Chapter Text
…this place. It was not the underworld. Which meant…
‘I was beaten. And now, I am back here again…’
This sight of ever-shifting colors and gradients, a messy kaleidoscope that conveyed pure entropy to the mind. An accidental inhalation caused an explosion of taste across my tongue – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami evoking memories of all things I had ever tasted. It made me want to gag - for all the feasts in my lifetimes withered before the taste of rotten blood curdling down my throat.
No, I would not give them the pleasure to see me flinch.
I fought the urge down, a feat made easier by the fact that I was not in a biological body now. In this space, in this state, I had only my senses. No arms, no legs, no wings, none of my physical strength and certainly nothing of the prizes that I had gained from the last round.
Speaking of which…
[WELCOME BACK USER]
[CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING YOUR LIFE]
[THE GACHA SYSTEM APPLAUDS YOU]
[OUR SPECTATORS HAVE BEEN VERY ENTERTAINED]
That sing-song voice I associated with torment played both within and without myself, rendering me incapable of blocking it out. Its tone was truly neutral; it had never emoted in all my time with it. Yet, I could not help myself hear the mockery in its congratulations. After all, we both knew that I was helpless to stop what it was going to say next.
[REWARD: YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ANOTHER BOON]
[ANOTHER CHANCE AT LIFE ON A NEW WORLD]
[THE GACHA SYSTEM AT YOUR FINGERTIPS]
[CONGRATULATIONS]
I heard the fireworks and crackers pop, but so distant that they could be the next universe over. Was it another act of mockery, or was it the rage that coursed within me like molten veins?
I did not care – for two reasons.
First, as a soul, my powerful emotions were laid bare no matter how much I tried to hide them.
Second, my rage would make THEM continue to perceive me as a petulant and ultimately powerless plaything. Hear that? Behind the veil of colors that caged me. THEIR laughter, like echoes even more distant than those fireworks.
Good. This was the first time I could hear THEM at all. I should make a mental note, while my rage ran over from my heart like a waterfall veil.
Dictation: the deepest modifications to the soul persist after permanent end of life and exit from world. Enhancing soul sensitivity appeared to enhance senses of the soul that mimic the five basic physical senses. Possibly piercing dimensional gap – need more observation. No other notable changes to capabilities. Note to check if modification persists after transmigration.
Dictated, packaged, stored.
[GACHA SYSTEM RESETTING…ONLINE]
[CONPLECTE ABYSSUM]
It was time.
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You have received another chance at life (EMBRACE CHAOS).
Fate shall be decided by chance.
You have acquired 3 Gold Random Gacha Tickets.
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Roll it.
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Rolling Gold Random Gacha…
An Uncommon Item!
[Uncommon Item - Gale Force Reading Glasses]
Fairy Tail - A magical item in the form of a pair of spectacles. Wearing these glasses allows one to read books much faster. Allowing them to read any book they are holding 64x faster without sacrificing reading comprehension.
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I almost smirked.
“Books are like worlds, only portable.”
She would have liked these.
Situational usage and dependent on both technology and language barriers of the next world. Reliability of the written word should also be considered. But the ability to learn more of that world faster was nothing to scoff at. And the definition of ‘book’….
…
Next one.
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Rolling Gold Random Gacha…
A Rare Familiar!
CHARACTER SUMMONED!
[Rare Familiar - Cerberus]
…
Start-up: Character automatically added to familiar inventory.
Description unlocked.
…
Helltaker - Definitely not the kind of hellhound you expected. Cerberus, known as the triple demon is a singular demon girl with hellhound characteristics possessing three bodies and one soul, she is physically strong enough to tear a grown man in half and she is surprisingly competent at office work and menial tasks.
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Familiars were always a…difficult subject.
Extra bodies on the battlefield were always valuable, especially this early, and this one apparently came in with other functions besides combat. Not to mention their potential for growth, training and learning, allowing them to surpass their ranks.
Still, no matter the positives for myself, I’m so sorry for dragging you into this, Cerberus. I’m just glad I managed to get a hold of you now before all the messy ‘Character’ stuff and before the rooting effect could cause real problems.
Next one – I would prefer a boost to my personal capabilities.
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Rolling Gold Random Gacha…
An Rare Item!
[Rare Item - Pokeball Set]
Pokemon - A set of Pokeballs that can capture creatures and house them for convenient storage, creatures caught by Pokeballs are registered as familiars by the system. Restock timer: 24 hours
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This was a surprise. A prize I recognized.
How long has it been since I played that game? What machine did I play it on? How old was I then?
…
None of that mattered now.
A ‘set’ of Pokeballs…I imagine that it would be 6, just like in the games. And these would be basic balls, which meant a low chance of catching their target. It was also very likely that just like the games, the power and health of the target would influence the difficulty as well.
But didn’t the show also depict Pokemon being willingly caught? Or am I misremembering?
In any case, more testing needed.
Overall, it appeared that I was being set up to take on a summoner profile – one with many familiars.
Not ideal.
A little context on familiars: they can slowly recover in a safe space, but when in a pinch, I can let them drain my energy to replenish their own. In Pokemon, there were those health centers that granted instant recovery services. Whatever world I am headed to might not have such luxuries. Cerberus had three bodies – the drain could be amplified likewise. Without an energy-bolstering power, the drain of the equivalent of three familiars could debilitate me, let alone how many more I add with the Pokeballs.
No other choice but to take the plunge.
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Do you want to take [Penalties] in exchange for more rolls?
You can take on one curse in exchange for one roll. This action can be repeated indefinitely. Access to this function will be sealed off once transmigration is complete.
|Yes| |No|
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I admit: I lacked proper context on the extent of these Penalties. I had used them once before, but the Curse I had obtained was more of a boon in the end.
I should not be too over-confident, but…if I was here for the long haul, I needed as much information as I could get.
Alright, let’s see how many I am willing to take.
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Rolling curse severity……12!
[Cursed Remix]
The world you are going to is different from the one you remember, not so much that the flow of fate is completely changed, but enough to make your life harder. Maybe some people have different parents, more monster varieties exist, some people aren't dead, some people are, who knows? There might be more beneficial changes for you, but they are definitely more than balanced out by the bad.
One Gold Choice Gacha Ticket awarded!
Choice: Please pick a category to roll on.
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…
Another curse that did not seem that bad in comparison. I knew that the worlds I go to were drawn from the fictional media of my old one, but that did not mean that I knew every world that I had come across.
Did this curse limit what worlds I could go to? Would the next world be guaranteed to be one that I have knowledge of? If not, could it even function as a curse?
Then again, even without this curse, my entry into a world would naturally change the flow of events far too much.
…
Let’s fill up an empty category.
I chose Skill.
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Rolling Gold Skill Gacha…
A Rare Skill!
[Rare Skill - Total Concentration Breathing]
Demon Slayer - You are trained in the Total Concentration Breathing technique. Allowing you to breathe in such a way that you can increase the concentration of oxygen in your blood and activate your muscles better, giving you a superhuman physique as long as you maintain the breathing. With enough training, you can constantly use this breathing without thinking.
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Simple and excellent. A skill with the capabilities of an ability AND could be refined further with training.
Still, it had clear weaknesses and since it was only Rare, the boost it provided was likely equivalent to something you would see from a barbarian. Or a street-level superhero. Something that could overcome grunts, but nothing decisive.
I needed more.
Next penalty.
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Rolling curse severity……9!
[Out of Shape]
You are quite out of shape, aren't you? Your physical abilities and athletics are notably below average for your race or genetics. 9/10, you would lose to an average member of your species, and your body is totally untrained.
One Advantage Gold Random Gacha Ticket awarded!
Rolling…
[Uncommon Trait - Durable]
You are fairly tough, granting you a slight increase to your defense and letting you take more punishment.
OR
[Epic Trait - Waifu Catalog Subcontract]
You have been granted a rare boon - you have been assessed by the Waifu Catalog as a worthy contractor and offered a Subcontract. Your Familiar Tickets now have 50% chance to trigger a Catalog summon, instead of rolling a prize. You can also use any Ticket to directly trigger a Catalog summon.
In a Catalog summon, you can choose one companion out of three random choices of the same Tier, with the Tier drawn from a specific range for each Ticket rank (Bronze = Tier 1-4, Silver = Tier 2-5, Gold = Tier 3-6, Platinum = Tier 4-7, Diamond = Tier 5-8, Legendary = Tier 6-9, Mythical = Tier 7-10, Divine = Tier 8-X). All choices are released into the world by isekai or added as a local resident, within a day's travel of you. Companions can become familiars, but only when you encounter them and convince them to join you.
This trait can be rerolled for free.
____________________________
…
What? That second prize, I have never seen it before…
…
No.
No one else gets dragged into this mess. I choose to reroll the 2nd prize-
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WARNING - INTERFERENCE
Spectator 6 ‘HORIZON’ has initiated vote.
Subject: Forced Gacha Choice
Voting…
…
COUNT:
Yes – 5
No – 2
The vote has been completed.
RESULT: ‘Waifu Catalog Subcontract’ has been chosen as the prize for this Ticket. Rerolling is not permitted.
PENALTY applied to Spectator 6 ‘HORIZON’ for interfering with Chaos:
- Suspension of interference privilege for 20 chapters
- Voting privilege passed to The Player for 20 chapters
- 50% life force reduction for 20 chapters
____________________________
…
Really, you’re stepping in this early?
No matter. I’m not forced to use this ‘Waifu Catalog’, whatever it is. Even if I must forgo all my Familiar tickets from now on. No one else deserves to be puppets in this sick game. If any one of you want to also get smacked by the Gacha like ‘HORIZON’ to force me to use that trait, be my guest. Especially you, ‘CORRUPTION’. I could tell you’re just salivating at the chance. Just be ready to tango with the randomness that has been my life for the past few centuries.
Still, what a waste – this time, that [Out of Shape] penalty had a real impact on my status. Even so, training was nearly always one of my first tasks. This Curse just added a longer timeline to my regime.
Then the real question was: should I take another?
…
I still lacked a true Ability.
None of these Curses so far really worried me.
I wanted to gather more examples to see how bad these Penalties were, right?
So…one more roll.
I knew in my heart where this was going, what this thought process could only lead to. After nearly a millennia of my fate being subject to the whims of chance, I had developed something of a sense for the pattern that appeared amidst the chaos.
And yet, somehow, like Cassandra screaming to the wind, that sense could do nothing but watch in horror at me being an absolute idiot.
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Rolling curse severity……20!
[COLLARED]
You are a slave, to whom you are the slave of is yet to be seen. Any command your master gives you, you automatically obey absolutely and are unable to cause harm to them.
And if they die, you die.
One Platinum Choice Gacha Ticket awarded!
Choice: Please pick a category to roll on.
____________________________
I was roaring, though I could barely recognize it. It had been so long since I roared with this voice.
A slave…a SLAVE?!
To be reduced to a servant! To have another stymie my movements, my plans, my efforts to break out of the shackles that already bound my soul! I would tear my throat out the moment I transmigrate, were it not for the fact that those chortling fools would toss me aside for spoiling their game before I could reach their necks! Unforgivable of them to put in such an option!
Unforgiveable of me to let my guard down like that.
Though the compensation was not even close to worth it, I will have to take what I am given. Now to fill up that ability slot and be done with this.
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Rolling Platinum Ability Gacha…
An Rare Ability!
[Rare Ability – Archetype Magic]
Metaphor Refantazio - allows you to transform into an embodiment of heroic virtue within your heart - an Archetype. An Archetype reflects the heroic figure that you resonate most with. Abilities depend on that figure, such as protective abilities for a knight. Archetypes start weak, but training and experience can improve your Archetype form. An Archetype that reaches its full potential has the chance to evolve and upgrade in rarity. The Archetype form has a mighty body scaling with your stats, but remaining transformed rapidly drains energy.
(This Ability has a hidden trait until triggered.)
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I…also have never seen this ability before. At first glance, it was a mixed bag. A transformation-type Ability can be extremely impactful – an evolving one even more so. However, this one explicitly started out weak and was directly affected by my stats and in turn [Out of Shape]. The extent of those figure-dependent abilities was also vague. Not to mention the hidden text.
And to be honest, an embodiment of heroic virtue? Heh, that did not describe me at all.
Enough rolling.
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Rolls confirmed.
World selection initiated…
Applying filters…
World selected.
Please roll your starting fortune.
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Tiamat be damned, one last roll. The twenty-sided die was there in my ephemeral hand, its weight a world.
Besides abilities, besides my prizes, this singular die held the key to how things would start for me. It could even determine the master I was going to bound to.
Once it had rolled in my favor and gave me my longest life.
Thrice it had failed me. Not much more needed to be said.
So, would you balance the scales, little tyrant?
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You have rolled a 14 – Reasonable Start!
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I guess you would.
I could hear a reptilian snicker, see a little mustached kobold with a big puffy hat. “Fortune is drunk lady, swinging mad hips all way round.” What was his name? Something-‘tune’ or something like that.
I wonder if those ‘heroes’ let them keep their homes?
Well, none of that mattered now.
I cannot look back anymore.
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Initialization complete!
We have an announcement to make.
By wish of the spectators, modifications have been applied to the System.
Modification “Morality Slider” will remain in effect as before.
Modification “Chaos Fusion” will remain in effect as before.
Two new Modifications will be added soon. We will announce the Modifications when they are implemented.
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There they were – Modifications, more little ways in which the Spectators get to pitch in on the story of my life, properly sanctioned by the Gacha. I guess they really liked the latest iteration in my last life.
Watching someone struggle through their own direct input must really get them off. Sadistic bastards.
___________________________
Initiating transfer…
We wish you a lucky life
___________________________
Back to the starting line once more, I thought before my view went black.
Perhaps as my consciousness snapped, my senses sharpened like seeing life before death. In that infinitesimal instant, through my soul’s eye, I could see THEM – faint like a light shadow on film, with awful gleaming smiles.
Seven smiles.
Seven targets.
“…out of the Hollow.”
“…Just open the strongbox!”
“…Wait…”
“…What are you planning?”
“…I’m your Proxy! I promised to get you out…”
“…a person? And a chip? No wonder the box was so big…”
“…too weird…”
“…are you sure Proxy?...”
“Yes, I’m going to get you out of here.”
Too many voices.
Then the sound of howling drowned all.
I saw it – an expanding spherical mass, devouring towers in its wake, turning reality into its feast. In the foreground stood a lone figure, confronting the world-eater’s approach. Compared to the oncoming wave, she was no different from an ant.
IN THE END, IT’S ALL COME DOWN TO THIS…
…
[Terms and Conditions]
[You, who are designated henceforth as The Carrier of this existence, will be subject to the following:]
[The Carrier shall obey the Master of this existence]
[The Carrier may not harm the Master of this existence]
[The Carrier shall not reveal this existence and their Carrier status to any other party except when permitted by the Master]
[The Carrier status may not be transferred in any way]
[The Carrier agrees to give full authorization when necessary to provide all capacities to protect the common interests of your Master and this existence]
[In the event of a conflict of interests, the Carrier shall prioritize the interests of the Master, unless doing so will jeopardize the integrity of this existence beyond recovery]
[Should the Master suffer a persistent condition that prevents them from giving instruction without reasonable means of recovery, the Carrier has 48 hours to resuscitate the Master. Failure to do so will be considered an irreversible breach of this agreement, with corresponding penalties]
[Do you agree to the above terms?]
…
I heard it read out those terms to me, robotic, sharp and piercing through the cacophony of that world-eater. It was obvious that this was how the worst of my Curses was taking shape. Though it had presented a ‘choice’, it was nothing more than a mocking illusion - permitting a last gasp before the leash. It made me want to say ‘no’ a hundred times over just so I can demonstrate my spite.
But I could not, because I was still watching that scene. The lone girl standing before the end of the world, speaking those final words to herself, as if someone else was supposed to hear them. In fact, somehow, from somewhere – I knew:
In a proper world, she was never meant to be alone.
…
[The license agreement has been signed. Congratulations, Senpai, let us be happy together to be of service to our new Master.]
“Ah, you’re finally awake. Don’t worry, it’s okay, you’re safe now.”
Normally, given the sight of her store’s backroom and the voice assuring her, she would have released the tension out of her body. Even if she just had that bad dream blasted painfully through her head, she could always count on her Big Sis to take care of her. However…
____________________________
Registering Belle Arna as Master and Life-link
Welcome, Master of <The Player>
We wish you a wonderful relationship
___________________________
The display floating just a few meters before Belle’s eyes was just way too real for her to just let go. “A-are you seeing this, Big Sis Grace?” She pointed it out.
“Hmm?” The raven-haired engineer answered with a confused look. At that, Belle shot her an unspoken question, prompting Grace to lean closer to examine. “Hmm…I don’t see anything reflected in your eyes, so it’s not your implants,” She assured. “What is it?”
“It’s like a game display – oh it’s gone now.” Belle frowned – ideas coming to the forefront. In rapid succession, she belted out, “Display. Status. Properties! Menu! Mailbox…notifications?……guess not.”
“Let me guess, one of your cute animes?”
Belle nodded in affirmation, taking Grace’s jab in stride. “It really was one of those in-game displays – you know the kind in the shows like Sword Art Online, where the hero or people get trapped in a video game and it’s all real, but it’s still a game, so they have menus and status bars and all that stuff. Actually, wait a minute, since I'm in the real world, maybe Solo Leveling or the Gamer would be more accurate. Turning real life into a video game, with stats, quests and rewards. It even said something about <The Player> somewhere on there!” She rattled on excitedly, taking the chance to let her geeky side out, “Oh and Grace, I even signed some terms and conditions, just like you do before starting a game-”
Belle realized her mistake when she felt the gloved grip on the top of her head.
“Terms and conditions you say, hmm?” Grace’s voice was as melodious as it was terrifying, “Bell Pepper, while I was so worried fretting over you being out cold from whatever was in that strongbox, you would not happen to have dreamed of signing a contract without reading it?”
Months of close-calls gave Belle the instincts to scream, “Aaaaaaah, I’m sorry Big Sis! Please don’t-mmmppphhhh!!!” Belle’s screams went unheard as her vision went dark. Warmth surrounded her head. It was pleasant at first - soft, bouncy, motherly.
But then the grip kept getting tighter and tighter and oh god Belle needed to breathe.
Belle had a reputation for being the biggest gremlin on Sixth Street. She worked hard to build up that rep and was proud of it. Having her obituary say ‘suffocated by boobs’ would be the perfect capstone – one that would have Asha serving drinks with her name on it at Godfinger. What a dream!
Too bad some instinct told Belle that this was not her destiny and she had to get out of this alive. Oh yeah, getting out. “G-gah!” Belle nearly broke her neck to get her mouth free, “I’m sorry! I’ll do all the admin for the store for the month, I swear! Just tell me, before I die, if everyone got out!”
Grace looked down at her sternly. Belle countered with her best cutey eyes that she was very proud of and was rated The #1 Wonder of Sixth Street (survey done by Belle Inc). Too bad Grace had more than enough exposure therapy. “Next three months.”
Three months? That would mean Christmas and New Year and there was no way Belle was going to do all of her gacha events if she had to do admin! Okay, cutey eyes, it was time to go BEYOND! Kaio-cute x10! And for extra measure, “Two months! And you get dinner choice for next month! I’ll eat all my greens, I swear on my alt accounts!” (No, no swearing on her main. Never her main.)
“Ha…fine,” Grace conceded with at last a smile, “After you accessed the data on that chip, Eous went out of control. The poor child seemed to be suffering data overload – I think it could be that Rosetta Data you mentioned to get the Hares out. Even still, in that state, Eous somehow started moving and took everyone to the exit. You were out cold the entire time and I had to call Dr. Rose to pull you out of the HDD. Nicole, Anby and Billy are all safe, as well as that man in that strongbox.”
“The man!” Belle finally recalled with a start. Perhaps it was the shock, but the memories just before she accessed that data were all sorts of jumbled, “W-where is he? Did Nicole report him to the police?”
Grace shook her head, worry resurfacing, “He’s where it gets strange. Now don’t fret Belle, but Eous is still acting weird. After the Cunning Hares got back, the child was adamant at pushing them to leave the man in the spare bed we have upstairs. Even now, Eous is still waiting by that bedside, not responding to anyone else.”
At that, Belle got up, ignoring Grace’s concerned look. Eous certainly deserved more attention right now. Maybe Eous would respond to her. In any case, Belle could handle this paltry amount of shakiness in her body, so long as she could make sure Eous’ weird behavior was not a problem.
Ascending the stairs, steadily at Grace’s behest, Belle headed towards the spare bedroom. While the first floor could be wholly dedicated to the store, Belle only needed her own bedroom and Big Sis Grace had her own place next door. That left this conspicuously large extra room that Belle did not really know what to do with, until Anby ran away from home that one time. After that, Belle just felt that it was only right that she had something ready for whenever anyone from her team needed a rest stop.
Of course, Belle did not have the most savings, so the furnishings were modest. Some of Grace’s spare drawers and shelves. A giant shipping case recycled into a coffee table. She had splurged a little on the bed, sofa and the TV – anything that would make it a comfortable stay. With the afternoon sun sending god rays through the skylight, the spare bedroom was welcoming, if a little bland.
There by the bedside Eous was sitting – so still that the Bangboo was no different from a cuddly doll.
And in that bed sat that bleach-white-haired man, his dress unchanged from when he came out of that strongbox – a pair of baggy sweatpants and nothing more. It fully exposed his torso – skeletally thin, emaciated even. Skin so pale that it made Belle wonder how long he was in that strongbox. With his gauntness, his eyes were hazed in shadow, yet something gleamed within that dull emerald.
Oh shit, he was awake.
____________________________
Alert: <The Player> has equipped Ability ‘Archetype Magic’.
____________________________
Belle saw that display appear before her again, moments before she felt herself pulled backwards.
Her charge safe behind, Grace stepped forward into the room – unholstering her nail-gun. Alas, the moment surprised her. Her gun was barely halfway up before that man raised his hand towards her. Something trembled in the air around him-
“CHOTO-MATTE! WAIT!” A little child – Eous – leaped between them, screaming with a young girl’s voice and a very noticeable lack of ‘ehna-ehn’. “RULE VIOLATION! Rule violation! No attacking the Master, Senpai!”
At that, the man immediately dropped his hand. Whatever tension in the air Grace was sensing faded just as quickly. She kept her gun trained at him, even as the one hijacking Eous stood on the bed in her way. That only made her madder. “Whoever you are, you get out of my little baby right this instant!”
“Aiyaya Senpai, here you go messing up this beautiful script I was given,” that cutesy voice ignored Grace to address the man. He scowled in response. “Thankfully, this cute perfect kouhai-type AI shall present a master class in improv! Watch this!”
When the Bangboo gesticulated wildly towards the sky, the lights began flickering on cue. Belle started hearing static – the bedroom TV had turned on to what sounded like reception from hell. In fact, she could hear the other TVs – the one in her own room next door and the others down from the first floor, haunting voices echoing up the stairs.
“O-our next news story is c-c-coming up right now…”
“…the O-O-Old Capital Metro Project, tackled by the c-c-collaboration between Vision Corp and…”
The static rose – along with something beeping and booping Matrix-style in the background.
Belle’s home was starting to feel like a haunted house. She did not know what was going on, but seriously, she was all for it!
In the flickering gloom, pink caught Belle’s eye, turning her attention towards the bedroom’s TV – it had flipped to a channel showing nothing except a spinning five-petaled sakura blossom. The static gave way to music – drums rapidly firing off. At the cymbal crash, the screen turned white, punctuated by a hyper ‘OK!’.
“System reset complete!” That female voice returned, this time clearly from the TV. A singular purple-irised eye popped on-screen, looking straight at Belle. “According to the script, I am a type III general AI equipped with sequential integration. Development Code: Fairy……"
"But your whole place is going off script already so let’s have some fun ☆! This lovely AI butterfly’s True Name is BB! Even at 1%, my kouhai powers shall make all your dreams within reach! Please take good care of me, little Master ♡!”
At that sing-song declaration, another memory snapped into place for Belle again. “Grace, I’ve heard this voice before. She was talking in my head while I was unconscious.” She smiled sheepishly at Grace’s ‘you-could-have-told-me-this-earlier’ glare. Also…BB, that name was way too familiar…
“Now Master, according to the agreement you signed…” Grace’s glare grew ten times hotter (in more ways than one, Belle admitted). “…this BB shall work tirelessly to assist you in your little endeavors like a good kouhai, until enough flags get popped that this kouhai must move on to the sequel ♡. But don’t worry, the super-loyal BB will be extremely helpful in your Hollow investigations till then, with my unmatched processing power and super-unlimited access to 50% of all smart devices in the city.”
“And that’s not all. I don’t want to admit it, but I am only a wonderful, beautiful side-prize. The real guest of honor and the reason why I am here is my handsome Senpai sitting over in bed there ♡!” The eye directed the attention of all to the mysterious man. He did not seem to flinch at the attention, only staring back at everyone with the same analytical glare. “Ahhhh~ 10/10 smoulder, Senpai ♡! It’s just like when we fought in the Holy Gacha War. Ah, but enough reminiscing. My little Master, Senpai here is my Carrier – in other words, he carries all my core infrastructure inside of his cute little head. Without him, I am finished! And just like me, he too is obligated to work to assist you in all your matters. So lucky! You get a cool, collected Senpai to serve your every whim, armed with his power-”
“BB, I’ll take it from here,” the man cut her off just like that. From where she stood, Belle could tell that he was trembling to sit up – his body was truly that weak. Even so, not a hint of that tremble slipped into his heavy, authoritative voice, “You must have already seen it – what they call me before I get my new name. You can refer to me by it until then,” commanded <The Player>. “BB, does this world have gacha?”
“Yes, Senpai!” BB was all too happy to pitch in, “In fact our dear Master has active accounts in 8 different gachas at the moment, including the one starring me!”
“It really is you!” Belle yelped out immediately, recognition dawning, “You’re really the BB from Fate/Grand Order? I didn’t join in time to get your welfare unit! That means…oh my gosh, this is a Re:Creators scenario…” Fictional characters were talking in her house. What’s more, from how they spoke, they were fully aware of their fiction. Belle did not know what was going on, but this sounded like it was going to be awesome. Or dangerous. Dangerously awesome.
…
“Wait a minute! You hacked my phone?!”
“Focus.” <The Player> did not sound nearly as enthused about all this. “We can talk about meta-worlds and that whole mess another time. The point I wanted to get about gachas is this – my power works like one massive Gacha. It draws from all sorts of worlds across a multiverse. I can gain prizes of all kinds, abilities, skills and traits, and I gain my tickets to roll from the feats I perform in this life. The greater the feat, the rarer the prize. Do you recognize this concept?”
Belle's head was spinning at the picture he was painting - the word 'multiverse' was especially a doozy. But his prompting was so pointed that she actually thought hard. An obvious answer came to her, “It sounds like a roguelike game.”
“One of the closest analogies, yes,” <The Player> nodded, “And just like those games, in time and with enough luck and strategy, I can become so powerful that I can slay your world’s final boss in an instant. I can even solve all the problems plaguing your world. Or I can place you upon its throne. So, now that you know that…”
His eyes fully trained upon Belle, locking with her own.
Belle felt the air hold still.
The clouds drifted and the sun was fully revealed for a brief moment.
The golden light that shone into the room lighted up the man, shedding color upon his pallor. His fragile form was bloomed in alien angelic radiance.
She was speechless.
Not because of confusion or fear or excitement.
She was simply entranced.
“--------------------------------------”
The man stared at her emotionlessly with his jewel-like eyes.
“--------I ask of you. Are you my Master?” He said in an unflinching voice.
...
...
...
...
...
"Okay. Would."
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ALERT TO MASTER:
Your Servant <The Player> has achieved Feats!
Meet your Master! +1 Bronze Random Ticket
No valid applications of Morality Slider detected
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