No Game No Life - Volume 8 Chapter 1 Part5

──Jibril met the end of the war inside the Formula Repair Operation Room. Therefore, she only knew about the circ.u.mstances surrounding the end of the “Great War” by hearsay. However, compared to a few hours ago, when the map was projected completely, the situation was completely different.

 

──Most of the “Flugel Units” had been destroyed, only a few units remained. Now, only two units: “Avant-Heim” and “Artosh” remained. The “Map” now only projected the “Capital” and its surrounding area, and there were─

 

The combined forces of the Elf alliance and the Dwarf Alliance, squaring off against her.

 

──The alliances of those two races extended to the Dragonias and the Phantasmas, respectively.

 

The fact that the Fairies and the Demonia were also included. The fact that it hadn’t become a no holds barred conflict. The fact that they were steadily shaving off the “Flugel Units” using “Aka Si Anse” and the “E-Bomb”, as planned. There were small differences, but it was almost historically accurate ─ even up to the date displayed on the “Map”:

 

── “November 9th Year 2 B.T.”

 

It was almost historically accurate even up to the day the Great War had ended, as expected─

 

“… Splendid work, Masters…”

 

Jibril said, as she lowered her head and stopped her pen from writing any more “Commands”.

 

In their place, she took out her diary and used her pen there.

 

──’No matter what I did, they still won.’

 

When they didn’t surrender after she threatened them and urged them to renounce their rights, she even tried to make them surrender by force. Even after using such despicable methods, her Masters just told her to “Come and get us”. They answered head-on, and they showed her that they could really defeat her head-on. With that satisfaction, Jibril wrote the last entry in her diary.

 

As expected… the ones who ended the “Great War” were “Immanity”. She was confident in that. The expectations and possibilities she saw in her masters were correct, as expected. She was able to observe it, and leave a record behind and now─

 

And now, she will pay her penitence─

 

…. Or, not───?

 

“…… Really, until the very last moment…”

 

──But, suddenly, Jibril notices ─ she accidentally notices.

 

Her Masters certainly won, and she lost…. Then, now─?

 

“… I was a really incapable servant, to the point of being incorregible, huh?….”

 

The Great War won’t end with this. She had overlooked something. She couldn’t even leave her last will behind. Jibril looks at the roof in amazement.

 

“… Master, I wonder, how did the world change?”

 

Jibril, who would finally disappear without being able to know the past, asked the two who were shaping the future. But, when Jibril made that question, a voice answered──

 

■■■

 

──The end of the world, at the top of the gigantic chess piece.

 

Only the one who saw everything, only the One True G.o.d, only Tet ─ heard all of that.

 

On one hand, there are those who think that the world is so simple that even a child could understand it.

 

There are also those who think that the world is so mysterious and complicated that you won’t be able to understand it for all eternity, and it’s therefore meaningless.

 

There are also those who think that nothing is changing in the world, that nothing can change.

 

There are also those who think that the world keeps changing, and is changing right this moment.

 

Both in the past and in the present─

 

“Nothing is going to change like this…. Tet… did you lie to Izuna, desu?”

 

That’s a beast. It’s the heartbroken voice of a little girl that won’t approve of killing because of her childish feelings.

 

“─Naturally. Nothing has ever changed, nor will ever change”

 

That’s a G.o.d. It’s the defeated voice of a little girl who doubted everything so much, she even stopped believing in herself.

 

They were a G.o.d, and a person─

 

Do either of them really speak the truth?

 

Tet smiles from ear to ear, and looks at those who can answer all those questions.

 

In the past, at the two who thought that nothing was changing in the world, that nothing could change.

 

Now, at the two who think that the world keeps changing, and is changing now, in this moment.

 

──The answering voice of the two successors──

 

■■■

 

“─’How did the world change’, huh? … I’m sorry, but we can’t answer that question”

 

That voice echoed behind Jibril’s back. That perplexed, speechless back ─ Jibril’s “Capital”.

 

The ones who suddenly appeared on Avant Heim’s main office, the hall that was wrapped in silence.

 

“That’s why, well. Not how it changed…”

 

Bringing along the “Map”, that was spread out on top of the desk, and the “Post Box”.

 

“But what changed. That’s what we want to show you, so bear with us.”

 

A black and white pair was writing “Commands” on the desk, two children─

 

“Ehe…. we came ♥”

 

“…. we wanted, to see you… Tehepero”

 

Standing on top of the chair, behaving theatrically with blus.h.i.+ng cheeks, fidgeting, were Sora and s.h.i.+ro.

 

“─Ha? Eh!? W-w-w-where is this, wait a second, Jibril!?”

 

And, not understanding the circ.u.mstances just like Jibril, there was Steph.

 

Jibril’s thoughts were going in circles, she was bewildered and at a loss for words.

 

But with a mocking smile:

 

“There is no rule saying that ‘You can’t transfer your capital to the opponent’s capital’ right?”

 

“…it was hard… to send in a “Settler Unit”… in the confusion… V”

 

Sora and s.h.i.+ro had the face of a child that had just pulled a prank, but,

 

“With this, if “The Capital Falls”, we four would die together as friends, right～?”

 

Hearing those words, Jibril…

 

“… we are threatening you using our lives as a s.h.i.+eld. This much retribution is just natural, right♪”

 

Blood, that she supposedly didn’t have was falling at her feet… she was dazzled by that hallucination.

 

“No way! P-please renounce your rights at once, and return─”

 

“You keep saying that!? Shouldn’t you be asking which one of us should renounce their rights?!” Steph screamed, breathing hard. She was trying to convince Jibril, even if she had to lie.

 

“In the first place, Jibril! I thought it was a possibility but─!”

 

Steph pointed with her finger, they didn’t even have the leeway to glare at her with smiling faces…

 

“Did you not realize that if you lost your dice you won’t die, you’d just withdraw from the game?”

 

“Uwah, Look, s.h.i.+ro. Just what is she saying, all high and mighty, when she didn’t notice?”

 

“… Even though… the only ones… who didn’t notice… were probably just her, and the geezer… right?”

 

As Sora and s.h.i.+ro spread their malicious gossip, Steph started sweating…

 

“Whyyy did you include a rule like ‘If you lose, suicide’!?”

 

…….. Jibril decided to “Get on board” on the spur of the moment.

 

She reconstructed all the spirits in her body, and forcibly restrained even her nerve terminals─

 

“N-no─uh～ah, ahaha～”

 

She awkwardly “Created” a joking smile.

 

“I thought that if I had to challenge you with my full power, I’d take it literally and add a rule for certain death♥”

 

Unintentionally noticing Jibril’s exhausted expression and voice, Steph says:

 

“Is that right? In that case, why don’t you renounce your rights?”

 

“… don’t mind, us… go ahead”

 

But Sora and s.h.i.+ro, once again, returned only a smile.

 

The two of them were children less than 2 years old, and they were pressuring Jibril, with a smile.

 

“─Trying to lie to me… you shouldn’t underestimate me”

 

“…s.h.i.+ro, wouldn’t… be fooled by… that lie…”

 

“Eh. a lie? What is she lying about?”

 

As expected ─ she was seen through, Jibril lowers her head and makes a bitter smile.

 

“… indeed… there is no way you’d order me to renounce my rights”

 

“About that. ‘Would I still be myself if I was reborn?’ you even went as far as giving us that hintー”

 

ーThe spell restarting, the loss of memory accompanying that. All kind of principles.

 

There was no way even her masters knew all that─but.

 

Even so, if she lost all her dice, even if the game ended, she wouldn’t regain her memories.

 

Jibril once again feels ashamed that they revealed the truth so easily just with circ.u.mstantial evidence. Just why did she make light of her Masters? She feels incompetent as she remembers this lesson.

 

“Anyways, that means we both can’t “Renounce our rights” nor “Win”─ in that case, shall we begin♪?”

 

“… Begin what?…”

 

Jibril was hanging her head, but Sora stepped up determinedly.

 

“That should be obvious ─ wouldn’t it be what Jibril wanted to see!?”

 

Sora pa.s.ses by her side smiling like he was having fun from the bottom of his heart, and laughs at himself.

 

─Good grief, he was bragging that he couldn’t lose to anyone because they are all stupid.

 

‘There is always someone above you’

 

A G.o.d-cla.s.s idiot, dreamt of breathing new wind into the world ─ A world that led there.

 

He doesn’t know how the world was changed, but, he knows how it changed, that─

 

“… it’s this”

 

Sora waves his hand and shows them. It’s not this, the “Great War” of the past.

 

“This world is a game. No one is going to die, and we won’t let anyone die. Not you, not anyone else.”

 

“… That is… more interesting, right…?”

 

As they said that, Sora and s.h.i.+ro slowly pa.s.s by Jibril’s side, who stood stock still.

 

Extremely naturally, as if it was par for course, you could say that it was perfectly normal, smoothly.

 

──They seized Jibril’s “Map” and “Commands”.

 

“Well then Jibril. I’ll say it right now: This game is Blank’s loss”

 

“…wh-what?”

 

And, while enumerating the unit’s names on Jibril’s “Command”, they make a declaration:

 

“That is because now we are going to lose ─ because we are going to rip off the cable”

 

That’s right, ripping off the cable, in other words:

 

“When the 72 hours expire ─ With the【Task unaccomplished】we are going to run. s.h.i.+ro, how much time remains?”

 

“… 16 hours, 22 minutes, 48 seconds… Inside the game, approximately 19656 days, 53.852… years”

 

Sora smiles bitterly at that answer, while writing commands.

 

“The unreasonable guys who cornered the Flugel in their golden age ── It seems they are outs.h.i.+ned just with “Heaven’s strike”, after all, they possess a universal scale super-weapon, and they are monsters even with their bare hands. And yet, they went against them, for more than half a century──they managed to hold on with just a human body”

 

──Fighting is meaningless. Since they are taking Jibril along, transferring the capital is already impossible.

 

What’s more, if their “Capital” gets pinpointed, all of them would get sent to the afterlife in a few seconds.

 

On top of it all ─ they can’t win.

 

“s.h.i.+ro, this is the highest difficulty ever, what’s more, it’s a transcendentally impossible game where defeat is predetermined, what do you think?”

 

Sora asked, but the reply was the same as always, just a few words:

 

“… the, best…♪”

 

“Right!? Thrilling isn’t it!?”

 

As he screamed that, Sora approaches Jibril’s “Post Box” and ─

 

“Gaaah! I only regret that defeat is already decided, s.h.i.+t!!”

 

“As expected, you two are crazy! There is no way you can─”

 

Steph screamed. Both she and Jibril were once again dumbfounded.

 

“Jibril. If you have fun give me an offering ─ give me two dice, okay♪”

 

Sora said, and the moment he mailed the “Command”─

 

“─Well then, from here on out, it’s the real deal, let’s have fun”

 

With lights and sounds that drowned out both Sora and Steph’s voices, the planet shook.

 

■■■

 

──And, like those two.

 

The one who thinks that the world keeps changing, and is changing right this moment.

 

Nay, the one who believes that. The one who wishes to believe it, the one who kept waiting.

 

“… It changes. None other that you are changing it! Today, right this moment!!”

 

For more than 6000 years, that time, that day, that moment.

 

Tet longed for it. He flaps his limbs and looks at that.

 

The already destroyed world. The world that ended long ago. The “Established tactic” that became obsolete long ago.

 

──The move to perform it’s last rites.

 

That’s right, at the same time as Sora mailed the “Command”.

 

Facing Avant Heim, everything went flying like trash.

 

Straight ahead, in a straight line, or perhaps straight down.

 

Tet rolls around laughing at the former world as it falls, heading for destruction.