Returning a Favor

She froze when she saw the fear in my eyes.

I pointed and looked where the Birdman was, so she’d know where the trouble was coming from. She turned her head slightly toward the alley, and it was just enough for her to spot the shady thief as he attacked.

When he threw that thing away, there was a loud blast of purplish-black smoke and lightning shooting straight at us, darkening everything around us, echoing like thunder. Looking at the man, I wasn’t surprised to discover that he was engulfed in this darkness, emitting it even.

I could physically feel it through the screen.

It all happened so fast, yet before the blast could reach us, Mineruva brought both hands in front of her and conjured a magical shielding from thin air.

A dome rose up around us, glowing bright yellow like the sunset, and filtered out the sounds from outside, let alone withstand the Birdman’s attack. The darkness, like a gale of wind, swept around the dome and stopped.

Lupa didn’t react fast enough, so once our dome was up, she held Rumel close, protecting her as best she could. Then she realized something must’ve happened.

“Are you guys all right?!”

“Yes!” Rumel and I shouted back, but all I could hear from Mineruva was struggling.

She must’ve fought to keep the shield from collapsing under the next strike. She groaned under her breath, clenching her teeth and concentrating hard just to speak.

“Stay inside! We’ll be safe here!”

As she glanced at us, we all noticed right away her eyes glowed with the same yellow. She was pushing herself to the fullest, saving no strength to keep that shield up.

But how long will it be enough?

Outside, the Birdman emerged from hiding.

There was no one in the empty streets who could see us or him. He approached us with slow, unhurried steps, and at last I could see his form in daylight.

His long green cloak barely fluttered in the wind, beneath it lay his robes, covered with black belts and buckles. There was no hood on his head this time, so his mask was much more visible. It wasn’t just a face mask, but his whole head was covered in a feathered raven guise.

He came closer noiselessly, dark magic thickening around his hands.

“Hey, jerk!” I called out. “Showing up once today wasn’t enough for you? Twice in one day is a bit much of your face!”

He didn’t even bother replying, not a sound coming from behind the mask.

But he didn't stay still.

With every step he took, he slashed the air with his fist, and dark lightning struck our dome like a whiplash. Mineruva wavered, and the barrier lost its light for a moment, then recovered.

With each punch, the recoil grew stronger and tiny cracks appeared on the shield.

“We don’t have much time!” Mineruva said.

It was as if I had forgotten how to breathe, or how to keep my heart beating for a moment. My mouth hung open, mind blank, all logical thinking out to the trash. What was left was the feeling that we weren't enough to beat him.

I could feel this was making me sweat, and my computer was having a harder time. The screen was getting brighter with every strike, the bright colors hurting my already tired eyes. It was as if my PC was suffering the same as the dome protecting us.

The Birdman stepped in front of Mineruva, barely two meters between them, leaning against our shield, looking her dead in the eye. Yellow bolts of lightning passed through the man's hands, but it didn’t faze him, as if he wasn’t even human.

He kept going, and I knew he wouldn’t stop until he brought the dome down.

“Can’t you bring back the Tanukis again? They could help!”

“I can’t use the Soul Index for combat! The System restricted me from using weapons, so I can only use it for illusions!”

Those won’t be enough for this guy.

Lupa drew her sword and stepped closer, leaving Rumel safely behind her.

“I’ll go out and buy you time to leave!”

Her voice cracked through the glitches, but I still understood.

“No! You wouldn't stand a chance! His magic is stronger than the strongest sword in the world!”

He struck again, and the cracks grew larger.

Lupa was caught between two fires, stunned, watching as time ran out. She frowned, and a terrible fury came over her face.

She clutched her blade in both hands and moved off, her steps firmly paced and confident. She glided past Mineruva and ran through the shield, whizzing to the Birdman’s right.

“No!” Rumel pleaded.

Lupa didn’t stop, not wanting to carry our worries. She had to try, it was her duty as a knight.

As soon as she was outside, she halted and spun around on one foot, aiming for the thief's head, straight for his neck, for what was visible under the mask.

The sharp sword screeched in the air, reflecting the sunlight, but missed. The man, as if time had slowed down, didn’t even flinch—he was already leaning away.

Lupa had barely balanced herself before she stabbed again, this time a little more aimlessly, at his stomach. The Birdman dodged that one too, weaving through her attacks, but after a few tries he got fed up with it.

He grabbed Lupa’s hand without a word, and the knight-girl froze as the dark aura engulfed her.

Though she still clutched the sword tight, her hand began to sink, shaking against the Birdman’s magic, almost so that she wasn’t far from dropping her weapon.

No, please no!

Lupa struggled, otherwise she would’ve been instantly overwhelmed by the dark magic. The fact that she still had the sword in her hand was proof of her incredible willpower.

Then the most unexpected thing happened.

Lupa, with trembling hands, thrust the sword deep into the man’s stomach. It was a swift move, and made him twitch, loosening Lupa’s grip, who had enough time to jerk the sword free with force.

She stumbled back inside and nearly fell, Rumel catching her just in time.

“Are you alright?! Lupa-sama!!”

The knight nodded weakly, but she was done fighting.

You're so incredible, Lupa.

All we needed to know now was if her damage was enough to weaken him.

The Birdman hunched over, shoulders uneven, gasping for air. He covered the bleeding wound with one hand, then made a weird gesture with the other.

Slowly, he straightened and looked at us again, but didn’t move. When he took his hand off the wound, the bloodstain was no longer there.

He healed himself.

In an instant, as if he hadn’t even swayed, the Birdman took a huge leap. Just as he had done at night, he flew weightlessly up above us, and before he landed, he spread his hands and his body was instantly pierced by dark lightning from every possible angle.

If he breaks the already damaged shield, we won't survive.

Desperation kicked in, and not like before. I finally realized how little chance we had against any kind of magic. Feeling devastated, I tried to understand from a different view.

Our mage barely had enough juice to hold him off, our knight was cursed, and I was... I didn’t even know what I was in all this!

I swear, it’s like a RPG gone horribly wrong, and I’m the only one who can’t do anything!

Here I watched as we tried to play every possible trump card, but for how long?!

What right did I even have to call myself their ‘invisible protector’?!

I wasn’t good for a damn thing!

I’ve done nothing but watch—and it was my fault.

Because why, who else could you blame?

For sure, if I had played my cards better, I would’ve had a better chance now. If I had focused on abilities and strategy instead of building connections.

If I’d treated this world like a game, would things have turned out better? Would I have met Mineruva, Rumel, and Lupa if I had?

I didn’t know, I didn't even dare to think about it!

But it was fate that I could meet them and assist them, if I could actually call it that. Now it seems that it was also fate that I should see us fail...

I'M NOT HAVING ANY OF THAT!!!

Tears sprang to my eyes as I watched the Birdman slam into the barrier, which instantly trembled, making even the ground rumble. There wasn’t a single spot left on the shield that wasn't cracked.

“I can’t… hold it longer…”

Mineruva’s bitter and pained cry was one of the last things I could hear, as my screen was so scrambled I could barely make out the forms of Rumel and Lupa.

All I could see were her flashing yellow eyes.

She was crying too.

“Forgive me!”

This isn’t right! I’m the one who should be asking for forgiveness!

Not only should I have asked! If I could have, I would’ve fallen at their feet and begged for them to at least look at me!

If I could have...

She turned to me then.

“Michio-sama, I’m so sorry... I beg you... please help!!!”

That was the loudest my heart had ever beaten, the most I had ever wanted. I had to be there for them!

Right there, on the other side, because they deserved to have me there, and I deserved to feel this world instead of watching it through a screen!

They helped me before, now I had to return the favor—and I would’ve done it more than gladly!

Now Mineruva's face had become unrecognizable, and the wild, distorted colors had changed to a blinding whiteness. It was as if twenty spotlights had illuminated my now-dark room.

And there was something else too.

The same sensation, the same pull from the app.

I’d never felt it more strongly, it was a completely strange and overwhelming feeling this time, not just a tingling or alert.

I could feel my heart and my will pulling me into Leclaire.

One second after another, everything around me went blurry. I wasn’t sure if it was just my eyes giving up or if the whole world was going dark all at once.

I was no longer sitting in my chair, but floating weightlessly, somewhere outside our world.

Disoriented. Helpless.

What could I do to save us?

◆ ◆ ◆

I didn’t know where I was, nor how I got here.

For a while, I was in the middle of nowhere, senseless and lost, which was a pretty wild transition from my room, honestly.

I didn’t question how that was possible. After what happened yesterday, nothing could truly surprise me anymore.

Especially that now, I would’ve endured anything, even this otherworldly void, just to help my friends in Leclaire.

Then something thumped in the silence, and then again, and again. It beat rhythmically, and seemed to come from around me, like a cosmic drum. I had a deep suspicion, though, that it was coming from inside me.

My heart was beating wildly, and the next moment an overwhelming urge took over.

I have to breathe!!!

A sharp whistle hit my ears, and as if I was swimming up, my lungs tightening—I gasped.

I inhaled the fresh air, choking, and felt that I might not implode by asphyxiation just yet.

“M#C@&O!”

What's going on...?

I could only open my eyes slowly, as it hurt to see the yellow glow.

Okay, so I hadn’t gotten blind, but I still couldn’t move around. My limbs were as numb as if I’d never used them before.

Through the blur, I could see two familiar figures above me, illuminated by the yellow.

“Michio-sama!”

I blinked twice warily at the scene that I never in my life would’ve believed. It was Mineruva and Rumel, closer than I’d ever seen them on any screen.

They were leaning anxiously toward me, Mineruva at my side and Rumel above me.

A hand stroked my head, and that’s when my senses started working again. I felt as though I had woken up from the longest sleep of my life.

I was lying on something soft...

Tilting my head up, I realized my head must’ve been on Rumel’s lap.

I’d better get up.

Once they saw that I was awake, their eyes welled up with tears, breaths held.

I touched the ground before trying to sit up. And I couldn’t believe it, but I could feel the cold, cracked stone!

I'm really in the app.

“Wait, don’t move! We’ll help you up!”

The two girls quickly stopped me from sitting up on my own. They took hold of my shoulders from both sides and sat me up. I would’ve fallen over, but they held me.

Turning around, I saw the same scene as on my PC. Medieval city, not far from the bridge to the Capitol. Clouds floated above us in orange light.

Lupa was resting a few meters away, but she was in much worse condition than us. She could barely catch her breath, and her smile, however happy, seemed bittersweet.

Damn it, why wasn’t I here earlier?!

“I’m sorry… Lupa. So sorry.”

Lupa looked touched. Sighing heavily, she bent down to take her blade and slid it back into its sheath.

“There’s no need. I was happy to do it. I could finally act as I was meant to, not as I was expected to.”

“But are you all right?!” I asked without hesitation.

She nodded caringly, unbroken honor in her eyes.

“And you guys?” I turned back to Mineruva and Rumel, kneeling next to me.

“Barely,” Rumel began nervously. “If you hadn’t come, we wouldn’t have managed to get rid of the bird-face.”

I wanted to doubt this, but she was telling the truth.

There was no sign of the thief, but the magic was still glowing. Looking up, I saw there were barely any cracks on it, as if it never was on the edge of breaking apart.

“I guess I missed a few things then.”

If anyone, our goddess could tell me what had just happened.

Her entire being was full of sincere joy, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Yeah, that makes two of us.

“He was about to strike, and I was barely holding it all together. But then a light even stronger than my own enveloped everything!”

“It was a greeeat light,” Rumel added.

“My spell surged and dispersed the dark magic, healing the shield too! The Birdman survived, but he stumbled away in pain, and that’s when you appeared straight from the light!”

I bet you know what I would’ve thought about this already. That I didn’t understand how this could be.

And you’d be right. I did guess, however, how this thing helped us.

There was a light emanating from my screen that they saw on this side too, and it seemed to have magical powers.

And the light was most likely created by my desire to be here.

Maybe the strongest I’ve ever wanted anything.

CHIME!

CHIME!

The familiar sound rang out, but this time I heard it ringing distinctly in my own ears instead of my PC’s speakers.

For a moment I didn’t know how to bring up the menu without using my keyboard or mouse, then recalled Mineruva’s hand gestures.

Imitating it, the menu opened up in front of me, just like it did for her.

Each panel floated in front of me, level with my head, semi-transparent, as if I were in a VR game.

On top of that, the list of menu items had been expanded to six, something I almost didn’t notice. The bottom menu item was the «Quit» option.

So can I log out too?! That’s... oddly familiar, to be honest.

That's when I saw the messages I received.

«Interactions: Avatar Access Unlocked»

«Consciousness Integration: Completed

Menu Synchronization: Completed

Full-Scale Avatar Control: Established»

Avatar?

So what, I am now an avatar in Leclaire?! Wait, how do I look?! Where's a mirror?!

Then I figured out that I didn't need a mirror. Something shiny would do just fine.

“Lupa, could I borrow your shoulder pad?”

Mineruva and Rumel looked a little funny. Lupa did too, but to my surprise—though she apparently had dozens of questions—assisted without a word.

She lifted the shiny metal pad from her shoulder and handed it to me.

I seemed to have the same features as in real life. Same face, eyes and hair, only with slightly stronger colors.

It then occurred to me that I obviously wasn’t naked.

For one, I wasn’t cold.

And two, I didn’t get any shocked looks from the girls when I woke up.

I couldn’t have been wearing my real clothes since they were thinner than whatever I was wearing now.

So I took a closer look, measuring myself up-and down with the reflective armor piece.

“Wow!”

I was in a uniform, bluish-gray, with a matching collared vest and dark trousers. Three long buckles held the top part together, and a belt did the lower.

Thus, I came to the conclusion that avatar-ness went hand in hand with the fact that I was wearing a damn cool outfit.

Those Isekai guys all wear stupid cloaks and here I am wearing something much better!

I quickly gave the shoulder-pad back to Lupa, who put it back into place.

She slowly knelt, weak as she was to stand up.

“You two certainly aren’t mere magic users. But you’re saving people, and that’s more than enough for me.”

◆ ◆ ◆

It took a few minutes to make sure the Birdman wasn’t coming back. Still, I had a hunch that he was still close.

If Mineruva was right, my arrival had weakened him. He probably couldn’t run as fast or jump as far as he used to.

Once things were clear and Lupa could stand up, she took her hands off the shield and let it dissipate, leaving just the four of us standing on the wide street.

“And now what?” Rumel asked.

I could tell Rumel wanted to go home. Even if she didn’t have a real one, Ente & Ovia—and the people there—were the closest thing she could get.

“We’ll take you home, so Tara-sama won’t have to worry.”

Her eyes lit up as she looked at me.

“You know my boss? Or did you just see her while invisible?”

“The latter. When the knights took you away, I reassured her it wouldn’t be the last time she saw you. I did feel bad about doing that, because what if it was...”

“But I’m here now!” the cat-girl jumped, giving me a relieved smile.

From the side, I then saw Lupa about to speak.

“May I come with you guys? I can’t go back to the castle now, and I’m feeling weird.”

“Say no more, we all need a good rest—somewhere safe.”

Mineruva was about to teleport us, when I had to interrupt her again.

“If you don’t mind, could you leave me here for five minutes?”

The goddess looked up at me and I thought she would interrupt, but then stopped and gestured me to continue.

She wasn’t sure, but had a hunch why I wanted to stay, and didn’t like the idea.

“I just want to make sure the Birdman’s gone for sure. And if he’s not, I'll find him and get some answers. He’s weak, won’t be able to fight back.”

“And what if he will?”

Yeah, that worried me, all right.

The last thing I wanted was to get into a fight in my first ten minutes of being here.

I didn’t even know what my avatar could do or feel. All I knew was that I could certainly feel pain just as I could in real life. Not to mention death.

It was hard to say, but as an avatar, I’d probably be brought back if I died. I mean, I’d be forcefully logged out of the app and teleported back to my bedroom. Simple game logic.

So death was the least of my fears, but it didn't help much bit if I could still feel pain and fear.

The worst thing that could happen to me here wasn’t dying.

It was someone hurting the people who mattered most to me.

And I wasn’t going to let that happen.