Who is she?

  Rondo curious about the girl standing next to Tira.

  Kenta clapped a hand on Rondo's shoulder.

  "Hey, got a minute? Want to take a walk around the district?"

  Kenta noticed Rondo's eyes drifting toward Tira and the girl beside her. He smirked, realizing what was going on.

  "Oh, I get it. Good luck with that." Kenta walk out the door.

  Rondo scrambled to catch up to Kenta, who wasn't far ahead.

  "Hey, wait! You said you wanted to explore the districts, right? Let's go."

  Kenta stopped in his tracks. He turned around to face Rondo, frowning.

  "Why? Did you chicken out with that girl?"

  Rondo was confused.

  "Chicken out? What do you mean? I was just watching them talk."

  "Eh, you were staring pretty hard. You definitely wanted to hit on one of them," Kenta chuckled.

  "Haha, no way. You're imagining things. Let's just explore the districts. There's gotta be something interesting around here."

  "Bruh... guess I misunderstood. Whatever."

  They hadn't walked far when they saw students busy exercising. Rondo and Kenta wandered around the different courts—basketball, volleyball, tennis, and soccer. After checking out the green fields under the scorching sun, they ducked into the gym.

  Inside, students were busy with their own routines. A few minutes later, while Rondo and Kenta were chatting, someone stepped out of the changing room and stood next to Rondo.

  "Hey, you guys here to lift too?" the guy asked, stretching his limbs.

  Kenta looked at him quickly. The guy had a roundish face, teeth that were clean and perfect, and a fit, solid build. He was about the same height as Kenta, with his hair styled in a French crop.

  "Theo? You gym here? Diligent as always." Kenta laughed.

  "Oh, I have to. When else can I get paid just to work out?" Theo replied.

  Rondo looked back and forth between them, surprised.

  "You guys know each other?"

  Theo turned to Rondo. His eyes immediately locked onto the blinking name displayed on Rondo's jacket.

  "Oh, hi, uh... Rondo. I'm Theo. You joining in?"

  Rondo looked ahead. He saw students lifting weights, running on treadmills, and screaming while focusing on the leg press machine. Others were quiet and relaxed. He looked back at Theo.

  "Uh, maybe other time. Kenta might want to try, though, hehe." Rondo smiled awkwardly.

  "Interesting, but I'll pass for today too," Kenta added.

  "Aigh. I'll get going then. And hey, Rondo, your shirt is a mess. You might need some perfume and face wash to freshen up your look," Theo said, looking Rondo up and down before heading straight for a treadmill.

  Hearing that, Rondo immediately sniffed his armpit.

  "Do I really smell?" Rondo asked Kenta.

  "I don't know. But Theo is obsessed with hygiene. If you actually stank, he wouldn't just say that, he'd refuse to talk to you entirely," Kenta said, walking slowly out of the gym.

  Rondo fell into step beside him.

  "So... his standards are just different from guys like me?"

  "Pretty much."

  Leaving the gym, they walked further away from that district. After a few minutes, they found a massive building right next to them. It was close, with a neat structure and four pillars supporting the front. Melodic music and choir voices floated in the air, comfortable on the ears.

  As Rondo and Kenta got closer, the sound became clearer. The building's doors were huge. Next to them was an electric sign reading 'Music District'.

  The moment their feet touched the area near the entrance, the doors slid open silently and automatically. Light poured out, revealing the interior.

  Once the doors were fully open, they stepped inside. The place was filled with luxury items and antique decorations. Paintings of legendary classical musicians hung neatly on the walls.

  The soft sound of a violin echoed as they entered the small hallways. The deeper they went, the clearer it became precise, rhythmic, and perfectly tuned violin strings.

  Rondo and Kenta were awestruck by the hallway. String instruments were displayed in pristine condition.

  "Woah, this looks like heaven!" Rondo shouted. His voice echoed through the whole room.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "Psst! Keep it down. This place is heaven for musicians. But weirdly, I haven't seen an electric guitar yet," Kenta whispered, pressing his index finger to his lips.

  Kenta reached out to stroke a clarinet resting in a fancy box. Rondo slapped his hand away.

  "Don't touch random stuff! They'll get mad and we'll get punished," Rondo whispered.

  "You're weird. Can't do anything here?" Kenta whispered back.

  "You said it yourself, this is heaven for musicians. We aren't musicians. It's dangerous if we break or dirty something," Rondo whisphered.

  "Ugh... forget it." Kenta walked away, leaving the small hallway.

  Rondo, lagging behind, followed Kenta out. They left the building entirely.

  They walked quite a distance away from the music building. Eventually, they came across a large structure glowing with neon lights. EDM music and sound effects blasted clearly into their ears. Students were streaming in and out.

  Rondo and Kenta stepped into the large building. Their Orlas blinked.

  [System Voice]

  Hello Rondo! Welcome to the Entertainment District.

  [System Voice]

  Hello Kenta! Welcome to the Entertainment District.

  They stopped in their tracks.

  "Whoa, it talks?" Rondo stared at his Orla in confusion.

  "Dunno, but that's cool."

  They entered deeper. The doors stayed wide open. They were stunned by what they saw.

  "Woah! Are those old-school arcade machines? And omg, PCs, full consoles... and over there, looks like special booths. This is insane!" Kenta said, pointing at the equipment.

  The sounds of shooting and cheering were loud. The machines were organized neatly by category from 'retro' to 'new gen'.

  They walked around checking out the games. Kenta dragged Rondo to the 'retro' section first. When they arrived, plenty of other students were playing. There were about 27 retro arcade machines in use. The queue was long and crowded. Above them, a hologram sign read 'entry no-67'.

  "Hey, Rondo, are you playing?" Tira appeared next to Rondo, eating popcorn.

  Rondo turned to Tira.

  "Eh, hi Tira. No, Kenta wants to play."

  "Oh, Kenta is here too?"

  "Yeah, he's right-"

  Rondo looked around, but Kenta had vanished.

  "Huh? He was just here. Where did he go?" Rondo said, looking around.

  Kenta suddenly popped up next to Rondo holding a candy wrapper.

  "Hey, looking for something?" Kenta asked.

  Rondo turned around.

  "Ah, there you are. Here's Kenta," Rondo said, walking toward Tira with him.

  Tira stared at the candy wrapper Kenta was holding.

  "Wait, isn't that my candy?" Tira said.

  "Oh, this is yours? Good, I don't have to bother finding the owner. It fell out of someone's pocket." Kenta handing the wrapper to Tira.

  Tira took it and stuffed it into the right pocket of her skirt.

  "By the way guys, have you tried the RealNeck VR? It's fun!" Tira said, chewing her popcorn.

  "Woah, there's VR too?" Kenta asked, curious.

  Tira swallowed her popcorn and nodded vigorously.

  "Yeah, VR. It's ultra-realistic! Come on, follow me."

  "Wait, what about your popcorn? It's really crowded, and if you leave it on a table, someone will knock it over. There's still a lot left," Rondo said.

  Tira snapped her fingers.

  "True. Ah, I have an idea!"

  Tira turned around and tapped the shoulder of a student standing behind her. The student turned to look at Tira.

  "Are you hungry? I have this, do you want it?" Tira offered, holding out the popcorn.

  "Um... I'm full, hehe. Sorry, thanks for the offer," the student replied.

  "Come on... pleeaase? Take the popcorn, okay? I insist," Tira said, making a cute face while still holding out the snack.

  The student gulped. He couldn't resist the cute face.

  "Ah, okay, okay. I'll take it. Thanks." the student taking the popcorn from Tira's hand.

  "Yay! You're welcome."

  Tira turned back to Kenta and Rondo.

  "Psst, being a girl is so easy," Rondo whispered to Kenta.

  "Psst, true. Must be nice just using a cute face like that," Kenta whispered back.

  "Psst."

  "Psst."

  "What are you two psst-psst-ing about?! Come on, let's go to the VR place," Tira snapped, annoyed. Her voice raised a bit.

  Tira started marching off, leaving Rondo and Kenta behind. Feeling left out, Rondo and Kenta quickly followed her.

  ---

  When they arrived at the VR section, it was fairly crowded. A 'RealNeck' sign was displayed clearly.

  "Guys, there's one slot room left. Want to join? It fits 3 people max. It's 950 GP for an hour," Tira said, staring at the queue number.

  "950 GP?! That's expensive," Kenta said.

  Rondo tapped his Orla.

  [Name: Rondo Ernias

  Health: Good

  Mood: Happy

  Growth Point: 517 (Unshareable)

  [Stats] [Maps] [Friends] [Camera] [Messages] [Notifications] [Settings] [Close] ]

  Rondo closed his Orla UI.

  "Uh, guys. My balance is 500 GP. You two just go ahead," Rondo said.

  "Ehh, what did you buy to get that low?" Tira asked, surprised.

  "Um... I ate a 1000 GP meal at the Food Court recently," Rondo answered.

  "1000 GP?! You spendthrift," Kenta said.

  "Sorry... that food just looks so delicious, ehehe."

  "You alien! Ugh, what do we do? Can you transfer GP yet?" Tira asked Kenta.

  "I can't yet. Um... maybe he can help," Kenta answered, tapping his Orla.

  [Eguchii Kenta]

  Bro, can you help?

  Please, it's kinda an emergency.

  [Theodoric Leister]

  Yo, help with what?

  [Eguchii Kenta]

  Can you transfer GP yet?

  [Theodoric Leister]

  Not yet, need GP balance?

  [Eguchii Kenta]

  Yeah, need it.

  But not me, you know Rondo?

  [Theodoric Leister]

  Ah, that smelly armpit guy?

  How much?

  I can't, but a friend of mine, he maybe can.

  [Eguchii Kenta]

  Woah seriously? Please help.

  About 450 GP.

  He promises to pay it back.

  [Theodoric Leister]

  Ah, okay.

  Wait, let me talk to my friend.

  [Eguchii Kenta]

  Oke, thanks.

  Kenta closed his Orla UI.

  "What did he say?" Tira asked Kenta.

  "He can't, but his friend might be able to help."

  *Bzz... Bzz...

  Rondo's Orla lit up and vibrated. Rondo tapped it.

  [You just received +500 GP!]

  "Wait, 500 GP. You said 450 GP?" Rondo asked, confused.

  "Dunno, who cares. You pay back 1000 GP later," Kenta said, laughing. Tira laughed along with him.

  "No way," Rondo grumbled.

  "Ahaha. Alright, let's get into the room," Tira said.

  "Lets goo!" Kenta and Rondo shouted in unison.

  [Hello visitor, please pay before entering the room.]

  A hologram fingerprint UI appeared in front of Tira. She immediately pressed her thumb against it.

  [ ? Payment successful! 1 slot used. Do you want to invite friends? Max 2 people.]

  [Yes] [No]]

  Tira tapped 'yes'. She typed in Rondo and Kenta's names, then tapped the 'invite' button next to them.

  Hologram fingerprint UIs appeared in front of Kenta and Rondo. They immediately pressed their thumbs against them.

  [ ? Payment successful! 3 slots used. Please enter the room]

  Inside the VR room, three adjustable chokers lay ready. Next to them were digital buttons they could press, along with power indicators glowing red and blue.

  They put on the chokers.

  "You guys ready?" Tira asked.

  "Yeah."

  "Ok, ready."

  The three of them pressed the on buttons on the side of the chokers. The power indicators turned from red to blue. Slowly, glass extended from the chokers, covering their heads completely like helmets. Their vision went dark. Slowly, their eyes opened in a fairytale land.

  [Welcome to the game Knight and Harbringer of Shadow.]