No Game No Life - Volume 9 Chapter 4.1

Chapter four ── Wishful observation (Game of Life47)

── This was five days ago. In the Elkian castle’s throne room.

Their Lord. The strongest god. The god of war. How did the Ex-Machina kill him? Azriel the first

specimen, had asked that question.

“Unknown: ── No. Let me make a correction… We Ex-Machina p

robably didn’t kill Artosh.”

Einzig answered without worrying about rising The First Wing’s killing intent… and continued:

“Let me make another correction. In the first place, defeating him ── destroying the concept of Artosh is

theoretically impossible

.”

Thus, Einzig talked about a hypothesis from 6000 years ago. A consideration the Ex-Machina made

before going to Artosh. A hypothesis about the nature of a god and their quintessence.

A concept that acquired an ego. A law with a will. Something that shouldn’t exist, something

that

shouldn’t be.

But such an absurdity was verified with the existence of the god (concept) named Artosh. And so, the

conclusion to their hypothesis was this:

── ‘A god is a god because they are a god.’ (the strongest is the strongest because they are the strongest)

That tautology is what being a ‘god’ means, what a ‘Quintessence’ really is. In that case, in front of the

concept (Quintessence) that is said to be the strongest ── y

our power level doesn’t matter at all.

The Ex-Machina can adapt infinitely over and over and become infinitely strong… however, they can

never reach someone who is the strongest relative to everyone else

. Even if they can adapt infinitely,

transcending the concept said to be the strongest… transcending the absolutely strongest is theoretically

impossible.

“Therefore, while he was on a higher dimension… we only

destroyed the Quintessence that physically

existed ── However.”

By doing that the manifestation of Artosh’s concept would temporarily stop ── The Ex-Machina

presumed that deactivation was possible, however:

“Why were we able to even do that? That is ‘unknown’… winning against him in a contest of power is

supposed to be impossible”

── Then, how did the Ex-Machina manage to destroy the god of war’s Quintessence?

They had that recording (memory), but in actuality it was virtually lost.

47 It’s a bit unclear in english, but in japanese it clearly refers to Conway’s Game of Life.

 

── The Ex-Machina went up against the strongest. Someone who could change the laws, rules, and even

the events of the world at every instant.

701 units used their algorithm for battling against unknown foes only to focus on adapting again and

again. However, even the Ex-Machina themselves knew they were being foolish. None of their

predictions came true, so they just kept calculating the unknown even as it remained unknown.

The more they calculated, the more they accumulated an enormous amount of logical inconsistencies

(errors), but even as they kept failing, they kept calculating. Abstract calculations. Even illogical

calculations

── they kept adapting with a frequency that approached ∞ times per second over and over…

In this way, 18 units including Einzig were barely able to survive with only some serious damage

.

Their memories and thoughts were damaged and failing, they lost their meaning, and even their

chronological order became unclear…

They just… observed that the world was being remade. It looked like

they had succeeded in destroying

the Quintessence… that’s what they inferred from the situation… but that was their limit…

Therefore

── Einzig gazed at the first wing, Azriel, and answered her question:

“If what you’re asking is how we defeated him, then we cannot answer. But if what you’re asking is how

we destroyed him, then let us answer your question”

“… He wasn’t destroyed. Because destroying things that don’t exist (like his concept)

is decidedly beyond

our power.”

Concepts don’t exist. You can only alter their definitions: change them, make them include something

else, make them fade… or perhaps make them cliched. As long as the ‘fantasy of the one who is called

the strongest’ isn’t broken, you can never destroy that concept.

“… Therefore. This unit’s conjecture is this:”

If it’s really something that can never be broken, then that concept ── that idea, that thought, that life──

“Just as the Spieler came back, Artosh can also come back.”

New gods won’t be born from the One True God, Tet, or the Suniaster. The god of war’s Quintessence

will never be reactivated. Those were Azriel’s objections, but.

“I’m not saying that the god of war, Artosh, will reactivate. After all, the Spieler too is currently ‘Sora’”

Einzig answered. He was strangely… confident.

He must have some basis in his failing memories, in Artosh’s last moments, but──

“… ‘The strongest’ will come back but with a different name and appearance… that’s what I’m saying.”

■■■

── Their extreme concentration was making the air creak backstage.There, you could hear the sounds of pieces hitting the board, and the live show approaching its climax ──

the eleventh song’s music and cheers were reaching their end… until finally:

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

“Hell yeah! That makes it 5 wins and 6 loses! We are just two matches away from winning!”

“… N-Nii…. Let me… rest a little… I’m t-tired…”

Sora and Shiro replied very exhausted, as the chess board announced their victory.

There were 13 songs in total. 13 matches ── in other words, Sora and Shiro just said that they will win

the last two matches consecutively

.

The Ex-Machina used all their observations devices to analyze their voices, and the result was that ‘they

are confident.’

…………..

“Aaall right, Steph!! It’s finally time for the last intermission. Go get them, master of ceremonies!!”

“… The ‘excitement gauge’ has been maxed out all this time you know? Even five empty minutes

won’t──”

“Y-you. The last 2 remaining songs will be a non-stop climax you know!?”

“… In fact… the venue will… get more excited… than ever before…”

“That’s easy for you to say! What kind of shameful display will you force upon me thi── mmph!?”

“It’s this angular costume. I happened to see my Masters use a ‘production hit’ to make it and leave it

over there ♥”

“You’re absolutely right, Jibril! Now, Mazin GO Steeeeee ph48!!”

“… When you name yourself… try to make it sound like a ‘Z’… don’t pronounce… the ‘ph’…”

“How is the venue supposed to get excited with thi ── wait it’s heavy! Isn’t it too heavy!? Isn’t this made

of iron!?”

“Hm? Was my image too realistic? … Well, don’t worry about it. Go Steeeeeeee p

h!!”

Ignoring that tumult, Einzig and the other Ex-Machina thought in silence. They thought about Sora’s

words: ‘you can’t adapt to things that do not exist.’

Sora and Shiro’s abnormal strength made them think about the words they said to Azriel that day.

Things that do not exist… like a concept.

The Ex-Machina don’t know how they defeated such a thing, and according to Sora, they didn’t even

defeat him in the first place.

The Ex-Machina can become as relatively strong as they want by adapting, but Artosh was someone who

could go past that, an absolute strength.

The Ex-Machina were convinced that ‘the strongest’ would return with a different name, and with a

different appearance ── if we assume that was Blank then…

── If the Spieler together with the mysterious girl (Shiro) is the second coming of the strongest then──

“… It’s just as my beloved Spieler said… We Ex-Machina may not be able to win…”

Both in chess and the live show. But ── what about it? The fact that Sora is the Spieler and that he

became ‘the strongest’ aren’t contradictory at all! If Sora doesn’t prove that he isn’t the Spieler he’ll lose.

Isn’t it impossible to prove that by himself──?

“There’s no way that’s true!

Isn’t that right, my beloved Spieler──!?”

── It’s impossible. Even if the method he’ll employ is unknown.

A sophism. A trap. Or maybe he will lead the Ex-Machina astray with an irrefutable paradox ──

However!!

Let’s say that, for some reason, Sora put together a game that he was guaranteed to lose. That is even

more impossible!

But will the Ex-Machina just answer Sora’s love challenge ── to: ‘try and beat us,’ with ‘we can’t’!?

“── All units, I ask you! Is that bunch over there worthy of my beloved Spieler’s love!?”

“””Negative!! Negative!! Negative!!”””

Einzig asked that question with his very soul, and all the other units sharing their thoughts answered with

passion!!

“I hereby order all units to find a way to win!! A way to make all obstacles meaningless!!”

Then, the Cluster started to consider countless scenarios with a speed so great that even time stopped ──

and suddenly.

“… Understood… I am reluctant to do this. But there is no other way. Executing.”

One of the Ex-Machina muttered that with regret and walked towards the stage. It was Emiline.

── She was a unit that, while connected to the Cluster, didn’t share her thoughts.

Therefore, even the Ex-Machina didn’t know the intentions behind Emiline’s words and actions as she

walked.

The nameless girl couldn’t move because of the iron costume and writhed with exasperation. Emiline was

passing by her ── No.“Report: This unit shall take over the role of master of ceremonies. Master… accompany me” Emiline

said as she stopped. She wasn’t even paying attention to anyone other than Sora.

“Confirmation: You didn’t make a rule forbidding any of the players, this unit included, from going up on

stage. I’m not violating any of the rules.”

…

that’s true. Einzig thought as Sora and the others narrowed their eyes.

But even if they were to go up stage, what would that accomplish? No ── before that:

“We? Go up stage? Hahaha～ So you want to win by killing us on the astral plane49 with a mental attack?

We refuse!!”

“… the stares of… such a large crowd… of people? … you’re making me shake…!”

That’s right, she can’t even make Sora and Shiro accompany her. Just by imagining it the two of them

were already shaking ── However.

“Notice: In short, I just need to win. In that case it’s easy. If it was just winning. I could do it at any time.

No problem.”

──── What?

The Ex-Machina, Sora’s group, everyone was trying to figure out the real motive behind her declaration.

Emiline had been reluctant, but that was precisely what lent credibility to her words, even her next ones:

“Choice: If you refuse to accompany me, that’s fine too. This unit will still win. The result will be the

same.”

■■■

Even Sora couldn’t read Emiline’s intentions.

And that was precisely why he had assumed the worst ── he decided that he needed to be in a place

where he could stop her

. Plus, Sora only agreed knowing that Shiro would be with him. However, he was

worried that he was making a mistake.

Just a little while before, Emiline had demanded his company.

… Would they be able to stop her? No. Before that…

““Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…””

Sora and Shiro were bathing in the spotlight and the gazes of the noisy audience. They were anxiously

vibrating as if they were cell phones on silent mode.

… First of all… will we be able to move…!?

The two of them suffered as their shivering approached the kilohertz band, but suddenly.

49 Astral Side. It’s a term that is commonly used in fantasy, it refers to the ‘spirit world’ or things like that, however I

wasn’t able to track it’s precise origin, so it might be a reference to something.Sora, Shiro and everyone in the venue had their eyes and breaths taken away by the ringing inside the

venue and what appeared after it… as if time had stopped, everyone fell quiet.

── What appeared was a girl who was like a narcissus flower.

The dress she wore was a multi-layered formal dress that looked like a white rose. It also had a veil, and

peeking out from it was… an iris colored flower. She had a reverent face that seemed to be handcrafted.

She was walking to the tone of a music box, it was──

Well… how should I put it. For some reason, Emiline was wearing a wedding dress.

But anyways, she comfortably stood by Sora’s side as she mesmerized the audience, and embarrassed

Sora and Shiro.

Emiline made a very deep bow, and the very first thing she said was:

“Self-introduction: This unit is Emiline. I am Master’s ── Sora-sama’s wife.”

…………

. Pardon me?50

She transformed the mellow silence at the venue into a bewildered silence, and then said the second thing

she said was:

“Apology: Master used this farce to cheat on me, I’m sorry you all had to play along.”

……

………..

What the f*ck51?

When they were told that this was all a farce, the whole venue and everyone in the audience froze.

They froze, but they still ground their teeth.

Because of his self-proclaimed wife, Sora automatically became a husband, so the audience’s gazes

transferred to him. Their eyes said that they wanted to stab him, and also asked but a single question:

‘What the hell is this?’

However, Sora simply cried and answered in his head: ‘I

’m sorry, but I have no idea.’

Her alleged husband was still about to lose consciousness, even as he held Shiro’s hand, but Emiline paid

him no mind.

She projected a mysterious video on the back of the stage, then took out some sort of letter, and began to

read it out loud dispassionately.

“Recitation: The beginning was sudden. Master lost consciousness due to our dramatic meeting. This unit

was surprised.”

── Aah it had certainly been sudden. Too sudden, some might say.

50 This was in hiragenglish.

51 This one too, including the censor.Suddenly, my cell phone rang for some reason, and then they tore down the castle…… Such a beginning

was completely unheard of.

However, when I lost consciousness due to Einzig’s whisperings of love, it definitely wasn’t because it

had been dramatic ── it was because it had been shocking.

…… Sora rambled…… and thought. Even as he was about to lose consciousness, like he was drifting into

a dream.

He ignored Emiline’s long, long recitation and instead he focused on the video playing behind her. He felt

like it resembled something

──

── It looks like the video is… footage from when Sora revived after passing out.

It was cut to make it seem like Sora and Emiline were staring into each other’s eyes ── and Shiro was

almost out of frame.

It continued with a video of the time when Sora abbreviated Emiline’s name. Using a variety of different

effects, the video made them look like a pair of lovers joking with each other ── and Shiro was almost

out of frame.

Next was… the time when Sora gave them his tablet. It was when Sora confirmed that she wasn’t

conductive… wasn’t it? It had been embellished with even more effects. It definitely looked like they

were two lovers holding hands.

Anyhow, needless to say ── Shiro was almost out of frame, and what’s more, she looked like she was

spacing out.

Now, about the letter. What it had to say about that event was:

“Recitation: Then, Master took this unit’s ring finger and swore eternal love. This unit accepted.”

She kept talking about more and more things that Sora had no memory of doing ──

“Recitation: Here, we become husband and wife. Report. I’m convinced this unit is currently as happy as

she can be.”

── Sora received a report: It looks like they had finally become husband and wife.

However, only the husband, Sora… was finally beginning to understand what was happening little by

little.

I see. This is just like

editing a trailer to scam you into seeing a terrible movie that doesn’t look anything

like it.

Sora kept getting the feeling that this video resembled something

and now he finally realized what it was.

It was a type of video you stumbled upon every once in a while on video sharing sites. Videos that, for

some reason, were always public. The end result of a normie’s life.That’s right. They were videos containing information about married couples that Sora didn’t care about

from the bottom of his heart… Engagement videos52.

That, together with Emiline’s letter and wedding dress finally makes clear what was happening.

“Recitation: Father, Mother… well, I don’t have those but”

However, the problem was why it was happening ──

“Declaration: This unit ── is happy…”

And so, Emiline was overcome with emotion as she finished her letter.

The, the venue was enveloped in an impenetrable silence, so Sora had to muster the most courage he had

in his entire life:

“Hey… shouldn’t the wedding ceremony happen before the reception?… well, not that I’d know” Sora

asked.

He hadn’t been informed that he was married, or that he had a girlfriend, or that he had invited his non

existent friends to his wedding.

What he knew was ── that this was probably a wedding reception. However he still didn’t know why it

had started so suddenly but the answer to that was:

“……? Unclear: The ceremony has already been completed.”

However, Emiline tilted her head and answered with a puzzled look on her face.

── The video had already gone past an editing scam and had entered the realm of forgery.

It was a video showing Sora and Emiline exchanging rings on some place Sora had never seen before.

Shiro wasn’t just almost out of frame anymore, she was already completely out of frame. The video was

completely different from what he remembered, however.

“Understanding: This way of winning is my last resort. This unit wasn’t up to Master’s challenge.”

She was regretful, but even so. Emiline fluttered her dress and turned around with ──

“Decision: But with this move, Master loses. This unit wins

.”

A smile and a declaration of victory but ──

It had taken him too long. Sora was mad that he had been so slow to notice, so he screamed in his mind:

I fucked up ── I got confused because of the incomprehensible situation before me, so I just stood there

with a stupid face, and what did I do!?

There’s no way Ex-Machina in general, and Emiline too, were just doing meaningless stuff right!?

Sora’s exhaustion was no more. He was fiercely trying to think of something but ignoring him:

52 In the original it’s a category of videos that doesn’t really exist in english youtube. Videos about a couple’s

romance from start to marriage.“Premise: Prove that Master and the Spieler are the same person, and the Ex-Machina win,” Emiline said

in a deadpan tone. And she just kept smiling as she did.

…… Aah…… That’s right.

More precisely, if the Ex-Machina are able to disproof Sora’s proof they win… but, conversely! Even if

they didn’t disprove it ── if the Ex-Machina gave Sora irrefutable evidence it’s the same thing!!

It was

supposedly impossible… But did it really exist? Did that video sequence just now have that proof!?

Sora shuddered, and Emiline presented her definitive proof with a small smile────

“Truth: Master chose this unit as his wife. You chose to reproduce with me.”

………..

……Wha….t……

────What… did she just saaaaaay!?

“Ratification: Reproducing is only possible with the Spieler. Master taking this unit as his wife is

equivalent to him admitting that he is the Spieler. You made yourself to be the Spieler by definition.

Disproving this is impossible ── That’s all WZBW53”

Emiline finished talking, adding a single word at the end. Sora was dumbfounded.

“Refutation: ── Gotcha”

That’s… exactly right.

If Sora chose Emline as his wife, then it was the same as admitting it himself

. Disproving that is

impossible!!

── Why did I overlook such a thing? No, I know! That’s because──!!!!

………… I, eh? When did I choose Emiline as my wife?

Wait a minute… before that, did I ever have a girlfriend?

Of course I overlooked this. I have no memory of the biggest premise in her argument……!?

“Sentiment: This unit could have won at any time.”

However, when Emiline continued with total confidence, Sora actually began to doubt his own memories.

“Analysis: Master’s demand was to unlock our reproduction mechanisms so we can reproduce on our

own. He didn’t specify who we would reproduce with. Therefore, Master doesn’t want to ‘choose a single

unit and make babies with it’, he desires to make babies with every unit

. As expected of Master.”

── Eh?… No, she’s wrong… she’s wrong right…?

“Admiration: Endless sexual desire. Insatiable sexual curiosity. I like those qualities of Master too.”

53 German version of QED. Yes that was in the original.Sora wanted to confirm his memories with Shiro, but maybe she still hasn’t recovered from the shock?

Since his little sister was still petrified, Sora couldn’t decide if it was a misunderstanding, so Emiline

continued with her explanation:

“Apology: This unit had to do her best to prove that she was worthy of being Master’s wife, and if not I’d

have to accept your lovers

. But this unit failed to clear that test. I’m sorry. However, this unit will put in

the effort of 12 units. I’ll do my best,” Emiline suddenly said, as she lowered her head. On top of the

stage. In front of the audience.

“Declaration: The Ex-Machina win; therefore it’s time for our reward: ‘You’ll immediately reproduce

with the unit who proved it.’ Bridal dress p

lay

is more rewarding in the waiting room before the wedding.

However, I want to relive our first ni──”

“Wait wait wait!? A- at least let me confirm my memories?!”

Emiline was on top of Sora, telling him to have their first night together right then and there, so Sora

finally screamed in protest.

“Counterargument: Master demanded s

even thousand

kids. This is an urgent matter. Both my clothes

54

and my way of undressing are according to your pref──”

“I didn’t say that right!? If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that I never said that!!”

Let’s make the biggest assumption in the universe and say that Sora lost his memories. Even then, Sora

was absolutely certain that there was no way he demanded such an amount, so he took Shiro’s hand and

ran away.

54 There’s a play on kanjis here. She’s calling him ‘子主人様’ instead of ご主人様. They sound almost the same but

the first one has the kanji for child in there as a joke, to imply that according to Emiline he really wants children.