No Game No Life - Volume 4 - Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 
WILD CARD 
 
—Space exploded. A shock reverberated such that Amila, watching the game from outside, could only react thusly: 
“…Huh?” 
—Greeting the party as the dream world ruptured and they awoke were Plum and Amila, their eyes wide. The rite Plum had woven with dozens of assistants, even supplied as they had been with blood, had been pulverized with one simple gesture of Jibril’s will—but that wasn’t what left them stunned. That was a consequence of Sora’s declaration as he rose. 
“—Yo, check . Looks like we win.” 
“…Uh, umm, Amila doesn’t really get what’s going ooon! Uhh?” 
Sora and Shiro replied, casually and briefly, to Amila’s tense smile, and for the edification of everyone else listening. 
“…We ‘saved and exited’…you… didn’t say we couldn’t …” 
“No one said we couldn’t leave the game before we were all rejected. So we can exit the game no problem , yeah…? You gotta remember to set out covenant language carefully, you know?” 
Disinterestedly filling in the entourage as they rose, Sora continued. 
“All right, Jibril, go ahead. Bring back the air. ” 
“—At your command.” 
Immediately, Jibril nonchalantly traced a magical path with her finger. 
—And suddenly, a gale assailed the queen’s chamber. In a matter of moments, the water was repelled, and the chamber of the queen—filled with air. 
“…Huh…?” 
Jibril smirked at the dazed Plum and Amila. “Pardon me… I simply restored the air I brought along with me, compressed as a bubble .” 
In the large hall, the water splashed about as it was pushed away and the air took its place. 
“ ? Kh- hhh … hh —…hff…huh, huh-huh…” 
—Having until now remained utterly silent except in the dream , the Shrine Maiden, who’d thus far kept a mask of composure, warped her expression. Heaving her shoulders at finally being able to breathe, she laughed. 
Her body instantly turned red, raising a steam of evaporated blood. 
—She then casually divulged the secret. 
“Bearing up against twenty atmospheres of water pressure for such a long time by brute force … Even with my bloodbreak, it’s too much.” 
The Shrine Maiden, seemingly about to collapse in the recoil of the unreasonable strain that had just been lifted from her, but somehow stubbornly managing to stop at sitting cross-legged instead, sneered with her chin in her hand. 
“ ? Huh?” 
Plum, Amila—and Steph all looked baffled. But, with no sign of engaging with them, Sora continued, all emotion falling from his expression as if it had been just a mask. 
“—But to think, with that much water pressure, your blood won’t leave your body—that let you use your bloodbreak without leaving a trace for these guys to catch on that you were reading their minds to your heart’s content the whole time —nice job, Shrine Maiden. So what’d you find out?” 
Seeing his face— 
“…You surely know how to throw your weight around, don’t you…? All right, why not.” 
—the Shrine Maiden smirked, as from her heart she was glad he was on her side. 
“That Siren there— has no mind to wake the queen at all .” 
—At this accusation, Amila’s expression clearly wavered, and at the words that followed, delivered with a tone of and not only that… she now clearly froze. 
“What they came up with to be your bait —the ‘ante’ the queen put up—was malarkey as well —goodness gracious.” 
Soothed by Amila’s and Plum’s reactions, the Shrine Maiden smiled as if embarrassed and continued to Sora with kind eyes. 
“And that business about you being her type or handsome or somesuch, likewise all malarkey .” 
“Well, yeah, I figured that much—. …God damn it.” 
The Shrine Maiden beamed merrily at Sora’s vexation. And—as if mocking Amila and Plum—“…Did you think my senses would be dulled under the sea ?” 
She acted almost embarrassed, yet with her face warped into the most scornful of sneers. 
“—Let me tell you, it’s no idle boast or drunken rave when it’s said I’m the strongest among Werebeast.” 
Struggling not to let on he’d been hurt, Sora averted his eyes. 
“Yes, Master. I can also say this without doubt.” Picking up his gaze, Jibril lowered herself reverently before her king and declared: 
“The rite woven by Plum activated properly, precisely, to win the queen’s love just as it should have.” 
This time it was Plum’s turn to freeze. 
“—Without a doubt, it operated flawlessly, and the queen has received its effects properly .” 
Sora silently considered the possibility that it had been faked, but Jibril answered that with a smile. “Fear not. This is the very reason we tested it on the Shrine Maiden first , is it not?” 
Smiling back, Sora said finally —and turned to Shiro. But there was nothing more that needed to be said. 
“…Mm…I got it all…down…” 
—With these few words, Shiro answered all of her brother’s expectations. As if satisfied with every response, Sora nodded once. He wore his usual frivolous grin, but over that smile was the shadow cast by his bangs and the too-sharp light of his eyes. The combination was a convincing replication of a fierce glare as he spoke. 
“—Hey, you guys. Did you really think you could eat us for lunch? ” 
Plum’s and Amila’s eyes faintly quivered at this accusation. If they thought that, of all people, Sora would be unable to read such a tell as a bull’s-eye—that would be just— 
“Uh, uh, um, wh-what are you talking about?” 
“……?” 
Steph and Izuna didn’t seem to get what was going on. They looked back and forth, bemused. But, as if he had no intention of explaining further, Sora clapped his hands together and turned away. 
“Okay, let’s go, Jibril. Back to the beach.” 
“As you wish.” 
As Jibril spread her wings and spun her halo, they all hurried to touch her. 
“Uh, excuse meee! P-pleaase waiiit!” 
As Plum likewise hurried to their side— 
“Good call, Dhampir. You’re done playing the pitiful victim?” 
—Sora’s thin smirk as he waited for her sent a cold jolt down her spine. 
Amila spoke up. 
“Whaaat? What about Mr. Inooo; we still ‘have’ him, you knowww? I wonder if you should really be going home alreadyyy. ? ” 
Gazes collected at the spot by Amila’s feet where Ino lay sprawled. Izuna’s gaze nervously flickered between Ino and Team Sora. 
“Yeah, sure we can,” Sora said smoothly. “’Cos, dude… you know what happens if you lay a finger on him—don’t you ?” 
Looking back at Amila’s widening eyes, Sora sneered mockingly. 
“You think you can play dumb in front of me—? Never underestimate that which you should fear, noob .” 
And turning his back to her: 
“— We’ll be back , Siren. Underestimating us is gonna cost you.” 
Then, by means of Jibril’s teleportation, all except Amila and Ino disappeared. 
 
The party found itself once more on the shore. The sun had long since set, and the red moon and countless stars—along with a bonfire—were all that lit the beach. The waves and the sparks from the fire, too, were the only sounds as Sora & Co. conspired merrily. 
“Oh, Shiro, looks pretty much done, huh?” 
“…Tropical fish…you can eat them…?” 
“It is a fish of the sea known as ‘rerité.’ I understand that the flavor is quite palatable.” 
—All having been teleported by Jibril from Oceand to the beach—and inadvertently carrying a large seawater haul in their wake, Sora and crew now busied themselves cooking it on the beach. 
“ Hwaahh —. …Just the thing with some sake after a job well done… While we’re at it—” The Shrine Maiden knocked back her cup. 
“While we’re at it—we might as well have sliced and fried some tofu—you mean?” 
“—How did you know I like abura-age ? Did I tell you?” 
Sora and Shiro laughed at the Shrine Maiden’s bemusement. One step away from this pleasant and peaceful scene— 
“What—what is this…? What is the meaning of this?” Steph shrieked dubiously, not seeming to fathom the situation at all. Beside her, Izuna looked down wordlessly. And, a little farther on yet, lingered Plum, also silent. 
Casting Steph a glance and biting into his roast fish, Sora said, “Nothing in particular—it’s just Plum tried to play us . That’s all.” 
As if to answer Steph’s wide-eyed glare at Plum, he added: 
“When did we figure it out, you ask? Hey, Plum.” 
Now addressing Plum as she lowered her face, Sora continued with a snicker. Plum looked up fearfully, but Sora went on, grinning casually. 
“From the start—your story was fishy through and through .” 
Taking his lead, Shiro, the Shrine Maiden, and Jibril smirked. 
—All right, Dhampir and Siren were in a symbiotic relationship. It broke down when the queen went to sleep, and now they were on the brink of doom. Plum had had no argument with Jibril’s assessment—but. Grinning as if having heard a cheesy joke, Sora chuckled. 
“‘We made a spell that can wake her up for sure; help us’—ha-ha, yeah, right .” 
“…Huh? Wh-what do you mean?” 
Steph seemed lost, so Sora proffered a stick of roast fish. “Wouldn’t it be way more appetizing to lie that you had a sure win, sucker ’em into an impossible game, and chow down?” 
“ ? ……” 
Hearing Sora’s smiling pronouncement of this sick notion, Steph’s face contorted independently of her will. 
“—Having said that, there were a few things that got to me.” 
Stuffing his face with fish, Sora continued. 
“It didn’t look to me like Plum was lying. We even had Izuna in the same room, and she didn’t seem to catch on to anything—oh, hey, that’s right. Izuna, don’t you want fish?” 
Remembering the night they first met Plum, Izuna rebuffed the stick Sora extended— 
“……No thanks, please.” 
Standing at a slight distance, Izuna shook her head minutely. Across from her, the Shrine Maiden, downing her sake, also closed her eyes and shook her head. 
“Yeah, that’s why we took her to the Shrine Maiden’s place, too, just to be safe—and she wasn’t lying after all .” 
Given that Jibril was on guard, any magic spells or such to camouflage a lie would have been seen through. In which case, it was assumed that before the Shrine Maiden, strongest among Werebeast, any lie would be sniffed out for certain. But—he went on, steadily applying a fish to the flame—“And then what Plum showed us, if can you believe it, really was a spell that could make someone fall in love for sure.” 
Lit by the bonfire, Sora followed his train of thought, somehow seeming amused even as his smile swayed creepily. 
“So if she really had a sure win—then why ask us for help?” 
“Wh-what you’re saying, basically, is that she wasn’t lying, isn’t it?” 
Wouldn’t that mean that she just genuinely wanted their help—? Fiddling with the skewer in his hand, Sora tackled Steph’s query: 
“Right, she wasn’t lying—and therein lies the problem.” 
—Sora dropped his gaze to Shiro curled up at his knees, who picked up the explanation for him: 
“…June 20, 22:42 UTC… Brother…” Just like a recorder, word for word— 
“…‘And what do we get if we win this game?’…” 
Following the Coordinated Universal Time of their old world based on her phone—remembering everything down to the timeline and intonation—Shiro reproduced Sora’s words with the precision of replay, and everyone stared. 
“—And what was it again that Plum said after I asked that?” 
“…June 20, 22:43 UTC… Plum…” Expressionlessly, calmly. “…‘Um…We’ll guarantee you thirty percent of Oceand’s marine resources, and friendly relations for perpetuityyy…! …A-and also…uhh… Y-you can do anything you want with meee’…” 
Sora smiled bashfully at Shiro’s “rewind” of Plum’s offer. 
“Right—this is it. She wasn’t lying—but she wasn’t telling the truth, either.” 
Sora took the stick he’d been playing with and thrust it in Steph’s direction. 
“Steph, when they said we had to bet everything on their game, you were all in our faces, right?” 
“Uh, yes… For they were the ones who requested help, weren’t they?” 
“Yeah, you were right .” 
“—Uh, what?” 
Announcing it placidly, Sora went on shamelessly as he bit into his fish. 
“I said you were wrong just to get them to spill what we needed to know. Let me make it up to you by revealing what it is that was nagging at you.” 
That thing that had been nagging at her…a fear she couldn’t express except a certainty that something was off. 
“This game, you know— it’s like a horse race .” 
“A—a horse race? You mean, like gambling?” 
Sora, nodding in his mind, I’m glad to hear they gamble on horse races in this world, too. 
“A horse race is a game where people gamble on which horse will win… But the core contest is still the race itself —the rivalry among the riders.” 
To put it simply: 
“A horse race—is a game of chance based on a challenge among the jockeys—it’s a double game . 
“We were the riders racing for the queen’s love.” 
But— 
“Meanwhile, the promises Amila and Plum made of marine resources and friendly relations were just the payout on our bet on the queen waking up. The racing and the gambling are supposed to be two separate games, yet they had us playing as both the horses and the gamblers—of course that’s fishy.” 
… Oh. Steph took a sharp, surprised breath. Following along with Sora’s analogy, they were the racers themselves, and yet… They were prompted to stake it all by wagering on themselves —made to participate in both games. 
But Sora, as if reading Steph’s thoughts, shook his head. “That’s not even the problem. 
“So, if we say this is a horse race, what about us as racers— Where’s our prize money? ” 
With a wicked smile, he cast a look at Plum. 
“Um, i-isn’t it the queen’s love…the queen waking up?” 
“—If you make me fall in love with you, I’ll fall in love with you? She’ll wake up for the sake of the prince she loves? —First, that’s total bullshit, and, second, the queen comes out ahead either way, doesn’t she ? What happened to the ‘wager of equal value’ for the victor?” 
Finally, Steph arrived at the source of her misgivings. The marine resources, the friendly relations, domination over Plum—none of these things seemed like things the queen would have specified. In that case, the queen’s wager in the game she’d sworn by the Covenants before sleeping… The reward she’d figured was of equal value—to be paid to the rider who won— 
—the prize money— 
 hadn’t been mentioned at all?! 
The Shrine Maiden grinned slyly and played with the stick that had held the fish she’d just eaten. 
“’Tis a set of games with two sides. But when Mr. Sora brought up what he stood to gain from winning the game, that Dhampir there answered deliberately so as not to touch on that two-sidedness . She told no lie.” But —smiled the Shrine Maiden. “What is not a lie— still may not be the truth .” 
Hearing that bull’s-eye noise coming from Plum’s heart as this truth was laid down, the Shrine Maiden smirked. Sora, though, with an exaggerated performance of deep thought— 
“So, here’s the problem… Why didn’t she mention the two-sidedness ?” 
Playing with his stick, Sora turned to Plum. 
“Until we were underwater—where you thought the Shrine Maiden’s and Izuna’s senses would be cut off—you didn’t bring it up. Why couldn’t you just have told us something as simple as, ‘Amila says it’s no-risk’?” 
Positioned behind Sora, Jibril diligently occupied herself with chopping up fish, sticking it on skewers, and seasoning it. Handing a well-salted piece of fish on a stick to him, she offered, “—For speaking these words would constitute a lie…I presume.” 
With a thin smile, she answered his question. Sora nodded to Shiro as if to say, which means … 
“—…June 20, 04:28 UTC… Plum… ‘Please save our raaace!’…” 
Nibbling at her fish like a rodent, Shiro deftly rendered Plum’s— 
—first line in “playback.” 
“If this isn’t a lie , that means she wanted us to save their race—that is, Dhampir.” 
Which meant— 
“She wanted us to save Dhampir— only —so then what’s the methodology ?” 
As Steph was incapable of responding to his rhetoric save to round her eyes like glass ornaments, he ignored her. He took the stick with which he’d been toying—and tossed it onto the sand next to where Plum was seatecd. 
“So, now we’ve got everything we need to figure it out, right?” 
One—and another, throwing additional sticks in the same manner. 
“The questions are three. The conclusion is one.” 
Casting his eyes upon the beach where the three sticks protruded from the sand, Sora gave her the setup. 
“—You ready for this, Plum?” 
As if in response to Sora’s pronouncement, in the light only of the fire, the red moon, and the stars, four pairs of eyes glinted, each with its own variety of light. 
The first to move was the Shrine Maiden. 
“—Why is it that you shied from mentioning matters relating to the two-sided nature of the game?” 
The stick launched by the Shrine Maiden whooshed through the wind and caught Sora’s first—splitting it in two. 
“Because she couldn’t lie.” 
Hearing Sora’s answer, the next to move was Jibril. 
“Whyever would you request our help when you already have a spell that will make her fall in love?” 
Jibril’s wooden projectile made a sonic boom and caught Sora’s second skewer, shattering it. 
“Because Plum couldn’t lie.” 
At Sora’s response, the last to move was Shiro. 
“…In the first place…why— couldn’t …she lie?” 
Shiro’s skewer arced through the air and caught the core of Sora’s third—and stuck there. 
“Because if she lied— we’d know .” 
—Indeed. 
“If it’s a horse race, then you gotta remember—everyone’s betting on different horses .” 
Amila was betting on—the queen. Plum was betting on—Team Sora. Two games. Two wills. And, taking all of this into account, there was indeed but one conclusion. 
“Siren was using the sleeping queen game as bait to chow down on Immanity.” 
“Wha ? !” 
Steph alone was still shocked. Siren, just as Sora had said at the beginning, had made the game out to be cake to draw in Sora and Shiro—the agent plenipotentiary of Immanity. To avert the destruction of their race by gaining new “resources for reproduction”—Immanity itself. But— 
“Dhampir took it a step farther and plotted against Siren—to stab them in the back and free Dhampir.” 
Yes—Plum was actually trying to make the queen fall in love. But Amila—wasn’t. 
“So she couldn’t lie around Werebeasts, but she couldn’t tell the truth that there were two agendas, either .” 
As usual, Steph alone was speechless, just flabbergasted. But—Sora raised his hand to say, Hold on . 
—To say, This is where it gets good . 
“So, let’s think back, shall we? What’s the prize money for winning the queen’s game?” 
Tossing a merry smile at Plum, Sora turned his line of sight. And—under the moon, glinting sharp, four pairs of eyes shone. 
“Be there aught to make Amila—to make Siren—prefer to maintain the status quo rather than awaken the queen?” 
The Shrine Maiden, with her bewitching golden eyes, smirked. 
“Whatever could make Plum—could make Dhampir—believe that emancipation lay before their eyes to seize?” 
And Jibril, with her inorganic amber eyes, sneered. 
“…Something that threatens the existence of Siren…and would allow Dhampir…to reclaim their rights…” 
And Shiro, with her emotionless ruby eyes, simpered. And, taking each of these sequential observations was Sora, with his obsidian eyes. Coldly he brought them all together. 
“The queen’s wager was— ‘everything I have’ …right?” 
—Plum hung her head, and Steph took a breath. While the current queen had slept. She wasn’t quite queen—wasn’t quite the agent plenipotentiary. But now things were different. Now, if the victory conditions for her wager were fulfilled—it would mean everything Siren was. 
—Literally everything, even the Race Piece, would go to the victor. But, ignoring Steph as she shivered, Sora continued to grin his coy grin—and dropped a few words that made Steph doubt her ears. 
“This much we figured out before coming to the beach .” 
“—Huh?” 
“But, still…we couldn’t say we had proof. So that’s why we decided to head for Oceand.” 
As if to confirm it—but in a teasing tone, Sora laid it all out. 

“It was the beach , after all. I got my fun in—in other words…” 
Then, after giving Plum the sickest smile of all, in a single breath—he revealed the answers to all of the remaining secrets—rapid-fire. 
“Shiro and I: 
•   Dragged you out to the beach in the blazing sun to sap your power 
•   Had the Shrine Maiden pretend to mess around with Jibril while actually verifying that she could cover up her bloodbreak with water pressure 
•   Simultaneously had Jibril go way out into the ocean to check where Oceand was 
•    Gave the Shrine Maiden time to recover from her bloodbreak while Shiro helped her by petting her till night came 
•   Skipped out on your welcome boat, that was probably a trap, and had Jibril warp us in 
•   Created a situation in which you had to get blood from Siren to cast your underwater breathing spell on us 
•   Made you leave while Jibril compressed and stored the air she’d brought 
•   Then had Jibril jam your underwater breathing spell so it wouldn’t work on the Shrine Maiden 
•   And met Amila with the ability to utilize Werebeast’s senses to their fullest even at the bottom of the sea 
—So, yeah. Didja figure it out?” 
… 
…… ? 
—Both Plum and Steph were just totally dumbfounded, unable to speak. But, seemingly unconcerned, Sora just checked to see if his fish was done and said: 
“You had no way to get all the way to the game without lying. ’Cos you had to get us to wager ‘everything’ by the Covenants. To uncover your lie, the Shrine Maiden had to be free of your fishy magic.” 
A spell that enabled breathing and conversation underwater—cast, of all people, by Plum, who they knew was their enemy—was likely to fool their senses. Having laid it all out, Sora continued. 
“Siren and Dhampir each bet on different horses—but did you forget? It was you who got us to put down everything on our own tickets and participate in both the race and the gambling— we’ve got tickets, too .” 
—Indeed. 
“ ? Tickets on us getting ahead of all of you and winning . 
“Man, I gotta hand it to you, Plum. That was an awesome strategy from a weak position. That’s how a race thinks when it’s got all its power owned by the Ten Covenants. I mean, that way, Dhampir would still get an extra life if Amila got her way and chomped up Immanity, while, if we actually did manage to wake up the queen and Siren—” 
From his heart, without irony, Sora clapped his hands in praise. 
“She’d be in love because of your spell, not us , so you’d run away with the lot.” 
—Having casually called out the reason Plum had participated in the game, Sora continued. 
“Look, I’m not the kind of guy to flatter people, so I mean it when I say this—that is a sweet strategy.” 
To create a situation in which she would win wherever the chips fell, while having to do almost nothing herself, instead getting other people to do it for her and walking off with the rewards. Now that was truly the ideal way to win. But— 
“I think there’s something you’re overlooking.” 
“—Huh?” 
With this, Plum raised her downcast head. 
“Don’t you get it? The point isn’t that we just totally blew your cover. It’s not that you were hiding the prize money for winning the queen’s game in a plot to emancipate your race, either. You couldn’t wake up the queen even with a spell you had total confidence would work— but that’s not even it .” 
—And, then, twisting his face. With the most ironic of tones, Sora spoke. 
“It’s that Amila is assuming there’s not one chance in a million we’ll wake the queen.” 
“ ? …Oh—” 
Plum’s breath stopped. Yes, because that explained everything. Why Ino hadn’t been able to beat the game—Plum’s spell had activated properly. It had worked on the queen, without a doubt, Jibril had said as much. Yet, even so, she hadn’t awakened. 
Which meant ? 
“The condition to wake up the queen— isn’t to make her fall in love .” 
—… Grsh. Though Plum’s molars ground audibly, still Sora continued. 
“ Amila knew that. If she hadn’t, no matter how much you enticed her, she’d never have given you a chance to possibly wake up the queen. It would be fatal for Siren—you see?” 
Sora now dropped even his scornful smile. 
“Amila, of whom you thought so little—took your betrayal into account .” 
“…—!” 
Yet—Sora rained down another blow upon Plum as she sat on the beach, outstripped even by Siren, of whom she’d thought nothing at all. 
“That’s a hell of a strategy for the weak, a really slick play—but it ain’t the real thing.” 
Indeed. The wisdom of the weak could not be wielded to its full potential by the strong. For what formed its foundation… 
…was the cowardice borne of abject weakness. 
Sora finally flipped off his smile and spoke with a serious mien. 
“The natural enemy of the strong is the weak, but the natural enemy of the weak isn’t the strong—it’s the weaker .” 
The weak—the man who embodied this word advanced intimidatingly on Plum. Squatting to eye level with the seated Dhampir, he softly and directly announced: 
“A fool who knows what he is, is far more fearsome than a fool who thinks he’s smart.” 
Without touching on who he was just talking about, Sora moved on: 
“So—it’s check .” 
Plum blanched. To begin with, the only ones who had accepted these conditions were Sora & Co . But now that they’d laid everything bare and left the game, she was out of options. That meant that all Siren could do to survive was to devour the last male to whom Dhampir so desperately clung. Now that Plum’s betrayal had been confirmed, it was all the more likely Siren would do precisely that. 
—So Dhampir was pretty much screwed. But, then, if Dhampir died, Siren would be next. Siren—would have to find someone to give them permission to procreate. But who would say yes to these broads who demanded your death to reproduce? 
—Whence it followed that Siren was also screwed. The only way they could survive would be unconditional surrender—being turned into livestock . 
“—Plum, do you know the ultimate way to win a game?” 
A chilling, devilish smile. 
“— By default. We don’t even have to beat the queen’s game for this to be our win .” 
Dragging Plum down to the depths of hell—with a smile. 
“You think you can beat the weakest with the tactics of the weak, you got another thing comin’—ya friggin’ n00bs.” 
—One move. In just one move, having seized the power of life and death over two races. Darkly, he smiled and spoke. 
 
“So, I hope you get the gist of the situation. By the way…” 
Sora now fidgeted as if uneasy. And, if you looked carefully, Shiro, enshrined on his lap, also seemed to be writhing— 
“Oh, dear… Master, what is it?” 
…… 
“—Wh-where’s the bathroom?” Sora inquired with a piteous visage that reduced the rarefied atmosphere of a moment ago to rubble. 
“Bathroom…oh, you mean the chambers Immanities use to urinate and—” 
“What else would I mean?!” 
Then suddenly thrusting his finger individually everyone at around, Sora shrieked. 
“I mean, what kind of bladders do all you guys have?! After a full day at the beach and then going to the bottom of the sea and then coming back to the beach at night and eating fish and shit, who the hell can last that long?!” 
“…B-Brother…I-I…have to go, too…!” 
The Shrine Maiden laughed superciliously at Shiro as he pleaded with teary eyes. “No beauty does such things. I can’t say I know how it feels, but why don’t you go do your business wherever serves?” 
— Jibril’s one thing, but you’re a “living thing,” aren’t you? —he would’ve said. But apparently not even having the time for quips like that, Sora rose. 
“O-okay, we’re—I mean, I’m going to the bathroom. Shiro’s going to pick flowers!” 
Sora, snatching up Shiro and dashing off. 
“…B-Brother—d-don’t…shake…meee…” 
“Aagh, this is the beach! They’ve gotta have one of those beach shacks! Where is it?!” 
With Sora and Shiro’s noisy departure, all that remained was the still beach. 
 ……The waves and the crackling of the fire were the only sounds. 
“And so, all we’ve left to do is to wait for their unconditional surrender, eh. I’m a bit weary. I’ll be taking my leave.” 
With these words, the Shrine Maiden stood wearily and turned— 
“H-hey, hold on, you! What about Mr. Ino!” 
—only to have Steph descend on her, having finally caught up with the situation. 
—All right, she’d understood that Siren meant to gobble up Immanity. She grasped that Plum had plotted to exploit this for the emancipation of Dhampir. She saw that Sora and Shiro had seen through it all and gone another step ahead. But still—Siren held the Ino Hatsuse card. That was one question that was still unresolved, ranted Steph. The Shrine Maiden paused, looking back. With a smile even more bewitching for the light of the moon—eerie as a specter’s—she spoke. 
“ There is naught for it. ’Tis enough to bring two races into our hands—a fine bargain, wouldn’t you say?” 
At the Shrine Maiden’s assertion that there was no trump card, Steph finally understood it all. So—to sum up: Neither Sora, nor Shiro, nor the Shrine Maiden ever had any intention of saving him —! The three of them had colluded—to make this one move that would trap two races. For this. Just for this. As if it were nothing. 
—They’d sacrificed Ino —! 
“…That…I cannot tolerate.” 
“Hmm?” 
While almost overwhelmed by those golden, literally inhuman eyes of a raptor, still—somehow—Steph looked around and managed to squeeze out her voice. Ino Hatsuse—the Werebeast who had been the only one to support Steph in Elkia when Sora and Shiro were away—albeit only for two weeks. He’d played alongside her, even fought to rebuild Elkia alongside her. He’d done so much to lay the foundations for the Commonwealth of Elkia; without him, she’d have had no ground under her feet. For the Eastern Union and for Elkia—for Steph!—he was an intrinsically valuable asset, and, on top of that, to make a sacrifice a member of just one race while attempting to bring together two… The risk of such an action was incalculable. It was so self-evident, it defied comprehension that the Shrine Maiden wouldn’t understand— 
“Ino Hatsuse. There was a man of ability, who held me strong, right from the early days of the Eastern Union. A man who would accept an order to die for the Eastern Union with an ‘As you wish’—indeed a credit to his people—and now he’s demonstrated his mighty prowess to the very end. What could one possibly say against such a man?” 
The Shrine Maiden spoke, gazing longingly up at the moon. If even she would be so calculating as to toss him away as if he was nothing—! (Does that not mean that I, too, could be cast aside at any time —?! Who could trust one such as that?!) 
While Steph raged, Izuna, who’d been sitting apart the whole time, suddenly appeared in her field of vision. 
—Of course. It was inconceivable that Izuna could accept this situation. Her own grandfather had just been sacrificed. If she thought anything of Izuna, even the Shrine Maiden would have to— 
“M-Miss Izuna, do you—” 
— accept this? Steph was going to ask, but Izuna’s manner as she sat apart, holding her knees as if resisting something, made Steph choke back her words. It was hard to see her in the darkness, but—the Werebeast mumbled. 
“…Grampy knew what he was doing, the asshole, please…” 
Away from the fire, lit only by the moon and stars, Izuna’s expression was invisible. 
“…Grampy’s heartbeat, his smell…to the end, he sounded good, he smelled good…the asshole, please.” 
Yet Izuna’s quivering voice, her wet words—even in the darkness of the beach—revealed her expression all too vividly. 
“I don’t want lose Grampy, please… But I’m the only asshole who has to bear it, please. And—a-and! Th-then more assholes…will be saved…please—” 
In the back of Steph’s mind floated that scene at the beach. After the farce in the sea—Sora and Ino had faced off over who would groom her. And Izuna, who’d said she hated being petted by Ino, had nevertheless unhesitatingly— headed right to him . 
—Grasping that this would be the last time…Izuna from the beginning had accepted this outcome. Through Werebeast’s uncanny senses, they’d already understood one another. The only one who hadn’t understood was Steph—but still. 
“—Even so, you’re sad, are you not?” 
“I’m not…sad, please—I just don’t…get it, please.” 
Grinding her teeth as she spat it out, Izuna, voice quavering, managed her question. 
“…’Cos Soraaa…said no assholes would die, no assholes would suffer, please! …So why, so why is it—I’m suffering, please? Is there some shit wrong with me, please…?!” 
—Dripping, dropping. Izuna’s voice made it clear even in the darkness that heavy tears were falling from her eyes. Yet Steph, conversely, felt the blood rush from her head. Izuna Hatsuse—she was too much a child. Too obedient, too innocent, too intelligent—too perfect a child. That this girl, at the tender age of eight, was forced to play games she didn’t even want to play… To feel guilty having fun, to shoulder the weight of the continental domain, Steph realized something. 
—For the Eastern Union to go about things this way— was not a new development . 
—For them to cast off the few for the sake of the many— was how things always were . 
“So this is the Eastern Union, making their children cry—this won’t do at all.” 
—How Werebeast, said once to have been split into any number of tribes that were in constant conflict, had been united in just half a century and elevated to the status of a great nation—Steph seemed to glimpse it as she accused the Shrine Maiden—contemptuously, even. But the Shrine Maiden took her gaze head-on and answered. 
“For the few to be sacrificed for the sake of the many— is not even a necessary evil . It’s fate, lass. For all to have a jolly old time together, those are fine words—but a state won’t run just by everyone bickering for what they want…dearie.” 
…Steph had no counterargument. In fact, that was just how it had been when she was dealing with the lords of Elkia. However you might try to keep anyone from losing out, perfect equality was unfeasible. As Steph clenched her fists at this truism, this time it was Jibril who rained down another blow. She looked as if she was asking sincerely, seemingly unable to comprehend Steph’s argument. 
“Dora, what is it that dissatisfies you? One life will be enough to save two races on the brink of destruction, fatten up Elkia as a nation, and even bring the federation with the Eastern Union closer to fruition—for what more could you ask?” 
—Steph, still, had no counterargument. Of all things —Jibril continued. 
“Did you think it was possible to take over the world—no, even take back Elkia’s national borders—without sacrifice or discontent?” 
“………………!” 
“Or is it simply—” 
Jibril inquired with a still more provocative smile. 
“—that you wish no suffering to come upon those close to you—that you wallow in the depths of narcissism and egotism? ? ” 
Steph ground her teeth—she knew. The sacrifice of just one would win two races. It also meant that they would save two races that would have perished left on their own. If she felt that Ino’s lone sacrifice was not worth it, then— 
“ ? Then, so what, may I ask…?!” 
But Steph opened her mouth decisively, and with the quivering Izuna in her field of vision, defiantly—she shouted, “Egotism, narcissism, you can call it what you like, but this much I can tell you! Uniting all the races by this method—is never going to happeeen !!!” 
—She had no logical evidence. The Shrine Maiden and Jibril were right. Probably, indubitably. They were realistic. Yet, even so, for some reason, the conviction they were wrong held Steph fast. Why—it was, yes, probably, one might suppose—because they were plausible. Their words were plausible. Appropriate. Right on the mark. 
—But to begin with… The existing mark would never be enough—to unite all the races— 
 
As Sora and Shiro returned, wiping their hands, faces relieved, they were greeted by a departing Shrine Maiden, a heavy atmosphere. And—a piercing look from Steph. 
“Uhh…what’s the deal here?” 
“So, essentially, you mean to run .” 
“—Uh?” 
“I understand perfectly now. You’d get two races by sacrificing Mr. Ino—mere bluster… I’ve lost what faith I had in you! And, with this, you dare claim you will unite all the races!!” 
In response to Steph’s vitriol, Sora scratched his head and asked his sister confusedly: 
“Uh, umm. Shiro, why’s she yelling at me?” 
“…’Cos…we took too long…?” 
“It didn’t take long. Come on, this is number one we’re talking about! W-well, whatever, we got our business done, anyway.” 
—Clearing his throat once, Ahem , Sora muttered, “Let’s get back on topic— 
“So, it’s that time again— we’re gonna go wake up that queen .” 
…… ? What? To the speechless gathering, while yet ignorant of the discussion that had gone on in his absence, Sora calmly continued. 
“If we can forget about Plum’s magic and actually wake up that queen on our own , then Dhampir and Siren will both be saved, we’ll get Ino back using that as a condition, and everything will be cool. I mean, we just ‘exited’ that game, you know. It would go against our principles to ‘quit’ it. So, now we have to stage our comeback—” 
Disregarding the dazed crowd, Sora put his hand to his chin, ruminating. 
“Question is, how can we actually wake the queen up—huh.” 
Ffp —sharply setting his gaze on Plum. 
“Yeah, let me guess— there’s no one who knows the conditions …right?” 
“…Y-yeeess…” 
“Wha—no one knows…what do you mean?” 
Steph glanced at Izuna. For her part, Izuna (who’d been crying until very recently) now had her head raised as if intensely interested in Sora’s words. She cautiously checked Plum’s reaction—and then shook her head to indicate the Dhampir wasn’t lying. But Sora nodded at an answer he’d seen coming. 
“Siren can’t use magic, and Dhampir can—if anyone knew, the lid would have been blown off long ago. Even Amila probably only knows that it’s not a game to make her fall in love.” 
“…What gives you such confidence?” 
“When Her Majesty went to sleep, she was not yet the queeeen…buuut, she was in a position to someday become the queeeen… If one such as that were to say she’d grant all of her rights…what would you dooo?” 
Plum, who’d thought she’d uncovered that , spoke with a sigh. Sora and Shiro simply nodded. 
“That’s pretty chancy. If there was someone in a position like Amila’s back then, she woulda covered it up —and what’s the ultimate way to cover something up?” 
“… If no one…knows…the truth… no one will…know.” 
—Right, in other words… To beat the queen’s game, you had to uncover conditions that no one knew except for the sleeping queen herself. It was—the victory condition game. Practically impossible. You could pretty much say it was hard as was conceivable. But ? 
“As long as it’s not the real-life romance game—Blank doesn’t lose!” 
“…Mm…!” 
Hearing the siblings’ strong assertion—hard to judge whether powerful or pathetic, but self-assured in either event—Steph asked trepidatiously: 
“…Uh, um… Sora, I thought you were abandoning Ino…… You’re not?” 
“Whaaa? What the hell are you talking about, you friggin’ Steph ?” 
—To an extent, it didn’t even bother her that her name had been employed as a direct insult. Sora’s reaction represented a clear denial. 
“There’s no way I could do something that would make our living cultural heritage, Izuna, sad, and obviously I couldn’t abandon Ino—that man among men. …Steph, I know all this must be tiring for you, but can you wait until after you wake up for your half-lucid babbling?” 
…Apparently, Sora had indeed raised his opinion of Ino into the stratosphere. It hadn’t been an act. He went on. 
“I mean—we said, ‘We’ll be back,’ right? Amila’s not going to mess with Ino. ’Cos he’s the only card she’s got to get us to resume the game. If she touches Ino, then they’ll really be doomed to be livestock.” 
Steph protested. “S-still, the Shrine Maiden said ‘there’s naught to be done’ about Ino…” 
“Well, yeah. We had the Shrine Maiden send Ino for verification. Now the rest is our job. ” 
At Sora’s casual rebuttal, Steph’s eyes widened. Indeed, as far as the Shrine Maiden was concerned—there was indeed naught for it . For momentarily—Sora and Shiro would grab everything. 
“The Shrine Maiden’s used the hell out of her bloodbreak, a power that threatens her very life, and even given us one of her most valuable officers. Now it’s time for us to go at it like we wanna die—literally laying down our lives, you know.” 
Sora said it blithely, and Shiro nodded just as much so. But—their vaguely chilling resolve and next words took Steph’s breath. 
“That’s what it means— to fight together , right?” 
A little shadow slipped past the dazed Steph, approaching the siblings. Eyes red and swollen, Izuna, her gaze still quivering uneasily, looked up at Sora and Shiro. 
“…You’re gonna go save Grampy, please?” 
Sora and Shiro didn’t know why Izuna had been crying. Still—Sora placed his hand on Izuna’s head, stroked it reassuringly, and smiled. 
“Of course. We’re gonna get your gramps—I promise .” 
Her uncomposed eyes then turned to Shiro, where they were greeted with conviction. 
“…Izzy…trust Brother…” 
Izuna couldn’t know. What only Shiro knew. What she had when Brother—when Sora—said the word promise signified an absolutely binding oath that made the Ten Covenants worthless in comparison. But— 
“…Brother never…goes back, on his promises…” 
At Shiro’s assertion, Izuna once again looked up at Sora. The powerful hand stroking her head as she sniffed its scent…and then—she wiped her wet eyes. 
“’Kay, I trust you assholes, please.” 
“All right, she trusts us assholes, please.” 

Steph watched the clowning Sora from a short distance away. Jibril stood next to her. 
“My apologies, Dora. Our teasing was a bit immoderate.” 
“…What?” 
“I was just so aching with curiosity as to how you would react, I couldn’t help myself… But you are in fact right, little Dora .” 
—So said the curiosity addict with a countenance that seemed to want to say, “Tee-hee! =P.” But before Steph even had a chance to look sarcastic, Jibril got herself together, asserting: 
“There can be no doubt that my masters are to reform this world.” But as for their methods —Jibril continued, “No existing methods, indeed, could possibly serve the purpose.” 
“…………” 
So, now, as to how we’re gonna uncover the conditions to wake up the queen —As Sora reinitiated his scheming, Steph only half-listened. 
…Before, what the Shrine Maiden and Jibril had said—it had felt wrong to her. Steph, having searched for the reason—now seeing the two before her eyes—finally realized what it was. Sora…Shiro…these two never once used the appropriate method . 
After all, conventional wisdom was something to be derided. After all, common sense was to be cast off. These two…said they’d conquer all the races bloodlessly, without a single death. With such a dreamlike—such an unrealistic—argument, there could be no conventional wisdom. 
But, in his form that had made her believe that they could really do it, that day—the day of the coronation—Steph felt she’d seen it. Perhaps it was the same thing Jibril standing beside her saw— 
—What she’d foreseen was this world’s future, and it made her heart race, she realized. 
“Oh, by the way, Steph. A minute ago, you said something I can’t let slide.” 
“Huh?” Sora’s words brought the dazedly ponderous Steph back to reality. 
“About getting two races by sacrificing Ino—first of all, the part about sacrificing Ino is wrong. And also—” 
—and here she got jammed right back into a daze. 
“It’s not two races—it’s three!” 
…… 
…… ? Come again?