Topaz: Your First Kiss Wasn't with Asta!

Masked little black figures appeared all around him.

"Aha?"

The little black figures did not answer. They merely swarmed Lin Nai and attacked.

"I see. These should be... minions created by Aha?" Lin Nai sidestepped the attack, then followed up with a side kick that sent one flying.

He looked at the faint spot of light in the distance.

Lin Nai roughly understood.

As long as he could reach that place!

He would be able to fully enter Asta's dream!

In that case...

"Vertical Guillotine!"

Lin Nai crossed his hands before his chest, then flung his right hand upward and his left hand downward in a wide motion, releasing a vertical crescent-shaped blade of light!

The blade of light flashed away.

Several little black figures were split in two and vanished into nothingness.

A weapon appeared in one little black figure's hand.

Waving its broadsword and letting out a sinister cackle, it launched a surprise attack.

Lin Nai stepped back and kicked the little black figure's hand, leaving it staggered.

A golden ring of light gathered in his hand, and he slashed it straight across the little black figure's neck.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—

After making one little black figure go its separate way, Lin Nai turned and threw out the Disc Blade, then followed with a Horizontal Guillotine to deal with several more.

Under Lin Nai's battle frenzy, as though he had activated an unstoppable warrior mode.

The little black figures were quickly wiped out.

That made Lin Nai breathe a sigh of relief. Next, he just needed to head toward... huh?

Lin Nai sensed a shadow looming over him. Turning around, he saw black mist gathering into a giant little black figure covered in all kinds of clown masks.

"..." Lin Nai felt his teeth ache. Was this damn thing seriously never going to end?

Random Item: Player Driver (Game Drive)

"Awesome! I can transform now!"

Lin Nai said enthusiastically.

A new toy to play with.

Still, he should end this quickly. This was not the time to play around.

Seeing the little black figure swing its club, he hurriedly rolled forward to evade the attack and placed the Driver around his waist.

The belt extended outward.

Lin Nai did not need any so-called compatibility surgery, nor was he the first patient.

So he did not need to worry about anyone saying that famous line to him.

"But which cartridge should I use?"

Lin Nai looked at the pink and white cartridges in his hands, feeling a little torn.

Without looking at the little black figure behind him, Lin Nai stood up and took a step to the left, dodging another attack.

"Forget it, I'll use this one!" Lin Nai picked up the white cartridge and lightly pressed the button. "This isn't reality anyway, so it should be fine, right?"

"Mighty Creator VRX (Creator VRX)"

"What was that line again? The fate of patients is mine to decide... Super transformation!"

"Gachan!"

"Level Up! The power to create heaven and earth! Get Make! The Gamer of the future! Mighty Creator VRX!"

Lin Nai touched the skirt hem behind him, then touched his visor and pondered for a few seconds.

Forget it.

It did not matter anyway.

Pulling out the cartridge, Lin Nai drew a circle before himself and used it as a shield to block the little black figure's attack.

Right after that.

He waved both hands like a conductor putting on a performance.

One rocket after another was drawn into existence and blasted into the little black figure, forcing it back again and again.

"Come to think of it, I can play it like this too, right?"

Lin Nai thought of something and leaped into the air. Using his flight ability and the acceleration ability known as Gauss Acceleration, he began drawing in midair.

A blue body, white arms and legs, a crimson shield and sword... seemed like something was still missing?

"Ah, just a few more details!"

Holding the cartridge, Lin Nai rapidly circled the drawing in front of him and made adjustments.

A robot appeared in the sky.

Unit 2 of the RX-78 series.

"I'm deploying in Gundam form!" Lin Nai climbed into the cockpit. "It's time to end this! One life, game clear!"

He inserted the cartridge into the finishing slot at his waist and pressed the button.

The finishing sound effect rang out!

"Kamiwaza! Mighty Critical Strike!"

Gripping the control sticks with both hands, he controlled the Gundam and unleashed a sure-kill blow at the little black figure before him!

It dove down with its beam saber in hand!

One fatal strike!

The giant little black figure split in two and completely dispersed.

Game Clear!

Chapter 21 · Topaz: Your First Kiss Wasn't with Asta!

He passed through the gate of light.

Lin Nai felt a flash before his eyes and could not help closing them.

After a long while.

He heard sounds nearby.

Lin Nai opened his eyes and found Asta standing before him.

"Asta!"

"I'm here. What's wrong, Lin Nai?" Asta reached out and gently adjusted his collar.

Lin Nai froze for a moment. "No, Asta, listen to me..."

"No, Lin Nai, you listen to me first."

"?"

"When we say goodbye, be happy and live happily, okay?"

"Huh?"

"Be happy, live happily!" Asta smiled, her eyes filled with reluctance. "Your world..."

"Wait, wait, wait! What the hell is going on here?!"

Lin Nai abruptly cut off the Asta before him. Why was this getting more and more wrong?!

Were she going to say something like, "How could I live without you?" next?

"Asta! It's me! Lin Nai!"

"Of course I know. Could you possibly be someone else?"

Asta tilted her head in surprise. What was going on with this dream?

Was Dream Lin Nai an idiot?

Just then, a black sedan drifted to a stop beside the two of them.

Topaz stepped out of the car.

"Aha?"

"What Aha?" Topaz raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. "But never mind."

Then Topaz reached out, grabbed Lin Nai by the collar, and viciously kissed him.

Lin Nai: ???

"!!!"

Asta's pupils contracted.

Topaz let go, licking her lips with lingering satisfaction. "Have you kissed Asta?"

"Not yet, right? Your first kiss wasn't with Asta! It was with kono Topaz da!!"

"Topaz!!" Asta glared at the person before her through gritted teeth.

But right after that.

Before Lin Nai could react, he found Asta pinning him to the ground.

"Asta?!"

"It can't be defiled! Lin Nai! Hurry up and wash your mouth with cement!!"

"No! Who would do that?! And this is just a dream! It's not real!!!"

Lin Nai braced himself against the ground and complained, "Asta! Calm down!"

"...Is that so?"

"Besides, Topaz did it. Why are you making me wash my mouth with cement?!"

"Because I haven't kissed you yet?"

Lin Nai: ???

"Leaving aside the fact that after using cement, you still wouldn't be able to kiss me, why... would you even think in that direction?"

Lin Nai lay limply on the ground. In just a few minutes, he felt like there was a mountain of complaints trapped in his stomach with nowhere to vent them.

"...Asta, what exactly did you experience in this dream to become like this?"

"Nothing." Asta crouched down and poked Lin Nai. "So you're the real Lin Nai, right?"

"You figured it out?"

"Dream Lin Nai wouldn't resist. He would only let me or other people do whatever we wanted."

At first, Asta had thought it was impossible.

But thinking about it carefully.

If it were Lin Nai, nothing he did would seem strange.

Even appearing in her dream.

She would always believe in him.