Epilogue
───Spirit Train "Sun Thousand" - Observatory Wagon.
At the Large Bath with the view of the Ley Lines..
"In other words......Big brothers often view their little brothers as either pets or property."
"I know where you are coming from."
"I can see your point."
Jin and Arjuna nodded with empathy as Homura discarded his set of cards. This brought the latter’s hand down to five, while Jin and Arjuna had three each. They were playing a game from the outside world called Old Maid.
"It could still be tolerated if the brother in question truly were superior to you,” said Arjuna, staring intently at Jin’s cards. Wearing nothing but a loincloth, he was enjoying the game, and a cup of Indian chai tea. “But when that’s not the case, it’d be better if they refrained from stepping up. Don't make a face that says - Your brother protected you. Where is my thanks? - when you are actually weak. And make debts in the process."
"Hahaha, at that point they are already past redemption."
"It sure is hard being an excellent little brother."
Arjuna had no objections there. He pulled a card with a sigh. Regretfully, it did not make a matching pair. Jun suddenly frowned, as if he recalled something unpleasant.
"But still. Isn't it also quite painful being doted on by an excellent big brother? Well, in my case it's not my actual brother but "someone I considered my brother". Given my current standpoint, I honestly wonder why isn't he seeing me as an enemy? I feel like he's simply ignoring me instead."
"Ah, I totally get that too. Well, in my case it was more like "someone I considered my stepbrother turning out to be my actual brother", though. ───Really, I'm not even sure what to say. It's like, despite running ahead of his little brother, he worries about him and keeps glancing back, I guess? When he is actually able to run so much faster, fly so much farther beyond, but as his little brother enters his view, his output drops by 30% out of worry, that kind of type? And seeing that makes me wanna kick him in the ass."
When a top runner looked behind out of worry, that was insulting to those who chased after their backs. It seemed that Homura, the little brother, could not forgive that fact.
Hearing Homura's comparison, Jin vigorously voiced his agreement.
"Yeah, that's what I mean! I totally get that! I'm trying my hardest to catch up to him in my own way, so he also should run with all his might! That always made me so frustrated!"
Jin vigorously pulled Homura's card and got the matching pair.
With this, Jin was holding his last card. All he had to do was wait for Arjuna to pull the final card for his victory. With only one chance left, Homura carefully chose a card from Arjuna’s remaining hand.
As he listened to their conversation, even Arjuna couldn’t help but become extremely bitter.
"Yeah......I think I understand that too."
"Oh? You experienced it too?"
"Yes. There was one moment in my life when I fought alongside my bro...my bitter enemy. When I was young, I would watch him press on, becoming stronger, cutting down vanguards while still looking at those he surpassed and left behind. I thought it was anger when I saw his back. Rather, It was antipathy. ."
Arjuna could see the distant past play out amongst the stars. A past that could never be undone. Despite knowing the hero’s past, Jin could only cast his eyes down in silence.
But Homura was ignorant of his past. Eating a half-melted chocolate chip cookie, he spoke out brazenly.
"Sounds like he was making light of you. Think you can settle the score with him?"
"......I......don’t know. I'm not even sure whether there would be a chance to."
“Idiot, you’re too thick skinned. There's no way an opportunity will happen if you just wish for it. You have to put effort into it sometimes to get a chance. If you don’t you’ll just regret it later.”
Arjuna’s eyes widen in shock. What Homura said was irresponsible. He didn’t know of the circumstances of Arjuna’s life. But his words struck a chord in Arjuna. Homura’s approach was on the opposite end of how Arjuna had been handling the problem all his life. And so, with a slightly tense expression, Arjuna asked Homura an important question.
"───Saigou Homura. Are you saying Fate isn’t something given to us, but something we must grasp for ourselves?
"Hm? Well, yeah. A man's life of 50 years is but a fleeting dream, or however the saying goes. For example, If I hadn’t started the Particle Body research, my orphanage would have been demolished. I don’t know what kind of life or achievements you had accomplished as an Indian Prince, but if you desire some kind of future, you have to work hard to make it happen.”
"Even if turned out to be a future you did not wish for?"
Arjuna asked as he leaned forward.
Homura looked up from his cards and said with a hand to his chin.
"───"Life is a noble thing.
A person polishes the gem they are bestowed by nature.
Until a shining light rewards that effort." ......Have you heard of this poem before?"
"......? No, this is my first time hearing it."
"I see......Well, this poem, it was said by someone called “The Merchant of Death”. Someone who was looked down on for their creations, and yet, it was because of those creations that humanity was able to move forward. His words were a beacon for scientists, a summit for us to reach out to. You could say he is our main influencer.”
Just the way Homura explained the poem so proudly was proof of how special it was to him.
“During that person’s lifetime, he accomplished many things, like reclaiming a large river to country contributions. But, by chance, he understood that, in the end he would be called a “Merchant of Death.”
"He learned of what happened after his death... while he was still alive?"
"Indeed. He was a chemist who wanted to cultivate lands, yet he couldn’t help but lament how his creations would be used as weapons to rob many lives. That was his final regret.."
The wish he had to be of use to humanity, was instead used to rob many lives.
Who knows how much pain and grief that fact brought him.
How much agony it was.
"Even after becoming the world's leading multi-millionaire, his heart was not satisfied. It was natural, he created for the sake of others happiness. Mourning the fact that his life, his will and his wish that he polished would leave nothing behind───thus, he invested his entire fortune, wishing to pass on hope to the next generation."
"The merchant of death"───It was a dark life where he earned money in exchange of people’s' lives.
Then at least, I wish to repay the lives I robbed. Those were his thoughts when he established a certain award ceremony.
Jin clapped his hands together as he recalled the name of the certain someone Homura spoke proudly of.
"───Alfred Nobel. You mean the person that created the Nobel Prize later on, right?"
"That's right...Wait, don't steal the best part from me you outsider!!”
Homura angrily retorted at Jin, whocasually apologized and continued.
"My bad, my bad. But the "Nobel peace prize" was built upon that wish, then."
"Yeah. I suppose saying he worried about the rumours doesn't make it a special story......But, come to think of it. . Going by the poems he wrote, you expect him to be a rather pure person. Also, his pure wish acted as a guide for humankind’s future didn’t it? His deeds managed to overcome the after death rumors.
"......Meaning?"
"I mean that since we are alive now, we have a chance to change the rumors about us. If you hate being called the Oathbreaker Hero, then you just have to sincerely follow the rules of this Game and win!"
With those words, Homura grabbed the card from Arjuna’s hand.
Placing his final pair down, he proudly raised his fist.
"YES, this time it's my win!!! I can handle them if they are games from my world!"
"Eh. But you know, this game is highly reliant on luck."
"Nonsense, I had my strategy. Especially when it comes to Arjuna, you can basically tell everything from his expressions."
"That's what I meant by relying on luck. Whoever pulls from Arjuna has the overwhelming advantage."
It was a mean way of putting it. Yet, Arjuna wasn’t disappointed with the results.
The Joker remaining in his hand was drawn with an angel and demon halves. It was similar to him in a way. Leaning back in the chair he couldn’t help but laugh in his normal self-deprecating way.
"A victory without breaking the rules, huh? ───That's right. In this Sun Authority War at least, I should give it everything I got. Or rather, that may actually be my true wish."
"Hey now, don't say it like that. You have to follow the rules down to the letter during the time we fight together."
"Fufu, I got it. I’ll give you my full cooperation up to the day we may part ways.”
Oh? Jin Russell raised his eyebrow in surprise.
While Arjuna was joined with “Avatara”, he was constantly tense, like a drawn out string of a bow. But now, that string had loosened, enough for him to be able to smile.
The similarities between Homura and Arjuna brought a little humor to Jin’s heart.
(......I see. Perhaps what he needed was a normal friend like this.)
He felt ashamed that his judgment had been wrong all along. After all, it was he who awakened Arjuna from his slumber on the sacred mountain of Little Garden.
Since "Avatara" sought powerful individuals to win through the Authority War, Arjuna, Indian Pantheon's strongest warrior and a Demigod on top of it, was someone they wanted to have by all means.
After all, the rules of this Second Authority War said that only those with human blood could participate.
And as Arjuna simply slept for thousands of years, his Spirituality hadn't been fully transformed into a Divine Spirit, so he was truly a perfect Player for the job.
And if a human known as Saigou Homura was useful in keeping his reins in check───
(Telling him about our circumstances......doesn't sound like a bad deal either.)
About the group of kings, "Avatara"; Their goal and the mission they had to accomplish.
And also───their common enemy that could not be allowed to win the Authority War, no matter what.
＊
───Pin pon pon pon!
Just as they were exiting the bath, they suddenly heard the pre-announcement sound.
The fact that it was coming not from the speakers but a giant shell was quite fitting for this other world, but in that case, one would wonder, couldn't they have done something about that intro as well?
After a bit of silence, a voice belonging to the Game Committee echoed from the shell.
“Err...Testing, testing! This is the Spirit train administration HQ! God Ukanomitama-sama asked us to convey his message, “I wish everyone to have a pleasant trip on the Spirit Train!” Ukanomitama-sama was also gracious enough to deliver some rice, so we shall be serving it in the Cafeteria later today! We hope everyone enjoys this delicious rice!”
The broadcasting shell gave off a 'hyokon!' sound similar to that of perked up fox ears.
“We also received extra news from other Divine Spirits, but I will be keeping it brief this time. If there is a chance, Kuro Usagi-oneechan will read it out later, so her fans have something to look forward to♪"
Rather, who are you young lady?!
Tell me your address!
Do you have a boyfriend?!
───such foolish voices echoed from every part of the Spirit Train.
If this was any other situation, these fans would have been judged guilty, but fortunately the fox ears didn’t catch wind of their comments.
"Well then───Now we will have the previous winner, Shiroyasha-sama, provide the information about the first match. Everyone, please pay attention and listen carefully."
With that, the Spirit Train was once again covered in silence. It was not because they heeded her words or anything. It was because the name she spoke brought about a tremendous atmosphere.
The winner of the Sun Authority War, in other words, meant that it was someone who stood at the top of this Little Garden of Gods.
One of the strongest Brahman that had been protecting this world since its dawn.
With dazzlingly burning silver hair and a pair of golden eyes, the great Demon Lord───the King of White Night herself, took up the microphone in hand.
"......Indeed! Everyone, I have kept you waiting! I am Shiroyasha, the "Demon Lord of White Night", and the one whom had been entrusted with the management of the current Sun Authority War!"
Welcoming applause came from every part of the Spirit Train.
Pleased with the response, Shiroyasha continued her greetings.
"With that said, I don't think anyone would want to listen to the ramblings of an old lady, so I'll get straight to the point. Players, Hosts, Sponsors, as well as the audience, please take out your invitations."
Everyone inside the Spirit Train collectively took out their invitation letters.
Once they did, all the Players couldn’t help but hold their breaths in shock of what they read.
On the written invitation, there was a single sentence, and it said:
"Gift Game name: "The Lost Continent"
"That's right! The first stage of the Authority War, the destination of the Spirit Train───is the land that was once summoned along with the entire continent to this Little Garden! There we have prepared a wondrous stage for the Authority War!"
Enthusiastic cheers enveloped the entire Spirit Train. It was not just Humans, Eudemons or Divine Spirits that were summoned to Little Garden. The role of Little Garden was to observe human history and correctly guide it from a third person point of view. As such, even parts of the planet would be summoned for the sake of that purpose.
Kudou Ayato, Ayazato Suzuka, and Kasukabe You all exchanged glances after reading the Gift Game title.
""The Lost Continent"......does it mean Atlantis?"
"Wahoo, finally an adventure-type Game! You-chan, have you been there before?"
"You-chan?"
"Hm? Uh huh, have you been there, You-chan?"
I am the older one here though, You thought while looking at the invitation sentence.
"I haven't been there. But I have heard that there are countless dangerous Eudemons. Mainly Greek Eudemons, monsters, Giants and such."
"G-Giants too? ......Can this Suzuka-san survive there, I wonder?"
"Don't worry. Your teleportation is a really strong Gift. Worst case scenario, you can simply take their weapons and run. They won’t be able to catch up to you easily. "
"Right. Okay, I will obediently run when that time comes!"
Suzuka clenched her fist in determination. You continued about the next plans while munching on the fried fish.
"I'm going to take it easy until Izayoi and everyone from "No Names" returns. So I will be watching other Players' battles. ......One more thing, Ayato. We are rivals during the Game. It's not good to expose someone's gift so casually."
Realizing her tongue slipped, Ayato reflexively closed her mouth. She hasn’t taken to mind that You hadn’t reunited with Izayoi, so she wouldn’t know about Suzuka’s Gift.
Since Suzuka understood that fact and took it to mind, she did not use her teleportation powers recklessly in You’s presence.
Within this peaceful atmosphere, both Suzuka and You were still self-aware that they were mutual rivals, but she ended up wasting all that effort.
"S-Sorry Suzuka! To think that I of all people would......!"
"It's fine, It's fine, don't worry about it, Kouhai! It was just a matter of time before it was found out. Besides, for us outsiders, it's all until we lose!"
"It can’t be helped due to your circumstances and Ayato being an amateur.. The most important part is to avoid getting hurt. If you get into trouble, don’t hesitate to rely on me. I'm the big sister here after all."
A splendid big sister, Kasukabe You repeated once more in exaggeration.
But that slip of the tongue wasn’t something so easily forgiven. At first glance Teleportation seemed like an invincible gift. But if someone knew the weakness they could overcome it. Kasukabe You was among those who could do such a thing. Ayato understood this, and yet she still made that mistake to reveal Suzuka’s Gift.
The Ayato of the past would never have made such a huge mistake.
(I need to focus......! My only goal is to keep Suzuka and Senpai safe. But the way I am, I'm not sure I can even do that.)
She slapped her cheeks to get a grip on herself. Once again, Ayato realized that it wasn’t just her body that was out of practice, but her own diligence as well. This kind of carelessness would definitely invite trouble in the final selection.
It was good that she realized it before it actually began.
She swore in her heart to fix this mistake in the first stage.
"That aside, take a look you two. Something else appeared on the invitation."
"It looks like a map, but what is it actually?"
A map of the continent seemed to have appeared on the invitation letter, accompanied by an engraving of three sun seals.
Shiroyasha waited for the Players to read the contents before nodding and continuing on.
"This time, let me explain how to look for the Games. There are many exceedingly difficult Games among them, so please choose the Game that suits your individual abilities."
Understood, nodded the Players.
But that wouldn't be any fun, the Hosts living in the Divine domain chuckled.
Hearing those mocking tones, Shiroyasha glared at the Host seats and laughed sharply.
"───Ah, I almost forgot! I have to announce this beforehand!"
The sound of her opening her fan resounded from the other side of the speakers.
"Well I doubt I need to say this to our players from the outside and those great people and Heroes that live here, but I feel obligated to say this. After all we have many crafty fools amongst the divine Spirit folks. . Both Players and Sponsors, engrave these words into your souls!"
Her tone which had been mischievous yet informative, took on a serious tone that captured everyone’s attention. With bated breath, everyone in the Spirit Train readied themselves for her next words.
"The Twenty Four Sun Authorities───Are prohibited from pillaging another’s Authority without the agreement of both parties!
Individuals residing in Three Digits (Almighty Domain) will remove all restrictions on their powers and judge whomever breaks this rule!!!"
"Wha-......!!?"
"Wow!"
Shrieks and yells followed her words one after the other from the participants. Even Bull Demon King and World King Kurma couldn’t help but raise their voices to that declaration.
Those who truly understood what Shiroyasha meant couldn’t restrain themselves.
If there was a sole exception, it would be Queen who was leisurely drinking black tea in the VIP seat.
While she was quietly drinking her tea, a slightly hesitant thought occurred to her.
"......Scathach. Do I have restrictions?"
“Ah, right, you remain autonomous Queen. The restrictions don’t apply to you, so you can simply be as carefree and violent as you wish.”
You are indeed right, Queen gave her consent and requested another cup of tea.
Unfolding her fan, Shiroyasha amusedly explained the Game Rules.
"Naturally, those who clear the final selection Game will be given the privilege to obtain a Sun Authority! However, taking part in the Game is not the only way to earn it! What I mean is, you are able to win it from another Player by means of a mutually agreed Gift Game!”
The one who gathers the majority of the Authorities at the end will be declared the winner of this Authority War!"
The Gift Games would continue as many times as necessary until someone obtained the majority of the Authorities. The reason Arjuna and Shen Gongbao decided to participate at adolescence was because of the possibility of the war lasting for a long time.
As every Player was deliberating the best course of action Shiroyasha declared loudly.
"Let's go then, shall we! Towards the first stage of the Sun Authority War───"The Lost Continent"!!!"
Thudnerous applause encompassed the entire Spirit Train as it advanced towards the ley line. Using the World’s lifeline as a railway, the train accelerated at hyper speeds that made it seem like a shooting star, vanishing without a trace. it
The hearts of all the Players pounded with excitement, ready to challenge the mystery of “The Lost Continent.”
[Previous Chapter] [Main] [Next Chapter]
0 comments: