Tomorrow's Ark

Chapter 6: Reminiscence

"Arknights?"

He ask, puzzled

"Another one of those gacha games released on global? Haven't you already got enough on your plate with Grand Order and Genshin?"

"Okay first off, it's a tower defense game with Gacha mechanic, kinda like GFL" A finger waved in front of him "Second, hell naw, motherfucker"

The boy could only sigh at this. He gaze at the app on his brother's Iphone, which feature the face of a brown-haired girl with rabbit ears as the game's icon

'She's probably the heroine or something...'

Knowing how games like these are structured, he already knew it's going to be full of fanservice designed to pull customer in. The boy made to go back to studying

"Hey bro, you really going to stick your nose into that book forever? Come and play with me!"

"Not right now. Exam is near. You too should stop playing if you don't want a repeat of last year" Still not looking back, he replied. The boy is not interested in stuff like anime or video games

He doesn't have as much free time as his brother. When in the last year of highschool, you suddenly found yourself with a lot less free time than you expected

"Come on~ Humor me a bit will you? Just download the game and we can be friends. I promise you won't regret it"

"No can't do" He paused for a moment, frowning "Although I'm curious about this game got you so hooked. Is the plot that interesting, or is it the "plot"?"

"Ooh, you take that back. A waifu is not a waifu without her sad PTSD war story, and Arknights is full of em'. The setting is very unique, too"

He gave it some though. The boy then shrugged, deciding to give him the benefits of the doubt

"Prove it"

"Gladly" The other boy rolled up from his bed and took out his note 

"...Why did you have a note of Arknights lore?"

"Potato potato. See here. This game takes place in a world called Terra, where natural disasters occur on a monthly basis...."

_______________

A white haired Lupo ran across the street, carrying her companion away from the prying eyes of Siracusa's authority.

In the ensuing panic of their escapade, they managed to sneak away unnoticed under the eyes of civilians. 

Most of the crowd have evacuated from the affected area. She use this chance to drag him to a desolate alley where no one can see them

Lappland carefully inspect his wound, the tender gaze almost a contrast to her previous crazy behavior as she set him against a wall

The boy tucked on her shoulder is groaning softly. Looking again, she could see blood leaking from the Originum crystals on his arm

Overusage of Originum Arts....

"You fucking idiot"

If he had just abandoned her and escaped on his own, this wouldn't have happened. Instead, she have to brave on and escape that place carrying a wounded guy with her

"Why am I getting so riled up anyway?" Lappland sneered "Had the Devil of Siracusa gone soft and develop attraction to a weakling?"

Despite that self-hating talk, the feeling did not go away. The desire to protect the one wanting to be her friend is an emotion that goes against everything Lappland had learned