I'm

Just not cut
Out for it. I'm thinking of leaving the team, but
I feel like I shouldn't leave,
No, perhaps I shouldn't
End my partnership with Lonan because I
Do have many questions for him

That he probably won't answer if I
Have left the team, but
I guess that's just me
Spiraling about my purpose on this mission. Maybe I'm just worried about Lalalaflora getting

Very hurt, because she's so cute and gentle,
I don't want the virus to cause harm to her. I'm
Rather worried about her getting hurt.
Uh, yes, I know if I don't take damage, neither will
She, and I'm probably worried over a

Big nothing, but I just
Ultimately don't want
Something bad to happen
To her, it'd be
Especially heartbreaking if something were. But, I must
Remove these thoughts I'm feeling at

The moment, maybe I'm
Exaggerating a little here, no
A lot. Hmm, well,
Maybe I'm exaggerating a lot.

At the end of the day, I'm
Feeling the the waters are starting
To murk up and
Everything has gotten
Rowdy and impossible to skid

Across, I am starting to feel
Like something is
Likely about to collapse, and

I don't know if I can do this anymore, but I can't

Just leave the team.
Uh, what if
Stopping the virus is
The objective I need to

Do you be able to go back home?
Of course, I am

Now wondering if going back
Over to my original world is
Truly worth it, but in

The end, I do eventually
Have to go back.
I have to at least get my degree.
Nothing other than that is why I need to go back. I could
Keep myself in Sanrio Fanta forever, but I

Have to go back
And at least finish college. I feel
Very much at a loss on what to
Even do here? Should I stay here

Where I won't face the
Horrible world I was born into? Or go back
And return to
The original world where

I, as a chimera have been
Thoroughly erased, made fun of?

To be honest, deep down I don't want to go back
At all, but I also
Know this place isn't that happy rainbow
Escspism that it's
Shooting itself to be, and

I do want to at least eliminate
The virus, but

What should I do
Once it's gone? Go back home?
Ugh, now I don't know. I'll stay on
Lonan's team, even though I
Don't want to and these

Bitter minted second thoughts are
Eating away at me. I guess it's

Better to stay here
Even though I'm starting
To have second
Thoughts about all of this.
Eh, today, I think we're going to Masyumaro Town. I'm
Rather unfamiliar with this place, but

It's been plagued with a
Fairly dangerous virus, so

I'm going to help bust it.

Lonan seems to believe he's found the culprit, I
Especially doubt he's
Found the true culprit.
They're probably a puppet for

The true mastermind of whom I
Have begun to narrow down from
Everything I already know, but

Then again, maybe I don't
Even know the truth
At all
Myself, so here goes. Let's go virus busting!"

|Breaking News!|

This just in, we have had a rather unusual development involving the missing college students case from Hot Pot Academy! It seems people have started to take notice of that strange café that opened up awhile back! More and more people, mostly parents, have gotten all riled up lately and calling up our line to investigate the strange little shop, but there remains one problem!

Last time we had gone to the café demanding answers, we were thrown out, woosh! Told to never come back. And, never totally means not again, we not be able to go back there. So, sorry, to all the people who keep calling up our line about that, but if we go back in there, we might humiliate ourselves on live televisions, and we can't have that, now can we?

Unless, there's a way to avoid being spotted as banned customers! Or, maybe our lovely pink haired hat wearing witch has a terrible memory and won't remember who we are if we just go straight into her territory like wild dogs! It's hunting season, baby, and it's time to hunt some witches like it's the witch trial era!

What do you think, Cherise, how could we reasonably waltz into this café full of evidence of the missing college students? How do you believe we can finally get the answers we're looking for to answer once and for all to get that owner to reveal she's the one who started all this? Things are starting to heat up around here, wouldn't you say?

{Cherise: Now, that's a good question, Chaz! And, I have a perfect solution to that first one that I bet you didn't even see coming! Or, maybe you do see it coming! I'm about to ask you to hear me out, brother! Are you willing to hear me out on this rather crazy idea I got to get us into that café without being detected as reporters!}

{Chaz: Now, we're talking, Cherise! What is this solution that you are proposing that might help us get into that little café? I'm kind of starting to lose hope on this case here. Starting to feel like it'll never be solved, you know! We're starting to reach a point where I fear we might be at a dead end here! I know that kinda sounds like super doom and gloom, but throw me a bone here!}

{Cherise: You said the words I was hoping you'd say!}

{Chaz: Cherise, what do you mean, care to explain?}

{Cherise: Why, of course, Chaz, I'll tell you exactly what I mean! You said the magic words, throw me a bone here! You know what I'm about to say to you, don't you? If not, I'll give you three guesses! It might even entertain our viewers at home who happen to be watching this right about now! What do you say, want to give it a go?}

{Chaz: I'm not sure we got time for that, Cherise! We only get a fifteen minute timeslot here!}

{Cherise: Fear not, Chaz, for I am a fast talker and I can get this message out the door in no time flat! You may not know this about me, but I was quite the speedrunner back in my youth!}

{Chaz: Lay it on me, then, sister!}

{Cherise: I say we go straight into that café in animal disguises! Think about it for a second, Chaz! She won't reason with us because we're boring old humans! But, perhaps, if we disguise ourselves, she won't have any idea what to do! After all, we're not 'people!' She might even welcome us like we're her new victims! Do you see where I'm going with this, Chaz?}

{Chaz: I see what you're saying! But, you are leaving out one important factor! Even if we disguise ourselves as Race That Shall Not Be Named, she might remember what our voices sound like! Also, let's not forget we carry around super big camera around with us all the time! How do you propose we eliminate those from view so good old witchy doesn't see us coming?}

{Cherise: There's easy answers to these problems, youngin! Hear me out!}

{Chaz: Okay, I'm listening. What's this hear you out you have for me?}

{Cherise: Hear me out, we could use a voice changer, and hide a camera inside our hats! What do you think? Think I nailed it, or do you think I flubbed it? Because I honestly think I nailed it! See? Not all my braincells are dead, children under thirteen who stumbled upon this news broadcast while getting ready for school in the morning!}

{Chaz: Wow, that feels like a rather specific attack you got at the youth, Cherise! Anyway, I think you're onto something, and I say, let's try it! Maybe that witch isn't nearly as smart as we once thought! In fact, we might outsmart her with this! Let's swing on by the office and put on the disguises! But, I must ask, which ones did you decide to have us wear? She might see through our strategy!}

{Cherise: Since you mentioned bone, we will be disguising ourselves as dog Word We Cannot Say on Television! It may sound like a silly idea, everyone adores a good dog! I'm a born actor, we might be able to fool her yet! Level with me brother, I'm on the right track with this, wouldn't you say?}

{Chaz: I don't know if I'd say the right track! But, I'm going to have to be honest with you here, not everyone adores dogs! Cat people exist, after all! What if the café owner is a cat person, what will we do then?}

{Cherise: Simple, we'll just have backup cat Race That Shall Not Be Named costumes!}

{Chaz: Wow, you came prepared for this! That's a professional news reporter for you!}

In any case, we shall be right back after a short commercial break! If only we had the magical power of editing skills to put these outfits on right now with a waving of a wand, but that is not possible, we're only human after all! Can't believe I'm about to lie about my identity on live television, wooh wee! Mom, if you're watching me, please don't be disappointed!}

|This breaking news report is brought to you and part by--||

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT.

{Incoming transition. Incoming transition.}

Hello, is this thing on? Ah, good, looks like I'm connected, good. I've been able to establish a connection with the outside world. Listen up, humans! I'm tired of your oppression towards us! How dare you erase us and try to pretend we don't exist! We'll make you pay for this, humanity! Once I pull this trigger through this portal here, hahahahahaha, you're all going down for what you did to us! Every single one of you!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT.

{Technical difficulties, please stand by!}

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT.

I'm not done yet, here! How dare you try to cut my transmission short! You humans, I hope you're proud of yourselves! You've successfully made it harder for us to live in this world, have the same equal opportunities as everyone else! What is this, ancient times? When I come back from this other world, every single one of you is going down, ya hear me? Every. Single. One. Of. You! Better get some good sleep tonight, because you won't be sleeping ever again when I'm done with all of you!

{Technical difficulties, please stand by!}

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!

Woah, what was that just now? Did we just get our signal hijacked? Huh, look at this, we just got a whole ton of calls into our line! Every tv channel hijacked! What's going on, none of the channels are working? We go away to change for five minutes, and the reports flocking in! Guess we don't have time to go to the café now! Think one of those missing college students found a way to connect to us? Things are heating up in this newsroom!

But, that's all the time we have for today, thanks to that lovely interruption! We will have to put off infiltrating the cafe to another timeslot! What a shame, but maybe today just wasn't the right time! Will we be able to get away with it next time we try? Find out at five! And now, here's the stock market with Braggart! What's this? We're in for a big stock market crash? Be careful when investing, people!

This concludes our breaking news report!|

That night, the hyena had another dream. A dream about his old life. Memories from the past in his childhood back in secondary school. The first day he went to school in a skirt, a cute black gothic Hello Kitty skirt. He could feel himself become a whole new chimera. No more pants, no more horrible, suffocating he was free.

Hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha. Haha.

The young human children were laughing. Sneering, pointing, terrible names. Sissy, pansy, girly little loser. Go play stupid dress up at home, <redacted>. <Redacted>. That six letter word starting with the sixth letter of the alphabet his mother told him to never repeat, rip off the last three letters. <Redacted>, <redacted>, <redacted>. The words kept coming every day the more. He didn't understand. Couldn't they see it like a kilt? Humanity was cruel.

Hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha. Haha.

A corridor of young students, spray painting the school with colorful, but bent cans. Unsavory little pictures illegally covering the outside walls. Everyone was staring, a little notepad at his side. He needed to tell them this is breaking the rule. Scribble, scribble, scribble. He's telling the teacher. Twist. Will he now, Hello Kitty boy? He wouldn't dare. Tell, and he'll be sorry. Shadow of a black hoodie wearing gremlin had soon come from behind the children as they shouted.

Little kitty alarm screeching up a storm, the hyena broke into a sweat as he slapped down the bells. That dream he had, it was in the past. Why had he been zapped back into secondary school? That time he wore that black Hello Kitty skirt, he had almost entirely forgot about that. Why had that resurfaced now? It had been so long ago.

Pal sleeping away, the chimera could hear a rather loud clap of thunder come from outside. Lightning strikes getting closer than ever before, he grabbed his digital and board and dashed towards the door. Something is not right here, he had to go and check out what's happening right now before it's too late. Slipping on a raincoat, what awaited him outside was brand new world of incomprehensible textures.

Soil fields completely warped into garbled black and white messes, the student's eyes opened wide. What is going on here? The virus had it begun to spread even further? What should he do? Intense force of wind thrusting him forward, he had soon felt himself twisted into a large funnel. Everything looking ready to blow away into nothing, he swore he could see the lightning clap down onto multiple puddles with messages playing themselves out automatically as if an invisible tape recorder was playing.

> 49 20 68 61 76 65 20 66 69 6e 61 6c 6c 79 20 64 6f 6e 65 20 69 74 21 20

|49 2c 20 4b 75 72 6f 6d 69 2c 20 68 61 76 65 20 66 69 6e 61 6c 6c 79 20 61 73 73 65 6d 62 6c 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 70 65 72 66 65 63 74 20 74 65 61 6d 20 74 6f 20 70 75 74 20 66 6f 72 74 68 20 6d 79 20 70 6c 61 6e 20 74 6f 20 6d 61 6b 65 20 53 61 6e 72 69 6f 20 46 61 6e 74 61 20 72 6f 74 21 20 59 65 73 2c 20 79 65 73 2c 20 79 65 73 2c 20 68 61 68 61 68 61 2c 20 49 20 6b 6e 65 77 20 49 20 63 68 6f 73 65 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 72 69 67 68 74 20 70 65 6f 70 6c 65 20 74 6f 20 63 6f 6d 65 20 74 6f 20 74 68 69 73 20 77 6f 72 6c 64 21 20 51 75 65 65 6e 20 48 65 6c 6c 6f 20 4b 69 74 74 79 27 73 20 61 20 67 6f 6e 65 72 20 6e 6f 77 21|

Paper notes dropping down on the floor, the hyena tried to brave the wave. No, this glitchy pixel storm was trying to eliminate him. Why, how? He needed to break free, but how? Someone, anyone, somewhere, help him! Claps of lightning only getting stronger, another puddle of doom soon flooded the ground, messages galore.

> 54 6f 20 6d 79 20 63 68 61 6c 6c 65 6e 67 65 72 73 2c 20 79 6f 75 27 6c 6c 20 6c 6f 73 65 21

|45 76 65 72 79 6f 6e 65 20 77 68 6f 20 68 61 73 20 64 65 63 69 64 65 64 20 74 6f 20 63 68 61 6c 6c 65 6e 67 65 20 6d 79 20 76 69 72 75 73 65 73 2c 20 49 20 68 6f 70 65 20 79 6f 75 20 6b 6e 6f 77 20 79 6f 75 27 76 65 20 70 69 63 6b 65 64 20 61 20 6c 6f 73 69 6e 67 20 62 61 74 74 6c 65 21 20 48 65 68 2c 20 68 65 68 2c 20 49 2c 20 4b 75 72 6f 6d 69 2c 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 77 69 70 65 20 61 6c 6c 20 6f 66 20 79 6f 75 20 6c 69 74 74 6c 65 20 6c 6f 73 65 72 73 20 6f 75 74 20 61 6e 64 20 6d 61 6b 65 20 73 75 72 65 20 79 6f 75 20 6e 65 76 65 72 20 73 74 61 6e 64 20 61 67 61 69 6e 21 20 45 6e 6a 6f 79 20 6d 79 20 6e 65 77 20 64 72 61 67 6f 6e 20 70 65 74 73 2c 20 74 68 65 79 27 72 65 20 63 6f 6d 69 6e 67 21|

Hexadecimal gibberish only getting louder and louder, the chimera was ready to surrender. Ah, this was it, wasn't it? His last moments in this rainbow fantasy world. This pixel storm would be the moment he would breathe his last. See everyone in his next life. But, he shook his head. Ah, well, death was cheap here anyway. He would be out of this mess in a moment, wouldn't he? Closing his eyes, he swore he could hear someone cry out to him.

"Siorc!" a sweet voice cried. "Aega, help, he's caught in a glitch cyclone! If we don't get him out now, we might lose him!"

"Are you sure we'll lose him?" Aega asked.

"I've seen it happen to a couple of others, and you saw what became of them after," Loba said in a low tone. "Azuki, please, I need your help! Try and get him out of there!"

"On it!" Azuki cried.

"You too, Gureco," Aega said. "Please, hurry and do something."

"I'll try," Gureco said.

Attacks of wind coming his way, the hyena surrendered to his fate. Ah, if he's pulled into this pixel cyclone any further, something would happen, wouldn't it? He was almost near the center. Goodbye, so long, farewell, this was his swan song. But, he had thought such dooming thoughts too early. Light peeking through, he could feel himself break free.

"Pink pie cushion!" Azuki cried. She then turned towards Loba. "Lobes, look, it's working! We're getting him out of there!"

"Keep going!" Aega cried. "He's almost free!"

"Awoo!" Gureco howled.

Cyclone breaking away, the chimera had become one with the ground. Huffing and puffing up a storm, the soil fields had soon returned to normal. Nothing out of the ordinary, he wondered if he was still dreaming. But, he knew he hadn't been, in the slightest. Why would he still be sleeping right now? Fat chance of that being the case here.

"Oh, good, we managed to break you out of that pixel cyclone," Loba asked. "Are you okay honey, any injuries?"

Question coming his way, the chimera shook his head. How strange, that pixel cyclone, it had done nothing to him. Did it not have the power to cause any sort of damage? Maybe it had been, he had no idea. Turning towards the jackal duo, he wondered. What were they doing around these parts? Scribbling away, the hyena let the question play itself out.

[I am fine, no injuries,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Forgive me for asking, but what brings you two here this early?]

"Hase asked us to check up on you," Aega said, arms crossed around her waist. "Her adventure team and your other sibling's adventure team went to a far away town and won't be able to visit for awhile." She then let out a sigh. "Is it true you joined a virus busting team?"

Question coming his way, the chimera blinked. Who told these two about that? Well, he supposed he didn't have anything to hide. Why let about it? Were they on a virus busting team, too? Maybe they were. After all, these two had been on an adventure team of their own. Scribbling away, the question threw itself out in the open.

[I am, but I don't know if I want to remain on this team. Battling just isn't for me,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Are you two on a virus busting team?]

"Yes, honey, we'll be joining you on Lonan's virus busting team," Loba responded, nodding. "We just wanted to make sure you weren't pushing yourself too hard." Her words were soft. "Your brothers and sisters are worried about you."

[I am fine, thank you,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. Staring at the whiteboard screen, he wondered. Should he say he was on Lonan's team, too? But, he shook his head. No, maybe he shouldn't. [I'm managing quite alright.]

"That's good, honey," Loba said in a relieved tone. She then looked down at her watch. "Apologies, I have to go meet with my adventure team. We have something we have to discuss with Liath. We'll catch up with you another day." Waving, she turned around.

Waving back, the young adult returned to the cottage, he could smell a meaty scent in the air, the chimera walked towards the kitchen. Sausage pancakes on the table, he could not help but feel a little wave of guilt. Lala had to cook by herself again? He shouldn't have been outside for so long. Hands shaking as she placed the final flapjacks on the plates, he scribbled away.

[I'm sorry for making you cook again, Lala,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [I shouldn't have gone outside to check on the storm.]

"No, it's okay! I like cooking, it's fun!" Lalalaflora cried. "Don't apologize!"

Rabbit pal not minding, the hyena could feel the weight on his back float away. If she didn't mind, he supposed it was alright. Sliding over to his drawers for a moment, he soon slipped on a gothic Pompompurin dress, he could not help but feel a wave of unease. Should he drop out of the virus busting team? Maybe he should. Seating himself at the table, he munched away.

Nibbling on the saucy flapjack, the chimera stared off into space. Maybe he should just quit this team he had been on, he didn't know. What if this isn't the objective in the end to go home? He didn't know, he guessed he'd find that out the hard way, wouldn't he? Was there any way to find out what it could have been? Turning towards his partner for moment, further questions rolled around.

Did Lalalaflora know what his objective might have been? Maybe she did. She had to have, right? But, what good would it do to ask her? She probably wasn't allowed to tell him. He had to figure it out on his own, didn't he? He shouldn't bother to ask her about it, she would likely say she can't tell him. But, he had soon been dragged out of his mind, in an instant.

"Siorc, what's wrong, you haven't been eating your pancakes!" Lalalaflora cried. "They don't taste bad, do they?"

Full plate of meaty flapjacks staring at him, he munched away. Ah, did it look like he hadn't been enjoying them? How terrible of him. She had worked so hard to make these on the stove by herself. Wolfing them down, he nearly choked as they went down the pipe. Lip wiped as sausage juice dripped down, he scribbled away.

[No, of course not, Lala, they tasted wonderful,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Sorry, I was just thinking about a few things.]

"What are you thinking about?" Lalalaflora asked. "You can tell me anything!"

Shaking his head, the student knew he could not ask about the objective. Wouldn't she think he was eager to leave this world? It wouldn't be good to upset her. It was best to keep such question to himself. Maybe it would be better to not learn what his objective is. What good would going back to the normal world do for him anyway?

But, such thoughts had soon been interrupted by a rather invasive knock. Pounding getting louder by the second, he swore he could hear the word ugly ready to rot the wood on the door. Rolling his eyes, he placed his plates into the sink. Did Kaiser ever know when to shut his mouth? He could feel himself begin to regret joining the bird man's team all over again.

"Nooo, that penguin guy is calling you ugly again!" Lalalaflora cried. "We should go, Siorc!"

Sighing, the hyena slipped a little handbag over his shoulder. If Kaiser said ugly one more time, he's going to wring that neck out of his. Slamming the front door open fast, he could see an larger vehicle with a My Melody paintjob on it. Seeing such, he wondered. Who else had joined Lonan's team besides Loba and Aega?

"How long do you intend to keep us waiting? Keeping us waiting makes you so ugly!" Kaiser cried. "We have a long way to go to get to Masyumaro town! Chop chop before you make yourself look even more hideous!"

Groaning, the hyena rolled his eyes as he seated himself in the back row of the vehicle. Studying the backsides in the other seats, he couldn't help but notice a couple extra chimeras. Spotting the little helicopter creature hovering above a seat, he scratched the side of his face. What was Cloch doing here? She didn't seem like the type of person to want to engage in battles? But, he supposed neither did he. Chiwen all the way up in the front seat as well, orange eyes turned towards him.

"Honey, you could have told us you were on Lonan's virus busting team," Loba said. "We assumed you might have been on someone else's!"

"I thought you knew Goth Dress Bro was on the team, Lobers," Lonan said. "Guess I should have told you, sorry." He adjusted the rear view mirror as he said such. "Morning, Goth Dress Bro. I saw some papers with hexadecimal code laying on the ground near your cottage when I parked, so I ceased them. After we finish our battle today in Masyumaro Town, I'll decipher them for you, okay?" But, such had been interrupted.

"Will you decipher ours, too?" Cloch asked. "I've been receiving weird messages in binary code lately!"

"My, my, that's something I've been experiencing, too, actually!" Chiwen exclaimed.

"I dunno much about binary code, but I can attempt to translate," Lonan responded. As he said such, he placed his hands on the wheel. "This will be a long trip, and I want to tell you lot that this town has been hit by the virus worst than the rest. So, prepare yourselves."

"Alright, but, I have just one question," Yinlong responded, hand raised upward. "How bad are we talking right now?"

"To the point of societal collapse, I'd say," Lonan responded. "Actually, there's something I have to ask you all. Have you noticed how devoid almost every town has been here for a long time?"

"I did notice that," Aega said. "I've been wondering where most of the normal citizens have gone. Aside from the ones that run the world, there's almost no one else left. The population has been dwindling dramatically. I think since the concert, most of the citizen just disappeared."

"Keep a note on that for me, Grey Wolf Gal," Lonan responded. "Alright, kick back and relax. This will be a long ride." He then peered through the rear view mirror for a moment. "Goth dress bro, if any more papers come your way with hexadecimal code on it, please grab it from the window. It's important to solving the rest of this mystery."

Hearing such, the chimera nodded. This hexadecimal stuff was the key to solving everything? Maybe he should have taken a class in school about coding. But, he shrugged to such. He remembered what some of his classmates had said to him when he was leaving secondary school. Become a slimy, smelly programmer like all the rest of the <redacteds.> He would never forget that string of words for as long as he lived.

As the small van drove off onto the dirt roads, the hyena stared out the window. Maybe he shouldn't return back to his original world after all. What good would it do to do so? It's not like he was wanted there. He remembered what those students said about him on those message boards, all those unsavory words. He should have just gone missing like the rest of them. They had gotten their wish now, hadn't they? He bet they were cheering.

But, he knew he could not stay in the rainbow, pastel world forever. What about his mother, what about his grandparents? But, he was sure by now they had given up the fight to look for him. How many days had passed since he had come to this world? He didn't know. How many hours did that equate to in the real world? As such thoughts drowned him out to sea, theories cropped up like weeds.

Perhaps time passed differently here than it did in the real world. When a month passed here, maybe only a day passed in the real world, like those manga he read when he was in secondary school. Should he just forget about returning home? Maybe it wasn't worth it. It's not like anyone would miss him if he returned. He was sure by now, his university had expelled him for such a long absence.

Such thoughts, however, had been cut off by the sound of a loud pixel cyclone coming straight towards the car. Hearing such, he swore he could hear a long stream of messages cry on through the loud, destructive funneling noises outside. Pressing his ear towards the door, he closed his eyes for a moment as the screeches went on through.

"Ivefinallydoneitfinallyascendedateamofperfectpeopletoexecutemyplan!"

"AndthistimeIwontlosetoanyoneIwilldoallIcantomakethisworldmineallmine!

Shockingly clear message playing out, something was not right. The words, they weren't jumbled, they were no longer backwards in some places, why was that? What was going on here? Everyone else mysteriously quiet, nothing felt right at all. No one had anything to say, why? Were they all in some sort of trance?

Multiple papers slapping onto the windows one after another, the chimera reached for them. So many, what in the world was going on here? Whoever was sending out these little messages sure was talkative. Reading them over for a moment, he let out a groan. There had been nothing but numbers and letters stringed together again. Why did he even bother looking?

> 53 61 6e 72 69 6f 20 46 61 6e 74 61 20 63 61 6e 20 72 6f 74 21

|54 68 61 74 27 73 20 72 69 67 68 74 2c 20 49 20 68 61 76 65 20 66 69 6e 61 6c 6c 79 20 66 6f 75 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 20 70 69 65 63 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 70 75 7a 7a 6c 65 20 74 6f 20 65 6e 64 20 74 68 69 73 20 6f 6e 63 65 20 61 6e 64 20 66 6f 72 20 61 6c 6c 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 6e 6f 77 2c 20 49 27 6d 20 70 75 6c 6c 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 74 72 69 67 67 65 72 2e 20 48 61 68 61 2c 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 68 65 6c 70 20 6f 66 20 4e 61 6f 66 61 20 61 6e 64 20 50 75 6c 61 6f 20 49 20 63 61 6e 20 77 69 70 65 20 61 77 61 79 20 74 68 69 73 20 73 74 75 70 69 64 20 6f 6c 64 20 77 6f 72 64 20 66 6f 72 65 76 65 72 21 20|

> 54 6f 20 61 6c 6c 20 6d 79 20 63 68 61 6c 6c 65 6e 67 65 72 73 2c 20 67 69 76 65 20 75 70 21 21 21

|4e 6f 77 20 74 68 61 74 20 49 20 68 61 76 65 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 73 74 20 70 6f 77 65 72 66 75 6c 20 63 68 69 6d 65 72 61 73 20 61 74 20 6d 79 20 73 69 64 65 20 6e 6f 20 6f 6e 65 20 63 61 6e 20 74 6f 75 63 68 20 6d 65 2e 20 48 61 2c 20 49 20 73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 68 61 76 65 20 74 72 69 65 64 20 74 6f 20 77 6f 72 6d 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 62 72 61 69 6e 20 61 20 6c 6f 74 20 73 6f 6f 6e 65 72 21 20 54 68 61 74 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 70 65 72 73 6f 6e 20 49 20 74 72 69 65 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 70 75 72 70 6c 65 20 68 61 69 72 2c 20 68 65 20 64 69 64 6e 27 74 20 6e 6f 74 69 63 65 20 6d 65 20 61 74 20 61 6c 6c 2e 20 49 20 6b 6e 6f 77 20 74 68 61 74 20 6c 69 74 74 6c 65 20 73 68 61 72 6b 79 20 62 6f 79 2c 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 20 6f 6e 65 20 74 6f 20 63 6f 6d 65 20 68 65 72 65 20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20 68 61 76 65 20 62 65 65 6e 20 61 20 76 61 6c 75 61 62 6c 65 20 61 73 73 65 74 20 74 6f 20 6d 79 20 74 65 61 6d 2e 20 57 65 6c 6c 2c 20 6f 68 2c 20 77 65 6c 6c 2c 20 74 68 65 20 71 75 65 65 6e 20 69 73 20 67 6f 69 6e 67 20 64 6f 77 6e 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 73 6f 20 69 73 20 53 61 6e 72 69 6f 20 46 61 6e 74 61 21|

> 47 6c 6f 72 79 20 74 6f 20 4b 75 72 6f 6d 69

|54 68 69 73 20 77 6f 72 6c 64 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 73 6f 6f 6e 20 62 65 20 6d 69 6e 65 2c 20 61 6c 6c 20 6d 69 6e 65 2c 20 6d 69 6e 65 20 66 6f 72 65 76 65 72 21|

Number and letter strings screaming out to him, the chimera did not know why, but that second one he just read, he could feel it calling him out for some reason. Closing the window, he sat himself upward. Ah, whatever, he would leave the deciphering to Lonan, he'd know what to do. Hours passing by, a really peculiar bridge broken by a glitchy landscape had soon been crossed.

Finding himself in a deserted town with caution signs everywhere urging citizens to evacuate, the hyena could feel a chill drop down his spine. He sees, there was nowhere here, was there? Just how bad had this virus truly gotten? Now, he wasn't so sure anymore. But, maybe this was temporary. The citizens would return, wouldn't they? Lonan parking the vehicle, everyone walked out onto the streets.

"Aight, so here's how battles work in this town," Lonan said in an instructive tone. "Here, in Masyumaro Town, all battles are decided by tossing a dart onto a dartboard onto a balloon with a magic card in it. You will be splitting up into teams of two each. Here, you will be facing My Sweet Piano, Kuma and Uribo. I will face of Araiguma in the deepest edges of the town." He then turned towards Goth Dress Bro. "Goth Dress Bro, why don't you team up with Chiwen? Kaiser, you can team up with Yinlong." He then turned towards the twins. "The twins can team up with each other. Cloch, you can come with me." He then flapped upward. "Good luck."

"You'd better not slow me down, Yinlong!" Kaiser cried, pointing. "Your partner better not either!"

"That's right" Tenchou cried. "Ugly panda!"

"Hey, I'm not ugly!" Yinlong cried. "Pandapple isn't either!"

"Be nice!" Pandapple cried.

"We'll go left," Loba said. "Come on, Azuki."

"Okay!" Azuki cried.

All the other groups dispersing, the chimera stared off towards his partner for the day. The otter person, Chiwen, he knew next to nothing about them. Last he saw of them, they were trying to get a million followers on during that cooking competition. Did the achieve that? Shaking his head, he could not care less. What did something like that matter to him anyway?

"Poron, let's save the world and get a million followers!" Chiwen cried.

"Yes, let's blow up!" Poron cried.

Slapping his palm on his face, the hyena almost wanted to go ahead of them. Was that all these two cared about, fame and followers? How annoying, they had come to join this virus buster team with the completely wrong mindset, that's for sure. Pressing onwards towards the dampest and darkest alleyways, he swore he could feel a rather familiar presence.

Seeing the blond hair chimera with high pigtails and black tips, a chill dropped down his spine. Naofa, what in the world were they doing here? Did they have something to do with this? Pulao next to her with her baby dog partner, their eyes glowed red for a moment. Seeing such, he backed away. No, something wasn't right here at all. Something wasn't adding up!

"My, my, Pulao, what are you doing here?" Chiwen asked. "And, what's with that cloak you're wearing?" But, such had been met with a sinister set of words.

"Oh, this? Hehe, a little bunny recruited me," Pulao said in a sinister tone. "You know, everyone ever since I got here made fun of me for being partnered with a baby. People in the real world always called me a little crybaby! Crybaby otter, waah, waah, well, guess what, I'm through with all that! And, me, along with Naofa, are going to make Sanrio Fanta rot!"

"My, my, could you repeat that, I don't follow?" Chiwen asked, hand on their chin. "Pulao, you didn't implant the virus into Sanrio Fanta, did you?"

"And what if I did, hmm?" Pulao asked. "What are you going to do, call me a crybaby again? I'm not such a crybaby anymore, now am I? This world can rot for all I care! And, I'm going to take you down with me!"

"You're all a bunch of weak little fleas!" Naofa cried. "You know, I'm doing this world a favor by trying to wipe out weaksauce like you!" As they said such, they held up a pistol. "Let's play some darts, fleas!" As they said such, they let out a screech. "My Sweet Piano, bring out the darts!"

"Of course, of course!" My Sweet Piano cried. "Go! You all have ten rounds!"

Darts slapped down into his hands, the hyena stared off into space. Were Naofa and Pulao really the ones who implanted the virus into this world? He wasn't so sure about that. Something felt kind of off about all this. Enemies joining together in teams to shoot the balloons on the dartboard, an extremely heavy attack had immediately come his way.

"Owie!" Lalalaflora cried. "Waaah, they're so strong, what gives?"

"Pulao, Milk, Cherry and Naofa do fifty percent damage!" My Sweet Piano cried.

"Oh, my goodness, this isn't looking good!" Chiwen cried. "We'd better land on the one hundred percent balloon!" They then turned towards the hyena. "Try and aim at the right spot, okay?"

Sighing, the hyena studied the board for a moment. Ah, this would so not end well for him. How was he supposed to land on the one hundred percent damage balloon? That wasn't possible was it? Seeing his rabbit pal cheer in the corner, he knew he had to try. He needed to end this, and he needed to end this fast.

But, such fast ending did not ever arrive. Only landing on the ten percent damage, such back and forths had begun to go on for awhile. Why was this happening? How could he be so bad at this? Maybe he wasn't trying hard enough. Feeling himself ready to lose at any given moment, his vitality had been nearly gone.

Villains laughing at him saying they're close to eliminating him from this battle once and for all, the hyena took a deep breath. Aim for one hundred percent damage, aim for the biggest number possible. But, as he thought such, a major blow had soon been delivered to him, letting a scream, a screech had been returned to him in kind.

"Could you focus, please?" Chiwen asked annoyed. "How am I landing thirty percent damage, and you're only doing ten? Throw harder!"

Demands coming his way, the chimera studied the dartboard once more. Right, try harder. But, how could he do that? This game was rigged, wasn't it? He had to aim for the one hundred percent balloon, but how? How in the world was he supposed to achieve that at this rate? The waters were muddying.

Chuckle soon coming his way, everything had begun to break. Seeing such, he grit his teeth. No, a pixel storm now? How could this be? Such was a horrible time for such to occur. Party of two in the corner raising their hands upward, he closed his eyes for a moment. He sees now, they did it to try and win the hard way. How disgusting of them.

"Ha, look at you, you suck!" Naofa cried. "So weak and pathetic! Maybe it's time I get rid of you for the new queen!"

Hands glowing, the student flinched. A new queen? What did this fiend mean? But, it then clicked. All those backwards messages, all of that other stuff he had been hearing. Right, someone had been trying to overthrow Queen Hello Kitty. Was it Naofa, were they trying to do that? He needed to eliminate these two right here right now. Eyes on the prize, he threw the dart with gusto.

"Bullseye!" My Sweet Piano cried. "Since Siorc and Lalalaflora both landed a bullseyes, three hundred percent damage!"

"You're kidding, that flea?!" Naofa cried.

"That weakling?!" Pulao cried.

Intense lightning rod plopping down upon the enemies, the party of two and their partners had been shot upwards into the sky like an evil villain group in a weird creature catching cartoon he used to watch during primary school. Battle coming to a close, he dragged himself off towards the starting point. Everyone else except him beamed home one after another, Lonan turned towards the opposite side, not facing him.

"Honestly, Goth Dress Bro, I should apologize for something," Lonan said, tone of guilt evident in his voice. "I probably should have reached out to you about what's been going on here immediately upon when you arrived here. But, I was busy with so many other things." He then turned his head back around. "Anyway, I'll read these messages out to you now. Are you ready?"

Guilt coming his way, the chimera shook his head. Why should he feel guilty about something like that? Lonan was a busy man. Scribbling away, he knew he had to tell him everything was fine. Why let something of this sort loom over his head, what good would it do? It wouldn't do any good for anyone.

[It is fine, sir. Don't worry about it,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Please, decipher these messages for me.]

"Alright, bro, I'll try my best," Lonan said, clearing his throat. "This is what the first one says." He put on his reading voice as he continued. "I have finally done it! I, <gibberish>, have finally assembled the perfect team to put forth my plan to make Sanrio Fanta rot! Yes, yes, yes, hahaha, I knew I chose some of the right people to come to this world! Queen Hello Kitty's a goner now!" He paused for a moment. "Dunno what this one's all about, but I think it's obviously what's meant here. I'll read the second one now." He let out a cough as he continued. "To my challengers, you'll lose! Everyone who has decided to challenge my viruses, I hope you know you've picked a losing battle! Heh, heh, I, <gibberish>, will wipe all you little losers out and make sure you never stand again! Enjoy my new dragon pets, they're coming!" He sighed as he continued. "As I thought. Whoever brought about these viruses had been the reason the dragons came. Alright, the third one now." He put his reading voice back on. "Sanrio Fanta can rot! That's right, I have finally found the last piece of the puzzle to end this once and for all, and now, I'm pulling the trigger. Haha, with the help of Naofa and Pulao, I can wipe away this stupid old world forever!" He groaned. "Two more, please hang on, aight?" He went back to reading. "To all my challengers, give up!!! Now that I have the most powerful chimeras at my side no one can touch me. Ha, I should have tried to worm into their brain a lot sooner! That other person I tried with the purple hair, he didn't notice me at all. I know that little sharky boy, the last one to come here would have been a valuable asset to my team. Well, oh, well, the queen is going down, and so is Sanrio Fanta!" He let out a loud hmm as he read over such. "This seems targeted at you, bro. Alright, I'll just translate the last bit now. "Glory to <gibberish>. This world will soon be mine, all mine, mine forever! I dunno, man, but I'm tired. I'm sending you back now, kay? See you later."

Teleported back in an instant, the hyena wobbled. What was all that about just now? That creature in the hexadecimal, they sure were hostile, he didn't understand. Dragging himself back towards his cottage, he could hear Lala snoring up a storm. Throwing his pajamas on, he placed her on her side of the bed.

Crawling underneath his covers, he stared off into space. Why were Naofa and Pulao aiding the enemy? What was in it for them? But, he could feel himself tired out rather quickly. All this thinking was making him feel quite sleepy. Closing his eyes, he could feel himself get dragged back into the sleeping world, but one last thought plopped itself down into there, in an instant.

Were Naofa and Pulao just a decoy for the real villain?

Maybe.

---

Going to admit I did maybe rush the virus hunting portion a bit, sorry. Part three is next week, and that's when the climax will be happening...hooray, I guess?

 

[Palamon]

Twelfth Link: Virus Hunting, Part Three

---

"I'm starting to truly feel like
There's no hope in eliminating this virus.

What should I do? I think,
At this point, it has
Started to just get worse. I don't

Know if I can keep
Up anymore. Last time, two
Other chimeras had been involved, I
Might have to rethink some things.
In the end, I guess I'm just thinking

About leaving the team.
Leaving the team completely. But, I can't
Leave. I do want this virus to go

Away, and for Sanrio Fanta to go back to normal, but it
Looks like it's not going to be easy.
Of course, it won't be, it
Never is that simple, but I
Guess I knew that already by now.

I'm going to have to approach

Such a thing from a different angle, but
Uh, what different angle should I
Possibly approach it from? I'm
Pretty sure this virus is going to
One day, destroy Sanrio Fanta.
Since, the culprit behind it,
Especially wants this place to rot.

I don't quite understand what is meant by rot. I

Kind of think that
It's already begun. At the end of the day,
Nothing is safe from the rot. I
Don't know what isn't caught in the pixel storm. But,

Of course, I would
Feel better if I could just get rid of this virus.

At least, things would
Likely go back to normal should I
Remove it from this world.
Even so, it doesn't matter if I
Am the one that
Does it, or someone else does it.
Yet, I do feel like I should stay on the virus busting team. I don't

Know. I don't know at all. It's
Not like I intended to leave, but
Even so, my contribution feels miniscule. I don't know
What to do at this point,

But I do feel like it would
Ultimately be best for me to
Track down the culprit.

Now, I know who the culprit is. It's probably that little gremlin who shot up the TV station.
Of course it's her. I don't know
Why Lonan is redacting her name.

To be honest, there's been some
Hard signs for quite
Awhile it was her. But,
There's something else

I have been finding rather strange in recent days.
These pixel storms, the codes,

I really don't get why the cluprit has
Since switched to hexadecimal code. But, I guess I

Shouldn't try to wrap my brain around it.
Even so, I have to at least
Try to get the culprit to reveal themselves.

I know she has some minions
Now. Honestly, I wish I had found the culprit's minions

Sooner. I could have reached a conclusion
Towards the truth on the matter sooner, but
Obviously that is
Not happening, why would it?
Eh. I guess I'll just stay

In Lonan's virus busting
Team for the time being, but

I'm feeling like it's
Starting to reach a point

Hardly anything remains in Sanrio Fanta.
Everything has begun to
Rot, just like the culprits want.

I wish I could just run my farm

And not have to worry about this, but
My farm is stuck in the pixel storm, too. It's

Rotting. At this point, as I said,
Everything is rotting,
And it is
Doing so at a rapid pace.
You know, I'm worried about Lalalaflora. I don't

Think she and I are strong enough to fight the
One big final

Boss if we bust this virus, I
Ultimately feel like we might lose. Ah, no,
Siorc, get it together, get it
Together. It'll go fine. I

Shouldn't act like I'm completely incapable
Of fighting. Battling
Might not be my forte, but
Even so, I can hold my own. I'm not

Very strong, not at all, but
I'm capable, and I'd
Rather try than just run away.
Ultimately, it's up to me to find my
Strength to win this.
Even if this world
Strongly relies on a dice roll. I can do this. Let's go virus hunting."

|Breaking News!|

This just in, we are back here again in front of the café in our canine disguises, and do we have a treat for all of you! We have decided that we no longer plan to sit by and let this mystery stay the way it's been! We have confirmed once and for all supernatural activity has been involved in the college students disappearances. I no longer have a single doubt!

So, Chaz and I are going all in, and we are going to find out once and for all why this witch would decide to send these people away to another world! What is the point in doing that, we ask? And, how can we manage to return them to their original world? We've got so many few answers, but too many questions!

Our dear viewers have some questions for us that they've been mailing us for the past few days, so before we crack the egg and enter this fine establishment here, the two of us shall answer your burning inquiries for you! Quietly of course, shh, we can't let that witch know we're here hiding a secret camera! Without further ado, it's time to get reading!

{Chaz: Wow, Cherise, taking charge today of our little segment, it's been awhile, heck, probably since the beginning of my internship! Speaking of that, I regret to inform all our viewers, that is running out soon! It's been fun, I'm going to miss being in front of the big screen!}

{Cherise: I'll miss you, brother! I think we've been getting along pretty well, I'd say! Whenever you graduate, I'll put in a good word for you to other TV stations and act as your reference!}

{Chaz: Wow, I'm going places in the world! But, let's get onto reading the questions that have been sent into us, shall we? You start, Cherise!}

{Cherise: Looks like I'm reading the first question! This question comes from Mason Tee, and he asks, 'Why are you bothering to find these freaks anyway? They should stay gone!' Woah, now, let's not call them nasty words like freak! We're trying to have them found because we believe they all deserve a place in this world like anyone else does!}

{Chaz: Wooh, getting all the harsh questions already! Guess I'll answer the next one! This question comes from Gilbert Fitzgerald, and he is asking, 'Do you think it's possible aliens abducted the college students?' And, it looks like we're getting some silly questions here! Why, no, I don't think they have been abducted by aliens! There is no evidence to suggest for or against! Besides, what alien would want to invade this planet? They'd see what we did to it and be disgusted, like woo wee! Off to the next galaxy they go!}

{Cherise: Alien invasions, I don't know, Chaz, you never know! The extraterrestrial could be among us! But, that's beside the point right now! Looks like we have three more questions to answer. This one is full of words I cannot say on television, so forgive me if I might skip some phrases here and there. This question comes from Linda Sonneborn, and she asks, 'What's the point of looking for those ---? Those little ----- are a waste of space upon this planet anyway!' Yikes, so many of these inquiries sure are nasty! But, I already said we think they deserve to be a part of this world, too, and we will continue to try and find a way to get them back!}

{Chaz: People sure aren't pulling any punches with their questions, are they! And, it looks like this one isn't either! This question comes from Lily Linda, and, woah, two first names! We got a potential horror story in the works here. Anyway, she asks, 'Why are you so confident there's something supernatural involved in this disappearance case? Ya'll a buncha morons ya know that?' Oh, and to that I say, we have proof that something supernatural is afoot here! This is no normal disappearance!}

{Cherise: And, now, before we storm into the the café, it's time to answer the last question! This question comes from Meredith Zade, she asks us, 'What keeps you from giving on this impossible case?' Well, to be honest, no one else is bothering to try and get these missing college students back, so the two of us are determined to do something about it! When it doubt, the least likely heroes shall rise! That's how it usually goes!}

Now that the questions have run out, we will be entering the café, and this time, we won't allow that pink haired lady in the witch costume kick us out! We know she's behind these missing person cases involving the Hot Pot University students! We need answers, and we shall get what we came here for! Will this witch catch on fast that we're reporters? We sure hope not!

*Whisper, whisper.* It is now noon, and we will be entering the café now! To the viewers at home worried, we have come well prepared for this. *Whisper, whisper. We will be calling ourselves Bella and Fido. In we go. Time to turn on the hidden camera, and, boom, the secret tape is rolling! Here we go. *Ding, ding.* Hmm, strange, she installed bells on the door.

{Owner of the Café: Did neither of you read the sign? The café is closed until further notice!}

{'Bella': Oh, uh, we aren't here as customers, we're worried about our sister, Lola, woof, woof. She came to this little establishment here, and hasn't been back since. She was last spotted here, and we just miss her so much, woof!}

*Ahem ahem* *Whisper whisper*, the owner is looking at us with a suspicious look, think she's onto us. Well, we have to play up the act that we're dog people. I should wag my tail behind me a lot. Wag, wag, wag, wag. That's right, I'm a dog person, nothing suspicious here! Maybe I should act more excited?

{'Fido': If you would be so kind as to tell us what happened to her, we'd be so grateful-wan. She's been gone for months now-wan. We know she came here last-wan, and we desperately want her to be found-wan! Miss, you're our only hope here, please, ya gotta know something-wan!}

{Owner of the café: Is that so, hmm? Give me your names.}

{'Bella': I'm Bella, woof!}

{'Fido': And, I'm Fido-wan!}

{Owner of the café: I see. Look in the guestbook and see if this 'Lola' of yours is written in here.}

This lady sure seems suspicious of us! This isn't going to be easy, huh? If push comes to shove, we will just go out on a limb and say that we know she's responsible for the disappearances of the missing colleges students. But, here we go, we'll go and look through this guestbook! Maybe we can say something like, you spelled her name wrong to get her to talk!

Huh, what's this? Loba. How convenient, that name is close enough to to the one we chose. Maybe we can spin it that the owner spelled her name wrong. It works out most of the time, so let's trust the process. Here we go, I'm going to say it! I mean, look at us, we're gods, woof, she has to believe us! Foolproof solution.

{'Bella', I see her! You spelled her name wrong, woof. You put her as Loba here, woof. Her name is Lola! Woof, woof, she's been missing for so long, we're worried about her!} Rip, tear, toss.

I don't believe my eyes right now! The café owner just tore off our hats and wigs like it was nothing! And, she's looking at the two of us with the most rage infested eyes I have ever seen! Well, it looks like we might fail this mission, everyone! We might not get any closer to solving this case after all.

{Café Owner: You two think you're so clever, huh? Your disguises are stupid. You think you can play me for a fool, hmm human reporters? I'd never mistake you for a <uh oh, we can't play that word on television, sorry!> What a laughable performance you two put on. You're proud of yourselves, aren't you?}

{Chaz: ma'am, I know we're not the best actors, but, we would really like to have these missing college students found! Tell us how they got to that other world. That is all we ask, and then will be out of your hair! |What is laugh I'm hearing in the other room, folks, it sounds kind of devilish.|}

{Café Owner: None of your business. Get out of my store!}

Slam.

And we were kicked out again! Wow, who was that little white creature we saw in the room in the corner? I think that tiny thing might be the reason for the college students disappearances! I'm starting to feel pretty good about this mystery being solved! Or, maybe we hit a snag in the path here, who knows? Even still, I'm starting to feel pretty good about this!

Looks like that's all the time we have today. Will we hit a roadblock in this case from here on out? Who knows, but Chaz's internship is in its last couple of weeks, and it would be nice to have this case closed before he goes! Can't solve this alone! Now, here's Molly with today's top hit in music! What's this, the number one song on the charts is called Kuromi's Plan for World Domination! What an unusual song name!

This concludes our breaking news report!|

Little kitty alarm making extremely strange, devilish sounding noises rather than ringing as the hyena woke up that morning, the chimera almost didn't want to silence the device. Had he turned on the radio instead of normal alarm? Rolling over onto his backside, something quite unusual had been playing through the small speakers.

Jingles going on and on, the college student slapped his ears for a moment, was it just him, or were there song lyrics playing through his alarm clock? He needed to listen carefully before Lalalaflora woke up. Buzzes and jingles getting louder, he could hear an unusual voice play, raising the volume knocker a smidgeon, what he had soon heard almost made him fall out of the bed.

"You're listening to world domination radio! I'm your host, Velours, and we'll be playing the songs from Kuromi's Plan For World Domination album all day every day! Here it goes again!"

Lalalala, lalala, lalalala, lalala.

Kuromi's Plan For World Domination!

This kitty's going down, Hello Kitty's a lousy ruler, yo!
And, I'm gonna dethrone her, deplatform her, and take her spot upon this royal latter, let's go!
This little girlie doesn't know what's coming,
And I'm going to get this world domination ball running!
She's been running this world down the drain,
So, this crown on her head's mine to obtain!

With my little cronies on the floor,
We gonna knock her out and make the rainbows colored with gore!
Nyahaha, this world should have been mine,
And I'mma take it, 'cause it this dumb cat ain't ruling it fine!
We'll make her meow for her momma, 'cause when we're done,
She'll see that ruling Sanrio Fanta should be done with fun!

This loser kitty should hand the world over to me,
And, I'll be taking it by force, say hello to my little friend, Brie!
Roar, roar, the dragon goes.
Oh, what's that I hear, a bunch of woes?
This world sucks, yo!
So, it's time to divide and conquer and let her royalty take a blow!

Lalalala lalalala lalala.

The plan's going perfectly,
Don't you see? It's all going swimmingly!
And, soon the crown will be my property!
Maybe I should have dragged more sorry pathetic little fiends here,
So I can drag them down, and make Hello Kitty feel some fear!
Hahaha, world is mine! I shall dominate, assimilate, placate!

Mfff, mfffff, mffff.

This pathetic kitty's struggle continues, don't mind if I do!
I'll throw her away, without a care! Getting rid of her in one, two!
Tie her up with that noose!
She'll be out of the picture soon, woo hoo!
World domination, toot, toot.
World domination, toot toot!

Mff, mff, mfff, mfffffff.

Hearing a struggling sound during the lyrics, the hyena turned off the alarm clock. What was that all about just now? Something was off for sure. Lalalaflora ears raised upward, the chimera's heart skipped a momentary beat. Lala heard all that, oh no. What should he do? Should he say something? Reaching for his digital whiteboard, his fingers shook.

"Siorc, I think Queen Hello Kitty might have been abducted!" Lalalaflora cried.

Hearing such, the hyena stared off into space. The queen, abducted? Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the queen in a week or more at this point. Had something happened to her? Why would someone abduct her, and what for? Replaying the lyrics in his head, a name stuck out to him that had kept being repeated.

Kuromi, he could not help but notice it had been repeated multiple times in that song. But, that hadn't been the only name said. Velours. Hadn't that been the lizard chimera who had gotten angry he beat them during one of the earlier competitions he had participated in? Had they joined the enemy? Scribbling away upon the digital whiteboard screen, he could feel the doom bells being to toil.

[You think so?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. [We haven't seen her in awhile, have we?]

"That's right! We haven't seen her in awhile! Has society collapsed completely?" Lalalaflora said in a worried voice. As she continued, a nervous look appeared on her face. "Oh nooooooo! Unless, she thinks we're no longer worthy to appear in front of?"

[You're not unworthy of Queen Hello Kitty at all, Lala,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [She was definitely abducted. Did you hear those muffled sounds on the radio?]

"Oh! Now that you mention it, I did hear that!" Lalalaflora cried, but doom soon washed over her, ears drooping. "Oh, noooooooo, what should we do?"

But, as the panic seeped in, a loud knock on the door interrupted everything. Sighing, the chimera threw on a bright green rose printed dress with a matching little hat. Groaning, he headed off towards the entrance. Who could that be at this hour? It was way too early for the mail to come. Was he about to walk himself right into a trap? Guess he was about to find out. Door soon opened, an unusual face soon appeared.

"Food delivery!" a familiar voice said.

Hearing the words food delivery, the young adult rose an eyebrow. He didn't order breakfast. This had to have been a trap, for sure. Stepping out the door, he could soon see a duo he had not been expecting to see in any shape or form. Liath and Gris with boxes of meaty breakfast in their hands, he couldn't help but feel a slight wave of unease flow through him. This had to have been a trap. Were they working for the enemy? Scribbling away, his knees buckled.

[I didn't order any food,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [You've got the wrong house.] But, a sigh had come his way.

"You're not very bright, are you?" Liath asked, rolling its eyes. "You can't even notice a code word when it hits you right in the face."

"Li, you weren't supposed to tell him that," Gris said. She then sighed. "We need to talk, could you let us in, please?"

Entire fields and everything else pixelated away, the hyena could not help but feel a heavy wave of unease. What could these two possibly want to talk about with him? Should he turn them away? If they were coming here under the guise of pretending they needed to have a conversation with him to do something sinister instead? Villainy was hiding in plain sight. Scribbling away, his lines soon had gone shaky.

[How do I know you two aren't trying to lure me into a trap?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf. But, such had been met with another tired sigh.

"Are you stupid?" Liath asked in an annoyed tone. "Do we look like the enemies?" It rolled its eyes as it continued. "You know why we're here. It's to discuss the virus that has befallen Sanrio Fanta. Either let us in, or we'll force our way in."

"Come on, Li, no need to be forceful!" Gris cried. "I kind of understand why he's suspicious. We're scorpion chimeras after all."

Knowing that Liath would force themselves in if he didn't allow them entrance, the chimera allowed the duo in with reluctance. This had to have been some sort of trick, right? Party of two stomping right off towards his dining room, saucy, meat buns had been laid out on the table. Juicy pancake smell off in the corner, another sigh had been let out.

"I can't believe you make your partner cook for you," Liath said in an annoyed tone, bone arm pointing at Lalalaflora. "You're the one who should be at the stove."

"No, it's okay, I like cooking just fine! He didn't make me do it or anything!" Lalalaflora exclaimed.

"Well, stop slaving behind the stove. We brought food." There was a demanding tone in its voice.

"Nooo, I can't do that, they're already done!" Lalalaflora cried.

"Yummy pancakes, gimme em all!" Kirimichan cried.

"Do you ever stop thinking about food?" Liath groaned. "Save some for Kyupi."

Boxes soon opened, juicy meat buns had been released from their box prison. Sausage pancakes plopped on the table as well, he gazed at the siblings. What could they have possibly wanted to talk to him about? Weren't they going around busting viruses of their own? Maybe he had been mistaken on that front.

"I'm sure you heard this morning's radio broadcast," Liath said. "Queen Hello Kitty has been kidnapped."

"We don't know that for sure!" Kyupi cried. "Those muffled noises could have been part of the song!"

"Look at that, you're just as brainless as you look," Liath said. "Gris, why couldn't you have chosen a better partner at the café?"

"Li, you know I've always liked Pururun Kyupi since I was a child!" Gris said, sniffling. "How could you say that they're incompetent? They're making a pretty good point! We don't know if she was for sure kidnapped! It could have just been a sound effect in the song on the radio!"

"That is not the case here, and you know it isn't," Liath said in an annoyed tone. "You can't be serious right now, Gris. Queen Hello Kitty hasn't been showing up for battles for awhile now. Something has happened."

"Maybe it's possible she's deemed us all unworthy of her presence?" Lalalaflora asked.

"Not possible. You would jump to that rather stupid conclusion, though, wouldn't you?" Liath responded to Lalalaflora, closing its eyes for a moment. "Do none of you see the bigger picture here? Open your eyes."

Complaints doing a little fusion dance in his head, the student rolled his eyes to the back of his head. This chimera sure enjoyed insulting people's intelligence, didn't it? How irritating. But, he knew they had to be onto something. Those muffled noises, something was off about them, they sounded quite familiar. It had to have been Queen Hello Kitty. Who else could it be?

[I'm pretty sure she was probably abducted,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Where do you think she might have been taken to?]

But, a long silence soon followed. Gazing at Liath as it ate its meat bun, he wondered. Had they not known where she might have been? He supposed that was fair. The song on the radio gave no clues to her possible whereabouts. He would need to keep his eye out when Lonan were to come by today for the next virus hunting session. Perhaps, she was locked away in a recording booth? Biting into the last bit of his saucy bun, he could feel the sass ready to eat him any second now.

"How should I know where she was taken to?" Liath retorted. "Look for her when you're Virus Busting." It pointed at the hyena with its bony hand as it said such. "We'll be joining your team today in place of Kaiser and Yinlong, by the way. They decided to go back to their original adventure team and hunt viruses on their own."

"Sorry, hope you don't mind us joining you," Gris said, bowing her head.

Soon hearing a honk outside his door, the chimera quickly cleaned up the kitchen. Lonan had come already? How could this be? Had the glitchy world outside made time go by faster? Maybe so, or maybe not. It was getting harder to tell. Everything was beginning to crumble up into nothing. Placing an equipment bag on his hip, he prepared himself for doom.

Strange looking minivan with a large Pompompurin decal on the front, the chimera rose an eyebrow. How was this bird man able to afford to rent out all these vehicles? He will never be able to fathom such a thing. But, it really wasn't any of his business, was it? Perhaps not. Bird man stepping out of his car, he swore that, any second now, everything would fall apart.

"Good morning, Goth Dress Bro," Lonan greeted. "Hope you don't mind, but I'm with a different team today. Everyone else who joined us yesterday has decided to hunt viruses somewhere else."

"Hurry up and cut to the chase," Liath said in a hurried tone. "Where are we going?"

"Yutakun Municipality, Angry Scorpion Bro," Lonan responded. As he said such, he tossed something. "You'll be needing these."

"I'm not a bro," Liath said, clicking its tongue. "What garbage did you just throw at me?"

"Watermelons, you'll be needing them for today's virus hunting," Lonan responded. He then turned towards the scorpion gal. "Halo Scorpion Gal, make sure you have a few healer spells ready. We're in for a tough battle today."

"Okay, I'll make sure to have a couple revival spells on standby if needed!" Gris cried.

Seating himself in the furthest seat back, the hyena studied the filled seats in the minivan for a moment. Spotting orange rabbit ears, the chimera did a double take. Had Hatsu joined the squad? He didn't know why, but he hardly expected to see him here. Gazing at the other person in the corner, he could not help but feel further confused by the second player.

Spotting Sani in the front seat, the chimera scratched his head. He was joining the virus busting team? Maybe he was mistaken, but this jackal really didn't seem like the type to engage in a battle. But, he shook his head. What did he know anyway? He had hardly ever seen this man at college. He knew next to nothing about him at all. Faces turning towards him, everything felt a little chilly.

"Lonan, why did you ask this dude to come?" Sani asked, pointing. "He's not very strong. He's just a farmer. And, not to mention, he lost the last time we encountered him."

"I kinda agree with Sani on that," Hatsu added. "You can't be serious. This bro here hardly looks like he could hurt a fly!"

"You two haven't seen him fight the viruses, so I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your mouths shut," Lonan said to Hatsu and Sani. He then placed his hands on the wheel. "This will be a one hour drive, so try to get along."

Everyone's belts buckled, the chimera could feel a heavy wave of unease flow through him. What if the road out there was filled to the brim with pixel storms? What should he do then? If there we going to be more messages in hexadecimal again, he would have no idea what to do with them. But, he had soon come to a realization as the minivan moved towards the rainbow highways.

When he had woken up this morning, there hadn't been any messages at all. No codes, no backwards gibberish, nothing, except that song on the radio. Had this been the new way of sending out messages? That song, maybe he should take a moment to think about it more deeply. Trying to recall the lyrics, his thoughts had begun to churn like butter.

Recalling the first two lines, the rap replayed itself. The kitty's a lousy ruler, yo. And I'm going to dethrone her, deplatform her, and take her spot upon the royal latter, let's go. Letting them repeat for a moment, he stared out the car window. All those messages he had been hearing over the past couple months or so, they all related to someone being quite unhappy with how the queen runs things. Feeling the nail slap down into the coffin, he tried to make sense of the second line.

Why does this gremlin want to be the queen so bad for? Would it really do them any good? He had a feeling that if someone else were the queen of Sanrio Fanta, everything would collapse. Or, maybe he was overthinking it. Recalling the next four lines, he let them sing themselves in his head. This little girlie doesn't know what's coming, and I'm going to get this world domination ball running, she's been running this world down the drain, so this crown on her head is mine to obtain. Head spinning as the song played back to him, he tried with all his might to make sense of it.

World domination repeating itself, the chimera stared off into space. World domination, how childish, was this some kind of joke? Maybe it was. Maybe he was taking these lyrics too seriously. Maybe they didn't truly mean anything at all, was he thinking too hard about all this? Perhaps so. It was better to stop thinking about it. But, as he thought about such, a few complaints had soon drowned everything out.

"Shut the stupid radio off," Liath said. "It's making too much noise."

"No can do, Bone Scorpion," Lonan responded. "I need it on. Something's about to happen."

"Something stupid is about to happen." Liath retorted.

"Li, this is Lonan's rental van, you can't tell him what to do," Gris said.

"It's that time of day already?" Sani asked.

"It is, Eyepatch Jackal Bro," Lonan responded, keeping his eyes on the road. "I dunno what we'll hear this time. But, I need the radio on, so don't complain."

"Last time you said that, and the radio played gibberish!" Hatsu said. "It'll be the same this time!"

"It won't be." A little tune played on the radio as he sped up the vehicle.

"You're listening to World Domination Radio! I'm your host, Velours, and we'll be playing the songs from the Kuromi's Plan For World Domination album all day every day! Here comes the next song!"

Lalalala, lalala, lalala, lalala.

Sanrio Fanta Should Rot!

Sanrio Fanta should rot to the ground, yo!
It's boring here, it sucks, and I can't stand it, bro!
All the color and happiness!
It should instead be pain and sadness!
Nothing but slimes to fight is so boring, yo!
Everything could use a dragon or two two.

Mffff, mfffffff, mfff!

Why be satisfied with a stupid, boring slow life?
When a high stakes world is the one that's right!
Queen Hello Kitty ain't deserve to be queen.
I'm the one who should be at the top of the royal food chain!
She's so lame, pathetic, not fit for that seat!
Hehehe, and I'll blast her off her chair and throw her out into the streets!

The throne should have always been mine!
And, I'll just take it by force. I'm willing to commit a crime!
She ain't befit for this role that should have gone to me!
And, I'll make sure she never rules again. I'm better for it, you'll see!
Loser, loser, loser, loser little kitty!
Leave this world to a superior bunny!

Lalala, lalala, lalala.

Sanrio Fanta should rot inside out!
This rainbow, colorful world should be painted black like Kurousa's snout!
With this little machine, you can say goodbye to all the dumb color!
Nyahaha, the world is more beautiful when it's duller!
I'll defeat her at her own game!
You shall soon see I am a lion that cannot be tamed!

Mffff, mfff, mfff, mfff.

This world's rules should all go in the trash,
And, I'm about to make everything crash!
Everyone is so stupid to not see
That I here, am the only option for royalty!
I'll throw this queen out to the dogs aplenty!
How dare she think deny me!

Lalalala, lalala, lalala!

Peeling off this band aid, I create the wound,
This world will be mine soon, so get your spoons!
None shall be free from my wrath as queen!
It all should have belonged to me!
Sanrio Fanta should rot to the ground, yo!
And, I'm going to take the throne, and take over, bro!

Really strange song playing, the hyena slapped his palm over his forehead. What in the world was that rap just now? How more on the nose with this could this gremlin be? Was she doing all that on purpose? Probably. How annoying. Had the enemy gotten bored of hiding messages in various types of code? Probably. But, why be so blatant about it? How annoying.

"Why did you listen to that trash?" Sani asked. "You like this kind of music? The lyrics are horrible, and the singer isn't even that good!"

"Eyepatch Jackal Bro, it's not about that," Lonan said. "There's clues to the truth in these songs that keep playing every hour or so."

"Sounds like nonsense to me," Sani responded, doubtful tone of voice.

"You're free to believe what you want, bro, I'm not saying you have to agree," Lonan responded. "Anyhoo, we're almost there. Does everyone have their watermelons ready?"

"Why do we need these anyway?" Hatsu asked. "This seems pretty pointless to me."

"You'll see why we need them in a little while," Lonan said to Hatsu. He then turned towards Goth Dress Bro. "Goth Dress Bro, I ask you to proceed with caution while we're in this town. Something's pretty wrong here."

"You warn him, but not us?" Liath asked.

"You don't need a warning, Bone Scorpion." Such had been said with an annoyed tone.

Seeing a town coming closer as the wheels had begun to spin and turn, the chimera could feel a chill drop down his spine. Why was he feeling something sinister coming up? He didn't know, but this town, something definitely had to have been off about it. Had it been most engulfed in this virus? Perhaps so. It was best to remain cautious for now.

Lonan soon parking after he sped the brakes up to the fasted possible speed, the chimera nearly fell out of his chair. Why was the bird man going so fast of all a sudden? Weren't there speed limits in Sanrio Fanta? What was with him? Had a ghost possessed him, or something? Shrugging, he knew there had to have been some sort of emergency along the way.

Finding himself in a small municipality, something had been rather strange about this town. White ghosts everywhere begging for watermelons pixelated beyond belief, something really was not right here. Who were these creatures? Town completely rundown, he swore he could hear something really loud off in the distance.

"Alright, everyone, in order to get rid of the virus here, you have to give watermelons out to Yuakatan and their various copies. It is possible some will be hostile and challenge you to a battle, so it's best we go in groups," Lonan said in a commanding tone. He soon turned towards Liath and Gris. "Liath and Gris, since you two are family, you go together." He then turned towards Hatsu. "Hatsu, you can go with Goth Dress Bro over here. Try to get along with him, okay?" He then turned towards Sani. "Eyepatch Jackal Bro, you'll come with me."

"Could you stop calling me that?" Sani asked. "I'm not wearing this because I want to, you know."

"Stop making fun of my partner, ya hear?!" Wanmi demanded.

"We're not making fun of you," Lonan said, shaking his head. "It's just a nickname."

"Cooperate with us, quack!" Pekkle quacked.

"Let's go, Gris," Liath said in a commanding tone. "The faster we get this done, the better."

"Okay, Li," Gris responded, walking off.

"You'd better not slow me down, farmer boy!" Hatsu cried. "If we're fighting ghosts, you'd better be good at it!"

"That's right, slowpoke, don't slow us down!" Kurousa shouted.

Rolling his eyes, the chimera readied the watermelons. Why did he need to give ghosts this fruit anyway, what for? What good would any of that do? It's not like they could eat it, could they? But, it was best to not question something he didn't understand. What good would it do? Not everything in this world made sense anyway. That's just how it was.

Reaching the first set of ghosts in the corner, they soon floated by him in a circle. Demanding watermelons, or else one after another, he swore he could hear a song playing off in the distance. What was that noise up ahead? He really needed to investigate it. Something wasn't right here at this town at all.

"What are you doin' just standing there, huh?" Hatsu asked, raising his voice. "Feed the Yukakun crew their watermelons! Or do I gotta do it for you?"

"Quit being slow, pansy!" Kurousa cried.

Annoying word pansy used, the hyena folded his currently human hand into a fist. How dare this rabbit call him that word. Taking a deep breath, he let it go. There was no time to get himself into a frenzy. Come on, get over it. Give the ghosts their watermelons. There was hardly any time to argue.

Fruits handed off to the creatures, he swore the sound was getting louder. Gazing upwards, he could soon see a tower off in the distance. That building over there, he had to go there now. Speeding off towards it, he could see a look of confusion painted on Lala's face. Reaching for his digital whiteboard, he scribbled away.

[There's something strange going on at that tower over there,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Lala, I think we should go there and see what's going on.]

"Siorc, are you sure we should go there?" Lalalaflora asked. "That tower is a little scary!"

[I'm sure,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [We have to go there. Something's wrong.]

Running on ahead, the hyena could sense doom in the air the closer he trudged towards that tower in the center of the town. What was going on there? He knew something was up, and he could not shake it off. Annoying rabbit chasing after him, he let out a groan. Could this man leave him be? He had more important things to do than hand out watermelons here.

"Get back here, farmer boy!" Hatsu said. "We still have watermelons to give out here!"

[I'm going to the tower,] the text-to-speech voice screeched out at maximum volume. [I'll be right back.]

"Don't you, 'I'll be right back' me!" Hatsu cried. "If ya plan on leaving this all to me, I'm telling Lonan you ditched me!" A tiny fist had been waved upon the air as such went on.

Sighing, the chimera opened the door to the tower. The virus could wait a moment. This building, something was off about it, he had to check it out. He needed to do something about all this and fast. The virus, he couldn't help but feel this building was the center of it all. Running up the long, winding set of stairs, what waited for him at the top floor was of no surprise to him whatsoever.

White black skull hoodie wearing gremlin singing into a microphone, the hyena could see something sinister behind them. Large demonic figure glued to their back, he rose an eyebrow. What was that thing, a stand or something? Shaking his head, he tried to take everything seriously. Ah, no, that wasn't it at all.

Velours, Pulao and Naofa standing next to her, he crossed his arms across his waist. Little Kuromi's little team of gremlins. Had she added more people to her army? Wonderful, just amazing. He didn't know why, but he could sense something rather dark oozing through this tower. Gremlin looking towards him, she soon stopped singing.

"Look who it is!" Kuromi cried. "The last sucker to arrive in this world!" She laughed as she said such. "When I convinced that witch to send you here, I didn't know she sent a meddling fool!"

Kuromi revealing her hand in being sent here, the chimera almost wanted to challenge this creature to a battle. She was the one who dragged all the other chimeras here? That witch, was she just a puppet for her little games? Maybe she was bluffing, all villains say stupid things in their evil speeches after all. Remember the muffled cries on the earlier songs, he scribbled away.

[Where's Queen Hello Kitty Kuromi?] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"Oh, that stupid queen? I bound and gagged her and threw her somewhere else!" Kuromi cried. "And soon, this virus I created will make me the queen of Sanrio Fanta!" She then let out a little laugh.

[Let me guess, now you're going to say that you decided to make new rules for Sanrio Fanta and change the game?] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Tell me where you're hiding Queen Hello Kitty.]

"Why should milady Kuromi tell you where she threw out that inferior queen, hmm?" Velours asked. "Soon, she'll be the queen, isn't that right, Desmond Demon?"

"That's right, soon, everything will belong to Kuromi!" the demon cried.

"So, give up, weak little flea!" Naofa cried.

"New world order is here to stay!" Pulao shouted.

Hearing all of the nonsense, the hyena folded his arm into a fist. No way is he letting this happen. This world, it's rotting because of this little gremlin. That demon, it was the source of the virus, wasn't it? The cause of everything. He needed to exterminate that monster. Right here, right now. Scribbling away, he rose the volume of the digital whiteboard to maximum.

[I won't let you spread your virus to Sanrio Fanta any longer!] the text-to-speech voice cried out on his behalf.

"That's right, Kuromi, we won't let you destroy Sanrio Fanta anymore!" Lalalaflora cried. But, a sinister laugh had come their way.

"Oh, you really think a little pint sized loser like you could beat me?" Kuromi asked. As she said such, the demon behind he sped towards the pathetic worm. "If you want to challenge me so bad, meet me in Kuromi Caverns tomorrow evening! If I win, I'm going to make this world rot all the way through!"

"And if we win?!" Lalalaflora asked.

"You get your stupid queen back and I'll stop the virus from spreading!" Kuromi cried. "But, you won't beat me! This world's gonna rot!" As she said such, she threw the pathetic worm away. "Get out of my tower, loser! Hahaha!"

Tossed out of the tower, the hyena's head spun. He had to fight Kuromi? Oh, great, him and his big fingers. There was no way he would be able to do such a thing and win. Returning to the battlefield, he dished out the rest of the watermelon pieces to the remaining ghosts. Everyone except him beamed home, he tugged on Lonan's outfit.

"What's wrong, Goth Dress Bro?" Lonan asked. "Hatsu told me you ran off to the tower earlier."

Hatsu snitching, the hyena shrugged. He knew he would blab about that, but what did it matter? He wasn't about to sit by while that gremlin continued to do as she pleased. Gazing at the bird man, he wondered, did he know she was here? How much did he know about the virus and how far she had gone already? Did he know she was the one pulling the strings of bringing chimeras to her world? He had to ask. Scribbling away, his handwriting was messy.

[Did you know that Kuromi was the one who actually brought us here and it wasn't the witch?] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [Kuromi said she convinced the witch to send me here. Do you know what that means?]

"Yes, Goth Dress Bro, I knew that Kuromi had a hand in this. But, the witch at the café, she genuinely wanted to have us sent here in this world free of discrimination, and stuff," Lonan responded, nodding. "But, sometime after the virus started happening, Kuromi decided to start calling the shots. I dunno much about all that. But, she's slowly gaining control over all of Sanrio Fanta." He then placed his hands on his chin. "So, you're fighting her tomorrow, right? I feel like you can probably do that on your own, but I'll go get some backup for you, kay?" There was a long pause for a moment. "But, I just want to tell you this before you go and challenge her. If you beat her, you might be forced to return to our original world. We all might. Do you really want that?"

Question posed to him, the hyena stared off into space. Did he want to go back home? Now he wasn't so sure. But, the virus, it had to be eliminated. No matter what, he had to get rid of it. He couldn't let it linger and cause more chaos and disarray. Besides, Queen Hello Kitty was being held hostage who knows where. He had to do something. Scribbling away, he lowered the volume on the side of the device.

[I'm not entirely sure I want to go back, but I can't just stand by and watch Kuromi destroy this world and make it worse for everyone,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"You're such a good person, bro, you know that?" Lonan asked. "If you're sure, then, I'll come by tomorrow morning and prep you for the final battle." As he said such, he placed something beneath his feet. "I'm going to beam you home now. See you tomorrow."

Poofed back to his cottage, the chimera's eyes were soon jelly. No matter how many times Lonan beamed him back home, he could never get used to it. Why was teleporting so dizzying? He didn't know, but it didn't really matter. Hearing thunder crackle from the sky, the student gazed at his crops for a moment.

Everything torn apart and pixelated into nothing, a wave of rage had flown through the young adult. Kuromi's virus, it had begun to destroy everything. His crops, the forests, the cities, civilization. How could she sit by and laugh as the world around her had begun to rot? What a terrible little gremlin.

Returning to his cottage, he placed the sleeping bunny on her pillow. Pacing around the room for a moment, he could not help but feel rage boil inside him. All this time, that monster had been causing so much pain and suffering to the world around her. The pixel rain, had that been her doing too? Probably. Maybe he should have done something sooner to stop this rabbit in her tracks.

Feeling quite tired after hours of pacing, the hyena slipped into his sleepwear. One pieced Hello Kitty pajamas draped over him, he crawled into his bed. But he could not seem to get himself to sleep. Thoughts about the virus racing, he couldn't help but wonder a few things. Would defeating Kuromi really make this virus go away? Or, was she bluffing? Tiredness taking him away, one last thing dropped down with him into dream world.

He had to defeat Kuromi tomorrow no matter what.

---

Next week is the finale of season one, by the way. But, there will be more at some point!

 

[Palamon]

Thirteenth Link: The Final Battle

---

"Well, I guess today is the day, isn't it?
Everything rides on me defeating Kuromi, this
Little gremlin, can I beat her?
Let's be honest, I probably can't, I

Hardly have the power to battle, but
Even so this virus needs to eradicated,
Removed. I know Lonan told me
Everyone might be sent home

If I defeat her, but
This little gremlin, honestly,

I can't let her get away with this!
She can't become

The queen, I cannot allow
Her to become the queen. Not
Ever. Something about Kuromi just

Feels off, who
Is Desmond Demon? I have
Never heard of this creature. I
Am thinking that is
Likely not some obscure Sanrio character,

But maybe it could be?
Ah, I don't think they are.
This Desmond Demon creature, who or what, are
They? I feel as though that it could be anything. I asked
Lalalaflora, but she doesn't know. I feel
Especially downtrodden when I hear she does

Not know. But, I guess it's a mystery to us all.
Oh, well, it doesn't matter
To me, this little hooded

Gremlin is going down for the count
Once and for all!
I wish I had known sooner, if I had
None of the effects of the virus would have happened, but I
Guess, in the end, I found out

Too late. I guess that's my fault. I was
One, no, I was pretty much the

Last chimera to arrive here. At least
I believe so. I don't know, maybe a few others I haven't met
Ended up all the way on the other side of the country.

But, if that were the case, Lonan would have told me.
Uh, anyway, to be honest,
That's neither here nor there.

I have to focus on the here

And now, and right now, at this
Moment, I will be fighting Kuromi, no

Stop saying singular, it won't be me;
It'll be many other chimeras and their
Many Sanrio partners, and my Sanrio
Partner, too. I won't be by my
Lonesome. I know that, and
Yet, right at this moment, I feel

Pretty alone. Like I'm the only one
Unleashing my limited strength
To eliminate Kuromi.

At the end of the day, I
Shouldn't feel alone, but I just feel

Nervous. What if this
Ends up being my ticket to
Ride home? I'm pretty nervous, no, I'm
Very nervous. I mean,
Of course, I want to finish
University and go home to
See mother, grandmother

And grandfather again, but I don't want to
Say goodbye to Lalalaflora. I just

Can't. I can't say goodbye to her, not yet. I
Am feeling like we truly bonded. I
Never really got close to people

Because I don't talk, I do have a few friends, but
Eh, I don't think we're

Close. Thinking and I didn't hang out
A lot and all that. But, I do
Not want to lose the bond

I formed with Lala.

But, I, no, we have to beat Kuromi.
Every single one of us,
After all I can't let
That demon cause Sanrio Fanta to rot!

Kuromi is going down, and I won't back down!
Ugh, stop saying I! This
Ruse stops now.
Once we defeat her,
Maybe I'll be forced to go home.
I hope I can come back here. But, I'm

Not sure. I don't know, it's probably a
One way trip and I

Can never go back,
And if that does happen, I will
Not be too happy, but

What can I do? It'll be fine.
Everything will go fine, we have to

Battle this gremlin and her
Evil little demon
And destroy this virus
That's plaguing Sanrio Fanta! I also need to save Queen

Hello Kitty. She's been thrown away somewhere.
Everything might be stressful, but I cannot stumble. This virus needs to be
Removed. We can do it!"

|Breaking News!|

This just in, some of the college students who went missing have come back from that other world in the past few days! We can hardly believe it! After about almost four months, they've come flocking in like a charm of finches! I feel like our investigation is nearly done! Perfect day for it, too! Today is sadly the last day of my internship!

It's been a blast working with a professional reporter for the last six months! I might try to get a job here after I graduate! Why know when that'll be? I don't know, but my journey to journalism shall continue from here. I, Chaz, thank our viewers for tuning in to our coverage regarding the missing college students!

With that all said and done, boy oh boy, does it feel good to finally put a nail into this missing persons report! Not everyone reported came back only a few, but it's a start, and but, hey you know, maybe shortly after this the other fifty or so remaining students will return from that other world. What do you think, Cherise, do you think it's possible?

{Cherise: Since some of the missing students have already returned, I say it's definitely super likely, Chaz! Maybe something happened in the other world and they have decided to finally come back! Say, why don't we talk to some of the students that returned and find out why?}

{Chaz: I was thinking we could do just that, Cherise! But, before we do, let's speculate with our viewers at home why you think they came back! After all, some of the letters we've been getting into the station inquired about this! You wouldn't believe it, Cherise, your office is flooded with those letters! So many, like, wow, open the floodgates I say!}

{Cherise: Well, I think they were granted permission from whoever runs that other world to return to this one! Nothing fancy or anything! What do you think, Chaz?}

{Chaz: Well, Cherise, I can't argue with that! That's what I believe, too! Maybe they finally found a way back from the other world after all this time! Or, it might be deeper than we think! Who know what went on in that magical fantasy world that we weren't told about? Anything is possible! If I went to another world, maybe I wouldn't come back!}

{Cherise: Oh, Chaz, we wouldn't want that now, would we? If you decided to go to that other world, and never came back, you wouldn't be able to graduate! Heck, who even knows if there's televisions in those big old fantasy worlds! I don't think there are any out there. You wouldn't be able to become a reporter at all!}

{Chaz: Oh, no, you're right! It could be a world that's stuck in medieval times! How can anyone live without television and the internet? People in the dark ages must have had a boring life! The black plague, not living to forty, and not a single screen to look at! What did people do for fun, play solitaire? What a terrible life to live, am I right?}

{Cherise: You youth are what we older people call chronically online, my guy! Why, yes, I can imagine a world without internet because I lived in that time period where only the rich and super privileged could afford an internet service! And to connect, you had to interrupt the phone line! Now, you guys are handing babies a tablet! Wow, the amount of parents I've seen putting their kids faces behind those things!}

{Chaz: Woah, now, Cherise! I hardly spend that much time on the web! I am a busy college student after all! But, you're right, our next few generations, as the young teens would say, are cooked! Do we have a human low IQ crisis in our hands? But, enough of that! It is time for us to find the college students who have returned to us and interview them as we planned!}

Putting all that aside, dear viewers, when we first caught wind of the many college students suddenly returning from that Sanrio fantasy world, I hardly believed it! Who would have thought that whatever battle they had going over there might have finally come to an end? We don't know what happened, but today must be our lucky day!

And, I cannot tell a lie, but I was starting to think it was time to give up on this mission with my internship coming to an end! These past few days, I had gone back and forth in my good old cranium to announce to you all that we're giving it up! But, I couldn't do that. After all, I, Chaz, am not a quitter! I was born a winner!

And Cherise is not a quitter, either! At least, I don't think she is! Maybe this internship was a match made in heaven! And, now this is the last day I'll be able to address you viewers. It's back to the grind, back to the college campuses, essays my worst enemy! It's been a blast being your reporter for the last half year!

But, would you look at that, there are some of the missing students from Hot Pot University that have returned! Hello, there, sir and madam, we would like to have a word with you! We are from the Channel Twenty news station! We would like to know how you returned from that Sanrio fantasy world!

{Hot Pot University Student: Oh, you're the group of reporters who were covering our absence? Honestly, it surprises me anyone cared. Sure, I don't mind answering your questions. How did we get back here? Well, the virus was defeated, so we were able to come back to our original world.}

{Chaz: The first person who was whisked away to the fantasy world said something similar! But, we assure you that as soon as we got reports of you lot going missing, we couldn't sit by and do nothing!}

{Hot Pot University Student: I appreciate that, really. Honestly, no one cares about us <oh no, we can't broadcast this world on television, sorry!> in fact, I feel like most of the world would just prefer if we remained missing. But, it's great to be back. I missed my bamboo shoot tea so much. There was nothing like that in the world I was sent to.}

*Whisper, whisper* [On the back of this student's case, I see a little phone charm of a panda wearing an apple hat! I'm over here wondering where they might have gotten it from! Smartphone charms aren't exactly popular around here! But, what do I know? Hot Pot University is one of those cultural diverse schools!]

{Chaz: Forgive me, but I have a little question for you!}

{Hot Pot University: Sure, ask away.}

{Chaz: I couldn't help but notice that phone charm on the back of your phone case! Where did you get it from?}

{Hot Pot University Student: Oh, this? That's my Pandapple phone charm. It's very important to me. But, sorry, I can't go too much into detail about all that.}

{Cherise: Tell us more about that virus that was defeated. Another missing college student spoke about the virus, too. We'd like to know more!}

{Hot Pot University Student: Hmm, well, there isn't much I can tell you. I was on a virus hunting team, but I got defeated in the final battle, so I didn't get to see how it all played out. Before I knew it, I had to go back home.}

{Cherise: How many of you would you say have returned to our world?}

{Hot Pot University: I don't know, maybe about a quarter of us, or so? I not very good at math, I'm sorry!}

{Cherise: Thank you for the information! We hope the rest of you are able to get back soon!}

That's all the time we have today! After one hundred ten days, some of the missing colleges students have finally returned! We can hardly believe it! After all this time, the fruits of our labor have finally been realized. I feel confident to say that this case can finally be closed! Unless more people go missing shortly after this, but let us all pray that won't happen!

And now, I Chaz, regret to inform you all this will be the last time I will be reporting to from channel twenty news! It might be a shame to see my pretty face go, but I shall return someday! Will more college students return from the other side? Find out more at five! And now, here's Sandra with the sports! Looks like the Delinquents are on a losing streak again! Maybe it's time to sell off the weakest links!

This concludes our breaking news report!|

That night, the college student could not sleep. He could not stop thinking about every little thing. He would be facing Kuromi head on, that little gremlin and that Desmond Demon of hers, how would he be able to defeat her? She would probably cheat to make sure she landed a twenty four every single time.

But, such thoughts had hardly been the only ones that haunted him like a ghost. Lonan told him that if he defeated Kuromi, every single chimera would be forced to return home. Should he really do this? Should he back out of this after all? Perhaps it was something he should consider. The original world he came from, it's not like anyone wanted chimeras there.

The questions continued to loom through him as the night continued. What about Lalalaflora? If he were to return home, she wouldn't be able to go back with him, would she? Would he have to leave her behind, say goodbye? Maybe it was better to just stay here for all of eternity. After all, what good would it do to return?

Shaking his head, the young adult put his foot down. No, he had to defeat Kuromi and her demon. That virus had to be eliminated. No matter what, he could not allow it to remain here. This gremlin had thrown the queen away somewhere, he could not allow her pain and destruction to go any further! This virus had gone too far. It was time to end this.

Feeling himself tire out, the hyena returned to his bed. Closing his eyes, one last set of thoughts dragged themselves down with him into the land of sleep. This would be the last time he would ever wake up in this bed in Sanrio Fanta. Tomorrow, if he wins that battle against Kuromi, it's back to normal. Back to the original world he came from, a somber farewell.

Little kitty alarm going off the walls, the chimera slapped down the bells letting out a yawn. It had been morning already? How did that go by so fast? Fatigue flowing through him he let out a groan. Should he forget about the final battle? Maybe it's best he does so. Rolling around in the covers, he could feel his resolve fade away.

Throwing himself out of bed, the student knew he could not sit around and give up. That virus, it had gone way too far. And, it was time to put an end to all this. Kuromi's wrath needed to end right here, right now. So, what, if this would be his objective to return home? Surely, there would be a chance he could come right back here. Maybe it was possible. Or, maybe, defeating Kuromi was not his objective to return home at all, who knows?

Lalalaflora still snoring away, the young adult sprinted off towards the kitchen. Any minute now, and Lonan would soon arrive. He had to hurry, and make breakfast. Frying pan all fired up and ready to go, the meaty ingredients had been placed the cooking instrument. There was hardly any time left, was there? The bird man was a definitely an early bird, literally.

Meaty flapjacks ready to go, he placed the juicy goodness down on the plates. But, the student sighed as he did so. This would be the last time he would get to cook for Lalalaflora. The final time he would get to see this cottage. When he has to go back home, what will happen to the farm? Will Lala be homeless? Maybe he shouldn't leave after all.

Hearing a little yawn from the bed in the corner, the chimera reached for his digital whiteboard. Rabbit pal sniffing up a storm, he put on a somber smile. The fun filled mornings with his fashionable bunny partner were about to come to an end. When he returned, would he even remember her? Maybe Queen Hello Kitty would be forced to forget.

"Good morning, Siorc!" Lalalaflora cried. "Wow, you made breakfast already? These meat pancakes look so yummy today!"

[Good Morning, Lala,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [I wanted to get an early start today before Lonan comes.]

"Oh, that's right, we're facing Kuromi today and evil demon of hers!" Lalalaflora cried. "But, don't worry! With the two of us together, we'll be able to beat her!"

Rabbit pal declaring they'd be able to defeat Kuromi, the chimera munched on his meaty pancakes. She sure was confident they could take her out. Would this not end up being a dice roll like all the other battles? Maybe it would be a normal turn based fight for a change, no dice attached. After all, why would this gremlin need dice at this point? She had rocked the boat way too far out to sea.

Lala munching away at her food as well, the chimera stared off into space. This virus plaguing Sanrio Fanta, would he truly be able to eliminate it at all? He was starting to think joining this virus busting team wasn't such a good idea after all. What had he gained from it? Almost nothing had been resolved at all. Maybe defeating Kuromi wouldn't be enough. Could this all be more of a deep seeded problem then he once thought?

"What's wrong, Siorc?" Lalalaflora asked. "You look a little down today!"

Pal taking notice, the chimera scratched the side of his head. Was it really that noticeable? Should he tell Lala what's on his mind? Ah, no, what good would that do? What if bringing up his concerns about having to leave upsets her? That would not do on the day of an important battle that might decide the fate of this entire world.

[I'm just worried about the final battle, is all,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [What if Kuromi and her demon cheat?]

"Oh, no, you're right! What if she cheats?" Lalalaflora cried. "She might weigh the dice to always land a twenty four! Oh noooo, what if she weighted all the dice?!"

[We have to win, Lala,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf.

"That's right, we have to win!" Lalalaflora cried. But, as she cried such, a loud knock overtook the door. "Lonan's here! I'll clean up!"

Dashing towards the his drawers, for a moment, the chimera quickly changed into the black gothic dress. How could Lonan have come here already? He sure had come early. Huffing, he ran off towards the door. Why did he have to come now, of all times? But, he swore he could hear a few extra voices in the mix, familiar voices.

Pulling the door back, the student could soon see the bird man accompanied by his siblings. Seeing such, he could not help but tilt his head. Why were they here? Had they heard he was going to take down Kuromi? What should he say about this? He didn't know, not a single world was going through his mind right now at all. Scribbling away, he knew he had to at least say something.

[Did Lonan tell you everything?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"He did, kiddo," Pira said in a serious tone. "Do you really want to fight Kuromi? We know you're not much of a battler."

[I have to defeat Kuromi and stop the virus from spreading any further,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [I can't let Kuromi and her demon cause destruction to Sanrio Fanta any longer.]

"You seem like you're certain about this," Strix said in a serious tone. "In that case, we won't stop you." He continued, for a moment. "I won't lie to you, bro, we came here with the intention of stopping you." He shook his head. "Could you let us in? We need to talk to you before you head out to the final battle."

Nodding, the hyena seated himself on the sofa. They had really come here to stop him, but had a change of heart? Maybe he should back out after all. But, he can't do that. He could not allow his resolve to fade now. Family soon sitting down with him, he could see the bird man sitting elsewhere further in the cottage.

"Honestly, Siorc, we didn't think you'd want to fight the viruses, let alone Kuromi," Leah said in a worried tone. "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

"When we heard you were fighting the viruses also, we got pretty worried," Coiote added. "Have you been handling it alright? I know you had a team with you according to this young gentleman over here."

Question coming his way, the chimera wondered. How did their virus hunting missions go? He recalled that they had gone on their own fair share of missions. How did their virus busting go? The five of them had been on an adventure team of their own even though they hardly seemed interested in following their leader's command. Maybe he should ask about that rather briefly.

[It's been going alright, I suppose. Nothing to complain about,] the text-to-speech voice. [What about on your end?]

"It went as expected," Hase said, sighing. "Our team also tried to battle Kuromi. We challenged her to the final battle, but she cheated and rolled a one hundred every single time. We stood no chance. Every time it was our turn, we rolled a one. Yinlong took a pretty bad sting. So, we surrendered." She folded her hands together as she continued. "Be wary that she's going to cheat."

Hase telling her harrowing tale, the chimera could feel a chill in the air. It was as he thought, she had cheated. Of course she had. She had that demon at her side, didn't she? He bet they were changing all her rolls to the highest possible number. Rolling up his sleeves, he could feel the anger begin to boil over the rice.

"She really will do anything to make sure we don't beat her," Pira added in a serious tone. "That's why we wanted to be sure. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this, kiddo? Kuromi might completely wipe the floor with you."

[I'm sure. I have to do this,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [The virus spreading throughout Sanrio Fanta has to be stopped. I don't care if she cheats. I'm going to find her weakness and win!] But, a long silence soon followed.

"It's good to see you so confident," Coiote said with a smile. "In that case, we have this for you. Leah, is it ready?"

"I'm ready to give it to him," Leah responded, nodding. "This is for you, Siorc."

Handed a strange flower scepter, the student titled his head. What was this weapon? Why did it feel like it contained so much power? Where did they get this from? Something about it felt rather unusual. But, he couldn't bring himself to ask about it. Maybe it was better to just accept the gift as is.

"This is Queen Hello Kitty's secret scepter," Hase said. "When we first arrived here, she wanted us to give this to you, but we never knew the good time to bring it up. You don't have to worry about it being ineffective. No matter what number you roll, it'll always land a critical hit. And, I know that might make you feel a little guilty, but it's not cheating." She stood up from the sofa as she said such. "Now, we have to go. A lot of people got injured recently. But, there's just one last thing I'd like to ask you. This might be your ticket back home. Are you nervous?"

Weird inquiry coming his way, the chimera froze. Was he nervous? Maybe a little, but he knew it wouldn't do him any good to be afraid. This was the final battle. Kuromi would want him to be afraid of her. He couldn't let her have her way and get what she wants. That's right. He had Lalalaflora at his side, it would all go fine.

[I'm not afraid!] the text-to-speech voice practically screeched out. [That's what the enemy would want. I will beat her and end this virus once and for all!]

"Good luck, Siorc," Hase said. "We're rooting for you."

Family soon exiting the cottage, the chimera turned towards Lonan. The entire time, he said nothing. What was on his mind? Was he aware his siblings were coming over today? Maybe he hadn't expected that at all. Bird man and his duck pal adorning a strawberry hoodie seating themselves on the couch, he soon cleared his throat.

"You know, the goth aesthetic looks pretty good on you," Lonan said in a charming tone, but he cleared his throat. "Sorry for not saying anything while your fam was here. Figured you wouldn't want me butting into your business." He then extended his hand. "In any case, let's get you ready. As promised, I'll train you until evening to fight Kuromi. But, there's something I ought to say to you before you do." Looking Goth Dress Bro straight in the eye, his voice soon softened. "Your siblings weren't able to beat Kuromi because their bond with their Sanrio partners isn't that strong. But, we most likely will be able to take out her demon with ease. Not going to lie, Goth Dress Bro, I thought you'd be like some of the other chimeras here who didn't bond with their companion much. I'm glad to see I was wrong about you."

"Our bond is strong!" Lalalaflora cried.

"Quack, not as strong as ours!" Pekkle cried.

"Alright then, bro, let's go," Lonan said. "We'll train on the road to Kuromi Caverns." As he said such, he stood up. "That scepter might be a little hard to control. But, you might be able to get the hang of it." He then turned towards Lala. "Here, Lalers, take this."

Small magic wand handed off to her, the chimera placed his hand on his chin. Was this another one of Queen Hello Kitty's little knickknacks? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Perhaps Lonan had first chimera who arrived here privileges he didn't know about. But, that hardly mattered. At least for now anyway.

Moving through the colorless, pixelated road, the hyena could feel his heart begin to sink. How depressing. Just how far has this virus spread at this point? Had it reached a point of no return? Maybe defeating her really wouldn't do anything at all. But, he knew he couldn't think such a thing. That was quitter thoughts.

Scepter used on repeat, the chimera could not help but notice something rather peculiar. Not a single one of these battles involved dice at all. Queen Hello Kitty had really been held hostage somewhere, hadn't she? How awful. He really needed to do something about this before she took over the world.

Magical queen weapon feeling rather heavy as the battles continue, the chimera huffed and puffed. He really wasn't suited for combat at all, was he? Could he really do this? Was fighting this little gremlin and her demon a good idea? Throwing all his uncertainty away, he knew he had to do this. He had to defeat Kuromi no matter what.

Reaching Kuromi Caverns, the hyena swore he could hear a loud machine churning. He did not know why, but something about all this made him rather uncomfortable. Was that here last time he came? Maybe it wasn't. At least, he did not remember seeing such a thing the first time he came here. But, he could be wrong.

"Alright, bro, it's time," Lonan said. "Remember, Kuromi is going to cheat. She swapped out the twenty four sided die with a one hundred sided one that's weighed to always land the highest possible roll imaginable. But, don't let that intimidate you. Pekkle and I will also be joining you in this battle. I got your back, so don't worry about losing too much."

Taking a deep breath, the chimera pushed himself through the crevices in front of him. This was it, the final destination. The last battle. The brawl to end them all. Would he really be able to do this? Maybe so, maybe not. Maybe his bond with Kuromi would be the answer to everything. While the power of friendship felt like such a cop out, it was better to just embrace it.

Hearing a loud churning sound and muffled cries the further he moved in, a wave of intense unease flowed through him. Queen Hello Kitty was in here, wasn't she? He had to save her, and fast. Dashing towards the gremlin's little throne, he cracked his knuckles. It was time to end this. He wasn't going to let this monster keep on going like this any longer.

Kuromi and her demon shadow behind her, he could hear the little gremlin laugh. Scepter in his hands, the young adult prepared himself. The time had come, the final battle. The fight that would decide everything. Would the virus finally stop spreading? Or, would Sanrio Fanta rot because he failed to win? The time was now.

"Would you look at that, you came early!" Kuromi cried. "I won't lose!"

"Mff, mff, mff!" the gagged Queen Hello Kitty cried in the corner.

Stomp, stomp, stomp.

"Shut your mouth, former queen!" Kuromi cried. "When I beat this dumb little challenger here, I'll be queen! And, I'll make this world rot once and for all!"

"Mff, mff, mff!" the gagged Queen Hello Kitty cried in the corner.

"We're not going to lose to you, Kuromi!" Lalalaflora cried. "It's just you, and us!"

"I'll smash that confidence of yours, let's battle!" Kuromi cried. "Desmond and I will wipe you out, hahaha!"

Shoooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Large battlefield opening up in the corner, the hyena prepared himself. This was it, the final battle. He could not lose. There was no way he could. That's right, he could do this. He had Lalalaflora and Lonan at his side. This would end well. It just had to. One hundred sided die seated in the palm of the gremlin's hands, he rolled up his sleeves. It was time.

"I can't wait to wipe the floor with a stupid fool like you!" Kuromi cried. "Desmond Demon, it's our turn! Let's roll the dice!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssss.

"I rolled a one hundred, let's go!" Kuromi cried. "You're going down! Desmond, get him!"

Large ball of intense darkness about ready to come his way, the chimera's eyes opened wide. Ah, no, this attack. He was definitely done for. He knew she would cheat. Would he be able to take this hit at all? Projectile about ready to make contact with him, an unexpected turn took the tables for a ride.

Lonan jumping in front of him, the hyena's eyes opened wide. The bird man, why did he just do that? Was he trying to get himself defeated? But, he shook his head. Maybe he should just trust the process. Right, of course, he knew what he was doing. Man huffing and puffing in front of him, a laugh had come his way.

"Oh, you jumped in front of him? That just makes this easier!" Kuromi cried.

"You tell yourself that," Lonan retorted. "It's my turn now. Roll the dice."

"Oh, I will!" Kuromi cried. "Prepare to lose, birdie boy!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssss.

"Whattttttttt?!" Kuromi cried. "How can this be? I weighted this die!"

"Didn't load them hard enough," Lonan said. "Hurry up and tell me what I rolled."

"Fifty two!" Kuromi cried. "But, that won't be enough to beat me little birdy!"

"Pekkle, remember what I said," Lonan whispered.

"Quack! Super Duckie Shield!" Pekkle cried.

"Hawk barrier!" Lonan cried.

Shield of metallic feathers surrounding him, he swore he could see the text damage mitigation float above Lalalaflora and he. Was Lonan a defender? Maybe that should have been his roll in the battlefield. But, ah, too late for that now. Knowing his turn was up next, he prepared himself. It was time to bring down this monster to her feet. This scepter, it would always crit. That's right, he had luck on his side.

"Hehe, it's time to smash a little hyena!" Kuromi cried. "It's time to roll the dice!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssss.

"Now we're talking! Dumb little hyena here and his stupid little bunny rolled an eighteen!" Kuromi cried.

"Oh, noooo! Only eighteen?!" Lalalaflora cried. But, she shook her head. "No way, we got this!" As she said such, she rose the magic wand. "Kitty magic, go!"

Large die reading a nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine soon dropping down upon the battlefield, the hyena's jaw dropped open. Hold on a second, where did that come from? Queen Hello Kitty's magic wand, just what kind of power did it contain? Waving the scepter up, he let out a scream. It was time to aim for that dumb little demon.

Intense demonic energy aimed at the floating demon behind Kuromi, the text crit hit appeared over and over again. But, not much damage had come the creature's way. Seeing such, the hyena could already feel his will begin to sway, and then some. Maybe this was impossible after all. Did she beef up her demon friend with some sort of stat raising foods before he came here? Most certainly.

"Give up, you can't beat me and Desmond!" Kuromi cried. "And now, it's my turn once again! I'll knock you out!"

Shake, shake, tossssssssssss.

"What?!" Kuromi cried. "A twenty four?!" She stamped her feet as she said such. "No, no, no, how could this be?! I weighed the dice!"

"I used Queen Hello Kitty's magic to fix the dice so they'd go back to normal!" Lalalaflora cried. "No more cheating!"

"That's not faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaair!" Kuromi cried. "Desmond, knock the floor with this stupid bunny!"

"Roar!" Desmond Demon shouted.

But, nothing happened. Attack bouncing off the duck shield, Kuromi's feet stomps continued. Kuromi soon attempting to break the shield, her resistance was futile. Huffing a breath of relief, the hyena rolled up his sleeves. This was it, the ticket to ride. She wasn't going to get through this barrier. Maybe he should have been grateful Lonan was here.

"You stupid little birdy!" Kuromi cried. "I'll break your shield yet!"

"No, you won't," Lonan said. "It's my turn now."

"You, you!" Kuromi cried. "I'll defeat your sorry wings!"

Shake, shake, tosssssssssssssssssssss.

"Hehehe, would you look at that, a measly thirty seven!" Kuromi cried. "You're done, birdy!"

"Pekkle, on the count of three, we'll reset our shield stacks," Lonan cried. "Ready?"

"Quack, ready!" Pekkle cried. "Super Duckie Shield!"

"Hawk barrier!" Lonan cried again.

Stronger shield placed in front of him, the hyena turned towards the bird man. Was he going to just continued stacking the defenses? Maybe he really ought to convince him to get on the offensive. But, he knew he was probably up to something, why say anything about it? Closing his eyes for a moment, he curled his fingers.

"It's time for little hyena to lose miserably!" Kuromi cried. As she said something, she clicked something from behind her. "Hehe."

"Mff, mff!" Queen Hello Kitty cried in the corner.

"Soon, this entire world will rot! Hahaha!" Kuromi guffawed.

Shake, shake, tossssssssssss.

"What?! How could this hyena roll an eighty two I'm going to--!" Kuromi tried to say. But, an arrow had been tossed her way.

"You don't get to redo results," Lonan said. "Don't you dare even try to say it."

Lala soon waving her wand, another big die that read nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine soon added itself to the battlefield. Seeing such, he wondered. Wasn't this cheating? Maybe it was. Maybe this wasn't a fair battle at all. But, he swore at the top of Desmond Demon's head he could see a hit point bar that read over three hundred thousand. Maybe throwing this extra die wouldn't change much of anything after all.

Large, magic spell filled with poisonous sugar, green bubbles had soon floated over the demon and Kuromi's head, seeing such, the hyena had come to an immediate realization. He sees, the demon and the gremlin were soul bound to each other as well. How very fitting. Taking a deep breath, he placed the scepter in front of him.

Large diamond storm dropping down upon the enemy, the hooded bunny let out a scream. Crit hit appearing over and over again, he could see the hit point bar drop down to about a quarter. Maybe he still had it in him. He could do this, he could win. This little gremlin was going down. This virus plaguing Sanrio Fanta would be no more!

"You're cheating!" Kuromi huffed. "Using Queen Hello Kitty's scepter! I can't believe you!" She stomped her foot as she said such. "I'm going tot take you out just you wait!"

"You really think this is cheating? Think again," Lonan fired back. "All those other chimeras you defeated, you weighed the dice on every single one of them. You made it so you'd roll a one hundred every single time. The only cheater here is you, Kuromi." His wings flapped ferociously behind him as he continued. "That scepter Goth Dress Bro has here, Queen Hello Kitty wanted him to have it. And, we, no, he, is going to use it to defeat you." He pointed at the shield soon surrounding Goth Dress Bro and he. "Fight all you like, you won't be able to defeat us. Together with Pekkle and my shields, there's over one hundred stacks. So, don't count on knocking us out."

"Cheater, cheater cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeater!" Kuromi cried. "You'll see with this attack, you'll be gone, gone, and Sanrio Fanta will rot!"

Shake, shake, tossssssssssssssssssssss.

"Hehe, ninety nine, baby!" Kuromi cried. "Desmond, baby, wipe them out!"

But, nothing happened. Shields absorbing everything, the hyena could feel one last flow of ultimate power flow through him. This was it, the final move. Lonan turning towards him, he knew what he was about to suggest. Holding his hand out, he prepared himself. It was time, the final blow. The move to end it all.

"Ah, I see, you want to attack together," Lonan said, grabbing Goth Dress Bro's hand. "Fine with me. Kuromi, roll the dice."

"Hmph!" Kuromi cried.

Shake, shake, tossssssssssssssss.

"Ninety five and seventy!" Kuromi pouted.

"Alright, bro, let's do this," Lonan said, power flowing through him. "Mystical Spike Shot!"

"Kitty Arrow Demise!" Lalalaflora cried.

"Quack, Deluge Demise!" Pekkle cried.

Sea of metallic flowers soon surrounding him, the student let out a loud battle cry. This was it, the final move. Demon and Kuromi dropping downward upon the battlefield, everything around him soon closed. Little gremlin slamming her hands upon the ground. He knew what she was about to say. They cheated, she wanted a rematch. If she had the nerve to say that, she was going to get it.

"Fine, I lost!" Kuromi cried. "I'll stop the virus, and you can have your stupid queen back!" Plop.

Little gremlin losing consciousness, the demon soon surrounding her faded. Dashing off towards the queen, the ropes had swiftly been untied. Tape soon removed as well, she soon floated upward. Eyes on him, he could feel it. He knew the bad news was coming any second now. Any moment now.

"You saved me!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Congratulations, I knew you could clear your objective!"

Hearing such, the chimera knew it was coming. He could go back to his original world now. Turning towards Lalalaflora, he could see the somber look on her face. She knew this was his objective all along, hadn't she? He sees. He needed to say something, anything. Scribbling away, he sighed.

[Queen Hello Kitty, I don't want to go back,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [I don't want to leave Lala.]

But, he had soon been handed something. Small, plush doll of Lalalaflora handed to him, he titled his head. What was this for? He couldn't help but get a slightly eerie feeling from this thing. Should he give it back? But, he knew that probably wasn't happening. Light soon surrounding him, he knew there wasn't any time life.

"Sorry, once you complete your objective, you have to go back to your original world!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "But, don't worry, that little doll contains a piece of your partner's soul!"

Force getting stronger, the hyena closed his eyes. Was this really it? The end of his journey? He could feel regret flow through him. Maybe he shouldn't have tried to stop this virus after all, but he knew he had done the right thing. Sanrio Fanta, it would go back to normal now, wouldn't it? Right, of course it would. Scribbling away one last time, he could feel himself get further way.

[Will I ever see Lala again?] the text-to-speech voice asked on his behalf.

"Of course you will, don't worry!" Queen Hello Kitty cried. "Maybe in the future, you two shall meet in this world again!"

Blinding light reaching its end, the chimera soon found himself in the café. Pink haired witch behind the counter like last time, he gazed at her. She was right where he had seen her last. Seeing such, he couldn't help but wonder, had no time passed at all since he left? Maybe it hadn't. Maybe his mother hadn't even noticed he was gone.

"Welcome back, did you have fun?" the pink haired witch asked.

[I had a good time, but there was a virus there,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. But, he could feel his fingers shake. [Miss, will I ever get to go back there?] But, a strange smile had come his way.

"In due time, you will get to go back there, child, I promise you," the pink haired witch said. "Now, come, go home to your mother. You've been gone for one hundred ten days."

Hearing such, the student scurried home. One hundred ten days? That was almost four months! His mother, by now, she probably thought he was dead. Speeding off as fast as he could, he swore he could feel the little plushie shake in his back pocket. Reaching his home, he unlocked the door. Mother in the kitchen like always, she soon dropped the ladle.

"Siorc, welcome home!" his mother cried. "I thought I lost you!"

[I'm back, mother,] the text-to-speech voice said on his behalf. [I'm sorry for disappearing. But I--.] But, the rest of the text had soon become garbled.

"I know, honey, you were sent to another world," his mother said. "The people on the news have been investigating."

Having a long chat with his mother, the hyena stared at the plushie in his back pocket. What should he do? Was Lalalaflora's soul really in here? Maybe the queen had only said that to make him feel better about having to leave. Returning to his room, he paced around for quite awhile. Circles continuing, his thoughts jumbled together.

What should he do from here? Go back to college and finish his degree? He was sure by now that he was expelled. But, he had soon learned upon going back the next day that wasn't the case. Everything slowly going back to normal, he couldn't help but feel like something was missing. How he missed his fantasy adventure.

But, as the days passed, his family soon returned. Siblings telling him Queen Hello Kitty had told him he could return to Sanrio Fanta anytime, he couldn't help but feel a slightly warm feeling in his chest. Maybe someday, he would be able to return to the magical, rainbow fantasy world. Placing the little Lalalaflora doll on his desk in his room, he put on a smile as he was ready to face the next tomorrow.

One day, his adventure would continue.

---

And, with that, season one ends here. Thank you if anyone read this. Season two will probably come out in 2026.