Author's note: Hello everyone! Here is the beginning of The Angel Player's history arc.

Enjoys!

Qwqs

The manual

"Most of the time, things do not go as you want them to be. Still, some foolishly struggle in order to get what they want. Sometimes they succeed, but most of the time, they are not. Still, there is one important fact. If they do not even struggle in the first place, the chance they will succeed is 0."

"…"

There is no response, so the voice continues.

"Isn't that right, my loyal servant?"

"…Yes, I agree with you, my lord."

Finally another voice responds, reluctant agrees with the first voice.

"Then I see no reason for you to complain about how foolish their useless struggle is, don't you think so?"

"…"

"How they chose to foolishly struggle and how they will find out about something."

The voice pauses. Maybe it is to take a breath? Or just to emphasize his next words? Nobody really knows. However, if the man has to take a guess, it should be the latter, since the owner of that voice doesn't need to breathe to survive after all…

"However, whether that something is truly the thing they have been looking for is another matter altogether. Unfortunately, the chance of them finding out about the answer without my intervening is 0."

The man thinks that his lord made a shrug even if he can't see his lord's astral body. Only if his lord permits it, could he ever see his lord's astral form.

"...So do you plan to intervene then, my lord?" Shaking his head to clear his thought, he asks the lord.

"Hmm…"

"…"

He stays silent as he waits for his lord to finish his deliberation.

"…To be honest, I'm not too sure about that, my loyal servant," his lord responds.

"Eh?" He lets out a surprised voice.

"You see, on whether I will intervene or not, it depends on how much they interest me."

"…"

He stays silent, waiting for his lord to continue.

"The reason I intervened and created that marriage ceremony in the first place was because they had interested me. How 2 people from the lower realm have such a deep affection for each other but had to part; it reminisced me of old time."

"Oh, my lord, did you mean that time?"

"Oh, so you still remember about it, huh?"

"Of course! How can I forget such a thing?"

Yes, there is no way that he will forget such an event.

"Anyway, it seems like soon they will finally know about "that". Doesn't it make you excited about how they would react?"

"I guess I can't say I'm not even a little curious."

"Let us enjoy it then! If after that, it is still interesting enough, I may lend them a helping hand. I'm not such a cruel being after all."

The man wants to retort to his lord that his lord is more like a dispassionate being considered his realm, but in the end he decides not to.

Instead, he replies to his lord.

"I just hope they will not make us too bored."

"I think you can count on them, my loyal servant," his lord replies. From experience, he believes his lord is also smiling.

'So I guess I have no choice but to watch this farce a little further then? Not that it does not interest me,' he smiles as he thinks so.

-o-O-o-

"So why did you call me, Saigusa-san?" Yuzuru asks after he entered Kanade's previous room.

He was called to this room by Haruka.

"Well, I am about to begin the plan to know more about The Angel Player," Haruka simply says.

"Oh! It finally begins, huh? Then what shall we do?" Yuzuru inquires.

"No idea," Haruka shrugs.

"Eh? What do you mean, Saigusa-san?" Yuzuru asks, surprised.

"I said I have no idea, Otonashi-san," Haruka confirms again.

"Then why did you call me here?" Yuzuru continues to ask, baffled why she called him here if she has no plan.

"It is because I have no idea, that is why I want you to give me yours, Otonashi-san," Haruka easily answers.

"Ah, I see. So you want my opinion, huh?" Yuzuru finally begins to understand the situation.

"Yes, since we are in this together. No, rather, it is me helping you. So don't you think it wouldn't be right for you not to contribute anything to this investigation and just waiting for me to complete your own stuff? Don't you have any conscious at all?" Haruka lashes out her sharp tongue.

"Urgh! You said it like I won't help you out at all in this," Yuzuru frowns.

"And did you help?" Haruka continues to inquire.

"I did help you test those strengthened senses thingy," Yuzuru replies.

"And is that enough contribution compared to how much of a help I did in this?" Haruka continues to corner Yuzuru.

"W-Well you never asked!" Yuzuru does a brilliant counter.

"…"

"…"

They stare at each other for a while.

Finally Haruka breaks off the stare by lowering her head a little and closes her eyes.

"…Well, I guess you are right." Haruka softly speaks.

"See? What was that for anyway?" Yuzuru also finally speaks again.

"It is nothing I guess," Haruka says, a little depressed.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Yuzuru asks, concerned.

"Well, I guess this does remind me, I had always been doing things on my own back when I was alive…" shaking her head, she continues, "No, that's not right. I have never changed. I am still always doing things on my own even now. I think it is a given that I have to do things on my own. I guess that was why I didn't ask you for any help more than necessary in this,"

"Saigusa-san…"

"Well, enough about that! Do you have any idea on what we should do next?" Haruka raises her head, opens her eyes, and tries to change the subject.

Yuzuru believes he shouldn't show her his pity. The worst thing one wants to happen is to be pitied by others. So he answers her normally, treating it as though he had not heard her previous words.

"Hmm… there are a lot of things we can do to know more about The Angel Player. First would be to test the limit of how much The Angel Player can alter our bodies and this world."

"But that is dangerous, isn't it? Actually, the idea came to my mind too, but one mistake and things may be irreparable. So after considering pros and cons, I dismissed it."

'Yes, it would certainly be bad if the Afterlife gets destroyed or there is irreparable change to the body. So that option is out, I guess.' Yuzuru also dismisses it after hearing her reason.

"Then how about we create more safe skills then?" Yuzuru suggests another idea.

"I thought of that too, but isn't that no different from what we have been doing? I don't think it helps much in knowing about The Angel Player," shaking her head again, Haruka replies.

"Hmm… what else?" Yuzuru is deep in thought.

"Yes, what else?" Haruka also thinks about it beside him.

"I guess there is a manual, but-" Yuzuru begins after thinking for a while, but he is cut short.

"What did you say?! There is a manual?!" Haruka shouts in surprise.

"Oh, not so loud, will you?" Yuzuru picks his ears using his index fingers because Haruka practically shouted to his ears.

"Why haven't I heard about this before?" Ignoring Yuzuru's complaint, Haruka asks.

"Well, I kind of forgot about it and it won't help much anyway, it is in very hard English. Even I can't understand it," Yuzuru replies.

"…Are you an idiot?"

"W-what? No! I am a very good student! I am quite good at English too!"

"I don't mean that, but did you forget what I told you?"

"What you told me?" Yuzuru repeats.

"Yes, I told you I studied Psychology back when I was alive, didn't I? How do you think I studied?" Haruka asks.

"Ah! You don't mean-" Yuzuru speaks but he is cut off again.

"Yes, I studied it by reading English psychology books. Not to brag, but I think my English should be a lot better than you."

"I see. So I should tell you about it since the beginning, huh?"

"Yes, you should," she nods to Yuzuru's words.

"Give me a sec, I will go get it!" Yuzuru says as he runs off to his room where the manual is.

It is there because the last time he tried to read it he forgot to bring it back to this room that has The Angel Player program.

But anyway, it seems like their plan is able to progress.

-o-O-o-

"So how is it, Saigusa-san?" Yuzuru asks after a long while of silence.

"This is good, Otonashi-san! There are some words I don't understand, but in general, I can read it. Ah, how I wish I had read the manual before making those skills, it would have shortened the time for making them significantly," she glares at Yuzuru as she says the last sentence.

The meaning is, "It's your fault that I had to waste so much time making those skills."

"W-well, enough about that. D-did you learn anything?" Yuzuru tries to change the subject.

Fortunately, Haruka complies, "it explains in general how the program works; as expected of a manual. But it also mentions a little about how the program was created. I focused on reading about that. Apparently the detail of how the program was created is hidden in one section of The Angel Player."

"It is? Why have I never seen it?" Yuzuru asks, a little confused.

"The creator was quite nasty, he mentioned it offhandedly in a place where no sane person would ever take a look," Haruka replies.

"Is he? Where is it?"

"Bibliography," she simply says.

"Are you serious?! Who would read that?!" Yuzuru shouts his honest feeling out.

"Yes, I know that feeling. The bibliography actually says the brief information on how the program was created in this book is from a hidden section of The Angel Player. It also tells us where that hidden section is. I guess the creator wanted to play a little game with those who use The Angel Player in the future by mentioned such a thing in unexpected place of the manual."

"I get what you meant there, but there is one thing bothering me."

"What is it?" she asks.

"You said it yourself, right? It is in a place where no sane person would ever take a look. Why would you take a look then?"

"S-shut up! Don't sweat such a small stuff! We have more important thing to do!"

Although Yuzuru still thinks for a little bit that she is insane, he allows her to smoothly change the subject.

"Anyway, I will now open the computer and start The Angel Player, stay with me to take a look together, okay?"

"Of course!"

-o-O-o-

After that, they opened the computer and started the program, but…

"Urgh… password." Haruka groans.

Yes, when she tried to open the hidden section, it said, "To access this section, password required."

"Password?! How the hell can I know it?! Otonashi-san, I'm sorry, but it seems we have to stop here," Haruka feverishly apologizes.

Well, unfortunately, but it seems like their pursuit of the truth this time also has to end th-

"Oh, I have a way to solve this, leave it to me."

"Really? I leave it to you then."

Done!

How is it folks? Interesting?

Please help me look whether there are any plot holes. I really hate to make plot holes, but sometimes I alone can't really help it. So it would be much appreciate if you told me when there are plot holes. Thanks in advance!

Well, I did say that this chapter is the beginning of the history of The Angel Player, so yeah; the history of The Angel Player will be talked about in the next Afterlife chapter. Sorry if I disappoint you.

Lastly, thank you for supporting my story!

Please read and review!