Mash-up Anime World: Creating the SCP Foundation to Contain Anomalies

After traversing through countless ruins and debris, the two arrived at a plaza that resembled an astronomical observatory.

Above them was a semi-circular glass dome.

However, due to the destruction caused by the disaster, not only was the glass shattered, but even the supporting steel framework had been almost completely ruined.

Perhaps because of the heavy rain a few days ago, the area beneath the ring-shaped dome was filled with water.

Under the reflection of the sky, the place looked like a tranquil lake.

And in the middle of this vast, empty lake, stood a single door.

Just a door.

No walls on either side, only a few scattered bricks securing it to the ground.

A solitary door stood in the center of the water.

At this moment, the door was wide open.

Billowing waves of dark red mist, visible only to the two of them, were surging outward from within. That mist gradually took shape in the air, condensing into a towering, worm-like entity.

From the sides and through the door itself, the view was entirely different.

Clearly, this door was a connection to that so-called "Otherworld."

Anyone who could see this scene would undoubtedly be overwhelmed with shock. The dark red mist, soaring skyward, seemed to exert a tangible sense of oppression.

Yet, as if acting on pure instinct, Suzume rushed toward the door without a second thought.

She had to close that door.

If she didn't stop it, an enormous disaster would descend. And then, just like her and her mother's sorrow, history would repeat itself for others.

Suzume pressed against the door with all her strength.

From her small body, an unprecedented surge of power erupted.

She struggled against the terrifying calamity.

Watching this scene, Haruto felt a faint stir deep within his heart.

"Hey! Hurry and help Suzume!"

Miyamizu's voice trembled slightly, but she still urged Haruto to move. Clearly, though she was afraid, she was still willing to do the right thing.

Suzume was using all her strength to push against the door.

But the force of the Worm's curse spilling out was so immense that it made her feel powerless and insignificant.

At that moment, a hand covered hers.

Suzume opened her eyes and saw someone standing beside her, pushing along with her.

The power of the curse seemed to weaken instantly, and the door began to close little by little.

For a moment, Suzume felt dazed.

The person beside her was Mitsuha, yet at the same time, not Mitsuha.

The scene felt incredibly familiar, as if she had done this before.

But in that memory, she had been alone.

With a heavy bang, the door was firmly shut.

Suzume snapped back to reality and reached for the pendant she had worn since childhood.

It was a golden key.

For a fleeting moment, her mother's figure appeared before her.

Instinctively, Suzume recited:

"I call upon the unseen gods with deep reverence, calling upon the ancestral deities of this land. This mountain, this river, have received blessings for generations, and for that, we are eternally grateful. With utmost sincerity and humility, we return this offering as decreed by the gods!"

She inserted the key into the door.

With a click—

The crimson mist suddenly dispersed.

The looming Worm, which had been on the verge of descending to bring catastrophe, crumbled apart, dissolving into a downpour.

As the rain fell, Suzume clutched the golden key tightly, tears mingling with the raindrops on her cheeks.

Suddenly, the girl threw herself into Haruto's arms.

Haruto was slightly puzzled but gently stroked Suzume's long hair.

The rain came and went quickly.

Before long, the skies cleared.

A rainbow stretched across the ruins.

After the storm, the desolate land seemed to regain some vitality.

Haruto and Suzume were both completely drenched.

Luckily, they were both girls—

Well, at least on the surface.

So, while it was a little awkward, it was still manageable.

"We did it! Yay! We saved the town of Itomori!"

Mitsuha cheered excitedly in Haruto's mind. Though she couldn't control the body, she had been just as anxious throughout.

"Weren't you worried about your own safety? Weren't you scared?"

Haruto asked.

The question was directed at Suzume, but also at Mitsuha.

Suzume was momentarily stunned before she beamed brightly.

"Of course, I was scared. But when I think of ten years ago... The past can't be changed, but the future can. More than fear, I don't want to see my mother's tragedy happen to anyone else."

And in Haruto's mind, Mitsuha answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world:

"Stopping a disaster is obviously more important than fear! This is about saving so many lives!"

Hearing this, Haruto smiled.

These two were really...

Just then, a small white cat appeared on the lake's surface.

What was surprising was that this cat had two tails, resembling a nekomata from Japanese folklore.

Both of them turned their gazes toward it.

"Suzume!"

The cat spoke.

Haruto raised an eyebrow.

This was definitely an anomaly. Definitely an anomaly. Should they just contain it for now and figure things out later?

But when Suzume heard the cat calling her name, her eyes widened.

"It's the keystone!"

Haruto froze for a second.

Suzume quickly explained,

"It's the sacred object that seals the gateway between the afterworld and our world! If the keystone is missing, the door won't stay closed!"

Upon hearing this, Haruto immediately dashed toward the white cat.

What was this little thing doing abandoning its post?!

"You! A nuisance!"

The white cat hissed at Haruto.

The next second, Haruto felt a strange energy surge toward him.

Instantly, his pupils turned blood-red, and the Mangekyō Sharingan appeared. That energy, whether it was spiritual or soul-based, was directly reflected back.

Realizing the danger, the white cat immediately tried to flee.

With a swift turn, it leaped away from Haruto at an impossible speed.

Clearly, with Mitsuha's body, it was impossible to catch this cat.

But…

"Za Warudo!"

Time stopped.

Haruto casually walked over and grabbed the cat mid-air.

Nine seconds later, the color returned to the world.

The white cat dangled in Haruto's grasp, completely bewildered.

"Eh?! What just happened?"

Even though he was using Mitsuha's body, she couldn't perceive the activation of The World.

To her, it felt like she had just teleported then suddenly, the cat was in her hand.

Suzume, too, stared wide-eyed at Haruto in confusion.

Haruto gave an awkward smile.

Yeah… There was no way to explain this.

And right now, there was no way to use memory-erasing techniques.

With the cat secured, the two of them returned to the car.

Haruto started driving back toward the school.

"I am Daijin, Suzume!"

The cat eagerly spoke to Suzume, but it was clearly wary of Haruto.

"Daijin, why did you leave? What about the door?"

Suzume asked, worried.

Daijin hesitated for a moment before finally saying,

"The seal has weakened. I couldn't hold it shut anymore."

"That's impossible! My mother reinforced the seal just ten years ago!" Suzume instinctively refuted.

But then, she quickly realized—

Her mother had already exhausted herself just stopping the disaster.

Maybe… she never actually completed the reinforcement.

Daijin, the keystone, must have sensed that it couldn't hold the door shut any longer, so it left its post to find help.

Understanding this, Suzume hurriedly asked,

"Where are the doors that need reinforcement?"

The knowledge of all the doors was something passed down among the Gate Closers. But Suzume had never received that training, she only knew about it from watching her mother.

Daijin pawed at Suzume's phone and pointed out several locations on the map.

Haruto leaned over to take a look.

Kobe, Osaka, Tokyo, and Chiba.

Suzume suddenly looked up at Haruto.

"Mitsuha, weren't you going on a trip? Where was your destination?"

"Chiba." Haruto responded.

Hearing this, Suzume's face lit up with excitement.

Haruto sighed in exasperation.

After driving back to the school, Haruto left the car keys in the vehicle. They needed to catch the bus quickly, or they'd miss it.

The bus to Itomori Town only ran twice a day.

"Mitsuha, can't we just drive there?"

Suzume asked curiously.

Haruto shook his head.

"We don't have enough gas, and we don't have money to refuel."

...Of course, that was just an excuse.

The real reason was that Sharingan's genjutsu couldn't maintain false perceptions for long.

If there were too many logical inconsistencies, people would start noticing something was wrong.

For example, if the female teacher's car went missing, she would eventually realize something was off.

After all, that wouldn't make sense.

But taking a leave of absence? That was completely reasonable.

Not having the Blacklight Virus was truly inconvenient.

Haruto thought to himself.

And so, the two of them, carrying a cat in their arms, boarded the bus leaving Itomori.

Originally, Haruto had wanted to cast an illusion on Mitsuha's family. Unfortunately, after dealing with the Otherworldly Gate, there wasn't enough time.

Now… Mitsuha had truly become a runaway.

Staring out the window at the passing scenery, Suzume's eyes widened.

This was her first time leaving Itomori.

Mitsuha was the same, her voice occasionally echoing in Haruto's mind, exclaiming in excitement. For these two girls, the sights outside the small town were completely new and fascinating.

After a long while, Suzume finally calmed down.

Sitting side by side, she turned to the person next to her and suddenly asked:

"Actually… you're not Mitsuha, are you?"

"Eh!?"

The one who reacted the most wasn't Haruto, but Miyamizu Mitsuha.

"I've been found out?! What now? What should I do? Deny everything?"

Mitsuha suddenly felt a bit nervous.

Haruto, on the other hand, simply smiled.

"What makes you say that?"

Suzume had only been guessing, but now, she was almost eighty percent certain.

"Hmm… The feeling you give off is completely different. The Mitsuha I know is a lively and curious girl. But you… You feel like a calm and gentle… big brother?"

Suzume didn't know why, but that was simply the impression she got.

Hearing this, Haruto reached out and ruffled her hair.

"You have sharp intuition. You guessed right."