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Last Embryo Volume 4 Chapter 2 Part 1

Translator: DarkHeartedAlchemist

Giant Spirit Train 『Sun Thousand’s』 Observation Lounge, the sweets restaurant governed by the 『Six Scars』 Community.

Before we move forward with the story, let us go back in time for a little bit.

The Giant Spirit Train 『Sun Thousand』 was currently rushing through the sea above the Ley Line, and now that it was slowly approaching its destination, many of the passengers moved to the observation deck in the Observation Lounge so that they could watch the scenery of the Lost Continent from the best seats possible. Capitalizing on this opportunity, many Communities decided to put up the stalls with various types of food they could offer to the esteemed guests, lining them up at the both sides of the entire wagon.

And in the middle of all the ruckus the were all making as they were preparing their foods and going back and forth bringing it to the guests was a single youth, or rather a young bull, wandering the place by himself while looking greatly confused. . . . . it was Asterios of Crete, the legendary Minotaur, and the Child of Stars and Lightning.

(This is bad. I do not know how it happened, but somehow I got completely separated from Homura and the others. . . .)

As he was slowly making his way through the crowds of people while looking nervously from one side of the giant wagon to the other, his appearance looked exactly like that of a young calf who got separated from its parents and did not know what to do. And in addition to that, he was starting to get really hungry, and everybody knows that hungry children who are also lost are a dangerous combination. If he was just an ordinary human child, he would have surely just stood where he was standing and begin to cry as loud as he could. But he could not allow himself to do something as childish as that. Although all of the vibrant colors and sweet fragrances all around him were fascinating to the young Minotaur, he continued to push onward through the ever-thickening crowds of people, because he remembered the purpose that he had to fulfill: reunite with Homura and his friends as soon as possible. As he was walking through the observation deck he looked for them left and right, but even though he knew that they should be here somewhere, there was no sign of them and he was not sensing their presence anywhere near his vicinity.

Then a lively voice of a young girl. . . the voice of the one who was called Kuro Usagi echoed loudly in his ears.

『The Game is over!!! With that, today’s Exhibition Gift Game 「Celestial Beast Poker」 has been concluded! Please offer a warm round of applause to all of the participating Players!』

Kuro Usagi’s rabbit ears stood up with an *USAAA!!!* sound as she announced the conclusion of today’s Exhibition Gift Game. The high tension and the vibrations from the thunderous round of applause that followed her announcement could be heard and felt even from the other side of the observation deck.

If Asterios understood what Homura & Company said to him correctly, these so-called Exhibition Gift Game were being held on board of the Giant Spirit Train every single day until the train reaches its destination, and the winners of these Exhibition Gift games will be able to obtain the right to advance to the Final Stage of the 2^nd War for the Sun’s Authority as well as other kinds of fabulous prizes. By the looks of it, today must be their last day of holding them. With his curiosity picked, Asterios turned towards the venue and listened to what the outcome of the last game was. Standing on top of the commentator’s stage, Kuro Usagi made a dramatic pause before announcing the final verdict.

『And the winner of the Game is. . . Miss Kasukabe You from the 『No Name』 Community』

「「「「「U U U U U U U U O O OO O O O O O H H H H H H H H H H H H H H ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !」」」」」

That was the roar of the excited spectators that followed her announcement. What was perhaps the most worthy of noting was the fact that quite a large portion of the crowd that cheered for You’s victory consisted not only of humans, but also of Giants and other beastly races. It would seem that Kasukabe You was someone who managed to garner quite an amount of fans from across many different races to her name.

(So in the end, Homura and the others did not manage to win any of those Exhibition Matches? It looks like the finals of this Great Gift Game are going to be quite tough for them.)

That being said, Homura’s & Company’s purpose in participating in the 2^nd War for the Sun’s Authority was not to win. Their true objective was to find the ones who wanted to use it for their own gains and eliminate them.

A few months ago, a mysterious organization created 『The Bull of Heaven』 with the help of Star Particle Bodies and unleashed it into the Outer World, causing it to become contaminated with the virus of what could be best described as pseudo-smallpox. What were the intentions of this organization and why would they want to wreck such destruction upon the world? That was the part that they were still not sure about, however, one thing has become abundantly clear: if they allowed this organization to run around unattended, doing whatever they wanted to do, then their actions would certainly threaten not only the peaceful existence of the Outer World, but Little Garden’s as well. That is why, in order to flush them out of hiding, Homura and his friends decided to fight and seriously participate in the competition that was the 2^nd War for the Sun’s Authority.

(But I think that no matter the reason for fighting, it would always be better to start the competition while having as advantageous position as possible. However, if Homura and Arjuna failed to win even a single time despite being on the same team, they will only be able to reflect on their failures. . . Ah, that’s right!)

Having a pretty good understanding where he could find his friends, Asterios made his way towards the tents where the Players participating in the Exhibition Gift Games would gather while wearing a slightly bitter smile on his face. He heard that every Exhibition Gift Game hosted every day was supposed to be testing those who would participate in them in various trials, not only the ones pertaining to physical abilities alone, but also the ones testing their cunning, intelligence as well as their luck to ensure that everyone could have their chance to shine instead of being mercilessly crushed for lacking in certain areas. . . but he has also heard that other passengers of the Giant Spirit Train could bet their money on the outcome of these Exhibition gift Games. And as long as betting money, or gambling, to put it in other words, was involved. . .

While he approached the Player tents while thinking what exactly was that 『Celestial Beast Poker』 game about, he could hear the shouts of familiar voices well before he reached his destination.

「. . . see, that is exactly my problem here! Why! In the ever-loving hell?! YOU DID NOT STOP BETTING, YOU DIMWITTED, GAMBLING-ADDICTED ARJUNA?!!!!!」

「S-HUT UP, WILL YOU?! IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN HELPED, YOU KNOW?! CONSIDERING THE EXCITEMENT OF THE ENTIRE VENUE, WHAT ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO!!!? AS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE KSHATRIYA CASTE, MY HONOR FORBIDS ME FROM BACKING DOWN EVEN IF THE SEEMINGLY WINNING HAND HAS BEEN DEALT TO ME!!! AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, YOU WERE THE ONE WHO TOLD ME THAT WE CAN ONLY ACHIEVE THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS OF VICTORIES BY FIGHTING OUR ENEMIES HEAD ON?!!! BESIDES, IN THESE KINDS OF GAMES THERE IS ONLY ONE RULE FOR A CERTAIN VICTORY: YOU EITHER GO BIG, OR YOU GO HOME!!!」

「I DID SAY THAT, BUT WHAT KIND OF A BRAINDEAD IDIOT WOULD TAKE THSE WORDS SO SERIOUSLY, HUH?!!! ALSO, IN CASE YOU DID NOT KNOW THAT, THEN I HAVE A NEWS FLASH FOR YOU: IN CARD GAMES, THE VICTORIOUS AND JUST ONES ARE ONLY THOSE PLAYERS WHO USE THEIR BRAINS AND TACTICS IN ORDER TO SECURE A WINNING HAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WHILE THE LOSERS ARE JUST THAT: LOSERS WHOSE HANDS SUCKED MAJOR. . . !!! NOT TO MENTION THAT IN POKER, THREE CARDS ARE NOT A 『WINNING HAND』 AT ALL! THEY ARE NOT EVEN ALL THAT STRONG TO BEGIN WITH!!!」

As expected, the atmosphere between the two youths was so tense that anyone who would dare to come too close to them would end up cutting themselves on it.