No Game No Life
/ No Game No Life Vol 9 Chapter 2.1
Published at 7th of March 2023 11:48:25 AM
Chapter two── Inductive reasoning (Retroduction)
Eastern Federation’s main island ── Capital: Kannagiri.
The place where the golden fox that built the Eastern Federation resides. A place called Miyashiro.
There the Warbeasts gather to revere her as if she were a living goddess. In that place, currently──
“... Hey… I had already decided that I wouldn’t be your straight man no matter what, but…”
The one who lost her patience first and muttered that had the appearance of a fox. She was a woman who had fox ears, a monocle, and two large tails with lustrous golden fur. She was also the founder of the Eastern Federation and the Warbeast’s designated representative: Miko. The targets of her stare were:
“Hm? Ah～ since we invited ourselves in, we'll make ourselves at home on our own, so don’t worry about it”
“... don’t… mind us…?”
“Not serving your guests a single cup of tea just shows the level of your country… ah. No, we’d also be troubled if you served us pet food, so let me correct myself: knowing your place is splendid etiquette on your part.”
── A certain group of people had suddenly teleported to Miyashiro.
Without even saying hello, they made themselves at home and sprawled on the sofa. That group consisted of Sora, Shiro, and someone who had no right to be talking about etiquette but did so anyways: the smiling Jibril. And in response to that shameless group:
“Miko-sama. Please tell them to ‘leave’. If you do, I’ll kick these hoodlums out immediately,” said an elderly Warbeast with a smile. He was Hatsuse Ino, and he had a vein popping off his forehead. However, Jibril teleported behind him upside down and answered with that same smile:
“Dear me. A lowly dog said that he will kick my masters and me out … It must have been my imagination. After all, even beasts know who they shouldn’t bare their fangs at ♥”
“Ha ha ha, even though you’re a bird brain I thought you at least understood how the Ten Pledges work. Please forgive me for making unfounded assumptions. But don’t worry. Since this is Miko-sama’s private property, as soon as she refuses to let you stay, you’ll just be some trespassers and I’ll kick you out whether you understand the Pledges or not.”
── ‘Reconciliation is still a ways off huh…’ Sora, Shiro and Miko thought.
Ino and Jibril’s staring contest produced sparks, but then Ino turned to Sora and Shiro and continued:
“Even though you’re a bald monkey I thought you understood that this isn’t the time for such things?”
The place where Sora, Miko and the others were was Miyashiro’s separate tower residence. If one looked up they could see some screens.
Five screens both big and small hung from the ceiling. They showed five Warbeasts. They probably were the Eastern Federation’s representatives, and one of them was someone the group was very familiar with.
Her ears and big tail were like a fennec's. A girl currently dyed in red── It was Hatsuse Izuna.
She was running through a virtual townscape in Blood Destruction. She was playing a game against…
“... A Dwarf?... Is it Hardenfell? It looks like she’s having no trouble.”
This was the first time he had seen one, but going by their external characteristics, it was likely someone from the eighth ranked race, the Dwarves. They ranked right below the Elves, who were number 7. Therefore they were a high ranking race, and yet── Izuna was just toying with them.
Even in the other screens, against opponents of many different races, the matches progressed mostly one-sidedly.
“This is all thanks to you. We mobilized everyone capable of Blood Destruction except for Hatsuse Ino and me… and they took the bait every time.”
She had all the Eastern Federation’s Full-Dive Virtual Gaming Machines and their best gamers working at full capacity. Even so, there were more enemies than they could handle. They must be after ‘Information about Sora and Shiro’s true identity’.
Many races had sent an investigation probe and Miko was definitely going to get them all, one by one. She had of course guessed that it was part of Sora and Shiro’s plan, so she was quite thankful, which is why──
“Well? Even though you knew that we’re busy and that you’d be in the way, you still came… may I ask why?”
── Even though she was looking at Izuna jumping up and down celebrating her victory, Miko made a bitter smile.
Had Izuna taken a breather yet? Either way, Miko turned to face Sora again expecting an answer.
“Well., to be frank, the castle isn’t very hospitable right now. Rather, it’s quite dangerous so we came to take refuge here…”
Sora’s tone completely changed and became quite dark, so Miko narrowed her eyes.
“It’s a relatively serious matter. I want you to lend us your strength── particularly, the geezer’s”
“... mine you say…?”
── Both Miko and Ino more or less understood Sora as a person.
Sora’s usual easygoing attitude, composure and arrogance── were just a facade.
He would never say it himself, and if it was pointed out he would stubbornly refuse to admit it.
However, there are some persons, such as Shiro, who are painfully aware of it themselves, and don’t want to lie to themselves either, so they know.
There hasn’t been a single time where Sora has been truly ‘composed’. He was always desperate, always thinking and rethinking his plans to the death, hot on Shiro’s heels. That’s how he has lived his life until now.
Something had made that man break his composed facade so clearly, and what’s more, it also made him seek Hatsuse Ino’s help…
Everyone realized that whatever it was, it must be something extraordinary. Sora solemnly explained:
“── I’m so popular it’s troubling me. Popular with beautiful maid robot girls, I mean. Please help me.”
“.....................................”
So popular that it’s troubling him.
Ah, that’s a line that anyone who was born a man wants to say at least once. On the other hand, they also want to punch everyone who has actually said that line in the face. But alas… right now Sora feels like he understands.
Phrases like: ‘I’m so popular, it’s troubling me’, or ‘I have so much money, it’s troubling me’ certainly look bad. However! He now understands that being in a situation where you actually say them is no fun at all!! Those people were actually troubled. Rejecting them just because it’s an enviable and extravagant worry is too much!
It is a very urgent matter after all!! A really serious problem────!!
“Sordono, since it looks like it is indeed a really serious problem. I, Hatsuse Ino, shall lend you my meager strength.”
Sora was crying tears of sorrow in his mind, but Ino nodded with sincerity and put a hand on his shoulder.
Very reliably, and with a gentle smile, he said:
“Listen well all right? Even if you searched all around the world, you wouldn’t find a single person who likes Sordono. You have to be strong. That is just an obsessive-compulsive belief ── a type of delusion. Please take a long, peaceful rest.”
Ino’s pitiful gaze wordlessly told him that ‘Those ‘beautiful girls’ exist only in your head’.
“... Hatsuse Ino. Please call my personal physician…” Miko said.
“Right away. But Miko-sama, this is a perfect opportunity. We could just let Sordono die”
“And leave the leader of the Federation with hallucinations? That would be dangerous for the Eastern Federation too. We shall leave his death for another──”
Like that, Miko was saying whatever she wanted, but before Sora could object:
“... ‘Master’ provided. Lesen ── Apocryphal teleportation: Shurapokryphen,” a voice coming from nowhere said. It was with great timing too. After all, proof is better than words. And then:
“Discovery: I finally found Master. Reward. Tell me the reason why you came to these coordinates.”
As if she had been there from the very beginning, a maid robot girl stood in Miyashiro’s tower residence. She was an Ex-Machina with iris colored hair ── Emiline. She had asked that question with her head tilted to the side. However, the one who was the most surprised at her appearance was not Miko but──
“Wwait a second… why are you here?... or rather, how did you get here──!?
── ‘I came here to run away from you’ Sora swallowed that reply.
“Answer: We reopened the Irregular spatial fissure. It took us some time… sorry to have kept you waiting,” Emiline apologized about the wrong thing and Jibril’s face twitched.
In order to shake off the Ex-Machinas, Jibril had teleported to a set of coordinates they couldn’t teleport to: somewhere outside their field of view and unknown to them, Miyashiro. She thought that they wouldn’t even be able to identify their location, but to think they had reopened her own hole in space in less than an hour. Jibril just couldn’t believe it, but──
“... It looks like… I was still underestimating you…”
From that killing intent it is clear that her pride had been hurt.
“──Wha… Are those the Ex-Machina!? Why──!?” Miko recovered from her stupor and screamed. She had finally put her guard up, however, all of that was completely ignored by Emiline ── No. By all the Ex-Machinas. They simply kept going in an emotionless voice:
“Lesen: Successful courtship scenario creation weapon. Liebe Erfolg Situation Forme── ‘True Sora Seducer: Check Martyr’ ── Prototype 0008”
That didn’t come from Emiline’s mouth. It was several voices coming from nowhere again, but this time the scenery inside the room, and all of Miyashiro’s Tower Residence started to get overwritten with another world.
Contrary to Miko and Ino, who were at a loss for words, Sora’s group was composed. They just looked at them and sighed.
── These guys. They really are an ‘omnipotent special effects device’ huh.
While they were inside a phenomenon that deepened that conviction, Sora thought about the book Jibril had brought.
Just as the Ex-Machina had said, this was the eighth time they had seen that crazy ‘Spatial overwrite’. Nine, if you included the time when they first appeared. Sora’s group was already used to it.
According to the book, it seems that they overwrite scenery by giving shape to substances in space though the process of adding to them without altering them.
Complex, polygon-like outlines ran through the air, and as if they were rendering ──
The ‘Empty Space’ covering every substance’s surface flickered and solidified intermittently. There, the 3D textures expelled by the Ex-Machinas quickly ‘materialized’ and ‘built’ a fictitious scenery.
… This was still undoubtedly Miyashiro’s Tower Residence. The very same tatami mat room they were in. But no one, not even Miko, who lived there, could believe it.
It was something that transcended both time and space, no── it transcended causality itself. And in the end the scenery that was ‘Lesen’ed was──
“.........................”
First, at some point, they had Sora wear a suit.
“... Do you want to see my panties? All right… ♥ I like Sensei after all… ♥”
“Ah, no fair! This part of Sensei is for my exclusive use! Right? Sensei♥”
“S-sensei? Whenever I think of you this part gets really itchy… why?”
“Sensei ♥ I want you to give me practical health lessons again today♥”
Little girls carrying backpacks kept saying lines that no sober man could write.
… They were the same size as Shiro, or perhaps even smaller. There were 11 x-schoolers in total.
In summary, it was a space imitating an elementary school after hours.
The Ex-Machinas had also altered their physical appearance. From the quiet glasses girl, to the strong-willed girl, they had all types of girls.
They were fighting for the right to do unmentionable things to their beloved Sorsensei first. It was that kind of scene.
… It was a scene built with a very terrifying power, and a not very terrifying stupidity.
Everyone else was quiet. Only the aforementioned Ex-Machinas were still making a racket:
“Heee… We can’t decide like this…”
“Then～ the one who makes Sensei feel the best gets to go out with him!”
“No objections!”
“Alriiight, I won’t lose! Please look at my single digits undeveloped p──”
“I can only objeeeeeeeeeect!! Are you messing with meeee!!”
It had culminated to a stupid conclusion: ‘For the time being, let’s all try it!’
When he saw those little girls taking off their clothes, Sora finally let out an angry scream that shook the classroom.
“Hey, listen to me, please! I won’t do it with anyone! And I won’t go out with anyone either alright!?”
In the back of the classroom were: Shiro, who was sitting in her seat while resting her cheek on her hand Miko, who was wearing a sailor uniform, and Ino, who was clad in a school uniform about to burst. They all were looking at Sora as if he was garbage. Sora screamed as if to escape from that.
“Why!? Is it because we are just children!?”
“We are just playing a character! We are all 18+ you know!?”
“Shut up! The problem is that important persons and organizations don’t care about that! You guys need to learn about something called ‘filters’! Do you want to get me into prison!?”
Sora interrupted the little girls who were now clinging to him, and finally supplicated at his wits ends:
“... I’m begging you. I’m begging you so for the time being, please disappear from my sight… okay?... for real”
Had they finally understood that he had been refusing for real? The polygons started to break down, and the evening classroom reverted back to the tatami matted room as if nothing had happened. The self-proclaimed elementary school girls that reeked of crime also returned to normal without a fuss.
Miyashiro’s separate tower residence had returned to normal and inside, there were 11 non-loli maid robots.
They had surpassed oracle machines ── no. They had even surpassed hypercomputers. They were transcendental computers. And yet they just kept wasting that computational power in order to dispassionately scrutinize their information:
“──Analysing subject’s ‘sexual arousal index’ curve. Estimating main cause of resistance ── Begin speculating corrections.”
“Subject’s sexual arousal response has cleared the threshold. Conjecture: it is an ethical problem. Finding an optimal solution.”
── They one-sidedly revealed Sora’s sexual preferences one after another as they dispassionately teleported back home.
“Don’t just leave your disgraceful accusations!! ‘Sorsan also loves big boobs～’ right!?”
With Sora’s final scream, calm returned to Miyashiro’s tower residence as if a storm had passed.
…. Errr….
“... Well. Could you explain what is going on?” Miko asked, half-dumbfounded. So many nonsensical things had happened that she didn’t even have time to be amazed.
“Well a lot happened but… I already told you the gist of it: I’m so popular with beautiful robot maid girls that it’s troubling me!” Sora said, holding his head in desperation.
“They keep telling me to make babies with one of their units! That’s super troublesome right?!!”
── They had been trying to ‘seduce’ him with that. It had happened eight times already.
── The first few times, it was still all right.
That was because they kept missing the point and approaching Sora with questionable scenarios.
For example, 11 units pretending to be his childhood friends would suddenly appear and say ‘Let’s go to school together ♥’.
Eleven ‘childhood friends’ that he had never seen before just came and said, of all things, ‘Let’s go to school’.
They didn’t understand what a ‘childhood friend’ or a ‘hikikomori’ (Sora) was.
Eleven sudden older sisters, eleven widows… etcetera…
‘Would ‘Eleven samurais’ come next?’ Sora thought with a mocking smile. However,
“... but you don’t look too dissatisfied about that?” Miko pointed out with half-lidded eyes.
“That’s why I said it was serious. The Ex-Machina really are limitless… such a fearsome race──!!” Sora said with a trembling fist and a distressed face.
That’s right… they had completely lost the point many many times, however, each time they did, their accuracy increased.
The Ex-Machina used their uselessly good observation, analysis, calculation, and response abilities to determine Sora’s preferences from his reactions. They kept correcting the scenarios steadily and accurately according to Sora’s preferences.
── The fact that Sora was also okay with lolis was only because of Shiro’s influence, she was simply too beautiful.
That’s the only thing they had missed, but even so their approximations kept getting better and better──!!
“... Nii, you have a… lewd look on your face…”
Thus, the situation became so serious that Shiro now reproached him with half-lidded eyes. However, Sora shielded himself from that gaze and opinion with both hands and shook his head.
“NO. Tottemo～ NO… Shiro. My sister. Listen carefully to your brother’s words.”
── Out of all the healthy boys in the world, 100% of them will basically agree with Sora.
With that confidence. Nay. That certainty! Sora explained his ‘truth’──!!
“Even though girls don’t feel like this, anyone who is born a man has the inescapable desire to ‘Be popular!!’ No ── that is the very origin of the creatures known as men──!!!!”
If any boy has an objection, let them appear before me. If there’s a single one, I shall discard my theory.
Anyhow, even though they were just acting, those beautiful girls were exactly his type. And even though it was a misunderstanding, they were girls that had fallen in love with him! And those girls were──!!
“They have tempted me this much! And yet, my diamond-like reason has held thus far! You should praise me don’t you think!? And since you should praise me, there is no reason to reproach me ── don’t you think──!?”
He was more or less enjoying the first ‘popular period’ of his life. He didn’t deny that, however no man could be blamed for that! In response to Sora’s passionate complaint:
── There was both clapping and sighs.
Jibril was stuck by his brilliant speech. She wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and clapped.
It was troublesome to argue with him, so Miko just looked at him with half-lidded eyes, and Shiro simply sighed.
Sora bathed in both insults and praise, and at the same time ── he admitted it.
The reason why his precious diamond was only barely still unscathed was──
“Lesen: Successful courtship scenario creation weapon. Liebe Erfolg Situation Forme── ‘True Sora Seducer: Check Martyr’ ── Prototype 0009”
With that, polygons suddenly floated through the room and the scenery distorted. This was the tenth scene produced by the Ex-Machina’s ‘Spatial overwrite’. That very scene was what was preserving Sora’s reason ── it was:
“Hm… What about the girl that just confessed to me you say? I feel bad for her but I politely declined…”
“... No. I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t hear anything this perverted robot said”
── It was because of Einzig.
The sunset came in through a small window… was it the basketball club’s clubroom? Anxious and wearing a uniform, Einzig had started a conversation with no context.
At some point he had made Sora wear the same clothes. Sora’s reply had been very gloomy but:
“... Hmm. Why did I refuse you ask?”
“I told you I’m not listening! I’m not interested either── d-don’t come any closer, go away!!”
He did not pay Sora any mind, and kept forcing the scenario. The perverted machine sidled up to the frightened Sora and said with a sportsmanlike smile:
“Don’t make me say it… it’s because this unit ── correction. Because I like someone else, yo──”
“Shut uuuuuuuuuup. Stop your babliiiiiiiing!!”
If only the beautiful robot girls had approached him, his diamond might have cracked.
However, since a serious homo robot was approaching him too── his sanity value was decreasing more than his reason. He was scared it was already too low, so:
“You bastard, just try and finish that phrase! I’ll run away to a place where you won’t be able to see me again if you do all right!?”
── ‘That’s right, maybe I’ll go back to that world’ It was enough to make Sora scream that.
The memory that gave birth to that fear came to the forefront of his mind like a revolving lantern────
Chapter end
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