Episode 146: Players Before the "End"

Sasae-san was never someone who spoke much.

Still, that calm, matter-of-fact tone carries strong persuasive power.

It seems they understand that this is the most effective way to convey the facts.

I met "King" about a year and a bit ago, I think. On an anonymous internet bulletin board—2channel, you know.

No way, seriously? This is intense, 2channel.

"It wasn't hard for us to find each other. There was so much information that only someone who wasn't a 'player' could know."

Well, that makes sense.

Level, skills, achievements—stuff like that.

"Anyway, we both needed someone else to talk to. It's only natural, right? One day, out of nowhere, a strange voice started speaking in my head... I thought I must be going crazy myself."

Well, I suppose everyone thinks that at first. I did too.

"Back then, it was the calmest period for us. We even had off-site meetups between 'players,' you know."

At that moment, Sasaegi pulled out a group photo from his chest pocket.

"This is a photo from those days."

It showed eight men and women.

Among them were Kotonami Kōon and Kouraku Dō Sasaegi.

What caught my eye was a scribble in the corner.

"Is this 'the Original Eight'... an event name for the meetups?"

"It's that too, but... more like our secret phrase, really. We started with eight players, that's why. Even though people came and went over time, the group's name has always stayed 'the Original Eight'."

"Hmm..."

Just to be sure, I memorize the faces of the eight in my mind before returning the photo to Sasaegi.

"So, which one of these is the 'King'?"

It was Nakamichi En who answered in his place.

"Ah, none of these are the father... no, the 'King' isn't among them. The person before 'The End' basically got information from other 'players' online."

"Hmm... To get a bit more detailed, was your father the 'King' at that point?"

"Looks like it. My dad was already a 'King' the moment he awakened as a 'Player.' I don't know what conditions determine who becomes a 'King,' but that part is certain."

Hmm.

So there are jobs like that, huh.

"Let's go back to what I was saying....Through our meetup, the two of us had been searching for an answer to a certain big question for a long time."

"A question?"

"Why were powers granted to us?"

Well, at first, everyone felt that way, you know.

"Of course, we understood that this mysterious power was meant for fighting. But we didn't know what to fight against. It was peaceful back then. …Still,"

Sasae sighed deeply,

"we all had a sense of impending crisis. That's why we decided we had to somehow 'raise our level.'"

Whatever might happen, being strong would never be a bad thing.

"You know the conditions for raising a 'player's' level, right?"

"Of course."

First: harming living creatures.

Second: helping people.

"Of course, back then we didn't recklessly go around killing every living thing we saw—such actions would've broken the law, after all. So we raised our level through volunteer work."

"That's certainly a good thing."

"...To be honest, it wasn't very efficient. Back then, unlike today, fewer people were facing life-threatening crises."

Now that you mention it, maybe that's true.

Back then, volunteer activities mainly involved things like cleaning up riverbanks.

The experience points gained from that might not be worth much, after all.

"We had no choice but to carry out efficient leveling. So, we ended up seeking help from the most troublesome opponent... That was 'The King,' Nakamichi Ginga."

...efficient, leveling...

Suddenly, a word comes to mind, conjured by association.

"――As you might surmise, 'dungeon.' The 'King' possessed a skill that allowed him to reshape specific spaces and their inhabitants according to his will. Using that power, he created 'magical creatures' that could be killed but would revive after a certain period, utilizing them to aid our level progression."

Ah, I see.

That place was so efficient for leveling up because it was originally created for that very purpose.

"But if such a dangerous area existed back then, it should have been a bigger topic at the time."

"Of course, it was built discreetly in an unobtrusive location back then. A place ordinary people would never enter. And the 'magic creatures' weren't nearly as dangerous as they are today."

"Then what about the 'dungeons' said to exist in Ikebukuro and Shinjuku now?"

It was created after the "zombies" first appeared and the world fell into chaos. Now, it seems to be used to capture "players" lured by its high experience point efficiency and forcibly bring them to the "Master Dungeon."

Ah...

Something like that...

You know, the sweeter the story, the more careful you should be. Lesson learned, lesson learned.

"Earlier, Sasagaki-san said she wanted me to 'kill the king.' Is that related to her abducting 'players' from all over?"

"That's right... but it's not just that."

"Is there something else?"

"Yes. She has... an unusual 'taste.'"

A taste?

At that moment, Sasagaki took a deep breath, as if making up her mind, then unbuttoned the top button of her chest and began to remove her blouse.

...Huh?

Why is this turning into a striptease?

I thought that, but it didn’t feel quite like a joke at all.

When Enami looked away and Sasae unhooked her bra—

“—Ugh!”

I couldn’t help but groan, even though I knew it was inappropriate.

It was simply because I couldn’t suppress my instinctive revulsion at seeing something that, as a human being, I was naturally meant to find repulsive.

The place where her breasts should have been.

From there, countless eyes peered at me.

"Th-this... is...!"

"At first, we created 'magical creatures' for ourselves. That's when the 'King' realized it. The form of life is ultimately nothing more than a collection of mechanical codes; within his own 'kingdom,' he could produce anything he desired."

Sasagaki let out a small sigh, then quickly adjusted her disheveled clothes.

"If the 'King's' influence keeps growing... it's bound to turn this entire country into 'that.' Doesn't that seem like something we should definitely avoid?"