Chapter 189 - Interlude
—Alright everyone, the time has finally come!! Welcome to the monumental tenth installment of the virtual world of Arcadia! It's time for the Four Pillar War!!
We are less than thirty minutes from the start! Let's get this party started with our usual pre-show program, [Quad War Before], or QWB!!
Your host is the one and only, me, Mikan Nonomiya—also known as Nonomi, the third seat of the Western Faction, Vestol, with the title 'Brilliant Colors'! I'll be your guide for today!!
Alright, we have twenty-seven minutes left! Take out commercials and everything else, and we've got less than twenty minutes! Just like always, we're going to be rushing through this, so hold on tight!
First, some basic information! The Four Pillar War will begin shortly, running from 8 PM to 12 AM real-world time, for a total of four hours!
Time flows differently in the real and virtual worlds, but don't you worry! The countless original viewpoint videos broadcast from the [Arcadia Archive]—or AA for short—are, through some mysterious super-technology, edited and released in real-time for a pseudo-live broadcast!!
I know it sounds like I'm not making any sense, but I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about either! Experts from all over the world have already proven that trying to understand the technical side of things is pointless, so let's just accept it as it is and move on!
The dozens of video feeds are all available completely free online! You can watch them directly on the AA site! You can share the stream on various video platforms! You can even watch commentary programs from the comfort of your living room!
Trying to follow multiple viewpoints at once is super fun but also super hard, so be prepared! I always have about twenty feeds open at once and my brain just melts!!
Now then, for detailed rules and other information about the war, be sure to check the official QWB program website! Here, we'll be picking out some of the most noteworthy points for this Four Pillar War—
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"She's as energetic as ever."
"I love Nonomi-chan."
"The furisode she revealed the day before yesterday was incredible, as always. No surprise from a three-term third seat."
In a spacious home theater, a group of three university students chattered away in front of the large screen displaying the information program.
"Here you go, sorry for the wait."
Just then, the host—not the homeowner, but the resident who had invited the guests—joined them, carrying a tray of glasses. After handing out drinks to her thankful friends, Kaede settled into the seat next to her best friend.
What we're focusing on is, without a doubt, the new ninth-ranked player who has risen in the Eastern Faction, Istia—
"'The Acrobat,' huh."
"I wonder if that rumor about him beating Irori-kun is true."
"If it were, you'd think he'd be ranked higher than seventh."
"Not even a physical description. With the timing of it all, this is the most secretive he's been in a long time."
Toshiki and Shoko talked up a storm, with Mizuki occasionally chiming in. Usually, Kaede would jump into the conversation here and there, but—
"...Hehe—Kaaaedeee?"
"Wah, wa...!? W-What is it, Shoko-chan, what!?"
Kaede, who had been sitting quietly, tapping on her phone atop a cushion in her lap, let out a shriek as a grinning Shoko snuck up on her from behind.
"Were you messaging Kasuga-kun?"
"N-No...! Geez! That's all you ever think about!"
"But aren't you the one who's all about that, Kaede?"
"I'm gonna get mad!?"
Knowing it would have little effect, she gave them her best glare. Her angry appeal, reputed for being "surprisingly unimpressive," was, as expected, not very potent.
Shoko just laughed cheerfully, released Kaede, and then, for some reason, patted her on the head with a "there, there," before returning to her seat. This mysterious habit of treating her like a child was something Kaede would have to address one day.
"—But it's true that she was messaging him."
"Why would you betray your best friend like that!?"
Mizuki's quiet murmur caused two heads to turn toward her in perfect sync, their faces painted with the exact same shade of a knowing grin.
"N-No, it's not like that... I messaged him a while ago, but it hasn't even been marked as read, so..."
She showed them her phone screen, displaying her chat history. She had sent a casual, trivial message about three hours ago.
"I was just thinking he must be really busy, that's all."
"Ah, yeah, that. I don't know what he's doing, but he seems to be having a tough time."
"You know how he sometimes gets that enlightened look on his face while meditating, Kasuga-kun?"
The topic shifted from the Four Pillar War, and the two began to get excited about the new subject. Every time the conversation turned to teasing her, Kaede would dutifully fight back—
This player, be they he or she, has almost no information available, but there are theories they might be connected to several incidents that have been stirring up the Arcadia community for the past two months or so—
"..."
Apart from the other three, Mizuki watched the program in silence, tilting her head.
"...Two months."
—It's only been a little over two months since I started getting into that information...
Perhaps because it had happened on the same day, she suddenly recalled something 'he' had said, and a completely ridiculous idea popped into her head.
An idea so absurd, it was like something out of a tall tale—
"...I'm getting carried away with my otaku delusions."
She laughed it off herself.
As a way of atoning for her earlier mischief, Mizuki decided to jump in and support her best friend, who was fighting a losing battle.
What the heck is real-time editing & publishing × dozens of viewpoints.