“Are we done for…?!” Johann cried.

It was when the Pirate King’s attack was imminent. Convinced of their defeat, she instinctively closed her eyes.

“Aikawa-senpai, what hobbies do you have?”

“What’s with that all of a sudden? It’s rude, you know.”

It was one day when my junior colleague came to visit me.

“Because you don’t seem to have any hobbies, do you, Aikawa-senpai? I wonder if that’s fun?”

I do have a hobby. I watch the Virtual Monsters anime, collect figures and goods, and draw pictures of Virtumon.

The glass collection case that I forced myself to buy was decorated with the Virtumon goods I had collected, and it was my only pleasure in life to look over it…… but: there is no way I can say such a thing.

Huh?

Since when did I stop being able to honestly admit to what I liked?

“Anime, toys, games, manga…all of those things are trash! They’re things to graduate from when you grow up! You’ll be all kinds of messed up in the head if you still like them when you grow up!” my father always preached, and I grew up with that idea. My sister was against it, but I didn’t have the courage to defy our father.

That’s why I’ve always thought that I’m a useless person and that my loving Virtumon is somehow a personality flaw. I’ve lived hiding my true self like that.

“Woah… it’s hatched!”

20 years ago. When I was 8 years old.

I still remember the excitement I felt when I bought my first Virtual Monsters game. It has a square liquid crystal display in the center of a cheap, egg-shaped plastic case.

Among them, monsters represented by 16×16 pixels were moving. Looking at it now, it really was a cheap toy. However, at that time, I felt that they were living in that 16×16 pixel world.

I didn’t have many friends, but I loved Virtumon like a true friend, raised it, and it went with me wherever I went.

I was bad at the game back then, so, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to evolve Hinadora into its strongest form, Chrono Dragon. I always fell just short of it.

“I’m sure it’s because I’m still a kid! When I grow up, I’ll get better at games, and I’m sure I’ll be able to evolve you into a Chrono Dragon. So until then, stay with me forever, Hinadora!”

At that time, I believed without a doubt that even when I grew up, I would still be with this baby of mine.

“How long are you going to keep doing such childish things… you’re already in high school, aren’t you?”

“Stop…give it back…give it back!!”

I could see myself crying and begging because my father took away my Virtumon. However, there is no way that an elementary school student can beat an adult, so my father carefully destroyed the Virtumon with a hammer and pliers and threw it in the trash can.

“This is for your own good. If you keep playing with things like this, you’ll be messed up in the head. You may hate me now, but you’ll learn eventually. This was necessary for you to become a better person.”

“…”

I didn’t take my Virtumon out of the trash can. If did, I wouldn’t become a good adult. I couldn’t move my legs because I thought I would end up like that, too. That’s why I couldn’t go and help my friend who was tossed in the trash can.

From there, I focused on my studies and sports. After entering high school and starting a part-time job, I secretly collected merchandise. Sometimes I looked back at them from time to time and got courage. But that incident was something I regret very much. That’s why, when my junior colleague asked me:

“Aikawa-senpai, what hobbies do you have?” , “What do you like doing?”

I answered, “Nothing.”

After that, while spending my days lacking something, I graduated from a safe university and got a job at a safe company. I was able to grow up to be an independent and respectable adult who would have no trouble living on her own.

Three years later, my father passed away.

“You have become a fine adult. I’m proud of you, Kei.”

I was able to become the fine adult that my father wanted. That was good. It was tough, but in the end, I was accepted by my father, who raised me with care.

“Honestly…?”

Someone asks me.

“Honestly…? Have you honestly become a fine adult…?”

“Huh?” I went.

A girl with a broken Virtumon toy in her hand was looking at me. That’s who I used to be.

“Have you become a fine adult?” Past Me asks. “Did you abandon your most precious friend to become a fine adult?”

I crouched down to meet her eye level and stroked her head.

“I didn’t… become a fine adult, did I…?” I asked.

“…… Yes.”

Past Me lowered her eyes sadly. I take the broken Virtumon she’s holding in her hand.

“But, you know,” I said. “Thanks to this kid, I made new friends. They’re more than a generation younger than me.”

I think of the faces of Zecca-chan and Remma-chan. They’re the best friends I’ve had in years.

“……For real!?” Past Me said. “What kind of people are they?”

“People who can honestly say they like what they like,” I said.

“…… Nice! That’s it! That’s how you become a fine adult! That’s what I wanted to be! I’m sure I’ll be a wonderful woman who loves Virtumon forever!”

“Yeah, right? You’re right, I’m sure that’s it. That’s why…”

I let go of the girl in front of me and stood up.

“It’s a little late, but I’m thinking of becoming a ‘fine adult’’, too.”

“You can be!” Past Me said. “You can definitely do it! Because you are… me!”

Thanks to Kon-san clinging to and obstructing the Pirate King’s movements, that attack didn’t hit me. However:

“Mokyuu… uuuh.”

“Hinadora?!”

Although I managed to endure it with Guts, Hinadora’s HP was reduced to 1 and it was in tatters. The pitiful appearance that seems like it’s going to disappear at any moment, it’s like I can see the Virtumon toy my father destroyed there, too.

“Hinadora… huh, do you have something?” I asked.

If I look closely, Hinadora has some kind of items in its mouth. Maybe a clue to turn the tables!? I took them out and my shoulders dropped.

It’s a summoning stone for the Advanced-level summoned beast, Chrono Dragon. As I haven’t yet gotten Advanced Summoning, I still can’t summon this Virtumon. This is not a table-turner.

“Moh-moh!” Hinadora cried.

“Huh, there’s another one…? This thing is…”

It’s a crystal like-item that rolled into my hand.

“Transcoder”

Can be used on Equipment or Items. Expands the Abilities of Target.

“This is… the item that Kon-san said was supposed to be part of the Third Layer?!”

I trembled at this miraculous development. No. This is no miracle.

Zecca-chan and Remma-chan put everything on the line to get Hinadora back.

Solo-san and Kon-san joined our hopes… to this the last piece for victory.

Now it’s my turn to step up.

“Listen, Hinadora. I’m sure you’re the Hinadora from that time when your toy was destroyed, just as Zecca-chan said,” I said. “My most important friend who came back to me after 20 years.”

“Mokyu!? ……Mokyu!”

“At that time, I was so scared of my father…I couldn’t help you when you were tossed in the trash. I don’t want them to feel the same way. I don’t want them to experience the sadness of having something important to you completely destroyed with no way to stop it. I don’t want them to grow up holding something like that in their hearts.”

“Mokkyu…”

“I don’t want them to become… just like me.”

“Mokkyu!”

“You understand. That’s right, let’s fight together!”

I pushed the Transcoder into Hinadora’s forehead.

“Mockyu… Mokyu!!”

Immediately… Hinadora’s body shines brightly. The space around us trembled, and the bits of data floating around started flowing into Hinadora’s body. I am familiar with this effect.

No, this is what I know best…

“Is this… Evolution?! … That’s right, it has to be!”

It is a function that does not exist in the current state of GOO. But I believe this is evolution.

“A black dragon? Or a metal black dragon? … No, something beyond those…”

It’s something I couldn’t achieve when I was a kid. I’m terrible at games, and no matter how hard I try, my Hinadora never became that.

But.

I’m playing this game. I’m going to take the hopes of everyone that helped me… and go to a place where Hinadora and I could have never reached on our own.

“HINADORA!! EVOLUTION!!”

“MoKYUUUUUUUUUU!”

Hinadora hears my voice. It makes its whole body tremble, releasing all the power converging in that tiny body.

Its young heart grows.

Its body reaches maturity.

Sooner or later, it will surpass even the perfection I strove for.

Now, it’s reached the ultimate state.