Ultimate NPC

By: Ledochorz

December 2024, 1630 pm. Last floor of Elemental Castle.

A big group of players seems busy fighting last boss of the death game. The reasons is to clearing the game in order to back to the real world. The game is called death games is because if you die here, you will not wake for the rest of your life. From eight thousand player that login the game in the beginning, only four thousand survived until this moment. However, the survivor decrease rapidly because the last boss killed them in one attack. When the others try to pull back, one player run towards the Boss. One second...two seconds...three seconds...and he reach to the boss...then...he explode.

"CONGRATULATION. GAME CLEAR. ALL PLAYER PLEASE LOGOUT"

However, all player that survived still shocked by the action of the player that rush to the boss. The most person that heavily affected by the player action is of course... his wife. She still remember the conversation with him. The last conversation before his last rush. Without she realizing, her tears overflow dripping from her cheek. "Stupid...nincompoop...hachiman..."

xxxxx

A few minutes before...

"Ney Pan-san, are you are NPC*?"(Yukino)

"Nope, I'm human. It just that my avatar is look like an NPC."(Pan-san)

"My real name is Yukinoshita Yukino. Pan-san...your real name?" Yukinoshita ask the Panda avatar infront of her.

"Honestly, who's in the world revealed his real name in game? Nah, this is not game anymore. "(Pan-san)

"Sorry, if you don't want it's-"(Yukino)

"Hachiman. Hikigaya Hachiman. 17-years old."(Pan-san)

"See you on the other side. Let's go Rumi."(Hachiman)

"Um, are you serious?"(Rumi) The pixie on the Pan-san shoulder's answering him.

"Level 100 Boss, HP 999,999,999...element type earth. Rumi, I need Body strengthening, attack up, and mana up.(Hachiman)

"But... you don't even have special skills! You don't think to become attacker did you?"

"If the special skills, I have one."

"Impossible, you never use it even once!"(Rumi)

"Of course I never use it. That because I can use it ONCE only."

"Why...? No way... Did it-"(Rumi)

"Yes, it cost my life in order to activating it."

"Unique skill activating : Self Explosion"

"Hachiman...You-"(Rumi)

"Rumi...please..."

"...Promise me that we will meet again"(Rumi)

"I...promise..."

"You better not lying, or i will curse you to die several time!"(Rumi)

"Yes. Now, do it Rumi"

"Stupid...make sure you win! This time make sure you clear this game!"(Rumi)

"Yes." Hachiman smiled to Rumi.

"GAME CLEAR"

xxxxxxxxx

I do not know that whether I am lucky or not. But for now I can say that I have a beautiful girlfriend that is lovely and sweet. Her name is Tsurumi Rumi. One of the survivor from the death game that being classified as VR tragedy in the news.

Well, consider that I am lucky I guess. Being ask to go out with her from the first moment I wake up and her parent approval. Talking about her parents...now we have a serious(not so serious) meeting...maybe?

"Hikigaya-san, honestly my wife and I are very grateful that you help out our daughter during her imprisonment in the VR tragedy. Personally, I'm thankful for you in reverting her to back at her old self."(Rumi's father)

"You know that... Rumi... she has a very low self esteem since her diseases was discovered. The main reasons why she got into virtual games is because she want to run from real world. Now she has been recover from her ilness. She also became cheerful. Always smiling and we become closer to each other. This might be some burden for you but please... Please take care of Rumi until she ready to walk by her feet."(Rumi's Mother)

"...I will do my best."(Hachiman)

"You really kind Hikigaya-san. Actually I as her mother might feel really delighted if you become our son-in-law. Ufufufu. What did you think honey?"(Rumi's Mother)

"Well... as long you can give her a better life. Have a good nice salary job might be better though."(Rumi's Father)

...you know what...it feel soooooooooo stressful in this situation!

"Mou! Father! Mother! please don't tease Hachiman so much! Or I will hate both of you!"

Here come Rumi. Speak of the devil, she just barge in the living room and sit near me and hug my left hand. One thing for sure...cute.

...xxxxxxxxxx...

The day I wake up..

I never have a girl that I can call friend.

If I said girl that closer to me in family, I would said it only my little sister.

So, in logically if I were unconscious because get in trouble with VR tragedy, no girl would waiting me except for my little sister.

...

So...

Why did...the moment I open my eyes in the white room, a girl or woman other than my little sister or my mother greet me?..

"Good morning Hachiman."

She not a nurse also, because she wearing a patient dress. Wait... Her face... Don't tell me...

"Don't stare me like that Hachiman. It's embarrassing."

"Ru...mi.."

"Hachiman. Please go out with me!"(Rumi)

Yup, like that. I has been asked by a girl the moment I open my eyes.

xxxxxxxx

One evening, I got a phone call from stranger that said he is the father to some player in the game. We agree to meet by the cafe near the Chiba's railway stations. Rumi insists to accompany me. Well... I can't resist her. She cute. Too cute. When she pout... her cuteness magnifying five times than usual. Result... she cling to my left arm all the way from my house to the cafe.

Entering the western style cafe. We we greeted by the waiter.

"Hikigaya Hachiman-sama I guess? Mr. Yukinoshita has waiting for you. Please follow me." The waiter show me the way to meet the person that called me before.

After a few walks, we arrives at one private room in the cafe. "Here we are, if you need anything, just order by using the intercom. " The waiter then walks away.

Facing the door I am reluctant to enter it. But I will not back up now. I must finish this as soon as possible. knocking twice I then open the door.

Waiting inside the room is a men in his late forty, with formal black coat.

"Hikigaya Hachiman-san, I'm Yukinoshita Haruhiko. I got information that you are my daughter spouse." Rumi ears are twitching and she stared that man with killing intent like a cat that fear her prey to get snatched away from her.

"...just in game only. But, please rest assured, I never touched her. I-"(Hachiman)

"I knew it. Don't worry about that. You marrying her just so that she could ensure that the orphanage keep running. But why? You could just give her some money each time you finish quest. So why?"(Mr. Haruhiko)

"Because, when I go to the front line, I have prepared to died. Shared inventory is the only method to give all my belonging to the partner if I lost my life during missions."(Hachiman)

"... Prepared to died...did you ever thought fight to keep survive?"(Mr. Haruhiko)

"...no..."(Hachiman)

"Hachiman!"(Rumi)

"...at least not during that time. Please rest assured Rumi. *Cough* by being betrayed by people that I trusted…..I have nothing left to me. I have died the moment I was humiliate in my middle school."

"So...you are the same situation as my daughter... no wonder she attracted to you." Mr Haruhiko the stand up.

"My daughter still not wake up even the game is clear, So I hope you could dive again for finding her in that world. Please! I'm begging you." Mr. Haruhiko bowing his head to Hachiman.

I might should not say this, but...

This VR tragedy have give a big impact to me.

I have meet a person that understand me.

A friend that stays with me without care who am I

...

I must admit it...

I'm glad I was trapped in that world.

So...

I think...

I...

I will dive that's VR world for second times.

"Yes, I will do it."

-End-

*NPC- Non-playable character

Author note: We need Rumi-Rumi moment MORE in this page. Warning: heavy influence from SAO. Read at your own risk.

another thing is~ i'm back for update all my story.

PS: I think I more suitable writing short story rather than series...(feeling depressed)