Two-Player Game

Izumi Kotomi was halfway through drawing her manga when she set down her stylus.

Time for a break!

"I've been working on this manga for so long today. I deserve to reward myself with a bit of gaming."

After saving the second chapter, she stood up and headed to the kitchen to grab a can of cola. What could be better suited for a Friday night than playing games while sipping on a cold soda?

For Kotomi, the answer was clear—nothing.

She went downstairs, grabbed a cola from the kitchen, and was about to head back upstairs when Izumi Aimi , who had been watching TV in the living room, jumped off the sofa. She ran barefoot across the floor to the kitchen, her damp hair from a recent shower cascading over her shoulders. She was dressed in a soft white cotton nightgown, which exposed her slender legs.

"Onee-chan! Are you done with work?"

"Yeah," Kotomi nodded. "I made good progress with the manga, so I decided to take a break and reward myself by playing some games."

Kotomi had originally planned to play for only a short time, but without realizing it, she was already mentally preparing to spend the entire night gaming.

A true natural when it came to procrastination!

"Playing games? Can I join you?" Aimi asked softly.

Kotomi didn't hesitate and nodded in agreement. Tonight, she planned to play Dead Cells, not Azur Lane. Though Dead Cells was a single-player game, they could take turns, playing one life each.

Many people have experienced this from their childhood—playing single-player games with siblings or friends, taking turns after each death.

Of course, despite good intentions, such situations often led to arguments, whether from frustration over quick deaths or someone trying to sneak in an extra turn.

Kotomi and Aimi had shared such experiences when they were younger.

But now, as high school students, they were unlikely to argue over something as trivial as a game.

"Want some cola?" Kotomi shook the can of Pepsi she was holding.

"I'll take a Coke," Aimi said as she grabbed a can from the fridge, and the two sisters headed upstairs, ready for a rare gaming session together.

The last time they had gamed together felt like ages ago—so long that neither could quite remember.

Once in her room, Kotomi pulled out a game controller.

Although she had purchased Dead Cells on Steam, playing with her sister brought back memories of their childhood console days, so she opted to use the controller.

"What game are we playing, Onee-chan?" Aimi asked.

"It's a pixel-style action game called Dead Cells. Ever played it?"

"Nope." Aimi shook her head.

Compared to her game-loving sister, Aimi barely played any games.

"It's a pixelated action game where you fight monsters," Kotomi explained as she connected the controller and sat down, launching Dead Cells.

"Fighting monsters, huh?" Aimi nodded, though her real motivation for wanting to play wasn't the game—it was to spend time alone with Kotomi.

Ever since learning that Kotomi wasn't her biological sister, her feelings for Kotomi had become increasingly... unrestrained.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Kotomi asked suddenly.

While Dead Cells wasn't particularly scary, Kotomi remembered well how Aimi had been terrified of monster-fighting games as a child.

She vividly recalled the time they played Resident Evil 4 together. Kotomi had been having a blast, but Aimi, who had been watching, ended up crying out of fear.

The little girl had hidden under the blanket, sobbing loudly.

Her crying had startled Kotomi so much that she thought she had accidentally tugged on Aimi's hair during the game, even though she had been happily mowing down zombies just moments before.

It was only then that Kotomi realized that while Aimi might seem fearless in everyday life, she was actually terrified of horror games.

Upon hearing Kotomi's question, Aimi's mind immediately flashed back to that embarrassing moment from her childhood. Her fair cheeks quickly flushed with a rosy hue as she shyly said:

"Who's scared? I'm not the same as I was back then. I'm not afraid anymore!"

Her voice might have been embarrassed, but her words were full of bravado.

Or rather, stubbornness.

Once the game started, they decided to play rock-paper-scissors to see who would go first.

Kotomi chose rock, and Aimi picked scissors.

Kotomi won.

Starting from the Prisoners' Quarters, Kotomi fought monsters, picking up new weapons along the way. Though a bit rusty at first, she soon regained her old skills and muscle memory.

Dead Cells might be a pixelated single-player game, but what made it so addictive was the exhilarating sense of impact from battling enemies and the seemingly simple but technically demanding gameplay.

As she advanced past the initial map and entered the more challenging levels, the enemies and traps became increasingly difficult. One small mistake could lead to death.

The more Kotomi died, the more determined she became to keep playing and exploring.

She made it to the Toxic Sewers, but one careless moment led to her being ambushed and killed by a monster.

"Ah… I died. If I had raised my shield a little earlier, I could have blocked that," Kotomi muttered as she ruffled her hair, a bit regretful as she reflected on her misstep.

She had seen the monster's ambush coming but was too slow in raising her shield. On top of that, she had been cursed with "one hit kills" earlier.

Failing to block the attack meant instant death.

Back in the Prisoners' Quarters, Kotomi handed the controller to Aimi, asking, "Your turn. Did you catch how I was playing?"

Aimi, who hadn't actually been watching the screen at all but had been gazing at Kotomi's profile the entire time, snapped back to reality and nodded quickly.

"Yeah, I got it. Onee-chan, you're such a noob. That last monster's attack looked easy to dodge, but you missed it."

Sure, dodging would have worked just fine.

But Kotomi, with a completely straight face, retorted, "You don't get it. You've never played. One of the best feelings in this game is perfectly timing a shield block!"

Why not opt for a sword and bow combo?

Because the satisfaction of blocking with a shield at just the right moment was unmatched!

"Hmph! Watch your sister show you how it's done!" Aimi huffed confidently.

Despite never having played the game, Aimi exuded the aura of an experienced player.

Instead of pulling up a small chair, Aimi nestled into Kotomi's lap, her soft body leaning against Kotomi's chest like a little kitten.

Kotomi smiled mischievously as she looked down at Aimi's hair, resting her chin on her sister's head and gently rubbing it back and forth.

"Onee-chan, that tickles… hahaha!" Aimi giggled, her body squirming from side to side.

The next second, her character's health bar was depleted.

Just moments earlier, Aimi had been boasting about showing her skills, but she turned out to be all talk. She didn't even make it out of the Prisoners' Quarters before being blown up by a monster.

"Why do these monsters throw bombs!?" she exclaimed.

"Of course, they throw bombs. I blocked so many of them earlier with my shield. Didn't you see?"

Aimi's face turned red. How could she admit that she hadn't been paying attention to the game at all, her eyes fixed solely on Kotomi's side profile?

"Ahem, just a slip-up. Your turn, Onee-chan," Aimi said awkwardly, handing the controller back to Kotomi.