『 』

“Uu-uu? Treasure?” She blinked, her bladed staff clutched tightly in her hands.

“You mean this shiny thing? Maria picked it up already, its Maria’s, uu.” Actually, the taller person Seemed to act a lot like Battler. The same kind of energy, the type that seemed to leak perverseness. Maria was more keen to talk to the younger of the two, but really either of these two people seemed to be a bad choice to talk to.

“Ah. We don’t know actually.” he said, stopping mid rant to turn back to the other girl.

“Merchant had a... heart attack... didn’t tell us... what we’d... get.”

Truly it had been an amazing site. After calling the sibling kings over, the very skilled merchant had dodged falling rocks, vaulted over a stampede of pigs (this seemed to be a common event lately), ducked under several arrows that came from no where, slain an incoming wyvern, until finally succumbing to a heart attack, as if in the convenient plot movement of a Mo*ty Python sketch.

So, they’d taken it. Technically they had been offered it in the first place, so it would have been rude not to collect it after the poor man’s death. After a bow, they had set off on the adventure to find it.

“Ah, Nii... Shiro... knows.”

“Oh, really? Aha, look at this, my brilliant sister figured out a complete mystery without any hints! So  so so, what is it Shiro? What were we meant to find?”

“Perhaps the... real treasure was... the friendship we made... along the... way.”

In an ideal world, people didn’t sit around and debate whether they should help someone out of a trashcan.  Unfortunately, Yosuke knew incredibly well that this was not an ideal world that they live in.  He might very well be stuck here for hours or at least until he could get in contact with Yu if these two didn’t assist him.  

It’s strange how the girl asks if they should help him as if he wasn’t even there.  “Yes, you should!” However, Yosuke is more than aware that his comments don’t have any weight in this discussion between the two unidentifiable people behind him.  At least, the girl sounded willing to help.  Too bad the guy seems like a dick.  

“I’m willing to bet your lower level than me, dude.”  Which was probably true.  Most of the player base seemed to be level 1 with a few level 2 players like himself running around.  Assuming they were level 1 players was a safe bet.  There’s not much he could do to counter the idiot part of that insult though, being in a trash can after all.    

So, with a sigh, they were about to turn away and leave. The sigh was actually in annoyance at not finding anything, however it could have been construed as reluctance in deciding to help the other finally.

Which worked out well because, at that exact moment completely by coincidence, a pic came by, hit the trashcan, and knocked it over. It also left a smelly surprise behind below the can, which with any luck would never actually become relevant again.

Of course, once the can was over and the boy was out, Sora quickly changed his entire posture as if it had been him, not the running pile of bacon, that had aided him.

“Hai, hai, fine, there, are you happy now?” he lied through his teeth. “Besides, even if you’re higher level here, you’re much lower than us in the [Game of digital Life], so don’t act high and mighty.”

In the midst of one of those trips, Jil happened upon two colorful characters. Clumsy folks. Out of concern and the goodness of his heart, he decided to stop unlike everyone else who was too preoccupied to notice.

Staring at the newcomer with widened eyes, they scooted away on all fours backwards, like spiders, and clung to each other. Even in MMOs, it was common for other players to avoid them do to the legend  『 』 held.

“N-nii... someone’s... helping... us”

“No! No Shiro my sister don’t be taken in, he’s clearly just trying to trick us! He wants something, that’s the only reason someone would come up to us in any game! Ah, quick, gather all the gold before he steals it when we aren’t looking!”

“ Excuse me. “ Coming towards a duo that.. honestly seemed to have an incredibly good idea as to what to do in this game of sorts, Morgan knew to see to them for assistance given their supposed confidence. As he held up his tome to them, he’d hold it to him. 

“Not quests, that’s for sure.” the older male said.

“Here. Take... this. Shiro and... nii have... no .... use.” the girl chimed in, pulling from the bag behind them a full on spider’s leg, and handing it to the boy.

Shiro, the sister, as he called her… was she truthfully considering Saber’s authenticity, or another role of their act? Lips pressed together retained a thin line; showing neither the irritation or dismay which conjured themselves to such behaviour.

                              Shiro. So much like her last summoner’s own.

The name produced a small jump of the heart, out of reflex in hearing that of his, bringing with it a sense of nostalgia.

A matter she would have little opportunity to dwell on. The unexpected transformation from day to… fabricated night, as it were, caught her off-guard. Sword wielded firmly in preparation for an attack, if such an act might follow.

But, no. It was a display. Were they… reenacting Shirou’s summon of her?!

“Nii was... right. Just a... clone. Shiro... disappointed....”

Sitting himself back down, the male put his hand on her head, giving it a soft rub of comfort. Of course she was more upset over this. A fellow female king would have been a boost to her confidence. Not that she was lacking in any, but it would have given her a source of advice. And so instead of returning to their game, Sora simply spoke to his sister first.

“Hai, hai, I understand my sister. Don’t worry, once we get our phone back, we can play F*te/Stay Ni*ht all you want. We won’t get a single bad end, just good ones for you.”

He could have mentioned how it was likely impossible to actually meet a game character, how their being brought to another world two (2) whole times was different from a character in fiction being brought to one they existed in. Even Tet probably did not have that power.

These variants however… were not within the realm of her own understanding.

Furthermore, there were doubts regarding her state as an aid; according to the young girl seated by the boy, her advice had been… mediocre. And again, terms of which she’d not grasped the full meaning of. Although within her chest, there was the undeniable swelling of something - the bruising of pride. Even without a complete translation, what they spoke was surely something along the lines of slander, was it not?

“Hai, hai, you’re the one and only. Just like the other 10000 that will log in here within a week.”

“Nii... what if... it’s... real.”

“Shiro, my cute, adorable, prefect sister, you’ve played as many of these games as I have you know how common this skin is. It’s not like she’s the real one. Even if people can be brought into other worlds, we’re not that lucky.”

Of course, despite saying that, there was still a hidden hope of it in both of their hearts. In fact, with their eyes locked, without so much as a nod, they’d both spoken an agreement to each other. Silent, without any movement, one no one else would understand. There would be a test.

Within a moment, despite them being outside and not in a building, all light around the two went away. A single spot light shone down on the girl, bother her hands behind her planed on the ground, one leg bent slightly while the other was extended out, as if she had been blown back. Soon another beam of light shone a slight distance away, where the male stood proudly and fiercely, arms at his side as if ready for battle. A few a short pause, with wind that of a cold moonlight night breezing though, he spoke a familiar phrase to any of their kind. Slowly, forcefully, yet with question. Exactly as it had once been.

It’s unbelievable that this has happened to Yosuke again.  Really, getting stuck in a trash can is something that didn’t happen to most people even once.  Unfortunately, he has to undergo this humiliation twice in one lifetime.    

Initially, he tries calling for help, but no one really seems to notice (or care).  Giving up on that, Yosuke wonders if he just shouldn’t message Yu.  Ask the guy to help him out of this embarrassing situation yet again.  It would probably mean a joke or two at his expense, but at least he would be free.

“Nii.... should we.... help?”

“Hmmmm.....” Sora mulled as he placed his hand to his chin and closed his eyes.

On one hand, in these type of games it was never a bad idea to make allies. Call in fodder to take the hits as you run through to the bigger hauls and rewards. You could also get a share of their treasures if you rank up the [Bond Points] enough. And of course you can get buffs and rewards just from making a simple [Hello!] message each day. Conversely they could always return to get revenge if they didn’t help. Not that that was actually a fear of theirs.

However at the same time that would require social interaction, empathy for others social interaction, energy input to physically assist them and even social interaction.『 』 was a team that, although many believed consisted of 4+ members was only actually the two siblings. They had no need for anyone else aside from maybe a Steph to make them food or something. Was there any real meaning to collect any followers?

The former brought about something deep within - the notion that she should recognize the term, but there was nothing with which she could identify it. Though curiosity would draw her closer to the duo; cautiously, and discreetly.

Their attention appeared to have been focused on the device within their possession; some form of brick, while doubling as an entertainment system, with a moving black train of pixels.

“Do the two of you require help? If it’s nourishment which you need, there are plenty of establishments nearby which might cater to that. It’s vital to keep your strength up in a world such as this when there is no definite time or place of security to lower your guard”.

In many situations, the siblings would have immediately freaked out. The fact that one of the greatest known characters, the King of Knights, was standing before than? It was every NEET’s dream. However, this was not a normal situation. This was in a game. It was a game they had yet to know how things worked, especially avatars, but it was very possible that anyone could look like anything. And one of the most common skins in the majority of these types of games as indeed Saber.

“*sigh* So you’re the lucky Saber clone wannabe that got the username. Aaaaah, and I almost got excited for a minute. Hm, I wonder how long it’ll take for Li*y, Alt*r, and *ero ones to show up.”