Inside The Game With My Yandere

POV: Blaze

"What was it with that girl, anyway?" I walked with heavy steps through the tangled roots and fallen leaves, the dense canopy of the forest blocking all but my immediate view. "As if I would try to steal her boyfriend—especially in this situation..."

I turned my head from right to left, then glanced behind me, searching for the kids I was sure had come this way. Apparently, they had taken a detour.

"What was that boy's name again? Chase...?" He had told me his name when he asked me to help his sister, who was apparently about to be eaten by bees.

"Chase! Chase, where are you, boy?"

I shouted, despite knowing it was a bad idea. I had heard that loud sounds scared some types of monsters but attracted others.

There were no animals in this game, only monsters.

"We are here... this way, Miss..."

It was Chase's sister who called back. I turned toward the voice and walked for a minute, pushing aside the overgrown bushes to reveal a creek.

A thin stream of muddy water flowed from left to right. The kids were crouching over it.

"Stay back from the water. You don't know what's inside it," I scolded as I approached, already feeling like their older sister.

"Thank goodness you're okay, Miss! We were worried sick..." Chase exclaimed, running up to me.

"Where is that mister who saved me? Isn't he with you? Don't tell me he..." Chase's sister clutched her hands together in alarm.

"He's fine. His teammates found us, and he went with them instead," I said, sitting down and patting both kids on the head.

"Ahh..." Chase exclaimed

"Thanks..." Eyes thanked me.

Then I reached for their ears and tugged them slightly.

"Ah..."

"Ouch..."

"Weren't you supposed to be running toward the clearing? What are you doing here? Haven't you realized yet that this forest—no, this game—is dangerous?"

The kids fidgeted and glanced at each other.

"That's..." Chase started, but his sister cut him off.

"It's his fault! When we were returning, he claimed he heard the sound of water and ran here. He ran so fast I couldn't stop him, so I followed to keep him in sight."

Chase shot his sister a resentful look but didn't say anything. I gave him a glare, and he whimpered, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I should have listened..." he apologized.

"Well, as long as you understand..." I let go of their ears and backed off. It seemed like the boy was thirsty—perhaps the girl was, too.

It wasn't the best situation, but I was worried about them.

I looked down at the creek, catching my own reflection in the murky water. A nasty burn scar greeted me. A scar from the past—when I was a child. My house had caught fire.

A firefighter had pulled me out of my room, but I was too stunned to move, watching my stuffed animals burn.

I broke free from his grip and ran back inside to save my favorite plushie.

Needless to say, I only made things worse for the firefighter. I'm still unashamed of that incident.

"It's our responsibility as adults to protect children like you. So don't blame yourself," he had told me with a smile, hiding his burned arm behind his back.

And now, after all these years, I saw something similar.

That guy, Bandage, had saved this girl with his own body. That scene had left quite an impression on me.

It would have been nice if I could have teamed up with him.

"What are your names and classes?" I asked the kids, having made up my mind.

"My name is Chase. My class is Speedster."

"My name is Eyes. My class is Clairvoyant... whatever that means."

Chase and Eyes? Were there stories behind those names? Oh well.

I willed it in my mind, and with a thought, sent Squad Invites to them both.

"Accept it. We'll play together from now on, okay?"

"Miss...?" Chase looked up at me, his voice unsteady.

"Thanks a lot! We were so worried... My brother is a lot of trouble, but I'll do my best to make sure he doesn't cause too much for you." Eyes' eyes filled with tears. It was only natural. Whether they showed it or not, this game must have been overwhelming for them.

#Congratulations: @Chase has successfully joined your squad.

#Congratulations: @Eyes has successfully joined your squad.

"Do either of you have any points yet?"

"Nope..."

"None... We're sorry..."

Most likely, points were transferable between squadmates, or else even if just one person failed to collect 100 points, the whole squad would be unable to clear the tutorial.

That meant I had to gather 300 points for all of us. And I needed to find two more teammates.

I opened my menu for a quick look:

---

#Current Zone: Y (Tutorial)

#Tutorial Points: (160/100)

#Squad: @Chase, @Eyes (Leader)

#Time Left: 68h 37m

#Name: Blaze

#Class: Element Caster (Fire)

#Level: 1 (0/10 XP)

#HP: 7/10

#MP: 0/5

#Skills:

Flame Thrower (Level 1): Throws out flames.

---

I sighed. Despite having cleared my own share of point collection, I still had more to gather. With 0 MP, though, I couldn't do anything. We needed to hurry back to the clearing and rest.

I glanced at the kids. They were looking greedily at the muddy water.

So they really were thirsty. And soon, they'd be hungry as well.

I scanned the creek's perimeter, searching for any birds drinking from the water.

I didn't see any.

This was trouble. Kids' stomachs are particularly weak to germs—I couldn't risk it. We couldn't drink this water as it was.

"Let's wait for a bit. Once I regain some MP, we can boil the water. Until then, step away from the creek."

"Ah... right..."

"Thanks a lot, Miss..."

"My name is Blaze. Call me that from now on," I interjected.

"Ah... Blaze... fitting."

"Thanks, Bla—"

—RATA—

A loud blast rang close to my ears. A familiar sound.

A gunshot!