No Game No Life - Vol 5 Epilogue

Epilogue: Neverending

 

Part 1

 

“…Hey Steph, what is love?”

 

“That topic again? Isn’t it over -”

 

“I seem to have given birth to a baby girl.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

…Steph told herself to calm down.

 

Within Steph’s office where she continued to busy herself with

 

national affairs, Sora, s.h.i.+ro and Jibril suddenly appeared.

 

After which Sora immediately began with that line.

 

…Mm, I see.

 

Even after she calmed down, she still didn’t understand

 

anything.

 

“…Is your mental state in order?”

 

– At that point Jibril began explaining.

 

“The Seirenes are a very fertile race – especially the Empress,

 

she can probably have a child with just a few strands of hair

 

from Master, so as long as the Empress isn’t asleep again you

 

can probably tell why they’re such a peaceful race.”

 

But then Steph asked, fighting back a surfacing headache:

 

“- T-that’s not the important thing here…huh? A girl?”

 

“I did say it was a girl, but since it’s a Seirenes, she can’t

 

come out from the water right? So I can only go visit her,

 

which is why I’m now puzzling over whether or not I should

 

go – could this be paternal love?”

 

– Steph had witnessed a miracle.

 

– The virgin appeared to be exuding paternal love.

 

“…No point in…going…”

 

“No, but that’s my daughter!?”

 

“To be precise, the Empress had acquired an extremely small

 

amount of Spirits from the Master’s hair and created a clone

 

of the Empress (Leila) from it…so basically that’s how

 

Seirenes 「Reproduce」.”

 

In the midst of the chaos, Izuna appeared.

 

– She had a huge fish in her mouth – no, a young female Seiren.

 

“…S-sora, there’s a tiny little Seiren here, des.”

 

The first word from the tiny Seiren’s mouth was:

 

“—-Pa…pa…?”

 

– Sora felt an electric shock pierce him.

 

“Aaaahhhh, my daughter, yes, I’m papa-uggghhhhhh!”

 

Just as Sora dashed up in an attempt to hug her, s.h.i.+ro punched

 

him.

 

“Funny, the Seirenes shouldn’t be able to come out of the

 

water.”

 

“That guy called Plum came as well, des.”

 

“Ah…is it the magic of the Dhampir…but if you don’t place

 

her in water fast, she’ll die!”

 

“Steph! Get a bucket immediately! Ah, there’s a pond in the

 

courtyard, right! Will that work!?”

 

“Anything! Could you all please settle this outside!? Or could

 

you actually do some work!!”

 

Looking at the chaotic office, Jibril began thinking alone.

 

There were Imanity, Flügel, Werebeasts, and – even the

 

Seirenes and Dhampirs.

 

– They weren’t quarreling.

 

Azrael – and even Avant Heim were about to change as well.

 

Everything in the world was slowly but surely transforming

 

into something impossible to happen after the creation of the

 

「Ten Pledges」- no, even something impossible before it.

 

And it was centered around her two Masters –

 

“The day that the Masters’ Bible finally becomes a

 

legend…doesn’t seem to be very far off.”

 

Jibril nodded in confirmation, and added to the Bible – to her

 

observational diary of Sora and s.h.i.+ro one single sentence.

 

–~~ Year ~~ Month ~~ Day – Master gave birth as a virgin –

 

[1]

 

Part 2

 

– The capital of Elven Gard, the Nilvalen residences.

 

“…I lose again.”

 

Kurami sighed as she was playing games with Fii, and took out

 

her notebook.

 

“Kurami, you don’t seem to be as adamant now when you

 

lose huh?”

 

“…How could I not be adamant, that’s why I’m doing this.”

 

Kurami said unhappily, and what she was recording down was

 

the reasons as to why she lost.

 

That notebook dictated all the patterns and strategies she could

 

have predicted but didn’t.

 

Since the day she played chess against Sora, she had filled in

 

fifty copies of the same notebook within half a month.

 

– Under normal circ.u.mstances, it would be impossible for an

 

Imanity to beat an Elf in a game that involves magic.

 

So – she would have to find an abnormal way to win.

 

Looking at that steadily growing pile of notebooks – Fii felt

 

happy at Kurami’s growth.

 

“- Ah, Kurami, some information (secrets) just arrived, let’s

 

pause for a while.”

 

Fii said, then touched the Spirit Gem on her forehead.

 

…Calling the information she gathered from spying on other

 

countries through the 「Elemental Corridor Network」 secrets

 

was really an exceptional act of hypocrisy.

 

Kurami smiled bitterly and thought, but as she heard the

 

information – Fii widened her eyes in shock.

 

“…Fii, what is it? Emergency?”

 

“Ah, it’s not…it’s just hard to believe…”

 

She then uttered that piece of news in disbelief.

 

“Sora-san and the others managed to get Oceande – the

 

Seirenes and Dhampirs to join the Elkian Federation.”

 

– Is that something really so shocking? Kurami smiled and

 

asked, but then Fii continued:

 

“And the 「Council of the Eighteen Wings」 of Avant Heim

 

decided – to join the Elkian Federation as well.”

 

– I see, that’s something to be surprised about, Kurami smiled

 

and said.

 

Like that, after the Werebeasts, the Seirenes, Dhampirs and

 

finally the Flügel were serving under the Imanity now.

 

Sora and s.h.i.+ro were completing an impossible task at an

 

impossibly fast rate, which caused Fii to feel puzzled, but –

 

“…They’re faster than we thought, let’s pack up our luggages

 

quickly then.”

 

“…Kurami, did you know this long ago?”

 

Fii seemed to be saying sadly: Did you not share information

 

with me? But then Kurami laughed.

 

“Of course not, Fii, didn’t I say it was predicting? Their

 

tactic is 「Adapting to the situation」 anyway.”

 

– If their aim was merely to annex all the races, it was only a

 

matter of time.

 

“The problem is – they’re too fast.”

 

“…Yeah, exactly.”

 

– Yes, they were too fast – if only the Seirenes and Dhampirs

 

(Oceande) were involved, they would probably be ignored. But

 

after the Eastern Federation, if Avant Heim were to be

 

annexed, the situation would be viewed completely differently.

 

In a short time, they had annexed a huge nation and a highranking

 

race.

 

– The Elves, the Dwarves and other important nations would

 

probably stop surveying the situation and would begin

 

heightening their guard.

 

They would finally begin an a.s.sault against Elkia – but – no

 

problem.

 

“We seem to have made it just in time, so I guess there really

 

was a reward for us rus.h.i.+ng through all that.”

 

“What I wanted to say was you’re trying too hard -”

 

Despite that, Fii smiled faintly and began packing up, then –

 

“Alright Fii, let’s go, I imagine we won’t be back here any

 

time soon -”

 

“Heh, if they really succeed it would be a world-changing

 

piece of news, we can’t very well miss it.”

 

Leaving the Nilvalen residences, walking along the path they

 

wouldn’t be able to return to for a long time, Fii asked:

 

“Kurami, so the thing you mentioned before – what’s the

 

「Something else」?”

 

Although Fii already had an answer, she still asked.

 

“- It’s not to tell lies, he doesn’t lie because he doesn’t lie to

 

himself.”

 

Fii appeared as if she knew long ago, and she smiled as she

 

merely confirmed this.

 

– “I’m at my limit”, “This is below me” were words he would

 

die before saying.

 

– Because the person who had given the puppet (himself) life

 

was way beyond that.

 

– Because lying to himself was tantamount to rejecting

 

humanity (his sister).

 

Suddenly, 「His」 ideals surfaced within her head, and

 

Kurami smiled and said:

 

“Fii, do you know the common method all things use to

 

achieve their goals?”

 

“…What?”

 

“It’s planning, predicting, preparing completely, challenging –

 

then failing.”

 

“…Is failing necessary?”

 

“Yes, then a.n.a.lyzing failures, thinking of counter-strategies,

 

once again preparing, challenging yet again – then failing yet

 

again as well.”

 

“…”

 

“This process – if it were to continue again, there would be

 

nothing unachievable in this world.”

 

“…What a shocking thesis…”

 

Fii was rendered completely speechless, even feeling respect,

 

while Kurami smiled and nodded in agreement as well.

 

“Yes, it’s a ridiculous thesis – but I do kind of like it.”

 

There was nothing unachievable.

 

If one couldn’t do something, it would merely mean one did

 

not yet have the ability to do something – all that was left was

 

to compete against age (time).

 

But even that compet.i.tion itself could be pa.s.sed down to

 

generations like the next – that was the Imanity (the weak).

 

“Neither Sora and I are superheroes, we aren’t genii, but we

 

have no reason to be.”

 

It was simply –

 

“The desire to become a genius is the important part.”

 

“…”

 

“Our countless failures, will light the way for our successors –

 

become the lantern brightening the night ahead.”

 

For him it was – a lantern for s.h.i.+ro, for herself it was a lantern

 

for Fii, and it was the same with the countless failures of the

 

Late King.

 

In the end they would definitely become – the lantern for all

 

Imanity, for all the races –

 

Suddenly, Fii asked Kurami what she thought about the man

 

who had influenced her this much.

 

“…Kurami, what kind of person is Sora-san to you?”

 

As she heard that question, what flashed through her mind was

 

– the world he saw –

 

“He’s just a man wanting to be a gamer, a man refusing to be

 

a puppet.”

 

– After that, no doubt about it, what she really wanted to say

 

was – Kurami continued:

 

“Someone that we will surpa.s.s someday – right?”

 

Fii smiled and took her hand as she heard Kurami say that with

 

the uttermost conviction.

 

Part 3

 

The capital of the Eastern Federation, 「Mila」- Miko’s

 

shrine. [2]

 

Under the moonlight, the golden-haired fox girl and the whitehaired

 

elderly Werebeast – Miko and Hatsuse Ino sat face-toface.

 

They sat on the bridge stretching over the pond in the

 

courtyard, and in Miko’s hand was – the Werebeasts’ Race

 

Piece.

 

– Holding the 「p.a.w.n」-shaped, faintly glowing chess piece,

 

Miko said:

 

“…Gamer…I heard that there are two meanings for this word

 

in the Imanity language.”

 

Which were – 「Player (challenger)」- or 「Prayer (someone

 

who prays)」.

 

Following his own will, striding forward – someone who

 

pioneers into the unknown and challenges the future.

 

Entrusting his own will to others, and closing his eyes –

 

someone who turns his back toward the unknown and leaves

 

his future.

 

“Hatsuse Ino, to be honest, I was considering leaving you

 

behind.”

 

There was no tone of apology in her voice, because she had no

 

right to say that, Miko told Ino determinedly:

 

“That way, your sole sacrifice would cause the Dhampirs and

 

Seirenes to decline, then we could control them without any

 

risk.”

 

“…Yes, I completely understand.”

 

– What Ino couldn’t understand was Sora’s motive.

 

Why was he saved?

 

Hatsuse Ino completely understood Miko’s motives, and he

 

was prepared to die there.

 

Which was why he couldn’t understand – couldn’t comprehend

 

Sora.

 

“- That game was won, but it was an unnecessary game.”

 

– It was a boring game that produced boring results.

 

But if they were to mess up even slightly, both the Eastern

 

Federation and Elkia would suffer greatly.

 

The worst situation – Plum’s nefarious plan would have

 

succeeded, and the Imanity would have suffered irreversible

 

damage.

 

“It was an unnecessary risk, but despite that, the two still

 

went through with it.”

 

Ino thought there was a reason they didn’t tell them of – but…

 

Miko laughed and replied:

 

“…He and Hatsuse Izuna made a 「Promise」 that they

 

would save you.”

 

Ino wasn’t expecting that – just for that, they bet the survival of

 

their own species -?

 

“But as gamers, one of their reasons was probably that they

 

didn’t like to win without a fight.”

 

– But…

 

“In conclusion, because of an idiot’s game the Imanity nearly

 

became prey for the Dhampirs, although Sora was able to

 

calculate that and turn their plan against them…but they must

 

have known the magnitude of the risk they were taking.”

 

“…”

 

“Hatsuse Ino, what do you think of Sora?”

 

“…To be honest, I have no idea.”

 

Ino looked down, but Miko laughed as well and said “Me too”,

 

then continued:

 

“- That man is a liar, a master of deceit – but he doesn’t lie,

 

no, he can’t lie.”

 

If – Miko continued:

 

“If he could lie to himself, he would probably be a bad, easily

 

understandable person.”

 

Miko didn’t know anything about what happened to Sora

 

before he came into this world.

 

But it must have been hard on him, that was what she thought

 

as she surveyed Sora and s.h.i.+ro from a distance.

 

She had no evidence, and if she was forced to, she could only

 

say it would be her instincts as a Werebeast, or probably

 

instincts from her personal experiences.

 

But – for some reason, she knew.

 

Why would someone as good at psychological warfare like

 

Sora be unable to get into a relations.h.i.+p in real life, that was

 

probably because –

 

He couldn’t lie to himself.

 

Since he couldn’t lie to himself – he couldn’t say he liked

 

someone that he actually doesn’t.

 

So – the reason why he had no regrets leaving behind his

 

previous world, now that’s an interesting one, it’s probably –

 

The world that couldn’t accept the only girl he loved – he

 

would be unable to accept it either.

 

– Only this one thing, even if he had to face the entire world, he

 

would never be able to accept it.

 

“So…I am fully prepared – Hatsuse Ino.”

 

Miko smiled confidently, and on her face – was an emotion that

 

Ino had not seen for years.

 

“Even when I gave up on you, that man didn’t, and he fully

 

trusted in himself – why didn’t you believe in yourself then?”

 

Ino looked down once again when faced with this query, then

 

replied respectfully:

 

“- If you could once again pursue your dreams, if you could

 

allow me to dream once again.”

 

As she heard this, Miko smiled, and she took the Race Piece of

 

the Werebeasts – that p.a.w.n which appeared to be woven with

 

light…

 

She flicked it upwards into the sky with her fingers.

 

“- Sora, let me witness the continuation to a dream of which I

 

have never seen before.”

 

A mere chess piece – could rise above the board and become a

 

gamer.

 

At the end of that dream which was once dreamed yet given up

 

on halfway – that never-ending dream –

 

「END」

 

Afterword

 

– In a certain meeting room of a certain anime production

 

agency on a certain day.

 

The director was holding a script that had been read almost to

 

tatters, and asked MF (the publishers):

 

“…Ah~ what exactly is the setting here?”

 

The original writers’ gazes immediately – settled upon Kamiya

 

who was currently immersing himself in the deliciousness of

 

the snacks provided.

 

As he noticed everyone’s glances, faced with this sudden

 

problem, Kamiya nearly choked but still stood up and said

 

confidently –

 

“Hmm, it is not yet confirmed!!”

 

Despite the fact that everyone’s icy gazes were raining down

 

upon him, Kamiya spread his arms wide and continued:

 

“If everything was decided from the very beginning, I can

 

only write adhering to that! Adapting to the situation then

 

presenting one’s work in the most effective and entertaining

 

manner to the readers is true「Entertainment」!”

 

But, as he heard Kamiya declare this, the director nodded

 

slowly instead and smiled mysteriously.

 

“So to say,「No Game No Life」this piece of work -「IS

 

COMPLETE BULLs.h.i.+T」, is my explanation correct?”

 

“Absolutely correct! With bulls.h.i.+t and courage, nothing in

 

this world is unachievable!!”

 

“Hmph…you brat, what’s your name?”

 

“Kamiya Yuu, these snacks are delicious (om nom nom).”

 

“I like you, Kamiya, you seem to be a good drinking partner.”

 

The two shook each other’s hands vigorously as though they

 

were old friends, while the chief editor could only watch them –

 

– That might have happened, or it might not have happened.

 

“Please don’t use an entire page for your tall tales.”

 

No, there’s nothing wrong with the central message here right?

 

It’s the editor (you) who wanted me to publicize the anime and

 

mention all parties involved right?

 

But since the tone and even personality of everything has to be

 

fabricated, the lines are of course fake as well.

 

“If the lines are fake, then isn’t the so-called central message

 

fabricated as well?”

 

(Ignores) Hmph, that director…is a complex character.

 

Since all the information he’s given me are all filled with his

 

bluffing, it’s exceeding beyond even the original author’s (my)

 

imagination.

 

But if you want me to carry those over into the manga as well,

 

I’ll run away at a speed of 64fps.

 

– Alright, Chief Editor S, oh wait, nope, the「Fishcake」editor

 

that joined MF Publis.h.i.+ngs because he likes fishcakes.

 

You told me to subtly advertise the anime, is this alright?

 

“Other that the subtle part, what’s wrong with it (smile).”

 

So let me greet you all once again, nice to see you again, I’m

 

Kamiya Yuu.

 

This fifth volume was finally released miraculously, which of

 

course took a lot of work off me.

 

“But the submission deadline was rather scary.”

 

Oh, about that, I have something horrifying to tell you.

 

Did you know? Writing novels, drawing ill.u.s.trations, drawing

 

manga, and attending meetings at the same time is something

 

impossible for humans!

 

“About that, isn’t that obvious?”

 

Right, so under this premise, please look through this itinerary.

 

– So? Anything astounding?

 

“Novel, ill.u.s.trations, manga and all the stuff related to the

 

anime seem to be completely overlapping each other, are you

 

referring to that?”

 

…

 

Dear readers, I imagine that you’ve understood by now.

 

The fact that this fifth volume itself was able to be published is

 

impossible in its own right.

 

“Ah~ this world is filled with so much unknowns.”

 

Yes, every day I went through things that made me question

 

my own prior knowledge, I could say I lived a productive life

 

(rolls eyes and glares).

 

– So, how did you all feel about this fifth volume of「No Game

 

No Life」?

 

The anime is already in production, and the first volume of the

 

「No Game No Life」manga is out as well by me and Mas.h.i.+ro

 

Hiiragi is in stores right now, so I hope you all can give it a

 

look. I hope that the contents in both will appease you readers.

 

[1]

 

Finally I wish to use this situation to express my deepest thanks

 

to all my senior colleagues aside from Fishcake.

 

“Huh? Why am I the only one being left out!?”

 

Because of this. Because of this crazy email right here, you

 

want me to submit the ma.n.u.script for the sixth volume by this

 

year.

 

“Huh~ If it’s Kamiya-sensei it should be fine, you can do it,

 

since giving up lightly isn’t like you…”