Now that our future plans were settled, the three of us, exhausted, lay on our backs on the ground.

The sunrise was just beginning to peek over the horizon, making the surroundings quite bright.

“In the end, no one came to the fortress.”

“There wasn’t a single light to be seen.”

Walking by starlight alone is nearly impossible, so we had no choice but to activate the orbs as lights. However, from peeking over the cliff, no such lights could be seen anywhere.

“But why am I sleepy even though this is a game? Fuaaaah...”

“The person who made this game must be obsessive. Hmm, my eyes are all itchy.”

Seiya was yawning with his mouth wide open, and Yukine rubbed her sleepy eyes.

In the end, we stayed up all night again today. It’s a secret that I nearly nodded off several times along the way.

...I barely managed to avoid the absurd situation of falling asleep inside the game.

“Fuhahaha. No good, you know~ I only have one body, so I can’t accept everyone’s love~... Ah, but, if it’s okay to take turns every day~”

Ignoring us, Fuka Kusazuri was sound asleep, seemingly dreaming some conveniently pleasant dreams, occasionally letting out unpleasant sleep talk.

It’s almost time to log out, but maybe I’ll just leave her be for now.

“Thanks for today’s hard work. Are you two going to school once you wake up?”

“Yeah. No work at the office today either.”

“Usually I have work on holidays, but sometimes they schedule it on weekdays.”

Both of them had exasperated expressions.

They’re models, after all. Their appearances are flawless, and their figures ideal. Plus, they’re twins.

They’re probably quite popular and busy, though I don’t really know the details.

“Will you be able to come tonight?”

“Of course! Students generally don’t have work at night.”

“That’s right, at least officially there isn’t.”

Her words had an undertone, but I didn’t press further.

Yukine was smiling gently, but her eyes weren’t smiling.

“Well then, that’s about it for today. See you tonight.”

“See you.”

“Excuse me.”

The twins and my body turned into particles of light and disappeared.

As I absentmindedly watched the familiar sight, my vision switched to black.

“Another perfect awakening today.”

I stretched out widely on the bed and removed the VR goggles.

I saw the ceiling of my home.

In other games, there’s usually a slight discomfort right after removing the goggles because of the difference between reality and the VR space, but in this game, that feeling is almost nonexistent.

I got out of bed and headed to the washroom.

After washing my face to feel refreshed, I returned to my room, threw off my pajamas, and grabbed my outdoor clothes.

A gray long-sleeve shirt and jeans. I wear the same clothes in-game, so someday I might not be able to tell reality apart from the game. Death Parade TD Online (temporary name) was that well-made.

“To think there’s such an interesting and amazing game.”

I can’t thank the creator enough. Just thinking about playing again tonight helps me get through today’s work without trouble.

Remembering the gameplay just now makes me excited non-stop. Even though I just finished, my body already craves Death Parade TD Online (temporary name).

High freedom, a tower defense with specifications very close to reality. Truly my ideal.

“Really, it feels like a dream.”

Countless images lined the entire wall. There were a hundred of them.

Each rectangular screen showed a different scene, though some were pitch black with no light.

A woman stood with her arms crossed, watching those screens.

She had bright red long hair and wore a women’s suit. The game’s host who called herself Helm.

Looking down from the screens, I could see the backs of subordinates sitting neatly in chairs.

They all wore the black uniforms provided here, so from behind it might seem hard to tell who was who, but their distinctive heads made it obvious.

There was one with horns like a cow, another with fins like a fish, and another with hair writhing like snakes. A variety of heads were visible.

They all busily operated the glowing screens on their desks in unison.

“The Guardians seem pleased. They express their gratitude, saying it feels like a dream.”

A middle-aged man with slicked-back white hair and a white tuxedo that suited him without sarcasm spoke from behind Helm.

He stood silently behind Helm’s diagonal right, without making a sound.

Helm didn’t turn around but glanced at one of the monitors.

On it was a man happily pouring tea for his family and enthusiastically talking about the game content.

“A dream... They believe this world is a game and innocently rejoice, unaware that the world they believe is reality is actually the dream... What will they think once they realize that?”

“They would be bewildered and shocked. Some might go insane, unable to accept reality.”

The man replied calmly, showing no emotion.

“So far, no one has doubted it.”

“We have gathered the pinnacle of our technology. It’s nearly impossible for mere humans from another world to see through it.”

At that point, the man finally cracked a smile.

With a sneering smile at his mouth, he lightly glared at the monitor’s images.

“I see. You caused us some trouble at that time.”

“Such kind words are too generous.”

Helm muttered silently, “It was long.”

The orb, the linchpin of the Demon King’s castle defense, was shattered, and a hundred orbs were produced.

The orbs were imbued with functions of illusion, projection, teleportation, and hypnosis.

Each Guardian was assigned one exclusive subordinate to remotely operate status and map displays. All numerical switching was done manually by the subordinates.

At logout, the orbs’ sleep function activated, teleporting the Guardians in a deep sleep state to a room in the castle.

There, with succubi and a composite technique of illusion magic, the Guardians were made to dream dreams indistinguishable from reality.

After one day had passed, they were returned once again to the place where they logged out by teleportation magic.

It was the result of steady manpower, convincing them this world was a VR game.

“I’m causing everyone so much trouble. Just thinking about how many people, how much time, and how much money was spent makes me feel depressed.”

Helm put her hand to her forehead and shook her head.

All of this was a necessary step to corner the peace-complacent people of another world.

Because they believe it’s a game, they can kill living beings without hesitation.

Because they believe it’s a game, they can kill humans... their own kind, the Nihonjin.

Not by killing directly with their own hands, but through indirect killing by traps.

The guilt and aversion toward the act of killing gradually fades, leaving only the fact that they are mass murderers. Once that happens, there’s no turning back.

They can no longer lead an ordinary life. Never again.

“All of this is for revenge and to protect the people. It is not something the princess should worry about.”

“Revenge, huh. Yes...”

When Helm closed her eyelids, that scene still vividly appeared in her mind.

The ravaged town. Her father, challenging the hero as the Demon King. Around them were the corpses of their mercilessly trampled citizens.

Against her father alone stood multiple enemies: a group of ten heroes led by the Western hero and the Eastern hero.

If it had been one-on-one, her father would have won overwhelmingly. No, even with the difference in numbers, her father’s ability wouldn’t have fallen behind.

But those bastards cowardly took me, the Demon King’s daughter, as a hostage—and killed my defenseless father...

“Thank you for your help back then, Rearbrace.”

“No, I am sorry I could not be of more help to the Demon King-sama.”

Helm silently watched the man—Rearbrace—bowing deeply.

At that time, as her father cast a spell on the verge of death and caused the heroes to hesitate for a moment, Rearbrace seized the opportunity and saved her.

She had no intention of complaining.

“Don’t worry. Thanks to you, I am still alive like this.”

Having endured shame, bearing disgrace, and scraping by with mud on her face, she had survived.

All for this day.

“Those damned humans. Unilaterally breaking contracts. Invading our country, ravaging it, committing atrocities... this is the state of affairs. What remains of our country is only this castle and the castle town. A few fortresses at most.”

Only a small number of residents managed to flee to the castle town.

The humans mercilessly killed women and children. Especially the heroes summoned from another world showed no mercy—they enjoyed killing as if it were a game.

Helm clenched her fist tightly and exhaled deeply.

“If this goes well, our wishes will be fulfilled.”

“First, make the hundred summoned from another world fight and strengthen their ‘Blessings,’ then eventually consolidate them into one. It seems to be going well so far.”

“It was humiliating to imitate human summoning magic, but we have no time to be picky about methods.”

She had investigated and mimicked the secret technique humans used to summon heroes from another world, summoning a hundred Nihonjin.

Those were the Guardians.

“It’s already troublesome enough being invaded from the east and west simultaneously, and on top of that, those heroes.”

The Eastern country Urzam and the Western country Elgil, both ruled by humans, simultaneously launched an invasion into the Demon King’s territory.

Until now, both countries had a non-aggression treaty, and for a hundred years there was peace.

But the treaty was broken unilaterally, and despite the Demon King’s army resistance, Urzam and Elgil’s summoned heroes overwhelmed them.

As a result, they lost most of their territory and were cornered in the northernmost land.

“Those summoned from another world receive special ‘Blessings’ from the gods. I’d heard rumors of this, but I never imagined the power was this great.”

“We demons and monsters are beings hated by the gods. Descendants of those who obeyed the evil god sealed deep underground. To the gods, we are an eyesore.”

In the past, a few humans from other worlds occasionally drifted in, and it was said that the foreigners had special powers.

But only very few stood on the public stage. Most foreigners avoided conflict and ended their lives secluded in mountains or depopulated areas.

However, some humans took notice of the foreigners’ power—the kings of Urzam and Elgil.

It’s unclear who started first, but they succeeded almost simultaneously in summoning people from another world.

The true reason they were summoned was as vanguards for world conquest.

However, the Nihonjin are residents of a peaceful world. If they knew they would be used for war, they might rebel.

So they were given the pretext of hunting demons and monsters, who to humans were grotesque monsters.

“After they destroy us, those bastards will probably begin fighting each other, east and west, to seize supremacy over this continent.”

“Humans really are foolish creatures.”

“Yet it is we who have been cornered and are using those foolish humans.”

Helm’s profile as she looked at the monitor seemed to hide a sorrow held back.

Whether that gaze was for the citizens who had been mercilessly slaughtered or for the Guardians who were unknowingly being used, Rearbrace could not tell.