No Game No Life - Volume 9 Chapter 3.2

“I surely am. Actually… That’s a bit wrong? After all ── we are going to hit them too.” Sora said, as he

evilly stopped smiling.

He moved the piece in his hand. He was declaring that ‘He will move there.’ He was being suicidal, he

basically told the Ex-Machina to ‘please go ahead and take my piece’. He made an undoubtedly bad

move. In other words, he──

Moved the piece to the shining square without hesitation ── Then, he kept talking:

“You lot will be hitting these too. For sure.”

All the Ex-Machina, Steph, and even Jibril were speechless. They all stared at Sora as he thought.

Well, this is to be expected. After all, that move was one of the worst moves possible

. And both Sora and

Shiro made it knowing that. But that’s precisely why──!

── That is the very meaning of this game… therefore──!!

“It seems like you’re misunderstanding something, you perverted mecha! For us, you Ex-Machina──!!”

“… have always been… simply… ‘special effects devices’…”

The two of them screamed, and in response, the last rule ── the ‘production hit’ activated.

That rule borrowed from Jibril’s materialization shiritori game for its implementation. The ‘production

hit’ was literally just that ── following the image of the one who ‘hit’ the square, ‘production’ would

happen. This was done by using the Ex-Machina’s ‘spatial rewrite’ that they were so good at, and had

been using so uselessly.

As the scenery changed according to Sora’s thoughts, Sora and Shiro laughed loudly.

“Come now, Eastern Federation’s idol agencies! Are you ready to stamp your feet on the ground!?”

“… It’s ok to regret… and cry… for underestimating… 989 production…”

── Due to the Ten Pledges, it was impossible to harm Holou, the players, or the audience.

However, putting it another way ── anything other than that is possible!

Even during the shiritori game with Jibril, they couldn’t produce things that didn’t actually exist.

However, the ‘production hit’ didn’t even have that limitation, so they could freely produce anything they

wanted──!!

“This show will be legendary!! Are you ready to scream, Shiro──!?”

“… yeeeah yaaaaay…!”

The Ex-Machina still hadn’t recovered from the surprise of seeing Sora make such a bad move without

hesitation, but Sora and Shiro kept surprising them.

The scenery also added to both Jibril and Steph’s surprise ── as did Sora and Shiro’s screams:““Repeat after we39!!””

Starting from the Elkian castle’s throne room, all the space that had been renewed to be the show’s venue

was rebuilt by Sora and Shiro’s screams ── and now, it was renewed once more.

The stage, the audience’s seats, and the backstage were covered by a blinding light and in their place

was──!!

““Yakku dekarchaaaaaaaa40””

… Something that not even the world of Disboard had ever seen before.

They were s

omewhere in space,

and no one ── strictly speaking, not even Sora and Shiro ── knew

where. It was an unknown wilderness, and no matter where one looked, both from the audience seats or

backstage, the only thing one could see ── was just Holou.

Her stage was a giant humanoid robot’s hand, and she was being projected on an enormous screen that

reached the heavens, but it was just Holou, singing, and dancing.

Then, they brought that out. And the production went completely overboard.

Missiles, beams, and lasers mixed together to draw complex and wonderful trajectories, adorning the

skies and the land. Fighter planes drew spirals in silver, and even their falling bullets were beautiful,

however──

…………

It was undoubtedly a battlefield, and excluding Holou, Sora, and Shiro, everyone was mute with

amazement.

… Well, that is to be expected… Even for Sora and Shiro, this was a scenery they had only seen in

fiction. Those who had never seen it might instinctively run away, and there’s no way they’d be excited.

As everyone else thought like that, only Sora and Shiro smiled with confidence. The moment the audience

noticed the letters on the screen, they raised an explosive cheer.

That’s right──

“Please calm down. This is harmless.”

“Whyyy can they be convinced with just thaaaaat!?” Steph screamed at the ‘Excitement Gauge’ as it

raised with great momentum, but Sora and Shiro just ignored her:

“Hahaaa!! Oh, fools who were trained to love! Raise your expectations, for the show has a godly program

this time!!”

“… after all… we have an actual… goddess you know… ♪”

39 This was in bad katakenglish: リピートアフターウィー. Very concert like.

40 Super obscure reference to Macross, aspace mecha anime from 1982. This phrase is in zentradi (basically

Japanese klingon) and means ‘unbelievable.’

 

“A galactic idol? Ha!! Too small! Now’s the time of the hyper-dimensional idols41. Move out of the

way!!”

They looked like they were having fun ── however, Sora and Shiro didn’t stop making chess moves for a

single moment, even as they laughed.

Similarly, Einzig and the other Ex-Machina were also making moves without faltering. However, they

couldn’t hide their surprise. But even ignoring them…

── They really made a bad move just for production.

Sora’s conduct gave Steph and Jibril a sense of deja vu, so they spoke in small voices:

“… ah… It couldn’t be──!”

“Is it… the same as that time…!?”

── ‘Production hit’.

Using production to alter the scenery at the venue according to the image of the one who hit it.

Venue. That’s right, changes in scenery, shocks, vibrations, etc. would also reach the backstage, where

the players were.

In that case, that time

referred to when they played ‘materialization shiritori’ against Jibril.

They made a single move with the resolution to lose in order to confirm what they were able to do ── but

what they were really after was what came after that. It was the same strategy they used when they won

against Jibril by making her ‘unable to continue’ with a hypernova.

They want to use ‘production hits’ to hinder the Ex-Machina and win by making them unable to

continue… maybe.

Those two were probably thinking something like that but──

“… H

indering us with production…

Your plan is to make it difficult for us to keep playing chess…?”

Einzig murmured. He caught on very quickly.

Jibril and Steph gulped in the back, but Emiline ignored their presence and said, even more

dispassionately:

“Negation: Productions involving damage to the players are impossible. Therefore, the effect on the

Ex-Machina will be minimal. It’s meaningless.” Emiline supplemented the things those two had

overlooked and made a counter-argument.

── That’s right, the circumstances are different from that time

when they played materialization shiritori.

This was real space

── Due to the Ten Pledges, damage cannot be inflicted. Obstruction would mean

disturbing their concentration at most, and that is not very effective on the Ex-Machina. The Ex-Machina

can separate emotion (surprise) and logic (their moves) without faltering. Their moves were proof.

41 Maybe a reference to hyperdimension neptunia. Hopefully the other guys gets Holou’s multidimensionality right

this volume…“… Then, I presume that my beloved Spieler is choosing defeat

, but what do you truly intend to do with

that, I wonder?…”

The reason why the Ex-Machina were surprised was merely because Sora made a bad move. Even if it

was for the show’s sake, he still created a rule that meant certain defeat──

As Einzig was having those doubts, Sora and Shiro simply made mocking smiles once again.

──── I

ncorrect. This time, you’re completely off the mark.

“Are you still misunderstanding? I’ll say it just one more time. For us, you Ex-Machina──”

“… Have always been… since the veeeery beginning… simply… ‘special effects devices’…”

Sora and Shiro said with evil smiles. They were smiling at their own moves.

── And this time.

────

“… Einzig to all units. What just happened.

Report…”

Einzig muttered with a serious expression, and all the Ex-Machina units gasped with surprise (errors).

When he saw them like that, Sora made an extremely disgusting smile to show them,

“‘Presume that (I’m) choosing defeat’? I hit it because I wanted production. Did you think there was some

sort of real intent behind it or some shit like that?”

Sora said, and in his head, he decided to answer instead of the Ex-Machina── What just happened?

Sora declared that he’d move there. He told them to ‘please go ahead and take my piece’. It was suicidal.

He made an undoubtedly bad move ── he hit the ‘production hit’.

The Ex-Machina must have thought that they’d win this match, but Sora and Shiro just smiled mockingly

at them and ── in f

our moves.

Sora and Shiro made just four moves together ── and the situation was reversed.

Then──

“And to think you all had such smug faces just because y

ou were barely able to tie

against me alone.

Know your place.”

The Ex-Machina finally understood that truth, but their faces still said that they couldn’t believe it.

Sora and Shiro were bathing in the gazes of Einzig, Emiline ── and all the remaining Ex-Machina. And

yet they seemed to be about to burst into laughter, a seemingly apologetic laughter full of sarcasm ──

“If I’m with Shiro ── If it’s Blank, we can beat even the One True God, Tet, at chess.”

“… If we lost… against mere Ex-Machina… the god of games, Tet… would lose face”

Back in Holou’s show ── there was a sound announcing the end of the first song, and almost at the same

time:── “Checkmate ── Winner: Blank. One win.”

The chess board made that call. This is what the two who made a bad move and still beat the Ex-Machina

were talking about.

The One True God, Tet, was the god of games. In other words, Sora and Shiro said that they had beaten

even the strongest gamer.

It was a normal, and yet majestic ── simple truth.

“────────”

Sora and Shiro. Their explanation didn’t contain a single lie. The Ex-Machina knew (analyzed) this better

than anyone. And that’s precisely why they were confused and surprised, even though they were

machines. However, they didn’t even have the time to process their surprise.

“Come now, it’s time for the second match. There’s no time to rest, Ex-Machina!”

He said, and in no time at all, Holou’s second song began playing from the stage. Using the cheers that

followed as a sign Sora and Shiro, made a fierce, daring, insolent smiles ── and said:

“We’ll be using you for our own convenience. Your role in this game is, putting it bluntly, just that ♪”

“… Fight on… ‘omnipotent special effects devices’… we’ll still be hitting… many, many more

productions, okay…♪”

They had completely surpassed the Ex-Machina’s, Jibril’s, and Steph’s expectations and thoughts.

“── I’m sorry Ex-Machina… but you absolutely cannot win against us”

Sora and Shiro started the second game ── and dispassionately moved their piece.

■■■

And thus Einzig ── No. The whole ‘Cluster’, including Emiline, had no choice but to accept such an

unbelievable ‘truth’ as a hypothesis.

The Ex-Machina were barely able to win the second game with Einzig leading them.

As for the third game, it was currently underway… the bewildering plays being made in right in front of

their eyes were enough to make all units accept that truth and shout ‘Incomprehensible.’

“Ta daaa! Next one is Shiro’s turn, right!? I’ll leave the next ‘production’ to you!”

“… Sure～… I’ll surprise… Nii…♪”

Sora and his little sister weren’t even consulting with each other, and yet they were having fun from the

bottom of their hearts making their moves.

They even brazenly announced when they’d hit the next ‘production hit.’

That’s right ── the next one. Sora and his little sister had already hit one ‘production hit’ during the third

game.── A fatally bad move. Or at least that’s how it was supposed to be.

The Ex-Machina’s parallel calculations even predicted Sora and Shiro would ‘certainly lose’ as a result of

that ‘production hit’ ── and yet.

Those two still held the advantage. That made Einzig and the other Ex-Machina finally consider a certain

hypothesis.

Hypothesis… The true purpose behind the ‘production hit’ rule is──

“E

inzig to all units. From here on out, we shall perform a ‘verification’. I request supplemental

calculations after bad moves occur.”

“──J

awohl”

Einzig instructed the Cluster to perform a follow-up, and waited for an opportunity to verify that

hypothesis.

Hypothesis: “You lot will be hitting these too. For sure.” ── Sora’s own words. It was from there that

Einzig had tried to guess Sora’s intentions and true motives. However, the opportunity to verify his

hypothesis arrived quite soon.

── A brightly colored square appeared.

On a fatally bad position. If they hit it, the Cluster reported that there’s a high probability they’d enter the

road to defeat. However, Einzig still took his piece without hesitation ── and hit the ‘production hit’.

If his hypothesis was correct, forget about losing this match ── they’d lose every game.

Therefore,

verification is indispensable. With that resolution, Einzig made an image for the production──

──And everything went dark.

As if there had been a power outage, every single trace of lights and sounds disappeared from the venue

── it was a production that stopped production.

If there were no lights or sounds, the show would stop. The ‘excitement gauge’ wouldn’t even matter.

For Einzig and the other Ex-Machina, this was such a bad move that it’d lose them this match without

question.

However, if it made the show end, it was such a good move that it’d win them the whole game without

question──

“Yes… just like that.”

Only the light of the board illuminated his dark smile ── Sora’s villainous smile.

A few seconds later, a shining square appeared once more, and his sister hit the ‘production hit’ in

response.

── A

nd with it, both of those results were stopped.

The silence and darkness that Einzig brought about seemed to be a part of Shiro’s production.She made the lights flicker, changed Holou’s costume, and changed the music’s key ── there were cheers

in response.

Winning the game by forcibly ending the show, and losing the match with the bad move they just made.

Both things were stopped. Sora smiled sarcastically at Einzig and continued:

“If you guys don’t make bad moves (production hits) too, we can’t make as many as we want either,

right? ♪”

“────”

And thus, with Sora’s words, the Ex-Machina’s hypothesis was concluded to be true.

── On the second match, Sora and his little sister lost.

But it was simply because they committed to hitting as many ‘production hits’ as possible to raise the

‘excitement gauge.’ But then, if they hadn’t hit so many ‘production hits’… or maybe even if they had hit

just one──

“L

et’s play a game of bad moves, okay?

After all, a game of predicting the best possible moves would be

pretty boring, don’t you think?”

“… Even if… we won a game… of tic-tac-toe like that… it wouldn’t be… very fun…”

They had a fierce smile ── so fierce, it was hard to think that they were mere Imanities ── it was the

smile of the overwhelmingly strong preying on the weak. The conviction in those words made Einzig

realize that this is what they were telling him:

── If it’s just winning against you, that’d be easy.

The truth was that in the first game, the Ex-Machina had lost. If the game had been a best of one, it would

have ended right then and there.

── M

ore importantly, you have to entertain us.

You will be used for our own convenience. Those words told Einzig that the Ex-Machina’s role was just

that, and Sora wasn’t lying.

──H

it the production hits, and liven up the show.

Because in exchange ── we will also hit them──!!

“This is a game of bad moves… How long will you be able to keep up, oh great transcendental

computers?” Sora provoked them. His smile was positively that of a predator that dared to let his prey

escape.

Just as hypothesized ── the true motivation behind the rule about the ‘production hits’ was──

That in order to have fun, Sora left the Ex-Machina an opportunity to win.

In other words ──

──── He is going to face the Ex-Machina with a handicap────!?

In the face of this unbelievable result, the Cluster thought in parallel:

A strength that the Ex-Machina, and even the god of games, can’t approach? Realization rejected. No,

let’s accept it! Credence lacking. No, it’s at least p

artly

true! In that case, analyze it. Explain it. Learn,

adapt ── and soon enough we shall transcend the unknown!! Let’s show him the very essence of our

race, our quintessence──!!

The tactics are really Sora’s ── they are the same tactics the Spieler showed five days ago. Did he hold

back last time? No. Then the difference between this time and last time is────

“…Oh? Have you pieces of junk finally stopped ignoring my prided sister?”

“────!?”

As the Ex-Machina speculated, Sora followed their gaze and guessed that they had finally detected his

little sister.

“To be honest, it was making me pretty mad. I would really like a reintroduction you know?”

“… Who… do you think… you ignored?… I’ll show you… your place…”

They said, cynically and very irritated ── but the Ex-Machina just thought:

── Who

is this girl?

No ── It’s Sora’s little sister. His family. Her name is Shiro. They were aware of her; they weren’t

ignoring her. They just didn’t think she was particularly important. Why? It’s obvious: because she’s ‘a

third party.’ Playing chess and making moves together with a third party? What’s up with that?

There’s no way they can use parallel thought and they had no time to consult each other either. They were

simply different individuals moving one after another… That’s completely meaningless, or at least it was

supposed to be…

“… Between… Nii alone… and Shiro alone… I am the better player…”

“If you really thought you could win against Blank, then my answer is: don’t get cocky.”

That was Sora and Shiro’s conclusion. Their words didn’t have even a sliver of logic. Nothing but the

Ex-Machina’s hearts seemed to be getting convinced ── Why? ────

── “Checkmate ── Winner: Blank. Two wins.”

The chess board made its announcement, and the end of the third song was also reported. Sora leaned on

the back of his chair, hugged Shiro and said:

“Engrave this on your bugged heads. Blank does not contain the word ‘defe──42”

42 A joke no other translator has bothered explaining. They leave their name blank, but the blank space is 2

characters long. The 2 characters they intend to symbolize with that are Sora and Shiro’s names, which together also

read as ‘blank’. Defeat (and work) are also 2 kanji words that could fit the blank space, hence they are always

reminding people (mostly Steph) that even though those words fit, blank has never contained any of those things

(until now)Sora cut his words short, and suddenly… looked up to the sky together with Shiro.

“… did not, right?… it did… once… right?…”

“I see, so I can’t use this line anymore huh?… Suddenly I feel depressed.”

“I-I’m terribly sorry, Masters!! This was due to my incredible incompetence──!!”

For some odd reason, their depression switch suddenly turned itself on. The two of them sank into their

chair looking depressed, and for some reason, Jibril became flustered and performed a dogeza at them but

── The Ex-Machina kept thinking.

──They really didn’t understand.

How was she making Sora this strong? Who is this Shiro? However ── E

inzig had an idea

and directed

the Cluster towards it.

“All units ── M

ove the focus of our analysis from chess tactics to ways of winning other than chess.

Adjust the priorities accordingly.”

Assuming that Einzig’s idea applied to Shiro, it’d be incredibly difficult to see through the pair’s moves

and surpass them during the fourth match. But whether it’s incredibly difficult, impossible, or whatever

── they just needed to adapt and overcome.

He was none other than the Spieler, so there was no way he had just stagnated for 6000 years!

“Hahaha. ‘Show me you can surpass the current Spieler.’ We’ve certainly received your love challenge!”

Einzig said, eloquently and passionately, but his only response was Sora and Shiro’s cold eyes.

■■■

The backstage was wrapped in silence. Sora and Shiro lay sprawled on their chair resting.The

Ex-Machina and them were having a moment of mutual silence.

After the third game, or in other words, the third song, there was an ‘interlude.’

With cheers at her back, Holou climbed down the stairs and descended from the stage. Jibril was looking

at her when:

“… Master. For an Old Deus like Holou, fatigue is irrelevant, and she can also change her costume

instantly…” she asked that question. The ‘excitement gauge’ above their heads was decreasing little by

little, and that made her uneasy.

── An intermission… In a normal show, it was time used to change costumes or to take a break.

However, in this game, the ‘excitement gauge’ would also change during that time. Why did they

schedule an essentially unnecessary break time? That’s what Jibril’s wanted to know, and in response:

“The audience will get tired!

If this is really a godly program, making time for a break is also essential,

understood!?”“… By making her… temporarily come down… we’ll fan their expectations… they’ll wonder… what is

she going to do next?… or… what costume will she wear?…”

Sora and Shiro answered with serious faces, and in response:

── D

o these two really think nothing of the Ex-Machina or the chess matches? Everyone thought. Each

was staring at Sora with powerful emotions in their eyes, but he just:

“So! Steph!! Go and warm up the venue, I’m expecting a lot from you all right!?”

“……………………………Whaaaat?”

Suddenly, the topic shifted to Steph. She let out a strange voice, but Sora turned towards her with strict

eyes and continued:

“You’re filler! If Holou comes down from the stage, who is going to take the audience’s time!?”

“… Steph… have you forgotten… why you… are here…?”

Sora and Shiro said with pointed gazes, but Steph’s eyes just swam around. She tried to remember,

nodded a few times, and answered with an ‘I haven’t forgotten.’ After all:

“Forgetting s

omething I’ve never been told

is impossible right!?” She suddenly started yelling.

“Actually! Now that you say it, why am I even here!?” Steph screamed, quite late. However, Sora and

Shiro sighed veeeery deeply and answered:

“… Hey, you’re the Manager. Look at the program. What’s written after the third song?”

“Eh, I was the Manager!? … Ah, I feel like you did call me Manager that one── wait, I just saw it and it

says: ‘Intermission. Five minutes MC.’! Where is my name in that!?” Steph was surprised. Just by calling

her manager that one time, Sora had actually given her that role. But even so Steph diligently checked the

program.

“Idiot! This is why people with no common sense are… Listen.”

Sora and Shiro facepalmed, and the pair who had absolutely no right to talk about common sense talked

about common sense:

“… Shiro and… Nii can’t… come out… in front of… other people…”

“Having said that, we have no idea what kind of mess Jibril could cause!”

“… The Ex-Machina are… even more… impossible…”

── Well then. According to common sense, the only remaining person would be Steph.

The process of elimination naturally led to a common sense result. That made Steph look up at the sky,

but:

“Anything is fine! An opening band, a comedic dialogue, or even some interesting talk, so GO!”

“There is no band! I don’t have a partner either! And an interesting talk is way too sloppy!”Steph was trying to refuse somehow ── But, it was slowly… When she saw the ‘excitement gauge’

steadily decreasing, Steph shook her head and──

“Aaah whatever! I-I’m not responsible if they get less excited all right!?”

Partly in desperation, Steph ran up the stairs leading up to the stage.

“… Was that all right, Master? If the ‘excitement gauge’ really became empty…”

Jibril asked when she saw Steph take Holou’s place on the stage. But──

“It’s okay. No matter what she does, they’ll get more excited… Steph has the ability to captivate people.”

Sora answered with a relieved face, and everyone turned to look at the stage.

“… Even Steph isn’t aware of it herself, but she has a talent that no one could ever obtain through simple

effort.”

Steph was standing on the stage ── and her arms and legs were trembling. Her eyes were also teary.

However ── everyone was fascinated by her face. There was no trace of any bad intent either. They were

all smiling.

Most likely, Steph just couldn’t find anything to say. Funny jokes, clever anecdotes… She was bad at

those kinds of things. But she still stood dead center on the stage and prepared the words that would bare

her heart in front of the audience. Or perhaps Steph would use something other than words? Whatever the

case may be,

── Because of her own enthusiasm, she tripped over nothing.

Because of her momentum, her posture collapsed spectacularly, and keeping that momentum, she fell

towards the equipment on the stage.

As if to display her personality, she straightforwardly… fell face first. Steph’s face was sliding down the

equipment as she fell, her skirt flipped over, and her underwear was exposed.

○＼｜

… like that.

When the audience saw her pass out on a pose that could be expressed with ASCII art ── there was

explosive laughter.

“… That’s right… she has the amazing… ‘talent’… of being a… g

ag character…” Shiro revealed Steph’s

talent, and almost as if it was in response to that, the ‘excitement gauge’ filled completely.

Everyone nodded in unison at her mysterious persuasiveness, and beside her:

“… Is that good? Is this what thou call a ‘perfect idol?’” Holou muttered. She had changed places with

Steph, and now she was fidgeting while she changed her costume.

I’ll do as much as I can.

The little goddess in flashy student clothes pouted as she asked her question, even though she is estimated

to be several hundred million years old.“Not quite! That’s a pretty good ‘A-rank idol,’ but her expressiveness

is still lacking!”

“… That’s a checkpoint for… the S-rank… you want to get full points, but… Holou isn’t… transmitting

the feelings… in her heart”

“Isn’t it only natural that they aren’t being transmitted?! Holou still can’t even define the heart after all!!”

However, her response was the criticisms of two very strict producers, so Holou just asked more

questions with teary eyes.

── Then, with a sigh.

“…………. it’s ‘will.’”

The one who answered was the one across Sora and Shiro ── Einzig broke his silence. A reply from

someone unexpected. Holou looked at him dubiously, but the machine man continued:

“You asked for the definition of the ‘heart.’ So I answered. The ‘heart’ is ‘will.’”

“… Will… what is your proof that Holou has a will?”

“Because you asked. Because you sought an answer. It’s because you have those thoughts…”

The machine said. He defined the heart, will, thought, and even life:

“Thought, will, life. They are indivisible and synonymous. Therefore, a living god must also have

thoughts, will, and a heart.”

They were machines produced without it, and that’s precisely why they cherished it more than those who

were born with it.

The machine’s definition was more human than a human’s. He had a gentle smile ── and continued with

a ‘therefore:’

“If the Spieler has the same will and the same thoughts, then it’s obvious that the Spieler also has the

same life!”

“Hey, machine!! Computers aren’t supposed to use sophistry, and they don’t make leaps in logic either!”

── The oil magnate wears a turban. The oil magnate is rich. Therefore, everyone who uses a turban and

is rich is an oil magnate.

When Einzig made a model fallacy like that one, Sora raised his voice.

“…………….”

── As expected, Holou looked like she still didn’t understand. She just kept quiet.

But is she feeling something? Holou looked at Einzig, Emiline, and all the Ex-Machina one by one and

tilted her head ── when a sound interrupted her. It was time.

“… P-please, spare me a second time…”

“It’s a shame, but according to the program, there are two more times left. Do your best ♪”── In the end, after five minutes, she started to twitch. After that, she also held the microphone upside

down.

Steph didn’t make the audience laugh, and yet they laughed at her wounded state. Having accomplished

her task, Steph returned backstage. Then, as if to replace her, Holou moved to the side of the stage and

waited.

Holou was waiting for the start of the fourth song.

Sora and the others were waiting for the start of the fourth game.

“Well? We even had a break, so shall we continue?”

“… The next… ‘production hit’… is Nii’s… turn… right♥”

Sora and Shiro said with a smile, and Einzig smiled a little too.

During this break time, the Ex-Machina must have kept thinking. Einzig talked as if he was telling

everyone their conclusions:

“Indeed. J

ust for a little while

, we shall be used for your own convenience, my beloved Spieler…”

── But even so, they were still determined to continue.

They were fearless. Both about chess and the ‘productions.’

“We Ex-Machina, no matter what it might be, so long as it exists, can adapt to anything… we’ll show you

we can surpass you.”

── He boasted that as long as they kept piling up stuff, they’d eventually be able to surpass anything──

Using the start of the fourth song as a signal, the participants of the fourth match started to move their

hands in unison.

■■■

── Thus, the show and the game continued side by side ── and now, they were on the seventh song, and

the seventh match.

Sora and the others were exchanging offensive and defensive plays at very high speeds on the board, and

right now ── they were freely flying through the sky.

Correction. They were certainly doing it f

reely

. However, they weren’t exactly flying. They just,

“This is too reckless!! Or rather, do you really have enough leeway to go and try to look cool!?”

“Heh, we don’t have any leeway. This is just because of a certain rule.”

“… Steph… you’re making… a scene…”

Sora and Shiro said, as Steph’s screams flew towards them. They had cool and composed faces, even as

they ── fell in f

ree

fall. No, it wasn’t just Sora and Shiro. Steph, the audience, and since they couldn’t

use magic during the game, Jibril and the others too.── From Machu Picchu to a Death Star, and on top of that, even things that Sora and Shiro didn’t know

anything about.

Those were the things generated by the exchanges of ‘production hits’ between team Sora and the

Ex-Machina. And all those things were coming along with them.

One of Einzig’s ‘productions’ had erased the ground ── and now they were falling endlessly through the

sky.

… Therefore, well… since the opportunity presented itself…

“H-How can you two concentrate on the game in this situation!?”

“Heh. How many times do you think we’ve been forced to go skydiving since we came to this world? …

We got used to it.”

Sora answered Steph, and his face was, as expected, still pretty cool.

Even though they wanted to play this game since before coming here, because they were hikikomoris they

never had the chance.

This game was the so-called ‘Extreme chess.’ Sora and Shiro found it very amusing.

── Extreme chess.

It’s playing chess in dangerous places like midair, cliffs, underwater, surrounded by screaming

machines… Just that. Winning or losing isn’t even important. It’s really only that. However, it has but a

single inviolable rule!

Keep a cool face!

That’s all!!

“A-as expected of Master… No… M-most of the audience too…”

“What’s up with that!? Why ── are they getting more excited!?

You trained them too much don’t you

think!?”

Even Jibril was astonished at the full ‘tension gauge’ above their heads. It was also making Steph doubt

the audience’s sanity. The gauge meant that even in free fall, they were having fun. The audience was that

crazy about Holou’s song and dance.

‘But that’s only natural,’ Sora thought and chuckled in his head without stopping his hands.

The Ex-Machina don’t know what to do in order to make them less excited…!

It was clear from their

attempts at courting Sora that they don’t understand the ‘human heart’!!

… Well, even Steph had trouble understanding the audience, so all the more.

Therefore, they had no choice but to keep making corrections via trial and error.

Erasing the ground to both hinder Sora and scare the audience at the same time was one such try.

However, Sora could not have been scarier with his very first production, so ── this one actually calmed

the audience down.

It was too late to remove the ground or put them in free fall; the audience could onlysee that as just another production now. Thus, even though Einzig’s moves kept misfiring, he still

extended his hand towards the shining square once more.

“Ooh～? So you’re making a bad move again? I wonder what kind of misfire you’ll show us this time

～?!

Sora filled his voice with as much gaudiness as possible as he provoked them intentionally.

“My beloved Spieler… It’s not that we’re underestimating you. Your strength too is still outside of our

understanding.”

However, Einzig’s answer and smile… were both kind.

“Please don’t underestimate us either. We told you that we would only let you use us for your own

convenience for a little while.”

It was precisely because they remembered his earlier declaration that Einzig’s response was able to make

Sora and Shiro break into a cold sweat.

“── We Ex-Machina, no matter what it might be, so long as it exists, can adapt to anything.”

With his speech, Einzig ── no. All the transcendental machines calculating in parallel made their move.

A single production.

“Without boundaries. Without limits ── without end either. In the end we shall certainly surpass it.”

The answer the Ex-Machina arrived to, their image, rebuilt the whole scenery. They restored the sky and

the ground back to the venue.

── We are okay… the Ex-Machina are mistaking me for the wrong person.

Sora thought.

As long as they didn’t notice that mistake, it didn’t matter if the Ex-Machina’s processing speed surpassed

their assumptions. It didn’t matter even if they surpassed infinite speed! The Ex-Machina absolutely

cannot win against Sora and Shiro

.

However, Einzig’s ever more confident smile gave Sora a slight bit of anxiousness──

And at that moment────!!

…

fwoosh～bz

zzt ～ riiiip～

“………wha?”

The venue returned to normal, the stage returned to normal, but on top of it, only Holou’s costume wasn’t

normal. It made a strange, artificial sound and was torn to pieces.

…………………

“Hah. Hahaha… did I leave you speechless? That’s probably it! Right, my beloved Spieler──!?”

Einzig laughed loudly. Did he take their silence for astonishment?The Ex-Machina’s computing power and information processing power defied reason. Sora and Shiro

even estimated them to be ‘above infinity.’

They had calculated that move using the extremely biased information on Sora’s fap material ── Sora

realized.

“… Ah, I see. This was pretty accurate. Not a bad move…” He said. He was honestly giving them words

of praise, even as his hands didn’t stop moving across the board.

However ── ‘Still not good enough’ were supposed to be Sora’s next words but──

“Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!”

The thunderous cheers and the ‘tension gauge’, which was shining and filled to the brim, spoke for

themselves.

“W-why… the hypothesis should have been perfect ── this can’t be──!?”

It was the answer that Einzig ── no, that all the Ex-Machina calculating in parallel arrived to. When they

saw that end in a misfire, Emiline and all the other Ex-Machinas too gasped in shock.

“Hah… hahaha… ahahahaha! Your surprise is as clear as day you know!?”

Sora demonstrated a perfect three stage laugh.

“If she kept dancing after her costume was damaged, that’d mean nudes are fair game! For the life forms

known as idols, that is certain death!!”

And ignoring Steph’s half-lidded eyes, Sora passionately continued:

“She’d have no choice but to stop dancing. The show would be interrupted! The ‘tension gauge’ would go

down ── However.”

Sora cut off his own words to smile maliciously at Einzig.

“That’s not all. What you were really aiming for was ‘beyond that’ ── if she kept dancing after her

costume got torn would it be any different!?”

── He had seen through everything. Einzig became speechless at that truth and gasped in shock.

Sora and the Ex-Machina. Jibril was observing an intense bout between man and machine with shining

eyes!! And if negative Kelvin temperatures existed, they’d be just like Steph’s eyes!!

But ignoring the both of them, Sora spoke!

“If Holou acted like an Old Deus, not even knowing what ‘shame’ is, and danced completely nude, the

audience would be put off by her and the ‘tension gauge’ would drop ── that’s what you thought, right!?

Not bad. I’ll praise you for that splendid double bind, oh perverted handsome homo robot!!”

── If she stopped dancing, the audience would become dissatisfied, but even if she kept dancing, there’d

still be a problem.I see, their understanding has advanced more than expected. They really were opponents you couldn’t

lower your guard around.

“But you were too shallow, oh philosophizing machines… Did you really think the Producers wouldn’t

take into account such a situation!?”

When they heard Sora’s words, all the Ex-Machina, including Einzig, turned to look towards the stage at

the same time. There they saw the costume that had been unnaturally torn and ripped up… and what was

below it──!!

Holou was singing and dancing while wearing a microscopic swimsuit filled with perverseness … That

swimsuit could be said to be even more embarrassing than her ripped costume.43

She desperately clung to her torn costume. She kept dancing even as she tried to somehow keep the

swimsuit hidden──

“…Heh. Aah, certainly. If it was the original Holou, she might have continued dancing in the nude…”

As if he was making a recap, Sora revealed his foresight and deep designs ── that’s right!

“Therefore we prepared s

omething more embarrassing than being naked you see… Even Holou herself

isn’t aware of it, but she’s squirming with shame! That’s exactly what’s making the excitement rise!! D

o

you understand!?44”

The machines just lowered their heads in silence. However, Sora and Shiro felt like they had certainly

heard something.

── It was deep. Too deep.

Could they really reach such an abysmally deep understanding?…

They were machines that could grow infinitely, and yet, it looked like their pride had been wounded a bit

── However, there was a ‘ha’.

43 ED Note (Qzhuo): I think I’m hearing police sirens again…. TL Note: She’s a few hundred million years old

officer.

44 This is in bad katakenglish: どぅ～ゆーアンダスタ～ン!?