Takuto was speechless. Yu had rendered him speechless. Not because he was intimidated by his introduction or anything like that. No, it had everything to do with his smug look of satisfaction and the way the slave girl looked at him with stars in her eyes, as if she were gazing upon a prince straight out of a fairy tale. And then there was his incredibly embarrassing catchphrase that sent Takuto internally rolling around on the floor, clutching his face.
Whether they knew about Takuto’s severe case of secondhand embarrassment or not, the Hero duo dove headfirst into their own little world.
“A-Amazeballs! You are too cool for school, Master!”
“Huh? R-Really? Aw, shucks. Guess my coolness came out again!” Yu chuckled haughtily.
“Yes, you’re amazing! Your coolness will resonate throughout the known universe, Master!”
While Takuto was desperately trying to claw his way out of the pit of secondhand embarrassment they’d thrust him into, the culprits took their excitement to the next level. The way Yu’s ego got all inflated from a girl flattering him was definitely inappropriate in the moment, but it was incredibly effective at showing off his humanity and approachability.
Finally regaining some semblance of calm, Takuto also found himself slightly drawn to Yu’s humanlike reactions. Regardless, since Yu had given an official introduction, it was only right for Takuto to introduce himself in kind.
“Just as I introduced myself earlier, my name is Takuto Ira, and my exclusive game is the SLG Eternal Nations. Putting it into this world’s terms, it might make more sense if I introduce myself as the King of Ruin who rules over Mynoghra,” Takuto introduced himself in a way that wouldn’t embarrass him.
He didn’t know what this “exclusive game” terminology meant, but he couldn’t show his lack of knowledge by asking. He assumed it just referred to the specific game system they operated under and rolled with it. Given the circumstances, Takuto’s introduction didn’t have the same impact as Yu’s did, but it’s not like they were competing for shock value here.
More importantly, he was distracted by the panicked telepathic message Atou sent him. She wanted to know why he revealed the name of their game.
“Are you sure you want to show your hand here, King Takuto…?”
“Yeah. My name’s already out there, and anyone familiar with the game would be able to guess it or its genre with one look at how many units we’ve got.”
With Mynoghra becoming a widely known name, they’d already lost the advantage of keeping their game’s name a secret. Atou thought it’d be difficult to guess it was Eternal Nations just from the name Mynoghra, but Long-legged Bugs and Brain Eaters roamed Dragontan like it was their nest. Then there were all the distinct buildings, capped off by the notable Flesh Trees.
It was only a matter of time before someone figured it out. Even if they didn’t know the game Eternal Nations, a perceptive person should quickly guess they were dealing with a simulation game. Trying and failing to come up with a good cover story and giving his opponent the upper hand seemed more problematic. Takuto was up against a Player. It was important to give the impression that they were on equal footing and that there was no weakness for them to take advantage of.
Atou seemed convinced by his explanation and maintained her silence as ordered.
Still, this has taken a problematic turn, Takuto thought, biting his inner lip. What am I supposed to do about this whole assigned god thing?
Yu mentioned the Jokester God being his assigned god. This alone was proof that there were gods behind the Players, and reinforced Takuto’s assumption that this world was a place of proxy war between the gods. It was invaluable information, but the damning truth was that Takuto didn’t know who his assigned god was. Or if he even had one.
“Huh, don’t know that game…” Yu said, taking a long pause to ponder the name. “Actually, to tell the truth, I don’t know much about games in general. Oh, but I do know about stimulation games!”
“It’s simulation,” Takuto corrected dryly.
Yu’s attention was drawn to the type of game. Maybe I should play into that and give him a light explanation about Eternal Nations? If that draws his attention away from my god, then all the better, is what Takuto thought, but his plan fell apart before he could even enact it.
“Oh yeah, Master, what kind of god do you think is assigned to Lord Takuto Ira?”
“Right, right! I totally forgot about that. What kinda god do ya got? A complete weirdo like me?”
She had to go and bring it up…
Takuto didn’t know if the slave girl had brought up that inconvenient topic intentionally or coincidentally. But he couldn’t blame them for being curious when he didn’t announce his god in kind. Yu might’ve asked about it eventually if she hadn’t pointed it out. The odds were stacked against him in this case. Takuto racked his brain as Yu looked to him for an answer.
Now, how to answer him? This is my first time even hearing about assigned gods. I assumed that might be a thing, but it’s been confirmed in an unexpected way.
Takuto had personally experienced some great power intervening during his battle with the TRPG forces. He felt it was safe to assume that was the gods going at it. He was aware that using the TRPG mechanics to gain the Game Master’s Authority was a serious violation of this world’s rules. There would normally be some kind of penalty for breaking the rules. Following that train of thought, it seemed valid to assume that it was a penalty imposed on Takuto by the TRPG god, clashing against a penalty prevention measure by the SLG god. And if that was true…
Then I definitely have an assigned god. And if I do, I wish he’d hurry up and come see me. Takuto seriously wanted to complain to and blame his god for him always being on the back foot because he never told him anything. And now Yu’s asking if my god is as weird as his. That’s basically bragging that he has a direct line of contact with his god. If he screws up—or maybe even if he doesn’t—he’s receiving information from this god.
Yu had come to Dragontan seeking to join forces with Takuto against the Succubus faction. It wasn’t a long shot to assume he’d made that decision based on some external information he’d received. The Hero duo were very likely receiving preferential treatment and benefits from their god.
Takuto was deeply envious of this arrangement and gave it extra thought.
First things first, my god’s name. Do I make one up? Not like I have any means to confirm what it is. It’d be perfect if my god makes contact to correct me. With that in mind, Takuto opened his mouth to utter the name he’d thought up on the spot, but…
“…The Nameless God.”
The words that slipped forth from his lips had a familiar ring to them.
…Weird? I mean, I guess this name fits, but…
The Nameless Evil God was the name of the Hero Commander unit Takuto had taken on the nature of when he arrived in this world. It was also an ability that was temporarily sealed due to its unique and ambiguous nature of being able to become anything or anyone.
If Keiji Kuhara had become the Game Master and Yu Kamimiyadera had become The Hero, then Takuto would be the Hero Commander: The Nameless Evil God. So it was a little strange that The Nameless God was the name that’d rolled off his tongue.
It does sound like a godly name, so it fits, I guess? Throwing around The Nameless God and The Nameless Evil God could confuse my enemies, too. This seems like a better cover story than trying to come up with a crummy fake name.