Mash and the Saiba sisters wasted a day gaming and now scramble to prepare.
"Guuu… zzz," Momo snores.
"Hehe, gold award, Sis… zzz," Midori mumbles.
"Ten pulls, six ultra-rares… zzz," Momo dreams.
They're asleep. Wake up!
"Huh!?" they jolt.
"A weird voice…" Momo says.
"What time is it?" Midori asks.
"Almost noon!" Momo panics.
"Your fault for suggesting Pokkemon!" Momo accuses.
"You were into it! 'One more, doesn't count!'" Midori retorts.
"Your Pokkemon were all muscle-brained! Mine got one-shotted!" Momo complains.
"All moves maxed for power and speed," Mash says, thumping his chest.
Mash enjoyed Pokkemon, building a team of monsters. Normally, players balance moves, but Mash picked:
Attack boosts speed.Attack boosts strength.
He equipped Power Sash, Miss Insurance, Unyielding Heart, obliterating Momo's status-effect team. Momo, frustrated, kept challenging him, leading to oversleeping.
"We messed up!" they wail.
"Play games in moderation, everyone," Mash says.
Momo rushes to prepare. "Sensei, get ready!"
"Where to?" Mash asks.
"The ruins!" Momo says.
"Why?" Mash asks.
"Sis, you didn't explain," Midori points out.
"Right!" Momo clears her throat.
"The ruins are in Millennium's outskirts, sealed off by the federal student council president until recently," Momo explains.
"Sounds dangerous," Mash says.
"No one's entered, or they can't, or… they never return," Momo adds.
"I said we shouldn't go, but she heard there's info…" Midori says.
"Info?" Mash asks.
"A legendary Kivotos game creator from Millennium made the G.Bible," Momo says.
"Oh?"
"It holds secrets to making the ultimate game!" Momo claims.
"Gossip, right?" Midori asks.
"No! It's real! With it, we'll make Tales Saga Chronicle 2 perfect!" Momo insists.
Mash, intrigued despite doubts, sees the club's desperation. It's worth a shot.
"Where'd you hear about the G.Bible?" Midori asks.
"Himari-senpai from Veritas said the ruins are 'where Kivotos' forgotten things gather, like a sewer of time,'" Momo says.
"Himari, the wheelchair-bound beauty who acts like an RPG sage? Her saying 'maybe' is rare. It's that unknown," Midori says. "Wait… you want to go just because of her word!?"
"Not just that! I asked Veritas to track the G.Bible. They gave coordinates where it was last active—a place not on any map," Momo explains.
"Still…" Midori turns to Mash. "Sensei, what do you—"
"Gah!" Mash chokes.
"Sensei!?" Momo gasps.
"Blood!?" Midori exclaims.
"Sorry, brain lagged. So, Veritas and Himari say it's real, right?" Mash asks.
"Exactly!" Momo nods.
"Then it's fine," Mash says.
"Too easy, Sensei!" Midori protests.
"Ruin exploration sounds fun," Mash adds.
They pack up game gear and head to the ruins.
Ruins Interior
Collapsed buildings, overgrown paths, and robot soldiers patrol heavily.
"Restricted area, huh? Pretty tense," Momo says.
"What are those robots?" Midori wonders.
"With this many, no wonder it's off-limits," Mash notes.
The robots wield various weapons, vigilant. Even Kivotos natives like the twins couldn't survive a barrage.
"Let's be careful," Momo says.
"Sis, is the G.Bible really here?" Midori asks.
"It is!" Momo insists.
"Voice, Momo-chan," Mash warns.
"But it's too dangerous with all these enemies! Sensei doesn't have a halo. Even if he's tough, it's risky!" Midori argues.
"Midori-chan—" Mash starts.
"We'll protect him! Besides, the club's running out of time!" Momo says.
"You two—" Mash tries.
"What!?" they snap.
"Behind you."
They turn to see armed robots.
"Oops!" Momo yelps.
"We're done!" Midori cries.
A leader robot signals.
"Hup!" Mash knee-kicks, crushing the leader's head, merciless against non-living foes.
"…Huh?" Momo gapes.
"What!?" Midori gasps.
Even knowing Mash's reflexes and durability, the twins are stunned by his strength.
"Caught us… okay to take them all out?" Mash asks.
"Take out!?" Momo says.
"That many!?" Midori protests.
Robots fire SMGs. Mash ducks, closes in, trips one, breaking its leg.
"Sei!" He uppercuts another, grabs it, and hurls it at the others.
CRASH!
"Come on," Mash taunts, beckoning.
The robots charge. Mash pummels them, fists flying.
"Sensei's like a game character!" Momo cheers.
"More coming from deeper in!" Midori warns.
"No problem," Mash says, dodging.
"Nya!?" the twins squeak.
Mash returns, unscathed.
"I've got a special move… a finisher," he says.
"Finisher!?" Momo's eyes sparkle.
"You have one!?" Midori asks.
"Learned it from yesterday's games," Mash says.
"Games!?" they gasp.
Mash rips off a robot's head.
"Tore it off!?" Momo yelps.
"What's he—" Midori starts.
"Blow them away," Mash says.
He grips the head like a bowling ball, crouches, and swings his arm back.
"Hmph!" He hurls it, spinning.
CRASH!
"Hawa!" Momo gasps.
SMASH!
"Hawawa!" Midori covers her mouth.
CRUNCH!
"Hawawawa!" they tremble.
"Knocking robots down like bowling pins!" Momo shouts.
"Did Sensei learn that from yesterday's bowling game!?" Midori asks.
"What reflexes!" Momo exclaims, again.
Mash grabs the twins and ducks into a building as reinforcements approach.
"Hide before more come," he says.
"Wah!?" Momo yelps.
"So fast!" Midori gasps.
They slip inside, safe.
"We lost them," Mash says.
"Sensei… what are you?" Midori asks.
"Human."
"Obviously, but—!" Midori says.
"I'll explain later. For now… what was it?" Mash asks.
"G.Bible," Momo says.
"Right, let's find it," Mash says.
"Yeah!" Midori nods.
A voice interrupts. "Proximity detected."
They jump back from the door they were near.
"Confirming identity: Momo Saiba, unauthorized."
"How does it know me!?" Momo gasps.
"Confirming identity: Midori Saiba, unauthorized."
"Me too!?" Midori exclaims.
"Confirming identity: Mash Burnedead-sensei… authorized. Entry granted."
"What's that mean?" Momo asks.
"It responded to Sensei?" Midori says.
"Like an exploration game," Mash notes.
"Hold on tight," he tells them.
"Okay!" they nod.
"Momo and Midori Saiba recognized as Sensei's students. Granting accompanying students authorization… approved."
"Opening lower door. Please stand clear."
The floor opens, and they fall.
"The floor's gone!" Momo yells.
"Help, Sensei!" Midori cries.
"Hold tight," Mash says.
They vanish into the dark.
"Hup!" Mash lands, holding the twins, then sets them down.
"That was scary…" Momo says.
"You two okay?" Mash asks.
"Thanks to you…" Midori trails off. "What's that?"
"A girl?" Momo says.
"Naked!?" Midori gasps.
A girl sits asleep on a chair, bare.
"Don't look, Sensei!" Midori covers his eyes.
"Oof," Mash grunts.
"A person here… is she even human?" Momo wonders.
This day, Mash and the twins meet a mysterious girl, setting events in motion.
Alice appears! Ready to feed her cream puffs and make her Regro's grandkid.
Comments, ratings, and likes fuel me! Please keep them coming!
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