No Game No Life Vol.7

by Unknown

  ——The girl didn’t know, but Miko drifting in her memories knew.

  She didn’t have an “ego” on that star——to still question [why].

  The lonely philosopher who held her knee questioning eternally—— disappointed, fell into an eternal slumber.

  At the end of that eternity, there had been but a single one. Embracing lovingly only that answer she earned at the end——

  【————Yes. Until thou awakened me. 】

  With the resounding voice, the drifting far away Miko’s consciousness was lifted up…………

  ————…………

  [……I wonder……? Why, am I still alive?]

  Looking around to her surroundings, Miko noticed her eyes were——no.

  She didn’t have any of her senses.

  Within the unclear silence, she heard the familiar voice echoing inside her consciousness.

  【——Denial. If you release this hand, then your soul will soon fall off the dew and disappear. 】

  Those words belonged to that girl, the [Quintessence], she harbored within her body for many years.

  It was a voice that sounded to be emotionless, lifeless——without any warmth.

  [I see. But we can’t talk if I die, you know? See, it’s exactly because we can’t, you even became the dew, right.]

  Somehow, it seemed her soul was being held——literally, “in the palm of God’s hands”.

  Although she didn’t seem to not only have a mouth and throat, but not even a body——Miko laughed loudly.

  Maybe it was because that didn’t please her, but……

  【——Thou. For scheming against god, know your place. 】

  For one instant, Miko’s consciousness was certainly cut off.

  She surely should’ve “died” in the palm god put her power into——but she remained completely aloof regardless.

  I admit it. Even proudly. That I deceived an Old Deus, and used her——and that’s because——

  [Isn’t “the one who got deceived the one at fault”, a rule of this world(Disboard)?]

  ——Once again, her consciousness got cut.

  Did she die for a single moment again?

  [I wish you’d stop killing and resurrecting me as you please. It’s making my blood run cold——ah but I also don’t have blood, do I?]

  【——Thou schemed. Twice. 】

  The god’s words of condemnation were words that, just by themselves, would bring annihilation if it weren’t for the [Ten Oaths]. But——

  [Why are you sulking? I guess that means the game must be proceeding as expected, huh.]

  That’s right, if it’s proceeding just like she schemed, then——

  As if replacing the reply, Miko’s field of vision opened even though she didn’t have even one of her five senses.

  She saw each one of the participants proceeding on the spiral drawn by the lands and separated as squares.

  Apparently, things are all proceeding as planned——

  [——You will lose you know?]

  She laughed pleased, even forgetting she was in a situation where she was immersed in death to the top of her head.

  【Affirmative. That may happen to a god deceived twice by the Provisional Fee——everything is possible, with nothing to be gained. 】

  The god’s face as she said that couldn’t be seen.

  But her voice didn’t contain any traces of emotion, concern or interest at all.

  Desiring nothing, expecting nothing, discarding everything as if it was meaningless, the same as worthless——

  【I care not for what will happen. Winning or losing——all that changes is the [outcome]. The [conclusion] will not change. 】

  ——It seemed to be…… just like a child sulking.

  【Thou schemed and betrayed——from the moment thou sold me, the limit of the solution thou seeks would not change anymore.】

  Miko gave a wry smile since the girl wasn’t aware herself.

  Miko knew——no, she couldn’t understand.

  She simply found out that it was like that.

  For an Old Deus——for that girl, even the way to measure the time itself seemed to differ from theirs.

  Those eyes overlooking countless branches of futures, and even the possible worlds, could already see the outcome of this game——in that case, surely it must be seeing what lied ahead of that outcome, as if it were countless predetermined facts.

  But.

  [It’ll change…… the outcome and also the conclusion, along with you.]

  ——It’s useless.

  For starters, from the moment she was deceived by Miko, it was clear there were things unknown even to the gods.

  That’s even more true when it’s about “this girl” ——Miko erased her laugh from her voice.

  [I schemed, deceived, and betrayed you. The first time unintentionally, the second time intentionally. Still——]

  With a tinge of loneliness dyeing her voice, Miko even so spoke——aggressively.

  [I did not tell any lies. If you didn’t understand that, then that’s the limit of what you can see.]

  ——When she told Miko, “thou sold me”.

  In the end, the transcendental race’s recognition, its range of comprehension…… was “just to that degree”, she thought.

  [I——and those people; they will also bring you along, beyond that.]

  That’s why she still declared, fearlessly.

  [Skepticism is synonymous with trust. The move which you don’t know of and I also once gave up on——that will drag both the outcome and conclusion along with the entire world, and change it all…… don’t you think the move that will pull in such a future——will be a sight to behold?]

  ————

  【So they are what will pull it in——I see, so that must be what thou calls a ‘spectacle’.】

  The scenery captured in God’s eyes.

  It was reflected in the vision it shared with Miko——the figure of the ones approaching.

  …………

  [P-Probably…… surely…… ah…… I wonder if it was too precipitated……?]

  ——It’s alright…… it should be. Probably, maybe…… surely——

  ■　■　■　■　■

  ——152th square.

  The place they are aiming for with their third move was the 204th square.

  Based on Shiro’s map, it was a plain grazing the country of Haywest, the Elven Garde’s territory on the Andalusia Continent.

  From the rocks, it dissolved into an aqua color until the barren wilderness halfway forming a desert.

  The ones gathering attention from the pinnacle, reaching for the ends of possibilities even god didn’t know of were——right now,

  “Hyaahahh screw that about walking with a person’s legs, relying on tools is how we do it!”

  ——The potential of humans lies not on their bodies but on their wisdom! or so he was shouting loudly.

  A Harley ran through——splitting the wind, and tearing through the wasteland.

  The roar of the engine hit the atmosphere as it went to the end of the period, literally roaring through it.

  “S-Soraa!? Just what is thisssssss!?”

  “……Ni, Nii…… r-reduce…… the, speed……”

  The middle-aged man, pushing the two screaming children (provisionally two years old) into the sidecar, roared.

  “Don’t say something so rude, sister! Can’t you hear it——the voice of the wind, telling me to become the light!!”

  Towards her older brother, whose eyes through the rider goggles were harboring madness while saying some ambiguous things.

  Shiro thought——it traced back to a few hours ago……

  ————…………

  It’s been 14 days since the start of the game——they’ve ran out of food supplies.

  “I’ve had enough…… I wanna go home, or rather, it’s already over so everyone will die ahahahaha.”
>
  “……Nii…… can Shiro…… reach, the…… goal……?”

  “Ah, a pink elephant is flying~…… it won’t take much if we ride on that♪”

  The three of them were still in their second move——walking like ghosts on the 58th square, where they performed the random number analysis(ritual).

  ……In the first place, it was by a miraculous luck they managed to get hold of a cart so quick.

  Losing the cart, they procured substitute legs, and in the end they even made a bicycle on their own and proceeded——

  But the road-less path extending for 580km was far too harsh for such a quickly-made ride.

  Every time they lost the ride they struggled to obtain, their hearts came closer to breaking——and unaware of it.

  ——I would rather walk than that, and the three of them unthinkingly stepped forward with their own legs.

  Only their dice increased smoothly, depending on whom stepped on Sora and Shiro’s tasks——but.

  Sora and the others simply kept walking mindlessly, evading the sun, escaping from the rain and getting frightened of wild animals.

  After spending more than two weeks like that, they exhausted their food supplies, and finally fell into despair——it was at that time.

  Their vision blackened——they reached their destination——at the end of the 119th [Square Movement(loading)].

  The place where the outcome of [58] pointed to…… was the 120th square, the one with the【Task】.

  Those three were standing up lonely on the open wilderness——and like them, there was a single billboard standing alone.

  ——【Answer the name of this motorcycle’s maker. If you can answer it, then you can take it! 】

  At the side of the billboard, where they read one sentence written by Sora and Shiro themselves, was that.

  A high-consumption large-sized motorcycle vehicle with a side-car attached, making its engine growl and with the fuel tank full.

  Like always, it was a task that only Sora and Shiro could answer——and, although unlikely, maybe Jibril——in other words.

  ——[Harley][24].

  Throwing the dice once again, Sora rode on the Harley smiling at the miracle witnessed by God——

  “Hahah!! Using over half of the Tasks for [legs] really paid off! Roar, V-Type Air-Cooled DOHC Evolution Engine!![25] Run through the spiral’s horizons, now, until the sky!!!”

  ——And that’s how it became like that.

  “……Ni, Nii, did you, have, a license……?”

  Shiro asked the obvious while the wind hit her face, trying distract herself from the fear.

  There’s no way he had that.

  Forget about the license for a large bike, he had no experience on driving anything aside a granny’s bike.

  The community of the hikikomori NEETs don’t even have the slightest motivation needed to obtain something like that.

  “The license to ride a Harley? Hah, of course I have——”

  But the reply of her older brother as he raised his thumb with all his heart went over——diagonally above her expectations.

  “The burning soul of an old man! The American spirit!! Right here in my heart!!”

  “……Nii, we are, Japanese…… also, it’s unclear if we, have even the Yamato-Damashii[26]…… since we are hikikomoris.”

  The shout came from provisionally 43.2-year-old virgin, Sora, who collected Shiro and Steph’s dice——

  “……Furthermore, that’s a ‘misrepresentation of age’ ……come back, to sanity……!”

  Regardless of the age he appeared, she asserted the inside was definitely the 18-year-old virgin Sora, but.

  “Calm down, sister…… your brother’s heart had never before been this much enlightened. It’s alright?”

  Shiro nodded insecure, as her brother once again started speaking weirdly while smiling like a Buddha.

  That change without any context was the best proof nothing was okay at all, but——

  “People are distinguished based on the country they were born——would you say something so sad?”

  ——We are the world; we are the children.

  Seeming about to sing like that, Sora looked at the distance through the goggles.

  “Would you be unable to know about Yamato if you haven’t been born on Japan? Feel the Yamato and honor the Yamato…… Is that something you cannot do, as long as you weren’t born inside the frame border known as the Japan drawn on the map? Your brother doesn’t think so.”

  “……That…… is…… b-but, Nii——”

  “America——that’s a good example. The only ones considered Americans are its citizens——right?”

  “……Y-yes…… it’s a country, of immigrants……but”

  “However, both those of American birth and the immigrants pride themselves of the America. Touch the heart and know the mind. Not as a frame border——but on the moment they touch that heart built up by the people, that heart will also dwell in them.”

  ——Therefore, it’s not a problem of birth.

  As her brother revised his Buddha smile and yelled with a Kongōrikishi[27] smile, Shiro became convinced.

  “I touched the Harley(heart) and an AMERICAN dwelt there——I already am America!!”

  ——What should I do…… Nii is broken……

  “W-Well, besides, that’s just in public isn’t it? Aren’t those Earth’s legislative regulations? There aren’t any policemen here either, are there?”

  The self-proclaimed American complemented while mumbling with such a chicken heart.

  “Shiro, it’s not just my impression right~ Sora is already no good.”

  Although reluctant, Shiro held the exact opinion as that disheartened comment, so she said out of despair.

  “A-And also——well, isn’t it about time to consider a serious problem……?”

  “Problem!? There are no problems! Put the love from the America, and——let it be(what will be will be)!!!”

  “……Nii…… the Be○tles[28], are…… from England……!”

  “As if I’ll let that whatever it may be happen!! S-Shiro understands too don’t you? Like picking up flowers——”

  “……Shiro, is a bishoujo…… and bishoujos, don’t use…… toilets……”

  “Eh, what did you say!? It’s hard to hear due to the engine and the wind so please speak louder!!”

  The flow went with her older brother developing (physically) a protagonist’s deafness disease followed by a combo of sexual harassment, but she went with the flow and ignored it.

  Shiro took out a tablet PC from the rucksack crushing Steph, and thought.

  ……Rather, it’s normal for her brother to be this broken......

  ——It’s been over 18 days since the game started…… 436 hours and 18 minutes to be accurate.

  Their food supplies been exhausted, the fatigue was piling up, let alone they haven’t had much sleep.

  Even if it’s not monsters…… dangers enough to kill people, like wild dogs, insects, and weather where everywhere.

  It was a long journey that’s scarce even in environments where one could relax and rest——it would be weirder if one didn’t break down.

  ……Though there was one exception, who was carried on the back whenever she got tired of walking, and would rest on the chest when laying down.

  Except for Shiro, who had “Nii” ——the best portable bed that allowed her to have a sound sleep regardless of the place.

  Then from here on it’s my own job, Shiro murmured on her mind, and started her thoughts——sorting situation, start.

  ——The names, number of dice possessed, including their provisional ages——are as it follows:

  Sora with [24] dice——43.2 years old.

  Shiro with [2] dice——2.2 years old.

  Steph with [1] die——1.8 years old.

  The reason why Shiro and Steph are infants obviously wasn’t for the sake of the Harley
’s license(Old man Soul).

  If they become smaller, then the amount of food supplies they need will reduce.

  When walking, they would give priority to the stamina, and would redistribute the dice.

  The reason why Shiro would keep two dice and Steph one, was so her dice wouldn’t reach zero if her task was coincidentally broken through.

  It was exactly because they repeatedly adjusted the dice based on the situation accurately that they came this far——but.

  The one who carried the burden born from that repetition without letting even a single complaint slip out was——her brother.

  And as a result, Sora suffered a major damage——one making people think the only reason he hasn’t sunk yet was because he’s the flagship.

  Steph——had excluded her requests along with her thoughts.

  She would live strongly with ‘there’s no shame since I don’t even have panties’ spirit——conclusion.

  (……There’s an urgent need to secure…… food supplies, for Nii…… and an environment, which Nii can get, a good sleep……)

  ——Current position, 152th square.

  At somewhere grazing the western border of a country on Elven Garde’s territory, Haywest.

  Number of dice and number of remaining squares until the [Objective], the estimated time and amount of fuel necessary——

  “……Ah.”

  Pinching the LCD of the Tablet PC, Shiro widened the map showing there.

  Discovering “a certain thing” barely included on the current coordinates’ square, she raised her voice.

  She immediately made a formula——no, she indexed a calculative formula, and murmured.

  “……Nii…… at 2.4km to the east from here…… there’s a small city…… and an…… ‘inn’……”

  “Inn!? Lodgings! Aren’t inns good when you’ve been camping outside without taking a bath for more than two weeks!?”

  Being crushed by luggage and Shiro, Steph reacted with full force to that murmur, even faster than Sora.

  ——There’s also a toilet there, though Steph didn’t say it, she took a single glance at Shiro, who nodded.

  But Sora slightly frowned his eyebrows, dubiously.