Before starting, there are a few things readers need to know.
There will be several names that can be said to be original names given by the Author so they have no connection to the original story, aka (original character) There is a name of a mangaka, but because in the real world the mangaka only displays his pen name, in this story the author entered a random name as the real name of the mangaka, so I hope you as the reader don't just enter it or believe it.
"Ding dong——!"
Tokyo, in front of a luxurious high-end apartment in a certain district.
A mature woman dressed in a professional business suit, exuding a capable and efficient aura, stood outside the door of one of the apartments.
From her slightly furrowed eyebrows, it could be seen that her mood was far from calm at the moment.
Standing beside the woman was a young boy with a youthful face that hadn't yet lost its immaturity.
The boy was wearing a high school uniform from a certain school and looked rather ordinary. On the way there, many passersby had been curious about this odd pairing.
Shortly after the doorbell was pressed, the door to the apartment opened.
"Uh... who are you?"
A man with slightly curly hair and skin paler than most women—perhaps from staying indoors for long periods—peeked out halfway, looking puzzled at the two people standing at his door.
"Hello, my name is Aki Kikuchihara, I am a government-assigned special incident officer. This is Sota Mizushino, my assistant."
The woman, named Aki Kikuchihara, handed over her business card and then showed her government ID. "The situation is urgent. Please come with us immediately."
Upon hearing that the woman represented the government and seeing the ID that did not appear to be fake, the man's face suddenly turned pale, as if he had thought of something.
As though he had done something guilty and had just been caught, the man's body began to tremble.
"I—I'm really not a lolicon. Those doujin books on my computer were forced on me by a friend. Please, you have to believe me!"
Hearing the man's words, Aki Kikuchihara was momTachibanarily stunned and fell silent for a few seconds.
"The government has not been monitoring your computer, and the purpose of my visit today is not related to your private life, but rather to ensure your personal safety."
Aki Kikuchihara let out a small sigh, realizing she would have to waste some precious time explaining: "You are the creator of Date A Live, pen name: Kōshi Tachibana, real name: Aoya Gotou, correct?"
"Mm, that's right... that's me. But in the industry, just call me by my pen name," Kōshi Tachibana nodded hesitantly. "Has something happened?"
"Yes, something has happened—something that could very well cost you your life."
Aki Kikuchihara's expression didn't change, as if she were discussing what she had for breakfast. But what she said was utterly shocking: "Mr. Tachibana, the character you created in Date A Live, one of the Spirits—the 'Witch', Natsumi Kyouno—has come to this world."
"Ah... ah?"
Upon hearing this, Kōshi Tachibana showed a confused expression.
What the heck was this person talking about?
A character he created appearing in the real world?
Kōshi Tachibana took out his phone and looked at the date.
"It's not even April Fool's Day today. Who sent you to pull such a boring prank?" Tachibana asked, rather speechless. "Also, how do you know my real name and address? Are you from the company?"
Seeing that Tachibana had no intention of believing them, Aki Kikuchihara and Sota Mizushino were not surprised.
After all, if someone had told them the same thing half a month ago, they would've assumed the person was either overly obsessed with anime or just mentally unstable.
But now, they wouldn't.
Because they had personally met characters from other fictional works.
Half a month ago, with the appearance of the first fictional character in this world, more and more virtual beings began to descend upon reality.
Their presence had caused quite a headache for the Japanese government.
Especially for Sota Mizushino, who had even personally participated in several of the battles involving these so-called "Creations."
The battles between Creations were, of course, recorded by bystanders and caused brief uproars on the internet.
However, thanks to the Japanese government's intense PR efforts, news about virtual characters invading the real world had not yet spread widely.
So it was only natural that Tachibana didn't believe them.
"Mr. Tachibana, I know this all sounds unbelievable, but unfortunately, it's true."
Aki Kikuchihara also knew that without presenting solid evidence, there was no way to convince him, so she gave up trying to persuade him verbally.
With a snap of her fingers, ten fully armed special forces officers who had been hiding on either side of the entrance rushed in, forcibly broke open the door, and surrounded the completely confused Kōshi Tachibana.
Just moments ago, he had thought Aki Kikuchihara was a scammer. Now, his Adam's apple bobbed hard in his throat.
He didn't believe these special forces were just cosplayers.
He had always maintained good relationships and couldn't think of anyone who would go through such lengths and spend so much money just to scare him.
"I—I surrender."
Without the slightest intention of resisting, he obediently raised his hands.
"Please don't worry, Mr. Tachibana. What we're doing is for your protection," Aki Kikuchihara said calmly. "You haven't done anything wrong, and as I said earlier, this isn't about the... doujin on your computer. It's because the characters you created have come into the real world."
Time was of the essence, and Aki Kikuchihara didn't intend to continue explaining. She gestured for the others to follow.
Sota Mizushino and the officers escorting Tachibana immediately followed, heading all the way to the parking garage.
Once inside a government-modified multipurpose sedan, Aki Kikuchihara picked up a tablet on board, pulled up several files and videos, and handed them to Tachibana.
Ten minutes later, after going through all the files and videos, the previously nervous expression on Tachibana face had completely vanished, replaced by a look of shock and uncertainty.
Although it was possible that the files were forged and the videos edited with CGI, who would go through this much trouble to mess with him?
While he still didn't quite believe that fictional characters had entered the real world, if the files were fake, the videos were CG, and the special forces were cosplayers—who could have orchestrated such an elaborate setup?
Besides, impersonating government officials was a serious crime!
If this really turned out to be some kind of prank show, the first thing he'd do when he got home was sue the person who leaked his private information, then take the show's entire production team to court and earn a huge payout!
But if what they said was all true...
"When you say my life is in danger, what do you mean exactly?" Tachibana asked cautiously. "And where are you planning to take me?"
"So far, one creator has already been killed by a Creation, and another has been kidnapped by one. Considering that Natsumi Kyouno is a villain, we believe that once she understands the current situation, she's very likely to seek out her creator."
Aki Kikuchihara, who was sitting in the front seat, seemed to be in the middle of a call, so Sota Mizushino took over the explanation: "Next, we will take you to meet with other creators and their Creations. Once you see virtual characters appear in the real world with your own eyes, you won't doubt us anymore."
"Apologies, there's been a change of plans. The surveillance team has tracked down Natsumi Kyouno whereabouts. The others have already left—we should meet up with them too."
Just as Mizushino was explaining, Aki Kikuchihara turned her head to join the conversation.
"Mr. Tachibana, please prepare yourself to come into direct contact with your Creation."