"…Heh, not only did you fail to face reality after removing the headset, but you're challenging me to a duel? Interesting…"
Firefly chuckled lightly, pointing her thumb at herself. "But unfortunately, you're the challenger!"
"Stelle's first kiss belongs to me, Firefly!"
"You keep saying Stelle is yours, but in reality, you're just stuck in the realm of friendship, aren't you?"
Onlookers: "Whoa? Whoa!"
The tension was starting to thicken.
Hearing this, March 7th's heart sank. She said coldly, "You… you just took advantage of her! Stelle definitely didn't consent willingly!"
Firefly: "Whether it was willing or not, I have my own judgment. Who are you to make wild accusations?"
March 7th narrowed her eyes. "What? You want to challenge me, March 7th, to a fight?"
"Hmph… Perfect. Our last battle didn't have a clear winner. Let's settle it now! Stelle goes to the victor!"
"Gladly!"
Onlookers: Fight! Fight!
—"Stop it!"
Just as the battle was about to erupt, a loud shout rang out. Stelle, who had been tugged back and forth like a little raccoon, suddenly forced her way between the two, pushing them apart with force. Her voice carried an unusual trace of anger:
"You two, can't you pick a better place to argue?! Fighting in the middle of the street like this… it's just too much!"
"…!"
Seeing Stelle, who was usually all smiles, actually looking angry, March 7th and Firefly froze involuntarily, a wave of guilt rising in their hearts.
In their minds, Stelle was often adorably timid, but they'd overlooked that she was never lacking in courage. No matter how powerful the enemy, she'd still extend her claws like a hissing kitten.
And now, she was genuinely upset, which spoke to the severity of the situation.
In truth, Stelle's thoughts were simple. A fight between these two would be like a clash of titans, their every move brimming with world-shaking power. If they fought here, affecting bystanders would be the least of their worries—damaging property and facing compensation costs would be the real issue.
She absolutely couldn't let these two fall into a debt spiral.
Stelle continued, "Whatever's going on with the three of us, the least we can do is not drag others into it, right?!"
"If you really want to fight… then just fight me! I definitely won't resist!"
"If you two start a fight here, half of Dreamflux Reef will collapse. And when that happens… who's going to pay the fines?! We'll all be dragged off to work as slaves mining until we die!"
Onlookers: …
Stelle huffed angrily, "I'm mad! If you two keep fighting, I'll… I'll get even madder!"
"…Stelle, I'm sorry. I was too impulsive and didn't think things through," Firefly said, grabbing one of Stelle's hands and gently shaking it. "I was wrong. Please forgive me."
March 7th grabbed Stelle's other hand, apologizing with some regret. "Stelle, I… I was too irrational. I'm sorry. If you forgive me, I'll agree to anything, okay?"
"Hmph! Then I'm punishing you both—no using violence to solve problems. Got it?"
"I promise, Stelle."
Onlookers: …Something's off.
Why did this drama turn so bitter?
Where was the snarky back-and-forth? The standard women's free-for-all fight? The classic post-fight police cars and ambulances? Why was it all gone?
How did it end up like this? This wasn't the show they wanted!
"Why… why do I feel so sour inside? I kind of want to cry."
"So warm… so heartwarming. It's like seeing the sun."
"Brother, snap out of it! You're a vampire!"
"Waaah— I'm breaking down, brother. Really, why does even a dream have to hit me this hard?"
"Mei-senpai! I miss you! Why didn't you take me with you back then?"
"Waaah—"
The "heartwarming" scene between the three left most of the onlookers deeply shaken. After all, if their real lives were fulfilling, why would they be drowning in the private server of a beautiful dream?
If their real-world lives were happy enough, why would they immerse themselves in a virtual world?
At that moment, Shush, standing among the crowd, sighed. His neck extended several meters, reaching Stelle and the others. He said seriously, "I'm terribly sorry for interrupting so abruptly, but I think we should leave."
"Based on my scans, the hounds in charge of security are heading this way. I'm not exaggerating, but these hounds look like they're starving. You'd better run fast."
"Run?" Stelle blinked, confused, and looked at the two beside her. "How did you two get in here? Did you come through legal channels?"
Firefly: "What's legal?"
March 7th: "What channels?"
Stelle: "…Shush, what's the best escape plan?"
Shush calmly replied, "My preferred plan is to drive a vehicle from here, either toward the exit checkpoint of Dreamflux Reef or to Mr. Mikhail's office building… Of course, I don't know where either of those places is."
Stelle: "Then what's the point of saying that?!"
Shush: "Well, we could start by driving a vehicle…"
"Where's the vehicle?!" Stelle said, exasperated. "Don't you know driving here costs money too?"
Shush raised a finger. "I have an idea."
With that, he retracted his neck, strode confidently to the middle of the road, and raised his hand to stop a car.
Stelle: ???
You're trying to pull a GTA 5 stunt, aren't you? Don't you know robbery here comes with a fee too?!
Beep—
Boom!
But before Shush could hijack a car as usual, a frantically honking truck barreled toward him, flattening him into a two-dimensional mess on the spot.
Screech—
The truck came to a steady stop after running over Shush. The door was kicked open, and Welt waved to the group. "Get in, quick!"
Uncle Yang?
How was he here?
There was no time to think. Stelle grabbed Firefly with her left arm and March 7th with her right, rushing them toward the truck at top speed (while casually pulling Shush out from under the wheel).
Rumble—
As they boarded, a low, heavy sound of footsteps echoed from behind, the ground trembling beneath them. Looking back, a dark tide of figures surged from the horizon, like an army of zombies.
No doubt about it—those were the hounds, and they were hungrier than any zombies.
"Hold on tight!"
Welt released the handbrake and floored the gas pedal. "Something big's gone down in Penacony. Himeko's in danger!"
"If there's a problem, we'll deal with it!"