Update to celebrate the release of Heavenly Revelation!
Not that it’s for that specific reason, but currently, I don’t have any pressing deadlines for the book version, so I’ll be chipping away at my backlog. For the time being, I plan to update every other day.
“Richter! Lend me your power!!”
With those words, he swung out the darkly, ominously, blackened sword, “Knight Sword Richter,” with a powerful upward motion.
“Hmph! I won’t let you!!”
Facing him was a burly figure with blue skin.
—Demon General Rigras.
The vanguard of humanity’s invasion and a warrior capable of fighting a thousand. He closed the distance in an instant with leg strength beyond human capability. But,
“What, he disappeared? …Above!”
By the time Rigras, who had snapped his head up, looked overhead, it was already too late. There, silhouetted against the sun, was the swordsman leaping high into the sky.
“Dam—”
“—Secret Technique, Tenha Mukyu Hisho Ken!!”
The blade, swung down from a high altitude, easily bisected Rigras. The Demon General, who had turned countless humans into silent corpses, finally knelt before a human.
“Imposs—ible… For a mere, low-class creature like yourself, I…”
Leaving behind his final words, the Demon General began to transform into a mist of light. Witnessing this, the swordsman turned his back and murmured as if speaking to the pitch-black blade.
“…I’ve avenged you, Richter.”
And as those words reached my ears, the surrounding scenery instantly shifted…
I was back in my room in the blink of an eye. I gently withdrew my finger from the now-dim slate and let out a breath of relief.
“Wow, that was an intense development!”
The scene I had just witnessed was not real. It was a past record stored in the Evil God War Video Record. However, this was originally bonus footage created to entertain modern Japanese people playing Nekoneko. While the actual creator was not the Nekoneko development team but some mysterious power that created this world, its concept was sufficiently carried over. As a result, this recorded footage had culminated at a high level as entertainment.
Especially the eighth installment, which I just watched, was extremely exciting as it marked the halfway point of the story. This time, it was a battle against Demon General Rigras, an agent of the Evil God and a vanguard of the human invasion, where Richter, who had been in a rival position until now, revolted against the Evil God upon the death of his subordinate and fought alongside Alex and the others.
Even so, when they were about to be defeated by the Demon General’s overwhelming power, the mortally wounded Richter sacrificed himself to use an item called the “Dragon’s Treasure.” Entrusting his power to Alex, who had transformed into a sword, Alex finally defeated Demon General Rigras after a fierce battle.
And I wasn’t the only one excited by such a hot-blooded development.
“It, it was amazing! So, so amazing!”
“Stop shaking me, Sahzan.”
Sahzan, shouting with her limited vocabulary, shook my arm.
“Ugh… Richter… he was such a good person…”
And on the opposite side was Ena, holding my hand and tearing up. That’s not all, though. Slightly above the hand Ena was holding, Maki was embracing my arm, and behind me, Layla was pressed close, breathing heavily. With Ringo nestled between my legs, Mitsuki stiffly frozen, not moving an inch against my chest, and Bear on my head, a total of 6 people (plus one stuffed animal) clinging to me in an abnormal situation. Ever since that day we watched the first episode together, my companions have gathered in my room every night, and watching the slate has become our daily routine.
“Speaking of which, we’re already halfway through. I almost don’t want to see what comes next,” Ena said wistfully, finally noticing she was still holding my hand. She let go, blushing slightly. I understood her feelings. It felt less like following the path of a hero and more like watching a series of films or, perhaps, a drama series. It’s sad when a favorite series ends, and while books and manga seem to exist in this world, I know of no TV or movies. This video record must be special for Ena and the others.
“Well, yeah. But it’s not like we can never watch it again, so anytime…”
I started to say casually, then stopped abruptly. Not anytime. If we finish watching this entire video record, I’ll have fulfilled my promise to Sahzan. Then, I might obtain that magic, a means to return. Of course, I’d have to experiment a lot, and there might be a possibility of cancellation. Still, there’s no guarantee that I can always show this video to Ena and the others…
“…Soma-san?”
Ena’s voice, filled with suspicion, or rather, a hint of anxiety, brought me back to reality. I felt I had to say something, but no words came to mind. However, Ringo saved me from my predicament.
“…Soma. Was ‘Dragon’s Treasure’ also in the Game?”
“…Huh?”
Ringo’s abrupt, air-blind question changed the mood.
“I wondered about that too. An item that turns a living being, well, not a living being this time, but a creature, into a weapon… I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Mitsuki added her question, and my stammered words were left unspoken.
“Ah, yes. The Dragon’s Treasure was in the game too. In fact, it was said to be essential for crafting the strongest weapons. After all, a certain percentage of the stats of the person who becomes a weapon gets directly added as a bonus to the weapon. While agility and stamina don’t increase, if a high-level character wields a weapon made from it, it’s as good as gaining several tens of levels.”
It’s not hard to see why it’s so powerful, even though it’s only obtainable in the late game and always requires sacrificing a character. Few people used it, but it always came up in discussions about the strongest items. Though its origin is unknown, weapons made from the Dragon’s Treasure were affectionately called “Sand Dragon Swords” by gamers and regarded as special.
In the game, the Dragon’s Treasure was only a rare drop from late-game demon-type Monsters. Even in the video record, it remains a precious item, and apart from Richter, who was a demon, it seems only one is passed down in the royal family.
“But well, since it’s an item from ‘Nekoneko,’ it naturally has its drawbacks. When using the Dragon’s Treasure, you can choose the type of weapon to transform into…”
By touching the Dragon’s Treasure and speaking the desired weapon name and one’s own name, the weaponization process begins. However, the variety of weapon candidates for transformation was immense. For swords alone, there were countless options: sword, long sword, knight sword, curved sword, decorative sword, kitchen knife, zhanmadao, rapier, uchigatana, wooden sword, beam sword, giant cross, daikon radish, just a twig, and so on. In addition to standard weapons like spears and axes, there were throwing types like stones, shuriken, kunai, darts, boomerangs, moon rings, super balls, forks, grenades, talismans, coins, and Girly Panties. Strangely, there were also musical instruments like harmonicas, guitars, harps, pianicas, lutes, shamisens, xylophones, pipe organs, and grand pianos. And then there were furniture items like chairs, desks, sofas, beds, daruma dolls, fireplaces, kotatsu, and barbecue grills. Whatever you chose would change the finished product’s appearance and weight.
“What’s the problem with that? Whether it’s necessary or not, having many choices is probably a good thing,” Mitsuki asked, tilting her cat ears inquisitively. I agreed. But that’s not where the Nekoneko staff stops. “Ah. I thought so too, but actually, no matter what you choose as the transformation form, the weapon type always becomes a sword.”
“…Huh?”
To Mitsuki, who froze her cat ears in bewilderment, I explained with a sigh. “That’s why. They probably got lazy with the settings after adding too many transformation options. Whether you choose a spear, an axe, or even a sofa or a grand piano, they’re all treated as swords.” I once saw a surreal video where sword techniques were performed from a grand piano, and it was terrible. This is the opposite of “Shiranui,” where the skill’s range is the size of an Odachi, unlike this situation where the slash skill’s effective range is smaller than a grand piano, making it impossible to hit the enemy no matter how you aim. Mitsuki was speechless, and Maki, next to her, frowned.
“Ew. This game is really, um, what was it? That, uh, poo… not poop, but…”
“Crappy Game. It’s a Crappy Game.”
“Right! That’s it! It’s a Crappy Game!”
I wish Maki had better memory and a bit more shame. Also, it’s fine for her to call it a Crappy Game, but when others say it, I inexplicably feel the urge to defend it. I raised my voice slightly, getting defensive. “W-well, but weapons made with the Dragon’s Treasure are incredibly strong! Even if you can’t use it as a sword, just holding it in your off-hand provides stat bonuses, and having multiple can lead to amazing things! There’s even a method for creating the strongest weapons using it, all compiled on the wiki…” I remembered the worst character enhancement method, the “Sand Dragon Sword Loop Method.” The parameters the Dragon’s Treasure refers to are the stats, including equipment, not just the character’s. Although the equipment item disappears, even if the user’s own stats are low, if they have equipment with high stat bonuses…
“Uh, Soma-san?”
Our eyes met as Ena looked at me, and I snapped back. What was I thinking? I don’t want to become stronger by sacrificing anyone, and there are no enemies in this world that would necessitate such a thing. Shaking my head vigorously as if to dispel impure thoughts, I said, “No, I mean, that’s not it. Conversely, if you make it smaller than a sword, it can extend its reach only when using skills, like Shiranui. That’s why I once used a Sand Dragon Sword, meaning a weapon made with the Dragon’s Treasure.”
“Does that mean you turned someone into a weapon?”
Ena’s sharp question left me momentarily speechless. But I couldn’t get away with this. “Yeah. There’s an old man named Josef in the eastern mountains. No matter what anyone did, he would always die of old age on the 120th day after the game started. So, I begged him, and he agreed to become a weapon.”
“…Is that so?”
Ena’s intensity faded. It’s not easy to make someone else use the Dragon’s Treasure. Since there’s no magic or skill in Nekoneko that allows you to make others speak whatever words you want, you have to ask them directly. This is essentially asking them to die, and unless you have a very high affinity, it won’t succeed. Some characters, no matter how high your affinity, won’t use the Treasure… Incidentally, the foremost of those characters is the idiotic Magician, Sahzan, who is currently ignoring me and fiddling with the slate. In my earlier explanation, I said “begged” to make it easier for everyone to understand, but in reality, I visited Josef many times, raised his affinity to nearly 100, and then asked him to use the Dragon’s Treasure.
“So, was that weapon useful?” Mitsuki asked to fill the silence when Ena couldn’t speak immediately. However, I couldn’t give a clear answer to her question. “I don’t know. It wasn’t very useful as a weapon, but the stat bonus was convenient. In the end, I barely used that weapon.” In this world, it might be possible, but in the game, the Dragon’s Treasure weapons couldn’t be put into a synthesis machine, nor could their weapon types be changed. Therefore, even if it was smaller than a sword and more maneuverable, the Sand Dragon Sword, which couldn’t use the Odachi skill, wasn’t very useful. Another reason might be that Josef’s stats weren’t that high, so the effect wasn’t dramatic. But the biggest reason is probably not that.
“…Perhaps. After all, I guess becoming stronger by sacrificing someone just didn’t suit my nature. Even though I knew they were just game characters.” When I said that with a self-deprecating tone, my hand was suddenly squeezed.
“N-no, that’s not true.”
“Ena?”
“That’s… I think that’s what makes Soma-san great!”
I was so embarrassed by Ena’s passionate words that I averted my gaze. I hurriedly tried to explain. “W-well, it’s not just for such noble reasons. It’s also inconvenient to use as a sword, and also, you know, there’s the subtle issue of the name.”
“The name?”
The name of a Sand Dragon Sword is determined by the weapon type and the first name of the person it was made from. For example, if Richter became a Knight Sword, its name would be forcibly set to “Knight Sword Richter.” And if weapon customization isn’t possible, it means not only the weapon type but also the weapon’s name cannot be changed. As if regretting a past mistake, I said with a sheepish grin, “—Because ‘Gal’s Panty Josef’ is a bit uncool, right?” After that one remark, for some reason, a heavy, cold silence fell upon the room.
That exchange seemed to be the cue for us to instinctively disperse and return to our own rooms.
“Soma really is… well, he’s always been Soma,” Maki said, glancing back with a look of exasperation before leaving.
“I am curious about the multiple ways of using the Treasure you hesitated to mention earlier. However, that will likely be revealed,” Mitsuki said, pointing to the slate with a mysterious remark before waving goodbye with her cat ears. Of course, some people with quirks wouldn’t just leave. First, I had to persuade Layla, who stubbornly refused to leave my side, to go to her room. Then, I shoved Sahzan, who was making futile efforts to read further information from the now-darkened slate, out of the room. Finally, as Ringo, who had been helping me see the others out, was about to leave, I remembered the previous scene.
“Ah, wait, Ringo.”
Stopped by me, Ringo turned back with her hand on the doorknob. “You know, thanks for earlier. I was saved thanks to you.” I wanted to at least thank her, as she had helped me out when I got stuck talking to Ena. Ringo, who should have been bewildered by the sudden thanks, replied, “—I, support Soma,” and bizarrely fled through the door.
“Support? What do you mean?”
As usual, Ringo’s words were hard to understand. However, her profile, seen just before the door closed, looked strangely lonely, and that face lingered in my mind for a while.
I ended up using a whole chapter explaining the Dragon’s Treasure because it was so fun…
