by Unknown
——The [Square Movement(loading)] making even cup noodles become soggy ended,
“……【Tasks】like that will be the limit.”
Sora gave a small laugh, pointing ahead to the empty field of vision.
At the 60th square’s starting coordinate——At the continuously changing precipitous cliff’s edge was a billboard.
Glancing at the sentence written there, Steph muttered quietly.
“……What is it, that”
…………
“Hey, we’ve moved through dozens of squares until now, you haven’t noticed it even once?”
10: Each【Task】will be described on a billboard arranged irregularly on the square’s board
“They were always around until now, weren’t they!? Those billboards with【Tasks】written on them!!”
“Was there even a single free moment to worry about that tattered billboard until now!?”
…………Hm, well, frankly speaking, there wasn’t.
It wasn’t just Sora, even Shiro readily accepted Steph’s rebuttal.
Even the two in question, with all the escaping and sleeping, could only read a few books.
In any case, this was what was written on the billboard Sora pointed to.
——[Count all the strands of hair on your body, including the tail, and answer the correct number of strands, desu.]
……Izuna, even in writing, you have this way of talking, huh, Sora said pleasingly.
“It’s a【Task】anyone can do——but the ones who can actually do it in seventy-two hours are really limited.”
——In the first place, the only ones who have a tail are Ino, Izuna, and Plum.
With the five senses of the Warbeasts(bunch of absurdities), they could probably immediately count their body hair.
But, for the ones without a tail, let alone those five senses——more specifically for them, they have no choice aside counting all the stands of hair from even that horse tied to the cart, including its tail, one by one.
Doing so for seventy-two hours——it would grow instead, there’s no way they could do that.
……That’s quite a harsh【Task】 you wrote, huh, Izuna-tan.
“In any case, regardless of the【Task】, [stopping the target for seventy-two hours to steal one die] is the limit.”
Would it be like Sora and Shiro’s, stopping them for seventy-two hours with questions only answerable by a few.
Or would it be like this one, giving instructions only a restricted amount of people can do in seventy-two hours.
——As long as someone’s trying “to win,” it’s a fact they can’t write anything besides those two patterns.
“……The, tasks…… until now, too…… were mostly, like that……”
Shiro listed some of the tasks she had memorized.
——[Complete a hundred laps on this square, from one edge to the other, with your own feet, desu.]
This was also Izuna’s【Task】——It meant go walk 2,000km within seventy-two hours.
Though, too severe even for a Werebeast…… to begin with, there’s no need for Izuna to complete her own tasks.
It’d be easy for Jibril, insanity with the risk of death for Ino, and the others are slowed down by seventy-two hours.
——[With more than two people, pledge immediately to the Oaths and, in accordance to it, be victorious in a game instructed by someone other than the targets of the task.]
This must be Jibril——Normally, it would be [invalid] without any coercive power at all.
So long as there isn’t a third person, the conditions can’t be met and becomes a “task impossible to do.”
But if the conditions were met, then it’d surely be a【Task】of the highest difficulty, but——In any case.
“Well, one more mysterious thing. 【Tasks】only the Question Master can do are forbidden——Why?”
“……Hah? Isn’t it because the game can’t be established otherwise……?”
I see, a common answer, Sora laughed.
In the quiz programs, if participants were to design only questions they could answer, what would happen?
Surely, that shitty program would immediately cut and the one in charge would be fired.
But Sora, with a nice smiling face towards Steph who spoke of such common sense——responded irrationally.
“So? Why is there a need to establish the game?”
“…………Wha~at……?”
“This game, if the Old Deus is the [host] aiming for [us to kill each other], a binding(rule) like this would be in the way, right? Letting us force unreasonable demands, or even impossible tasks and instant deaths is better, right?”
Then, what’s the reason for not doing so?
——At that moment.
Sora and Shiro, on both their chests——like growing from the void, the dice increased by one.
From Izuna who stepped into Sora’s task, one die moved to Sora after seventy-two hours have passed.
Likewise, someone who had stepped into Shiro’s task must’ve lost one die after the time limit.
Obeying the number of dice increasing to nine, their limbs extended slightly.
While Sora (provisionally 16.2 years old) and Shiro (provisionally 9.9 years old) gloated together——he declared.
“I can even affirm it. 【Tasks】which only you can do are invalid——The one who said that was me♪”
“……………………Whaaaaat~?”
Sora said with not a single trace of guilt——exactly why his smiling face was a devil itself.
This【Task】rule, although restricted to Sora and Shiro alone, was too much of an advantage.
Just like Izuna said——only [ ](those two) moving together can make tasks impossible for anyone but [ ](those two).
……W-Well.
When you consider this journey(survival), it’s still a tepid “handicap,” but let’s put that aside.
“N~ow, let’s ima~~gine, commoners!!”
Sora stood up exaggeratedly above the cart.
“Our memories before the start of the game are erased! Let’s imagine, after confirming the rules, we seem to cry out, ‘You’re fucking kidding me, that’s like Jibril writing “use spatial shift” kind of impossible game, right!?’”
After Sora shouted that loudly, everyone gathered——and thought about it.
——I wonder why, even Sora thought that.
“Following that, ‘Tasks only you can do are forbidden, banned an~nd prohibited’——Can you imagine it!?”
——That should have been the erased memories.
But…… they could easily imagine it as if they had just seen it.
Shiro nodded deeply as if saying that’s how her brother was while Steph’s eyes were wide opened.
“Thus, I changed it to an advantageous rule only for me and Shiro——but”
Sora was in a good mood, but——boldly continued.
“Let’s recall again, shall we? This game started after everyone consented. There——”
It had a condition everyone was unlikely to agree with. Therefore, clearly there were fake rules among them——
“No matter how you think about it, there are rules prepared by me…… Absolutely interesting, right?”
If this game wasn’t about making them kill each other with the Old Deus as the host——then.
“This game, on whose circumstances, who began it, on what intentions——Who do you think holds the initiative?”
Saying that, Sora played with the dice in his hands and laughed, but.
Steph, dissatisfied, muttered quietly.
“……But, if you’ll die once the dice reaches zero, then…… isn’t it the same thing?”
If the dice keeps being stolen, eventually that “death(zero)” will be forced on someone.
In the end, isn’t it the same as killing each other by ordering death——Steph’s eyes appealed so.
“Certainly, you’ll die if you los
e. On the contrary, you’ll die from starvation, or get eaten by reliable monsters(gentlemen), conversely, if you eat carelessly, you’ll die from poisoning(attempting) without exception, an instant☆Go to Heaven, right?”
“……Nii…… for, us…… it’ll probably…… be hell, instead……”
Sora replied in an easygoing manner to the bitter end, Steph’s face turned into a frown——
“But even so, it won’t become a killing spree.”
Turning, Sora announced with a tight face, Steph faltered with a “Why?” while staring at him.
Indeed, there’s a coercive force working on the rules surpassing our own wills.
It would be the same as if we had consented into betting [our everything] and putting it on the plate.
We may easily die, even if you put aside the tasks and the dice as something irrelevant——But, even so.
“——After all, Shiro and I will win anyway♪”
……
…………
“……………………Fufu…… yes, that’s right!”
——Winning absolutely naturally, in our scenario——there’s no such plot.
A rather refreshing arrogance bursting into laughter, before long the anxiety disappeared on Steph’s face.
The natural swindler that was Sora and Shiro who unconditionally believed him——But just one thing.
For this reason, Steph also had faith in them and felt proud of it.
That, for sure, was the reason why Steph entrusted her dice to Sora before the game started.
——[ ](Kuuhaku) does not know of the word defeat.
And because winning means [perfect victory] ——therefore, they won’t recognize anything less.
Someone’s death or sacrifice as a condition——they won’t permit a “victory inferior to defeat” and so forth.
“……It’s the 61st square soon, just one before our destination. Let’s carefully look for the billboard.”
——Sora turned his face away from the embarrassing gaze, pointing ahead of the cart that kept running.
Pretending to not notice the tepid mocking gazes from Shiro and Steph,
“In that case——I’ll show you how I instantly find out who wrote out the【Task】ahead.”
Saying with a posed look, at the same time.
The continuously running cart was, once again, enveloped by the thick fog.
From the 60th to the 61st square——Ignoring the grating noise, they waited for their view to clear up.
Thus, after the long transition(load) ended, as expected, at the square’s boundary before the transfer point——
As expected a sentence——a【Task】was engraved on an old billboard, standing as if discarded.
Yes, such a sentence was written, the billboard…………,
——[Pluck out your pe〇is while smiling and die refreshed] ……
————————.
……*swagger swagger*…… *roll roll* ……
On the precipitous cliff’s greenery, under the clear skies, only the horse’s hooves and cart wheels resounded.
“Sora~It seems I’m a little tired~♪ I just saw a word denying everything we just talked about❤”
Behind Steph who asked with a bright smiling face singing as if rejecting reality.
In a poised state with a face wearing a tepid gaze——was Sora and Shiro whose time was stopped.
——Well, well, well.
Wellwellwell, c-c-calm d-d-down.
Calm down, Sora, virgin, nearly 18 years old, provisionally, 16.2 years old!
Eh~, for now there’s something that must be done first, right? Right…… just like the billboard declared——
“Geezeer!! I hope you’re listening this is definitely your’s right! What the hell are you writing did you finally go senile! Rather even if you don’t open your mouth isn’t there something besides dirty jokes you doggg!?”
Guessing the offender right instantly, Sora’s roar resounded to the heavens.
——A reply came from behind the giant game board forming a spiral.
The offender’s reply resounded on the game board in a straight line from a nearby distance.
[Oooh what good news! To think Sora-dono would stop at my【Task】and——what!?]
They couldn’t see his figure. However, perhaps the Werebeast’s eyes captured them.
[What……To think Shiro-dono and Stephanie-dono are also going together……I’m sure it must be painful sight to see a gentleman drawing something out with a smile as he dies invigorated……But!! Not only for the sake of pest control(Sora-dono), but for the sake of world peace!! Please somehow understand this isn’t a way to sacrifice——]
“We didn’t stop at it~ We’re passing by! Bastard, what did you plan to do if you stepped on this square, huh!?”
[I was prepared for the worst? But for you to be passing by——*tsk*, damn stubborn cockroach……]
……*swagger swagger*…… *roll roll*……
The cart continued advancing as Steph rode with a hollow smile while time was stopped for him and Shiro.
Sora, the only one who could still think, enduring a headache, groaned as if wringing it out.
“……Geezer. If I died to this, you understand you would lose, right……?”
He just said instant death【Tasks】are the worst moves, the farthest from victory.
But the returned reply was——plain and simple.
[I wonder? If the [Traitor(Sora-dono)] who screwed us and killed Miko-sama were to drop dead, it’s obvious this game would work out somehow——I’ll fulfill my duty as a retainer(revenge) and crush the world's enemy(you bastard)…… how is that a loss?]
…………
“……Sora. Sora~. Of course, this is also within your expectations…… isn’t it? Right?”
Sora replied to the imploring-like voice, but in his mind——It’s clearly unexpected.
Ordering death meaninglessly, the justifiability of betrayal, etcetera……
But all of that was——“the case only if everyone considered it upfront.”
Either he was a real idiot or Miko’s death greatly shocked him——No, it was probably both.
At any rate, what he really wanted to snap at was the fact his brain’s fuse seems to have completely flown away.
Despite having the five senses to see through lies, even Steph could see through Sora’s [traitor declaration(big lie)]——
He still accepted his words of all things as the truth——!
“……I, I see, that’s quite the admirable resolution you have there, I’m no match for it”
But——There’s no problem.
Regaining composure, Sora secretly wiped his perspiration and spoke for revenge as well as self-interest.
“To go as far as risking your ‘grandchild(Izuna)’s death’……must be the extremity of loyal retainers.”
[…………What?]
In a suspicious voice, he had used his remaining scant reasoning to come up with——“tasks where only males die.”
Targets cannot be specified——but while he wants to kill Sora, he won’t let Izuna die.
Thus he wrote a death(task) utilizing “something only males have”——or so he intended.
——Good grief, it’s too much. [18]
“If a female——and I mean Izuna, were to step onto this【Task】, they’d have to extract something suitable from an animal as they smile and die invigorated……It’s a harsher idea than me dying by doing so, I’m amazed……”
……The writing for this task cannot be restricted to a target.
Just like how Izuna’s task must have [including the tail].
——If it doesn’t exist on oneself——it’ll simply bring in something else.
…………
——In the long silence, an idiot interrupted, crossing the interval within.
The scream ripped through the sound of the still running horse-drawn cart without caring
about anyone——
[S-Sora-dono what should I do!? Izuna carries no sin please show mercy on Izuna! Make use of the normally meaningless unscrupulous fiend’s wisdom! Please a plan to save Izuna——!!!]
The pathetic petition tembling with tears uselessly resounded as an echo in the sky corridor.
“……I guess it’s fine. Spit out what other stupid【Tasks】 you wrote without exception.”
[Yes~~and also~~~blahblablahbah]
——And so.
Done listening to Ino’s confession thoroughly, Sora nodded seriously.
“——Yeah, I see, I understand now. Relax, I found a countermeasure so Izuna doesn’t die.”
[Oh, ooooh……!! There was meaning in the error that was Sora-dono’s birth! Ooh, I’m really grateful!!]
With the same understanding——Shiro took out a sack from a bag and wore it on her head, they nodded——
“But I won’t tell you, bastard——!!!! Shit yourself and sleep!!!!”
“……Geezer……go count, your sins……aside from, being born……”
Just like Gedo and Fukumen(Rider)[19]——The two people thrust their middle fingers out as they replied.
————.
A BGM of an abusive language with unclear meaning was above the advancing cart.
“Wai, you two!? Y-You won’t teach him the countermeasure!? If someone were to step on it——”
“……Plucking ……Nii’s, nii…… Geezer, ten thousands of deaths, won’t be enough……”
Steph’s mouth closed at Shiro’s slur holding about four-tenths of real killing intent——but, as for Sora.
He laughed after drawing out all the【Tasks】from one player and, in Imanity, carved such words on the cart.
——[It was a lie to make him reveal his tasks. No one would die with his tasks]
Ino’s【Tasks】were all——subjective, objective, and directive.
All phrases were incredibly lacking indications about target and period——There wasn’t any coercive power to it.
