When My Girlfriend Cheated On Me And Spread Rumors That I Was A Guy Who Would Sleep With Anyone, I Decided To Just Accept It And Ended Up Dating The Most Slutty Girl In School. - Chapter 31: Overlord.

Overlord.

In the desolate expanse of the desert, an ancient king’s cursed grand tomb pyramid towers ominously.

Deep within its core, in the king’s chamber, Naoki and Kirara stand back-to-back, barely able to catch their breath, protecting each other.

Naoki holds a red-glowing magical staff, while Kirara brandishes a blue-glowing hero’s sword.

Around them lie the fallen immortal army and the grotesque guardian of the king’s chamber, the half-human, half-scorpion warrior Scorpion Guard.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Naoki surveys the surroundings.

The horde of enemies that had surged like a tidal wave just moments ago is now gone, and the chamber, once filled with the clash of swords and the explosions of magic, has fallen eerily silent.

“…Did we do it?”

“Asshi, that’s a death flag.”

As if responding to Kirara’s warning, two sinister red eyes gleam in the darkness.

“So, you’ve finally made it here, adventurers. Your competence is infuriatingly impressive. Yet, it’s also amusing that you’ve come this far in the most desirable way. My cursed grand tomb shall be adorned more beautifully with your powerful lives. The game is over; now begins the real hell.”

Now, die a most fitting death!!!

A voice, reminiscent of Nakata Jouji’s, pierces the silence.

Accompanied by a grand final battle BGM, the cursed king Pharaoh, the master of the chamber, reveals himself.

Before they knew it, Naoki and Kirara found themselves surrounded by the very immortal army they thought they had defeated.

“…What do we do, Asshi? We could give up here and still make it onto the rankings.”

Kirara asks with a tense smile, to which Naoki grins back.

“What kind of hero would turn tail and run with the final boss right in front of them?”

“Yeah, I want to see the ending too.”

Kirara’s tense expression melts into a confident smile as she readies her hero’s sword.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“The same as always. Stall for time and figure out the boss’s patterns!”

“Aye aye, captain!”

Kirara deflects an arrow aimed at Naoki.

“Clear the way, minions! Explosion!”

With a burst of flames, they carve out a path, and the two begin their battle against the final boss.

***

“Kuuuuuuuuuu! We were so close!”

Kirara stomped her feet in frustration as she sat on a stone bench near the main attraction of the desert area, “Catacombs: The Cursed King’s Treasure.”

Naoki, looking through the park guide, remarked, “It’s said to be one of the most challenging attractions in Fantasy Land. Just making it to the final boss on the first try is impressive.”

Fantasy Land features several VR attractions like “Catacombs,” where players can experience adventure-based challenges. Scores are determined by the treasures found, the number of enemies defeated, and the depth of progress.

These scores are reflected on the adventurers’ ranking boards located throughout the park, with the top thirty teams’ names displayed. Additionally, the park pass is linked to these attractions, and those who clear them are treated as heroes within the respective area.

Notably, “Catacombs” once collaborated with a certain reincarnation-themed light novel, replacing the cursed Pharaoh with a skeletal overlord. The difficulty spiked during this event, and no one managed to clear it until the collaboration ended.

Even without the collaboration, “Catacombs” is known for its brutal difficulty, with only one team completing it per week at most. Reaching the cursed Pharaoh, the final boss, is a feat in itself, and giving up at that point would have still secured them a spot on the leaderboard.

Reflecting on this, Naoki asked hesitantly, “Do you think we should have given up back there?”

Kirara shook her head vigorously, looking surprised. “No way! There’s no way we could’ve just left after getting that far! We wouldn’t have figured out the strategy if we hadn’t fought. We may not have made it onto the rankings, but everyone watching said we were amazing. I’m completely satisfied!”

Hearing this, Naoki felt relieved.

The adventure-based VR attraction allowed spectators to watch from external monitors. The audience had been thoroughly entertained by Naoki and Kirara’s efforts, and they were greeted with applause when they emerged after their game-over.

People called out, “You were so close!” “You were amazing!” “You looked like real heroes!” Embarrassed by the attention, they had retreated to the bench outside.

“…I see.”

“Yeah! It was disappointing not to clear it, but it was a hundred times more fun!”

Kirara’s innocent smile was so radiant that Naoki felt a strange urge to cry.

“…Me too. Next time, we’ll definitely take him down.”

“Yeah!”

Kirara nodded vigorously but suddenly started fidgeting.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh, well…”

It seemed like she had something to say but couldn’t get the words out. She rubbed her thighs together, looking uncomfortable.

She probably needed to use the bathroom. It had been a long attraction, and they had both drunk juice afterward. Naoki felt the same urge.

“How about we take a bathroom break around here?”

“…Okay.”

Naoki’s casual suggestion made Kirara smile shyly. They headed towards the nearby restrooms together.

The women’s restroom was a bit crowded, so Naoki came out first. To be considerate, he decided to wait on the bench they had been sitting on earlier.

“…Is it just me, or am I too happy?”

Being alone suddenly made Naoki feel an overwhelming sense of happiness, causing him to smile.

They had spent the entire day together at Fantasy Land, taking commemorative photos with cosplayers, riding various attractions, snacking at food stalls, reminiscing about past collaboration events, and taking pictures at famous spots.

Even now, they were wearing matching shoulder charms of Fantasy Land’s original characters, which they had bought from a shop. They had originally wanted to get charms from an anime collaboration, but they both held back.

Even that compromise felt like a cherished memory to Naoki. In fact, there wasn’t a single moment that wasn’t enjoyable.

This was the ideal date that Naoki had always dreamed of but never achieved with Chiharu. Though their relationship was not genuine, the warm, fluttery feelings in his chest were real.

“…I’m so happy it’s almost scary.”

He couldn’t shake the feeling that some mischievous twist of fate might try to balance out his happiness with some misfortune.

Naoki’s premonition came true.
Chiharu happened to walk by.