Dimensions Collide: Destiny Bond

"Welcome back, Zero."

After going to sleep, John found a secluded spot where they would be undetected. That was partially pointless. Zero would speak whenever the opportunity presented itself. However, John felt like treating his soul with a little more respect than usual.

"Well fought," the soul said, yawning as he emerged from John's body. "That was pretty good."

"You're not… uncomfortable or anything?"

"Oh, so you do care."

"Just answer the question, dipshit."

Zero smiled, letting loose a short laugh. "Yeah, I'm fine. I went to sleep."

"For a whole day?"

"Buddy, you speak like you're not capable of the same thing. You didn't forget who I am, right?"

John sighed, leaning against the wall. "Glad to see we're as insufferable as ever."

The secluded spot John had found was a random balcony protruding from some unused corridor. For once, he was out in the day and not at night, and he had to admit that daytime wasn't as bad as he always made it out to be. The sunlight on the snow was blinding, but at the same time, the sparkling crystals that made up the smooth, untouched snowbanks were quite beautiful once your eyes adjusted to the glare. The air felt different, too, as if the warmth of the sun actually made things different.

"But, just so we're clear-"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll do my best not to use the pills."

Zero smiled. "Yeah. Self-care is important, right?"

~~~

John raised an eye.

"What's that? Off-campus rights?"

Winter break went by quickly. Again, John and Prota stayed on campus, but there really wasn't anything overly interesting for them to do. John figured out a way to give Prota access to his library, so she began reading books on her own, but otherwise, there was nothing new.

It was a week after school started back up that John heard something incredibly interesting.

"Yeah, you didn't know?"

The one who'd delivered the news was Briar, who seemed just as eager to get out of school as he was.

"Second-year students can use their tokens to take one of the portals. Obviously, it's a little pricey, but that shouldn't be a problem for you, right, mister ace?" she grinned, rubbing her fingers together in the universal symbol for money.

"So you're saying…"

"Yeah."

"Wait, you're not thinking of skipping class, are you?" Danjo exclaimed. "I mean, yes, it'd be nice to go visit other places, but-"

"Oh, come on, Danjo!" Briar groaned. "I know you're already miles ahead of everyone else in class. You've been getting private tutoring from that snake, too, so why don't you go do something interesting?"

"...um, guys, we don't need to fight," Aurora said nervously, glancing between her two friends.

John suppressed the urge to laugh. It was like watching a child standing between two arguing parents. What made it even more comical was that she was noticeably larger than the dwarf and human, and yet she was cowering as if trying to hide herself away.

Well, the three definitely seemed to be good friends.

"Don't bother," Destiny sighed, taking a sip of water. "This guy would skip class regardless of the reason."

"Well, that's John," Danjo admitted. "But-"

"Come on! We can- we can go give my old man a surprise," Briar grinned.

That moment of hesitation. John tried not to look at her, but she'd been momentarily shaken up. Well, he, too, had been a little shaken up, and it was good that nobody had noticed him, either.

"Something again, already? You're not giving me a break, are you?" he muttered.

On one hand, he was annoyed. He'd been given a two-week vacation after that deal with the cultists, and now, something else seemed to be popping up. On the other hand, though, this seemed to be an issue that didn't involve Lupin, something he was incredibly grateful for. On top of that, it seemed that things were picking up pace, and that meant that he no longer had to be worried about being blindsided by some random incident.

"Also, you don't have to come if you don't want to, you know," Briar pointed out.

John looked up to find Briar and Danjo still arguing. Well, it looked like they were having fun, at least.

"Prota, you wanna tag along? We might find something fun to do."

The little girl looked up from her meal, a mildly annoyed expression in her eyes.

"John's gonna do something stupid, right?"

"...no."

"Liar."

Well, it looked like she'd be coming for the ride.

~~~

Destiny had declined the offer to head over to Briar's hometown. It seemed he had some things to do. John had assured him not to worry about Lupin, and since the hero had agreed, it seemed things would remain calm at school for the time being.

It wasn't as if they could head off immediately, though. Briar still had some projects she needed to finish up, and she also wanted to wait for the right moment, given that she wasn't nearly as rich as John was.

Prota was similarly busy, having learned new skills that she wanted to show to Sofya. She'd told John about her fight in great detail, including how she'd formed her new skills. He had initially just wanted to call her abilities "hot thing" and "cold thing." To prevent this, Zero had appeared, slapping him on the head, and given her abilities proper names.

"Plasma Disk. Absolute Zero. Got it?"

Prota nodded. At the very least, it was better than what John had suggested.

In the meantime, Briar would tell stories of her hometown at meals. She'd grown up in the dwarven kingdom, and while there were definitely interesting things going on there, the thing that interested John the most was the thing Briar knew the least about.

"My old man kept going to this place called a casino," she said, shaking her head. "I don't think it was good for him, but he went anyway."

"A casino?!" John exclaimed, eyes shining as he leaned in.

"You know what that is?" Briar said, raising an eye. "Well, go for it, if that's what you want."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks."

This was a perfect opportunity. While he did have quite a few gold coins left, he'd splurged a little too hard back in the Town of Beginnings, and while he was by no means poor, he'd feel more comfortable with a lot more money. The casino was a perfect place for this. Gambling was risky for some, but not for him. This was a good opportunity to make some cash back.

But then again, what fun was gambling without the risk?

~~~

"Destiny Windwalker," Lupin said.

"Yes, sir!"

"I told you, already. No need to be so stiff around me."

Lupin was sheathing his blade back into cane form as he turned away from a panting, sweaty Destiny. They'd just finished a spar to help the latter develop his mana reinforcement better.

"Could you possibly do me a favour?" Lupin said quietly.

"...a favour, sir?"

"Of course, I will pay you well."

"Thank you, sir, but-"

"A favour. Any favour you need, I will repay in kind."

Destiny's eyes widened. The favour of a Mystic. Yes, they didn't know if this man was trustworthy, but regardless of whether or not he was a cultist was irrelevant. If they needed serious firepower for something, especially the deal with the Shadow Order and the Windwalkers back home…

"What is this favour, sir?"

"There is a location in the Kingdom of Dwarves that I am interested in. I would simply like you to do a little reconnaissance there."

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"That's- that's all?"

"It may be dangerous. I do not believe anybody but you has the skills necessary to proceed with such a task. If you would like to refuse, I understand. But should you accept, all the documents and preparations are in order."

"What is this place, exactly…?"

Lupin handed over a brochure. The paper was thin but stiff, the lettering painted in gold.

"Hackpino… Casino?"

~~~

"Here we are!"

John looked around, amazed. Briar seemed to be right in her element, dashing around, but Gaius, land of the dwarves, was nothing like what he'd been expecting.

Usually, in fantasy settings, dwarves lived in caves or mountains deep underground. Everyone was either a miner or a blacksmith, with taverns everywhere. Mine entrances and rails would litter the areas, picks and hammers strewn everywhere, with loud singing and drunken arguing ringing out in the streets.

There was none of that. While the place was near a mountain, a large portion of the village they were in was outside, and while the buildings were mainly made of metal, they greatly resembled ancient Japanese architecture. The roads were clean and paved, and many older dwarves wore kimonos, something John had not been expecting at all.

"John. John," Prota said, pulling at his hoodie. "Something like that. Can we get that?"

She was pointing at a white and blue kimono that a lady dwarf was wearing.

"Uh… yeah. Let's follow Briar first, ok?"

"Nn."

At the very least, these dwarves were still blacksmiths at heart. The only buildings that stood out from the Japanese architecture were the smithies, which seemed to be scattered throughout the area. Somehow, though, the sound of hammering was greatly muted, as if they'd found a way to prevent the harsh noise of hammer and metal clashing from bothering everyone on the streets.

"Oh, you guys gotta try this!" Briar said excitedly as they passed a food stall. "Octopus balls. They're one of my favourites! Ah, but… actually, never mind. I forgot to bring money."

John tried to ignore the grumbling of Prota's stomach, but… well, he could afford this.

"I'll take this one," John said, pulling out a few coins. "Takoyaki, huh…"

He didn't mind Japanese culture, but why here? Why now? What was the point?

"Mm… thanks, John! You're the best," Briar grinned.

"Yeah, yeah. So, are we gonna meet this old man of yours or what?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're almost there. Be a little patient, jeez!"

They made their way down the streets to a much quieter, more humble area of the town. Here, the houses were made of wood, and the paths weren't nearly as well-maintained. Grass grew between the cracks, and patches of dirt could be found here and there.

"Gramps! I'm home!" Briar called out cheerfully as she flung the door open to one of the wooden houses.

"Ah, you're home, child?"

An old-looking dwarf stepped out from another room. He looked old. Really old. White hair, a long, white beard, deep wrinkles around his sunken eyes hidden by bushy eyebrows, he fit the role of the old wise man perfectly.

"But shouldn't you be in school?"

"I took a break!"

Her cheerfulness was met with a smack from a slipper. She grinned as she held her head, nursing her wound, but somehow, she seemed even more cheerful than before.

"Oh? Who are these two?" the man said, taking note of them for the first time.

"Oh, these are my friends!"

"Is this that Danjo you were talking about? He looks… a lot stronger than what you described."

"Gramps, no!" Briar groaned. "This is John. That's Prota. The siblings, remember?"

"Ah, those ones… I greet you to my home. It isn't much, but it is all I have."

John bowed, motioning for Prota to do the same. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Oh ho! Someone learned dwarvish custom, it seems. Not many know it these days."

"...yeah, ok. Dwarvish custom," John muttered. "Just how old are you, sir?" he added in a louder voice.

"Pushing three hundred. I know, I don't look it, but you must believe me."

Prota frowned, trying to tell if the dwarf was joking or not. If he wasn't, why would they think he was lying? Was he supposed to look young? Or old?

"But what brings you here?" he said, shuffling along the matted floors, bringing them into the kitchen. "Briar is a rebellious child. But why did you two tag along?"

"Ah, that… she told me you go to this place called the 'casino' a lot?"

John's question was met with the sound of sandal meeting head once again. Briar now had two wounds on her head, but she still seemed as cheerful as ever.

"Hmph. That's not something for you kids to be interested in," the old man grunted.

John just shook his head. Oh, well. He could get the information from somebody else. He would've pressed harder had it been anybody else, but he had a code of not messing with old men in [Stories]. Sure, they could be coughing babies, but more often than not, they were monsters in their own right, and he had no plans of poking the hornet's nest if he knew it was there.

"Well, it was good to meet you, mister…"

"Zoku. Zoku Hi," the old man said with a smile. "It's good to see the young'un has friends. Come by any time, I'll brew you a cup of tea."

John nodded, standing up to leave. Prota got up to follow him, but then became confused as he stopped in front of the door instead of continuing to head out.

"Are they inside?" John whispered.

"...nn," she nodded.

She didn't like where this was going. Why weren't they moving? What was he planning?

John hesitated, seemingly contemplating something, then put his ear to the door. His eye began to glow as he activated [Infinity], then concentrated his multiplier on his hearing ability.

"...still coming after you?" Briar's voice said nervously.

"Yes."

"But they can't take your work! They don't know how long you've been working on it for!"

"It seems I must. They chased away all my customers, and now that rent has piled up, I had to take out a loan… and even that is coming close. They agreed to pay for the house if I just give it to them, Briar."

"But- gramps! You said you spent your whole life working on that!"

"I don't have a choice, Briar. The Yakuza are far stronger than I am."

"But your reputation as-"

"Don't say it. I gave up making weapons a long time ago."

John deactivated his ability, a look of disgust forming on his face. He had a feeling he understood what was coming next, but he had no plans of predicting it. If everything went the way he thought it would, there would be no need to predict anything.

He just had to let them happen on their own.

~~~

"Hackpino Casino, huh…" he muttered, staring at the building in awe.

The place was bright, with flashy lights and gold paint coating almost every surface of the building. It was blinding, like looking into the sun itself. Women of all races wearing provocative outfits were trying to lure men in, and while John would never fall for a marketing trick like that, he had every intention of going in anyway.

"John," Prota said with a tone of disgust. "...really?"

"What? I'm gonna make us some cash," he grinned. "Just watch. I've got a really good strategy for the card games in this place. By the way, did you know that those who can tell the future will never lose at cards?"

She sighed. She really didn't want to go in, but she had a feeling John would do something stupid in here, and she couldn't afford to leave him alone just because she didn't like the place. It wasn't even about his safety at this point. She just had a feeling that he was going to do something that he would end up regretting later.

"Hello, sir! I- oh. Children aren't allowed in here," the receptionist said upon seeing her new customers.

"Yeah, uh… here."

John had checked his identification before coming in. Ever since his age had changed, he'd had two IDs, one for his age above eighteen, and one for his current, physical age. He hadn't gotten them from anywhere; an additional ID had simply appeared in his wallet. Well, he wasn't one to question gifts from the [Author] when they were as trivial as this.

Regardless, the one he was currently showing identified him as a legal adult.

"Oh, sorry! You just look, well…"

"Yeah, don't worry about it."

"Your partner, however…"

"Won't be gambling. Is that fine?"

"Yes, as long as she does not touch any of the chips! That being said, how much would you like?"

John looked around, thinking for a moment.

The loud atmosphere. The sound of slots, the flashing lights, the fancy carpets, it was all uncomfortable, but John wasn't here for any of that.

He was here to win it big.

"Here. Ten gold coins."

"Thank you! Here are your chips. They can be used at any of our machines and tables. Now, seeing as this is your first time here, we do have some rules. We are currently in the low-stakes area. Maximum bets are one gold coin. If you bet fifty gold coins, you gain access to the medium-stakes area, where the limit is increased to five gold coins. Bet five hundred gold coins, and you gain access to high-stakes, where there is no limit. Do you understand?"

"Do I have to lose the money?" John said, raising an eye.

"No, you simply need to bet. One last thing. While you may believe your magical skills are enough to bypass the system, rest assured that we have very sensitive mana detectors throughout the facilities. Should you be caught using any form of magic in this building, you will be immediately escorted out of the premises."

"Is that all?"

The receptionist nodded.

John grinned. "Alright, sounds good. Come on, Prota."

"Good luck, sir!"

John immediately headed off to a slot machine, where he put in half a gold coin's worth of chips. The maximum payout was one hundred times the amount inserted.

"Alright," he grinned, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "This is what it's all about."

Prota stared at the machine, hypnotized by the flashing lights and fancy sounds. Maybe this wasn't so bad? It looked fun. She watched the symbols spin by, spinning, spinning, spinning…

John pulled the lever and got nothing. That was fine. He put in another chip, pulled the lever again, and once again went bust.

"Let's go gambling!" John said under his breath. "Aw, dang it. Aw, dang it."

Again. Again. Again. He was losing chip after chip, occasionally making his money back or doubling the amount inserted, but for the most part, he was losing money.

Prota stared at him. What was the point of this? He was excited to lose money? If anything, John hated to just lose money on nothing. Her concern must've shown, because John just smiled and patted her head.

"Don't worry," he said with a somewhat sly grin. "Ninety-nine percent of gamblers quit before hitting the jackpot. There's no such thing as losing, only quitting."

He knew what he was doing. He hated to lose money, but in the end, he'd be making far more than he lost. In fact, he was incredibly excited for what was about to come. After playing for a while, his greatest wishes had been realized. The slots in this casino weren't digitalized screens and computers; they were wheels spinning at incredibly high speeds. While it was technically possible to cheat by using mana reinforcement to enhance your perception, mana usage was detected here.

What wasn't detected, on the other hand, was [Infinity].

John's eye began to light up as he focused all of his power on his nervous system.

"Gold, gold, gold, gold," he began to chant softly, the tips of his fingers resting lightly on the lever.

There. Right there. Seven gold bars lined up perfectly.

He pulled hard, stopping the mechanism that spun the wheels, allowing each gold symbol to fall into place. Prota jumped back as the machine began to ring violently, declaring that someone had hit the jackpot. Tokens began to pour out of the machine into the basket below as dozens of gamblers gathered around to see this extravagant display of beginner's luck.

"Oh my god!" John yelled. "Holy shit! Jackpot!"

Prota hopped around, staring at the machine with shining eyes. She understood. She understood it now. This "gambling" thing was quite the rush of dopamine.

John was excited, but his current mood was an act. Of course it was. After all, his victory hadn't been due to luck.

It'd been due to "skill."

He took his chips and moved over to the blackjack table, where a few others were congratulating him.

"Alright," John grinned, shoving in the maximum bet. "Hit me."

The dealer silently dealt the cards, revealing an ace on his side. The other card, of course, was face down.

John didn't care.

He picked up his cards. An ace and a jack. Perfect. He waved off with his hand, indicating that he intended to stand, then flipped over his cards, revealing a blackjack.

"Congratulations, sir," the man said calmly, taking back the cards in his gloved hands. "A lucky man you seem to be today."

"Yeah, we can call it that. Deal."

Once again, the fresh, shiny playing cards were dealt across the smooth velvet lining of the table. John flipped the cards up. An eight and a nine. Seriously? What was up with this shit hand? Yes, seventeen was the number the dealer had to hit, but on the other hand, it was because the dealer had to hit seventeen that made it risky.

Well, this was the reason he'd come to the casino in the first place, right? Not because of slot machines. Not because of [Infinity].

No, it was to abuse "save states."

"Hit."

The dealer passed a card, flipping it, and…

"Five. Bust. Unlucky, dear customer."

Prota looked up at John, expecting him to be disappointed, but was instead surprised to see him completely calm. He didn't seem exactly happy, but he wasn't upset, either. Well, he'd been the same while running the slot machine, too. Was he going to win it big again?

Then, to her surprise, his hand reached into his pocket in a familiar motion. That grip. That movement.

He was planning on taking his gun out.

Why? Was this dealer some kind of enemy? No, he would've told her about it beforehand. Then what? Why did he need his gun at the moment?

"By the way, did you know that those who can tell the future will never lose at cards?"

Her eyes widened. Wait a minute. There was no enemy here.

John just wanted his gun to [Reset].

She had to stop him.