"Ah man, come on! We have to win this match—this is my rank-up game."(CHAT)
"Wizard Rabbit, you're playing terribly. Get it together already!"(CHAT)
"Relax, guys. It's just a game. No need to take it this seriously."(CHAT)
…Seriously. Every single one of them was annoying.
— MUTE ALL —
(CLICK)
Who even cared about winning anymore?
Just a bunch of noisy kids.
Ah—damn it. It's already 8 p.m.
I need to buy bread before my family gets home.
If I leave the match now… will I get banned?
— SETTINGS —
— EXIT GAME —
(CLICK)
"IF YOU LEAVE THE MATCH, YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO PLAY FOR 2 WEEKS."
Two weeks?!
That's brutal.
As I hesitated, memories of my last argument with my grandfather flashed through my mind.
That stubborn old man nearly destroyed my computer just because I forgot to buy bread.
Honestly, there wasn't much to think about.
Losing my PC was way worse than a two-week ban.
— EXIT GAME —
(CLICK)
— ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO EXIT? —
— YES / NO —
(CLICKS YES)
After closing the game, I grabbed my jacket and wallet and rushed out of the house.
The bakery was about a fifteen-minute walk away.
As I walked, I complained to myself nonstop.
All this trouble over bread…
Because of his diabetes, my grandfather can't eat regular bread.
That's why I have to buy special bread for him every single day.
Did I ever tell you about the time we fought over it?
A while ago, I was playing Legends Arena—around this exact time.
I got so absorbed that I completely forgot about the bread.
When my grandfather came home hungry and didn't see it on the table, he snapped.
He stormed into my room, yelling nonstop.
I didn't even notice him enter at first.
That only made him angrier.
Before I could react, he slammed his fist down on my keyboard.
I froze, trying to understand what was happening.
Then he grabbed my gaming mouse and threw it against the wall.
He was about to go for the monitor when my grandmother rushed in and stopped him.
She dragged him out of the room while I sat there, stunned.
Only after taking off my headset did I hear him shout:
"If you don't stop playing that stupid game all day, pack your bags and get out of my house!"
I really loved that keyboard…
At least I listened to my grandmother and kept my old one.
Oh, right.
My name is Endo Ito. I'm 16 years old.
I got expelled from high school last year and now work as a cashier at a burger shop one street away from home.
I spend most of my free time playing Legends Arena.
The game itself isn't that special—but Wizard Rabbit is.
That character alone hooked me.
My father left when I was three.
My mother left me with my grandparents and moved to America with her new boyfriend.
She visits sometimes, but whenever she does, I stay over at friends' places.
Honestly… life kind of sucks.
A SHORT WHILE LATER
After returning home, I handed the bread to my grandmother and sat back at my computer.
For a moment, I hoped I hadn't actually been banned.
No such luck.
I tried logging into my backup account instead.
"THIS DEVICE HAS BEEN BANNED FOR TWO WEEKS.
TIP: AVOID LEAVING MATCHES TO PREVENT PENALTIES."
A device ban too?
That's just cruel.
Looks like I needed a new way to play…
THE NEXT DAY – 15:25
"Um, can I get a Double Chicken menu?"
"Sure, coming right up."
"Hey… haven't I seen you somewhere before?"
Great. One of those conversations.
"I don't think so."
"Did you go to the elementary school near the plaza?"
"Yeah."
"Was your name Enzo? Or—"
"Endo."
"Oh right! Endo! I'm Iori—from the tennis club."
"Ah, yeah. Now I remember. How've you been?"
I didn't remember at all. I just wanted this to end quickly.
"I'm doing okay. You?"
"Not bad. What are you up to these days?"
Why do people always ask that?
"I work here now. After getting expelled, I needed a job. I work all day, then play games at night."
"What games?"
"Mostly Legends Arena."
"Oh! Then you're coming to tomorrow's tournament, right?"
"What tournament?"
"A new internet café opened on 13th Street. They're hosting a launch tournament. Winner gets a one-year premium membership."
"That sounds pretty good. I'll check it out."
"I'll be there too. Maybe we team up?"
"Sure. Maybe."
Yeah… sure.
Normally, I ignored tournaments like that.
I played for fun, not competition.
But since I was banned, this felt like perfect timing.
Still… why didn't he tell me the time?
EVENING – 17:35
— GRAND OPENING SPECIAL —
100-PERSON LEGENDS ARENA TOURNAMENT
WEDNESDAY 13:30
WINNER: 1-YEAR PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP —
"Right during my lunch break. Perfect."
WEDNESDAY – 13:32
"WE'RE TAKING ONE LAST PLAYER!"
I rushed forward, out of breath.
No way I was missing this.
Just as I reached the café, I spotted someone else approaching.
Iori.
Sorry, man.
I slipped inside just before him, and the door closed behind me.
No regrets.
"EVERYONE TAKE YOUR SEATS!
THIS WILL BE A 100-PLAYER SOLO MATCH.
EACH CHARACTER CAN ONLY BE SELECTED BY ONE PLAYER."
Only one person per character?
Then Wizard Rabbit had to be mine.
…Taken?
Seriously?
I scanned the room and spotted the kid next to me.
"WE'LL START IN FIVE MINUTES. TAKE A SHORT BREAK IF NEEDED."
Perfect.
I sent him to buy drinks and took his seat.
By the time he realized, it was too late.
"15 SECONDS UNTIL MATCH START."
He panicked and picked the only character left.
Not my problem.
— LOADING… —
Suddenly, I felt heavy.
My eyelids drooped.
Something felt wrong.
The café went quiet.
Someone screamed.
My vision faded.
Then—
WELCOME TO LEGENDS ARENA!