THE STORY · EPISODE 06
A sheet reading “Congratulations! You’ve won!” landed on Mana’s head.
She had not entered anything.
The second offered a luxury trip, the third a free health check, and the fourth an urgent update. The fifth returned to travel. From the sixth onward, the same messages fell in nearly identical folds.
Reception Plaza had become a river of white paper.
“A morning worth celebrating, don.”
The instant Securidon said it, a pile of paper buried him.
“Not worth celebrating, don!”
Mana and Patchron hauled him out. A black cloud hung low over the buildings, calling in a voice with no visible mouth. Look. Open. Hurry. Just for you.
For all its noise, nothing it said stayed in her ears.
A plaza attendant held a device above the paper that reached their chest.
“An important notice should have arrived. A warning about this morning’s equipment inspection. But I don’t know where it’s sunk.”
“Delete it all, and it’ll be clear, don.”
Securidon brushed paper away.
Mana shook her head.
“We’d delete that warning too.”
A mass of paper surged against his shield. A Defense question shone between the sheets.
OPTIONAL QUESTION · 06-D1Recognizing spamWhich description best matches spam in this situation?Open illustration & choices
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“C. Messages sent in large numbers to people who don’t want them.”
Securidon’s shield scattered the pressure of the paper.
“So it doesn’t mean all of them are dangerous programs.”
Sapo spoke, and Mana nodded. Keeping the terms distinct also helped them avoid losing the one message they needed to protect.
At first, Mana tried examining each sheet separately.
Ten more arrived in the time it took her to check three. Unknown senders, similar wording, different prize names. The more she looked, the less she remembered what she had been trying to find.
“Would unsubscribing stop it?”
The attendant pointed to a tiny “Unsubscribe” in the corner of a sheet.
For a moment, Mana also thought they were saved. Stopping unwanted messages did fit their goal.
But instead of extending his rod, Phishingon gave a small cough.
“Wasn’t that exit made by the same person who made the entrance?”
Mana checked the sender information again. It was not a source she knew. Claiming to offer an unsubscribe option, it was leading to another unfamiliar place.
“We shouldn’t treat this like unsubscribing from a legitimate mailing list.”
OPTIONAL QUESTION · 06-A1Bulk mail and an important noticeAn unknown source sends many prize emails. The unsubscribe links are also unverified. You are expecting an important equipment notice. What should you do?Open illustration & choices
Interactive answer checks and saved progress load with JavaScript. You can continue reading without answering.
“B. Use the reporting function without pressing links in the messages. Check the inspection notice on the legitimate portal.”
After confirming the method with the attendant, Mana gave her instructions.
“Securidon, make a path in front of the attendant. Patchron, support the guide lights.”
Light from the shield parted the paper river, and Yuki guided people toward the safe side.
Episode 6, Illustration 1 | Reception Plaza buried in notifications
Rather than open sheets and give the shadow more routes, they reported groups with the same characteristics. A legitimate spam-reporting function could be used without interacting with the email’s contents.
“Mark suspicious messages as spam.”
Following the on-screen instructions, Mana reported one group.
Flag the suspicious messages as spam.
That alone did not clear the sky in an instant. The report reached the responsible staff, and handling was adjusted for messages with the same features. The paper river weakened a little.
“Now we can keep up.”
Patchron raised a buried guide light. Securidon stood downwind with his shield so the flying sheets would not cover the attendant’s face. Phishingon did not fish out papers at random: he brought Mana only bundles already identified for reporting.
It was the rod whose owner had promised yesterday to call before pulling.
They verified the equipment warning not in the pile of paper, but on the official portal.
The genuine notice clearly named the inspection target and responsible contact. Mana read it with the attendant and checked where action was needed.
“I thought I couldn’t verify it unless I found the email.”
The attendant breathed out deeply.
Rather than choose only from what arrived, they could go to a trusted place themselves. That small difference opened a path through the plaza.
The inspection message got through, and the people hurrying about returned to their duties. The paper falling from the black cloud grew thin, then turned to gray particles no one could read.
As the cloud sank to the ground, Mana used Securies.
A fluffy pale-purple shape appeared from the light. Envelopes floated around its little hands. The new companion drew a breath and immediately began talking.
“Hello, thank you, where are we, oh, I like your hat, I’m Spamool, what’s your name—”
“One thing at a time!”
Their voices overlapped, so Yuki raised a hand.
“Sorry. We all spoke at once too.”
Spamool flinched and shrank.
Mana hurriedly reached out.
“It isn’t that we don’t want to talk. We want to listen, so tell us one thing at a time.”
The cloudlike body slowly returned to its original size.
“You want to listen?”
“Yes. I’m Mana.”
This time, Spamool waited for an answer. He swayed a little while waiting, but did not pile on more words.
The sixth record in the WS Encyclopedia lit up: COL-002, Spamool. For the first time, he waited without speaking until the light faded.
Securidon lifted the bread he had finally found among the papers. It was the breakfast he had bought before coming to the plaza. Still sealed in its bag, it had been squashed flat.
“My bread’s become a letter, don.”
Spamool’s eyes widened.
“What does it say?”
“‘Eat me soon,’ don.”
Laughter rose. Spamool laughed too. There were times when he could belong without talking constantly. He floated quietly among their voices, as though trying that out for the first time.
Mana shared the bread. Flat as it was, the flavor remained.
As they were leaving the plaza, the attendant ran after them with a small envelope.
It had fallen beneath a worktable, unrelated to the flood of notifications. A short note on the outside gave someone’s plans for coming home. After checking the contact details, they returned it to its owner, who thanked them repeatedly.
Mana remembered herself looking at the river of paper.
At some point, all of it had begun to look like a nuisance.
Yet among it were messages someone had been waiting for. Protecting was not only stopping things; it was also making sure what needed to arrive could arrive.
On the way back, Spamool offered Mana an envelope.
“There’s something I’d like you to read. Is now a good time?”
Mana nodded.
Inside was a single line.
Thank you for making me one of your companions.
When Mana looked up, Spamool was smiling. Without all the extra paper, even a small voice could reach someone.
Episode 6, Illustration 2 | Spamool reaches out, one message at a time
Securidon peered over.
“Is there one for me, don?”
“Yes! And three hundred more—”
“Start with one each, don.”
Spamool gave a firm little nod.
That evening, a request arrived at the doctor’s desk. This time, just one.
The sender’s photograph showed a smile that could put anyone at ease.
END OF EPISODE 06