First night (v2)

"As you can see, it's not just us who came to life, the other dangerous characters from your manga are out there too," Harley held up blank sheets of paper in her hands.

Harley was the name of the sorceress seated across from me, her presence a testament to the life breathed into my own imaginings. Beside her, Kitty, the fluffy white-haired cat girl, playfully disrupted the tranquility of my room. Together, they were my companions in the isekai manga ‘The Adventure to the Dragon Island’, where I was cast as the main hero. It may have seemed cringy to some, but it was this kind of manga the reason for my success.

“Okay, let me summarize this,” I began, trying to piece together the surreal situation, “according to the current situation in your world, after I return to my world, the battle against the Demon Lord was far from over, correct?”

"Yes,” Harley confirmed.

“And as the forces of darkness continued to rise, instilling fear and chaos, the great nations of Dragon Island found themselves compelled to summon heroes from other worlds once again, right?”

"Yes."

“Right, it is true that I did write about my return to my world in the story. But if things are as you’ve described, shouldn’t it be impossible for me to return in the first place?"

A sudden insight struck me, and I clapped my hands together as if an invisible lightbulb flickered to life above me.

“Could it be that my world itself is just a simulation? I've thought about this a few times. And then, it turns out the characters in the story are actually angels who come to rescue and liberate those trapped within this very fabricated reality.”

“Nyan…” Harley interjected, her tone laced with urgency.

“Okay! That's an interesting idea. I have to write it down asap,” I rambled on, my mind racing with the possibilities, oblivious to Harley’s attempts to intercede.

“Nyan, can you please slow down? I can’t keep pace with your rapid thoughts,” Harley implored.

“Ah, sorry. I got carried away,” I halted.

As a story writer, I often found myself adrift in a sea of ideas, occasionally losing touch with reality in favor of the worlds I wove. Yet, the tug of pressing matters would beckon, reminding me to anchor myself back to the urgency of the present.

“Apart from the fact that it's impossible for me to return, I've never crafted an ending of continuation of conflict. The story should have concluded with peace, not with a war that lingered.”

“I understand that you are very confused, so am I. But what's more important right now is that you're in danger," Harley said, her eyes reflecting a mix of seriousness and concern as she placed the blank papers on the table. "We're not the only ones in search of heroes, there are generals of the Demon Lord out there doing the same thing.”

The silence enveloped the room as I realized how terrifying Harley’s words were. It was not merely her and Kitty who had sprung to life; the entirety of Dragon Island had stirred into being. A palpable sense of dread washed over me, my existence precariously balanced on the edge of an unseen precipice

“Wait, are you sure I'm in danger? If you are here, then according to the manga, I should also awaken my power," I mused aloud.

“I’m not sure about that, I can't sense any magic energy coming from you. I know we came here to summon heroes from other worlds, but even with our abilities combined and potentially yours, I don’t think we can fend off all the other manga characters on our own.”

Determination set in my eyes as I stood. “Then there is only one way to find the answer,” I approached the wall with resolve.

Inhaling deeply, I channeled all my strength into a single punch directed at the wall. The impact reverberated through my fist, a testament to the wall’s unexpected resilience. Not even a crack - my concrete wall stood unscathed.

Damn it, top-grade concrete wall!

“Nyan, are you okay?” Harley worried.

Yep, I’m really in danger.

As to why my manga characters came to life, it remained an enigma. Yet, we could pinpoint which stories had leaped from fiction to reality.

Harley’s research had led to a startling hypothesis: the disappearance of my drawings, both physical and digital, was no mere coincidence. Each blank canvas that once bore my art was now a silent testament to a story that had materialized. To support her theory, she presented two stark white sheets - once vibrant with imagery, now eerily empty - as proof that those depicted had indeed come to life.

This peculiar occurrence was corroborated by my fans online, who reported finding unexplained white sheets among their possessions without any recollection of purchasing them. A check on my computer confirmed the same - all my digital art files were devoid of content. A mystery, indeed.

Harley had stumbled upon this discovery while wielding her data restoration spell, a means to probe whatever secrets the empty papers whispered. Driven by a strange energy she sensed from them, her curiosity had led her to uncover the truth. And as I observed on social media, even my readers were oblivious to the stories that had been affected. This revelation also shed light on Harley and Kitty’s self-awareness as manga characters. Yet, their concern wasn’t for their realization, but for my safety.

“I doubted your power would ever manifest, but we will protect you at all costs,” Harley assured me, her words accompanied by the gentle touch of a healing spell on my hand.

It was odd, this unconditional support from them. In the manga, they were my steadfast companions, our bond woven into the narrative. But in reality, we were mere strangers, our acquaintances fresh and untested.

Moments before, life seemed simpler, but now we were besieged by unanswered questions. Why did a ‘post-war with the Demon Lord’ scenario exist in their world when I had never penned such a plot? And how were we to confront the unknown adversaries lurking in the shadows?

Creating villains with divine powers now seemed like a folly, yet a part of me thrummed with anticipation for the unfolding events.

Just think about it, they might be formidable but I know everything about them. Nothing bad will happen. And I'm their author too, I'll definitely have some kind of ‘plot armor’ anyway. This is by no means a crisis, it will be all just a simple adventure with my manga characters. Yes, a peaceful and lovely adventure, just like the tales I have crafted.

Nonetheless, these thoughts did little to assuage my unease. Exhaustion clung to me, a relentless shadow since I had finished work, and now, new responsibilities beckoned. All I yearned for was to retreat into the virtual world of the light novel game I had been engrossed in and bask in the comfort of a lazy morning on the sofa.

“Game?” Harley echoed, her surprise evident.

For a moment, I had forgotten her mind-reading ability.

“Oh, it’s a video game. Do you want to try it out?” I offered,

Her puzzled gaze met mine, a clear sign of her confusion.

“Sorry, I haven’t fully understood your language yet. I’ll try my best to learn it as quickly as possible,” Harley conversed with me as Kitty explored my belongings with childlike wonder.

"You don't need to apologize, I'll help you if there is something you don't understand,” I reassured her.

But then it struck me - if they were still grappling with the language, how could my explanations, in the very language they were yet to master, be of any help?

"So you're just as kind-hearted in real life,” Harley smiled.

Her compliment, a first from a girl, left me bashfully muttering thanks.

“Master, I'm hungry,” Kitty interjected, her head peeking out from beneath my sleeping shorts.

“Could you help us with preparing breakfast? The cooking tools downstairs are foreign to us,” Harley requested, her gaze averted, hinting at some mishap.

Descending to the kitchen, I was greeted by an inexplicably large hole in the floor, which instantly dispelled any lingering doubts about their tale.

“Sorry, I resorted to my magic to make you breakfast but it didn't work,” Harley admitted with a sheepish grin👉🏼👈🏼.

Her earnestness was endearing. I marveled at how I’d created such an endearing character.

"I...I'll fix it for you, please don't kill me." Harley stammered, her eyes wide with worry.

“What?” I too panicked, puzzled by her distress, “It's okay, it's okay, I won't do anything to you. Why would you think so?"

“I heard the word ‘kill’ in your thoughts,” she confessed.

Ah, the perils of language barriers. The English words ‘cute’ and ‘kill’ could indeed sound confusingly similar to the uninitiated.

“Don’t worry, it was a compliment,” I assured her with a smile.

I then proceeded to take the time to clarify the pronunciation.

"That's all, quite simple, isn't it?"

With a flourish of enthusiasm, I concluded.

However, Harley’s expression morphed into one of bewilderment. It seemed my attempt at simplicity had missed the mark.

“Sorry, I need more time to practice,” she said, bowing slightly, the picture of contrition.

Kitty, meanwhile, was delighted with the new word. “Kill, kill, kill!” she chirped as she found the pronunciation sounded cute.

Just as Harley had calmed, Kitty’s repetition sent her into a tizzy once more.

~

Navigating the day with Harley and Kitty proved to be an exercise in patience and improvisation. Yet, I somehow managed to pull off the impossible. The morning’s challenges melted away when Kitty planted a soft kiss on my cheek, her gratitude expressed in a language foreign to my ears. Though the words were unfamiliar, they carried the sweetness and charm that matched her adorable appearance.

“She’s thanking you for the meal,” Harley translated, her voice warm with affection.

As per the plan we laid out during our breakfast conversation, to ease our confusion, we agreed to focus only on unraveling the situation with the knowledge we had at hand for the time being. In any case, dealing with the Demon Lord's generals remained the top priority.

Before we could proceed, however, there was the matter of Kitty’s linguistic limitations. Expanding her English vocabulary was essential for further planning discussion. Time was an unknown variable; we had no way of predicting when the next unforeseen event might occur. On a personal note, the dissolution of my contracts with the animation studios had lifted a weight off my shoulders. Free from the shackles of deadlines and professional commitments, I found myself with an abundance of time to dedicate to our current predicament. The absence of my online presence was disconcerting, yet it allowed me to immerse fully in the unfolding adventure without the distraction of a digital footprint.

Yet, the realization dawned on me: without a job or career, how would I sustain myself?

Oh right, I forgot, I am a famous story writer after all. Financial instability was a story of the past.

“Hey Harley, how did you and Kitty manage to learn English so quickly? Aren’t most of the books on my bookshelf written in English?"

I was curious then, how they had just shown up last night - according to Harley - and yet, they had already mastered a handful of English words. It was even more astonishing considering Harley had managed to teach Kitty in such a short span. This remarkable feat made me reflect on the past - how did we humans ever manage to learn foreign languages before the convenience of translations? And how did we manage to translate foreign languages ​​into local languages?

“I may not fully understand the spoken language, but when it comes to written words, I can use magic to convert them into my language. That was how I learned," she explained.

Her ability to assimilate the language overnight was nothing short of a miracle. What a clever sorceress.

A blush crept onto Harley’s cheeks as she caught the admiration in my thoughts. A silent ‘thank you’ resonated within her, a mantra of gratitude she repeated inwardly.

The kitchen mishap had left us with only two options: dine out or survive on takeout. I chose to view this not as a setback, but as an opportunity to acquaint my cat girl and sorceress companions with the myriad wonders of our world. It was the perfect excuse to show Harley and Kitty the world beyond these four walls, and to deepen our acquaintance. Thus, the former option was opted for the day’s lunch.

Venturing into the outside world carried its inherent risks, a fact we were all acutely aware of. Yet, what caught me off guard was the palpable tension in Kitty’s demeanor. Her eyes, sharp and discerning, swept across every nook and cranny, betraying a wariness as if she expected the adversaries to spring from the shadows at any moment. Harley, too, seemed to embrace the gravity of our situation, albeit in her own unconventional way. Her sorceress instincts kicked in, and she couldn’t resist weaving protective enchantments, discreetly and illegally planting ‘magic bombs’ everywhere we went.

"Kitty, there's a lot of beautiful scenery over there," I urged, trying to draw her attention to the tranquil landscape. “You don’t have to be so tense.”

Kitty’s response was a fierce glare.

"What?"

Ah right, she was still in the process of learning English.

Given my grasp of her personality, I sensed that she wasn’t in the best of spirits. She seemed frustrated with herself for not comprehending my words and nervous about the unfamiliar surroundings. Mirroring my own comforting gesture from the light novel, I offered her a smile and a gentle pat on the head, an unspoken promise that all would be well. Though her expression remained guarded, the subtle relaxation of her cat ears betrayed a softening - a silent acknowledgment that my reassurance had reached her.

“Harley, can you stop planting bombs for a second? People might get hurt,” I shafted my attention to Harley, who was constantly casting spells next to me.

Using her telepathy, Harley could cast spells much faster than other sorcerers and mages. This advantage came from the fact that she did most of it in her mind by mentally manipulating her magical energy within her, something us fantasy writers would call “mana”, skipping or shortening the somatic components or other means of activation of most spells. This potentially led to a god-know-how-many-bombs-she-can-plant-per-second situation that I needed to defuse.

“Don't worry, they only work on abnormalities…,” she collapsed to the ground before she could finish her sentence.

Kitty and I were at her side in an instant, our previous worries forgotten.

“Harley, are you okay?” I asked, worried.

“I think I might have used too much magic. But still, this is nothing but a scratch,” Harley replied.

Turned out exhaustion had claimed her, a toll for wielding magic beyond her energy limits. I didn’t even know what I should say to her in this situation. Nevertheless, amidst the misfortune, fortune smiled subtly. With a beautiful girl on my back, the way to our reserved restaurant seemed shorter.

My mind, however, was ensnared by the worrisome thought of the magic bombs Harley had planted. The magic bomb spell was designed to only target people with magical energy like her. The bombs would lie dormant until someone nearby cast a spell, then they would fuse with some of the spell’s mana and detonate, creating a devastating explosion. While the explosion had its limit of how much mana it could snatch, the blast would not discriminate between friend or foe, innocent or wanted target. It would engulf anyone in its vicinity. She didn’t have enough mana left to undo them either. At least after a short period of time, they should disappear automatically. I could only hope she didn’t cast the spell in crowded places.

Harley, who was reading my mind, sweated nervously on my back as she knew the truth was otherwise. It was no simple spell, but a high-level one that would take forever to disappear. And she intentionally aimed at the crowded places to plant magic bombs, believing it was the most effective defense.

“Look, a midget!” Harley exclaimed upon seeing a young boy in the distance.

And thus, the perils of language became starkly evident in her choice of words. Where ‘child’ would have been innocuous, she opted for ‘midget’. Truth was both words were tied to height, but one conveys an unintended reference to ‘efficient vertical life forms,’ or in simpler terms, an insult to those of modest height.

“Harley, he’s a child, a child!” I frantically corrected her after everyone around us gave us confused looks.

It was far from a hassle-free lunch that afternoon, but I was glad the two of them enjoyed it.

That evening, as we shared stories and explored the world through the web in addition to learning together, I could not help but marvel at how swiftly they adapted to the English language, their minds as quick as their spirits were eager.

“Do you mind if I read your mind?” Harley asked me, as the three of us were setting out convenience store foods for dinner.

"I don't mind that at all. But don't you feel a little uncomfortable doing that?" A flicker of curiosity sparked within me, "to have another’s thoughts constantly whispering in your consciousness, I can't imagine how terrifying that is for you."

“Actually, I can use this power at will so it’s all fine,” her response was a gentle dismissal of my concerns.

In that moment, as I pondered her words, a realization of how little I truly knew about my manga characters dawned upon me. It made me wonder what would happen if everything was completely different from the manga worlds. I was supposed to be the omniscient narrator of their tales, yet there I stood, grappling with the enigma of my own creation, feeling as if I knew nothing. The notion of my so-called ‘plot armor’ now seemed a fragile defense against the tide of unknowns.

With Harley’s magic and our help combined, Kitty was blossoming into proficiency in English. Observing her diligent pursuit brought a serene calm over me, echoing the days when I had poured my soul into my writing career. This wave of nostalgia infused me with inspiration, fortifying my resolve to dedicate the night to their company.