No Game No Life - Volume 11 - Chapter Ep

  TEMPORARY END

Many hurdles had yet to be cleared, problems yet to be solved.

But nonetheless, Elkia Royal Castle had achieved a semblance of normalcy, marked by the echoes of an astonished shriek through its corridors.

“A space that only couples can leave?! Why wasn’t I invited?!”

 Once Til learned about the game Foeniculum played with Sora and the others during Elkia’s disappearance, she let out a shrill screech from the bottom of her soul. Joining her in the throne room were Sora and Shiro, who covered their ears as they answered her.

“My best guess is all the stuff with you and Hardenfell had way too much to do with the poison— Wait a sec. You wanted to come, too…?”

“…If you did…who would you…have gone, after? Me…or Bro—?”

“Huh?! S-so how did it end?!”

Til failed to notice Shiro’s sharp gaze and pressed further about the results of the game. Sora had a thought…

Hmmm… The results…?

Truth is, there are no real results.

All their romantic feelings were enhanced while they were in the space. The resulting couples were the products of those feelings. Just as Foeniculum said, once they left the space, their feelings returned to normal.

 Actually… That’s not quite right.

For Sora, there was one big change:

“I was forced by the Covenants to never get a girlfriend for the rest of my life.”

“Just what turn of events led to that result?!” Til cried.

It was the truth.

 While the game involved overcoming a myriad of different challenges, this was the only lingering result once all was said and done.

“So then, S-Sir, does that truly mean you’ll be single for life?!”

“Yeah, that about sums it up.”

“—…Huh? You don’t seem very upset about this, you don’t… Sir…?”

Yeah… That’s ’cause there’s nothing upsetting about it.

In fact, I’ve never felt this pure in all my life.

Sora’s smile was as clear and sunny as a fresh spring day. Til stared at him, puzzled.

Why do people feel pain and suffering in the first place?

In Sora and Shiro’s old world, there was a great man who 2,600 years prior sought to answer this very question. After a long life spent training his mind and spirit, he found his answer and absolved all his suffering.

The answer the great man found—was desire.

 People are born, and then they die… This is an inescapable law of nature.

No matter how much money you make, or how great your achievements are, all things in the world eventually turn to dust. People suffer because they attempt to defy nature—they desire to stop this cycle.

However…Sora was forced to give up his desire.

 I’ll never be able to get a girlfriend. 

The Covenants took his doubts and, in the same way all things eventually turn to dust, rendered them an immutable law of nature.

For Sora, the concept of a girlfriend was now nothing more than the moon’s beautiful reflection on the water’s surface.

He no longer needed to lament never getting one of his own. His heart and mind were free of suffering.

“Regret: Permanent loss of this unit’s bright future spent with Master. Report: Re-observing emotion known as ‘despair.’ Nothing really matters anymore. This unit only feels pain…”

“Thanks, Emir-Eins. Your feelings were honestly wasted on me. I won’t be able to reciprocate—but I’d be really grateful if we stayed together as gamers going forward. I’m really sorry.”

He couldn’t love her back. The Covenants wouldn’t allow it !!

“Master’s girlfriend is far too lofty a position for myself. I shall continue yearning for you from afar.”

“Thank you, Jibril. I know you don’t need to hear me say this, but you’re always there for me when I need you the most. Can Shiro and I keep counting on you, as your masters—and as fellow gamers?”

“Ah… Your words are too much for me…! It would be the highest of honors!”

Alas… He was no longer capable of reciprocating these beautiful ladies’ affections!

Sora was divorced from all love! It was now merely the glimmer of a distant star!!

He could only gaze at the intrinsic beauty born from its unattainability with a faint, placid smile.

 Why can’t I get a girlfriend?

A question he need not agonize over as he had for all his days…for such desires were now physically impossible to achieve!!

Having cast away his desires and attained a worldly truth, Sora reached the same place as the aforementioned enlightened man from his previous world. His new presence of mind brought him to a new conclusion, one from a different school of thought. It was a sentence written on the gates of hell:

“…Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.”

This was surely a revelation delivered by the gods themselves, a final salvation.

Even when damned to an eternity in hell—so long as you rid yourself of all hope…you at least won’t have to spend those days in despair…

“Your turn, little Dora. You’ve lost your chance, just as we did.  ”

“Whaaat?! I—I didn’t lose anything from Sora—”

“Recommendation: This love will never be fulfilled. Lady Dol should face the facts. Kommen sie.”

All Sora could do was watch fondly as the former Girl-on-Girl Alliance momentarily reconvened.

Ah… How foolish I was.

I have Shiro by my side—and all these beautiful women to gaze upon.

That’s more than a blessing in itself; my world was already filled with brilliant light.

All my suffering was born from treating them as potential girlfriends, from my superfluous carnal desires.

And now I’ll never be able to hook up with any of them.

Sora was convinced. Free of all worldly concerns, he could appreciate these precious ladies with a pure mind…

It was like coveting a flower that would eventually lose its petals.

Or shedding a tear over the stars he would never be able to reach.

He felt like he was looking at a painting, moved by the beauty conveyed though its canvas.

He could simply be present, feeling nothing but tenderness…

Ah yes—now I can appreciate these things in earnest. How sacred a woman’s love is when it has no relation to the self; how sublime. Now I understand how Fairies—and Foeniculum—must feel…!!

Sora’s mind was enveloped with all the serenity of a windless lake’s surface—

“Hmm? Sora, you do realize you swore on the Covenants to never get a girlfriend for the rest of your life, right?”

—when a certain Fairy poofed onto the scene out of thin air and proceeded to shatter his newfound calm.

That’s right—she was about to dump a massive boulder into his still, windless lake.

“There’s lots of other relationships you can have, like lovers, friends with benefits—heck, you can even make your own harem. You’re still within your Covenant-given rights to up and skip the whole girlfriend part and just get hitched if you really want to.  ”

In that moment, time all but stopped.

At least, it most certainly did in Elkia Royal Castle’s throne room.

And then it switched back on—at which point…

““““……………………””””

…even Sora noticed the passion reignited within the eyes of his beautiful, saddened female companions.

You little shit… Why would you do this after I managed to abandon all hope and achieve nirvana…?!

Sora communicated this sentiment to Foeniculum through a single glare, but a grin was succinct enough to get her response across:

 ’Cause it’s loads more interesting that way, duh.   

“…Oookay, let’s take a moment to process this. Right, guys? …Guys?”

The group slowly closed in on Sora.

But he just barely managed to keep that boulder from crash-landing. Sora thrust his arms out, stopping the ladies in their tracks.

Heh, heh-heh… You almost had me there, but I’m still in control.

Foeniculum’s game produced another result—well, not exactly a result, but more of a reconfirmation.

 Shiro and I are two in one.

We’ll always be together—until she pushes me away. That promise means more to me than any Covenants ever could.

They mean nothing! I may have lost sight of this absolute truth due to how obvious it is, but now I once again see the light!

Even on the off chance I wanted to get involved with one of these women…it isn’t my decision alone to make!!

If my other half—Shiro—says no, then the answer is a resounding no! Therefore, Foeniculum’s words have no effect on me!!

Ironclad in his convictions, Sora gazed down at his lap, where his sister sat.

However:

She responded just as she had on their first night in this world. It was like déjà vu; Shiro gave him a thumbs-up and answered:

“…Brother, grats on losing your virginity.”

“Why are you cool with it now?!”

Why?! WHY NOW, OF ALL TIMES?!

Sora panicked; he attempted to keep the women homing in on him at bay by shouting “Whoooa, whoa, whoa, Shiro!! And the rest of you!! Everyone, just cool it for a sec!! Shiro, you’re the one who made it impossible for me to get a girlfriend!! I legit have no idea why you’re giving me the go-ahead here and now!!”

Shiro, however, was silent in the face of her brother’s desperate inquisitions.

She smiled faintly—her answer had been based on simple logic.

…Brother will, never…abandon me…

That’s right—Shiro knew her brother would never leave her side.

Nobody could take him away from her, nor would she ever leave him.

Their bond had long since surpassed that of lovers, let alone spouses.

So what if he makes a pass at someone—or vice versa? No problem whatsoever.

…Brother promised…he’d make a pass at me, down the line… Losing his virginity…sooner rather than, later…works out better…for me.

 She actually wanted him to make a move on someone else.

Then he would be out of excuses for not making a move on her!!

Lovers, trysts, friends with benefits—even a harem…

Shiro reconfirmed that these relationships were effectively meaningless compared to her own position.

In other words, she was his first lady—his queen.

She was the one and only true heroine of his story, the ultimate position to be in.

And that position was immovable. This fact was all the reassurance she needed to ask her next question.

“…So…Brother… Who are you…gonna do, first?”

“Heh… Heh-heh-heh-heeeh, indeed!! I’ll take care of this, I will!! Your first time should be with your big sister, it should!!”

“In what culture?! Is that how they do things in Hardenfell?! Like a budget porno?! Also, Til, let me check something real quick—do you still consider yourself my older sister?!”

“I understand Master’s world has a practice wherein a man comes of age by honing his sexual prowess with an older woman before he marries. In which case—why not elect the eldest of us to—?”

“You’re talking about a single culture from a specific part of our world during the Middle Ages!!”

“Conjecture: Little Sister’s presence is inhibiting Master… Report: This unit is an Ex Machina. An unfeeling machine. A tool. Relations with said tool equivalent to masturbation. No impediments involved in sexual relations with this unit. Umarmen?”

“You can’t just pick and choose when to act like a machine!! Even a tool’s gotta have some sort of shame!!”

“If you can’t decide, Master, why not simply have us all at once?  ”

“Wait just one moment!!” Steph hollered. “You had better not be including me in that count!!”

“Awww, yeahhh!   That’s the kinda love I like to see! The more races, the better!!”

“Where the hell do you get off, calling this love?!”

It was safe to say Foeniculum was at the center of all this chaos.

Sora saw her eating up this exchange like popcorn at the movies and proceeded to yell at her. Then he thought:

Yeah—I knew it was impossible. I was delusional to think a loser like me could ever achieve enlightenment like the great figures of yore.

I don’t know anything. Literally. Not even the simplest things.

I’m surrounded by beautiful women, and Shiro’s given me her blessing—so why am I pushing them away?!

 Maybe I never wanted to be popular with the ladies…?

I don’t even know anymore.

This game’s rules make no sense. How much longer till I get out…?

“Hey, Sora! Whatcha think about Izuna?! I’d kill to see an Immanity and a Werebeast hook up! Now that I spent all our dough on freeing Elkia, I’m fresh outta souls!! I can make ’em all back if you let me stream your romantic escapades, though!! And let’s get that Old Deus Holou involved!! I bet that cross-dressing Dhampir boy would be a hit, too! Ooh, and also, my intel gave me the scoop that there’s an Elf with giant boobs and a flat-chested Immanity who’re lesbianing together! Where the heck are you hiding them?!”

“Quit making this even more confusing!! And there’s no way in hell those two would be here!!” Sora shouted at the Fairy’s call for further chaos.

Eventually, he waved the horde of beautiful women away one by one.

And just like he always did—he grabbed Shiro’s hand and ran off, not understanding anything that was happening to him…

To the west of Lucia—lay the continent of Valar.

Up until two months ago, this territory was known as the Elven Gard state of Tírnóg.

As recently as seven days prior, it was a Commonwealth enclave in the process of being reclaimed.

It was now, however, occupied by the Republic of Elkia.

Something of a new frontier for the Immanity, the city retained some of its original Elven splendor as it welcomed its new residents—escapees from the Commonwealth—in droves.

All roads throughout the city convened at its center, where a large white building stood. Originally the manor of the Elf who governed Tírnóg, it had been transformed into a public building for Elkian redevelopment.

And at present—it was a government office within the Republic of Elkia.

Inside, it housed an assembly hall where an ad hoc parliament discussed— No…this could hardly be considered a discussion. The conversation had devolved into an exchange of bitter invectives…

 No surprise there, as most of the members present were from the former Commercial Confederation—spies for various races.

In other words: Parasites who used their patrons to outsmart one another and line their own pockets. Traitors who turned on their country for personal profit.

There was no hope for any constructive discourse among those who put themselves and their foreign stakeholders first.

And now these same people were touting themselves as the legitimate Elkia, the ones who truly served Immanity. It was like a bad joke, and worst of all: They actually believed it…

 I realize things must be quite tough right now in the Commonwealth, but the Republic is effectively a dumpster full of corrupt nobles and politicians.

Beneath her plastered-on smile, a young woman secretly cursed the entire parliament as she made her way through the door.

As soon as she stepped through silence fell.

The councillors ceased their bickering at the drop of a hat the moment they saw two ladies enter the chamber.

 No surprise there, either. These two were the reason why the councillors were so chatty to begin with.

The pair had brought them here just in the nick of time before Stephanie Dola could exact their punishment. The traitors sat in eager silence.

A bewitchingly stunning Elf with pale golden hair wordlessly followed a black-haired Immanity straight through the chamber. Unfazed by the councillors’ prying eyes, the latter of the two seated herself at the head of the assembly.

 These two women were:

Elven Gard’s delegated inspector general—Fiel Nirvalen.

And right in front of her: president of the Republic of Elkia’s parliament—Chlammy Zell.

“Now… Come—let the game begin.”

Chlammy wore an evil, twisted grin, her eyes full of disgust as she uttered—her declaration.