"Asaha you look bored…would you mind indulging an old man with a sparring match?"
"Okay, Dad."
"Don't let this wrinkled face lull you, come at me with your full power!"
***
Unbeknownst to the two game inhabitants, this was the third time they would have this conversation.
The game had completely captured Yoh's attention. From his short experience with them, he could tell that it was a hybrid action-adventure role-playing. But what really grabbed him was that the main character was…him. And not just in that his avatar resembled him slightly.
It was everything. The starting area was a near complete replica of the Asakura compound back in Izumo. The people who populated the grounds were similarly styled after the members of his family.
His "mother", Keiko, could be found in her home office, busily making appointments with various clientele. When he tried talking her, she quickly snapped off a few clichéd words of encouragement before going back her work
"Tamao" could found in one the many guest rooms. There was something different about the look-alike, however. He couldn't tell exactly what it was though. Perhaps it was the intensity with which she was studying a large text. So wrapped up in the book, she didn't even react when Yoh tried speaking to her.
Then there was his father. His jolly, aloof, cheating bastard, level boss of a father. There was artistic liberty and then there's having a character able to fire off three unblockable hits in a row for 50 percent damage.
---
"Asaha you look bored…would you mind indulging an old man with a sparring match?"
"Okay, Dad."
"Don't let this wrinkled face lull you, come at me with your full power!"
---
Mikihasa rushed his son like a man possessed.
"Not this time"
Gritting his teeth, Yoh maneuvered 'Asaha around the boss arena, firing off a few furyoku empowered leaves. The damage was laughable at best. Yes, currently his most effective attack was a simple strike combo with a wooden sword.
Of course effective was relative term given how little damage it actually did.
"Wait he fakes out at half health" Yoh contorted his body in the direction of in-game avatars movements, too engrossed in the action to acknowledge the fact that it had no impact on the game whatsoever.
With impeccable agility, Asaha ducked and dodged through his father's many attacks. When the opportunity arose he srtuck back. Of course he could only manage a fraction of the damage his father could inflict on him.
Ten minutes had passed and finally Mikihasa had been whittled down to a sliver of health. Now Yoh had to do was dodge his two, no wait three projectiles and jump-attack right into his unblockable combo…damn it.
Yoh couldn't watch as Asaha was beaten about the head and then slammed viciously to the floor.
"That's fine. I didn't want to beat him right now anyway." Yoh rolled his eyes sarcastically as he maneuvered his avatar from the entrance to the boss room.
As his character scampered around the digital mansion, Yoh smiled as noticed the impressive details that were included. Placement of rooms, furniture arrangement, even small things like color detail. It was a perfect replica.
Soon he encountered the Tamao look-alike again. Over her head was a blinking thought balloon with an exclamation point.
"Hmm, I guess I can talk to her now."
***
"Asaha, I heard your grandfather has designed another course in beginning forest. You should probably give it a run before sparring with your dad again."
***
"Ohh, of course!" Yoh threw his hand up with a flare. "I probably gotta unlock his weakness. To the begin-" a long yawn escaped from his mouth.
Leaning slightly he glanced at the clock across the room…2:37 a.m. he sucked his teeth in surprise. He wasn't sure if it was because he was up so late or the fact that it was because of a videogame of all things.
"I should probably go to bed." He shook his head dismissing the thought "Aww, it's only the second level. This shouldn't take more than fifteen, twenty minutes tops."
And so without further delay plucky 'Asaha' made his way out of the mansion, into the mountains toward the forest area.
At the edge of the forest stood the Tamao look-alike, once again with an exclamation bubble.
***
"Okay, you know the rules. Scattered around the forest are special leaf shikigami. Eight of them this time. Find and defeat all of them, and then make your way back here in one piece. Good luck and please, be careful."
***
The screen darkened as the game loaded the level. Yoh used the momentary pause to rub his eyes. Since the room's only light source had been the TV screen, when the game resumed Yoh had to blink a couple of times to readjust his vision.
Time passed and the level had been going well. Yoh had managed to find five shikigami so far. They weren't that special, just leaf spirits that were twice as big, glowed bright yellow and took a few more hits to fell.
Now on the hunt for the sixth shikigami, 'asaha' paused on a rock that he had passed a few minutes ago. Yoh was listening for the distinctive clicking noise the leaf spirits made as they patrolled their area.
As the camera swiveled around 'asaha' Yoh was again impressed by how genuine the forest area seemed. It reminded him of the forest that he and his grandfather trained in when he was a child.
They got everything right. The way the sunlight filtered through the tops of the trees. The ambience of the various wildlife. Yoh decided to take his time in finishing this level. He wanted to enjoy it.
Yoh didn't know what it was but the forest really felt familiar. He couldn't shake it. Maybe it was the lack of sleep slowing him down, maybe it was the nostalgia but Yoh could not stop admiring the various areas. So engrossed was he, that he didn't notice the gradual change of the camera from an over the shoulder view to first person.
Yoh jerked his head suddenly as he felt himself nod off. He shook his head to try to clear the fatigue away, with little success. The soft background music started to fade as Yoh's eyelids grew heavier. He finally gave in and let them slowly close. An odd feeling began to overcome him. It wasn't the warm caress of oncoming sleep, but rather a locomotive feeling. It was like riding in a car only without actually moving.
Inhaling deeply he snapped his eyes open again. He took a few more deep breaths to drive the fatigue back. He thought maybe if actively tried to notice the details of the level then that would keep him awake.
"Wow they even got the smell right. "
Wait…smell? Squeezing his eyes shut, Yoh dug his toes into the ground. Yup they even got the feel of the dirt perfect. Taking a deep breath, he nearly choked on his realization.
"I really hoped I saved."