Episode 1
[Warning! HP has dropped to the red zone. Please exercise caution for survival.]
I panted for breath, readjusting my grip on the flexible sword in my hand. It wasn’t real shortness of breath—it was just a game effect—but mentally, I was exhausted. My body, splattered with monster blood, emitted a sweet chocolate scent. Thanks to the game’s adjustments. But even the nicest smell has its limits. My brow furrowed at the overpowering aroma that threatened to numb my nose. “Not bad, human swordsmen! I want to know your names!” “Shut your worthless mouth.” Iliya, standing in front of me, coldly rebuked the demon race member Lef, who laughed boisterously. True to his nature, his straight longsword clashed repeatedly with the demon’s fist. He held his own decently, but it wasn’t enough. He’d lose in the end. Demons regenerate no matter how many times you slash them. Meanwhile, the human Iliya had been accumulating wounds since the fight began. The moment they deviated from the strategy guide, it was over. Of course, my goal wasn’t victory in this battle. Just before they clashed again, I was certain this was the branching point for the ending. The hidden event “Fierce Battle with Demon Lef” triggers only when you’re alone with Iliya. So it made sense that it was designed for his ending. And the condition was probably… sacrificing myself in place of the攻略 target Iliya. “This ends it, human!” I leaped between them just before Lef’s magic-infused fist reached Iliya. The whip-like blade of my flexible sword pierced Lef’s heart. At the same time, his strike landed on my abdomen. With a violent shockwave, I traced a large arc through the air and crashed to the ground.
[Warning! HP has been completely depleted.] [Restricting player movement.]
Through the flickering status window, I saw Iliya’s panicked face. He cried out desperately. “A-Asha? Asha!” “Iliya…” Cough. A thick clot of blood spurted from my mouth—my organs must be wrecked. It didn’t hurt, but it was clearly fatal. My eyes trembled as I gazed tenderly at Iliya rushing toward me in horror. If my guess was right, the ending condition would pop up now.
[Checking ending conditions.] [Mutual destruction with Demon Lef, cleared.] [Iliya affinity 80+, cleared.] [All ending conditions satisfied.]
As expected. The last hidden ending was here. A smile escaped me in delight. Iliya, tears streaming down his face, was breathtakingly beautiful. “Asha, why… why…! I should have…!” My vision slowly blurred. Iliya hugged my immobile body and bowed his head. A tragic conclusion. Happy endings are nice, but sometimes a heart-wrenching sad ending hits just right. To maintain character until the end, I placed my hand on his face and wiped away his tears. “…I love you.” At those words, Iliya’s dark eyes shook violently. “What… what does that…” “I’ve wanted to say it forever. I… you…” My words trailed off. Only warm blood trickled from my quivering lips. “…Asha?” Iliya murmured blankly, clutching my body. His eyes contorted as if he refused to believe it. “N-No. Asha, please, no…!” Unfortunately, I couldn’t see or hear what followed. This playthrough ended with my avatar’s death. Against a black background, the final ending clear message appeared.
[Collecting the ‘Sacrifice for Him’ ending.]
My vision faded to black.
“Huu.”
Instead of jumping into New Game, I logged out. After 14 hours in the capsule, the seat was soaked with sweat. I pressed my throbbing head, a lingering effect of the death ending. VR games automatically adjust pain to less than half of reality, and I had set mine to 0 anyway. But for smooth gameplay, I’d maxed out the other senses, so I could still feel the chill of a blade slicing flesh. The mental fatigue that followed was intense. That’s why the country mandates at least an hour of real-world rest after dying in-game. Ever since that incident years ago.
During the mandatory logout period, I took a quick shower and swapped out the seat sheet. Then I sat back in the capsule. The lid recognized me and closed automatically, switching my vision.
[Verifying user.] [Identity confirmed.] [Logging into ‘Rizondert.’]
Rizondert. Five years ago, it burst onto the scene with the commercialization of VR games and still ranks in the top for female revenue. A romance simulation game. But what made Rizondert truly amazing was its NPCs. The main and supporting characters, including the攻略 targets, each had their own individual AI. Insanely high-performance compared to other games where all NPCs are controlled by a single AI. This let players feel like they were dating real people. Beautiful characters who grew to your taste based on your choices and actions were incredibly appealing. And the vast background world was on par with top-tier open-world RPGs.
[New Game / Continue / Album]
As always, a blinking “New” mark shone next to the start button. I didn’t remember getting a patch. ‘Could it be a 100th playthrough bonus?’ Gamer instinct tingled at the round number. A new攻略 character was added at the 50th playthrough, so maybe another one now. Heart pounding, I hit “New Game,” and a blue window appeared.
[Congratulations! You are the first in the world to clear all endings!] [As a reward, a special patch will be provided.] [Download?]
“Whoa.” Rizondert’s playtime was insane, but as a popular game, I hadn’t imagined being the first. And not just a 100th playthrough bonus—a first clear bonus! All the steady grinding since launch paid off. I nodded, and another blue window popped up.
[Downloading the patch will make initialization impossible. Accept?]
“Yes!”
[Downloading first clear commemorative patch…] [Complete.] [Moving to game screen.]
After a short load, my vision shifted. A thick fragrance assaulted my nose. Before I knew it, I was bound in handcuffs and a collar. The empire’s premier slave market. Where every story in the game Rizondert begins. “Move it, can’t you walk faster?” “Ugh!” A rough-looking slave trader kicked my back with his boot. In the prologue, my avatar’s nutritional state was abysmal, so I tumbled pathetically to the ground. Instead of the expected pain, I only felt the cool floor and the gritty dirt. A place that should reek instead smelled pleasant. “Hey, don’t handle her too roughly. She’s top quality, isn’t she?” “She’s a slave anyway! Even if she’s expensive, who cares as long as her eyes work!” “Not wrong, but…” The two men behind me exchanged brief words. Rizondert had incredibly high freedom, but those lines and the situation never changed at the start. Of course, escape wasn’t possible. According to a user on the internet forums who glitched out, you die immediately. Makes sense—otherwise, you’d mess up meeting the main characters. “Here are the last three.” “You two did well. Go back now.” Lost in thought, we arrived backstage at the familiar auction stage. I waited my turn—this was my exact 100th time here. The wolfkin beastman and fairy half-breed slaves before me had heated up the room. In this world, demi-humans weren’t common, so it was natural. ‘Wish there was a prologue skip.’ Rizondert’s fatal flaw as an indie game: no cutscene skipping. After the boring wait, the auctioneer led me to center stage. Spotlights focused on me. Masked figures eyed me with interest. Voices admired my avatar’s stunning looks. But the protagonist saving the finale wasn’t just for looks. “Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve waited long! Today’s final item is…” Rustle. The auctioneer untied the bandage over my eyes. The grimy blindfold fell, revealing them. “The blue-eyed Neon clan! A survivor of Neon!” Gasps rippled through the audience. The protagonist’s special bloodline. Neon were the only clan who could see mana flows with their eyes. After the massacre 10 years ago, their line was thought extinct, making me incredibly rare. Especially tempting for the corrupt rich drooling over pretty, exotic slaves. “2 billion cron!” “2.05 billion!” “2.5 billion!” Bidding heated up as they vied for me. Greedy eyes gleamed behind masks, scanning and glaring. I stared back impassively. Around 7.5 billion… yeah, now… “20 billion cron.” A low, calm voice silenced the hall. A woman in a ornate mask and black robe. Her vivid red hair cascaded like flames. “20 billion cron! Anyone else? Anyone?” No one would. Major nobles who could afford it valued reputation too much for places like this. No one here could outbid her. “One, two, three… Congratulations! Sold to customer 16!” The auctioneer’s gleeful shout ended it.
In reality, there’d be paperwork after, but the game skipped it. After a quick screen transition, I stood in a clean room. She’d spent a fortune, after all. “Oh dear. Welcome. We’ll provide any service you desire. Eye care or transplants, we can—” “No need.” The redhead coldly cut off the groveling owner and turned to me. Our eyes met, and a blue status window appeared.
[Encountered main character!]
