Journey from Overlord

"Mr. Momonga, I'm sorry, but this is as far as I can go with you." Sitting on the wide platform, backs against the dragon-shaped boss's corpse that had yet to dissipate, the two players spoke, their voices tinged with finality.

"There's no need to apologize, Aya-san." Momonga's expression was one of understanding, even if tinged with sadness, "After all, this is just a game, and you have your own life to deal with. I understand."

"Just a game... yes, it's only a game." Aya gazed up at the virtual starry sky, her voice distant, almost wistful.

"Aya-san?"

"No, it's nothing. Momonga-san, you're truly a good person."

"Why the sudden compliment?"

"Hehe." Aya responded with a smile, but it faded quickly. Her tone turned melancholic, "Originally, I thought about forming a guild with you—Flying Squirrel, Santachimi, and the others. It sounded so exciting, but... reality doesn't allow such luxuries."

Aya shook her head and stood up, brushing off invisible dust.

"I'm sorry, Momonga-san. I wanted to give you all my equipment, but I've decided to sell my account. To do so, I need to clear my friend list." She paused, retrieving a shimmering necklace from her inventory.

"But before I go, please accept this as my final gift."

The artifact-level accessory blinked into existence in Momonga's inventory through the game's mail system.

"That's it for me. Thank you for accompanying me through this last dungeon, Momonga-san." Aya smiled, her face glowing with bittersweet emotions, "Goodbye."

Before Momonga could respond, Aya's character flickered out of existence. Her name vanished from his friend list, leaving a void far greater than the digital emptiness she left behind.

It was the first time he had lost a companion in YGGDRASIL.

And he knew it wouldn't be the last.

___

"Brother." The girl removed her VR helmet, her voice calm as she addressed the man waiting silently beside her.

"The doctors are ready." The man's voice was tense but steady as he gestured toward the room. A team of white-coated professionals stood by, their expressions a mixture of professionalism and anxiety.

"I've gathered the world's best medical experts for you." He said, gripping her shoulders, "I don't care how long it takes—ten years, five years, or less—I will find a cure. You'll survive this, I promise."

"Thank you, Brother." The girl smiled faintly. She raised one hand, pulling him into an embrace, and left a soft kiss on his cheek.

"You must survive. I've even hired people to take care of your favorite game. You just focus on coming back to us." The man's voice trembled, betraying the tears he was trying to suppress.

The girl's smile softened, but her resolve remained unshaken, "I will."

A doctor stepped forward, "Boss, the preparations are complete. The permafrost chamber is ready for activation."

"Let's begin." The girl ordered calmly. Her brother stepped back reluctantly as the doctor approached with a mask. The girl didn't flinch as it was placed over her face.

The faint hiss of hypnotic gas filled the air, and her vision blurred. The heaviness of sleep overtook her.

"Brother... Momonga-san... will we meet again?" She murmured softly. Tears slid down her cheeks as her consciousness faded into darkness.

Seven years passed.

No miracle occurred. The experimental medicine never materialized. The girl's vitality ebbed away, slow but inevitable, despite every desperate effort her brother made. Finally, the head doctor approached him with grim finality.

"Let her go. It's the last mercy we can offer her."

Her brother stayed by her side until midnight, holding her hand as he made the impossible decision. With tears streaming down his face, he cut the power to her life-support system—and to the YGGDRASIL game server she had loved so much.

He had kept the servers alive for years, fulfilling her wish, but now it was over.

Perhaps, in another realm, the game would accompany her on her journey. Perhaps she wouldn't feel so lonely.

____

"What is going on?"

The girl's voice trembled as she stood in the middle of a vast forest. Confusion swirled in her mind, 'Where am I? Why am I here? And why... am I alive?'

She distinctly remembered the ventilator being shut off, the suffocating pain of her last moments. Death had been certain. So why was she standing here now?

"I'm alive... I'm still alive..." Her emotions surged, fragile and raw. Tears welled up, cascading down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Her human instincts clawed at her, making her feel small and vulnerable. But soon, another sensation crept in—one that felt completely foreign.

She glanced down at herself.

Green leather armor clung to her body. Something felt different about her head and lower back. Her chest, larger and fuller than it had ever been, rose and fell with each unsteady breath.

A strange, potent energy coursed through her veins, "What is this?"

Unable to contain her curiosity, she raised her hand, willing something to happen.

"Water creation."

The words left her lips instinctively, as though planted deep within her soul. A stream of water materialized out of thin air, flowing smoothly into existence.

"Stop."

The water ceased, forming a small puddle on the ground. Leaning over, she caught sight of her reflection.

Long, flowing hair the color of light blue silk. A face both exquisite and otherworldly, pure yet undeniably alluring. Horns arched elegantly from her head, and a sinuous dragon tail swayed gently behind her.

It was a form she knew all too well—her YGGDRASIL character, the Mother Goddess of Life, Aya.

Staring at the reflection, realization struck her like a thunderbolt.

"I... I've become Aya."