Kingdom of battles ✓

Chapter 17

It was my third day in the headquarters of the Demon alliance guild. It wasn't even noon yet and Tsukimo, Nai and I were already so bored that we didn't even know what to do with ourselves anymore. I was flipping through the pages of my notebook with all the information about the Kingdom of battles and yawning, Nai was rolling around on the ground and talking about how bored he was while Tsukimo was laying on the sofa on one side of the room and staring at the ceiling with an empty expression on her face.  

'' Let's play the question game! '' Nai suddenly yelled and jumped on his feet, looking all happy again. He clapped with enthusiasm. '' Come on, Natsumi, Tsukimo! ''  

Tsukimo looked in his direction, still bored. '' What question game? '' she slowly asked and narrowed her eyes.  

Nai grinned and explained: '' Each of us can ask a question and then we all must answer it! It's supposed to be a friendship game! And we're friends, aren't we? So let's play it! ''  

Tsukimo and I shared a look, then I sighed and closed my notebook. '' Fine, '' I muttered. I raised my hand in the air, making a small screen appear in front of me. I quickly clicked some buttons on it, then my notebook disappeared and reappeared in my inventory. '' Let's play, Nai, considering that it looks like it'll make you so happy. ''  

'' Can I start? '' Nai asked with enthusiasm. Tsukimo and I both just nodded. He thoughtfully frowned. I was staring at him, thinking and wondered what was he going to ask. By the way he was thinking about it and choosing his words so carefully it looked like it was going to be a very important and serious question. '' Do... Do you... '' That was when Nai's smile even widened. '' Do you like sweets? ''  

I just awkwardly smiled before nodding. Tsukimo sighed and closed her eyes. '' I don't like sweets. '' 

'' I love sweets! '' Nai happily said and danced around the room.  

'' Okay, me next, '' I spoke up. I thought for a second, then I asked: '' What are your classes and subclasses? I'm a swordsman and a strategist. ''  

Nai kept dancing around for another few seconds, then he wanted to spin, but he tripped over my boots that were laying on the ground and landed with his face on the pavement. '' I... I'm a magician and a druid, '' came his muffled response.  

Tsukimo rolled her eyes at Nai's stupidity and muttered: '' Ninja assassin and tracker... Now's my turn, I guess... Even if this is a stupid game... Like I care about you two idiots. ''  

'' You don't care about us? '' Nai asked, sat up and stared at Tsukimo with big sad eyes. '' I thought we were friends... ''  

Tsukimo flinched before she rolled her eyes and sighed. '' Fine, fine, just don't start crying. Okay, so... '' I noticed how her expression suddenly changed. Her red eyes got empty and sad. '' Do you... Do you have any siblings? ''  

'' Siblings? '' I repeated and frowned with confusion. '' What do you mean, like brothers and sisters? ''  

Tsukimo suddenly blinked and then quickly nodded. She got serious and said: '' Yeah, that was what I meant. I don't have any brothers or sisters. '' 

'' I have a little sister, '' I thoughtfully replied and leaned on my hands. A slight smile appeared on my face at the thought of Misaki, my sister with green hair. That also made me remember my parents. I wondered how they reacted to me, being trapped in this video game. Mum was probably having a mental breakdown, wondering if I brushed my teeth enough times here. I knew that she surely didn't even think about the fact that I could be dead. My father was probably trying to calm her down and saying that everything was going to be okay, while my sister was trying to find out more about what was going on. I knew that she didn't really worry about me. She believed in my gaming abilities and thought that I was going to come home safe. But I wasn't sure if she actually knew how different this was from every video game I ever played. The truth was that sometimes even I didn't believe that we were ever going to see home again. And thoughts like that scared me, because then I started wondering why was I even still fighting if there was no hope of going back.