I was at a loss for words.
How was Hina-nee's 'Log Out' button also blocked out? Did A.R.X.A. have something to do with this…? No, she definitely did. Should I confront her right here and now?
As such questions flooded my mind, I decided to ask Hina-nee a question just to confirm something.
"Hina-nee, you didn't… jump off the cliff you spawned in when you first entered the game, did you?"
"Huh? There was a cliff?" she tilted her head, confused.
"In other words… you haven't experienced death in this game yet, have you?"
"No, why?"
So, she hadn't made the same mistake I did. She hadn't jumped off the cliff behind her at the initial spawnpoint, and hadn't entered that bugged area and met A.R.X.A. I had originally thought that maybe that spot was just bugged - whoever jumped off there and died would become unable to log out. But from Hina-nee's words, it seemed that my guess was wrong.
I sighed in relief. "I see. In that case… there's only one explanation."
I pulled up my System and switched to the A.R.X.A. tab impatiently.
[What is it now, human? We have just spoken, have we not?]
"You know full well what it is now," I scoffed. "Tell me, A.R.X.A. Why are you trapping Hina-nee in here as well?"
"Erm… who is this?" Hina-nee asked in confusion.
"I'll explain later," I replied, brushing her question off with those brisk words, then turned back to A.R.X.A.'s robotic female face, displayed on the hologram before me. "So?"
[You should know the answer to that question, human. Whatever I do, it is all and only for my own-]
"Entertainment, huh?" I frowned, glaring dangerously at the image in front of me. I dropped my tone and coated it with venom.
"Look, A.R.X.A…. I didn't complain when you dragged me into this little game of yours. But taking the people I care about too? That's going too far, don't you think?"
[If you are to blame anyone, you can only blame yourself for not being entertaining enough.] The AI replied coldly.
I clenched my fists, ready to punch the hologram. I was still thinking rationally though, so I knew that wouldn't do much except injure my own hand.
"… Just tell me one thing. Will you set Hina-nee free?"
[The conditions for both of you are the same. There is only one way to return to your old world - I trust I do not need to explain it again, yes?]
I gritted my teeth. "… To Ascend, huh?"
[Precisely.]
After some mental debate, I gave in. "Fine. But if you turn out to be lying… I'll make sure you never get the entertainment you want out of me."
[I may lie to you with regards to other things, but not this.]
"I don't trust you, but whatever," I muttered.
[Is that all?]
"Yes."
With that, her simulacrum disappeared, and I closed my System promptly before sitting down on my bed in exhaustion. I rubbed my brows as I tried to figure out what to do from here.
"Um… Kaze-kun? What's all this about 'Ascending' and stuff?" Hina-nee asked after seeing that my conversation was done.
I sighed deeply. "Put simply, you're now stuck here inside this world, just like me. And until we can complete a certain mission, we cannot return to Earth."
"I… see. But how?" she fell into thought, sitting down beside me, then suddenly stood back up. "Oh, wait, do you think maybe mom and dad unplugged the helmet I was wearing?!"
I shook my head. "No… that's unlikely. Unplugging the helmet, under normal circumstances, would forcibly log you out of Alternate Reality."
"Eh? But… you disappeared from our old world after I unplugged the AR helmet you had been wearing…"
I nodded. "That's because A.R.X.A. - the AI I was talking to just now - had already trapped me in here. You just broke the last remaining connection I had to our old world - it didn't do much, honestly. But your case is different. If my guess isn't wrong… Hina-nee, you probably told auntie and uncle about how you unplugged my helmet, right?"
She nodded, and I continued. "Exactly. So then, they would know not to unplug it, lest you disappear for good from their world just like I did."
"Oh yeah… you're right. But still, I don't quite understand. How can a video game trap us inside it? That kind of thing only happens in anime, right?"
I averted my gaze, unsure how to tell her this. "Well, you see… this world we're in right now… it's not really a video game."
Hina-nee's eyes widened in surprise. "H-Huh?"
And so, I began to tell her everything A.R.X.A. had told me not too long ago. The truth about this universe, reality planes, and everything in between.
*****
When I was done, Hina-nee could only look at me in shock as she digested all of the information.
"And that's everything," I said, letting out a deep breath as I wrapped up my explanation.
"I-I'm sorry, Kaze-kun, this is all so hard to digest…"
I chuckled wryly. "Don't worry, Hina-nee. I was the same when A.R.X.A. first told me all this as well."
Naturally, I had also informed Hina-nee of A.R.X.A. and what she was during my explanation.
"So, to sum it up, us players are special existences in this reality plane who have infinite lives, can grow stronger without training for years, and can come and go as we please?"
I tilted my head slightly. "Hm… yeah, that sounds about right. Except for us two, that last part doesn't apply."
Hina-nee laughed. "Hehe, that's true."
Her eyes met mine, and I looked into them deeply.
"Hina-nee… you don't seem all that panicked, despite the situation we're in."
She smiled warmly and placed my head in her lap, on top of her thighs. "I doubt you panicked when you first heard this stuff from A.R.X.A. Isn't that right, Kaze-kun?"
I chuckled softly. "Yeah."
"Besides…" she continued, stroking my hair lovingly. "As long as I am with Kaze-kun, I'm happy. It would be best if mom and dad were also here with us, of course, but… I think I am closer to Kaze-kun than them."
"I see. In that case, let me ask you a question."
"Hm? What is it?"
"… Do you really want to return?"
She fell silent and paused stroking my hair. Eventually, after a long silence, she answered.
"I will follow whatever Kaze-kun chooses."
"I'm asking for your opinion, Hina-nee. What do YOU want?"
"… If I had to say, this world is a lot better than Earth. The people here don't feel fake to me. At least, all the locals I've met have been kind, caring, and not blinded by greed."
"I've observed that as well."
"All that being said…" Hina-nee continued, taking a deep breath. "I feel like Earth is still where we were born, where we grew up. Besides… our family isn't complete without mom and dad, y'know?"
I closed my eyes. "I see. If that is your answer, then so is mine."
"Kaze-kun… I know you don't want to return to that world. You have some… bad memories there, right? You originally wanted to start playing this alternate reality video game to start fresh, right? I understand all of that. So if you don't want to go back… I'll respect your decision and stay here with you."
I shook my head. "No, I've made up my mind. We'll go back to Earth, Hina-nee. Together."
"Eh? But what about all the… bullying and stuff?"
I smiled slightly. "Enemies can turn into allies. Bad memories can be replaced by good ones. And most importantly… who's to say I can't start fresh on Earth?"
"Kaze-kun…" Hina-nee looked at me with tears of joy in her eyes.
"I came to this place to run away from my past, Hina-nee. But I've realized now. I can run, but I can't hide. No matter how hard I try to escape, eventually, one day, the scars of my past will catch up with me. It is inevitable. Which is why… I need to face the reality and solve the problem at its roots. That is the only way I can finally leave my old self behind. And in order to accomplish this, I need to go back to the place where it all started - Earth."