[Audio]

[neverfeltthatway]

[For once, Armin sends only his voice and not his image over the network - something anyone paying attention might note is unusual, if not without precedent.]

Hello, everyone. I... I have the list of Travelers who disappeared this jaunt. Meaning they've probably either gone home, or they're stuck in a dungeon somewhere and they'll turn up again later.

It may not be a complete list, but... it's the closest I could get. [He takes a deep breath.] Here goes: Giovanni, Kain, Ravit, Ace, Shuu, Quinn, Ruvik, Souji - er, Souji Okita, that is - Tsurumaru, Annabel, and Ky.

I'm sorry.

Comments

[tealeafs]

[ There sure are familiar names on that list, yes. And one sticks out in particular to Chizuru -- obviously so. Even so she takes it quietly, maybe in part since it's just mentally and therefore it's harder to see the way her face drops the moment the realisation starts sinking in. ]

You can't sense whether they're in a dungeon portal or not..? [ Although the idea of Souji returning home isn't all that appealing either.. it'd mean he would die. But him being stuck somewhere by himself, all of the men of the Shinsengumi other than Hijikata being that way.. it stings. ]

[neverfeltthatway]

N-no. I'm sorry... nobody can sense dungeon portals unless they've actually appeared, and sensing what's inside them is a different skill entirely.

[tealeafs]

I see..

[ In other words, there's no way for them to know. Not only Souji, but even Saitou, Heisuke, Sano-- everyone else who's been here from their world, too. There's no way of knowing if they're not stuck somewhere in a dungeon portal all by themselves..

The thought brings nauseous feelings to her stomach, although she tries to repress them enough that she can at least reply to Armin. ]

Then.. we'll just have to wait and see, huh..?

[neverfeltthatway]

...Try not to worry about them too much, Chizuru. People who got stuck in dungeon portals often don't experience the passage of time the same as ours. It doesn't seem as long to them - and they always come out of it okay.

[He honestly doesn't know if he believes everything he's saying. But for Chizuru's sake, he does his best to sound confident.]

If they're in a dungeon portal, we'll rescue them. They'll be all right. I promise.

[tealeafs]

[ Telling Chizuru to not worry too much is like telling her not to breathe, you know-- it's going to happen regardless and everyone knows it. Not that she isn't going to try and agree with him all the same. The last thing she wants right now is for anyone to worry about her when they should be worrying about the poor missing people. ]

Yes, it's true.. Um, I mean, it's not like we haven't pulled people back from those places before. [ Even some of their group had returned - even if it was only to be pulled back a little while after. ] I just hope it isn't too hard on them in the meantime. Even if people like Okita-san are strong, that sort of thing could be too much for anyone..