It was supposed to be a simple break.
The convenience store had finally settled into a rare calm. No Oni raids. No Karens. No soup betrayals. Nyx had suggested something normal for once.
"Let's go to the arcade," she said.
Vario immediately regretted agreeing.
The arcade was bright, loud, and full of flashing machines. Kids laughed, buttons clicked, and electronic music blasted from every corner. Vario stood in the middle of it all, staring at the glowing screens like they were ancient cursed artifacts.
Bella folded her arms. "It's a game, Vario. Not a boss fight."
Nyx pointed to one machine. "Try that one."
The cabinet read:
"MEGA DRAGON STRIKER IV – HARD MODE."
Vario cracked his knuckles. "Easy."
He inserted a coin.
The game started. A digital dragon roared across the screen. Vario mashed buttons with absolute confidence.
Ten seconds later—
GAME OVER
Vario blinked.
"…What?"
Nyx leaned closer. "You died to the tutorial monster."
"That was a warm-up round," Vario muttered.
He inserted another coin.
Thirty seconds later—
GAME OVER
Bella raised an eyebrow.
Vario leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Okay. Now it's personal."
Coin after coin vanished into the machine.
GAME OVER.GAME OVER.GAME OVER.
The dragon on the screen laughed digitally.
Something inside Vario snapped.
"You think you're better than me?" he muttered.
Nyx stepped back slowly. "Uh oh."
Bella whispered, "I recognize that tone."
Vario grabbed the joystick with both hands and started attacking the controls like his life depended on it.
Buttons slammed.
The machine rattled.
Sweat poured down his face.
"WHY—WON'T—YOU—DIE?!" Vario roared, slamming the buttons like they had personally insulted his ancestors.
The digital dragon on the screen breathed fire.
GAME OVER
The words flashed again.
Nyx slowly backed away from the machine. "Okay… maybe we should take a break."
"No," Vario said quietly.
That quiet voice was the dangerous one.
Bella crossed her arms. "He's entering phase two."
Vario inserted another coin.
The screen lit up again. The dragon appeared.
Ten seconds later—
GAME OVER
The machine played a cheerful defeat jingle.
Something ancient and furious awakened inside Vario.
"You… pixelated… lizard."
Nyx whispered, "Oh no."
Vario grabbed the sides of the arcade cabinet.
"YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME?!"
He shook the machine.
The screen flickered violently. The dragon froze mid-roar.
Bella rubbed her temples. "We're getting banned from this place."
Vario smashed the buttons with both fists.
"COME ON!"
The joystick snapped.
The machine beeped angrily.
The dragon moved again—
GAME OVER
That was the last straw.
Vario lifted the entire arcade cabinet.
The entire arcade went silent.
A kid dropped his soda.
Nyx pointed. "Vario… Vario don't—"
CRASH
The cabinet hit the floor like a meteor.
Glass shattered.
Coins spilled everywhere.
Lights flickered across the arcade.
Vario stood there breathing heavily, staring at the broken machine like it had betrayed him personally.
"…I won."
Bella looked at the destroyed cabinet.
"No," she said flatly. "You absolutely did not."
An employee slowly walked over.
He looked at the shattered machine.
Then at Vario.
Then back at the machine.
"…Sir."
Vario pointed at the screen where the frozen dragon still glitched.
"That thing cheated."
Nyx buried her face in her hands.
Bella sighed.
Five minutes later, the group was outside the arcade.
A giant sign behind them read:
"BANNED FOR LIFE."
Vario crossed his arms stubbornly. "That dragon started it."
Nyx shook her head. "You declared war on a tutorial boss."
Bella muttered, "Next time we're playing board games."
Vario stared at the sign, still offended.
"…Rematch someday."
And somewhere inside the broken arcade machine, the frozen digital dragon glitched… almost like it was laughing.