Karma and Noodles Entwine
"Hell yeah, I win!!" Azusa whooped, throwing his head back with a cackling laugh.
"A Nekodamashi there? Are you serious?!" Kei groaned, a vein pulsing on his forehead.
The serious match settled, their ritual of taunting and counter-taunting kicked off.
"For the record, I took the first round, Bushikazzo!" Azusa grinned, punctuating each word.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it!" Kei sighed. "But thinking you'd blast me with a Level MAX finisher, only to pull a stun-into-throw combo? Nobody tries that on the fly!"
"If it's in the game, I'm using it," Azusa teased. "Your rep as a gimmick-master like Bushikazzo's crying right now, huh?"
"You little…! Sit down, next round!" Kei snapped.
"Fine, I'll sweep you straight!" Azusa shot back.
They took their seats, and Buildifight's Round 2 began.
In Round 2, Bushikazzo's Riel unleashed her Level MAX finisher, Infinity Breaker, a defense-piercing infinite-damage move, KO'ing Nobu=Nash for the win.
Round 3 saw Riel's Infinity Breaker clash with Nobu=Nash's Level MAX Gashinsho Tan – Zetsugeki, a move returning endured damage. Sparks and force fields erupted, and after a tense stalemate, both characters were blown back, their Health gauges hitting zero for a double KO.
The Buildifight match ended with A-Z and Bushikazzo at 1 win, 1 loss, 1 draw. Since A-Z won the first round, he earned the right to a free bowl of ramen.
Afterward, they switched to preset characters, trading wins and losses, jabs and jeers, in a 30-match best-of-3 marathon. As gamers and friends, they savored the fun. The final tally, including the first match, was 14 wins, 16 losses, 1 draw—Bushikazzo edged out A-Z by a hair, and they called it a day.
Somewhere in Tokyo, as streetlights flickered on and the sky darkened, Azusa shed his A-Z persona in the arcade restroom, reverting to an ordinary college student. Clutching his bag, he and Kei took a bus and train to a small ramen shop in the city.
This hole-in-the-wall was their post-arcade ritual spot, where the loser of the first match treated the winner to ramen—a quiet haven for unwinding.
"Welcome!" the waiter called as they entered, taking counter seats.
"Order when you're ready," the waiter said.
"Ton katsu ramen, double char siu," Kei said.
"Miso ramen with corn, spinach, and butter topping," Azusa added.
"Got it!" the waiter replied.
They ordered quickly, sipping cold water to refresh.
"Phew, that was so fun," Azusa said.
"First time in ages I won more," Kei grinned. "I'm in a great mood."
"Thanks for the ramen, Bushikazzo," Azusa said with a mock bow.
"…You didn't have to rub it in," Kei muttered, wincing. The first-round loss still stung.
"This place is always so empty," Azusa noted.
"The broth and char siu are amazing, though," Kei said.
"True, the quiet makes it feel like a secret hideout… hm?" Azusa's eyes caught a lone customer in the corner.
A woman in a black beret, sunglasses, and mask sat at a table, dressed in a white inner layer, black top, and indigo jeans. Bluish-black hair peeked from her hat. Her profile sparked a strong sense of déjà vu.
"What's up, A-Z?" Kei asked.
"Hold on, Bushikazzo. I'm stepping away for a sec."
Azusa crept toward her table and said, "Yo."
She glanced up, did a double-take, lifted her sunglasses, and stared. "No way… A-kun? What are you doing here?"
"I was gonna ask you the same, Towa!"
Towa Amane, the charismatic model. Whether she was off-duty was unclear, but this was their first real-world reunion in about a decade.
"Hey, A-Z, who're you—wait, Pencil Warrior!?" Kei called, joining them.
"Why's Katsuotataki-kun here!?" Towa exclaimed.
To Azusa's shock, Kei and Towa knew each other—by different nicknames.
"Hmm… so, Pepper-kun, while we were apart, you got all chummy with Katsuo as gamer buddies, huh?" Towa said, puffing her cheeks as they sat at her table, waiting for their ramen.
"Hey, Bushikazzo, was Pencilgon always this pouty?" Azusa asked.
"Nah, the Pencilgon I knew from her Pencil Dynasty days was way more ruthless," Kei replied.
"What's that? I'm super curious," Azusa said.
"Then I'll tell you, Pepper-kun," Towa cut in, overriding Kei.
She launched into a tale about Unite Rounds, a notorious kusoge (crappy game) where she, as Arthur Pencilgon, and Kei, as Katsuotataki, crossed paths.
Unite Rounds, aka the Post-Apocalyptic Plunder Game, was meant to be a co-op MMOVR but went overboard with its gritty world. Insanely low drop rates and half-day beginner quests led players to one truth: plunder. Rob NPC shops or other players in a lawless free-for-all.
In this chaos, Towa used every trick to seize control, founding the Pencil Dynasty under the slogan "Share all wealth and drops equally!"—a redder-than-communist empire. As Pencil Warrior, she dominated, taxing non-allies and fostering a resistance to keep players engaged, earning her the title Dystopia Empress.
Kei and another kusoge enthusiast ended her reign. Using a rebel army as a decoy, their elite squad stormed Pencilgon's base, defeating her after a fierce battle. At her defeat, she detonated hidden bombs, wiping out rebels, allies, Kei, and his partner in a grand explosion, ending the Pencil Dynasty.
"Wow… I knew you were trouble, but you ruled that game," Azusa said, stunned.
"It was so much fun~♪" Towa chirped.
"King-killing was a blast, lol," Kei added.
"Every time you laugh like that, Katsuotataki-kun, it really ticks me off," Towa said.
As Towa and Kei bantered, Azusa noticed their nicknames were all over the place.
"Hey, why don't we settle on names?" he blurted.
"Great idea!" Towa and Kei said in unison.
"I'm fine with Katsuo," Kei said.
"Call me Pencil," Towa said. "What about you, Pepper-kun?"
"Pepper works," Azusa said.
"Why spices?" Kei asked.
"It's a twist on my last name."
"Oh, got it," Towa nodded, knowing his full name.
Then—
"Here's the soy sauce ramen with egg topping!" the waiter announced, setting a bowl before Towa.
"Here we go… wait, what's with you two?" Towa asked, seeing their stares.
"This place usually gets 'Extra garlic, extra veggies, super rich, hard noodle ton katsu ramen!' vibes," Azusa said.
"Yeah, it's like 'Charismatic model's surprising delicate side!' or something," Kei added.
"What do you guys take me for!?" Towa huffed.
"Incarnation of evil," Azusa said.
"Demonic overlord," Kei added.
"I want to deny that…" Towa muttered.
Not wanting the noodles to sog, Towa dug in with an "Itadakimasu."
"By the way, Pencil, how'd you find this place?" Azusa asked.
"Wanted ramen after work one day and stumbled here," she said. "The soy sauce broth's gentle flavor hooked me, so I come here on off days."
A surprisingly simple answer for Towa.
"Oh, Pepper-kun, give me your email address," Towa said.
"Why?" Azusa asked.
"For emergencies, we need contact info. Also, I'll send you that info in-game in three days—check it."
Realizing she meant Shangri-La Frontier's unique monster, Wezaemon the Tomb Guardian, Azusa sent her his email address, registering hers as she sent it back.
"What game are you two playing?" Kei asked.
"You know Shangri-La Frontier, right?" Azusa said.
"Yeah, it's huge," Kei replied. "Didn't peg you for a VR gamer, retro king."
"I love retro, but I'm at that age to try VR too," Azusa said.
"Then try Constipation," Kei said. "It's a blast."
"Did you eat something bad, Katsuo? Need a laxative?" Azusa teased.
"It's a game, idiot!" Kei snapped.
As their banter escalated, Towa cut in, radiating a dark aura. "Can you two stop? The ramen's getting cold."
"Yes, ma'am," they said in unison, quieting down.
Soon, Kei's ton katsu and Azusa's miso ramen arrived. Towa, predictably, teased, "A fish eating meat, huh, Katsuo?" They spent the moment savoring ramen and camaraderie.
Three People, Three Favorite Flavors
???: "What kusoge should I play next?"
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