Nikko woke up to her usual 7:30 am alarm, in the same bedroom she had slept in living in Kujo. Except it was not her real bedroom in Kujo. She now lives in the Mabaroshi District in the alternate realm.

Today would be her first day at the Spirit Chaser Academy. She washed up, took a quick shower and put on a set of Academy uniform that she had picked up from Tokei’s store the day before. She looked at herself in the full-body mirror that was attached to her closet. Her black skinny-fitted crop top and leggings defined her rather average physique.

Nikko pinched a section of her belly. “Huh. I’m surprised I don’t have much body fat considering all I do it eat and play video games.”

The intercom rang. “You ready Nikko-san?” Sekai’s voice said through the intercom line.

“Y-Yeah!” Nikko replied, grabbing a hair tie from her dressing table before moving to her door while tying her hair into a messy ponytail. As she opened the door, Sekai leant against the wall opposite her room, wearing her usual tank top and sweatpants. “Good morning, Sekai-san!”

“Mornin’,” Sekai winked in return. “C’mon, Daisuke-kun and Yuuta are waiting downstairs.”

The girls went down to the lobby, where Daisuke and Yuuta stood waiting. “Feeling excited, Sugimura-san?” Yuuta asked.

“Yes, actually,” Nikko said. “I feel like I just started playing a new VR game.”

“VR game?” Yuuta stared at her, confused.

“Virtual reality game,” Nikko returned a confused look back. “You don’t know what that is?”

“Uh, no,” Yuuta answered.

“We don’t have video games here,” Daisuke said. “And Yuuta’s never really had a good look around the mortal realm.”

“S-Seriously?” Nikko sounded astonished. “You guys are so technologically advanced, but you don’t have video games?”

“That’s what I thought when I got here,” Sekai said.

“When did you get here exactly, Sekai-san?” Nikko asked.

“Um,” Sekai pondered for a bit. “About 14 years ago. 2004 I believe.”

Wow, you’re pretty old, was what Nikko was about to said. But she knew better than to comment on a woman’s age.

“A VR game, huh?” Yuuta scratched his chin. “I would like to have a look at what it is sometime soon.”

The group arrived at an escalator that lead high into a large structure where a magnetic train line ran through.

“Wow,” Nikko said as they rode the escalator up. Her eyes were glued onto the train line. “Is this some sort of train terminal?”

“Yes, Daisuke answered. “We are known for our magnetic sky train system. It runs through the entire Mabaroshi region, and has train lines that go through the capitals of the other 4 regions and the central city of Renault.”

“It’s super fast, super efficient,” Yuuta added as they reached the boarding platform. “And of course super cool!”

“Super cool?” Sekai laughed. “Is that really the third adjective after fast and efficient that you could think of?”

“Sh-Shut up!” Yuuta spat. “I invented it. I can say what I want about it.”

“You made all this?” Nikko asked, astounded.

“Yep!” Yuuta’s eyes shone as bright as his lime-green hair. “All designed and engineered by yours truly!”

A white train carriage railed its way towards the platform. It was shaped in a rectangular prism and hung from the overhead train line, stopping just in front of the group.

“In we go!” Sekai said, and the 4 hopped into the carriage. The train had a sleek and cosy interior, where felted seats were arranged in rows of two on both sides of the carriage and had a pleasant heating system to provide a comfortable temperature.

Yuuta hopped onto the closest seat and rested his legs onto the barrier in front of him. Sekai moved to the seat behind him and Nikko sat next to her. Daisuke chose to stand on the edge of Yuuta’s row.

“You’re not sitting?” Nikko asked.

“No. It’ll be a quick ride anyway,” Daisuke said casually.

Nikko took another look around the carriage and noticed there were no hand rails. “Uh, is there no need for you to hold onto anything?”

Daisuke opened his mouth to speak but Yuuta quickly interrupted. “My sky train runs really really really smoothly, so it feels like you’re not moving at all! There’s no need for hand rails.”

“Legit?”

“Yeah,” Yuuta said, then pointed out the windscreen. “In fact, we’ve already started moving.”

Nikko looked outside to see the city scape zip past the windscreen. She had not even noticed that the train began moving because she didn’t feel it take off. “W-Woah. You’re right!”

“I know, I know,” Yuuta said as he tilted his head back. “I’m amazing, don’t have to remind me.”

Sekai smacked the back of his head. “Stop showing off.”

“H-Hey!” Yuuta jumped up and turned to lean against the back off his seat, facing Sekai. “That hurt!” The two quarrelled for a bit while Nikko amusingly listened.

“Settle down,” Daisuke said. “We’re almost here.”

Nikko turned her attention outside once more. Her eyes were greeted by a bright, heavenly city, where the buildings were low-rise but crafted from limestone and was designed by with the influence of late European architecture.

“Welcome to the Renault,” Daisuke spoke behind her. “The capital of the alternate realm.”