The Players Have Arrived: Tremble, Distillery!

Blurb:

What do you do when you discover that while you were away, an AI had been playing your game for you?

Tsukishima Hana's answer: Make the best of it.

At last, her miserable high school days were over. Tsukishima Hana excitedly opened the distillery management game she hadn't touched in a year, only for a notification window to pop up.

"To ease the burden on working adults and students, and to keep gaming from feeling like another job, we've specially introduced an AI Auto-Play System! Players who are busy in real life no longer need to worry about not having time to grind levels. Distillery Management is a mature game that levels up on its own, the perfect choice for you!"

Below it was a smiley face: "Don't forget to leave us a five-star review, sweetie (???)"

The game had now been running for more than a century under AI auto-play. Tsukishima Hana, now an old lady, tremblingly opened the distillery's staff list, which had grown several times thicker since her last login. She stared at the state of affairs, with undercover agents everywhere and fake liquor as common as dogs, and fell silent.

She left you a ***** review!!!

After a "friendly" conversation with the System, Tsukishima Hana began an absolutely delightful gaming life as a middle school girl, occasionally whipping the distillery into shape and getting out of school at three!

1.

Gin, Vermouth, and Rum received an order from the BOSS to meet him. When they arrived, however, they saw only a beautiful girl.

After hearing their doubts, the girl replied matter-of-factly, "Never heard of transgender people? What's so hard to understand about getting tired of being a man and wanting to change your gender?!"

2.

The distillery's members discovered that ever since a middle school girl had joined the organization, their lives had become unbelievably difficult.

After hearing the organization's new rules, Bourbon's eyes widened in shock. "What did you just say?"

"It's a new order from the BOSS. To help members who don't know how to launder money, the organization has opened a host club in Kabukicho. Every member with a code name must become a registered employee. When they need to receive their pay, bonuses, and so on, they'll come to the club as patrons and spend money. The club's cut will count as funds, and their code names will be their stage names."

Bourbon's smile nearly froze on his face. "But isn't the organization's principle to avoid attracting attention? It wouldn't be good if our code names got leaked, would it?"

"Rum tactfully brought up that concern to the BOSS before."

"What did the BOSS say?"

"The BOSS agreed that Rum had a point and made a slight change to the order."

"...And the revised version is?"

"Then just use your real names as your stage names. That way, your code names won't be leaked."

Bourbon: "!!!"

"...Actually, now that I think about it, the original order was pretty good."

"That's what Rum said at the time, too."

3.

The distillery's members: BOSS, please go back to school! If your seven-day stay-at-home punishment doesn't end soon, we won't be able to go on!

The teachers and students at Teito University, where Tsukishima Hana studies: How can the seven days be over so soon? That demon girl is coming back!

4.

When Atobe Keigo learned that Tsukishima Hana was about to return to school, he turned to Oshitari Yuushi with a serious expression. "Is everything ready?"

"Don't worry." Oshitari Yuushi looked solemn. "We've surrounded the tennis courts with electric fencing. At least four tennis club members are guarding the entrance. There are cameras covering every route from the school gate to the tennis club, and someone is keeping an eye on the security room at all times."

They absolutely would not let her in!

"What about the principal?"

"When he heard that Tsukishima was coming back to school, he fainted this morning. An ambulance took him in for emergency treatment."

Notes:

1. Since this story crosses over several anime series, some details are made up.

2. The author loves every character, but anyone familiar with the Fourth Calamity knows that every character will be indiscriminately put through the wringer. If a character shows up but hasn't suffered yet, their turn just hasn't come. Please don't read if that bothers you.

3. Apologies for any out-of-character portrayals.

Theme: Players fear nothing.