Chapter 206 Beast Dimension

"But you already came with us that one time, remember? This time you can't come. Next time, okay?" Emma lightly rejected her, patting her on the head. "Oh, Satoshi, you're here."

'Where are we going exactly?' Satoshi said to himself, nodding towards Emma. From the corner of his eyes, he could've sworn that his mom winked at Emma but it must've just been the light playing tricks on him. He ignored the ridiculous notion and walked toward Emma.

"Now now, you shouldn't bother your big sister like that, Aira." Ayumu gently advised, patting Aira on the head. "Why don't you help me cook lunch instead? It's your favorite, and also... you know how to bake cupcakes, right?"

"Cupcakes, hehhe~!" Aira's expression drastically changed and she was cheerful again, jumping up and down before she said her goodbyes to Satoshi and Emma.

"We're heading off."

"We're heading off!"

"Take care!" Ayumu greeted back.

"Take care, big bro! Big sis!" Aira cheerfully waved her hands towards Satoshi and Emma. It seemed like she was really looking forward to baking cupcakes since she was already in the kitchen before Ayumu even got there.

The neighborhood was quiet, except for the occasional cars that drove past or someone on a bicycle passing through. It was a peaceful morning, with clouds that blocked a portion of the sky from the sun's rays. A fair day, perfect for an outing.

'This is probably why Emma was so keen on going out today. It is the perfect weather, and she'd been stuck at home for who knows how long, only ever going outside when I'm free. That must've bored her so much.' Satoshi said to himself. It's not like he has any problem with it whatsoever though since he felt like he needed a bit of fresh air... every now and then, at least.

In silence, Emma walked forward and Satoshi meekly followed. It's not like this was the first time Emma asked him to accompany her. The last time she did, the two of them ate at Mgronald's and she had a good time watching the squabble between the employee and the girl who seemed to be stalking her (she had been lingering outside the restaurant before she mustered the courage to come in). After that, they went to the nearby shopping mall since she wanted to check out the 'creatures of this planet'— or so that's what she called them (she was referring to cats and dogs and all the other critters available in the pet shop. She was particularly fascinated with the echidna).

"Hey um, Satoshi," Emma finally spoke up just when they were on their way out of the subdivision.

"Yup?"

"Have you ever heard of the... Beast Dimension?"

.....

A few days ago,

"And that's how you use a smartphone, how was it? Pretty easy, right?" Ayumu clasped her hands together, her eyes smiling. "Now you do it."

To be fair, even though the technology in Emma's world was nothing compared to that of Earth's, they do have phones over there, just keypad ones though. Still, Emma was in her teens— the age where learning how to use a smartphone comes instinctually. Needless to say, Emma mastered the smartphones much faster than Ayumu did back in the day. She just needed to know the basic functions of the phone and from then on, she learned her way through, browsing, and looking things up.

One day, while scrolling through the internet, she came across a certain website wherein pets were sold. It was your usual pet shop website (this was the time when Emma got hooked on pets— different kinds of domesticated animals that one could keep at home), except there was another button right beside the menu screen.

Unbeknownst to Emma, that button was exclusive only to professional superheroes, licensed ones. And because Ayumu was, well, one of the many superheroes listed in the SAO archive, she get to have access to that exclusive button.

Emma found it by accident while scrolling through the pet shops and admiring the mice and hamsters available for only a couple thousand yen. When she clicked the button, she expected the website menu to open.

However, that didn't happen.

Instead, she was redirected to another site— a site that seemed like the pet shop but wasn't. Even though the resemblance was uncanny, there were different pets sold... or in this case, beasts.

Instead of the menu button, there was a drop-down menu of elements instead. Fire, Earth, Wind, Air, Lightning, etc.

Curious, Emma clicked on one of the elements— Fire— and then the website redirected to another page where all of the fire beasts available are listed, each with their own price. She scrolled down, the price range getting wider and wider the more she scrolled. At the bottom part of the page, there was a certain beast called the 'Kurama' and it costs more than a billion yen. Emma had never seen so many zeroes in her life.

She spent the next few minutes browsing through the other elements and that's how she came across the place called the Beast Dimension.

The Beast Dimension appeared quite recently, only a century or so ago. They were like Gates that appeared all across the globe, but no monsters nor threats seeped out of these portals. Throughout the years, many superheroes tried to clear what they deemed the Beast Dimension but they couldn't clear the entire world. It was basically another world, another planet. And there was no way a handful of superheroes could kill every beast in another world.

Because of that, the portals that led to the Beast Dimensions were closed off to the public and only licensed superheroes brave enough to venture into that dimension were allowed in.

And furthermore, it's not like the portals were heavily guarded either. First off, the portals are harmless, and second, only those with a death wish would go inside without preparation.

From time to time, expeditions would be sent out to the Beast Dimension— to document, capture, or tame beasts— exactly what Satoshi needed when it comes to that unique ability of his.