by Yuu Kamiya
“Heh-heh… How interesting. What makes you think that?”
Tet put the question to them, keeping his smile up on the surface.
“Because we know just how you feel. Blank has not a single loss—but we’ve lost to each other over and over.”
“…But we don’t let each other quit while they’re ahead.”
“As a result, my pure genius sister is specialized in games themselves.”
“…Brother’s gotten better…but only at dirty tricks.”
“Hey, what do you mean, ‘dirty’? Diplomacy is part of the game.”
“…Cheating is cowardly.”
“It’s fine as long as no one catches you! That’s how it works in this world, too, right?!”
At this sibling banter, Tet laughed heartily, while everyone but the siblings cowered before him.
“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Yeah, I was right to summon you two. You’re right; I’m not gonna let you quit while you’re ahead. Next time, I’m gonna win—basically, that’s why I summoned you. Are you disappointed in me?”
“Nah? I’m more relieved that it wasn’t some lofty reason like save the human race. So, have you descended from the heavens today just to tell us that, you bored God, you?”
“Nah, I came to thank you.
“After you guys—Immanity took down Elven Gard, albeit indirectly, the whole world’s gotten anxious, just as you planned.—It seems the Eastern Union takes an interest in that ‘phone’ you showed them, and they can’t sleep at night thinking about what country might be behind it. I wonder why? There’s also another ball of curiosity, Avant Heim, that is fascinated with the technology you used to defeat Elven Gard. Meanwhile, Elven Gard themselves are rushing to identify what country has this technology that beat them. If they knew you actually smashed them head-on, without cheating—ha-ha, with those guys, you might get dissected.”
Thus—having been generously provided information by Tet, Sora, suspiciously:
“Didn’t you say you don’t support any particular race?”
“Sure, so, this is just by way of thanks. This world was getting boring, so I’m giving you information as thanks for heating it up again. This is the first and last time, so use it well.”
Smiling, taking a step back without turning, Tet continued.
“All right, it seems like if I stick around, you guys are never gonna be able to relax, so I’ll take my leave. See ya!”
As this God made to leave, Sora and Shiro spoke up:
“Hey, Tet.”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for giving us a new life. You were right—this world is where we belong.”
“…Thank you, God.”
And, this time, all three spoke together.
“ “ “…See you soon.—Next time, on the chessboard.” ” ”
—And then, Tet disappeared, as if melting into the air. Everyone let out all their breath, as if they were finally permitted to breathe.
—Have you heard a rumor that goes like this?
“Hh… That’s one amusing God we’ve got here.”
“…I want to play…him again.”
—These gamers set unbeatable records in the online rankings for all kinds of games and swept up all the top ranks.
—One day the gamers suddenly disappeared.
—The accelerating urban legend—ultimately rose to the status of a myth.
“Th-th-that—w-w-was the One True God?!”
“Y-Your Majesty! I-is it true that you vanquished the God?”
“Wait, we should really be worried about the Eastern Union; they’re—”
“You mean Elven Gard! If our king and queen were to be targeted personally—”
—And now, the story that had stopped and become myth in that world…
—Its continuation, with its setting shifted to the world called Disboard.
“Ahhh, shut uuup! Don’t all talk at once!”
“…Brother.”
“Yeah, I know—”
To everyone lined up. Rising to the podium. Mounting the table in the center, spreading his arms, Sora spoke.
—“Now, as a convention.
—“And as a grace, I’d like to open as follows:
—“Once upon a time—.
“Come—let the games begin. Let us make the objective: Overthrow the God!”
—So, now let me tell you the newest myth.
AFTERWORD
Ohhhh, yeah—this is it! I’ve always wanted to write one of these—an “Afterword”! Nice to meet you. I’ve always been the guy doing the illustrations, and I’ve always wanted to try sitting in the author’s seat and writing the afterword, and, today, my dream has finally come true—I’m the author and illustrator, Yuu Kamiya. Umm, so, originally, I’m a manga-ka. Uh, yeah, I’m…on leave, as they say…I’ve come down with a bit of a nasty illness, so I have to take a break from drawing manga, which is very demanding. Plus, now, thanks to Itsuka Tenma no Kuro-usagi (A Dark Rabbit Has Seven Lives; published under the Fantasia Bunko imprint), I might even be better known as an illustrator than as a manga-ka now…and now that I’ve started writing novels, too, what am I “originally,” anyway… A-anyway, I’m also a manga-ka! And No Game No Life is my novel debut. Actually, I originally conceived of it as a manga. I wasn’t going to be the one drawing it; it was for someone—I just meant to be the “Story by” guy. The person who was supposed to draw it told me:
“I love fantasy, but I can’t stand battles!”
—and, knowing how tediou hard it is to draw battle manga, I wanted to grant that wish! “So, what about a fantasy world where you can’t battle!” I thought. And combined with games, that to which I devoted all my waking, nonworking hours!
“A world where even national borders are decided by games—by play for dominion!”
So, with this upside-down idea, I took my personal interests full throttle to make this. But unfortunately, the project never reached fruition. Thinking, I sure would like to realize this one day, I was left with a plot and a bunch of notes. Then, after that, I was forced to take a break from manga due to a troublesome physical condition. I was super-vegetating in the hospital and they didn’t even let me bring in my games, and, man—
—This is not your appointed time to die as a creator.
…What? It’s not that old. It still works; don’t give up on it. S-so, anyway, while I was lying there in the hospital, I made a lot of changes to the plot to make it convenient as a novel series, I mean, perfect. And, now, here it—hey, come to think of it, my editor was saying—“There are people who decide whether to buy based on the afterword, so sell,” or something like that. Okay—how’s this look?
(convincingly) Yeah—that’s pretty much what the book is like.
—Or it could be false advertising on the level of a Hollywood movie trailer? Those of you reading the afterword first will just have to read the book to find out. For those of you who are reading it last—umm. Yeah, well. If it sells well enough to make into a comic, let’s just consider that the flag for me to draw it and laugh and—
“Mr. Kamiya, Mr. Kamiya.”
—Huh? Oh, what is it, Editor S?
“Shall we start looking for someone to draw the comic? After all, you have a track record when it comes to manga, and—”
Aha-ha, sorry about that, my signal’s not very good and I can’t hear you.
“Actually, in the first place, what are you trying to do, saying, ‘I can’t draw manga due to my health, so I want to try writing a novel, since that’s less demanding,’ and then drawing a manga in the back of the book?”
You’re the one who told me to draw one!
“Huh? All I said was, ‘It’s almost unprecedented for the author and illustrator to be the same person who’s also a manga-ka, so please take advantage of that to sell the book’?”
—Are you telling me I should interpret that otherwise than “Draw a manga”?
“I didn’t say so explicitly!”
Hmm
. For a moment there, my editor’s character reminded me of our protagonists. Maybe I should have emphasized Stephanie’s hatred more!
Oh, come to think of it. This is coming out the same month as Takaya Kagami’s Itsuka Tenma no Kuro-usagi, Volume 10: Koutei de Warau Majo (A Witch Smiles in the Schoolyard), for which I also did the illustrations! I put supereffort into that as well, so please buy it; you must!
…Hff, so, as I write this. I’m still not totally done yet. And, actually, right now—I’m in Brazil. For the health reasons alluded to above, I’m back in my home country for a time. Actually, the text and illustrations of this No Game No Life volume. And the illustrations for the new volume of ItsuTen, mentioned above, were almost all composed in Brazil.
—A big trunk filled with my LCD tablet and PC and a huge load of packing materials.
“The purpose of your trip?”
Medical reasons.
“What’s all this equipment for?”
Work.
…Well, it shouldn’t be too hard to imagine the trouble I went through at customs.
—Yeah, it’s crazy, right? I’m a sick goddamn guy. What am I doing getting cared for on the other side of the world while answering two companies as they badger me for delivery?
“Excuse me, Mr. Kamiya.”
Yes? What is it, Editor S for “sadist”?
“Um, I’m more of a masochist, really—Mr. Fujimi and I explained the schedule to you in advance, didn’t we?”
I don’t remember agreeing!
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you…”
Anyway, when you call me the day before the New Year’s Eve Comiket, when I’m making the final sprint in the middle of all that end-of-year insanity, of course I would feel like sending you off with what you want to hear!
“Um, well, frankly, that’s entirely your—”
Editor S’s epic sadism aside. Heh, that’s the successor to Takaya Kagami’s previous editor, Catherine, all right… That was an ambush no matter how you look at it. Pouncing on me when I’m mentally unsound—……
So…is this a good time?
“Uh, for what?”
An extension. ♥
“Uhhh… I didn’t quite get that; must be the sig—”
Hmm, come to think of it, who was it who let me put the text on a diet by eight pages to achieve the desired page count and then announced the same day I got back to Japan, “I forgot to account for the ten black-and-white illustrations”?
“…Can’t you pretend that never happened?”
If you cut this out in editing, I’ll tweet on you! ♥
“I, Editor S, most humbly and sincerely apologize and ask forgiveness for my failure and indiscretion in not only greatly inconveniencing you by my own grave error, but furthermore expecting you, the author, the great Yuu Kamiya, to clean up the mess I made.”
—Yes, now that I’ve succeeded in paying back a grown-up, I hope to meet you again in the next volume; farewell!
“Oh, by the way. Mr. Kamiya, when will you have the manuscript for the second volume ready? Mr. Kamiya? Are you there? Hello?”
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Contents
COVER
WELCOME
INSERT
TITLE PAGE
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1: BEGINNER
CHAPTER 2: CHALLENGER
CHAPTER 3: EXPERT
CHAPTER 4: GRANDMASTER
EPILOGUE
AFTERWORD
YEN NEWSLETTER
COPYRIGHT
Copyright
NO GAME NO LIFE, Volume 1
Yuu Kamiya
Cover art by Yuu Kamiya
Translation by Daniel Komen
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
NO GAME NO LIFE
© 2012 by Yuu Kamiya
Edited by MEDIA FACTORY
First published in Japan in 2012 by KADOKAWA CORPORATION.
English translation rights reserved by HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, INC under the license from KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo, through Tuttle-Mori Agency, Inc., Tokyo.
English translation © 2015 Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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Yen On is an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The Yen On name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
First Yen On ebook edition: April 2015
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
ISBN 978-0-316-38516-9
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