2 Chapter 1

Three Months Before...

People were outside of a game shop, waiting to buy new games. Other people, who just walked by, didn't watch them go crazy over the wait. One person, who was standing in the line patiently, just stared at how impatiently the people were. They're acting like children who want toys for Christmas. She thought, feeling irritated.

Reiko wanted to buy The Prince's Apprentice, but with how the crowd was acting, she didn't want to waste her time even gazing at the game. She sighed, unable to feel the hype from the people as she was getting incredibly annoyed by all of the screaming that the people were doing. She felt so annoyed that she huffed. Immediately, everyone had quieted down when she had huff. When Reiko huffs, it meant something bad was going to happen to any and everyone that annoys her constantly. Reiko glanced around the fine city and she caught the gaze of Bolt, another nineteen year old girl.

<Real Name: Kuro Inazuma>

<Preferred name: Bolt>

<Player Rank: E>

"Can't increase your rank, Bolt?" Reiko asked the green-haired girl. Bolt had a light green lightning streak in her hair.

"You know I don't bother," she answered, walking up closer to Reiko. "Are you here for The Prince's Apprentice?" Bolt asked Reiko. Reiko hmmed for a bit before she turned to Bolt.

"Yeah," she answered. Bolt then smiled at Reiko.

"You won't be disappointed! It's awesome!" Bolt tells Reiko, her words spurring Reiko's attention.

"You have it?" She wasn't shocked, but this is a very hard game to get, so Reiko was wondering how Bolt managed to get it.

"Y'know my Mom owns the store, right?" Bolt gently reminded Reiko, who felt stupid at the moment. She had totally forgotten that Bolt's mother owned the store.

"Does that discount still exists?" Reiko asked with a smirk on her face. Bolt smirked back and she motion for Reiko to follow her. They walked to the back to the store and when they arrived at the door, Bolt's mother was at the door.

"Bolt and Reiko, I was expecting you two to do this," she said with a cheerful grin on her face, but both girls could see the exhaustion on her face. Bolt wished she could help, but her mother refused every time. "Here you go," Bolt's mother gave Reiko a copy of The Prince's Apprentice. Reiko was shocked as she ran her hands over the cover art of the game. She then snapped out of her stupor when she gave Bolt 10,000 yen. Bolt was shocked at the account of money Reiko was giving them.

"Reiko," she muttered. Reiko knew that Bolt was about to tell her thank you, but she quickly waved her off.

"You and your mother have done so much for me. It's time I repay the favor," Reiko promised to Bolt and the young woman became overwhelmed with tears in her eyes. "Don't cry," Reiko tells Bolt, who gave her friend a smile. Despite them being friends for a very long time, they weren't best friends as Reiko keeps to herself and with Bolt being busy helping her mother out with the store, there weren't any time for them to get any closer, but now, Bolt knew that she had found a kindred spirit in Reiko. Reiko didn't show it often, but she was and still is, worried about the welfare of both Bolt and her mother.

"Do you want to try out the game? I'm still Level 1, so I'm not that good," Bolt tells Reiko, who smiled at Bolt's truthful words.

"Do they allow squads?" She asked, gazing around the game to read the details and Bolt smirked at this.

"They do," she knew her simple response would drive Reiko crazy with competitiveness. Reiko was excited to try the <Squads> format and she smirked at Bolt. Bolt both enjoyed and shivered at the smirk that Reiko was giving her because it could either a bad thing or a good thing.

"You'll be my go-to partner for the <Squads>, you cool with that?" Reiko asked Bolt, who smirked back.

"Of course, I'm cool with that!" Bolt answered very eagerly.

"Alright, I'll send you a message over the game. I'm going to go home to set it up and learn the basics," Reiko explained to Bolt, who nodded her head at her best friend. While Reiko journeyed home, Bolt was then surrounded by a bunch of angry people. She didn't know who they were and she was afraid.

"Don't scare her too much. We want Reiko to be as pissed as possible," the words that came from one of the females frightened Bolt so much that she backed up against another female that held her shoulders.

"So, you're the girl that Reiko cares about, hmm? You know nothing about Reiko, you innocent thing," the girl that held Bolt told with a toothy grin. Bolt had only one thought. She wanted Reiko to save her. Reiko, who are these people to you? Bolt thought as her mouth was covered by the hand of the girl holding her. Her fearful eyes made the leader with the syringe feel put-off by the girl's innocence, but she still injected her with the chemical to let her sleep.

When Reiko arrived back home, she saw a note and she was very, very pissed off. You involved Inazuma. I will kill you in real life. She thought in anger. She almost exploded as she traveled to the meeting place. She wouldn't hold back against the person that kidnapped Inazuma. If the person wanted to meet the real her, she wouldn't hold back her true evil persona. Her dark clothing made everyone she passed by afraid of her and when she arrived to meet the person that had Bolt in her clutches. The girl saw Reiko and she smirked at Reiko's angry expression. "I see you don't appreciate me nabbing your best friend," the girl guessed and she stroked Bolt's cheek and Bolt flinched at her touch.

"Get your hands off her," Reiko growled out, not feeling amused at the moment.

"You're acting like your street-fighter self. Will you fight me now?" The girl asked. Reiko growled at the girl. This annoying pest is Inu. I can't stand her. Reiko thought, her eyes turning to slits due to her anger. "Wow, I'm the one with the name 'Dog', but you're acting more like a feral dog than I am," Inu giggled at Reiko's anger and Reiko lashed out in anger.

The short girl dodged Reiko's attempt to swat her. "Stop moving and let me hit you!" Reiko finally lost her temper and she tacked Inu onto the ground. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't pound your head into the ground," Reiko softly demanded and Inu finally realized her mistake. Reiko's anger couldn't be stopped, which was why people stopped acting stupid in her presence.

Inu suddenly realized that she would enjoy a game with Reiko and to prove her point, she knocked Reiko off of her and before Reiko could punch her, Bolt was in her hold once again. Reiko paused, not willing to hurt Bolt to get to Inu. "I know you think I'm a coward, but can you blame me? You are powerful as a fighter and as a gamer," Inu praised Reiko, knowing that her words won't get her anywhere. "I want to challenge you to Shootout Gangster," Inu spoke out rashly, knowing the consequences of failing at Shootout Gangster, but still wanting to challenge the Street Queen for her best friend's ownership.

"You're a brave one, wanting to play that of all games," Reiko smirked, bringing out her gun and she cocked it towards Inu. She aimed the gun at Inu and Bolt started to panic. She hadn't known that Reiko was that dangerous! She knew that she was popular around the city and now, she knew why. She also knew of Shootout Gangster. It was a real-life game that used pistols as weapons on people that think that the person shooting at them will miss, but if they don't miss, well, there is a reason why stupidity exists. Bolt knew about the game, but she never had any interest to play the game. She thought it was suicide! Inu gazed at her captive and she strokes Bolt's hair just to anger Reiko.

"Let her go and play with some courage," Reiko coldly demanded of Inu. Inu smirked at Reiko and she pushed Bolt onto the ground and she stood up straight.

"Show me what you've got, Street Queen," Inu was cocky, but Bolt knew of Reiko's never miss ratio. It was zero percent as Reiko never missed before, not even on purpose! With a cold smile marking her face, Reiko pulled the trigger and she heard metal ripping through flesh and a scream of pain. She smirked and she turned to see Inu just glaring at her, her arm searing in pain. She cursed Reiko. "I'll kill you, you insane psycho!" The girl just lost her temper, shouting and cursing at Reiko.

"You've started it by kidnapping Bolt," Reiko harshly reminded the girl. Inu growled at Reiko. Now, who's the dog now? Reiko smirked at Inu growling at her. She then fled the scene, leaving Bolt safely with Reiko. Reiko approached Bolt and she gently took off the tape from her mouth. "You're not hurt, are you?" Reiko asked softly, feeling very guilty for having Bolt experience that side of her.

"No, I'm fine, just a little shaken-up, that's all," Bolt was honest with Reiko and Reiko helped her up. Reiko breathed out a sigh of relief when Bolt wasn't hurt at all.

"I'm glad they didn't hurt you," Reiko's words shocked through Bolt's core and she smiled at the gunslinger.

"Me too," she answered back, making Reiko frown. Bolt didn't see the frown, but the people in front of Reiko did and they didn't like what they've seen. They moved out of the way and Reiko walked Bolt back to her house. When they got there, Bolt's mother was sleeping. Bolt sighed, now having to explain that she was kidnapped to her mother. Reiko smiled at Bolt. Bolt smiled back.

"I'm going to go rest and if I don't sleep the day away, I'm creating a new Player's Profile for The Prince's Apprentice," she tells Bolt and the shorter girl nodded her head. She really wanted to know if she was going to take a nap or play the brand-new game.