Norn gave Robert a glare that could probably kill if she focused hard enough. "Look, the fact of the matter is that we needed help from humans."

"But aren't you human as well, Miss Mikihara?" Ryūko inquired.

"No... and I'm not a fairy, either," she said. "I am a fragment of the host computer-god of this realm, Yggdrasill, assigned to monitor and protect Nyttliv, the villasge you are currently in."

"'Host computer-god'?" the girl repeated. "So you're telling us that we're [I]inside[/I] a computer?"

"That is correct. Everything around you is composed of data, and even your very bodies can be broken down into ones and zeroes here. To put it simply, you're in a digital world."

"And how do we know that this isn't some elaborate prank? For all we know, there's cameras hidden everywhere."

"I understand your skepticism," said Norn. She stood from her chair. "Please follow me. I will show you that this isn't some joke, and whast I say is true."