Chronica Chronicle (Part 3)

The first Sunday in July marked the first RPG session between Itsuki, Haruto, Miyako, Nayuta, and Chihiro in a while.

“Right, here are all your upgraded stats after you leveled up in the last session,” Haruto the gamemaster began.

The four players eyed the shiny new level-2 character sheets he handed out. In addition to the usual parameter boosts, Itsuki’s Tsukiko Midfield had learned new weapons she could copy with her Phantom Smith unique skill; Chihiro’s Sen Midfield gained the ability to cook new types of monster meats and plants; Miyako’s Miyako Midfield adopted a new magic that boosted her movement speed; and Nayuta’s Deathmask Midfield acquired a new defensive spell.

“Heh-heh-heh… Allow me to show you my new, upgraded powers!”

“Hope this stuff’s useful for cooking…”

“The new magic’s fine and all, but I really hope I can fire my railgun this session. I got the mithril I need now.”

“I want to have sex with Tsukiko for sure this time!”

Newfound powers in hand, the adventurers examined their data, eagerly awaiting the next adventure as Haruto smiled.

“Okay you guys, are you ready to create a new story?”

GM (Haruto): First, a recap. In the town of Aegis, on the far end of the land of Gagagia, you were sent on a mission by Sylvia, daughter of the local lord. Along the way, you defeated a group of orcs wrecking the land and discovered that Sylvia’s brother Lloyd was the villain sending them out. He was experimenting with the orcs in order to boost his kingdom’s forces and protect them from potential invasion by the Empire of Horn River. Thanks to your efforts, Lloyd was imprisoned, and Sylvia was named next in line for the lordship, and they all lived happily ever after.

Tsukiko (Itsuki): No they didn’t! A little sister’s just had her brother thrown in prison! I can’t let such a tragedy be!

Deathmask (Nayuta): Yeah! If it weren’t for those Horn River marauders, none of this would’ve ever happened. They’re the ones behind all this. Let’s take ’em down.

Sen (Chihiro): “Take ’em down”? They’re an entire country.

Miyako (Miyako): Yeah… I don’t think there’s much that we as a group can do about them.

Deathmask: By the way, how powerful are we by the standards of this world?

GM: Well, you’re all young noblewomen from the principality of Midfield, trained in the fields of martial arts and magic. Even at level one, you’re definitely more dangerous than the average guy on the street, but you’re still new at the adventuring game. By that measure, maybe just fair.

Tsukiko: Fair…? And how powerful is the Horn River Empire’s army?

GM: It varies a lot among the troops, but basically, if they’re squad-captain-level or higher, they’re gonna be too much for newbie adventurers to handle.

Deathmask: Doesn’t sound like a foe we can really take on. Oh well… Let’s just give up and have sex, Tsukiko.

Tsukiko: You’re giving up a little too easily, don’t you think?!

Deathmask: Oh, what’s the big deal? We can at least act on our sexual fantasies all day in the game world!

Sen: I guess we’ll just have to work on strengthening ourselves if we ever want to take on the empire. Like, learn new magic or get stronger weapons or whatever.

Miyako: Yeah. Glad to see Sen’s got a good head on her shoulders, at least.

Tsukiko: Quite so! I’d expect nothing less from my younger sister.

Sen: I, I’m not your—um, I mean, yes, I am your younger sister, aren’t I? Uh, thanks, Sis…

GM: We’ll pick up the action while you’re still in the town of Aegis. The reward money Sylvia provided you means you won’t have to worry about sleeping on the street anytime soon.

Deathmask: There are lots of ruins and caves and stuff nearby, right? Maybe we could use this town as a base and raid those for a while.

The rest of the group agreed with Deathmask’s proposal, and soon they decided to gather intelligence on the ruins in the area. Thus, they headed for a tavern frequented by adventurers, where they began talking with the rabble-rousers drinking up a storm in broad daylight inside.

GM: All right, I’ll need one of you to roll for Charisma for the group.

Miyako: Who’ll go?

Tsukiko: You get one more die for every six points a stat goes up, right? My Charisma’s 10, Sen’s is 8, and Miyako’s is 11, so that’s just two dice. Deathmask has 12, so that’s three?

Deathmask: Yeah, I’m the most charismatic conversationalist out of all of us.

Tsukiko: …I’d have a word or two to say about that, but if that’s how the game’s set up, so be it.

Deathmask: Hee-hee-hee! It’s not my fault people love me so much. Let me handle this.

Deathmask rolled her dice and spoke to the adventurers. The result:

“Hahh? You wanna know about a good ruin to explore? Buzz off!”

She had rolled for a total of four, making the intel mission a complete failure. Many RPGs count multiple natural ones in a dice roll as a critical miss or fumble, but that concept didn’t exist in this game, so it was just treated as an extra crappy roll.

Miyako: Hey! What happened to your genius communication skills?

Deathmask: You can’t hit it off with strangers all the time.

GM: Seeing you sisters bicker with one another, the adventurers begin to laugh loudly. “Still wet behind the ears. Go back to drinkin’ your mama’s milk!”

Deathmask: …Well, they asked for it. I follow their directions, head back home, and swallow my sister Tsukiko’s man milk.

Tsukiko: Stop giving up all the time! Also, I don’t have any milk for you!

GM: The adventurers turn their leering eyes upon you, Tsukiko. “Ooh, well lookie what we have here! Wanna hang with us this evenin’? If you do, we’ll tell you some real useful info!”

Tsukiko: In your dreams, asshole! What kind of moron would let a bunch of vulgar trash like you anywhere near her body? You filthy pigs would be better off as orc fodder!

Sen: Y-you’re going too far, Br—I mean, Sis!

GM: One of them screams, “You little bitch!” Another one pipes up. “Let’s teach this bratty tomboy how the real world works!”

Thus, battle began in the tavern against six drunken adventurers.

“Lemme show you the power we used to take down that orc fortress!” Tsukiko screamed—only to have her sword brutally deflected by an adventurer’s shield.

“Wh-wha?!”

“Whoa, these guys are strong, aren’t they…?!” Sen exclaimed.

Neither her bow, nor Deathmask’s body strikes, nor Miyako’s magic had much effect. The four sisters soon found themselves cornered by their foes.

GM: “Geh-heh-heh! Maybe you didn’t notice, but we’ve slayed a dragon in our time, you know. You think we’ll let a bunch of little girls defeat us?”

Deathmask: Why is this obvious redshirt enemy horde so strong? I’d like to file a complaint!

Tsukiko: Ngh! Kill them…!

GM: “Geh-heh! You better be ready! We’re gonna make you girls scream for mercy all night!”

Deathmask: Oh no! We gotta do something, or these men are going to sexually assault my big sister Tsukiko! Their dirty, unwashed cocks are going to violate every hole in her body… Deh-heh-heh…

Tsukiko: Why’re you so happy about it?!

Miyako: If those’re the stakes, I gotta nail at least one of ’em with my railgun…!

GM: …You prepare to unleash your Thor’s Bullet skill. But just as you do: “…Would you customers mind knocking it off, please?”

Sen: Huh?

GM: The surly voice that rises above the raucous crowd belongs to a tavern waitress. She looks to be in her mid-twenties, blond-haired, blue-eyed. A very cool, indifferent sort of beauty. She’s wearing a katana around her waist. The tavern’s uniform exposes a lot of cleavage, so it’s easy for you to notice that she’s got a star-shaped mark of some sort on her chest. Her skirt’s pretty short as well, revealing her healthy-looking thighs.

Tsukiko: An armed waitress with big tits… Sounds like exactly the kind of character you’d enjoy, Haruto.

Miyako: Oh? Are those the kind of sexy girls you’re into, Fuwa?

GM: Um, no comment! Haruto Fuwa isn’t here right now; I’m the Gamemaster! …But anyway, this mystery waitress is butting in to try to end the fight. The adventurers aren’t having this, of course. “Shut up! Step out of the way!”

Sen: Um, ma’am, you should probably keep your distance from these guys. We’ll be out of here pretty soon, so…

The woman sized Sen up. “…You won’t need to,” she coolly replied. “They’ll be the ones out the door soon”—and a moment after she finished speaking, the waitress whipped out her katana faster than anyone’s eyes could follow. In an instant, it sliced through the weapons and armor of the rowdy adventurers.

“Wh-who is this girl…? Her skill’s off the charts…”

“What’ll it be next? An arm? A leg? Or your heads?”

By the time she had sheathed her katana with a metallic click, the adventurers were already running full-speed out the door. Any good adventurer knows when it’s time to run and save your own hide, after all.

“Um, thanks very much for helping us out,” Sen said.

The waitress replied frostily. “Picking a fight with a group when you don’t even know their skill is a fool’s errand. You better quit this trade and go back home while you’re all still alive.”

“…We don’t have a home to go back to,” Tsukiko said, gritting her teeth. “We were raised in Midfield, which gave itself to the Empire of Horn River without a fight. The imperial forces rule over our land on a whim, our nobility and knights squabbling with one another over whatever scraps of power the empire dangles above their heads. It is no longer the MF—the Midfield—we knew and loved.”

The waitress gave this sad tale a thoughtful look. “…I see. So what are you going to do now? With that much power, you’ll be nothing but bait for the monsters if you venture into the ruins.”

“N-no we won’t! We defeated an entire horde of orcs!”

“Mostly because we set their fort on fire,” Sen softly added.

GM: “I’d be more impressed if you faced a frontal orc assault and survived, but if that’s how you did it, it hardly proves your strength. Just give it up. Find yourselves another way to live.”

Deathmask: All right. I’ll just go back to having sex with my big sister for money. Profits ahead!

GM: “…You intend to prostitute yourself? At your age?”

Deathmask: No, I’m just gonna focus on screwing my big sister Tsukiko.

GM: “That’s hardly what I would call a decent living.”

Deathmask: You don’t think…?

Miyako: You’re seriously disappointed by that, Deathmask? …Wait, but who are you, ma’am? Not just an ordinary waitress, I’m assuming.

GM: Her gaze turns to the distance as she replies, “Ah, I’m just a woman who threw herself into the realm of battle, long ago…”

Sen: Sounds like she’s been through a lot. Something she won’t talk about…?

Miyako: Yeah. It’d be kind of rude to ask for her entire life story.

Deathmask: In that case, I’m gonna dig deeper with her.

Miyako: Huh?!

Deathmask: Can I try another Charisma check to see what I can get out of her?

Tsukiko: Damn, you’re merciless!

Deathmask: Well, she’s clearly an important character, isn’t she? Her past has to play into the story later on.

GM: Ha-ha! Well, feel free to roll…but I’ll tell you outside of the game that yes, this is a major story-bending secret, so it’s not gonna be an easy check. Um… Let’s call it successful if you roll sixteen or higher.

Miyako: Sixteen with three dice…? That is major.

Deathmask: Time to show you guys what I can do when I’m serious. Hah! … Seventeen.

GM: What the hell?!

Sen: Whoa…

Deathmask: Heh-heh-heh! I told you I can play people like a piano! And two natural sixes mean it’s a critical, doesn’t it? Is she gonna talk for us?

GM: Well, shit. You never know what the dice are gonna give you… So thanks to Deathmask’s astonishing coercion skills, the mysterious waitress eventually wound up giving away her true identity.

Tsukiko: Kind of a wimpy mysterious woman… Guess she’s a lot less mysterious than we thought.

GM: The mystery waitress’s name is Nina, age twenty-six, about five-and-a-half feet tall, ninety-five pounds, measurements thirty-five/twenty- one/thirty-four.

Miyako: …How can she fill out that kinda body with her weight?

GM: It—it doesn’t matter! It’s a fantasy world!

Deathmask: All right. So instead of her, like, missing organs or having some nonhuman body structure, she’s just another delusion from the insane mind of the virgin Prince Manwhore?

GM: Yes, all right? Yes!

Tsukiko: I don’t care about her measurements. Just give me the important stuff.

GM: Yeah, yeah. Um, it turns out that several years ago, Nina was an up-and-coming knight in the services of Horn River.

Deathmask: Wait! I’ve heard of her… A ruthless Empire general. “Bloody Nina,” they call her. Mastermind of countless castle sieges, mercilessly killing even women and children in her way…!

Tsukiko: You’re just making that up.

Deathmask: Uh-huh.

GM: …Well, really, she’s not far off the mark. And after a while of that, she finally got sick of herself, fled the Empire, and now she’s working as a waitress at this tavern.

Tsukiko: Why a waitress, of all things…?

GM: Since her early teens, Nina’s been tasked with wearing heavy armor and waging near-constant war on the battlefield. Thus, she’s always had a thing for cuter, more complimentary clothing. So she decided to work here—because of the pretty uniforms.

Tsukiko: That seems a lot deeper than it sounds, weirdly enough.

Deathmask: The former knight, age twenty-six, liked the pretty uniforms.

GM: You got a problem with that? It’s supposed to make you say “aww” and stuff!

Miyako: Er, Fuwa…?

GM: Ah, never mind… Regardless, Nina flashes you a lonesome smile. “Heh… Look at me; I’ve been rambling on far too much…”

Tsukiko: Yeah, you sure have. I’m pretty sure there were a few useless stats thrown in that we didn’t need to know…

GM: “W-well, anyway, do you still insist on being adventurers?”

Miyako: Of course!

GM: “Oh brother. Well, it’s your funeral. But perhaps it was fate that brought us together. Let me teach you a bit about the basics of battle.”

And so the four sisters were enlisted for training at the hands of ex-Empire knight Nina.

“…Ahh, so this character’s meant to be kind of a teacher type?”

Itsuki nodded at Nayuta. “Looks that way. And once we’re able to fend for ourselves, she’ll probably get killed off in some in-game event.”

“Yeah, by the Empire, I bet.”

“Mm-hmm. That’ll give the party more motivation to fight the Empire later.”

Haruto rubbed his temple, twitching, as the two of them postulated.

“I told you in the last session! You guys are professional writers! Stop using your skills to guess at future developments!!”

“Oh, uh, sorry… (´• ω •`)”

“Excuse us… (´• ω •`)”

Given how genuinely angry Haruto looked, Itsuki and Nayuta felt it wise to avoid agitating him any further.

So began the four sisters’ training regimen, one that would go on for days to come. Nina, as it turns out, was handy with more than just a katana—she was well versed in most any weapon and even had a working knowledge of magic. This allowed her to give each party member a wealth of new skills and spells.

Through a gauntlet of monster-slaying runs and low-level dungeon hacks, the four sisters gradually learned the talents they needed to survive as adventurers. Or, to put it in game terms, they all hit level 3.

But one night, when the party was eating a fresh Sen-cooked dinner at Nina’s house, she smiled lightly and dropped a bombshell on them.

GM: “…You know, looking at you guys reminds me of when I was young. I had a family, too, but while we were traveling to another town, bandits killed my parents and took my younger sister. She was still a baby at the time, seven years younger than me. I was saved by a passing troop of knights, and soon they had me working as their chore girl. It wasn’t long before they recognized my talents for battle and made me a full-fledged knight. I found myself traveling the lands, searching for my lost sister, but I never did find her, in the end… Her name is Tina. If you ever somehow run into her in your own travels, please, tell her I am here now.”

Miyako: But she was an infant when they kidnapped her. Even if she’s alive, would she remember Nina…?

Sen: Do we have any clues where she might be?

GM: “She bears a star-shaped birthmark on her chest, just like mine.”

Tsukiko: Right. A nineteen-year-old girl named Tina with a star birthmark on her chest. Got it. I swear to you that we’ll find her and reunite you both!

GM: “Heh. Thanks, Tsukiko.” You notice Nina’s countenance suddenly turning grim.

Tsukiko: Nina?

GM: “…Looks like we’re surrounded.”

As if to prove Nina right, a window shattered, followed by several people storming into the room. They were clad in black from head to toe, so the party couldn’t tell their faces, ages, or genders.

“Wh-who are you?!” Tsukiko shouted.

One of the assailants threw a knife at her. It was easily deflected by Nina’s sword.

Katana in hand and eyes sharp, Nina told them frankly, “…Chances are these are assassins from the Empire of Horn River. I never dreamed they would track me down to the edge of this land…”

“The Empire never forgives those who betray it,” one of her foes said in a muffled voice.

“Tsukiko! Sen! Miyako! Deathmask! All of you, get out of here! They’re after me!”

The four sisters each shook their heads.

“W-we’re gonna fight!” Sen shouted.

Miyako nodded. “We can’t let them get you, master!”

“…Very well,” the apparent leader of the black assassins droned. “Kill them all…for the sake of a new tale.”

“““““For the sake of a new tale!””””” the rest of them shouted, before descending upon the party. Nina and the four sisters raised their weapons, and the battle began.

The assassins numbered a total of six people, all skilled.

“Flowing Slash!” “Yah!” “Ice Needle!” “Holy Light!”

Tsukiko used her sword, Sen her bow, and Miyako and Deathmask their offensive magic to lay out a concentrated assault. Each attack found its mark.

“Heh,” Nina chuckled proudly as she engaged the leader. “You’ve grown stronger, have you?”

The other foes attempted to attack the four sisters, but Tsukiko, enhanced by Deathmask’s defensive magic, took the hit for her allies while Sen and Miyako counterattacked.

Before long, the enemy’s numbers began to dwindle—and soon, only the leader was left. But:

“Pfft… Useless garbage.”

Refusing to even acknowledge his own allies, the leader cruelly ignored them as he kept fighting Nina. The ex-knight was still far stronger than the now-seasoned sisters—but even she was put on the defensive by the leader’s brutal assault. The assassin mostly dodged her slashes and magic as his merciless blade weaved its way through her defenses and sliced at her body.

Bloodied from head to toe, she continued to swing her katana.

GM: “Heh. I’m not done yet…”

Tsukiko: Back up our master!

Miyako: Okay!

GM: “Stay away! The four of you combined couldn’t defeat him! Run away while I can still buy you time!”

Tsukiko: Are you crazy?! You know we can’t do that!

Sen: She’s right! What’ll you do about your sister?!

GM: Nina looks at you and flashes a serene smile. “Heh. You know, I kind of started thinking of you all as my little sisters…”

Tsukiko: Will you stop setting yourself up for a noble sacrifice?!

GM: “Just get going! I don’t want to lose another sister before my own eyes!”

But just as she got the words out, the assassin attacked her once more, drawing her back into combat.

“…Let’s go, sister. Our master has made up her mind. We can’t let her choice be in vain,” Deathmask quietly said.

“Nngh…”

“…”

It wasn’t the suggestion Miyako or Sen wanted to hear. Both of them winced, gritting their teeth at the idea, even as they prepared to run. All of them knew they were no match for this masked assassin.

But one of them still had yet to give up on helping Nina.

“…Prepare to become the cornerstone for a new tale.”

“Not if I can help it!!”

The relentless blade descending toward the tottering Nina found itself landing upon an unexpected target—Tsukiko, who had just invoked her Protect skill. It easily cut through her armor, relieving her of more than half her HP in one strike.

“Tsukiko!”

“Sister!”

“Sis!”

“Why must you get in my way…?”

It only served to provoke the assassin, but the bloodstained Tsukiko still laughed boldly at him.

“Now, time for the counterattack…”

“What…?!”

Focusing her concentration, Tsukiko began to emit magical light from her left hand. It was Phantom Smith at work, allowing her to copy any weapon she had seen before and take advantage of its unique actions.

“Wh-what’re you gonna do…?!”

Tsukiko screamed at the wavering assassin:

“Phantom Smith—come to me, Roper Tentacle!!”

A forest of thick tentacles, squirming and glistening with slime, sprouted from her hand. It was the tentacles from the Roper that had attacked the party in the lake during their previous adventure, encircling their target and holding it in place. Were tentacles “weapons,” truly? They were—or, at least, close enough that Phantom Smith worked.

“Hwuh?! Ngh! Let me go!”

The seemingly endless swarm of tentacles stretched out from Tsukiko’s hand, the slimy tendrils promptly wrapping themselves around the assassin’s body.

“Now, Miyako!”

“R-right!”

At Tsukiko’s signal, Miyako fired a Thor’s Bullet at the assassin—her unique skill, firing pure mithril at speeds that even left the passage of time behind. It was a cut above all the sisters’ other offensive skills, and the full brunt of the attack impacted the assassin, scoring major damage.

“Nwaaahhh!”

It was enough to make even the assassin scream out in anguish. Nina immediately took the opportunity to strike the final blow.

“Imperial Drawn-Sword Arts—Horned Dragon Beam!!”

Skraahhhh!!

The high-speed slash Nina unleashed ripped diagonally across the assassin’s frame. It was followed by a violent spray of blood.

Tsukiko: Did we win?!

GM: Yes, Nina’s attack just now definitely reduced the assassin’s HP to zero.

Sen: Wow, we really did it!

GM: …But.

Deathmask: Oh, that doesn’t sound good!

GM: Despite the lethality of the blow, the assassin still doesn’t fall. He says, “I must carry out my mission…for the sake of a new tale…!” And just before he breathes his last, he unleashes a final, desperate strike at Nina.

Miyako: Huh? That’s not fair!

Deathmask: Wow, one of those “death’s door” counters. The final struggle! I couldn’t count the number of times that kind of thing got me in a console RPG. You’re trying to kill Nina off here no matter what, aren’t you, GM?

GM: Hey, don’t blame me. Rolling for damage…

Tsukiko: I use Protect!!

GM: Wha…?! Are you serious?! You’re never gonna survive this with the HP you have left!

Tsukiko: But I’m still using Protect! If Nina dies, it’s going to devastate her little sister. I don’t care if I never even met her; I absolutely refuse to have a little sister suffer under my watch! I, Tsukiko Midfield, live by this creed!

GM: Um, Tsukiko—I mean, Itsuki—talking outside of the game again, but this assassin’s death counter deals 3d+10 of non-blockable damage.

Miyako: 3d+10…? And what’s Tsukiko’s HP right now?

Tsukiko: 15. So as long as you roll a 4 or less, I can survive this!

GM: I mean, well, okay, that’s not impossible, but…!

Tsukiko: No problem, man! My passion for little sisters will conjure up a miracle!

GM: Where does this completely baseless confidence of yours come from?! …Ugh! All right! But seriously, don’t blame me for what comes next!

Steeling his resolve, Haruto rolled three dice.

…No miracle occurred.

The assassin’s final blow, released with every ounce of force left in his body, sliced the protecting Tsukiko to ribbons, dealing lethal damage.

“C-curse yoooou…”

The assassin let out a loathsome groan as he breathed his last, unable to complete his mission.

“Tsukikooooo!”

Nina propped up the girl’s profusely bleeding body.

GM: “Tsukiko, why…why did you protect someone like me…?!”

Tsukiko: Mmm… Well, so much for that… I have no regrets…

Sen: Big Sis!

Miyako: Tsukiko!

Deathmask: Oh, my poor sister!

GM: The other sisters run up to them as Nina gently lays Tsukiko’s body on the ground… Any last words, Tsukiko?

Tsukiko: …Well, sorry, guys. I guess this is it for me.

Sen: No… Sis, no!

Tsukiko: But don’t worry about me… Just help Nina reunite with her sister… And you, Miyako… Keep Sen and Deathmask…safe for me… And then I softly close my eyes…and go limp.

Miyako: Um…so, wait, is Tsukiko really dead?

GM: Yep.

Miyako: That can happen?!

GM: Well, that’s a role-playing game for you. Even player characters can die sometimes.

Miyako: Is there a magic or item or something we can use to resurrect her?

GM: Nope.

Sen: Oh no…

Deathmask: You’re kidding… You have to be kidding, Tsukiko!

Deathmask broke into tears, clinging to the lifeless form of her beloved sister—but Tsukiko did not open her mouth again.

It was a long while before Deathmask, still crying, weakly staggered out of the house. Miyako and Sen merely stood there, unable to summon the energy to chase after her. And as Deathmask wandered the mountain path, deep into the night, her eyes burned with the dark flames of revenge.

“…They’ll pay… I swear I’ll make Horn River pay for killing Tsukiko…”

Once Nina patched up herself, Miyako, and Sen in her house, the three of them decided to leave town at once. Staying here could expose them to another assassin strike before long. Thus, even as the pain of losing their sister tore at them inside, Miyako and Sen hurriedly prepared to hit the road.

As they packed up, Nina revealed a beacon of hope to them. “…Come to think of it,” she said, “when I was still in the army, I once heard a rumor. A rumor about a villager from the Narow tribe that populates the Elcadia Mountains, one who wields the power to revive the dead…”

“Ah! Maybe we can revive our sister…!”

“…Indeed, maybe you can.”

The light of hope began shining in Miyako’s and Sen’s eyes once more. The decision was unanimous. Sen and Nina would take Tsukiko’s body and set off straight for the Elcadia Mountains. Deathmask still did not return the next morning, so Miyako volunteered to search for her and regroup with the others later.

Miyako: Where did that girl wander off to…?

Sen: Hang in there, Big Sis. I promise we’ll go adventuring together again.

GM: Upon Tsukiko’s sudden death, Sen and Nina decide to set off on a quest to resurrect her. Meanwhile, Miyako embarks to search for Deathmask, who has disappeared into the night. What will befall the Midfield sisters in their ensuing adventures? …Seriously, what am I gonna do with you guys now?!

With a very non-contrived scream of agony, the session came to a close, following a little level-up stat management. The final sheets looked like this:

Once everyone except Tsukiko finished the level-up procedure, Haruto collected their character sheets for checking.

“Let’s see… Sen’s keeping her upgrades pretty balanced, Miyako’s learned a new magic, and Deathmask’s…put all her bonus points into Charisma. Ha-ha-ha… I got a really bad feeling about that…”

“What’re you gonna do with that, Nayu?” Miyako asked.

“Not telling,” Nayuta primly replied.

Thus ended their first RPG session in a while—one that foretold boundlessly exciting events in the future. Where would the story take the four (um, three) Midfield sisters going forward? Not even Haruto the gamemaster could say.

To be continued…