No Game No Life Vol.7

by Unknown

  “This game started after everyone consented…… with improbable conditions.”

  ——That’s right, with improbable premises.

  They’d believe in each other, they wouldn’t betray each other, they’d kill each other, and the price was Miko’s death.

  There were many improbably conditions to be accepted——and there’s one more thing at that.

  “‘A game with an Old Deus’…… me and Shiro would participate unconditionally. Jibril would participate——either due to obeying us or by curiosity, I guess. If it involves Miko-san, then Ino and Izuna would also participate. Steph, well~ I guess maybe you would participate by going with the flow.”

  Sora once again wore the shirt he had wringed and, while showing a thin smile——he spoke.

  “——And? Why would Plum be participating in this game?”

  ……Those words made Steph choke.

  It was a game with improbable conditions——but started with the consent towards the ones that were, probably.

  But then, what about Plum who from the very start didn’t have any reason, motivation, or obligation to participate?

  “In this game, a Dhampir(Plum)’s survival is more endangered than Imanity(our)’s. Every place in this field are open plains, after all. It’s a long-term battle where the sun is fatal. Forget about bloodsucking, there’s no way to even replenish the bodily fluids.”

  Since it was almost impossible to ascend, there wasn’t even any significance for Plum to participate.

  “What did he aim for and under what conditions did he consent to participating? ——It’s simple, right Shiro?”

  Every one of them, at the very least, wringed out and dried their clothes——Sora had pointed to the dice that had increased by one——due to accomplishing the【Task】prepared by Plum which anyone could do.

  Seeming to have finally caught on to her older brother’s thoughts, Shiro answered happily.

  “……Plum’s…… aim, is to…… ‘win without ascending’……”

  Saying that, the two of them played around with the dice they stole——No, that Plum made them steal.

  Imanity’s strongest gamer, [ ](Kuuhaku), showed a thin smile, fearlessly, irreverently——and declared.

  ——If you forgot, then, we’ll say it as many times as it’s necessary.

  ——[ ](Kuuhaku) does not know of defeat.

  Just like this declaration, everything was within expectations.

  Everything lined up correctly towards victory, just like the inevitable——

  “…………That’s right. Fufu, that’s how it is, right! Then——”

  There was no longer anxiety spilling from Steph’s face.

  Her face broke into a relieved smile as if she had remembered something she was about to forget.

  She took a deep breath and then pointed at Sora and Shiro——No, to behind them, in other words, “beyond them.”

  “……Would you please let me hear about the scenario Elkia’s prided two Wise Kings expected? About what will happen from now on…… and along with it, what I should do about my underwear so I don’t end up with my heart breaking ❤”

  ——Steph pointed out with an empty smile, her eyes still dead.

  The scenery got temporarily overwritten due to the task and, on top of that, everyone got teleported high in the sky.

  Maybe it ran away, since both the horse and the cart they were riding in earlier had disappeared without a trace.

  They have no other choice besides to walk on foot, through the pathless fields still extending far into the horizon.

  While they were making a posed look…… the single teardrop running down on the yet silent and immobile Sora and Shiro’s cheek silently spoke it all.

  It’s like a lie.

  It’s the first move and yet, something like this happened.

  The [62nd square] ——this place, where they were standing on after going through hardships and dying experiences.

  The place they were aiming for was after more [289 squares], after throwing the dice many more times and piling up many more hardships.

  ——This place was about one sixth of the total…… he cursed at the him who agreed to the rules.

  Couldn’t he do something more about it!? At least about the means for moving, you know——!?

  “~~~A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!! Come on, gather the dice at me one more time and let’s [travel together]!!”

  Sora roared as to inspire his heart which seemed it would easily break down if he were to lose focus.

  And just like the first time——they [traveled together].

  Leaving [one die] with Steph and Shiro, all the remaining dice were gathered at Sora.

  04: In the case of [traveling together], after declaring so, the travelers will only move in accordance to the outcome of the representative(one person).

  05. In the case of the number of players moving together surpasses two people, an [Overall Number of Travel CompanionsｘAttendants]’s worth of dice will be removed from the number of dice used.

  When [traveling together] as three people, six dice will be lost per move, but——it can’t be helped.

  The number of dice thrown will be greater that way, the outcome would also be bigger, and the number of squares with a【Task】they will have to stop at decreases.

  Steph grabbed eight of the dice floating around her chest and handed them over to Sora’s extended hand——Or so she was about to, but, she halted.

  Noticing something, she lowered her face and asked.

  “……It might be a little too late for this, but…… why are you bringing me along?”

  ——————Wh…… at?

  “M-My bad…… to be honest, I looked down on you…… are you saying that, on your first look of the game, you wanted to [play it by traveling alone while being the weakest character and without raising any levels] ——!? Damn you! You must be a pro masochist, right!?”

  “……Nii, that’s, just…… because, it’s a series tagged with uploader missing……”[22]

  “I-I don’t understand what you’re saying!? I-It’s not that……”

  In the first move, Steph was borderline intimidated and was forced to [travel together], but, her face distorted in doubt and said.

  “This [travel together] rule…… it would be far more effective if you left me behind, wouldn’t it……”

  ——So why did you force me into traveling together with you?

  Maybe she finally noticed it, since she spilled that fearfully while feeling something was wrong.

  Sora and Shiro turned and looked at each other.

  …… It really was too late for that, they exchanged smiles, amazed.

  At first, they intimidated Steph, stole and used the [nine dice] ——but.

  If they brought Steph along and [traveled together], each one would lose two dice per move——a total of [six] dice would be consumed.

  Furthermore, if they failed on accomplishing a【Task】, it would decrease by one for each person——at worst, they could even end up consuming it all in a single move.

  Even if the value of the outcome increases along with the number of dice, if the consumption also increases then the result would be negative.

  Let alone that——

  “……If it was only Sora and Shiro then——you could get away with just having [two] dice consumed, couldn’t you?”

  That’s right——Going by the rules, the consumption would increase if the number of people moving together “surpasses two.”

  Surpassing two people——it’s “exceeding.”

  It’s not “two or more” ——so two people aren’t included in that.

  If it’s Sora and Shiro [with just the both of them], they could get away with having only one die consumed for each of them, totaling only two.

  But, if they add one more person to that——from that moment on, the consumption would triple.

  “Ba
sically, me and Shiro have no other choice besides [traveling together], but, with this rule, there’s little meaning for anyone else besides us to use it. In addition, just me and Shiro is fine, but, it would be disadvantageous for us if we were to add one more companion. Our chances to win would be come thinner, so we should leave you behind and go on——is that what you’re trying to say?”

  “Y-Yes……”

  Steph said troubled, but, the voice that answered was——

  From the one who was in possession of [27 dice], having received nine from Shiro and eight from Steph.

  “——Then, too bad, but, you’re [wrong]…… isn’t it regrettable?”

  It was a low and sharp voice laughing fearlessly——in the late 40s.

  “This [traveling together] rule, too——The one who attached it was undoubtedly me. Then——”

  ——This [traveling together] rule was completely meaningless for everyone besides Sora and Shiro.

  There’s a [traitor] weaved in, so even if two people moved together, there weren’t any advantages to it.

  If they moved together with three or more people, it would simply be disadvantageous…… it was a rule meaningless for anyone to use.

  But——Since that rule was essential for Sora and Shiro, Sora must’ve attached it.

  ——If you say it’s something convenient like “like there won’t be any penalty if it’s just Sora and Shiro(two at most),” then basically, it means that there are “those kinds of circumstances,” right God?——

  “Rather, I see it as you can’t win if you don’t travel together——please [declare] it.”

  He anticipated it——at the end of this giant game board, far beyond the horizon.

  The words Sora spoke while laughing, as if mocking and inciting the Old Deus that awaited there.

  He would bring down a god with only a human body——he said so with his future(aged) voice and face as if he had already shown it many times.

  Both Shiro and Steph’s faces involuntarily turned red.

  While still being prompted by Sora, they took his hands——and declared.

  ——They’re [traveling together] ——

  As the words echoed, Sora grabbed the [Life(dice)] from his chest and threw them in the empty space.

  From the moment they all rolled on the ground and revealed their numbers——they could only proceed until that value.

  The lives of those three——At the price of two-tenths of their lives.

  The place they would reach after proceeding while consuming their life, their existence time, their age——just where would it be?

  Sora and Shiro laughed.

  Steph trembled.

  Then, they looked at the destination that their lives(dice) revealed——……

  ■　■　■　■　■

  ——Thirty minutes have passed ever since they stared at it.

  “I also asked the same thing during the first move, but…… what are you doing?”

  “I think I also answered the same thing during the first move, but!!——It’s a ‘ritual’!!”

  “…… ‘Random number analysis’……”

  ——The nervousness and the like had already became a distant memory.

  Steph (1.8 years old) asked while sitting in a triangle while Sora and Shiro answered instantly——in other words.

  It was a situation where a nearly 50-year-old NEET virgin hikikomori gamer was doing a handstand with his upper half naked while taking along two little girls.

  If the police passed by, then in one shot, with just the circumstantial evidence and the boiling smell of an offense, he would be arrested and certainly charged for it.

  It was a bizarre situation that would surely charge him as guilt.

  “……Nii, next…… keep moving the torch, to the left and right, while making squats…… then throw it.”

  “No, erm…… can I ask you to explain it in more detail?”

  ——His figure had looked like that of a reliable and stern father for a moment, but, when one looked attentively like this, it was just an older brother(Sora) with a sorry odor drifting around.

  “The invalidation of tasks that can only be done by yourself and this travel together rule. I told you that I was the one who made both of them, but——”

  02: The Dice Holder can only move across the same amount of squares as the outcome of throwing all the dice they possess.

  03: The result from throwing the dice is random and, after throwing it, [one] die from the used ones is removed.

  “These dice rules were probably also designed by me.”

  “……Nii, next…… return, one step…… and throw it…… while making, a bridge.”

  He made a bridge, looking pained, just like Shiro instructed and once again threw one dice.

  ——All of them were showing [six].

  “Anyone can do a hand movement(technique) of this level…… to manipulate the outcome, right!”

  ……Like hell they can.

  Shiro seemed to have heard the voice in Steph’s heart, but, actually it really was something anyone could do.

  Like those with paranormal five senses, Izuna and Ino, and those with magic, like Jibril and Plum.

  It was unclear as to who was the first one to say that it was forbidden, but——the older brother continued.

  “But, if the manipulation of the outcome was forbidden, and you were to leave something as ambiguous as [Random-san] up to that Old Deus, the outcome would be manipulated in a way that no one would be able to ascend. It would be a cheat impossible to prove and we’d surely lose. As if I’d overlook it.”

  “……Nii, next…… make a dent, on the, ground…… and throw……”

  Just like she instructed, Sora stuffed his face to the ground and threw another dice.

  “On top of that, even if you say [random], there’s someone who can concretely specify that [Random-san].”

  He said while turning his gaze to Shiro.

  “——Here, without fail.”

  He said while staring at the surface of the dice, where the floating numbers were shown before rapidly disappearing.

  Shiro replied with a smug face while raising her fingers and making a V.

  If the manipulation of the outcome was forbidden so that “even the Old Deus wouldn’t be able to do it,” then.

  Then, we have no choice but to specify the random function——through a specific pseudo random number sequence.

  If the erasure of memories is the initial condition, then it’s a fact they’ve made a random no one can operate on.

  “However! If Shiro could specify it, then——certainly it was specified under ‘some certain conditions’!!”

  “……If you, calculate…… the ‘reference value’…… you can adjust the random value…… and specify it, to get the number you want……”

  And so, this is the basis for saying it was something we prepared, the older brother laughed wickedly.

  “Proceed by throwing all the dice you possess——but there’s no rule saying to throw all of it at the same time, is there?”

  Then——by altering the conditions and throwing it one at a time, you can calculate the reference value.

  “I already knew it, but…… as charlatans, you both are so reliable that it’s even tiring.”

  “……Then, Nii…… Next, undress your bottoms, too…… take a step back……”

  “——Shiro, I think it’s about time for me to question it, but, is there really a possibility the lack or possession of clothes are part of the reference value?”

  Sora let that out with his eyes half closed, Shiro answered in her head——There’s no way that’s true.

  The [random] Shiro specified had the same deviation characteristics of Ro〇Saga3’s[23] random number routine.

  The [reference address] also had a [number of steps] and [elapsed time] Shiro could completely memorize. But——

  “……There is…… because of…… Shiro
’s taste……”

  “Just what kind of taste is that…… what do you think would happen if the random number adjustment required me to be completely naked!?”

  “……? It would be fine, if you just stayed, fully naked……?”

  “If a middle-aged man was fully open while bringing around two little girls, the police would go crazy, right!?”

  …… It might be too late for that already, Shiro thought quietly.

  Maybe she had already given up, but, Steph, after plucking out some grass, was blowing a grass whistle while gazing at the blue sky; the only thing echoing was its languorous sound.

  Chapter 2 — Over-Explanation(Whodunit)

  Floating on the threshold of death, Miko——saw a distant dream.

  That was a distant……a memory that was so far old, that for a dead person it was comparable to the eternity,.

  But for the girl who didn’t desire anything, wandering alone for an eternity, until falling asleep——she saw such a dream……

  ————…………

  The girl recognized for the first time——was the universe wriggling into creation.

  It wasn’t even creation and destruction, the wriggling heaven and earth merely painted over creation with creation.

  The girl asked——[What place is this], [Who am I].

  The universe had nothing that could reply, but what did——was the girl’s [Quintessence].

  Her [Quintessence] replied——[This is a planet(star)], [Thou is a god].

  But the girl’s next query, her [Quintessence] simply remained forever silent without responding.

  ——[What is a god] ——……

  In that long silence, the girl simply took up a single brush, continued questioning, continued writing.

  Just a few words, she waited to the end for something to reply, but what arrived were only the fires of war.

  Turning towards the conflicting gods breaking the star, the girl who asked merrily——received only an idle reply.

  Who are you——I am a god. What is a god——A god is a god——…………