Glory is my Name

Yuki studies the non-Afterlife Undreamt landscape. He crouches and touches the grass. He's able to tell it's sharp and damp, but he can't quite feel it. He approaches the waterfall to inspect it too, but as he extends his arm towards the gushing stream, something pushes him backwards. A creature emerges from behind the waterfall, water flowing out of it. The creature is as big as the waterfall itself. As it attacks again, Yuki can see that the creature is the waterfall. Or the waterfall is the creature. Either way, Yuki had never seen this type of monster in the game before. If this is the right game.

„How do I even fight?!“, Yuki asks. The game, the monster, anyone who'd answer.

The waterfall creature widens what seems to be its mouth and ejects more liquid in Yuki's direction. Yuki dodges. „Why are you making me wet?!“, Yuki whines, getting distracted by a memory of Nanami getting wet.

Creature's mouth shuts and water stops flowing. The ground beneath it starts wobbling and mud spheres protrude out of it. They rise and go straight for Yuki, honed in on him like missiles. Yuki manages to dodge some, but a lot of them land. One hits Yuki in the head, and a hologram of some kind appears in front of him, moving as he does. It's a bar indicating how much health points he has left – how much he had lost. It's glowing red, below 20%.

Yuki grunts. Playing games had taught him many things. One of them is knowing when to quit.

Yuki turns away from the monster and runs.

Running feels strange, as if there's only one moving speed available. As he runs, he notices another bar, this one vertical and smaller, on his right side. „Well, at least those are the same.“ He keeps running until the bar empties, then walks.

„Lovely day for a visit.“, an unfamiliar voice greets him.

Yuki flinches. Another player?

„To a HOSPITAL!“

„Oh wow, who wrote those lines... Wait, there are hospitals now?“, Yuki is pleasantly surprised.

The voice's owner is a man quite taller than Yuki, dressed fully in white, his hair white as well. His elegant cane is hiding a sword, ready to lower Yuki's already pathetically low health bar.

„Waaaaait, I know you! You're Glory is My Name!“, Yuki realizes. But if his voice lines are different, then maybe his fight moves are as well.

Different or not, Yuki's HP is running low, so either way, he needs to run. As soon as Glory is my Name charges, his two henchmen, Glory and Name, appear and lunge at Yuki. Yuki runs, his stamina bar now full. Ground starts shaking. Water splashes Yuki's blue hair. He looks behind him, running. The waterfall monster is still after him! His HP bar flashes red: 15%.

What happens if I die?

Glory, the faster one of the henchmen, blocks Yuki's path, causing Yuki to halt. Yuki manages to dodge Glory's foot kick, then looks right – Name closing in; left – opening! He runs for it but Glory is faster, blocking him again and attacking mid-run and hitting Yuki in his chest. His hit is weak, but strong enough for Yuki to take damage.

Hp at 11%.

He is surrounded.

Waterfall monster roars. Water rushes out, up in the air. Flashes of bright blue beams flicker from behind it. Water freezes. The monster is still. Two dark blue beams cut through the monster and towards Yuki. The monster falls apart. Yuki crouches to evade the beams, but they hit Glory and Name instead. A shadowy figure emerges out the monster's remains.

„You idiot, fight back! You hate this game so much?“

Hate?, Yuki wonders.

The shadowy figure puts its arms up and motions to create a lava ball. The ball flies through Glory is my Name's belly, leaving a cartoonish hole. Glory is my Name vanishes, along with his henchmen, leaving precious loot behind.

The shadowy figure becomes visible enough for Yuki to recognize. „Don't even think about it.“, Houta says, sweeping all the loot before Yuki is able to.

„Houta! I can't believe it!“

„Yuki???“, Houta finally looks at him. Yuki stands up and moves closer.

„I almost want to hug you!“

„No thank you. How long you been here?“

„Let's see... Like... 15 minutes?“

„And your HP is that low?! I thought you were acin' the game.“

„I don't know how to play it!“

Houta frowns. „You didn't read the memo.“

„There was none.“

„Hmmm, typical.“ Houta starts walking away.

„Hey!“, Yuki calls to him, desperate. „Where are you going? Why am I here? How are you here? How long? How does time work? Do we die when we... die? How do I fight? Can I log out? And what is this game called anyway?“

Houta keeps walking without saying anything as Yuki follows. „Are we already dead?“

Houta halts. „I am not your game assistant!“

Yuki's chest tightens. „I can't do this by myself.“

„Had you read the memo–“

„Well can I read it now?“

„No.“

„That's stupid.“

„I don't make the rules.“

„Will you help me?“

Houta lets out a big, long sigh. „What's in it for me?“

„I'll... Pay you?“

„I don't need your gold.“

„Can you at least show me how to access my inventory then?“

„Fine. Put your right thumb on your left arm, here.“ Houta demonstrates how to do it on himself. Yuki mimics him, his own inventory now showing in front of him. „Swipe to see other tabs.“ Yuki swipes to see his old inventory is still in check. When he opens the one holding his gold, his jaw drops.

„What? You lose somethin'?“

„No.“

„Broke?“

„No.“

„Disgustingly rich, then?“

Yuki doesn't respond.

„No way, how much?“

Yuki laughs. „I'm so not telling you.“

„I mean, look, the prices went up, anyway... Hey... Let's go kill something together, 'kay? See how much you get.“

„Yay, team up!“

„We're not–“

„So much fun! This game is so fun, man! Although I must say I very much dislike the artstyle. I'd prefer the Afterlife Undreamt one.“

„This is Afterlife Undreamt, you goose.“