Ding dong!
"Oh? Heading home already? Well then, make sure you finish your homework. I'll be checking all your assignments tomorrow!"
The teacher spoke, pointing at us with a threatening expression.
After that, the entire class stood up and packed their books into their bags.
"I can't wait anymore!!!!!"
Ah yes, our girl here is eager to dive into her otome game. She grabbed her bag and dashed off as fast as she could.
When she reached the school gate, her brother was nowhere to be seen.
"NOOO!! STUPID BROTHER, IF YOU'RE NOT HERE SOON, I'M GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!"
"Shut up." A fist landed squarely on her head, making her clutch it in pain as she turned around.
"BIG BRO! Where were you?!"
"Buying some stuff. Want one?" He handed her an ice cream stick.
"Sweet! Let's go home now!" she exclaimed, tearing open the wrapper and munching on the ice cream happily.
"...Hey."
"? What?"
"Want to come to the place where I compete in gaming tournaments?"
?!
"That warehouse place? But... my otome game is waiting for me."
"Don't worry. Everyone there plays that game now. If we go early, there might be an extra computer for you to use."
"Awesome! Let's go! What are we waiting for?!"
She climbed onto the motorcycle, put on her helmet, and waited for her brother.
'...Still as childish as ever,' he thought, chuckling as he put on his helmet and started the engine.
Vroom vroom!
The motorcycle roared to life, and they sped off toward the warehouse.
Since the fighting game tournament was small-scale, having a venue like this was considered lucky. After just a few minutes, they arrived.
The warehouse was fairly large and located next to a venue that hosted larger gaming events. Honestly, I'm curious how they managed to rent such a place, given how much the fighting game scene has declined over the past few decades.
"Here, take this." Her brother handed her an ID badge to hang around her neck.
"When did you make this?!"
"When I decided one day that I'd bring you here, you silly girl."
Annoyed, she scolded her brother, but he didn't care and opened the door, leading her inside.
The place was packed, with somewhere around a hundred people, give or take.
"What's your Mortal Kumbat rank now?"
"I just dropped to Silver. Some jerk spamming moves with that four-armed freak made me question my life choices playing Sub-Ice."
"I told you, Heihahi is the best. He has a perfect moveset and deals huge damage!"
"He's no match for his son, Kakuka! That guy's move to throw you into lava is unbeatable!"
"Shoryupunch is the coolest!"
"Hadoupunch is cooler!!"
People were enthusiastically discussing their favorite characters and games, even though these games were considered outdated by modern standards.
Her brother weaved through the crowd with her in tow until they reached a row of computers.
Fortunately, two spots were available, and they claimed them immediately.
"Ah! Fairy Tales: Hotboys and Magic is on this computer too!!"
"Of course it is. As long as it's a fighting game, people will download it, especially since it has the best graphics and smoothest gameplay in the genre."
"It's already popular in the fighting game community?!"
Her brother said nothing, logging into the game. She followed suit, and once she clicked "Accept," she was officially in the game.
"Oh! You brought your sister here too?"
A voice came from behind her brother. A guy placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, it's you, John."
John glanced at the screen, noticing the game's handsome male characters and title.
"Are you gay or something?"
"I'll punch you."
"Just kidding. But seriously, what were the developers thinking, mixing otome games with fighting games? It's so bizarre."
"Beats me."
"Hey, how about we have a match?" John suddenly suggested.
"Uh, sure?"
"Yeah, and let's play on stage, not here."
Her brother froze, turning to John.
"You want everyone to watch us play?"
"Wouldn't that be exciting?"
"...Ugh, you're so exhausting. Fine, let's play."
He got up from his seat, exited the game, and glanced at his sister, who was deeply engrossed in her game.
"My hopeless little sister, if anyone shady tries to talk to you, report them to that guy over there. He's the one who rented this warehouse."
"Got it~"
Sighing, he walked with John to the stage and asked for permission to play on it.
Before long, both were seated, facing the computers. A large TV on the stage displayed the game for everyone to watch.
"Oh? Aren't those two players from Mortal Kumbat? Are they competing in Mortal Kumbat again?"
As the crowd watched the screen, some whispered among themselves.
One of them was known for maining Scarpian, while the other specialized in Sub-Ice. Both were ranked in the top 16 for their characters.
But you know how it is—no one really cares about players who aren't top 1, let alone those who don't even make it into the top 10.
They might be skilled, but compared to the insane genius-level players of the fighting game scene, these two were just pros who were slightly more polished.
While the crowd murmured, the large TV screen flickered to life.
Fairy Tales: Hotboys and Magic
...Wait, what?
The audience froze in confusion as the two players navigated to the online match option and pressed confirm.
Ah, right—this was the newest fighting game, masquerading as a dating sim for handsome guys.
Seriously, what was the developer thinking, combining the two genres?
As both players confirmed their battle, the screen darkened, and a glowing chain appeared.
Immediately, the character selection screen popped up. The roster was significantly larger than in most other fighting games.
The older brother moved his cursor to a character named Willhart and selected him. A deep voice announced:
[Willhart!]
Character details appeared on the screen:
[Difficulty: ●●●●○ (Hard)]
[Style: Rushdown – relentless combos, giving opponents no room to counterattack.]
Willhart appeared onscreen, dressed in a black-and-white mafia-style outfit, with jeans and a chain hanging from his left side.
John made his pick next, selecting a muscular old man.
[Batya Milov!]
[Difficulty: ●●○○○ (Easy)]
[Style: Grappler – slow but devastatingly powerful with high tankiness.]
Batya appeared, wearing a white suit with a blue tie and holding a long golden axe.
Once both characters were selected, the screen shifted to the selection of support skills.
The older brother chose Ga-Yul, while John selected Éclair.
The stage selection came next, and they opted for a random map.
The screen dimmed, then lit up to reveal a luxurious office setting. A blonde secretary stood cheering in the background, while a purple-haired man sat with his face buried in his hands.
Oh, this was the headquarters of their chosen characters.
Willhart entered the scene with two subordinates following him. A caption appeared alongside a narrator's voice:
Death is inevitable, but what matters is how they meet it.
A large axe lay in the center of the stage as Batya Milov walked in from the other side, picked it up, and hoisted it onto his shoulder with an impressive show of strength.
Willhart's subordinates removed his coat, and flames erupted from his forehead and hands, making his hair stand on end.
"I'm tired of your hugs, old man."
Batya Milov cracked his neck loudly, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Come on, boy. If you keep refusing, I'll just have to make you!"
The camera zoomed out, revealing both characters in their fighting stances.
Ready?
Fight!
Willhart dashed forward, ready to unleash a flurry of combos on Batya Milov, but John pressed a button on the controller, causing Batya Milov to leap backward just as Willhart threw out a jab.
Batya then swung his axe down, and thanks to its massive hitbox, the attack landed.
"Holy sh*t! Only 4 frames?!" someone in the audience exclaimed in shock.
After the swing, Batya followed up with a punch to the stomach, a straight kick, and then an upward swing of his golden axe.
With just four moves, Willhart's health bar dropped by half.
'What kind of ridiculous damage is this?!' The older brother began to sweat as he watched his character get launched into the air.
He quickly pressed a few buttons to regain balance, but what he didn't expect was the terrifying aura Batya Milov was radiating.
Batya Milov charged forward like a train, leaving the audience stunned.
The collision sent Willhart flying into the wall.
John then input a series of commands, and Batya Milov shifted into a new stance. One of Batya's energy bars disappeared.
"It's his first special move!"
The wooden floor beneath him cracked as his axe-wielding arm bulged with veins and muscles.
"FEEL THE AXE!"
He roared, swinging upward from the ground and creating a powerful shockwave that sent wooden debris flying.
Willhart had no chance to counterattack, and his health bar plummeted.
'This game turned a slow, turtle-like grappler into something terrifyingly powerful and fast… What am I supposed to do?!'
The moment Willhart got back up, he moved forward again.
"It's useless!" John had Batya prepare for another attack.
'This is my chance!' As Batya readied his swing, the older brother input a combination that made Willhart dash forward, flames engulfing him.
Willhart landed a kick, interrupting Batya's attack.
"Full counterattack, let's go!!"
The older brother's fingers flew across the controller, unleashing a storm of moves.
Willhart kicked Batya's neck, followed by three punches, two more kicks, and a spinning attack from behind.
He then closed in, landing a punch to the stomach and a rapid flurry of machine punches.
The relentless assault continued, finishing with an uppercut to the chin, launching Batya into the air.
Thanks to Batya's large hitbox, he was especially vulnerable to getting hit by combos.
Willhart unleashed anti-air moves, firing a fireball upward, and then leaped to continue his combo mid-air.
"...Hey, how is that character still comboing...?"
Some spectators started to feel uneasy about Willhart's seemingly endless combo.
Willhart finished with a spin kick, sending Batya crashing to the ground, flat on his back.
As Willhart landed, he waited for Batya to stand up, ready to strike again.
The moment Batya got back to his feet, Willhart launched his next attack.
But then something unexpected happened.
Batya parried the attack and followed up with a grab!
Grabbing Willhart by the head, Batya threw him into the air and swung his axe downward in a devastating vertical slash.
Before Willhart could hit the ground, Batya clapped his hands with incredible force, creating a small shockwave that dealt the final blow to Willhart.
Willhart's health dropped to zero.
Down!
With Willhart defeated, Batya Milov dropped his axe, grabbed a bottle of liquor, drank it, and tossed it aside when it was empty.
"…"
As they say, you may get plenty of chances to attack, but a grappler only needs one.
'Maybe I should focus on my zoning strategies,' the older brother sighed and readied himself for round two.
Meanwhile...
"Wow! This school is so beautiful!" (That's an academy, you dummy.)
The younger sister was busy playing Story Mode, controlling the character she had created as they arrived at the academy.
Naturally, she was stopped by a security guard who asked for identification.
However, when she handed over a letter, the guard looked surprised, returned the letter, and allowed her to pass.
"Uh, I think I'm supposed to go to the principal's office, right? I hope I can figure out where it is..."