Chapter 4: "The new beginning”

Mina enters Kai’s apartment, casually stepping inside like she owns the place. She looks around.

Mina (looking around):

“Hm? Looks like no one’s home… maybe out shopping.”

She notices Kaoe lying lazily on the couch, tail flicking gently.

Mina (smirking):

“Oh hey, Kaoe. All alone, huh?”

Kaoe ignores her with a side glance.

Mina (mock offended):

“How rude. Tsk. But you know… I’ve got an idea.”

She kneels down, her tone teasing.

Mina:“What if I turned you into a human too?”

At the sound of that, Kaoe's ears perk up. She gets up, walks over, and starts rubbing her head affectionately against Mina’s leg.

Mina (grinning):

“Well, well… someone’s interested.”

Just then, the front door creaks open. Footsteps approach.

Kai (calling out):

“Mina? You here? The door’s open…”

He sees Mina’s shoes by the door and walks in, holding a bag. Yuki follows close behind.

Kai:“Hey—Mina—wait…”

Mina (cheerfully):

“Oh hey, Kai. Look who’s here~”

Standing in the living room is a beautiful girl in Kai’s oversized hoodie. Soft brown hair, pink eyes that sparkle with mischief. She turns with a smile.

???:“Master, you’re back!”

Kai freezes, wide-eyed.

Kai (shocked):

“Kaoe…?!”

Kaoe (giggling):

“Mhm~ In the flesh! Oh, and hi to you too, Yuki.”

Yuki stares in utter disbelief, her eye twitching.

Yuki:“HUUUUHHHHHHHH?!?!?!”

On Next day 

It's Sunday

Toie burst into Kai’s apartment, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Toie: “Master! I’ve got something amazing!”

Kai (curious): “Huh? What is it, Toie?”

Toie: “Check this out—it’s an early access VR game! Super realistic, and we can all play together!”

Kai: “A VR game? That sounds awesome. Hold on, I’ll call Mina too.”

Toie: “Okay, hurry up!”

Moments later, Mina arrived, slipping off her shoes and stepping in casually.

Mina: “So? What’s this urgent call about?”

Toie: “Glad you're here. Alright, everyone ready? Let’s goooo!!”

With that, they all slipped on the VR headsets. In an instant, their surroundings vanished and were replaced by a massive fantasy landscape with towering mountains and floating islands.

Kai (looking around, amazed): “Whoa… this feels insanely real.”

Mina (rolling her eyes): “Well, genius, that’s kind of the whole point of VR.”

Kai: “Yeah, I guess you’re right… Wait, where did everyone else go?”

Mina stepped forward, her clothes having changed into that of a mysterious hooded guide.

Mina: “You’re the main character, Kai. And your mission—rescue all your girlfriends.”

Kai: “Wait, what?! What girlfriends?”

Mina: “All the cat-girls. Each one has been captured by an evil group in this world. You’re their only hope. And I’m your guide through this quest.”

Kai: “Hold up—when did I sign up for this?!”

Suddenly, a group of monstrous creatures emerged from the shadows, growling and ready to attack.

Kai (panicking): “Uh, Mina! A little help here?!”

Mina: “Raise your right hand and repeat after me: Peace was never an option.”

Kai: “What kind of chant is that?!”

Mina: “Just do it!!”

Kai lifted his right hand and shouted:

Kai: “Peace was never an option!!”

In an instant, everything around him turned pitch black. Time seemed to freeze. A powerful aura surged from his body, and in a flash, every monster around him was sliced clean in half. The darkness faded.

Kai (blinking): “W-Woah… That was awesome! If I can do that, I’ll rescue everyone in no time!”

Mina: “Hehehe… About that— You can only use that spell four times.”

Kai: “...Wait, WHAT? And you didn’t tell me that before?”

Mina: “You told me to hurry! Don’t blame me if you didn’t read the instructions!”

Kai (thinking, deadpan): “Man… what’s with this girl?”

On the way to rescue Yuki. 

Kai and Mina stood atop a misty cliff, overlooking the dark fortress where Yuki was held captive. Lightning cracked in the sky as dramatic music definitely played in the background.

Yuki (chained to a floating crystal, dramatically reaching out):

“Kai! My beloved master! Save me from these wretched monsters before they ruin my flawless hair!”

Evil Boss (a seven-foot-tall armor-clad villain with glowing red eyes and way too much confidence):

“Foolish mortal! You dare enter my domain? You shall not leave ALIVE—Muahahaha!”

Kai (impressed):

“Yo… props on the evil laugh. That was, like, top-tier.”

Mina (shrugging):

“Well, he is the boss. Evil laughs are basically in their job description.”

Kai (dramatically pulling his arm back):

“Alright, Mr. Final Boss, time to hit the skip button on your monologue.”

Kai (low and calm):“Peace was never an option.”

Suddenly, everything went silent. The sky turned black. A pulse of dark energy surged from Kai, distorting the air.

Evil Boss (panicking):“W-What is this power?! This isn't in the script!!”

Kai (smirking):“This is what happens when you kidnap my cat-girlfriend.”

Yuki (cheering while still dramatically trapped):“Woooo! Go Master!”

The next moment, the entire room blinked—and then sliced in half. The monsters disintegrated. The Evil Boss exploded into sparkles. Yuki’s crystal prison shattered, and she landed perfectly in Kai’s arms like it was a scene straight out of a romantic anime.

Mina (picking her nails):“Well… that was anticlimactic.”

Kai (panting):“Cool… but that was my second use. I’ve only got one left.”

Mina (mocking):“Maybe don’t use god-tier magic on tutorial bosses next time?”

Kai (grumbling):

“Yeah yeah… next time you fight them.”

Yuki (snuggling into Kai):

“Hehe, Master~ You saved me like a true hero~”

Kai (thinking):“One down… two to go. Let’s hope the next one doesn’t come with bonus dialogue and dramatic lighting…”

Kai: "So, Mina, who's next?"

Mina: "It's time to rescue Kaoe."

Kai: "Alright, but where is she? And who captured her?"

Mina: smirking "You’ll find out soon enough."

Yuki, Kai, and Mina make their way through a dense virtual forest, the pixelated sunlight filtering through the digital trees. Mina leads the group with confident strides.

Mina: "Okay, this is it. That creepy-looking castle up ahead—that's where Kaoe's being held."

In the distance stands a dark, ominous castle. Two armored guards patrol the front gate.

Kai: "So, great ‘guide,’ what's our next move?"

Mina: grinning "Rush in."

Kai: blinking "Wait, WHAT?!"

The guards turn toward them, alerted.

Guards: "Who's there?! Identify yourselves!"

Kai: panicking "Uhh—PEACE WAS NEVER AN OPTION!"

With a blinding flash and a thunderous BOOM, both guards are sliced clean in half. Silence follows.

Mina: facepalming "IDIOT! Why did you use it now?!"

Kai: "I panicked! They had scary voices!"

Mina: groaning "You’ve only got one use left now! ONE!"

Inside the castle...

Kaoe stands triumphantly over a battered mid-boss, cracking her knuckles, hoodie slightly tattered but still fabulous. She grins darkly.

Kaoe: laughing maniacally "Hahaha, cry harder!"

Boss: gritting teeth "You’ve left me no choice... Behold the true power of—"

Before he finishes, a flash slices through the room. He's instantly cut in half.

Kaoe: staring at the remains "...What the—?"

Kai: appearing with a casual smile "Yo. Miss me?"

Mina: rushing in behind "YOU USED IT AGAIN?! That was your last one!!"

Kai: scratching his head "I wanted a cool entrance..."

Mina: screaming "NOW HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO SAVE TOIE?!"

Kai: " By the power of friendsh---"

Mina: "shut up!! Idiot"

Author’s Note:

Thanks for reading Chapter 4!

Stay tuned—something totally unexpected (and seriously cool) is about to go down in the next arc. You won’t want to miss it!