In a cold snowy city street, a young man is rummaging through his character inventory while walking. He selects a winter fur jacket as snow slowly begins to fall from the dark skies. Few cars pass him by while people dressed in Medieval, Sci-fi, and video game outfits are walking along doing their daily business. The city was well lit, but it had very little life and was barren in some streets.
He swipes the floating screen in front of him, showing a Recording and Streaming tab. He hits record, and faces straight forward.
"Hey guys, it's me again, Humans of Full Dive. Thank you for tuning into my video once again. As you can see, I'm currently in the virtual city of Millenia. As it's Christmas in real life, it's also reflected in the game. Snow, Christmas decor and the like are scattered in this beautiful recreation of New York City but better. Let's start walking and see if we could meet anyone interesting in this depressing snow."
The winter picturesque of the virtual modernized Manhattan, New York creates a solemn atmosphere. It's as if civilization no longer had the time to stop and look and only cared for what they have to do next. Tucking his hands in his pocket, he continues to walk forward while recording.
"So yea, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone who's gonna watch this. Twenty Forty Seven here we come, am I right? I'll try to keep my head more straight this time, I know I was a bit excited about the last video a few days back."
As he continues his talk, a man in an all black trenchcoat, three piece suit and fedora is standing like a statue, with the front of his body lit up by an advertisement.
"Kiss Shot Acerola Orion Heart Under Blade, both Adult and Young form is making a return in this year's summer! Don't miss it! By Nisio Isin, Creator and Writer of the Monogatari Series!"
The screen behind the modern looking shop window was playing a loop of the mature blonde vampire in her Kizumonogatari form performing attacks and posing for the camera. The man was just there, standing with his breath visible from the cold.
He immediately notices the lonely figure standing alone, looking at the advert.
Without a second of thought, he looks left and right and crosses the four lane street headed to the right sidewalk to talk to the figure. Upon approaching the man, he noticed that he was fully awake and was just staring blankly with a small smile at the advert.
Gathering his spirit, he taps the man on the shoulder.
"Hello there sir, are you okay? You seemed lonely." The young man's voice was uplifting and positive.
"Lonely? Nah, just staring at this magnificent video of her. I never thought the day would come where I could talk and have a virtual life with her." His voice was calm and mature, the demeanor and how he carried himself was extremely professional yet approaching.
"I see, well the event is coming. I wish you good luck in getting her"
"Funny thing. I already got her from the January Eight Kizumonogatari Event last year. I took a two day long vacation from my job just to scope out the entire city and waited for that zero point five percent chance of her dying self spawning in one of the subway stations. By God's grace, I actually got the event and unlocked her story arc. Months of retrying her quest, I finally killed her and unlocked her as a Virtual Companion."
The advertisement on the shop window shines his head, showing a Southeast Asian character with a modest face
"Congrats. You seemed very passionate about her, I guess she's your ideal waifu huh?"
"I didn't even get her because I wanted my own Kiss Shot waifu. It's more so due to her use in combat. I know some server worlds have bias towards Vampires, and one that walks in the Morning is the best option."
"Ah I see, so you value usefulness a lot then. Who's your waifu then? I heard your generation was the one that popularized the word and Otaku culture."
"Her, Kiss Shot."
"Then why don't you want to be with her?"
"Ugh." The tall Asian man scratches the back of his head and composes himself.
"Look kid, call me a Boomer but a Waifu isn't supposed to be something you can touch or feel. She's a mere figment of your imagination, the amalgamation of your greatest fantasies in a woman. It doesn't suit me well, you know? Actually hearing her talk and interact with me."
"Eh? Then how did you save her then? Wasn't she saved by Araragi by letting her drink his blood?"
"Ha, what? You think I'm that dumb? I've done my fare share of stupid things, but I'm not gonna let this character have a Vampire trait. It's uncomfortable and a big pain in the ass. The Buffs are super good, but that really depends on the person."
"So what did you do? You bought blood with you?"
"Exacto. What's your age, kid?"
"I'm Nineteen years old."
"Forty Six. For a nineteen year old kid, you're very well spoken and eloquent. Keep that up, that's something many of my generation forgot to have." He pats the head of the kid, rewarding his respectful attitude.
"But why won't you be with her? Many people your age call this a dream come true."
"This? Dream come true? Maybe. It's already pretty mind breaking being in a full dive VR game with graphics that're the same as a high budget anime movie. But the waifus? it's not how it's supposed to be. Waifus were meant to be your unattainable dream woman, she's not meant to be real or let alone given a scarily real-like personality through advanced A.I."
"Isn't this good though? The previous generation had a lot of problems with marriages and love."
"And you think this is a solution? To give men like me the woman of our dreams in this anime VR world? No. It only creates a delusion that you can live here and find true love on some numbers and programs."
"It's Twenty Forty Six. Love can be anything, they’re even thinking of allowing Robots to have marriages."
"That's where you're wrong kiddo. Love can be anything, but that doesn't mean it should. Love has its limits, too much can lead one to ruin, too few can lead one to depression. One must find that middle ground, the balance. This? It prevents men like me from facing the harsh truth of reality. To push ourselves beyond our boundaries and find a true woman to love."
"I guess you're married seeing how you talk about love."
"No, sadly I am not. I gave my whole life in building this Megacorp I stand in now. Me with my friends, I left the idea of getting married to make something out of myself. Believe me, I want to go out there and date. But with my job and the nature of my riches, what can they bring to the table? I can't simply marry her and risk losing decades of hard work. I'm sure you know how broken and disastrous womanhood was in my generation. Many say it is empowering, but the lack of morals and true love shows otherwise."
"Then why do you bother? Don't you want to feel companionship even if it's just some smart AI? You know, I heard Kiss Shot was written so perfectly that she wasn't any different from the Anime."
"It's amazing. The fact that she has a physical form I can touch and interact with through this hardware. But I still couldn't push myself. It might be an Ego thing or just my tough self respect, but I couldn't get myself to have a virtual relationship with a vampire. It feels as if I'm disrespecting the author's work by having her for myself or that I’m just scared I’ll become like the rest, trapped in this virtual place, thinking that it's real."
"The author made her though, and explicitly allowed her to be here, in this game."
"Massive respect to Nisio. I actually have an entire room in my house exclusively for Kiss Shot figures, wanna see it?"
"Is it fine?"
"Ah, no problem at all. I want to show it off anyways. Wait a sec."
He makes a small cross with his right index finger and a holographic screen opens. He rummages through the Social tab and selects his Phone's photo gallery. The young man opens his screen and switches it to an open chat. The man in the suit finds a photo. He selects it and swipes it to his right. Sending it to the kids chat.
"Oh nice, it's a three sixty degree image."
"Take your time. I take a lot of pride in my hobbies."
He flips it around and zooms in and out on some figurines that caught his eye.
"Dang, some of these look extremely detailed."
"Of course, if I’m gonna die alone. Might as well make the best out of my money."
"Why do you think that? It's not too late, you know. Forty Six should still be feasible."
"I want to, but my body is already in Dad mode. Maybe here, I look somewhat attractive. Not in real life, it's the opposite. I only have my corporation, my passions and hobbies that's going for me."
"Oh c'mon Mister. I know you can do it. You seemed very charismatic and self aware."
"Either that or dumb and insensitive."
"Hahahaha, true."
Throughout the entire conversation, the only time he looked away at the advert was when he was sending the photo of his figurine collection to the young man. After a few seconds of silence and some cars passing by behind them, the kid opens up again.
"You earned her though. How long did it take you to defeat her?"
"A month or two. Had to bring my full dive equipment to my office just to make time. It was hard, ugh, very hard, she's basically a Dark Souls boss on steroids. Seventeen year old
anime protagonists are literally Gods for doing it in one shot."
“Ahahahaha, I get that a lot. They’re made for it anyways. The author can do what the author wants.”
“Yea, but we aren’t what the author wants, so we’re forced to fight it without the BS powers.”
The man stretches his arms, sighing heavily.
“You seem tired sir.”
“Oh yes I am. I am very tired… truth to be told, I’d like to just sleep for all of eternity. I’ve done my best and lived what I could live, sad that I never found a woman to marry and have children, but I guess that’s the price of giving my all to building a future for myself.”
“I’m sure you can still find one, you're rich aren’t you? You could easily find a woman who looks like her.”
He points at the Blonde Vampire on the Advert.
“Young man, I already told you, let her be a fantasy. She’s never meant to be real. She might be the literal embodiment of what I want to find in a woman, but at the end of the day, that’s just pixels and codes like our character, this snow and this feeling of cold. Even though I’m rich, I don’t really use my money except for gaming and anime merchandise. I never drink, smoke or even lived a nightlife. All my living years, I spent building myself a name and playing it right.”
“But don’t you dream? Don’t you want to spend time with her even though she’s just pixels?”
“There’s an old saying back in my days, “She’s real to me.” As sad as that is, I kinda felt it that way. That she’s real to me, in my dreams, in my hopes. But that’s not how it is, reality is often disappointing and it is. It’s up to us to make it not disappointing, and that’s what I did.”
“And you’re sad and tired.”
“Heh, maybe another me met the love of my life, but I guess not this me. All the women I’ve met have not really been the ideal type to marry. My generation is kinda… messy. Age just worsened them and their ideologies and movements even though the world has moved on.”
“Then maybe girls of my generation?”
He lightly smacks the head of the young man.
“I’m an old man. Born in Two thousand. What is it? Two thousand forty five right? No girl should go with a man like me. I’m getting wrinkly and my hair is starting to go white.”
“It's pretty common though, and we’re in the Twenty First Century. Love is all kinds.”
“It's all kinds, I do admit that but not all of those kinds are healthy or even good. Love comes in all forms and sizes, and so does violence. Don’t follow that saying kid, humanity is often the best example that the best solution to your problems is not Books and Love but Guns and Anger. Since that one solved more conflicts and wars than any book or love can.”
“Your generation really has a bleak outlook on life.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“Well, when you have it all too good, you forget what it's like to live. Past Generations had to live through the most intense wars and diseases. Nothing of mine could come close, but the media kept on reporting the saddest and baddest parts of the world, even though we should be living the best lives. Social Media turned many to these sad and bleak people who think the world is overpopulating because cities are getting a few kilometers big. Even though the company I run pays millions in Adblue, the air coming out of the vehicles I run is cleaner than the ones going in.”
“I heard a lot from my parents, that they’d argue with people on the Internet and even go to Protests to support something.”
“As I said, we lived in an unprecedented age of peace that is still going to this very moment, not like our Grandfathers and Grandmothers who did something, achieved something in their lifetime due to the circumstances of society, we had none. Everything in our hands, information, ways to become wealthy and powerful, diet and exercise, what not to eat and to eat. I guess many felt the need to achieve something like me.”
“Then why didn’t you become like them?”
“I don’t know, I never really had the same mindset. I thought, if I’m ever gonna achieve something, I’ll do it myself. I won’t ride on the coattails of a movement or an influential person. I’ll build everything from the ground up, maybe bring some friends along and be someone who achieved things through his own hands. Which I did, and I’m very proud of.”
He smiles and chuckles, visibly reminiscing of the past.
“You really are something Mister.”
“I kinda feel what it's like to be old now. I’m just doing my job, partaking my wisdom to the young.”
The Shopkeeper of the store then opens the door, his player character was that of a young Elf with messy hair that reached his neck.
“You two gonna go inside?”
“Hah? Ah. No. We’re just talking sir.”
“Well get in, it's cold out here.”
“Of course.”
The two go in, he removes his trenchcoat, putting it on the coat hanger next to the door while the young kid just puts his fur jacket into inventory. The shopkeeper then sits on a wooden chair behind the counter, the interior of the shop was very ornate and Renaissance, it all felt very expensive and luxurious.
“So, what can I get you two gentlemen?”
After fixing his suit, he immediately replies.
“Uhhh… we were really just talking.”
“Uh huh, well, I heard a lot are planning on getting Kiss Shot. Good luck to the both of you.”
“I already have her…”
“Is that so? Then wanna buy something? I have everything Vampire related. Dresses, Suits, Weapons and Munitions.”
While the two talked, the young man was impressed by the collection.
“No need, I don’t really visit those servers where there’s Vampires and such.”
“That’s a lie. You got Kiss Shot right? That means you do visit it a lot.”
“It’s just a one off thing.”
“But you still visited it didn’t you?”
“I uh… well yes, you got me. But after getting her, I never really visited it again.”
“You should, they have a lot of colourful people there and with a Kiss Shot, you should be able to stand up to the Veterans of the server.”
“Yea, I uh have my ways. But those places kinda cringe me, not gonna lie.”
“You gotta disconnect, don’t see them as virtual players like here, see them as real Vampires or creatures of the night!”
The young man intervenes between the two.
“Uhhh, what is this?”
He points at well made Rapier.
“Sword that infuses with your blood. Bring it to those servers I mentioned, it should give you an edge as long as you have blood to supply it.”
“How does that work?”
“Easy, it's a magical sword. It converts blood to Mana.”
The man in the suit then comments.
“That’s good and all but why put this shop on a server that doesn’t even have magic?”
“Well, as you can see, I’m a normal Elf. Yes, I can go around and collect these artefacts but I’m in no shape to fight the creatures that linger in those places.”
“Then booby trapping?”
“Nah, they’d react too fast. Would just damage my store and potentially me.”
“I kinda see your point. How’s business though?”
“Last two months have been very good, October most of all. Sales was up threefold.”
“Very impressive, congratulations.”
“Thank you. Two seem the polite type, you can stay here as long as you want. It's Christmas anyways, have a Merry day the two of you. If a customer comes in, tell them to ring the silver bell on this counter a’ight?”
The two nod and the kind shopkeeper gives the two some folding chairs, now in a comfy shop, they continue their conversation.
“Oh, I forgot you're streaming this.”
“Oh yea! Ahahaha, I haven’t even checked the Chat and Superchats. It may take a while, are you fine waiting?”
“No problem. I’m on Vacation anyways. Got all the time in the world.”
The Shopkeeper then returns with a pack of Cigarettes. He lights it and sits down like an interrogator.
“So… How did you defeat her?”
“AxeHandler FourtSix thank you for the 10 bucks.”
“Easy, I crap tons of explosives and booby traps.”
“How long?”
“A month. Had to Dive in my Office just to make time.”
“Hmmm… hearing from you, is she still in her child form?”
“Ah no, after unlocking her, I headed straight to fighting Werewolves and Vampires, I think she's stronger than ever now.”
“Hmmm… And?”
“And, I guess I haven’t spawned her for a year now.”
“Where do you mostly go?”
“This server. I’m part of an organization here.”
“What, the Northern Strategic Alliance?”
“I thought you’d think I came from the big major player companies here.”
“Naw, you seem more of the soldier type.”
“Let’s just say, it's around that area, yes.”
“Secretive. I like that. Well, what’re you doing staring at the Advert?”
“Just thinking to myself how it all is, it seems so surreal that I adventured with her, but deep down all I kept thinking was how this is all a lie. How I’m wasting my time.” Midway through his train of thought, the young man stops reading his Superchat and shifts his attention to the man in the suit.
“I know that I’m supposed to believe that this is reality, but I just can’t. I’m old, and I was alive when Kizumonogatari premiered. Had to wait for a year and a half for the pirated versions. Never in a million years did I expect to meet her, yea, I was kinda flying.”
“Heeeehh…. You love her that much huh?”
“Yes, yes I do. When you don’t have the real thing, it's the best alternative I have.”
“Now, you aren’t daydreaming, you aren’t doing it in your head. You're here, interacting with her and you can’t bring yourself to detach the dream of her and the real her?”
“Kinda weird saying real her, technically speaking. She’s-”
“Enough with the wording, that character is now a being you can interact with, has self preservation, an ego and a consciousness.”
“Real AI is scary, I don’t know how they haven’t taken us over yet.”
“That’s beside the point. Why don’t you just enjoy it? I’ll even throw in a Vampiric Arming Sword for free.”
“Oh, I possibly couldn’t.”
“It's fine, hey kid. That sword over there, you see it? With the Red scabbard?” He points his head to a longsword inside an expensive wooden cabinet with glass openings. The young man nods.
“Slowly open the cabinet and hand it over to our made man over here.”
He slowly opens the cabinet’s door and gently takes it.
“Oh please sir, It's all fine.”
“No, no. This isn’t for you only.”
“Uhhh… what?”
“I want you to give that to Kiss Shot when you summon her in a eligible server.”
“And why?”
“To give it to her as a gift. Jesus, aren’t you married?”
“No.”
“Explains. Now take it and stop complaining.”
“Ehhhhhh…”
Curious, he grabs the handle, it feels incredibly good, as he unsheathes it. Revealing an ornate blade with crimson red linings, the entire thing was light. Lighter than a feather.
“Good ain’t it? I’m sure a high class lady like her would love it.”
“Haaah… I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“Tsk, just go for it bro. Live a good life, even if it means having a virtual wife, it’s better than no wife at all.”
“I hate the fact that you have a point.”
“What do you do in real life if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I run a company.”
“Oof, then you really need her. Must’ve been hard to go home after a long day to be met with an empty mansion.”
“Well, I’m happy with my quaint apartment. It ain’t much but it does the job.”
Youngster then tilts his head in curiosity.
“Why a small apartment?”
“It’s just as he said, what’s the purpose of me living in a big expensive Mansion when there’s no one to greet me? Hence why I prefer a lowdown apartment in Downtown. It’s more comfy anyways. My Council of Directors once told me to get a big one in the States but I told them I’m happy living in a small place.”
He then starts imitating one of his directors.
“Oh nooo, you can’t. With all the power and money you have, what will the investors think when they find out you live in a shithole? Meh meh meh, I’ll cry more to you later by annoying you about your meetings with our Investing Overlords.”
The Shopkeeper puffs a smoke.
“See? I’m sure when you can go home, rather than being in that secretive organization of yours doing God knows what, why not go on an adventure with Kiss Shot? Or even maybe fuck her for two days straight?”
“Haaaaa… I don’t know, I’ll think about it alright.”
“Don’t think, do it. What’re you? A child? A manchild? Autistic?”
“You know. For a man that looks like he belongs in an Elven Library, you sure have the stature of a General.”
“What can I say? Helping out the Bros has done a lot to me.”
“Do you have a side job as a therapist for the dudes or something?”
“I go to Medieval Servers and Modern ones with Vampires, Orcs and Elves. I meet a lot of things in my adventures.”
“You have a point.”
“So, are you gonna do it?”
“It's a good sword… fuck. Alright, I will.”
“Good. Don’t think too much about it, while you haven’t found a wife, have her then till you get a real one.”
“I’m in my forties bro.”
“Keep trying, don’t you want that company of yours to be in the hands of someone with your blood more than those Board of Directors of yours?”
“Ugh. Yea.”
“Good, so you guys want some Hot Chocolate?”
After good talk over some hot chocolate, the trio parted ways with the man in the suit, quickly opening his virtual phone and changing servers to one that allows Vampires. He arrives on one of the most famous one, the Full Moon Server which usually houses millions of players who love to play as a certain fantastical species in a modern setting. Spawning at the Airport, he quickly takes a taxi to an open area where he plans to summon her.
The strange city looked like Los Angeles and Atlanta merged into one. It was scenic but not as beautiful, the snow only made the bleak and dark atmosphere of the concrete jungle seem more menacing, the colours were dark and even with the Christmas decoration, one can’t feel the happiness from the Smart A.I. that roamed the streets. Midway through his trip to the outskirts of the city, a phone call comes from a man named BallsDeep69.
“Yello’.”
“General Agent, you finally answered.”
“Lieutenant General, it's Christmas. If it's testing of the new age robot grunts, we’ll talk about it next year alright?”
“No, it's just that I saw you on my friends list go into Full Moon Server.”
“Yea, what about it?”
“I recommend you immediately exit. We recently just botched an operation there and they’re out for us.”
“Look, we run a secretive organization. Why would people call us the New World Order of the Full Dive Community if we can’t keep something like that under wraps?”
“Sir, hadn’t you read the report?”
He stayed quiet, remembering a Document Report saying to keep out of servers where there’s a number of fantastical species. Realizing this, something clicks on his brain. Sending him chills.
“I can’t exit out till the next two hours.”
“What?!”
“I literally just joined genius.”
“Fuck, do you want me to send soldiers sir? You lead the Death Company, I’m sure they’re willing to head over there and do the impossible.”
“No. It’s not worth it. Those are good men wearing the most expensive equipment we can give. Having them fight Vampires is worthless. I’m hanging up.”
“Respectfully speak-”
He hangs up. Pocketing his phone and gripping the Rapier he was given for free. The Taxi then takes a ramp off the expressway and into a park on the outskirts of the city.
“Keep the change.”
The yellow Crown Victoria drives off into the snow’s mist. Its tail lights disappear as the night’s storm slowly seeps in. Looking around, the small park is empty, the only thing that was alive there was him and the trees. Confident, he goes to the middle where an open grass field is situated. Opening his phone once again, he goes to Companions and selects Kiss Shot.
>Are you sure you want to Summon? 0/1 Kiss Shot’s on the server. Yes/No.
>Yes.
Slowly, a summoning circle is etched in front of him. As it forms, he feels a disturbance as if someone is watching him. Violently turning around, there was nothing. Knowing his guts, he pulls out his Glock. Randomly pointing it at trees and possible cover.
“You’re pretty good for a human.” It's a deep and low voice of a woman, it was extremely alluring and pleasing to the ears.
“Don’t fuck with me player. Show yourself and face me.”
Behind him, a strange lady drenched in a dark red Gothic dress appears. The summoning circle is almost halfway through completion.
“State yourself!”
“Hmph. Names Elise. Lady Elise. You?”
“None of your damn business bloodsucker.”
“Oh how scary.”
Not even in a blink of an eye, she appears behind him. This sends a thousand shivers down his spine. Unable to think properly of what to do. She was so close he could smell her perfume and feel her breath.
“Hmmm… you seem tasty.”
She licks the back of his neck, making him let out a shriek and turning out to fire violently. The bullets bounce and ricochet off the snowy ground. Alarms of the cars turn on from the shooting. His senses were going overboard, frantically shifting left and right, tightly gripping his Glock 17 as his life depended on it. The Summoning circle is almost complete till a hand goes through his chest. He didn’t even feel it from how fast it struck him. Looking down, he could see the lady’s long red glove.
“Then, I shall dine finely tonight.”
Not wanting to back down yet, he musters what energy he has left and the moment she pulls her arms out of his chest, he tries once again to shoot at her. Miserably failing as she effortlessly dodged his shots at point blank range. Spilling the last of his energy, the General falls into the ground. His blood spilling to the summoning circle as it completes.
“Now, just what would a man like you be doing here? You know how dangerous it is?”
“K-kiss-- sho--” he plops down. Lifeless and dead while gripping the Rapier’s scabbard with a little Christmas tie to it and a note to his virtual waifu. Seeing this, the strange lady picks up the ornate sword.
“Oh wow, I can feel its power… this is… meant for Vampires.”
Just as she was about to unsheathe it, an insanely long Katana slices her hand off clean.
“Ara, who told you you can touch someone’s man.”
As if her soul just sank, she looks to the right where the dead man in the suit summoned her and could see one of the rarest companions you could get in the game, and potentially the most overpowered Vampire.
“La-lady Kiss Shot.”
Beautiful blonde Vampire could see the dead body of her Lord. After a short sigh, she stares at the lady with a murderous intent.
“Is that Rapier for me?”
She couldn’t even reply as Kiss Shot picked up the sword and read the note. She smiles and remembers the adventures they had before. Tearing up a bit, she dematerializes it and looks at the killer of her man.
“Now, How shall I kill thee?”
This sends immense shock to the Vampire that killed the man in the suit. Her stare was on another level of anger, one not even expressions could give. Hence all she’s met with is a smile with a heavy undertone of a woman who's about to rip someone apart. Slowly, her hand heals back and makes a mad dash out of the park. Kiss Shot wasn’t even moving, she just materializes the Rapier she was gifted with and like throwing a spear, hurls it at the other beautiful Vampire. Embedding her on the exterior wall of a house. Kneeling down, the Iron Blooded, Cold Blooded, and Hot Blooded Vampire could only hug the man that earned her. His lifeless body is laid to rest with a pained expression on his face.
As much as she wanted to mourn him, she must first avenge his death and thus starting her great journey on dismantling one of the largest player led Vampire Faction of the Server.