CH 3.1

So we decided on two conditions when using the bath. One person must wait in the changing room while the other is bathing. When inside the bath, one must call out to the other at set intervals.

I thought to myself, why is it necessary that we have to call out to eachother while in the bath, but it can’t be helped. It would be a different story if there was an item that gave underwater aptitude, but those items are all rare or limited time items. It’s even possible that Hisame might not have that kind of item too.

Come to think of it, there was a saying on the internet that if you took an underwater aptitude item and fought in the underwater dungeon, you might be able to beat Hisame while at a low level.

However, since there weren’t any sightings of Hisame in the underwater dungeon in the first place, there’s no point in trying.

I was under the impression that Hisame would randomly appear to help the player at any time, outside of the demon lord fight. But if I really think about it, I’ve heard no reports of her appearing in high towers or sky cities, let alone the underwater dungeon, so maybe she’s a bit picky.

….Perhaps, with some good planning, I could fight her in a bath and win easily, don’t you think?

However, since she’s already decided on the place where to fight, it’s too late.

While I was sitting around mooching about my mistakes,

“…Souma, you there?”

Ringo’s muffled voice entered my ears.

“….Yeah.”

My desperate escape from reality is in vain, as that voice makes me aware of the current situation.

The reason why I’ve been thinking so desperately about whimsical things is because Ringo is taking a bath.

There was a thin entryway, consisting of a single sheet, that separated myself from Ringo. I had been painfully aware of Ringo taking off her clothes in the room next door, and even now I can’t help but hear the sound of the water.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but as a guy who has been alone in both games and reality for all his life, this isn’t a situation where I can sit down and relax.

“…Souma?”

Who’s the one here doing the regular reporting?

I say to Ringo, who is innocently calling out for me, not knowing about my woes…

“Uhuh! I’m here! Without a doubt! I am here!”

I reply in a loud voice.

“…..Un.”

As I heard Ringo’s somewhat satisfied response, I once again return to my state of distress.

After this time of hellish paradise, we decided to go to bed earlier than usual.

Of course, this is my wish.

Even though my first impressions were that it might be tough living here, I’d like to think that i’ll get used to all of this.

“So then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“…See you.” We parted ways in front of our rooms, which was the heart-shape and pink room Ringo had, and my retro TV and phone room.

But a few minutes later…

“…So, why is Ringo in here?”

In my room was Ringo, who was holding a futon with tons of heart patterns in her hand.

I didn’t lock any of the rooms with a key, but even still I had never expected her to come back to me a few minutes after we said goodnight.Well, she never said the “tomorrow” bit of the “See you tomorrow” phrase at that time, so…

I stare at Ringo while expressing my intent to object, but…

“…I’ll sleep here.”

Ringo declares that stubbornly and unfazed, trying to sit down with me next to my bed.

Of course I become flustered.

“W-Wait a minute! Didn’t you decide on your own room!? Why are you…”

Ringo, on the other hand, cut off my panicked words in response.

“When I take my eyes off of you… Souma… you die.”

“Quit it with those ominous prophetic words!!”

Erghhhh.. I grab and pull my own hair.

It seems that the bathroom incident has flipped off an overprotective switch inside Ringo.

I can’t take it too seriously either, as it’s merely an act of goodwill.

“…It can’t be helped.”

I hand over the stuffed bear that had been sitting by my pillow. “You didn’t bring a pillow. Use this.”

At this stage, a gentleman might give up his bed for her, and by doing so everything would settle down.

However, I don’t have the guts to sleep in the same bed as her, so this gesture is all that I can do.

Ringo stared at the stuffed bear for a good ten seconds, and then…

“…Thanks.”

She said, and took the bear. Without hesitation, she placed it on the edge of the bed and rested her chin on it. She remained in that position and started to look at me intently… Ok, I’m soooooo uncomfortable.

“Ringo? W-what are you doing?”

Somehow I had a bad feeling about it, but when I asked her….

“…Hmm. So that Souma doesn’t die, I’m watching over you.”

”Oof…..!”

I abruptly let out a strange breath in response.

Apparently, Ringo’s true feelings are that if she takes her eyes off of me, I’ll die. Originally I thought she was just a bit overprotective, or maybe I was just weak, but…

“…In the bath, Souma, you stopped moving, so…”

Apparently, the bathing incident had caused her more worry than I could have imagined. If her voice came out this anxiously, even I can’t even unilaterally push it away.

After a moment’s thought, I held out my hand towards Ringo.

“…Souma?”

To Ringo, who voiced out in wonder, I quickly communicated to her.

”If we hold our hands, you’ll be able to tell even without looking.” I said with my body language. I felt something warm touching my outstretched hand. Ringo’s small hand gingerly squeezed mine.

I feel the warmth that was coming from her hand I held. I felt the faint pulsation of a heartbeat.

It made me feel strongly that Ringo was indeed alive, that she wasn’t just data, she was a real person, and that she was a close person to me.

“…Hey, Ringo.”

I only just realised that I opened my mouth.

I’m on top of the bed, and Ringo is underneath. We can’t see each other’s faces from this position, and even if we don’t, the only light source is the moonlight shining through the window.

But the situation made me put together words that I normally wouldn’t be able to speak.

“Do you notice that I know things that regular people don’t?”

There was no answer to that question for a little while.

I wondered if maybe she was already asleep, but soon she replied in a small voice.

“…Somewhat.”

Somewhat, huh?

That answer suits Ringo.

I bitterly smile to myself and continue speaking.

“Have you ever thought about how I know those things? Do you wonder where my knowledge came from? Or any questions like that?…”

I stopped talking after that and waited for Ringo’s response.

If Ringo responded with a “No”, I’d end my talk with that.

It’s not like the person in question doesn’t care, but it’s not like they’re forced to talk.

However, if she answered “I do wonder”, I would plan to give her an explanation. I don’t know if I’m going to go so far as to say that this world is a game, but it’s just that I grew up in a very different and distant place from here.

But, after the long silence had ended, it was neither of those things that Ringo uttered.

“…From a game?”

She said it in a small, unconfident voice, but I’m sure she said it.

She had guessed the right answer that no one else but me should have known.

“What the hell is this…!”

My thoughts turned to chaos.

The word ‘game’ itself does have a place in this world. But there are no games in this world that are as advanced as ones that use a computer. There can’t be.

In this world, games are at best, board games and other games that do not use machines. It’s supposed to show naive play, and we don’t usually think that it leads to special knowledge.

In contrast to my dismay, Ringo speaks blandly, in a voice with no trace of emotion.

“…Before, Souma told me.”

“Before? When?”

While asking that uneasily, Ringo replied.

“Yesterday, a big…”

But before those words could be finished.

-JIRIRIRIRIRRIRIRIRI!!!!!

A pitter-patter sound echoed through the room, drowning out her voice.

“W-What on earth!?”

At this sudden strange event, I jumped out of bed.

-JIRIRIRIRIRRIRIRIRI!!!!!

The sound, like an alarm, came from a pitch-black object placed in the corner of the room.

This is an antique that can be said to be a relic of the old days, especially in the modern era of VR. That’s for sure.

It’s a machine that was referred to as a “black rotary-dial telephone”.

(At a time like this, what a bad moment!)

During the day I thought I couldn’t use it, but I wonder if the reception is different.

To begin with, it’s hard to imagine getting a phone call at at this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within my room, but anyhow I know that I need to pick it up.

“Hello?”

I called out in an irritated voice to whoever is on the other end of the phone.

<…..all.>

A faint voice could be heard through the receiver held to her ear.

But the voice was so small that I couldn’t hear the words.

“What did you say?”

<……….will….all…>

“Eh?”

Even on the second time, I still couldn’t figure out the words.

But then,

The third time, the words were clearly audible.

<I will kill you all.>

Just as my brain comprehended these words, the voice said. <I will never never never never forgive those who are hard to live die join the world of the dead like us I’ll kill you until death arrives you and your partners I’ll absolutely murder you all I’ll definitely kill you—>

Unable to withstand the sudden surge of hate, I let go of the receiver.

“What the hell was that…?”

It was a litany of words that had been boiled down to nothing but malice.

I stared at the rotary phone which had dropped to the ground, placed there like in a creepy scene.

—–Bang!

Behind me, there was a strong sound as if something had exploded

I glanced behind me reflexively and gasped involuntarily.

“Hey! T-this…”

There was a bright red handprint on the wall.

Something like this couldn’t have been there when I walked into the room.

As I wondered why in the world… once again, Bang. Another explosive sound.

A new crimson handprint is engraved on the wall, as if an invisible human being was moving on it,

—BANG! BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!!

Then, like a dam breaking, the explosive sounds continued, informing me of the thing that cannot be seen walking onward.

That handprints crawling around the wall somehow seemed to be getting closer to me.

(Dammit! What the hell is going on here?)

I don’t understand. I don’t know why, but I felt like it was dangerous to be here anyway. “Ringo, Right now let’s…”

I felt an instinctive fear, and just as I was about to say go outside…

———Za, zaza, za—-.

A new, unusual sound echoed from the back.

The place it came from was…

(The TV!)

The TV screen, which should not have been projecting anything onto the screen so far, showed what looked like a vague shadow of a person.

No, I don’t think it ends here.

———….n’t. run.”

I hear an eerie voice.

Then, a woman with long hair crawled out of the TV screen, as if she broke the 2nd dimension and reached the 3rd dimension.

—-YOU CAN’T RUNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That thing jumped at me with a single leap.

Not only that, I can’t move my body right now.

“Souma!!”

But a second before her hands reach me, Ringo’s sharp voice echoed through the darkness.

A flash of light dazzled the dark room and blew away the woman who was closing in on me.

It’s Ringo’s thunderbolt attack.

“Y-You saved me.”

While I thanked her in a slightly shrill voice, Ringo doesn’t even grimace as she took my arm and tried to guide me to the exit of the room.

“Out, quickly!”

“No, but that thing just now…”

When I was about to say more,

————–….n’t. run.”

“Eh?”

I heard what sounded like noise again, coming from the TV.

So I turned around.

—-YOU CAN’T RUNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw the woman with the long hair, who should have been defeated by us earlier, crawling towards us at a tremendous speed.

“Nna! No way!”

We ran out of the room as fast as we could.

We quickly closed the door.

“That was…”

Close, but I just couldn’t say it all.

Rattle rattle, Rattle rattle, a messy yet forceful and violent sound was coming from a turning doorknob.

“Th-This is bad!”

I jumped over before even the door moved a tiny bit.

I stopped the door just before it had opened.

However, the force that was pulling the door open from the inside was so strong that it’s unlikely to last long at this rate.

“Ringo, get the keys!!”

After unlocking all the rooms on the ground floor, I left the keys to the mansion on the table in the living room.

In order to lock this door again, one of us would have to go and get it.

“..Wait a bit.”

It’s times like these that I can count on Ringo

She won’t panic or ask again for instructions, so she quickly turned around.

—You, You CAN’T, You CAN’T RUNNNN!!!!”

“Ugh!”

Constant shockwaves travelled through the door.

Each time it happened, my body kept feeling like it’s going to be sent flying off.

But I’m desperate, too. I placed my back to the door and put my foot down with all my might.

—-Open up! OPEN UPPPP!!!”

With a frightening voice that echoed directly into my head, a strong impact ran through the door.

At this rate, the door itself was going to be breached before I run out of strength.

“Ringo! You there yet!?”

I exclaimed thoughtlessly.

I don’t know if my prayers were answered, but,

“Soma, here!”

Ringo’s voice cuts through the darkness.

At the end of the still far corridor, her blue shadow swayed, and a shining thing flew from her.

I held the door desperately with one hand while I grabbed the flying bright object firmly in my other hand.

It’s the key to the house.

—YOU CAN’T RUN! NEVERRRRR!!!!!

I put the key in the keyhole, resisting the urge to cover my ears while that voice of resentment continued to berate me.

With my shaky hands I turned the key.

The moment it was locked, I knew that the pressure behind the door had instantly diminished.

For a while, the voice and the shock continued, but eventually the momentum waned.

—-You can’t run… you.. can’t…

Several seconds later, the room finally fell silent.

(…Did we… do it?)

I dragged myself over and sat down on the spot.

Even though I had taken a bath earlier, I broke out in a cold sweat.

For a few seconds in the darkened hallway, when I was sitting there, unable to move.

“… Stay… Strong.”

Ringo, which had taken out only the stuffed bear, tapped me on the shoulder.