Game or not. Don't let me die!

The air buzzed with tension as hurried steps echoed through the dimly lit corridor. The faint echoes of nervous breathing reverberated against the walls adorned with an Eastern-style design, exuding an aura of Japanese culture.

A jittery woman sprinted for her life, her kimono billowing like a flag of desperation as her body soared through the air, reaching ceiling level.

"Stop her! By the Council Mystica, she will be executed for treason and violating confidentiality!" A man in a yukata and a straw hat bellowed, abruptly stirring the dormant villagers from their evening rest.

The perplexed villagers emerged from their huts, baffled by the commotion, wondering who the fugitive was.

The determined woman leaped from rooftop to rooftop, finally landing on a massive Sakura tree. She scanned her surroundings for any sign of the relentless Mystica Force, who were hot on her trail.

Sighing and gasping for air, she murmured, "I need to escape Hiroyama…" The very thought sent a shiver down her spine, her face contorted with a mix of grief and determination as tears fell, causing the tree to bloom.

"I found her! She's on top of the tree!"

A sudden yell startled the woman, causing her to tumble to the concrete ground. She raced through the dimly lit streets, seeking refuge in the labyrinthine corridors.

The yells and howls of the Mystica Force reverberated behind her, rendering her paralyzed with fear. How had it come to this? She had never betrayed anyone. Her clan had been kind, her comrades jovial; it was unfathomable. Yet, one person's face lingered in the back of her mind.

Slumping against a wall, gasping for breath, she declared, "Takayama… I'm sorry, I can't come back to you." She pulled out a carved-out rock, its handcrafted form pulsating with ancient mana.

"But, I won't give up… not now. Not ever!" Her resolve ignited like an unquenchable flame, and she remained vigilant for any other pursuing forces.

...

Shuuta jolted awake and exclaimed, "Wake up, Hanako! We'll be late again!" He shook the plump girl, but his face turned crimson as her body jiggled like jelly.

"Wake up!" He tugged on her futon, causing Hanako to bounce around the room.

"Ouch!" Shuuta wasn't quick enough and received a plump slap in return.

"Mmm… Uwah…" A half-asleep Hanako mumbled, her dazed gaze darting around in confusion.

"Hanako, get off me!" Shuuta gasped for air, his face reddening by the second.

"Uhm… Shuuta?" Hanako, still half awake, suddenly realized she was on the floor.

"Eh? Why am I on the floor… Waahh!" Hanako promptly floated away from Shuuta, who sported a gooey expression, appearing to be in a state of a blissful afterlife.

"S-Shuuta? Are you alive?" A big sweat drop hung from Hanako's head.

"Nay, but I ascended to heaven…"

Hanako shot him a glare while bashfully covering herself. "Pervert!"

"You're the one sleeping in undies!" Shuuta retorted, his patience wearing thin.

"Baka! Pervert! Stop ogling me! I sleep with undies to control my mana reserves!"

"That makes no sense whatsoever!"

"It does for me! So stop staring!! Waahh!" Hanako abruptly turned transparent to the naked eye, shocking Shuuta.

"This ghost… What am I gonna do with her?" Dumbfounded, Shuuta tidied himself up, washed his face and teeth, donned his neatly hung uniform, and fixed his hair.

"Hanako, I'm leaving already! We have tests next week, so I'm going to the library to study!"

Without receiving a response from Hanako, Shuuta picked up his backpack, headed to the kitchen, made a sandwich, and mumbled his farewell through a mouthful of food.

Leaving his house, he spotted a petite girl with orange hair and a cute headband that almost resembled bunny ears. Her bright blue gem-like eyes contrasted beautifully with her hair, giving her a gentle appearance.

Shuuta couldn't help but smile when their eyes met.

Noticing him, the girl approached. "Good morning! How are you today?" She leaned closer, playfully inspecting him.

"Mm fine!"

Yuri chuckled and playfully grabbed Shuuta's sandwich. "Oi, that's mine. At least leave me a piece."

"Sure! I'll give you a piece."

"You say that like you made the sandwich…"

Yuri took a bite out of the marked corner of Shuuta's sandwich, and he pouted.

"This girl… What am I gonna do with her?"

As they strolled towards school, they chatted and smiled like typical students.

"So, tell me, what am I supposed to do now?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I'm your Familiar, right? What am I supposed to do?"

Shuuta fell silent, realizing he had forgotten about this.

'Ah. I forgot,' Shuuta's eyes widened comically.

"Umm… I don't know. Let's ask Noara about it. I'm also curious, so I'll go with you."

Yuri beamed and hugged the bewildered boy.

"Yay! I'll finally have a purpose to live!"

"Hey, don't pressure me."

After Shuuta's arrival at school, the day unfolds much like any other. On the TV, a man passionately discusses a rift in the sky, alternating between fascination and terror. Shuuta pays little attention until the realization of his predicament abruptly strikes him. Has he made a terrible mistake? All he had wanted was to save Kurumi.

"Woah!" Shuuta gets a hearty slap on the back from his best friend Kazuma, who grins at Shuuta's bewildered expression.

"What's up, bestie? Everything good down there?"

Shuuta is left pondering, uncertain if Kazuma is inquiring about his life or...

"I'm still breathing... yeah," Shuuta offers a somewhat ambiguous response.

He wonders, 'Should I reveal that I'm a Mystic?'

It's a weighty decision for Shuuta. Will Kazuma avoid him or regard him with suspicion? He rubs his temples, grappling with the dilemma.

"So... how's it feel to be a Mystic?"

Shuuta shoots Kazuma an astonished look. "What? Uh... How did you find out?"

Kazuma chuckles. "Well, let's just say a certain orange-haired girl couldn't stop blabbering about being your Familiar. Even Mikazuki was fed up. Anyway, my question still stands."

Shuuta laments, 'Yuri! Why?!'

He clears his throat awkwardly. "Well, it feels strange."

"Strange? Did you suddenly grow a few inches?" Kazuma teases with a smirk.

"Huh!? What?! No, I meant I feel lighter and more energetic. I've been having trouble sleeping at night."

"It's probably Hanako keeping you awake."

"Yeah, you know me too well."

Both boys share a good-natured laugh.

"But, seriously, now that I can use magic, I feel unstoppable!"

Kazuma interrupts him with a cautionary tone. "Hold on there. Don't get reckless. There's always someone stronger."

"Uh... yeah, you're right. But still, I need to get stronger to protect the people I care about."

Kazuma falls into thoughtful silence and then erupts into hearty laughter. "What?! You?! Weren't you the one who used to play pranks on girls and steal their panties from the changing room?"

"Shut yer trap!" Shuuta quickly covers Kazuma's mouth with his hand, his face reddening with nervous anticipation.

"Heh." Kazuma playfully frees himself from Shuuta's grasp, grinning like a sated snake.

"Those days are over. I will never do that again! I'm a changed man!"

A fleeting memory of a dark-haired girl flashes through Shuuta's mind, followed by a sudden punch aimed at his face. 'Thanks to her, I changed my ways.'

Kazuma playfully slaps Shuuta's back, his brown hair swaying as he saunters away. "Yeah sure, we'll see about that."

Shuuta chuckles as Kazuma departs.

With his best friend gone, Shuuta heads to his classroom. Tests are looming on the horizon, and many students are organizing study sessions with their friends, while others choose to overlook the impending exams.

"Wait… I can ask Hanako for help! I can definitely cheat my way through this!" Shuuta has a brilliant idea, but...

...

"I refuse." Hanako glares at him, still harboring ill feelings about his inappropriate actions.

"B-but why? Isn't that the job of a Familiar?"

Hanako clenches her fists, but manages to maintain her composure. She turns away and takes a seat at her desk.

'Why is she so upset? Did I say something wrong? I'm only asking for her help!'

"Oi, Hanako, please! I'm too lazy to study! In fact, I despise it with a passion!"

"Great! Then suffer through studying."

Shuuta sighs and hesitantly speaks up, determination gleaming in his eyes. "I see. Well, I'll ask the girls to come over for a study session. I'm pretty sure they won't reject the idea."

Hanako flinches, but her expression remains inscrutable.

'Interesting… I've noticed her change in demeanor.'

"I should also invite Kakoyo. She seems intelligent… hopefully, she won't take advantage of me while I-"

SLAM

'That certainly caught her attention. Heh heh heh.'

Shuuta attempts various tactics to convince the stubborn ghost, but to no avail. She stands her ground.

'Actually, inviting the girls over isn't a bad idea. It might turn out to be the best solution!'

Shuuta nods approvingly at his idea.

As the school day concludes, he makes his way to another classroom, curious about Yuri's plans. In the hallways, he's met with hostile glares and overheard whispers. He's grown used to it, but come on... I can hear all of you! At least be subtle!

Slide

Shuuta sneaks a peek into another classroom and spots Yuri engaging in animated conversations with some other girls. Suddenly, she turns her gaze towards the door, as if she sensed his presence.

Her keen perception and sight are exceptional, and she hasn't even explored her full potential yet!

"Shuuta! There you are." Yuri stands up and waves at her friends. "I'll text you guys about the report! And also the homework about that funny little turtle."

'Turtle? What is she talking about?' Shuuta is lost.

"Woah!" Shuuta yelps as Yuri seizes his hand and whisks him away, her grip firm.

Meanwhile, the girls share sly glances. "So that's the guy. He's definitely good-looking."

"Yeah, and he's friends with the prince too."

"Did you see the change in Yuri? As soon as he arrived, she became all joyful."

"Yeah! Hahaha. That guy sure is lucky."

"Yeah! Our cute little Yuri is trying so hard to get his attention. We should teach him a lesson about our hints!"

"Sigh* He wouldn't get it anyway."

The trio of girls chitchat excitedly about Yuri and Shuuta, passing the time until their next class.

Shuuta struggles to keep up with Yuri, his mind spiraling back to the days of their childhood games when she'd frequently pull him along.

His wits return to him when they reach the infirmary, and they step inside, oblivious to the presence of Noara, who is attired in her combat outfit.

"Oh. Uhhh…sorry to bother!" Yuri offers a polite bow to Noara, who seems mildly taken aback.

"Why didn't you just lock the door?" Shuuta asks inquisitively.

"I just came back from... something confidential. Uhh, it doesn't involve alcohol in any way..."

"Glare…" Shuuta narrows his eyes and gives her a stern look.

Noara nervously laughs, breaking the heavy silence. "It was work! W-o-r-k."

"Sure… Anyway, we're h-"

"We're here to learn about my magic and familiar stuff. What am I supposed to do?"

"What are you supposed to do, you say."

'Oh, here comes the lewd talk when she speaks like that.'

Yuri nods with childlike enthusiasm. "Just make your Familiar happy, that's all. In your own way."

Shuuta heaves a sigh of relief.

"Although you have to kill monsters to get stronger, your primary objective is to make your Familiar happy."

'So, she does have to kill monsters...'

"Kill monsters? No, no, no. I don't even have the ability to harm an animal," Yuri says, casually waving her hand.

"Is that so? Do you know the gravest sin a Familiar can commit?" Noara's demeanor suddenly shifts, casting a menacing aura as if she were a demon incarnate.

Yuri stands petrified, her eyes the only indication of the fear she's experiencing. She's now face to face with a true monster.

"Holding the Mystic back. The more Familiars the Mystic has, the greater the burdens he must shoulder. He shares his mana with all his Familiars. So, when you claim you can't even hurt an animal, it angers me."

'This is bad… I've never seen Noara this angry before. Her presence is suffocating.'

"Come on, give Yuri a break. She never even intended to become my Familiar."

Noara turns her intense glare towards Shuuta. "You want trouble, kid?"

"Are you threatening me?" Shuuta sweats profusely but stands his ground.

"What I meant to say was this: The more Familiars, the weaker the host becomes. However, there's a way to become incredibly powerful even with a team of Familiars," Noara pauses and touches her ear.

"Okay, why did you stop talking?"

"Apologies, duty call. I'll summarize. More Familiars mean more strain. The stronger the Familiar, the less strain. Shuuta can use all his Familiar's magic."

"Oh, that's great! I can use your magic, Yuri. That would be really helpful."

"Understand this: If the Familiar remains weak, more mana will be consumed to sustain your life force. Essentially, you'll be draining Shuuta's life support, leading to your death."

Yuri responds with a touch of sadness. "So I'm just a burden right now?"

"Unfortunately, yes, for now. But it's your choice. Shuuta has the mana to sustain your life, but let's not make it tough for him. Right, Yuri-chan?"

Yuri nods. "You're right. I can't be selfish. Shuuta needs me and my magic. I'll gladly give him my soul, my body, and mana."

Shuuta hurriedly interjects with a swift retort.

Noara chuckles. "Well, aren't we determined?"

"Yes! No time to sulk! I must get stronger!"

Yuri inquires, "How can I get stronger, though?"

Noara smiles and starts for the door. "Ask Shuuta. He knows exactly how."

Shuuta reflects, "All I know is that killing monsters gives you XP, leveling up increases your stats, unlocking skills requires Xuvia coins, and you can buy skills with them... It's almost like a game. It's laughable."

"A game? If it's like a game, I'll beat you. You know how competitive I am!" Yuri beams.

"Game or not, don't let me die! Our lives are intertwined, especially mine! If I die, you die! So please, give it your all!"

"I will! I still haven't confessed— I mean..."

"...?!" Shuuta is left dumbfounded.

"Anyway, see you later! Oh, and good luck with your tests!" The orange-haired girl leaves, her cheeks a soft shade of pink.

Shuuta lets out a sigh of relief as he watches Yuri depart, though it's clear he's caught on to something; she was about to confess.

Left by himself, the red-haired boy is left flustered and embarrassed. If he didn't attempt to clear his thoughts, he might have a mental breakdown right there in front of Yuri. She's just too adorable. No! Stop it! I can't betray Hanako like this!

Shuuta mentally karate chops his...