Today, I opened my eyes to chaos.
My head throbbed like someone had played drums inside my skull. The familiar weight of a brick sat beside me on the bed—why was there a brick in my bed?
As I stumbled up, washed my face, and slipped on my gas mask, I realized something was missing. My coat and cape were nowhere to be found. A quick scan of the room led me to them, draped over Miss Ch'en and Exusiai, who were fast asleep and drooling all over my couch.
On the other couch, I spotted Mostima in her pajamas, calmly eating pudding next to Texas, who had a half-eaten cake in her lap. Emperor was sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching TV with Sora as if this were perfectly normal.
[Hogun]: Why are you guys in my room?
They all turned toward me in perfect sync… then all slowly looked toward Emperor.
[Emperor]: Did you, uh, happen to notice that the Five Stars Dawn office building… kind of exploded last night?
[Hogun]: ...How.
[Mostima]: Well, Boss here cranked the heat too high trying to make 'combat pudding,' Exusiai left the stove on, and after a few bad decisions—boom.
She casually spooned more pudding into her mouth.
Exusiai was mumbling in her sleep
[Exusiai]: It needed more sugar…
[Mostima]: After that, you found us shivering in the alley with half-burnt cake and invited us to stay here. Honestly? You make amazing pudding when you're drunk.
I stared at them, then at the scorched cape in Ch'en's grasp, the frosting on my boots, and the faint smoke smell clinging to everything.
[Hogun]: ...James is going to kill me.
[Later, in the Citadel hallways…]
[James]: General, why—why did you bring a group of dangerous people back to your quarters last night without proper protection? That penguin might've cracked your skull open and eaten your brain!
[Hogun]: James, you really need to stop watching so many zombie movies. Besides, fighting all those monsters lately has worn you thin. Take a rest.
[James]: With all due respect, General—keeping you alive is my full-time job, and every day it gets harder. I swear, I hope my grandkids are at least half as good at this as I am.
[Hogun]: ...Wait, grandkids? You have grandkids?!
[James]: Sir, I've been married for 60 years. My grandkids are married and have kids of their own. You're the only one who's been single for the last hundred years.
[Hogun]: ...Huh. Guess I really am the last single man alive.
[James]: And don't even get me started on last night's mess. The gas bills. The structural damage. The pudding budget—
[Hogun]: No time for that, James. I need to take the group to the market.
[James]: Why, sir?
[Hogun]: Because they burned all their clothes. And now they're wearing mine.
There was a beat of silence before a muffled crash echoed from Hogun's quarters.
[Exusiai]: Hey! Don't hog the coat, Ch'en—it has the best pockets!
[James]: ...Sir, if they stretch out your officer's uniform, I will file a formal complaint.
[Hogun]: Noted, James. Now go take that rest. You've earned it.
James let out a long sigh, adjusting his gas mask like a war-weary veteran staring down the apocalypse of fashion disasters.
[James]: By the Flames... I'm too old for this.
[At the Market — Later]
I finally got my coat and cape back—after a long and entirely unnecessary scuffle involving Emperor, pudding, and Texas threatening to dual-wield fashion advice. Honestly, it was a miracle they hadn't burned down another building.
Adam's going to kill me if I lose this cape again…
I exhaled and wandered deeper into the market alone, eyes scanning for threats, allies, or perhaps a miracle. The streets were tight and loud—smoke, spices, metalwork. The kind of place where someone could stab you and pick your pocket with the same hand.
That's when I saw them.
They weren't hiding. They weren't even trying to blend in. No, they stood tall, just like always. One in crimson armor, polished and proud. The other with a glint of the sea and storms in her eyes. And they saw me too.
[Hogun]: Queen. Khan.
They turned.
[Red Khan]: Hogun.
[Pirate Queen]: You took your time.
The moment hung there, like a loaded gun on a mantle. Then Pirate Queen smirked. Red Khan stepped forward, clapped me on the back with the force of a warhammer. And just like that—like all the blood and distance and years hadn't changed a thing—we were three again.
[Later, at the bar: "Street Star"]
The place was dusty, half-lit with neon strips and swaying ceiling fans. The barkeep knew better than to ask questions, which made him our kind of people.
We took a booth near the back—three shot glasses, a cheap bottle, and fifteen days of hell uncoiled between us.
I told them everything: the collapse of their cities, the escape of their most loyal NPCs, the appearance of the Citadel in this world, the twisted portal rifts, and the mess with the Five Stars Dawn Office.
Then I dropped the final hammer.
[Hogun]: Your collections... your bases... your legacy. All gone. They razed everything. The NPCs are here now, scattered like ash in the wind.
Red Khan blinked. Once. Twice.
And then—
[Red Khan]: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
He slammed both fists into the table, knocking over a bottle and a passing waiter.
[Red Khan]: MY ANIME GIRLS COLLECTION! SABER! LILLY! FAUST! RYŌSHŪ! Those damn zombies! MY MEADOW! MY CITY OF HORSES! MY CUTE PEONIES! ALL GONE!
He broke into German as the sheer weight of digital tragedy overcame him.
[Red Khan]: Mein Gott! Meine Mädchen! Meine Pferde! Meine—
[Pirate Queen]: (Curses in fluent Brazilian Portuguese, tearing a napkin in half)
Her eye twitched. She took a long, slow swig of the cheap liquor, then poured herself another, muttering something about her underwater treasury and cursed trinkets now lost forever.
I let them grieve. It wasn't just about digital stuff—it was memory. Effort. Time. Love. Lost in the span of a few world-shattering days.
Then, after the storm quieted a little—
[Hogun]: But listen. Not everything's lost. We're still here. And I've built something new. A place where we stand again, together. The Citadel.
They both looked at me.
Queen set her glass down.
[Pirate Queen]: …You still have that old fortress?
[Red Khan]: …Can I bring more anime girls?
[Hogun]: You'll have to rebuild them. From code. Like everything else.
[Red Khan]: …Challenge accepted. But why settle for static figures when I can assemble a real harem of my beloved girls?
He looked off dramatically, as if imagining himself surrounded by Saber, Ryōshū, Faust, and twenty others with glittering eyes and questionable physics.
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
[Hogun]: This reminds me—where exactly were you two all this time?
[Pirate Queen]: One Piece world. I was there for about a year. After that, I ended up in the Warhammer Fantasy world. Found Red swinging a giant sword, shirtless, yelling at elves about anime. Picked him up with my ship. Now we're here.
I nearly dropped my tea.
That hit harder than an isekai truck full of plot twists. If they ended up in other worlds with different time flows… then Light and Hast might be experiencing the same. Which meant—
[Hogun]: …Time displacement.
If Light's been away for a day on our side… it could've been months for him. Years, even. Damn it.
Meanwhile, Red was still lost in thought, holding his beer like it was the Holy Grail.
[Hogun]: So, are you finally going to ask your favorite waifus on a date?
He froze. His eyes slowly turned to me.
He glanced at the ceiling as if asking the anime gods for courage… then quietly sat back down, took a long swig, and muttered something under his breath.
[Red Khan]: …Maybe. Eventually.
I sipped my tea, watching his ears turn red.
[Hogun]: Heh. Even after a hundred years and a dozen battlefields… you're still shy.
[Pirate Queen]: Some things never change.
[Hogun]: This reminds me—I had something to take care of.
I stood from my seat, brushing off my coat, only to feel two arms wrap tightly around my neck from behind.
Soft.
Warm.
And dangerously cheerful.
[Exusiai]: General~ how do we look?
I blinked.
Then stared.
And stared harder.
I blinked.
Then stared.
And stared harder.
She was in a bridal dress. Pure white. Frilly. Glittering with sparkly angel-themed accessories. She was positively glowing.
But she wasn't alone.
Behind her stood Texas—black bouquet in one hand, stoic as ever, but somehow red in the face. Mostima, in a light blue variant, was pretending she wasn't blushing while munching her pudding. Ch'en had a sword strapped to her garter. Sora twirled in place with a giggle. Even Emperor... was in a tailored tuxedo-dress hybrid, looking smug as hell.
[Hogun]: Why... are you all in bridal dresses?
[Exusiai]: We heard a rumor someone said we weren't serious. So now we're proving it~"
[Mostima]: I blame the pudding. And the market... and the heatstroke.
[Texas]: …You said we could pick what we wanted.
Oh no.
Oh no no no—Red was still here.
I turned to him.
He had risen slowly from his seat, one hand trembling.
[Red Khan]: Real anime girls… in bridal dresses…
His eyes shone like he had achieved enlightenment.
Then I looked at Queen.
She wasn't laughing.
She wasn't teasing.
She was smiling.
With the calm, wicked smile of someone who was now holding a camera.
[Hogun]: Queen. Put the camera down.
[Queen]: Smile for the archives, General.
[Exusiai]: You never answered, by the way~ Do we look good?
I could feel my soul trying to leave my body through my ears.
Somewhere in the distance, a bell rang.
It wasn't a wedding bell.
It was the sound of my last shred of peace dying.
[Later…]
I sat down at the newly renovated Dawn Office, still smelling faintly of scorched wires and cherry-scented cleaning spray. The walls were patched, the floor re-tiled, and the windows no longer looked like someone had thrown a chainsaw through them. It was almost cozy—almost.
Across the room, Exusiai was fiddling with a broken lamp, Mostima flipping through TV channels with pudding in one hand and the remote in the other.
[Hogun]: Please. Just… try not to burn the place down.
[Mostima]: No problem.
That did not fill me with confidence.
Leaving the angels to their devices, I walked with Red and Queen through the dimly lit streets to my apartment. They had nowhere else to stay—of course—and tomorrow we needed to head to Central Office to make it official: their NPCs and followers would finally see their leaders had returned. Reconstruction could begin.
We arrived.
They picked their rooms without much fuss, though Queen claimed the bigger one with a smirk, and I finally made it to my bed.
A deep sigh left my chest as I collapsed onto the mattress, the quiet hum of city lights outside lulling me to stillness.
I opened the Player List.
[Players Online]
[Red Khan / Online]
[Hast / Online]
[GeneralHogun / Online]
[Pirate Queen / Online]
Good. Everything's in order—
Wait.
[Light Angel Mechanical / Offline]
...
[Light Angel Mechanical / Online]
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Was that a glitch? Or…
[Hogun]: …Maybe I really do need sleep.
I rolled over, and there it was—my trusty brick sitting beside me on the bed like a loyal dog. I pulled it into a hug like a pillow and closed my eyes.
Tomorrow was another chaotic day waiting to happen.
But for now, I had peace.
[Extra: Girls Talk]
[Extra: Girls Talk – Dawn Office Bridal War Council]
Inside the newly rebuilt Dawn Office, the lights flickered with questionable wiring, the scent of vanilla cake hung in the air, and the war table—originally meant for tactical briefings—was now buried beneath lace, pudding cups, and bridal magazine clippings.
Exusiai was spinning in Hogun's swivel chair while holding her veil up like wings
[Exusiai]: Aaaahhh Mostimaaa! You said he'd totally lose it if we wore bridal dresses! He just stared like… like we were filing tax reports.
Monstima was half-draped over a couch, twirling a spoon in her pudding
[Mostima]: He did blink three times. That's practically an emotional outburst from him.
[Texas]: He told us not to burn the building down. That's… something.
[Sora]: I think he went into 'mission mode.' Like we were a walking anomaly breach.
[Emperor]: He was more emotionally attached to the brick he hugged on the way out.
[Exusiai]: That brick doesn't have thighs, Mostima! Or wings! Or devotion!
[Mostima]: The brick also didn't blow up the stove.
[Texas]: The brick also didn't set the heating to 90°C.
[Sora]: And the brick doesn't own 15 bridal catalogs we found under the tactical table, Exusiai.
[Exusiai]: Those were… for inspiration! For future weddings! Of… others! Not mine!
[Mostima]: So what now? Emotional siege warfare? Slow romance build-up? Pudding-based bribery?
[Emperor]: We declare Operation: Brick Rivalry. Win his heart before construction materials do.
They all nodded solemnly.
Across the city, Hogun sneezed violently, muttered something about "air filters," and clutched his brick tighter.
[Chapter End]