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Once Elsa understood the rules, her eyes lit up.
She had been lonely for a very, very long time. She hated those days when she couldn't touch anyone, couldn't talk freely, couldn't get close to people at all.
But in this so-called anti-magic zone, she didn't have to worry about her ice powers spiraling out of control and hurting others.
For the first time in forever, Elsa felt genuinely happy and relaxed.
Here, she didn't need to constantly restrain the vast magic surging inside her, terrified it might erupt at any moment. She didn't need to lock herself away in a room like she did back in the castle.
So this… this is what it feels like to not be shackled by that cursed "gift" of hers?
Elsa stared at her palms, quietly savoring the feeling called freedom.
Nearby, the Nine-Tailed Fox cautiously tried to stir its power. The result made its heart sink.
The chakra was still there. It could feel it clearly.But it was like a stagnant pool, completely unresponsive, no matter how hard it tried to move it.
"I'll introduce this place properly,"
Sam raised his hand and pointed at the huge, eye-catching words hanging in the center of the hall.
"This is the Hyperdimensional Mercenary Guild, a place that connects the heavens and all worlds, every plane and every reality."
"As the guildmaster, let me once again sincerely welcome you all~"
"Hyperdimensional Mercenary Guild?"
Elsa was the first to speak up. "What does that mean?"
"It means this is a shared space linking countless worlds," Sam explained. "You're all from different realities. Different worlds. Or…"
He glanced sideways at the massive fox beside him.
"…tailed beasts."
The Nine-Tails' vertical pupils shrank sharply.
So this guy really knows who I am.
It hadn't told anyone here about being a tailed beast.
"Could it be true?" it wondered. "That this place connects other worlds?"
Impossible. Even the Sage of Six Paths couldn't do something like that. Other worlds… it sounded completely absurd.
In the Nine-Tails' mind, the Sage of Six Paths was the strongest being that had ever existed. That belief was deeply ingrained.
"Hey, no need to be so tense, Kurama."
Seeing how guarded the fox still was, Sam waved his hand with a grin.He was genuinely in a great mood today.
"Kurama?!"
The Nine-Tailed Fox, Kurama, who was already on high alert, instantly bristled even more.
"How do you know my name?"
In the world of ninjas, people called it the Nine-Tailed Fox, a natural disaster, a monster. Only a handful of figures like the long-dead Sage of Six Paths knew its true name.
Most shinobi saw it as nothing more than a beast or a weapon. They never cared whether it had a name, let alone knew what it was.
So the moment Sam spoke it, Kurama immediately snapped back, trying to probe him.
"You know me… Are you an Uchiha?"
Then another possibility struck it.
"No. Even if you were an Uchiha, being able to cast a genjutsu directly on me, bypassing the jinchūriki, only one person could do that…"
Kurama's eyes widened.
"You're Uchiha Madara?!"
It leapt backward in a flash, putting a safe distance between itself and Sam.
The more it thought about it, the more convinced it became.
This had to be genjutsu.
Otherwise, how could it, sealed away as it was, be standing in a place like this? The vividness, the realism, all of it had to be an illusion.
And among those Kurama knew, the only one capable of dragging it into a genjutsu without it noticing was Uchiha Madara.
If there was anyone Kurama truly despised, Madara was near the top of the list.
If not for that man capturing and controlling it, forcing it to fight Hashirama Senju, would it ever have ended up sealed inside Uzumaki Kushina?
"Oh, so it really is you."
Sam couldn't help laughing. He hadn't been completely sure which version of the Nine-Tails this was.
After all, this place connected infinite dimensions and countless worlds. There were plenty of nine-tailed foxes out there, orange-red ones included.
"Relax. You're not under any genjutsu," Sam said with a smile. "This is an anti-magic zone."
"Like I said, the Hyperdimensional Mercenary Guild is basically a place that offers mercenary services."
"It provides a space for communication, learning, entertainment, help requests… and mutual employment between guests. If you want it, this place can make it happen~"
"Of course," he added cheerfully, "everything costs gold coins~"
At that point, Sam felt a little bitter.This guild was ridiculously stingy. And absolutely obsessed with money.
"Is it really that amazing?"
(・ω・)
Feng Baobao stared in awe, her face blank and adorable, little stars practically sparkling in her eyes.
She accepted it so quickly purely because… that was just how she was.
"Want something to drink?" Sam gestured toward the sofa nearby with a smile. "We can sit down and talk."
"There's drinks?" Feng Baobao rubbed her stomach. "I, I want a cola."
"Cola?" Elsa looked at her, puzzled, then turned to Sam. "I'll just have orange juice."
"Alright."
Sam nodded, then looked at the fox. "And you, Mr. Kurama?"
"…"
The Nine-Tailed Fox froze for a moment.
Being addressed like that was a first for it.
But it wasn't about to give in so easily.
"If you're not saying anything, I'll just pick for you."
Sam casually placed a glass of water in front of Kurama.
Kurama: "…"
"Heh," Kurama sneered, baring its teeth. "Kid, I don't know what this place is, but do you really think I'd just believe you?"
"Who knows if you're telling the truth or just bragging?"
"Is that so?"
Sam scratched his cheek awkwardly, then suddenly remembered he had guildmaster privileges.
Anyone who entered the Hyperdimensional Mercenary Guild came with records of their past and future.
Those "futures" were essentially information generated from the convergence of different worlds, the same stories that appeared as anime, novels, and legends elsewhere. The guild simply connected those worlds and retrieved that information.
And as guildmaster, Sam could access it.
Most of the data had been transferred from Sam's original world, a special place capable of receiving information from countless dimensions and turning it into inspiration, creating what people called "two-dimensional" fiction.
"Well then," Sam said with a grin. "Since you put it that way, I'll show you something."
He tapped the table in front of the sofa. A glowing screen rose up, shimmering in the air.
Smiling at Kurama, he said, "Here, you can learn about your past and your future. For example…"
"Your past."
"What?" Kurama snorted. "My past?"
"Do you even know what you're talking about?"
Clearly, Kurama didn't believe a single word.
And yet, looking at the calm smile on Sam's face, it felt unsettled.
For some reason, Kurama suddenly had the strange feeling that…this time, the guy in front of it might actually be telling the truth.
"....."