Chapter 12: Eriri, is the Anniversary of Tomoya's Death Coming Up?
After landing a few solid kicks, Seito caught a glimpse of his surroundings.
He noticed Chika Fujiwara, the little secretary, with a look of pure, unadulterated excitement on her face. She was repeatedly stomping on Iori Kitahara with her right foot. As expected of a "Natural Airhead"—she had absolutely no concept of holding back. Her kicks were heavy.
I need to vanish before they realize I'm not the one at the bottom of the pile, Seito thought.
He began a tactical retreat toward the back door. If the mob realized he had swapped places with Iori, he'd be the next one experiencing "friendly fire."
As he reached the exit, he saw Kaede and Risa staring at him in stunned silence. He simply winked, pressed a finger to his lips in a "shhh" gesture, and slipped out. Leaving the chaos behind, he headed toward the rooftop to catch some air.
"I wonder how Blank is doing," he muttered, thinking of his childhood friends.
Meanwhile – Inside God's Domain Floor 3: Labyrinth of the Minotaurs
Inside the boss chamber, the legendary siblings were currently duo-ing the Floor Boss: The Minotaur Chieftain. The third floor was a labyrinthine series of canyons populated entirely by bovine beastmen.
"Nii... the Boss's HP is in the red," Shiro whispered. She was wielding a heavy machine gun, unleashing a relentless hail of lead. In God's Domain, the freedom was absolute—as long as you acquired the weapon, you unlocked the playstyle. Shiro was currently pioneering the "Gunner" path.
"You're right, Shiro!" Sora shouted, bracing a massive shoulder-mounted cannon.
The two siblings weren't physically gifted in the real world, so they naturally gravitated toward long-range, high-firepower roles. Fortunately, the game provided a level playing field for initial physical stats; otherwise, players like Sora and Shiro, who got winded walking to the convenience store, wouldn't stand a chance.
"I wonder when Seito is logging in," Sora mused between cannon blasts. "At this rate, the front-line players will probably push through to the Sixth Floor by midnight."
.....
Back to the Real World – Sobu High
Lunch break ended, and the afternoon classes dragged on. One was taught by the stern Sae Chabashira, and the other by a balding teacher Seito didn't recognize.
Seito ignored the strange looks his classmates were giving him—likely a mix of awe at his gaming rank and confusion over the lunchroom riot—and slumped into his seat. He leaned over toward Eriri Spencer Sawamura, who sat next to Kaguya.
"Hey, Eriri," he whispered. "Is the anniversary of Tomoya's death coming up soon?"
Eriri froze for a second, then nodded slowly, a trace of melancholy in her eyes. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering," Mu Chen replied, shaking his head.
Tomoya Aki... the legendary "Otaku" who should have been the protagonist of his own story. In this merged world, he had been killed in a tragic car accident during their third year of middle school. When Seito first heard the news, he had been stunned, but since he hadn't been close to the guy, he eventually moved on.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Seito spent the entire time sleeping, only waking up when the final bell rang. He was surprised—Shizuka Hiratsuka hadn't come back to drag him to the office.
To nip her "Service Club" plan in the bud, Seito intercepted Yukino Yukinoshita as she was leaving.
"Wait up, Shameless-kun," Yukino said flatly, spotting him.
"Flatty, listen for a second. Drop the venom," Seito said, raising a hand.
"My name is NOT Flatty!"
"But your chest—"
"YOU!" Yukino's face reddened with fury.
Despite her sharp tongue, she and Seito shared a unique history. He was, in many ways, her first real friend. Back in middle school, when everyone else was intimidated by her "Ice Queen" persona, Seito had been the only one thick-skinned enough to stick by her side every day. She had grown to appreciate his presence, even if his nickname for her made her want to commit a crime.
"Look, I'm serious," Seito said, his tone shifting. "I want you to reconsider the Service Club."
"Why? Are you that afraid of Shizuka-sensei?" Yukino crossed her arms, looking at him with her usual composed gaze.
"Yes. But also, no," Seito admitted. "If God's Domain hadn't launched, I'd have joined your club in a heartbeat just to kill time. But the world is changing, Yukino."
He looked her in the eye. "You want to prove yourself to your sister and your mother, right? The entire world's focus has shifted to this game. If you want to show them what you're capable of, don't start a tiny school club. Start a Guild."
Yukino started to retort, but the words died in her throat. She realized he was right. In this new era, helping a few students with their love lives was small-time. If she wanted to truly make a name for herself, she needed to lead on the digital frontier.
"I... I understand," she said softly.
Mu Chen felt a weight lift off his shoulders. If she didn't start the club, Shizuka wouldn't have a place to dump him. "Great. Remember to add me in-game tonight. You know my name in the game right?"
He turned and waved over his shoulder as he walked away. Yukino watched his retreating back and, for a fleeting moment, a small smile graced her lips.
"Still the same as ever..."
Twenty minutes later, Seito was home. He grabbed a quick takeout meal, threw the containers in the trash, and lay dow
n on his bed. He slid the sleek VR interface over his head.
"Link Start."
Thank you for reading.