by Unknown
“……Because it’s useless. And besides, we won’t make it in time either way.”
————Three.
——Even though he’s twisting down the physics with [Blood Devastation], the time until he counted five seemed to be many hours.
While Sora and the others even seemed to be stationary as they rummaged through the rucksack,
Ino simply saw, in the gaze of the man that calmly looked at him——the continuation of his memories…….
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
——That was an event that even seemed to have happened just yesterday.
Ino had returned alive from Oceando——from the trap prepared by the Seirens and the Dhampirs.
In the garden of the Shrine of the Priestess, the golden fox that had laid back in the handrails and was sipping sake just like that day——spoke.
“Hatsuse Ino. To be honest, I had determined that you should be abandoned.”
——I knew.
Ino knew Miko very well, whom he had been spending his time together for more than half a century.
She was someone that would cut off the minority without hesitation, if that was for the sake of the majority……for the sake of the Werebeasts.
She was someone whose decisiveness would even cause awe, and with her ability to execute things she had established the Eastern Union——and yet was unable to completely become ruthless.
She pilled up anguish and agony with her decisions, but even so she continued looking far away without clinging to it and breaking down——but.
That day——she had let out that she was a “sore loser” who had made a mistake somewhere.
Ever since that day, which she said she had seen the end of her unending dream——
“The man who kept walking his own path without abandoning you, whom even I had abandoned——do you feel like trying to believe in him?”
Being asked so, Ino thought——[that’s out of question]——.
Ino didn’t understand that man, but there was something he could say about him.
It was that, at the very least——he’s someone you definitely shouldn’t trust——but.
“——If that allows you to see that dream once again.”
Ino hung his head……and answered so.
——That day, ever since the day she endured her regretful tears and still refused to break down,
The rigid smile——from saying that the match would be postponed, and continued to look away from her dream,
——It wasn’t there anymore.
That was because the smile(girl) from the day he first met her, that overshadowed any treasure as she looked over the end of the endless, was there.
The girl that had postponed the match until she found the answer——did she find it?
Did she see in them——in Sora and the others……an answer(something) worth of seeing that dream once again?
Ino knew Miko very well, whom he spent time together for more than half a century.
——He was convinced……he knew………….
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
——Zero.
“——Well then, everyone……it’s goodbye.”
He bid farewell to everyone——who were desperately trying to tear the baggage even now.
He ignored Steph and Shiro, who was about to open their mouth to raise a scream——and Ino’s legs,
“……More importantly, Gramps, you see……my bad, but that’s use————————”
Kicked the ground——and in that moment.
Sora’s voice was interrupted, the space distorted and the time burst.
That [Blood Devastation] violently and forcefully twisted the world’s reasoning.
He ran overwriting 100m into 0m, and 0 second into 100 seconds.
Inside the stationary world where Sora, Shiro and Steph had three different kinds of expressions,
He took flight in the boundary that only Ino——only the Blood Devastation individuals were allowed in.
One step, in advance.
One step, closer.
One move, extend the hand.
The power that could turn the Immanity body(Sora) into a splash with just that much.
The claws that extended and teared soundlessly, not letting even the air sense it——
“————————less……you should choose the game’s genre carefully.”
——It stopped right in the tip of Sora’s noise, who spoke so.
It immediately stopped——due to the unquestionable [Oath](Power) that won over any inertia(reason) and Blood Devastation(irrationality).
Some moments late——as if it had just remembered that the time was something that flowed,
While the explosion and blast of the shock wave born from Ino’s action blew violently——
“To do a “word-pick(bluff) battle” against me——that’s just too much of a hurdle for you.”
——Towards Sora who, on top of having noticed, was laughing with his voice trembling as he tried his utmost to act tough,
Ino gave back a little laugh, lowered his hand——and released the Blood Devastation.
“No specification equals you can do anything——you know that such reasoning wont work.”
……That’s right, their agreement about giving and taking lives was about the [Tasks](rule) with the coercive power——
“That’s simply not putting anything in the betting plate——that’s all……isn’t that so?”
“……Hm, so you found it out. Maybe it was too much of a challenge to try doing a comparison of wisdom with a demon?”
Ignoring the frozen Shiro and Steph, Ino smiled at Sora, who was leisurely tearing a foodstuff.
——Ino couldn’t use this task to kill Sora.
If Ino himself knew that——the true intention of that action was——
“…………Ah……”
Shiro, who noticed too late——quietly raised her voice at “the thing inside her hands”,
“——Eh, th-, then Ino-san, you didn’t plan on killing Sora……is that so?”
“Stephanie-dono……I wish that you wouldn’t misjudge me so much.”
But, Ino answered strongly to the single one who hadn’t noticed it.
“——It’s this Hatsuse Ino’s mettle to feel like killing Sora-dono at any, every and all times, you see!?”
“Hey geezer!! Apologize to my pants that got a little wet even though I knew it was a bluff!!”
“Eh……eh? Huh, but——”
If he knew he couldn’t kill him, then why did he bluff.
Tilting her head, Steph’s gaze questioned him, so Ino, with a nice smile——with half of it being his true feelings, and the other half a lie,
“If I can’t kill him——then there won’t be any harm if I just do a little bit of “harassment”, is there?”
——Tehe pero[42]……
He said so with an imitative sound that was far too incongruous for that muscular body.
“……Gramps, you don’t need “that attribute”, alright……”
“Y-, yes……?”
Steph had almost fainted due to exhaustion——but, Sora’s groaning voice held her still.
“If the three of us clear the task, you’ll lose all of your dices——”
That’s why, and taking a glance at Steph and “what was in her hands”, Sora said.
“……You estimated that at the very least one person would refuse that, so you set up that act.”
“…………!!!”
——That’s right, it had been the same as Shiro.
It was what she had obtained——in exchange for the “foodstuff that was torn into pieces”.
——Steph held her breath at the single dice that had increased around her chest.
“In other words, your objective was to entrust your dice to us, and to let us go on ahead——”
Sora, who was still breaching the foodstuff comfortably
, said ironically——
“Who would benefit from an attribute like a tsundere macho……there’s no demand for that and it’s creepy, so let’s stop with that, alright?”
………….
…………………….suddenly.
Ino murmured self-deprecatingly, genuinely fed up.
“So you saw through everything, huh——that part of you really get in my nerves, you shitty monkey.”
——He spent more than half a century alongside Miko.
But Ino——didn’t know anything, not a single thing.
What did “the girl(she)” looked at.
What did “Miko(she)” worried about.
What did “that day’s expression(she)” lamented for being mistaken, and that now her dream may have been broken——not a single thing.
Ino didn’t even knew nor did he notice the existence of the Old Deus behind her.
——In contrast, this man who seemed to see through everything and his little sister knew about it.
Let alone half a century……before even meeting her for the first time——he already knew far more than Ino.
What did Miko looked at, what mistake did she commit, what did she shed tears about——and.
——What had it been——that had made her let out an smile and see that dream once again…….
Just a little bit of harassment——half of it had been true. Ino was stirred up by an immature envy.
And now, it was a childish obstinacy that made Ino open his mouth.
——I see, certainly I know almost nothing about Miko.
But, there are also things that I do know, he said as if making a point.
“If you’re going to set something up then you’ll prepare something critical. You’ll set it up in a way that you’ll win no matter how things turn out, wasn’t that right?”
Sora would do that.
——Anyone would do that.
——If even Ino must’ve done that, then——
“……It’s obvious that Miko-sama also did that……isn’t that so.”
——Correct, Sora gave a wry smile as if saying so, and finally teared apart the grass at hand.
While only Steph gasped puzzled, Ino laughed it up as something natural if you only gave it some thought.
——If it’s a game that started with everyone’s agreement, using Miko’s life as the [starting chip],
Then it’s obvious that……among that “everyone” who agreed on it——Miko was also included…….
And on top of that, since Miko had asked [will you try to believe in Sora?], then her intention was——
“……Miko-sama must have believed. That if it was Sora-dono and Shiro-dono then you would definitely do it, more skillfully than anyone——
——With the one thing(grass) that Sora had teared as the last——Ino, after the task was deemed to be complete by the three of them,
He lost the three remaining dice, and while he was being swallowed by a whirl of light, he spoke.
“——She must have believed that you would betray everyone, deceive them and win——with a method that only someone——with a dirty, repulsive, twisted and rebellious failure of a personality who’s also shameful and regrettable, both mentally and facially——could think of.”
“That was one word……no, seven words too much, geezer.”
“…………Nii……i-is Shiro……a facially, shameful and regrettable……child……?”
“Ahh ahh Shiro! That’s wrong, he’s talking about Onii-chan!”
——Sora gave a follow up for Shiro, who got lumped together but didn’t have any objection to anything other than the face.
Ino smiled bitterly, and as he disappeared……he spoke out his own answer to Sora.
“And on top of that——she must have made a trap to set you all up, isn’t that right?”
A game where the players betrays(kills) each other, that couldn’t be established without everyone’s consent.
The reason behind the agreement for starting it with Miko’s life as compensation, which was something Ino would never consent——
“If Sora-dono and the others made preparations for themselves to win……if you do win——”
The reason that took him quite some time to notice——he dared to say it, provocatively.
“Then that will be because I got confident that that’s what will become Miko-sama’s victory……and nothing else.”
——One, two years were erased, and his body went regressing.
It was something which he had experienced many times, but this time it would continue without limit until he reached the age of zero——disappeared.
——What would happen once the dice number became zero?
Every one would see that [answer] before them for the first time.
Amid then, Steph was covering her mouth, and was shedding tears with confused emotions, like sympathy and fear.
“——Win. I won’t acknowledge any other outcome——besides the one that Miko-sama desired so much that she even exchanged her life for it.”
Don’t get conceited——Ino ordered them, as if spiting it out.
For the sake of Miko-sama’s victory, I’ll simply help out with your victory, and I’ll end here.
Ino turned to Sora and Shiro, and declared so.
——But.
“You didn’t even need to say that. Stay well, gramps——no, young man?”
“……Hasta la vista(Let us meet again), baby(boy)~[43]……although reluctantly……good night……”
——Although it was something Ino himself wished for,
Those two kept reacting frivolously towards the one they drove to death, without a single change in their expression.
Even Steph found it eerie and got angry at it. And Ino——
“Since these are my last moments……could I have you answer just one thing?”
“……Last moments, huh……then it’ll depend on the question, I guess?”
——Ino would disappear in only a few seconds, so he simply questioned, aimlessly.
“……Why is it——that it couldn’t be me……”
Even now that he headed to his death, he still didn’t understand what was it that Miko had seen in them.
“……Why were you guys……the ones to give Miko-sama the answer(smile)……”
The thing she had seen not on him, but on them, that had regained her smile.
Just what did she see in these monsters(two), who don’t bat a single eyelid when facing someone else’s death.
Throwing away the envy and regret, Ino sought the answer as if pleading——
“……You know, gramps. The basics to win a game, it’s hidden purpose, it’s——”
Sora and Shiro answered——just with a complicated, indescribable expression.
“To thoroughly do what your opponent doesn’t want you to do, and to not do a single thing that your opponent want you to do.”
“……A twisted, personality……stands, out……you know……”
That’s why——making his complicated smile even more deeper——
“As a person of character, you’re first rate——but as a gamer you’re super third rate, you see.”
——Until the very last moments, he has a nice personality.
“……Maybe I should take at least your consideration……”
——To not do what they want, and to do what they don’t want to be done.
As a gamer, those two [merely didn’t feel like giving the answer].
“I’ll be seeing you two cry after getting screwed by Miko-sama’s side, in that world.”
I see, while giving an smile that even seemed refreshingly after making a full bounce back——
“Consideration? I wonder what are you talking about. By the way——can I also say one thing during these last moments or whatsoever?”
——Amid his fading consciousness, Ino certainly saw it.
It was just l
ike the one he knew. It was the same one as always. That superb one.
That one that makes anyone want to see it back with a punch——that’s right,
“This game. Even though this is a game where you steal each other’s dice——their age,”
——Sora spoke, with the very same smile as he remembered——
“……Why is it that the memories don’t decrease, I wonder?”
——.
————.
“See you~ then~, oh, about the impressions of going to the “long-awaited that world” or something——”
“……Let us, hear……about it later, ok……♪”
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
——Being wound up by the light, he kept regressing without limit.
In this game where their Mass Existence’s Time——their body age was split into dice,
What the dice number [zero] defined——was the denial of the fact they existed.
He became a young man, then an infant, a fetus, a cell——and then.
——In the place where the one who was called [Hatsuse Ino] was supposed to be standing,
All that had remained was the void that meant “no one like that existed”——
“This……it’s an image that can easily become a trauma, right……”
“……Shiro……don’t like this……I, remembered……I’ll probably, see dreams of it again……”
They recalled that both of them once saw a documentary program about the birth of the lifeforms.
Sora and Shiro thought so dishearteningly at the spectacle that unfolded before their eyes.
——Even for an education program, I think the “reversed growth of a fetus” is a bit too much…….
“…………You all……just how……can you remain so composed?”
The one who squeezed that out was Steph, who leaked out a sob.
“Are you really weird somewhere in the head!? We killed Ino-san, you know——!?”