A crossover anime/manga story, set in everyday Tokyo, but within a loop of a game.

Asuna Yuuki sighed softly, a helpless expression on her face.

"Where did this absurd logic come from..."

Kotoko Iwanaga, however, pressed on relentlessly.

"Compared to Asuna, I'm definitely cuter, right? Right? Right?"

"Just as cute."

"Tch... What kind of perfunctory answer is that..."

Kotoko Iwanaga didn't seem very satisfied with the answer. She put her hands on her knees, her fair and lovely face puffed up with anger, turning into a little steamed bun.

Just then, the door was gently pushed open. Kato Megumi was holding a tray in her right hand with several plates of pastries and paper cups on it, and a bottle of barley tea that she had just taken out of the refrigerator in her left hand. Since both her hands were occupied, she could only gently push the door open with her shoulder.

Upon seeing this, Asuna Yuuki quickly stood up, took the tray from Megumi Kato, and smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

"Excuse me, Kato-kun, I'm sure you're finding this visit quite troubling."

"It will not happen."

Kato Megumi placed the drinks on the table, then knelt down beside the low table, looked at Asagiri, Iwanaga Kotoko, and Yuuki Asuna, shook her head, and replied in a gentle and kind voice.

"In fact, I'm quite happy that you came to find me. After all, if I team up with you, the chances of surviving in the dungeon will be much higher, right? I'm just a little surprised that two of you look about my age and that you even brought a little kid with you."

Kotoko Iwanaga pouted and muttered with slight dissatisfaction.

“I’m not a child, I’m the same age as you.”

"Is that so? I'm sorry, I misunderstood."

"Um... there's no need to be so serious..."

Kotoko Iwanaga realized that she wasn't very good at dealing with Megumi Kato.

How should I describe the other person's personality...?

She was too calm, so calm that even Iwanaga Kotoko, who liked to make strange remarks, felt powerless when facing Kato Megumi, as if she were punching cotton.

"Kato-kun, then I'll just get straight to the point."

Asuna Yuuki took the initiative to negotiate with Megumi Kato, because, to be honest, she felt that she was the only normal person in the three-person team.

Kotoko Iwanaga and Asagiri?

These two are both heavyweight abstract thinkers; don't let Kato Megumi scare them again.

Kato Megumi nodded, placing her hands on her thighs, her tone calm yet polite.

"Well, please speak."

Asuna Yuuki took a deep breath, composed herself, and then looked directly into Megumi Kato's face, speaking in a very serious tone.

"First of all, I want to remind you that we have killed other players. Although they attacked us first, that's not the point. The point is, can you accept our style of doing things? If you are the kind of player who, no matter what the situation, would not want to take someone else's life even if you were attacked, then maybe... you are not suitable to join our team."

"Um……"

Kato Megumi did not answer immediately upon hearing this, but pondered for a while before asking in return.

"Would you attack other players without any prior grudge?"

Asuna Yuuki shook her head: "No."

"Then... if we encounter danger in the dungeon, will you sacrifice me to ensure your own safety?"

"This one……"

Asuna Yuuki couldn't answer the question, since she wasn't the team leader, so she could only turn her gaze to Asagiri, who answered without hesitation.

"will not."

"why?"

Kato Megumi's tone was very gentle, but she didn't give off a weak feeling.

"In comparison, I was the last person to join the team, and I have no emotional connection with you guys. Let alone friends, I don't even know your names yet. Why were you so sure that you wouldn't sacrifice me even if we encountered danger in the dungeon?"

"This has nothing to do with feelings or anything like that."

Asagiri smiled and patiently explained.

"Trust is something that cannot be quantified, and once it is broken, it can never be restored to its original state. If I, as the leader, encounter danger in a dungeon and choose to sacrifice you, what will the other two think? If I can sacrifice you, who can guarantee that I won't sacrifice the other two? If we lose trust in each other, then the so-called team will no longer have any value, but will instead become a burden."

"More importantly, I am not the kind of captain who can only come up with plans to sacrifice teammates to ensure my own safety. I have absolute confidence in my ability and judgment as a leader."

"That's it..."

Kato Megumi nodded noncommittally at first, then gave a gentle smile.

"Well then, I look forward to your guidance from now on."

"Great."

Hearing that Kato Megumi had agreed, Yuuki Asuna breathed a sigh of relief, since anyone could realize how powerful Kato Megumi's unique talent was.

By minimizing his presence and remaining completely still, even Kotoko Iwanaga, who specializes in mental abilities, failed to detect him.

If I were to acquire a class like an assassin or a rogue... no, even a support class that buffs or heals teammates, as long as I have this talent that reduces my own presence, I can ensure that I won't become the enemy's primary target.

Moreover, Kato Megumi's extraordinary calmness and composure are also essential qualities for becoming an excellent player.

"By the way, Kato-san."

Asuna Yuuki looked at Megumi Kato and asked.

"If I sign up for the dungeon today, then the entry time will be Wednesday, is that alright?"

"Well, it's okay."

Kato Megumi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and replied softly.

"I can just ask for leave in advance. My parents trust me completely. As long as I say I'm going to stay at a friend's house on Tuesday night, there won't be any problem."

"Okay, let's add each other as friends first."

After adding each other as friends, Kato Megumi looked at the pop-up notification in the app with the eye icon and muttered to herself.

"Kotoko Iwanaga, Asuna Yuuki, Asagiri Utsunomiya... Hmm, I've memorized all your names."

Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

"Don't be so formal~ Aside from when we're in a dungeon, we're just ordinary high school friends getting together, there's no need to be so reserved."

"okay."

After the conversation ended, Asagiri opened the app with the eye icon and started registering for the dungeon.

He's a high-level player and has the privilege of randomly selecting keywords to enter the corresponding dungeon, so he'll definitely be the first to sign up for the dungeon. Then, his teammates Asuna Yuuki, Kotoko Iwanaga, and Megumi Kato just need to sign up for the dungeon on the same day.

After Asagiri clicked to register, several dark red words gradually appeared on the phone screen.

[Zombies] [Mountains] [Sailing]

"Is this the keyword hint for the next selectable copy...?"

Asuna Yuuki and Kotoko Iwanaga looked at the three keywords that appeared on Asagiri's phone screen and began to think seriously. Although Megumi Kato did not know what they were doing, she just sat obediently and did not make a sound to disturb them.

"Sailing...can we rule that out first?"

"Yes, I agree."

Upon hearing Kotoko Iwanaga's opinion, Asuna Yuuki nodded thoughtfully.

"Since it's about sailing, the dungeon location will most likely be a cruise ship or passenger ship sailing on the sea. None of us have any water-related talents or skills. Also, if the dungeon location is a ship, the space is somewhat cramped, the cabin is too complicated, and the view is easily obstructed, which is not conducive to Asagiri's 'Casting', nor is it conducive to me making use of my speed advantage. So this option can be ruled out for now."

After Asuna Yuuki finished speaking, Kotoko Iwanaga followed up with her analysis.

"The remaining two... the terrain of the mountains and forests is also very complicated, and the clue is about the location. We don't know what kind of danger is in the dungeon. Sigh, this is really troublesome. If there were clues related to strange things, we could make a choice directly. After all, our current personnel configuration is best suited to deal with strange types of dungeons."

"Choose a zombie."

Upon hearing that Asagiri had suddenly made a decision, Asuna Yuuki couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Why? How did you decide so quickly?"

Asagiri shrugged and explained.

"One reason is that I prefer entering dungeons where I know where the danger comes from, rather than dungeons where I don't know exactly what the danger is. Another reason is..."

Asagiri looked at Yuuki Asuna's face and said with a smile.

"Your exclusive talent grants you increased agility, speed, and reflexes with each enemy you kill, right? It's hard to say about the dungeons corresponding to the other two keywords, but zombie-themed dungeons will definitely have a considerable number of zombie enemies. Compared to dungeons with only a few enemies, this dungeon is the most suitable for you to enhance your strength through the effects of your exclusive talent."

63

Chapter 63: The Fun of the "Players".

"So that's it..."

Upon hearing that Asagiri had chosen the "zombie" keyword for the dungeon because of her talent "Shining", Asuna Yuuki blushed. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, turned her head away, and dared not look directly into Asagiri's eyes. She suppressed her shyness and whispered.

"Um...thank you."

"Waaaaah, it's not fair! It's not fair!"

Seeing the smiling Asagiri and the slightly shy Yuuki Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, like a little girl who had lost her beloved toy, immediately lay down on the ground and started rolling around, complaining incessantly.

"Why wasn't I matched with Asagiri in the same newbie dungeon? Why didn't I meet him first?! This is unfair! I demand a rematch!"

Seeing this, Kato Megumi suddenly asked a question that made Yuuki Asuna's pretty face turn bright red, and she didn't even know how to respond.

"Yuki-kun, are you and Utsunomiya-kun a couple?"

"No, no, no, no... well... Kotoko was just joking, Kato-kun, just ignore her."

"Oh, that's how it is."

Kato Megumi seemed to have seen through everything. She nodded calmly, then took out her smartphone and started playing with it, entering the legendary "Saint Megumi Mode," displaying the demeanor of a wise person who was detached from everything.

"Alright, let's stop here."

Upon hearing Asagiri's words, Kotoko Iwanaga quickly got up from the ground. Her aggrieved and pitiful expression vanished, and she immediately became serious. The speed of her change of expression was so fast that Asuna Yuuki even suspected that her awakened exclusive talent was Persona.

"Besides what I just mentioned, there are other reasons for choosing to enter the instance with the keyword 'zombie'."

Asagiri looked at Yuuki Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, and Kato Megumi in front of her and said in a calm tone.

"With our current team strength that completely crushes most players, we can achieve a high-level completion rating in any type of first-stage dungeon. I want to enter the dungeon corresponding to the keyword 'zombie' mainly to explore the so-called world view of the dungeon and the essence of this game."

"Worldview...essence?"

"Yes."

Asagiri nodded slightly and patiently explained.

"What we know so far is that the world of the dungeon includes the Giant Mountain Mental Hospital and the world where the hotel is located. Let's call it the 'Strange World' for now. The biggest mystery in that world is the information we learned in the hotel dungeon last time about the 'person in black clothes'. Since the keyword for this dungeon is 'zombie', if it is indeed a zombie apocalypse dungeon as I guessed, then three problems arise."

"First, is the post-apocalyptic zombie world and the eerie world the same world?"

"The second question is, if it's not the same world, then in the end, are the so-called 'dungeons' in this 'game' just transporting us to one world after another, filled with different types of dangers?"

"Thirdly, all the dungeons at this stage are PVE-type survival or escape. Since the main goal of the 'game' is not to have players kill each other, then why are there so many challenges and rewards for 'players' in the dungeons? Who is the real enemy? Is it the group of people in black that Alice mentioned in the last dungeon, who clearly entered the hotel and could have dealt with the strange floating corpse in the water tank, but ultimately did nothing?"

Upon hearing Asagiri's words, Asuna Yuuki, Kotoko Iwanaga, and Megumi Kato were all stunned.

"Forehead……"

"Of course, you don't need to think about these things right now."

Seeing his three teammates looking bewildered, as if their brains were overloaded, Asagiri simply waved his hand and smiled.

"I just think that as a 'player,' exploring the worldview and truth of the 'game,' even if you don't get any obvious rewards for the time being, is a very interesting and fun thing to do."

"You're actually treating this 'game' as a real game?"

Asuna Yuuki chuckled and shook her head, speaking softly.

"Whatever you want. Actually, I'm quite curious about the truth behind this app, but the most important thing right now is to make sure we can survive in the dungeon. Only players with enough strength to easily complete the dungeon have the energy to explore the truth, right?"

"Then it's settled. Let's choose the instance corresponding to the keyword 'zombie'."

Upon hearing that Asagiri had made a decision, Kotoko Iwanaga's eyes sparkled, as if she had come up with some wonderful idea, and she spoke with a smile.

"By the way, Kato said she's going to a friend's house on Tuesday night. In that case, why don't we all come to my house on Tuesday night, and then we can all enter the dungeon together at the same location on Wednesday?"

"Go to your home?"