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### Chapter 1: Volume 1 Confinement 1
I am writing this author's note after finishing the first volume and midway through volume 2. There will only be 3 volumes, so the story is halfway done. This is a fic written using the Waifu catalogue as a baseline. It is much more common on a few forums than on sites like Royal Road. For those unaware of what that is, you can find it here: To enjoy this fic, you do not need to know about the challenge or the worlds (Soulsborne/Superhero comics/Worm). I am writing this to get better at characterization and to tell a story I would like to read at the end of this. Using the W.C., which is used for porn more often than not, is a nice challenge. There will be blood. Violence. Death. Sex. And yes, a harem. Though I like to think I write better than most two-dimensional harem writers, that is for you to judge if you decide to read through this work. Honestly, I put off posting on this site for the longest time, and I wonder if this is a good fit for Royal Road. In the end, some pestering from friends got me to put this here. I will upload one chapter daily until caught up to other sites, then one chapter every Friday. I pride myself on never missing a weak, barring a hiatus between volumes 1 and 2, so you can expect updates to remain consistent after catching up. I will leave the original author's notes at the end of the chapters as it provides some context for those interested. I hope you enjoy Rhaptourous Rhapsody. ******** I felt an angel near today, though one I could not see I felt an angel oh so close, sent to comfort me ******** Wakefulness did not come quickly to Nico Robin. It was slow, rough, and entirely disorienting, like crawling through mud. That she was waking up at all was certainly a surprise. In her life, she had learned surprises were ever so rarely good. Employing one of the techniques that had saved her life on many occasions, she lay there with her eyes closed, not moving an inch. Using her Haki to ensure nobody was nearby, she reached out with her Devil Fruit powers. She instantly conjured an eye on one of the walls to get a lay of the room before dissipating it and reconjuring it in the ceiling corner. In her experience, people very rarely looked up. Robin got a good look around where she lay with her hidden eye. The room was luxurious, probably the best she had ever slept in, which was saying something. The bed was large, and the sheets were silken smooth. Robin only realized now that she was entirely naked under the covers, which was distressing. The rest of the room was well furnished; a few cushioned chairs sat in the corner beside a small table. A lounge sofa lay near the foot of the bed. In front of which was a thick carpet, and against the wall was a fireplace made of brick. The fire was lit but burned softly, with only a few logs on the grate. Curiously, there were no ashes under the burning wood. The flames were the only illumination source in the room though she noted a few lamps on the bedside tables and a chandelier high up in the tall ceiling. A few windows along the wall were covered in heavy, purple drapes. The walls were covered in bookshelves with only space for the fireplace and three doors. One was a sliding door beyond which Robin imagined lay a closet. Everything was made out of dark wood, black velvet, and inlay with subtle touches of ivory. Whoever had taken her, rescued her, was wealthy. Very wealthy. So what were their plans for her, and where were the rest of her crew? It was not paranoia if people really were out to get you. She wasn't wearing seastone, at least for the moment, so they either remained ignorant of who she was or didn't intend her harm. For the moment. Dissipating her eye on the ceiling, Robin slowly and carefully exited from under the covers. The room was warm due to the fire, so her intimacy was not uncomfortable, but she would prefer to find clothes sooner than later. Keeping a wary eye on either of the doors, Robin made her way toward what she suspected to be the closet. Sliding it open, Robin realized she was both right and wrong with her guess. To call it a closet was to call a battleship a skiff. From hangers that stretched on for yards were clothes of all styles and colours, and racks of shoes and boots covered one side of the wall. Accessories such as hats, belts, and other paraphernalia filled a shelf on the side beside a massive floor-length mirror. Most disconcerting was that all of it, from the hats, boots, and garments, were in the pirate's preferred style and made out of high-quality material. Whoever this room belonged to had gone out of their way to ensure it was to her taste. Some frightening implications came to mind. How long had Robin been unconscious? How long must they have been following her? To remain safe, Robin dressed in clothes that were easy to move in and could function in any weather. She took a hat and sunglasses in case she needed to make a stealthy getaway. As she dressed, Robin heard voices from behind one of the doors. Though she could not hear their exact words through the solid wood door, the voices sounded feminine and hurried. Proceeding slowly, Robin went to the opposite door, cracked it a bit to peek inside, and saw a luxurious bathroom. Closing the door, she made her way to the other entrance and fully opened it. What lay beyond wasn't in the same style as the room Robin had woken up in. While the floors were still made of wood, they were of a lighter colour, the walls were covered in art rather than bookshelves, and it was lit by bulbs on the wall rather than firelight. The images on the walls depicted various things, though natural landscapes and religious figures were the most common. Other doors dotted the walls, though all were in different styles. Some looked personalized, while others remained blank. The pirate counted three doors on each wall, including the one Robin had just stepped out of. The hall looked to only have one main exit near her own entrance, the other ending in a window overlooking a cliff and the sea. Judging by the light filtering in through it, it was early morning. She decided the windows in her room or this hall would be a good exit in an emergency. Better than risk delving deeper into the house. With the speed of a woman on the run her entire life, Robin took it all in with a quick glance. After that quick moment, Robin turned her attention to the other hall occupants. Like the hall, she quickly categorized the women she could see, assessing them as possible threats. Of course, she didn't fail to maintain a demure smile as she did so. Reducing her perceived threat level would only aid her in her escape. They were three women in the hall. Opposite her was a dark-skinned woman in an orange shirt and tight black pants. Long purple hair in a ponytail and yellow eyes. She was tiny compared to Robin's tall frame, easily a foot shorter. She leaned against the door opposite the pirate but judging by her tense muscles and wary eyes, she was ready to act at any moment. The other two women were further down near the end and talking by the window. The first was covered entirely in a dark cloak; her entire body was hidden, and her proportions unknown. The only way Robin was sure the figure was female was the occasional fluttering pressed the cloth against some generous curves. Nonetheless, the Straw Hat remained wary since the cloaked woman was hovering in the air. While not super rare, any Devil Fruit that allowed its user to fly was dangerous. Her companion wasn't hidden in the least, however. She was only a few inches shorter than Robin, with tan skin, black hair and blue eyes. She was also wearing an armoured corset that left the top of her generous breasts exposed, greaves, wrist guards and a crown. Her impressive musculature and the weapons on her hip put her as another possible threat. Robin concluded that all three women could be dangerous in different ways. All eyes flickered to Robin as she stepped into the hall. There was a brief pause as everyone sized each other up. The moment was broken when another one of the doorways opened up, and someone else joined the gathering group. "What exactly is going on here?" The new arrival was an auburn-haired woman in some sort of leotard. Her eyes were deep crimson, and her long hair was covered in a bejewelled veil. Her eyes flickered over the other women in the same manner as Robin's before they settled on the armoured brunette. "That," the armoured brunette answered. "Is an excellent question. Is anyone here aware of where we might be located? Raven nor I are familiar with this building. We also do not remember arriving here," she asked, gesturing to her cloaked companion and surveying the growing group of women. "If I had known, I would not have asked," the spandex-clad woman said, mouth dipping into a scowl. "The others might know," the cloaked woman, Raven, spoke up in a monotone voice. As her armoured companion looked at her companion in question, she continued. "There are five more women down that way." She pointed a gray-skinned finger down past Robin. Robin subtly opened and closed hidden eyes along the ceiling in rapid succession, doing her best to ensure they remained hidden. She followed the path down the long hall, which opened into a grand foyer. It seemed like they were in the left corridor of a large mansion. Robin assumed they were on the second floor based on the double stairs going down and up and the great glass wall and doors below. Aside from the two sets of stairs, double doors were in the center between both halls. All this she observed and noted in a few blinks of an eye. As Robin opened an eye on the ceiling of the opposite corridor, she observed that, like Raven said, there were five more women in this side hall. Four blondes and another cloaked figure. She couldn't make out too much of their profiles from her position, but they all appeared to be more than blessed in the looks department, with some of the largest busts she had ever seen. She took what information she could gleam in a moment. Light purple cloak, pointed ears, withdrawn in the corner. Blonde shoulder-length hair, silver corset and thigh highs. Blonde hair in a bun, white and black blouse, small cape, whip. Talking with 'Corset Blonde.' Blonde hair in pigtails, green shirt, massive breasts. Holding her head in apparent pain. Blonde hair in a bun with bangs, silver armour, white-furred cloak. Luminescent green eyes staring right at Robin! Robin tensed and dismissed the eye on reflex. That woman had been sharp. Even the most proficient Haki users hadn't been able to notice her spying. She braced herself to use her Devil Fruit if the need came. Nothing. There was no cry or sudden burst of movement from the other hall. Shaking her head, Robin changed her train of thought. Of more importance was getting as much information as possible. The rest of the women in the hall were no more well-informed than Robin, so they would be useless. This situation did not paint a pretty picture. A group of beautiful women? All displaced with no idea what was going on? Who appeared in an area that clearly belonged to wealthy individuals? This was setting off alarms in the pirate's head in the worst way. The lack of a collar around their necks and the fact that they had placed no seastone on her stopped the worst of the panic from rising to the surface. She still had options. "I shall ask," the armoured brunette said to her companion. She started walking toward the second-floor landing and the other hall. "I am Diana of Themyscira, and this is Raven." The pair walked past Robin and her shorter opposite. The veiled woman followed the pair, staying behind by a few feet. The pirate pretended to do the same but started down the stairs rather than continue to the other corridor. She would not find answers there, with more clueless women. "Scathach," she heard the veiled woman introduce herself as she stepped past. Beyond the hall was a terrace connecting to a curving staircase leading to a big entrance like Robin had seen. Everything remained in the same style as the hall, there were no gaudy displays, and most of the wealth seemed to be implied rather than overt. That actually went a long way to soothing Robin's fears. In her experience, those with wealth and power tended to flaunt it. Those who maintained subtle expressions of power tended to be the more competent, for better or worse. They also tended to be less prone to casual cruelty. As she started to descend the stairs, Robin felt a weight settle onto her shoulder. She saw a black cat staring up at her with its golden eyes from its perch. "Hello there," it said in a deep voice. It sounded male, but judging from the fact that it came from the hallway behind her, it was probably female. Another Devil Fruit user, then. By process of elimination, she was the shorter woman in orange from the room opposite her own. "Hello," Robin answered as she proceeded down the stairs. "You got a name?" The cat asked casually, tail flicking idly as it stared her down. Interesting. While Robin was in no way vain, the Straw Hat Pirates were rather well renowned, and she was one of the more infamous ones of the group. For a Devil Fruit user to not know her name suggested isolation or willful ignorance. Nonetheless, while Robin was undoubtedly paranoid, she was not rude. "Sunday. And you are?" The cat snorted in amusement at her words. Robin didn't know cats could snort. Cute. "I know a fake name when I hear one, and that is as fake as they come. But I guess you can keep your secrets. Name's Yoruichi. Ya' got any idea about what's going on?" "I am as ignorant as you on the subject," Robin shrugged. "What is the last thing you remember?" She asked, fishing for information. The way Yoruichi eyed her made her realize the cat knew what she was doing and didn't care. "Having my heart ripped out, how about you?" The cat deadpanned. "That lines up with my experience, yes." Yoruichi squinted up at her before nodding silently. Both agreed not to press that subject for the moment. "So, some sort of extra afterlife? Separate from Soul Society and Hueco Mundo?" Robin was unfamiliar with those two places, but it was easy to guess from context. Nevertheless, she was not one to advertise her ignorance. "Possibly," Robin answered as she reached the foyer entrance and pushed open the large double doors. "Though I'm expecting something a little more strange." Beyond the doors lay paradise. That was the only way to put it. The building was set atop a small mountain that overlooked an island. A path of well-paying stones ran from the doors, about a 15-minute walk if Robin was the judge, down to a large field. On either side of the path were orchards of fruit-bearing trees. Looking to the right and left, she noticed that the orchard eventually ended, and forests covered the other parts of the island. The island was massive. She couldn't see its end, with snow-capped mountains towering in the distance blocking further viewing. The weather was warm without being too hot. The sea sparkled with blues and greens under the early morning sunrise. From what Robin could tell, the building wrapped around the hill like a crown, made of oaks and other woods. She could see large windows and terraces, giving it an open-air feel. It was on a towering cliff that faced southwards, below which lay a sandy beach. All in all, it looked like a summer island paradise if it were not for the fact that a few kilometres from shore, the sea disappeared into a yawning black void. "Right," the cat drawled, staring out into the void. "Something strange." The following hour was spent exploring the building where the various women found themselves. It was a sprawling mansion, with everything a group would need to survive independently of the world and some more on top of it. An extensive training yard to the side of the building was filled with a shed of weapons, and armour lay beyond the orchard. A greenhouse grew various plants, most of which Robin or Yoruichi could not identify. The back of the building was wrapped by a lovely deck containing a hot tub and a pool that looked rather inviting. That part hung over the cliff edge, and the glass floor produced a feeling of vertigo that made Robin a bit queasy. The inside of the building was even more luxurious, though it maintained its subtle style. The first floor was primarily rooms dedicated to utilities. The kitchen was large enough to house 10 people, and the dining room thrice that amount. Large sitting rooms contained plush couches and various seating arrangements. Another room was a dedicated library filled with books of all sorts, and in languages Robin couldn't even recognize. Yoruichi practically had to drag her from the room. On the second floor were bedrooms, the double doors the pirate noticed earlier probably led to the master suite, though neither of the pair could get them to open. The third floor was actually the roof. Some greenery was interspersed around various terraces seating arrangements and even another pool. It all seemed designed to maximize the enjoyment of the spectacular view. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. As they explored, Robin and Yoruichi kept engaging in their little game of, dare she say it, cat and mouse. They kept trying to weed out secrets from the other. Robin learned that Yoruichi was indeed female. She enjoyed teasing others, was extremely politically savvy, had just been in a major war, and had no idea what a Devil Fruit was. What Yoruichi learned the Straw Hat Pirate could only guess, though there were moments when the cat looked so smug Robin could tell immediately that she had discovered something. The pair had seen more of the women as they explored, but they felt no need to engage them in conversation. Everybody was exploring, some in pairs, but most by themselves. The team noticed the cloaked woman from the other hall fly off the mansion's roof and into the forest. After over an hour of exploration, they were getting hungry, so the pair made their way to the fully stocked kitchen. They were not the only ones with that idea, as it seemed one of the blondes from the other hall had decided food was a good idea. It was the very busty one in green. She was still holding her head in pain while munching on some bread. In some unspoken agreement, Yoruichi jumped from Robin's shoulder onto the counter the woman sat at while Robin started gathering ingredients for their meal. "Morning," the cat said to the blonde. She looked up and blinked at it in surprise before the blonde gave a small groan and answered. "Morning," She groaned. "Rough night?" Yoruichi asked wryly. "Mother of all hangovers, chakra's so dry I can't even heal it." She answered. "Been there," the cat winced in sympathy but did not comment on the word 'chakra.' "Crazy party?" The blonde looked at the cat in confusion, something seeming to click in her mind. "Last I heard, you guys were lost in the Mist civil war. Have you been without a summoner this entire time?" The busty blonde warily eyed the pair. "I think you might have me confused with someone else," Yoruichi nonchalantly replied. "I'm Yoruichi. This is Sunday. We just woke up here, like you." "Right," the blonde muttered before taking a swig of her coffee. She placed her hand on her temple, the appendage glowing a pale green. It only lasted a few seconds, but the blonde looked less like death warmed over when she pulled it away. "Let's cut the bullshit. I'm in no mood to pussyfoot around. Who are you? Where are we? What happened to Madara?" "In order; We just told you. No idea. Who? Also, can we get a name, or should I keep calling you Tits in my mind?" The cat replied glibly, which drew a smirk from the blonde. "Tsunade," the Hokage responded. "So, what can you tell me?" "There are ten of us. All female, all attractive. We are in an opulent mansion on a cliff on the south side of a Summer Island, a large one based on the mountains. There are animals in the woods and ocean, nor any sea kings. I have not found anyone else within ten kilometres of here, though I am still exploring." Robin answered as she finished platting the two meals. As she did so, the pirate realized she had been on autopilot the entire time she cooked. The food looked much better than anything she had ever made before. Taking a bite, it certainly tasted better as well. While she could cook for herself, years spent on the run had taught her self-sufficiency; she was no Sanji. Whatever she had just made looked like skinny pancakes wrapped around some sort of spread filled with fruit and were utterly new to her. Something beyond the kidnapping and rescue from death was bizarre here. But if there is one thing Robin enjoyed, it was a good mystery. Filing it away for later, she passed the plate to Yoruichi, questioning whether the cat could even eat the meal with a look. Robin needn't have bothered. The cat jumped from the counter to a stool no sooner had the food been placed. The feline was then engulfed in a puff of smoke. Sitting there, instead of a cat, was the dark-skinned, dark-haired woman from earlier. Robin barely paid it any mind. Such things were everyday occurrences on the grand line. The Hokage stared for a moment before she spoke up. "That's an interesting technique," she said with a sly smile. "Thanks," the cat-woman replied, entirely unconcerned with her intimacy. "From what we can tell, apart from being attractive women, the only other common factors are that everybody is strong. From what I can tell, the three of us are some of the weakest here." Tsunade eyed her in disbelief, though Robin could accept that. Power was not the be-all-end-all. "Also, out of curiosity, you didn't happen to die right before waking up here?" "Had my neck snapped," Tsunade nodded in a blase manner. Entirely unconcerned about her 'death,' she continued. "So this the Pure Land?" "I do not believe this to be the afterlife." Robin pipped up as she polished off her breakfast. It was really, really good. She stood and poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot. "Somebody is recruiting. They save us and butter us up with a fancy mansion. Let us get situated, then make their offer. Based on what I've seen, they want us to fight for them. The training yard, the weapons, and the warehouses filled with materials do not paint a pretty picture." "Sounds like Akatsuki," Tsunade snorted in disgust. Robin was going to ask a few questions about what she meant when a feeling overcame her. That was the best way to describe it. Like when you walk into a room and forget why you came in. You stand there momentarily, confused, before deciding to move on with your day. Almost like vertigo, in a way. Robin was curious about what could cause the emotion for a brief moment before her vision swam, distorted and went black. Her teacup fell to the ground, shattered into shards of porcelain and tea, shocking the two other women in the kitchen. ******** The dizziness faded quickly, but Robin had been on guard since her awakening this morning. As soon as she could, she threw herself against the nearest wall, crossed her arms and prepared to use her Devil Fruit on whoever had teleported her. She wished she could say that this was the first time something like it had happened, but her life had been far too interesting for that to be the case. Thankfully, her paranoia was not needed. Rather than being surrounded by hordes of enemies prepared to take her down, Robin was almost entirely alone in a small, cramped cell. A quick-eyed glance revealed that she wouldn't have even been able to lay down completely, the cell being too narrow. A few suspicious stains dotted the walls, most looking like dried blood. There was no furniture at all. Light streamed in from what seemed to be a hole in the brickwork of the roof, the harsh sun beating down on the only other occupant of the small room. He gaped at her in complete astonishment. He was huddled up in the corner of the room, trying to hide in the shade cast by the few remaining bricks in the ceiling. Robin couldn't get a good look at his complete profile with his arms wrapped around his knees. From what she could tell, he was incredibly skinny, and his skin had the consistency of leather, likely from being out in the sun. Dark-haired and with dark eyes, she estimated he would be about her height if he stood up, but Robin dismissed him as any physical threat because she could see and count his ribs. His only distinctive qualities were a trio of red tattoos that circled his heart around what seemed to be a ring of black fire. She could tell all this because he was completely naked. More importantly, how had Robin arrived in the cell, and how would she get out? Thankfully the hole in the roof provided the best means of escape since the cell doors would probably be made of sea stone if they meant the trap her. Peeking her head through the barred door to peer into the hall beyond, she realized it was too dark to see anything. Beyond a bit illuminated by the sun that streamed through the cell door, it was pitch black. She didn't see anything beyond some more broken masonry and what seemed to be other prison cells. Robin did hear some movement, though from further beyond. She was deciding whether it would be better to create an artificial ladder to the ceiling, try and break down the door, or interrogate her fellow prisoner. The other room occupant, quiet until now and completely surprised at her arrival, broke his silence. With laughter. It started with a few chuckles at first. As Robin turned to him, he degenerated into hysterical, maniacal laughter. Robin kept an eye on the corridor to see if anyone was approaching to investigate the sound. Thankfully nobody was near, but she kept a wary eye on the prisoner. Who knows what he would do? She tried to wait for his mirth to die down, but he laughed. On and on and on and on. After a minute, she was exasperated. After two, she was a bit crept out, and after three, Robin was getting decidedly nervous. Thankfully he never made it to four. "Oh man," he said more to himself than to Robin. She could see tears in his eyes, and though he was still smiling, Robin recognized it as the smile of the damned, those who had lost all hope. The way she used to smile. "One time! That was all it took to go hollow. One fucking time! Man, do I suck. This is just sad. I was hoping for at least a dozen, but I thought I at least had five in me." "Excuse me," Robin interrupted the old man's ramblings politely. It was best not to agitate the insane. "You wouldn't happen to know where we are?" "Well," he responded wryly, stretching out on the ground and giving her a view she did not need from a man his age. He seemed utterly unbothered with his intimacy. "I can't confirm this. But I do believe we are in the Asylum." The word seemed to send him into another fit of chuckles, though he did not last as long as before. "Asylum? Which asylum? Do you know which island we are on?" Her question turned his chuckles into the same maniacal laughter as before. As if she had just said something amusing. Not willing to waste time anymore, Robin first decided to test the doorway before she left by the roof. She expected it to be reasonably solid, if not stuck entirely due to how the bars were bent into the doorframe. Robin was unprepared to have her hand pass through the metal as if she were one of Perona's ghosts. Her hand merely moved the metal as if nothing was there. The same happened when she pressed against the brick wall. "Going somewhere?" The prisoner asked between his giggles. "Yes, I am getting out of here." Robin could question the materials of her body at a later point. This inmate, whoever he was, was of no help. Better to explore on her own. Robin stepped through the grated cell door as if it wasn't there and went down the hall. She made sure to keep her Haki activated at all times to be on the safe side. It was more responsive than she was used to, another oddity of the situation. Things were getting more and more mysterious. While Robin liked mysteries (to an almost unhealthy degree, Nami once commented), she liked having answers more. The last few hours have provided all too few of those. While it did get darker further from the cell, Robin could still avoid the holes in the floor and the fungal growths on the wall. Whatever asylum she was in, it was old if the prisoner was to be believed. Very old. Stone did not erode quickly, especially when not left to the elements. Still, Robin was seeing more than a few signs of degradation. Judging by the dust and dirt accumulation, this was the first time anyone had been down this hall for at least months, if not years. That brought questions regarding the prisoner she had just left and how he had survived so long without food. Looking back on her short path through the hall, Robin noticed that she had not left any footprints in the dust. She came to the end of the corridor, having passed more than a few empty, collapsed, or wholly destroyed cells. Reaching the only intact door she had seen so far, this one a solid slap of metal rather than the bars of the cells, Robin pressed her hand against it to ensure that it would pass through, which it did, before walking through completely herself. No sooner had she arrived on the other side than she found herself yanked back with violent force. Tumbling to the ground in a heap, Robin quickly righted herself and rose to her feet, ready to confront whatever had grabbed her. There was nothing there. Robin was still alone in this dark, dusty prison hall. The shuffling she had noticed earlier was more pronounced and came from beyond the metal door. The only other sound apart from it was the prisoner she had left behind, who had started to hum a little song to himself. "The sun was setting in the West, the birds were singing on every tree. All nature seemed inclined for rest, but still, there was no rest for me." Robin tuned him out as she used her Devil Fruit to open an eye on the ceiling above her head and tried to pass through the door again. Once again, a tugging sensation around her naval pulled her backwards. She was more prepared for it, she did not fall and instead only stumbled, but that didn't change the fact that there was nothing there. Robin only stuck her head through the wall this time, deciding to test something else. She was not pulled back and could finally get a good look at what lay beyond. It just seemed to be another hall. Though this one was almost entirely without light, Robin could spot a few shadows moving in the darkness. A humanoid form seemed to pass right by her, but she could make out nothing else. Pulling her head backwards, Robin returned to the cell, intent on leaving through the hole in the roof. "~The sea-bound coast, let your mountains, dark and dreary, be. So when I am far away, on the briny ocean toss, will you ever heave a sigh and a wish for me. Will you ever heave a sigh or a wish for me?~" The man's haunting sea shanty ended as Robin again entered the prison cell. Had this been any other sort of situation, Robin would have applauded. It was an unfamiliar song, but its haunting beauty and the quality of his voice made it one she would remember. "Sorry about that," he said to her as she reappeared. "You know how it is. I'm a regular jailbird now. And a jailbird's gotta sing, even if it does sound like a bunch of wet cats being thrown against the wall." Despite herself, Robin stifled a giggle, always appreciating some dark humour. She eyed the hole in the ceiling, about 30 feet. Excessively tall in most prisons. She was about to use her powers to make a rope of arms and pull herself up when the old man's words stopped her. "Conjuring you up must've put me in the mood for the sea. God, would I kill the see the ocean. If I'm gonna rot in here, I wish there would at least be by the water." "Conjured?" Robin asked him. "Hm?" He looked at her in confusion as he chuckled and answered. "Sorry, was that offensive? Imagined? Summoned? Willed into existence? Deluded myself into believing you are real as a last desperate gasp of a mind and soul going hollow? Which do you prefer?" He asked sarcastically. "You don't think I'm real?" Robin asked, letting the tension ease from her shoulders. And she had hoped she had finally found the lead on the strange happenings of the morning. That tension shot right back with his following words. "Course you're not real. How else would Nico Robin, of all people, end up in my tiny cell in the Asylum?" "You know who I am?" She asked tersely, hoping to finally get some concrete answers. The little back-and-forth with your Yoruichi had been more confusing than illuminating. Even Tsunade, for all that she had been an open book, had brought on more questions than answers. "Yep! You're a figment of my imagination. I would have to know who you are to imagine you being here." "Not that," she snapped. "You know my name." "Nico Robin, Devil Child, Straw Hat Pirate, the most wanted woman in the world. Intelligent, deadly, beautiful, and right now, an abysmal example of a delusion. Aren't you supposed to convince me to kill everybody or something? I'm not exactly sure how hollowing is supposed to work. All you've done so far is ask stupid questions and pass through a few walls. I'm a bit disappointed, to be honest. I was expecting you to convince me that I needed to go out on a mass murder spree, not that I could, or maybe sacrifice a chicken to our Lord Gwen or something. For shame undying curse! Taking the form of one of my favourite characters of all time and not even trying to seduce me to the dark side. Deplorable service. 2/5 stars. Would not recommend it. The staff was excellent, but the rooms were cramped and poorly insulated." His little tirade sent the old man into another laughing fit. The man's ramblings sounded more than a bit insane, but Robin at least got confirmation that he knew of her. Deciding to stop him as he rambled on, she reached out to grab him. He was muttering something about there not being any cookies. She planned to shake sense into him, only for her arms to pass through his body like they had all other objects since her appearance in this abnormal cell. "… Though, they would be oatmeal raisin cookies, wouldn't they? Indeed the Dark Souls of cookies. Prepare to Die." He noticed her movement and gave her a warm and heartbroken smile. "Can't even seduce me? Make that one out of five stars. I'm desperate, but if I'm going to hold a delusion for warmth, I'd rather be able to touch it. While vampires can be attractive, no matter how beautiful a ghost is, you can't do anything with it." "Focus!" Robin snapped, fed up. "I am real! You know who I am! Do you know how I got here?" "If you're so real, what's behind door number one?" He asked as he nodded his head towards the cell door. "I don't know. I was yanked backwards as soon as I tried to pass through the door at the end of the hall." "That is precisely what a figment of my imagination would say," he crowed triumphantly. "I am not a figment of your imagination," Robin said, taking a deep breath. There was no point antagonizing the man. Not like she could do anything to him anyway. "The other side of the metal door was too dark to see, though I did notice some humanoid-shaped beings walking around." "I could've told you that," he snorted in derision. "I can hear them shuffling. Hollows, if I'm not mistaken. Most of them would be too stupid to know how to open the door. Is there anything that you could say I wouldn't know about?" Robin bit her lip in thought. What did he know about her? It could be from wanted posters and news or private Marine information. She had no idea what would be new information to him. Her best bet was something recent which meant she either had to talk about this morning or... what came before. She went with the safer option. "I woke up this morning in a mansion on an island I have never heard about. I was not the only one. There are other women there. I only got a few names. Yoruichi, Raven, Diana and Tsunade. While we were having breakfast, I was suddenly transported appeared here. Do you have any idea what is going on?" For the first time since she had appeared in the cell, Robin saw the smile drop from his face. He looked at her, really looked at her for the first time. There was an intensity in his eyes, hope and a fire that had not existed before blazing in those sunken sockets. "How do you know those names?" He asked. "I talked to them," she answered, happy to finally be getting somewhere. "As I said, we were having breakfast. That is where I met Tsunade, but Yoruichi and I had been exploring the mansion before that. You know who they are." "Of course I know who they are!" He answered succinctly, no longer looking at her but instead staring up at the hole in the ceiling. She could almost see his mind working away. "Describe them to me, just to be sure. Was there anybody else?" Deciding to keep the conversation going, Robin did as he asked. She described the cat woman, Tsunade, and the other women she had seen in passing. From the armoured brunette to the cloaked women and the blondes in the other hall. She also described what she had seen of the island and mansion. "The entire build? Then why was the island so big? I didn't have enough points." The man murmured to himself. "If so, why am I...?" He trailed off before looking at her. "Never mind that. If what you said is true, I might know what is going on. That is, of course, if I am not imagining this entire conversation. Delusions and hope are dangerous things. Good thing I have nothing to lose." "Go on." "So this will require a bit of explanation." He stood up. She guessed his size right as he came up a bit taller than her. He started pacing back and forth around the small space of his cell, still uncaring about his intimacy. "I am guessing you don't know anything about multi-verse theory?" "Never heard of it," she answered as she sat down in an opposite corner of the room. "Basic idea is that anything is possible in some alternate timeline. What if you decide to go left instead of right? Ate this rather than that for breakfast? What if you were never born? What if you were born a redhead? What if you were born a guy? An infinite number of options leads to an endless number of parallel worlds. And, much like if you had enough monkeys with typewriters, you would eventually get a complete stage play, with enough parallel worlds, anything is possible. Even the travel between them. Are you following me so far?" "Seems simple enough." She might have read a novel about something similar years ago. "Right," he stared at her for a moment before continuing. "I forgot you had a degree in archaeology at age 8. Anyway. If you want more information, you should talk to Wonder Woman or Raven." At her blank look, he explained. "The woman with the tiara and the cloaked woman, respectively. You could also ask Medea, the other one in the cloak. Either way, they probably have more first-hand experience than anyone else with something like that if you want more information. That is, if you can get back to the mansion or if they get teleported to the cell as well. But I digress. "Basically, going by the theory that anything is possible, any story ever told actually happened, in this reality or another. Every fantasy book, every mythological tale, it's all real somewhere out there. As we talk, even you and I are being written about and read somewhere somehow. That's how I know who all of you were. You were characters in stories originating from different universes." "So you still think I am not real?" Robin asked, eyebrow raised. "Until such time as I can prove one way or another, I must act as if you are real." He paused in his pacing for a moment to stare at her intently. Then he went back to his pacing. "Actually wrote a book on the subject, but that is neither here nor there. If you think you are real, you are. No matter what anyone else might claim. Moving on, there is something for you to test when you manage to get back to the island. Look around for Raven. She should have pale skin, purple hair, and a red jewel on her forehead." "You seem certain I'll be able to get back." "If I'm right, there shouldn't be an issue. But we'll get to that. Now, as for what I think happened? A few years ago, somebody threw together a challenge in my world. The premise was that you are given a limited number of points. You used them to purchase a retinue. They are assigned a value based on strength. You, the purchaser, are to be thrown into a fictional world with your purchases, sometimes on a mission. Sometimes as a simple what-if scenario. Over the years, the original challenge has been changed, updated, and used for everything from gripping character examinations to straight-up porn, as you can imagine." "So you're saying," Robin piped up, having never been one to care about any sort of taboo and trying to put the man on the back foot. "That you masturbated to porn of me." "More than you could imagine," the man deadpanned at her before resuming his pacing. "Get used to it. If the multi-verse theory holds true, some fat degenerate slob is jerking off to you, me, a monkey, a trashcan, and a pile of vomit. Even all the above." She shuddered in revulsion at the image. "You see why most people try not to think too deeply about it. Anyway, we got off-topic. I'm telling you this because I think this challenge, colloquially known as the waifu catalogue or rule 34 catalogue, has something to do with our situation. First of all, I had taken up that challenge as a joke. The world I believe I am in was rated highly for danger and thus afforded me quite a few points. About two weeks before I arrived here, I wrote a short little story. It was a joke about how it would be straightforward to overpower this entire world and that it shouldn't be rated so highly. I threw it together in an afternoon to entertain myself." "And I was one of your purchases," Robin said with distaste, not liking how it compared to slavery. "Bitch please," he waved off her distaste. "You were my first pick. Granted, that was more for utility, espionage, and crowd control than sheer power. As I said before, you're one of my favourite characters." Robin didn't know if she was flattered by that but decided that thinking about it could wait. She waved him on. "Anyway, realistically, the group I assembled would be able to completely curb stop any challenges this world presented. The biggest problem would be getting from place to place, which could be solved by either Medea or Raven with a bit of time. Once we completely obliterated our foes, we could travel the multi-verse, even getting you ladies home. It would be easy and quick, and the most significant challenge would have been getting everybody on the same page. There was no romance, no porn, not even hand-holding. Truly I fail as a degenerate." The man muttered to himself. "So what happened?" She prodded, trying to get him on track before he degenerated again. "I have no idea," he stomped his feet in frustration. "As I said, I wrote that little story about two weeks ago and put it out of my mind. When I appeared in here," he waved to the cell walls. "I figured it had been a dimensional anomaly. In an infinite number of worlds, people are guaranteed to slip through the cracks sometimes. I just thought I just had the shitiest luck ever. Which I do. That was over a month ago, I think. Time is weird, and I don't think I am wholly sane." "A month? How are you still alive?" Robin asked in disbelief. The man didn't answer, but he smiled sardonically at Robin and tapped his finger out the black mark on his chest. "Same way I guessed where I was. But no matter what I did or how long I waited, nothing got me out of this damn cell! Where's Oscar when you need him? And then you showed up. You can't touch anything, right? You passed through me and the door. "Nothing so far? "She half asked, not knowing where this was going. "What I think happened is that all the benefits, such as the mansion and the help you girls were supposed to provide, were given to the women I chose. While I got trapped here with no benefits. If I'm correct, you should all notice being much stronger than before, being able to make the most delicious food and other things. That also means you will be trapped on the island, even if it is a paradise, until I can get out of this Asylum and Link the damn Fire. The only means to travel the multi-verse I picked was one I had to do myself. Dragon Break, it was called. If I'm lucky, that is all we need to escape this mess." "Assuming you are right," Robin decides to play the devil's advocate. She was good at that. "Which we don't know you are, that helps us how? I could not travel very far, and I couldn't physically interact with anything. I won't be of much help. I still do not know why or how I was teleported here." "That's where the testing will come in. Good old scientific method. Trial and error. If I'm right, you women won't be able to help me directly, but indirect help can be precious. There might be ways of getting around whatever restriction makes you unable to interact with the world. The first test we can do right now. Can we get you back to the mansion?" "All right," Robin said, standing up. They had a plan. Plans were good. Plans were better than wandering around aimlessly. "What do I need to do?" "Before anything else, if I am right and you do make it back to the mansion, I need you to promise me to try and replicate whatever brought you here. Without help, there is no guarantee I will ever be able to make it out of this cell, and we will remain prisoners. Promise me." He stared into her eyes intensely as if willing her to understand the severity of the situation. "I promise to do my best." The way he eyed her told her he knew exactly what she was doing with how she worded the promise, but he sighed in defeat and whispered, "That will have to do." "Once you get back, ask Tsunade to drop her transformation. Be prepared to dodge. That should prove I know what I am talking about." She looked at him in confusion but nodded. "All right, if I'm correct, you should be able to enter the mansion from wherever and whenever you want. Stand in front of the door. Imagine you are opening an entry into the mansion. Any of the doors that you said you used this morning should work. As you do that, try and open the cell door." Robin furled her brows in concentration, imagined the door in front of her was a solid oak one attached to her bedroom in the mansion and reached out. Her hand touched something, and as she pulled, space distorted before her until she looked at a rippling rectangle of pale white energy, taller and broader than she was. No sooner had the odd doorway appeared than the old man rushed through her incorporeal form and tried to throw himself through the passage. He bounced violently off the metal bars that lay beyond. "Worth a shot," he grumbled, clutching his head pain in a ball on the floor. Robin ignored him, stepping through the passage. She reappeared in the villa's kitchen. The pirate heard her teacup crash to the ground and stood a foot behind her seat at the counter. Yoruichi and Tsunade jumped at the noise and her displacement, but Robin paid them no mind. She was eager to solve a few mysteries. "I need you to drop your transformation?" She half asked/ half told the blonde. The pirate was happy Haki had warned her enough to duck under the flying plate before it could shatter her skull.
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### Chapter 2: Confinement 2
I felt an angel's kiss, soft upon my cheek. And oh, without a single word of caring did it speak. ******** "He's not telling us everything," Yoruichi said as she lounged on the beach chair in the sun, silhouette like her companions. Whatever this subdimension thing was, it sure replicated the heat of a sunny beach rather well. Much better than anything Kisuke had ever made. "He isn't," the blonde to her right answered. "Everybody is always hiding something. Is it going to fuck us over? That is the important part." The shinigami eyed her drinking partner lustfully. She would get her hands on those tits if it was the last thing she did. "I do not think it is too important," the brunette to her left answered as she flipped a page in her book. While not as bodacious as the blonde, Yoruichi had no set preference and wouldn't mind a tussle in the sheets with her either. "As far as I'm aware, he has responded to every question we asked to the best of his abilities. I'm sure he hasn't told us everything, but neither have we. Mikael seems more desperate than traitorous. At least the first time I was summoned, it seemed so. This morning, he kept asking more questions, specifically about the time between summons on our end and any discoveries we had made about the Island. Though he was jumpy, almost frightened." Robin was one of those who talked to their jailer the most. While everybody got summoned, once they appeared before their 'jailor,' they could return to the Island at will. The first few times Yoruichi had been displaced, she had stuck around to get a feel for the old man in the cell. After a few times, however, since there was not much to do, she shared a few words with Mikael and returned. From her understanding, that was the same for most of the other women on the Island. The Witch and Robin were the exceptions. "Not much to explain, really," Yoruichi responded. "It's an island paradise with the most advanced luxurious mansion I've ever seen. There are enough books to make any library jealous, more food than we could ever eat, and any device we could ever need. Medea says there is enough magical material to build some kind of superweapon. Since, you know, magic is apparently real." "Missing the Biju in the room, aren't you?" Her blonde companion said as she sipped her sake and pointed upwards. "Or, you know, the dragon in the sky?" "Of course, how could I forget the Dragon? The one the size of a country?" Yoruichi replied sarcastically as she took a sip of her fruity alcoholic drink. One of the mansion's perks was that any alcoholic drink they could ever want was available at a moment's notice. The giant beast was rather well hidden in the light of day. The sun and the few clouds in the sky made it hard to tell, but as soon as night fell, it became apparent that this Island was not attached to any planet. Instead, it seemed to be held between the claws of an enormous white Dragon. Really, the only way they could tell it was a Dragon (since all they could see were the claws wrapped around the Island) was because of Robin. Her nifty little ability to sprout her appendages on places she could see made for great scouting. Even those who could fly (Yoruichi, Diana, Raven, and even Artoria with her horse) hadn't been able to approach. An invisible bubble surrounded the Island, keeping them trapped. That hadn't stopped Robin. She had spent quite a bit of her time exploring the great beast over the last week. Thanks to her, the group of women knew about their rough situation. According to the pirate, the Island was slightly over 240 km in diameter. It was ringed in on all sides by the ocean for about 10km. All of it was held in a massive jewelled bubble around which the Dragon had curled. Since the scale was so massive and the beast wasn't at full length, Robin hadn't been able to give an exact number on size but had estimated it to be about three times the length of the bubble. Which was insane. I made it larger than most countries Yoruichi knew of. It was also floating in space, and from what Robin could tell, there had been no planet or star nearby. It had taken so long to piece this all together because Robin's separate bodies hadn't been able to survive for more than a few moments in the vacuum. "When I described everything to Mikael, he believed that the Dragon was supposed to be the body he was supposed to transform into. Or at least one form of it," Robin answered as she turned another page in her book. "How was that going to work?" Tsunade asked, taking another swig. Yoruichi watched intensely as a drop spilled from the jug and made its way sensually down the woman's pale breasts. "Apparently," Robin said as she put down her book to take a sip of tea for a moment. "The form he filled out as a setup for this little adventure was based on points. He spent most of his points on purchasing us, but the rest he put into "becoming the Dragon." He explained that it was supposed to have a whole bunch of benefits. Making all of us stronger and allowing us to travel between dimensions and thus return home. Obviously, things didn't turn out like he planned." "No shit," Yoruichi said sarcastically as she flipped onto her front. She wasn't going to be getting a tan from this. She just liked the feel of the heat on her body. "What else did he buy with these points?" "Mikael claimed to not remember the specifics; he insists that it was mainly a joke story he planned to write, so he didn't carefully note the extras. It was also a while ago. Most of it was focused on purchasing things that would upgrade the Dragon or make life more bearable such as our new skill with cooking. He also claims that this Island and mansion shouldn't be this large. He did not have enough points for it." Robin paused in her reading before looking over her glasses at her fellow women. "However, he remembered one purchase everyone should know about: a Warranty Plan. He wasn't too specific on the mechanics. Essentially we would come back to life within three days if any of us were to die. So long as he is alive, that is." "...Well, shit," Tsunade replied after downing her entire bottle. "There goes my plan of drinking myself to the grave." Yoruichi chuckled to herself, and Robin cracked a smile. "If he could control that giant beast, I bet it would make any challenge a joke. Makes a Biju look tiny. But yeah, the rest should probably know about immortality. Where is everybody?" "Princess is currently sparring with the Titty King and Scathach," Yoruichi replied as she felt for their spiritual power. She really needed a nickname for the Queen of Shadows. It wasn't fair otherwise. "Teach is in the library, and the Witch is still in her workshop. The goth is in the kitchen. And Queenie is in her room. As far as I know, she has not come out of it since she returned last night." "Do you think he used one of those 'command spell' things on her then?" Tsunade asked as she reached for another bottle. "Probably," Robin answered. "I think that would be the only way she would know to ask Artoria about it. Mikael still had all six when I was summoned this morning. When I asked about them, we experimented. I think they recharge since he didn't see any problem using them. Everything else lines up with what Medea explained. The more specific the order, the more powerful it is. It could be used to override normal limits and force us to do things we don't want to." Yoruichi and Tsunade looked concerned before the blonde asked: "Are you all right?" "I'm fine." Robin waved their concerns away with nonchalance. "He kept it open-ended, just ordered me to tell him a secret I didn't want him to know. I went with an easy one, so we have leeway in interpreting his orders if he decides to use the seals." "Can he use them to summon us? Physically, I mean? The Witch said it was one of their uses." Yoruichi asked. "If we can get him out of that cell, we would probably be able to make some progress." "Unfortunately not. Whatever is summoning us ensures that no matter what, we cannot physically interact with him or the world around him. There is some good news, however. While we were experimenting, he got an idea about how to get out of his cell. Wouldn't tell me what it was, but he was insistent it would work. Again, he's desperate. Very desperate." "That's good," the tanned beauty said. "The escape part, not the desperate part. I felt bad about relaxing and enjoying the beach while Mikael is imprisoned. There's nothing I can do but still..." "It's not as if any of us asked for this," Tsunade commented, idly rubbing her throat. An action the former special forces commander had noticed her doing unconsciously on occasion. "While it sucks for him, none of us asked to be kidnapped to this island either." "Still, if he is to be believed, then our best chance at freedom is for him to complete whatever sort of task he was summoned to that asylum to do. I do not believe whoever set this all up did it to leave him a cell forever." Robin pointed out. "Speaking of which," Yoruichi piped in. "Do either of you have the time? I've been waiting for a while. I wanted to get the summoning out of the way before meeting with the others for a spar, but it's been hours." "It's about three. I thought your turn was at noon?" The blonde Hokage asked as she looked over at the mocha-skinned woman. "It's probably him trying to test a few more things," Robin explained. "We wanted to see if he could try and summon someone in a different order or at different times. More than likely, one of those two worked." "Dammit, we had the board up and everything," Yoruichi complained. "If I'm going to be interdimensionaly kidnapped, make it consistent." So far, the summoning had followed the same pattern. Starting at 9 AM with three-hour intervals between and ending at 9 PM. It also followed the same order. Starting with Robin, Yoruichi, Raven, Scathach, Medea, Diana, Tsunade, Artoria, Glynda, and finished with Emma. This two-day cycle had been the pattern for the last week and a half. The women on the Island had gotten used to the schedule. The group had settled down and had fallen into a rough routine of keeping themselves occupied while waiting for something to change. They had already tried all their means of escape, and since they had failed, there wasn't much they could do but relax and enjoy themselves. Most of the time, the more intellectual ones, such as Robin and Glynda, gravitated toward the library. Medea seemed to be constantly doing something in her workshop. Still, everyone else was finding themselves rather bored. They made do with sparring, exercise, getting to know each other, sometimes watching stuff on TV, playing games, and relaxing in one form or another. Yoruichi had noticed everybody had been very tense at first. More than a little bit jumpy and prone to shooting the others suspicious looks, but that tension disappeared over the week. It was replaced by a sense of bored ease. "The more we know, the more options we have to get out. I just found out I am immortal. As lovely as this place is, I would rather not spend eternity trapped here." Tsunade said after finishing her second bottle and standing up from her beach chair. "I'm going for a swim." Yoruichi admired how the sunlight reflected off of her pale skin. Her figure was voluptuous, to say the least. She was the most busty of all the women on the Island. There was no denying that everybody on this Island was beautiful, and the cat woman would love to 'test' everyone's size to get the exact ranking. If Yoruichi had to be stuck somewhere for a while, this was certainly not the worst place nor the worst company. Who knows what could happen while they waited. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. But that was for the future; now, Yoruichi was in the mood for some wet fun with the blonde. She smiled a little joke in her head before standing up and answering. "If I'm not going to be summoned, I might as well have some fun." She stretched a little after hours of inactivity, enjoying how her companion's eyes roamed her naked body before she started walking toward the water. Then she froze, that odd sense of vertigo overcoming her once more. "Oh, come on!" She complained. Between one step in the next, she disappeared. ******** After her teleportation, Yoruichi did not even take a moment to realize something had changed. Gone was the cramped cell and dark hall. Replacing it was some sort of grassy ruin. Judging by the statue, arches, and vaulted ceiling, it had once been a temple or church. It had seen better days. The roof was almost completely destroyed, exposing the interior to the elements. A pool of water had gathered on the floor, and plants had taken over every surface. Beyond an arched doorway, Yoruichi could see green grass, more ruined walls and a massive cliff face. A man was sitting on the base of the stairs near the entrance, dangling his bare feet in the water. He was unfamiliar. Like someone had tied pieces of metal together in an approximation of armour, he was wearing the tattered remains of metal and leather. He was large. He would tower over the shinigami's 5ft 1' by at least a foot if he was standing. With dark hair and eyes, his face was solid but plain. Low thirties, maybe? Mortal ages were always confusing to Yoruichi. He was also staring right at her. "If nothing else, the eye candy is nice." He said as he eyed her naked form. Emotions passed through his face quickly. She recognized lust, longing, fondness, and something else. Then, it flickered into a grimace before going completely blank. "It's good to see you again, Floof." "Old man?" She asked. The old prisoner had been the only one to call her by that nickname. He blinked at her before a look of realization came over him. "This is what I actually look like." Mikael waved a hand over his profile. "I was... transformed while in the cell." As she expected, he was hiding something, but he pushed on and waved grandly around the ruin. "Welcome to Firelink Shrine. Please leave no footprints and take no pictures. Shanking guaranteed. An existential crisis is included in your experience. Our health insurance package is extra. All suicides are to be at the cliffs, per regulations." That was the Mikael, alright. From what Yoruichi had heard, only Robin enjoyed his dark humour. "How'd you manage to get out?" Yoruichi asked curiously, still looking around. "Squeezed through the bars," he shrugged the question off. "How long has it been on your end since Robin arrived?" "Six hours, I thought I wouldn't be summoned, so I was at the beach with the girls." She stretched her body provocatively to tease him. He eyed her appreciatively but, beyond that, did not respond. "As you can see, I'm also enjoying a five-star resort," he replied sarcastically. "At least it smells better here." Whatever it was, it was delicious. Yoruichi couldn't put her finger on the scent, but it reminded her of some better times. Of silk sheets and her Little Bee. She inhaled deeply again, lost in fond nostalgia. "Couldn't tell ya, can't smell anything," Mikael shrugged. "Anyway, you can tell the others that the time between summonings should be six hours now. It will be a bit inconvenient, but it should lower the time you all are trapped on the Island. I'll be trying a few more tests. I can make some actual progress now. Before you go exploring, can you help answer a few questions?" "Sure," Yoruichi answered with a deep breath. She was in no rush. The following few minutes were occupied with a back and forth. Like always, the man had a million and one questions. Could she still sense him now that he was out of the cell? Yes. Could she still sense anyone or anything around him? Yes. How far could she travel in a straight line without going through anything? 50 meters. Did passing through matter lower the distance? Yes, irrespective of material and thickness, every time she passed through something, it reduced her total length by 10 meters. Could she still use her powers to fly, transform, etc.? Yes. Could the cleric in the other room, the woman in the cell, or the downtrodden man see or hear her? No. Though Yoruichi did have a few questions of her own about those people. "Not counting that mountain, the city goes beyond my eyesight," Yoruichi reported. Mikael had asked her to go as high as possible and use her superior vision to estimate the size of the city below. This Firelink Shrine was about a fifth of the way up this massive cliff. An absolutely enormous metropolis was sprawled out at its foot, and she had spotted the hints of a wall on its peak. "Which means it is bigger than Tokyo, I think around the size of Shikoku. I can't go far enough to verify, but it is enormous." "Shikoku's one of the islands of Japan, right? The smallest of the main four?" He asked. She nodded. "Larger than I thought, though I guess it makes sense. Gods wouldn't do anything but overcompensate." "Why'd you do it anyway?" Yoruichi couldn't help but ask as she sat down beside him. At his questioning look, she explained. "From what Robin told me, you could have chosen any world you were familiar with, right? Why this one?" "She did tell you it was supposed to be a joke, right?" He tried to scoot farther away from her, but she followed him. Partly for the lovely smell but also to tease him. It didn't seem to work, he seemed unconcerned with her nakedness, but he did flash an annoyed look at her. She smiled smugly. He stopped trying to run. "This world was originally a video game in my world. You familiar with them?" "I know the basics. Kisuke went on a brief kick of them for a while. Never saw the appeal." "In the challenge I filled out, all worlds were assigned a difficulty. The higher the difficulty, the more points to spend. This world was rated at 9, the second-highest possible. It is filled with Gods, Dragons, Demons, and Magic. It is in a constant cycle of destruction and rebirth, spanning hundreds of thousands of years. We are currently at the tail end of the first cycle, one of the bleakest times on this planet. There are worlds at the same level which would be safer in many ways." "Then why?" She asked again. "Because of the foundation of this world. Its core philosophy." Mikael turned away, staring up at the cliff. "Anyone can overcome anything, so long as they have the will and dedication. The strongest of Gods can be felled by the weakest of beings. Even me. I've been in three fights my entire life and got my ass kicked in every single one of them." "I'm not surprised if you are that scrawny," Yoruichi looked him up and down. He didn't look like dried jerky anymore, but Mikael was still entirely too skinny. "I'm not ashamed of those losses. I've always been more of a thinker than a fighter," Mikael shrugged. "Anyway, imagine a world like that, but suddenly there are ten new people. Each is more powerful or more versatile than the last. Some are strong enough to kill the strongest gods of this world with barely any effort." "So what? We come, destroy everything in our way, and go home?" She asked in disbelief. "Pretty much," he nodded easily. "The story I wrote was about ten thousand words, most spent getting everyone on the same page. While Diana is probably the most dangerous in a one-on-one, you all were picked for various uses. Artoria could carpet bomb this city into rubble in an afternoon with enough magic power. Scathach made the equivalent of a rocket ship on a desert island in a week. With Medea's help, one of the greatest mages to ever live, who knows what they could accomplish. Those two are probably the most versatile." Yoruichi let him continue his explination. She could at least appreciate that he hadn't been thinking with his dick. Though she was sure it factored in somewhere. "You and Raven are great at information gathering and mobility, to say nothing of your fighting abilities. Tsunade would be around to heal anyone up. She can also destroy most buildings with a flick of her fingers. Emma would be in charge of coordination between all the disparate people. Glynda would aid by her excellent terrain control, unlocking everyone's Aura and teaching them how to use it. With her Devil Fruit and Haki, Robin would be our best scout. She is categorically the weakest of you ten, but I would still bet her against all but the best armies this world offers." "So you had a plan," Yoruichi nodded. "For this world, at least. What then?" "After kicking ass, I use one of the abilities of that dragon body and teleport everyone home, including myself," he sighed wistfully. "It would take a week, maybe a month. We all get Aura, Haki, some new friends, and a fantastic story. I become a dragon to travel the multiverse, perhaps visiting you guys occasionally to catch up over drinks." "Sounds like a good plan," Yoruichi nodded casually before pinning him in place with a glance. "If it worked." If there was anything she had learned with Kisuke, no plan was foolproof. "If it worked," Mikael nodded to her point. "Now, getting us out of here seems up to me. We are lucky. With enough willpower and time, even I can overcome this. I had been torn between this world and a cultivation world, and that would have been impossible." "A what world?" "Think of a place where everybody has the power of the Spirit King at the minimum, will genocide for the slightest perceived insult and can measure lifetimes in billions of years." Yoruichi shuddered at the image. That sounded like hell. "Exactly. This world is no longer a game and is much larger than it was portrayed. But the fundamental mechanics of it are the same. I can get strong enough to overcome pretty much anything here." "So long as you don't die," the shinigami couldn't help but point out. Partly out of concern for him, she didn't want to become trapped forever if he became overconfident and failed. "I can one hundred percent guarantee I will not die." He smirked at her as if he knew she wasn't getting a joke. "You girls can sit tight, it might take a while, but I will get out of this. Trust me, I hate this more than you." Mikael looked serious enough that Yoruichi decided to change the subject to something else. A better one. Teasing. "So," she leaned closer to him. Her boobs would be pressed against his arm if she could touch him. "Ten beautiful women? All from your wildest fantasies? Somebody was thinking dirty thoughts?" "More than you can imagine," he deadpanned in response, meeting her gaze. "You definitely have a type," she raised her bust enticingly. She again saw that flash of desire on his face, but it disappeared quicker than before. "I do," he admitted. "I do prefer women with curves, both butt and breasts. Hips and thighs as well. Height doesn't matter, but I guess I would like tall women if forced to choose. Bite-sized can be fun, though." She refused to blush as he eyed her hungrily. She knew when she was being teased in turn. "Lollies are fine, but not really my preference." "It's no fun if you are so open." The cat woman pouted. "Berryboy was way better, all blushing and stuttering." "I know what I like; no reason to be ashamed of it. Besides, my choices only matched my physical preferences this time because of coincidence." At her disbelieving look, he explained. "More than body type, personalities and powers were the main factors in my decision. I explained why everyone would be helpful, but the personality types were also significant. All of you are competent, mature, skilled, and willing to work with others to achieve your goals. It would take minimal convincing to get everyone to cooperate." "So what? You love us for who we are, not our bodies?" She said it in a teasing way, clearly meant as a joke. His face contorting in rage was utterly unexpected, and she leaned away at the ferocity in his eyes. "I do not love you! Any of you!" He snarled. "I barely know you! What I see on the screen or in a book are merely some parts of your lives and characters. That is not enough to fall in love. We've spent a few hours together, nowhere near enough." "Woah, it was just a joke," she raised her hands placatingly. "No need to take it so seriously." Mikael took a deep breath, leaning back from looming over her. "Sorry," he said finally. "Sore spot. One of the 'perks' of the challenge was the ability to influence the mind of your summons. It could take many forms, but they all boiled down to mind-controlling others to love you. I hate that." "I get ya. I couldn't stand what Aizen was doing either." "It is not the same," he shook his head. "While I do not agree or like a lot of what Aizen did, the fundamental mechanics of his ability was only deceiving the senses. Even if what you see, hear, taste, smell, and feel are wrong, you are still you. If someone messes with your mind directly, the 'you' from before ceases to exist in every conceivable way. Someone or something else has taken your place. Reversing it is impossible. You would just be killing the new thing to create another replacement. If somebody takes over my body and moves it like a puppet. Mikael paused, shuddering. His eyes were distant again. "Anything would be better than that kind of death." "If you say so," Yoruichi decided to drop the topic rather than argue. He hadn't had to live with the aftermath of Aizen's betrayal, the fear of your own senses turning against you. Never trusting anything. He hadn't had to help Momo put her life back together after her world was shattered. At least that instant of rage was gone now. "Anyway, I wrote the story as if it was really going to happen," he explained, calming down. "So, no mind control. Our relationships with each other would be cordial and friendly, but I couldn't see any romance blossoming." "Why not?" She couldn't help but ask. They didn't know each other too well, but that wasn't a reason to write it off. If nothing else, now that he didn't look like dried jerky, she wouldn't mind a tussle in the sheets. Nothing so far had been too much of a turn-off for her. "Because I'm a possessive bastard. Possessive, hypocritical, sadistic, with only a hint of fair play," Mikael answered simply as if stating the weather. "Possessive; I can only dedicate myself wholly to a relationship if I know the other person is. That usually means monogamy. Bastard; because I won't cheat, but I will coerce and manipulate. While consent is the greatest of all fetishes, what defines consent can be extensive." "What do you mean?" Yoruichi leaned in again, teasingly smirking as she dragged a hand sensually up her body. His eyes followed it. "You know why I like competent and mature women?" Mikael asked rhetorically. He loomed over her again; the intense look in his eyes captivated her. "My ideal is a woman I can talk seriously with, intelligent enough to provide input and ideas. We can talk politics. History. Economics. Or the philosophy of a good video game. Only later do I make them into my mewling love slave. I like breaking them. That's one of the reasons I dislike mind control. It takes out all the challenges. The thrill of the hunt. Over months and years, I seduce and twist. Little things at first, you can't live without me by the end. Take you, for example." "Me?" Yoruichi asked in a hoarse whisper. Why was her throat so dry? The smell overcame her. It reminded her of silk, but they were ropes instead of sheets. No more did she think of the worshipful touch of her Little Bee. Now she thought of a body pressing her down in passion. His voice entranced the shinigami. This was dirty talk, she realized. He was teasing her again. She didn't know if he was telling the truth. Of if she wanted it to be the truth. "You," he all but growled. "It would start simple. A night of passion, maybe some alcohol. You are no blushing virgin, but it would still be a night to remember. Then a second night, a third. I would never force you. You are a free cat, after all." He raised his hand to caress her cheek, but it passed through without touching. She shivered nonetheless. "You would come back anyway, the pleasure I could provide growing over time as I learn your every. Little. Trick." She swallowed. "Then I'd escalate. Little changes. Some spanking, maybe handcuffs. By the end, you'd be tied to my bed in nothing but a collar. You would be my little pet. My little Floof." Mikael's honeyed whispers hung in the air before he sat back with a chuckle. Damn! He got her! "Never going to happen. In the original story, we were together for a week, nowhere enough time to break any of you. And now..." He paused, face sinking as he stared into the distance. She took the chance to dive through an open portal as he chuckled at her hasty escape. Tsunade and Robin eyed her oddly as she shook her fist at the sky, vowing revenge. They were kind enough to not mention if they noticed her erect chest and slick thighs. It would only be in a few hours after she had calmed down that Yoruichi would realize he had completely changed the topic to avoid answering her questions properly. Definitely hiding something.
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