Chương 3: Machi's Trio

"If you throw up in here, I'll kick you out." The sudden voice snapped Aren's stomach back under control. His body moved before his mind caught up. He forced down the nausea and turned toward the sound, half raising his guard. A girl of about eleven leaned against the doorway, watching him with cool eyes. Her hair was a familiar shade of purplish pink, and the hard calm on her young face made his thoughts stall. Machi. From his old world, Aren knew this place as Hunter x Hunter.

He had realized that much while absorbing the body's memories, but knowing the world and waking up in front of a future Phantom Troupe member were very different things. From the look of it, she was also the one who had brought him back. Before he lost consciousness, his whole body had been burning with pain. The memories said he had been shot several times. Now he could sit up without so much as an ache.

"You look like you know me," Machi said. She had trusted her sixth sense since childhood. She did not doubt it now.

"I've heard of you," Aren said after a beat.

"You, Uvogin, and Nobunaga are famous even in my old district." The body's memories gave him enough truth to work with. Machi and her two companions really did have a reputation. She nodded, accepting the answer. If nothing else, it confirmed that the boy in front of her was from Meteor City, not the mafia.

"Did you save me?" Aren asked. In the story he remembered, Machi had never been the type to rescue strangers out of simple kindness.

"No. You were already like that when I found you." She studied him a moment longer before denying it.

'Was that what came with being thrown into this world?' Aren frowned and flexed one hand. At this point, he still did not know that he had fused with the thing called the Undying. His strength felt the same as it did in the memories. Whether anything else had changed would have to wait.

"I see. Either way, thanks for bringing me back." He gave her a small nod.

"I haven't introduced myself. I'm Aren Voss." The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Machi only glanced at him. She did not explain her sixth sense to someone she had just met. Silence settled between them. Before it could turn truly awkward, a booming laugh crashed through the doorway.

"Hahahaha! Machi, look what we traded for! Not just black ration bars. Two whole chickens!" Uvogin burst inside, holding up the birds like trophies. Then he noticed Aren was awake.

"Oh, you're up." The heavy atmosphere broke at once, and Aren quietly let out a breath.

"Hello. I'm Aren Voss. Thank you for bringing me back."

"Ahahaha, good to meet you. I'm Uvogin. No need to thank me, though. Machi's the one who told me to carry you." He waved the thanks away without the slightest awkwardness.

"Uvogin, you bastard!" another voice shouted from behind him.

"You ran off with both chickens and left me to carry the whole crate of ration cakes!" Nobunaga appeared behind him and kicked him through the doorway. After stepping inside, he saw Aren sitting up. He was still wary, but his trust in Machi's instinct won out.

"Oh. You're awake..." He did not get to finish. Uvogin caught his balance and punched him flying.

"Nobunaga! You want a fight, don't you? Hahahaha. Good. Time for duel number three hundred seventy-six!" Nobunaga scrambled up, furious.

"Fine! Come on, you idiot!"

"Hahahaha, bring it!" The two crashed into each other in a flurry of fists and kicks. Aren's mouth twitched. He turned toward Machi.

"Are they always this close?" Machi rubbed her temple like she had a headache. She was the youngest of the trio, but she clearly made most of their decisions. Uvogin and Nobunaga were Enhancer types through and through, and neither of them was built for subtle leadership. Nobunaga was a little better, but one good provocation was enough to throw his brain out the window.

"Don't break the house," Machi said. The fight was getting wider by the second.

"Relax. We won't break any- ah!" The instant Nobunaga looked away to answer her, Uvogin's eyes gleamed.

"Opening spotted!" He landed a shameless cheap shot from behind. Nobunaga doubled over, trembling with rage and pain.

"Yes! That's two hundred five wins, seventy-eight draws, and ninety-three losses! Hahahaha. You're still no match for me!"

"That wasn't a win, you bastard," Nobunaga hissed.

"That was an ambush." Machi picked up the chickens Uvogin had tossed aside and put an end to the nonsense.

"Enough. Eat before they go bad." Then she looked back at Aren. After a short pause, she said, "You can eat with us this time. We traded your companions' things for it anyway." Food was precious in Meteor City. Meat even more so. Most residents could go an entire year without tasting any. For Machi to share it with him was more generous than Aren had expected. He had already assumed he would be going hungry tonight.

"Thank you, Machi." Given his looks, that smile usually had an effect. On Machi, it did nothing. After Machi's simple, rough cooking, the two chickens came out slightly scorched but edible. There was no seasoning, no sauce, not even a proper marinade. Natural flavor was one thing. This was something else. Aren stared at the roast chicken and had no idea where to begin. His previous life had not taught him hardship. He had been good-looking, well-off, and very satisfied with his comfortable modern life.

He had never once wished to be thrown into another world. Across from him, Uvogin and Nobunaga ate the chicken with black ration bars. The cakes reminded Aren far too much of those protein blocks from an old dystopian film, the kind nobody wanted to know the ingredients of. That image nearly brought his nausea back. Since he also felt no hunger at all, his appetite vanished completely. Uvogin noticed.

"Aren, why aren't you eating?"

"It's nothing. I just..." Aren was about to say he was not hungry and would save it for later. Then something inside his body stirred. Following that instinct, he opened his right hand. A medium-rare Kobe steak appeared in his palm.