by Unknown
Fiel snapped her fingers slightly, and Ino felt the presence of elementals——he perceived a magic’s interference.
Maybe she had used some kind of magic for the sake of the Immanity who couldn’t visualize a spiritual body(Ino), because——
“——Hi-hiih!! It was better when I couldn’t see it, but just what is this disgusting thing!!!”
——At the explosive birth of the fluorescent macho——revised, shining “luminous macho”,
“Uwah~ the [Ten Oaths] are quite loose huh~……could something like existential violence really be allowed~?”
“I-i, it’s alright, Hatsuse-sama! I think it’s a burly body——i-if it didn’t shine!”
————They’re all so disrespectful, every single one of them.
Calming down his muscles that raged at the unjust insult with a [calm, calm[45]], Ino said.
“Should I say——I have been waiting for you, I wonder?”
This is the intention of this situation(the rule) where one becomes the mockery of a ghost once they drop out——!
Whoever [dropped out] in the middle of the game——would create a situation where they’d meet those two——
As expected, Ino didn’t know the true meaning behind it, but——!!
“——Fiel, I’ll confirm one more time, alright. It’s, not a ghost……right?”
“Yes~. Although his appearance would make even ghosts grow legs and run away~, it’s going exactly as the planned~”
Exactly as the planned——at the murmur that confirmed Ino’s speculations, Chlammy came out forward,
“*ahem*, well then……Eastern Union’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Hatsuse Ino-san, correct?”
“And you are Chlammy Zell-dono, right? I have heard about you.”
“Then this makes things faster. This game is accepting “intrusions”——halfway participation, right?”
——The interference from outside of the game board is the stepping stone for the [victory]——!
Ino smiled at the “arrival of reinforcements”, and Chlammy too returned a smile.
“Yeah. Well then——let’s start the game?”
——But, the words that followed were:
“All of the Eastern Union’s lands, and in addition, every single one of its personnel and resources——I demand all of it.”
…….
………….
“——What……did you say, just now?”
“Was that too hard to understand?”, Chlammy said so to Ino, who was barely able to let out so.
Letting out an small smile——she reworded it……more clearly.
“——It’s a declaration of war. I’m telling you to hand over everything the Eastern Union has. Do you get it now?”
Chapter 4 — Strange Taste(Why)
……Wind blew even in the wasteland.
The sand that was raised by the dry wind caressed a small shadow.
Without even quivering, the shadow’s powerless limbs were sprawled in the ground, just like a corpse.
——*twitch*.
The corpse——correction, the shadow shook as the ground trembled slightly.
At the faint sound that shook the ground, the shadow thought——[Prey].
As if to point out that for the other shadow at his side, it moved without breathing or raising any voice.
Like a flowing mud. Like the crawling of the earth. The two shadows crawled closer soundlessly——but.
With its keen hearing, the [Prey] reacted like the weak would, and turned back.
It was a wise decision, fitting for an herbivore(the weak)——in other words, it was [to escape].
I see, so one should run away instead of opposing something of an unknown nature——how clever.
But——the [prey] didn’t know——that that cleverness would kill it.
——If only it had chosen to [challenge] it instead of [escaping].
If it had the foolishness to daringly challenge that unknown something, then it would’ve easily survived.
That clever decision(escape) had been seen through by the shadows——by those who were even weaker than it, the overwhelmingly weak ones.
It probably didn’t expect that much, but that was proof that it was just the strong(a beast).
The overwhelmingly weak——will not run. That’s because they don’t even have the legs(power) needed to outrun.
They [challenge], foolishly and clumsy, by stretching around a multitude of intelligent schemes. And then——,
——It happened at the same time as the [prey]’s shriek echoed through the dry atmosphere.
Stopping pretending to be mud, the shadow ran with its two legs and laughed——Strong one(beast), you are clever.
And that’s why, the choices you make through your own will and the path you’ll walk——those can be read easily.
Leave but a single “trap”——at the end of those clever steps.
Just that will be enough for you.
——You’ll proceed and fall into your annihilation, with your own legs——!!
And like that, the fangs of the fangless(weak) ones attacked the strong(prey) whose legs had been eaten by wooden jaws(the trap)——
……Wind and two war cries echoed even in the wasteland.
That was the proclaim of the life of those who challenged the law of the jungle(theory), and won the right to live the present.
That was the roar of the soul of the weaklings——the prided strength and blood of the overwhelmingly weak ones.
Aah, that was truly the figure of the ferocious “primordial humans”, who risked their knowledge(power) for the sake of surviving——!!
——Although.
“……S-Sora~……Shiro~. A-are you alright~?”
When those two, who were also supposed to be the same “modern humans”, got their names called out by the civilization(Steph),
“————gau?”
“………………uki?”
Tilting their heads, they handled the fawn(prey)——and held out the raw meat.
“I-I’m thankful that you feel like that, but……please remember the human language, alright……also, clothes too.”
Steph retreat one step and groaned at that, as if appealing to them…….
————………….
——265th square. Seventy two days had passed since the start of the game.
In the wilderness(square) that reflected a nameless arid region in the border of the extreme west of Elkia’s territory.
Those three, who had arrived after running out of food and stamina, were greeted by Izuna’s lovely [task].
——[Catch the single ant with the smell of fish without hurting it, desu.]
Catch the ant that appeared through the task——it was impossible to be accomplished by Sora and the others, since they had no way of knowing the smell of ants from the very start, and as such they had to stay at a wasteland without any food for seventy-two hours——they were being told to “die” in a cutely way.
Sora picked up the tablet PC in a hurry——and while keeping the [Survival Guide] at hand, something he prayed for the day it would be useful to never come, he started hunting.
He attempted to do so while thinking of securing enough food for at least three days or, if possible, enough for the next movement……and he failed every time.
……That was natural.
It wouldn’t be wilderness if it could be done with just the pretentious knowledge of a complete amateur(hikikomori gamer).
Even more so when they only had sixteen dice——no matter how they distributed them, it would be a Children Corps with only a single adult.
But——while the failures, fatigue and hunger increased, Sora inadvertently let out so along with a dry smile.
——”Chasing and being chased……this is like a game, isn’t it”, and then, at this single sentence he had let out,
The siblings exchanged looks——”Just why am I(are
you) laughing after losing continuously in a game?”——
Exchanging nods wordlessly, they acted quickly with an eerily sharp look in their eyes.
In the blink of an eye——they made an sophisticated trap implemented through the prediction of behavior and induction, until finally saying “the sounds of the clothes rubbing are in the way” and dressing the bare minimum using the leather ripped out from the rucksack. And so, with a spear in one hand——it didn’t took two days until they turned wild——
————………….
“A-anyway, we managed to get enough food for the immediate future, right!? Could you please go back already!?”
As the voice from the civilization called out——with seemingly hollow eyes, Sora stopped the hand that was handling the meat ,
“————Ah, I see. With this——is it “Game Clear”?”
And in the moment his mouth spoke those “hypnosis release(words)”——
“——Uwooooah my little sister!? Just what is a lady as young as you doing with such appearance!?”
“……Eh? ……ah……no, you’re mistaken——t-these are……the clothes, that……N-Nii, made……!”
——It was just like how a certain pair ate the Fruit of Eden.
The two of them regressed back to the civilization and suddenly awakened to their sense of shame, raising shrieks at their own appearances.
Seeing the two ex-wild children that were one step away from fully naked——with their bodies covered by only a sorry degree of clothing,
“……I raised up a flame. Hurry up and change——no, I guess you should start by cleaning up your bodies.”
Steph said so and handed out a wet cloth——Sora, who was covered in dirt, realized one more thing.
The Fruit of Eden, the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge——referred to a [meal].
A man will know manners(shame) after he can afford clothes and food[46]——isn’t this quite profound?
They needed to be able to afford clothes and to know manners, so they hurried together and reached out for the clothes——
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
“Erm……I’m really grateful that we have food thanks to both of you, but……”
Steph breathed out quietly while watching the state of the bonfire.
The smoke that leaked out from the primitive heater devised by Shiro and built by Sora in a hole he dug in the ground was getting in their eyes.
Steph was originally in charge of cooking, but now even her share of work had been completely stolen away.
Sora quickly inserted the knife at the hunted prey with proficient hand movements and accurately dismembered it.
He chose the parts among them that were to be preserved, and Shiro too, with movements that seemed to be used to it, put them in the heater——
“……Don’t you have any pride or dignity as a human being?”
——With the scorpion skewer in hand, Steph involuntarily let that escape.
Just where did that speech about human beings and stuff they did in front of the monster that Izuna took down, went to?
Sora, who was acting like he had a eat everything that can be eaten mindset——suddenly laughed exaggeratedly,
“Sip mud and eat dirt!! Take back everything you said previously, be covered with shame and throw away your pride!! Yet, go through with that which you cannot yield, and survive——that’s the sole pride, the dignity that people should protect!!”
——He spoke about “the pride of throwing away the pride”.
“Anything besides that, and you should sell it if it can be sold or eat it if it can be eaten——if it’s in the way then just throw it away.”
…….
…………*silence*…….
A moment of silence occurred after Sora said so and gnawed at the scorpion——and then.
“……Nii, is super cool……even though, you’re a, NEET……”
“……I almost felt impressed for a moment, but isn’t that the kind of remark a incorrigible fiend would say……?”
Shiro’s respectful gaze and Steph’s cold gaze were concentrated on him.
——Sora had simply but coolly declared that if it was necessary then it didn’t matter how shameful it was——but suddenly.
“……“incorrigible fiend”, that reminded me……Sora.”
“Was that prelude really necessary, Sora firmly ignores it as Sora replies[47]——what is it?”
Ignoring Sora as he was obviously pretending to be crying, Steph gazed at the skewer anxiously——
“……Ino-san really didn’t die, right?”
——[Even if we do betray each other, we won’t kill each other]——.
Steph once felt relieved at the basis for that line that Sora spoke meaningfully, but——
“Hm~? Yeah, he isn’t dead. For now, that is.”
……Right. It’s merely “for now”——Steph’s expression clouded at once.
But Sora and Shiro continued comfortably, without stopping their hands that were building up the heater.
“Don’t worry about it so much……if what we set up go wrong——”
“……everyone……will die, anyway……”
“……That’s right, isn’t it. If the goal isn’t reached then everyone but the leading ones will die, won’t they.”
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.
——If no one ascends and the game turns impossible to continue, then either way everyone aside of the Leading Player will die.
Maybe it was because she thought back on the rules, but she seemed to have renewed her decision about winning no matter what.
As if to cheer up Steph, who had strengthened her own resolve and gnawed at the strange food, Sora and Shiro spoke——
“That’s how it is! Since everyone will die except for the Old Deus that’s in the lead, we have to get some energy!!”
“……We don’t have, time, to be picky……, ……eat.”
“Eh.”
“Eh.”
“……? eh……”
Steph froze up, Sora tilted his neck, and Shiro——tried reading the mood and said so too.
“Ha, haaaaah!? Eh, what do you mean, why would everyone aside of the Old Deus——”
“Eh? Because, that Old Deus did say so at the beginning, didn’t it: I await at the end, *kiri!*[48]”
“……The Old Deus, too……is a participant……the one who’s in the, lead……is always, the Old Deus……*munch* *munch*”
——They said so easily, as if it was completely someone else’s business.
Steph shouted out after the premises got overturned, but Sora and Shiro tilted their heads in doubt and answered her.
“If no one reaches the goal then forget about lead and all that crap, all of [the challengers](us) will see Buddha. But that doesn’t matter. What we have to do remains the same, it’s something we’re tired of knowing already, and on top of that it’s a rule that doesn’t concern us.”
“W-why it doesn’t!? It’s because there’s this rule that everyone is competing to get ahead and——”
“That’s because [ ](we) absolutely wouldn’t agree with a rule where only one person won’t die.”
“……………………!”
——Steph held her breath for a moment at Sora, who declared so with a serious expression and his eyes narrowed.
“If even a single one ascends then no one will die——if it’s this one then everyone would agree on it……there’s no choice.”
That’s right, “this side” is the one that had to agree——And that’s because——
“I told you that it’s by betraying each other that victory can be achieved, didn’t I? There’s Plum that, in this game where he had no need to play nor had any way of winning, he set it up so that he could win without ascending. Jus
t like Ino said, you can also set it up to hijack our win——but, that also goes for Miko-san whose life is temporarily being held up——and for everyone else too; they cannot betray unless they agree with that, right♪”
“…………”
Sora laughed carefree, but Steph appealed her lack of understanding wordlessly.
“——Well, it’s fine if you get only this.”
While looking as if he wasn’t seeking her understanding, Sora summed it up boldly.
“Be it this one or that one, it doesn’t matter who it is: everyone set it up so that they will be the ones to win it——”
In this game, if someone reaches the goal then no one will die.
But, with those members——since only one person can reach the goal, then——
——[Then I’ll be the one to win], do you really think they didn’t thought so?——
“Then what matters——is simply “under whose setting(scenario) are things proceeding”, right?”
“……Nii……it’s about time, there’s two hours, remaining……”
“Uwoooah, hey, wait there I’m not done yet heating it up! S-Shiro, I’ll leave the luggage to you!”
Panicking, Sora hastened the hand that was fanning the fire of the heater and instructed her to fold up the luggage.
——The task would be deemed as incomplete and the three of them would lose one dice each, so he was also thinking about the dice distribution——
“——I-if that’s the case, then what about the Old Deus……?”
Hesitantly, she asked Sora and Shiro who were moving in a hurry.
“If everyone set that up——then the Old Deus also did so, didn’t she!?”
——Then, shouldn’t she be able to set it up so that no one would be able to ascend?
Steph raised a shriek at her unusual guess, but Sora, without stopping the hand that fanned the fire——asked.
“Hey——in the first place, just what is a Old Deus, I wonder?”