“Lightning Thrust!” The hero Akira shouted, his blade aiming to sever my neck from my body.

“Roulette Slash!” I countered, my sword clashing with his in a violent shower of sparks as I spiraled into the air. The ranking in the corner of my eye flashed the number 1, but under it the word ‘Cool!’ was displayed as well as a brief flash of the word ‘deflection.’ Clashing our blades at the last second was worth more than just hitting him, apparently.

A hairline fracture appeared on the cheap sword I had, it probably wouldn't last much longer, I landed on the ground a few feet away from the swordsman, whose name I had learned in the moment time was stopped, as I saw his name and his friends' names above their heads.

“Huh? That’s not a skill I’ve ever seen a goblin have!” Akira backed off, looking confused. “Oh well, doesn’t matter, the hero can’t lose in his own game!”

“Ugh, stop calling it a game, you sound like a little kid!” the elf Tyrael complained from behind him.

He slashed three times quickly, my reflexes barely able to keep up with his attacks. I parried them, but only barely. He called this a game, so that means he’s one of that woman, Vi’s ‘pieces’.

I stepped back, glaring at the hero in front of me. I had to defeat him, drive the heroes back, that was my goal. Wait, no, that’s wrong. Vi will send more and more heroes, forever, never giving up, a fallen hero just means she can put a new piece on the board…

Wait, that’s it!

“Beat the heroes without killing them.” I said, and Akira looked at me, his head cocked to the side.

“You speak common? That’s… unexpected.” he stopped his attack for a moment, and I took this chance.

I ran away.

“Oi, where do you think you’re going!” he shouted, chasing after me.

“D-Don’t follow me, I don’t want to fight you, I can’t fight you right now!” I called back, thinking I was speaking in my native goblin, but he heard it as common, must be part of being a ‘piece’.

“What the hell kind of mob encounter is this?! Low level enemies don’t run away from the PC!”

He thought he was literally in some sort of game, that what he was doing didn’t matter because it was all fake, huh? Are all adventurers under this delusion, or just her pieces? It would be difficult to get someone in that position to surrender, as he would see nothing to gain from quitting.

That would make me feel really bad for killing him, since he’s just a delusional idiot and not a real menace, on top of why I shouldn’t kill him already, dammit!

-

“Look, look! I told you this would all end as quickly as it has!” Vi’s laughter filled the game room, her expression wild and uncontrolled compared to her earlier composure. “So much for the ace up your sleeve, Beelzy~”

Beelzebub took a sip from his cup of black tea, then set it aside and picked up his deck of cards. After three bridge shuffles, he offered it to Vi to cut, but she declined. She felt so confident that he could do nothing, was that it?

Drawing the top card, beelzebub flipped it around, and in the same motion it transformed into a bright crimson game piece. He placed the new pawn on the board next to Fiffil and Akira, and chuckled.

“Ameteur mistake, milady.”

“You…” Vi scowled, her hands balling into tight fists, hard enough for her arms to shake from just the stress in her muscles.

-

“I have you now, goblin scum!” Akira thrust his sword forward, and it clashed against mine. The weak blade shattered, and I was left unarmed. “Surrender, and your death shall be painless and swift!”

“Do you really talk like this... all the time? You don’t, right? This is… an act, yeah?” I asked him, mostly in the hopes of stalling for a moment to think of a way to escape.

“Silence, foul creature! I’ve had enough of your devilish tongue, you won’t convince me to spare you!”

“Haah, I really hope Vi’s other pieces aren’t as aggressively annoying as this one.” I let out a long sigh, along with some information I probably shouldn’t have.

“Wait a minute, you know Vi?” he looked shocked, but then his confidence returned. “A trickster sent by the Demon Lord, no wonder you were stronger than the normal fodder!”

Seems like I just convinced him he was the hero of a fantastic story even more than he already believed it. And in that time I realized that I had nowhere to run to.

And then, as if by a miracle from god, a new creature walked into the tree clearing we stood in. over six feet tall, towering over both of us, was an orc.

[Orc][Level 7]

“L-level 7?!” both Akira and I shouted at the same time.

“Shit, she dragged me outside of the beginner zone, and my party got left behind too!” Akira began to mutter to himself, his panic evident.

The orc ignored me, because orcs and goblins often allied themselves most likely, and focused on Akira.

It lifted a dangerous, heavy looking club and swung it at the swordsman, who was too stunned to dodge. He was slammed into a tree, a large red number flashing in my vision above him, -12

-

“Fine, take that piece, I have dozens more at the ready, all much more talented than this one.” Vi scowled across the table, her frustration evident even though she said she was not bothered by the loss. “As soon as Akira is dead, I can play a much higher level piece.”

“Always thinking three moves ahead, aren’t you? Well perhaps you should focus on the current turn more often, you’re missing some riveting content.”

-

12 damage… that’s as much as my total HP?! If it turns on me, I’ll die instantly?! Wait, no, I was trying to keep this stupid hero from dying, I need him alive! If he dies he’ll just be replaced, in fact, Vi probably wants him dead, this guy is a fucking loser! A waste of a piece!

Without thinking I grabbed the downed Akira’s sword and swung it at the Orc. As the orc thought of me as an ally, he didn’t even notice me attempt to kill him. The sword struck his arm, cutting deeply but not killing him, of course not, why would it kill him in one hit.

However, a ringing noise in my thoughts echoed, and I felt stronger.

[Your level has increased]

[HP+10][MP+3][SP+10]

[Skill Obtained: Card Flip]

7 damage. Cost: SP: 5 An upward slash, launches enemies. Can follow launched enemies in the air or remain on the ground after use.

[Skill Obtained: Shuffle]

Cost: MP: 2. A swift dodge out of the way of attacks, doing so at the last possible moment before hit doubles dodge speed and recovery.