Chapter 2
— Kouen City Palace Headquarters, 8th Left Wing.
Kuro Usagi had been arranged to a VIP room in the 8th left wing of the Imperial palace. Gazing at the night sky from the balcony of her room, she let out an uneasy sigh as she gazed at the moon hidden between the clouds.
"Ah… I can’t bathe in the moonlight."
Vacantly starring at the night sky, she recalled the memories of her ancestor’s distant homeland.
“Moon Rabbits” were able to develop through the absorbing of spiritual energies as they bathed in the moonlight.
Similar to the trainings for those on the road to deityhood, who would have to absorb the energies of the light from the sun and moon for a span of a thousand years to obtain the spiritual cultivation of a deity, the [Moon Rabbit] spirits would mature much faster in comparison.
The time it took for Kuro Usagi to reach her Independent[14] self today had taken over two hundred years.
Until just a few years ago, she had the appearance of a 10 year old girl.
(It had been surprising when the body suddenly expanded in size. But, the surprise is still incomparable to this.)
She ran her hand over her head with a bitter smile. She no longer had the rabbit ears which had always grown atop her head.
They were her prized rabbit ears which she brushed every day without fail and they have disappeared together with her usual sense of confidence. Moreover, the problems did not end with just their disappearance.
(The birdsong that could be heard in the past… the words of the faeries… the babbling of distant rivers, they are all silent now.)[15]
Her eyes were downcast as she strained her ears.
However, no matter how much she sharpened her hearing, she could only hear the sound of the lonely wind. Each time the night wind blew strongly, she could feel her powerlessness.
Today, she was no different from a human girl.
— The Spear of Victory and the Armor of the Sun.
It was a Game <Trial> imposed by the God of War, Indra, in the Epic of Mahabharata.
Karna, the son of the Sun God, had the Gift <Blessing> of immortality when he donned the Armor of the Sun. However, in exchange for its mighty powers, the armor itself melded to his skin, and he was unable to remove it. The God of War, Indra, took advantage of one of Karna’s self-imposed constraints to demand Karna to hand over the armor while hiding his identity.
Though Karna refused at first, he decided to hand over the armor of immortality when he noticed the other person was Indra. However, to remove the armor of the sun, he needed the resolve to die.
Using a knife… he skinned his entire body and dedicated the armor of the sun to the God of War Indra.
(… Touched by his devotion, Indra granted him the Spear of Victory that could only be used once. This is the legend of the Armor of the Sun and the Spear of Victory.)
Since then, the spear and the armor were Gifts bestowed upon the most devoted Heralds of Indra who have the utmost sense of altruism.[16]
However, this Gift had a restriction imposed on it due to its overwhelming force.
Using both the Spear and the Armor together in battle — Like the hero Karna, there would be a penalty or more.
"I… I wonder what I should do from now on."
She had broken the rules and lost her Divine powers. With things remaining as they are, it might just be fortunate for her already.
Having lost her Divine powers, it was a miracle that she maintained her Spirit Ranking. In the worst case, she would have disappeared.
However, the Kuro Usagi of today was just a normal human girl.
She looked up at the starless night sky with unease.
Though she was surprised when her body had suddenly grown back then, she was definitely more pleasantly surprised than terrified. She was proud of herself when she had received the ability to fully use the Divine Arms that came with her Independent stage. Though her rights as the [Judge Master] gave her few opportunities to participate in Games, she was confident of her power to stand up to the worst situations.
She could not defend her home 200 years ago. As she was now—
"… Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid, I’m so stupid!!!"
Gasun!
"Kuha!?"
Regretting her conceit, she hit her head against the balcony’s rails with full force.
However, it was too much of an impact. Since she forgot her body was now no different from a normal human’s, Kuro Usagi rolled about the balcony nearly fainting in agony.
While holding her red, swollen head, Kuro Usagi rose with tears in her eyes.
"Uu… It hurts…!"
"That’s obvious. Are you an idiot?"
Hyuu, Izayoi’s face peered from beneath the balcony.
He had likely heard Kuro Usagi’s scream and jumped up from the balcony below.
Though Kuro Usagi was surprised for a moment, she was no longer surprised by Izayoi’s eccentric behavior. Still, he technically broke into Kuro Usagi’s room by doing this.
Kuro Usagi’s cheeks swelled in anger as she turned her head away from Izayoi, who had jumped up without her permission, seeming to be throwing a little tantrum.
"H, Hmph. This is Kuro Usagi’s room. Even if Kuro Usagi is being stupid, that’s not a concern for Izayoi-san."
"That’s true. But, you need to take care of your body a little more. Ojou-sama and Kasukabe are quite worried about you."
Izayoi flipped himself into the balcony[17] with a huff that sounded like an older man.
Though it is very impolite that he had entered a girl’s room without her permission, the fact that he did not kick down the door to enter is already a development. Compared to a few months ago, it was great progress.
Standing at the balcony, Izayoi’s gaze unconsciously drifted and focused on Kuro Usagi’s hair.
"Hmm… Perhaps it’s because your rabbit ears have disappeared, and your hair seems darker than before."
"That’s right. Kuro Usagi’s hair had been imbued with divine powers and carried the luster of the moonlight. But given some time, it will become darker."
Hohou. He stood behind Kuro Usagi and let out a sound of admiration. Perhaps he liked darker hair, since he began to knit Kuro Usagi’s braid her hair wordlessly.
Though Kuro Usagi was amazed by Izayoi’s random actions, he was not one to stop, even if scolded. Kuro Usagi sat down on the balcony chair and sighed before speaking again.
"You’re quite good at braiding hair. But, don’t you need the time to prepare for the fight?"
"More or less. After all, my role is to knock out that white-haired brat. The ones who need to prepare to welcome those guys would be Kasukabe and Ojou-sama."
"… Is there a chance for victory?"
Her words were filled with her uneasiness. The next time the Demon Lord Alliance strikes would definitely be an all-out battle.
There was the Demon Lord of Confusion, the Demon Lord Maxwell, and the white-haired boy they called ‘His Highness’.[18]
They had not shown everything they had.
The Demon Lord’s greatest ability was in imposing a Trial by force— [Authority of Host Master].
They could choose the Game Rules in their Gift Game, which could make them peerless.
Just like the ‘spiriting away’[19] and the power of the Black Plague belonging to Pest, the compulsory penalties forced by Leticia, there was an infinite variety difficulties.
Challenging a Gift Game that is still unknown to them would be equivalent to betting their lives in the battle.
Furthermore, this next battle could not be interrupted with the jurisdiction of [Judge Master]. Izayoi and the others would have to bear the brunt of the enemy’s attacks while aiming for a Game Clear.
However, in spite of the situation, Izayoi simply shrugged his shoulder and laughed.
"Well, it’s a fifty-fifty percent chance. After all, we’re in a race for time already. Victory and defeat would then be decided with our level of preparation. I can’t guarantee we’ll win, but at the very least — I think we need to get rid of that Rin in this battle and chase the others away to win."
The dark-haired girl who serves His Highness as an attendant.
She uses a mysterious Gift, [Achilles High] which could manipulate distance, and he heard from Pest that her Game Make would essentially be impossible to surpass. Kuro Usagi, who had fought against Rin personally, still had no means of opposing her ability.
"That’s right… if we want to get rid of that girl, we can only make use of an [Astral Gate] that can reduce the distance to zero instantly or prepare a unique gift that has activation requirements."
On this point, they had gathered all the required talented individuals for this battle.
Willa the Ignis Fatuus. The [Demon of the Azure Flames] who governs the boundary of life and death. Pairing off Willa and Rin in a fight, they had a chance of victory.
If there was no other way, Willa would be Rin’s opponent—
"— No. Leave her to Ochibi-sama."[20]
Eh? Kuro Usagi let out a sound in surprise.
Izayoi shook his head and laughed smugly.
"Though we have no plan for it, the person in question wants to give it a go. Well, the chances of victory is roughly fifty-fifty at this point."
"Th, that’s, will he be okay?"
"Who knows. But if there’s no other choice, I’ll go help him. I can’t let him do the unreasonable."
He seriously declared that he would help in an emergency.
Kuro Usagi quietly watched him from the side.[21]
(… Izayoi-san really doesn’t show his real self.)
When Izayoi was summoned to Little Garden.
When the reconstruction of the Community hung in the balance and the news was broken to him.
When she was cornered in her fight against a Demon Lord.
He would always be standing before the frontline of the battle, think more than anyone else about the solutions and see further than anyone else about future possibilities.
There was no need for her to know of his hidden past. Kuro Usagi, who had fought by Izayoi’s side, could already see his beliefs and values.
“Justice stands with me.” — He sincerely believed that, he lived with pride and was not ashamed of it.
He did not dismiss the justice of the world, yet he moved forward with his own.
The shadow of his back overlapped with that of her beloved benefactor.
"… Like I thought, you’re similar to her."
"Hm?"
He stopped from her sudden words.
The typical innocence in Kuro Usagi’s eyes were lost as they were clouded with anxiety. She gazed at the night sky covered in dark clouds; her mind already drifting away from the balcony.
However, her gaze soon resumed its strong edge.
Even during this cloudy night sky without moonlight or starlight, a desire which could not be defiled shined within Kuro Usagi’s eyes.
Her strong gaze which tore through the nightmare which was about to lay siege to the “Capital of Moonlight.” Her tender voice. She was a woman with unshakable faith and ideals who carried the Emblem of 「 」proudly in the air.
"Canaria-sama… she was the founder of the old [No Name]. When Kuro Usagi’s parents were lost, she was someone who adopted Kuro Usagi who had not a single relative left alive. You are very much like her, Izayoi-san."
"… Hmm. How so?"
"Your soul."
Kuro Usagi responded promptly as she looked at him, eye to eye.
Even that sort of fearless direct eye contact that he currently held was a reminder of her benefactor’s face.
However, that could not be possible. Izayoi was a boy summoned from another world. He had no connection to Canaria who was born in Little Garden. Kuro Usagi shook her head as if ridiculing herself.
"I apologize for saying something strange so suddenly."
"That’s not the case. I’m interested. What kind of person was she, this Canaria-sama?"
Izayoi, who had completed braiding her hair, smiled in satisfaction and asked.
Unexpectedly, instead of Kuro Usagi’s rabbit ears perking up — her eyes shined and a bright smile lit her face.
However, that smile did not last long.
"— I’m also a bit anxious to know the answer too. What kind of woman was she?"
A boy’s voice came from above the balcony.
Izayoi’s smile disappeared in a moment as he held Kuro Usagi close to back off with a hasty kick. Even though her thoughts had been slow by a beat due to the sudden change in situation that stiffened her body, she had also understood who the voice belonged to.
The boy with white hair and golden irises, known as “His Highness” calmly spoke from the roof — and looked down curiously at the two of them.
(It can’t be… He’s too early…!)
Not even half a day had passed since the Demon Lord Alliance had declared war.
Still, it was not so mysterious when thinking about it.
With just another day, the other [Floor Master]s would be arriving in this city.
From the East, the [Great Sage of Maelstroms] the Saurian Demon Lord. [22]
From the South, the [Draco Greif] Alliance.
From the North, the [Onihime] Alliance.
If all of these powers gathered, even if it were the Demon Lord Alliance, they would not be able to do anything then.
Since His Highness had planned to have [Salamandra] annihilated from the get-go, they would have already prepared in advance for their attack.
Most likely, his attack earlier that day was to have Sandra ‘spirited away’.
Despite the commotion in the Kouen, City of Brilliant Flames during the day that made the security around the palace tighten many folds, they were still able to come up with such an immediate and suprising comeback that showed their boldness.
(I figured he would appear tomorrow morning at the earliest……It would seem that he’s more skilled than I thought.)
He somehow sneaked in — but it was too late to ask how. They had been invited as Guests of Honor of [Salamandra] for 2 years and it would be simple enough to grasp the structure of the palace with that amount of time.
Izayoi, still holding Kuro Usagi, laughed sarcastically.
"Ha. Though they call you Your Highness, it would seem that peeping on others is still not below you."
"Hm? Am I interrupting your tryst?"
"Of course. Kuro Usagi and I were scheduled to have a little meeting in the room after this where I can do DingNingKluankDong[23] to her to my heart’s content……"
"We weren’t!"
"We weren’t going to do DingNingKluankDong?"
"We weren’t!!"
"We will do DingNingKluankDong."
"We, we won’t…!!!"
Kuro Usagi protested in his arms while struggling with flushed cheeks, but she lacked her typical strength and harisen[24]. It seems she had lost the strength of her typical verbal retorts.
His Highness laughed seeing the exchange and spoke again in seriousness.
"Well, let’s set the joking aside. You were speaking about the [Creator <Songstress>], Canaria, right? I’m also quite interested in her. Would you mind if I listen while you speak?"
His Highness leaned against the wall with joyful eyes.
However, as soon as she heard his words, Kuro Usagi’s expression suddenly changed.
"Please wait. That… um, what do you mean? Wasn’t Canaria-sama captured by you?"
— What? His Highness frowned as he looked at Izayoi.
Izayoi clicked his tongue and said "Shit."
Kuro Usagi had not yet thought of the possibility that the old [No Name]s were banished to other worlds.
Though he knew that the time to speak of it would come eventually, but it just shouldn’t be discussed now. He did not want to give the current mentally vulnerable Kuro Usagi any further uneasiness.
Izayoi noticed his mistake and pushed Kuro Usagi into the room.
"Sorry, but the small talk ends here. Kuro Usagi, run to the 5th Right Wing of the palace right now. Mandra said that place is the safest."
"B, but, if I don’t check to see if Canaria-sama is safe…!"
"It’s good enough if you leave that to me! Hurry and go!!!"
Bikuri, her body shook in fright. Izayoi was speaking and acting different from normal.
His Highness was taken aback by Izayoi’s sudden change, but he understood the situation immediately. At that moment, he laughed loudly to the sky.
"I understand… Ah, I see. So that is how it is! In other words, you… No, all of you! So they have heard nothing of how it all began 3 years ago!"
"Wha…?"
Though Kuro Usagi disliked his suggestive words and grew angry, His Highness ignored her interruption.
His Highness was bursting with laughter, as if he had just seen a comedic masterpiece.
Though His Highness laughed for some time, there was no child-like quality in his expression when he recovered to look at them once more. He captured the two people with the gaze of his golden eyes that reeked of violence and raised his right hand.
"Telling it to you guys might just be interesting but I guess leaving things as they are, is interesting in itself. It was worthwhile seeing your reaction."
As he spoke, a magic tome appeared in his hand —<Erin Grimoire> which originally belonged to the Titan tribes and also the book that destroyed [Underwood].
"That book… Could it be…!?"
Just then, a violent wind that accompanied the movement had whipped up the <Erin Grimoire> into the air like confetti which rained over the city.
Standing in the eye of the violent storm calmly, His Highness laughed ferociously as he stared at Sakamaki Izayoi.
"Look closely, Sakamaki Izayoi. We are Candidates for the Origin, this is but a fraction of our power…!!!"
Piece by piece, the dancing pieces of parchment were dyed black, forming jet-black sealed scrolls.
<<Gift Game: Tain Bo Cuailnge>>
· Leader of the Participants: “Sakamaki Izayoi”:
· Host Side Game Leader: “ ”:
· Game Territory: A 2 km radius from the [City of Brilliant Flames]’s center.:
· Game Outline:
*※ This is a plunder[25] type Game enforced on the Players by the Host
All crimes will be forgiven within this Gift Game so long as the following conditions are met:
*Condition I: The Game Leaders will have a decisive one on one duel
*Condition II: While the Game Leaders are duelling, all crimes of plundering are allowed (including death and casualties)
*Condition III: The men on the Player Side will consume double their stamina so long as the duel continues (there exist exceptions)
*Condition IV: Should the Game Leader of the Host side be defeated, the conditions are reversed
*Condition V: Should the Game Leader of the Player side be defeated, it will be impossible to lift the conditions.
*Condition VI: A Game Leader will have a forced defeat should he leave the Game Territory
Conditions to End: The war will end when Game Leaders of both camps mutually agree on the end conditions:
*Should a Game Leader die, the war will only end if the remaining Game Leader allows it to end.
Oath: Respecting the above, under the pride of its Emblem, the [Ouroboros] Alliance will hold a Gift Game.
“[Ouroboros]” Seal
Kuro Usagi and Izayoi took one of the fluttering pieces of paper in their hands. Her hand and voice shook as she shouted.
"I, Impossible! The <Erin Grimoire> should be usable only by those of the Celtic Giant race! How is it possible for you to use its Authority of [Host Master]…!!?"
"Who knows? That is not something you need to know, o’deity of the Moon[26]."
The color on Kuro Usagi’s face drained out in her state of shock, but His Highness did not answer.
The situation had become worse with every passing moment.
The earth beneath the [Capital of Brilliant Flames] trembled as the entire palace was intensely shaken. Simultaneously, a war cry was heard which reached deep to the VIP room.
"UOOOOOOOOOooooooooo—!!!"
The ferocious roar was unforgettable. Several months ago, the same group attacked the underground city. Now, the looming group of Giants approached the “Capital of Glittering Lights.”
"Giants!! There are still remnants!?"
"Yes. But they are different from before. We have bestowed a new Gift on those guys. Also, the male Fire Dragons of [Salamandra] are going to feel unwell under these Game Rules… Now, what will you do, Sakamaki Izayoi?"
The ferocious cry pierced the heavens as they approached the “Capital of Glittering Lights” with a series of tremors and clouds of dust.
This was no longer an issue of pros and cons. Izayoi quickly took action. He closed the distance with His Highness to the extent that the scaffolding exploded, his fist aimed toward His Highness’ torso from beneath.
Though His Highness caught it in both hands, the balcony quickly dropped down from their collision.
"I, Izayoi-san!!"
"I told you already, GO!! You’re being a nuisance!!"
All the words that she wanted to say were stopped by Izayoi’s angry yell. Though it was mortifying, Kuro Usagi had no combat potential now. It was clear she would be seriously injured just by getting caught in the fall.
Good luck, Kuro Usagi shouted in regret as she disappeared into the palace interior.
Izayoi and His Highness jumped down using the remains of the balcony as footholds and landed on the grass beyond the moat. Neither had gone full throttle yet. If they had fought with full force, the palace would suffer a devastating blow.
The palace backyard was the least populated area where few people would pass through; hence, even if it were that level of collapse and explosion to occur, it would still require some time for the soldiers to arrive. Though the sounds of the guards calling out in the distance travelled to their ears, it would take time for them to gather and arrive here.
His Highness stared at Izayoi with his golden eyes while smiling.
"I was surprised. You seem quite overprotective. I did not receive that kind of impression from you."
"That’s hardly the issue. Rather, saying that she’s in the way wasn’t a lie… well, compared to that, you’re a real surprise as well, especially this <<Tain Bo Cuailnge>>. If my memory is right, it’s a war written in a passage of a fictional historical annal… Isn’t that about Cooley’s role in cattle disputes from < Táin Bó>[27]?"
"You are about half correct. In this world of Little Garden, the <Erin Grimoire> has the same value as the historical truth… Do you know of the concept of a [Paradigm Shift <Turning Point of History>][28]?"
"Yeah. I just learned about it recently."
Izayoi returned a nod of confirmation to His Highness.
— The world of Little Garden was unevenly distributed along the various time axises.
Even if an event was a historic fiction, in a different time stream, it would be a historical fact. Its existence was allowable so long as it fit the rest of history. It would be a truth in this land of Little Garden.
Izayoi read the words on the Geass Roll in his hands before crushing it.
"The rules of plunder are in effect only while we “Duelists” are fighting. Also, there is the curse of Maeve which weakens the men on the Player Side. This curse will remain until I win? My, this is quite an important responsibility I have!"[29]
"But you do not hate it, right?"
"I won’t deny it."
They both took a suitable distance while bantering with one another.
Though both smiled, their eyes showed no amusement.
"However, this is quite unexpected for this Game… Honestly speaking, I thought you’d avoid a fight with me."
"Oh? Why?"
"Because only I can beat you."
Izayoi made his declaration. His words were neither arrogance nor provocation. He spoke as if it were purely a fact.
The Demon Lord Alliance — Only Sakamaki Izayoi could defeat the [Ouroboros].
His Highness, without denying anything, spoke sincerely.
"Yes. That is not a mistake. The only one who can defeat me in this “Capital of Glittering Lights” is you… But that is why I came. Since the only one who can defeat you is me."
His gold eyes shined sharply, and a brutal smile appeared on his lips.
There was no vicious trick or hidden agendas.
They were Joker <Trump> and Joker <Trump> thrown against each other from the start, and they would determine the flow of battle.
"…"
Izayoi narrowed his eyes as he looked down on His Highness.
The connection he felt in the previous battle was not an illusion.
Sakamaki Izayoi and the white-haired, golden-eyed boy would inevitably settle their fight. This was not something to decide victory or defeat in the battle between the [No Name] and the Demon Lord Alliance, but it was simply their instinct.
"Nice. That’s some good ambition there, Hakuhatsuki <White-Haired Demon>."
"… Hakuhatsuki? Though you said it before, what do you mean by that?"
"It’s something I decided. Since you’re a white-haired brat, you’re Hakuhatsuki. Using an honorific title to address my opponent as ‘Your Highness’ in a fight to the death, isn’t that strange?"
He placed his hand on his waist and spoke in a disappointed manner.
Though His Highness should have gotten angry for having been treated like a child, he strangely consented and nodded.
"I see. It is as you say. There is no obligation in using honorifics for people who are out to kill each other."
"Right?"
"Yes. But now that you have pointed that out, the obstinate desire to have the opponent address them in respect is also the attitude of those in authority."[30]
One step.
Taking a step forward, the two measured their distance while speaking.
Like a signal, screams and roars could be heard erupting from various parts of the palace all at once. The main force of the [Demon Lord Alliance] had infiltrated and were taking action.
His Highness, with his golden eyes, gazed sharply at Izayoi—
"It is decided, Sakamaki Izayoi. In your last moments, I will make you call me by my title—"
"Ha, you can try, Hakuhatsuki!"
The two roared and collided.
The air burned.
The earth was crushed.
Their fists which could bisect the ocean met.
Their battle partially destroyed the 8th Left Wing of the palace in an instant.
Rubble collapsed and turned to powder, dispersed by the evening wind, as the two clashed.
The trees on the opposite side of the palace quivered from the shockwave.
In this Little Garden where Gods and Deities gathered, the intense and aggressive battle of the newcomers created sparks in their collisions.
Trampling over ancient ruins, they were God-sent children of the new age who erased the countless accumulated achievements beneath them. A glory which surpasses the brightness of a star would bless them at the end of battle.
This Garden of the Gods which had long since stagnated starved for a new brilliance.
They competed for supremacy, the new age would begin now—
"…"
Unknowingly, they were advancing toward ruin.
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