Chapter 22: Lonk to the Past

John stretched and then glanced at the clock.

7 AM. Tuesday, November 5th.

“Only four more days left, huh?”

After working through the night, he managed to set all of the time-released videos and interactive components.

As the site was now, at midnight a new video would release. Meanwhile, there was an old console input window on the site that users could type comments into, which would be displayed on a scrolling forum board next to the ‘gate’ in the center of the page.

John chuckled a bit as he read the latest few that passed by.

[I still think this is an elaborate hoax.]

[Seriously though, is this a new game?]

[I think it looks cool!]

[Fake. Go **** yourself.]

[That timing with the power surge… I-Is this real?]

[Quantum Chicken Soup Grass Big Chungus]

[Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet]

John shook his head and then turned off his desktop. Now that the hard part was done, he had to get ready for his ‘debut.’

Or at the least, the script for it.

But that could come later. For now-

“You hateful, hateful, hateful person! Why are you better than me? Why are you so stubborn?!”

John paused and then looked over.

Alpha clutched a Mintendo Switch in her hands, staring at the screen with bloodshot eyes. Not only that, but she was holding it a few inches away from her face, as if that would let her see the details better.

Rapid button mashing, the clatter of her fingers tapping against the poor Joicons…

“#[email protected]$!” Alpha let out an unintelligible growl and swung her arm back, as if she was going to dash the game console on the ground. But then, catching herself, she carefully set the console down on the side. After that, she turned to John and said, “Pardon me, Master.” She took some stiff steps over to the connected bathroom, gently closing the door behind her.

Seeing the eerily calm behavior, John reflexively put up protective formations around the room. The moment he did-

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

A high-pitched and wrathful scream. One with enough power to blow away the entire building if John hadn’t immediately acted.

Frowning, he started to walk over, planning to scold Alpha.

But then faint sobs echoed from the bathroom, along with intermittent muttering. “Hateful… Accursed… Not fair… If this was a real fight…”

He sighed and then picked up the Mintendo Switch.

By chance, Alpha’s opponent sent a message. One of those preestablished chats that Mintendo let players set up.

[Our cause is just.]

John frowned and then sat down at his desk, muttering, “Toxic online play never changes, huh?”

There was an hour left before he had to go check up on Rin and Beta, so he might as well entertain himself.

Besides, it wouldn’t do to let the person who made his rebellious daughter cry off so easily.

John backed out of the immediate match and then swapped characters. The roster wasn’t quite what he remembered, but the character he was looking for was there in some form.

Selecting Lonk, the swordsman with a green tunic, he sent that ‘Second to None’ a challenge request.

Beta stretched, planning to turn off the Mintendo Switch after her opponent left the match screen. But just as she was going to, she got a request to join a battle lobby.

“Hm… Still stubborn, are we?”

She didn’t know who that ‘Number 1’ was, but they had persistently challenged her throughout the night.

To her opponent’s credit, Beta always had a close match, but Number 1 always became too arrogant near the end and took too many risky plays.

Beta glanced at the clock nearby. “Seven. Mm… There is still some time.”

Rin and her mother were still fast asleep. Also, Master had yet to contact her.

“I suppose one more match would not hurt.” Quietly muttering that, Beta accepted the invite and entered the battle lobby.

Like before, she selected her trusty green plumber. But contrary to her expectations, her opponent chose a different character.

“Lonk?” Beta blinked, frowning.

It was a bad match up. For her opponent, that was.

Beta sighed. “Trying to win by using projectiles? I suppose I can see the appeal.”

In the end, it would be fruitless though.

Confirming her character decision, Beta started the match.

The characters flew onto the stage, a single platform with no items and three lives.

Beta immediately tapped her usual taunt message.

[Make no mistake- I will win!]

In response-

[Close range only!]

“Eh?”

Beta blinked.

Was her opponent requesting that of her? Wasn’t it obvious when using her character? After all, the green plumber’s abilities were in comboing at close range…

“Hah… it seems that they are so fatigued that they misclicked.”

Beta shook her head. Still, she had to acknowledge her opponent’s fortitude.

For a human to persist so long against an existence as herself… truly, worthy of respect even if the result was inevitable.

[3]

Beta rolled her neck, staring at the screen.

[2]

She fiddled her fingers, warming them up.

[1]

Beta smirked, quickly plotting out all the tactics she would use to defeat her opponent.

[Go!]

Beta immediately threw up her shield, expecting ‘Number 1’ to open with a boomerang projectile. But-

“Eh?”

Lonk charged and grabbed her character before she could do anything.

“H-Hold on!” Beta’s eyes widened and she quickly mashed out. The moment she did, she tried to set up her combo. But-

[Hyah!] Lonk swung his sword with a side tilt, sending her character flying.

Beta frowned and touched back on the ground.

The space had opened up, so obviously Number 1 would switch to throwing his bombs-

“E-Eh?!”

Blindly charging forward with a running dash attack.

It was a move that no normal player would use.

Beta flinched and quickly sidestepped to dodge the attack.

And then she got grabbed.

Her green plumber was sent flying through the air.

She tried to recover, but before she could, Lonk jumped into the air, spinning his blade in a forward aerial attack and sending her off stage.

Beta froze, watching as a flare of light shot from off screen and her green plumber flew down, standing on a glowing pad. The respawn mechanic.

Her eyes flicked to her lives. Two left. Then her eyes flicked to her opponent’s damage gauge. 0%.

“…Beginner’s luck.” Beta frowned and sent her plumber falling down onto the stage.

This time for sure-

[Hyah! Hah! Hyah!] The sound of Lonk shouting as he attacked.

[Oh nooooo~!] The sound of Beta’s character shouting as he flew off into the distance.

And then-

[GAME!]

Beta froze, staring at the results screen.

The green swordsman, standing with his back turned and his sword pointed at the ground.

Her green plumber, letting out a polite golf clap.

And then Number 1’s message.

[You’re pretty good.]

“…Eh?”

Beta blinked, still dazed at what happened. She pressed confirm, flipping the results card over to check the stats.

Time of match: 30 seconds.

Damage inflicted by Second to None: 0%

Damage inflicted by Number 1: 90%

Lives taken by Second to None: 0

Lives taken by Number 1: 3

Complete and utter devastation.

Not only was Beta taken out without being able to do anything, but it happened in essentially the blink of an eye. She was tossed around, completely unable to react.

Was… Was this how it felt earlier for her opponent? This crushing humiliation? This burning outrage?

Beta narrowed her eyes.

…One more. She knew the tactics this time, so-

Suddenly, a ringtone.

Beta blinked, and then realized that it was the phone that Master gave her yesterday, the one that she was to use to contact him and the one he would use to contact her.

…She wasn’t sure why he wouldn’t just use the mental transmission like they usually did since it was more secure, but she did appreciate the gift. And it was perfect for looking up tactics and strategies online…

Ah. But Master was calling.

Beta set the Mintendo Switch aside and answered the phone. “Good morning-” She cut her words off when she heard something strange in the background.

A familiar female voice. One that she knew all too well. But at the same time… it didn’t make sense to hear it.

*Stupid, hateful opponent! If this was a real fight…!* After that, a faint sob.

Beta blinked.

A long sigh echoed on the other side of the line. “As you can hear, Beta, you made your sister lock herself up in the bathroom to cry. It’s fine if you spend your spare time playing online, but could you be less toxic?”

Beta frowned, staring at the gamer tag of her opponent, remembering the character that person initially chose, and then-

“Oh.”

“Yes. Oh.”

“…My apologies, Master.”

“It’s fine. Anyway, is Rin up yet?”

Beta glanced over at the girl’s door and then shook her head. “I do not believe so… Ah. Her mother returned last night, however. Will that be a problem?”

“Mm? Sakura was discharged already? Huh. She healed faster than I expected her too… But this works out pretty well. Let her know that I’ll be coming by to pick everyone up around say… Nine, alright?”

“Understood, Master.”

“And stop being so toxic in online play.”

Beta flushed. “I… will do my best.”

“See you in a bit.”

The call ended.

Beta tucked her phone back in her blouse and then stared at the Mintendo Switch…

Wait.

If Alpha was the one playing before, and if she was crying out in anger and frustration in the bathroom… Was Master the one playing against her?

Such a level of polish… Such a level of familiarity with the character and game mechanics…

Beta nodded. “As expected. Master truly is a worthless man.”

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