Episode 295: The Final Decision

"See you later! 'Nameless'!"

"…………——!"

With a large sweeping motion, the yellow pig raised its sword.

"Last battle—no interference allowed."

Even though she had received that chat message in advance, Rangetsu Mien immediately reacted by manipulating her controller.

She wasn't entirely sure why she did it, but—well, it just seemed absurd to risk her life over something like this.

Also, in this "Porkman's Quest," there were no defensive items resembling shields.

Thus, the only thing she could do was slide her character between the two.

Blue Pig ―"Ghahh!?"

Yellow Pig ―"…W-What!?"

Red Pig ―"T-That's impossible...!?"

Suddenly, some strangely emotional music began playing,

Blue Pig ―"I-I've always... never really... hated you... I... I just couldn't... say it..."

Red Pig ―"Y-You...?"

This twist was simply too much to handle.

There had been absolutely no prior setup suggesting the two were connected by friendship—after all, Blue Pig had already been betrayed by his wife.

And yet, despite everything, the atmosphere between them now felt like a beautiful bond of friendship.

Blue Pig ―"Take care... I hope you're happy."

Red Pig ―"Blue Pig... Blue Pig!!"

That was the last moment beauty could intervene in the game.

The blue pig, whose life candle had burned out, slumped down, turning pale like ash, lying motionless upon the earth.

The remaining three pigs stared blankly at him, their expressions flattened and emotionless, as if drawn in a crude, stylized manner.

No.

One pig alone, its face resembling a stuffed doll, burned with fury.

The pig clad in red armor clutched the legendary rubber cup in its hand, glowing with a radiant aura that signaled it had been powered up through in-game effects.

Moreover, it wasn't just the game character that was furious.

Even the one controlling it—the "her"—had become emotionally overwhelmed, as though she had truly lost a beloved friend.

"M-miyomi-chan... that... After all those tsundere outbursts, suddenly going soft at the end... It's so incredibly precious..."

I thought, seriously now.

How am I getting so emotionally involved in this game?

If my life really depended on it, I wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice her, no matter how things turned out.

Yet, even so, she... seemed truly, deeply moved from the heart.

The proof was clear—large tears traced a single path down her cheek.

For a brief moment, I glanced toward the "cardsharp." She, in stark contrast, wore a smile at the corner of her mouth.

Probably, this little girl chose this game out of curiosity to uncover the true nature of "her."

But there's no need to test her—everyone already knows.

That nameless woman—she's nothing more than a kind-hearted fool.

Boar: "Wooooooooooooooooooooo!"

The boar raised the rubber cup and swiftly thrust it into the yellow boar's chest.

A squelching sound echoed as the hemispherical rubber tip of the rubber cup collapsed inward. A round, bruise-like mark appeared on the yellow boar’s chest, from which energy was being sucked out in a steady stream.

Yellow Boar: "Ah... ah... ah... ah... ah...!"

It became clear that the yellow boar’s strength was rapidly draining from his body.

In direct contrast, the red boar’s body began to gleam with a vibrant luster.

It was the perfect weapon for a red boar that grew stronger the more others suffered.

"White boar... no, Tama! Kill him! Pierce through me entirely!"

The gambler swiftly issued his command.

But—Tama, the one commanded, merely stared back at his partner with no emotion at all.

"What's wrong...? Tama? What's with that cold look, like you're staring at a pig in a pig farm...! That 'pity, but tomorrow morning you'll be hanging in a butcher's shop' kind of look...!"

The studio echoed once again with a loud, mocking laugh.

This time, it was her laugh.

"Idiot! Let me say that to you! Just in case something like this might happen, Tamachan here bought it already! ……in exchange for the brand-new Nintendo 3DS, just released today!"

Three pairs of eyes focused on Tamachan.

Tamachan glanced away slightly,

"……Sorry, Tora-kun……to be honest, I don’t really care who wins…"

Traitor! There are countless games here already!

Once again, laughter echoed.

"Haha! It's just bad luck you didn't get a 3DS! Handheld games don't mix well with live streams, you know!?"

"Guh... gnuu..."

Caught off guard by a betrayal from within, the "gambler" made a genuinely bitter face, yet still declared,

"Aww, no way I'm giving up!"

He raised his sword once more.

However, the red boar had already fully recovered its stance.

Zashu zashu zashu zashu zashu.

Kyubo kyubo bo bo o bo bo bo bo bo bo bo kyubo ooo.

Red boar's blood splattered through the air, and with each droplet, the rubber cup dented inward, causing the yellow boar to wither away.

The battle had become a complete, messy brawl.

勝敗を分ける要素があるならば、――たった一つ。

ゲーマーとしての腕でもない。

互いに堕とし遭う話術でもない。

ただ単純な、ボタン連打の速度に掛かっている。

「うおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおお！」

ぽちぽちぽちぽちぱちぱちぺちめきみしみし……。

「どりゃああああああああああああああああああああああああああ！」

Pochi pochi pochi pochi pachi bakibaki meki meki meki……

A sense of dread crept in.

Perhaps this fight wouldn't end after all.

After all, both of them were superhumans capable of shattering rocks with a single punch.

And standard game controllers weren't built to withstand anything tougher than stone.

To put it more precisely, this game was designed to perfectly reverse the minds of such superhumans.

Aizuki Miyoi had sharp instincts.

In the next instant, her prediction materialized exactly as it had formed in her mind.