Chapter 416 - 416: “Master Call”

"You came all this way to consult, so say anything."

"Ah, yes. Thank you. Since that day, I can't get Aoi-san out of my head."

Hm?

What?

My thought process stopped and I can't properly understand Haruki's words.

"T-this is weird, right? I don't know anything about Aoi-san. But I end up remembering at unexpected times."

"Is that because I was the opponent who took the card from your brother?"

I barely manage to react. This kind of development was completely unexpected, so my head isn't organized.

"N-no. That, I also thought at first that might be it, but it wasn't that."

"Meaning?"

"Please don't think I'm a weird girl. Probably, I think I like Aoi-san."

I see.

I had wondered if that might be the case, but it really came. An eroge-like development.

That strange blinking must be the cause. "Liner" must have set something up.

"Um, thank you. It's a happy thing to be liked."

"E-even though it's the first time meeting you, I can't forget you. I end up remembering. More than my creepy muttering brother, now, that, Aoi-san feels more like a brother to me."

Ah, yeah yeah.

That's because I'm your Master. Probably.

"A-and, t-that's not all. I-I've never dated a man before, but for some reason, that, when I think of Aoi-san, even though I have no experience, I end up thinking about k-kissing or, that, d-doing lewd things."

While saying that, Haruki stands up from the chair. Her faintly red cheeks become even redder. Her eyes are moist.

I know.

This is the face Haruki makes when she's in heat.

"Ah, I like Aoi-san so much I can't stand it. On top of feeling like a brother, a different kind of liking is increasing. S-someone like me is weird, right? Creepy, right?"

While saying that, Haruki comes in front of me and leans her face in.

Is this a kiss?

My first kiss in life?

Am I going to kiss my classmate's younger sister?

"Is the talk not done yet?"

Whoa.

At my mother's voice, Haruki quickly separates from me.

"It's already late at night. We're about to leave by car, so we'll drive you home."

Saved. I ended up thinking that.

"I understand the talk. I'm happy to be liked. But I want to think about various things a bit more. You can wait, right? Tell me your contact info."

"Yes, please."

Haruki nodded with a bright red face.

—-

I checked the information on the site, but of course there were no reports about a case like this.

In my prediction, the condition seems to be performing a second filming on the character herself who has reached "Devoted." That incredible speed of light blinking is probably a type of light burst transfer.

"World" becoming virtual reality is also because data is delivered directly from the eyeballs to the brain via HMD or GD. It's not that you're watching images on the HMD or GD. The structure is completely different from "MANHUNT."

I don't know what "Liner" intended by incorporating this jack-in-the-box, but it shouldn't be a mechanism that harms the Ten Greats who use the custom version.

There was a decisive event that led to the Ten Greats being called the Ten Greats. Even before that we were vaguely called that, but we were existences that checked each other and viewed each other as rivals. Sometimes we even attacked each other's PCs.

At one point it was discovered that a malicious program had been embedded in the main computer of a Russian missile base. The Russian side hadn't noticed, but it was discovered when "Liner" noticed a suspicious program upon invading.

This program was a seriously no-joke program that would make them mistakenly recognize that an American ICBM, which hadn't actually been launched, had been launched, and launch a Russian ICBM in retaliation. This fact was made known to us, who were vaguely called the Ten Greats at the time, and to influential hackers. Only the Ten Greats were informed of the "window" that "Liner" opened, and we united for the first time. This world is a shitty world, but it's not rotten enough that it should be destroyed.

With the power of the Ten Greats we were able to stop it about 7 minutes before the ICBM was launched.

And I had found, in part of that malicious program, the syntax that "Liner" prefers to use. A fact that probably only I noticed. I somewhat understand "Liner"'s intent. Since then, sympathy was born among us Ten Greats. Probably that was the aim.

And above all, "Liner" likes mischief.

After that the Ten Greats snatched funds gathered by terrorist organizations, grasped the locations of human trafficking organization hideouts and reported them to the authorities, and rewrote the programs of a certain country's nuclear development facilities to deal devastating blows. We contributed to the world to some extent, didn't we?

Even so.

If we had kissed like that, and I had said to offer her virginity with that momentum, it felt like she would have offered it.

I was someone who thought first kisses had no value, but now that it's come to this, I was surprised that there was a me who was unexpectedly particular about it.

Of course, the face that floated in my head was Akie Omoi's.

◇

I logged in while holding a murky feeling.

I appear in the abandoned village. I materialize the women. When Haruki materialized I felt a little nervous.

"Welcome back, Master."

"Ah, I'm back."

Haruki is of course the usual Haruki. Short-cut hair. Slightly reddish cheeks. A pure-looking demeanor.

"Haruki."

"Yes, Master."

She runs over with her usual tottering steps. I hug Haruki's waist and kiss her.

"Hae?"

I separate immediately. Hmm, this kind of feeling. There was a me who confirmed it again. What the hell am I confirming?

"What was that just now?"

"Just a little confirmation. Well then, let's investigate the abandoned village a bit more."

"Yes, Master."

When we walk around for a while we encounter enemies, but as expected they're the same as before, only low-level undead-type monsters.

"No progress. Should we return to the base for now?"

"Yes, there's no benefit to leveling either."

That was when it happened.

"master call"

A red button popped up. Along with a small beep.

"Was there still a Master on this map? Where?"

When I open the map there's one red light point. "master call" is a type of wide-area magic that Masters use. It's an emergency help request used when oneself is in a pinch. The MMP used is half of maximum MMP. In other words, conversely, if you don't leave that amount you can't use it. If more than half MMP remains, even in a pinch you end up enduring, and as a result you fall below half and can't use it. It was a wide-area magic for emergencies that tested a Master's judgment.

"Shall we head there?"

"Of course."

I cardify the women, image the light point on the map, and fly.

"Transport"

The northern end of the map. What are they doing in a place like this with no village? "Transport" sometimes shifts from the destination, and there's no one around. There's a reasonably wide path that's not maintained running through a coniferous forest, and I'm standing there.

I materialize the women.

"There are footprints on the path."

Haruki notices. Indeed there are multiple footprints.

"It seems they headed that way."

The footprints are new, and all of them are heading north.

"Then let's go. Don't let your guard down. It seems to be an emergency."

"Yes, Master."

We immediately encountered.

"Armor Skeleton" Lv40

"Living Dead" Lv50

"Savage Zombie" Lv42

"Zombie Wolf" Lv35 Lv35 Lv34

What the hell is this?