Log Horizon: Alien Chronicles Volume 1

Ch.7

This is bad, Shikamaru thought, biting her thumb. Her mind already running possible back up plans and such, though this was getting too much for her. Even she was having a hard time staying calm with the current situation.

“I-I’m so-sorry. Hic,” The dark hair boy sitting across Shikamaru sobbed. His white eyes tinted pink from crying, Hinata was trying to hide his face into his coat, much like what he done when he was still a normal girl.

“Calm down, Hinata,” The dog eared boy, Kiba, said while patting Hinata’s back as the others Shikamaru knew were sitting at the same table. Kiba’s dog, Akamaru, whining in Kiba’s coat in an effort to help his master comfort the white eyed boy. In many ways, Kiba was one of the few of them who did not change much. Well, if the fact gaining dog ears was not much of a change.

“They caught you meeting with Iruka-sensei and forced you to change your subclass?” Sakura asked, still wearing the leather work gloves that went up his arms. It did not help him, making Sakura look smaller with being a Dwarf. “What did they forced you to change it to?”

“A-Al-alchemist. T-They n-n-need m-more p-potions.” Hinata said, trying to stop his tears. “T-They are k-keeping m-m-me here in the g-guild h-hall like the other c-c-crafters.”

“At least they don’t have you working with the furnace.” Ino sighed, rubbing her arms while laying out on the table. Her blond hair moving to show her dwarven ears. “I never knew the process that made weapons and armor was such hard work. Add the heat and I don’t think I will ever have to worry about a diet ever again!”

“As if eating is worth it here.” The dainty dwarf sitting next to Shikamaru mumbled, trying to eat what looked to be bread. Only the bread tasted like nothing but mush it should look like. If it weren’t for the swirls on the girl’s cheeks, Shikamaru would not realize it was her childhood friend Chouji.

“However, that now only makes four-”

“Cough.” A teenage girl with braided brown hair coughed, glaring at the well covered girl that Shikamaru knew as Shino. It was quite odd actually seeing Shino’s sharp eyes behind goggles since there was no sunglasses. At least, for low level players or beginners as everyone called them.

“I apologize, Isuzu-san. That makes only six of us are on battle formations.” Shino said, “Even though I been using my kikkaichu to look for Uzumaki-san, but it seems everyone’s chakra has changed. Even my chakra is not the same. It took my hive time to adjust to changes.”

“Even though the insects are cool, I just can’t think of them living under my skin,” A brown hair boy that Shikamaru knew as Tohya said, sitting across his twin sister Minori. He was slightly shivering, possibly at the thought of bugs crawling under his skin. “But, I really hope your friend is alright and not in the same or a worse scenario than us. If only Shiroe-nii was here,” Tohya gritted his teeth, trying not to growl. Minori looked down with guilt, staring at her glass of water held by her bandaged hands.

“I been in contact with Shiroe-san for the past three days,” The whole table became quiet. All of them looking at Shikamaru, who looked nothing like the lazy boy she once was. But, why did I become a cute girl? Shikamaru thought, trying to ease her nerves. She played with one of her green bangs before facing the others. She actually looked nothing like her old self minus keeping her lazy eyes and scowl.

“Please keep this from the others beginners. Mostly because I don’t trust this Shiroe-san,” Shikamaru said, keeping her voice low. “I know he is lying to me on several things. One I am not sure about is if Naruto is with him.”

“Wait, you had contact with Naruto?” Kiba asked, pinching himself to stop from shouting. Shikamaru had to respect Kiba for quickly reigning in his voice the past few days. His outbursts had earned him a few beatings from high level guild members.