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Last Embryo Volume 7 Chapter 1 Part 5

「So far we managed to confirm the presence of someone who has taken the form of a young girl.」

「She is said to be a gray-haired girl, but other than that we do not know anything more specific. All of the people who happened to see her testified basically the same thing: that she was an unbelievably beautiful girl. Nothing more, nothing less.」

Izayoi made a dumbfounded face when he heard that.

Since that girl might be someone whom they might fight sooner or later, then the least they could do was to record her appearance with a little bit more detail than that. After all, in the Second War for the Sun’s Authority where people are constantly lying about their age just so they could participate, knowing only someone’s beauty, gender, and hair color is basically the same as knowing nothing.

Seeing Izayoi’s face, Heracles simply smiled wryly.

「Don’t make such a face now. The level of the Players who faced each other was not low at all. If those people were beaten to the point of being unable to do anything against her at all, that only goes to show exactly how formidable the opponent really is.」

「Hmm… Well, if you say so, then I guess it must be true.」

He made a lazy face as he brushed his hair back with his hand.

If there are that many powerful Players involved in this Gift Game, then the Sponsors behind them are probably beings of considerable power as well.

「Then do we at least know who is the idiot who decided to invest in such a troublesome bunch?」

「That is, well…」

「The identity of their Sponsor is unknown as well, since there is no obligation for the Sponsors to reveal their names. However, if they were able to gather such powerful Players in their Community, then it is most likely a God or a Shura possessing tremendous power on their own.」

「I guess so.」

With his arms crossed, Izayoi made a difficult face and began to think.

It would seem that the situation got quite troublesome throughout those five days when he was asleep. The enemy Sponsors will probably start moving after the Demon Lord Typhon is revived, and since「The Youngest Child of Gaia」 is seriously planning to challenge the gods of Little Garden, then it means that before solving the mystery of the Game, they have to overcome this situation first.

「Damn, this is becoming quite a troublesome development. Heracles, since you are one of the Great Gift Game’s Organizers, then what are your thoughts on this?」

「This is something completely unexpected, even though it was assumed that sooner or later 「The Youngest Child of Gaia」will be resurrected with Atlantis as his body. Atlantis was chosen as one of the War’s stages precisely because the signs of that were already present.」

Suddenly, Izayoi had doubts about the way Heracles phrased his words just now.

「…. No, wait a minute. This continent became a War’s stage because of the signs of Typhon’s revival? Wasn’t it the other way around?」

「The other way around…? So you mean to say that 「The Youngest Child of Gaia」has been awakened for the sake of the War? No, even if we are in Little Garden of the Gods, I want to think that no one would dare do something so insane… that would be too cruel for the natives. Maybe something like that would pass in the early days of Little Garden, but today it is simply unthinkable! 」

「Well, that’s right. Conversely, you are saying that it would be possible in Little Garden’s early days?」

Little Garden is a society of merit, but currently it doesn’t like employing methods that force problems and give trials to people unless they are absolutely necessary. Or at least, these were the ethics of Little Garden that Izayoi has seen for the last few years.

However, it is said that there were many unreasonable ordeals in the early days of all the mythologies, along with the era when Heracles was alive.

If the old pacts and contracts that were made at that time are still in effect, it is no wonder that unreasonable Games involving the natives were held still held.

「What do you think about such a development: 「The Youngest Child of Gaia」, Demon Lord Typhon was resurrected because of the 2nd War for the Sun’s Authority.」

「In other words, he was sealed on the premise that he would be resurrected one day from the beginning?」

「Yeah. The King of Murderous Species I fought a little while ago also said something like that: ‘I’ll take care of 「The Youngest Child of Gaia」next’.」

And 「The Youngest Child of Gaia」 is also a Murderous Species. It is unreasonable to think of it as mere coincidence.

「Hmm….if that story is true, then isn’t it strange not to doubt the relationship between these two? We should probably assume the King of Murderous Species was also promised to be resurrected after his defeat by an ancient contract.」

「Perhaps the 2nd War for the Sun’s Authority is about preventing the resurrection of the Demon Lords that appeared in ancient times, or defeating the Demon Lords that have already been resurrected?」

In that case, you can see the causal relationship of the War and this mystery.

Demon King Typon, 「The Youngest Child of Gaia」, appears on the continent of Atlantis.

「Chief God’s Declaration」 presented as a mystery of crucial to the War’s first Gift Game

If there really is a causal relationship between these two events…

「Then maybe… maybe the mystery of the mystery of the Chief God’s Declaration contains a clue to defeating 「The Youngest Child of Gaia」.「

「……」

「Then it looks like we need to solve this mystery first. I thought that I would be doing that with the two of you… but what’s wrong with you guys?」

Asterios and Heracles distorted their faces at the same time and changed their expressions. In terms of seriousness, they were not the same as before. They seem to have guessed some fatal information, but both of them looked troubled because they could not put it into words.

Izayoi had been ignoring the air of frustration they were giving off since a little while ago, but with such a blatantly serious looks on their faces, he couldn’t help but ask:

「Guys, you have been acting strange since a while ago. If you have something to say, say it clearly. We can’t proceed with the conversation when you are worried about it.」

「No, I’m sorry. That’s certainly true. But I couldn’t tell you because I thought you’d be shocked if you heard this story.」

「According to Homura, there is a possibility that your motivation will drop catastrophically, or, conversely, you might begin to rampage, so we were hesitant about whether or not to tell you, but we should tell you, so please listen quietly.」

Asterios then coughed unnaturally.

Izayoi became more and more suspicious, but both of them had serious eyes. It seems that the worst information was still waiting for him, so he cannot make fun of them or get angry until he hears it all.

Izayoi pretended to be calm, crossed his arms and fell quiet. With a tense expression on his face, Asterios straightened his back and solemnly told him about the worst possible situation.

「Calm down and listen. During the five days that you were sleeping, the situation suddenly changed. You won’t be able to win the first round anymore.」
「HUH?!!!!!」

Izayoi raises a maddened voice while doubting what he had heard just now.

He really couldn’t figure out what it meant, but Asterios wasn’t joking. Izayoi, who was dumbfounded and silent, realized that these five days he had been sleeping had been a fatal loss to them

「No way……did the winner of the first round was decided while I was sleeping?」

「That’s right, Sakamaki Izayoi.」

The door opened with a loud noise.

Asterios’ expression stiffened immediately, and Heracles’ hostility rose.

Izayoi narrows his eyes and looked at him warily. Whoever this guy is, at the very least he is not someone who Izayoi knew. He seemed to be nothing more than a helpless human being, but he had an atmosphere unlike any other person that he met so far.

The man who appeared from outside approached Izayoi with a gentle smile as he peered directly into his eyes.

It was a sweet smile that was no different from that on any other person, and yet, Izayoi’s gut was telling him to approach this man with heightened vigilance as he stared back at him.

The man who suddenly appeared placed his hand on his chest in an apologetic gesture before giving Izayoi his name.

「Nice to meet you, Sakamaki Izayoi. My name is James. I am an advisor to King Asterios, the one responsible for the solving of the mystery of the Chief God’s Declaration… and a Game Maker of the 『Ouroboros』Community, whom you 『No Name』treat as your sworn enemy.」