Chapter 1: New Game

…I'M dead.

Those were Takuto Ira's final thoughts.

Darkness had consumed his consciousness and he'd long since lost control of his senses. Telling people he had an incurable disease sounded nice and dramatic, but it did nothing to help him accept a meaningless life confined to bed. Dying at just eighteen sucked, to say the least, but surprisingly, Takuto was at peace with his fate.

He was content with the years he'd lived and grateful for the miracle that introduced him to a game that he'd become so passionate about these last few years, it'd made his doctors and nurses worry.

He had so much more to say, but Takuto died satisfied with his life.

Or…so he thought.

"…Huh. Is this the afterlife? It's kinda chilly."

His consciousness sparked back to life.

Takuto opened his eyes to see greenery all around him. Shafts of sunlight spilled through the trees towering overhead.

His back was resting against something hard. He ran his hand over its smooth, solid surface and inferred it was some kind of stone dais. While he was still wearing the hospital gown he'd spent the better part of his life in, those burdensome IV bags and needles and ventilator mask were gone.

Heck; he felt healthier than ever.

"Haha! The air is so fresh."

Cool air filled his lungs when he took a deep breath, and the vibrant green landscape sprawling in front of him prevailed over his memories of that suffocating hospital room.

Takuto was convinced this was the afterlife now that his illness-addled body felt as light as a feather. Just moving a finger had been a herculean task before he died.

"Have you awoken, my lord?"

Someone suddenly spoke to him as he patted down his body to ensure everything was in its proper place.

If his guess was right, the respectful voice belonged to a girl. Maybe she was an angel like he'd read about in stories. Sure, it was a ridiculous presupposition, but the impossible had already set in when he'd become self-aware after death.

I can't be rude if she's an angel here to guide me through the afterlife.

Takuto hastily straightened out his hospital gown and looked up in the direction of the speaker.

But the true impossibility was the girl herself.

Wait, what? What's going on here?

Could his shock even be measured? No matter how many times he blinked and rubbed his eyes, the sight before him stayed the same. The girl stood there, silently waiting for him to come to grips with his inner turmoil, as if she knew what he was thinking.

Mousy white hair, somewhat like ashes, bore striking contrast against her jet-black dress. Gold accessories accentuating different sections of her body twisted in ways that seemed to defy the laws of physics, yet worked in perfect harmony. More than anything else, it was the fathomless depths of her inhuman eyes that confirmed her identity.

Takuto knew the girl. Not only did he know her, but she was the one thing he wouldn't forget, even if he died.

She was one of the Hero units from the dark fantasy empire-management strategy game Takuto had played unceasingly throughout his illness: Eternal Nations.

"Could it be you…Atou?"

"Yes, my king."

He could never forget his favorite character from the game he'd played to his death.

Whether she intuited his bewilderment or not, the girl called Atou answered him with a soft smile and a gracious bow.

"'King…?'"

Takuto was overcome by a slight sense of uneasiness and a wave of confusion. He didn't have enough time to figure out what was happening to him, but the one thing he did understand was that she was showing him respect. He didn't want to disappoint.

Disappointing a character from his favorite game was the last thing he wanted to do. It was nothing more than vanity, but to the boy who'd lived knowing only the walls of a hospital room, not upsetting her meant everything to him.

Coming across as pathetic wasn't an option.

If she views me as a king, then I must act the part.

Such thoughts hewed more toward deep-rooted delusion than sound thinking, but they quickly became Takuto's conviction and the most important thing for him to achieve.

H-How do I do that though?! Roleplay?! If she thinks I'm a king, then I think that means I've become Mynoghra's commander… Maybe I just have to act like one? But how?!

"Hehe…"

"…?"

Her soft laughter caused his heart to throb painfully. If Takuto had been in the hospital, a team of doctors and nurses would be racing into his room about now. Fortunately, his current body didn't fall apart that easily. Not that it did anything to help him understand the meaning behind the girl's smile either.

"It's all right, King Takuto."

Her gentle words were enough to diffuse the tension. But the next thing she said shocked him even more.

"You are the legendary player Takuto Ira! Renowned for being the first player to clear Nightmare Difficulty while playing as the hardest civilization, Mynoghra the Civilization of Ruin. Your brilliant strategies had you shining at the top of the official leaderboards!"

"H-How do you know that?!"

That was the legacy Takuto had left behind.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say that he'd spent most of his life in the hospital. He'd rarely had a moment to rest between all the tests and medications he'd undergone every day. His family was wealthy, but his parents didn't seem to care about their sickly son. By the time they'd pushed him out of their minds, keeping their visits to the bare minimum, isolation had become his way of life.

But in his loneliness, he discovered his one joy in life: the 4x strategy game Eternal Nations. It was a turn-based game set in a dark fantasy world where players could play as various races and civilizations in their quest to conquer the world. A single playthrough requiring over a dozen hours made it an oddly ideal match for Takuto's lifestyle.

He'd become so enthralled with the game, he'd eventually forgot all about his isolation—or rather, it left him no time to think about it. And then he'd made it onto the leaderboard, where he'd become so renowned, any player who took ranking seriously knew his name.

Indeed, Takuto's greatest accomplishment that he'd prided himself on was clearing Eternal Nation's Nightmare Difficulty, which was said to be unwinnable, with the hardest to use civilization, Mynoghra. He became a legend among players with his use of the unit called Atou—AKA the girl standing before him.

"I remember everything too."

Her pithy remark cleared all of Takuto's doubts—except for those concerned with the surrealness of the situation.

"I remember every word you said to me in all the times we conquered the world together. And after each 'Game Over,' King Takuto."

At first, her tone came across as flat, but he could sense the emotion behind her words.

She probably feels the same way I do.

Every part of him was deeply moved.

"Please set your mind at ease. I remember everything about you, King Takuto."

Takuto felt the corners of his eyes grow hot. Maybe he was crying without realizing it. He wanted to say something impressive, but in his current frazzled state, he could only manage to hoarsely express himself.

"Using you—using Atou—was my policy and playstyle."

"Yes, I was pleased to always join you for campaigns."

Atou was a Hero unit full of countless possibilities.

Each civilization had its own unique, powerful unit called a Hero unit. Mynoghra's Hero unit, Atou, had the frustrating trait of being the weakest unit early in the game. On the flip side, she also had the ability to grow into the strongest unit of all. As someone who'd pined after the outside world, freedom, potential, and the future, it was easy to see why Takuto became attached to her.

"I think I always wanted to be like you because…I was born with a weak body."

"Your stories broadened my horizons, King Takuto."

"It's…kinda embarrassing to learn you were listening all those times that I was talking to you on the other side of the screen."

"I was always waiting for you to talk to me."

"…I'm happy to finally speak to you in person."

"It's more than I could have ever hoped for to do the same, King Takuto."

Their conversation flowed more like they were old friends rather than two people who'd just met in person for the first time. Then again, while their dynamic was different, the trust between them had been fostered over many years.

Takuto was reveling in this unexpected, happy development when he began to wonder if such miracles were a common in the afterlife, which brought up a whole slew of questions.

"Is this…heaven?" he asked suddenly. "Did you summon me here?"

"No. I did not. I suddenly found myself here, too. And if I had to guess, this isn't quite heaven either. If anything, it feels like my world: Eternal Nations."

Atou looked over their surroundings before shaking her head slightly. From just that gesture, Takuto intuited she wasn't lying.

"So, it's an unknown world…" he muttered. Atou nodded once, which told him pretty much all he needed to know.

"Would it be cliché…to call this a miracle? But I don't mind sounding clichéd. I'm just so happy to have met you, King Takuto."

Takuto nodded to show he felt the same. Confusion dominated his thoughts, but being able to chat with Atou was nothing short of bliss.

But I can't let the joy blind me, Takuto thought with the sliver of calm he still had left.

It took everything he'd had in him just to make it through the day before he died, but he was free of those bodily restrictions now.

I guess I need an objective for this…new life.

That was the near-delusional conclusion he drew after being forced to think about death for most of his eighteen years.

What was the meaning of life?

He wanted a purpose for his new existence—a reason behind getting a second chance.

"King Takuto…won't you start over with me?"

"…Start over?"

Atou's words slipped so perfectly into the empty void left behind after the fear of death was gone.

"Come. Please stand with me."

With her gentle urging, Takuto stood. Apparently, he'd been lying on what looked like a bed carved out of that stone dais. He stretched, as his muscles were a little stiff.

Atou watched him affectionately and waited until she saw an opening to keep talking, so as not to interrupt this moment for him.

"We don't know where we are. This might be the world of Eternal Nations. Or it might be your world, King Takuto. Or maybe, it's yet another world. But why don't we do what we always have—and start over together? Let's build our own empire."

Her wish was terribly simple and completely in line with who they were. Though their relationship had been that of game character and player, they'd built up and expanded countless empires together. That'd been their way of life and what defined their relationship, which was why her request wasn't a strange one. And it was only natural that it struck a chord with Takuto.

Atou swept into a reverent bow and watched him with eyes reflecting the deepest darkness as she waited for his answer. There was no way Takuto wouldn't be moved by the emotion in those eyes. She was his favorite character, an essential piece of his life, and who he aspired to be like above all else.

Haha… Build an empire…? Me? A puny human with no power, land, treasure, or anything to his name?

Takuto felt inspired by Atou, who fondly called him "King" when he had nothing. No, "inspired" didn't quite capture the feeling. It took every ounce of self-control to keep his rising emotions in check and to stop his body from trembling with unfettered excitement.

I don't know what's happening to us. I don't even know where we are. But since I've gotten a second chance, I want to do it again. I'll recreate those blissful days in this world.

Now he had a healthy body that could freely move. Endless possibilities lay before him now, with the curse of illness lifted. And on top of everything else, he had the best character from the game he sank so many years into at his side.

So Takuto decided to take a step forward. He was stepping out of that world where he could do nothing but wait for an empty, lonely death into this new world where he could finally carve his future with his own two hands.

He'd finally found freedom.

"Atou…"

"Yes, my king?"

"Let's build our own nation, an empire just for the two of us. Let's form a contract here and now."

As soon as she heard those words, a flowery smile befitting the age she looked erased her seductive expression as she nodded vigorously.

"In that case…" Atou cleared her throat in preparation to say the binding words Takuto heard every time he summoned a Hero unit in the game.

"My name is Sludge Atou. The bastard child of the world-ruining mud. From this day forward, my mind, body, and soul are yours. Come, let us sink as low as we can together, my king."

Takuto nodded and shook her hand, accepting the contract.

This is how, only after his death, the human named Takuto Ira went on to harbor a dream he wanted to make come true, no matter what at the expense of all else.

AFTER they'd finished the official contract rites, things became a little awkward between them. Atou was one thing, but Takuto had never taken part in a formal event before. This was also his first time essentially confessing to a beautiful girl by asking her to create an empire for just the two of them. As a matter of fact, it was also Atou's first time being told such a thing.

Simply put, both were squirming from embarrassment.

"…Wow, this is kinda embarrassing, isn't it?"

"Yes, it was a bit embarrassing for me too. But my happiness outweighs all that."

They giggled together, like a newly-together couple. But then, after a few moments, they switched into serious mode. They were in an unknown land, outside the realm of imagination. In the world of strategy, action was required to win. Knowing that well, Takuto decided to take immediate action.

"Well then, my one and only subordinate. My confidant and right-hand man. You know what our evil empire of Mynoghra must do first to lead the world to ruin, right?"

"Of course, my king!"

Was he trying to shake off the shyness hanging in the air? Or was it for a completely different reason? Whatever it was that drove him, Takuto jumped atop the dais and spoke to his sole confidant with the exaggerated air of a roleplayer.

Of course, Mynoghra's strongest Hero, Atou, was on the exact same page. Even if they didn't say it in words, they both understood what policies and guidelines were best for co-managing an empire. They'd acted on them thousands of times before.

This tactic had been burned into their minds. Their playstyle, their way of fighting, their way of empire-building, could all be summed up with one word.

"We're becoming shut-ins!"

"Let's close ourselves off!"

That was the secret method Takuto had used to lead Mynoghra.

Despite Mynoghra being named the "Evilest Empire" in the official game lore, all the civilization's traits gave domestic growth advantages and combat disadvantages, making it a finicky empire super-specialized in domestic affairs.