Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part4 (1/2)
VOLUME 1
Season 1, Episode 4
Episode 4:
Shun walked out of the living room and into the hallway for some privacy, his phone clutched to his ear.
”What is it, Uehara?”
”What do you mean by, 'what is it'? Didn't you play Dragon Bless today?”
Even over the receiver, Uehara's voice seemed calm and unperturbed. It was only because Shun knew Uehara as well as he did that he managed to catch a rare hint of excitement in his friend's voice. (In fact, he'd think that his friend was a physic, given the timing that mail of his)
”Err… Yeah, I've played today.”
”Then you know that Rosalie has disappeared?”
The words came tumbling out of his friend's mouth. His eagerness was apparent.
”Like, there's a huge uproar over this, just check the internet! People are saying it's impossible! There is no way that every single game in the world has the same bug at the exact same time. And what's more, Dragon Bless isn't played online, so no main server to blame here.”
”A bug, huh?”
”If you were to play now, you'd know. It's like, Rosalie's suddenly disappeared and the screen is permanently frozen. Then, when you try to restart the game, the same thing happens. The saved data and everything, it's gone too! I've not really played D.R. since clearing the final stage, but just now, I went to check and it's just like everyone says. It's horrible!”
Uehara's description, sloppy as it was, resounded in Shun's mind. It was more than likely that Shun was a witness to that incident, too.
He was watching her swing her sword on the screen, and for a split second, thought how amazing it would be if she really were here, when suddenly she disappeared and the television screen blanked out.
It was just as Uehara described it.
Except that in his case, she disappeared from his screen, only to appear right in front of him.
”All those online discussion forums, such as 2-channel and the like, are going crazy! A lot of people out there have this insane theory that this is part of a large scale terrorist operation that'll hit j.a.pan! Then, like, there have been people saying that they've called the game producers to find out the cause of this, while others are speculating that another country has terrorist designs on j.a.pan - ”
Uehara rattled on, with Shun barely ingesting half of what he said.
Wasn't his fault, anyway. Words like 'futaba' and 'beeper' were only meant to be understood by people like Uehara, who was neck-deep in otaku culture.
The world had turned completely upside-down.
Shun was on the verge of giving up. He seriously had no idea what to think of anymore.
Well, not that anyone could blame him. The so-called 'bug' that had quaked the internet was standing right in the middle of his living room.
Rosalie had really appeared in the real world, hadn't she?
”Hey, you still there Kanda?”
”Wha - Ah, sorry, Uehara.”
”Well, I guess in your case, it's the shock talking isn't it. Have you finally cleared that last level yet?”
”E-Err… No, not yet.”
A tap on his shoulder and a soft voice uttered his name.
”Shun.”
Frightened out of his wits, he nearly dropped his phone in shock. Rosalie was standing right behind him now.
”H-Hey, what was that - Wait, is that a girl's voice I hear?”
”Sorry, I'll call you back!”
Shun hung up, and cut the power, just in case.
And again, ”Shun.”
”W-What?”
His stutter did nothing to hide the fact he was panicking inside. Her proximity didn't help either. If anything, it only made things worse, considering that a few moments ago he was flush against those generous mounds.
He felt his face redden.
Somehow though that stuttered acknowledgement was sufficient. Shun watched as Rosalie lifted her head, her face alight with awe, to gaze at him with something akin to respect.
And then -
”I, Rosalie, heroine and princess of my people, hereby promise myself to you as your bride!”
–
Had he not borne witness to the fact that Rosalie, the beautiful heroine, the princess and the only character worthy of notice in the game ”Dragon Bless”, had proposed to him, Kanda Shun, on bended knee, he would never have believed it.
No, not even if his life depended on it.
–
You see, coincidence really was a b.i.t.c.h.
In order to defeat the true Demon Overlord in Dragon Bless's in-game story plot, the character had to manoeuvre Rosalie into entering a marriage, albeit only in name, to the Dragon King Spirit. As the name suggested, the Dragon King Spirit was merely a spiritual presence, unable to take physical manifestation, and after the marriage ritual, Rosalie would gain a new power that was needed in order to win against the Demon Overlord.
And here's where the coincidence comes into play. The name of the Dragon King Spirit just happened to be - Shun.
As there would be no going back after gaining the power - it was a straight road from there to the battle with the Demon Overlord. Shun had not yet played past that particular story flag in-game.
”I finally understand.” Rosalie's voice interrupted his train of thought.
”This is a completely different world. None of those that I've mentioned before were correct.”
Shun shot her a hopeful look. Rosalie might have managed to figure out that this was the real world after all!
A small nod, and then, ”This is the world of the Dragon King Spirit.”
Shun slapped a hand to his forehead.
Oh dear G.o.d. This was going to be a piece of work.
–
”W-Wait! You're making a huge mistake!”
At this point, Shun was willing to try anything to get her to understand her situation.
”I'm not the Dragon King Spirit! Yes, you're right, this is a completely different world, but it's not the one you imagine it to be! I'll explain everything to you in a minute, so if you'll just stay calm and listen t - ”
Great, she wasn't even listening to him.
”Let us now exchange our vows!”
He really needed to explain it all to her soon, or else - Wait, what did she just say?
”Wait, what? Exchange vows?”
In a flash, Rosalie had stood up. Drawing herself up to full height, she closed in on Shun. With nowhere to run or hide, Shun found himself, once again, backed against a wall.
”Eek!” An unmanly squeak sounded from the back of his throat.
Rosalie pressed on.
”O Great one, please offer me your protection.”
Shun, never one to defy others, even on the best of days, found his resistance crumbling. Rosalie really was overwhelming. In fact, with her bending low in front of him, almost mounting him, he had already lost in the battle of wills.
He gulped.
Atop of him, Rosalie once again put forth her request, ”I would like for you to marry me.”
Marry her? As in, like, the exchanging of vows an-
Suddenly, a window appeared in Shun's direct line of sight.
-Marry her
-Do not marry her
–
Any more of this, and his heart would give way.