It happened after I declared my love to Nekohime-san.
Back when I was brokenhearted, and playing solo.
You want to join our guild?
Yes, if you'll please have me.
Well, let me interview you, here.
Huh? Interview?
First, what are your reasons for wishing to join us?
Huh? Emm...
Well, playing solo, it gets kind of lonely, and I was thinking,
if I joined a guild, I could try devoting myself more to the game.
What do you do IRL?
I-I'm a high school student.
Meaning that you're the type who drops out when it's time to eat,
drops out when you need to bathe, and can't log in late at night?
Our style is such that, once we start grinding, we take at the very least three hours to finish,
so I don't think you'll fit in.
I see...
Well, if I dropped out of school, I'd fit in—
is that what you're getting at?
That's right.
We have many people in our guild who have quit work and school to play net games.
You know about reincarnation, right?
Yeah...
Once you have maxed out your level, you can create a new character and bring your skills over to them...
Our guild is loaded with characters like that.
Um, er, I uh, think that might be too much for me, so um...
E-Excuse me!
So that's what happened.
That was a pretty hardcore guild, huh?
Yeah, hard hardcore.
A completely different, scarier world than ours.
Though scary wasn't all they were.
Say, hold up.
Even if you're not in our guild, you're still a fellow game player.
If you have trouble with anything, feel free to stop by anytime.
Still, it's kind of nice, isn't it?
What's nice?
Living just for the game, like those guild people do.
Hey, now, you just barely got so you're coming to school again, and now you want to become a wreck again?
Ah, if I could quit school and everything, and have you support me, Rusian...
I forgot my wallet at home.
Huh?
Oh, but that's okay.
If I sell off some unwanted items, I can afford some juice.
Hey, we're not in the game right now.
Indeed! I can't open my inventory!
You don't suppose she's actually getting worse?
I thought her secret wasn't going to get out?
Maegasaki!
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Oh! Oh! Oh!
It's getting worse, huh?
N-No, this kind of thing sometimes happens to even me.
Yeah, like when you sleep in, and think you can make it in time if you magically teleport, and stuff.
Mm-hmm.
When there is something I want, I find myself looking for the "pay" button before I realize it.
I know, right? I know, right?
Listen to all of you...
The whole idea of this Modern Communications Electronic Game Club
was to make Tamaki-san understand the difference between the game and reality, wasn't it?
But the way things are going,
I think it might be better to dissolve the club, and have you all quit playing online games.
I think that would be meowtrageous.
Well, let's commit ourselves to our club's activities today.
I have a meeting to go to, so I'll be leaving.
Nekohime-sensei sure does have it tough.
And we're entirely to blame for that.
Okay, let's start this club meeting!
Master, you sure are amped up.
Yeah.
After all, today's update features a new gacha implementation.
Are you planning to spend even more?
No, you can't go buying gacha's.
They're a waste of money.
Don't be ridiculous!
Listen, gacha fulfill the wishes of every net game player,
in that for a little money, you can chase your dreams!
Hear, hear, Master!
I don't have any money, but I'd like to try it!
Oh, Ako you're showing some promise, all right.
Okay, I'll contribute something to your account.
Huh? For real?
Then, I'd like to play, too!
Don't you guys have any pride?
I just want to try my luck.
Whatever items I get, I'll give them to Master.
Huh?
It looks like your wife wants to help herself.
Come on, Ako.
I don't remember having such a shameless wife.
That's not something I intended, either.
"Thank you very much for your purchase!"
All right, purchase complete.
All right, here it comes, people!
Today begins the Net Game Club's 100-gacha tradition!
Yeah!
Hey!
Don't go making up weird traditions!
Why did I not get a single rare item?
You're right.
Not getting anything rare after all the gacha's you went through is itself amazing.
It's just like everything else in my life.
I get bad rolls in everything I do.
It's all right.
Everyone is equally underleveled when it comes to life.
Life is a shit game...
I want to quit playing...
Let's keep going a little longer, okay?
I know!
Let's get some ice cream to cheer us up!
Sure!
Oh.
But I don't have my wallet...
Thank you very much.
Here.
Morning.
Good morning, Nishimura Rusian.
Nishimura, your girlfriend isn't here yet.
I told you, she's not my girlfriend.
We know.
She's your wife, right?
Ugh, Nishimura, I'm not saying you should die, but...
We hope your day sucks.
You guys are being a bit too frank.
Hey, good morn—
Huh...?
Sorry about that, Nishimura-kun.
Akane was in a good mood, up until a minute ago.
No problem, no problem.
It's always like this.
Nishimura sometimes talks to Akiyama-san, too, huh?
He must be two-timing.
Ah, we have to tell his wife.
Ru-si-an...
Modern Communications Electronic Game Club
Okay, be good to me again today, my little War Machine.
What do you mean, War Machine?
Why, it's her name, of course.
My smooth-running good girl.
I'd like to take you home with me...
I'll have to reject that.
The PCs here are school property.
Ugh, cheapskate...
Oh, you're here—huh?
She's running critical on HP.
Rusian!
Please cast Heal on me!
You're the healer, remember?
So? Did something happen?
Recently, I've been coming to see you a lot, haven't I, Rusian?
Well, now, the others in my class are...
Tamaki-san, you seem to be going to the class next door a lot lately.
How come?
Ah, are you going to go see your boyfriend, or something?
No way!
Tamaki-san, you have a boyfriend?
What's he like? What's he like?
Like that.
It's awful.
They're bullying me!
"Bullying"?
Among girls, those with boyfriends are a certain type.
Letting yourself be one of those types would make socializing easier.
Oh, like the way I'm an open otaku in our class.
Yeah.
If you're stuck for things to talk about,
you can say, "My boyfriend is just the best," or something, and then bask in his lukewarmth.
No, don't do that!
My HP will be siphoned off without me knowing it!
It's not that!
I'm not trying to hide that Rusian and I are a couple.
In fact, I wish everyone knew it.
So then, what's the problem?
That wish is the problem!
The way they started talking to me, after I'd established myself as a loner...
...they really have no manners.
Huh? That's what you mean?
Anti-others barrier
I had my anti-others barrier up, but they just kept pushing against it.
What do I do?
What do you do?
It's no use coming to me for advice about this.
You see, in my class,
there isn't anyone who comes up...
...and talks to me!
I see.
Ah, yes?
Huh?! N-Nanako?!
Ah, I knew you're here!
What are you doing here?!
I came looking for you, Akane.
M-Me?
Mm-hmm.
You were looking around before you went in this room, so I was wondering what you were up to.
Is this a computer club?
Um, er, actually...
This is the Modern Communications Electronic Game Club room.
That is to say, the Net Game Club.
Why did you say that? Why did you say that?
Why did you say thaaaaat?!
What are you so worked up over, Schwein?
Schwein?
Stop calling me that name in front of others!
"Legendary Age"?
So, um, in short, all of you play this game?
Well, that's about the size of it.
Hey, Rusian!
Ah, Akane, you call him Rusian, too?
Is that like a nickname he has among club members?
No! No! No!
Not me!
I'm not in the club!
Then what are you doing in here?
W-Well, you see, I'm standing guard to keep regular people like you
from getting tainted by coming into a place as twisted as this.
So out you go, right now.
Get out. Leave now. Go on!
Hold on! Akane, wait—
It's over...
My high school life... is over...
Schew-chan and Master are late, huh?
Master aside, Schew might not be coming today.
It's over, it's over, it's over, it's over, it's over, it's over...
After what happened, she was completely burned out.
Just waiting around like this is boring.
Oh, in that case...
Are you ready to go now?
Yes!
It's fun to take the airship cruise, see the undersea temple,
do the whale launch, visit the mechanical city of August...
...and even do the sightseeing course for newbies after all this time, huh?
This is almost like a honeymoon, isn't it?
Could you at least call it a date?
So it is a date, then?
Er, no, that's just a figure of speech...
Ah, with just the two of us walking along alone like this, it reminds me of the first time we met.
It was a fateful encounter.
As I was being attacked by monsters,
Rusian, you swept in, just like a prince...
Are you okay, there?
Come on, don't go dressing up the memory like that.
You were flailing around like a newbie in trouble, and I asked if you were okay, remember?
Then you said...
Um, how do I make this game end?
So then I showed you how to quit the game...
Then starting the next day, you followed me around everywhere, right up until this moment.
That's the truth, right?
Well, you can chalk it up to love.
Don't acknowledge your stalker behavior by calling it "love."
The husband doubts his wife's love for him.
To tell you the truth, I wish I had a bit more room to doubt.
Your love is so weighty, it's smothering me.
Hm? What's wrong?
Isn't this...?
I've never gone into the inn before.
Well, it's not a real inn, it's just set up like one.
It's not like your strength recovers here, or anything.
Indeed.
Someone is in there.
Yeah, sure enough.
Why do you suppose those two are on the bed, facing each other?
Well, um...
I got it!
A man and woman sitting on a bed in an inn with nice ambience...
The reason for that is clear!
You don't need to get it...
There's something I've been thinking for a while.
Rusian, you say the game and real life are separate,
but if you think about it the opposite way,
you and I are a full-fledged married couple in the game.
That's true.
So what I'm saying is, it's okay for us to do what couples do inside the game, isn't it?
In other words, we, too, can carry on some hot-and-heavy chatting!
We're not doing that.
We can express everything that we're feeling for each other.
Rusian, your finger slowly traces along my body,
and the muscles down my back melt at the sweet sensation...
Stop!
If you say it, I'm going to imagine it!
I won't be able to help but think about it!
I'm sorry...
Rather that apologizing, don't say those things in the first place.
Huh? Rusian?
And Ako-chan, too!
Nekohime-san...
What are you two doing around here meow?
We're on a date!
Never mind us, how about you, Nekohime-san?
Oh, um, well, how can I say this?
Who the hell are you?!
What did you do?!
You have made Nekohime-sama uncomfortable!
I haven't done anything!
What's the matter, Cloud?!
Do we have a scallywag?!
Nekohime-san, who are these people?
Um, they are members of a guild that I once belonged to.
It had been a while since we split up, so I got in touch with them, and they got together with meow.
We are of the guild Nekohime's Elite Guard!
Meaw?!
As long as we're here...
...we shan't let you lay a finger on Nekohime-sama!
Uh, we don't wish to interfere here, so we'll be going now.
Ah! Hold up, Rusian!
It's not like that!
They are all just horsing around!
I really was just getting together with my old guildmates, and telling stories of the old days!
Nekohime-san...
...really become a princess.
TL note: Nekohime
Cat princess
I don't need to be a princess, I'm happy just being your wife, Rusian.
I-I don't remember asking...
Whoa, there...
Ta— Th— Thasnk.
Hm?
Oh, "Thanks"?
She's not at all accustomed to chatting.
Wearing beginner's gear, too.
Must be a newbie.
Her name is... "Sette"?
Rusi... an...
Rusian!
Is this someone you know?
I'm not really sure.
Um, have we ever crossed paths before?
Rusian, don't tell me...
I-It's not like that!
I'm not cheating on you!
Don't doubt the husband's love for his wife!
Tell... me...
I don't know... what I should do...
An eager new gamer, huh?
I can't just leave people like this alone.
You're not thinking of looking after her, are you?
What choice do I have?
She's a fellow player within the game.
That may be true, but...
Sette-san, do you know the basic controls?
Starting from there, huh?
Sette-san, your character is a melee fighter.
Same as me.
Same as Rusian...
The basics are normal attacks, guard, counter, and smash moves.
There aren't a lot of them, but you fight with ranged attacks using projectile skills.
Now, what you do is simple:
you usually pound them with normal attacks,
and when it looks like the enemy is about to attack, guard.
When it looks like a melee skill is coming, counter.
And if their guard is down, smash.
When farther away, once you charge up...
All right!
Time to log in!
You're pretty excited.
Did something good happen to you?
Nanako says she isn't going to mention anything to anyone.
Ah, I really am glad it was her.
My high school life gets to go on for a little while longer!
But you better be careful, or someone else might find out, right?
I checked three times before coming in the club room, so I'm okay.
Nanako also seemed to be in a hurry to get home.
D-Don't startle me like that.
Ahem...
Okay, let's go grind!
We have to make up for what we missed yesterday.
All right, all right, we're going!
Rusian!
I thought once you reincarnated, you still get another chance?
Why did you say that?! Why did you say that?!
Why did you say thaaat?!
Why are you upset, Schwein?
Stop hiding that you're an otaku and hold your head high, why don't you?
Shout out to all that "I am an electronic warrior, a net gamer!"
Why did you say that?!