"What... what's happening?" The Short-Haired Mita's dazed gaze was fixed on the tightly shut door.

It had only been a few seconds since Alain went in, but the previously silent room had erupted into a turbulent storm.

The sound of footsteps and impacts thundered, as if a mighty army was hidden within the room.

The sheer volume of the sound was far more shocking than seeing it with her own eyes. In that moment, the Short-Haired Mita understood:

Alain had taken her place, entering the room where the Failed Works were stored.

"N-no, that's not right... Are you an idiot?!"

By the time she realized it, it was too late. Her hands flew to the door, but the handle felt like it was encased in a block of ice.

No matter how she tried to force it open, it was no use. She immediately recalled the sound of the door being locked from the inside right after Alain went in. The young girl's usual composure suddenly shattered into anxiety.

She pounded heavily on the door, repeatedly urging Alain to let her in too. But the sound of her fists was drowned out by the sounds of a single person battling multiple Failed Works.

The Short-Haired Mita could clearly feel a heavy impact against the door, as if a body had been slammed against it. She didn't know if it was Alain or a Failed Work, but this inability to see what was happening allowed her anxiety to grow wild.

"Player! Let me in!"

The only person inside who could answer did not respond, perhaps because he had no spare energy to. The only reply was the constant, booming collisions against the door, which only heightened the girl's agitation and unease.

She didn't know what kind of unknown horrors were hidden behind the sealed door. All she knew was that each slam against the wood felt like it was pounding directly on her heart.

The Short-Haired Mita didn't know what she should do. She couldn't even open the door. Shouting "You can do it!" seemed more useful than her current state of helplessness.

She frantically thought of any possibility that could help Alain. But unfortunately, she belonged to version 1.5 and didn't have the permissions for version 1.15.

"What can I do now?"

Wracking her brain, she looked around. The only thing she could think of was preparing for medical treatment after Alain opened the door. Treatment, treatment... Imagining the player, right under her watch, becoming covered in wounds... the girl's eyes welled up with pained, glistening tears.

"Ngh...!" She bit her lip hard, just as she saw Prankster Mita and Misa quickly walking over.

The Short-Haired Mita took a deep breath, forcing her expression to remain perfectly neutral.

"Did Alain go into the room?" Misa seemed to have expected all of this, her face showing no trace of anxiety.

"Yes."

The moment the topic was mentioned, the Short-Haired Mita's tear ducts proved stronger than her reason.

A torrential downpour instantly streamed down her face. "Is he an idiot? Doesn't he know how dangerous it is in there? And after I saved him twice! He's still like this..." Prankster Mita came over and handed her a tissue. The Short-Haired Mita took it and sniffled.

"That's just who Alain is," Misa said, looking at her and refuting her point. "I've been with him this whole time, and he's always this reckless.

Whether he was facing a full-strength Devourer, or getting rid of the Modified Entity to protect our rear, or even entering the extremely dangerous interior of the Parasite..." The long-haired girl looked at her and gave a knowing smile.

"After all... if he isn't reckless, he'll never achieve the 'happy end' he wants most, or the 'best end' he's truly hoping for."

"And what... is all this for?" Her calm explanation temporarily stemmed the flow of the Short-Haired Mita's tears.

Misa and Prankster Mita exchanged a mysterious smile.

"Sister," Prankster Mita said, as if she knew nothing and everything at the same time. After all, she had always been ahead of Alain on his path, watching him. "Why don't you just wait for Alain to come out and ask him these questions yourself?"

"Oh, come on~ I can give you a hint," Misa added playfully. "In his words, it's something like, 'The only one who gets to mess with the game world and the Mitas is me, not some weirdo viruses.'"

As the three girls talked for those short few minutes, the battle inside the room gradually grew quiet. The Short-Haired Mita gently pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart, which had been racing, began to pound even more heavily as the fight seemed to approach its end.

Prankster Mita glanced at her sister's profile, a thoughtful look on her face. At the same time, her gaze fell upon Misa.

She noticed that the other girl's hand was also lightly clutching her skirt, a single drop of cold sweat trickling down her forehead. I see, we're all the same... Prankster Mita thought.

Although on the surface, she and Misa looked completely unconcerned about Alain, in reality... both of them could barely suppress the urge to rush in and help. It's because of this... You absolutely cannot let these cute girls who are so worried about you grieve, you sinful Alain.

The battle inside seemed to have finally reached its conclusion. The chaotic sound of footsteps and the final thud of something hitting the ground announced the result.

The three of them simultaneously focused their gaze on the doorknob, holding their breath. A crisp click echoed from the door, and someone let out a huge sigh of relief.

The doorknob turned. He appeared, looking like a salaryman just getting home from work, the greatsword in his hand like his briefcase.

He stood in the center of the doorframe, looking slightly weary. He hadn't even fully stepped out yet, but he noticed something by the wall, reached over and flipped a switch, turning on the lights and banishing the darkness.

"I'm back."

He said it so casually, as if he hadn't done anything. But through the silhouette of his back, the girls could clearly see the utter devastation behind him.

The walls of the room were covered in deep gashes from the greatsword and the Failed Works. The floor was pitted with craters that exposed the raw code beneath, as if smashed by some heavy object.

The severed limbs and broken torsos of the Failed Works were scattered across the floor like carelessly tossed garbage, a scene of total chaos.

Everything was in pieces. The only thing that seemed whole was the unharmed young man.

A worried Misa was about to step forward to check on him, but her advance was blocked by an arm. It was Prankster Mita.

"This time," she said, "it's my sister's stage."

"...Hmph." The older sister huffed, turning her head away, but she didn't make a move. Her gaze was fixed on him, filled with a turbulent mix of anger, relief, and something else entirely. The tears she had held back were about to fall again, like a great rain extinguishing a wildfire.

Alain was about to crack a joke when the Short-Haired Mita marched up to him and grabbed his wrist.

"You're coming with me," she said in the tone of a lecturer, and pulled Alain away from the scene, not even glancing at the results of the battle inside.

With a click, the two of them disappeared through another door.

____

Unfortunately, two of our stories were removed... so I created a new account to post them: MikuDayo.

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