"Whew..."
Shinomiya Kaguya let out a soft sigh, a trace of fatigue appearing on her lovely face.
Defeating a hundred opponents in real life was no small feat. Even if they were just elementary school students, it was still exhausting.
"You worked hard," Amamiya Natsuki said, handing her a bottle of green tea.
Kaguya took a sip, then lifted her gaze to Natsuki and asked with a half-smile, "Natsuki-san, I'm very curious—why exactly were those kids calling me the 'Great Demon King'? Care to explain?"
"That's a long story," Natsuki said seriously, "so I've decided not to tell you."
"Sit."
Kaguya pointed to the stool beside her with an elegant but commanding gesture.
"One more round," she said, screwing the cap back onto the bottle and lightly licking her lips. "If you beat me, I won't ask about the 'Great Demon King' thing anymore."
"You're still hung up on losing this morning?" Natsuki asked, exasperated.
"I'm not," Kaguya said flatly, expression unreadable.
"Then why do you still want to play?"
"Because I hate losing."
So it was because of the five crushing defeats this morning.
Just how deep does your competitive streak run?
"You've been playing all afternoon," Natsuki said after a moment. "How about taking a break and playing again tomorrow?"
"No need," Kaguya replied confidently, folding her arms. "I'm in great shape. I heard that some people can play video games all night long. Compared to that, this little bit of fatigue is nothing."
"If you insist…" Natsuki sat beside her, picking up a controller. "Just don't cry if you lose."
"I won't!"
Round start.
Kaguya Shinomiya was full of fighting spirit.
Excluding Chika, who didn't really count, she'd already racked up 99 consecutive wins against elementary schoolers. Her practical experience was overflowing—she wasn't the same girl from this morning.
I must erase the humiliation of five straight losses!
A few minutes later…
Fujiwara Chika came back holding a box of strawberry daifuku and was immediately startled.
"Ehh? Kaguya-chan, why are you crying?!"
"I'm not," Kaguya muttered, biting her lip. "You're imagining things."
"But just now your face looked like you were about to burst into tears!" Chika insisted.
"Fujiwara-san, that's enough," Natsuki said, standing up and sipping his drink. "Where's Kashiwagi-san?"
"Nagisa-chan said it was getting late," Chika replied cheerfully. "She wanted to be home before six, so she left early."
Natsuki turned to look out the window.
The sun was setting.
The twilight glow had deepened—it was already evening.
"That's enough for today, Kaguya-san," Natsuki said as he picked up his schoolbag. "I'm heading home."
Kaguya took a deep breath to compose herself, then looked straight at him.
"Come back tomorrow."
Too much. Too much! TOO MUCH!
He actually beat me ten times in a row! I'll remember this humiliation!
"Kaguya-chan, what was the reward for the mission?" Chika asked curiously.
"The reward…" Kaguya furrowed her brows. A moment later, a small, glowing bow appeared in her hand.
[Item: Miko's Sharpshooter]
[Type: Weapon]
[Passive Ability: Demon Sealing]
Arrows deal minor damage to vengeful spirits. The lower the spirit's condition, the higher the chance of sealing it.
[Note: Bound to player Kaguya. Cannot be equipped by others.]
[Note: ADC must die. You will attract aggro first. Stay mentally prepared at all times.]
"Well, look on the bright side," Natsuki said. "At least it's useful against evil spirits. Way better than a certain suspicious pack of tissues."
Chika puffed out her cheeks. "Natsuki-san! Stop bringing up those tissues!"
"Yes, yes."
"But it says you'll attract hatred first," Chika said worriedly. "Kaguya-chan, don't shoot randomly, okay?"
"I understand." Kaguya nodded calmly.
"The worse the spirit's condition, the higher the seal chance… It's kinda like Pokémon." Chika tapped her chin. "You weaken the Pokémon first, then throw a Master Ball!"
"That brings up the next issue," Natsuki said with a sigh. "How do we weaken an evil spirit?"
"I can't do that."
"Neither can I."
"…Yeah."
After a short discussion, Natsuki said goodbye to the two girls and returned home.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened that night.
The next morning.
Amamiya Natsuki woke to the sound of his alarm. He got up, washed up, drank a glass of milk, and headed to school with a piece of toast in his mouth like a proper anime protagonist.
When he entered the classroom, both Shinomiya Kaguya and Fujiwara Chika were already there.
"Good morning, Natsuki-san!" Chika called out, looking aggrieved. "That long-haired ghost was standing next to my bed again last night, staring at me the entire time. So mean… If only I could sleep next to Natsuki-san."
"Sorry, but men and women shouldn't share a bed."
"Oh no, I've been rejected!"
Kaguya rubbed her temples gently. She had faint dark circles under her eyes—clearly, she hadn't slept well either.
"Open the blind box," she said. "Some classmates will be coming in soon."
Chika went first.
[Item: Farmer's Triple-Punch Mineral Water]
[Note: Safe, odorless. Drink with confidence.]
"You can store it in your game inventory and take it out anytime," Chika said with a shrug. "Guess I used all my luck yesterday. As long as it's not more weird tissues, I'll take it."
Next was Kaguya.
No strange missions today, but her luck was still awful. All she got was a worn-out pencil.
Finally, it was Natsuki's turn.
He already knew what was in his box this morning. A skill.
"Hm?"
Raising his eyebrows, Natsuki shared the skill details with the girls.
[Skill: Crime Buster]
[Zhang San, the Outlaw—You Are Under Arrest!]
[Description: If you make physical contact with the criminal Zhang San, he will surrender 100% of the time.]
"Ehhh?!" Chika's eyes widened. "That name sounds familiar!"
"You got a skill like that two days ago," Kaguya reminded her.
"Ohhh, that's right!" Chika smacked her forehead. "I can change someone's name to 'Outlaw Zhang San'... So our skills can be combo'd?"
"You won't know until you try." Natsuki looked over at Kaguya.
Chika followed his gaze, eyes sparkling. "Kaguya-chan, should we test it out?"
"I refuse."
Kaguya's lashes trembled slightly. Her rejection was swift and absolute.
I'm not surrendering to a boy.
Natsuki was just about to say something more when his expression suddenly shifted.
A deep, hoarse voice echoed in his mind.
[The game will begin in five minutes. Please prepare.]