Chapter 1
The battlefield stretched endlessly with shattered skyscrapers, burning craters, the twisted wrecks of fallen mechs. My own machine's armor was dented, smoke hissing from the vents. Warning lights flashed red across my screen, each one screaming that I was seconds away from total destruction.
But I couldn't stop. Not when he was still standing.
The enemy mech towered over me, jet-black and armed head to toe. Missiles lined its shoulders, its massive blade shining under the dying light of the sky. Every step it took made the ground tremble.
I boosted forward, desperate, firing off the last of my rockets.
He cut through them like they were nothing, like swatting away a fly.
A massive shadow fell over me. I looked up just in time to see its blade descend.
The impact never came. Instead, the sky tore apart above us, as if reality itself had glitched. Everything,,, my cockpit, the city, the enemy was swallowed by blinding, flashing white light.
Then I heard it.
A faint, mechanical whisper.
「カズキ・ヒュース… 全員を消せ.」 (Kazuki Hyuse… eliminate them all.)
Before I could react, I was falling. Down through the clouds, through endless air, straight toward a war-torn city. My heart was pounding like it was my last moment alive.
… I woke up.
That was a weird dream. Too real for comfort.
My name's Kazuki Hyuse, sixteen years old.
Until a few years ago, I was your typical otaku. Then I quit not because I suddenly became cool or anything, but because I found something more interesting.
VR games.
In VR, you move just like in real life... 'punch, run, jump' all while lying in bed. Your mind becomes the controller. Don't ask me how it works I'm not a scientist.
It's been two years since the famous VRMMO Earthly Quest was released. Everyone calls it "the best VR game ever," but I haven't touched it yet. I'm still hooked on my current obsession... Mech Bust.
Big robots beating the hell out of each other. Missiles, explosions, close combat I mean what's not to like about it?
Right now, I was in the middle of a match. Seven opponents against me. They were working together, but my machine wasn't going down that easily.
Then I heard it... a call notification.
A call? Now?
Without leaving the game, I answered.
"Yo, Kazu. Still grinding that mech game?"
That voice… definitely familiar.
"Yeah. What about it?" I replied, while launching a missile barrage at an enemy trying to flank me.
"Look up," the voice said, carrying that usual smug tone.
I tilted my view upward.
… At first, nothing. Then a shadow broke through the clouds.
「おいおい… マジかよ…」 (Oi oi… you've gotta be kidding me…)
"Wait—"
「ドカーン!」 (BOOM!)
A giant mech slammed into the ground in front of me, shaking the entire battlefield. I boosted back on instinct.
"Keira?! What the hell, man?!"
"Relax," he said like it was nothing.
"I figured that if you're already fighting seven, why not make it eight?"
"Eight?! You're top ten! They're barely in the fifties!"
Through the dust, his machine stepped forward.... polished, custom-built, and clearly way out of my league.
"Ooh, but you've gotten sharper, Kazu-kun," he teased.
「どうする? やるのか?」 (So? You gonna take me on?)
"How about this... if you beat all of us, I'll give you one wish in-game. Hell, I'll even help boost you into the top ranks."
"… And if I lose?"
"Then you finally play Earthly Quest with me," he said without missing a breath.
I thought for a moment, then smirked. 「いいだろう.」 (Fine by me.) "Deal."
I surged forward. One kick sent an enemy flying, and a follow-up missile volley blew it apart midair.
"One down!"
Without slowing, I grabbed another mech by the leg and hurled it into two others. While they scrambled, I fired. The explosions lit up the whole map.
「くそっ!」 (Damn it!) one of them shouted over comms.
"Damn," Keira said over comms. "You really have improved."
Six left. Yeah… this was going to be fun.
---------------
I was almost out of fuel. Two mechs were still chasing me, and Keira was filling the air with endless machine-gun fire.
(This is annoying…) I muttered inside my cockpit.
I grabbed a chunk of concrete from the battlefield, smashed it into the face of the sword-wielding mech, and used its body as a shield against Keira's bullets. Sparks flew as rounds tore into the metal. Keira paused only to reload.
Perfect.
I hurled the damaged mech at the other enemy charging me. It dodged, but I was already moving. My sword slide free, and with one clean slash, I split the mech in half.
"Didn't think you'd get this far, Kazu-kun," Keira's voice came through, smug as ever.
Only he was left now holding a massive sword wrapped in blue flame.
"俺もだ,ケイラ先輩." (Same here, Keira-senpai.) I sprinted toward him, closing the gap in seconds. My blade was inches away from striking when a sudden beam erupted from his chest. It punched a hole straight through my mech. Systems went dark. My machine crashed into the ground.
敗北. (Defeat.) Instantly.
---
The next thing I knew, I was back in the lobby. The seven pilots I'd eliminated were already there.
"Kazu-senpai, that was awesome!" my kouhai Briel said.
The others chimed in—
"Great fight, Kazuki." (Top 32)
"I got blown to bits instantly…" (Top 48)
"Three of us went out at the same time." (Top 45)
"Didn't expect you to launch all your missiles at us." (Top 36)
"I was gone from the start." (Top 49)
"Total luck. I just dropped my guard." (Top 27)
That last one came from Kadoki-senpai—the guy I'd sliced in half.
Keira strolled into the room. "Come on, Kadoki. He fought well."
"ケイラ先輩!!" (Keira-senpai!!) The six shouted in unison.
I raised an eyebrow. "Popular as ever, Keira-senpai."
"Yo, Kazuki."
"That beam thing... you didn't mention it."
"Newest upgrade. You were my test subject, haha."
I grabbed his shoulders. "You could've warned me!"
He grinned. "Where's the fun in that?"
Then his tone shifted. "Anyway… you lost. Which means you're playing Earthly Quest with me."
"Yeah, yeah. After school. I've got to log out."
--------
I took off my VR headset and headed downstairs for a drink. Mom was in the kitchen with my little brother.
"Playing again, Hyuse-kun? Sleep early you've got school tomorrow. And take your brother with you."
"Got it, Mom."
Back in my room, I collapsed into bed.
長い一日になりそうだ. (It's gonna be a long day tomorrow.)
I closed my eyes. The alarm went off before I knew it.
------------------
The morning sun hit the school gate, warm and almost peaceful completely at odds with the explosions and missiles I'd been dodging last night. I pushed the memories aside as I walked into the hallway and bumped into Cain.
"Yo, I saw your fight yesterday, Kazu-kun. It was awesome!" he said. "Everyone's talking about it in the lobby. They can't believe someone not even in the top 50 beat all seven of the top players."
Well that's probably called skill issue but still I got beaten up.
I scratched the back of my head. "It was… tough. I can't beat Keira-senpai. He's way too skilled."
Cain whistled. "Seriously, though. You survived? That's insane."
We reached our classroom and I slid into my seat by the window in the back-left corner. The room was bigger than I expected 25 desks, all lined neatly, but somehow it still felt… standard.
"Ahh, the classic back-row, window-side seat… where the main character always sits. Yep, this is it."
Minutes later, the teacher arrived. Everyone straightened up, shuffling papers and whispering, and class finally started. I tried to focus, but my mind kept drifting back to the game and that smug grin on Keira's face.
That guy, always up to something... he pull a lot of tricks back in the day so there's no surprise losing against him.
--------
After school, I walked home, still replaying the fight in my head.
"Im back," I called out, tossing my bag onto the floor. Mom waved from the kitchen, and my little brother was busy with his homework.
I slipped into my room, shutting the door behind me, and booted up my PC. A group call was already active.
"Ohh, Kazuki's here!" one of the girls said immediately. The others chimed in, voices bouncing around the virtual space.
"You're late, Kazuki," one teased.
"I heard you're going to play Earthly Quest," another added.
"Yeah," I replied, half-smiling. "I promised Keira-senpai I'd play. Can't back out now."
There was a pause. Then one voice calm but serious spoke.
"Well then, we've got some serious conversation here that's classified. Mind if I…"
Before I could respond, I was kicked from the VC. Typical. That guy had no chill.
I leaned back, letting out a sigh, and grabbed the Earthly Quest CD. Slipping on my VR headset, I felt that familiar tingle the edge of a new world waiting.
Here we go… let's see what all the hype's about.
Chapter Ends*