Chapter 167

CHAPTER 1 VERTICAL THINKING As a side note, let it be known that Sora hates death games. To be more precise: Sora loathes the premise of death games. Death games—an age-old genre of stories centered around a series of survival games. In these stories, the participants are thrust into situations where they must put their lives on the line to win. Oftentimes, they are kidnapped and wake up in the game. Maybe they’re forced to play in order to pay off an insurmountable debt… But whatever the reason may be, the participants need bravery, cunning, and sometimes even a level of derangement in order to make it through the games without losing their lives. So how do you get out of out these alive? Who do you trust? Who do you trick? Who do you betray? Death games involve a combination of strategy and wits where the participants are driven into a corner and are constantly looking over their shoulders. There’s something fascinating about the way these stories portray the human condition through life-or-death struggles that hinge on the characters’ incredible feats of quick-wittedness. But again, Sora was more focused on the premise. He wondered: Is there actually a way to win games like these? The answer was clear: NOPE. That’s because there is no winner. Why would there be? It shouldn’t even be a question. In these outrageous death matches that pit people against each other in a battle of wits, bravery, madness, and whatever other emotions they have to use as weapons, only one person comes out on top—and it’s none other than whoever’s running the games. That’s right: The operators of the death games—the hosts—are always in control. How about the example from before, where the participant is kidnapped and forced to play in the games? The operator could easily kill them at any time. And a massive debt? What kind of idiot lends that much money to people who can’t pay it back? The only reason the operator lends money to someone like that in the first place is to coerce them into playing their little death game. The participants are the type of people who don’t even know how to file for bankruptcy; they’re doomed to fail from the very start. And besides, after doing something so blatantly unlawful, there’s no way the hosts just let people go once it’s all over. There was almost always a dead end awaiting whoever made it through the life-and-death challenges thrown at them. The point is: A death game is nothing short of a death sentence. Let’s say some guy has his head in a guillotine, and the executioner tells him, “Hey, let’s play a game. If you can make me laugh, I’ll let you live.” That’s definitely not a game for the guy whose neck is on the literal chopping block. It’s nothing other than a way for the executioner to pass the time—a whim. There’s no guarantee they’ll let the guy live, even if he’s hilarious. …It’s already over. Sora believed games ended before they began; there was nothing he hated more than death games. Whoever controls the flow of the game is the victor—they’ll come out on top in the end. Death games start with the game master on top, robbing the player of their ability to affect the flow. How do you survive being put into a guillotine? The answer is to never get yourself in that position. That’s it. The only way to win death games is to avoid them at all costs. The moment you find yourself in one, you’ve already lost… “…Okay… Jibril, tell me…everything you know, about Fairies.” Shiro had followed Sora back to their room, where she glanced at one corner and started dejectedly speaking to her smartphone. She received an answer from outside the room—it was Jibril, who’d been given the siblings’ tablet after they’d synced the two devices. “Ixseed Rank Nine, Fairy, is a race that has been allied with Elf since the Great War.” You’re telling me there’s such a thing as friendly relations between races in this world? Shiro was in awe at the startling news. Just then, a voice could be heard from the other side of her door: “Huh? But I thought most of the Fairies were currently enslaved in Elven Gard?” “Correct. Approximately sixty percent of the Fairy population are slaves to the Elves—and the whereabouts of their agent plenipotentiary are unknown.” Jibril’s answer to Steph’s question instantly erased Shiro’s awe. “Fairy is the race of flowers and Elf is the protector of the forest, meaning they are ecologically compatible. Relations between the two races were so friendly that they even developed magic together during the later years of the Great War, although that changed when the war ended, and most of the Fairies were enslaved. They never established an agent plenipotentiary… The particulars of which remain unknown.” …Looks like any sort of friendship is just an illusion in this world, after all… Shiro stared morosely into the distance as Jibril continued her explanation: “In any case, Fairy follows Rank Seven, Elf, and Rank Eight, Dwarf, in terms of magical aptitude, but what sets them apart is how their magic works. They use their souls to construct a spatial phase boundary such as this one—known as a Spratul.” There it was again, the idea of a soul. The word never made sense to the siblings. Come to think of it, doesn’t Plum consume souls for magic…? Now we have to deal with a spatial phase boundary or whatever? Perhaps Jibril picked up on Shiro’s confusion, for she elaborated: “A spatial phase boundary is like a subspace of reality. The Fairies are able to use this to build a Linkernet connection—just like the Internet in your world. They provide their network for the Elves to use.” I see what’s going on here. Foeniculum really was streaming the five of them over the Internet. She was essentially a Y*utuber. “Fairies are untouchable inside these Spratul spatial phase boundaries… Though their powers are limited to this space, they can use their souls to create anything at will while within it: air, water…likely even living beings as well.” “…That’s…some bullshit…” Not that Shiro would put it past the Ixseed. She questioned whether the Fairies were too over the top, to which Jibril agreed: “Indeed, but I should mention that their souls are not without limits. If that Foeniculum girl created a Spratul of this scale on her own—then she shouldn’t have much left of her soul.” Right. If Fairy souls were an unlimited reservoir of power, then they’d basically be able to make their own little universes. Of course there were limits. “Also, Fairies can exchange portions of their souls over the Linkernet as a form of currency.” Souls that could be spent to create anything within a Spratul. So it’s like an all-utility currency. “Allow me to offer a simpler explanation, Masters. Think of a Spratul as a virtual space built over the Internet—and the souls of Fairies as the data used to modify that space; you might even consider their souls a form of virtual currency.” Shiro appreciated Jibril’s easy-to-understand explanation and went back to looking through her phone. “I believe the tips Foeniculum mentioned referred to the transfer of a portion of souls as currency.” Tips… Shiro went back to the app where she could see how many tips she had accrued so far. What started as 15,000 at the end of their first stream was now at 14,900. The points could be used to buy all sorts of basic necessities. For instance, when Shiro pictured water and tapped the PURCHASE button, a prompt to SPEND 100 POINTS appeared. When she tapped the prompt, a bubble appeared, which then popped, and a two-liter bottle of water materialized out of nowhere. So one point equaled approximately one yen? But what did it all mean? “Let me get this straight—the viewers are giving us their souls, like they would give spare change to the needy? And to a program as pathetic as this one? Their literal souls? …Are they out of their minds?” “Rebuttal: Mutual exchange possible. Souls can be obtained as compensation for labor. Assuming Fairies have some sort of way to increase the volume of souls. They are fluid. Potentially equivalent to Immanity cash.” Steph was right to question the Fairies’ logic, but Emir-Eins also raised a good point. “Addendum: Immanity expend their lives working in exchange for money. Fairies convert exchanged souls back into their own life span, whereas Immanity cannot do the same with money. Their time is irreplaceable.” Say… Does anybody else think this cyborg girl just dropped a giant bomb onto monetary-based economies? W-well, different races would have different economic structures, right? Best not to think too much about it. “…So…I have…uh, three…questions…” After receiving a general summary, Shiro organized the information at her disposal to make some queries: “…Question one: Is Elven Gard…behind this…?” “Answer: Ninety-eight-point-three percent chance yes. However, estimation made based on this space created by the singular unit known as Foeniculum. Were it made by multiple Fairy units, the scale should be much larger. Conclusion uncertain.” Most of the Fairies were slaves in Elven Gard. Even if you toyed with the idea that Elven Gard wasn’t behind this—according to Emir-Eins, those odds were less than 2 percent, a calculation Shiro agreed with. “…Question two: Is this…a Fairy game…?” Each of the races had a trump card—either a game they could win against other races or one where they had a clear racial advantage. So did the Fairy trump card involve trapping people and forcing them into couples? Jibril was the one to answer Shiro this time. “I don’t believe so… While the Fairies do have access to a Sanctuary—a massive expanse of flowers—that territory belongs to Elven Gard. There are also no known records of Fairies challenging other races to games.” Fairy had allied with Elf during the War, but somehow the vast majority of them were now the latter’s slaves. Were the Fairies ever to challenge another race to a game, it would likely be under the orders of the Elves. Such an event would never be public knowledge—that much was obvious. “Since the Fairies can use their souls to change a Spratul at will, it is said they engage in turf wars where they effectively paint over each other’s territories to see who can claim the most space. I’ve never heard of Fairies engaging in a game like this situation we find ourselves in, however.” Okay… Now, for the biggest question. “…Question three: Is there, a way…for us to get, out of here…?” “…There likely isn’t.” Jibril sounded apologetic, but Shiro had assumed this would be her answer. After all, it seemed only the Fairies could access spatial phase boundaries. What Jibril said next, however, made Shiro’s eyes widen subtly. “To be more specific: Only Fairies have the ability to access spirit corridors from within a Spratul.” This was why Jibril and Emir-Eins couldn’t teleport. “Even during the Great War, the sole way to attack a spatial phase boundary was to blow the entire subspace out of existence with a massive spell—something that is no longer possible due to the Covenants.” They currently weren’t able to use any magic at all, let alone a large-scale spell. The five of them were stuck between a rock and a hard place in the fullest sense of the term. This also explained why Fairy was able to defeat Flügel and Ex Machina during the War. By luring them into a Spratul, they were able to fully prevent any chances of defeat. “Negative: Escape possible. Here is a concrete plan. Estimating that the space will be destroyed should its creator perish.” “…Denied… Or more like…we can’t.” “Negative: The Covenants prevent harming others. This clause excludes accidents. Suggested course of action: This unit will self-destruct. Should the Fairy unit Foeniculum coincidentally get caught up in the detonation of this unit’s spirit reserves, success is feasible. This unit will give her life for Master. Unit’s sole wish is for Master to reciprocate this unit’s love. Tell me: Je t’aime.” “…Shut up…and stay, in your lane.” “I can also do that. I’ll do anything to please my masters. Just tell me to explode, and I’ll ask, How fiery? ” “…Stop, trying to compete… Stand down.” With self-destruction being the only solution both a Flügel and an Ex Machina could come up with, things were looking grim. Racial relations in this world are basically one big rock-paper-scissors game… Shiro winced. She was almost impressed, but it was time for her to collect her thoughts. There was only one solution: win the game they had been thrown into. Upon reaching her initial conclusion again, Shiro apologized to the corner of the room where she sought asylum. “…Sorry, Brother… I lost, my cool… L-let’s just, leave the room, ’kay…?” Indeed… Usually someone else was in charge of gathering information like this. After Foeniculum’s launch stream, Sora realized his entourage of women no longer liked him. “Screw you guys! I hate you allll!” he’d declared before grabbing his sister and shutting himself into their room. Now he was shaking and crying under his blanket—afraid of even Shiro. “…Brother… I don’t know…what to do…” Shiro wasn’t going to be able to figure this out on her own—she needed her brother. She did her best to persuade him, but— “Heh-heh… Oh, my dear sister. The fact that your brother got us into this situation just goes to show he’s a useless sack of crap… A loser.” —fully convinced of his inevitable defeat, Sora answered in a heavily distraught tone. You see—with the Ten Covenants in place, it was virtually impossible for Sora to put himself in a scenario where he could be forced to participate in a flat-out death game like the ones from his own world. Not to mention the nature of the game he was currently forced into. This could only mean one thing: They had already lost some other game. What other explanation was there for them to end up in a game like this? And thus, the forever-a-loser no longer had a purpose in life. Sora lamented his fate, yet Shiro refused to give up on him. “…B-but…maybe, you agreed to this game, on purpose…? Just like…when we played against…Holou…” Oh, right. So there were a few exceptions to the death-game premise he’d thought out earlier. There were occasionally characters who chose to join the death game. They joined with a clear intent—to save someone else who was forced to join. Or perhaps to shove it in the face of the host, the one holding the game. Such characters hadn’t yet been robbed of the flow of the game by the game master. Instead of being forced to participate, they volunteered to get onto the guillotine because they had a strategy to win. Just like Sora and Shiro’s battle with the Old Deus Holou—they had a trick up their sleeve to pull one over on her. They’d opted to lose their memories because they’d believed they could win the death game. Unfortunately, however, that wasn’t the case here. And why was that—? “There’s no friggin’ way I’d ever agree to be in a situation like this—it’s literally impossible… Heh-heh-heh…” Shiro approached her lamenting brother, when: “Ngggrah!! How long are ya gonna coop yourselves up in there?! It’s almost time for our next stream, don’cha know?!” The Fairy girl must’ve run out of patience. Foeniculum caused Sora and Shiro’s locked door to vanish before she started reaming them out. She flew into the room and pulled off the blanket Sora was taking shelter under. “I’ll have you know I had this awesome highlight reel all planned out to show what you guys did on the first day, but nooo, you just sat in your rooms the entire time!! You guys aren’t even trying!!” “Try what?! Why would we try anything in this mess?!” Sora grabbed his blanket back and met her yelling with his own. “Well, I needja to fall in love with each other and stuff!! Like, you coulda commiserated over getting locked up outta the blue like this, and that could’ve planted the seeds of romance or somethin’!! You know what I mean, right?!” “Hell no!! If I could do that, I’d probably have a girlfriend already!!” “You don’t got one ’cause you don’t even try!!” “Yeah, yeah, I don’t wanna hear it! You’re gonna make me cry, damn it!!” Try? Try what, exactly? “If you don’t couple up with somebody, you won’t be able to leave or even get enough tips to eat!! Didn’cha hear the rules earlier?! Or do you actually wanna die of starvation?!” “I probably know the rules better than anyone else!! That’s why I’m depressed!!” Ah yes, the rules… So: They needed to pair up into couples to leave… Or they could purchase a key with their smartphones and leave on their own… Sure enough—the price of the key showed up as a five followed by nine zeros… Five billion points. This was the asinine cost of the key. Only four of them could escape by pairing up into couples. In order to save the final contestant, they would have to buy a key. To do this, they would need to please their viewers—the Fairies—and receive tips. The only way to please the viewers was—that’s right—to show the cast falling in love with each other. However—there was one big problem standing in Sora’s way. And that was: “I don’t even know the first thing about this love documentary genre!!” He had zero clue how to please the viewers and get tips. His knowledge on the subject was zilch—nada! This was a huge problem! “What kind of system is this?! You think you can just scrounge up a bunch of randos and force them into relationships?! The only love that creates is a product of the process of elimination!!” Why do people who wash ashore onto deserted islands end up in relationships? It’s simple: Because there’s no one else to shack up with. Why do they go and act like it’s the love of the century? And why does that move the viewers to tears? It doesn’t make any sense!! “The only people I can think of who like throwing animals into cages and watching them mate are biologists!! It’s freakin’ creepy!!” “You, um, must be really unpopular with the ladies to have that take on things.” “Damn straight, Steph! Any objections? Speak now or forever hold your peace!!” Steph shuddered at the depths of Sora’s unpopularity, but he shot her down and kept the focus on this nonsensical game. He knew he would absolutely never agree to a death game where he would be the odd man out. Sora was convinced they’d been forced into this game, with no hope for recourse. However… “I have no objections. My master is indeed wise. You are as sharp as ever.” “Approval: All mating between living beings can be reduced to the process of elimination. Living creatures can mate only with those close to them. Therefore, it is inevitable that two beings of the same class and origin will fall in love. As always, Master is all-knowing. Reconfirmation: Considering these circumstances, it is incredible that this unit was able to meet Master, her soul mate. What luck.” Jibril and Emir-Eins praised Sora, yet he found himself hit with a strange feeling. Wait… What? “…Sora, you’re stating the obvious…” “What?” “People only fall in love with those closest to them. If you think that’s strange, then either you think love is strange or you hate when others find love, and—” “…Brother is the…latter. Basically…he’s just…bitter.” Steph and Shiro stared unamused at Sora, who was gasping in shock. Even Steph…is pitying me… …Heh…heh-heh… “Yeah… You guys are right… Okay… I’ll come out of my room…” Sora realized there was nothing wrong with the genre and that he just didn’t understand love in the first place. But at the very least, the others seemed to have a better grasp of it than he did. Maybe they would be able to please the viewers in a way he couldn’t— “If I shut myself in this room, then Shiro will be stuck, too… Right, I’ll come out now… You four, feel free to find love with each other… I’ll just curl up in a corner like some houseplant…” Indeed… All said and done, Sora knew the outcome would be the same—that he’d end up alone. In hopes to at least not starve to death, he figured he should allow the others to participate. With great sorrow, Sora accepted his fate and motioned to leave the room, when— “ARGH! This is getting us nowhere!! Change of plans, people!!” Foeniculum had had enough. She tore at her hair while she screamed at the group. “I had an idea for when things moved too slowly—never thought I’d have to use it on the first day, though. Looks like we’re gonna kick off today’s stream by having you guys play a game!!” —A game…? The group shot the Fairy a collective look of hesitation. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch. Think of this as an easy li’l mini game.” A cigar in her mouth, Foeniculum gave a fat grin as she continued. “If you guys win, I’ll swear on the Covenants to answer a single yes-or-no question—no matter what it is—truthfully. Them’s the terms of the game.” “Any question?! You mean even something like, Is there a different way out of here?!” Steph asked. “Yep, yep. I’ll answer any question ya got, as long as it can be answered with a yes or a no.” That’s right… Regardless of whether there were hidden rules, she would answer any yes-or-no question honestly. Faced with this new proposal, the group looked each other in the eyes and nodded, and then: “I’m gonna sit this one out… You four can do it…” “What?! Wh-why would you opt to sit out?!” Steph demanded. “Because I don’t have any questions about this game…,” came Sora’s lifeless, apathetic answer. What Foeniculum said next would completely change his mind: “By the way, I should mention that this game involves hooking Sora up with one of y’all, temporarily.” “Well, ladies, you heard the Fairy!! Moping around isn’t going to get us out of this mess!!” With enough spring in his step to stir up a hurricane—and quick enough for Jibril not to notice—Sora had burst out of his room. “Hey, guuuys!! It’s time for stream number two—and I’m here to bring it to you!! …Okay, see, that whole thing earlier was just a fluke… I—I know! It’s everybody’s favorite li’l shit! Brought to you live from the bottom of the streamer barrel!! Flame me all you want, it’s Foeniculum comin’ atcha with your program! ” It seemed like the viewers had yet to forget about her mishap from the previous day; Foeniculum started off the second stream somewhat apologetically. Sora and the others, however, were unable to speak at all. They couldn’t see anything, either. They simply sat at the living room table and listened. “A-anyhoo, I’ve got a great program for you guys today!! A little something that’ll get the mojo brewing between these five whether they like it or not!! Now, for our first event—I present to you!! “The secret confession game!! Whoo-hoooo!! Bang, bang, sparkle, sparkle!!” The Fairy energetically made firecracker sound effects as she presented her event. Sora and the others listened considerably more attentively than the viewers did. They hadn’t yet been told the details of the game they’d be playing. Their only instructions had been to sit in their chairs, close their eyes, and listen without saying a word. Sora and Shiro were seated next to each other—holding hands, eyes closed—as they waited for the explanation. “I’ve given our contestants cards that show what they’re thinking in writing!” Sora had his card in his left hand—his opposite hand was holding Shiro’s hand. “The five of them will write A loves B on their cards. A has to be someone other than the card owner, and B can be anyone—including themselves—except for whoever they chose for A!” Okay… “For example, Sora here can’t go and write Sora loves B. But he can write A loves Sora!! And of course he can’t write Sora loves Sora. In other words—whoever can match themselves with another player wins!!” What a sadistic concept for a game… Foeniculum ignored the group’s inner thoughts and continued with her explanation. “The pair who writes A loves B and B loves A will be matched up!! A and B will be a couple!! We’ll keep going until a couple is formed—and if they get a match on their first try, all five contestants will receive a bonus reward! ” That made sense, then. The bonus reward was what she described before the stream started. Foeniculum was going to answer one yes-or-no question the group had. “Contestants, I’ll make sure to keep whatever you write on your cards a secret from the other players while I share it with the viewers. Since it’s anonymous, feel free to confess to whoever you want!! How’s that sound?!” …So there’s no way for Foeniculum to lose this game. “There will be no talking among the contestants before the game begins, either! If any of them speaks or opens their eyes, all five will lose!! That’d make for a pretty boring stream, so don’t go and do that, okay?” This precluded any methods the group could use to cheat—but there was one more rule. Foeniculum saved the most important part of the game for last. “The pair that chooses each other will be forced to become a couple for one day!!” Oh yeah… The point of this game was to create a couple. She’d told Sora and the others that before they started—and she was now telling the viewers for their entertainment. “So let’s get this show on the road! Okay, contestants, you have five minutes to think— Aaand go!!” As soon as she finished yelling her starting call, Foeniculum turned to her viewers. “In the meantime, I’ll be reading out some comments! Hello, Foeniculum—why, hello to you, too, Anemone. —No one wants to hear your shitty banter! …Heh-heh. Screw you, too! You can leave whenever you wanna, punk! …Oh snap, they actually left! I’m just kiddin’! C’mon, I’m beggin’ you here!! Don’t leeeaaave meee! ” While Foeniculum seamlessly transitioned to trading insults within her chat room, Sora closed his eyes—silently laying out the rules in his mind—and sank into deep thought. The point of the game was to form a pair without discussing it beforehand. There were sixteen different combinations between the four of them. That meant a 25 percent chance of forming a couple if they all wrote someone down randomly… Not too shabby, those odds. However, those were the odds if they each picked someone at random. Reality was more complicated; the players’ own thoughts and feelings affected their decisions. Usually, this sort of game is meant to be played over multiple rounds, where the players feel each other out and adjust their answers accordingly. For Sora and the others to win, they needed to make a pair on the first round—in other words, a sudden-death match. Foeniculum’s goal was for two of them to form a couple. Granted, seeing as she probably didn’t want to have to answer a question from the group, she intended for the game to last multiple rounds. Sheesh, there’s no skill involved with a game like this. It’s basically just luck. …If you play strictly by the rules, that is. Thus, Sora couldn’t stop himself from smirking as he began moving his fingers around in Shiro’s hand. Did she really think we’d play by the book? I’m going to write Jibril loves Sora. Shiro, you need to write Sora loves Jibril. Sora relayed this to his sister with just his fingers. A few seconds passed, and she responded in a similar fashion: Got it. You see… They certainly couldn’t discuss their answers beforehand. They couldn’t speak or look at each other’s faces. Magic couldn’t be used in this space—there was no way to work with Jibril and Emir-Eins. However—Sora had Shiro. The two of them could easily overcome the game’s rules. Able to hold each other’s hands, they could discuss tomorrow’s itinerary if they needed to. With their two votes, they could create any pair they wanted even with their eyes closed! That said, Sora was well aware of the risk this game posed. Forced to be a couple for an entire day… Who knew what it could entail? Deciding who should be paired with whom required the utmost consideration. This is why Sora decided to go with Jibril. Even in the worst-case scenario—though, he doubted she’d ever be put in a position to harm him—Jibril would abide by both his and Shiro’s commands; she was the least risky option. Whoever got paired with her, however, was still liable to face some risk. Therefore, if somebody had to shoulder such a burden—who better than Sora himself?! Just as Sora affirmed his logical, self-sacrificial decision and mentally patted himself on the back— “That’s five minutes, folks!! I’ll be taking those cards now, thaaaank you! ” —Foeniculum’s voice rang out, cutting off his train of thought. A benevolent, merciful grin spread across Sora’s face as he felt the card be lifted from his left hand. And then: “What’s this? Well, this is a surprise!! Looks like we have ourselves a first-round matchup!!” Foeniculum shouted. Sora quietly readied his arm for a triumphant fist pump. Oh, how he had thrown himself into the lion’s jaws. Much as it pained him, this was Sora’s way to end the game without getting left in the lurch!! Any risk that came with his chivalrous decision was worth it for that small glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel!! His head held high, Sora was certain he’d won this game. And by win, he meant… My first girlfriend is: Jibril!!!! Welcome to the world, Sora, virgin, age eighteen who’s had a girlfriend, even if for just one day. From today forward, that eternal zero would evolve into a 0.1. Sora waited with great anticipation as Foeniculum continued her announcement— However… “Stephanie and Jibril have feelings for each other!! A bit unexpected, but okay!!” “““WHAT?!””” All at once, Sora, Jibril, and Steph cried out with shock. “Hold the goddamn phone! How the hell did that even happen?!” With the creation of a pair, the game had finished. Sora no longer had any reason to keep his eyes closed or remain silent; he furiously protested the results. His and Shiro’s cards had been ignored. Foeniculum was definitely cheating. The person who joined Sora in protest was not Shiro, his coconspirator, but: “Why, you—w-worthless heap of scrap metal—you tricked me! Apparently you wish to die an early death—” “Scoff: She who was tricked is at fault. This is how the world works. Needless to say, Irregular Number is an idiot. Verification complete, stuuupid.” Jibril’s surroundings practically shimmered from the murderous glare she shot at Emir-Eins. Emir-Eins…tricked Jibril…? Wait. Thinking back to when Foeniculum presented the results… The only ones who sounded shocked were Sora, Jibril, and Steph, as if they didn’t know where these results came from. Sora looked to Shiro and Emir-Eins and asked them, “Hey! What’s going on here? Ahhhh, sorry; I’m sorry!!” When he turned his head, he was met with two subzero stares, causing him to whimper midsentence. Crap, I have no idea what’s going on!! What just happened? And what’s going to happen?! Sora was confused. One thing was for sure, though. While he didn’t know how, he understood his beloved little sister had betrayed him. On the verge of tears, he wondered: What did I do to piss her off this time…? Shiro bored holes into Sora with her gaze—like she was putting pins into a specimen—and thought… Or rather, she couldn’t help but think… Her brother, an expert strategist and an absolute doofus when it came to love… …Could it be…Brother is…a moron…? Sora seemed incredibly pensive, but—this game was actually incredibly simple. I mean, come on. Basically— —all the girls were going to write that Sora loves them… Right…? All he had to do was pick one of them and write that they love him, and it was over. And there would be nothing anonymous about it; it would effectively be a confession. Like, a full-blown confession. This is what Foeniculum was getting at… Why didn’t Brother realize this…? So Shiro had simply spoken. Not with her voice, but with her lips. Brother is going to pair up with Jibril, she mouthed… Emir-Eins—with her Ex Machina sensors—would be able to pick this up. She didn’t need her eyes to read Shiro’s lips. So Shiro continued: I’ll write Steph loves Jibril. Shiro knew that Emir-Eins—who thought numerically and logically just like she did—would pick up on her intent. She knew the cyborg would fill in the blanks. Namely—that she would find a way to keep Jibril from writing Sora loves Jibril. Emir-Eins would probably relay a message to Jibril along the lines of Little Sister’s orders. Write Sora loves Shiro. Then Emir-Eins herself would write Jibril loves Steph. Thus temporarily putting a stop to Jibril’s attempts at pairing up with Sora. And—in turn—preventing him from coupling up with Jibril. All this while fulfilling the group’s victory in the first round. It was the only course of action she could take to meet both of her goals—!! And succeed she did. However—with her win secured—Shiro turned to Sora and Jibril. ““Eep?!”” The two whimpered beneath her piercing glare. Like, in all seriousness— Brother… If you wanted to secure a win, why not pair up with me…? Sora loves Shiro, Shiro loves Sora… That would’ve worked perfectly fine… Right? Why did you try to make me pair you up with Jibril…? Same with you, Jibril… You were gonna write Sora loves Jibril, weren’t you…? You definitely would’ve written yourself in had Emir-Eins not stopped you, I bet… Right…? “Welp, I guess according to the rules, that makes these two a couple!!” Fortunately for Sora and Jibril, Foeniculum broke off Shiro’s death glare. “Jibril and Stephanie have to be a couple for the next twenty-four hours, starting—now!!” With great excitement, Foeniculum pronounced the two women a couple—and at that very moment… —Ba-dum. …there came the sound of Jibril and Steph meeting each other’s gaze and falling in love. It was perfectly audible—or at least it seemed so to Shiro and the others. Forced to be a couple for an entire day… With bated breath, Sora, Shiro, and even Emir-Eins waited to see what this rule entailed. Were Steph and Jibril really going to fall in love for a day? The siblings and the Ex Machina had no idea what to expect. The two blushing ladies stared into each other’s eyes… Was this what it was like to experience love? …Wait, that’s it? Just as Sora began to feel like this was a huge letdown… “” “Eeeek?!” …Jibril’s smile dissolved loosely into the fattest of grins, and Steph’s face turned beet red. Sora had his doubts as to whether these were the expressions of two women in love. That’s when Jibril pounced on Steph quickly enough to break the sound barrier—but then… “Whoopsie daisy!! Let’s keep it PG-13, ladies. Wouldn’t want to get our stream banned! ” …before Sora could even register what had happened, Foeniculum intervened, canceling out whatever was about to occur. Jibril flew past Steph and straight into a wall. Steph, meanwhile, sat clutching herself, teary-eyed and quivering. Wait—does this mean they were about to do something that would get the stream banned?! What the hell is going on?! “Um… J-Jibril, are you and Steph in love?” Sora asked cautiously. “Little Dora and me? In love? Preposterous—Dora is my pet,” replied a visibly puzzled Jibril as she rubbed the bump on her head. “It was you, Master, who was gracious enough to let your servant own a pet in the first place. Did you forget?” Sora and Shiro shot each other a shared look and confirmed that neither of them remembered giving—or even being asked for—such permission. “I jumped toward her to get her clothes off—pets have no need for those—but it seems I can’t do it here for some reason, so I’ll let it slide for now. Here, little Dora. Sit. Now give me your paw. ” “O-okay…” “There, there. That’s a good girl, Dora! ” “Urghhh…” At any rate, it appeared Jibril and Steph mutually acknowledged their relationship. Though she was blushing, Steph didn’t seem to dislike being stroked and ordered around like a dog. “…Can I, uh…ask something really quick…? How long have you two been together?” “Ever since the day after you and I played our first game together, Masters. I heard that you forced little Dora to wear a collar, dog ears, and a tail while you walked her around town, and I decided to try it as well. Don’t you just love her reactions? I adore the little face she makes when she’s about to cry—don’t even get me started about when I walk her naked—” “Jib—erm, Master?! You told me you wouldn’t tell anyone about that!!” “…Oh-ho? Is my pet trying to express her opinion to her master? ” “Eeeep! U-um! I-if you’re going to punish me, please be gentle!!” Okay, I see what’s going on here. Evidently, Jibril’s and Steph’s memories had been thoroughly tampered with. Realizing this, Sora exhaled and said: “Hey, Foeniculum!! You call this a couple?! You tricked us!” Jibril and Steph were in no way a conventional couple—they were more like mistress and servant. Sora accused Foeniculum of breaking the rules, but the Fairy excitedly threw his claim out the window. “They are a couple! A subconsciously, mutually consenting couple!!” If what Foeniculum said was true, it could only mean: “…So Steph’s…cool with, being…Jibril’s pet?” Had Steph not felt this way subconsciously, then she and Jibril could never have become a couple. Shiro asked Foeniculum for confirmation, only to be interrupted: “N-no way!! I—I’m only doing this because Jibril asked me to… It’s what she wants…” Steph frantically tried to explain the situation. “I—I mean, this is Jibril we are talking about! The Jibril! Who am I to turn her down?! I’d never find joy in something like this!! Th-this is a, um, regular relationship we—” “…Dora? Had my masters been addressing you, I wouldn’t mind, but did I give you permission to speak? It looks like somebody still needs more training. ” “Ahhh! I’m so sorry!!” Sora and Shiro listened as Jibril scolded Steph. There was a clear tinge of jealousy—and possessiveness—that could be heard in Jibril’s tone. Upon realizing this, they also picked up on a subliminal level of joy in Steph’s voice. The group came to the same conclusion simultaneously—it all made sense. They’re that kind of couple. In other words: “Forced to be a couple for an entire day” only meant that two people were forced to pair up, not fall in love with each other. The two of them could become a romantic couple so long as they both agreed to the relationship, even unconsciously. This was the basis of their forged memories; they were already that kind of couple. In which case—Emir-Eins asked the Fairy with utmost caution: “…Confirmation: When the day ends, their fabricated memory will disappear, correct?” “Not quite. But they’ll know that their memories were tampered with. It’ll feel like it was all a dream. And before long, they’ll forget about it, just like it actually was a dream. ” Even when you date someone you wish you hadn’t, you’ll always remember them in some way. Foeniculum’s answer sent a collective shiver down Shiro’s and Emir-Eins’s spines. Sora, on the other hand… So if I’d paired up with Jibril as planned…I basically would’ve been able to dream about us becoming a couple in some shape or form!! Me, who can’t even find a girlfriend in his actual dreams!! Who knew these rules could be so wonderful?! Damn it! Why’d my plan fail?! Stricken with regret, Sora desperately ruminated over why he’d lost, when next to him: “Bwa-ha-haaa! The money’s flowin’ in now! Just look at all these tips! Thanks, everybody! ” Apparently, Jibril and Steph’s girl-on-girl action was quite popular. A thrilled Foeniculum spoke to her viewers through the screen. That was when Sora calmly remembered something. “…Now that you mention it, is this being broadcast to the Elves as well…?” Love between an Immanity and a Flügel. Sora wondered if this turn of events was being broadcast to the world—well, to at least the Elves… He was conflicted: Let’s say he had paired up with Jibril—the last thing he wanted to happen was for Chlammy and Fiel to be watching them. “Oh, the Elves can’t watch this stream—it’s set to private,” Foeniculum answered. “Fairies have a unique set of spirit corridor junction nerves. They extend through spatial phase boundaries like roots, allowing Fairies to link up with each other—the Linkernet is like a big web of these roots. I’m streaming this directly through those roots. So only Fairies who have subscribed to my channel can watch my stream. ” Right… Not exactly sure I follow her, but now I know what she meant by “private” stream. Her account was locked—or a direct P2P connection between Fairies. If that was the case, then… “…So the Fairies giving you tips are directly connected to you, individually? Like, they’ve subscribed to your channel—as paying customers—in order to watch this stream?” Not only that, but—like Jibril mentioned before—they were paying with their souls. And indeed, Sora’s smartphone showed these Fairies were sending tips in chunks of 10,000 and 20,000 points. If the points were worth as much as yen, then that was a lot of money to be throwing around… Are these Fairies nuts? Sora questioned. “Heh-heh-heh… Fairies will do anything to watch drama unfold between others; that’s why some went out of their way to become slaves. And we’ve got ourselves a Flügel right here—who isn’t gonna pay to see that? ” “Wait—did you just suggest you chose to become slaves?” Sora had heard that Fairy and Elf were allied during the Great War. But it was unknown why, at some point, the Fairies became their slaves. Sora couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. “Hmm? Oh… Elven Gard keeps the Fairies a secret, so I bet you guys don’t know much about us. I’ll hafta teach ya, then!!” Ignoring Sora’s overt suspicion, Foeniculum continued: “Fairies crave nothing more than to hear about other people’s love lives!!” Sora squinted as his suspicions were confirmed. That’s right… “Those Elves live so long, and yet their romantic exploits are riddled with sex and drama—it’s why their art and nighttime shenanigans are so juicy!! Fairy and Elf have been allies since ancient times, and some Fairies have no qualms being Elf slaves—if those Elves provide all the nasty little details. We’re the race of love, created by Alram, the god of love—y’all better not mess with us!!” Let me get this straight, Sora thought… So Fairies chose to be enslaved by Elves—or Erofu, as I like to call them—solely for their filthy love lives and art…? That wasn’t the end of it: “I’ll have ya know that the only reason we even created the Linkernet was so we could enjoy watching ’em go at it.” “…So they’re using their Internet knowing that they’re being watched…?” “From the Elves’ perspective, Fairies are like handy-dandy flowers with built-in web access. They ain’t gonna pay attention to every li’l flower they see.” Right. So the Ixseed were even more dismissive of lower races than Sora had imagined. But anyway… Unable to wrap his head around this new information, Sora couldn’t help but moan. “…That’s a pretty dumb reason to willingly become their slaves…” “There’s nothin’ dumb about it. Their drama’s like nutrition for us. A literal lifeline,” a huffy Foeniculum insisted. Fairy, the flower race, just needs dirt, water, and sunlight to function. And they can create all three of these in a Spratul—talk about peak eco-friendliness. But in order to use magic, they need to replenish their souls… “And here’s the fun part—to beef up our souls, we feed off other people’s romantic escapades. ” Foeniculum continued her spiel, affirming Emir-Eins’s earlier suspicions. Namely: “We need all the juicy drama we can get!! And everything that comes with it: All the bitterness, the melancholy, the glory—everything! The dirtier, the better!! ’Cause everybody knows flowers love dirt!! Am I right?! …Huh? People usually laugh at that part… It’s okay to laugh, y’know!!” Tears filled her eyes; she seemed shocked that her joke fell flat. Alas, Sora was in no place to hear it. He clutched at his aching head in grief. “…Even when you consider that, did you guys really need to become the Elves’ slaves?” “It’s not about needing to be their slaves; it was just more convenient. Elves and Fairies kinda complement each other.” Right… Sora had heard as much from Jibril, too. Elf was certainly a better match than Dwarf, who practically uprooted any plant or flower in sight. But still—there were a plethora of other races to choose from, many who wouldn’t force the Fairies into servitude. “Who else were we ’sposed to pair up with? Not like any of the higher races would give us the time of day. Plus, Dhampir are about to die out, Siren friggin’ eat each other, Lunamana are a bunch of antisocial shut-ins, Immanity can’t use magic, and Werebeasts make love like animals!! We need quality romance here!” Now that she mentions it, there aren’t a whole lot of races in this world with quote-unquote regular love languages…, Sora grumbled to himself. But there was something new on his mind he felt he needed to draw attention to. “Tell me more about that last part. About the Werebeasts—are they all really like Ino when they—?” “That’s right— It’s all in the past now!! I wanna see love so passionate, so red-hot that it sets the world on fire!!” His question was lost on Foeniculum, who was getting really worked up. “A Fairy’s bound to get sick of the same old conservative Elf drama!! We need love that overcomes the barriers of gender and race!! I bet this’ll be the new standard!! Feast your eyes!!” Foeniculum plopped on Sora’s head as she enthusiastically pointed at the two lovers who had been cuddling the entire time. Well, not cuddling so much as: Jibril was rubbing Steph’s belly like she was a big dog, and Steph—though embarrassed—seemed to be enjoying it. This was the new standard of love and romance that Foeniculum foresaw. Sora, who was still stuck on the old standard, couldn’t quite grasp her avant-garde view. He didn’t need to agree with her, though, as her viewers gave her their seal of approval with a symphony of ka-chings. It was the sound of their tips coming in, and the cacophony seemed endless… “Oh yeah, almost forgot. Now that we have a couple, I needta answer a question from you guys.” Ah…right… Sora had completely forgotten about their reward. Foeniculum was going to answer a yes-or-no question for them. Honestly, Sora didn’t even have a question he wanted to ask. “I’ve got about an hour left on the stream, so just wait until that’s over, ’kay? ” “…No, I think we’re gonna need more than an hour. How about you give us a day…in our rooms…?” Plus, Steph probably had questions of her own—best to wait until she and Jibril were back to their usual selves. With that, Sora turned away from the JibSteph pair, who were getting hotter by the minute.