Safety, security, and no stress.
That was the motto that Kageichi Futsuu, a very ordinary salaryman, valued most.
He would finish work as close to on time as possible. His interactions with others were kept to a level that wouldn’t create friction with those around him, but not so much that he prioritized them, and he always returned home alone.
At home, he would leisurely watch new videos and live streams while eating a convenience store bento, enjoy his favorite games and manga, and then take a relaxing bath when the time was right.
After melting away the day’s fatigue in the bathtub, he would thoroughly dry his hair.
He would suppress a yawn, being careful not to catch a cold, and lie down.
Setting the air conditioner to a low temperature and then covering himself with a blanket was the best way to fall asleep quickly.
He wanted to live his life as calmly as a still lake.
He avoided work stress and troublesome relationships as much as possible.
He didn’t get involved with sources of trouble like lovers, friends, or relatives, and he didn’t delve deeply into the noise of social media, maintaining complete self-sufficiency.
He spent his days without standing out in the world, and he enriched his private life with his hobbies.
That was what could be called the ideal and best life that Kageichi Futsuu aimed for.
Kageichi’s favorite hobby was a certain online game.
“Lost Magic: All-In-World”
Commonly known as “LAW,” this sword and magic-based online fantasy game had a solid level of completion and an extremely high degree of freedom.
You could enjoy online player-versus-player battles, or cooperate with other users to defeat bosses and collect materials.
You could also just collect items and customize your home, or explore unknown secret areas.
Of course, Kageichi always played solo.
He silently collected materials in secluded secret areas, repeated synthesis and alchemy, created powerful equipment, and solo-cleared unknown dungeons.
Then, with the items he earned, he prepared even more powerful equipment and leveled up.
This monotonous, repetitive work was a refreshing and comfortable time for Kageichi.
But—everything comes to an end.
“LAW is ending its service?”
LAW was not a popular game in the general sense.
It was a typical example of a game that was highly rated by users but not popular.
Still, it had a strong fan base, and it was a good thing that it lasted for ten years since its service began.
It was sad to see a game that he had been familiar with for many years disappear.
Even on social media trends, there were small voices lamenting the end of the service.
Thinking that this was just the flow of the times, Kageichi somehow searched for the official social media account—
Apparently, they were holding a final event before the service ended.
Moreover, in that event, you could fight that Boss who had never appeared in the main story.
“…The rumored ‘Final Boss’?”
The strongest Boss, commonly known as the “Calamity,” was apparently going to be unveiled at LAW’s final event.
Kageichi smiled faintly, feeling the enthusiasm of the development staff, and reluctantly got up for the first time in a while.
…He usually stuck to solo play, but it was a special final event.
As a last hurrah, it might be interesting to use the items he had thoroughly earned to clear the final event first.
That would be the greatest way to repay the game “LAW” that Kageichi had become familiar with.
He thought about things that were out of character for him.
“I guess I’ll get serious for once,” Kageichi said, straightening his posture and starting up his PC.
*
…However.
Kageichi’s dream of reaching the ending of LAW was never fulfilled.
Because…
Before LAW’s service ended, the real world was destroyed.
“Simultaneous Worldwide Disaster”
Summer, 2028.
Abnormal disasters that could only be described as such occurred one after another around the world.
The Nankai Trough mega-earthquake, which had been predicted for some time.
The next day, a major earthquake struck directly under the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Furthermore, after a major earthquake originating in the Kuril Trench, active volcanoes all over Japan became active, covering the surface with flames and ash.
Japan, which had suffered devastating damage in a matter of days, requested support from various countries.
However, none of the necessary aid arrived.
The world was in no state to help.
The United States, the pillar of hope, had lost 80% of its land due to an alien invasion, and in China, zombies resurrected from the earth were attacking people one after another.
In Europe, dragons were burning the surface, and in South America, an unknown infectious disease was spreading, causing devastation—the unrealistic information overflowing on social media was delivered along with real footage…
Humanity on Earth, which should have been prospering, was thus easily destroyed.
Meanwhile, Kageichi Futsuu…
Was playing LAW at home.
Of course, it wasn’t that he wasn’t afraid.
For Kageichi, whose motto was safety, security, and no stress, death was the most terrifying disaster.
But…Kageichi was a very ordinary salaryman. He couldn’t possibly resist a global disaster.
The shelters were already full.
There was hardly any food, and he heard that terrible murders were even happening.
In that case, it would be more peaceful for his mind and body to use the food and water he had been storing up for safety and security, and to stay holed up in his home, which wouldn’t budge even in an earthquake of magnitude 7.
And what was strange was that—even though the electricity and internet should have been cut off, his computer and LAW were still running.
He didn’t know why.
Kageichi understood that it was physically impossible, but he probably wouldn’t be able to understand the cause even if he thought about it.
Besides, if the world was going to end anyway—
Kageichi thought that he should enjoy his life until the very end.
Thus, while the world was being destroyed, Kageichi Futsuu secretly conquered LAW and reached the point just before the ending that no one knew about.
He obtained the strongest weapon to defeat the “Calamity,” the “Kamui Blade,” and as he moved his character to face the Final Boss, the home that had endured for so many years collapsed.
Accepting his death, thinking that this day had come.
If there was one regret, it was this.
“I couldn’t clear it after all?”
He muttered emptily, and Kageichi Futsuu’s life came to an end.
That was what should have happened.
“…?”
He opened his eyes with a start, and the familiar scenery caught his eye as he sat up.
It was his usual bedroom. His room with his desktop PC and dual monitors.
…Is this heaven? Or is it hell?
Kageichi touched his cheek.
He felt it.
Frowning when he realized it didn’t seem like a dream, he suddenly felt a chill and grabbed the air conditioner remote, only to find that the heating was set to 20 degrees—heating?
That was strange.
Even though the world was on the verge of destruction, it should have been a hot summer day until yesterday…
Feeling a sense of discomfort, he started up his PC as usual, and Kageichi frowned even more when he happened to look at the bottom right of the monitor.
“January 15, 2022”
—Six years ago?
Kageichi picked up his smartphone and looked at the date, noticing the discomfort of it having changed to the one before he switched models, and it still showed the same date.
…What on earth is going on?
Did I time slip? No way.
While feeling an uncharacteristic sense of confusion, Kageichi took a light breath to try to sort out the situation, when—
thud
When he turned around, the “Kamui Blade,” a sword emitting a pure white light, was piercing through the floor of his home as if it were nothing—