There are countless number of video games in this world.
However, most of them gets buried under many others.
Standing atop of those many titles
is this Full-Dive VR game that has over thirty million players worldwide.
The game that earned the reputation of being a god-tier game,
Shangri-La Frontier.
The boy who loves trash game, Rakuro Hizutome
challenges the god-tier game, Shangri-La Frontier!
What kind of adventure awaits him in his path?
I throw away my defense and put on my bird mask headgear
I'm a hustler My point only goes to my luck stats
Parry parry now this is my style
playing broken games all night... who's that knight?
Broken game is sickness
toxic scattered, now I'm a patient
My heart is beating almost twice as fast
The chaos wither get it bite that bug
Terrible gimmick
new game a.k.a suicide??
I don't give a damn
(Do it, Do it) No, not yet NO it's not enough
(Do it, Do it) NO it's not enough
I still can go
Everyone looks dirty to me
Everything looks broken to me
we can go, we can go
to that mountain top, not afraid to drop
this world is going to be mine... duh
(Only the Lingering Regrets Remain)
(Prismatic Forest Grotto)
On a night of a full moon,
among all the glowing moss on the walls of this grotto...
there is one spot that stops glow.
If you examine that spot...
A hidden passage!
I didn't expect there's a hidden area in a place I already beat.
It feels kinda frustrating.
I'm impressed you can find this route.
It's incredible!
It's a time sensitive hidden area, so it's all about luck.
I only found this route on accident when I came back to get some item I needed.
Well, in other words, only people who are truly lucky gets to trigger a Unique.
Those eyes piss me off, so can you stop doing that?
Stop what? It is a god-given privilege for a winner such as I
to watch lowly plebeian crawling and crying on the ground, don't you think?
Know your place, you insolent fool!
I'm so gonna kick your arse!
C'mon, quit with the comedy routine.
We're here.
These flowers are so pretty!
Unique or not, I still like this place quite a lot.
Well, they do look pretty...
...but don't this place feel a bit creepy?
Spider lilies, huh?
They don't exactly spell out good fortune, don't they?
Sunraku, over there.
...spills a single wish
I can see through her!
A bug?!
Why you think it's a bug and not intentional is beyond me.
Hey there, Setsuna. It's been a month.
Oh, Arthur. It has been a while.
(Setsuna of Bygone Days)
Her outfit...
It's not very "fantasy" -like.
If anything, it's closer to what you'd find in the real world.
Is she from "Divinity," the old civilization in this world?
Maybe I can find a lead on that unique scenario here.
I see you're here with some new people today.
Yeah, let me introduce them to you.
Ahem!
Hello!
I'm one of Pencilgon's delightful bunch, the Skillful Sunra...
Idiot No. 1, No. 2, and a mascot!
Wait! Don't just cut me like that!
I came up with a pose and everything!
These two...
...are my trump card in giving Wethermon his eternal rest!
I'm Emul, daughter of Vysache!
Hey, let me go first!
I'm OiKatzo!
You too!
You've gathered quite the incredible people, Arthur.
Don't worry.
They may be weak right now, but I'll shape 'em up before the battle.
That's not what I mean.
I've never seen someone with two strong marks from Wolfy.
And he's with Cinderella's child, too.
You reminded me of someone I know.
U-Um...
Hm?
Don't mind it me, I'm just reminiscing some memories.
From a long, long time ago.
Huh...
Although I'm sure she's long dead by now...
But thanks to you, I get to recall some lovely old memories.
Thank you.
You are... welcome.
Setsuna, can you tell these two about him as well?
Of course.
(Bonus Unique Scenario From the Living World, With Love Begin?)
There it is!
(Bonus Unique Scenario From the Living World, With Love Begin?)
(Bonus Unique Scenario From the Living World, With Love Begins)
He... Wethermon, is my lover.
But after a little mishap, I lost my life.
And ever since...
He continually protected my grave.
Your grave?
Hence "Tombguard," huh.
I don't know exactly how long it has been since I died.
But I was already like this when I woke up.
Even though I don't have any particular regrets about dying...
Death is an end.
It's a "past" that already over.
And it's not something that should bind someone's present, their future.
I can't bear the fact that even now, he's still bound by my past.
He used the progra...
The "magic" I built and constructed a barrier in this area.
Did she just say something that does not match this world setting?
By making use of the magic energy from the moonlight,
he made it so nobody can interact with the place
by inverting its coordinates to the interdimension.
But on a night of a full moon...
Right when the moon loses all of its light,
an opening will be born, leading to the inverted coordinate where he stays.
So we will jump into that opening and fight him, eh?
Please...
...give him, Wethermon, his permanent rest.
Leave it to us, Setsuna!
We're not like all the losers who came here before!
We're gonna whip that bastard so that he won't bother you any longer!
Dude, did you hear that?
Is she really Pencilgon?
The girl who dragged an NPC king behind a wagon in United Rounds
as a living bait to attract enemies?!
That Pencil Knight who hung an NPC princess on a chandelier to bait out other players?!
Now she's having a friendly chat with an NPC?!
Has she finally regained a human heart?!
"This emotion..."
"Is this... a heart?"
Now, now. Isn't that a little too rude to say, you guys?
Let me beat it into your brain just how hard an attack from max level player can be!
Wait, wait! I'm already close to dying from that earlier attack!
Sunraku, watch out! Her eyes are not joking!
She will PK us for real!
Ugh, jeez...
If we're not preparing to take on Wethermon,
I would have to respawn-kill you both five times to calm myself down.
It seems Pencilgon has regained her usual cruelty now.
That was too easy.
(Pose of Submission)
On second thought, maybe I should.
Like, you know...
I want to act cool in front of an NPC sometimes, too.
Her name and background feel a little close to home and all.
Okay, okay! You got me!
I can get immersed in a video game, too! You got a problem with that!?
That's fine, isn't it?
Playing game seriously... What's wrong with that?
Everything is fun when you do it seriously.
He's right.
It's fun because you do it seriously.
I mean, as a pro gamer, that's essentially my job.
What? So you're a pro and play this seriously,
but you haven't triggered a single Unique yourself?
Oh, bring it on!
I'll rip all those feathers off your head and make a bald bird out you!
Wait, stop it! I'll really die from just one hit! I mean it!
Please stop it, you two!
That's right.
You two are just as stupid as I am!
We're facing a Unique Monster
who forces a 150-level gap on you unlike any boss that's come before,
Wethermon the Tombguard.
Even so, I know we can do it!
Let's take this seriously and win this!
Yeah!
It's morning already?
After meeting Setsuna, I spent the rest of the day grinding level
and didn't get to sleep until pretty late.
After killing Lifestide Lake Serpent over and over, my level gone up to 51.
I think Katzo is still at level 46?
Next is my skills.
According to Emul,
Rabituza also have a Skill Garden where you can link skills together.
I should ask her to take me there later.
If it's level you're worrying about, it's not that big of a problem.
What I need is pure gaming skill.
Lastly, my gaming skill, huh.
Morning.
Oh, good morning.
Looks like you're enjoying your summer break,
but I'm glad you're keeping our promise, Rakuro.
(Rakuro's Mother, Eika Hizutome Insect Aficionado)
I don't want to get physically logged out anymore, after all.
You brought that to yourself.
Hey, mom!
I told you not to bring insects into the kitchen!
Why? It's cute.
Right, Augustus The Third?
Don't give it a name!
Jeez, it'll mess up my appetite.
(Rakuro's Younger Sister, Rumi Hizutome Fashionista)
There she is, Towa Amane!
Oh, what? You're a fan of Towa-sama now?
Huh?
Japan's famous world-wide megastar model, Towa Amane a.k.a "Miss Towa"!
It's like she was born to become a fashion model!
Just shots of her doing trivial things can make up one fashion mag!
Her fans once took pics of her on the street and upload them on social media,
and even though there's no way she could've noticed,
- Towa... - All of the shots of her look so perfect!
Her name and background feel a little close to home and all.
"Towa" meaning "Eternal" who lives for the moment,
and "Setsuna" meaning "moment" who's lived through an eternity.
Although it's mere a coincidence...
And through a fictional game world...
Did she somehow compare herself to an NPC because of how real she acts?
Huh, what?
Pencilgon...
I mean, that "Miss Towa" has her own private life, too.
So people shouldn't take screensho... I mean, pics without permission like that.
Oh, you're right. I also got a model gig today.
Really? Is it one of those "reader model" things?
I better watch out for paparazzi from now on!
Oh right, I should ask dad to help spread the word!
Come to think of it, where's dad?
He went fishing since yester...
I'm home!
Looks like he just come home.
Check this out! It's a striped beakfish!
(Rakuro's Father, Senji Hizutome Loves fishing more than anything)
Whoa?!
Wow! That's huge!
Oh, dear.
I held out till just before our meet,
and I managed to haul this guy up just in time!
Looks like it's gonna be fish on every meal again...
In our house, we have a certain promise, or a rule.
Every Sunday, we all eat breakfast and dinner together,
and have a family conversation.
Otherwise, we all would just focus on our hobbies
and lose our chance to see each other's face or something.
I became friends with this guy who's really into sailfish,
so I'm thinking of going on a trip next.
Eh?! What are you doing, dad?
You're cutting that up here?!
Of course I am! It needs to be fresh!
Do it in the kitchen!
My, my.
I heard our family appear a little unusual to others.
But...
Aside from how we each have our own worlds,
we're totally normal.
Aaah! Some liquid got on my shirt!
I've got a photoshoot coming up!
Mom, say something!
I need to take care of my butterflies.
Dear, don't forget to clean up the kitchen after that, okay?
Sure!
Oh come on!
Well, I'm the most normal one, I guess.
Well then...
Back to my hobby!
There is only two weeks left before the Wethermon fight.
I'm sure he won't be a pushover.
According to Pencilgon,
Wethermon's got high-speed frame attacks,
insta-death, ranged moves, and all short of stuff.
That means I've got just the right place to train!
A trash game where all attack come at absurd speed due to the bugs...
Berserk Online Passion!
Also known as BERP!
Man, this game is really deserted.
I know it's morning, but it's Sunday for god's sake!
Oh well, I guess I'll just fight the story mode final boss.
Hm?
Oh, there's a player.
And he's got a "fight wanted" icon.
Hey.
Yes, hello!
Dragonfly...
I've never seen that name before.
Um, I see you got the icon on, you wanna go?
Huh? Yes!
I'm still inexperienced. I haven't even beaten the final boss yet,
but if you can show me the ropes, that'd be really helpful!
Huh? He's not beaten the final boss?
Holy crap! It's a new player!
An endangered species!
Whether it'll be a good practice aside,
I want to fight this rare creature!
You're okay with bug moves, right?
Yes! Thanks much in advance!
From the look of it, he's an all-rounder.
It's a type that comes with lots of bugs, but I doubt he already master it all.
Now then, let's see how this goes.
Battle start. Round one!
Fight!
Right away? Even though he's not a speed-type?
I guess you can't expect a beginner to play by the book.
Twist your hand, and pull back!
This is...!
By pulling your fist back the moment you begin your punching motion,
you will trigger a bug that makes your arm stretch out like rubber.
If you hit your opponent in that state,
you will land a bugged two-hit combo attack with twice the damage!
We call it...
Pile Bunker!
He's gone!
Your leg?!
This bug is called the Yo-Yo.
It lets you move your avatar's textures back along with its hitbox.
It seems like you can use some basic bugs in this game,
but that is barely the surface.
I intended this as a practice for the Wethermon battle...
...but with many hours of play and research, BERP players have found countless bugs.
Let me to show them to you.
I scream in envy so much it hurts
I cry that this is where it ends
It's going to change, I'll change it
I don't want to think it's impossible anymore
The goal I set up is now the starting line for me to run again
Hit me with that despair, it excites me
Telling me give it a go
I should be able to go as far as I want, yet I mistake this to be my limit
Is getting an easy win sometimes necessary?
It exhilarate me, telling me to give it a go
I have a dream, so even my complaints is not a joke
I scream in envy so much it hurts
I cry that this is where it ends
It's going to change, I'll change it,
I don't want to think it's impossible anymore
I don't mind breaking if I can move on
I hate giving up even more
I'm going to make it come true, make it a reality, I'm always serious
Make it so I'm only a little away from obtaining it
Let me ace this even if it burns me
Mister Sunraku.
Allow me to write you a letter.
In this time of hot weather, how have you been?
It was a great honor and joy to have you accept my friend request.
Formal! It's too formal!
I only want to invite him to play together,
but a letter like this will only make him cautious!
It needs to be a little friendlier.
Something more casual!
So that he can easily accept my invitation!
Yo, Sunraku-san! What'cha doing?
It's your friend, Psyger-0!
Say, how 'bout we hang out later? Play the game together, y'know!
Writing a letter... is hard.
SLF Theater!
(#18 Each Respective's Christmas)
Mini! (#18 Each Respective's Christmas)
Merry Christmas!
It is a time to spend with your loved ones.
Merry Christmas!
May today be a wonderful day for everyone watching.
Merry Christmas!
The city is so full of love birds, it's insufferable, isn't it?
Merry Christmas? It is!
Mr. Santa will come to your house and deliver fantastic carrots!
H-Hizutome-kun...
M-Merry Christmas...
I will... eat you all up!