"But I'm really hungry, Shinpachi."
Kagura tugged at Gintoki and tried to head for the door, putting on a pitiful act as she spoke.
"You two are obviously planning to blow the money. The job isn't even finished, yet you've already spent the advance… What if the problem isn't solved in the end?"
Shinpachi clamped down on both of them and scolded angrily.
"What's the big deal? These two clients look loaded anyway; they won't miss a little cash," the shameless, white‑haired, curly‑headed Gintoki replied.
"Have you no shame? Where's your decency?"
"Shinpachi… I'm starving."
Kagura chimed in again.
"You ate that whole new bag of rice with vinegar‑kelp and seasonings, didn't you?! Don't think I didn't notice!"
"I swear I didn't! If you don't believe me, look—"
Kagura opened her mouth and suddenly vomited, emptying sour stomach fluid and half‑digested food all over the floor—completely abandoning any ladylike image.
"The clients are still here! Watch yourself!"
Shinpachi smacked Kagura on the head with his fist.
Everyone then saw unmistakable grains of rice in the vomit.
"Still saying you haven't eaten?!"
"My digestion's been weak lately. That was from days ago—just not fully processed yet…"
"AAAAAAAARGH!"
Shinpachi lost it and began wrestling with the two again.
It was obvious he was the most responsible member of the Odd Jobs trio.
Sitting beside Xiang Nan, Beishi was doubled over with laughter; the scene was exactly like what he'd watched in the original anime—except it was now live‑action.
"Careful," Xiang Nan suddenly warned.
"Hmm?"
Beishi turned, puzzled.
"The assimilation in this world is strong. The longer we stay, the more the original art style will rub off on us… and that can change our very 'existence traits,'" Xiang Nan said.
"What do you mean?"
"Go join in."
Xiang Nan signaled with his eyes for Beishi to step closer to the brawling Odd Jobs trio.
Still confused, Beishi walked over.
He meant to break up the fight, but Kagura suddenly collapsed at his feet and sprayed more sour vomit—desperately trying to prove how pitiful she was so she could claim the reward money. She really was the one who needed cash for food before she starved.
Beishi tried to dodge, yet to his shock his body wouldn't obey; his legs froze and Kagura's vomit splattered all over him.
The trio kept tugging at the payment envelope. Their scuffle instantly spilled onto Beishi—he, too, couldn't get out of the way.
Gintoki drew the wooden sword Lake Tōya from his waist and smacked Beishi, sending him spinning like a top through the air and crashing through the Odd Jobs' wooden door.
"Knock it off— you just hit the client!!"
Shinpachi shouted.
A few minutes later, Beishi—now reeking of Kagura's stomach contents and sporting a red welt where Gintoki's sword had struck him—returned to the room.
The living‑room fell silent. Led by Sakata Gintoki, the three knelt before Xiang Nan and Beishi and bowed deeply.
"We're sorry!" they chorused.
"It's fine," Beishi smiled, wiping his clothes with the towel Shinpachi handed over.
His gaze at the Odd Jobs trio no longer held excitement or joy; there was a trace of pity instead. He finally understood Xiang Nan's warning.
As a Nen user, even the trio of protagonists shouldn't threaten him. Under normal circumstances, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't have touched the hem of his clothes if he reacted at all.
Yet just now—Kagura and Gintoki had both laid hands on him, and Gintoki's wooden sword had even injured him. Under Nen defense, a mere wooden blade had no right to leave a mark on his face. It made no sense.
The world's assimilation effect seemed designed to satisfy certain "scenes and visual gags," forcing absurd slapstick that matched this universe's tone and dragging players into cooperating. The compulsion couldn't be refused; you couldn't feel it happening, and the longer you stayed the worse the erosion became.
"Let's leave it at that… We're counting on you. If you can clear up the misunderstanding between us and the Shinsengumi, you'll get the rest of the payment on top of this deposit," Xiang Nan finally said, rising to leave.
Beishi put the towel down and followed.
Seeing them off courteously, the Odd Jobs trio watched the two step outside.
"Gintama's core is the Odd Jobs trio," Xiang Nan explained as they walked down the street. "So their assimilation field is strongest. Players should minimize contact not just with them but with any story characters. There's a reason this world treats players the way it does: even a reclusive loner survives best here by isolating from the plot. Once your existence trait is altered—once some scene's style drags you off course—no matter how strong you are, you'll be weakened, and the plot itself can eventually 'kill' you."
That was why he had brought Beishi to meet the trio—he needed confirmation. He'd already sensed it when they ran into Katsura.
Across the multiverse there must be special dimensions where the very world, the battlefield itself, acts upon intruders—an influence almost impossible to resist. Different "battlefields" demand different survival strategies.
"So that's it," Beishi muttered in sudden understanding. Beyond power systems and mechanics, even the environment could be this complex.
"The existence of a Gintama‑type world proves it," Xiang Nan added. "Concepts, rules, tone—everything has to be factored in."
The Shinsengumi posed no real threat. Even if wanted, they wouldn't be caught anytime soon. They could linger in Kabukichō indefinitely, but if they stayed too long and let plot characters shape them, the consequences would be unpredictable. Their mission had to be a quick in‑and‑out.
Xiang Nan and Beishi regrouped with Orban and the others and decided to infiltrate the distant shogunate base.
"This world and its mission are special," Xiang Nan briefed them. "The system's given zero guidance—we're on manual‑mode. I just confirmed: we can return to the main world anytime; there's no hard timer. Probably because this place is unique. Still, there's surely an upper limit, and with assimilation looming, we don't want to linger. Assimilation is the single greatest danger here."
"In other words," he continued, "the seventh Extinction Game that Manman and I cleared—as first‑kill badge holders—was practically trivial. If we go back to Hunter × Hunter, our player levels will spike. In Gintama, so far the only exploitable resource is Altana crystals—that's our goal."
"This mission is likely a trap," he warned. "We swagger in with higher‑tier power and think we can take whatever we want. But if we get complacent, stay too long, mingle too much with story characters… it'll end badly."
"Tch…"
Orban and Pigeon exchanged a look and sucked in a breath.
"Let's move!"