Vol 11 Chapter 1 (2/2)
”In that case, let's fight The roos”
”Unacceptable—”
Just as Mitsuki's expression turned grim, Firill shook her head at her
”I' even more fun than that”
”I see”
Mitsuki showed an expression of co Firill, but I was still left coave the answer
”Yes—We will decide using a game”
Part 4
Everyone as going to live in this dorh her rooirls dorm, it was still a bit cramped with ten-odd people packed inside
”—Oh my, Mother is here too”
Seeing the presence of Vritra, who had been absent from the previous scene, Kili expressed surprise
”H residence locations 'Tis interesting to me, more or less”
Suddenly turning her face away in a huff, Vritra was glancing at me for some reason
”What's wrong?”
When I looked at her questioningly, Vritra glared at me with arms akimbo
”'Tis not like I a at thee, okay!?'
”But you were looking at me”
I corrected Vritra's strange declaration So about her choice of words seemed odd to me
”Like I said, I was not looking at thee I hate thee!”
”R-Really?”
Finding Vritra's speech very odd, I stopped pursuing the matter
—I suppose Vritra did hate me after all
Not only did I foil her plan but also sealed away her power to keep her under house arrest It would be only natural for her to feel that way I averted eye contact guiltily
”H to that book, 'twould arouse thy interest in me”
However, Vritra cocked her head and ure if she was angry or not, I concentrated but still could not catch her words clearly
”Mother see?”
Kili looked troubled At that moment, Mitsuki walked to the front of everyone
”Well then, everyone, according to Firill-san's suggestion, ill be playing a gaeether, namely Lisa-san and Tia-san, Ariella-san and Ren-san, Jeanne-san and shi+on-san, as well as Kili-san and Vritra-san, I intend to have you participate in the contest as partners in teae roommates or live alone instead?”
Mitsuki sought confirmation
”I aement”
”Tia is okay with living with Lisa!”
Lisa and Tia answered simultaneously and smiled at each other
”Let's continue to rooether?”
”Mm I don't want to separate from Onee-chan either”
Ariella asked and Ren nodded deeply
”I wish to rees necessary”
”i wAnT tO Be wiTH Mama”
Zwei held Jeanne's hand tightly It was clear that she did not want to leave Jeanne
”Well, someone has to keep an eye on Mother—Let me be the one to protect you”
”'Tis not a choice for ardless Do as thou wishest”
Vritra answered Kili's teasing with displeasure
After listening to everyone, Mitsuki nodded and continued
”In that case, there are a total of four teams of two Furthermore, Nii-san, myself, Iris-san and Firill-san roo individually”
However, I raised a question at this point
”Hold on If we're deciding on rooms, what point is there for you and I to participate? I' room”
When I asked Mitsuki, she nodded with comprehension
”If I were to win, Nii-san's room will be left unoccupied If you were to win, Nii-san, you shall nominate someone to take the room adjacent to yours Naturally, you may choose to leave it empty too”
”Uh”
Hearing this, I could not help but gasp
Then it was going to be the saht? I beca pressure everyone was directing at uess
—I'd better lose the game as quickly as possible
I committed my determination for defeat
”It's ready Let's start the game!”
After connecting the gaiant LCD television, Firill announced cheerfully
Thus began the chaotic room wars
”Simply stated, this is a variation of Double Six or Snakes and Ladders, a ga dice with predetera anyone an advantage Oh of course, Tia, you're not allowed to hack the game”
Firill reame
Having inherited Yggdrasil's authority, Tia was able to hack coh electrical interference
”Got it! Tia won't be cheating!”
Seeing Tia's
”—Then there's no probleaas”
At thatand asked Firill
”Double Six is a race to the finish, right? This gaht?”
Back ere children, Mitsuki and I played a version of Double Six where we co from Firill's tone of voice, there did not seem to be any problems of that sort
”Don't worry This game does have a finish but no one can reach it in practice”
”What do you mean by that?”
I asked with a frown The same question seemed to appear on everyone else's face
Next, Firill slowly took out the ga fro, this was an antique On it was a difficult to read title—
”Mola?”
Reading out the title, Iris tilted her head in puzzlement
”That's the scientific name of sunfish”
Explaining that, Firill inserted the cassette into the ancient game console and switched it on Next, a pixelated picture of a sunfish and the title appeared, coe dots
”Coames I have played with Firill-san so far, this is very old”
Seeing the flashi+ng picture of the sunfish, Lisa murmured with interest
”Fufu—This was created at the dawn of video gae I came across it by chance at an online auction and won the bid”
Firill recounted proudly However, there was sonore in what she had said
”Too boring Is that the kind of game ant to play?”
When I asked that, Firill waggled her finger and said ”you don't understand”
”Too boring is only when played alone Things get very lively when you play this sort of garoup”
Firill proceeded to seek agreement from Ariella nearby
”Well—It's true We often gather together in Lisa's rooirls dorlance could actully turn out to be very fun”
”Mame characters after Onii-chan”
Ren nodded to concur with Ariella
”Is that really okay?”
I hadclones of e
”Rest assured, Nii-san I have been guiding 'you' properly the whole time”
Mitsuki spoke with a serious expression She had probably been showing this look the whole tiroup
After picturing her playing gahtly relieved
—It looked like Mitsuki had been taking breaks properly
As student council president and captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, Mitsuki was often shouldering a heavy burden She always looked busy and it made me worried about her
”Mononobe-kun can't be used here on a whiet started—Who wants to be first?”
Firill presented the controller and asked us
”—Then I shall go first”
Mitsuki was the first to raise her hand As a gaht off the bat was very high Even so, Mitsuki did not hesitate at all to volunteer as the first to play now
The others intended to check what the ga first
”Okay, Mitsuki, here you go Just select single player mode and roll the die”
”Understood”
Receiving the controller from Firill, Mitsuki sat down in front of the console and stared at the television
Shown on the screen were the squares on the Double Six board A s at the start square
”Is this white dot ame from the past”
”It's an egg, not a marker”
”A fish egg?”
”Yes, it represents your current state This is a Double Six ga hatches into fry before growing into young fish,like that”
”How innovative In any case, I shall begin”
Mitsuki pressed the button to toss the die on the screen
”Five? Not bad for an opening toss”
Mitsukiat the result The white dot—the sunfish egg—advance auto to the die The instant it stopped on the fifth square, the screen turned dark
Ie appeared on the screen It was a strangely realistic fish
”Let me see—'A bonito has appeared Evasion succeeds on four, five or six'? Oh well, it means another toss of the die in any case”
After reading the ain The die swiveled again and stopped on three
The screen proceeded to darken again This time, the words ”Game Over” were displayed
”Eh?”
Mitsuki stared at the screen in shock, frozen in place
Everyone see on a piece of paper in her hand without much surprise
”Mitsuki, five squares huh”
Hearing Firill's murmur, Mitsuki looked back hastily
”W-Wait! Are you telling me that this is over? U, you ht?”
Firill looked like she had been waiting for this reaction from Mitsuki and smiled proudly
”Fufufu, this is the reason why this gaem No second chances A sunfish's life is over once it is eaten by a bonito Double Six that ends with death—Mola is this type of game”
”I feel like it does not even count as a game”
After hearing Firill's explanation, Mitsuki put down the controller, appalled
”Too naive, Mitsuki Perhaps that ames like Mola is in their realism”
”Realism?”
”Yes A sunfish lays three hundred s at a time, but only about one of them survives to adulthood”
”Well I have heard of that”
Mitsuki could barely conceal the doubt on her face
”According to the ga this kind of Double Six gaame completely simulates the life of a sunfish!+”
Firill exclaimed loudly but the room was silent
”Uh It's not going to work if it lacks the fun of Double Six itself, right?”
Since no one was talking, I kept my voice lowered to make my comment
Sree about the flaw of this Double Six game
”Well, don't say it like that Isn't it fun with everyone screaet quick outcomes”
”True If the ga all the luggage tonight”
After I agreed reluctantly, Firill's expression er with a ”Who's next!?”
”Let o”
Jeanne instantly raised her hand
”Mama Do yOuR beSt!”
With shi+on cheering for her, Jeanne walked over with shi+on and sat down in front of the game console and picked up the controller
”—Leave it to a as I track the rotating die with my eyes, I'll be able to choose any outcome I want”
Jeanne spoke confidently and narrowed her eyes at the screen
Jeanne was an outstanding sniper with excellent vision Since her reflexes also far surpassed that of ordinary people, it was definitely possible
”Hey Jeanne-chan, that's too unfair”
Kili gura die
”For my sake and Zwei's, I must roll a six!”
Having said that, Jeanne pressed the button The die read—
”O-One? That's impossible”
Jeanne groaned with disbelief Next to her, Firill explained:
”The spinning die is just part of the gaeneration with your eyes”
”W-What did you say?”
Jeanne was rendered speechless However, a serious event popped up on the square where she landed
”A tuna has appeared Evasion succeeds on five or six”
The saraphic appeared on the screen as before, but this time, it was apparently a tuna fish
”Hey, the evasion probability is lower than last time's!”
”Well, a tuna is bigger fish than a bonito after all”
Firill cal Jeanne
”damn it Please, I must survive to advance!”
Jeanne prayed while tossing the die but the outcoain
”Zwei I'm sorry”
”yOu diD YoUr bEst”
shi+on patted Jeanne's shoulder to comfort her disappointment
Just as the athed and walked up
”Well, just relax and take it on since it's a contest of pure luck Leave it tobad luck”
Despite saying that, Ariella did not show any arrogance on her face She began the game
”Mm, you'll definitely do it, Onee-chan”
Ren nodded with a trusting look, standing by Ariella's side to watch the game's outcome
”Then I'll toss—Oh, it's one The square with the tuna But since it's me Here”
She rolled a sixthe tuna
”Wow, it's the first time someone reached the second round”
Firill renantly
”Okay, here I go again”
Ariella rolled the die again, obtaining a four this time It was the square where Mitsuki had stopped just now
”It's the bonito this ti here”
S confidently, Ariella rolled for evasion She escaped the bonito successfully too
”A, Onee-chan!”
”Fufu—finding a way to survive even in the face of bad encounters That's what it means to be a child of misfortune”
Ariella replied proudly to Ren who had exclaimed in joy However, she accidentally pulled the controller, causing the console to choke Suddenly, static appeared fro
”Huh, what happened?”
Ariella pressed the button but there was no reaction on the screen Seeing this, Firill sighed apologetically
”Oh dear It hanged It's a console dating back to that era, after all, so it's really sensitive The slightestover would be unfair, so this is the end for Team Ariella and Ren”
”I'm sorry, Ren Every time, at a critical point, I”
Ariella slumped her shoulders but Ren shook her head
”Don't say that Being in first for now is good enough”
”—Thanks Then let's pray that no one overtakes us”
Ariella encouraged Ren whileover to a corner of the room
Next, Lisa and Tia came over
”What a shame, Ariella-san—Nevertheless, ill attempt to surpass your record”
”Lisa will come in first for sure!”
Strangely confident, the two of theahtly on her lap
It felt like a custoement I suspected that they always sat like that
They looked exactly like a hter pair However, I noticed Mitsuki's absence at that moment
After searching back and forth withbehindfrom outside the circle of spectators like me
”What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?”
Feeling concerned, I leaned towards Mitsuki and asked Ever since touching on reat
However, she had rested properly in Charlotte's roo was over and see unwell
Be that as it iven Mitsuki's personality—Perhaps she was si it
”Oh, do not worry—I a fine It is just that I recalled some memories from the past It feels a little like a dream come true”
Mitsuki scratched her cheek shyly and smiled wryly at me
”A dream?”
”Yes—We had gathered to play like this before But that was back when I had not located your whereabouts, Nii-san All this ti you could join us to play in such occasions”
Watching Lisa playing and the others gathered around her getting worked up, Mitsuki explained with nostalgia
”Since then, so rets However, I feel that this moment already approaches my dream back then”
”Really? That's wonderful”
Unable to think of anything special to say, I could only offerso happy
”Yes—Oh, it is 'Game Over' for Lisa-san and Tia-san too”
Mitsuki nodded with a smile and pointed towards the others
”Wah Eaten by a saury this time”
”And we only advanced four squares”
Tia and Lisa shrugged and yielded the stage
”Very well, go forth, hter”
”It feels like you're strangely motivated, Mother What on earth happened?”
Next, Vritra walked over swiftly with Kili following her puzzled
”H streak Thou intendest to live adjacent to hiht to do thy best”
”I don't need to hear that froh the dependence on luck pisses ive up on the spot next to Yuu”
Nodding with a tensed expression, Kili sat down before the game console
Vritra looked back, pointed at me and shouted harshly
”Make no htest desire to h I intend to try hard for thy sake! Truly serious I am!”
”Sure, fine, got it”
I nodded at Vritra who kept nagging me
”Yes, 'twould be meet However, thy reaction is weaker than I expected”
For some reason, Vritra looked aith a disappointed expression towards the television
”Everyone is trying so hard Nii-san, are you happy that you are so popular?”
”Not really How should I put this? I feel like Vritra doesn't seem to welcome me”
With Mitsuki looking up atwhat to say
Mitsuki did not see that irrevocable develop
”Nii-san”
”Y-Yes?”
Seeing led
”You do not need to be so worried The question of whom you would like to live adjacent to you—I will not ask that sort of thing I do know that you are shouldering the heavy burden of taking responsibility for all of us However—”
Mitsuki paused there and stared at me with extraordinary seriousness
”Just as the environ in this er remain as it were Hence, from now on, what kind of relationshi+p you intend to construct with everyone Please think carefully about it Naturally, this includes your relationshi+p with me”
”—I understand”
I nodded seriously while looking into Mitsuki's eyes There was no need to hesitate or delay
At thatfrom the television direction
”Jeez, what the heck!? Getting caught in an underwater volcanic eruption in the second square, what kind of sick joke is that!? It's instant death without even giving you a chance to roll! This kind of game is—”
”Wawah! Stop, Kili-chan! It's all my turn next!”
Iris pulled back the greatly upset Kili
”Clearly it would have been possible to recreate all sorts of scenarios if living adjacent What an incohter”
Vritra was pouting on the side with displeasure Her words remained indecipherable but it seemed like she wanted to live next to me
After she finished consoling Kili at last, Iris started the gaht off the bat
”Wonderful! I passed Mitsuki-chan and Ariella-chan to become first!”
She cheered with her arhed in dismay
”—I was overtaken”
”Yeah”
”Oh well, I would simply keep the room adjacent to yours empty had I won, in any case Whatever”
Without insisting, Mitsuki simply stated calmly
”But if you won, couldn't you use this chance to move to that room?”
”Yes, I could, but I a here This room is directly above yours, Nii-san”
Mitsuki estively with her eyes Indeed, ht below
”Mitsuki, you mean—”
I was touched by her expressing her wish to stay near me when Mitsuki instantly continued with solemnity
”So long as I live here, I will instantly know of any co in your room, Nii-san Public ement I will keep my eyes and ears open and observe carefully—Please be prepared”
”G-Got it”
Overwhelaze, I nodded stiffly
At that moment, Iris' mournful wail reached my ears
”Oh, I got sed by a whale That's too bad, since I actually hatched”
It looked like it was ”Game Over” for Iris too, but compared to the others, she had advanced much farther
”Then that leaves only you and Firill-san Nii-san, it is tiht?”
”—Yeah I'll give it a shot as suitable”
Urged by Mitsuki, I walked over to Iris' side
”I'm next, Iris By the way, how many squares did you move forward?”
”Fourteen”
”That's really—a”
I received the controller fro to what I had seen so far, reaching that point was quite difficult
In that case, it was essentially impossible for me to win
Just as expected, the game ended fast for me Like Mitsuki, I was eaten by a bonito on the fifth square
”Nature is very cruel Come, you're last, Firill”
Feeling like I had gotten a glimpse of the world of survival of the fittest, I called Firill
Firill had a laptop on her lap and see some kind of calculation, but she raised her head and stood up after hearing me
”Okay—I've found the path to victory”
With triumphant confidence, she accepted the controller from my hand
”Is there a sure-winunfair, okay?”
Feeling a shred of suspicion, I stared at her
”I' unfair I sih and analyzed them to find ways to iay”
Firill replied, slightly offended
”R-Really? Sorry I offended you but—I can't believe there's a strategy in a game that relies on luck”
”There is The chance events in gaeneration Part of the calculation fores every round, thus altering the result Because of that, you can predict the result to some extent if you knohat conditions appear in this randoames are this simplistic”
”R-Random?”
Firill's explanation basically flew over my head, but Ren, the computer expert, seemed to understand She spoke up, rather displeased
”Firill, this is half cheating It's bad manners to do it even if it's possible”
”Fufu, I beg to differ Inhu records then analyzing the patterns in them”
”Mm”
Ren pouted, unconvinced
”Jeez, don't be so angry I'm not as sure out the exact formula At best, what I know is that the result of the previous die roll and the duration in seconds of the current roll have an influence”
While saying that, firill started the gaan to roll the die The first roll was four—The square where Lisa's team had been eaten by a saury
”See, the first roll can only be left to chance The randoenerator is reset every round, so all I can analyze are the evasion rolls It's all over if I land on any squares with instant death But even if that's the case reatly!”
Just as she claimed, Firill evaded the saury successfully
Next, she arrived at the square with the sardine predator event Calain
”Fufufu—I' to pass Iris and take the room next to Mononobe-kun's”
”Wah—Firill-chan is about to overtake me!”
Just as Iris lamented, Firill rolled a six This placed her at the thirteenth square, one away from Iris' record
The egg on the square had turned into a tiny fish That was probably a sunfish fry
However, I noticed a fundamental issue
”Um, Firill—”
”Be quiet, Mononobe-kun, I' I need to use the data from Lisa's team here Okay, one, two, three!”
Counting the seconds, Firill rolled the die and evaded successfully
Next, she rolled a five
”I did it! I'm first! The room next to Mononobe-kun's is mine!”
Firill cheered
The fish shown on the screen was even bigger than Iris' It was flashi+ng on the square
”Sighhh”
Iris sluhed too
”U your happy moment, but—”
I patted Firill on the shoulder while she was celebrating on her own
”What's the matter, Mononobe-kun?”
When Firill turned her head back to look atto say earlier
”Uh—If we s, Firill, your rooirls dor your rooht?”
”Oh”
Firill exclaimed in a silly voice and froze
”—In that case, it will be no different froned Hence, no one will feel it is unfair A ratulations”
Mitsuki stepped forward fro
”That's not good at all—”
”Then will you dispose of your books?”
Mitsuki asked the co Firill
”No way! These books are the absolute minimum”
”Then please resign yourself”
”Sighhhhhhhh”
Mitsuki's declaration caused Firill to hang her head
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