"Fine, I give up."
The moment Kitagawa Ryo finished speaking, he unleashed a clean combo on the boss. Its health bar was nearly empty, and Horikita Suzune was starting to get impatient again.
"Let me do it!"
"When you say stuff like that, it really reminds me of those bit-part characters who try to steal the protagonist's first kill, only to get one-shotted by a boss that's gone berserk after losing a little health..."
Before Kitagawa Ryo could finish, Horikita Suzune rushed forward. The character she controlled was struck by the monster on-screen and staggered, then took the full brunt of its powerful three-hit combo.
"I knew I'd die..."
Horikita Suzune was still staring blankly at the black-and-white image on the screen. Kitagawa Ryo, meanwhile, calmly chipped away at the boss's remaining health.
"Done."
"I feel like you look even less pleased than if we hadn't beaten it..."
Kitagawa Ryo glanced at Horikita Suzune, who had lost all motivation. He controlled his character to revive her, then nudged her shoulder.
"Come on. Let's head to the next area."
The two of them moved on to the next area in silence. The only sounds in the room were the game's background music and their quiet breathing.
"Had you never played a co-op game before, Suzune?"
"Mm."
Horikita Suzune watched the screen without even blinking. The pale light reflected off her face, making her look a little wan and expressionless.
"...Really?"
Kitagawa Ryo replied casually.
"If I'd still died uselessly just now, what would you have done?"
"Taken your controller and played both characters myself. Even if I had to bring them in one at a time to wear the boss down, that would be better than having someone completely useless on the team."
Horikita Suzune answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Besides,