Game Over

STAGE TWENTY-FOUR >> Tongue in Cheek

This is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this story are all products of the author's imagination used in fictitious manner. Any resemblance to an actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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—Mononoke (物の怪) is an umbrella term for an evil spirit in Japan. They are natural or supernatural spirit beings that can possess a person.

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Days passed after the first guild mission they had and they haven't logged in since. Everyone in the Dark Cloud Alliance Inc. was busy testing the new servers and was trying to improve some AI mechanisms in the game based on the tests, surveys, and documentation they have gathered. Yuki did not participate in this since he didn't tell anyone that he plays the game with his friends, and Akihiro didn't insist anymore. Instead, he was given the task to debug some codes.

Trying his best to take his mind off things, he couldn't shake the feeling that something might be happening within the game and that "Blossom" whoever she was, was taking orders from someone who knew him and Akihiro. He wanted to bring this to their attention, specifically to Akihiro. But how? Doing so would mean he has to face him, but after what has transpired between them during the gaming convention, Yuki couldn't bring it upon himself to even face him.

Yuki went back to the first day they met Blossom, and realized that it was odd that they had found her all alone. Although she implied that she was doing her solo quest, it doesn't feel like that at all. She was summoning monsters to practice necromancy but had no control over them given how high her level was. He also couldn't help but think that all of this started when Takehiko unexpectedly showed up and revealed himself to his team as Gryphon. He wondered if any of the things he said were even true.

And Yuki knows exactly where to start and tonight was also the perfect time to do this.

Hirano Maki never failed him as a big sister, she was always there when their parents couldn't visit due to their hectic work schedules. Every weekend, Maki would drop by his apartment and make sure that his pantry was full of supplies and even checked if all the bills were paid on time.

"Ha! It's raining cats and dogs outside now," Maki noted as she removed her shoes and places them in the genkan. She was carrying a lot of grocery bags and Yuki had to help her. "I'm cooking chicken curry tonight."

The announcement usually makes Yuki rejoice since he loves his sister's curry. But he has another agenda and he would like to focus on that. He watched quietly as Maki happily filled his cupboards and refrigerator with necessities and then proceeded to prepare the ingredients for her chicken curry on the counter.

Yuki took a deep breath and slowly walk closer. "Onee-san, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, sweetie." Maki smiled at him before getting back to the chicken she was cutting into bite-sized pieces.

"How did you and Takehiko nii-san meet?"

Maki was taken aback at her brother's inquiry. It wasn't Yuki's nature to ask about her dating repertoire nor did he take her relationship too seriously. They were raised to be fiercely independent and to mind their own business. "I thought he already told you."

"He did, but I want to hear it from you."

"Uhm, I don't know where to start." Maki was now washing the medium-sized pot she was about to use to saute the garlic. "We met in Canada. I accompanied my boss to a convention. Takehiko approached him, and they discussed creating this financing software to help with the business. It was all technical..."