[Warning! Warning! A battle is about to begin.] Alerts filled the air. The two teams stood across
from one another. [Crystal Guard vs Team Indomitable.]
"Team Indomitable?" taunted Tad. "I wonder why you've never made it to Bronze Cup. Putting
the cart before the horse?"
"Shut up!"
[Standard Arena selected. Constructing now.]
As the world around them began to pixelate and fall apart, to be reconstructed, Leon took a
moment to walk over to the others. "Hey guys, a word to the wise," Leon said, in a volume that
the other team couldn't hear. "These guys are all glass cannon. They go all power over strategy,
defense, speed. They just wanna deliver as much pain as possible, as quick as they can."
"I see..." Tsuruya looked at the other team, who were also strategizing. "The Zone does make
all physical damage simulated, so we don't have to worry about broken bones or bullet holes,
but we still feel every blow, and all the pain."
"Ugh, I hate that. Bullies like them just torture people with pain without worrying about killing the
victim." Aaron groaned.
"But it they're such thoroughly glass cannons, we can gain quite the upper hand." Tsuruya
smirked. The battle field formed- a simple, flat platform. Tsuruya stood at the front. "And if I
know them, they're not gonna play nice." She pulled out her rapier.
[3!]
The bully with the rifle came running forward.
"I knew it." Tsuruya began channeling magic.
[2!]
The bully took aim, as Tsuruya positioned herself as if to stab the ground.
[1!]
The rifle was aimed directly at Leon.
[GO!]
As soon as they heard that 'GO', the bully pulled the trigger, firing a single laser blast at Leon,
only for it to bounce off a wall of white fire, erected by Tsuruya.
"What the?!" The rifle bully was shocked before an arrow made of magic shot out of the wall,
and struck him right in the chest.
[KO! Jeremy is Out!]
"Oh, c'mon!" the rifle bully shouted before dissolving out of the arena.
The wall dissipated, revealing Snow had fired the arrow.
"Why, you!" The greatsword bully charged forward, and swung the flat side at Snow's head.
Aaron was quick, shoving Snow out of the way, before taking the solid metal to the face.
"ARGH!" He collapsed, holding his face in his hands, and the bully with the greatsword
advanced on him. Aaron was soon eliminated as well, groaning as he dissolved.
[KO! Aaron is Out!]
But then, the bully with the greatsword felt a HUGE pain down under, thanks to Tsuruya.
"Charging into the enemy team, with that kind of attack? You couldn't be more wide open if you
were in the Regnum Plains!"
[KO! Brad is Out!]
But as Brad dissolved, Leon was grabbed from behind, by the war-axe bully, who began
squeezing, digging his fingers into Leon's skull.
"Aah! L-Let go!" Leon tried to resist, but the bully's grip was entirely too firm. He hefted his axe,
and drove the handle into Leon's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Unable to resist any
longer, Leon went limp, crying out in pain as his skull was crushed. Unconsciousness, when it
came, was a mercy.
The bully with the war-axe tossed Leon's limp form to the ground and struck him once with the
axe, and watched in satisfaction as he dissolved. "Stupid brat," he muttered.
[KO! Leon is out!]
= = =
The darkness felt like it lasted for hours, even days. Leon couldn't even dream, his mind was
just blank. No thought, no emotion. But then, light began to shine, voices echoing into his
senses.
"Everyone, Leon's regaining consciousness!" The voice was Mamoru's, a voice he was happy to
hear. He finally managed to open his eyes, and found himself back in the Team Zone, watched
by Mamoru, as well as all his friends.
"Leon!" Nicky looked very relieved as Leon woke up.
"Ugh... That felt terrible..." Leon held his head.
"Well, because of Eric's little stunt with you, the match was invalidated," Akihiko said. "Torture is
a huge violation of the rules."
"But... I got beat… I lost."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Aaron chimed in. "It's gonna be okay!"
"Even a champion has to lose once in a while." Tsuruya put a hand of Leon's shoulder. "We now
know we have plenty to work on in our training."
Leon looked at the others. "Whatever we have to do. If we can't win... those bullies..."
"You're not the same Leon anymore! You're not some weak victim!" Nicky shouted.
"I'm... not the same Leon anymore..." Those words, though little, were a powerful spark for
Leon. "We start training tomorrow."
= = =
The next morning, Tsuruya logged into Team Zone, and found Tommy, Nicky, and their robos
there. "Oh, morning... um..."
"Tommy, and Nicky," Nicky answered.
"Thank you. But, what are you doing here so early?" she asked.
"Tommy wanted to hang out here. Leon locked himself in his room since we got home
yesterday, so I wanna find out just what's going on with him." Nicky answered, Tommy playing a
portable game on his robo's back.
"I see." Tsuruya came over, stepping down a few levels, and sitting on the couch, right next to
Nicky. "How bad has it been for him?" she asked.
"Huh?" Nicky looked up at Tsuruya.
"The bullying against Leon. I mean, it had to be bad to push him into a goal like Crystal. So, can
you fill me in?" Tsuruya asked.
"Well, Leon, as you know by now, is autistic. He doesn't always think or act the same way
neurotypical people do." Nicky brushed his hair back with one hand. "And that's not wrong! He's
still a good person, but Aaron really was the first person outside our family to give him an
unbiased chance. Those guys, Team Indomitable, they've been bullying Leon since he and
Aaron busted a bully named Archie during the guy's senior year."
"I remember that day. Archie got busted for beating up students to get their reports and
homework for himself. He got jailed for it." Tsuruya smiled at the memory.
"Yeah.. well, ever since then, his crew has come after Leon with a vengeance. It started with
just name calling and insults." Nicky fidgeted with his fingers. "But over time they began piling
one action after action in their regular bullying 'routine' with Leon. First, they started tripping him
in the hallway. Then there was the bruises, that Leon would come home with more and more
often over time. Then they stole things like his bike or his lunch. Then they started Playkilling
him in the Zone. Then came the vandalism, and the pranks, and then the incident in which they
swatted us... I mean, do you know how terrifying it is to have twelve guns aimed at your head?"
Nicky shivered at the memory. "And when Leon warned them to stay away from us, finally
standing up for himself... well... a little context... You know how school desk chairs have metal
legs?"
"Yes?" Tsuruya nodded.
"Ever taken that metal to the back of the head, full force?"
"They didn't," Tsuruya gasped.
"They did." Nicky clenched his fists. "It's gotten so bad that Mom and Dad have Mamoru, Dust,
and Zuma all installed with hard light barrier generators, tasers, homing beacons, and defense
protocols. But then, at the family reunion this year... our Uncle Harrison had to open his big fat
mouth, calling Leon a..." Nicky sighed, "I can't say it... Dust... just play the audio recording."
The robo-coyote nodded, and played an audio recording, the voice sounding raspy and
aggressive. "That's no nephew of mine! That's just a weak, pathetic coward! Keep that freak
away from here!"
"Oh dear..." Tsuruya was at a complete loss for words.
"Those words were the last straw for Leon. He didn't wanna... disappear, but he wanted it all to
stop. He spent a week looking up how to stop the bullying, crossing out everything that had
been done or wouldn't work. He was left with one single option: Prove himself to be someone
not to be messed with. That, plus watching last year's Crystal Finals, and Leon dropped all his
summer plans in favor of this goal, so that the bullies would know not to mess with him, or any
of his family again." Nicky looked down. "It's… worrying."
"Even with what Tad told me, I didn't realize it was that bad." Tsuruya clenched her own fist.
"But I'm also worried that he'll get so wrapped up in this... That..."
"That he'll forget about his family?" The two were alerted to the arrival of the newly logged in
Akihiko. "Yeah, I've seen a couple people get that deep into a goal." He shook his head. "They
end up getting addicted, and it leads them to forget that they have people who they're important
to."
"Nicky, We'll make sure that doesn't happen with Leon. On my honor as a Taylor." Tsuruya
smiled at him. "Although, you could always join up as a sub."
"Not happening," Nicky replied. "I've had my fill of competition."
"Wait... what?" Akihiko asked.
"I've... competed in tournaments... twice now."
"...Then why don't you coach the team?" Tsuruya suggested. "We could greatly benefit from
your experience."
"Pass." Nicky shook his head. "Not happening any time soon. But I will be sticking around to
watch Tommy."
"You're both welcome in this lounge anytime." Tsuruya smiled.
Then, Jay and Jerry logged in. "Morning," the older brother greeted.
"Morning. Everything good on your end?"
"So far, so good." Jay said. "What about with you all?"
"Just waiting for the others."
Right on cue, Eli soon logged in.
"Oh, morning Eli." Tommy looked happy to see the Financier.
"Morning everyone." Eli said.
"Hope the log in wasn't too hard." Tsuruya said.
"Wasn't too bad for me."
Then Snow logged in. "Hey guys." She smiled.
And Tad came leaping in. "Morning, guys!"
"Hey, not so loud."
"Sorry." Tad rubbed the back of his neck. "So who's still not here yet?"
"We're still missing Leon."
But then, someone logged. It was Leon... but he looked a bit different. He had the same
sleeveless hoodie, but he wore a pair of black jean with a blue fire gradient down the legs, a
brown belt holding them up. He wore new blue and white sneakers, and blue fingerless gloves
that cuffed his wrists nicely. But the biggest surprise was his hair- there was a streak of cyan in
it.
"Leon, what happened to you!?" Nicky shouted. "You look like you just got hit by someone's
scene kid phase!"
"I'm not that same weak little kid anymore, Nicky. So for this new quest, I figured I'd update
myself a bit. Been meaning to reinvent myself a bit anyway."
"Oh, I get it. Starting with a whole new you."
"I still don't like it," Nicky groused. "Here, look, let's try…" He snapped his fingers, and a silvery
jacket materialized in his hands. "Put this on, you'll catch your death of cold with your arms
exposed like that."
"Ignoring the fact that it's summer time, let's take a look." Leon accepted the jacket and put it on.
He twirled around, getting a feel for it, and grinned. "Hey, this is pretty nice! Lemme just..." Leon
snapped his fingers and something etched itself into the jacket- a badge on the torso, and on
the back. It was a crystalline design, of a pair of wings, each bedecked with jewels, on top of a
blue and silver shield. "How's this? I'm thinking of making it the team logo."
"That's really cool!" Tad said.
"I'm liking the design of it." Jay said.
"Thanks." Leon took off the jacket. "Too bad you can't take stuff made in the Zone back to
Ludum. So is everyone here?"
"I think we're all accounted for now."
"Then we log in. Now."
"Wait, why?"
"Well..." Leon popped his knuckles as he walked towards the gate. " I said we start training
today. So I figured, let's login to my game. Every game is set up to test the player in a unique
way and we need to be able to learn from them if we're going to make it to Crystal."
Tommy perked. "You're logging into your game? Can I come? Can I come?!"
"Whoa, quick to jump in, eh?" Tad rolled his eyes.
"Leon's game is really cool! I love getting to play it!" Tommy smiled.
"Even after the Carataceous?" Leon asked, concerned.
"One scary monster doesn't ruin a game, Leon."
"You a monster hunter or something, Leon?" Snow asked.
"...yes, actually." Leon rubbed the back his neck. "It's easier to show you. Mamoru, link the Log
in gate to my HOYOS game." the Robo-Wolf saluted, before the gate shifted into a blue color.
"C'mon, guys. Let's go!"
Leon's energy was comforting to the others, even to Nicky, and everyone walked into the gate.
= = =
As they walked through the digital tunnel, picking up their weapons along the way, screens
popped up to give the team the storyline in Leon's game: Pulled into a world born from the
stories he writes, where Anthropomorphic animals exist, the only way for the main character can
get home is by completing the story. To do that, they must hunt and slay monsters, crafting
stronger weapons and armor from their hides, and eventually find and slay all of the Sinister
Seven- the most powerful and most dangerous monsters, each one guarding a Dragonstone,
which are needed to return them home.
The main problem: Leon accidentally designed a boss that he can't beat. At all. The fourth
member of the Sinister Seven, Carataceous, the Armored Tyrant. A huge t-rex armored with a
bony carapace, that was immune to wind magic, as it guarded the Wind Dragonstone.
"Not a word... please..." Leon said, as the others were looking worried.
"If you can't beat it alone, then how about we fight it as a team?" Aaron smiled at Leon. "Your
game bosses have never been prepared for combatting more than one player."
Leon looked away. "Only if Nicky is part of it." This was a bit of a surprise. "The Carataceous
takes half damage from slash weapons, but takes critical damage from blunt weapons."
"Me?" Nicky gulped. "Are you sure? I've seen that thing, it's a living nightmare…"
"I can't believe I'm actually saying this... but I'm going to make sure we're prepared... by crafting
new weapons and armor." Leon rubbed his armor. "I never really went crazy with the crafting
system, since it usually meant fighting the same monsters again and again, just for material. So,
I just relied on my Scimitars and Wind Magic up until this point."
"And you got trounced?" Tsuruya asked.
"I got trounced," Leon admitted, hanging his head. "Repeatedly."
"If you're worried about repeatedly battling monsters, there's another way to look at it. After all,
you, Nicky, Tommy, and possibly Aaron have lots of experience in this particular game style,"
Snow spoke up.
"Oh! We can use it as a way for you guys to practice and get the hang of fighting monsters!"
Tommy smiled.
"Spare me," Nicky groaned. "You're going up against human opponents for the most part, not
monsters."
"I thought you said you've competed before, Nicky." Akihiko facepalmed. "There are game
challenges and boss battles in tourney play, not just PVP. Monster hunting is a popular pick for
regulars."
Nicky grimaced. "Look, it was almost exclusively PVP when I was working the tournament
circuit, and the most important events are usually PVP. Monster hunting is fine, but it's going to
be a low-level challenge, since it's farming-based and largely predictable once you get the hang
of learning a given monster's habits."
"True, but it's also a good team-building exercise. Working together to defeat the monsters and
all," Tsuruya chimed in.
"That is true…" Nicky nodded. "It's okay to practice these things for team-building, but we
shouldn't spend too much time on it except to get the requisite materials for crafting. Leon, how
much time do you estimate we need?"
"Depends on the analysis of the Carataceous. When I was last playing, I assigned one of my
NPCs to Monster Analysis full time on the Carataceous."
"That data would be a big help for preparation as well as strategy." Aaron nodded. "And Leon's
already got a ton of materials... mainly because he has a few favorites he'd always battle. My
guess, one or two hours for the whatever materials we lack."
"Heads up guys. I think we're here!" Tad announced, as they came to the end of the tunnel.
Awaiting them was a town of grey stone. A tall castle loomed high at the very back, and
artisan's shops lined a cobblestone promenade leading up to the castle's moat and drawbridge.
"Leon!" The group was alerted, as young anthropomorphic blue Kangaroo came running.
"You're back on your feet? You sure you should be up after... um... who are they?"
"These are my new friends." Leon smiled. "Everyone, this is my personal NPC buddy, Zam. His
dad runs the Blacksmith shop."
"He's a cute one." Jay greeted Zam, Jerry hugging him.
"Amigo!" the group was alerted to another anthro. He was a beautiful, colorful macaw wearing a
boater hat and holding a cane, not unlike Jose Carioca, one of Donald Duck's fellow
"Caballeros".
"Loro!" Leon gave the macaw a high-five, before he noticed Tsuruya.
"Oh, hello there." He said, smiling at her. "And who might you be?"
"Tsuruya Taylor, a new friend of Leon's. And you are?"
"Loro, local historian. I'm the one to go to about kingdom history and lore... over... saaaay...
some local fruit delicacies?" He wasn't subtle, really.
"You're not my type," Tsuruya said bluntly. "But I'll still take you up on that."
"Well, tis better to have loved than lost... Oh! Leon! Matthew just finished the Carataceous
analysis. You'll be very pleased. He's waiting for you at the Library." Loro smiled.
"Perfect." Leon smiled." Nicky and I will get the data. Tommy, Zam, can you show everyone
around?"
"Sure!"
= = =
Loro took Tsuruya to a plaza with food vendors, seated at a table.
"A pomegranate and Apple smoothie, just as you asked." Loro served the lady.
"Thanks." Tsuruya sipped at the smoothie and sighed. She disliked virtual food. "So, what can
you tell me about the lore of this place?"
"What do you wish to know?" Loro sat down, and sipping his own tea.
"Specifically, why Leon created this place, and what it says about him."
Loro was surprised by the inquiry, but nodded. "Well, first off, you know what he deals with in
the real world, right?"
"Yes… his older brother told me. He's been bullied for being neurodivergent." Tsuruya frowned.
"He created this world to basically escape the shackles of his real life. He made it clear to the
system when he created his game file: within these walls, you are safe. The monsters live out
there, repelled by the most powerful of barrier magic."
"An escape…" Tsuruya whistled. "No wonder he likes this place. It represents safety and
comfort."
"Slaying monsters also provides great catharsis for him. Letting out all his anger and hatred on
creatures that are not human or humane. But for that rare moment of care and mercy he gets,
he also implemented a taming mechanic, to capture the monster alive, then tame and train it
into a loyal mount. Weapon and Armor craft was added to allow him satisfaction of efforts
paying off and getting stronger, though he's been hesitant to use it." Loro then looked around,
making sure no other human was around. "Has Nicky ever mentioned Leon occasionally not
coming home until the next day?"
Tsuruya went pale. "Oh, dear… No wonder Nicky's such a sourpuss," she murmured. "This
game is such a fantasy for Leon that he's using it as a second life."
"Even we have our concerns about that boy. How bad must it be in your world for him to go so
far as to want to spend the night with us?" Loro asked. "Heck, whenever there aren't any
mandatory plans with his family, he goes so far as to spend entire weekends with us. He's very
lucky game world food is just as real as the food in reality." Loro sighed. "Listen, I know he's got
his goal and all... but please, help him. Do something about those bullies. Even if you still aim
for Crystal, at least make it safe for him in reality again."
"You have my word," Tsuruya said. "I'm putting my head together with Nicky and Akihiko as
soon as we're done here."
Loro smiled. "Come, I can show you some of Leon's game records. Maybe that help as well."
Loro walked the lady towards the castle.
= = =
"Whoa! Big bro! Check this out!" Jerry called.
"I'm coming, Jerry. What is it?" Jay asked, following Jerry to see what he was talking about. It
was a stable, filled with various creatures. Dragons, Wolves, Tigers, Pegasi, Gryphons, and
various monsters that didn't match any known species. They were all more of a riding size, each
with a saddle and harness, and looked rather friendly.
"Whoa… I didn't know there were so many mounts here." Jay said, rather surprised.
"Welcome to the Tame Stable." The speaker was a young Labrador dog, about the same age as
Zam was. "This is where we house and care for every single monster that Leon captures, so
they can be tamed and trained into mounts."
"Wait… captured? He captured all of these?"
The lab nodded. "Whenever Leon fights a monster, he might find one that's just scared, or
desperate, or otherwise not as wild and vicious at the usual, so he can magically capture them
and bring them here. We use magic to shrink them to riding size, first, then help them calm
down and earn their trust. At that point, they won't hurt a hair on your head. Here, I'll show you."
Jay moved Jerry behind him as the lab let out one of the monsters, a wolf with snow white fur,
and and icy crystal carapace. "Blitz, these are your new friends."
The wolf soon came over towards the two boys, nudged Jay out of the way, and began to lick
Jerry like crazy.
"W-whoa!" Jerry didn't expect this at all from a big wolf like this. "Hey, that tickles."
"Blitz was Leon's very first capture. This big ol' mutt is super loyal to Leon. So if you're Leon's
friend, you're Blitz's friend."
"Loyal, huh?" Jay petted Blitz. "A friend that won't abandon him."
"Leon's been abandoned by people before," the lab said, to Jay's surprise. "Heck, that bully,
Brad? He used to be Leon's best friend until he found out Leon was autistic. Then he just
stabbed him into the back. He stole one of Leon's mother's rings and destroyed it, and lied that
Leon did it because he hated his mom. It took Leon months of slaving away at every chore in
the household to make it up to her, even with his siblings defending him, and even then, only
because Aaron got a confession out of Brad."
"That's not right… doing something like that to someone as nice as Leon."
"Yeah, we all care about him, but he still programmed for the mounts to be completely loyal. I
guess deep down, he's still scared of being betrayed by someone so close." The lab sighed.
"Aww… it's okay," Jay said, picking the dog up and patting his back to comfort him. "We promise
that we really are Leon's friends."
The lab just hugged back. "I'm Makoto... I can let you ride a couple mounts, as long as you stay
inside the city walls." Blitz already had Jerry on its saddle.
"Very well." Jay said, hopping on the back of a dragon with snow white scales, bringing Makoto
onto the saddle. "Can you get us to the library, please?" Makoto nodded, and after connecting
the mounts with a cord, stirred the dragon, with Blitz following obediently.
= = =
"And over here's my personal favorite place," Aaron said, as he, Zam, and Tommy showed Tad
and Snow what looked like a cozy, old-timey tavern, with a rustic wooden sign displaying its
name hung out front. "The Story Tavern- don't let the name fool you. It's pretty much a diner.
You can get good steak, a good shake, good cake. Anything you get here is guaranteed to be
delish," the cap wearing boy said, resting his hands behind his head.
"This, I gotta see for myself." Snow said.
"I could definitely go for something to eat right about now," Tad confessed.
Entering the tavern, the group was greeted by a lavender kangaroo. "Mom!" Zam came running
to her, and she picked him up for a big hug.
"You're just as energetic as ever, sweetie." She looked at the group. "Aaron, Tommy, is good to
see you. New friends?"
"Yep."
"Welcome to the Story Tavern, I'm Faloo Morrison, and-"
"Wait... Faloo Morrison? Mom?!" Snow perked up.
"I'm sorry, what?"
Aaron cringed. "Oh... sou… I forgot to mention that. Some of these characters... are directly
based off real people."
Faloo smiled. "That's right. So I suppose you're a daughter to real world Faloo? The owner of
the Calm Balm Bakery?"
"Yes, I am."
"Leon never forgets people how made an impact in his life. Your mother was the one who
introduced him to Aaron, giving Leon his first real friend. Now to mention being so kind and
caring to him, moreso in his times of need." Faloo folded her hands. "Any adult who makes a
major positive impact on him, he plugs in a character here in the game just like them."
"Aww, that's really sweet," Tad said, smiling. "Maybe I should try doing something similar."
"Anyway, table for five?" Faloo asked.
"Hai!" Aaron nodded, and the group was led to a table, taking their seats.
"Hey, Zam?" Tad asked, turning to the smaller kangaroo.
"Yeah?"
"Would you mind if I asked about the character plug-in that Leon did?"
"Not at all, ask away."
"Why is it always the people he likes? I mean, I'd expect him to make some version of Brad or
something, so he could punch the snot out of him on the regular."
"Leon's never been one for revenge. Plus, those people are reminders of the people who care
about him, not the people who hate him. The only reason there's no references to his own
family is because he can see them in reality, safe and sound at home or in the diner."
"So he just doesn't want that poison here?" Snow asked.
Zam nodded, ears drooping. "It's also why, here at the tavern, there's nothing but legitimately
good food. He's been poisoned before in reality."
"WHAT?!" Snow was shocked.
"When did this happen?!" Tad exclaimed.
"Yeah... I remember that day..." Tommy tensed up a little. "Leon had just become friends with
Aaron. His first real friend ever. Mom felt that was worth celebrating. So we went to that sushi
place Leon's been wanting to try."
"You mean Koichi's?" Aaron perked up. "Oh yeah… omoidasu yo... Turns out both Jeremy and
Eddy worked there. Eddy put on the nice guy act, but had Jeremy put Laxatives in Leon's food,
enough to keep him in the bathroom for an entire week. He missed midterms because of it.
Koichi's was sued and shut down, and the reason I know the truth was because I looked into it...
but they still got away with it."
"Okay, seriously. Why? Why go through so much effort to make one boy's life miserable?" Snow
asked "This is serious overkill. Is someone paying them to do this to Leon?"
"Maybe we'll know the answer one day," Tad said. "But for now, we've got even more of a
reason to beat them."
Tommy gulped. "My guess, it's because Leon never fought back until now. The one time he
did... he..."
"He was hit in the head with a school desk," Zam spoke up.
"NANI?!" Aaron stood up, slamming his hands on the table. "They did that?!"
"How did the school even allow them to do that and get away with it?!"
"The principal is Brad's dad. Heck, Leon got suspended for 'instigating the fight' in the first
place."
"But… but schools nowadays have security cameras all over the place!" Tad said. "Didn't they
bother to check them?!"
"He did it in an old art studio. There were no cameras there at all… at least that's what he said."
"Okay, that's it. Lunch can wait." Snow stood up. "We gotta go talk to Leon about this. He needs
help."
"Agreed," Tad said, standing up as well.
= = =
In the Castle Library, where thousands of books sat on shelves, Tsuruya was reading fervently
through records Loro had shared with her, eyes wide. "And... this is everything he's confessed,
and the legitimate reasons behind these decisions in the game?"
"The whole truth, and nothing but. Those bullies are pretty messed up, eh?" Loro folded his
arms.
"That is the biggest understatement I've ever heard. Kitsu, copy every word in these files. This is
powerful evidence."
"But if you jail those bullies... then what's the point of Leon aiming for Crystal?" Loro asked.
"Remember, the only reason he wants that was to make those bullies back off."
"I can help him find a new reason. But this torture has to end. This is no longer bullying, this is a
criminal campaign against a child just because he's different." Tsuruya held her head in her
hands. "God… damn it!"
"You really plan to help him?" Loro asked.
"I agreed to be his teammate, and his friend. I swore to his brother that I wouldn't let Leon forget
about his family. I promised you that I would help him. I can not allow an innocent boy like Leon
to suffer like this... where is he now?"
"The loft that overlooks this floor."
Up on the loft, Nicky was watching Tsuruya and Loro. "Dust, grant them entry up here."
"Yes sir... If I may ask, sir. Why not directly support Leon? Your experience could help him avoid
the downfall you endured." The robotic coyote looked at Nicky.
"Because," Nicky muttered, "I'd rather see to it that he stops playing these games entirely…" He
clenched both fists. "But if this is what Leon wants, who am I to complain?"
"Nicky... what did Ka-"
"Command override," Nicky ground out. "Do not continue that question. Please."
"Yes sir... but, that said. Leon's a gamer, true. But he's also your brother. You need to help him
and make sure he doesn't fall like you did. You may not like that he's going down that path, but
you need to be there because he is. Because if he falls, it'll be worse than it ever was with you.
You might actually lose him."
"..." Nicky fell silent, contemplating that horrible line of thought.
"You did have me programmed to be honest. All I can do is tell you what's true."
"You're right." The blond nodded. "I… I don't like this. I don't like any of this. But I need to do
what I can. For my brother."
"My suggestion is helping Tsuruya find that better motivation, before anything. I have a list of
suggestions ready."
"Thanks, Dust. For now, let's focus on the task at hand: Getting these guys ready for Bronze."
"Yes sir."
= = =
Leon was seated at a table with an anthropomorphic lion, presumably Matthew, looking through
a couple scrolls.
"Not sure how they'll react to this. But at least this means we'll have a chance." Leon looked at
the scrolls.
"By they, are you referring to your teammates... because..." The lion made a gesture as if to say
'turn around'. Leon turned, and was surprised to find everyone standing there, none of them
smiling.
"Um... hi guys. Is-"
"We need to talk," Aaron said bluntly.
"Quite the paradise you've built up within these walls," Tsuruya said nonchalantly, running her
hand along the rail as she walked towards Leon. "No danger, no worries. Loyal characters and
mounts. Food that always tastes good. Direct references to people you trust. Everything
dangerous being out there. Talk about a sanctuary... It's like the perfect escape."
Leon gulped. "I... I can explain."
"Loro, Zam, and Makoto filled us in. The macaw even let me see your game records."
Leon was pale, stepping back. "Guys, please..."
"Why didn't you tell us how bad it was?" Aaron asked.
"I've done that before, and Ashley went from caring about me to egging my dad's car."
"You're kidding." But Leon shook his head.
"I... I... Just... Please... don't bail on me..." Leon began to tear up. "You guys.... Have been nicer
to me... than anyone outside my f-family. Heck...even nicer than some of my relatives. I... I was
scared... if you knew... you wouldn't be my friends anymore!" Leon's entire emotional wall
shattered. He dropped to the ground, curling into a fetal position and crying.
The others looked at each with faces of concern and worry. After a bit of silence from everyone,
a hand reached out. "Get up." Tsuruya's voice was soft, yet motherly. "I'm not going anywhere."
Slowly, Leon took her hand, and she helped him up. "You've suffered long enough. It's about
time you had friends here to help you."
"Yeah. After everything those jerks put you through. I'm more surprised you're still standing."
Tad put a hand on his shoulder. "You're a trooper, and a tough one too."
"If I'd known about these actions sooner, I'd be having my mom's law firm at those bullies' necks
long before this. Leon." Aaron folded his arms. "The Yukito family always has our friends'
backs."
"A friend of mine taught me a valuable lesson about friendship." Jay came up, Jerry taking
Leon's hand. "Friends are there for each other, no matter the weather. I'm here for you, Leon."
"We Morrisons see friends as family, and we never abandon family," Snow smiled. "I will stand
with you without hesitation."
"You're not alone, Leon." Nicky came over, and he and Tommy hugged him tight. "I'll do
everything I can to help you."
"Same here, big bro," Tommy added.
Leon didn't know how to feel, surrounded by so much support. Joy? Hope? Relief? But he liked
it. "Thank you... all of you..."
"That being said. You're gonna need a new reason to aim for Crystal?" Tsuruya said.
Leon arched his brow. "And that's because?"
"I'm busting the bullies... no... They're worse than bullies. If they're going as far as vandalism,
theft, perjury, poisoning, and assault, they're straight up criminals. Your game data is powerful
evidence against them, considering the sincerity levels, the journal reports, the sudden program
changes, and how drastically things like safety and loyalty with spiked up."
"You also have my testimony, and I have photos of every time Leon left the house unharmed,
and came home messed up," Nicky chimed in.
"Wait... is that what that entrance was for?" Leon blinked.
"Yep. I was already planning to bust them... but I just needed proof that they were the ones
doing it."
"Yossha! We'll get testimonies from others," Aaron added. "Plus my dad's a cop, he has access
to the traffic and street cams!"
"Um... guys... as awesome as it is that we're making a plan to bust bullies..." Jay spoke up. "But
we're here to hunt monsters."
"Oh, right…" Matthew dithered. "I have good and bad news in regards to the Carataceous. The
good is that you already have all the materials to craft weapons and armor to gear up the entire
team. The bad news is that this means you're not going to be getting practice fights like you
asked. You're going to be going straight for the Carataceous."
"The analysis, along with a rundown on the basics should suffice. Let's get those weapons and
armor in the works, and begin preparations," Tsuruya said.
= = =
Leon and Nicky remained in the library, going over the data with Tsuruya and Snow.
"So, aside from the immunity to Wind, this thing really can't handle Elemental or Magical
damage. Plus, as Leon mentioned, it takes critical damage from blunt weapons, and it'll shed its
carapace off later in the fight." Snow hummed pleasedly.
Leon nodded. "Its main body is armored, but at about half health, it'll shed all its carapace in
favor of speed and a pair of wings..." The others gave him odd looks. "What? It's one of the
Sinister Seven, so it's half dragon."
"So we'll need to be prepared for that," Tsuruya surmised.
"The wing joints are crit points," Nicky said, pointing out the details in question. "Land a few
good hits once they're out, and you can ground the stupid thing by destroying them."
"Good thing I never miss a shot." Snow smirked.
= = =
Aaron and Tad were at the blacksmith's shop, helping with the gear. They were bringing what
looked like crystalline scales and hide, along with various ores and ingots, to the blacksmith- an
anthropomorphic black kangaroo.
"Excuse me, Alexander, sir?" Tad asked.
"Please, call me Alex."
"Right... so what exactly is this stuff?"
"Krystaleon Hide. Dragons have the best materials in terms of crafting, and as far as standard
monsters go, the Krystaleon is known for incredible defense. Krystaleon Armor not only has
high natural defense, but a full set grants extra defense and elemental resistance, with the
downside of weakening attacks that inflict status ailments," Alex explained, as he began
crafting. "And Krystaleon weapons are amongst the best in the game."
"Ooooh, sugee!" Aaron said. "So, how does Leon have enough Krystaleon materials to craft
armor for ten people?"
"Ten?"
"Hai. The team of six, plus Nicky, Tommy, Jerry, and Aki, since he's our sub."
"Well, to answer your question, the Krystaleon is actually Leon's absolute favorite monster so
far. All the monsters aside from the Sinister Seven are randomly designed by the system, but
Leon adored the Krystaleon's design. On top of that, he always has fun against it. So he actually
battled Krystaleon one hundred times!"
"You've got to be kidding." Aaron put his hands on his hips. "Why battle the same monster one
hundred times?"
"Well..." the boys were alerted to a roar. "That's how many tries it took before he got one that
met the conditions required to capture a Krystaleon to make it into a mount." Aaron and Tad
watched as a mount sized dragon landed in front of the shop: it had smooth, vivid blue scales,
with glimmering, crystalline outcroppings on its body that formed a sort of natural armor, and a
crystalline mane that swept down the creature's neck. "Introducing Leon's favorite mount, Kiara
the Krystaleon."
"Whoa!" Aaron approached the dragon. "Kirei..." Gently, he reached out to stroke her neck,
which she arched happily in response, letting out a soft purr.
"I can handle helping Alex, Aaron," Tad said encouraged. "You go play with Kiara."
"You sure?"
"Yes. Besides, I don't think we want Kiara watching us craft things out of her species' body
parts."
Aaron shuddered. "Good point." He looked at Kiara. "Can you show me some of your favorite
places in town?" She nodded, getting him onto her saddle, before taking off, letting Tad and
Alex get back to crafting.
= = =
Jay and Jerry returned to the stable with Tommy, to see about the mounts. The head caretaker,
Ryan, an anthropomorphic wolf, was explaining things.
"Carataceous is strong but slow, even in the air. So, you'll need speed. While I bet Blitz would
love to help, you'll need flying mounts for this battle."
Blitz's ears drooped, and he frowned deeply.
"If there was a way that you could have wings, we'd bring you."
"Oh! Jay! That new spell you learned back in our game!" Jerry said. "Try it on Blitz. Then he
could totally help on the mission! And other missions too!"
"You think that can work?" Jay asked.
"We won't know unless we try." Jerry answered. Jay nodded and focused. Magic began funnel
into his hand, which then stroked Blitz's head, transfering the magic into the wolf.
"Try blowing." The wolf did just that, and made a noise of surprise as he saw his breath come
out as a billowing cloud of icy mist. "Now you can create ice, to run on, jump on or even slide
on. You can fly your own way- ACK!?" Jay yelped as Blitz tackled him to the ground, licking his
face over and over with a long, cold tongue. "You're welcome…" he muttered, managing to push
Blitz off him and stand up. "Can you make sure Tommy and Jerry are safe during the battle?"
Blitz nodded.
"So, Jay, pick out your own mount," Ryan said.
Jay looked at the mounts, before setting his eyes upon a dragon. A brave looking dragon, the
snow white dragon from before.
"Who is this one, anyway?" Jay asked, coming closer to the creature.
"That's Frost, Leon's Tundrake. A newer Mount."
"Seems pretty calm for a Tundrake. Perhaps I can take him for a spin?"
"He can be your mount for the mission."
"Hopefully we'll get along."
= = =
Soon, everyone was gathered at the mission gate, putting on the armor that Leon had crafted.
It looked like a simple knight's armor, but it was coated with crystal to show off its shine. The
crystal covered the leg armor, the chest piece, the left shoulder pauldron, both gauntlets, and
the visor of the helmet, and it came in a different color for each set.
"So, this armor will give us good defense and better our elemental and magic attacks. That's
good to know," Tsuruya said, getting the chest piece of her violet armor on, before her chosen
mount, a large, winged snow leopard, gave her the gauntlets. "Oh, thank you." She accepted
them. "Such a good leopard." She stroked his head, making him purr.
Jay got the light blue armor he had picked situated before Frost gave Jay the gauntlets. "Oh,
thank you." He accepted the gauntlets. "I think we'll make a good pair, Frost." Jay smiled,
petting the Tundrake's back.
"If I'm gonna be honest," Leon said, his sapphire blue armor still cooling off from the crafting
furnace as he sat on Kiara's back. "I don't actually have a use for Frost... but I don't like to just
abandon mounts. Do dragons exist in your game, Jay?"
Jay looked somewhat surprised. "They're kind of rare in my game… why do you ask?"
"You can keep Frost permanently, if you want." Leon's comment perked up the Tundrake with a
big smile. "He really likes you... and it'd be better than just having him all cramped up in a stable
for the rest of his life, just because I already have a dragon."
"Wait… you're giving me him?"
"Yep."
"I'm… I'm speechless… thank you so much." Jay gave Leon a hug, Frost's wings flapping with
joy. Leon smiled as Jay cuddled his new dragon.
"That's really kind of you, bro." Nicky came over, wearing his silvery grey armor. "Man, the
undersuit does help. No chafing from this armor!"
Leon smiled. "Glad you like it bro... by the way... remember that monster you liked?"
"I'm gonna need specifics. There are several monsters I technically like in this game."
"The one we battled on Tu B'Shevat? The monster you saved a bunch of photos of to your
phone?"
"Oh! You mean the... what... you didn't!"
"I did..." Leon let out a quick whistle. Nicky's eyes widened, as out came a bulky, draconic
creature with long, curved horns. It had short, ruddy fur, and patterns of vivid blue and gold
scales on its legs. Its front legs ended in hooves, but its back legs were paws, and it had a long,
spade-shaped tuft on its whippy tail.
"A Taurodrake…"
"It took two hundred tries. It's got a low capture rate, and is a rare monster... but I managed to
capture and train a Taurodrake mount... just for you."
Nicky's eyes began to brim with tears. "Leonnnnn!" he cried, bullrushing his brother and
wrapping him in a huge hug. "You big jerk, you're amazing!"
"She still needs a name. I saved that privilege for you," Leon said.
The blonde wiped his eyes and sniffled, and nodded. "Andrea," he said. "I'll name her Andrea."
"Oh! And check out the Taurodrake Armor." With a quick finger snap, Nicky was re-equipped
with a new set of armor. This one was patterned with the same vivid scales as on the
Taurodrake's legs across a breastplate and arm and leg guards, with a red fur-lined collar atop
it, and a handsome horned helm. The general vibe was cold-weather clothing and armor with
vivid colors.
"Whoa... I guess after fighting two hundred of them, you can make dozens of these! These are
cool."
"They... and Andrea, are all yours."
Nicky perked up. "Bro, wait, I-"
"No, I made this decision long ago... consider them both a very late birthday gift... and an
apology for missing your birthday. I didn't expect to be in the hospital for two straight weeks. I... I
felt I... I felt I needed to make it up to you, ya know? So I remembered your adoration of the
Taurodrake, just like how I adored the Krystaleon, and Tommy likes the Gem-Wolf... So I spent
that entire weekend working as hard as I could to get you one. I even burnt out and stayed in
HOYOS overnight to get it done... I felt it'd be worth it, to give you something you'd be happy to
get..." Leon was cut off when Nicky hugged him tightly, bawling again.
"Y-You didn't need to do thaaaat!" Nicky cried. "Don't burn yourself out like that, Leon! B-But
thank you…" He sniffled. "Kinda wish I had a hankie…" Then, he was offered one, hanging from
Andrea's horn. "Oh, thank you." He accepted the handkerchief and blew noisily into it.
Tad smiled, putting on his navy blue armor. "Looks like Leon doesn't know when to quit when he
makes a goal," he said, a large wyvern mount nodding in agreement.
"No kidding." Aaron said, getting used to his red armor. "One hundred tries just to capture a
Krystaleon. Two hundred for the Taurodrake." He was then nuzzled by a mount: A large bat with
fire like feature. "And I don't even wanna guess how many tries it took to get you, little cute
Magbat."
"That's not exactly a good thing." Snow put on her zinc white armor. "He admitted it himself, he
burns out." She noticed her mount, a white eagle, being brought over by an anthro goat. "Wait...
Greg?"
"Yeah?" the goat looked at here. "Here's your mount. Sora's been fully fed and eager spread
her wings."
"No... Bro, what are you doing here?" Snow asked.
"Bro?" Aaron asked.
"My brother, Gregory Morrison, loves goats, and has the same voice, attitude, and even the
same eyes as this character." Snow explained.
"Oh! You must be referring to the real Greg." The goat laughed. "Your mother wasn't close to
being the only Morrison to lend Leon a greatly needed paw... or hoof. About a month ago, those
bullies were chasing after Leon, who had a super rare code card, the one that helped us get
enough material make this town bigger. The bullies wanted it just to sell it. When Leon rounded
a corner, the real me was able to pull him away, and he logged us both into the Morrison private
lounge."
"So Greg was the unexpected login on the record." Tsuruya recalled something like that
happening.
"Guess so... He was really grateful for my real self's help. He brought the real me here to his
game, used the card so we could start building, and made me in Greg's honor, since he wasn't
sure they'd ever meet again."
"Wow..." Snow was surprised. "Okay Greg, question: how often does Leon burn out and have to
stay in game overnight?"
"About once every few weeks," Greg admitted. "And that's at the very least. Leon's a stubborn
kid. Whenever he makes a goal, he spends all his time and energy trying to reach that goal.
Sometimes it's to capture a monster to make them a mount, and other times he just keeps trying
again and again to battle a monster that keeps beating him. He's just keep at it until he burns
out. But we can't just use the emergency log out protocol, cause that automatically plops him
right back where he logged in, usually at the park, and that's just way too dangerous. So we
send a notice to his parents so that they're aware, and we let him stay the night."
"Do you at least take good care of him?" Snow asked.
"As best as I can. Whenever he's burned out, I'm always willing to take good care of him," Greg
said. "That's the Morrison way."
"Quite true."
"Jeez, Leon's got it rough. Bullying, burnouts, being poisoned, assault, betrayal..." Tad looked at
Leon, who was putting on his armor. "I'm surprised... he didn't take his own life."
"Not a chance." The kids were alerted to an anthropomorphic German Shepherd, wearing an
attire and fedora quite familiar to Aaron's own, entering.
"Tou-san?!" Aaron shouted.
The dog-man didn't seem to acknowledge Aaron. "Leon's father made sure from a young age,
that Leon always knew better than to commit suicide."
"Smart dad," Akihiko said, admiring his yellow armor.
"And because of those efforts, Leon always looked for another way." The Shepherd got up,
seeing Tommy and Jerry struggling with their blue and red armor. "So, he'd come here." He
walked to the two kids. "He's spend time with us." He tightened Tommy's chest piece for him.
"He played with his mounts, especially Kiara." He held the greaves still for Jerry to put his foot
in. "And he slew monster after monster to let out his negative emotions and energy." He got
Tommy seated on Blitz. "But as much as he enjoyed his escape, he knew it was straining things
with his family." Jerry then joined Tommy on the saddle, and Nicky perked up at that last bit.
"So, within that last few weeks, he started looking up ways to make the bullying stop."
"And the best option led to a goal of qualifying for Crystal?" Nicky asked, Leon rubbing his arm
in embarrassment.
"Yep. He wasn't just making goals. He wanted the bullying to stop. If the bullying stopped, he'd
feel safer in Ludum again, and thus be more willing to around family."
"I can see why that would be troubling." Jay said.
"But after we get done with this mission, we're building that case against Team Indomitable. So
you'll need a new motivation for Crystal." Tsuruya stated. "Now what about those weapons?"
"Coming up now." Alex came out with a box. "All the weapons you asked for. Gotta say, never
thought I'd be crafting anything other than twin swords. It was surprising enough when I was
asked to craft daggers, warhammers, and flails, but I hope you kids will come see me for more
weapons."
"We can make a pocket room in the lounge to bring us to your shop!" Snow suggested.
"Okay, let's see what we got." Leon opened the box. There were two swords at the top, the
blades made of turquoise crystal that had been refined together while the edge of the blade and
the hand guard were made of several yellow crystals. The hilt was made up of white crystals
that pointed upwards away from the hand, resembling Kiara's mane. "Awesome!" He took the
swords.
[Leon - Equipped: Krystal Slashers]
"Let's see what else there is in there." Jay said, looking through the box. Inside, there was what
appeared to be a magic staff. It had a shaft made of pure white crystal, with a single small teal
crystal at one end, and a double helix of teal crystals at the other. Where the two helices ended,
a small teal orb was suspended between them, connecting the two. "This one looks promising."
He took the staff from the box.
[Jay - Equipped: Krystal Grace]
"Okay, my turn!" Tad came to the box, and looked inside. Within, he found a royal blue shield.
There were four golden spikes on one side, of it and a line of gold crystal going down the
middle, along with a sword made of the same blue material, with golden accents.
[Tad - Equipped: Krystal Defender]
"Guess I'm up." Aaron searched the box. In it, he found a flail that was tipped with a large red
gem. The rope it was attached to was made out of woven strands of mythril, which glimmered
silvery-green. "Perfect."
[Aaron - Equipped: Krystal Flail]
Tsuruya didn't say a word, instead just searching the box. What she found was a rapier colored
a bright green. The guard looked like it was made of four leaf shaped crystals and having two
vine like structures coming from it, one connecting to the pommel while the other circled the
blade once. These structures had small spikes almost like thorns on them, the one connecting
to the pommel had three while the one circling the blade had eight. The pommel was vivid red
and shaped like a rose, and the blade evoked the image of a large thorn.
[Tsuruya - Equipped: Krystal Rose]
Snow stepped up and looked in the box. She found a longbow that was around the same size
as her in it. The string was made of woven mythril, and both arms were decorated in pure white
crystal, with smaller off white and periwinkle gems mixed in to give it some variance.
[Snow - Equipped: Krystal Piercer]
"Nicky, you got a weapon too," Leon said. Nicky brightened, and came over. In the box was a
warhammer that was made up of mostly grey crystal, stylized to look like clouds with cyan and
yellow patterns forming lightning bolts on the handle. On the sides of the hammer were
formations of yellow gems designed to look like some sort of mythical bird. "I saw that art print
you got in the mail. So I went to the website, and gave a copy to Alex as a reference. I even
contacted the artist. He gave full permission when I mentioned your name. Apparently he's a fan
of your stuff."
[Nicky - Equipped: Krystal Verdict]
Nicky picked the hammer up, and hugged it tightly to his chest, closing his eyes. When he
opened them again, he smiled fondly at Leon. "Leon… you're the best brother anyone could ask
for."
"If I was... I wouldn't be having to force myself out of my game to make time for you," Leon said.
"Dude, enough with beating yourself up," Akihiko said, pulling a pair of knuckle claws out of the
box. "You've had bullies making your life miserable, but you still push yourself past your limits to
do this and that for your brothers. You invited them to join us for training, you gave them
member status to let them come into our lounge whenever they want. You've gone out of your
way to keep them included."
"But if I wasn't being bullied in the first place, this wouldn't have ever been a problem," Leon
argued.
"Dude, are you seriously blaming yourself for being bullied?" Nicky asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Those guys made the choice to go on that torture campaign."
"But I chose to escape into my game, walling myself as often as possible... my own NPCs had
to remind me that I'm a big brother. What kind of brother just runs away?"
Thonk. Nicky had reached out and karate-chopped Leon on the head. "Would you get a grip?! It
doesn't matter!" he said, anger heating his voice. "You were scared! You were hurt! It's only
natural to run! But you came back. You didn't choose to live in here- hell, even if it took your
NPCs to remind you, you remembered you have family!" Nicky took Leon's hands in his own,
holding tight and squeezing them between his warm palms. "I can help you. Tommy can help
you. Your friends, they can help you. Mom and Dad can help you. We'll bust those assholes, so
that your climb to Crystal isn't out of desperation. You can aim for it for better reasons! So
please, stop beating yourself up!"
Leon didn't know what to say to that.
"Jeez, and I thought you made me the honest one." Dust whistled.
At Dust's crack, Leon managed to crack a smile at Nicky, and hugged him tightly. "Thanks bro...
I promise I'll make this up to you."
Alex handed Tommy his daggers and Jerry his spear. "You guys gonna do any monster hunting
this chapter? We're twenty-seven pages in."
"Aww man..." Tommy sighed. "We only get so many pages in a chapter. We can't go after
Carataceous now."
"But hey, that just means we dedicate the next chapter to battling that bad boy of a beast."
Akihiko popped his knuckles.
"Are we done breaking the fourth wall?" Tsuruya scoffed. "Carataceous is gonna be our first real
battle together, we have to be at our best."
"Just one small thing." Leon snapped his fingers, and magic began etching the team symbol
onto everyone's armor, a badge on the torso, and on the back. "We're the Crystal Guard, after
all." Everyone nodded in agreement, as helmets were put on. Leon used a digital screen to
promptly accept a mission. "Crystal Guard, to your mounts. We have a monster to hunt!"
The players mounted their beasts, who roared and howled with pride, before taking flight. Kiara
was at the head of the pack, spreading her wings and springing up into the air. But as they flew,
Leon noticed Blitz, keeping up, while running on a trail of ice. "Blitz? Since when did you learn to
fly?"
"Oh yeah, funny story about that!" Jay shouted as the team raced off to their mission.
= = =
In the Zone Plaza...
"Where is he?" A hooded figure in a mask demanded from a group of six.
"So what, can't find him on your own?" an older teen mocked.
The masked player insisted. "Where! IS! HE?!"
"Not telling, dude."
"You have some nerve, talking to a champion like me with that tone." The masked player
popped his knuckles. "You think you can do better? Then how about a PvP, all six of you
against me."
"You're on."
Under the mask, the player smirked. "Oh ho ho! This is gonna be fun..."