Chapter three ── Incorrect answer

──Somewhere in the Eastern Federation’s capital, Kannagiri Island.

c.h.i.n.kai Tandaifu. It’s a 50 floor tall high rise building with 10 underground floors on top of that, and an extra floor that the public doesn’t know about: underground floor eleven. That large underground hall is an Eastern Federation national secret. A “Trump Card” game to be used against the other races. It was supposed to be an underground hall where the cabinets for the total immersion videogames were installed. A dark underground hall, full with equipment, but right now──

“Hmm? I knew you were a weakling, but this is way below my expectations.♥”

He said, and danced playfully, she was getting dominated by one Dhampir. Day and night, heaven and earth, here and there, were all cobbled up together. They were inside that broken scenery.

Even though he was a boy Plum had a bewitching smile:

“Ah... Am I just too strong? Ehehe, excuse me”

His heels click clacked every time he took a step, and the broken scenery kept transforming endlessly,

“── I hear a mosquito flying around～... it’s really grating you know～”

There were also the one facing off against him. The killing intent in Fiel’s smile increased.

When the scenery changed, it changed together with the flow of spirits. Everything changed. That’s right, the magic thar Fiel had weaved, and the spirits compiling the magic, had vanished like mist.

It was just like ─ no, it was exactly like this:

── Like knitting with thread that didn’t exist in the first place. As if it was making fun of Fiel.

“Would you just shut up already～!!”

Fiel screamed angrily, and the soul stone in her forehead s.h.i.+ned. At the same time, the light drew geometric patterns along Fiel’s body, and expanded outside her body, advancing against the very s.p.a.ce they were in. Then, the scenery, the s.p.a.ce, and the spirits that were disguised by Plum’s magic broke with it, and they returned to the hall with the rows of machines.

──The quad spell: “Instant cast”.

It is equivalent to omitting the casting, instant magic. While doing something that even the highest ranked elf spellcasters found incredibly difficult, Fiel also broke the spirit disguise. That’s because she also used a dual spell: “Front runner” with the abridged incantation.

── “Front runner” was, in short, a countermeasure spell.

It was a spell to hack the video game systems of the Eastern Federation. By activating that single spell just once, the whole virtual s.p.a.ce would change according to her thoughts. In the battle against Hatsuse Ino, Kurami’s victory is a.s.sured. For Fiel Nirvallen, a hexa caster, and one of the elves’ best spellcasters, this was her full powered parallel casting. Even though it was an extremely complicated spell, it was completed in a matter of seconds, that was─

“Ah, could it be!? Are you going easy on me!?”

“─ Wha....!?”

But those few seconds were deceived into an eternity by him. After hearing his laughing voice, Fiel’s thoughts went blank. Even though the scenery had just changed back to the underground hall, it changed into something very different: the skies. And as they were falling down:

“I thank you for your kindness. But, please go ahead and try your best without reservations♪”

Plum was happily flapping his tiny wings as he fell together with her. When she sees this, Fiel gasps in surprise.

── ‘There is no way’

Did he recast and expand the spatial disguise that was broken by Fiel with a speed superior to hers?

‘Surpa.s.sing the elves in casting speed shouldn’t be ── wait, it couldn’t be’ As if he had been waiting for her to think that:

“Did you fiiiinally notice? Your memory is also pretty bad huh? As expected♥”

A voice whispered that, but it didn’t come from the Dhampir in front of her─

“Try and remember!! I’m sure I told you this!!”

Fiel touches upon the words that he said himself, and finally understands. With a pop the scenery is broken again.

“Let’s believe that you’ll be able to use a single spell against me!!”

Plum said. She didn’t know where she was again, they were in the cobbled up s.p.a.ce again.

“It will be worth it just to see what kind of face you make when you wake up from the dream where you were able to use it.── That was it, right?”

He was relaxing on a sofa and drinking black tea. Seeing that, Fiel’s fist trembled with rage.

“How many spells did you use? The answer, by the way, is zero hahaha♥”

── She was put under the impression that she used magic ever since “Instant cast”.

Plum making Fiel angry was just like someone taking jackstones from a child’s game again and again,

“Ah, Ino-sama～? I will soon send you additional information on the target!”

Inside that virtual s.p.a.ce ─ inside that crazy scenery, on the only functioning screen:

“Understood Plum-dono! You just relax and leave it to me!!”

“Wait a second. Fii!? These guys are just brazenly talking about interfering with the game!?”

Inside the game, Kurami screamed when she heard Plum trying to leak information to her opponent, Ino.

“.... I can’t cast a spell to confirm that he is interfering～...”

“Hahaha, that’s so saaad. Your futile efforts bring me to tears. ♪”

────............

── Outside the game, Plum and Fiel were having an abnormal magical battle.

Inside the game, Ino and Kurami, were having a physical battle that was also abnormal, in a way.

── With the sound of two different voices saying “Die Sora!” and “Get crushed, d.a.m.n monkey!”, NPCs made with Sora’s appearance, were sent flying through the air one after another. Observing that battle were──

“Hey, What do you think you are doing to my darling!? Why did it become like this!?”

Asked Leila, the Seiren queen, from her water tank. She was making a fuss because she was angry.

There was a red haired girl whose smile froze when she heard that question that was:

── Stephanie Dola.

To answer the question of how it became like this, she thinks back to seven hours ago... and smiles in her mind.

While Kannagiri Island’s lights kept flickering because of the reverberating shocks that came from the Old Deus’ sugoroku board.

Leila appeared from a heavy looking backpack with some water. But the one everyone was looking intently at with dumbfounded eyes was─

Not her, but the one who carried her... or rather, the one that was carrying her. The one who carried the heavy looking backpack with Leila and some water stuffed inside.

She was supposed to be inside the Old Deus’ game even now─

“Huff... puff.... The Eastern Federation... relies too much... on the power of... infrastructure... “

It was a red-haired Immanity girl that fell to the floor, exhausted, it was,

“── S-Stephanie-dono, why are you here!?” Ino cannot help but howl that.

“Whwhat!? I brought Leilsan and a note, what else!?” Steph thought that she was being blamed, so she answered with a frightened scream.

“a note, you say?”

“Ehm, yes... From the kings of Elkia... or perhaps I should say, Sora and s.h.i.+─hya!”

“That’s right! Darling!! Or rather are you just going to ignore me!? The only one who can do neglect play with me is my beloved darling... h-huh, my chest... hurts...”

Leila interrupted Steph flopping like a fish out of water. She was causing a commotion with the hits of her tail. But as their furious tempo was rapidly weakening, she made a nice smile.

“......... wh..... This.... Is weird...?”

“Aaaaah it’s over there! There is no water, so you are dying!!”

When she jumped out of the backpack, the water spilled; and the Seirens can only live inside water.

Right now she was ascending to heaven, she was pa.s.sing on with tranquility. When Plum sees this, he raises a scream──

── And, instantly.

“Wh-what do you think will happen to the Dhampir if we let the Queen die!?”

With nothing in between, omitting the process, he put Leila inside a water tank, and screamed, almost crying. The Dhampir in spirit form could use as much magic as he wanted, and he still became this tired. The only one who understood what happened was Fiel. Her conjecture is that Plum used “Time disguise” to stop time, then he desperately looked for a water tank and carried it over. She had a penetrating cold gaze, however. However, as if he didn’t know ── no. As if he didn’t care about that, Ino screams with confusion:

“S-Stephanie-dono is supposed to be over there, inside the Old Deus’ game!?”

── In that case, just who is that, or perhaps this!?

“So you were the ‘impostor’ as I thought. Haaah.... you surprised me...”

‘Im... postor?’ Ino thought, but Plum just continued his explanation.

“Hm, after all, something like ‘a traitor that didn’t lose their memory’ is impossible”

── Impossible. Hearing Plum conclude that, Ino also remembers.

Sora also stingily taught him a lesson about the “Impossible” in the baths:

‘Getting all partic.i.p.ants to agree to let someone keep their memories while everyone else forgets is absolutely impossible... I wouldn’t let them. In that case, it’s simple♪”

b: ── There is one person among the dice holders whose memories weren’t levied, a “traitor”.

A traitor whose memories weren’t levied.....

“If they are memories they didn’t have from start, then they can’t be levied, right♪?”

Plum was saying that the “Impostor” was a fabrication of the Old Deus. When he heard that, Ino thinks:

‘If the Steph that was in there, in the battle against the Old Deus, was an impostor, then why did they ──’

“Well, to begin with... counting Sorsama and s.h.i.+ro-sama as one, there are six players. Since there are only five race pieces, one person shouldn’t have been able to partic.i.p.ate in the first place.”

But when he heard Plum’s continuation, Ino lost his train of thought.

............................Wait a second.

“Since at least one person shouldn’t have been able to partic.i.p.ate, then the traitor must have been one of those... Personally, I thought it was either Stephanie-sama or Izunsama♪”

──Wait. Wait wait wait.!

Just what is Plum saying?

──── The “Race Pieces”?

“..... Wait, just what are you.... I-it can’t be──”

‘Well, calm down.’ Ino tells himself, and asks in a trembling voice:

“are you saying that you can’t partic.i.p.ate in the game against the Old Deus if you don’t bet a race piece?”

‘Please tell me I’m wrong. Tell me I made some kind of mistake.’ He made that futile prayer,

“Eh? Is that wrong? Sora told me that... that’s why I brought the note──”

Steph just blankly tilted her head to the side and answered. When he heard that, Ino became dizzy.

‘.... Ha ha ha...such a thing... again.’

‘No way, no way, there is just no way. This has to be a joke, or if not then a dream’

Ino’s head, or rather, since he was in spirit form he had no head, so he just felt phantom pain. And yet, he persists:

“N-no... wait a second. Even if that’s true there’s still one race piece missing?”

── I see, the partic.i.p.ants were mostly important persons from each race.

“Immanity’s piece” ── Immanity’s designated representative can bet it.

“The Dhampir’s piece” ── The Dhampir’s designated representative can bet it.

“The Flugel’s piece” ── Let’s say for now that a representative of the council of eighteen wings can bet it.

“The Warbeast’s piece” ── The Warbeast’s designated representative, Miko-sama, can bet it.

Let’s also say that either Ino, or maybe Izuna was entrusted with it to partic.i.p.ate.

As for Stephanie, she was indeed an impostor. But even so, it was either Ino or Izuna, not both! Even after counting Sora and s.h.i.+ro as one, and what’s more, excluding Steph! There are still five partic.i.p.ants, and only four race pieces. There is still one piece missing!!

He made a very compelling reality check, but then there was a voice full of bottomless cheer. Normally, that would have been enough to steal Ino’s heart, it was an intoxicating and alluring voice.

“Yes! Since my beloved darling said that he would step on me, I lent him the Seiren’s race piece～♪ He said that I was ‘An important trump card’ Kyaaa♥♥”

But since right now that voice just made him angrier and angrier, he mercilessly cut it off.

“So then, where is my darling!? He said that he would step on me, kick me, and tie me up──”

──── ‘I see’ Ino nods and accepts that reality.

“The Seiren’s piece” ── This foolish designated representative... can bet it.

── And then, the light in Ino’s eyes just died.

And when they turned to look at that Ino... everyone saw him with pitiful eyes.

“.... actually, if the Old Deus were to take something like our lives, what should we do?” Plum said.

“..... No way, you.... Did you really not realize that?” Steph said.

“Kurami～, I feel bad making such unreasonable demands to this poor doggy～ Don’t♪”

When she hears that, Kurami repeats their demands:

“...... ‘Everything and anything that is on the Eastern Federation’s territory.’ Those were our demands right.....?”

That’s right── ‘The Eastern Federation’s whole territory: any and all human and material resources on it.’

“Even if Sora and the others lost, and the Old Deus took the piece, if we become Fii’s possessions... this is insurance, right?”

In other words, if by some chance everyone lost, they’d lose the race pieces of five races. But, if in that worst-case scenario ‘everything on the Eastern Federation’, including human resources, became Fiel’s possession, they’d be able to protect it, since the elves’ race piece wouldn’t be lost.

“.... Well, of course we would prefer to win in retaliation to Sora and the others, however.”

She said that in the unlikely event that they lost, this would be the beginning of a counter-attack, and──

“.... eh, uhm.... Ino-san....?

Plum, Kurami, and Fiel continued, and beside them ──

“You thought that there was no way we had a betting chip valuable enough to get the Old Deus to agree to a game, right?”

He was just silent. That silence was just like Ino’s mental state.

There was another shock that shook heaven and earth, with it, the lights disappeared from Kannagiri, and darkness fell.

‘... even Stephanie-dono managed to amaze me’

With a shock that was difficult to describe, Ino felt like his soul was melting now.

“Well but such a trivial thing does not matter at all, right♥?”

Ino was no longer a fluorescent macho. The strange light that seemed to be able to shorten your lifespan was getting dimmer, but no one paid it any mind.

“Now you should understand that there is a reason why we must steal away the Eastern Federation as soon as possible... whenever these irritating shocks stop ── Wait a second, Fii!? Did you get drunk again!?”

“What? Oh Kurami, you～ your visual acuity is also small～ I’m not drunk♥”

“── ‘also’?! Just what else is small!? Just try and say it: my visual acuity and what else is small!!”

“Eh～? Isn’t it obviously your bust, miss chopping board♪? kyaha☆”

“I will lay you down on a chopping board and fillet you into three slices, you fis.h.!.+ An idiot who would submit their race piece for being stepped on needs more nutrients going to her brain rather than her chest, wait, that’s right, Stephanie Dola!” Kurami screamed with teary eyes. There was no use arguing about Fiel and Leila’s chests, so she turned to the other wealthy person, and glared at her with malice.

“What’s up with you!? Did you come just to show off too!? What, are b.r.e.a.s.t.s really so important!? Is it really so bad to live modestly!?”

Seeing Kurami getting mad at her for no reason, Steph cannot help but scream:

“I keep telling you that I came to deliver this note! Can anyone listen to me!?”

....... But it looks like no one wanted to listen. Steph looks at the ceiling, and sheds a single tear.

── That’s right, no one was listening.

In fact, she couldn’t even afford to listen to Ino.

He was looking out the window, but because of the commotion, his spiritual muscles were getting carbonized, nay ectoplasmized. He is just gazing out the window, at the sky coiled like a snake, and thinks, in a semi-trance.

...... To sum it up, in that game it’s not just the partic.i.p.ant’s lives that are at stake, but also each race’s everything, it could all collapse. That’s what they were saying.

Even though their memories seem to have been erased, everyone had agreed, including Miko-sama, and even Ino himself.

Just why did everyone agree to take such a big risk!?

──Aah... Miko-sama.

Miko-sama surely believed that Sora, no, that everyone would betray for sure, but she also believed that they’d win on top of that. Without making a single sacrifice..... Miko-sama must have believed that, and Ino, in turn, must have believed in her.

But, in the end, they weren’t just killing each other, they were exterminating each other. What did Miko-sama see in those siblings? What were her intentions when she bet the Race Piece? That scenario. The scenario where there are no sacrifices. Just where──

── Ino made that question inside his head, but there was someone who answered.

“................. It’s fine already. I’ll just read the note by myself!!”

It was something no one expected of her, especially after her defeated declaration.

“I will r-read them in the order Sora instructed. These are not my own words, okay!?”

But, it was something that everyone expected of the ones that were making say that.

“Dear gross macho-sama, and all the other idiots gathered here.”

That was the first thing Steph said. No, it was the first thing she was told to say. Just with that, the commotion immediately quieted down, and Ino’s thoughts came back to reality. She was under a rain of piercing glares, but Steph firmly continued:

“The bet will be that if Kurami and Fiel lose, Blank will take everything”

“What? ...... J-just what is this girl saying──”

“What～... even though he didn’t do anything～ he wants to take just the good parts～?”

── The second thing. Kurami heard it with suspicion, and Fiel heard it without sobering up.

The bet with those two would include one of Elven Garde’s provinces, themselves, the counter measure spell, etc. Originally, ‘everything’ was just bait... But the one who used that and cut off their retreat was Plum.

‘There is no way that Plum, who has the initiative in this game would accept this change’ Ino thought.

But, the words that followed stole away that initiative.

“Also, Leila will be added to Kurami and Fiel’s demands, if you please!”

“Of course, I will offer myself up for darling’s sake♥ I will swear by the pledges!!”

“──Wha..... Wha── eeeeeeeeeeeh!?”

──The third thing. When they heard it, Leila had heart-shaped pupils, Plum screamed, and Ino became speechless.

He didn’t care if Ino lost, it was because he was in that position that Plum was able to make such demands. But now, let’s say Ino lost, if Leila was stolen away, and the Dhampir were in danger of being destroyed....

“Since with this, if Ino lost, a certain race is now in danger of being destroyed──”

── As for the fourth thing, everyone just listened to it completely dumbfounded.

That’s right... just with that, Plum’s position was completely reversed. Ino agreed to the game only because he couldn’t win without Plum’s help.

“We scornfully reject that guy’s demands. I will have you work hard for free♪”

Even if Plum withdrew all his demands, he had no choice but to make Ino win.

Even if Kurami rejected the game, just like in the original plan, their path of retreat was cut off.

It became completely silent.

With everyone’s silence, Ino’s question was answered.

Whose scenario is this? Where is the scenario where no one is sacrificed?

This would be their scenario. That scenario was right here.

All the did was bring Leila here, and with just a few messages. Just with that. Nothing more, just with that.

Everyone’s intentions were rejected, utilized, there wasn’t even a path of retreat remaining.

Seeing that amazing feat, they even felt chills that’s how this silence was. And thus, the sibling’s spokeswoman said:

“also..... Hmm! Before I read the last sentence, here”

──Because of the blackout the inside of the reception room was totally dark, no one could see each other’s faces. There was just the silence. No words. As if they were feeling the gravity of the situation, it was hard to breath in that room.

“A letter for Kurami-san and Fiel-san... It seems like it’s fine if the others read it too.”

── Mustering up her courage, Steph hurriedly holds something out.

“.....................”

With a light that Fiel turned on, one could see Kurami’s face. It was so dull and uninterested that it looked ominous. With similarly ominous politeness, Steph handed it over... It was a single cylinder.

They ordered an ornament made out of snakeskin, something that wouldn’t be impolite, but also not overly formal, and gave it to them. With just a single glance, everyone could tell that it had a craftsman’s high cla.s.s ornaments.

Once they opened the elegant looking cilinder, they found a single piece of paper inside.

Kurami and Fiel illuminated that piece of paper. Then Ino, and also Plum peeked into it too.

There was an official looking ‘Diplomatic doc.u.ment’ inside.

It had the seal of the Elkia Federation, as well as the king’s seal of the Kingdom of Elkia.

It even had the signatures of both Elkian monarchs. It appeared to be an official sovereign’s message.

──It was overly proper, it even had excellent calligraphy.

This is what was written in there:

‘To our dear friends, Kurami Zell-sama and Fiel Nirvallen-sama:

We are terribly sorry to have invited you to our humble home while we are busy with our trip. It was surely quite difficult to prepare your invasion in such a short amount time. You have our sympathies for that.

Although this may be presumptuous and a bit informal, I hope we may continue being good friends from now on.

We sincerely hope you understand that these words carry our utmost grat.i.tude:

Serves you right! (lol)

With love,

Sora and s.h.i.+ro

Elkia’s 205th monarchs.’

And, in order to complete her last mission, Steph reads the last sentences:

“I believed in you, that you’d surely betray us, I love you guys!”

“..... Good work, everyone～....... Well then, good bye～♥”

──── And thus, the world became silent.

It was so silent that it seemed that time itself had forgotten to flow. In that silence, daybreak could finally be seen after such a long night.

The world was illuminated. Aah, it was a long, long daybreak. Little birds were singing, leaves were rustling, and the sound of waves resounded inside the reception room.

“.............. This is quite elegant....... fufu”

In contrast to everyone else, who was still silent, Steph whispered that with a smile.

She had an enlightened look. No, maybe it was a look of resignation. Either way, when Ino saw that Staph had attained enlightenment, he made a bitter smile.

── If he were to put it in a few words... It was an incredible thing.

Sora and s.h.i.+ro, like Plum, had made preparations before their memories were erased. But theirs were made even before Plum’s. They had read the contents of the game with the Old Deus to that extent.

They believed without the slightest bit of doubt, that everyone was going to betray them in succession.

That’s right, it was a method that Sora and s.h.i.+ro would certainly think about, since they, more than anyone else, had a dirty, twisted, and broken personality that made everyone show disappointment, both in their minds and their faces.

── Winning by betraying and deceiving everyone.

Miko-sama believed, those two believed, even Ino must have started to believe himself.

Just with that. Seriously, it was truly splendid.

“Well, then”

Those two showed him they could use every betrayal. Ino felt somewhat refreshed because of it. He, just like everyone present, squints at the scenery tinted with the colors of dawn, and thinks:

── ‘Still, getting done in like this p.i.s.ses me off, you s.h.i.+tty monkey.’

“Let’s go back to discussing the game’s setup. Is Love or Loved 2 all right?”

Ino said with a refres.h.i.+ng smile. Everyone else also had a refres.h.i.+ng smile, and continued:

“Yes, that’s fine. By the way Ino-san, can I make one request?”

Both the question, and the answers were made with smiling faces, however:

“Can you make the NPCs look like Sora? As realistically as possible.”

“I want to request that too～, please～♪”

“Ah, me too! Making them explode with a big boom would be the best♪”

The four of them were still smiling, but they were so angry that they even cooperated,

“Hahaha. As you wish. I shall prepare a perfect avatar using Sordono’s data from the previous time. But it would be no fun if they kicked the bucket so easily, right? I shall also raise their health to the maximum value!”

Aah, those were indeed friends. Comrades.

“Uhm, Ino-sama. I swear by my race that we will win this game but──”

“Oh dear... Now that we’re on the same side, words are meaningless, Plum-dono”

That’s right, they had acquired a common enemy, for sure:

“In order to wrap Sordono in a bamboo mat and hang him upside down, I promise to cooperate with the full power of my nation.”

And so, only Steph and Leila saw off the comrades in arms, walking side by side...

── And thus, the shocks coming from the Old Deus’ sugoroku board began to subdue.

And in the townscape where they once bet the continent against Immanity’s piece, two persons were now fighting for the Eastern Federation’s, and Elven Garde’s territory.

Using Sora’s personal data from the last time, and even Kurami’s memories, they created NPCs with Sora’s appearance and made them as realistic as possible. When he sees them clamouring around, Hatsuse Ino think that perhaps, that was a mistake and grinds his teeth in frustration. Even though his intuition had become dull since he retired from the front lines a long time ago, this was still─!!

“Hey geezer. No, hey you man among men....”

There was a voice behind his back. A Sora NPC with Immanity’s stats had taken his back──

Was it because they had used Sora’s personal data to create the best possible copy?

Just like the original, the Sora NPC was able to predict their lines of movement, and it also moved elusively like a phantom. Ino clicked his tongue once, turned around with G.o.dly speed, and faced his gun towards the previous voice, namely:

“..... H-how was it?..... I wanted to get close to you, even if it was a little bit, did you like it?”

“─────Die!!”

Sora bashfully approached with a red face and heart shaped pupils in a fundos.h.i.+, but even though he had somehow avoided his perception, Ino launched his first with G.o.dly speed. He launched that several meters through the main street, like a cannonball, until it went through a building with a thunderous roar. When he hit that, Ino’s fist made an explosive sound, as it broke the sound barrier.

“.........whoops......... I did it again.......”

He had forgotten the love gun in the spur of the moment, having felt a sense of duty to eliminate all the evil in this world.

── By touching Sora, his love power had decreased.

Since it was a one-on-one match with Kurami, if he ran out of love power, he would lose.

Even though it was an instant touch, Ino gets fl.u.s.tered at the decrease in love power, and breaks into a run.

Sora was stuck to the wall like a stake, and Ino hits him in the nuts in order to end his life. Having struck his finis.h.i.+ng blow, Ino jumps back to the main street with recovery in mind──

“Hey wait a second!? You didn’t tell me you’d got his far!!” Kurami screamed as she continued to shoot a crowd of approaching Soras.

── The rules of the game hadn’t changed, of course.

Naturally, if Kurami hit Ino once, or if Ino hit Kurami once, the game would be decided. What’s more, in a one-on-one match between an Immanity and a Warbeast, it was obvious who would win, however:

“Whoah? Look, look! It’s Ino-sama♪”

“You are so unfaithful～ Even though you had been chasing Kurami-chan just a little while before, jjust how s.l.u.tty are you!?”

“Since both of them have no b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then it’s obvious that the burly man-b.r.e.a.s.t.s are better!”

Said some of the Soras. There were Sora A, B, C... and many others causing a commotion, dressed in a great variety of attires: skirts, culottes, short pants... There was plenty of variation... In women’s clothing.

She was. .h.i.t by a commotion. Kurami was. .h.i.t by a storm with not even room to breathe.

“...... So not hitting them was impossible..... It seems I failed huh～”

A regretful voice said... There were multiple Soras stuck to the walls, to the ground, and falling through the air. Ino continued to hit them with his attacks and dispersing them, with an inversely proportional smile. Kurami screams at him with half lidded eyes:

“Was it really necessary to make them move and cosplay like this!?”

“It is as you say Kurami-dono. But that is Sordono’s own conduct, you know?”

That’s right, they were NPCs made to emulate Sora as realistically as possible. That means that Sora was ‘made’ into a program...

── He couldn’t see Sora and not punch him.

“Ino-samaaa, it will be our ‘secret’! Kill me more and more... please do me more!”

── ‘Secret’, that’s what everyone outside the game heard.

However, only Ino heard: ‘21. At 8 o’clock. Distance: 600’ echo with that word.

“Hah, this is the 64th Sora... I leave the outside to you, Plum-dono!!”

“Leave it to me! You can just show off and have as much fun as you can!”

Once again, Ino dashes together with the shockwave, and Kurami screams:

“Fii! I’m still at 24 Soras! He keeps increasing his lead!?”

“..... I’m trying.... Something...... hold on just a bit longer──”

At some point they had started to compete to see who could kill the most Soras, however──

‘That’s only natural’ Kurami thinks while biting her nails.

── Since Plum had absolute confidence that he wasn’t going to lose to Feil, even though it was a game he could end quickly, he made having fun tormenting Sora his priority, and since Ino trusted Plum, he jumped on board.

Kurami was thankful for that.

Until Fiel could force the countermeasure spell through, she could only do her best to run away at most──

“... Really... just how useless am I...”

“Aah... seriously. Kurami, you are really, an idiot, huh?”

As Kurami was wallowing in self-pity, Sora appeared behind her, but her reaction was an instant too late. As she was turning around, her gun got easily caught together with her hand, and she got pushed against a wall. With one hand caught, Kurami couldn’t move about anymore. The Sora NPC continues:

“... It seriously makes me angry. Are you telling me you are not aware of your own ability, and cuteness?”

“Wha...?”

Bewildered, Kurami tried to resist, but he raised her chin and,

“── You are too defenseless. Did you seriously think I was the only one aiming at you?”

“... w-wha.... What are you saying?...”

He was so close she could feel his breath, and had a serious expression. Kurami’s thoughts were in disarray.

── Apart from Fiel, no one had ever called her cute.

What’s more, none other than Sora (although she knew he was an NPC) had recognized her.

As Kurami’s face became more and more confused, a lifeline came from outside the game.

“Kurami, hurry up ☆ and kill him～♥ It’s fine to kill him by ripping off his fingers one by one, too”

“Fii, just what are you saying──!?”

That lifeline came from a fully armed s.h.i.+p. When Fiel told her to mercilessly execute him, Kurami screamed.

── That said, Kurami still couldn’t fire the love gun pressed against the wall like that.

She was trying to resist, but even though it was just an avatar, it still had the same physical abilities as Sora, so it had the strength of a man. She couldn’t break free. She was no match for him in physical strength, and for some reason her heart skipped a beat at that──

“That silky black hair... that white porcelain like skin──”

She was getting gently caressed the whole time, and that made Kurami unintentionaly feel intoxicated,

“And even your slim chest are all mine──”

──── In that instant. Her disarrayed thoughts cooled down.

When she understood that she was just getting b.u.t.tered up, Kurami moved with mechanical precision. With extreme coldness, and no hesitation, she raised her knee, and hit him where it hurts most. Sora collapsed with a summersault. Kurami looked at him like he was trash while she kept stabbing him with her heels.

“Fii, you just focus on activating the countermeasure spell... I will manage, somehow...”

“Yeees! Kurami, do your best～!”

Kurami discarded her feelings. The voice that answered her said to ‘do your best’, but well, what she really meant was ‘Do your best to bully and defeat Sora’, but there was no need to say it.

After that exchange, Kurami, with eyes that had lost their light, turns her gun at the thing she was stepping on.

“I have two things to say... First, die”

In that time, her love power was decreasing too, but she didn’t care.

── She kept firing repeatedly.

The shots. .h.i.t only his clothes, but one after another his clothes were destroyed. When he was completely naked, she kept kicking him and forced him to his knees. When they see him like that, not only Fii, but also Ino, and even Plum cheer joyfully, however──

“And I keep telling you that I’m still growing!!!!!!!”

She fired, and as Sora disappeared in a shower of pink particles, she turns around and thinks.

── Since Leila was added to the betting plate, Plum and Ino couldn’t afford to lose.

However, even if they won like that, the prizes would be all taken by Sora and s.h.i.+ro. Just winning would be frustrating.

── On top of being able to outwit even Kurami and Fiel to this extent, trying to frustrate Sora and s.h.i.+ro’s plans, ‘winning against Sora and s.h.i.+ro’, was already a loss. What’s more, they also used the one who brought them here, Plum. And in the unlikely case that Sora and the others lost, that victory wouldn’t be desirable either... Since if those two lost, there would be nothing we could do──

“Then, at the very least let’s try and become a distraction... fufu──”

That’s right, this had just become a four person, two on two pure game.

Having finally understood that, Kurami deepens her smile dangerously──

“Let’s have some fun then... I will kill you all, Soraaa!!”

And thus, the NPCs with Sora’s appearance kept flying through the air, to the ground, and to the walls, and exploding.