novel
| ← Ch.42 | Ch.44 → |
It has been 22 hours since the game with Sora's group started. The date: "Year 112 B. T." was displayed on the "Map". Inside the game, 72 years have already pa. s. sed.
Having finished her errand on the Lucia continent, Jibril transfers to the skies of the Ariella continent. That is where the Phantasma, Avant Heim - Jibril's "capital" was located. There, Jibril started writing "Commands" with elegance, but also, speed and precision when suddenly:
"................ ."
She gently brushes the "Map", and projects the scenery outside in midair.
──The "Flugel Units". They can freely teleport at any time to any part of the planet. They were revealing the whole world map, there was not a single speck of black in it. The whole world... yes, the world in the nostalgic era of the "Great War".
Jibril was supposed to be excited about that scenery of destruction and death, but instead, she just gazed at it with a complicated expression.
──At the time when the "Game of Sudoroku" with the Old Deus started.
'If it is my Masters, I think there is no way that they are trying to do something like forestalling me. '
That's what she thought when she heard what Sora said just before they wrote their 【Tasks】: 'Of course, do betray us, okay?' and 'Since we're going to do this come at us with your full power all right?'
If it was possible to use the Old Deus' power to change the square's contents according to the 【Tasks】, then she would use that power to challenge her Masters to a game that recreated the "Great War"
──When she wrote her own 【Tasks】, she even patted herself on the back because of her idea.
Did the overwhelmingly weak defeat the truly overwhelmingly strong and change the world? Jibril would challenge them with her full power, and, if even with that, she was defeated... She had great expectations towards that answer, towards something that she didn't know, towards the unknown. That's right, originally, this was supposed to be the best, and most exciting game but─
But, when gazed upon that scene, Jibril just thought that it was terrible.
"... I was the one who ruined it in the first place, so I really can't say anything... right?"
Swallowing the words she had just spilled, Jibril once again a. s. sess the situation on the "Map" as if it was just work.
Just now, some Dwarves and Elves were gathered in the Lucia continent. Since the rabble went out of their way to gather like that... they were really a good target. They saved her some effort.
According to her instructions, they'd launch an indiscriminate attack to ensure total annihilation.
The Demonia, whose "Demon King" was killed, were already on the verge of extinction. The main forces of the Elves, Dwarves, and even Fairies were also annihilated. Also 18 Phantasmas, and 78 Dragonias were destroyed. All those were great military gains.
──She will keep opposing almost all the other races indiscriminately. What's more, Jibril's "Flugel Units" will keep acc. u. mulating military gains. But, she will not use strategy nor tactics to accomplish that. Just like in the "Great War" of the past, she will act like the strong, and simply crush them underfoot.
After all, her faction consisted of not only the Flugel, but also the G. o. d of War: Artosh, and his disciple, the Phantasma: Avant Heim. It was literally a power in a different dimension. If they pushed with numbers, even an Old Deus would be destroyed without difficulty.
At the time of the "Great War", Jibril didn't worry about having fun while playing, she just used a full force offensive. If she just did that now, would things proceed smoothly? She wonders this as she let out a discouraged, or perhaps disappointed, sigh.
──'That's right... There is no way any of this is fun. I don't have the leeway, much less the right to have fun. After all, I'm facing my masters, Sora and s. h. i. +ro, Blank. I have to win, no matter what I have to do. '
Thus, Jibril keeps writing "Commands" in a businesslike, worklike manner.
"After doing all this, it looks like losing is out of the question..."
If, with just a few words from Sora's group, she was ordered to "Renounce your rights", or "Die" in a letter, the game would end. But they are not doing that, and even though she coerced them into this game, they still accepted her challenge.
At the very least, Jibril has to do this seriously and win. She has at least that duty. Jibril slides her pen once more and considers.
──Immanity
I have seen many times that my masters are exceedingly great persons. But, no matter how great they seem, there is only one way to take on this difference in military power.
──Infiltrating in complete secret, and changing the war's situation from the rear── Just that.
Indeed, that is something she imagines her masters would do, Jibril is half-convinced of it. During the Great War, there was a race that wasn't noticed by anyone to an unnatural extent - It was Immanity. The reason for that, their true nature, was surely for this.
... But any more than that, she won't understand until the conclusion.
The last move. How did they end the Great War, also how did they involve the Ex-Machina? But, whatever it is,
"... But in that case what should I do? It is a simple matter..."
That's right, she just needs to exterminate all the races. If there weren't any other races to use, then they wouldn't even be able to move in secret. If she did that, then even her masters would have no choice but to renounce their rights. That's what Jibril was thinking, when suddenly,
"Oh... ? The situation has changed..."
The "Map" illuminated by the Flugel Units.
Jibril grumbles at the new information about the situation on top of it. Up until then, the races has been acting separately, as she intended, but now, they had started to cooperate.
──Clearly, they saw the Flugel (Jibril) as hostile.
"As expected, is that it?... yes, yes... that's it..."
Jibril smiles slightly at this situation, and increases the speed of her pen. This game, the "Great War", is indubitably Jibril's home field.
'My Masters are really coming to defeat me head on!!'
──'I don't want to lose... I have to win. '
But, if even with her most frantic efforts, she was still defeated... Jibril thinks about that and makes a complicated smile. Jibril wasn't able to witness the moment the world changed in the past. She also won't be able to witness the moment the world will change in the future.
──If she was allowed to be selfish and witness it at least until she died.
That──
... that...
"... That would be really good, right?... Jibril..."
Unexpectedly, Jibril asked herself that question.
──'Losing my memory is scary. It is so scary that I want to die. '
'I wish I could die by my masters hands, the very hands that are shaping the future. '
That's what she thinks. But...
Originally, it was supposed to become the best and most exciting game...
... But, it was terribly...
She knew she had no right to continue that line of thought, but even so, she couldn't help but think of it.
Her last game is so boring.
Was Jibril.... Really all right?... Masters...
──Looking like she doesn't understand anything anymore she hangs her head in shame.
Jibril wipes away the drops that fell on the "Command", and just keeps moving her pen.
And then, a thunderous roar shook heavens and earth.
"Hyaaaaaaaaa!? What's thiiiiiiiiiis!?"
──It has been 51 hours and 43 minutes since the game started. The date displayed on the map was: "Year 14 B. T." It seems that Steph had dozed off for 4 hours, but now she was awake,
"Oh. You woke up? It's okay, that was just the previous "Capital" blowing up."
It was an attack that turned the previous Capital's location into a crater.
──'Just how is any of this okay?' It seemed that Steph wanted to say this, but in response:
"How sloppy～.... Falling asleep after a mere 47 hours～?"
"... Sleeping more than 5 minutes... in the middle of a game... means you lack fighting spirit."
Without sparing her a single glance or stopping what they were doing, Sora and s. h. i. +ro answered bluntly.
"N-normal humans sleep once per day! Also─"
Normally, Steph is very resistant to sleep, but her body was still shrunk to that of a 3. 6 years old.
"I fainted because I ran around so much... Wait, what is this!?" Steph screamed at the large quant. i. ty of papers covering the floor, and continues meekly:
"... u-um... since you woke me up, I'll do my best to mail..." Steph said to Sora and s. h. i. +ro, who still wouldn't stop their hands and kept writing. It seems that Steph thinks the "Commands" had piled up while she slept, but the two of them smiled comfortably, and answered:
"Ah. Those. They are not to be mailed now, so"
"... Half are... s. h. i. +ro's... 'equations'..."
"... Th-then... What are you doing now... ?" Steph asked the two of them, who still weren't stopping their hands, even while answering.
But──
"Hmm that's right. Now I'm playing S*m City?"
"... s. h. i. +ro is... playing harv*** moon..."
"──What? Actually... since when was the map..."
Instead of a response they used the map. The "Terrain Map" now displayed the whole world. That's right, the whole world was displayed with such clarity it seemed unnatural. They pinched out at a "Scout", and projected its field of view in midair.
──Ariella continent's center, equatorial region.
If the ash wasn't covering the sky, it would probably be a tropical region. But, since it was world without sunlight, the ground was frozen solid, just like everywhere else.
"Wha.... what is this... ?"
A "City" so splendid that Steph couldn't help but rise her voice was built. It was a city built with stone and ancient concrete, and in it, they were even "Farming". It was a city that made you think about ancient Rome, but, both building it, and farming in it were,
"H-how did you ally with the Warbeasts while I was asleep!?"
That's right, after looking at the working "Warbeast Units", Steph gasps with admiration. But, not stopping his hand even now, Sora smiles and answers:
"I told you we can't ally with them. However, if we go just by results, then there are some races we can cooperate with"
Yes, that's because it would be troublesome if their existence became known in a bad way. Sora explains while scratching his head as if to hide his embarra. s. sment:
"... Well, I just helped them a bit... since they were so pitiful."
"What a curious turn of events... not. What's your ulterior motive this time?"
Hadn't Sora already strayed far off the path of humanity? To Steph's suspicious half-lidded eyes, Sora answers with slightly hurt feelings:
"What the heck? Even though I helped them when they were about to be destroyed by the cruel Elves' heartless vengeance?"
"I doubt they are crueler than Sora - the cause of that heartless vengeance!?"
It was the incident where Sora confused the Warbeasts with orcs and made them kidnap Elves. Even though it has been 118 years of in game time since that happened, they were still taking on the revenge from time to time. They had no villages nor any food, the Warbeasts were on the verge of destruction, what Sora proposed under a pseudonym led to this situation.
In other words: 'This is all your fault'
Steph's blaming is accurate, but this time, even though it seemed hard to say, she forced herself to continue:
"I-in that case... If we have that much food, isn't it better to invest it in our 'Immanity Units'..."
──The total number of "Immanity Units" was already over 450, 000.
They have 9 cities just in the Lucia continent, they were even scattered around the world in all continents. They still couldn't say they had enough food to support all that...
'However... ' Sora stops his pen for the first time, and turns around.
"We have to sacrifice someone... after all, it can't be helped, right?"
"..................."
"If everyone keeps telling themselves that then it would result in... this, a "Great War" would it not?"
──Unable to say anything, Steph just hangs her head. If she had to say, then Sora telling her that, of all things, wasn't particularly satisfying. Sora ignores Steph's protesting gaze, and continues while touching the "Map"
"The good you do for others is good you do yourself. Precisely because it was given to them, they shall experience the ultimate luxury. Look!"
He projects the field of view of a different unit, as if saying: this is progress towards peace.
"After 170 years of trial and error! Finally, in this dying world..."
──That's right, he's boasting about a great enterprise that took more than 100 years.
"Using a chemical fertilizer, and a soil improving mineral, vermiculite!"
"... through hydroponics... large scale farming was... successful..."
Sora and s. h. i. +ro were loudly throwing out their chest at that, and Steph also gasped with admiration.
At any rate, that's only natural.
That's because it was really, without doubt, unmistakably, a great achievement.
──To begin with, the sky was covered with ashes, there was no sunlight, and the ground was frozen. Since the earth continued to receive the fires of war, it heated a little bit, but other than that, almost the whole planet was frozen solid. For all intents and purposes, they couldn't use the ground, almost all the places they could use were contaminated with the "Deathly Ashes".
Thus, relying on the information in their tablet, they single-mindedly kept using trial and error for one century. Using soil improving earth, and chemical fertilizers. Looking for land where the deathly ashes don't rain. Hydroponics. Two simple shut ins succeeded in something that was never seen before.
"But, the only race who can offer and manufacture both the vermiculite and the chemical fertilizers is Immanity!"
No, strictly speaking, only "Immanity" knows the manufacturing procedure. So that they wouldn't lose the procedure after manufacturing it, Sora and s. h. i. +ro's instructions were to treat the it as top secret material. Therefore!
"The Warbeasts are working for the cost of their own food, we are selling food at the lowest possible price!"
At any rate, they were the ones offering the fundamental technology. For them, for the "Warbeast Units", refusing would be foolish, they didn't even have a choice.
"Thus! Distribution of goods and an economy - mutual trade was realized right here!"
"... Through a win-win economy... through capitalism... friendly relations..."
"Come now, it's fine to shower us with praises, don't hold back! In this s. h. i. +tty war world, we established mutual economic prosperity based on capitalism! Rejoice! This is a cultural victory, peace!"
Sora was loudly singing praises, and s. h. i. +ro was throwing out her chest, but─
─After a few seconds of careful consideration, Steph raised her voice:
"That is not coexistence, that's exploitation!?"
A certain Steph was almost deceived, and Sora just sighs:
"Good grief. You can't even understand the basics of capitalism... prime minister? What a joke!"
Sora shakes his head and thinks: Exploitation? Ah, of course, that's completely correct. But the basics of capitalism is to pretend you didn't realize that since the beginning!
──'But, well, you can say whatever you want' Sora thinks, and laughs. Even if that's true, this is peace, that is an unshakable truth, therefore!
"There is one thing all "Living things" absolutely cannot go against. Do you know what it is?"
That is...
"Hunger... !"
".......... !"
Steph was taken aback. Sora and s. h. i. +ro glare at the completed world map.
"Using this overwhelming weapon - by seizing their stomachs, we are fighting against this world!!"
"... Those who control the food.... Shall... control the world..."
"If they get hungry, they have no choice but to deal with us. But, we are a hegemony" Sora said.
The light in his eyes was like that of a supreme ruler, courageous, strong.
... Someone's stomach growled.
The sound that s. h. i. +ro's stomach made was like a small animal, cutesy, ephemeral.
.............
After a little period of silence, Steph lets out a sigh, and says:
"... It is fine if you say your true intentions... I understand what you feel..."
"──Both s. h. i. +ro and I are starving! We are at our limit!"
Sora became aggressive because of that. He struck the desk and cried:
"It's been 51 hours! We can deal with sleepiness and tiredness one way or another, but we are hungry!"
".... s. h. i. +ro... wants to eat... S** King..."
s. h. i. +ro had reached the stage of drooling and following something that wasn't there with her eyes.
"... I'll ask just in case, but is it really okay? This game is an "Illusion" after all"
"That!? Even a drawing of mochi might be delicious if you eat it!!"
"... At the very least... it will taste like paper and paint... *drool*"
While she was being pushed by their truly ravenous gazes, Steph says firmly:
"Uhm... One second for us is eight hours inside the game, right?"
Even just 4 hours of sleep would surely clear her head. Sora and s. h. i. +ro definitely didn't notice... no. The truth that they were refusing to notice on purpose, was mercilessly thrown at them.
"Even if you ate in just 5 seconds... it would surely go bad?"
It became even colder than the frozen world.
They had a really hard time accepting reality, but after steeling themselves for a few seconds...
"... Then, it's fine already... we got some free time just now"
"... Nii... Is it fine if s. h. i. +ro sleeps... for just five minutes?"
"That's fine ～ ah, mail the "Commands" around here in the meantime. Wake us up in 5 minutes～"
Steph, who had already slept for 4 hours, could not argue with that, so she mailed the "Commands" as she was told.
──Since she couldn't carry all of them at once, she made several round trips to the "Mailbox" and kept mailing them, little by little.
To the lullaby of her footsteps.
Faintly, as if talking to himself, Sora murmurs:
"──However, well.... If this is really something that happened in the past..."
Hugging s. h. i. +ro while laying down, Sora stares at what the "Map" was projecting in midair. While looking at the Great War (world) projected there, at some point, Sora made a bitter smile.
"You did well to survive this... really, humanity is very persistent."
Sora remembers some games depicting people stubbornly surviving in a post-apocalyptic world. I see... If you can survive this h. e. l. l, then surely nuclear winter isn't worth fearing. In response to Sora's mutterings, Steph, looking as if she just remembered something, stops mailing and says:
"That reminds me, didn't Jibril say something about Immanity destroying a G. o. d?"
That's right. It wasn't just surviving. Jibril did say that for sure.
──Eliminating the G. o. ds themselves, destroying a G. o. d, only two races had done this. They were only the Flugel, and the ones who destroyed their master, G. o. d Artosh, the Ex-Machina.... And...
It is implied that the ones who used the Ex-Machina, Immanity, also destroyed a G. o. d indirectly. Besides, if "the world changed" because they killed a G. o. d, then...
It can even be said that Immanity ended the "Great War"...
"... What did she mean by that... ?" Steph said.
A magnificent tale. An epic poem about Immanity's hidden greatness. That's what Jibril's words hinted at. Sora and s. h. i. +ro smile fearlessly at Steph, who timidly asked that, and answer:
"Who knows? Whatever she meant is completely unclear!"
"... Jibril... was just... half asleep..."
The two of them concluded this with smiles full of confidence, but Steph's shoulders fell in response.
"Eh? Huh? But didn't you say it was easy to win this "Great War"?
Certainly, Sora did say that, however─
"I was talking about the game. There is no way we would be able to win an actual war using the techniques of a strategy game" Sora said, as he rises, and once again looks at the projected "Map".
Sora and s. h. i. +ro's knowledge of their previous world is future knowledge in this world. Not to mention, they also had information about the 【Exceed】. This is just the result of using those. But, even with that, what they could do was extremely limited.
──53 hours after the game started. In game time, 177 years have pa. s. sed.
Coming this far under these conditions is certainly the best possible result.
But, if that is true... Sora and the other's life span was coming to an end, it was time to return to the ground.
And more importantly, most importantly─
".... Not only RTSs, also chess, shogi... when comparing any abstract game about war with reality, do you know what is the most fundamental but also most unlikely premise?"
"... hmmm... something like seeing things from above, or pieces that follow orders faithfully?"
Mustering all her wisdom, Steph gives her best ideas.
──But too bad. Both are wrong.
"That there are clear victory and defeat conditions. That it is already decided with certainty that it is going to end."
Therefore, Sora evaluated humanity as... persistent. That's because the Immanity from that era also noticed it for sure. Namely that:
"It is impossible for anyone to end this war."
".... . eh?.... ."
Steph was puzzled since Sora concluded something else entirely.
There is no way this "Great War" is going to end. Even after noticing that, nevertheless, they still tried to survive. And, they actually survived. Just that is worthy of praise.
"Using the other races to end the "Great War"? That's idiot talk..."
That is something that could never happen even if heaven and earth flipped over, that's what Sora and s. h. i. +ro declared.
"B-but, Sora is also using the other races... Can't you just do it whenever you feel like it!?"
Sora and s. h. i. +ro look into each other's eyes, and smile bitterly at Steph's words.
──That's wrong. It's not a matter of being able to do it or not.
To begin with, in the first place─
"Even if Immanity ended the war, the One True G. o. d isn't Immanity, right?"
「～............ 」
──That's right, to begin with, the winner of the "Great War" was "Tet". Not to mention, in the past war, in the real war,
"That... doing something like that wouldn't be worth it. It would be meaningless"
If it wasn't a game, but the real war,
"If they defeated the strongest, the only ones we have to defeat this time, it wouldn't end"
That's right..."Reality is different from a game" or something like that.
As if he was mocking those who proudly talk about things they seem to know, Sora continues:
"I see, then, for argument's sake, let's say that Jibril's "misunderstanding" is correct"
Let's say they somehow used the Ex-Machina, and they skillfully guided the course of the war. No matter how many lives you had they wouldn't be enough, and at the end of that tightrope:
"Piling extreme hards. h. i. +p upon extreme hards. h. i. +p, let's say they somehow destroyed a G. o. d... and then?"
Sora, with dark eyes, asks Steph, who had tilted her head:
"... then what, what would happen after that?"
"....... . ah......"
After accomplis. h. i. +ng that great enterprise, what would change?
──Nothing. Nothing would change.
Next are the Ex-Machina, if it is true that Immanity pulled their strings, then they just needed to make them lose. And next make those that defeated them lose, and the next, and next.... Without end.
Until finally, you're the only one left, continuing until there is no one else.
That is just like their original world.
"Well! It's like that. My well trained gamer brain concludes so!!"
Sora rolls his dark eyes and laughs it away. He collapses on the floor and reaches a conclusion:
"Forget about Immanity, there is no one who can end this "Great War""
What Jibril said, that this is like a recreation of the "Great War", is completely wrong. Taking this into account, there are only 2 options, either the war wouldn't be settled for all eternity, or only one race would remain and win.
"Then, Jibril just wants to know what we would do!?"
──'If it was my masters, what would they do?' that's what Jibril let slip. With amazement, Sora and s. h. i. +ro let out a bitter smile, and announce the answer:
"In this "Great War"... The only choice would be to keep running until the edge of the universe♪"
".... . that's right"
"... It's something like this. You have absolutely no intention to 'Rise up and save the world!'?"
In response to the question Steph asked with an amazed─ no a resigned expression:
"That's right! Not in the slightest!"
"... we don't care.... About the world at all..."
"Right～♪?... That's what I thought... haaah..."
Steph lets out a breath mixed with resignation as they smiled and reached such a strong conclusion.
"If is fine to just let the guys that want to be in this stupid war do whatever they want."
──If that destroyed the world, then it is fine to let it be destroyed.
Then let us do whatever we want too. What will we do? Destroy the world, of course.
After all, the world is being destroyed right now and n. o. body's being inconvenienced or complaining. Sora gloomily remembered what he had thought about before. But Steph tilts her head and asks:
"But... the "Great War" actually ended, also, the One True G. o. d..."
"That's right. He's right there. Therefore..."
──If even with all that the "Great War" of the past still ended, then...
If this "Great War", a war that shouldn't have ended, ended then...
"Jibril is overlooking one thing. That 'something' happened."
"... Something?... What would that be?"
But Sora just closes his eyes, that question is not funny, not funny at all.
──He just declared that there is no way that this is historically accurate, that's because those are not present in this "Great War". Something they looked for restlessly in their former world, but couldn't find.
──Something that exists on Disboard, but not on Earth. Something necessary to go beyond the "Established tactic" of having to keep piling on sacrifices.
──There are no "Opening moves".
"Who knows... but well, if we think about this as a game, then..."
Therefore, Sora just made an appropriately foolish laugh.
"Then it was also a situation where they just had to satisfy some conditions to clear it, right?"
Something like a "Technological Victory" or a "Diplomatic Victory" in Civ.
That's right, when he was talking about what he thought as he dozed off...
Something like a drop of water fell.
"... Nii, were the Ex-Machina... the ones who defeated... the Flugel's G. o. d, Artosh?"
'Looks like it'. Sora thinks, half asleep.
──【Exceed】rank 10...."Ex-Machina"...
It was a race of machines with extremely few living members.
"... In that case... why..."
"... are the Ex-Machina... not destroyed.... ?"
Drip.
"Whoooooah!? Wh-what is thiiiiiiiiis!?" Steph screamed.
Sora sprung awake, and climbed on top of the desk. There was no time to worry about Steph, Sora fiercely touches the "Map", and scales it repeatedly. They had scoured each and every corner of the map, and now they had all the information in it.
"... Sixteen..."
That's right, they confirmed the total number of races - Units, on the "Map".
Sixteen. There are sixteen races.
──There are no unknown races!!
After a war like this... No, after this continuous natural disaster that can be said to have changed the earth's crust. Furthermore, there is no way this war will end until all the other races are annihilated and you are the last remaining one. To the extent that it is strange that there are not several extinct races, in that case.
It can't be. It can't be, it can't be, it can't be.
"Are you saying that the "Great War" ended without destroying the other races until only one remained!?"
'Stop kidding me, a method like that would... ' Sora thinked.
That's right. That's what happened. He and s. h. i. +ro look into each other's eyes, then he gave her a small nod.
──It seems like it's just as Jibril said, the ones who destroyed Artosh were the Ex-Machina.
Did the Flugel, whose master was destroyed, lose the will to fight? Impossible. You're kidding me. Would Jibril, or Azriel... Would the Flugel that Sora knows just cry themselves to sleep? There is no way. They wouldn't lose their will to fight either. Not until they got their revenge. In other words, not until they destroyed the last remaining Ex-Machina!!
So they destroyed Artosh. Were the Ex-Machina so strong that the Flugel couldn't exact their revenge? In that case, the Flugel should have been destroyed in return!? The fact that neither the Flugel nor the Ex-Machina are destroyed...
... That's right, no doubt, the only hypothesis that remains is like a game. After Artosh was destroyed, while they were trying to destroy each other, in that small period of time...
──The "Great War".
Ended all of a sudden. That was,
"... haha... was there really such an "Opportunistic victory condition"?"
Sora muttered, but he also half believed that to be the case. What that condition was, both Sora and s. h. i. +ro, of course, had no way of knowing. The things that are not reflected in this game are the things that even Jibril doesn't' know about.
But that is related to the "Throne of the One True G. o. d".
In that case, that, is related to the One True G. o. d, in other words to Tet.
──Something that the "G. o. d of Games" demonstrated when he established the "Ten Pledges".
──Something that exists on Disboard, but not on Earth.
Something to go beyond the "Established tactic" of continuously piling on sacrifices...
──Something that left behind an "Opening move"...
"... Nii... when you.... go against s. h. i. +ro... in an RTS..."
s. h. i. +ro told the half-dazed Sora.
"You do 'that' a lot.... When you can't win by conquest.... Anymore"
The Immanity that survived this h. e. l. lish "Great War". Even though it's a war where even aliens would run back to their homeworld with their tail between their legs.
──Since they couldn't fight, they did it without fighting.
──Since they couldn't kill, they did it without killing.
Even though they used a different method, they still tried to win. And yet, if they didn't win... They even entrusted it to the next ones. Never themselves, but someone else, until they claimed "Victory"... without interruptions. Using such a crude method... Those idiots used conventional means...
"... Hey. Are you for real, Tet? Did someone else entrust that to you?"
They arbitrarily decided that this h. e. l. l, the real Great War, was just a game. And, that they'd really win.
──Winning with zero sacrifices, to that end...
""Humanity" was just one step short... ? What's up with that?"
Even though they were betting everything. Even though they were entrusting it to the next ones... They couldn't just stay out of it. That kind of extremely loving idiots would surely...
Sora looks down, and laughs bitterly at his "I ♥ humanity" t-s. h. i. +rt. Aah, Sora indeed admired those guys, but he still muttered with frustration:
"... I can't get enough of them... d. a. m. n it..."
Guys like Steph's grandfather, the previous king, whose name he still didn't know.
Those guys, however...
That's right... Sora turns towards the "Map" projected in midair.
"I cannot live a life as cool as yours"
As Sora muttered that, s. h. i. +ro and Steph followed his gaze.
The date projected on the map was "Year 7 B. T.". And, an enormous amount of units, the armies of many races, were interwoven in the battlefield.
In short, Jibril's "Capital", Avant Heim, was taking a saturation attack from them.
As the seconds continued to disappear relentlessly form the display... There were the "Flugel Units".
"Hey, wh-what is going on? Why is Jibril losing!?" Steph asked, at a loss for words, but she was the only one.
To answer that, Sora and s. h. i. +ro simply gave a bitter smile:
"... Not doing anything... This is the result of that. Jibril's self-destruction."
──Sora's group certainly had an eye on Jibril.
Originally, if it was the real "Great War", they'd have been checkmated at that. However, if Jibril was aware of Sora's group, and her only objective was to make them "Renounce their rights". In other words, if her objective wasn't to kill Sora's group by "Taking their capital". Furthermore, if she is under the impression that Immanity "used the Ex-Machina and won". Then there's no doubt she's thinking that Sora's group is going to use the other races.
And to block that move, she'd most likely use the most reliable move. Eliminating the races they'd use, in other words, it'd be fine if she destroyed all the races, however,
"... No matter how determined you are, you shouldn't try to bite more that you can chew, okay... ?
That is the first thing a strategy game beginner does.
Win against the easy targets.
Make lots of enemies.
──Then everyone gangs up on you... However.
"... I-in that case, is Jibril going to die... ?"
That's right, at this rate, once her capital falls, Jibril will die and the game will end. The one who pressed for a game betting death was Jibril. Steph doesn't know if it's all right to stick up for her.
"Hah? As if we'd let everything go according to her plans"
"... what do you think... we came this far for..."
But amazingly, Sora and s. h. i. +ro just laughed at her.
"A game we can win even with our eyes closed? We reject that s. h. i. +tty null game♪"
"... we will proceed... bound by a much much more brutal... difficulty♪"
Sora reaches his seat quite happily, but also with cold sweat.
"s. h. i. +ro, we are we. Let's go and use appropriately uncool 'forbidden moves'"
That's right, since Sora can not live cooly, he can at least do that. They'd proceed in a completely, thoroughly, absolutely uncool way. That's what he declared.
──What was known in the online games from their previous world as "Forbidden moves". They were perhaps even lower than unwillingly accepting "Defeat". If they were going to use cheats, then he'd resent it if they didn't do it together, it was a nasty, unskillful, childish move after all.
In other words,
"... listen, s. h. i. +ro. This will be the first 'Black mark (defeat)' in Blank's history"
That's right, Sora was confirming, just in case, but there was no need to do so with s. h. i. +ro.
".... More difficult, than winning..."
s. h. i. +ro continues with a full face smile:
"... if it's fun... s. h. i. +ro will... follow Nii..."
And once again, Sora smiled like he was having fun, took his pen started writing "Commands".
"Then let's do the bulls. h. i. +t uncool move of 'Ripping the cable off'!!"
Then, they made Steph mail the "command" she had received. While the instructions were on the way to the units, Sora said with a laughing voice:
"We are going through the trouble of losing! Let's have a lot of fun at least!!"
──His voice resounded together with the orders for the "Last Capital Transfer".
| ← Ch. 42 | Ch. 44 → |