Chapter 4:

The solution is death

Our Town in another world


Muki anxiously tapped her finger on the windowsill as she kept her eyes trained on the elves. "Shouldn't we be going? There might still be goblins out?" she called out. 

"Don't you dare show rudeness! I know you just want to get back to play those damn games of yours!" Machiko snarled. 

"I meant we should get Yamane taken care of. Besides, it's dangerous to just be sitting around here at night." 

"No need to worry about that," Ikebukuro smiled and gazed off at the horizon. "Morning will come. The goblins will flee on their own as they are far weaker in the sunlight."

"It's just after 8. The sun just set."

This time, confusion spread across Ikebukuro's face. "No, the night has already lasted it's course and reached it's climax."

"You must have lost track of time again. I'm telling you those games are rotting your brain. But morning or night, I suppose we need to see to Yamane. Fine saviors, would you care to accompany us?" Machiko asked. 

Muki began to tremble. While the limo did have enough space to accommodate everyone, she did not feel safe being in such close proximity to the elves, especially if they had malintentions. A perfect crime would be too easy to commit, but on the flip side, Muki wanted to know more about them, and seeing them up-close would do that. 

"I'll head back on my own," Muki shrugged.

"YOU MOST CERTAINLY WON'T! Where are your manners, young woman!?" Machiko fumed. 

"Rotted with my brain," Muki snarled as she furiously tapped away at her phone. 

Within seconds, a Tesla pulled up. Machiko attempted to stop Muki, but Muki paid her no heed and got in the car before speeding away. 

"That ingrateful... My apologizes, she's the worst of my daughters, while Yamane is the best," Machiko bowed. 

"She was indeed rude. I do hope there is proper punishment for it," Ikebukuro chuckled. 

"Oh there sure as hell will be." 

In the car, Muki let out a sigh of relief as she set down her concealed handgun and pulled out her tablet. "That was too intense. Now let's see if my suspicions are founded or not," she thought as she stared at the screen.

What she saw confirmed her suspicions and then some. "I knew it. Those two got ulteriors. That means there's no telling what'll happen with Yamane. I'll have to keep my cards close," she thought as she pulled up a new screen on her tablet. 

This time, it appeared to be footage from inside the limo. The elves were seated across from Machiko, Yamane, and the bodyguards, with nothing appearing to be amiss. 

"Yamane, do you remember anything?" Machiko asked. 

"No... Actually... a man... There was a man trying to jump off the roof, but I think I caught him. But then, those creatures came. One flying one... it ate him... It ate that poor man. He was trying to kill himself, but he survived unharmed, only to be eaten alive... That's too cruel a fate..." 

"A gobark. They're nasty predators, but they can only survive under the moon. Sunlight incinerates them on the spot," Ikebukuro stated. 

"A what?" 

"A creature of this world. You are aware your town is no longer in the world you once knew, correct?" 

Machiko's blank stare told all. 

"Madam, her claim appears true. Reports from the town boundaries claim all neighboring towns and landmasses are gone, and in their places, foreign terrain," a servant whispered. 

Machiko did not know how to process things, sinking her hands into her forehead as she stared down at the floor. 

"Take your time. This is sudden for us too. This used to just be open plains, then suddenly, we found ourselves amongst foreign structures. I imagine that was true of the goblins as well," Ikebukuro nodded. 

"Then you're telling me... my daughter was nearly murdered... by goblin vermin?" Machiko trembled. 

Ikebukuro clenched her fist. "Yes. It was a fate that befell me eons ago as well, though sadly, I wasn't as lucky as her even though I lived. I'm still haunted by what they did to me to this day. I apologize. If we had been there sooner, maybe she wouldn't be in this shape." 

"Do not. You got there in time and were able to save Yamane's life." 

Ikebukuro nodded in silence. While she did have malintentions in mind for the town, she truly did hate goblins from the bottom of her heart.  Bisento looked over and scowled at Ikebukuro before turning her head towards the window. 

"And why are you scowling?" Ikebukuro asked as she communicated telepathically with Bisento. 

"Because I don't know how to process this. Goblins are vermin. They've violated so many of our kin, forced us to breed their numbers. I hate them. They made you suffer so much, made me suffer... But the humans, they were just as bad... worse..." 

"'Worse'?" 

"Have you forgotten the old kingdom? They greeted us with kindness, then sold us to slavery. We were chained up like pets, demeaned, why should I feel a thing for them? They deserve to suffer for the hells they put us through."

"These humans are different."

"Humans are all the same."

"These ones did not originate in our world. You can't be certain. But it doesn't matter anyway as you should know. Good or bad, my way of life now is to conquer. Conquer, but not without knowledge. What good would our spoils be if we knew not how to utilize them? I'll keep the humans in check, control. We won't let them gain an edge at all on us, and with this woman enamored with us, it may take just a mere year to achieve." 

"A mere year!? THAT fast!?" 

"Bisento, you forget that my brain is my sharpest blade. It will cut open all the secrets of this town, and cut down all it's inhabitants." 

The group then arrived at a medical facility a few minutes later. Doctors met the limo outside and quickly wheeled Yamane inside. 

"What kind of place is this?" Ikebukuro asked. 

"One of the nation's state of the art medical facilities. Want a tour?" Machiko asked as she led everyone inside. 

From her car parked far away, Muki continued to spy on the group, a somber expression on her face as she stared at Yamane. "I hoped a day like this never would have come... What kind of twisted fate are we in?" 

She then watched as Machiko showed the elves around with a doctor, detailing some of the many things the hospital was capable of as well as highlighting advancements in human medicine. 

"...And here is a cure for disease x. All you do is swallow the pill, and that's it," a doctor stated as he held up a small vile. 

Ikebukuro fell to her knees on the floor and began tearfully laughing. "It was that simple? THAT'S ALL WE HAD TO DO!? Aha, ahahaha! We could have ended so much suffering if we just knew this was possible." 

Machiko slowly knelt down and embraced Ikebukuro. "This world sounds like it's been too hard on you. With my city here, that will no longer be a thing." 

Bisento grimaced as she watched Ikebukuro embrace Machiko back. "No, don't waver. It matters not if they present us with miracle cures for diseases that have plagued us for centuries. This is a town of humans. We're going to kill them. We're going to kill them as we do with all we conquer and all that we seek to destroy. Death is the solution to our peace, don't let kindness deceive you, dear sister. Your mind is wrought with too much emotion, little instinct and resolve. For your sake, I'm afraid I can't just leave things all to you. The first opportunity I sense, I'll end this entire settlement," she thought. 

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