And... on top of square 308.

There was a little girl with several cute little birds perched on her head and shoulders. Her tail was swaying gently, the birds’ chirps echoed... it was a very peaceful image, however:

“..... Finally, desu”

The same 72 hour limit had pa.s.sed, and with the 【Task Failure】 Izuna now had only one dice. As her body shrunk even more, she captured the birds in an instant, and made a drooling announcement:

── “You guys are today’s dinner”......

“Munch munch... p.i.s.ses me off, desu... nothing beats eating and then going to sleep, desu”

So, with a face saying that she was in a very bad mood, Izuna stuffs her cheeks with the food she just caught.

The Old Deus that had been standing around all high and mighty, was no longer there. Just before she left, she made a complicated face again for some reason, and that was bothering her, but─

.........................

“..... I can’t climb anymore anyways, desu! In that case I won’t endure this anymore, desu!”

Only the birds heard her complaints. Izuna opens her bag and takes out some food. In any case, she has only 1 dice remaining... She cannot advance anymore. And what’s more, if she reaches the goal the Old Deus will die, that means it was already “Checkmate” anyways. Then, as if to clear away her acc.u.mulated anger, she fiercely consumes her food... Frankly speaking, she was just stress eating.

Izuna, as expected, doesn’t understand these troublesome things. The reason why these 【Tasks】were lined up, the reason why it was possible to reach the goal by choosing a sacrifice. Even if she ignored this and reached the goal, there was also the fact that the Old Deus would die then.

Izuna, as expected, doesn’t know what she should do, but:

“Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, they know for sure, desu! Desuu! Desuuuuuu!!”

Izuna loudly screamed while laying on the ground. On one hand she was happy, but on the other she was extremely frustrated.

── “Izuna will not lose, desu...?” When she tried to confirm that, those two had answered:

── “Don’t think we will let you win”, “We will be the ones to win”

‘Since it’s fine if anyone wins, we will win’ that’s not what they meant. Even if Izuna tried to win, she probably could not win. It seemed like it was impossible to win without sacrificing someone.

──Except for Sora and s.h.i.+ro.

They will reach the goal without making a single sacrifice, and without letting anyone die. Jibril was no exception either, those two walked on a tightrope and might have lost their lives for her after all. They knew the way to win this game, and Izuna didn’t.

“.............................. p.i.s.ses me off, desu”

She will say it once more. After all, it should be like that. In short:

“Isn’t everything going according to their plan? Desu♪”

It p.i.s.ses her off, but now she thinks it is much more fun. Izuna laughs and thinks:

── ‘For some odd reason, losing to Sora and s.h.i.+ro doesn’t put me in a bad mood. That must be because everything will come to an end without anyone dying, and without any sadness.’

It’s an unexpected answer, but that might just be it. After all, this world is just a game.

“Argh! In that case, Izuna should have had a match with Sora and s.h.i.+ro too, desu!”

.... It was a waste of time. A complete waste of time.

“Phew, I’m full, desu. Time to sleep! Desu!”

She had lost. Now after stress eating, it was time to sulk in bed.

As soon as she says that, she embraces her tail and enters a perfect sleeping position──

“........?”

When she was about to fall asleep, Izuna suddenly notices something. The reason why Sora and s.h.i.+ro resemble Riku and Shuvi only a little bit. Sora deceives other people, but Riku deceived himself.

Trying to win while deceiving even himself. If that was Riku’s strength, if that strength becomes a cause of defeat, just like when Jibril wanted to self-destruct, then maybe that was the reason why it ended in a tie.

── Telling a lie that should absolutely never be told..... Was a “Failure” then.

“........... yes ..... Sora and s.h.i.+ro, smell good, desu”

At least don’t lie to yourself, you liar.

Izuna remembers that smell and smiles, then she starts to lose consciousness, rea.s.sured.

── “What do you believe in” ──?

Izuna drowsily thinks: Before she ended up in this game, what would she have been her answer?

The two from the past couldn’t reach the end of the established tactic.

── Ending the game with everyone laughing... An ending from which they can begin anew.

The answer is.... for sure....

Meanwhile, on square 297, almost at the same time.

Sora and s.h.i.+ro asked Jibril to “First, hand over 2 dice, then, transfer all your dice to us except for one.” almost like it was an order. Thus, they had 11 dice in total. They threw them for the sixth time.

After advancing one square, and with a refres.h.i.+ng wind caressing their bodies, Sora and s.h.i.+ro say:

“...... Nii..... is it fine........ if s.h.i.+ro reaches the goal?”

“Aah... I just want to lie down like this, right here, and get comfortable...”

── With an expression that seemed to say that he had been reduced to ashes and spread to the winds. With a really good smile. As if he was welcoming the end to this life.

──They had advanced just one square after clearing Jibril’s grand game.

With a loading screen in the way, those two look up towards the heavens, and finally remember. That Jibril’s game was just a mere【Task】.

They had finished only a “Game within a game”, and then gallantly departed. Just what did they think they had accomplished? With that, they fall prostrate on the ground, smiling, and despair.

From here on out, the survival game would restart again. That was the harsh truth. They had conveniently misplaced their thoughts due to a lapse in memory, but it was about time they found them again.

“...... You actually forgot.......”

Sora and s.h.i.+ro could not withstand Steph’s gaze. As she looked down on them, they averted their eyes and answered:

“Aah.... to be perfectly honest, I thought we were already going to go home with that...”

“... s.h.i.+ro.... even though as far ahead.... as getting inside the futon...”

──With no sleep, nor rest; without eating, nor drinking. A game where a single misstep would cost them their lives.

What’s more, they had to keep their tension and concentration at their utmost limits with a child’s body. For 72 hours. Anyone would be worn down both mentally and physically. But worse than that the two of them──

──lost.

That’s right, this was immediately after Blank suffered its first loss. They were acting tough, but they didn’t even have the willpower to stamp their feet in frustration, they felt like not doing anything for one whole week. More importantly, they had a.s.sumed they’d be able to go back home and sulk in their beds until they regained their footing, and then review what happened. Sora and s.h.i.+ro had already finished their meeting silently, but what now?

── Their current number of dice was: Sora had three. s.h.i.+ro and Steph had two each. ──They got an eleven. Their destination was still a distant 100 kms away.

Their food had run out, they still had no transportation method, it seemed like they were back to the wilderness once more.

Forget about survival, with how much willpower they lost from that defeat, their willpower to even move was running out.

“─I’m hungry... actually, when was the last time we ate...?”

“... s.h.i.+ro, is tired.... When was the last time... I slept...”

“Ah, a, hmm ─ ah! Th-this! Is this ekki herb!?”

She said so with a hoa.r.s.e voice, like a whisper. Did she realize that at this rate they were really going to die?

Even if it was for only 4 hours, she had slept by herself. Was this because she was feeling guilty? Steph brought the mysterious herb over but──

“.... herb?... at least... bring something with protein or carbohydrates...”

“.... s.h.i.+ro... wants... something like phenylalanine or tryptophan... also lysine, and glucose...”

── In short, they were telling her to bring essential amino acids, something like meat, fish or rice. They demanded life while their eyes were darkening like those of a suffocating fish.

“E-eating meat now will have the opposite effect!! I will boil it, so drink it please!”

As soon as she said that, Steph started looking for something to start a fire──

“After all, it’s a medicinal herb that restores stamina! After that, well, it’s only a little, but there might be some smoked meat─”

Remaining. She was in the middle of rummaging through her bag, but.

She suddenly stops moving, looks at her surroundings, and whispers:

“.... ? Since there is so much ekki herb growing around here, does that mean we aren’t near Elkia?”

Because of that whisper, s.h.i.+ro takes out the tablet with a shaky hand, and looks at the Old Deus’ “Sugoroku Board”. In other words, she opens the map of the land above, and:

“....Nii.... in two squares... we can plunder.... The streets of El Roble....”

s.h.i.+ro said with a gaze that said she had recovered a little bit of hope. Sora thinks about the city of El Roble.

Formerly part of the Eastern Federation, and now Elkia’s territory, it was the entry port for land commerce. It was a trade city. Certainly, it it was there, there might be some─

“.... There might be some satisfactory horse carriages, and food, but... Even so it’s still 20 km away....”

When he said that, Sora and s.h.i.+ro gathered the last of their willpower and stood up. They were taking uncertain steps like those of a newborn gazelle, but even so:

“L-let’s have positive thoughts! There might only be 20 km remaining, for example!”

“..... I hope.... This, is.... The last stand...”

Even now she felt that if they lost focus their spirits would break, so she was trying to encourage them ─ no. They were already broken, their spirits had patches all over and had somehow managed to keep their shape. To those two people, Steph says:

“.... The last? Actually forget about that, do you have a minute?”

As Steph said that dubiously, Sora had a flash of inspiration. It was a flash that made his neurons catch on fire in more than one way. And because of it, he screamed.

That inspiration was──!

“Eeeh!? You want me to hold 5 dice and carry the two of you!?”

──That ‘We don’t actually need to walk’!

“...... A G.o.ddess..... There was... a G.o.ddess... Nii”

“Haaah!? Even with 5 dice, I would be just 9 years old, wait, listen to me!”

Precisely. Even if they had only one dice each, Sora and s.h.i.+ro would be 1.8 and 1.1 years old respectively. Having the 9 year old Steph carry them might be unreasonable.

But what kind of person gives up without trying first!?

It was no use arguing about it, they handed over their dice, and started to climb on Steph’s back. Steph tries to shake them off, and screams:

“Sh-s.h.i.+ro! You had a... ‘Ritual’ was it? You used it, right!?”

── A ritual. Manipulating the outcome of the dice, in other words, an “RNG manipulation”.

On the sixth move, after adjusting the dice one by one, s.h.i.+ro takes three out of the eleven they had. On the first three throws, she got “1” “1” “1” and then whispered: “Random number a.n.a.lysis complete”.

After that she got “1” on all the remaining dice. She got only ones, just like she wanted, but:

“Why did you get only ones...?”

If she could get any outcome she wanted on the eleven dice, then why? Why didn’t they get the largest possible outcome that would allow them to reach the goal in one go, but the lowest one instead?

That’s what Steph was asking, but Sora and s.h.i.+ro just look at her blankly.

“... Eh? That was, just.... Because, we, must not, get that?”

“In other words... we manipulated the RNG so that we wouldn’t reach the goal by mistake....?”

Sora and s.h.i.+ro answered as if it was something obvious, and Steph was just dumbfounded, but:

“Well, let’s leave it at that! Now, let’s play rock-paper-scissors!”

He smoothly ignored Steph just like that, and went back to the previous matter, the most important matter── they bring up the matter of “Not wanting to walk” once more.

“The loser will have to look after 5 dice until “Square 307”! And walk carrying the two winners without sleep nor rest! All right! 【Aschente】!”

“... Let’s do it～....【Aschente】!”

“Ah okay～♥ 【Aschen── as if!? I’d die you know!?”

──And so, Steph did her usual routine of going along with it and then pointing out how ridiculous they were with a scream.

After 10 squares, after 100km, even without carrying anything if an adult walked that with no sleep nor rest they’d die.

“What’s more, it’s already predetermined that you’ll make me carry you!? There’s no way I’d ever do it!?”

That’s right, and even worse, when she dared to try and visualize sound effects, the background was completely filled with “Mwahahas” from Sora and s.h.i.+ro’s faces.

──There is no way they aren’t plotting something. It was a smile that made even Steph confirm her misgivings.

She decided that they were just messing around with her. Steph sighs, and says:

“Haaa.... So you still have enough stamina to make jokes... more importantly, about the results of the dice throw──”

However,

“A joke? What are you talking about──?

──Suddenly, Sora’s voice blew away the joking mood.

Even though it was a small child’s voice, it seemed to be looming over even the 9 years old Steph. With a gaze, and a voice that seemed to reververate from the bottom of the earth, he continues and freezes Steph in her tracks:

“We are going to lose on purpose the game against the Old Deus. Is that alright with you?”

“... Wha.....t.....?”

“At best one person will die, at worst, all partic.i.p.ants. If you don’t want that, I’ll say it one more time”

And with that, Sora changed the mood. No, he changed everything. As Steph stood there dumbfounded, he presses her for an answer and “Checkmates” her:

“──We will play rock-paper-scissors. Accept. If you refuse someone will die.”

He made that proclamation in order form, without giving her any room nor time to think. Whatever they were planning, they wouldn’t give her any time to prepare countermeasures, no right to choose, and not even a right to refuse. They wouldn’t give her a single thing. That’s what Sora was saying, and now, as if to mock her, he adds:

“Don’t worry. In the unlikely event that you win, either I or s.h.i.+ro will die. So we are even♪”

It became dead silent. Steph could only tremble, but Sora waited for her in silence.

“I don’t... understand... there is absolutely no need to do that!?”

──That’s right, there is no meaning to playing this game, so of course Staph screamed. It’s just like playing russian roulette without any prize. It’s just a game where someone will die. If staying alive was the prize, then it’s a game that you shouldn’t even play in the first place.

So that’s why──

“That’s right! There is absolutely no need to play it. So～ I won’t♪”

Sora claps his hands, and the mood from before vanished like it was a lie ── no, it was actually a lie. In any case, he takes off his devil face, he was a child that had broken into a smile, correction,

“...................”

He was just a s.h.i.+tty brat that you’d want to hit if possible. As if he was running away from Steph’s half-lidded gaze, and with a little bit of cold sweat, he continues:

“W-well! However!! If we were to do this, then you’d have no right to refuse... right?”

“.... eeeh..... Well.... haaaaaaaaaa.....”

Steph still had half-lidded eyes, but since it was a joke as expected, she let out a breath of relief.

── ‘I’m sorry, but’ Sora thinks, and destroys that rea.s.surance with his following words:

“Someone got the Old Deus with this. How about we say it was Miko-san, for example ”

──That’s right. If that wasn’t the case, it didn’t make sense ── In short:

“There is no mistake. The Old Deus is only playing this game because she was threatened into it.”

── Up to this point the explanation is good enough. But it doesn’t hold out further than this.

First, because this isn’t a game that the Old Deus will certainly win. Also, there were various rules that unnaturally showed Sora’s group’s intentions. There is also the fact that a G.o.d, of all people, bet everything against inferior lifeforms (Sora’s group).

Well, there was the partic.i.p.ant’s everything: Sora and s.h.i.+ro, Plum, Jibril, Miko, Ino, and Izuna. By going all in, they were able to make some demands, but even so.

──That explained everything, except for one thing.

“Well then, if you don’t want to die, or maybe, if you don’t want to let someone die, accept the game.”

Let’s say the game started with that threat. Sora and s.h.i.+ro smile sarcastically.

“If the side that was threatened, in other words, the Old Deus were to lose... what would normally happen?”

Sora asked, but there was no need to answer, Steph just stays quiet. Yes, there is no need to answer. Thinking normally ── they’d die, right? And that’s a problem. In other words:

“The problem is: Why are we playing this game when there is absolutely no need to do so?”

Why did they force the Old Deus into a game of russian roulette with no prize? And what’s more, Sora’s group doesn’t have any intention to sacrifice anyone, however.

: The Old Deus in question accepts the obligation to fulfill all demands within the scope of her rights that the “Winner” makes.

── That means that the “Winner” can make any demand.

But, how far does the scope of rights of the Old Deus fulfilling them go? The game started by threatening the Old Deus, whether a demand like “Don’t die” would go through or not is unclear. Furthermore, say they were somehow able to obtain the power of a G.o.d, what would they even do with it? If there is a sacrifice, then it is already a loss anyway. In the first place, who even desired that power?

“That’s right. We don’t know why the Old Deus accepted this game, furthermore”

Sora sits somewhere cross-legged, and says:

“── we also don’t know what we wanted to demand.”

Since their memories from before the game were levied, they didn’t have what was needed to figure that out.

Except for the only one whose memories weren’t levied, the “Traitor”.

── But, well... Sora and s.h.i.+ro exchange looks:

“We don’t have any intention of sacrificing anyone, then, what do you think we concluded was the correct course of action?”

Even without memories, that was easy to infer. Sora and s.h.i.+ro smile:

── If thinking normally they’d die, then they just needed to not think normally. That was all.

“── In short, we musn’t win normally, we musn’t reach the goal that’s all♪”

They were deliberately vague about an essential part again. Steph doesn’t like it, and becomes sullen.

“Well, 10 squares was just a joke. Let’s play rock-paper-scissors to see which one of us will carry s.h.i.+ro for just two squares.”

And so, Sora looks at s.h.i.+ro, who was the most exhausted, lifts his hand together with Steph, and says:

──【Aschente】

── And thus, like it was completely natural.

“Well, with this you understood the reason why the ‘Prisoner’s Dilemma’ doesn’t hold true, right?”

Like a person’s breathing. Like a river flowing, like the wind blowing. Like it was the natural order of things, very naturally, Steph lost at rock-paper-scissors, and was carrying s.h.i.+ro, and─

“The reason why you screwed me over!? I, don’t, understand, at, all....!!”

She was carrying s.h.i.+ro, and she was also forced to carry Sora in accordance to the pledges. She was now walking through the gra.s.slands..... Well, they omitted the ‘No rest’ part, so it should be fine. In any case─

“When I told you to play rock-paper-scissors with me the first time, you thought we were plotting something for sure, right?”

“Eeeh! So that’s why I was careless the second time! Haaah.....”

“s.h.i.+ro and I plotted something. You saw through that and refused to play rock-paper-scissors... Everyone has an ulterior motive.”

That’s right, everyone has an ulterior motive, an intention, an objective. Naturally.

“Then the Old Deus── the “Detective” must have one too... right?”

Sora said, and thinks back on the statement of the prisoner’s dilemma once more.

──A detective offers prisoners A, and B a plea bargain,

【1】If they both stayed quiet, then both would serve two years.

【2】If only one confessed, the one who confessed would be released, and the one who kept silent would serve 10 years.

【3】However, if both of them confessed, then both would serve five years.

If the prisoners believed in each other, and stayed quiet, they would get a better result: Just two years in prison. But, if the prisoners only seeked their own benefit, then they would serve 5 years for sure. If only one of them betrayed the other and confessed, the traitor would be released, while the one who stayed quiet would serve 10 years.

In that case, remaining silent isn’t actually the best choice. There is no choice but to bet on the possibility that the other party will remain silent and confess. Because if you do that─

You avoid the worst outcome of serving ten years, and if you’re lucky you get released.

── That was it.

Well, this is what is known throughout the world as the ‘Prisoner’s dilemma’ but....

To make this statement an actual ‘Dilemma’ there shouldn’t be a ‘Detective’.

── Since the ‘Detective’ also has ulterior motives, then it is not a dilemma──

“That is simply a game between players: the ‘Prisoners’ and the ‘Detective’.”

Sora makes a sardonic smile. For example, in this statement:

“Why is the ‘Detective’ offering that plea bargain in the first place? ─or something like that♪”

── According to the prisoner’s dilemma, it seems that the only choice is for everyone to confess. Then, why does the other bad choice has the bait of ‘getting released’ attached to it? No─ ‘Why does he want to make them confess so badly that he is doing all that?’ That’s right, if you read through the detective’s ulterior motives, then it is possible to see a flaw in this statement──

“The detective has no intention of releasing anyone... He wants to make everyone confess and put them behind bars.”

── If they were able to read through that, then there is no need for them to stick up for each other. The necessity of a previous meeting, or even the memory of a previous meeting, if you like, are unneeded. They nonchalantly revealed the detective’s desperation and ulterior motives.

That’s right, if they didn’t confess, the one who would be troubled is the detective. It is precisely because they each look for their own benefit and betray each other that they arrive at a victory in which they cooperate with each other.

“It is a common cliche in the dramas of our previous world, but whenever they used the prisoner’s dilemma─”

The cliche was that when it seemed that they were about to commit another big crime, they’d make a suspect that was already caught confess, and stop it before it happened─

“The one who is cornered is the ‘Detective’... The ‘Prisoners’ are the ones who have the initiative.”

That’s the thing: It’s used when the only way to win is to make the prisoners self-destruct.

“This game ─ the prisoner’s dilemma, is just an impracticable theory that pretends to be good. In order to clear it properly, you need to not have a single doubt that everyone is absolutely going to betray. That confidence is the key.”

That’s right, if they weren’t betrayed he would be troubled. Sora chuckles. Right about now Plum, and Kurami especially, must be so angry that they’re about to have an aneurysm. From Steph’s back, Sora makes a smile full of sarcasm, and finishes:

“In short, if we believe in each other, we can win this game♪ It is a super wholesome game, right!?”

But when Steph heard those words, she stopped walking abruptly.

“...... W-well, in that case, I have some bad news...”

Steph makes a grinding sound, like unoiled hinges as she turns around, and screams:

“I-I haven’t made any special preparations to betray you!? Uhm! I-is it fine if I just start asking myself if it’s alright to betray you!?”

Steph appears to be uneasy since they might lose because of her, but Sora and s.h.i.+ro just smile bitterly:

“We didn’t believe in Steph since the very beginning... In this game, you’re just an extremely heavy piece of luggage♪”

“.... Steph, is a girl, who can’t betray.... that means, here... she’s super useless.”

“....................... In this particular case, should I be glad? Or depressed?”

At Steph’s complicated expression and wide eyes; Sora and s.h.i.+ro share a look and smile bitterly.

── Steph won’t betray. Normally, she would be the one they could trust the most.

Ironically, in this game she became the most untrustworthy of all.

“However, you believe”

──Suddenly, an ominous voice resounds from her back, and Steph turns around. Sure enough, Sora and s.h.i.+ro were there with smiles like those in a noh mask, however:

“We cannot believe in anyone that has been called a Steph even once. But─”

“..... You..... can believe..... so..... there’s no, problem...”

There are three rules that were established only because of the Old Deus. Sora and s.h.i.+ro think about the third of those rules, and make a splendid smile.

They stare at that, and draw a conclusion.

“You will betray. You will betray for sure. According to the rules, for sure ... we are looking forward to it♪”