Period 1: The Devil's Game

Period 1: The Devil's Game
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Period	1
Volume	1
Previous	N/A
Next	Period 2: The Bonds Of A Curse

The Devil's Game is the first chapter of the Zekkyou Gakkyuu series and manga volume 1.

Premise

Everyone in class has become obsessed with a new video game; except for Mio Matsuzaki, who doesn't have it. But after getting her own game she is warned not delete her save file, because whatever happens in life or in the game will also happen in the other world.

Yomi's Introduction

From her seat Yomi greets the readers and welcomes them. She tells them about the setting and to take a seat.

Summary

As the only student in class without a game console, Mio sighs while listening to her classmates chattering. Her mom refuses to buy her a game console because of her poor grades. Mio is approached by her friend, Yukari, who talks for a moment until being invited to join in a new game. She walks off and Mio is displeased once she sees Abel -her crush- has a game too.

After school, Mio sadly makes her way for home. She knows it's pointless to ask her mom, and even if she saved up money to afford one it would take a long time. Just then, she steps on something and to her surprise, she finds an abandoned console. Mio doesn't recognize this model, nor the game "Animals and Humans Stories", and she is startled when it turns itself on. She is disappointed by the "cliche" story line of animals encountering events to grow up to become kings of the animal kingdom, but she reconsiders finding out the goal of the game; gathering food and money to rise in popularity.

She decides to take the console since nobody has seen her pick it up when a warning pops up, telling her that she will lose all progress should she restart the game. She admires her cute bunny character and enters her name before starting. The game Mio encounters fruit in the forest that might belong to someone and it asks Mio what she wants to do. She chooses B "return it to the police" and happily continues for home. It's then she spots a wallet on the ground, which she promptly returns to the police station, the relieved owner rewarding her with 10,000 yen. The nearby officer offers to help Mio home as she looks at her money, bringing up a suspicious person that has been lurking through town lately. Mio assures them she will be fine and she leaves, and while wondering how to spend her money she discovers that game Mio obtained 100 seeds as a reward for being honest. Mio is delighted, but by now she starts to wonder if it was alright taking the game. She rationalizes that it's fine because someone discarded it anyway and shoves it into her pocket.

If it means she won't be alone anymore then it isn't a big deal.

The following day while making her way to school Mio is still playing the game when she notices a statistic bar she didn't see before. She brushes it off, assuming it's just displaying the consoles energy. She sees her character also goes to school when she spots Abel up ahead. She attempts to speak to him as he comes her way but she finds herself unable to say anything and he walks right past her. Turning to her game, she sees that a similar situation is occurring with a male tiger that caught her bunnies attention, and the game asks if she should talk to him or let him walk past. Hoping things go better for her bunny, Mio chooses A "talk to him of course!" and suddenly Abel approaches her. His friend is surprised -like Mio- as he greets her and asks if she would like to walk to class with him. She accepts as it dons on her that whatever happens in game is happening to her. It's too much to be coincidental.

Initially shaken by the concept, Mio soon finds herself more accepting of it after realizing she can control her life to go the way she wants it to. Not only could she improve her grades, but she could also gain a love life and do better with sports while rising to popularity.

One day, Mio is approached by Yukari and her other friend. They have become concerned because of how suspiciously she's been acting -observing her hide the console- but Mio comes up with an excuse to hurry to their next class. She can't let them find out because then they might want the game too.

Later, Mio is walking outside when a new event happens. Her character sees something and she can either "Keep walking until they meet" or "Stop to look them in the face", and she chooses the safer option. She pauses momentarily and doesn't see anything, other than a little kid run by. Mio is relieved and she warns him to be careful when suddenly a rushing bus collides with him. She's frozen as a nearby Teacher screams for help, realizing that she could have been killed if she chose the other option.

Mio remains on edge during class, oblivious to their Teacher as they inform the class of a suspicious person seen in town as of late. He warns everyone to leave in groups for safety reasons. Mio observes the third statistic bar to see it has decreased, and by now she's beginning to feel sluggish. She can't understand why since she had a big breakfast, but she blames it on staying up all night to play this game. Once class ends she gets up to speak to Yukari and some friends, but when they abruptly stop and walk away she becomes concerned. Yukari joins them after asking Mio to meet up with her after school.

Mio anxiously asks Yukari for an explanation. Lately everyone is upset with her because she's been ignoring them, they tried speaking to her but she wanted to be alone, sometimes she won't even acknowledge them. While Mio understands why they would feel this way, that doesn't leave her feeling any less attacked and stubbornly refuses Yukari's suggestion that she apologizes to them. She doesn't see why she should since they did the same thing to her, and she ignores Yukari as she tries to explain her unapproachable attitude was what made them keep distance. She asks Mio if she is hiding something from her, causing Mio to suddenly snap at her and claim that her new game is more fun than being with them. She proclaims that she doesn't need friends and runs away in tears.

Mio runs to a bench behind the school and calms herself down. As she decides to get home since it's getting late she turns off the game- but it turns back on. She sees her character is being approached by the "fiend of the forest", just as she sees a tall shadow before her. She looks up to find someone standing nearby, wielding a bladed tool and wearing a strange hat over his face. Remembering the details she heard of the lurking figure, Mio runs back inside, taking shelter in the restroom while screaming for help. She locks one of the stalls and hides away from the door as she hears the figure step inside, dragging the bladed object against the doors.

Mio weeps and expresses remorse for not apologizing and leaving with Yukari when she had the chance, when the game suddenly alerts her to a new event. Her character ran home for safety and now she can either A "Open the door from inside" or B "Break the lock on the door". Mio panics until realizing the figure has found the stall she's in, and she quickly realizes in this time that third statistics bar wasn't for energy, but her life span. She watches it lower and collaspes on the floor, the game suggesting she clear or reset her data. Frantically she mashes the reset button.

The door suddenly opens to reveal the figure was actually two of her classmates. Unaware of Mio being gone, they gleefully reveal that this prank was revenge for her not treating them like a friend. But seeing as she's missing, they are joined by an irate Yukari who demands an explanation for their cruelty and tries to encourage Mio to come out, offering to walk home with her. She calls for Mio and says the suspicious person had been caught according to the news, but she looks in the stall to find the game console. But no Mio. They stand in alarm as Mio helplessly calls for them in an unknown location.

Yomi's Epilogue

Yomi rises from the seat she had been occupying. She reasons that if Mio had been more aware of her surroundings and told her friends the truth then things might have ended differently.