Chapter 7 _ Force Multiplier
After dinner, Natsume cleaned up, then settled down with a cup of coffee and one of the cigarillos she favored.
"You people got nothin' better to do? It's nighttime already."
They'd been streaming for nearly nine hours.
Chat:
That's because this is literally the first isekai livestream we've ever seen.
For real. I'd hate to log off now and find out later they ran into a dragon or something.
I was skeptical about the whole isekai thing at first, but then Kanon summoned a door out of thin air and walked through it. Kinda hard not to believe after seeing that.
The news is reporting a mass disappearance at a campground in Yamanashi. Is that what happened to you guys?
"Probably. But we're not traveling with the other campers, so if their friends come lookin' for 'em here, we won't have any answers. If anything, some of those people already look like they're gonna wind up as our enemies. Might have to deal with 'em sooner or later. If that happens, I'm killin' 'em. No hesitation."
Chat:
What happens legally if you kill someone there?
Wouldn't the local laws apply? It's not Japan.
What happens if you commit murder overseas? Does Japan prosecute you?
Probably depends on whether you killed a local or another Japanese citizen. I dunno.
If it's a world where you get killed if you don't fight back, wouldn't it count as self-defense?
Besides, if they never make it back to Japan, who exactly is gonna do anything about it?
Wouldn't it affect the Kuze Group's stock price if Kanon got involved in something like that?
She's been saying she's the chairman's granddaughter, after all.
"Even if we wind up fighting 'em and killing 'em, we're not gonna stream the killing or talk about it afterward. And we ain't gonna go looking for trouble with 'em either. Hell, without a power like Kanon's, spending the night in a world full of monsters is dangerous enough. They'll probably be dead before we ever have to deal with 'em."
Natsume gave them her honest assessment.
Chat:
How big is that safe house, anyway?
"Just barely big enough for the three of us. It's a one-room apartment, about six tatami mats. And I ain't lettin' some strange-ass guy into our room. We're women, y'know? Though I don't want some strange woman in there either. At night, me and my girls wanna get our lesbian time in."
Natsume laughed.
Then her eyes suddenly narrowed.
The smile vanished from her face.
The listeners noticed immediately, and the chat began filling with nervous comments.
"Kanon. Mako. Defensive positions. Don't forget your ear pro."
That was all she said.
Natsume quickly shrugged back into the jacket she'd taken off, strapped on her chest rig, grabbed the shotgun she'd left beside her, and pulled the tactical light from her belt. She swept the beam across the surrounding darkness.
"Anybody out there? If you're campers, come on out. If you don't, I'm treatin' you like a monster and opening fire."
The brush rustled.
Natsume, Kanon, and Mako all raised their guns.
"Wait! I'm not a monster!"
A woman pushed her way through the bushes.
Her clothes were torn and filthy.
She was Japanese.
"Well, well. What happened to you? I thought the campers were sticking together. Or did some guys jump you?"
"They did, but not men. Monsters. Everyone was using their abilities to fight, but there were too many of them, and nobody knew how to work together."
"So you got routed. Where are the others?"
Natsume had already figured something like this would happen.
"I don't know. Everyone was running for their lives in different directions. I saw a few people die. Please... help me. At least get me somewhere safe."
"Somewhere safe..."
Natsume frowned.
"Does that place even exist? What's your definition of safe? If the civilization here is basically medieval, some stranger suddenly showing up might get treated like a slave. Just because you reach a town doesn't mean you're safe. And if we take you with us, what's to stop the rest of 'em from coming after us and asking for the same thing?"
Natsume still didn't trust her.
The attack could have been a lie. For all she knew, this woman could have been sent to infiltrate them, lure them into a trap, or manipulate them into doing something for the other campers.
"And like I said earlier, cooperation has to benefit us too. Start by telling me what your ability is. You already know ours, don't you?"
"I don't think mine is useful at all. It's... a flea market."
"A flea market?"
"Yeah. A flea market. My ability lets me sell things through a flea-market app."
Natsume's eyes widened.
"What? Seriously? That's your ability?"
"Yeah. And with nothing useful to sell right now, it's basically worthless. I'd need to find somewhere to get merchandise first... And even if I did make money, Japanese yen isn't exactly useful here."
"Natchan..."
Kanon's expression changed.
"This ability..."
"Yeah."
Natsume's eyes sharpened.
"We might've just found the last piece we needed."
She looked back at the woman.
"Alright. Changed my mind. I'll take you. Just you. Don't get me wrong, I still don't fully trust you. But as long as you don't betray us, the three of us will guarantee your safety."
The woman stared at them, stunned by the sudden change in attitude.
Natsume motioned for her to approach.
"Slowly. Come over here nice and easy. If you run at us, I'll shoot you. If I tell you to stop and you don't, I'll shoot you. If you turn your back and run, I'll let you go. But after that, you're an enemy."
"Guess I'm still not trusted."
The woman gave a tired little laugh.
"Fair enough. We're strangers. I don't trust you either. But if I hadn't asked you for help, I don't think I'd survive long enough to find anyone else."
"Yeah. I ain't asking you to trust us a hundred percent. We'll protect you as much as we can. But if things go bad and I gotta choose between you and my waifus, Mako and Kanon, I'm choosing my waifus. I'll leave you behind if I have to."
Natsume pointed at the woman.
"But that flea-market ability of yours? That's one of the things we need right now."
"Really? Oh... right. You can order stuff from Nile and Manten, can't you? That's why you need Japanese yen?"
"Exactly. As long as we've got yen, we don't have to worry about food or basic necessities."
"But what are you going to sell through the flea market? Stuff you don't need from your camping gear?"
"That ain't worth shit."
Natsume pointed toward the forest.
"There's plenty of stuff out there that's worth a hell of a lot more."
"Huh?"
"Plants from another world. Monster meat, hides, bones, whatever. Stuff that literally can't exist on Earth. There's rare shit lying all over this place."
"Sure, but who's going to believe it's actually from another world?"
"These guys."
Natsume pointed at the floating eyeball hovering near Mako's shoulder.
"Eek! What the hell is that? An eyeball's just floating there!"
Chat:
Wait, what? What do you mean an eyeball is floating there?
Isn't that just the camera?
"Mako's..."
Natsume pointed at the woman.
"...this busty waifu's ability is called Streaming. She's been broadcasting the whole isekai incident on a video site since this afternoon."
She pointed at the eyeball again.
"And apparently her power uses some creepy-ass eyeball as a camera."
Chat:
WHAT? Mako has a creepy-ass eyeball sitting on her shoulder right now?
Mako, how the hell are you okay with that thing sitting on you?
"Th-the eyeball isn't... isn't really organic."
Mako nervously touched her shoulder.
"It doesn't smell, either. And it's not... slimy."
Chat:
Mako's a cook, maybe she's used to eyeballs?
Tuna eyeballs, maybe?
Yeah, tuna eyeballs. Still looked nasty as hell the first time I saw one.
"Alright, you bastards. We're gonna sell some stuff through this girl's flea-market ability sooner or later. What do y'all wanna buy?"
Chat:
I'd buy an elixir or potion if they have 'em.
Wait, wouldn't potions be regulated under Japanese pharmaceutical laws?
Seeds might be dangerous too. Especially medicinal plants.
Materials science major here. Give me mithril or orichalcum. Fantasy metals all the way.
I'm into traditional clothing. I'd want local clothes or handicrafts.
"Elixirs and potions, huh? I think I've heard those names before. Seeds, though... yeah. We'd better manage those carefully. Could get real damn dangerous if we're careless."
The woman looked around at the three of them.
"Did I seriously just ask help from a bunch of dangerous people? Still... there wasn't anyone else back there who looked half as capable of keeping me alive."
"Oh, and all those shitheads in the chat who've been running their mouths? They're Japanese. Some have been watching our channel since before we got transferred, and others are newcomers who showed up after the whole isekai thing went viral. The ones acting like they know us are usually the old-timers."
Natsume took another drag from her cigarillo.
"Anyway, what's your name?"
There was only so long she could keep calling the woman "you" and "hey, you."
"Ah... right. I'm Shioji. Katagiri Shioji."
"Got it. Shioji."
Natsume tilted her head.
"What's with that face?"
"I thought you were going to make fun of my name."
"It's unusual, but is it really that funny?"
Chat:
Shioji → Shioji-san → Ojisan. Bet people called her that growing up.
Or Shio-jiisan.
Ojisan (おじさん) — “old man” or “middle-aged man.” Jiisan (じいさん) — “old man” or “old geezer.”
"AAAAH! I knew it! That's exactly what people used to do! I hated being called Ojisan or Jiisan!"
Natsume looked at the chat.
"Well, you heard her. Don't do that again. Y'all can talk as much shit about me as you want, I don't give a damn. Hell, about eighty percent of what you say about me is probably true anyway."
Chat:
Natsume's actually pretty considerate once she lets someone into her circle.
Only with women, probably.
Nah. She was considerate toward Bob and those other old Marines too.
That's not consideration. That's respect for her superior officers.
What's the difference?
Watch Natsume's old archives. She used to be surrounded by her adoptive father and his Marine buddies.
So are we just calling her Shioji? Using -san feels weird.
"Well..."
Natsume thought for a moment.
"How about Caroline? From now on, I'm calling you Caroline."
Chat:
CAROLINE LMAO Where the hell did that come from?
Caroline. I like Caroline.
Welp. Natsume just turned Shioji into Caroline.
"Looks like you're Caroline now."
"What the hell? Why are you people just renaming me? Just call me Shioji. No honorifics or anything."
Chat:
Understood. Caroline Shioji.
LMAO sounds like a pro wrestler's ring name.
"Hey, don't get carried away. If she doesn't like it, knock it off."
Natsume paused.
"Though... is Caroline too lame? Maybe Maggie would've been better. That's more common."
Chat:
I don't think that's the problem. Why are you trying to give a Japanese woman an American name?
Natsume's basically American anyway.
Japanese nationality, American mindset, living in another world. That's a hell of a combination.
Maggie? That's short for Margaret. Where the hell did you get that from?
"M-maybe..."
Mako hesitated.
"If you're talking about aliases, there's John Doe and Jane Doe, but... k-knowing Natchan's tastes... it'd probably be Maggie or Nina."
Chat:
Maggie... Nina...
Oh. I get it. I know exactly what she's doing. This lunatic was about to give Shioji THAT name.
“Are you familiar with Thunderbolt, Raiden?”
It's from an old Hollywood movie. Nikita's American remake, Point of No Return.
She introduces herself as Maggie, and when they ask for her full name, she gives them... well, let's just say it's a very dirty joke.
Natsume... what the hell?
"Wait..."
Shioji's face went pale.
"I was about to get named WHAT?"
Natsume burst into loud, vulgar laughter.
Shioji buried her face in her hands, wondering if she'd made a terrible mistake asking these people for help after all.
Kanon and Mako both lowered their heads in embarrassment.
The chat, meanwhile, seemed to collectively reach the same conclusion:
Yeah.
There was definitely something wrong with Natsume.
"Anyway..."
Natsume finally calmed down.
"Welcome to GUN Freak Sisters, Shioji."
She grinned.
"And damn, getting a supply line this useful is a hell of a lot luckier than finding one more gun."
