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

After saying that, Kato Megumi glanced at Yuuki Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko standing there, and said in a casual yet meaningful tone.

"After all, Violet and Necro both made very important contributions."

"Forehead……"

Faced with Kato Megumi's seemingly suggestive words, Yuuki Asuna didn't know how to respond and could only quickly change the subject.

"So what should we do next? This instance is different from the usual ones. We don't know if any players have infiltrated the pedestrians. Moreover, the objective of this instance is to obtain experimental data. Although the system says that if any player obtains the data, it is considered that all players have completed the instance, we can easily figure out that the player who personally obtains the experimental data will definitely get the best reward."

"really."

Kotoko Iwanaga nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

"The four of us won't argue over this. As long as there's a chance, it doesn't matter who gets it. But we can't just hand over such a reward to other players, and they can't give it to us either... Although the system doesn't mandate PVP, in order to get the best reward, players are very likely... no, they absolutely will have a physical conflict."

"Armed conflict...?"

Asuna Yuuki's eyes revealed a complex expression as she murmured.

"The first challenge is to locate the research institute's base within 24 hours. After arriving, we need to break through the institute's defenses, be wary of other players, and finally find the location where the data is stored..."

"Is the first test really that simple?"

Asagiri shook her head, interrupting Asuna Yuuki's words, and said calmly.

"Given the difficulty of the second phase, I don't believe the first test arranged by the system, which lasts a full twenty-four hours, will be completely free of danger, simply giving players time to move around and investigate. The fact that no danger has appeared yet might just be an adaptation phase given to players by the system. Our next step... hmm, let me think..."

At this point, Asagiri paused for a moment, then smiled and said.

"Let's find an internet cafe first."

Huh? An internet cafe?

"Yes, an internet cafe."

Asagiri nodded, looking at the three women who seemed slightly puzzled, and said in a serious tone.

"Don't underestimate the power of the internet."

"The issue is……"

Kato Megumi asked cautiously.

"Going to an internet cafe requires money, right? We can't bring any real-world items into the dungeon, and we don't have any money on us...wait?"

Just as Kato Megumi was speaking, she saw Asagiri pull a black leather jacket out of her pocket, open it, and find a thick wad of banknotes inside.

"Come on, payday. Everyone gets 20,000 yen, just in case."

Asuna Yuuki took the banknotes from Asagiri and couldn't help but chuckle with curiosity.

"Where did you get this money?"

"Take it."

"Stolen?"

"Hey, little girl, why do you talk so rudely?"

Asagiri frowned slightly, speaking with an air of self-righteousness.

"I only took that person's wallet and didn't even kill him. This is simply an act of kindness. He should be grateful. I have such a pure and innocent heart."

Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki sighed helplessly and retorted.

"No wonder you always make references to Water Margin. So you're a bandit after all. But whatever, we do need the money, and this isn't our world. Let's just take it."

"Yo ho?"

Kotoko Iwanaga smiled and said.

"Violet, your moral standards have become quite flexible! You're nothing like the rigid and boring person you were when we first met!"

"hehe."

Asuna Yuuki rolled her eyes and said irritably.

"That was infected by you and Leader."

……

After putting away their weapons and equipment, the four-person team returned to the street, searching for any internet cafes or similar places nearby.

"This one……"

Kato Megumi pursed her lips and asked cautiously.

"Am I just imagining things? Ever since the beginning, people have been looking this way."

"No, it's not your imagination."

Asuna Yuuki shook her head, glanced at Asagiri and Kotoko Iwanaga beside her, and sighed with a hint of helplessness.

"With these two around, it's hard for us to go unnoticed..."

Just as Asuna Yuuki said, even without wearing masks, Asagiri and Kotoko Iwanaga would still attract the attention of people around them when they walked down the street.

There's no other reason than that these two people's appearances are simply too eye-catching.

Besides her cute appearance, Kotoko Iwanaga also possesses the elegant demeanor of a well-bred lady, further enhanced by her gorgeous dress.

And the morning mist...

It's simply because she's too good-looking.

Asuna Yuuki leaned closer to Asagiri and said with a smile.

"Why don't you put on your mask? You're more conspicuous without it than with it, I really didn't expect that."

Asagiri replied with a smile.

"You deserve a lot of credit for making us attract so much attention."

"Eh? Me?"

Seeing the puzzled look on Yuuki Asuna's face, Asagiri shook her head and said softly.

"You don't seem to have a clear understanding of how cute you are. Although Necro and I are both very noticeable, a tall and beautiful girl like you will naturally attract a lot of attention when walking down the street. You don't think you're just average-looking, do you?"

Upon hearing Asagiri say that she was very cute, Asuna Yuuki blushed slightly, turned her head to the side, tucked her long flaxen hair behind her ear, and whispered.

"I...of course I know I'm not bad looking..."

"Oh, so you were pretending not to know, wanting me to praise you? Oh dear, I've fallen for your trick."

"Go away, what is it?"

Asuna Yuuki, blushing and slightly embarrassed, lightly pushed Asagiri's shoulder.

"Do you think I'm like you? I'm not that narcissistic."

Looking at the backs of Asagiri, Asuna Yuuki, and Kotoko Iwanaga ahead, and noticing the curious stares from the surrounding crowd directed at the three, Megumi Kato followed silently like an invisible person. After a while, she approached, pointed to a sign on the street, and spoke softly.

"Leader, there's an internet cafe here."

"Okay, let's go then."

After taking the elevator to the third floor, Asagiri led Yuuki Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, and Kato Megumi to the front desk of the internet cafe.

"Is this an internet cafe...?"

Upon entering, Asuna Yuuki, Megumi Kato, and Kotoko Iwanaga all looked around with some curiosity, as they had never been to an internet cafe before and this was their first time.

The internet cafe didn't have a main hall or any open seating area. Instead, it had individual booths separated by wooden partitions that extended inwards. There were also signs on the walls that said "No Smoking" and "Please Do Not Make Loud Noises."

"Welcome, three... Eh? Middle school students?"

When the female clerk at the internet cafe saw Kotoko Iwanaga, her smile froze for a moment, and she looked at Asagiri with an awkward smile.

“Um… sir, if you are not accompanied by a parent… we do not allow junior high school students to enter here.”

"I am a parent."

Asagiri reached out and stroked Kotoko Iwanaga's head without hesitation.

"This is my niece."

Kotoko Iwanaga gritted her teeth, her fair face puffed up with anger, like a steaming hot dumpling. But after a few seconds, she finally nodded weakly, like a deflated balloon.

"Yes, I am his niece, and this is my uncle."

Kotoko Iwanaga thought to herself that if she had known this would happen, she should have had Megumi Kato use the Shadow Dancer skill to sneak into the internet cafe and wait for Asagiri to book a private room at the front desk before slipping in. That way, she wouldn't have suffered such humiliation.

The humiliation was one thing, but the real problem was that when she entered the instance, she couldn't even bring her ID card, making it impossible to prove that she was actually a high school student.

Left with no other choice, they had to give Asagiri a new generation name.

"that……"

When Kato Megumi heard the receptionist say "three people," she sighed slightly and spoke calmly.

There are four of them.

"Huh? There's another one?"

The receptionist blurted out that remark almost instinctively, then quickly apologized.

"I'm so sorry, it was my oversight. Um... since there are parents present, it's alright. May I ask..."

"I want the largest private room in your room."

"The largest private room? We only have two-person rooms available right now. Since there are four of you, how about we book two two-person rooms?"

"Don't hurt anyone."

Before the receptionist could express her doubts, Asagiri waved her hand and said in a calm tone.

"Let's have a private room for two people, for six hours first."

Yuuki Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko didn't quite understand why, even though they had money, they would rather squeeze four people into one double room than book two double rooms.

Only the silent Kei deduced Asagiri's intention.

25

Chapter 25 Kind-hearted Mita Makes Great Contributions

The Shura Field, a term that strikes fear into the hearts of many, is a place where, at best, bonds are broken, and at worst, lives are severed.

What the receptionist didn't know was that her question had just triggered one of the conditions for a chaotic situation to arise: differential treatment.

Two double rooms?

So, who shares a room with Asagiri?

To avoid this situation, Asagiri made up her mind to compromise and squeeze into a narrow double room with three beautiful girls.

Sigh, the lead singer is really working too hard.

"A double room for six hours, for a price of 4,800 yen."

"it is good."

After Asagiri paid, the receptionist handed her a key with both hands and smiled politely.

"Here's the key, please keep it safe. Oh, and..."

The receptionist glanced at Asuna Yuuki, Kotoko Iwanaga, and Megumi Kato behind Asagiri, and gently reminded them.

"Please keep quiet in the private room and speak in a low voice so as not to disturb other guests. Thank you for your understanding."

"Hey, I want a drink."

Kotoko Iwanaga first tugged at Asagiri's sleeve and said something, then skipped over to a vending machine. But when she saw the products inside, her cute smile froze.

"This is……"

"That guest..."

The receptionist, her face barely able to contain her laughter, pointed to the vending machine on the other side.

"That's where they sell drinks, and that vending machine... it sells toys."

Seeing Kotoko Iwanaga's fair face flush red as she walked over silently with her head down, Asuna Yuuki smiled, bent down slightly, and whispered in her ear, teasing her.

"What? You can be shy too? That's quite a rare sight."