Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?

Are you close to your mom?

“Question: Are you close to your mom?”

About average, I guess.

Pretty Distant Average Pretty Close

“Question: Do you talk with your mom? How much do you talk with your mom?”

Average

Average.

Ma-kun, how's school? Tell me if anything bad happens, okay?

I'll make sure I'm there for you!

"Question. What has your mother said to you that made you happy?"

Not much.

Question: What has your mother said to you lately that made you happy? Not much.

Ma-kun...

Here's sesame, thousand island, and Asian dressing for your salad.

"Question. What has your mother said to you lately that made you upset?"

Ma-kun, are you listening to your mother?

Hey, come on, Ma-kun...

Huh? What are you writing, Ma-kun?

What has your mother said to you lately that made you upset?

Don't look at my stuff! You're in the way!

It's really annoying when she calls me by a nickname.

"Question. If you went on an adventure with your mother, would you get closer?"

What? Talk about a stupid question.

Maybe, I guess? No idea.

Masato Oosuki Stamp Here

Masato Oosuki.

The Boy Thought He Was Embarking on a Great Adventure... But, Uh, What’s Going on Here?

Hello. My name is Masumi Shirase.

I'm informing you that I'm here as part of a survey the Cabinet Office is doing.

Since “Shirase” means to inform.

H-Hi. Did you need to introduce yourself with a bad pun?

I'm informing you that,

since so many kids made fun of me when I was little, I decided to just own it.

That's one way to live, I guess.

- Listen, Ma-kun, Shirase brought us big news— - Mamako.

Y-Yes?

I'll be the one to inform him of that. Because I am Shirase.

And informing people is my job!

Ma-kun, I'll go do something else for a while.

Now then.

Cutting to the chase, I am here to inform you that you will now begin a new life.

Huh?

First, a question.

In a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office, it was revealed that many users of online games

desire to actually enter the world of a video game.

Do you feel the same way?

Sure, if that were possible, but that's not something—

Now!

And now I hit the enter key!

Is this... Could it be?

Yes, it's just what you think!

It is... It is!

It's sending me to the world of the game!

Ma-kun, wait!

Mom... I'm sorry, I'm going.

I was always so embarrassed around you, so I said the most awful things.

Ma-kun!

Ma-kun!

But now, if I can go on an incredible adventure and become stronger...

Wait!

Maybe I can be more honest around you.

Ma-kun!

Someday, I'll come back, I swear it!

And when I do, I hope I can hug you tight and tell you, “I'm home.”

A fairy?

There were things like this in the online game I played...

But seriously?

Seriously?

I'm here!

I'm really here, inside a game world!

I made it! Hello, unreality!

This is it! This is what I was waiting for!

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Ma-kun, you meanie.

I told you to wait so I could come with you, but you didn't wait at all!

You made me really sad!

Here we go.

It's time to go on lots of fun adventures with your mom, Ma-kun!

Wha... What the hell?

Step, step, step.

Teleportation Palace

Welcome! I am the King, the master of Teleportation Palace.

Before we begin, tell me your names.

I am Mamako Oosuki!

This is Ma-kun, my son!

Mamako and her son Ma-kun, yes? Now then—

Hang on a second, Your Highness.

My name is Masato! Masato!

Alright. I'll register it that way.

Registered

Could that be an initial account registration?

Indeed!

Registered

Seriously?

Also, once you register, you can't change anything!

Why didn’t you say so?

Oh crap! I registered with my real name!

No! Don't play the fanfare!

Now then, allow me to present you with your basic stats.

Accept them!

Masato Normal Hero Masato's Clothes

So my class is normal hero, huh?

Mamako Normal Hero's Mother Mamako's Clothes

Um, Your Highness, what does it mean that my class is normal hero?

Normal means normal.

You're not expected to do anything as grand as save the world.

A normal level of closeness. A normal level of happiness.

As the embodiment of what you are, a normal hero and a normal hero's mom,

these are the things that you should strive for!

Now go, hero!

Okay, off we go!

Not! I’m completely confused! Explain!

Listen carefully, then.

Basically, you're in a closed beta for an online game.

We used special technology that we can't explain easily to put the users themselves in the game.

So we want you to go test play it for us!

That's the deal!

Okay, that was straightforward.

Please note that most test players were chosen

based on the strict criteria involving their response to a certain survey.

But some unfortunate individuals who wrote their names on what was supposed

to be an anonymous survey were chosen as well.

It was easier to track them down, you see.

I won't mention names, though.

Who could do something so stupid... Wait, is that me?

Masato Oosuki Stamp Here

Now, let me tell you about the game itself.

Since it’s still in beta, it doesn’t have an official title yet.

For now, we’re calling it an MMMMMORPG (Beta).

How many M's does it really need?

The genre is “Fantasy MMORPG.” It offers a wide variety of classes to choose from.

You can fight. You can craft. You can decorate your house with in-game items.

You’re free to play the game any way you like.

But my class is already...

We gave you a class nobody had taken, so that we could gather data.

That can’t be changed either!

You’re already taking choices from me... But, well, this is a valuable experience, right?

I get to test play a full-dive system, and I get to be a hero too.

I think I’ve got the basic idea. Basically, it’s an online game, right?

I’m glad you’re quick on the uptake. What about you, Lady Mamako?

Um, well...

What is this, um... "account," then?

- We have to start there? - We have to start there?

Just out of curiosity, what do you think an "account" is?

Account... Um...

Ah, ah, ah, ah!

Is that it?

Well, it's faster for you to just find out for yourself.

You have Sir Masato with you, after all.

You can read the guidebook, too.

Oh, thank you!

Ma-kun, did you hear?

They played a "Pa-pa-ra" for me, too!

It's time for the next event!

Come with me!

Don't go so fast!

We haven't finished discussing the most important thing here!

Why...

Why is my mom here?

Why is your mother with you?

That is the question that’s deeply intertwined with the purpose of this game.

If I told you, the GM's would force you to do their bidding.

Instead, it would be best if you realize it naturally through the course of your journeys.

U-Um...

Thus, Hero Masato,

I shall give you an amazing first-time player bonus to distract you before you ask more questions!

Step, step, step.

I can take one of these?

Indeed. These are actually a reward for completing the game's most difficult quests.

But users these days won't play your game unless you give them something great to start!

I really didn't want to know that.

People these days are so choosy.

Back in the day, heroes used to start their adventures with sticks for weapons.

The person from the NES generation can shut up.

Now, pick one of these swords, Sir Masato!

Oh, okay!

I don't know why, but I feel like this is the sword for me!

I'm sure of it!

That sword is called the “Holy Sword of the Great Heavens,” Firmament.

In the distant past, when this world's sky was covered in the darkness,