"What's happening to me?"
Elara pressed a hand against her forehead.
Her head throbbed terribly, and the world around her seemed to spin.
"What is this...?"
She tried to stand, but the moment she got onto her feet, her balance betrayed her.
"My head really hurts. Oh no..."
She stumbled.
"I need to grab something."
"Hey, what's wrong? Woah, watch out!"
Haru rushed forward.
Unfortunately, his attempt to help only resulted in Elara falling directly onto him.
The two hit the floor with a thud.
There was a brief silence.
Mika stared down at them.
Then she slowly crossed her arms.
"Wow. How bold of you to do that in front of me."
"Hey!" Haru protested from underneath Elara. "I'm clearly the victim here! She just fell on me!"
Mika narrowed her eyes.
"That's exactly what a guilty person would say."
"What kind of logic is that?!"
Elara, meanwhile, had already lost consciousness again.
---
Later That Evening
"She's still asleep?"
Haru sat beside the couch, staring at Elara.
"Yeah."
Mika glanced toward the clock.
"She's been out since morning. I'm starting to get worried."
"Yeah, me too."
Haru looked toward the kitchen.
"It's already dinner time."
"Speaking of dinner..."
Mika grabbed her bag.
"Aren't you supposed to be heading home?"
Haru raised an eyebrow.
"Wow. Rude."
"What?"
"Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?"
Mika's eyes narrowed playfully.
"You want to do pervy things with her, don't you?"
Haru stared at her.
"Of all the things you could possibly think of, your mind immediately went there?"
Mika shrugged.
"You're a guy. I bet you have... urges."
Haru sighed.
"Honestly."
Mika waved her hands.
"Okay, okay, I'm going. Sheesh."
She walked toward the door before turning around.
"But don't you dare do anything pervy."
Haru gave her a blank stare.
"How would you even know?"
Mika pointed toward the wall.
"Through that hole."
Haru froze.
"...What?"
"Nothing!"
She opened the door.
"Good night. Or whatever."
"Yeah. You too."
Mika left.
Haru watched the door close before sighing.
"That girl..."
He shook his head and headed toward the kitchen.
If he was going to spend the evening looking after a mysterious girl who had somehow fallen out of his game, he might as well make dinner.
Soon, the pleasant aroma of vegetables filled the house.
Haru stirred a large pot of vegetable stew before scooping some into a bowl.
He tasted it.
His eyes widened.
"Aah... perfecto."
He raised the spoon dramatically like a master chef.
"Bon appétit."
Then—
"KAZUKI!"
Haru nearly dropped the bowl.
"Yeah?"
He turned around.
"Wait..."
His eyes widened.
"How do you know my game name?"
Elara slowly sat upright.
"Where is it that I find myself? Oh, it's you, the ang—"
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Haru raised both hands.
"I'll stop you right there! Drop it! You calling me that has already caused me enough trouble!"
Elara frowned.
"Silence yourself!"
Haru blinked.
"What?"
"Hush!"
"What?!"
Elara suddenly sniffed the air.
Her expression changed.
"Quick! Gather everything you can! We need to leave immediately!"
Haru stared at her.
"What? Why?"
"This city will soon be laid to waste by a dragon!"
Haru stared at her for several seconds.
Then he spoke sarcastically.
"Oh yeah? A dragon?"
He folded his arms.
"What led you to that conclusion?"
"I smell the smoke of burning vegetable fields. It presages the arrival of a dragon."
Haru's expression changed.
"Smoke?"
He immediately sprinted toward the kitchen.
"Oh no!"
"My vegetables!"
Elara's eyes widened.
"Halt! It's too late to save your garden! Prioritize your life instead!"
She chased after him.
Haru burst through the kitchen door.
"My perfect vegetable stew!"
He stared at the pot.
"And it was so good..."
Elara looked at him in disbelief.
"It was just stew?"
Haru slowly turned toward her.
"...Did you just say it was 'just stew'?"
Elara took a step back.
"Yes?"
"This was a masterpiece!"
Haru pointed dramatically at the pot.
"It was perfect! Tasty! Delicious! It was every word in the dictionary that means good!"
Elara blinked.
"You seem rather attached to your food."
"You're damn right I am!"
Haru suddenly pointed at her.
"And now that I think about it, this is the second time my vegetables have been ruined because of you!"
Elara's expression stiffened.
"It's like you're some sort of vegetable jinx!"
The moment the word left his mouth, Elara's expression changed.
The anger disappeared.
Her shoulders dropped slightly.
"Please..."
Haru stopped.
"...Refrain from calling me a jinx."
Something about those words had clearly struck a nerve.
Haru's expression softened.
"Hey..."
Elara looked away.
Haru sighed.
"Come on."
He picked up the pot.
"Let's see if we can salvage this."
---
A few minutes later, Elara sat at the table with a bowl of burnt vegetable stew and some rice in front of her.
Haru sat across from her.
"I'll warn you now."
He tasted a spoonful.
"...It's not great."
Elara picked up her spoon.
"I shall endure."
She took a bite.
Her eyes widened.
Then she took another.
And another.
Haru stared.
"Wait..."
Another spoonful.
Then another.
Soon Elara's cheeks were puffed up like a chipmunk.
"Hey, slow down!"
She ignored him.
"You're going to choke!"
She took another bite.
Then she suddenly froze.
"Hrk!"
Haru immediately grabbed a cup of water from the tap and handed it to her.
"Here!"
Elara grabbed it and drank desperately.
After finally swallowing, she breathed heavily.
Haru couldn't help himself.
He burst out laughing.
Elara gave him a nasty glare.
For a moment, the two stared at each other.
Then Elara started laughing too.
"Forgive me."
She wiped her eyes.
"I know not what came over me. Suddenly, I was overcome by what felt like a hunger that had festered for a great many years."
Haru laughed harder.
"Talking like that in a medieval voice doesn't make it any less funny, you know."
Elara tilted her head.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Never mind."
Haru leaned back.
"Anyway, now that we're no longer on empty stomachs, we can finally have a proper conversation."
He extended a hand.
"First introductions."
He smiled.
"I'm Haru Suzumiya. I'll be turning eighteen. My hobbies are gaming, gardening and... I guess cooking."
Elara stared at him for a moment before abruptly standing.
She straightened her posture and placed a clenched fist against her chest like a soldier saluting her superior.
"The name bestowed upon me was Elara."
Her voice carried the dignity of a knight addressing royalty.
"Elara, the Celestial Maiden of the Crystal Kingdom. I am a member of the Daybreak Party. I am a knight skilled with a sword, although my greatest proficiency lies in spearmanship."
Haru stared.
Most people would've been confused by the introduction.
Haru was too busy trying to process the fact that this entire situation sounded like something ripped straight out of a fantasy novel.
"Elara..."
He pointed at her.
"That's your actual name, right?"
"Of course."
"You aren't some really good cosplayer?"
Elara frowned.
"I struggle to grasp the latter part of your question, but I assure you the former is true beyond doubt."
"No way..."
Haru stood.
"This can't be real."
He suddenly rushed toward his gaming room.
"Wait here!"
Elara watched him disappear.
"What a peculiar man."
Haru reached his gaming computer and switched on the monitor.
A message appeared.
[The developers have offered you a fitting prize.]
[Take good care of it.]
Haru stared at the screen.
"...How is this possible?"
He returned to the living room.
Elara immediately looked toward him.
"Tell me. What is it that troubles you?"
"There's no way this is happening."
"Could you elaborate?"
Haru hesitated.
"Okay, Elara."
He took a breath.
"This is going to sound strange, but I believe there's something you're supposed to know."
"What?"
"You're the main character of the game I was playing."
"What?!"
Haru blinked.
He had clearly heard the voice.
But Elara's lips hadn't moved.
"...Mika."
Silence.
"Mika!"
A voice came from behind him.
"Damn it. I've been busted."
Haru slowly turned toward the painting hanging above his bed.
The picture moved.
Then, to his disbelief, Mika crawled out from behind it.
Haru stared.
"You were eavesdropping?!"
"Maybe."
She dusted herself off.
"Maybe not."
"And what's with turning the picture of my favorite waifu into a secret passageway?"
Mika shrugged.
"It's not the only one."
Haru froze.
"...Huh?"
"Nothing!"
Mika quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, enough about me. Elara is still in shock from what you said."
Haru turned toward Elara.
"Are you okay?"
Elara stared at him.
"Okay?"
She shook her head.
"Not sure."
Then she placed a hand against her forehead.
"Confused? Very much."
Haru sighed.
"Okay. It's easier if I show you."
He returned to the computer.
He tried launching Last Warrior.
Nothing.
The game refused to start.
"What?"
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Haru frowned.
"Seriously?"
He eventually opened another game.
Elara watched the screen.
The realization slowly dawned on her.
Her face became pale.
"Are you telling me..."
She looked at Haru.
"I'm merely a character from a game?"
Haru didn't answer.
"In other words..."
Her voice trembled.
"All my suffering..."
She clenched her fists.
"All my losses..."
Her eyes began to water.
"Kazuki..."
She looked at the screen.
"My friends..."
Her voice cracked.
"Everything I went through..."
She turned toward Haru.
"It's all just entertainment for you?"
Haru immediately shook his head.
"No."
"It's not like that."
"Then what is it?"
Haru struggled to find the right words.
"Last Warrior isn't the kind of game where death means nothing."
He pointed toward the screen.
"There's no second chance. Once a character dies, they're gone."
Elara stared at him.
"So?"
Haru fell silent.
"Your game wasn't just entertainment."
He looked down.
"It was something more."
Elara's eyes narrowed.
"If that is true..."
She pointed toward the screen.
"Then why call it a game?"
Haru had no answer.
"See?"
Elara's voice trembled.
"All my hardships..."
She looked away.
"Everything I lost..."
"Kazuki..."
Her hands trembled.
"My friends..."
"Everything was simply created to entertain you."
Before the situation could escalate any further, Mika stepped between them.
"Okay!"
She raised both hands.
"How about we talk this over during a bath?"
Elara blinked.
"A bath?"
"It'll do you both a lot of good."
Mika sniffed the air.
"You both reek."
Elara immediately looked embarrassed.
Haru sighed.
He knew exactly what Mika was doing.
She was buying him time.
"Fine."
---
The bathroom was filled with steam.
Mika helped Elara remove her armor before the two entered the bath.
Elara sat quietly, staring into the water.
Mika noticed.
She smiled mischievously.
"Hey."
Elara looked up.
Mika reached toward the shower.
"You're zoning out."
"What?"
Mika turned on the water.
The cold stream hit Elara directly in the back.
"AH!"
Elara practically jumped out of the bath.
Mika burst out laughing.
"Sorry!"
She covered her mouth.
"You zoned out and I couldn't help teasing you."
Elara stared at her.
"That was cruel."
"Sorry, sorry."
Mika giggled.
"No hard feelings?"
Elara sighed.
"Fine."
Mika smiled.
"Okay, on a completely unrelated note..."
She looked Elara up and down.
"You've got really smooth skin."
Elara blinked.
"You must show me your skincare routine, girlfriend."
"Just eat well and exercise."
Elara smiled.
"In fact, your skin is every bit as smooth as mine."
Mika's face turned red.
"Oh, stop! You're making me blush."
She splashed some water.
"And hey, drop the formal speech pattern, okay?"
Elara tilted her head.
"I fail to understand what you're talking about."
Mika stared.
"Yes."
She pointed at her.
"Exactly that."
"What?"
"Just loosen up. Speak normally."
Mika smiled.
"We're friends, after all."
Elara's eyes widened slightly.
"Are we?"
Mika's smile disappeared.
"I thought we were."
She dramatically placed a hand against her chest.
"Wait..."
Her expression became sorrowful.
"You don't think I'm your friend?"
"I'm hurt."
Elara immediately panicked.
"Oh, no!"
She shook her head.
"We can be friends if you like."
Mika's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"That's awesome!"
She grinned.
"Okay, first up, names."
She pointed at herself.
"I'm Mika. You can call me whatever you want."
She paused.
"It'd better be cute, though."
Elara thought about it.
"I think I'll stick with Mika."
Mika sighed.
"Suit yourself."
She pointed at Elara.
"I'll call you El. Cool?"
Elara blinked.
"Cool?"
Mika stared.
"Oh my God."
She slapped her forehead.
"You really are from another world, aren't you?"
Elara smiled awkwardly.
"Apparently."
Mika laughed.
"Listen, don't stress the small stuff, okay?"
Elara nodded.
"Okay."
"No, no, no."
Mika shook her head.
"That won't do."
"What?"
"Say 'kay'."
"Kay?"
"Make it cute."
Elara stared at her.
"What's with your obsession with cuteness?"
Mika grinned.
"Once again, you're too formal."
She demonstrated.
"Just say, 'What's up with you and cuteness, kay?'"
Elara sighed.
"What's up with you and cuteness, kay?"
Mika's eyes sparkled.
"Gorgeous!"
She clapped her hands.
"Okay, now let me explain."
She leaned closer.
"Every girl deserves to look her best. And with you rocking that body, I think you could pull off a really bold look."
Elara's cheeks reddened.
"We need to go shopping."
Mika pointed dramatically.
"ASAP."
"For now, you'll have to wear Haru's clothes."
She grabbed the soap.
"Anyway, turn around. Let me wash your back."
Elara smiled.
"Kay."
Mika paused.
"Perfect."
She began washing Elara's back.
Then her expression became more serious.
"On a separate topic..."
Elara looked over her shoulder.
"I can't imagine what you're going through."
Mika's voice softened.
"Realizing that your existence was supposedly nothing more than entertainment for someone else..."
She shook her head.
"That has to hurt."
Elara looked down.
"But Haru is different."
She looked up.
"Let me tell you something about Last Warrior."
Elara listened.
"In that game, death is final."
Mika held up a finger.
"You can have a party of up to eight characters, but once your character dies, they're gone. You can never use that character again."
Elara listened silently.
"Honestly, I thought the developers were just trying to raise the stakes."
Mika smiled.
"But you weren't Haru's character."
Elara blinked.
"What?"
"You were mine."
Elara stared.
"Your..."
"Character."
Mika nodded.
"Haru and I spent a lot of time creating you."
She smiled.
"And he really cares about the characters he plays."
Mika's expression became more serious.
"So much that when we first fought the final boss, he sacrificed his own character so that the only one who could escape..."
She pointed toward Elara.
"...could survive."
Elara's eyes widened.
"After that, he was depressed for a while."
Mika sighed.
"So was I."
She looked down.
"I'm ashamed to admit it, but eventually I gave up on you."
Elara remained silent.
"Haru didn't."
"He kept trying to convince me to continue."
"But I knew that with my skill, I wouldn't last long."
Mika smiled.
"So I handed you over to him."
"And somehow..."
She laughed.
"He actually beat the game."
Elara lowered her gaze.
"So..."
Mika placed a hand on her shoulder.
"If you want to be angry with someone, be angry with me."
Elara looked up.
"Haru never thought of you, or any other character, as less than human."
Mika smiled.
"In fact, he's got special vegetables named after his waifus."
Elara blinked.
"Vegetables?"
"He's a weirdo."
Mika grinned.
"But he's a cute kind of weirdo."
She suddenly pointed toward the far corner.
"Actually, get in the tub."
Elara looked confused.
"There's something I need to show you."
Mika pointed.
"Down there."
Elara followed her finger.
"Do you see that cabbage?"
Elara stared at the enormous cabbage sitting in the corner.
"That huge one."
Mika smiled.
"That's you."
Elara's eyes widened.
"He named it Elara."
She laughed.
"He's such a weirdo."
Elara stared at the cabbage.
"I..."
She slowly smiled.
"I never knew."
Then something occurred to her.
"Wait."
She looked at Mika.
"The character he made..."
"Was named Kazuki, by any chance?"
Mika nodded.
"Yeah."
She smiled.
"That's the game name he uses in almost every game he plays."
Elara looked down.
"I see."
Mika smiled.
"Good."
She stood.
"I think we're done here."
Elara nodded.
"Kay."
Mika grinned.
"You're learning."
---
The two girls left the bathroom and changed.
Elara wore one of Mika's oversized shirts because most of the other clothes were too tight.
When they returned to Haru's room, they found him sitting at his gaming computer.
Mika folded her arms.
"Haru, we're back."
She paused.
"Don't you have something to—"
"Hush!"
Haru held up a finger.
"My goddess waifu is speaking."
Mika's eye twitched.
"This quest is important."
A voice came from the speakers.
[Goddess: Brave knight, a fearsome dragon is laying waste to the kingdom of the east.]
[Could you lend us your aid once more?]
Mika's expression darkened.
"Okay."
She cracked her knuckles.
"That's it."
Haru looked over his shoulder.
"Uh-oh."
Mika grabbed him by the ear.
"Get over here!"
"Ow! Ow! Ow!"
She dragged him away from the computer.
Meanwhile, Elara stood in front of the screen.
Curiosity got the better of her.
She reached toward the controls.
"Hmm..."
---
Back in the bedroom, Mika finally released Haru.
He rubbed his ear.
"Mika!"
"What is it now?"
She crossed her arms.
"Just how hard is it to talk to a girl that isn't me?"
"That's not the problem."
Haru looked around.
"Where's Elara?"
Mika blinked.
"Huh?"
"She was in your gaming room."
Mika looked toward the gaming room.
"Wait..."
She rushed over.
"She's not there."
"Let me check."
Haru searched the house.
"Mika!"
"Any luck?"
"No!"
"This is bad."
"Tell me about it."
Haru checked the doors.
"They're still locked."
He frowned.
"She couldn't have left."
Then—
Silence.
---
Meanwhile...
Elara opened her eyes.
"Where am I?"
She looked around.
The familiar surroundings of Haru's room were gone.
Instead, she stood in a beautiful fantasy kingdom.
Before her appeared a familiar voice.
[Goddess: Brave knight, a fearsome dragon is laying waste to the kingdom of the east.]
[Will you lend us your aid once more?]
Elara's eyes widened.
A smile appeared on her face.
"A dragon?"
She grabbed her weapon.
"Say no more."
She pointed toward the horizon.
"I shall annihilate it."
Back in Haru's house, Haru stared at the computer screen.
His face went pale.
"You have got to be kidding me."
Mika rushed over.
"What's up?"
Haru pointed at the screen.
"Okay."
He swallowed.
"I have good news and bad news."
Mika frowned.
"What?"
"The good news..."
Haru pointed at the screen.
"I found Elara."
Mika smiled.
"Great!"
"The bad news..."
Haru slowly turned toward her.
"She's inside my game."