No Game No Life - Volume 5 - Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 
REACT 
“…So, that’s…the deal…” 
“Th-that is consistent with my grandfather’s observations… Uh, is that all right?” 
“My hypothesis was indeed correct. Oh, how deep is love…” 
“…Really…we almost went extinct for this? …I want to cry…” 
“Tee-hee-hee! ? Heyyy, looks like your chance, Plum! ? Amila’s all excited now! ? ” 
“…Sora, Soraaa, I don’t get this shit one damn bit, please.” 
“Sorry, Izuna. I’m just a useless eighteen-year-old virgin trash loser who drags Blank down, so I don’t get it, either. But you’re smart, Izuna. You’ll get it one day. I’m off to take out the trash.” 
“You’re throwing yourself out, please? Then can I pick you up, please?” 
“…No…Brother is mine. Anyway…Brother, get ready.” 
“G-get ready? O-of what am I c-capable, other than to g-get in your way…?” 
“…There’s no way… I…can beat this game… Only…you can… ” 
“Let’s go, Shiro!! If you can’t do it, who can do it but me?!!” 
 
“—I’m so bored.” 
Unconsciously, I let out a sigh. 
Oceand is the home of all Sirens. At the bottom of the deep sea, at the base of a triple-layered oceanic ridge that towers in an arc like the crescent moon. Far from the excesses of land, the sea stands pure like the walls of a castle, with no road to connect it to the outside world. Other than the nameless fish and whales, rarely is anyone allowed to visit. Clad in beautiful blue, wrapped in the protection of the water spirits, a city heaped with glittering treasures. A paradise built by the magic of the Dhampirs, brilliant with a myriad of hues. 
But it is a prison. 
“Ohh, isn’t there anything fun?!” 
Fed up with everything, I pout. The songs and dances all bore me. Of fine delicacies, I’ve had my fill. 
Oceand. A perpetual den of pleasure. Beauty, riches, love—it’s all here. Since the time I was born, all of it belonged to me. And for that reason—I can never be fulfilled. Because, out of everything, it is I who am the most beautiful, the most valuable treasure. However wonderful may be the things in this world, they can never compare to me. But suppose—somewhere—there is something that I might desire? 
That would be—love! True love! 
Beautiful and wonderful, an everlasting bond! The supreme treasure, which even gods must covet! 
My innocent soul, defiled by no one—waits in this city of dreams for him . My eternal lover, who will grant me that which I do not have. The prince who will quench the thirsting of my heart. Waiting for him , I have slept……how long has it been? 
“…—What difference does it make?” 
Time means nothing insofar as he comes not to greet me. If my heart is not filled, my life shall remain empty forever— 
— Aschente — 
Now a voice comes and revives my awareness. It seems I have another visitor. These silly men who come to call on me. These adorable fools who fall before me when I grant them the slightest of smiles. I have no hopes for this man, either. True love does not come easily. But, waiting as long as I have, frustration is inevitable. 
“…Well, why not? I have nothing better to do anyway. I’ll go and play with him a bit.” 
However worthless the man may be, he should at least be good for killing time. Yes—this time, I’ll be very nice to him. I’ll be all smiles. I’ll butter him up. I’ll captivate him. And then, when the time comes, I’ll jilt him mercilessly. Then maybe even that fool will come to understand— 
“ ? love?” 
“What…?” 
A young man’s voice falls from the sky. 
“—You want love ? ?” 
You want love , he asks? —Well, of course. 
“…Yes, I do. Are you going to give it to me?” 
“In that case—I’ll give it to you!! 
“You~~~~~~~~~ are~~~~~~~ shock~~~~~~~~~!!” 
An impact rocks the sea. Overhead—the sky is split. I don’t know how else to describe it. Cracks big enough to see from under the sea shatter the sky, and it rains down like giant pieces of glass, stabbing into the ocean—the heavens and the sea stained red as blood. Amidst the shards, the source of the voice, too, descends into the depths. 
“—Here it comes~ all for love~…this guy is falling~ dowwwn~…ha.” 
An Immanity man with dark eyes and black hair, wearing a shirt with “I ? PPL” written large over his chest. Beside him, in contrast, an Immanity girl with white hair and red eyes. Both with fluttering, jet-black capes that suggest the Devil. They announce with wicked smiles: 
““Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sleeping Beauty, and excuse us for disturbing your rest. We are Sora and Shiro.”” 
“…’Sup…” 
…Hmm? Now, here’s an angle. Many men have come to woo me in many scenarios, but this is the first time I’ve seen this approach. But this still isn’t it — What I want is true love—not mere novelty. 
“Good day, dream visitor. How nice of you to come.” 
That should be it. There is no man who can resist my voice—my charm— 
“Oh, sorry. We’re not actually here. ” 
“… Useless , useless , useless …” 
“You’re shouting into the current. No offense. Alsooo—” 
The man smirks and then continues. 
“You are shock~ —here I come~ with my squad~ the sky is falling down~…yo.” 
Another shock. With it, the sea breaks, and at the red sky that peeps through— 
“—Eeg…!” 
—a strangled gasp. The sky elicits instinctive revulsion and fear, an inevitable consequence of the giant baby monsters that suddenly fill it. Through the pandemonium races one monstrous girl, a halo over her head, wings of light spreading from her hips. 
“Even fools are charming when they sleep, but a fool who annoys even when sleeping—there is much to see in this world.” 
—Behind her, hundreds of—incarnations of slaughter, manifestations of ruin— Flügel …?! 
“…Brother, it’s not…quite…soul-crushing enough…” 
“Hmm, you’re right. If we wanted to perfectly reenact that horrible ending from Drakeng*rd , we should’ve brought real Flügel—but we’ve already sealed off Azril’s power, and it seems as if they’re having a lot of fuss in the Council right now. We had to resort to makeshift decorations, except for Jibril.” 
“Please fret not, Master. I shall make up for it by doing the work of several hundred Flügel!” 
Even as the man carries on his incomprehensible conversation, he looks down at me and says: 
“Come, let the game begin— Make me fall in love. ” 
………What? Having said this, the man points to the highest tower in Oceand—to the chamber of the queen—and says: 
“We’re over there. If you can get there and seduce me, that will end the game.” 
—The heavens writhe. Countless gigantic babies fall from the crimson-stained sky. The Flügel spread their wings and fly around like symbols of death itself. 
…H-he’s telling me to navigate this?! 
“By the way, Master—do you mind if I eradicate the city with a single blast ?” 
The Flügel fidgets as she poses this question. Meanwhile, I freeze. 
“Sure, no problem. Blow away everything, including the queen . It’ll all come back together in a few seconds. It’s just a dream, after all. Jibril, you can use as much force as you want—there’s no limit, so knock yourself out.” 
“Eh-heh, eh-hehh-guh-heh-heh-hehh, I do say, I grow excited! ? ” 
—And then the two Immanities turn to me once more. 
“Also, when we set up the scenario…” 
“…we added your…friends, acquaintances…and family…too.” 
At these words, in a rush, I look around—since when were they here? My mother, my nurse, my handmaids, even my sisters whose names I do not remember —all wail simultaneously. 
“So, you can pretty much guess how this is gonna go down…” 
Smiling wryly and scratching his head: 
“You and those dear to you are gonna be devoured by those falling babies, sliced up by Jibril, blown away, etc., while, you know, all kinds of shit happens to you… Yeah, I’ll say it again, but, damn, that game was hard-core.” 
“…Brother…you got me to play it, saying it was the best game ever…and super-touching… I’ll never forgive you.” 
“I’m sorry. It was just too traumatic for me to bear alone—but anyway.” 
With that, the two who call themselves Sora and Shiro speak together: 
““From here on, no one will save you as you writhe to your death. Let’s see how long you suffer before you succumb.”” 
And then—with big smiles, they say: 
““DIE, MAGGOT.”” 
Spreading her wings at this remark, the Flügel opens her mouth. 
“Now, if I may: Number One, Jibril.” 
The halo above her head complexly transfigures itself, becoming giant, multilayered, not unlike a magic circle. Her wings lose form as if spewing energy—and a column of light like a lance sways in her hands— 
“I give my master heartfelt thanks for granting me this opportunity— 
“—to use my full, unadulterated, unrestrained, unreserved power, 100 percent—Heavenly Smite— Here it is! ? ” 
With only these words remaining, the world is extinguished in white. 
 
Meanwhile—Oceand: the chamber of the queen. 
“Yaaay! Miss Jib is so cooool!” 
Amila raised a cheer toward the underwater projector displaying the queen’s dream. Around her, a crowd of Sirens likewise cheered and danced like mad. Sprawled limp on the floor were Sora, Shiro, and Jibril, who had dived into the dream, and Plum and the Dhampirs, who had used up all their strength to transport them there and build its world. Also present were Steph, eyes rolling, and the aging Werebeast—Ino Hatsuse—to whom Izuna clung. Surveying in turn the three lying unconscious on the floor and the projector, Ino asked: 
“Uh, umm…I wonder—precisely what is going on here?” 
“Grampy, we came to save your ass, please. Get down and give thanks on your hands and knees, please.” 
As Izuna rubbed her face in the belly of her grandfather—Ino—Steph answered on the young girl’s behalf: 
“A lot of things happened while you were in Oceand… Yes, quite a lot of things.” 
—But, this not being much of an explanation, Ino just kindly held the grandchild, who clung to him as he looked on in confusion. 
“…I would appreciate it if you could offer an explanation a bit less cryptic.” 
“Don’t worry about it… I hardly understand it myself… Let me just give you a message from Sora for now.” 
Ahem : Steph cleared her throat. 
“—‘We figured out how to wake up the queen. When we told the Sirens, they got all excited and gave you back and said, “Do what you want”’…he said.” 
“I am afraid my comprehension is only further clouded…” 
“He also said…‘Relax, we’re gonna wake up the queen, and we’re not gonna let Siren or Dhampir go extinct. We’re playing a game where we’ve sworn that by the Covenants. You’ll see what we mean when you watch us beat the game’—and also…” 
With a final titter, Steph continued. 
“…‘Izuna missed you, so I’ll leave her here. You got a good granddaughter, Gramps’… That’s it.” 
“Is that…so?” 
Dropping a smile at the pressure of his granddaughter’s nuzzling, Ino thought to himself: 
— I understand that man Sora even less than I did before. 
A cheer went up. Jibril’s second Heavenly Smite had thundered. The Sirens enjoyed their celebration of it while Plum haltingly chided. 
“Y-Your Highness Amila… Y-you seeee. I toootally understand where you’re coming from, but perhaps some discretion would be in—” 
“Whaaaat? Ohhh, Plum! You can go ahead and say it, too, you knowww!” 
Amila continued with the smile of a stainless saint. 
“The suffering of a stupid bitch makes everything delicious! Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee! ? ” 
—Her smile might have been stainless, but it was wholly absent in her eyes. 
“Look, Amila even opposed cutting off her sense of pain, but, see, we are being discreet, tee-hee-hee-hee! ? ” 
—Indeed, it was a dream. No one and nothing was actually being harmed. On top of that, when Sora and crew had entered the queen’s dream, they’d asked Plum to block the queen’s pain receptors . This was a dream, after all. There was no discomfort. It must not be forgotten—there was purpose behind all of this, but— 
“This…isn’t something to take Miss Izuna to, is it?” 
“Truly. Indeed, I must commend King Sora’s moral sensibilities in deeming it inappropriate for children.” 
“…? The hell is going on, please?” 
Izuna, her face still buried in Ino’s belly, unable to see the display, asked in apparent curiosity. But the spectacle projected before them—Plum could only describe as: 
“Hell…no, more like a nightmaaare …” 
Indeed, it was a sight that, even without any sexual content, would unquestionably fall afoul of moral regulations. 
—Even Steph had heard about it: the full power of Flügel—the Heavenly Smite. A single toss of that lance of light had vaporized the sea and turned the Oceand of the dream into a crater. But—it was a dream; everything would be mended in a few seconds. Like a small child smashing a clay sculpture, Jibril rained down further destruction. At this cycle of destruction and restoration, Jibril smiled—or perhaps more accurately, leered—and flung her arm indiscriminately. Each time, the ridge was shattered, and a trench opened up, swallowing the ocean floor. 
—As if that wasn’t nightmarish enough, forgetting Jibril, the fake Flügel were also blithely wreaking havoc. The baby monsters, inspiring instinctual revulsion and fear, devoured the dream’s bit players. And the spectating Sirens were getting off on this hard. —It was messed up. 
“…W-well, I do sympathize in a way, given the circumstances… but…” 
“I-it does seem a bit excessive…speaking as one who does not know the circumstances.” 
Grasping the situation but not the strategy, Steph had to agree. 
“…There’s never been a day I didn’t curse Lord Tet for setting down the Ten Covenants, buuut…” 
Plum quavered with a face pale enough to faint. For the spectacle projected before them probably (no, definitely) would have qualified as a mere skirmish before the Ten Covenants—in the age of the Great War. 
“Your ancestors lived through this… My deepest respects.” 
“…I just want to know how Immanity managed to survive this.” 
“Both Immanity and Werebeast had to face this… Upon our return, I must take up my studies of history once more.” 
Their eyes rolling back in their heads, the three onlookers were independently inspired with the same thought: 
—Lord Tet, thank you for setting down the Ten Covenants. 
 
—The first blow vaporized the sea. Laila had no choice but to crawl the parched earth. She couldn’t breathe. The sun beating down on the exposed seafloor consumed her flesh. There was no pain, but her energy was sorely drained. The repeated Flügel attacks gave no respite for the sea to return. In a loop of vaporization and regeneration, the sea stripped the queen—stripped Laila—unconditionally of its protection. And then the baby monsters raining from the blood-colored sky rampaged down to devour her. There was no water. She couldn’t swim. The race beloved of the sea—without the sea, even their charm— 
 …… 
“ …Hff… Hff … I—I made it…have I?” 
—How many days had passed? Or had it only been minutes? Dragging her body, Laila finally arrived at the foot of the tower. Behind her the smoldering flames of hell still roared. The heavens were blanketed with laughter and the light of destruction, the earth with countless dying wails. Fear driving her to muster her strength, she opened the door and leaped through the threshold—when— She felt at her back the shock and din of the city exploding again—but Laila collapsed in relief. For inside the tower—was water. This was where Sora and Shiro were supposed to be and therefore the one place even the Flügel’s attacks could not destroy, it seemed. If there was water, then she could breathe, and even charm… At last —she thought. 
“…Hee, hee-hee-hee…hee-hee-hee-hee-hee… What nerve you have—to do this to me!” 
Catching her breath, Laila, at her core—now seethed with rage. 
—“Make me fall in love”? 
“…That’s just fine. I’ll see to it that you pay the tab for making a fool of me.” 
With a swish of her tail, Laila ascended the water-filled tower with terrible speed. 
—The queen of the sea. She who has everything. Everyone bows before me. I can’t believe you would try someone like that— I don’t know what you’re thinking, but— 
“I hope you don’t think I’m just gonna make you get down on your knees!!” 
—If I can just get in one word, that will be the end. 
—I’ll sing a song. Make him a crawling slave. Make him lick the ground. Then cast him pathetically aside and throw him into the trench of despair. Once he gets out of the dream—my charms will convince him that reality is the true nightmare, and my rejection will make him want to die. 
With a wickedly warped smile, she surged through the water as if flying—and soon, she reached the top floor…the door to the chamber of the queen… The chamber where her body should lie. 
“…Make way.” 
—That was all. The current slammed open the door as if breaking it down. 
Yes. In the sea, Laila was power. Before the volume of water spirits she possessed, everything in the ocean would kneel to her. It was a simple law . Nothing could defy it. It superseded even some forms of magic. Even the spirits employed in Elf rites would take Laila’s side. Things she could not tame—in this world—did not exist. With unshakable confidence (no, fact!), Laila at last—arrived. Sora and Shiro—dolled up like the Devil. Sora strode forward to greet her with a theatrical, impudent grin. 
“—Made it this far, have you…? Your foolishness is hilarious. However, it delights me that you are progressing—” 
“…Brother, enough…of that.” 
“Whaaat? Shiro, how dare you skip my dialogue? I had it all ready.” 
While the two played out their farce, Laila faced them with eyes burning in anger. They had made a trifle of her, all right—but it was time they paid. And so the queen—Laila—formed words in a voice that would make the heavens swoon. 
“NOW, ARE YOU DONE PLAYING? CRAWL BEFORE ME.” 
—Yes, let’s start by having him crawl. Then we can take our time and entice him until his brain melts— 
—However, the reply she received made Laila doubt her own ears. 
“Hey, hey, were you listening? I said make me fall in love—don’t you have anything sexy to say?” 
—She was dumbfounded. The man and girl before her…upon hearing her voice that captivated all, regardless of sex—simply grinned back at her confrontationally. 
— Putting up a front , Laila clicked to herself. As long as they were in the water, there could be no exceptions. Their gray matter must have already been numb with yearning. So—time to test just how long those iron masks would hold. 
“…OH, YES, I’M SORRY… I GOT CARRIED AWAY AND SAID SOMETHING RUDE.” 
Wetting her eyes sensually, Laila spoke pleadingly. 
“I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO MY TRUE FEELINGS AND FEEL THEM—I WANT YOU. CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE ME WHAT I WANT?” 
With not just her voice, but her every move—a binding force more violent than brainwashing was at work. Despite her imploring tone, it was mere input—a command that could not be blocked. At her irresistible, unconditional charm, Sora—trembling all over— answered her call: 
“…Uughh, no thanks. I got goose bumps. Sorry, not happening.” 
…… 
 Huh? 
“Look, let me just come out and say it, but you ain’t my type.” 
 What? 
“And then, under the rule that you’re supposed to make me fall in love, the first thing you say is ‘Crawl before me,’ followed by ‘I’m sorry,’ and now you’re saying those weren’t your true feelings? I feel like I’ve seen you in some meme about crazy bitches to avoid. I can’t believe hos like you really exist.” 
…Laila stood stunned. It wasn’t a front. He really didn’t feel her charm. How was it possible—? Did they mess with the dream? No, not even Elven magic should have been capable. It made no sense, but one thing was for sure—this man had come with genuine conviction that he would not fall in love with her. 
—Then the man looked to the girl beside him for confirmation of something. She nodded, and he said: 
“Yeahhh, I finally get to say it. ’Cos everyone always thought this was a romance game, no one’s told you before, right? I’m gonna speak for everyone so far, including the old guy, and give you the business, okay?” 
Drawing a deep breath—Sora let it fly. 
“Don’t you know how old you are, sleepwalking around, prattling like a goddamn moron? I mean, who the hell do you think you are, dumbass? What? You think, ‘It’s only natural for everyone to be nice to me’? Even kindergartners these days are quicker on the uptake than you, bitch! Seriously, do even know how many years you’ve been asleep? Eight hundred years, bitch—eight hundred years! You think, ‘Ohh, I’m, like, such a princess, waiting for my prince for years and years’? You’re over eight hundred years old, Grandma! You wanna know how old you are? You’re too friggin’ old! Sure, I love those characters with ridiculous ages, but they’re cool because they’ve got the brains, right?! And, anyway, you’re like, ‘There’s no man who wouldn’t fall for me’—but look at yourself, man. It pisses me off! You call yourself a woman, then show some grace! Sexiness only means something if it’s bundled with humility! Are you one of those? You know, the ones who think if a guy tells them to take their clothes off, they can just drop ’em? Or one of the others?! Those typical, so-called cosplay or glasses-porno actresses who take off their costumes or glasses when they have sex, those dumbasses with a romance quotient in, like, the tenth percentile at best! If you think the more skin you show the better, then stop being half-assed about it and just go live as a freakin’ nudist! Dude, why should I even have to try to pick up some bitch I don’t even like? Think about it, man—it’s a waste of my goddamn time and effort! I might as well just hit on some 2-D girls! I’d get way more out of it, especially in terms of cost performance, all while protecting my heart and wallet! Oh yeah, and just let me add one more thing before I wrap up— You got these water spirits or whatever, I dunno, but something granting you charm from the shadows—but honestly, your face score is barely above average, and it’s the worst among all the chicks I hang with, so would you look in a damn mirror and figure that out, you sponge-brain?!” 
 ………… 
Fffff… Sora, spewing this all at once with no room for argument—smiled in relief. 
“ Hff —I feel so much better… Great. I said my piece. Now I’m done with this game. Ciao!” 
Huh? 
“Hey, wait—!” 
“Nnnope. Did you enjoy wasting your time on this unwinnable game? See ya, suckahhh!!” 
With that, Sora and Shiro whisked out of existence, as if they really had ended the game. Then: The dull percussions that had been carrying on in the background stopped— 
And in Laila’s heart, an entirely different sound quietly resounded. 
 
“Heh-heh-heh! Now this is totally gonna make her snap — That should do it, right, Shiro?” 
“…Mm, Brother…for the win…exa props.” 
To the brother nodding in self-satisfaction, the sister raised her thumb. 
—The chamber of the queen erupted in the thunderous applause from the Sirens, who had enjoyed the fine show. By contrast, there was the blanched silence of those with common sense, like Steph. Sora and Shiro had given the queen a magnificent nightmare and returned without bothering to woo her, dumping the game. Only one of them was completely baffled as to their reasoning—just one. 
“ Hff —that was most amusing… It will be a storm of envy when I tell everyone. ? ” 
—Having pushed the boundaries of devastation to her heart’s content in the queen’s dream, Jibril’s consciousness now awoke to reality. Her skin seemed to have taken on a certain luster, and probably actually had. But—those who didn’t understand the purpose behind any of it (again, like Steph) cast questioning looks. 
—So what was the point of all that—? Confronted with this silent entreaty, Sora assumed a grin that said: Don’t ask me! 
Sora had just done what Shiro told him to—in other words: 
…Brother, just, be…yourself. 
That summed it up. 
…Just say whatever comes to mind…to troll, the living hell out of, her…till she has, a meltdown . 
—That was all. It did hurt his feelings a bit, having his sister call that “being himself.” But if Shiro said so, if his little sister was sure that was the solution, Sora had no reason to doubt it. He needed only carry out those instructions faithfully—yes, devotedly . 
—Just then— Crik…! Suddenly a crack formed in the ice the queen slumbered in. 
“—Huh?” 
To the stupefaction of everyone assembled there—except Sora and Shiro—the crack spread. The crystal-clear ice turned stark white as the cracks spread like tendrils, and then it shattered, sending sparkling particles scattering—like stardust. As the motes of ice danced, reflecting the ambient light ? the queen’s eyes flitted open ever so slightly. 
Before this uncanny spectacle, everyone stood speechless. 
“Hey, hey! Come on, come on! Too bad the Ten Covenants won’t let me hit you!! LEL, baby!!” 
Everyone except Sora, who, having been given leave by Shiro to troll, wasn’t about to stop. 
“…I-incredible… Is it really possible for a human to be so obnoxious?!” 
Paying no heed to Steph as she crossed that line of respect, the queen slowly rose from her throne. 
“…Brother, that’s…enough.” 
“Oh, really? I was really getting into it—” 
With a graceful sweep of her tail—dancing, carrying herself with light ease—the queen approached Sora. A fantastic sight…yet the queen’s face was red with burning—no, mild—anger as she swam to face Sora…and then: 
“How I’ve waited for you…my prince! ? ” 
Going so far as to make hearts of her eyes—she threw herself at Sora’s feet. 
—… 
 ……… 
 What? 
The entire throne room was dumbstruck, but Sora, as if on guard— 
“H-hey, Shiro. The hell’s this? Some kind of fake-out?” 
Jittery, he turned to his sister as he was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense by déjà vu… 
—Of a time he had pwned someone online with a trick that was just too dirty, and they’d ended up having to hurriedly relocate as it seemed his opponent had tracked down his address and was planning to deliver a beatdown—a painful memory from his previous world. Recalling this trauma, Sora feared he might have gone too far. But Shiro casually reassured him. 
“…No…this is fine…we win…” 
“…Ahh, I see now.” 
As Shiro claimed victory, her expression contemptuous, Steph, Plum, Jibril, and Amila finally understood. The queen—Laila—carried on making a spectacle of herself. 
“Ohh, master of my heart…Please, um, insult me more! ? ” 
“—H-hey, is this chick funny in the head?” 
As Sora gesticulated desperately at Laila writhing at his feet, Steph remembered the meeting before the game had started and the tale she’d found in the old king’s study— The Treasure of the Prideful Princess . Taking its conclusion into consideration—she finally grasped Shiro’s intent . 
“…Yes, it would seem so.” 
A tale of a beautiful princess. A princess who had everything: beauty, riches, and love. The insatiable longing of the princess for something more— more than everything . One man put an end to it. The princess had received all that was, from every man. Yet her desire went unquenched. 
—Until the man with the dagger . 
 A wondrous treasure beyond the princess’s belief. 
 Death moved her, and thus it ends. 
—Yes, it was the tale of a princess consumed by greed and how she was slain. But the queen must have— 
“It seems my grandfather identified the tale that inspired the queen to sleep, and from that…he surmised that because she had everything, she sought the one thing she lacked— an unobtainable love …but still.” 
The previous king—her grandfather—had come up with a rather poetic interpretation. Steph sighed and then looked at Shiro—the architect of the game that had just played out. 
“…Yes…the queen…all loved. Had everything, so, didn’t value it… That’s why, she wanted this.” 
Finally seeming to catch up, Ino took over with a sense of deep reverence: 
“I see… She wished for one with whom she could fall in love— who would never return her affection .” 
Put bluntly—or leaving it to Shiro’s interpretation: Basically, she was in love with love… She wanted a love that would go unrequited. Well, that could probably be even blunter—like so: 
“… She wanted to be humiliated …just like Steph.” 
“—Like who?” 
Steph gaped stupidly with this query. Jibril, having come to the same conclusion, clapped her hands. 
“I see. In the tale, the man who slew the princess did not seek her love—meaning that, for the princess, that man was the one she could not possess ?” 
“—What, is that the point?!” 
It was Sora’s voice raised in astonishment. After all, that suggested a woman who wanted what others had—that is, one who’d engage in affair after affair… Fundamentally, that made her the very definition of a dysfunctional broad, didn’t it? 
“What? So, in other words, if the one she loves loves her back, it kills it for her? What an annoying bitch.” 
“Ohhhh! ? Yes, I’m an annoying biiitch… I’m sorryyy! ? ” 
Queen Laila, shamed and reviled, squirmed in ecstasy. 
—“I shall give you all my rights”—someone should have taken more note of the implication of this. Apparently the only one who got it, Shiro verbalized the situation: 
“…Brother, you have…all her rights…so be nice, and step on her .” 
“—Uh, well, okay…” 
“Uh-hunhhhhh! ? D-do it haaarder, please! ? ” 
—Plum, with her Dhampirs, up to this point had been incapable of anything but frowning. 
“…And this is whyyy…we nearly perished as she slept for eight hundred yeaaars…” 
Plum, having been briefed (albeit not in this much detail), sighed so deeply as to spew out her soul. But as Plum and her kin rolled their eyes, the mortified queen exclaimed: 
“…What? I really was asleep for eight hundred years?” 

“All you had to do to beat this game— was kick my ass instead of falling in love with me . Are you guys stupid?” 
“The Ten Covenants say we can’t do that ! You’re the stupid one, you goddamn sponge-brain!” 
“Ohhhh! ? Yes! I am a stupid sponge-braiiin!” 
—Even ignoring the Ten Covenants, Laila’s charm was so overwhelming that not even Jibril or the Shrine Maiden could defy it. Failing to fall in love with Laila—a feat likely unprecedented thanks to her absolute power—was more or less impossible. Who would have suspected that she’d set just what any Siren or Dhampir would have gladly done but couldn’t—that is, bust her a good one —as the solution all along? 
“…Do you see now, Mr. Ino? Why the Sirens rejoice so?” 
“…Yes, I suppose… How shall I describe this…?” 
“Tee-hee-heee! ? Sora, this show you’ve given us has been wooonderful, but, while you’re at it, could you hit that @#$% a little harder for Amila? Yeah! Hit her so hard her head caves in!” 
“Oh, I beg you, too, my master—please hit me! ? Hit meee! ? ” 
As Amila looked up at him leering—brimming with bloodlust—and as Laila, eyes sparkling, reiterated her request…Sora asked: 
“…Hey, Jibril—what is love?” 
Jibril replied, smiling at her master, who was diligently averting his gaze to the ceiling: 
“Is it not exactly as Miss Plum stated? It is what you make of it. ” 
Meanwhile, a short distance away, Ino was talking with Izuna, deeply moved. 
“It is true; love indeed comes in many forms… Hmm. I myself am yet green around the edges.” 
“…Hey, Grampy. I still don’t get what the hell is going on, please.” 
“That’s very well, Izuna. One day you will understand.” 
But Sora sighed and wondered— Is that really how it is? 
“…I have a feeling I’m never gonna understand.” 
—And with no one but the queen—Laila—satisfied, this ridiculous game, for now, came to an end… 
 
The Kingdom of Elkia: the capital, Elkia—late at night. In the last country of Immanity, in an office in the Royal Castle, Steph, as usual, was hard up. 
“…Yes, I knew this would happen. Now we have to annex Oceand, don’t we?” 
—Now with even more work, Steph’s dark circles were permanently imprinting themselves on her face. Word was that the kingdom was also going to be incorporating Avant Heim, albeit in a ceremonial capacity. The sheaves of paper swelled higher and higher by the day, but, imagining it increasing even more, Steph turned away, not afraid—but contemplative. 
“…Though this has silenced the nobles…” 
—It was hard to admit, but Steph sighed at this fact as she dropped her eyes upon the paperwork. The powerful personages who had been assailing her day after day, challenging for privileges—had disappeared. Now all she was left with was this stack of procedures related to the distribution of the vast marine territory and resources Sora and Shiro had procured from Oceand—not that that wasn’t enough to keep her from getting any proper sleep— But it did mark a change between Elkia and the Eastern Union…until now so imbalanced in terms of power that the concept of a commonwealth was elusive. 
The seabed resources from Siren’s land—waters, rather. Even from Elkia’s perspective, having obtained seabed resources that even the Eastern Union could not mine, the interests they would have lost in the merger with the Eastern Union now surged anew. Dangling this bait in every direction kept things proceeding remarkably smoothly. It had been the most ridiculous game, and a conclusion at which one could only throw up one’s hands—but suddenly Steph mumbled to herself. 
“…Could it be that this is what they intended from the beginning—? No, that’s a leap… Isn’t it?” 
It had all started haphazardly when Plum called on Sora and Shiro. But the final game hadn’t involved the Shrine Maiden—that is, the Eastern Union—which meant the resources from Oceand belonged to Elkia alone , and consequently, the power imbalance that had been the biggest obstacle to the Commonwealth had been, if far from reversed, closed enough to seem realistic. At this, Steph had to wonder… 
—Above all else, they’d brought two other races under their umbrella at once. And now it appeared even Avant Heim would join them. After Werebeast—Siren, Dhampir, and then Flügel. Just as he’d boasted, Sora really had absorbed three other races at once. Thus he’d taken four races, without seizure of their pieces, without cost to them—no, to their benefit —and brought them under his control without bloodshed . This made Steph recall the thought she’d had when Sora and Shiro had overcome the Eastern Union—the Shrine Maiden… An idea so absurd she’d chased it from her mind, coming back to her now with a tinge of reality. 
“…The Tenth of the Ten Covenants: Let’s all have fun together…” 
The tension in Steph’s face broke—could they really do it? Could they take the Ixseeds, who had once battled to the point of reshaping the very planet, and bring them together without any killing or death—to challenge the One True God— 
“…? Come to think of it…” 
Steph remembered the day Sora and Shiro had bet the Immanity Piece at the embassy of the Eastern Union. One of the Race Pieces given to each of the Ixseeds, which, when collected, would constitute the right to challenge the One True God. Steph swung her gaze past the horizon. The giant chess pieces, all the more for the darkness of night, towered as if to block out the light of the moon. 
—If those were the starting pieces of the One True God, then might it follow that each Race Piece had its own role ? She had never seen the other Race Pieces, but the Immanity Piece that Sora and Shiro had shown them… 
“…was the king…wasn’t it…?” 
The king. In chess—the weakest piece . Its importance was paramount, but everyone knew that the king’s traits were even worse than the pawn’s ? 
“For goodness’ sake, clearly I am overthinking this… Hff , time to get back to work.” 
 
At the same time— In the courtyard of the Elkia Royal Castle stood Sora and Shiro’s palace, finally completed using the architectural techniques of the Eastern Union—basically a small wooden shack. In a room floored with tatami mats according to Sora and Shiro’s specifications, a clutter of countless games and books was strewn everywhere. As the siblings lay sleeping atop their futons laid out in that close space, breathing quietly— 
—without sound or presence, a shadow approached. But not entirely unnoticed: 
“—Yo, Plum. What do you want at this hour?” 
“…You’re keeping us up…” 
Stifling laughs, Sora and Shiro gave up the pretense of sleep and stared into the void. 
“…Ah, ah-ha-ha, ex-excuse meee… Well, you seeee…” 
However had mere Immanities seen through Dhampir stealth magic? Plum canceled her spell, showed herself with an apologetic smile, and lowered her head— 
“Didja come to reveal yourself?” 
At Sora’s query—Plum, still smiling, froze. Ignoring her reaction, Sora and Shiro sat up—grinning like children who’d just pulled off the prank of a lifetime. 
“I don’t flatter people. I respect you for real. You got a sweet strategy. I can’t even believe—” 
Sora’s praise was sincere, but— 
“ To the very end, you managed to lead us on without telling a single lie , Plum— No…” 
Ironically drawing up the corners of his mouth, Sora fixed his gaze on the Dhampir girl…no— 
“Shall I call you Mr. Plum—the last male Dhampir ?” 
— boy , laying it all bare. 
— …Hff. His true form discovered, the boy who looked like a pretty girl sat cross-legged and sighed. His troubled face was the same as ever—but his eyes, floating in the darkness, gave a hint of cunning sharper than a knife. 
“…Nghh… Did I make a mistaaake? When did you figure it ouuut?” 
—Huh. He really does talk like that? Sora chuckled to himself as he answered the question. 
“Right at the start—I wish I could say…” 
Sora glanced over at his little sister. 
“Though I hate to admit it, it was Shiro who figured it out. And that was just before we headed for the beach .” 
“…V…” 
Shiro threw up two fingers signifying the V for victory, somehow looking proud. But, grumbling with his hand on his cheek, Sora seemed severely dissatisfied. 
“Which means I almost sexually harassed a dude, and I let him frickin’ lick my sister’s feet… God. I shoulda seen it sooner…mumble, mumble.” 
“Ah-ha-ha…I’m very grateful for that. I really was about to die…” 
Sora clucked bitterly at the pretty boy’s innocent thanks. 
“—All right, how about that quiz we were doing that night on the beach— Shall we continue? ” 
“…June 20, 22:39 UTC… Plum.” 
As soon as he said it, Shiro began regurgitating her memory once more, as spot-on as a voice recorder. 
—Please make our queen fall in love! I’ve brought a plan so that you can achieve thiiis! 
Yes, this had been Plum’s request on first visiting Sora and Shiro—but. 
“There’s one thing’s that’s always bugged me, and it’s this : You didn’t say ‘wake up.’ You only said—you brought a plan to make her fall in love , huh…?” 
And so— 
“When we were at the Shrine Maiden’s, we laid two traps for you.” 
“…June 21, 07:28 UTC… Brother.” 
— Okay, I get your sure win or whatever. But why don’t you do it yourselves? 
Then Shiro continued as if to compare. 
“…June 21, 07:30 UTC… Plum.” 
— You see, the last male Dhampir is still youuung… 
— It has to be at least a man with the ability to reproduuuce. 
“First of all, we kept emphasizing sure win over and over again, but you never once said it was a sure win .” 
“……” 
“So—you must have known from the start that making her fall in love wouldn’t make us win , huh?” 
As Plum just grinned sheepishly, Sora looked back harshly. Next… 
“Then, two… I asked why you didn’t do it yourselves.” 
Sora frowned as if to say, there’s the bit I don’t like, and announced: 
“I said ‘ yourselves .’ But you didn’t say anything about yourself. You just said it had to be a guy, and brought up some guy without specifying from whose point of view he was young —” 
Plum couldn’t pull off a lie in front of a Werebeast. He could only change the subject. 
“—this guy who still didn’t have the ability to reproduce being you, right?” 
Yes, based on this, the one who’d finally figured it out was Shiro. And here— 
“You remember when I looked at Shiro’s phone and said, ‘Then it doesn’t have to be Brother’?” 
“…Yeeess… B-but what about thaaat?” 
At the boy for whom this was apparently insufficient to tie things together, Sora scoffed. 
“What was actually written there was everything I just told you.” 
“…!…” 
“I intentionally read something different from what was written—to alert the Shrine Maiden with a lie.” 
Yes, Plum—the last male Dhampir—had scrupulously avoided straight talk . When a dangerous question arose in the form of Is it A or B? he’d always answer It’s not B . But that didn’t mean Therefore it’s A , nor did it mean he was lying. For all a Werebeast was, as long as Plum stuck to the truth, she couldn’t detect disingenuous sleight of tongue. 
“But this leads us to some interesting implications, doesn’t it?” 
Sora clapped his hands— Shall we sum up? —and strode about the room, monologuing joyfully. 
“It was true that you were seeking the emancipation of Dhampir. It was true that you could make her fall in love with your love spell. But you knew that wouldn’t wake her up . But it had to be true that you were seeking your emancipation using us ? Yeah, you sure give us a lot of credit. We’re honored.” 
Shiro responded to Sora’s pronouncement with a grin. 
“June 20, 21:59 UTC… Plum.” 
— P-p—please waiiit! Your Majesties, we have no one to turn to but youuu! 
“Yeah, no kidding. It’s not like you could turn to anyone but us.” 
So. Who would Plum need for his plan—? Folks who: Could identify the conditions to awaken the queen, which even Plum didn’t know. Could then awaken the queen and win all the rights of Siren just as Plum had planned. And could, if they lost, be fed without concern to the Sirens. 
—They could only be of the one race the Sirens could look down on—the lowest in the ranking: Immanity. And specifically those who had Jibril’s support—and by extension Avant Heim’s—in particular, Sora and Shiro. But there was a problem close to Sora and Shiro: namely, Izuna and, by extension, the Shrine Maiden—the Eastern Union. Lies would be utterly ineffective against the senses of Werebeast—and therefore: 
“All you could do was to pull the wool over our eyes and lead us the entire time without a single lie.” 
“……” 
Sora clapped in earnest appreciation. 
“Yeah, I’m telling ya, man, it really is an honor that you saw so much in us. To be honest, when we got to Avant Heim and couldn’t use the strategy we’d planned, we were really on the spot.” 
“…Yeeess, well—” 
The boy, scratching his cheek, apparently troubled—grinned as a wily strategist. 
“If I didn’t have faith in you, why would I work with you…in a game like thaaat?” 
With a fearless smirk that asked, Isn’t that obvious? the last male Dhampir tossed out the offhanded remark—which made Sora smile. Were it necessary to complete his gambit, he would throw himself into the fire. Sora had to say from his heart that the kid was a true gamer, beyond reproach. 
“Still, even figuring out that much, we ended up playing right along with your plan—I mean, we didn’t have any choice. I hate to say this, but seriously, good game. It’s a draw, huh?” 
“…Plum, props…” 
Sora and Shiro sat crossed-legged and beaming. 
—But… 
“Ah-ha-ha, that’s where you’re wrooong —this game is all miiine!” 
His face still clouded, Plum looked down at them sharply. 
—Just— Yes, as if licking his lips before a feast, his smile twisted. 
“……What?” 
—Feeling threatened by this sudden transformation, Sora braced himself. All right, they’d seen through him. But— that wasn’t enough , Plum sneered, his expression contorting. 
“What Queen Laila bet was everything she had, rememberrr? Do you still not see iiit?” 
“ ? Wha—?!” 

At these words—Sora winced and stepped back. So you finally see it? Plum’s fiendish smirk deepened. 
“Yeeess… You inherit not only her rights, but also her dutieees .” 
“—Ah—! W-wait…but that—!” 
Grasping the implication, Sora moved to shield Shiro, his eyes wide with shock. When he’d won “everything” belonging to Siren’s agent plenipotentiary—it wasn’t just rights . He’d also taken on her duties —in particular, the obligation to supply Dhampir with blood ! 
Plum—the beautiful boy with sharp, scintillating eyes. His troubled mien cloudless now—doing justice to the true image of the vampire. 
—The king —the last male Dhampir suggested the status of an agent plenipotentiary, and with a wicked leer, he bared his fangs. 
“Which meaaans, wherever the chips fall , I’ll be the one cashing in —do you seeee? Lesser thing. ” 
“—W-wait…but that—!” 
Squeaking for his life, Sora blanched with fear. Plum spread those wings suggestive of blood and exposed his scintillating fangs in a sneer. 
—Its only being proper, he whispered: 
“Thank you for the meaaal—!” 
With that, he pressed his fangs to Sora’s neck (the latter’s expression a mask of horror)— 
… 
—tried to sink them in…and stopped . 
“……Huh? Uh, wha…huhhh? What, whyyy?!” 
…All that mystique he’d summoned vanished instantly into thin air, leaving the king of the night—as just Plum again. 
“…Brother…your acting…sucks…” 
“What? No, come on. This is just the part where you wanna ham it up a little, right?” 
—Their terrified countenances were unceremoniously discarded. Before the befuddled Plum, the siblings sat smugly, shooting the shit. 
“I’ll tell you as many times as you want, Plum. That was sweet . And someone who can come up with a strategy that sweet—has gotta consider how he’s going to free Dhampir if we do succeed in waking the queen…right?” 
“ ? ?!” 
“Just like you saw a lot in us, we—saw a lot in you.” 
A transition then to a friendly—but gamer-like—enigmatic grin. 
“ That’s why I said it. That this game—is a draw.” 
At these words—for the first time, Plum’s eyes swelled in shock. But Sora, his mood lifted by this exchange, just spread his arms, delighted, and went on with a smile. 
“Seriously awesome, d00d, I mean it! A trap set to go off automatically if we win—a time bomb … I’ve been gaming for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve had one dropped on me so epically!” 
—Once more (with the accuracy of a recorder) Shiro spoke. 
“…June 22, 01:03 UTC… Brother.” 
— The queen’s wager was —‘everything I have’… amirite? 
“You just looked down —you didn’t say yes or no. We got that, too .” 
Sora’s lead-in was ominous enough, but what followed sent sweat running down Plum’s cheeks in shock—no, in abject terror. 
“—So, with that! Let’s give you the booby-trap prize .” 
“…June 20, 22:20 UTC… Plum.” 
— I have heard that Your Majesties intend to conquer all the races. 
This quote, merrily recited by Shiro from Sora’s lap, was what Plum had said to Sora at the very beginning— 
“Sorry, man. You had this wrong all along. We’re not taking anyone’s piece .” 
“ ? What?” 
“ D00d, look , I talked to the queen— while you weren’t around .” 
Sora squinted, as if relating a hilarious joke to a good friend. 
—The punch line: 
“I told her she could have everything back except the obligation to cooperate with us —everything including their Race Piece.” 
Well, she had said, Master of my heart, please at least hold on to the right to torment me! —a request he’d refused, Sora added wearily… Hearing all this, Plum, empty and limp, sank to the floor and sighed. 
“What is thaaat…? No matter the strategy, if one goes wrong in the first steps, it’s overrr…” 
The more advanced the strategy, the more critical the first steps. This Plum knew well. But how could one perceive such a mistake from the jump—? The question confounded Plum. 
“You just made one mistake, and it was a careless one . If not for that—it really would’ve been perfect.” 
“…Yeees?” 
“Dhampir was weakened by the Ten Covenants. You guys knew it and even worked to account for it right away… But even so, you’re still short when it comes to recognizing your own weakness. ’Cos, look, at the very end—” 
Sora chuckled. 
“You called us lesser things , didn’t you? … That’s why you lost. ” 
From this statement—inferring everything, Plum sighed. 
“—Ah-ha-ha… After all this, I still had pride, didn’t I…? Thinking that could never happen was my mistaaake… Of all things…” 
Reassuming his usual troubled expression, Plum looked up at the ceiling, muttering. 
“…How could I ever think you were really planning to challenge the One True God …” 
Hearing this, Sora and Shiro smiled with satisfaction. 
—He does know. This Plum. The last Dhampir boy. He realizes. How to beat this world. 
“There oughta be more d00ds like you in the world. You were this close.” 
“…Let’s play, again, sometime…Mr. Plum…” 
Watch out next time , they seemed to advise, their voices free of malice. 
— Hffff … Plum exhaled long and sprawled onto the floor. 
“Aaahh, I can’t stand iiit! I thought it was perfeect… I kept my guard up against Flügel and Werebeast, and I meant to expect as much as I could from you. I did have a bad feeling in Avant Heim, buuut…” 
—That chill that had flickered through his mind. His foreboding that these two were too dangerous, had been right . 
“… Hff … How do you call this a draw? This leaves nothing but the status quooo …” 
—Yes, what had changed thanks to Plum’s plan? They’d woken up the queen and averted extinction, but Dhampir would continue living under Siren’s tyranny. And if Siren was going to cooperate with Sora and Shiro, Dhampir could offer no defiance, given the basic principle of their symbiotic relationship. 
—Amazingly, Plum’s plan had been used, and they had been sucked in. In fact—indeed as had oft been repeated— it had been accomplished in a manner that harmed no one . 
“Nghh… You win utterly and call it a drawww! Is this ironyyy?” 
Plum pouted intensely at the siblings, who had so brilliantly turned his plan back on him. 
“Just to point it ouuut, we’re going to be slaves to Siren forever, and I am not happy with this, all righhht?” 
So— let me just say this , he added: 
“Don’t think you can lick Dhampir just like that, okayyy?” 
The eyes of the king of night, capable of making all they beheld tremble, turned on Sora and Shiro— Brushing off his gaze like a gentle breeze, though, the two raised their thumbs together. 
“Sure. How could we beat you if we thought you were easy pickings? Let’s game again. We’ll be waiting.” 
“It was fun…Mr. Plum.” 
—They responded with nothing but smiles lauding a kick-ass gamer. Pushed aside like a curtain, Plum—surrendered all thought and sprawled out on the floor once more. 
 …… 
“…By the wayyy, the match is over now, righhht? I have a favor to aaask…” 
Plum met Sora’s eyes with the soberest expression imaginable, and— 
“King Sora… Please allow me to lick your sis’s feet—” 
“All right! You’re ready for war, huh? Let’s do it! Bring it, Dhampir!!” 
The slave of sweat, the perverted boy, lowered his head and shouted vehemently: 
“Oh! Well then, I don’t mind if it’s yours, eitherrr!” 
“You don’t care if it’s a guy or a girl? You’re a drag princess, you have a sweat fetish, you’ll go for either sex— Bro, that’s too much!” 
With a jolt and goose bumps, Sora unconsciously grabbed Shiro and took a step back. 
“Now that I know how you taste, I can never be satisfied with the blood of Sireeens. This is how it iiis!” 
“You say ‘Don’t think you can lick Dhampir’ and then get on your hands and knees without a second thought? Come on, man!” 
“What? No, nooo, I’ll be the one doing the lickiiing…” 
“That’s not what I ? mm?” 
—Then, as if something had just occurred to him, Sora sank into deep thought before answering carefully: 
“—If you’re willing to make a trade, I’m not gonna let you lick Shiro, but you can lick me. After Avant Heim, why not, you know?” 
“Reallyyyy?!” 
“…Brother…?” 
As the perverted boy chomped down on this with a flash in his eyes, Shiro still looked perplexed. 
“Well, ya see, after all that, I still have no idea what love is. It seems like Shiro and everyone else got it, and I even got upstaged at the climax…… S-so—!” 
Sora, descending into depression for some reason, vigorously shook his head and made his proposal to Plum. 
“Cast that love spell of yours on me. Then, Shiro, can you put your hand on my chest?” 
“That’s no trouble at alll! Come, my preparations are compleeete. Let’s gooo ! Yeahhh!” 
Plum’s eyes formed a complex pattern so that he could deploy the rite at a moment’s notice. But Shiro, seemingly conflicted, put her hand on her chin—and then, as if reaching some conclusion…she announced uneasily: 
“……Okay…I’m down…” 
“Now, as I have obtained both of Your Majesties’ permissions, I shall begiiin! So, sweat, please, hh, hh —” 
“All right, all right. I got it, so calm down…” 
As they had when Plum used the spell on the Shrine Maiden—his black wings swayed and stained red. The crimson rite that crept onto his arm flowed at Sora—and just as before—with an ear-splitting sound, rouge light whirled around its target. 
“ Ghh—ghh— N-now the only thing leeeft is for Queen Shiro to place her hand on King Sora’s chessst! Let’s go , a-a-and…I-I’m about to dieee, s-so please, bodily fluiiids…” 
—It seemed this really was a spell that wore him down. But as they heaved, Plum’s shoulders seemed to say, but if it’s for King Sora’s bodily fluids … As he urged Shiro forward, she placed her hand on Sora’s chest and said softly— 
“…………Brother…I love you.” 
—… 
 ……Mm? 
“…Brother… S-so…?” 
Shiro asked gingerly, but Sora just looked confused. 
“…So, I dunno…” 
Sora looked at Shiro—yeah…it was Shiro. Just as always, a beauty without compare, his pride and joy with pure white skin and eyes like jewels, his beloved sister. 
“Hey, Plum, it’s just like always . Nothing happened. What’s the problem?” 
Sora asked a bit sourly, but Plum fended off his fatigue enough to answer— 
“Whaaat? Th-that shouldn’t—o-ohhh… So that’s how it iiiis…” 
And then—as if he’d figured something out, the Dhampir smirked. 
“I seeee… So that’s why you let me use the spellll ? Huhh, huhhh! ? ” 
“…I have no idea…what you’re talking about…” 
Shiro curtly averted her gaze as she replied—leaving Sora alone, out of the picture. Plum, though, seemed refreshed, the biggest riddle having been solved. 
“I seee. So that’s why the queen’s charm doesn’t work … Huhhh, huhhhhh! ? ” 
As long as they were in this world, the siblings should have been susceptible to spirits, yet they weren’t affected by the queen’s charm. Under Plum’s spell, Sora’s definition of romantic love should have taken hold as what he felt , yet his experience didn’t change . And what that meant— 
“Hey, Shiro, what’s the deal? ? ” 
Sora was apparently a bit slow on the uptake, but Shiro looked away. 
“N-now, I cast my spell juuust as I promiiised. S-sweat, pleaaase! ? ” 
“…M-mghh, well, I guess I can’t argue, huh?” 
As Sora held out his hand, Plum pounced with a thank youuu . 
—It seems the spell really had been cast. There was no reason for Plum to lie. But nothing had changed. 
“…What does this mean? Even magic can’t make me capable of falling in love? Is this the will of the cosmos?” 
Though Sora griped in utter disgust, Shiro did not reply. 
“Uh-hunghh! ? This is iiit! Ohh, it’s sooo deliciouuus. What is iiit?! ? ” 
Looking down at the pervert making a scene while licking the back of his hand, Sora rolled his eyes and asked: 
“…Hey, Shiro… What is love?” 
“…I dunno…! ? ” 
Avoiding eye contact— Shiro’s cheeks reddened slightly .