No Game No Life - Volume 8 epilogue

── Whack!

That was the sound of a bucket from the large public bath in Miyashiro, the echoes of paradise.

Right now, this place was like a dream, it was Shangri-La──Or it was supposed to be like that.

It was a forbidden paradise that he couldn’t look directly into, even so, he believes in the power of science──

“Thou! Thou thou thou! The one who calls himself Sora!”

“Don’t call me that! What am I a pokemon!? Just call me Sora-san like everyone else!!”

Sora prepares his camera on the other side of the screen as he imagines a picture of that paradise in his mind.

In front of his eyes, as if it was completely natural, paradise had jumped across the boundary and came.

Even after her powers had been reduced to its minimum, she seemed to be even crazier than Jibril, however──

“Holou!? Even though you’re a maiden, you’re completely open, remember to be modest!!”

For now, Sora instantly averted his gaze, and squealed.

“……. Thou are being inconsistent. Thou have already photographed Holou’s nether regions.”

It was exactly like that.

She was estimated to be some hundreds of millions years old. What’s more, she’s not even a person, and that appearance wasn’t her real body, it was just a virtual image.

She was something that didn’t seem to exist in this world before: a perfectly flawlessly legal loli──however!

“Idiot! This is why gods are so… Erotic scenes without shyness are not ero── No, wait. If it is with a little girl, would that be correct then? … N-no but I’m not that p──” Sora mumbled as he considered a problem larger than the world,

“I’ll listen to thy conflict later! I have a question much more important than that, so answer me!”

However, the naked, approaching divine presence interrupted him.

“Thou, the one who calls himself Sora. Didst thou define Holou as Holou?”

“… You’re still caught up in that～? And I keep telling you the ‘one who calls himself’ is unnecessary!”

“…..? However, the components that define the individual called “Sora” are variable, right? Therefore, the point of view of the “Sora” that acknowledged Holou; and thy, “the one who is assumed to be Sora’s” current point of view  are different. That makes you just “Someone who calls himself Sora”! In that case, can the singular intelligence that defined Holou as Holou, “Sora”, define the multiple intelligence, of Holou’s myriad point of views as “Holou”──”

“Ack, you are troublesome beyond imagination, you know!?”

“As expected, art thou just “someone who calls himself Sora”? “Sora” said he’d answer all of Holou’s questions”

The fully naked loli goddess kept spewing cryptic words as she approached. Sora couldn’t take it and screamed.

However, when she heard that scream, Holou’s eyes became a little uneasy and she took some distance as it echoed──

“… Actually, just where did your energy come from…”

His shocked voice echoed through that dream-like Shrangri-La…….

──Really, it was a scene that no one had ever seen before, even in a dream.

Covered by the steam, and submerged in the tub were Fiel, who had lost her confidence, and Kurami, who was leaning on her.

If he stopped sucking blood, he would disappear even now. Plum was disguised as a girl and was biting into Leila without moving.

Since they were so tired they couldn’t resist, Shiro was softly washing Izuna and Miko without reservations.

Submerged in the tub, as if she were running away from reality, was Steph, she had an expression without a single hint of tiredness──

As compensation for lending them the Flugel’s Race Piece, Asriel was happily getting washed by an unhappy Jibril.

… And, anxiously teleporting over and over, was Holou.

── Immanity, Elf, Warbeast, Dhampir, Seiren, Flugel, and even an Old Deus.

The sixteen races, the Exceed, hated each other, killed each other, and even destroyed the planet. And yet, seven of those races were there.

Anyone who dreamed of that scenery was a fool, simply imagining it was practically impossible.

But the two of them were part of the select few who were able to imagine it.

And one of them, Sora, just by thinking about his camera full of beautiful girls, he was able to raise his spirits infinitely, so he screamed:

“Weeell then!!”

Once he confirmed that the camera was working properly, he raised his glass.

“So! To the territory we obtained from Elven Garde that is now part of the Elkia Federation!”

“… And, more than anything… to Holou’s… good fortune…”

The two who commanded such a large scale game, raise their glasses filled with juice, and declared:

“Cheers!”

　──Cheers.

Jibril, Asriel, Holou, Miko, Leila, and Steph answered, in response:

“… Cheers!”

── With an utterly defeated tone. 　　　

‘Sigh… It was, indeed, a complete defeat.’ The others mumbled in their heads.

【Note】Mr. Hatsuse Ino is currently in the intensive care ward, so he is absent for today. Please understand.

■■■

“Thou. Presumably, Sora”

She passed through the partition screen just with her face as she called Sora by name, however, he scolded her:

“Holou. You should properly call people by their name. It’s rude not to.”

“… Holou is a goddess thou know?… Therefore, hypothesis: ‘Sora’”　

In response to Sora’s very serious scolding, Holou puffs her cheeks a little bit. 

She temporarily defines “the one who calls himself Sora” as “definitely Sora” for now, and asks:

“Holou’s independance. I now more or less understand that was the medium’s objective…”

She probably feels guilty that she didn’t understand something so simple.　

Holou probably doesn’t realize that herself. She keeps talking with a dejected voice:

“However, for what objective didst thou carry out that game with Holou…?” She continued with an uneasy tone.

What Holou asked was Sora and the other’s intentions.

── That’s right. It was a fundamental question.

What was the objective that made them want to carry out such a game?　

── A game where they bet Race Pieces.

The only precedent of that was when Sora and Shiro went against the Eastern Federation.

── What’s more, a game where five of those were bet.

Furthermore, several designated representatives bet one Race Piece each to play against an Old Deus.

Immanity, Warbeast, Dhampir, Seiren, and Flugel.A single misstep and five races would have been destroyed. 

There’s no way there was a precedent, at least not until they won that unprecedented game.

And in the end what Sora and each of the other races obtained was──

A lonely Old Deus, the salvation of a single powerless girl.

── Just that.

Holou couldn’t be so valuable──No. It was still impossible to determine if she had even a small value or not.

Her trembling voice was asking the intentions behind going so far just for someone like her,

“Eh, to do something fun together with the rookie gamer beauty I have high expectations for?”

“… Mhm. Because… we wanted to play a game… and we wanted to play a game… and maybe we also wanted to… play a game?” 

When she heard Sora and Shiro’s responses, Holou was dubious── No, she was dumbfounded.

Certainly, Sora and Shiro had said that when they extended their hands to her… But was it really just for that?

Holou was perplexed and lost for words, however, the following words delivered the finishing blow.

“Well, the game about becoming an idol will probably be the main course.”

────

“… was that perhaps a word outside of Holou’s vocabulary?… Sora. What didst thou say just now?”

A god’s several seconds of careful consideration. They were beyond a person’s several years of lengthy consideration, the answer to Holou’s complicated question was:

“Becoming an idol. God=idol, right!? We’ll make you popular to earn you some believers.♪”

But Sora’s words kept making no sense, even as Shiro chimed in:

“Prepare yourself Holou～ you’re about to get busy!? Costume design prospects are already done!”

“… there’s also… reserving the venues… we’re also aiming… at offering music.”

“Manufacturing merchandise, we have already started to choose a tie-up company so don’t worry♪”

── Sora and Shiro kept rattling on and on.

An Old Deus is spread through multiple points in space-time and those can understand each other without needing language, and yet:

“… Why! Holou is a multiple intelligence entity! Why can’t I extract a single meaning from that….!” Holou finally complained with teary eyes. Jibril answered in Sora and Shiro’s place:

“It’s only natural that a God’s (lol) understanding can’t reach my Masters’ deep designs♪”

She said, wriggling.　

Did she shake Asriel off? She went through the screen too, and peeked with her face.

….. No one seemed to be in the mood for obeying the laws of physics, Sora sympathized in his head, as she kept talking about a different topic:

“The unworthy Jibril shall explain so that even a god can understand ♥ ” 

Like that, Jibril started talking with a smile.

“First of all, as you’d expect, my Masters will bring down that shitty bra──Excuse me♥ the One True God.”

…… want to. That’s the plan. She didn’t say that, Jibril said it as if it was a done deal.

Holou turned to face Jibril with half-lidded eyes, however, that by itself didn’t surprise her.

After all, she’d have already heard all about that when she was inside Miko, and more importantly──

“… I’m aware. I’m currently doubting the sanity of that, however.”

──Even though it was half in desperation, Holou had also planned to do that. As Holou thinked this, Jibril smiles as if to ridicule her:

“Then you must also know that in order to do that you cannot steal Race Pieces right♥”

“────────eh?”

──Holou didn’t know, so she lets out a strange voice.

Actually, if she had known, she wouldn’t have demanded they bet the Race Pieces.

Since Jibril obviously knew, she was enjoying the opportunity to look down on a god, and continued, grinning:

“It is my Master’s opinion that we shouldn’t take the race Pieces. Instead, we must unite the Exceed under a single banner, and with the Race Pieces of each of them, challenge Tet of their own free will.♪”

“………………”

Holou’s face was asking why, so Sora answered:

“── Taking their races pieces and telling them to shut up and obey me?” 

He made a bitter smile,

“… Ruling over and ordering them like that is just like war, the established tactic…”

────

If they ruled, enslaved and trampled over them, then nothing would have changed since the Great War.

The words of the ones that claimed the world had changed, and provided proof of it, silenced Holou──

“However, even though we won’t take them, someone who owns the Race Piece, a designated representative, is indispensable.” Jibril continues, and Holou nods.

Holou realized that she was blind to her own shortcomings, so she stated a hypothesis with half-lidded eyes:

“── Hypothesis: The Old Dei can’t have a designated representative.”

In the first place, a designated representative is someone with the authority to resolve conflicts between groups.

But the Old Dei don’t flock together, they don’t form groups, so there is no need to have one in the first place──

“Eh? Why did it become a matter of can or can’t?”

That’s what Holou thought, however, Sora tilts his head with a blank face and says:

“ Holou is the Old Dei’s designated representative, right?”

────

────────

“S-Sora… Holou hypothesizes that she is a fool. B-but am I really such an idiotic girl…?”

Holou couldn’t follow the conversation at all. Was she finally doubting her own intelligence?

Her head that was peeking through the screen fell to the floor, she literally sank into depression.

“All previous and future victories of the Elkia Federation were thanks to Holou! It was all you!”

“────So Holou… really was an idiotic girl after all…”

When she heard Sora’s scream, she reached the floor, and continued to sink below it. But Sora continued without care:

“No one believes me right? But that’s fine!”

Sora pointed slowly to the other side of the screen, and Holou’s gaze followed.

Submerged in the tub of that large bath were a large variety of people of different races, and each of them were necessary.

“What would happen if we added an Old Deus to a Federation with this many races?” Sora said, grinning. 

And as expected, Holou guessed too.

The whole world, every country regardless of race, will get swallowed by a storm of doubts.

“And then there appears the unworthy me, Sora! With things like Idolmaster, Love Live, Tokyo 7th Sisters, Aikatsu!”

“… also Shiro… with the high scores worldwide in many idol raising games… Blank will…”

“Magnificently produce! With great fanfare! We will make Holou debut as a literal “Idol”! We will make you sing, dance, and hold hand shake events── we will also rake in the profits!!”

Is what they want to do.

Sora, with an exceedingly happy smile, peeks into Holou’s eyes, and says:

“… As the goddess of Doubt, the goddess of Desire… the goddess of Wisdom.”

If the strength of the concept determined the strength of the Old Deus── of their Quintessence, then:

“Doubt, request, refusal, desire… Everything will become Holou’s sustenance.”

“────!”

“That’s right!! “Every single emotion felt towards an idol” will become your power!”

“… H-Holou understood the second half of that but surely thou…”

── And so, Holou was finally able to understand, however, she doubts that thought.

The medium and the Immanities formed a united front and defeated Holou.

Everything is possible, anything can not happen…. But that was too much.

Holou thought that with her eyes wide open, but, as if to assert that thought, Sora continues:

“It’s fine if Holou just calls herself the designated representative of the Old Deus.”

He smiled as he said that, just how much fun was enough to satisfy him?

“If you do that, the Old Deus that don’t like it would have no choice but to come and challenge you”

But, he was deeper than the lowest level of hell, like trying to fill a bottomless pit.

“Just with that, those incompetent bunch who put on airs as rulers will all fall into our plate”

──And, as Sora said that, he extended his hand towards Holou once more.

“… How about we have a lot of fun? If you’d like, let’s play together.”

── Holous opens her eyes wide, and takes that hand again, but also thinks:

This man surely understands what I went through, right?

It certainly was a majestic game. An unprecedented game where five Race Pieces were bet.

However, aside from Holou’s independence, this man didn’t obtain anything──No.

He colluded with his little sister── Sora and Shiro, those two.　　　

──With just a single move.

──Just a single game.

──Just by winning against Holou alone.

Just──with that.

──They checkmated all the Old Deus.

 

■■■　

── However, Holou was astonished at that truth.

In the first place, all participants more or less understood that when they agreed to the game.

It was for that very reason that, unexpectedly, Plum bet the Dhampir’s Race Piece.

That was also the reason why Asriel entrusted the Flugel’s Race Piece to Jibril.

  ──They’d take the cocky Old Dei down completely.

For all the gamers gathered here, it was more than enough motive to bet their extinction.

“… hey～ Kurami? It’s just as you said～” Fiel said as a bit of light returned to her vacant eyes.

“Today, on this day, the world was quietly turned inside out～”

That’s right, it was exactly what she imagined before departing from Elven Garde.

However, Kurami takes over the conversation, and asks the other side of the screen a question:

“Indeed, they did not only take some of Elven Garde’s territory, but the Old Deus also can’t go back to how they were.”

Indeed, the world right now was a hot pot of suspicion.

There are very few persons left who would declare war on Elkia, but not zero.

For example, Elven Garde cannot remain silent, and what’s more──

“… It wouldn’t be surprising if the Old Deus that have complaints about that came to attack us right now. We can pull through, right? Since, you know, if they were to ambush us right now we wouldn’t be able to say no.”

That was Kurami’s shrewd question, but the siblings just answered frankly:

“… ‘pull through’?… if they come to attack us… and they are “favored”… then it is more fun… than attacking ourselves”

“What’s more, besides Immanity we have Warbeasts, Flugel, Dhampir, Sirens, an Old Deus and even an Elf. If there’s someone with that amount of confidence to win against this party, then it’d be us that would want to have a match with them♪” Sora said happily and with excitement, but when she heard him Fiel frowned.

“… Just now～ you included me without hesitation, was that just my imagination～?”

But he answered in a surprised voice:

“Eh? I mean after all, Kurami and Fiel can’t go back to Elven Garde anymore ”

────?

There was a moment of silence, but it was broken by Sora himself:

“We notified Elven Garde of your parting── or actually of your betrayal in an official letter. Ah, we have a fully furnished house for you, so don’t worry. Be thankful for Steph’s abilities, all right girls～? “

And so, with a creaking sound, Kurami and Fiel, shifted their gaze towards Steph.

With that same creaking on her neck, Steph averted her gaze and answered:

“… E-erm… I-it was Sora’s instructions you know? O-ohohoho…”

Kurami stood up with the sound of water gushing out, and screamed fiercely at the other side of the screen──at Sora:

“Y-y-you!!! What have you done!?”

  I mean, it was obvious that you were going to lose anyway… We were just being sensible～”

“I’ll beat you up!? I mean, now you won’t be able to destroy Elven Garde from the insi──”

“No, I mean, that is not necessary anymore, you know?”

“……………….What?”

Kurami and Fiel froze when they heard Sora’s cheerful declaration.

“Because we accused you of your secret maneuvers and exaggerated them as much as humanly possible ♥”

“……………..”

── When she understood what that meant, Kurami clenched her fist.

No matter how many lies they mixed it with, Kurami and Fiel’s maneuvers were made in order to bet a state.

It was to the extent that they even manipulated memories to do it, and there was also the fact that they lost some territory.

That would invite a lot of suspicions, so probably──

“Even if we left it alone, Elven Garde will split up before long?”

…………

“Civil war in such a big country? It will be a very big deal～”

Sora and Shiro said “as a matter of fact” and with a big smile.

── On the other hand, Kurami, grinding her teeth,  hit the wall with her fist, and thought: ‘So it’s like this’

The more their small maneuvers accumulated, the more leftovers they produced.　　　

── They ruined everything with a single attack, and now they willy-nilly run away after winning…

The single move that she’d been endlessly looking for together with Fiel. It was an incredibly infuriating move.

Sora and Shiro nonchalantly succeeded right in front of her eyes, and they weren’t even proud of it. That made her feel like killing them.

“… Kurami… Bear with it～”

Fiel’s eyes came back to life, and she scolded the trembling Kurami.

“Next time～, we will return the favor a trillion times over～… Yes, and that pseudo-mosquito too, for sure♥”

Fiel said with a smile seething with anger, as Kurami let out an ominous smile once again──

 

■■■　

It was a very noisy bath, but even so, Steph was submerged herself in hot water.

Complaints, discontent and dissatisfaction were flying about. But even so, everyone seemed to be having fun.

“… Having fun is the most important thing after all”

That scenery was just as expected, like she wished it to be, and Steph smiled a little.

── However, the next instant.

“Thou. Thou thou! Individual of indeterminate name!”

“Hyaaaaaaa!? Wait, I think that was the worst thing I’ve ever been called!?”

Holou just appeared in front of her out of nowhere, submerged in the tub, and then Steph raised a scream.

But Holou didn’t have any ill will── No, she didn’t even know what ‘ill will’ was, so she tilted her head in confusion,

“………? Be that as it may, thou have too many designations. Which one should I assume?”

“Stephanie Dola! I’m from a respectable family! I have a name with good pedigree!” 

── Did Holou remember what Sora just said, that it’s rude not to call someone by name?

However, for some reason, Holou thought very seriously about it, and nodded. Then, she called her:

“However, there is none that call thou that. Calculating the one with the most overlaps, I hypothesize: ‘Ste’”　

“After saying all that couldn’t you have kept at it for just two more letters!?”

Was she satisfied at being able to hypothesize her name? Holou ignores Steph, and asks what she originally wanted to ask.

That is──

“Ste, what is ‘fun’?”

“W-w-what? Ah erm, you see… I-isn’t it fun… right now?”

── Let’s do something fun. Isn’t it fun?

Sora and Shiro had said that to Holou, however, she hadn’t been able to precisely define it.

She was earnestly staring at Steph with pure eyes──

“H-hmm. I-isn’t it just whether you’re happy or not?”

When she heard that answer, Holou tilted her head.

“… if it’s about pleasantness or unpleasantness, then yes. It seems that Holou is not displeased at the moment. However──”

“… it is unknown if that will continue to be the case. Therefore, it cannot be completely hypothesized, is that it?”

“── S-Sora──Thou! Didst thou read the thoughts of a multiple intelligence entity──?”

Sora answered in Steph’s place, and when she heard him, Holou replied with a terrified voice.

── The fact that there is a future that even an Old Deus can’t see must be making her uneasy.

Sora must have guessed it with his shrewdness, Miko smiled unintentionally at that, and almost burst into laughter.

Together with Holou, she listened carefully to what followed:

“In that case, you don’t know what will happen after this. Try thinking about that.”

────

“Is it unpleasant?”

“……………Nay. Why?”

Holou asked Sora, marveling from the bottom of her heart, however,

“Who knows♪ I don’t know what will happen after this, but──”

When Holou asked that, her face wasn’t uneasy, it was just,

 “I get the feeling that it will be just as fun as now, if not even more, won’t it?”

────

“Medium, medium”

Suddenly, Holou teleported again, and called Miko, who was focusing on a single cup of sake.

Miko answered not with her voice, but just with her eyes──

“Hypothesis: It looks like Holou is”

“──Having a lot of fun right now!” Holou said with a smile.

When she heard that, Miko was deeply moved, and closed her eyes.

She couldn’t remember how many years it had been since she last saw that tender smile.

Miko herself was more surprised than anyone else at the fact that she had spontaneously──and said a few words:　　　　

“… Let me be”

That’s how she replied to her friend…………

■■■　

──A few days later.

“Well… what’s thy business, possessor of the Suniaster──correction”

They were at the end of the world, on top of a gigantic chess piece,

“Or should I call thou by name… ‘Tet’?…” Holou asked while glaring at him. He had suddenly appeared and said ‘Let’s play chess☆’.　

The current Holou doesn’t even have the power to talk to Tet.

She also doesn’t have the power to resist Tet’s direct summons, so she was in a bad mood.

“Of course! Ah, in exchange, I’ll also call you Holou! That’s fine, right～?”

She had been unilaterally summoned by that unfaithful One True God without hesitation.

That One True God saw the feelings behind that silent protest, but perhaps he shouldn’t have, in the end he had to ignore them.

“… Rejected. Since thou are Holou’s──Nay. I hypothesize that thou are our ‘enemy’.”

Holou’s bad mood increased one stage, and she moved a piece as she refused, however,

“… Mmm. I see ～ ‘Holou-chan’ do you still want to obtain the Suniaster?” Tet asked, as he moved his piece.　

He had completely ignored her refusal and referred to her with overt familiarity.

Of course, it was a question that Tet knew the answer to.

Therefore, Holou──

“… Tet. Thou said that ‘I only look into the past’ correct?”

That’s right, Tet had a principle of not looking into the future, and he was proud of having such a good habit.

However, his only response was a smile. When Holou saw this, she let out a sigh and declared:

“── Hypothesis: thou could indeed say that it’s not a bad hobby.”

“I’m happy that you understand～. But that was a bad move, wasn’t it? All right, check♪”

── Holou’s bad mood increased once more, so Tet smiled a little.

──That’s right, this Holou doesn’t want to know the future nor answers anymore.

Tet didn’t even have to use the Suniaster, he understood just by looking at her.

That’s because that wouldn’t be fun.

Her Quintessence Doubted, Desired, and thought about those things at the same time. What that Quintessence wanted now wasn’t that. Holou stares at Tet.

“However, thou said that thou wanted to see Holou’s tearful face.”

“Hmm…… well, that’s right. But I said ‘your’──” Tet said ambiguously with a bitter smile.

At any rate, he didn’t want to see the current Holou’s crying face.

‘If I had to choose between them, I prefer the current one’ Tet thought.

“── Hypothesis: Thy demand will not be fulfilled.” Holou announced.

 That’s right, and definitely:

“… Because the one who will make a crying face is thou, Tet.”

Tet thought that, if anything, he’d want to see that and smiled at that.

Holou returned his check, and Tet thought for a long time, however, he still happily asked:

“── Is that future sight? Or is it just an expectation?”

He knew that the answer to his question was, of course, that it was an expectation.

Tet smiles at how Holou now recognized expectations.

Holou was smiling, but she wasn’t aware of it herself, and Tet continued:

“It’s future sight. The future that thou don’t see. Holou hypothesizes that she will see it.”

──Hmm?

At that unexpected answer, Tet tries to understand Holou’s intentions, and returns the check again.

Tet was probably unaware that it was more than he expected, he had a full face smile.

“── Holou, together with them, will make a future where thou are crying, and see it.” Holou said as she made a move to satisfactorily return the check, and Tet──

“… I see♪ All right, I’m really looking forward to that”

That’s right, he was truly looking forward to it from the bottom of his heart, and like that, he suddenly closed his eyes:

“Then I’ll give you some quick advice. Holou-chan, you should perhaps be a little more patient☆”

So he made a serious move to try and end this reception game.

“……………………………… Whyat?”

With a single move, he reversed the situation on the board, so Holou unintentionally let out a weird voice, and entered into deep thought.

However, Tet’s attack was one of gaming’s basics, a mental attack, so he continues without stopping:

“Holou-chan, you are too hasty. Putting it bluntly, you are the easy heroine? Aha☆”

Even though she didn’t understand what he meant, she must have understood that he was making fun of her.

Each time Tet said something, Holou’s mouth twitched a bit. For example:

“Well, first of all, Miko fooled you twice, right～?”

──Twitch

“Also, after Sora and Shiro were a liiiittle bit kind to you, you easily went with them”

── Twitch twitch.

“… And besides.”

Holou was wary of his next words, however,

“…. Sprouting a heart, creating a race── despairing… you were too hasty.”

This time, it was Tet’s turn to lower his head.

“Although, if you had only waited just a little bit longer, those machines with hearts would have been able to answer you”

Tet whispered, however, Holou didn’t understand what he meant yet.

She was just suspicious that it might just be another provocative statement.

But Tet just made a complicated smile, lifted his head, and said:

“…… ‘Why was I born?’ They worried about that a lot, like you, but”

The Old Deus── Quintessences are produced when concepts are thought of and wished for──Tet was just like that.

However, for the primordial gods… from the era without consciousness, no one knows what they were wished for.

That’s why it’s fine if they just chose by themselves like persons. Sora told Holou that, and Tet also said:

“… No one knows why you were born. Maybe not even the Suniaster”

However──

“Even so, if you remember that there are persons that think about you like this, it’ll make me a bit happy.”

── This girl was the first one to have a ‘heart’ in the world.

She also gave birth to the one who wished for, desired, and believed in Tet and gave birth to him.

He had called her here just to convey that, and so, he did:

“… Thank you for being born── or something♪”

Holou surely didn’t understand what he was talking about.

But there is no way that the current Holou wouldn’t understand that those words came from the heart.

As if she was suspecting something, Holou timidly moved her piece, so,

“Ah, yes, yes. And of course, this is the last piece──!”

So, as if he had been deceiving her, he suddenly smiles, and says:

“You were a bit too hasty, thinking that you could defeat me☆”

── It was so sudden it didn’t even leave room for disappointment.

As if it was completely natural, Holou was checkmated and left shocked,

“──Welcome to the world on top of a board. I had always been waiting for you” Tet declared, and waved his hand in goodbye.

“Considering that you’re the first Old Deus to join, I’ll forgive you for being 6000 years late☆”

Just like she had been forcefully summoned, Holou was being forcefully returned. However, before that, Tet left her some parting words:

“Ah, however, you’re too weak as you’re right now, so be sure to polish your skills. You have to at least become able to tie with Blank-san, or else, you won’t be able to see a future with me crying～Ahaha～♪”

■■■

“Oh, so you were here Holou, we were looking for you”

“… why did you suddenly… disappear… what happened?”

Holou had suddenly disappeared from Elkia’s castle, so Sora and Shiro had been looking for her, and now they greeted her.

For some reason she had been standing in a corridor with her head down.

 “──Thou. Canst thou answer just what happened to Holou?” Holou asked.

“…………..What?”

“… I’m displeased. Something indescribable fills my heart, even though it’s supposed to be just a virtual image, there is the illusion that my body is shaking. My head is filled with fantasies of destroying the one who planted this emotion──what is this?”

Holou dispassionately asked, as if she was describing her symptoms to a doctor.

……… even if you ask what that is.

Even though they are not doctors, Sora and Shiro could see the answer written in Holou’s face.

“… Are you angry? Something happened right?”

“──Ohhhhh… I see! Tentatively: Holou is angry!!”

As if she had written down the discovery of the century in her scroll, Holou continues to pile on questions with that same face:

“──Well then. About when are thou planning to destroy Tet?”

“Eh?”

“Thou will defeat Tet, right? Destroy him, right? Is it tomorrow, tonight, is it right now!?”　

Holou was making a racket with a smile like a noh mask, so Sora and Shiro were panicking uselessly.

And the one looking at them from the end of the world laughed.

── Once upon a time, in the distant, distant past

It started with stereotypical words, and ended without being told… there was once such a myth.

Now, that myth wasn’t in ‘the distant distant past’, it would be continued in the near future.

It would start with stereotypical words, but this time, a myth that could be talked about would continue, and finally become a story──

“Come on, let’s continue the myth that stopped on that day”

Laughing like that, god writes the myth that didn’t end in a book of white paper. 

Finally, this world on top of a board, this game… would live up to its name.　

The most interesting game since the creation of heaven and earth, started from here.

──Finally, the god who wrote in past tense, could spread his arms to the heavens, completely satisfied.

As if he was receiving everything he ever wanted, along with that old myth──

“──This time, I won’t let you tie, and I don’t have any intention of losing either. Prepare yourselves☆”

■■■　

────

“──Report from observation unit: Conclusion of the battle against the Old Deus confirmed.”

────────

“──Report from analysis unit: Loses from the battle: 0. Conditions cleared.”

────────Roger.

“Notification to all units: This phenomenon’s observation is presumed to be approximately within standard deviation.”

Measuring instruments validated──54355146 hours since the end of the war?

“── All surviving Ex-Machina. Reboot for disconnection approved.”

It was kept waiting for quite a while, but in the end──

“The ones we’ve been waiting for have arrived”

──The machines are walking out in order to confirm the proof of that will.

From the North-west of the Lucia continent, towards that Federation, far away………..