The all-faction summit commences here.
All present in this chamber are observing the proceedings with a distinct tension.
At the very least, they wish to discern the true intentions of Witch Vagia, who convened this meeting, and what she is truly thinking.
"My, my? Is everyone so tense? You could stand to relax a little more, you know~♥ It's the first time, so no need to be stiff. Leave the rigidity to those over there, and you'll be just fine♥"
With flippant words, Witch Vagia takes her seat.
Behind her stand two Succubi. To be entrusted with guiding others and permitted to remain at her back implies they hold considerable standing.
For Takuto, it was Atou. For Yu, it was Ai. This was a similarly vital position.
At the very least, it was clear they possessed sufficient ability to serve as guards.
(Witch Vagia, huh... So even at this stage, there are no other players. Does that mean they're hiding? Or have they become her puppets? Still, that outfit is something else.)
While his analytical mind worked, Takuto was dumbfounded by the attire of the Succubus Queen smiling pleasantly before him.
It wasn't as if she was entirely naked, as per usual, but overall, it was extremely revealing. Coupled with her glamorous physique, it was genuinely difficult to know where to look.
As a Succubus Queen, she might score a perfect hundred, but as a negotiation counterpart, she was woefully lacking in decorum—that was the honest assessment.
But even a woman who seemed like the embodiment of refined carnal desire distilled into form must understand that this place was already a battlefield.
Recognizing that all participants were still feeling things out, she fulfilled her role as host and pushed the meeting forward.
"Oh well, fine then. Since I'm the one who convened this little gathering, how about the host offers the opening remarks? Ahem—Greetings to all you representatives of nations♥ And to you, players♥ I am the new sovereign of these lands! The Succubus Queen and the Elf King! The Chaste Witch Vagia♥"
She rises to her feet with vigor, striking a pose that prominently displays her ample, swaying chest as she makes her declaration.
The two Succubi behind her clap their hands and blow kisses toward each participant.
Is she about to launch into self-introductions now?
For a fleeting moment, Takuto's thoughts veered off course—worrying if he could speak smoothly when his turn came—before unexpectedly, the very information he sought was revealed.
"Oh, incidentally. The game system I've brought is ADV♥ The game title is 'Heart-Pounding☆Succubus World ~The Tale of Succubi Coming to the Real World~', you know♥"
"Do-dokisaku?!"
(You've got to be kidding...)
Yuu shouted involuntarily, while Takuto murmured to himself.
The thing known by the affectionate nickname "Dokisaku" was a famous adult game from Takuto's original world.
Genre-wise, it's an adventure game. It's a men's game belonging to the 'silly fun' category where one day the world is conquered by succubi invading from another world, and then you just spend your time having fun and games with the succubi.
As a game system, there's nothing particularly new. Or rather, in an adventure game where the main focus is graphics, voice acting, and reading the story, trying to cram in a complex game system and make it coexist is more unreasonable than anything.
In other words, the system-related threat level is low. At least, no matter what kind of cheat-like methods they used, they have no means to launch a direct attack on Takuto and his group...
(Still... an adult game, of all things?)
Honestly, he hadn't really thought that possibility was on the table. Takuto was somewhat flustered by this choice that seemed so ill-suited to the battles occurring in this world.
But that shock was immediately drowned out by another surprise.
(Damn it! That's why it's the Seven Divine Kings! Yuu, I'm going to blame you for not properly erasing the system while you were at it!)
The Succubus faction has no special abilities.
If one had to stretch it, it was just the in-game settings known by the nickname "Dokisaku."
Succubi were a powerful race that modern humans couldn't possibly hope to match, and they were numerous. That was their sole weapon, but here and now, that entire premise was overturned.
A powerful army and powerful abilities. And the El-Nar Contract Union's territory held vast amounts of Mana.
And the crowning blow was the Seven Divine Kings' system...
If all those bared their fangs, the extent of the damage was anyone's guess.
"Fufufu♥ It seems there was someone who knew Dokisaku♥ I'd love to get all fired up talking about games, but that's not why I came here today, so maybe another time♥ Well, since we're here, how about we introduce ourselves to get to know each other better?"
Of course, the flow would naturally lead to them introducing each other to one another.
For Takuto, who was primarily focused on information gathering, this was a welcome situation. If the other factions would also freely divulge their capabilities and inner workings like this, it would be even better... but...
Takuto surveyed the surroundings with quiet movements that drew little attention. Several figures were seated at tables, and small objects had been arranged on empty seats as well. At first glance they might resemble clay crafts made by students in art class, but he narrowed his eyes upon confirming that one bore a design mimicking a dice.
(Interesting points there, but well, I suppose those will become clear eventually. The other seats... Fonkavun is participating as planned. The fact that other neutral nations from the Dark Continent didn't come—is that simply because of who the opponent is? I thought Sutherland might attend, but there are no dwarves among them, so they must be sitting out.)
As expected, the participation rate among the Dark Continent's realm—meaning the nations of the southern continent—was poor.
(Setting aside the two small city-states, it's surprising that Sutherland, which aside from Mynoghra possesses the greatest national power on the Dark Continent, declined to participate. Since Fonkavun showed up, I thought they'd send an envoy in response... )
Even so, Fonkadun had not sent Pepe, instead dispatching what appeared to be a beastman holding a staff. They were probably exercising caution...
Takuto processed all this in an instant, then turned his attention to the participants from the Orthodox Continent—the northern continent.
(The Succubus faction is present, naturally, and the elves have also sent representatives. Though it doesn't seem to be the Saintess. Probably just nominal representation?)
The Saintess—the highest military power of a holy nation. One certainly existed within the El-Nar Spirit Contract Alliance as well. Under normal circumstances, he'd have expected them to send their Saintess to establish their position, so it was somewhat puzzling that neither El-Nar, dominated by Succubi, nor Quolia had sent theirs.
(El-Nar is represented by the Succubus witch Vagia and what appears to be an elder elf representative. And Quolia has... a cleric. He looks rather high-ranking—could be one of the three High Pontiffs?)
Perhaps noticing Takuto's gaze, the Quolia representative flinched with a startled expression. For all his imposing appearance and the cost he likely represented, his courage seemed rather small.
Thinking it unwise to provoke him further, Takuto deliberately looked away, then considered the implications.
(Quolia is being cautious about this meeting, just like the neutral nations? Their supreme power is the Saintess. The remaining two Saintesses—they must have judged that bringing either carried too great a risk if something went wrong. Well, given that we're also holding back our shadows, it's ironic that only they're participating in good faith.)
The Orthodox Continent—the northern continent—had few participants. Aside from the two great powers, there were no other nations or races like on the Dark Continent. The "all-faction meeting inviting the entire continent" was just a name, and the actual number of attendees was fewer than anticipated.
(Two factions from the Orthodox Continent, three from the Dark Continent... I suppose you could say all the major players are present, but there's something more important than that.)
As Takuto processed information and drew inferences, the greetings between each faction proceeded. The elves announced their participation as racial representatives, Quolia confirmed it was indeed one of the three High Pontiffs as expected, and Fonkavun offered apologies for sending a proxy while expressing hope this meeting would forge good connections.
Takuto, too—well, he had come across as a bit stiff and unwelcoming, but he had successfully completed their introduction.
As for the game name or patron deity… he hesitated, but since Yuu hadn't offered his own, Takuto limited himself to stating only his name and that he was king of Mynoghra.
And so every faction present declared their affiliations in turn, until eventually the participants' gazes naturally converged on the object resting atop the empty seat.
"Well then, it seems everyone here has finished their greetings ♥ But~ I wonder if there's something everyone's been curious about? Regarding the non-participants ♥ Oh my~ Don't worry, I'll give you a proper explanation, so don't be so grabby ♥ Etiquette is essential when it comes to intimacy—breathing down someone's neck like that is a turn-off, you know?"
Nodding along with a strange sense of understanding, Yuu paid no mind to the proceedings, while Takuto finally focused his attention, sensing that the main topic had arrived.
Three objects were placed before them.
One was shaped like a die. If it signified the presence of an absent player, as Takuto had predicted, then this represented the TRPG player Kuhaara Keiji.
He had been defeated back then, but not killed outright.
Honestly, he had been somewhat negligent about following up afterward, and it had weighed on him—but it seemed Keiji was indeed alive. There was no doubt he harbored a grudge; their relative strengths had been thoroughly assessed, and Takuto doubted Keiji would rush into a reckless vendetta. But a Game Master's abilities were formidable, and optimism was dangerous.
Next, his gaze fell upon the shattered object.
Shattered—it could be read as proof that the player standing behind it had been defeated. The one matching that description was Kigou Masato, the player killed by Jinguji Yuu. He had arrived in this world wielding the Seven God Kings system, and was the first to fall.
Upon closer inspection, a card-like component was visible among the fragments. There was likely no mistake that it belonged to Kigou.
(That leaves the last one as the problem…)
That object had a rather peculiar design.
It was a sphere packed haphazardly with weapons, shields, necklaces, and other items—making it unclear at a glance what kind of game it represented. The presence of swords and shields at least confirmed it was fantasy, but Takuto didn't want to cement any odd preconceptions, so he reserved judgment for now.
What mattered was the fact that an entirely unknown faction existed—the final, still-hidden player.
"As you are all aware, many beings called players have arrived in this world. You've all noticed already, haven't you? That there are people of incredible power everywhere. This gathering served to make the existence of players known to the world, and also as an opportunity for players to show their faces. Though it seems some chose not to participate."
From the direction of Quolia and Fonkavun, the sound of a sharp intake of breath could be heard.
It would have been like a bolt from the blue for them. Quolia had been tormented endlessly by Erakino and Mynoghra.
Fonkavun had managed to form an alliance with Mynoghra, but the threat of the Demon Lord's army still lingered vividly in their memories, and above all, they had witnessed firsthand the extraordinary, overwhelming power wielded by their ally Mynoghra.
Such beings, whose deeds were tantamount to those of gods, were now stirring within this world in numbers beyond what they had ever known.
It was only natural that this fact drove them to shock and despair.
But as they themselves had already come to understand, the principal players in this gathering were no longer them.
Players. Their presence had converged here, and they were attempting to reach some manner of agreement.
Quolia, for all his participation in the conference, had effectively been told from the outset that their existence was nothing but an ornament.
In truth, as if ignoring Quolia the Pope entirely—him having opened his mouth to say something—Vagia continued her explanation. Clearly and deliberately, she addressed the Players gathered in the room.
"These little figurines belong to the people who declared they wouldn't participate, or who simply couldn't make it here ♥ I would have loved to meet them all in person and get to know them ♥ But they all said they were just too busy, so I prepared these as a substitute!!"
(So there was a backdoor rule like that? They should have told us from the start... No, maybe this was a contingency plan in case we objected? If so, I can understand, but... how exactly do those things work?)
It was clear that Vagia had poured extraordinary enthusiasm into this meeting.
At the very least, full participation from all Players had been a requirement. That much was obvious from the fact that no support of any kind had been extended to the neutral nations that failed to attend.
"So what you're saying is, those strange figurines over there are connected by audio? Our conversations have been audible to them too?"
"That's right ♥ All the secret talks we've been having until now have been completely overheard ♥ With clarity rivaling the finest eavesdropping equipment, everything has been transmitted to their end ♥"
"Huh." Yu muttered just that and fell silent.
By the established order, it should have been the absent participants' turn to identify themselves next. The fact that they remained silent was likely grating on him.
Even if one of them had been shattered to pieces and no longer existed in this world, Vagia's words suggested at least two should still be functioning.
But the complete lack of response—was there some reason behind it?
(Hmm... Maybe I should probe a bit. I'm not exactly skilled at this sort of thing, but well, beggars can't be choosers.)
The objective this time was to gather as much information as possible. Priority above all else was intel on the Players. If that was the case, some degree of risk was acceptable.
Having reached that conclusion, Takuto broke the silence in place of Yuu, who sat with arms crossed and a dour expression.
"I see. So the dice ornament means that, does it? Then Kuribara must be in there. It's been a while, Kuribara. So you came to this full-faction council too. Where are you now? Are you eating properly? Are the two priestesses doing well? Please, let me hear your voice."
"...!"
"Silence isn't very becoming, Kuribara."
A reaction. Takuto chuckled inwardly. It was faint, but he'd heard a voice, tight with fear.
Since the other party offered no further response, it was clear they were wary of this meeting. Furthermore, their reaction when Takuto addressed them revealed they held an aversion to him personally.
(Kuribara's ability is frankly terrifying, so learning they're scared of us is a stroke of luck. I might be able to use this later...)
Just as Takuto judged, the player known as Kuribara Keiji held a strong sense of dread toward Takuto Ira. It could even be called fear.
In their past battle, his spirit had been utterly broken. Though, to be fair, Takuto's own side had won by the thinnest of margins, so he too harbored a certain wariness toward Kuribara...
"...Who?"
Yuu, who had been sitting with a dour expression, asked with interest.
Come to think of it, he'd heard about Yuu defeating the Kigan, but he'd never explained defeating the TRPG faction. Takuto recalled this and offered an explanation.
Though, going into detail here wouldn't be ideal, so he kept it brief...
"A TRPG player. I killed the witch, but she herself escaped."
"Ah, right, the one who stole Atou away, wasn't it? Not killing the person themselves is a bad move!"
"She wasn't stolen. It's unpleasant, so use the right words."
Takuto nearly snapped, but showing his anger here would only please Vittorio, wearing Atou's skin behind him, so he suppressed it.
He wondered to himself that if he had a stat for stress resistance, it would surely be rising right now...
"Ah! Sorry, seriously sorry! Laugh and forgive me, would ya? Hahaha! Anyway, I get Kuribara and all, but what about the other one? Is there actually someone in there? There's no response. Something wrong?"
"If Kurfurst is shy, I suppose that's just how he is, but even I find that part a bit annoying."
"Hmph," Yuu scoffed through her nose. Ai behind him said nothing.
Judging by his prickly reaction, he seemed to dislike the type of person who stayed cooped up somewhere, never showing their face while pulling strings from the shadows.
(He'd probably clash horribly with Kurfurst, who was thoroughly hidden away even when he fought me.)
Fortunately, there were no plans for the two to meet anytime soon, but Takuto thought that if, by some chance, Kurfurst crossed paths with them again, he'd have Yuu take the brunt of it.
"Does that mean silence from you too is fine?" he asked the other party.
Another sharp retort was hurled by Yuu.
Annoyance was palpable in his tone. It wasn't quite at the point of an immediate outburst, but the atmosphere was far from cordial.
Glancing over, Vagia was watching the exchange with evident amusement. She showed no intention of intervening or mediating.
Eventually—or perhaps after a short, unexpected pause—a reply came.
"I can hear you. ...However, I have no particular intention of providing information about myself. My apologies, but I must ask for your understanding."
"Ho-ho, is that so..."
The voice was that of an adult male, definitely older than them, but not in a fatherly or uncle-like way. Twenties... or early thirties at most.
Unless they were using a voice changer or some kind of disguise ability, that estimate was probably fairly accurate.
He seemed quite guarded. At this rate, they would have handed over information one-sidedly. Takuto tried to find fault, wondering if anything else would come out.
"At least tell us your name? We can't exactly call you the Nameless One, can we?"
"Hmm, then let's call you Mr. H? I do so like that myself ♥"
The last player... spoke in his place. It was Vagia who responded.
Not a good turn of events, he thought.
Takuto instantly deduced the standing of this H individual. If he had declared it himself, that would be one thing, but it came from Vagia. Moreover, the name was given under absolute information concealment. This strongly suggested that the Succubus faction was holding this mystery player called H in reserve as their trump card.
At the very least, he understood well that the opponent, like himself, had no intention of laying everything on the table here for a friendly conference. Contrary to his initial thoughts, Takuto grasped that the possibility of an enemy trap had increased significantly.
"That concludes the introductions for all factions present here! Oh, right, right ♥ I have a surprise announcement for everyone gathered here today. Would you like to hear it?"
There it is. Takuto silently sighed. Simultaneously, he subtly signaled with his eyes and sent a mind-voice instruction to Vittorio behind him. He had anticipated this was highly likely, but it seemed they had made their move as a matter of course. Considering her instinct to expand, perhaps this was only natural.
"Our El-Nar Spiritual Contract Union hereby forms a permanent alliance with the Holy Kingdom of Quolia and the player known as H ♥ And I, the witch Vagia, shall lead this alliance. Hereby, I declare the establishment of a new order, the Continental Alliance of Legitimacy ♥"
(On top of that, Quolia is in on it...)
The Pope of Quolia had shown a bitter attitude, indicating the consent wasn't unanimous, but there was no doubt that state-level approval had been granted. One could say the global balance of power was decided at this moment.
Takuto found the method truly insidious and yet utterly solid. Strip the opponent of all their options and advance on favorable terms. If this were a test, he would want to give it a hundred points. Of course, that was assuming the opponent wasn't himself and his allies.
"On that note, I propose a new order and peace to you all."
Vagia declared triumphantly.
Hearing that declaration, Takuto simply stared back at her with a blank expression.
=Message===
A covenant has been formed.
The Legitimate Continental Alliance
Sovereign: Vagia, the Chaste Witch
Participating Factions:
-The ADV Faction
-The H-Faction
-The El-Naar Spirit Pact Union
-The Holy Kingdom of Quolia
Until the alliance is dissolved, acts of war between allied states are prohibited.
Furthermore, declarations of war upon other nations are to be made by the alliance as a whole, with that decision resting solely with the Sovereign.
―――