Club activities had ended, and on his way home, Sato unexpectedly ran into Rikka and Shouko.
"Servant, fate has led us to meet once again!"
As soon as they met, the chuunibyou girl unleashed a cringeworthy line. She stood solemnly before Sato, holding a petite umbrella named Schwarz Sechs Prototype Mark II, and declared in a low, serious voice.
Thwack!
"Ow!"
Only after receiving a sharp chop to the head from Sato did the self-proclaimed wielder of the Tyrant Eye revert to her normal self.
"That really hurt!"
"I didn't even use force."
Sato twitched at the corner of his mouth. They say women are born actresses, guess our ancestors knew what they were talking about.
Ignoring Rikka, Sato turned to Nishimiya and asked, "So, how's it going in Rikka's club?"
Nishimiya thought for a moment, her lovely amber eyes flickering, and then began signing to Sato.
"Sleeping? And…"
She seemed to be struggling to express something, her expression becoming troubled.
"Magic rituals!"
Rikka chimed in helpfully from the side, and Nishimiya nodded in confirmation.
What kind of nonsense is this?
Sato rubbed his temples. Sure, the club's name was Far Eastern Magic Nap Society, but hearing it described out loud still felt absurd.
Magic rituals, okay, that's definitely Rikka's delusional self-entertainment. But napping?
Was there seriously a club in school dedicated to organized napping?
This is more outrageous than sipping tea during club hours. They're literally napping on campus…
After thinking for a bit, Sato said to Nishimiya, "If you're not comfortable there, you're always welcome in the Light Music Club."
Though he didn't know all the girls in the Light Music Club inside and out, he'd spent enough time with them to feel they'd be understanding. Even if Nishimiya didn't join in the music, she could at least enjoy the atmosphere, and the tea.
Honestly, the Light Music Club's tea time was basically its brand now.
"No way!"
Before Nishimiya could even respond, Rikka suddenly shouted.
She wrapped her arms protectively around Nishimiya and glared at Sato. "Shouko is a core member of our Magic Society now! There's no way she's going with you!"
"That's not up to you. Shouko should decide for herself."
"She won't leave… right, Shouko?!"
Rikka looked up at the taller Nishimiya with puppy-dog eyes.
Nishimiya gave her a gentle nod, face glowing with a kind of motherly warmth, and signed to Sato:
[Rikka's club is fun.]
Fun, huh?
Well… watching a chuunibyou girl perform dramatic rituals all day probably was entertaining.
Since she chose it herself, Sato had no reason to insist she leave. He'd just wanted to make sure she had a comfortable, friendly club to join.
And to be honest… maybe Rikka's club wasn't so bad after all.
Back at the apartment complex, they all went their separate ways.
Sato climbed to the third floor and returned to his unit, only to find a box waiting at his door.
What's this?
Puzzled, he approached and examined it. It had a shipping label, clearly delivered by courier.
It wasn't large.
He picked it up. The label listed only the recipient, no sender.
I didn't order anything recently. Why would there be... wait…
Something clicked in his mind. He stared at the box, a mix of surprise and suspicion forming.
Could this be the game device?
But that didn't make sense. As far as he remembered, he'd never submitted any address or personal info.
If this is really that device… how did they know where I live?
"Weird…"
That was his only conclusion.
In fact, ever since that email about the game showed up, he'd had a strange feeling about it.
It felt like… like he'd stepped into some kind of grand trap.
Back in his apartment, Sato brought the box to his desk and studied it. Nothing unusual on the outside.
Using scissors, he opened it.
Inside the foam padding was a headband-like device.
This is it? The thing that's supposed to support full-dive VR gaming?
What a joke!
The device looked sleek, without the cheap plastic feel of knock-offs. It was surprisingly heavy too.
Yet its material didn't seem like metal or plastic, something else entirely.
Seamless. No ports, no connectors.
Sato once again questioned everything. Is this even an electronic device? It looks so… alien!
"Weird…"
He muttered again.
There was definitely a secret behind all this. After encountering angels and demons, he no longer believed the world was as simple as it looked.
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a sheet of paper still in the box.
He grabbed it and read:
"Dear Beta Tester,
Your game device has been successfully delivered.
The game will launch in May. We will notify you of the specific date via email.
Please stay tuned."
Appendix 1: How to use —
Wear the device and use the voice command [Link Start] to connect.
The device has no physical interfaces. It will sync with your brainwaves via special frequency.
Appendix 2:
The game is extremely realistic. Please do not be alarmed.
Appendix 3:
The game can be exited at any time using the voice command [Logout].
…Additional notes and disclaimers follow.
Sato squinted at the sheet in his hand.
If it's a scam, they sure went to a lot of trouble.
But if it's real… it was just too unbelievable.
What a headache…