The Light and Shadow of a Three-Way Struggle
♯
《SFIA》 Final Battle 《Tower of Lore》──Day 2, Midpoint.
Having narrowly escaped the betrayal by Mizutsume and the subsequent skirmish with the demon faction with minimal damage,
we were making steady progress in conquering the tower.
Minami’s contributions were particularly significant. Thanks to Sumire’s assistance, we knew her forbidden action was “using defensive skills,” so she could use exploration or door-opening skills without risk.
Given the mechanics of 《Tower of Lore》, EXP (Experience Points) consumption was only required for skill acquisition,
which meant the EXP resources depleted by the demon faction were gradually recovering.
“And yet, why is it like this…?”
Having just cleared a difficulty V puzzle, Minami opened her terminal and slumped her shoulders. …Yes, her Chaos Value was still at 0.
With Minami now joined by another summoner, this wasn’t a major issue,
but the question lingered nonetheless.
“It’s probably… since it’s called Chaos Value, there’s likely a condition to earning it.
Like, maybe you only get bonuses for actions that hinder other players.”
“Mph. That’s not something I can let slide… Are you saying I’m the kind of girl who only causes trouble for others?”
“That’s not what I mean. In 《Tower of Lore》 and most 《Duel Games》,
you can’t gain an advantage without interfering with other players.
But Minami, you’ve probably never done that even once. Not only have you avoided using debuffs or jamming,
but even when solving ‘puzzle’ genre doors, you always choose routes that don’t hurt anyone.”
“Eh… huh? R-Really…?”
“Yeah. If it doesn’t click, maybe it’s unconscious.”
Minami, with her earnest and strong sense of justice, doesn’t even consider sabotaging others—
which is likely why she can’t earn Chaos Value. It’s a plausible theory.
The fact that a straightforward player like Saionji isn’t at the top of the Chaos Value rankings,
while Mizutsume, who used 《Non-Residency Restriction》, is third, further supports this.
“But if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean even I could earn Chaos Value?
For example, if I used the ‘jamming’ skill that Mizutsume-senpai acquired─”
“Hm… yeah, that’s true. …But, Minami, could you hold off just a bit longer?
This is just a hunch, but if Chaos Value is different from ‘contribution,’
blindly accumulating it might not be the best move. There could even be situations where having a low value is advantageous.”
“Situations where a low value is advantageous…?”
Minami tilted her head, her sleek black hair swaying, her expression serious. …As I said, it’s just a gut feeling with no evidence.
It’s nothing more than a vague sense of unease.
“Still… well, thanks to Minami joining us, the issue of ‘not being able to acquire combat skills’ is resolved for now.
So, Minami, keep doing what you’ve been doing—be cautious not to raise your Chaos Value—and focus on opening doors.
Minami, I’m counting on you to acquire combat skills.”
“Y-Yes! I’ll do my best…!”
“Got it, understood… I’ll carefully select cute magic that suits a maid-chan.”
The Minami-Minami summoner pair affirmed their roles, and Himeji offered a polite “Please, do your best” to them.
With our strategy set, let’s review the situation—currently, we’re on the fourth floor.
After finishing combat and exploring the third floor for a while, we found an elevator and ascended.
And so, the conquest of the fourth floor began. …It took over four hours to clear the third floor,
which suggests Mizutsume’s 《Non-Residency Restriction》 isn’t too harsh.
However, unexpected situations like “encountering another faction midway” or “an extremely difficult elevator activation condition”
mean we can’t afford to let our guard down.
Plus—though it’s still unconfirmed—I had a bad feeling about my own “forbidden action.”
As of 3 p.m. yesterday, my terminal displayed a remaining count of [5].
This morning, it dropped to [4], and now it’s down to [3].
There are plenty of things I’ve done twice since yesterday, but the key is that the count progressed overnight.
Considering actions related to 《Duel Game》 progression after 5 p.m. yesterday…
the only thing that fits is Himeji’s summoning.
Using or allowing the use of an avatar summoning skill.
Since Saeki knows I’m communicating with the outside through Himeji’s avatar, it’s a likely possibility.
“…Which is why I want to take down Akutsu soon.”
Reviewing the situation in my head, I slowly opened my mouth.
“If my forbidden action really is ‘summoning Himeji,’ I need to clear the 《Countdown》 by today or tomorrow at the latest.
And the same goes for Minami’s forbidden action.
Once combat starts, she’d need to set a defensive skill every other turn,
so a slightly prolonged battle would cause her to drop out automatically. That restriction’s a bit too heavy.”
“Yes, that’s correct, Master.”
Responding to my words, the silver-haired Himeji standing beside me nodded in agreement.
“We can leave regular combat to Minami-sama, but to take on 《Hexagram》, Minami-sama’s 《Single-Point Breakthrough》 is absolutely essential.
So, we should aim to clear the 《Countdown》 as soon as possible.
However… based on 《Libra》’s broadcast, it seems Akutsu-sama’s avatar has some rather extraordinary capabilities.”
“E-Extraordinary capabilities… Shirayuki-senpai, how extraordinary are we talking?”
“Well, for instance, the mid-boss we defeated when ascending to the fourth floor—
it took Minami-sama and me about five minutes to defeat, but Akutsu-sama cleared the same quest in two seconds.”
“Hwa!? T-That’s…”
“…Hmph? That’s quite cheeky…”
Minami reacted with pure shock to Himeji’s explanation, while Minami revealed a faint trace of hostility despite her expressionless face.
Most likely—Akutsu’s avatar is abnormally strong not just because of EXP,
but because their Chaos Value is extraordinarily high.
Most skills in 《Tower of Lore》 have a requirement like [Chaos Value XX or higher],
which means players with high Chaos Values have access to a wider range of skills.
In RPG terms, they can easily acquire devastating skills akin to ultimate moves or critical techniques.
“Hm… in that case, relying solely on 《Single-Point Breakthrough》 won’t cut it.”
“Indeed. If they recognize it as a troublesome ability, there’s even a chance it could be countered with trap skills.
Both Saeki Kaoru and Akutsu-sama likely know Minami-sama’s personality well…”
“N-No way… Shinohara-senpai!”
Minami’s face paled as she turned to me with a pleading expression. …Well, Himeji’s right.
If Saeki or Akutsu know about 《Single-Point Breakthrough》, it’s highly likely they’ll take steps to neutralize it.
Even so, I flashed a confident smile at the anxious Minami.
“I don’t know what tricks those guys will pull, but… Minami, let me tell you something good.
The ability designed to handle all sorts of situations is 《Ten People, Ten Colors》.
If they might set traps, we just need to prepare the power to evade them.”
“Yes. Scouting or trap neutralization… the 《Stealth》 effect.
That’s the ability assigned to the seventh district slot in 《Ten People, Ten Colors》.
In other words, if a player from Shinra High School’s seventh district joins the revolutionary faction,
we can counter any traps Saeki Kaoru might set.”
Himeji followed up my words, articulating the strategy in her clear voice.
Yes—《Ten People, Ten Colors》, an ability whose effects vary based on the school district of the faction members.
As long as we meet the conditions, we can adapt to any situation.
In that sense, teaming up with Shinra to take on Saeki is a solid option.
From the earlier conflict between Mizutsume and Yanagi, it’s almost certain that 《Hexagram》 and 《Albion》 aren’t allied.
“《Ten People, Ten Colors》… it’s seriously convenient. …By the way, what’s my effect?”
“St. Rosalia’s is 《Iron Wall》. It can completely negate a skill’s effect, but only once.”
“Only once… kinda underwhelming…”
It’s a decent effect, but Minami muttered her dissatisfaction.
Anyway, she glanced at her terminal before continuing, her blue short hair swaying slightly.
“I checked… but the Fuwa-Fuwa team seems like a no-go.
They’re being chased by the angel faction along with the caped guy… probably because their forbidden actions got exposed.
It’s like a stalking epidemic…”
“…I see, Sumire, huh.”
I nodded, understanding Minami’s explanation.
Indeed, Sumire would be an unexpected threat to Saeki.
A player who can deduce forbidden actions through sensory abilities with support.
In a different way from me or Minami, she’s someone who absolutely can’t be left in the 《Duel Game》.
“Which means the only Shinra player we can contact right now is Kirigaya.”
“…Are you serious, Master? Kirigaya-sama joining the same faction as you seems like it’d take the heavens turning upside down…”
“Yeah, I don’t think she’d cooperate willingly either.
But either way, if we run into her next, combat’s inevitable, right?
If we win, we can demand her help. If she refuses, we can just force a ‘faction transfer’ penalty.”
“I see… indeed, that could work.”
“Yeah. If we pull that off, beating Akutsu isn’t just a dream─”
─Clank.
A grating sound suddenly hit my eardrums, cutting off my words.
There’s no mistaking it—it was the sound of a door unlocking.
Someone was definitely trying to enter this room.
As we tensed up, sure enough, the door opened with a low hum.
At the same time, a single female student stepped into our view.
Dull silver-gray long hair. A hexagonal emblem shining on her chest.
And a cold, disdainful gaze that looked down on everything.
“Hey─did you just call my name? How dare a filthy barbarian like you.”
…Miyabi Akutsu, the 6-Star of Suisei’s Second District and a 《Hexagram》 executive.
It was, without a doubt, the worst possible encounter.
We need to defeat Akutsu, that’s true, but we’re nowhere near prepared.
If we fight now, there’s no way we’d win.
So,
“─…We’re getting out of here, everyone.”
I quietly declared, then forcibly opened another door nearby with EXP─.
♭
《SFIA》 Final Battle 《Tower of Lore》 Fourth Floor.
The angel faction’s—no, 《Hexagram》’s hunt was nearing its climax.
“Haha…”
The outcome was clear from the start. After all, the numbers were uneven.
To pursue Shinohara Hiroto, Miyabi Akutsu was acting alone,
but even so, the angel faction’s regular members—Kururugi, Fujishiro—
plus external collaborators Yuiukawa and Ishizaki, gave them four freely movable players.
Having acquired a fair number of exploration skills, their hunting efficiency was exceptional.
So,
“Thirty-five minutes and twenty seconds… impressive.
To evade for that long is quite something.
As expected of players who advanced to the 《SFIA》 final battle, perhaps?”
Facing the three cornered in the room, Saeki Kaoru narrowed her eyes slightly.
“《Freestyle Holy Knights》 leader, Kugasaki Seiran-kun…
It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Heh… that’s my line, 《Hexagram》 leader, Saeki Kaoru.
To force me to choose ‘escape’ of all things.
Rejoice, you’ve etched yourself into my history!”
“Haha, thank you. Indeed, I don’t recall many scenes of you fleeing.”
Saeki shook her head with a smile at Kugasaki, who laughed boldly, his collared cape fluttering.
“But it seems this time, I’ve won.
Both our angel faction and your demon faction are incomplete, with our summoners acting separately,
but fortunately, I have the power of the ‘Reaper.’”
“Heh… Reaper, huh? Quite ironic for the leader of the ‘just’ 《Hexagram》 to be a Reaper…”
Pausing, Kugasaki adjusted his glasses with a click.
“─Let me ask, Saeki Kaoru. Do you think I, the leader of the 《Freestyle Holy Knights》 with wings on my back,
wouldn’t have prepared countermeasures against a Reaper?
If you believe that, I’m offended.”
“No, I don’t think that at all—not about you, Kugasaki-kun.”
Saeki calmly denied his question, maintaining her gentle smile.
…Kugasaki Seiran, the 5-Star of Otoha Academy, nicknamed “Phoenix.”
Whether he truly has a counter to the Reaper is unclear, but it didn’t matter.
Because Saeki’s target wasn’t him.
““Tch…!””
Saeki’s gaze shifted to Kugasaki’s side—no, beyond that.
To Sumire Fuwa, trembling behind her brother’s protection.
From her reaction and pallor, she likely knew from the start that Saeki’s target was not Kugasaki but them.
Empathy or whatever it was, it was a troublesome trait.
Regardless, Saeki smiled—not at Sumire, but at Mizutsume.
“Hey, Mizutsume-kun. You’re the one managing the 《Non-Residency Restriction》 ability, right?
It’s true that it could be a tailwind for us 《Hexagram》,
but we want to ensure we advance upward.
Would you mind disabling it?”
“…I see, so that’s your goal.”
Mizutsume muttered, not directly answering but seeming to grasp the situation.
He looked down in thought for a moment before raising his head and firmly shaking it.
“No way. …Like I’d agree to that.
《Non-Residency Restriction》 is central to our strategy.
Did you think I’d just disable it?”
“Yes, because I’m the ‘Reaper.’
Whether you disable the ability or I make you drop out, causing it to deactivate automatically…
the result is the same.”
“It’s not the same at all. If you make me drop out, the ‘Reaper’ role passes to someone else.
For Toya-san and Sumire’s sake, I want to pass it on in the best way possible.”
“…I see, you’re quite sharp, Mizutsume-kun. And quite the talker.”
Despite his overwhelmingly disadvantaged position, Mizutsume responded unflinchingly.
Saeki raised her terminal with a smile.
Activating the Reaper-exclusive skill 《Scythe of Judgment》─
simultaneously, an augmented reality (AR) effect enveloped her terminal, resembling a Reaper’s scythe.
Any player touched by its tip is unconditionally expelled from 《Tower of Lore》.
“Then, I’ll honor your request and choose the latter.
All to expose Shinohara-kun’s cheating… isn’t that great?
You’ll be the foundation of our justice─”
“─No way!!”
In that instant,
before Saeki’s scythe could slash Mizutsume,
Sumire, who had been trembling behind, shoved his body aside with a thud.
Not forward, but to the corner of the room.
Ignoring her stunned brother, she stepped forward and touched the Reaper’s scythe with her hand.
Condition met—execution carried out.
Above Sumire’s head, fluorescent green text coldly declared:
[Seventh District Shinra High School / Second Year / 4-Star / Demon Faction─Sumire Fuwa. Status: Eliminated]
…Exactly as Saeki had planned.
“Haha…”
Looking down at the scene, Saeki narrowed her eyes with a bitter smile.
“I’m sorry, Sumire-san. I was aiming for your brother,
but you jumped in so suddenly I couldn’t stop in time.
What a tragic accident.”
Her words seemed to strike a nerve, as Mizutsume slammed his fist into the floor.
Sumire rushed to him, but he could only hang his head in frustration, unable to respond.
“Hmm… this is troubling. I wanted to disable 《Non-Residency Restriction》 here…
Oh, right. Mizutsume-kun’s forbidden action is easy to trigger actively, isn’t it?
Making contract-based abilities with other players—if we do that, then─”
“─Heh. That’s enough, 《Hexagram》.”
At that moment, Kugasaki Seiran, who had been silent, stepped forward.
“Using the Reaper’s power has drastically reduced your Chaos Value.
And─do you remember yesterday’s Chaos Value rankings?
The next ‘Reaper’ will be either Kirigaya Toya or Mizutsume here.
Your best move is to leave this place as quickly as possible, no?”
“Is it? Wouldn’t it be to make him drop out as soon as possible?”
“Heh… don’t be foolish, Saeki Kaoru.
According to the fragments the demon faction obtained,
the time between the Reaper’s power being used and the next Reaper’s emergence is ‘about thirty minutes.’
And I don’t recall becoming so pathetic a player that I can’t stall you for a mere thirty minutes.”
His collared cape fluttered─almost as if shielding Mizutsume and Sumire─
as Kugasaki continued negotiating with Saeki.
Though his tone was teasing, his eyes held genuine resolve to resist.
Saeki shrugged lightly.
“…Understood. I’ll let you go for now─until next time.”
With a curse-like parting shot, Saeki and the angel faction turned on their heels.
Among them, a ponytail-wearing girl—Kururugi Senri—glanced back at Mizutsume and the others,
seeming to want to say something.
For a brief moment, it looked like she touched her terminal, but called by Saeki, she quickly left.
And─behind them, Mizutsume clenched his fists tightly.
♯
《SFIA》 Final Battle 《Tower of Lore》 Fourth Floor─no, Sixth Floor.
“─Got it! The answer is [‘Skyward Flight’ skill → ‘Thunderous Roar’ skill] in sequence!
This way, we can escape the pursuers without anyone getting hurt!”
“Wow… amazing, as expected of Minami-chan.
Even a difficulty VII puzzle door, piece of cake…”
“N-No, it’s not exactly a piece of cake… ehehehe.”
“Blushing Minami-chan is cute too… this is a keeper.”
Our revolutionary faction was tirelessly fleeing from the angel faction’s pursuer, Miyabi Akutsu.
We’d closed the door on her just before she could challenge us to combat on the fourth floor,
and for hours, we’d been racing across floors in a dead heat.
The rule that a door, once opened, can only be used by that faction for a set time
gives the fleeing side an advantage in 《Tower of Lore》’s chases,
but if they circle around via another route, we’re done for.
We were running through the floors in a frenzy.
Naturally, there was a reason this desperate escape was holding up.
“You’re really on fire, Minami-sama…
It feels like you’ve long surpassed the scope of a 3-Star.”
Behind Minami, who was tackling the next door with Minami, Himeji whispered to me.
Yes─Mari Minami.
She hates lies, is weak to jokes, and incapable of bluffing…
but in return, she excels at “mind games without opponents” like these.
She opens puzzle doors that even Himeji or Minami would need some thought for in almost no time.
“Even so, I’m no match for Onee-chan when she gets serious…”
She said modestly, but it’s undoubtedly a high-level talent.
Anyway, we pressed forward for a while.
“Oh… finally caught a break. Minami, the room next to this one seems to be the elevator room.
Let’s go for it.”
“Yes, Shinohara-senpai!”
Minami turned back, her black hair swaying, and replied with a delighted smile before rushing to the door.
She’s like a puppy, or rather, a genuinely earnest junior, which is really nice.
“Um…?
It’s a combat door. The victory condition is to defeat the emerging monster in one turn.
For each failure, there’s a ten-minute ‘movement ban’ penalty.”
“Combat… then it’s my turn. Minami-chan, step back…”
“Y-Yes! Please, Minami-senpai…!”
Following Minami’s instructions, Minami stepped back quickly and swallowed hard beside me.
This aligns with our agreed strategy:
to avoid any chance of Minami being forced to select a defensive skill, we keep her out of combat as much as possible.
Of course, if the enemy is too tough for Minami alone, that’s another story─
As I looked down, lost in thought for a moment,
Minami suddenly turned to me.
“Vui.”
“Huh… wait, you already won? In that split second?”
“You didn’t see…? That’s harsh. I might have to lodge a formal complaint…”
“Y-Yeah, Shinohara-senpai! It was incredible just now!
Minami-senpai’s brilliant performance!”
“Right… Minami-chan gets it.
Any guy who saw that would have no choice but to become my fan…
It was that kind of lovely offensive.
I think there was even a sexy scene…”
“There was!?”
Minami threw curveball complaints at me,
and Minami earnestly played along with her quips.
They’re completely different types, but they might make a surprisingly good duo.
“Well, anyway, nice work, Minami.
I didn’t see the lovely or sexy parts, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Mmph… you’re so dismissive.
I guess I’m just a side heroine…
The type who dies tragically mid-story, forever haunting the protagonist’s heart…”
“…Don’t act humble while piling on attributes like that.”
I threw in a retort, but since she seemed a bit genuinely down,
I added a simple “Thanks.”
She nodded expressionlessly, then visibly perked up and turned away.
Anyway─as the exploration skill indicated, beyond the door was the elevator room to the seventh floor.
We’d climbed quite high, but there was still a long way to go.
“Um, the elevator’s activation condition is…
huh? W-What’s this…?”
Minami raised a puzzled voice upon seeing the displayed text,
turning back to us with a curious expression.
…It’s no surprise she’d react that way.
The fluorescent green text on the screen was distinctly different from the elevator activation conditions we’d cleared so far.
[Activation Difficulty 0─No Genre. Condition: “Board with resolve”]
“…What do you think, Himeji?”
Unable to grasp the meaning immediately, I turned to Himeji to organize my thoughts.
She lifted the brim of her tricorn hat slightly and spoke in her usual cool tone.
“Most likely, the activation condition has been rewritten.
When Kirigaya-sama passed through, it wasn’t like this.”
“Rewritten conditions… but we’re only the second group to reach the sixth floor, right?
That means Kirigaya must be the one who rewrote it.”
“Exactly. And, as 《Libra》’s broadcast has already revealed,
the seventh floor has a somewhat unique structure…
To put it simply, avoiding combat is nearly impossible.
And Kirigaya-sama hasn’t moved from there for hours.”
Hearing Himeji’s explanation, I couldn’t help but twitch my cheek.
…Kirigaya, who’d been blazing through at top speed, inexplicably stopped.
A special floor where combat can’t be avoided.
A rewritten elevator activation condition.
With all these factors aligned, there’s only one answer.
“A warm welcome… or maybe a love confession?”
“…You don’t need the ‘maybe’ part.”
I denied it for the record, but yeah, that’s basically it.
Kirigaya Toya is waiting for me. Lying in wait.
She’s fed up with being strung along and wants to settle things here.
(I’d have liked a bit more time to prepare…
No, that’s no good. Akutsu is closing in fast.
This is one hell of a pincer attack…)
Muttering complaints in my head, I shook it off with a small nod.
…I get it. To win this 《Duel Game》,
I have to take down both 《Hexagram》 and 《Albion》 either way.
Plus, our current goal is to “bring Shinra’s players into the revolutionary faction.”
Meeting Kirigaya is exactly what we need.
So,
“─Let’s go, everyone. Our resolve was set long before we got here.”
I said with a fearless grin, stepping onto the elevator without hesitation.
Himeji and Minami followed, with Minami boarding last at her own leisurely pace.
After about ten seconds of being lifted with a dull mechanical hum,
“Heh…”
The moment the elevator reached the seventh floor, I let out a faint, impressed breath.
A special floor─yeah, it’s no wonder it’s called that.
The inner section of the seventh floor had no small rooms.
All the rooms were connected, with only doors leading to three outer rooms visible.
In short, the entire floor had just four rooms.
There was no escaping here.
And… waiting for us in this alien space was a single battle-crazed player.
“Hyaha─you made it, Shinohara!”
The “Absolute Monarch,” Kirigaya Toya, stood there with a gleeful smirk.
♯
《SFIA》 Final Battle 《Tower of Lore》 Seventh Floor─.
Our revolutionary faction faced off against the 6-Star tyrant leading the demon faction, Kirigaya Toya.
“Yo, Kirigaya. It’s been a floor since we last met.
Pretty thoughtful of you to wait for me in a place like this.”
“Damn right. I mean─check out this floor!
It’s like a custom arena built just for us to clash.
I thought about doing this on the top floor,
but it feels like some annoying interference might show up there.
So, let’s settle our score here and now.
To prove who’s on top!”
“Who’s on top, huh…”
I let out a small chuckle, lifting the corner of my mouth.
“I’m game for that, but I’ve got some bad news for you.”
“Oh?”
“We couldn’t shake her off.
…Besides us, we’ve got one more guest.”
Almost as I finished speaking, the elevator behind me roared to life again.
In no time, it brought up the next player.
That player was none other than─
“Oh… barbaric fools who don’t know their place, getting heated over a pointless argument.”
─《Hexagram》’s 6-Star executive, Miyabi Akutsu.
She stepped onto the seventh floor with those words,
her hard footsteps echoing as she descended with a clack.
Her composed, ruthless demeanor.
Her silver-gray long hair trailed behind her.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t want to get involved in your vulgar squabble…
but Kaoru asked, so I had no choice.
Mind if I join?”
“…Huh? Saeki sent you?”
“Yes, I only move on Kaoru’s orders.
But I’d have done the same on my own in this case.
《Tower of Lore》 should end with Kaoru’s victory.
Shinohara Hiroto is just a villain set up to lose pathetically to Kaoru,
and Kirigaya Toya is a secondary evil thrown in to spice things up.
You’ve done enough─now, perish quietly here.”
Akutsu hurled cold, ruthless words at both me and Kirigaya.
…Leaving it to her subordinates like this is so typical of Saeki, but Akutsu’s goal is clear.
“So… what’s it gonna be, Kirigaya?
You went out of your way to wait here, so you’ve got something planned, right?
Is it something that can only work one-on-one?”
“Huh? C’mon, Shinohara, don’t be like that.
We’re supposed to have our epic showdown, and you’re cool with letting someone else in?”
“Like I’d care. Wait, don’t tell me you’re scared of Akutsu?”
“Don’t provoke me, I’m pumped from the start.
…Fine, whatever.
If she’s a player who can hold her own against me or you, I’ll gladly let her join.”
“…You’ve got some nerve talking down to me like that.
Don’t speak to me so arrogantly, you barbarian.”
“Hyaha… oh, come on, did you forget how you guys came crawling to me before this event started?
That lame-ass proposal to team up and crush Shinohara.
Just ’cause I shot that down, you’re treating me like this? Bit much, don’t ya think?”
“Obviously. Kaoru might acknowledge you,
but I’d never call you a ‘comrade.’
Don’t get cocky over something like that.”
“…Scratch that, you witch. You are joining me and Shinohara’s fight.
I’ll make you high-and-mighty types learn what ‘true strength’ means.”
“Ugh, so intense… and hearing a barbarian use words like ‘strength’ just makes me angrier.”
Kirigaya growled in a low voice, while Akutsu dismissed him with an icy tone.
Of course, neither was underestimating the other.
Kirigaya’s strength as a dual-color 6-Star is obvious,
but Akutsu is also a formidable player.
A top representative of Suisei’s Second District and a core member of 《Hexagram》.
Her combat experience outclasses other players.
Acknowledging her participation, Kirigaya twisted his lips into a gleeful “…hyaha.”
“Alright, here’s the main event─from now on, we’re fighting on this seventh floor.
But not a regular fight. It’s a ‘special combat’ with rules tweaked to my liking.”
“…May I ask something, Kirigaya-sama?
The combat rules in 《Tower of Lore》 are set in advance.
It shouldn’t be possible to modify them…?”
“Normally, yeah. But what do you think I rushed up here for?”
“To stand out, of course… or perhaps to prepare something?”
“Bingo.”
With a smirk, Kirigaya kicked the floor with a tap.
“This seventh floor is under the effect of a certain ability─《Regenerate: Reform》.
It’s a dual-color ability packed with Unique Star traits.
As long as it’s active, I can set the rules, mechanics, and rewards for any combat on this floor however I want.”
“Hmph…? Your own rules… talk about tyranny. The height of despotism…”
[EMBED0019_HD.jpg]
“Shut up, brat. You betrayed the demon faction so casually, and now
you’re complaining about this?”
“…Hmph, surprisingly logical.”
Swaying her blue hair lightly, she falls silent with a blank expression.
Minami Shizuku.
As she said, it’s certainly the height of tyranny—but for me, it
wasn’t a bad development. In a normal battle against Akutsu right now,
our chances of winning are next to none. But in a three-way special battle,
depending on the rules, anything could happen.
After thinking that far, I decided to steer the conversation back to the main point.
“Anyway… the gist is, the three groups will face off in a battle, right? Not within
the 《Duel Game》, but an actual ‘battle,’ so the penalties for losing apply as is?”
“Yeah, half your held EXP points and one selectable shackle…
That’s what I thought, but it felt kinda bland. So, I decided the winner
can set any reward they want. For example, my demand is—【Shinohara Hiroto and Akutsu Masami’s elimination】.”
“…You don’t hold back, do you?”
“Hya ha! I’m only interested in strong guys. If you’re weaker than me, you’re useless.”
Against Kirigaya’s blunt reasoning, I shrug slightly and say, “Is that so?”
“Then my demand is this, Kirigaya. If I win, you’ll join my team.”
“…Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You get it, don’t you? You’re not my only enemy. To take down 《Hexagram》, I
still need more firepower. So if I win, I’ll have you work for the revolutionary faction.”
At my declaration, Kirigaya falls silent with a strange expression. Just as I’m
wondering about his reaction, he bursts into laughter, unable to hold it in.
“Hya ha… Hya ha ha ha! You’re so damn interesting! Man, this is why I can’t quit
the 《Duel Game》… Alright, Shinohara. If I lose, I’ll bow to your command until
this 《Tower of Lore》 ends. So, what about you, Akutsu? Acting all high and mighty,
I bet you’ve got something brutal—”
“—【If I win, both of you will kneel before Saeki Kaoru and offer words of worship.】”
““…””
“Of course, in a place broadcasted on 《Libra》. I see no value in either of you,
so at least make yourselves useful by raising Kaoru’s worth.”
“…That might be worse than elimination.”
“I agree, but I don’t care. Anything other than my demand won’t happen anyway.”
I grimace at Akutsu’s words, while Kirigaya smirks belligerently.
Well… anyway, the stage is set.
“Hya ha! Can’t wait any longer—let’s get this battle started!”
Demon Faction vs. Angel Faction vs. Revolutionary Faction—.
The three-way special battle that will shake the fate of the 《Tower of Lore》
is about to begin.
♯
【《SFIA Sphere》 Final Battle 《Tower of Lore》 Seventh Floor—Special Battle】
【Each faction selects one player to participate in the battle. Non-selected players
cannot interfere in any way, and player substitutions mid-battle are prohibited.】
【The seventh floor has four rooms, each with three doors. These doors can have
their ‘unlock conditions’ freely rewritten.】
【The battle is turn-based, with one of the three participants as the ‘questioner’ and
the other two as ‘answerers.’ After one cycle, the player with the most pt (explained later)
is declared the winner.】
【Questioner: Sets individual unlock conditions for the three doors. The genre is
‘conditional combat quest,’ with the worldview and setting shared by all players.
Based on the conditions set, each door is assigned a ‘clear difficulty’ from I to X.】
【Answerer: Chooses a door knowing only its ‘clear difficulty’ and attempts to unlock it.
Avatars are used, but skills are disabled to eliminate role advantages. However, total
EXP stats are reflected, and avatars can use battle-exclusive ‘items’ instead of skills.】
【Items: Assist in clearing doors. Ten types are prepared for all quests, and each
‘draw’ grants one to the avatar. Rarity ranges from S to C in four tiers, with probabilities
[S:A:B:C = 1:2:3:4]. S-rank items are powerful enough to meet unlock conditions alone.】
【After an item draw, players can choose to ‘start the quest immediately’ or ‘draw another item.’
Item draws can be repeated indefinitely until the quest begins, and all drawn items are usable.】
【Pt: If a door unlock fails, the player earns 0 pt. If successful, they earn pt equal to
《Door’s clear difficulty (I–X)》 × 《Number of items left in the draw box (1–10)》.
Example: Clear difficulty VIII with 7 items left → 8 × 7 = 56 pt】
“…Phew.”
The three-way special battle set up by Kirigaya Toya.
After memorizing the rules and exchanging brief words with Himeji for a minimal strategy
meeting, I steady my breathing to focus.
“G-Go for it, Shinohara-senpai! And Shirayuki-senpai too…!”
Minakami cheers me on, her cheeks slightly flushed, her clenched fists trembling.
She’s probably frustrated, only able to watch. This battle pits three factions against each
other, with only one player per faction allowed. And this battle can’t be entrusted to anyone else.
So, I flash a confident grin to ease her anxiety.
“Yeah—besides, there’s no way I’d lose, right? I’m the ‘strongest in Academy Island,’ after all.”
“…! Y-Yes, that’s right! Then I’ll be cheering with Minami-senpai!”
“? I don’t really care either way… Factions can always be changed.”
“Oi.”
“…That was just my inner voice slipping out. Honestly, I’m cheering a little…”
Minami averts her gaze, mumbling, as Minakami drags her to the wall. Hard to tell if she’s
serious or joking, but I’ll take it at face value.
『Then—shall we begin, Master?』
Himeji’s words, unchanged even in her witch attire, prompt me to turn around…
and I see two players already in battle stance. Kirigaya Toya, a third-year at Shinra High
School in District 7, a 6-star dual-color holder. And Akutsu Miyabi, a third-year at Suisei
Academy in District 2, a 6-star and 《Hexagram》 executive. As the absolute ‘7-star,’ I
have to take them both down.
(It’s tough, but…)
I have no choice. This battle is just a prelude to defeating Saeki Kaoru.
“So—kept you waiting, huh? I’m representing the Revolutionary Faction.”
“Hya ha! Obviously. If anyone else showed up, I’d use my ‘Reaper’ power to eliminate you instantly.”
“Reaper? …Wait, did it transfer to you from Saeki?”
“Yeah, just a bit ago. Probably ’cause that guy eliminated someone…
But who cares? Even without the Reaper, you’re done once this battle ends.”
“…”
“Alright, let’s get to the first question—draw!”
The moment Kirigaya says that, a giant roulette wheel projects in front of us.
The spinning needle slows and stops, pointing at one person.
【First Questioner—Demon Faction: Kirigaya Toya】
“Hya ha! Nice, I’m the first questioner? Not a bad start.”
“Not bad…? Is there an advantage to the order?”
“Nah, not really. But in this battle, you only earn pt as an ‘answerer’…
Meaning the questioner’s on defense. And I love winning. Getting reversed ain’t my style.”
“…Yeah, yeah, got it.”
I feel dumb for taking him seriously.
Anyway, Kirigaya, as the first questioner, gets some time to set three unlock conditions.
As long as it’s a ‘conditional combat quest,’ anything goes. The conditions determine the
doors’ ‘clear difficulty,’ and the answerers choose based on that.
『—In simple terms, it’s like a selective chicken race.』
Himeji, swaying her silver hair, whispers softly.
『The questioner can lower the chance of a door being cleared by setting high difficulty,
but the risk grows if it’s cleared. The answerers’ choices matter too. Low-difficulty doors
are easier but yield fewer pt. High-difficulty doors are risky if item luck is poor.』
“Yeah… Items are basically like a gacha in a mobile game. A random draw from ten items,
pure luck. And since pt is clear difficulty times remaining items, bad draws chip away at you.”
『Indeed. It depends on the situation, but…』
Himeji murmurs thoughtfully, touching her gloved finger to her lips.
Then—across from us, Kirigaya raises his terminal, ready.
“Yo, kept you waiting. I just set the unlock conditions for the three doors in this room.
Clear difficulties are III, V, and X from the left. Pick one each.”
“Got it… Oh, Kirigaya, what happens if both answerers pick the same door?”
“Nothing special. We draw for order and have you tackle the same quest.
Different avatars and items mean watching the other guy won’t help.”
“…I see.”
No penalty for overlapping choices, then. That means I can pick based solely on my own strategy, regardless of Akutsu’s move.
(Like Himeji said, choosing the door is critical… Item luck plays a role, so blindly picking
high difficulty isn’t the answer. But…)
I shake my head slightly at that thought. Then,
“No need to overthink—I’m picking the clear difficulty X door. No other choice.”
“Hya ha! Hell yeah, 7-star! That’s what the strongest in Academy Island should be!!”
“…Tch, rank’s got nothing to do with it.”
I mutter, exasperated. …It’s not about looking cool; the pt gap is just too big.
Clear difficulty X with four items used yields 【60】 pt, while clear difficulty V, even with no
items used, only gives 【50】 pt. Might as well bet on the luck game with the higher difficulty.
“…Then I’ll take that too. Not thrilled about overlapping with a barbarian, but whatever.”
Akutsu sighs reluctantly, her words sharp (more like outright hostile). Anyway, the choices are set.
Both picked the highest difficulty, so a draw decides the order, and I’m ‘first.’
“Hya ha—go get ’em!”
As Kirigaya swings his arm up—the world changes.
(Wha…?)
Vast plains, wastelands, forests, mountain ranges, and even a castle town—.
Himeji, in her witch attire, stands alone on a hillside overlooking it all.
It takes a moment to realize the augmented reality (AR) has expanded across the room.
A world packed with classic RPG elements. But it’s not pastoral—the sky is dyed reddish-purple,
and a rumbling like an earthquake echoes from afar. A strong wind nearly sweeps Himeji away,
and she presses her hat down tightly.
And… in front of me, a familiar fluorescent green text message appears.
【—For some reason, you’ve angered the dragon ruling this world.】
【The dragon seeks your life. Its wrath won’t subside unless you offer it.】
【Yet you recklessly defy fate, aiming to slay the dragon.
You haven’t even found the ‘Holy Arrow’ that can pierce its heart in one strike.】
【If you still intend to challenge the dragon, take up your weapon.】
【Seventh Floor Clear EXP Requirement: 49,000】
【‘The Dragon Ruling This World’—Total EXP: 250,000】
(!? 250,000… Beyond the tenth floor’s benchmark!? A post-ending secret boss!?)
Seeing the enemy’s strength, I inwardly wince.
…Impossible. Even while dodging Akutsu in our escape, I’ve been constantly powering up
my avatar, but Himeji’s total EXP is currently 470,000. Slightly below the floor’s clear requirement,
the gap with the dragon is stark.
Still, I calmly start analyzing the situation.
“The ‘Holy Arrow’ that can pierce its heart… Probably the S-rank item.”
A key word in the unlock condition text—slaying the dragon is explicitly stated,
so this must be the trump card item with a one-in-ten chance. Drawing it would guarantee victory.
『Yes, that understanding is correct. Other items will aid in combat or break stalemates,
so with the right items, we should win.』
“Right… Then let’s keep drawing until we get something good.”
Encouraged by Himeji’s nod, I decide to tackle the item draw.
The draw box is a black cube floating before me. Holding my terminal to it triggers the draw,
granting one of the box’s items to my AR avatar. Simultaneously, my terminal displays the item’s details.
“Here goes…”
The first draw yields a B-rank item 【Saint’s Veil】, which nullifies one attack.
Judging it insufficient for defense alone, I draw again—a C-rank item 【Flash Smoke】 that briefly
halts the enemy’s movement. Not bad, but it lacks a decisive edge.
And then,
“Third draw… Yes!”
S-rank item 【Thunderbolt Arrow】—.
Pulling the ultimate item mentioned in the text, I forgo further draws and swipe my terminal to start the quest.
Himeji, previously holding only a staff, now wields a massive bow crackling with lightning.
【Saint’s Veil】 and 【Flash Smoke】 lie nearby, but there’s no need to use them.
Meanwhile, in the AR world, the wind grows fiercer. Tornado-like gusts whip around,
the sky burns a hellish crimson. From that chaos, the enraged dragon descends like a god—
『Ei.』
…and is fatally struck by Himeji’s arrow, crashing instantly.
【Revolutionary Faction: Shinohara Hiroto—Unlock Condition Cleared】
【Acquired pt: Clear Difficulty X × Remaining Items 7 = 70 pt】
(O-Oh… Amazing.)
I let out a quiet breath of relief mixed with awe at the intense visuals.
…For now, I’ve cleared Kirigaya’s unlock condition. The pt isn’t bad either.
But—Akutsu Miyabi, watching from the side, seems somewhat dissatisfied.
“Honestly, such a boring strategy. What would you have done if you didn’t get an S-rank
item on the third draw? A 1-star player could replicate that approach.”
“…Oh? Pretty confident there, Akutsu. Your turn’s next.”
“Don’t dodge the question—how many times do I have to say it? …Fine, whatever.
There’s no value in talking to you, and it’s a good chance to teach you your place.”
Brushing me off coldly, Akutsu steps toward the room’s center. As she summons an avatar
modeled after herself, the world shifts again. The dragon’s corpse is gone, but a massive crater
remains at its crash site in the same AR world. Himeji’s 【Thunderbolt Arrow】 lies nearby.
(Hm… Right, since the setting is shared, the previous turn’s events carry over.
Though the item effects have probably worn off…)
I quietly reflect on the special battle’s rules.
Then—Himeji, watching Akutsu’s avatar, gasps softly.
『Tch…』
“…What’s wrong, Himeji?”
『No, it’s just… Master, Akutsu-sama’s avatar has a total EXP exceeding 200,000.
Even if it’s enhanced by an ability, that number is…』
(Wha…!? 200,000!?)
Her outrageous statement freezes my thoughts.
Total EXP of 200,000—far beyond even the top floor’s clear benchmark. Frankly, it’s absurd.
If this is temporary enhancement via an ability, its performance might surpass Minakami’s 《Point Break》.
(So she’s using some kind of ‘restriction’ to boost the effect…? Maybe a use limit or another drawback…)
Either way—Akutsu Miyabi’s avatar is undeniably capable of slaying the dragon.
“First, the item draw… But I can choose not to draw, right?”
“…Oh? Think you can win without items?”
“That’s what I’m saying. That dragon was pretty sluggish. In the last fight, it didn’t even
try to dodge the fatal arrow. My avatar outpaces it in speed.”
“No… Speed alone doesn’t guarantee a win.”
“Yes, it does. Because… the 《Tower of Lore》 rules don’t mention EXP depletion from fatigue.
If I’m faster, no attack will hit, no matter how long the fight lasts. With that much time,
I can easily find a way to bring down the dragon. …That’s how you enjoy the 《Duel Game》, right?”
Akutsu’s chilling tone sends a shiver down my spine.
As declared, she and her avatar face the dragon without items… and in just one hour,
they analyze its attack patterns, weaknesses, and habits, defeating it effortlessly.
【Angel Faction: Akutsu Miyabi—Unlock Condition Cleared】
【Acquired pt: Clear Difficulty X × Remaining Items 10 = 100 pt】
(…This is bad.)
Time passes.
I’m chosen as the second questioner. I set the doors’ difficulties to I, VII, and X,
but both Kirigaya and Akutsu pick the difficulty X door. I crafted a puzzle that couldn’t be
brute-forced, but Kirigaya clears it with five items left, and Akutsu with eight.
Current pt standings:
【Akutsu Miyabi—180 pt】
【Shinohara Hiroto—70 pt】
【Kirigaya Toya—50 pt】
“Phew… So, what now?”
Staring at the fluorescent green pt display, Akutsu brushes back her silver-gray hair, looking bored.
“In this battle, the max pt per question is 100. Even if you two perfectly clear my unlock conditions,
the score won’t flip. Is there any point in continuing?”
“Huh? I don’t get what you’re saying.”
Kirigaya responds with genuine exasperation.
“Like I thought, you don’t belong here, normie. Acting all high and mighty over this?
A 100 pt cap per challenge? I wouldn’t make such a lame rule. All I set was that
‘acquired pt is the clear difficulty times remaining items.’ Anything beyond that’s your assumption…
Tch, it’s getting good, so don’t butt in, outsider.”
“Don’t ramble like a delinquent… And getting good? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Huh? Ain’t it obvious? The showdown between me and Shinohara! Next is the final question…
And we’re both answerers, with just a 20 pt gap. Hya ha, it doesn’t get more hype than this. Right, Shinohara?”
“…Yeah, guess so.”
I nod quietly in agreement with Kirigaya, who declares Akutsu irrelevant.
Akutsu is a formidable foe, no doubt, but in this battle, she’s not the one to watch.
Kirigaya, who knows the rules inside out and exploits their gaps, is the real threat. So,
“Bring it, Kirigaya—No matter how many points you rack up, I’ll surpass you.”
“…Hya ha!!”
Kirigaya grins wider, thrilled by my response.
Akutsu, faintly irritated, opens her mouth.
“Fine… I get it. Talking to barbarians is pointless. My doors’ difficulties are I, II, and X from the left—
Low difficulty would’ve been safer, but I won’t crush you with something so dull.
I’ll drill Suisei’s, 《Hexagram》’s strength into you… Because defying justice is ‘wrong.’”
With a flowing declaration, Akutsu snaps her fingers coldly.
“You probably didn’t understand why my avatar has such exceptional performance.
Listen closely—I’m using the 《Control Overdrive》 ability. It makes things or situations
‘overdrive,’ temporarily spiking their stats. It’s powerful, but I’ll be incapacitated
within three days of the 《Duel Game》 starting.”
“…So it’s a double-edged ability. You sure about revealing that?”
“No issue. 《Hexagram》 only needs Kaoru. I’m fine if I can’t fight. I’ve prepared for
my avatar to be inherited, too.”
Akutsu dismisses my point with a cryptic tone.
“Anyway—back to the point. The difficulty X door is warped by my 《Control Overdrive》 ability.
Think cataclysmic disaster. The items are standard for difficulty X, but the situation
far exceeds that. If you can pull off some trick here, I might acknowledge your worth a little.”
“Tch… Senpai!”
Minakami’s pleading voice echoes from behind at Akutsu’s proclamation. Her desperation
confirms the situation is firmly in Akutsu’s favor—but,
As I’ve said, this is a fight between me and Kirigaya.
“—So, I’ll go first, right, Shinohara?”
“First or not, the order’s set by the draw. We both picked the same door.”
“Hya ha! True enough. There’s only a handful of ways to turn this around…
But it’s perfect for seeing who’s better, you or me.”
“…Huh?”
As Akutsu furrows her brow slightly, Kirigaya smirks mockingly—
“《Greedy Husk: Revised》 ability—Activate!”
—He swings his terminal down, shouting. Immediately, not only the difficulty X door’s
unlock condition but also those of the other two doors are revealed simultaneously.
【Difficulty I: Save at least one resident from the approaching threat.】
【Difficulty II: Save at least one town from the approaching threat.】
【Difficulty X: Crush the approaching threat.】
【‘Approaching Threat’—Total EXP: Unmeasurable】
“All doors at once…? No way, this—!”
“That’s right! 《Greedy Husk: Revised》 maximizes the number of things I can select at once—
I said it from the start, didn’t I? The pt in this battle is the ‘clear difficulty of the unlocked door’
times the ‘remaining items.’ So, if I forcibly unlock more doors, the pt skyrockets!”
“Tch…!”
Leaving a stunned Akutsu behind, Kirigaya summons his avatar—a black-clad figure with large horns.
Ignoring the draw box, he moves his terminal, declaring the conditional combat quest’s start
without drawing any items.
“…No items? You’re underestimating me. How do you plan to win?”
“Huh? Ain’t it obvious, you dumbass? A threat that’s already overdriven will collapse on its own.
It’s not worth my effort. I don’t care how many residents or towns get wrecked—as long as
one survives, I win.”
Akutsu responds to Kirigaya’s brutal logic with a frustrated, silent “…Tch.”
And then, shortly after—the grossly overpowered ‘approaching threat’ self-destructs as Kirigaya
planned, clearing all three doors’ conditions at once. With ten items left, multiplying by all
door difficulties yields 1 × 2 × 10 × 10 = 200 pt. Thus, Kirigaya’s total pt soars to 【250 pt】,
far surpassing Akutsu’s.
Witnessing this, Akutsu crosses her arms, slightly regretful.
“Over 100 pt… You actually did it. No, you were aiming for this from the start…”
“Yup, that’s the deal. But you’re no slouch either. Picking three doors naturally takes longer—
My plan was to let you guys burn out under the 《No-Residency Limit》. But you deliberately
made the enemy self-destruct, didn’t you?”
“Obviously. Don’t lump me with narrow-minded barbarians. Besides—”
“Yeah, yeah, no time to argue with you. …Come on, Shinohara.”
Kirigaya growls lowly, shooting me a belligerent glare. His expression expects me to pull
something off, hoping I have a trump card. Acknowledging me as a worthy foe, he aims to
crush me head-on with a savage grin.
But—
“Yeah… I get it, Kirigaya.”
—250 pt? That’s my victory.
With a slight smirk, I step forward as the final answerer. I have only 70 pt, while Akutsu has
180 pt and Kirigaya 250 pt. A comeback should be impossible. But Kirigaya overturned that
by ‘selecting multiple doors,’ and there’s another strategy.
『As Kirigaya-sama said earlier—』
Himeji, touching her triangular hat lightly, speaks in a cool tone beside me.
『The ‘acquired pt’ in this battle is the product of the door’s clear difficulty and the number
of remaining items. Since it’s multiplication, if you can select multiple doors, that’s the most
straightforward way to rack up massive pt.』
“Yeah. But with the abilities I’ve got registered in my set, I can’t do anything like that.
Besides, doing the same thing as Kirigaya wouldn’t be any fun. So, if I’m gonna mess around,
it’s gotta be with the other option.”
[‘Yes. The scoring factor separate from the difficulty of clearing the door—namely, items.’]
Saying that much, Himeji quietly steps into the unfolded augmented reality AR world.
Glancing briefly at the lottery BOX floating in front of me, she starts walking toward somewhere.
[’The adjustment from items is calculated based on “the number of items remaining in the lottery BOX.”
Since the lottery BOX originally contains ten items, if you draw once, the remaining items are nine; if twice, eight…
and the points gradually decrease. Strictly speaking, though, the number of draws you’ve made
has no direct relation to the points you can earn. What’s used in the calculation
is purely “the number of items left in the BOX.”’]
“Exactly. Which means, in other words, if the number of items in the lottery BOX increases beyond the initial count,
the item adjustment could exceed 10 points. Right, Kirigaya?”
“…Tch, that’s the logic, huh?”
In response to my question, Kirigaya spits out a curse but nods irritably.
“Ain’t no mistake in that thinking. The pattern of having more than ten items
ain’t something you’d normally expect, but no matter the number, the point calculation method stays the same.”
“W-Wait, hold on a second. You guys, why have you been going on about hypothetical scenarios?
I get the logic, sort of, but increasing the number of items—”
“—Hey, Akutsu.”
At that moment, I cut in with a short word to silence Akutsu’s question.
As she, with her silver-ash hair swaying, clamps her mouth shut with an irritated expression,
I flash a smirk and continue.
“It’s written in the rules, so it might be old news to you,
but… this battle, the stage for this quest, has always been the same place.
And it’s not just the background or setting being the same—it’s properly connected.
For example, during Kirigaya’s challenge, the crater Himeji made
was still there during your turn… right?”
“…So what?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? If we’re fighting in the same place—
if we’re inheriting the results left by the previous player,
then even used-up items should still be lying around, shouldn’t they?”
[‘Yes… I found them, Master.’]
Affirming my words smoothly, Himeji crouches down on the spot
and picks up “something.” It’s the [Thunderbolt Bow and Arrow],
which just moments ago brought down a raging dragon and fulfilled its role.
[’In addition to this, I’ve also found the [Saint’s Veil] and [Light Smoke Canister].
Including those from Kirigaya-sama and Akutsu-sama, a total of ten items
have been discharged in this battle. If we can return all of them to the lottery BOX,
the remaining item count will be twenty—resulting in an adjustment of “20 points.”’]
“…I see. But an ability that resets already-discharged items to their”pre-draw” state?
Time manipulation…? No, even for a 7-star ability, there’s no way
the terminal’s capacity could handle such a grandiose effect multiple times.”
“Nah, it doesn’t have to be anything that fancy.”
Saying that, I glance back at Minami. While silently thanking
the blue-haired girl who tilts her head expressionlessly,
I quietly open my mouth.
“[Degraded Copy] activated… With its effect, I’ll duplicate Minami’s [Recycle].
Minami usually combines it with [Numerical Management],
but the standalone effect of [Recycle] is ‘reprocessing used items.’
Perfect ability for this situation, don’t you think?”
“—!”
As I say that provocatively—in that instant, Akutsu quietly closes her eyes,
letting out a deep sigh as if she’s given up. She must’ve realized there’s no way out.
While Minami’s apathetic “Ooh…” of admiration reaches my ears,
I start the [Recycle] process for the items through Himeji. As Himeji mentioned earlier,
there are ten items scattered in the augmented reality AR world.
If we can shove them all back into the lottery BOX, we’ll secure the maximum points possible right now.
And then… at that moment, Akutsu, with an expression close to resignation,
suddenly speaks up in a reproaching tone.
“…Hey, are you seriously planning to [Recycle] all the items?
You might be trying to clear it the same way he did,
but it’s been almost three hours since we got to this floor.
If we wait for another ‘threat’ to go berserk, we’ll get disqualified by the [Non-Residency Limit].”
“I know. That’s why, naturally, I’ve got that covered too. I’ll wrap this up in under a minute.”
“In a minute…? You’re joking, right?”
“Hyaha! …Man, if you’re serious about that, even I’d be shocked, Shinohara.”
Kirigaya flashes a feral grin in agreement with Akutsu’s faint murmur of disbelief.
“What the hell did you pull off, you bastard?”
“…Nah? Nothing too big.”
In response, I smirk and shake my head slightly.
“You guys, when I was the question-setter—when I set the conditions for opening the three doors,
both of you picked the Difficulty X door without hesitation, right?
Well, I designed the conditions with that in mind, but anyway…
you don’t know the conditions for opening the other doors.”
“Obviously. That’s how this battle’s set up.”
[’Indeed. That’s exactly why Master used it to his advantage—
in the previous question, the condition for opening the Difficulty I door
was to defeat an enemy equivalent to the ‘approaching threat’ in Akutsu-sama’s quest.
The total EXP was similarly [Unmeasurable].’]
“…Huh? Then how the hell is that Difficulty I?”
[’Yes. That’s because the question continues as follows—
[However, in this world, there exists the ‘strongest spell’ that can sweep away everything.]
[It is a divine miracle that anyone can wield simply by uttering certain words. You don’t need to be a chosen one.]
[Once you chant it, no threat will stand before you.] …And so on.
After that, a specific phrase is listed as the activation key for the spell.’]
“Wha—!? You mean you carried that over—!?”
“Exactly. Unless you chose the Difficulty I door in my question, you wouldn’t know,
but in this world, there’s a strongest spell that can take down even the ‘approaching threat’ in one hit.
To be precise, I created such a spell. Since the conditions for opening the doors
can be set freely, when I’m the question-setter, I can make as many cheats like this as I want.
All I had to do was figure out a way to ‘carry it over’ to the responder’s turn.”
—That’s right.
Once the trick is revealed, it’s simple. When I was the question-setter,
instead of ‘making the enemy weaker’ to create a low-difficulty problem,
I adjusted it by ‘granting the avatar the strongest power.’
By making that power a ‘spell anyone can use by chanting the activation key,’
I ensured it could be used even after the question-setter changed.
The strongest spell that sweeps away everything—it becomes Himeji Shirayuki’s power,
crushing the approaching threat.
The impact lasts only a moment.
“…It’s over. With this, my score is 270 points—satisfied now, Kirigaya?”
In a world where everything is collapsing, I say that with a quiet smile.
As for Kirigaya, he stays silent for a while,
then mutters, “Tch… still couldn’t catch up, huh?”
The words come out tinged with deep frustration, irritation,
yet also a faint sense of relief. Then, brushing back his slicked-back black hair,
he slightly raises the corner of his mouth—
“I’ll give it to ya, Shinohara. …This time, you win.”
—he spits out, in a tone that absolutely refuses to admit defeat.
♯
The special battle, chaotic with the three factions of Angels, Demons, and Revolution,
ended with our Revolution faction’s victory.
Though it was a special battle, by defeating Akutsu,
the [Countdown] effect placed on me, Minami, and Mizukami was successfully lifted.
Additionally, as per the ‘reward’ agreed upon before the battle,
Kirigaya leaves the Demon faction to join the Revolution faction.
Watching this silently, the defeated Akutsu opens her mouth with a sigh.
“Beating me, shaking off the [Countdown], and even pulling in Shinra, a 6-star that even Kaoru was wary of…
Fine, I have to admit it. You’re pretty capable, Shinohara.”
“Thanks. Though in a normal battle, I probably would’ve been crushed without a chance.”
“There’s no point comforting yourself with hypotheticals. …So, what’s next?
Knowing you twisted lot, are you gonna hurl insults at me now that I’m useless
and execute me or something? You’ve got a ‘Reaper’ on your side, after all.”
“Huh? Nah, sorry, that’s not gonna happen.”
Facing Akutsu’s cold gaze, Kirigaya denies her words, running a hand along his neck.
“See, I ain’t the Reaper anymore. …Somewhere during the battle, my role switched.
Probably ’cause someone went wild and spiked the chaos value, huh?”
“Someone… huh?”
Akutsu says, flipping her silver-ash hair with a sharp expression.
She’s probably running through various thoughts,
but she likely has a rough idea of who ‘someone’ refers to—
and how the ‘Reaper’ role got transferred.
“I see. Then there’s no need for me to stick around here.
You barbarians have some redeeming qualities, I’ll give you that…
but it’s still not enough. Kaoru’s the one who’ll win.”
Declaring that without hesitation, Akutsu turns on her heel without another word.
Walking steadily to the wall with measured steps,
she leans her back against the door and gently closes both eyes.
…Due to the penalty for losing the battle, she’s under a ‘one-hour movement restriction,’
so she can’t leave immediately. But once that’s over,
Akutsu will likely head upward without delay. With no Reaper to stop her,
there’s no way to halt her progress anymore.
(Still, who the hell took the ‘Reaper’…?)
Feeling a faint sense of urgency, I bring my right hand to my mouth.
No—well, considering Akutsu’s reaction, the answer’s pretty much narrowed down to one.
But logically, a player who’s already used the Reaper’s power
shouldn’t be able to rack up enough chaos value to reach that threshold again.
“…Um, Senpai. There’s actually something I’d like you to take a look at…”
At that moment, Mizukami, who had quietly approached,
speaks up hesitantly. With a slightly troubled expression,
she holds out her terminal screen toward me.
“It’s… well, I got this message just a bit ago.”
“A message? …What’s this?”
Peering at Mizukami’s terminal, I slightly pale. …No wonder she looks like this.
This is something we need to address immediately.
As I’m thinking that—in that instant,
“—Oi, Shinohara, I got something to discuss.”
Kirigaya suddenly throws that out, like a follow-up blow.
When I glance over, he’s holding his own terminal screen toward me.
It’s a contact screen for the ‘remote communication’ skill.
And the sender’s name is Mitsuru Fuwa from the Demon faction.
Comparing the fact that he’s contacting Kirigaya with the message Mizukami received—
I say,
“Let’s move. …Right now.”
To get out of Akutsu Miyabi’s sight, the whole faction decides to head up to the eighth floor.
[‘…Sumire’s been taken out.’]
—[SFIA Sphere] Final Battle [Tower of Legends], eighth floor.
Right after moving there, the blunt words come through Kirigaya’s terminal,
set to speaker mode, without any preamble.
It’s a voice on the verge of breaking—mentally shattered, wanting to escape, to give up,
yet desperately clinging on. It’s nothing like the calm, carefree demeanor in my memory,
but there’s no mistake—it’s definitely Mitsuru Fuwa, a second-year from Shinra.
Fuwa continues in a hoarse, faltering voice.
[’It was a while ago now… Saeki. The leader of [Hexagram]
used the Reaper’s power to kick Sumire out of the [Duel Game].
Right in front of me, using me as a shield to get to Sumire…!’]
“…”
[’And that’s not all. That guy betrayed his own allies.
To corner us, he had two Kingdom faction members cooperate—
Ishizaki-san and Yuikawa-kun, was it? He made them drop out.
It seems saying specific words was a ‘prohibited action.’ …It’s incredible, really.
At first, I thought it was similar to our strategy,
but that was just arrogance. Because [Countdown] lets you actively clear conditions.
It’s far superior to [Non-Residency Limit] as a ‘forced dropout condition.’’]
“…Yeah, sounds about right. You and Saeki are on different levels of cunning.”
Listening to Kirigaya’s response to Fuwa’s monologue, I quietly piece together the situation.
Here’s the flow—Sumire Fuwa, a girl with such high empathy
that she could neutralize the threat of [Countdown].
To ‘deal with’ her, Saeki used the Reaper’s power, and thus the Reaper role shifted to Kirigaya.
But Saeki had a way to pull the Reaper role back to himself.
That was ‘ally betrayal’—deliberately triggering prohibited actions
to make [Hexagram] allies drop out, earning massive chaos value through that ruthless tactic.
“But Fuwa, how do you know all this? Even if Sumire’s dropout happened in front of you,
the other two weren’t, right? Don’t tell me you were spectating in the same room?”
[’No, Toya-san. That part was told to me by someone from the Angel faction—
Senri Kururugi. She used the ‘distress signal’ skill to send a message
to the most recent player she encountered. Probably felt the danger
after seeing her allies get dropped… Anyway, she told me everything she knew.
And… according to her, Saeki’s already trying to end the [Duel].’]
“…Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
[’Exactly what it sounds like. That guy had multiple layers of plans—
first, slow everyone’s progress with [Countdown]’s prohibited actions,
and if even one person drops out, that’s a bonus. If that fails, he moves to the second plan.
That ‘condition-specified’ colored star, the Unique Star…
Saeki used it to prepare a fast pass to the top floor.
The condition is ‘number of players’—when three players drop out due to [Countdown],
the condition is met. And the effect unlocked at the same time is a shortcut—
the authority to freely operate the central elevator of the [Tower of Legends].’]
(Wha… what the hell!?)
I manage to keep my face composed, but I clench my fist tightly,
struck by shock and disbelief. …The tower’s central elevator.
A movement system that seems to exist ‘outside the [Duel Game],’
usable only at the start and end of each day’s [Duel Game].
No activation conditions are presented, and there’s no visible door leading to it…
but it’s undeniably an ‘elevator within the tower.’
If the conditions are met, it can be activated.
And above all, that elevator is a direct route from the basement to the top floor.
[’Just so you know—maybe because the effect is too powerful—
it’s not like it can be activated immediately. But tomorrow…
once tomorrow’s [Duel Game] starts and Saeki meets the elevator’s activation conditions,
the [Tower of Legends] will be as good as cleared.’]
“Hyaha… yeah, that tracks. Saeki only moves when it’s time to seal the deal.”
Kirigaya says with a belligerent grin. …Yeah, that’s probably correct.
Tomorrow, Saeki will activate the tower’s central elevator,
overtaking us to reach the top floor. Using [Countdown] and Akutsu’s disruptions
to stall the other factions while setting up the conditions to win—
it’s nothing short of perfect.
While I silently mull over my thoughts, Fuwa gives a self-deprecating laugh to Kirigaya.
[’Really, I never thought I’d be this weak. I was supposed to assist you, Toya-san,
but I went off on my own, failed to take down Shinohara-kun or even weaken his forces,
picked a fight with [Hexagram] for no reason, and in the end, got Sumire dropped.
…I’m the worst. Sumire’s ‘empathy’ was seen as a threat even to [Hexagram]…
I should’ve protected her, even if it meant sacrificing myself.’]
“…Sacrificing yourself, huh?”
[’Yeah. …Look, Toya-san. To be honest, I don’t really like you.
You’re selfish, self-centered, a show-off, and only think about winning…
but that’s exactly why you’re so strong. You’ve been my idol for a long time.
I wanted to fight by your side, to be acknowledged by you.
But my selfish desires led to this outcome… so I won’t wish for that anymore.
Because if my screw-up causes you to lose, I—’]
“Hyaha! …Goddamn, you’re stressing over something this dumb?”
But Kirigaya cuts off Fuwa’s words with a single sentence.
With a ferocious grin, he continues.
“You think I’d lose because of you? That’s some serious arrogance, pal.
That ain’t happening, not in a million years, and even if it did,
it’d be collective responsibility, got it? Don’t dodge accountability
with fancy words like ‘assistant.’ You and Sumire have long been my ‘comrades.’”
[‘Huh? …B-But, that’s—’]
“Shut it, quiet down. I don’t entrust critical abilities
to people who aren’t my comrades in the first place.
Leaving a plan to win in the hands of someone I can’t trust?
That’s what idiots and weaklings do. I—no, [Albion]—ain’t either of those.”
[‘…!’]
Hearing Kirigaya’s rebuttal to the end, only a deep silence comes from the other side of the terminal.
The overwhelming realization of being acknowledged by Kirigaya Toya
is probably hitting Fuwa with a mix of confusion and shock.
And then,
“One more thing. If you wanna mess with Saeki, you’re talking to the wrong guy.”
Kirigaya Toya turns to face me directly.
“Yo, Shinohara. You heard it—starting now, we [Albion] are lending you our strength.
Normally, I’d never follow your lead, but [Hexagram]’s pissing me off too.
In short, this is a special front against Saeki.”
“…Heh, got it.”
[‘Huh? …Wait, what!? Shinohara-kun’s there!?’]
As Fuwa’s surprised voice leaks from the terminal, I nod quietly.
…If things continue like this, the [Tower of Legends] will undoubtedly end
with the Angel faction’s victory. So, if we’re cooperating to stop them,
I’ve got no objections—rather, if the message Mizukami received is true,
Fuwa’s cooperation is essential to stopping Saeki’s victory.
“Then I’ll take you up on that offer without holding back.
Our Revolution faction, your Demon faction,
and Saionji’s Kingdom faction… To stop [Hexagram],
we’ll need the cooperation of every player left in [SFIA Sphere].”
[‘…Not just us, but the Kingdom faction too? Every player…?’]
“Yeah. Listen up, Fuwa, from here on out, it’s an all-out war—
all of us are gonna take down the Angels.”
Against Fuwa’s audible gulp, I flash a fearless grin and make that declaration.
[SFIA] Final Battle [Tower of Legends], late on the second day—
Saeki’s Angel faction has already secured a shortcut to the top floor,
and the other factions, held back by [Countdown], have been completely outmaneuvered.
Normally, this would be a hopeless situation,
but the possibility of a comeback still remains.
If we can gather a few key pieces—if we can execute everything perfectly,
defeating Saeki Kaoru is by no means impossible.
So, I—
“Alright—brace yourselves, everyone. The climax has already begun!”
Looking around at everyone present, I say that with a smirk.
[[SFIA] Final Battle [Tower of Legends]—Progress Report (Near the End of Day Two)]
[Angel Faction—Miyabi Akutsu / Kaoru Saeki / Keiya Fujishiro / Senri Kururugi
(Current Location: Miyabi Akutsu alone on the seventh floor / Other three on the fifth floor)]
[Demon Faction—Mitsuru Fuwa / Seiran Kugasaki
(Current Location: Fifth floor)]
[Kingdom Faction—Sarasa Saionji / Misaki Yumeno
(Current Location: First floor)]
[Revolution Faction—Hiroto Shinohara / Mari Mizukami / Toya Kirigaya / Shizuku Minami
(Current Location: Eighth floor)]
