Chapter 49: Encounter

Don't forget to drop some power stones!

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Unbeknownst to me, the Tokyo Dome was starting to get riled up with the appearance of its previous champion of the Underground Arena. A person who I wasn't expecting it to be. I had no plans to enter the Underground Arena today, but if time permitted, I may try to wander over there. Right now, I was currently showing the ropes of this cute pink-haired girl in front of me the ways of how Tokyo's metro worked. It was almost as if I was beginning to start a long work day. It was going to get busy for us.

Thankfully it was still early in the afternoon. Rush hour in Tokyo hadn't begun yet. And let me tell you, Tokyo rush hour is crazy. Like crazy beyond belief. You do not want to enter the metro when it begins, which is around fve in the evening when those corporate slaves start heading home for the day. That's when rush hour would reach its peak. There are times where the metro security guards would assist in squishing people inside each cabin, filling it to the brim. Trust me, you don't want to be a part of that. You wouldn't even be able to move your hand to fiddle around on your phone during that. It was that tight. (A/N: I've personally experienced this once, but only once.)

Tokyo's metro may appear imposing from an outside glance, but the system is for everyone's benefit. A friend that you didn't need. Accidents rarely happened during transit, unless it was related to the weather, or with nefarious means.

I could see Lala fidgeting with the ticket machine after she put some yen inside. There were a couple options a traveler could choose, a one-time ticket going from A to B, or a passcard. This passcard went by a few different names depending on the rail line, but they were universal. It didn't matter what line you went. The only exception to this I believe was the Bullet Train. That required a special pass to go through other parts of Japan.

Perhaps one day, I could take Lala out of Tokyo for a vacation, riding the Bullet Train sometime in the future. It would be fun to travel to other cities Japan is known for. While thinking that, the two of us heard a short sound that thanked us for buying a passcard. I've already got one on hand which is currently filled with sufficient funds to travel around for a while. Money really isn't an issue any longer for the time being. Lala just blinked her eyes seeing a lightweight card now in her grasp.

"So you're telling me this little thing lets you go anywhere in this gigantic city? I've personally seen how big it is. It's like a never-ending city!", Lala said to me. I nodded my head at her.

"That's right. Don't lose it. It isn't a hassle if you do though. I don't think there is a limit to how many cards we can carry on our person, but there are plenty of lost and found booths. It'll be about a fifteen minute ride from here.", I said, answering Lala.

"I'll be sure not to lose it then.", Lala responded, nodding her head at my warning.

"Good. Take this too.", I said, walking toward one of the side areas where a bunch of brochures for traveling could be seen. I ignored the travel brochures and grabbed a colored map, tossing it Lala's way. I didn't bother her with the complex metro map. Technology was on the rise, and transit maps were becoming more and more available. I was going to check out the phone situation too, but there were likely apps in development or already out that would help travelers go where they need to go. And well, if not, that's another thing to take advantage of.

Perks of going back to the past. Even if many things are different now, there are still plenty of events that I could take advantage of. Thanks to Aura, that is. And speaking of which, during tomorrow's off day, I could use the time to draft some initial scenes of My Hero Academia.

"This looks like a map, but why are there several sections colored with different colors?", Lala asked me, tilting her head in a cute manner, curious as to what she was currently trying to look at.

"Tokyo's structure is complex. It would take days to explore every nook and cranny. Maps like these help us get around. So I'll try to explain it simply.", I began to explain how Tokyo worked to Lala. Her eyes latched onto me, and became attentive. It was similar to how I pointed things out from eye-view earlier on the terrace, but now I was putting it onto an actual map.

"Tokyo consists of twenty three wards. Our current position resides in the Chiyoda Ward. Sainan High is located here, and it's where we will spend most of our time. A fun time to spend our date later will likely take place either in the Shinjuku Ward or Shibuya Ward. Might even get fancy enough to stop by Ginza. That's where all the higher end boutiques are.", I began to explain how the wards looked to Lala, only to lean toward her ear, and whisper into it. "Ginza also has several high-end lingerie shops too, I promised we'd take you there, didn't I?", I continued, revealing a playful grin over her lips.

"You did...", Lala uttered softly. A light hint of red appeared on her cheeks. My voice wasn't loud due to a reason. I had a close look at Lala's current outfit. Thankfully she had changed out of her earlier tank top setup. Lala had a pale blue skirt that was connected to a pink short-sleeved shirt. She did put some dark gray leggings on to hide her legs. I could see two large mounds sticking from her chest. Even if her breasts were hidden away from her shirt, thanks to not wearing a bra, it was still pretty apparent.

"You really do need to wear some underwear, Lala-chan...", I uttered, causing Lala's cheeks to turn a deeper red.

"It feels stuffy sometimes you know, Baki-kun? But I'll try to manage until we go shopping later. Maybe Earth's shops will have enough variety to make it enjoyable for a picky girl like me.", Lala responded, smiling my way. As we conversed for a bit with her map in hand, I could definitely feel some eyes wander our way. Lala's figure was striking to them, I'd imagine.

It wasn't often a girl with natural pink hair to wander into a heavy populated area. Thankfully, I didn't need to bullshit my way out of this one. Many Japanese read manga or light novels in one fashion or another, even if they remained quiet about it in their public lives. There were many who openly cosplayed out in the open, especially toward the younger areas, or during live conventions. These stares were more curious, if anything. And I didn't need to explain it to these people. I assume many people here are thinking that the girl beside me is currently cosplaying a character out of a story.

"Well, I say let's drop by Ginza after paying Master Doppo a visit. Once we find a shop to your liking, Lala-chan, we can head to Shinjuku and find a nice place to dine. Sound good?", I asked Lala.

"Un!", Lala happily responded, nodding her head at me. She currently had the appearance of a normal human, but if her tail was out, it would definitely swerve around, seeing how happy she was right now.

Well, as long as doing this makes Lala happy, I'd call it a successful date. Now I just need to execute it.

"You see those gates in the distance? They block people from entering the tracks without a ticket or a passcard. Just tap the passcard on the side rail, it'll beep, and let you in.", I said, explaining again to Lala.

"Hai~", Lala happily responded again. We proceeded to blend into the crowd. I took down my hoodie during transit to avoid looking suspicious to others. Lala grabbed onto my arm. I just gently shook my head seeing Lala do this since I was used to it by now. We proceeded to the nearest gate, and before long, the next train arrived. Some people got off, but it wasn't jam-packed, thankfully.

Still, to my surprise, something to the left of the cabin we entered caught my view. I could see two figures enjoying one of the seated areas. Not many people were seated around them, likely for a good reason. One of them had a very large figure, bulging with muscle, and had a bald head. Next to him was a black-haired man whose hair was slicked backward down his neck. His skin was pretty tan too. Overall, a slim build, but had a very well-built body. Barely any fat could be seen, if any.

My gaze immediately felt a connection, as if a spark had struck across the cabin that brief moment.

"Yo.", The bald man said, waving his hand my way, acting nonchalantly. A curious look appeared from the other man's eyes. Even some balled up onigiri could be seen in his hands. He proceeded to stuff one of his onigiri down his mouth in one go.

"It's rude to eat on the train you know.", I replied with a grin, seeing the bald man do this.

"You really think anyone would care about that? I mean look, there's no one around us.", The black-haired man said, looking my way.

"True enough.", I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"Didn't think I'd catch you going on the next train out, Baki. What brings you here?", The bald man said. Of course, this person was Doppo, the Grandmaster of the Shinshinkai Dojo. He rudely dropped by my house last night, but he didn't seem to have a care in the world in his eyes that he was showing my way. Hearing that sudden name drop, the black-haired man blinked his eyes, looking at Doppo.

"Wait, this boy you referred to is that Baki?", The black-haired man asked.

"Sure am.", I simply answered, taking a moment to take a seat down across from the two. Lala followed suit, sitting next to me. She had a curious look into his eyes.

"I see. I didn't think I'd get to meet my first opponent like this already. I am not sure if Master Doppo said anything to you yet. The name's Kiyosumi Katou.", Katou said, formally introducing himself to me. I could see his sharp eyebrows slanting downward as he glanced my way with a stern look in his eyes.

The train's cabin doors then automatically closed, and we all felt a small jerk, signaling the train had started moving. As I started to observe Katou, Lala's gaze soon changed to the windows. Every so often the train would pop out of the underground, letting us get a good view of the moving city...

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What are your guys' thoughts if I mix in more lower tiered stories due to the growing chaos of these mixed worlds? For example, bringing in stories like History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi to broaden the view of martial arts?