by Unknown
“Eh~, it’s alright if you do it just once in a while, but I wish that you’d also remember about the Sora-san that he seriously tried to kill~”
——Steph said so being driven by a sense of guilty, since she had played a part in it——even though she had been induced to do so.
But she stepped back feeling even fear towards Sora, who responded to it like a joke, and completely aloof.
She had an expression that was like, right, as if she was indeed looking at a serial killer——but.
“……Remaining squares: 147, number consumed in one move: six……die’s random number analysis, two more times……♪”
“There were many complications but we safely got Ino to drop out, and though we aren’t that well of dice, well it’s all going as the scheduled♪”
But Sora and Shiro were simply sorting out the situation, while playing around with the dice.
They also achieved their plan——that was to have Ino and one more person to hurry up and leave the stage.
With this, the conditions to win have been gathered——the two laughed thinly.
Ino, who had regained his coolness, had read it up to a good point.
——If you’re going to prepare something then you’ll prepare something critical. Sora too, anyone too——Miko too would do that.
Then——if he just had stepped in just one more step, he would have understood it all, and yet——
“——Well then! Shall we gather the dice once again and go [Traveling together]!?”
“……Oh~……”
And thus, they moved onto the problem that remained——correction. The problem that had followed them consistently——namely.
……Means of movement, which was what Sora and Shiro were making an effort to not think about it as they raised their fists.
“I refuse.”
——But, they were told to wait.
“I completely refuse to travel together with people who kills someone and can still continue laughing!!!”
…….
…………Er……m?
“……Nii, you’d better……teach her, properly……”
“Eh——huh? It can’t be——”
After being told so by Shiro, he finally understood the meaning of the gaze that was directed to him——
“You-, you didn’t notice!? Even though the ground is so flooded with flags that you can’t even see it!? Even though, in the case of a video game, it’s about time to start complaining about the scenario, like [until when do you plan on dragging on that obvious foreshadowing?]!?”
“……Nii……just move, on……with it……”
And, after getting a complain from his little sister, Sora whispered quietly in Steph’s ears who, at those words——
——Let out a scream that echoed as if telling the heavens and earth to listen to it.
“It’s like Ino-san said, you two should die once for the sake of the world!!!”
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
——Eastern Union - Capital Kannagari. In one of its corners, there’s an agency that acts as a Naval Garrison Post and Surveillance Office.
It’s a [military agency] that was founded during the ancient Great War, for the sake of dealing with calamities that came from the sea.
The war ended, so in the present, the location and the mechanisms of the organization also suffered great changes——but.
Even now, only it’s name and duty did not change.
In other words——it was a [diplomatic agency] that dealt with whoever who comes from the sea——.
——Well then. In such present, there was a rumor that a ghost comes out in there.
Really, it’s such a stupid story.
It’s a clear fact that——”ghosts don’t exist” in this world.
The life force fills the [vessel] with a [soul], and if by some reason——the vessel ends in a state where it’s unable to fixate the soul, in other words due to damaging(disease), destruction(injury) or even lifespan——it’s called [death].
For a soul to maintain its form without a vessel, it would be akin to the work of a Sanctuary Magic.
That kind of dead with a lingering affection, or the “so-called ghost” are just illusions, without exception.
But currently, in this Supervision Office, that rumor was being talked about with great seriousness.
According to them——they heard a growl saying [furioussss] in an empty room.
According to them——they saw a most disgusting scene: a coarse mass of muscles going through a wall.
According to them——the thing that glowed dimly was something exceptionally scary……it was a fluorescent macho.
——No, that wasn’t a rumor anymore.
Right now, it certainly was right before a female officer’s eyes.
In the empty reception room, a pile of meat was crouching on the floor in agony while raising an incomprehensible growl.
A half-transparent coarse mass of muscles that glowed dimly——ooohhh……it’s undoubtedly a fluorescent macho!
The female officer opened her trembling lips, with teary-eyes——
“……Ha——”
She called out in bravery, but it was——Ah, how to say——
“Are, you……Hatsuse, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs?”
“How furiousssssssssssssssssssss!!”
——How to say it……it was Hatsuse Ino.
A fluorescent macho——it was an horror that was so exceptionally creepy that everyone avoided looking directly at.
The female officer that had ascertained its true identity piled up more questions.
“It’s the Secretary of Foreign Affairs Hatsuse’s, spiritual body? E-excuse me for the rudeness, but you’re not d-d-dead, are you?”
“Ugh, guhh……yes, yes……for good or for bad, that does seems to be the case!!!”
——That’s right, Ino went to the “long-awaited that world”——no, he had returned from it.
Ino, who had accepted his death and spat out a cliched speech,
Woke up in the Shrine of the Priestess in the same aspect as Sora and Shiro must’ve expected——namely.
“——I’m still alive, aren’t IIIIIIIIIIIIII!!”
Shouting so, he fell flat on the ground while holding his head, and rolled around in anguish.
No——to be correct, he probably isn’t alive.
Rather, going by the common sense, Ino was categorically dead——but then he recalled the rules.
01: Each of the seven players own [ Mass Existence’s Time] will be granted as ten [Dice], split into percentages.
Mass Existence’s Time——that’s right, it was the time the mass existed.
——[Souls] without mass aren’t included there.
15. If all Players lose the entirety of their dice or if they become [Unable to Continue] through DEATH, the game will end.
16: In the case of becoming [Unable to Continue], the Old Deus in question will be granted the right to COLLECT EVERYTHING from all participants, except from the Leading Player.
——The loss of dice……if it becomes zero——or through death, it says.
Surely he would’ve noticed it if he had calmly thought about it: that if the [zero dice] equaled [death],
Then there wouldn’t be any need to separate it with the or, and more importantly, for starters——!!
“——There isn’t written “death through the loss of dice” anywhere in the rules, rightttttttt!! The one who said that you would die if you lose your dice——was that shitty monkey, wasn’t itttttttt!!”
I see, so I lost the dice that was my [Mass Existence’s Time]——the physical age.
In result, my [body]——the [vessel] was annihilated, so only the appearance of the [soul] was left through.
Rationally, that was categorically [death], but through the irrationality called [rules]——
——His life will be collected, but that will only happen upon
the [End of the game].
And so, Ino recalled back the expression and words that Sora and the others showed while he disappeared.
A complicated——inexplicable expression……that’s right, that,
It was them holding back the laughter, while looking at him with gentle eyes——he finally noticed, though too late.
——[Even though this is a game where you steal each others age(life), why is it that the memories doesn’t decrease, I wonder?]
It was because the give and take of dice——was an exchange that was only related to the [vessel].
They had noticed itt. That even if you lose the dice in this game——
——You won’t die straight away, that there was such loophole in the rules——!
But——then.
“Miko-sama isn’t dead either, rightttttttt!?”
——Even if he roared, now that things already happened, he was just a goofy who couldn’t do anything.
Ah……now I understand, Ino thought back on having spat out some really cliched lines, thinking that it was his dying moments.
That shitty monkey——no, that gentle guy had answered it in a roundabout way to not irritate him.
The one who sought a [standard](theory) where no one needed to be sacrificed——it was none other than that person, Miko.
Would she sacrifice herself?, he had gently told so to the fool(me), who didn’t even think about that.
——[That’s because you’re a goofy.]…….
Ino was making good use of his spiritual body by slipping through the ground and holding his knees——but, suddenly.
——So that’s it, I’m stupid, a goofy, and I’m right in the middle of realizing that bitterly.
But——what is this situation——, he looked up and thought so.
The tremendously huge Sugoroku board——created by the Old Deus.
I see, so the rules were explained in a way to thoroughly invite misunderstandings.
I see, so the game isn’t about killing each other just by the steal of dice.
I see, so the life won’t be collected until the end of the game, even if the dice reaches zero.
I see, so this ghost-mocking(situation) must be because the Old Deus is holding the soul.
——Why?
00a: The game board is an imitation of reality, but, the events that occur there are all real, including death.
If there are no lies in this rule, then deaths aside from the loss of dice should be immediate deaths.
The deaths from self-destruction and from the tasks with death indication means [instant death], and the loss of dice only means [dropping out].
Does the Old Deus have any purpose, or any reason at all, to set up this kind of rule?
In the first place——what inconveniences could there be for the Old Deus in [immediate death through the loss of dice]?”
Going back a hundred steps, even if there was anything, wouldn’t it be fine if it just locked the soul somewhere?
Then this strange situation is——
This strange state(rule)——where you can move around in a spiritual body, but only in the case of getting the dice stolen and [dropping out].
——Wouldn’t that be this side’s intention——?
If Sora and the others, and Miko-sama too, don’t have any intention of losing or dying at all, then——
Then this is the thing that Sora and the others prepared, and that Miko-sama is trying to outdo.
——I can only think of this as a [set-up towards the victory]——!!
……Or so it should be……probably. Perhaps……surely?
While Ino couldn’t even be sure of anything anymore, and was feeling slightly depressed at his own dumbness.
He unsteadily went towards the Naval Garrison Post and Surveillance Office……as he groaned, writhing in shame.
And so, the soul(Ino) disturbed the Werebeasts(staff) who unfortunately possessed the five senses able to perceive him——
“……*sigh*, forgive me. It seems that I have surprised you, huh……”
“Being surprised don’t even begin to cover……the applications for a immediate transfer of job got flooded——n-nothing! What about you Secretary of Foreign Affairs Hatsuse, are you all……right——? ~~~~I don’t really get it but anyway I’m glad!!”
……The incomprehensible is, literally, something that’s cannot be understood.
Persisting in understanding it will instead result in a misunderstanding——so when one is confronted with that kind of incomprehensible thing,
——Those who are able to chant the strongest magic called [well, whatever], are the strong.
Towards the strong female officer(one) who was able to accept it all with “somehow I don’t really get it but anyway that’s good”——
“What is your full name and affiliation?”
“Y-yes! I am Kanae Chitose, Chief Secretary of the Naval Garrison Post and Surveillance Office, affiliated to the Kagura Sea!”
——Hmm. Ino narrowed his eyes and nodded deeply.
Her appearance was young despite her high class——and it contained competence, and charm. She has the coolness and conjecture to make precise situation judgments even before a ghost(myself), and had the courage and determination to call out to him. Incidentally——this is what is important, but——she also have a rich chest for a girl of low stature from the squirrel race, and it really bounces up a lot, in particular, it was truly in a “good time to eat”——
“……Once things calms down, how would you like to work in my secretary’s office?”
Ino did an immoral[44] confusion of the public and private with a straight face.
“——!? Y-yes! I’d gladly——wait, n-no, more importantly!”
Kanae Chitose’s face brightened up for a moment at the uncommonly huge promotion——but she shook her head,
“There is a matter which there was no one present who could handle it, but if it’s the Secretary of Foreign Affairs Hatsuse then——I’ll be reporting now!”
——Hm. She really acts coolly, and her situation judgment is also precise——I like her.
And more than anything, he liked her habit of shaking her arms together when she shook her head——making even her rich chest shake.
She decidedly shall be my personal secretary. Let’s lay the groundwork for the parties concerned.
“Currently, the Surveillance Office is in the middle of an issued Type-2 Alert. At 10:02 of today, in the westward of the Kagura Sea——”
“……Elven Garde’s fleet is being deployed……isn’t that so?”
“——Y-you are aware of it!?”
Ino——who had put the matter about the secretary aside for the moment——nodded at her voice, who had gasped in astonishment.
He was aware of it——no, he had seen it.
Ino, who had been released from his [vessel], had the same five senses as when using the [Blood Devastation]——he could see the wind cutting the waves so well that he even had the illusion that he was able to “visualize” the back of the horizon.
Coming from the north towards the south, the western sea was filled up with a great fleet.
——There was no need to confirm the ship’s nationality. It had a form that was like a flower blooming on the sea.
There’s only one country that would build that kind of ship(thing), whose principle for moving was incomprehensible——the same went for the “purpose” of its advance.
“……An oceanic blockade——isn’t it……?”
“We think so, but there’s no statement from it……since that sea castle isn’t in the territorial waters of the Federation, handling it is……”
That’s right, those were [international waters] that didn’t belong to any country; such was the pact they all had agreed upon.
But, to line up all these vessels in the cornerstone of the trade route that connected the Eastern Union and Elven Garde, in a plan to physically blo
ck it——that wasn’t anything short of a “economic attack”, a gray zone that’s extremely close to black.
But something like that didn’t matter——what mattered was, why now.
For the current Eastern Union——for the Elkia Federation, the oceanic blockade from just a single country(Elven Garde) was meaningless.
Oceanic resources(Eastern Union), continental resources(Elkia), seabed resources(Oceando)——the stockpiling was also abundant, and they all came early, influencing the economy in an annual basis.
Therefore, an economic attack——the “construction of a situation where the only option was to comply to the game” won’t be achieved.
Not to mention that Elven Garde had been given the wrong information about the Eastern Union’s game.
So conversely, this situation is favorable, and the Eastern Union’s certain victory was unshakable——then.
——This situation(rule) where one becomes the mockery of a ghost if they dropped out.
The meaning intended by Sora——or maybe Miko-sama was——Ino pondered——and at that time.
The reception room’s atmosphere shook, without making any sound.
In the next moment, two girls had appeared as if they had cut off and dropped the stage’s curtain——they raised their voices.
“……Oh my~? And to think I would be able to see a ghost, you really can’t know what will happen in life~♪”
“——!? F-Fiel!? W-who are you talking to!? W-whe-when we were little you promised that you wouldn’t do such threats anymore, didn’t you!?”
The elf with a soft blonde hair and a rich chest opened her eyes slightly amazed and cheerfully.
In contrast——the black-haired Immanity with a tear-inducing chest was looking around inside the room with her eyes somewhat teary.
——Fiel Nirvalein.
——And Chlammy Zell.
Although it was the first time they meet, Ino saw and heard about them.
They conspired with Blank and gave out the wrong information about the Eastern Union’s game——they are [traitors](spies).
“Of course~ we’re working today, so I’ll act like a child but with moderation, alright~♪”