by Unknown
Everyone who had been in the Naval Garrison Post and Surveillance Office’s reception room were suddenly moved down——twenty-two floors bellow.
They were in a huge underground hall, where the main frame of the Full-Dive Model Virtual Game could be seen.
There was no context, it had been suddenly, and abruptly.
The light swayed and shook like it was a heat’s haze——immediately afterwards, the scenery changed, and they were here.
Even Ino’s five senses that were currently equivalent to when he was under [Blood Devastation] was unable to perceive anything——not even the presence of elements.
There wasn’t tables or sofa there. Everyone was simply and uniformly sitting on the ground——
“It’s from the very beginning. You two haven’t entered the reception room even once, ahahah.”
As Plum drifted alone in the air, Fiel opened her eyes surprised and stopped smiling.
——Ino understood what had happened, so there was no need for any more proof.
The opponent was a caster that, with just two people, could make not just elves——but the country of the elves(Elven Garde) itself, crumble down.
But Plum induced them into going to the wrong place——and without allowing them to perceive, or even suspect that fact even once.
Due to the [Oaths], it was impossible to tamper with someone else’s visual recognition——to cause direct “infringement”.
Then——.
“[Spatial Camouflage](Surprise)——it’s a token of welcoming and of my goodwill……did you enjoy it?”
“………………”
——It meant that a high level caster elf was completely outdone in a contest of magic.
As Fiel and Chlammy became silent at that fact, and turned their gazes to him as if stabbing him with it——
“Eh~[Fiel just who is this guy!?], [He’s a Dhampir, ranked number 12], [The one who became comrade!? Why is he here, wasn’t he supposed to be over there(in the Old Deus' game)?]——Ah, I’ll answer that one.”
“————!?”
The conversation Fiel must’ve had put many conceals upon was sloppily, easily broken through.
His eyes and wings——were dyed brilliantly in a blood-like red.
“But before that——I’m also renowned for my politeness, so I’ll respectfully ask this: trying to use [Covert Magic](secret talk) against a Dhampir(me)? Please know your place♪”
Plum said so with the same unfortunate smile as always——and started again.
“Let’s see. The question should be why did you think I wasn’t here, instead.”
——The light shook, and once again the scenery changed.
The wind stroked the grassland that extended as far as the eye could see until the horizon, and a single tree stood there.
Sitting elegantly in a chair on its shadow, Plum tilted the tea cup and smiled——
”I mean, that rule where you turn into a ghost if you drop out——the one who set that up was undoubtedly me.”
“Wha——!?”
“Ah~no, well……I don’t have any memories of it, though……but, you see, this rule——”
Now it was Ino who held back a scream.
But Plum, supporting his cheeks with both hands in the table and with a full smile——declared.
“It’s meaningless for anyone else but for me who called those two out, isn’t it♥”
——.
————Called out……?
While not only Ino, but now even Chlammy and Fiel also lost their words,
“I mean, no matter the rule, there’s no meaning for me to play a game with the Old Deus at all……why would I do something like that? I don’t care about that Old Deus at~all~♪”
Plum squashed his mouth as if he was sulking, and while he waved his legs——he continued.
“But, if you say that it’s absolutely necessary, then——I want to have a profit, right♪ And that was when!”
He stood up from the chair like he was dancing——*spin*.
Plum spun, and the scenery spun together——now it was the Elkia’s Royal Castle during an audience——
“I’m also renowned for being gentle, so I won’t tell who it was, but! While making it think that I had found it out by myself, I told a certain sli~ghtly overconfident person the correct date of the Old Deus battle, you see?”
Ignoring Fiel whose face had flinched, he yet, once gain——*spin*.
Plum, with so much as kicking the ground, spun while bringing along the scenery——to Avant Heim——
“And so, against those two who worked so hard and came all this way from so far~~hm~~well~~the one who would probably end up [dropping out] no matter how things turned out, Ino-sama! Ah, surely he would be troubled greatly——and that’s when!!”
From the chambers of the Oceando’s Queen to the Eastern Union’s Shrine of the Priestess’s garden; it happened while the scenery kept moving incessantly.
——*bishi*[55].
He did what could be the was the coolest pose he could think of.
“Ino-sama would weep in gratitude towards me, who gallantly appeared and easily repelled those two, and would offer to express his thanks, but!! I, who am also renowned for my humility——would answer like this!”
Supporting his chin with the finger, and as if he was looking distant, Plum spoke resolute.
“……Heh, I only did the obvious. And if it’s about repaying, then I have already received it!!”
——And, still with an expression that seemed say It’s your smile,
“As “deposit(appetizer)”, you’ll be offering fifty Werebeasts(livestock) for blood-sucking annually——and,”
——He lined up words that brought into them a despairing expression instead of an smile——in other words.
“The “contingency fee(main dish)” will come after receiving the custody of the elf over there……ehehehe~♥”
——Add the aforementioned two things into the betting plate, he had implicitly told them so.
“If I were to suck as much blood as I want from an elf, the highest ranked one of the races from which bloodsucking is possible——”
Since the queen of the Seirens woke up, the breeding of male Dhampirs is no longer an issue.
Then what should be done next?
That’s obvious, isn’t it?
“Then I can make those seafood fall into a game anytime I want, and release the Dhampirs from the chains of the treaty♪”
……Is this guy screwing around?
Ino became speechless at that, but Plum continued with an smile.
“——Or so this is the scenario I had prepared much more before than the memories that got erased when the game started, so I don’t~care~at~all about that game……but since I agreed to it, and participated……”
No——he is screwing around, Ino clenched his teeth.
He was seriously, and completely earnestly——making a messed-up demand.
This playful Dhampir——even the Old Deus game was simply used by him——
“I only had to make my die get stolen as soon as possible——that’s something I definitely wouldn’t yield at♪”
——If you don’t want the Eastern Union to be stolen then give me sacrifices[56].
There’s no option besides swallowing those messed-up demands——I was brought up into such messed-up scenario——!!
“You bastard——!! You’ll also die by losing to the Old Deus. Do you get the situation!?”
As the voice barked in rage, Plum seemed to wonder in an expression full of acting,
“Hm~……Well, probably Sora-sama who’s always talking big, or maybe someone else will win it, right? If at least one person ascends, then I’ll get the highest profit——I set it up that way, after all. And you know♪”
He sat down, as if there was a chair in the empty space——he said without hesitation.
“It’s more entertaining to bet on
the side with the highest odds(lower chance of winning), isn’t it♥”
The Dhampir who claimed to have written out this scenario spat out a line far from sanity.
If Sora and the others won, I will be profiting under someone else’s fight. If you die by losing then everyone will be sharing the same fate, and that was it——.
“……Fii, I’ll be asking frankly. Can you use the countermeasure formula——having “that” as your opponent?”
It’s useless to hide it any longer, Chlammy asked.
“Chlammy, did you know~? In order to not be noticed, the mosquitoes anesthetize before they bite~”
Fiel said so with an smile that was like the sun——“but~”, she continued mildly,
“But if you do notice, then it’s but a [entertainment-purpose insect] that’s only there for you to beat and kill it♥”
But she answered as if she was literally beating to death the Dhampir in front of her, with her diamond-shaped eyes shining in a pale light.
——“There’s no problem”, she said——but.
“Ahaha……then, with the touching effort you’re making to “act like an Quad Caster”——
As voice came not from the place she was looking, but from behind her, Fiel turned around——and opened her eyes in surprise.
“I, who was wrong about you having noticed, must be a harmful insect that won’t even be of any entertainment, isn’t that right?♥”
The “two Plums” faced each other like mirrored images, entangled the fingers of both hands and laughed.
“For a mere Hexa Caster to even try [Multiple Formula Concealment] against me; dreams is something you see in the bed, you know.”
——Since when……or maybe it had been “from the very start”. Or maybe it was still “ongoing”.
Fiel was laying in a bed, as if the time had went missing, and the process omitted.
Her eyes that were open in astonishment were being glanced at by a “third Plum”, that was on the side of the bed while supporting his chin with both hands——
“A Dhampir’s original power——it’s been over six thousand years since the last demonstration♪Did that surprise you?”
“…………I’ll admit it, a slight~ly troublesome mosquito was mixed in……”
After Fiel murmured so, suddenly…….
She stopped smiling as if the mask had been peeled off, threw away the blanked and stood up.
——The Warbeast(Ino) , whose limit was sensing the presence of magic and elements, didn’t understand what was happening.
But, he was able to roughly guess the situation from the faint presence of elements.
In contrast to Fiel——who used magic by letting the presence of the elements flow incessantly, intricately and in multiple layers, comfortably like a poetry——in Plum’s case, there wasn’t even any sign of it.
The presence of magic, elements——no, even the signs of their existence——everything was being concealed.
Conceal the signs of the use of magic, conceal the signs of the concealing magic, conceal the signs of the concealing magic that’s concealing……even by overlapping those kinds of formulas endlessly, it wouldn’t become a perfect concealment. But then that would mean the Dhamphir, who was unable to use multi-layered formulas,
——Was doing so “with but a single formula”.
“——I said that I was the only one who’d benefit from this rule of turning into a mere soul, didn’t I?”
Everyone gasped——and Plum, as if explaining that absurdity,
“While a certain relia~ble god is “securing my soul”, I can use magic without having to worry about the attenuation of the soul……my bad, since I’m the only one who can cheat……ehe♪”
He put out his tongue, and with an smile, gave out an apologize he didn’t even mean.
Towards their back, front, above; the evil glare kept crawling closer while changing positions, as if ignoring the space.
But Ino——no, Fiel and Chlammy too, everyone in that place thought.
“Cheat”……but that was something from before the blood-sucking was restricted and they got weakened——it was from before the [Ten Oaths].
——It was something that had made that Jibril say [During the Great War, it had been somewhat of a threat.]
————That was unmistakably “the Dhampir’s original power”, and nothing else.
“……Uuh, it kind of make me feel down when you get that much surprised……”
With the same star-crossed face as always, he grumbled and let out complaints.
“Being kept by the Seirens, getting outwitted by Sora and the others……the image of being a small fry has totally fixed already……it can’t be helped that I’m thought of as just a sweat-lover, cross-dressing pervert of a bishounen, but……”
“————So you were aware of it, huh……”
Although he was fully aware that it was out of place, Ino couldn’t stop himself from saying so, and Plum——
……*ton*, he kicked the ground once again——with just that.
In the underground hall, their view opened to a scene where countless scenarios were cut, copied, pasted and patched together.
In a crazy space where the noon and night existed at the same time, Plum’s purple eyes waved bewitchingly with a blood color, and he laughed.
“I’m a rea~lly troublesome sweat-lover, cross-dressing pervert and a bishounen——of a King of the Night(Nosferatu)♪”
The clothes and wings that braided the night melted as they waved, and dyed the space black as if it was returning to the night.
The blood patterns of his eyes transmitted to his wings, arms, and then to the space——swallowing it, and expanding while wavering irregularly.
Indoors and outdoors too. In the sky, sea and continent too. The morning, noon, and night too——it was as if they all said “I am here”.
——[Where] would be [here]——[when] would be [now].
I am the one who define that——after all, that change was spoken through the bewitchingly smile of the supposedly confirmed Dhampir.
I will completely seal off the elves’ [Countermeasure Formula]——he was saying so without a single speck of lie or bravado.
——But——inside his mind, Ino laughed at that scene.
Plum is committing a mistake——he’s showing off his power too much.
In fact, Chlammy and Fiel were exchanging glances that said——“what should we do”.
If Chlammy and Fiel retreated, everything would be solved——!!
“Ah, it seems you thought something rude, but……“I won’t let anyone escape”, you know?”
And, as if having heard those thoughts——the evil smile cut off their retreat.
“If you don’t incorporate my demands right now and start the game just as planned……then I, who am also renowned for being an errand runner, will “leak to the senate” that [trump card] you two have in your instead♪”
“————!!”
Chlammy and Fiel clenched their teeth so strongly that its sound could almost be heard.
……What’s that about, Ino asked in a monologue, and with an amazed face, Plum——
“Those two cannot use the trump card that is [the exposure of the Countermeasure Formula]……that’s because——”
——If they did that, Plum answered while deepening his scorn.
“The takeover of the Elkia Federation would be impossible, and the Eastern Union would be destroyed. Along with with both of them, who have been moving while deceiving the senate and keeping secrecy about both the contents of the Eastern Union’s game and the [Countermeasure Formula]♪That’s why——”
And, this time for sure, they paled at the following smile.
“I, who don’t care at all about the Eastern Union nor the Elkia Federation, will use it in their places——now, now! The two ducks who jumped into the oven while carrying onions! I’m sorry for taking it away like
a villain, but——if you’re gonna do it, you have to do it thoroughly——for example!!”
Like this——, and Plum, with an scary smile,
“I did not prepare another scenario. If you don’t want to be destroyed then let’s play~♥Ohh~♪”
Towards all the members in that place, Plum softly, and radiantly——declared their ruin.
“……Fii, in the worst scenario, if we can’t use the [Countermeasure Formula], then——”
“……Yes~. I’ll at least seal up this parasite, down to his relatives~.”
“Yess, that’s the spirit!! I’m believing that you’ll be able to use at least one spell against me!! It’ll be more worth for me to make an smug expression when you’re waking up from the “dream where you are using it”♪”
——Amid a scene that was enough to show off that it wasn’t a bluff,
Chlammy clicked her tongue, Fiel was expressionless, and Ino——he thought.
——I see, so if it’s Plum’s scenario then it’s possible to avoid the Eastern Union getting stolen.
It’s even possible to obtain one part of Elven Garden——and the price for that was just an small amount of “sacrifices”.
It’s good enough of a profit for something that can be earned with just an insignificant sacrifice, or could you really say so?
But, having seen the Dhampir’s——that monster’s original power……Ino was convinced.
What awaited beyond that “insignificant sacrifice”, was the liberation of the Dhampirs from the chains known as the cohabitation with the Seirens.
If it flourishes——it will be the liberation of a race that even the elves(Elven Garde) will probably turn out unable to deal with.
It may take some time. But it’s sure that someday it will bring forth “a great sacrifice”.
Should he reject Plum’s scenario and face ruin right now?
Should he go along with Plum’s scenario and face a ruin that’s like getting strangled with a string?
Or should he support Chlammy and Fiel, lose intentionally, and hand over the Eastern Union?
——But, all of those choices.