.
Roy was standing right there, looking at me with a smirk. "Sorry for scaring you last night," he said. "But seriously, do you always sleep with your sister?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped. "That was the first time she ever did that. Ever since she met you, she's been acting weird. It's like she doesn't care about anything anymore. You definitely did something to her."
"I didn't do anything, man," Roy muttered, raising his hands in defense. "Anyway, let's go. I'm ready."
I walked downstairs, but Ishika was nowhere to be seen. I called out to Mom, "Have you seen Ishika?"
"Ayesha came by this morning," Mom shouted back from the other room. "They both went out somewhere."
"Why did you let her go alone?!" I asked, getting annoyed.
"Why are you worrying so much? Her friend came to see her. I tried to stop her, but she had some work. You two have been acting strange since yesterday. She even told me last night she was going to check on you and ended up sleeping in your room."
"I didn't even know," I muttered. "I thought she was just worried about me." I told Mom to call me if she needed anything since Dad was coming home today. I tried calling Ishika—ring, ring, ring—but she wouldn't pick up.
I turned to Roy. "Did you do something?"
"I told you, I don't know anything!" Roy snapped. "Why are you reacting like this? Yesterday you were giving me big dialogues, and today you're all jittery. Stop wasting energy on useless stuff and let's move, idiot."
"Who are you calling an idiot?" I barked.
Roy ignored me and told Mom not to worry about the moving—his staff would handle everything. He looked at me and said, "Go get fresh. I'm waiting."
When I went to change, I saw new clothes laid out. They weren't mine. "Mom!" I yelled, but Roy answered instead.
"You're going to my place after a long time, Rio. Normal clothes won't cut it. Wear those."
"Another trap?" I grumbled. "Are they going to be too tight? Are you using me for something again?"
"Just put them on, quit being so suspicious!"
"I still haven't forgiven you for taking those photos," I said as I dressed. "And I'm still pissed at whoever was doing your dirty work."
Roy looked confused. "What photos? I didn't take any photos."
"Are you kidding? That driver... he was recording in the car too!"
"Look, I tried to get some info," Roy admitted, "but I'm not that low. I wouldn't record you without asking. If someone was stalking you, it was probably Ayesha's move."
"You two just keep blaming each other while I get stuck in the middle," I muttered. I walked out, feeling unnatural in the new gear. Every time Roy acts like this, he's planning something big. Mom was already gone, and I had a message from her saying she had work and to take care. Everything felt off.
I stood by the window, watching the sun hit the glass. Roy walked over. "Lost your spark already? You won't beat me like this."
"I know you'll play dirty," I said, looking at the warm sunlight. "But unless you do something totally unexpected, I'm winning this match."
We headed out, and a car was already waiting at the gate. Roy opened the door for me. "After you." I looked inside and saw Ishika sitting there.
"Big brother, hurry up!" she chirped. "Sorry for disappearing this morning, but I have a surprise for you."
I sat next to her, and she immediately leaned into me. "I'm sorry for bothering you, brother. I won't stop you anymore, and I won't let anyone else annoy you. Why do you look so stressed? Is it because of me?"
I reached out and brushed her hair. "Don't worry about it. I don't feel bad when you're with me."
"You're such an idiot, brother," she whispered, leaning her head on my shoulder. "You just do whatever comes to mind and end up in trouble. That's why I have to stay close."
The car stopped. Roy, sitting in the front, turned around. "If you two are done with the drama, get out. I have a game to win."
"You started the drama, Roy," I snapped. "I'm just the one paying for it."
We stepped out in front of a massive skyscraper: ISANAMI EMPIRE TRAINING HOUSE.
"What is this place?" I asked.
"The local control room for this sector," Roy explained. "We're going to discuss the game, and you'll meet your partner. Let's go."
The gates were made of heavy metal and opened automatically. Inside, everything was glass—the floors, the walls, everything. Blue lights pulsed under our feet, showing a glowing map of The Prince of Danger Heart. The colors deepened as we walked over them. "You haven't seen anything yet," Roy bragged. "Just follow me."
A lady approached us and looked at Ishika. "Miss, Ayesha-ma'am wants to see you. Could you come with me?"
Ishika looked at me, and I shrugged. "Up to you."
"Okay, big brother, wait for me. I'll be back soon." She glared at Roy. "Don't put my brother in any danger."
"Of course not," Roy lied.
I followed Roy into a massive room with a heavy door. Inside, hundreds of people were working. On the screens above them was my character—blue eyes, white hair. The character that made me famous. "This is where we design characters," Roy said. "Our rank is dropping, so we're reworking powers. I'll show you later. Move it."
We reached a smaller door. Inside, a screen was playing one of my old fights. A woman with jet-black hair was sitting there, watching it intensely.
"I brought him," Roy announced.
The woman turned around. She had dark eyes and a face that looked almost porcelain. "Lucky Boy," she said, her voice smooth. "Nice to meet you."
I stared at her. "I've seen you somewhere."
"Oh? And where would that be, Lucky Boy?"
"Stop calling me that," I said. "You're a famous pro-gamer. You've topped every major game. You have 30 million followers. You started six years ago, and your favorite player is Kiton Cassano from the Hunter Group. You've wanted to meet him since you were a kid. Your tag is Frierena."
The room went quiet. She stared at me, then stood up and walked right into my personal space. She put a hand on my chest. "I can't even hear your heartbeat... and your face doesn't change at all. How the hell do you know all that?"
Then she punched me in the chest. "Where did you get that info?!"
"Why are you so aggressive? You look like a kid," I groaned.
She was about to swing again when Roy caught her hand. "I told him to look you up. Maybe you guys can be friends."
"Friends with this creep?" she yelled. "How does he know my personal life? My gaming stats are one thing, but the personal stuff?!"
"Actually," I said, "Roy told me to research you. You've entered every tournament Cassano was in. It's hard to ignore. Even in your childhood photos on social media, he's in the background on posters. You once said in a stream that you took inspiration from him."
Her face turned bright red. "Go to hell!" she screamed and bolted out of the room.
Roy looked at me, stunned. "Bro, how did you find all that?"
"I just do research on professionals," I shrugged. "Anyway, ready for the match? She's going to be watching."
"I have a few questions first," I told Roy. "What's the map? Location? Battle duration?"
"North side of the Mountain Kingdom," Roy replied. "Right behind the Light Kingdom. It's a volcanic area with water traps and lava. We updated it a few days ago."
"That place is unpredictable," I muttered. "You sure you're okay with that?"
"I'm prepared," Roy smirked. He handed me a book. "The new manual. Like I said, no cheap tricks, just special skills and character abilities. Pick your character fast."
I took the book and looked at the setup—a specialized VR pod where I had to lie down. "Isn't this a bit much?"
"It's for the experience," Roy said. "Not as good as the original, but close."
Staff members swarmed me, checking my vitals. One gave me a drink and told me there was an emergency exit if I felt sick. I ignored them and focused on the manual:
Traps: Pattern-based. You have to learn the timing.
Freeze Bombs: 3-second freeze. If hit while frozen, you die instantly.
Boundaries: Touching the edge causes massive damage and stamina drain.
Water: Two types—Healing and Acid. Watch the movement patterns to tell them apart.
I memorized the rules. The machine hummed to life. The screen in front of my eyes lit up: WELCOME TO THE PRINCE OF DANGER HEART.
I lay down in the pod. The glass lid slid shut, sealing me in. Lights began to swirl around me. My eyes felt heavy, and I drifted off.
When I opened them, I felt a blast of hot air. My body felt heavy. In front of me was a world of fire and stone—mountains, lava, and acid lakes stretching out as far as I could see.