It's a chilly afternoon in late autumn as you walk through the side streets of Akihabara, your hands stuffed into the pockets of your jacket. It's not your first visit to the otaku mecca, so you're not bothered that you're walking further and further away from the crowded shops filled with anime goods and retro games. No, you're here for one thing, and one thing only: Echidna's Den.
You'd heard rumors of the legendary monster girl–themed maid café before, of course, but you'd never been able to find out exactly where it was—that is, until last night, when you saw its address posted anonymously online, along with a glowing review of the café. The review claimed the maids at the café were real monster girls, but you knew that couldn't be true. Monster girls aren't real, after all, and such a wonderful place couldn't possibly exist... yet here you are, walking through alleys and trying to figure out the Japanese street address system like an idiot.
With the aid of a map on your phone, the address finally leads you to a dingy six-story building, far from the main streets and flanked by a used electronics store and a kebab shop. The entrance is plastered with signage for the small businesses inside, and you look around until you spot a tiny placard with nothing but the words 'Echidna's Den' hand-written on it in English. It's odd: even knowing the café was here, you had a hard time finding the sign, and your eyes seem to slide off it every time you stop thinking about it.
When you enter the café, you find: