by Unknown
——[……If you don’t…… want to, then…… it’s fine, too……]
——[But then, you’ll have to wait here all alone and sad, with only one dice——]
——[……Because, we want to…… wait until, everyone dies…… then…… right❤]
——[Ah, also. If no one gets to the top, then everyone besides the leading player will die. Of course❤]
“——My feelings when you two threatened me and used me! Answer everything within ten characters!!”
Hearing the roaring Steph, Sora went Hmm…… and scratched his jaw.
Within ten characters, now that’s a quite a challenge——but.
“……I think…… it’s…… ‘Not doing it’……”
“Oooh, Shiro! That’s exactly ten characters!! As expected of the Crossword Master!!”
“You. Are. Super. Correct~❤——I’ll snap if you don’t cut it out already!?”
Steph rioted by rocking and rattling the cart when Shiro immediately answered.
“Ahhhh wait, wait I say! That was obviously because all that was absurd, right!?”
“Right, right, now that I think about it, it was obvious, wasn’t it——!”
Steph shouted deprecatingly in a single breath.
“Even if Sora gathers the dice, you can’t be separated from Shiro, isn’t that right!? Only a fool would fall for such a bait, right! And I’m the only one who did that, right!!”
——Yes. From the start, Sora and Shiro were a “rule left untouched intentionally” ——In other words.
04: In the case of [traveling together], after declaring so, the travelers will only move in accordance to the outcome of the representative(one person).
05. In the case the number of players moving together surpasses two people, an [Overall Number of Travel CompanionsｘAttendants]’s worth of dice will be removed from the number of dice used.
——If the [traveling together] rule isn’t used, they cannot proceed.
Even more so when there’s a reaction to possessing more than ten dice by growing older.
Everyone’s dice——he would be [115.2 years old] if the sixty-four dice were to gather at Sora——normally, he’d become senile.
That’s why they followed the rule and added the [9 dice] he got by deceiving Steph to Shiro’s [9 dice].
After declaring they would travel together, they threw twenty-eight dice——it decreased by six, two per person.
“……Cheer up, already…… We properly returned your dice, right……?”
It was redistributed in a way so each person would possess eight dice——but.
“Why did you make everyone betray each other!! I’ll keep making a fuss until I get an explanation, you know!?”
It indicated Sora’s objective was consistently——[to draw Steph over to his side].
……And——
————To have [her assistance in betraying the others], none other than that.
It was the same as Sora had said, where they would kill each other——a situation he wanted to avoid.
While Steph was shouting why it did it “lead to this”, Sora——did this.
“Hyaah!? W-What…… are you doing?”
Sora held her cheeks with his hands and forcefully made her face him, then he gazed into her eyes.
Forgetting her anger, her face was red without realizing, Sora, with a gaze full of sincerity——announced.
“Believe and just leave it to me. With the power of love, courage, and friendship, everyone will——prevail.”
————.
“……You’re waiting for a retort, right? Can I ask you to reflect on your own past?”
When asked by one who betrayed and made them betray(lied) intentionally, what would be a sufficient reply to “please believe in me”?
Steph answered that question, that dilemma, while looking down at him with an icy gaze.
“Wha…… Why, why don’t you believe me!? What are you doubting about this purely-pure me who’s that pure!?”
“While I’m at it, I also want you to reflect on the present, alright!? More specifically, where you’re currently using me as a cart horse!!”
Sora’s expression was so filled with acting, Steph continued pursuing.
He had held Steph’s head and spoke with sincerity——Indeed, that sounded really good.
But in reality, he had forcibly turned her around and was currently making her pull the cart so to speak.
——Her expression questioned whether there was any element besides [distrust] in this.
“Right. That’s it. That’s the answer.”
But, Sora spread his arms out and——exalted.
“Did everyone agree on a game where you can win if you trust and cooperate with each other? Even though I’m here!? In a game with Miko-san’s life as the price, would everyone readily agree and believe in stuff like love and friendship? If the winner can only be the one that reaches the goal, then would they definitely move so [ ](we) end up winning——even though I’m here!? Hmm~~!?”
——He emphasized it twice.
“Are you trying to say that everyone will believe in me?” ——Using his own lack of trust as basis.
After being affirmed it was impossible to not betray, Steph turned to the heavens and cried out.
“What should I do about this…… there’s nothing but persuasion……”
This game held seemingly complicated rules and many seemingly weird places——but, in truth, it’s quite simple.
Fifth of the [Ten Oaths] ——The challenged party has the right to decide the contents of the game.
Since memories before the game aren’t there, they don’t know whether the challenged one was the Old Deus or not.
But, in any case, to begin the game——“everyone’s consent” was a major prerequisite.
Did that lineup agree to a cooperative game with memory loss and Miko’s death as compensation——?
——There’s no way such a prerequisite would be accepted, right?
“If the premise can’t be accepted, then it’s a simple story, right——?”
Rolling around in the cart once again, Sora put Shiro on his chest and laughed.
If it’s based on the premise that there’s an “improbable prerequisite” among the rules, then——
“It means that there are falsehoods within the rules.”
“……Something…… that was in the first explanation…… but wasn’t in the second one……”
“……The second one…… you say?”
“This is a game started by【Pledging the Oaths. 】It started after confirming the rules, but the memories were erased——There’s a difference between the rules explained and the rules in the [Traitor]’s memories.”
Yes, Sora answered without care.
Purposely starting the game after [erasing memories before the game] and only disclosing the rules after that.
On top of that, clearly stating someone whose memories weren’t erased was a [traitor]——it’s hard to not doubt it.
“But, well, frankly speaking——something like that doesn’t really matter.”
——It didn’t matter who the traitor was…… No, to be precise.
That lineup, everyone agreed and started the game——and there were rusksacks on their backs.
The difference between the memories don’t matter, since just that tells us everything. ——Sora laughed fearlessly.
Everyone cooperating with each other was something impossible, far more stupid than the premises.
——It was far more possible for things to go this way, right?
“All of us started this game assuming we all would betray each other——and,”
If that lineup(we) were to agree to something, it would be with this, right?
“——Every single one of us prepared a scenario where we, ourselves, would be the ones to win……♪”
Sora laughed pretentiously in a loud voice—�
�proclaiming that he was clean.
“——Therefore! Cleanly, correctly and beautifully! Overflowing with sincerity! This humble me named Sora, a virgin and 18 years——due to having eight dice, provisionally 14.4 years old! Took the liberty to make an oath, as the representative of the Players!”
He spoke with a smile while standing up and moving around his hands in a huge act——In other words.
“Oath. We, in accordance with the rules hereby swear——to betray fair and square, like that.”
——No trust could win against their confidence that “they will definitely betray them.”
That’s why it was an oath to make them remember that.
Steph stopped and turned around without turning the cart and yelled.
“I won’t accept, something like that…… In the end, that’s just killing…… I won’t consent!!”
“Right? That’s why it also confirms the ‘falsehood within the rules’.”
But, while still speaking like that, once again, he sat in the cart and answered with a creepy, bitter smile.
Rules which not a single one of them would agree to will all be [false]——In other words.
“We agreed on betraying each other. We even took the initiative.”
——But.
“We didn’t agree to kill each other——that was all.”
…………
——Once again, the sound of the wheels of the cart rolling echoed.
Sora laughed on the inside at Steph’s silence, who couldn’t refute but wasn’t satisfied, either.
It’s natural for someone with common sense(Steph) to be unsatisifed with that——if Sora’s principle was broken down, after all.
In the name of her grandfather, if one looked into it with uncovered and clean eyes.
——[All the mysteries were solved; the culprits are us!] ——it’ll be like this.
Indeed, certainly it’s a game that would be impossible to trust and cooperate with these members.
But, for Steph, it was too much to simply say that [betraying each other is the right answer], so……
“There’s no choice but to betray each other——It’s impertinently putting on the airs of a [Prisoner’s Dilemma].”
Sora commented ironically, Steph turned around while pulling the cart.
“……Prisoner’s Dilemma…… you say?”
——If everyone cooperates and someone manages to win, then maybe everyone’s lives will be saved.
——But, if you betray, then you can win yourself.
——The moment everyone thinks that, the chances of everyone losing increases……
“It’s a famous example in our previous world, but…… To put it simply——”
————A detective brings a certain possible deal to Prisoner A and Prisoner B.
【1】If both of them remain quiet, then, both of them will receive a [prison sentence of 2 years].
【2】If one of them confess, the one who confessed will be [released] while the other who remained quiet will receive a [prison sentence of 10 years].
【3】But, if both of them confess, both will receive a [prison sentence of 5 years].
If the prisoners believe in each other and remain quiet, they’ll get away with the better result——a [prison sentence of 2 years].
But as long as the prisoners pursue their own benefit, it will definitely become a [prison sentence of 5 years].
If one of them betrays the other and confesses, the one who confessed will be [released] and the one who remained silent will receive a [prison sentence of 10 years].
Then the option of keeping quiet——in actuality, doesn’t exist.
There’s no other choice but to bet on the possibility the other will remain quiet while confessing. By doing that——
At worst, the [prison sentence of 10 years] can be evaded, if lucky, they’ll be [released].
——This is the reason it’s called a dilemma.
On top of that, in this game, the Old Deus had politely told them——there was a [traitor].
Using that example, it would be the same as saying [however, one has already confessed].
If someone had already betrayed before the game even started, then believing each other was——“impossible(meaningless)”.
“So that’s why you said to betray? Isn’t that exactly what the [detective] wants?!”
Indeed, it’s meaningless to believe in each other and there’s no other choice besides betraying each other.
But isn’t doing that exactly what the [detective]——what the Old Deus wanted?
——That “pointing straight out the heart of the problem” attitude really wasn’t like her at all.
But, she wasn’t even aware she was doing it so Sora laughed——and corrected her.
“No, that’s exactly what we want. In truth, this example doesn’t establish itself as a dilemma, you see.”
“………………What?”
“By betraying and believing in each other, instead of the ‘better result’, we get the ‘best result’♪”
Sora and Shiro gave a thin smile onminously distorted——that is, and continued.
This game——No, this game, too.
Sora and Shiro, Imanity’s strongest gamer, [ ](Kuuhaku)’s, policy, their existence itself revealed everything.
Both past and future, no matter the opponent, it was an unwavering fact of the present——Namely.
“No matter what game it is, even before starting——”
“……We’ve already won…… that’s…… all.”
They pulled everything into their hands and all attempts were within it.
Not even god was missing from the compilation thread——
The eyes of the two who arrogantly said that, fearlessly and irreverently, saw Steph’s trembling shoulders and——
“…………Well, that’s only if we’re able to see the end of the game, right…… hahaha, haa……”
“…………Shiro…… can’t stand it, anymore…… want to…… go home……”
——————.
——The next moment, they could see her shoulders dropping.
In Sora and Shiro’s sharp and irreverent eyes——in their eyes that moved unconsciously.
It was the hard truth they avoided looking directly upon——Basically, it captured the [Game Board] in the sky.
In an instant, they left behind a voice tired of a cloudy life and sank into the cargo.
“……Ah, Uhm. If you’re going to act cool, then, could you please do it until the very end?”
Strength suddenly left Steph and she panted with her eyes half open, but, Sora declared inside his heart.
[Death(Defeat)]——through the loss of all dice is——impossible.
Losing due to stealing and betrayal is——even more impossible.
But——
“The stealing and betrayal ‘doesn’t matter’ you know…… there’s a different cause of loss for us.”
With a raping eye, he threw away everything that happened until now saying it “doesn’t matter.”
But, without giving Steph any time to process, Sora, with a pensive expression——continued.
“……But really, this isn’t even funny; that really is the most probable——ending(defeat)……”
Gazing at the interminably giant [Game Board], he spoke.
It was——
“——————[Starvation.]”
——.
————It was urgent.
They felt inside a cruel and merciless silence…… but.
“……E~Eeehh? Ahm…… What do you mean?”
“Ha, haha…… I vaguely doubted it, but, you really haven’t noticed? ……”
“…………Ignorance is bliss…… those are profound words…… right……”
Towards Steph who was tilting her neck, Sora and Shiro smiled——but, with eyes of a dead fish——
“Ah, attention all passenger
s~! Could you please look to your left~?”
Even though the ones riding on something were Sora and Shiro.
Steph turned her gaze to beyond Sora’s left hand, who was extending it like a bus guide.
What laid beyond it was “land” ——and the Eastern Union’s countless islands visible on the ocean.
——It was on the left. Not below or above. There was a land to their left.
“Continuing, could you please look to your right~? ——Now, I wonder what do you see?”
What she saw was what the Old Deus had created, the absurdly huge——[Sugoroku] game board.
The continent(square) floated on air without any support, drew a spiral, pierced the clouds, and stretched high into the sky.
——It was something that’s seen a lot on television games where the stage was set in a fantasy world.
A load of rock going against gravity and floating on air——a field where one walks forward atop it.
Be it F〇9’s last dungeon or Ra〇n or Ji〇 Kingdom[4], well, anything is fine.
Now then, walking above that rock, let’s slowly try to turn it sideways by 90°.
If it obeys common sense, we would fall. But since this lacks common sense, let’s assume we won’t fall.
That stupid load of rock goes around picking a fight with gravity, pretending to be a [square]. After each of them stretch itself to the size of a city, extending throughout space, overlapping a few hundreds of them in a spiral——The boldness of it to pretend it’s a [Sugoroku Board] ——Well, you see the image, right?
The impression leaving your mouth, even though you try to hide it, wasn’t [beautiful] even by mistake——
“……………… It’s an absurdly huge game board ……”
That’s right, it’s absurd. It’s also huge.
“Ye~s it’s an absurdly huge game board! Now, what’s our current position after we’ve walked for five hours!?”
“…………The second square, right.”
Yes, the second square——In other words, they were on the [second rock].