Everybody, please check the FAQ first before asking me questions.
If it’s not on there, please feel free and ask. I only get annoyed at questions when the same one has been asked 10+ times, and by then I’ll have updated the FAQ.
Thank you for your consideration, guys!

Chapter 13 – “I shall punish Bebe.”

The fight began between the Decarabia[Demon Destroying Pentagram] Knight, Lepes, and the failure(False Kin), Bebe. From their raw fighting spirit, it seems both sides had a history with each other. Lepes’ expression was particularly bloodcurdling. I could tell that he placed his everything on the line, in order to destroy demons. On the other hand, Bebe faced him with a dismissive sneer.

Damned Bebe. You dare to act insolent? Showing such an attitude despite your measly mana? No wonder the humans make light of you.

Lepes roared before attacking Bebe with a slash. Bebe responded by firing magic bullets to keep Lepes in check, while black flames appeared at his fingertips, one after another. Any trees that touched those flames disappeared in an instant, but despite the shield and sword in hand, Lepes avoided the flames with inhuman speed.

“You only know how to run! How insolent.”

“Shut up! I’ll send you lot to the grave!”

Lepes and Bebe continued their battle as they jeered at each other. However, perhaps due to the difference in experience, Lepes became cornered as the fight prolonged. And eventually, Bebe’s darkness magic caught up with him.

“GUHUH-!”

The magic destroyed his balance. Unwilling to lose this opening, Bebe began to chant a high level magic.

“Fwo fwo, take this. Fire Shout[Roar of Hellfire]!

The whole area was enveloped in flame. Even Lepes was forced onto the defensive, so he tried to protect himself from the flames.

“W-, T-This is the power of d-demons…? It’s on a totally different level to us!”

“I-, I can’t believe it… T-That man’s power is even higher than Remilia-sama’s.”

The Public Safety Force all commented as they watched the battle.

Haahhhh~ That they have mistaken something of this level to be the power of demons brings me endless vexation. However, going out of my way to correct them would bring needless suspicion, and runs counter to Oneesama’s goal.

Now then, what shall I do…

It is not yet time to openly reveal my identity to the humans. But it would not do if I did not punish these failures(False Kin) for their transgressions. Should I separate just this lot from the area? Speaking of which, the human named Lepes had prepared a teleportion spell, had he not.

Fumu. Though the magic equation is not yet complete, it has reached a stage where completing the remainder is simple.

Well then, shall I use you?

I overrode it with my own magic equation and activated it.

“Teleport!”

The moment I activated the spell, a magic circle appeared on the spot.

“Wha-!? Who activated the fucking spell!?”

“Fwo fwo, it seems that a third party has intervened.”

“W-What the? What the? This magic circle has suddenly… S-Shit! E-EVERYONE RETREAAAAAAAATTT!”

The teleportation magic activated…

And then we appeared at Bebe’s garrison.

Hmph, bingo. Just by meddling with it a little, the destination was changed from an evacuation spot, to a place with a strong density of souls with mana similar to Bebe’s.

Fumu fumu, there they are. A gathering of failures! Beneath my eyes were hundreds of small fry, swarming about.

It appears that all of them are Bebe’s kin. I have never seen such sorry things before.

Honestly, that damned Bebe. How dare he pollute the world with all this garbage!

“Tsk, I don’t know who, but somebody messed with the magic equation.”

“W-WHAT THE! What the fuck is going on! W-We’re right in the middle of enemy territory now…!”

Even needless extras had tagged along. How strange. I only intended to teleport Bebe and whatnot. The teleportation array should have stayed well clear of the evacuees…

Why?

I looked at them.

From their expressions… I saw weakness, naturally, but also lowliness and vulgarity of character.

I see.

In other words, they abandoned their duty. The Public Safety Force had been in formation to protect the evacuees. But they simply wished to be the first to escape. So even though the array stayed clear of them, they jumped in of their own accord.

They tried to escape danger, but instead jumped in head-first. Such irony.
Some extras have gotten in the way of my spectating, but well, that is fine. They fall within the acceptable margin of error.

“V-Viceroy, w-what on earth is this?”

Bebe’s kin were visibly shocked by the sudden intrusive.

“Fwo fwo fwo, how lucky for me. You lot are to surround them and prevent their escape.”

“U-, Understood.”

Bebe’s army moved to surround us.

“Shit. Looks like I’m surrounded.”

“L-, Lepes-dono, what should we…?”

“What? You guys got wrapped up as well? You’re going to get in the way of our battle, so get the hell out of here.”

“H-, However, we cannot escape while trapped like this.”

“Like I care. You guys are still technically Public Safety Force, aren’t you. If you’re going to spout such pathetic bullshit, then I’ll cut you down on the spot.”

“N-, No way…”

Abandoned by Lepes, the Public Safety Force members all had looks of despair. Lepes paid these weaklings no heed, and raised his sword. It seemed that he was looking for a way to break past the blockade.

“F-, Fuck it all! Now that it’s come to this, it’s all or nothing. We’re going to look for a weak spot to break through from.”

“Yeah, as if we can deal with a fight between these monsters. We’d better run now.”

“Oi, one brat got mixed up in this. What do we do?”

“Like we have the time for that shit. We’re all nobles. The life of one brat can’t compare.”

“True. Actually, it’s a lucky break. While they’re busy beating this brat to death, we’ll have some time to escape.”

Saying that, the Public Safety members tried to escape before me.

Fumu, just perfect.

“How irritating. You shall move!”

“W-, What――GUHAH-!”

“O-Oi, brat! Don’t get in our――HEBUU-!”

After getting in their way and thrusting them back, I stood in front of Bebe.

“Fwo fwo fwo, and who might you be, little human missy? No need to hurry. After I’m done with this one, I’ll have plenty of time to play with you.”

“Hihihi, Viceroy, please let us have your leftovers!”

“Yeah, what he said. This one is quite the beauty. I’m going to eat her up!”

“Hahhh, hahhh, V-Viceroy, I-I c-can’t hold on any more. I have to have her.”

The moment I appeared, Bebe’s army stirred into action. What a vulgar bunch. However little it may be, once I consider that these things have anything to do with me, I start to feel depressed. Unless I immediately clean the world of these failures, I won’t rest at ease.

“Bebe, you have grown quite impudent in these few thousand years. It fills me with nostalgia to recall the days when you would tremble in fear of the enemy.”

“Fwo fwo fwo, what is this all of a sudden…? Human, after saying something like that, don’t think that you will get off easy. I assure you, you will not die at rest!”

“So you do not realise, if I suppress my mana? To forget your own master, even insolence has its limits!”

“Master, you say?”

“Hmph, so you have forgotten this face of mine!?”

“I-I-It can’t be!? That bearing, and that visage… Are you Camilla-sama!?”

“I-, Is that really her?”

“T-, That’s our True Ancestor?”

Bebe’s lot all looked confused. Well, none of them have actually met me, so I suppose that reaction is reasonable. I think they will at least listen to Bebe’s instructions, but…

“Y-, YOU LOOOOOOT! Y-Your heads are too high! Restrain yourselves! This is our esteemed True Ancestor. Our master and lady!”

Bebe’s expression suddenly changed as he screamed, silencing the lot of them into prostration.

“Hmph, so you finally remember your place! Honestly, you sure have grown impudent during the time I was sealed!”

“N-, No way… W-, We merely strove to rule the world as your kin, Camilla-sama…”

“And I am saying that, is being impudent. Ruling the world? The likes of you will? Jokes are supposed to be told, not acted out!”

“H-, However, for your sake, Camilla-sama, and for the sake of your eternal fame, and for the sake of spreading the Malferand[Greatest Demons] name through the world, we――”

“That. That is exactly what I speak of. When did I bestow the likes of you the permission to use my surname! Know your place! You shall apologise with your deaths!”

“…”

“What? What is that rebellion in your eyes? You used my surname without permission. As though that was not enough, you then encroached with your muddy shoes upon on our territory, the Capital. Bebe, that conduct is unforgivable. All of you will suicide, at once!”

“NUUU! W-, While you spent these millenia sealed away, I have steadily increased my power. I-I am d-different to you!”

“In the short time I have not seen you, it appears that you’ve grown quite an impertinent mouth.”

I approached to hand down punishment, when Bebe suddenly shouted,

“EEI! There is no way that Camilla-sama would appear in a place like this! T-, THIS THING IS A FAKEE! What an extremely rude thing they are! Kill them! Kill them, I say!”

“Hooh~ A fake, you say. Bebe, is that your answer?”

“B-, But Viceroy, to bare our fangs towards the esteemed True Ancestor is…”

“F-, Fool! Just look at their mana! How could someone so measly possibly be our True Ancestor! TIS A FAKE!”

“T-, That certainly makes sense… Alright. Everybody, this woman dared pretend to be our esteemed True Ancestor. It’s time for a festival of blood!”

“”YEAHH!””

Bebe’s army approached me, and began shrinking the encirclement. Counting from the left is seven-thousand mana, four-thousand mana, five thousand… Hmph. Even counting is a waste of time. They are all the very picture of small fry. I shall clean them up in one go.

They think to defeat me with this level of power? Are they half-asleep, or are they simply insane?

“Ku ku, my goodness. It appears that once you exceed a certain level of anger, your face begins to smile instead!”

I released my suppressed mana in full. Like an ocean erupting through a dam, the torrents of mana swept through everything in the surroundings.

<Previous Chapter | Imouto | Next Chapter>

Everybody, please check the FAQ first before asking me questions.
If it’s not on there, please feel free and ask. I only get annoyed at questions when the same one has been asked 10+ times, and by then I’ll have updated the FAQ.
Thank you for your consideration, guys!

Usually I take the time to research stuff and leaves notes and whatnot, but I still don’t have any clue about Mahjong, so you’ll have to work that shit out yourselves, lol. I actually translated all this stuff with the help of my friends Yuushin(雄心), Bicky (kookiedreamer), and Steel.

But here’s a tsubamegaeshi video at least:

Chapter 12 – Jessica and the Conclusion to the Final Game

According to Tilea-san, ‘Tsubamegaeshi’ is a cheating technique in ‘Marge’Ong’. It wasn’t a combat technique.

Tilea-san, if you want to win in games so badly that you’re cheating, I think you might be an addict.

But according to Tilea-san, as long as you succeed in using it, you can dominate the flow of the game.

Tsubaegaeshi――to prepare a winning hand within your ‘wall’, and then looking for a chance to swap your ‘hand’ with your ‘wall’.

If you succeed, it is possible to continue getting ‘yakuman’, and even turn your situation around.

From what I hear, it sounds high risk, but at the same time promises high return. I don’t think it would be impossible for Tilea-san.

But still, to even know a cheating technique like this… Even if she isn’t intelligent, her knowledge of this game is the real thing.

“Tilea-san, do you think you can do it?”

“Yeah, I definitely will! And you know, there’s actually something I wanted to ask of you, Jessica-chan…”

“Yes, what is it?”

“While I’m using the Tsubamegaeshi, please distract the demons.”

“It certainly sounds like a flashy technique. I guess they would notice without a distraction.”

“That’s right. So can I ask this of you?”

“I understand. But what should I do?”

“Let’s see~ For example, couldn’t you use your charms as a woman to distract them?”

“Eh-!? T-, That kind of seduction is impossible for me. And they’re demons, you know.”

“No, no, demons are still men. It’ll definitely work, I think.”

“N-, No way… That’s just impossible…”

“It’s fine, I said. This is also for the sake of defeating the demons, okay?”

“B-But… It-, It really is impossible for me!”

“I BELIEVE IN YOU JESSICA-CHAN!”

“Uuu, if you say that much, then why don’t you do it, Tilea-san!”

“That’s impossible. I’ll need to concentrate on the Tsubamegaeshi, and more importantly, they wouldn’t have any interest in me.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yeah. That’s how it is. Those ‘Wisdom Unit’ guys all act like elites, so I bet they’re actually into lolis. It’s pretty much a given that elites are lolicons.”

“Lo-, lo… li?”

“Oh, lolicon, you see. It basically refers to the bunch that are into tiny girls with modest chests like yours, Jessica-chan.”

W-, What the heck is with this person. I-, Is she picking a fight or something?

“Muu, Tilea-san, even if I look like this I’ve grown since last year, okay!?”

“No, no, you’re definitely still a splendid loli, Jessica-chan. That loli face and your loli voice, and on top of that there’s your loli figure. You’re basically irresistable to those types.”

“…”

“And that’s how it is, so it’s impossible for me. I mean, look, my chest is huge, and I’ve got a great figure, so I’m totally outside their strike zones, right? Compared to me, you’re definitely the better choice.”

W-, What do I do?

I’m starting to want to kill her for real.

……
…………
………………

N-, No. I can’t. I can’t, I can’t. I have to control my anger. Tilea-san doesn’t mean anything bad by this. She’s like the personification of airheaded. She definitely never thinks anything, and just speaks whatever’s on her mind.

Also, the victims in town are increasing by the second right now. We don’t have the leisure to waste time here. We have to end this farce once and for all!

I very unwillingly consented to Tilea-san’s plan, and sat at the table where the demons were waiting. The game started again. With my hands shaking from nervousness, I piled up the ‘hai(tiles)’ while Tilea-san was building a winning ‘hand’ inside her ‘wall’.

Looking at her out of the corner of my eye…

Ooh, what nimble movements. She was stacking ‘hai(tiles)’ in the blink of an eye.

A few minutes later…

Tilea-san looked my way. Apparently she was done preparing.

C-, Can’t be helped. Abandon your pride, Jessica! In order to defeat the demons! In order to save the people!

After taking a deep breath, my eyes shot towards the demons.

And then…

“W-, Wow, my body is getting so hot～♪”

I brought attention to my chest as I fanned my shirt, twisting my body to draw their attention.

“Quite right, girly. This ‘Marge’Ong’ game is truly a strategic game. My heart is burning with excitement!”

“Just as you say, Horus-sama. Because of an idiot at the table, things are a little spoilt, but even so, this has still been an interesting game.”

“…”

“What’s the matter, girly? Did you not speak because you felt the same way?”

“Y-, Yes.”

Aahh… I think something important just broke inside me. I softly did my shirt back up, and fixed my collar.

Uuu, Tilea-san, look how much I’ve done for us! You’ve succeeded, right!?

I looked at Tilea-san with my teary eyes. Tilea-san’s mouth was curved into a smirk. Apparently she succeeded.

A-, Amazing. She did it in that little instant? To slip past the eyes of the demons, just what kind of super speed had she moved at? While I was feeling shocked at her fast work,

“The die says 4.”

“Then I guess I suppose it is me.”

“”AHH!?””

The two of us raised our voices in synchrony.

T-, That’s right. This cheat depends on the dice roll. The ‘hai(tiles)’ will be coming from Vice General Gilgant’s ‘wall’, so there was no meaning to the ‘Tsubamegaeshi’.

I whispered to Tilea-san.

“Tilea-san, can’t you do something about the die?”

“T-, That… it’s i-impossible even f-for me…”

She shook her head side to side.

So in the end, the game continued normally without ‘Tsubamegaeshi’ getting its chance to shine…

“‘Ron’!”

“G-, GYABON!”

The ‘hanchan’ just finished. Tilea-san’s second ‘Bust’ was determined. Before the ‘shaaba(West Round)’ began, I had another strategy meeting with Tilea-san.

“Tilea-san, the game is impossible to win already. Let’s do battle instead!”

“…I-, I can still-, I can still do it. Jessica-chan, I haven’t lost yet. This is where it begins. This is where my turnaround begins!”

Her eyes were bloodshot. Typical of a losing gambler.

“Tilea-san, it’s a shame, but we should admit defeat! The enemy is a cut above us. We have to think about cutting our losses!”

To be honest, it isn’t just one cut, but over ten cuts, but even I’m starting to feel bad for her. It’s been a crushing defeat for her every round till now, so I was careful to be a little gentler in my words.

“Y-, YOU’RE WRONGG! Jessica-chan, t-this is… Umm, yeah! I just haven’t got my sense for the game back yet. That’s all it is, okay!”

“Tilea-san…”

Yep. She’s grown stubborn. She’s got quite a stubborn part to her, after all. Can’t be helped. I don’t think it’s going to help to let the game continue, but I’ll just let her do what she wants.

“Hahhh~ I understand.”

“Jessica-chan, this time I’ll really teach them a lesson, okay!”

“Ah-, Tilea-san, just one bit of advice. Please stop talking to yourself.”

“Talking to myself?”

“So you really didn’t notice.”

“What do you…?”

“Tilea-san, whenever you’re about to reach ‘tenpai’, you get really excited, and start screaming weirdly to yourself.”

“EHH-!? REALLY?”

“Yes. Also, please stop screaming “I MESSED UPPPPPPP――――!” whenever your ‘hand’ isn’t going well.”

“I-, I even do something like…”

“Yes. Also, the worst is when you get a ‘haku(White Dragon)’ in your ‘hand’. Each and every time, you say “Hmph. There it is. A slip.”  and I just don’t know what to do with you anymore…”

“Haha… I just kinda…”

“It’s because of that that the demons all know your information, Tilea-san.”

“Y-, Yeah.”

“There are lots of other things that you’re doing wrong, but I don’t think you’d remember if I only told you once, so at least please stop with the talking to yourself!”

“Y-, Yes.”

Well, I’ve warned her about what I can. As for how effective it’ll be… Aahh, I’m so uneasy.

But the struggle ended fruitlessly.

In the end, it was Horus’ overwhelming victory. Second place was Gilgant. Third place was me. Along the way, I realised that fighting with the demons was reckless, so I instead changed my target to Tilea-san. While somehow avoiding direct hits, I snatched points from Tilea-san, and managed to get myself into the positives. Unlike Tilea-san, I’ll immediately die if my mana gets taken, so I steeled my heart and did that.

I’m sorry, Tilea-san. I-, It’s not because you called me a ‘loli’ or anything, okay?

And then far, far, faaaar at the bottom was Tilea-san, and as expected, she was below minus 120,000 points. Because along the way, she began being targetted by me as well. Four games with a ‘Bust’, and on top of that, a ‘Yakitori’ penalty.

“☆∋★◆……GYOPOON”

Tilea-san collapsed onto the table. Aahh, I think I can see her soul escaping from her mouth. It must have been a shock to her.

“But still, Horus-sama, in the end it seems this one was simply a huge idiot.”

“Indeed. It looks like she won the Element Predict not through strategy, but simply miraculous luck.”

“Honestly, when I consider that our subordinates were killed by such a massive idiot…! Simply draining her of mana is much too lenient. We should execute her in a much crueller way, Horus-sama.”

“You certainly have a point, Gilgant. But the rules are the rules. If we break those rules, it will affect the pride of our unit. And moreover, this girl introduced us to as fun a game as ‘Marge’Ong’. In light of that achievement, shall we not spare her the worst punishment?”

“As expected of you, Horus-sama. Your self-respect is the pride of our Wisdom Unit.”

“Umu. Well then, time to have this massive idiot take responsibility for losing.”

“Quite so. Hey, massive idiot. No, since she makes weird sounds and comes up with ridiculous strategies, I suppose we should be calling her a buffoon.”

“True. This girl is a buffoon. Well then, Gilgant. Attach the mana absorption tool to this buffoon.”

“Sir!”

Gilgant did as Horus ordered, grabbing Tilea-san by the head.

“Come now, buffoon! Raise your face! The tool does not hurt so much. We are allowing you to die comfortably, so be thankful to Horus-sama!”

“…”

“Oi, do you not hear me! Buffoon!”

“I-, I’ve been listening, BASTAAAAAAAAARDS!”

She suddenly raised her head as she produced a kukanomi from her pocket, smashing it into the demons.

“W-, What are――G- GUHAH-!”

“S-, She plans on――GUEGH-!”

“Hahh, hahh… LISTEN UP, GODDAMMIT! MAHJONG IS A GAME OF LUCKK! I-, IT’S NOT BECAUSE I’M DUMB OR ANYTHING, OKAYYY!? A-, And calling me buffoon and stuff… You know, I used to be praised in the neighbourhood as “Gosh, Sera-san’s daughter is such a bright child” you know! DO YOU GET ITTTT!?”

Tilea-san roared. She was understandably mad.

But it’s hardly their fault…

Well, to begin with, I wanted her to just beat them up without a game, so this is fine.

Aahh aaahh, even though Horus and the others are already dead, Tilea-san is shaking them by the collars. It’s like she’s not even paying attention. Tilea-san continued to roar. I suppose I’d better stop her now.

“Hahhh, hahhh, a-, alright! You lot, the next game is poker! This time for sure, I’ll――”

“Tilea-san.”

“Aah, Jessica-chan. Just wait a moment. This time for sure――”

“Tilea-san! They’re already dead.”

“EH-!?”

At my words, Tilea-san began to stare at the corpses of the demons. The kukanomi she had thrown unconsciously had hit all of them dead in the face. They took her amazing throws at close range, after all. Looks like these guys couldn’t handle it either.

“J-, Just as planned… Y-, You know, Jessica-chan, this was all one big plan.”

“I see…”

“Y-, Yeah, I made them think I was really into the game, so that when they let their guards down, I could really nail them, you know!?”

“I see…”

“J-, Jessica-chan, please don’t look at me with such distant eyes.””

“Anyway, Tilea-san, let’s get out of here for now.”

“Y-, Yeah. I’d better hurry to the shelter where Timu is waiting. If I recall, this was east, right?”

“No, that’s wrong. The location has actually changed and… Just follow me, please.”

“I see. Roger. I’ll be in your care, Jessica-chan.”

Sorry, Tilea-san. The location hasn’t actually changed at all. But I’m sure of it now. Without Tilea-san, we can’t defeat the demons. For now, we’ve defeated one of their four generals. I need Tilea-san to defeat the others.

I searched for mana in all directions.

Once I find large spots of mana, I’ll lead Tilea-san there. I feel bad about this, but I hope she’ll accompany me for just a little longer.

Eventually, I found something.

Huh? Why? W-Why does a mana like this exist?

“Hmph. There it is. A slip.”
A modification of Akagi’s catchphrase. Or I suppose, the exact catchphrase of ‘Akagin’.

Also, one more,

<Previous Chapter | Imouto | Next Chapter>

Everybody, please check the FAQ first before asking me questions.
If it’s not on there, please feel free and ask. I only get annoyed at questions when the same one has been asked 10+ times, and by then I’ll have updated the FAQ.
Thank you for your consideration, guys!

Chapter 11 – Jessica and the Final Game

The demons were shuddering. After all, after assuming that it would be a dead set result, this kind of result was thrust before them.

On the other hand, Tilea-san was all smiles. She was getting ahead of herself. Her attitude was incredibly filled with confidence now.

“Tilea-san.”

“Jessica-chan. Huhu, these guys aren’t a big deal. They’re a bunch of simpletons. At first I was scared because I heard it was a death game, but if this is all, it looks like we’ll be fine.”

“I-, I see…”

“Mn, so relax. Right now, it’s like I’ve been possessed by the Gambling Warrior Akagin. I can see it. I can see through it all! Their thoughts are completely visible to me! FUHUHAAHAAHAAHAAHA!”

Or so she declared full of confidence, but what I suspected painted a different story. Anyway, let’s see if I’m right. While the demons were still stunned, I snuck into the Field(Battleground).

Uuu, it reeks of blood.

Inside, the corpses all showed expressions of disbelief. While ignoring the stench that assaulted my nose, I went to investigate the helmets worn by the demons, and the swords pierced through them.

Uu, this is so grossss~

But I want to know the truth.

While enduring the nausea, I checked them one by one. It felt like the corpses were staring at me with their widened eyes. I felt like I would faint if I looked back, so I just desperately endured as I checked.

The result――

First match. Tilea-san’s sword was fire, and the demon’s helmet was fire. Even though they should have neutralised as the same attribute… Tilea-san killed him in one strike.

Second match. Tilea-san’s helmet was fire. The demon’s sword was water. Even though it should have been a Critical Hit, Tilea-san neutralised it.
To have defended against a strengthened elemental attack, just how hard is she.

In the same way, I investigated the third, and fourth match…

I found that Tilea-san defended against three Critical Hits, while she attacked two No Damages. In terms of predicting the opponent, it was a crushing defeat for her.

Haha, in front of Tilea-san, rules don’t mean a thing, huh. Although I had guessed this, it really is too ridiculous.

What on earth is she?

She’s definitely no human. Then, a beastman, elf, or perhaps a dragonoid? But her physical characteristics don’t match either of them, and her completely extraordinary combat strength is closer to a demon’s.

Then, a demon?

Hm~mm, but the attribute I feel from her is closer to light than dark. So I guess she really is a Hero’s descendant? She herself denied it, but it’s the one that makes the most sense. Her intelligence is one thing, but the rest of her abilities are like the stuff of legends.

While thinking about the questions I’ve been having this whole time, I left the room to find Tilea-san provoking the demons.

“Well? Who’s my next opponent?”

“H-, How dare you! Then I, the second in command shall…”

“Wait, Gilgant. This is the first time in a while that an opponent has excited my heart. This girl is worthy of being my opponent!”

“Then Horus-sama, you yourself shall be participating?”

“Umu. I shall personally bring the hammer down on her.”

“I see. So the big boss himself has finally come out, huh.”

“Huhu, girly, may I ask your name?”

“It’s Tilea.”

“Then Tilea. Let’s play a game where we use a mana absorption tool.”

“A mana absorption tool?”

“Indeed. It’s exactly as it sounds; a machine that absorbs mana. Our next game will feature one. We shall use mana as chips to play our game!”

Mana as chips!?

There’s no doubt that no matter the game, having more chips gives you an advantage. Demons already begin with high mana. That makes it a handicap from the very start. My mana would be out of the question. It wouldn’t even be a game if your chips ran out right away. On the other hand, Tilea-san overwhelms them in the mana department.

But as for using her head…

Already, I can see in my mind, the scene of her mountain of chips disappearing in a blink.

“Tilea-san, we’re at a disadvantage here.”

“Y-, Yeah. Using mana as chips is just way too advantageous to them.”

“Fumu. You are correct in your discontent. Very well then, in exchange, you two shall choose the game. In that case, if you come up with the right rules, even you have a chance of winning.”

“Ohh~? Is it fine for me to choose? No matter what kind of game?”

“Indeed. As long as there are no overwhelming faults with it, any game is fine.”

“I see… Then it’s going to be a mahjong match!”

Marge’Ong!? What kind of game is that?

Tilea-san suddenly proposed the name of some game I’d never heard of. It’s not like I think I know of all the games in the world, but ‘Marge’Ong’ is just so alien sounding.

That’s fine in and of itself, but I’m just hoping that it’s not another one of Tilea-san running wild as usual…

“‘Marge’Ong’ you say? I am a man proficient in all fields, and yet I have never heard of this ‘Marge’Ong’. Interesting. So what kind of game is this? It is a game suggested by you, who has overwhelmed my Wisdom Unit. I am truly intrigued.”

At Horus’ prompt, Tilea-san began to explain the rules of ‘Marge’Ong’ to us.

From what she said, ‘Marge’Ong’ is a four-way competition. Four players sit around a table, and tiles called ‘hai’ are gathered from a total pool of 136 in order to form combinations called ‘yaku’. This is done numerous times, and points are gathered as it happens. The results of the game are determined at the end of the game, when the points are tallied.

A-, Amazing.

From what I heard, not only does ‘Marge’Ong’ have a well developed set of rules, you can tell that it’s a very strategic game. An interesting game that fits gambling perfectly. If ‘Marge’Ong’ spread in the capital, I’ll bet everybody would love it too.

But still, it was shocking that Tilea-san knew the rules of ‘Marge’Ong’ off by heart. Considering how bad she is with using her head, it’s quite a rare feat.

Could it be that Tilea-san was really into ‘Marge’Ong’ back in her hometown?

“Fumu, what a truly interesting game! Very well, the next game shall be this ‘Marge’Ong’.”

“But well, although I was the one who recommended it, what are we going to do about the mat and tiles?”

“It is but a simple matter for us to create them through magic.”

Horus created the ‘hai’, ‘riichi stick’ and other things that she mentioned were used in ‘Marge’Ong’. It was an incredibly high level use of creation magic. I thought so about the swords and helmets too, but demons really do use a level of magic that humans can’t compare to.

And then…

“They’re done. As ‘Marge’Ong’ is a four player game, this shall be a tag match.”

“Jessica-chan, I’ll help you out, so could you participate too?”

“Y-, Yes.”

“Thanks. Also, do you understand the rules to mahjong?”

“Yes, more or less. Only, I’m a little uneasy about the scoring for the ‘yaku’, so could I trouble you to write them on paper later?”

“Got it. Are you guys fine too?”

“Who do you think you are asking? Do not make light of the Wisdom General! Hearing just one explanation is enough for rules of this level.”

As expected of Wisdom General Horus. It seems he’s noticed the nature of ‘Marge’Ong’, and is already forming strategies too. I desperately tried to memorise the things written on Tilea-san’s memo.

“That reminds me, shall we not use mana as this ‘skoring bord’!”

“Yes, I’m fine with that.”

“Ku ku, your attitude is praiseworthy. But are you fine with that? The mana of a human will run out in no time. Once you run out of mana, it begins to take your vitality, and once you run out of that as well there awaits only death, you know.”

“I’m completely fine, I said!”

“W-W-, Tilea-san, please think this through! If you get too ahead of yourself, things will end in disaster!”

“Huhu, Jessica-chan, if this were any other game, you might be right, but I never lose in mahjong. I may look like this, but I used to be famous at the game centre under the name ‘Shioda the Stripper’ you know.”

Shiyodah Thess Rippah? Geme Sentah? What the heck is she on about? Tilea-san is talking about stuff I don’t understand again.

“Tilea-san, it looks like you’re confident but the opponent is on a different level this time. Even if they’re beginners at ‘Marge’Ong’, it doesn’t mean…”

“Jessica-chan, your worries are needless. From the earlier game, I’m already sure of it. There’s actually nothing to fear about demons. Even if I don’t have much mana, as long as I keep winning, there’s no problem.”

Aahh, it’s no good. Because she thinks she won all the matches earlier, Tilea-san is on an unstoppable rampage.

What do I do? Should I just let her play?

Hmmmm… Well, I guess that’s fine. Tilea-san’s chip(mana) is way beyond the norm. She seems confident in ‘Marge’Ong’ too, and as long as she doesn’t lose too badly, it should be fine. And also, this time it’s a tag match so I’ll be playing as well. If anything happens, I’ll follow up for her.

And so, the match began at the table with Wisdom General Horus, and Vice-General Gilgant. We shuffled the ‘hai(tiles)’ as we began forming strategies. Tilea-san began as ‘ton(East)’ or the dealer.

Tilea-san, staying as the first dealer is really important, you know.

But my wishes came to nothing, because she immediately lost the dealership.

Right now, Horus in the ‘shaa(West)’ corner was dealer.

But still, in just these few turns, I really felt the depth of this game. I already had a hint from listening to the rules, but after playing it myself, I became keenly aware of it. When the opponent is a ‘hai(tile)’ away from completion, it’s standard to cut your losses, but it’s also important to decide how aggressively you go about things. And it’s difficult to determine when somebody will be ‘tenpai’, or waiting for their winning ‘hai(tile)’.

I looked at ‘shaake(West Player)’ Horus’ ‘sutehai(discarded tiles)’. In ‘Marge’Ong’, the ‘sutehai’ are an important source of information on the states of the other players. You observe their discarded tiles, the ‘hand’ you guess they’re building, and their facial expressions. In the 5th round, it was hard to tell if he was ‘tenpai’ from his ‘sutehai’. Even if I assume that he’s ‘tenpai’, I think that ‘tanyao’ is the best that he can do, but…

Uuu, it’s impossible. It’s too hard to tell with confidence. Horus is combining his wiliness into his plots and running circles around us. Not just that, the Vice General Gilgant is more intelligent than I am. The way he’s handling the ‘hai’ is efficient to the extreme.

Their hands are fast, and they have no openings.

I frantically tried to read their ‘hands’ while hiding my own information, but they were steps ahead of me.

Uu, we’re stuck in their pace for this game as well.

Just as I was lamenting,

“It’s here, here, heeeeere! Hell yeah!”

I heard Tilea-san talking to herself. I-, It’s no good. She’s an open book. She’s definitely in ‘tenpai’. Looking at her ‘sutehai’… She’s probably waiting for a ‘ryanman(20,000)’ or an ‘uuman(50,000)’.

Aahh aahh, Tilea-san arranges all her tiles from highest to lowest, so you can completely read her ‘hand’. At first, Horus and the others all thought that Tilea-san was a sage, so they assumed that it was all an act.

But… they know now, don’t they?

Maybe they thought that she won in Elemental Predict due to pure luck. The true is different though.

“Hmph, this situation is too good not to riichi.”

As expected, Tilea-san declared ‘riichi’. But only a little later, Tilea-san received a direct hit from Horus.

“‘Ron’, ‘Pinfu, Tanyao, Iipeikou…’ It’s ‘Mangan’!”

“GAHAH-!”

Tilea-san screamed, before dropping her shoulders in defeat. I drew my mouth to her ears.

“T-, Tilea-san, are you okay?”

“Ha ha, I-, I’m fine, fine. Huhu, geez, w-, with this handicap, the game is finally worth playing. Ahaha, hahah…”

Tilea-san’s eyes have become dots.

Even since Horus became the dealer, he’s been sniping Tilea-san. Most of her ‘skoring stik’ is gone now, so I have to try my best or else!

Then, in the next game…

After a few rounds, Horus placed the ‘riichi stick’ on the table.

“‘Riichi’!”

A ‘riichi’ from the dealer. I don’t want to take this direct. I looked carefully at Horus’ ‘hand’. I get the feeling that something big is coming. A ‘mangan’, no, a ‘haneman’-class ‘yaku’ I expect.

It’s vexing, but we’d better fold.

I just hope Tilea-san follows…

“Kan!”

Eh-!? I doubted my ears. Tilea-san suddenly shouted ‘kan’.

Tilea-san, do you understand the situation? Horus just declared ‘riichi’.

Speaking of which, Tilea-san has been meaninglessly declaring ‘kan’ for a while now…

“Another kan!”

Eh? Eh? What the heck is this woman doing? I have no clue anymore. This is bad. At this rate, Horus is going to raise.

And then, just as I expected…

“I see. ‘Ron’, ‘Riichi, Tanyao, Pinfu… 2 Dora’ and then… Ohh. ‘Uradora’ as well. It’s a ‘Baiman’.”

“GAHAH-!”

Not “GAHAH”!

I couldn’t bear it, so I declared a time-out, and pulled Tilea-san away from the table to talk.

“Tilea-san, please cut it out already. You need to think properly!”

“U-, Umm… Y-, Yeah, I am, sort of.”

“Then why did you ‘kan’! He had already declared ‘riichi’. Why did you go out of your way to ‘kan’ when it had no strategic value, and only increased the risk? Or could it be that you actually had some reason to use ‘kan’ each time?”

“U-, Umm, well, as a rinshan user, I just kinda…”

“Hahh? Rinshan user, as in the ‘yaku’ ‘Rinshan Kaihou’? Why did you do something risky just for the sake of such a cheap yaku!”

“J-, Jessica-chan, your eyes are a little scary.”

“Do you really understand the situation? Tilea-san, at this rate, we’re going to ‘Bust’, you know.”

“I-, Is it that bad…?”

“…Tilea-san, the situation is extremely bad. At the moment, we’re definitely minus 30,000 points. In other words, we’ve lost 30,000 units of mana.”

“T-, Then… could it be that we’ve lost an active adventurer’s worth of mana?”

“Tilea-san, your thinking is too naive. The number of adventurers whose mana exceeds 10,000 in this world, can be counted with your fingers.”

“Eh? Really?”

“Yes. The S-ranked Remilia-sama is roughly 20,000 mana.”

“T-, That can’t be… W-, W-W-What do we do?”

“Well you see, at this rate, we’ll be at least minus 100,000 by the end of this game. Do you understand what minus 100,000 means?”

“W-, What does it mean?”

“It means that the mana we’ll have lost is equal to the legendary founder of magic, Camilla! Also, Tilea-san, this is a little hard to say, but Horus’ pride has been hurt because his subordinates lost. If you consider how motivated he is to win this, it won’t stop anywhere near 100,000 mana!”

“ABABABABABABABABABABABABABABABA!”

Ah-, uh oh. I may have threatened her a little much. Tilea-san just broke. But, just how much mana does Tilea-san actually have? Definitely over 10,000. I get the feeling that she might even have 100,000. I’m a beginner myself, so anything above 10,000 is just too powerful for me to measure. Perhaps even if we lose the game, Tilea-san will be totally fine. But games really are impossible for Tilea-san. I should try and convince her to change strategies.

“Tilea-san, there’s no point in continuing this game any more. Let’s give up!”

“Awawawa, I-, I guess you’re right. It’s just like you say, Jessica-chan. At this rate, it’s obvious that we won’t win normally.”

“Yes, that’s why battle should be our――”

“I-I’ll do it.  It’s time to do it. It’s down to my final plan, the Tsubamegaeshi!”

‘Tsubamegaeshi’? Apparently it’s a technique of some sort. Anyway, I wonder if I succeeded in getting her to battle.

<Previous Chapter | Imouto | Next Chapter>

Everybody, please check the FAQ first before asking me questions.
If it’s not on there, please feel free and ask. I only get annoyed at questions when the same one has been asked 10+ times, and by then I’ll have updated the FAQ.
Thank you for your consideration, guys!

Chapter 10 – Jessica and the Extraordinary

“Honestly, you can’t even remember the rules?”

“G-, Got a problem? I’ll remember it any minute now, so just you wait.”

“Then you’re an idiot! Comparing wits with an idiot like this would damage my pride as the Wisdom Unit’s Blitzkreig Unit Captain. Horus-sama, this blonde girl lacks the qualifications to participate in our game. Let us kill her immediately!”

“W-Wait a m-momenttt――! I-, Isn’t it too much to associate intelligence with memory! I’m actually really smart, okay? T-, To kill me is… PLEEASE LET ME PLAY THE GAMEEEE!”

“Enough, Gesu. We possess the advantage either way. And the girl from the academy seems to be a little smarter. You can enjoy your game with her. As for the blonde girl, you can simply consider her a way to get the other used to the game.”

“I-, I understand. If you say so, then I have no complaints and… w-, will endure.”

Aahh geez, they’re really saying whatever they want about her. Tilea-san, you can’t get sulky now. They might realise you aren’t all that smart. Well, perhaps they’ve already realised though…

It looks like this Gesu is proud to be Captain of the Horus Blitzkreig Unit. To play with an idi-… Ahem. To play with a pure person like Tilea-san must be quite a humiliation. Gesu was visibly dissatisfied with Horus’ decision, and glared reproachfully at Tilea-san.

“Hahh~ Why do I need to have a match with an idiot like you. An idiot like you is just going to die from a critical this very instant, so just prepare yourself!”

“…Y-, You guys, for a while now you’ve just been saying idiot idiot as much as you like, huh! So I’m having a teeny bit of trouble remembering the rules. So what! Hmph, games where you read each other’s thoughts are more about overall intelligence rather than simple memory strength!”

“Hmph. A girl with no merits except her big mouth. More importantly, are you still staring at that memo!? Hurry up!”

“Y-, You’re so noisy. Alright already. Ummm, so fire and water are opposites, and so are wood and wind… and wind and earth have good compatibility… mumble mumble…”

“…Oi, enough already. How long are you going to have me wait. Enough. I don’t care if you use your memo, so let’s enter the Field(Battleground) already.”

Tilea-san and Gesu headed into the special room prepared for their match. The game is going to played 1 vs 1, so third parties can’t enter. Additionally, the room was built so that Trace(Investigation) Magic can’t be used. After all, Trace Magic would allow you to tell what attributes everything had, so there would be no point in playing. The game was designed as a pure contest of reading the opponent. The armours and helmets all look alike, so the key is to predict what your opponent is going to do.

After the two of them entered, they apparently sat at a table. I couldn’t see inside, but I could hear Tilea-san’s voice.

Tilea-san, try your best! I gazed at the room in prayer.

“Come. You can begin the match. Show me the final struggles of an idiot!”

I could hear the pride in his voice. He’s probably got a good idea of her actual brain power. His tone was incredibly haughty.

“Well then, here I come. Umm, which should I start with… Okay, this one!”

“So you’re fine with that sword, I presume. Then come. Strike my helmet.”

“H-, Here we gooo! The first match! TORYAHHH!”

“Heh! Your scheme is as clear as day! I’ll be taking the No Dam――GUHUH-!”

“O-, Owah! What an incredible spray of blood… This sword is way too sharp. D-, Don’t blame me, okay?”

There went Tilea-san’s words of victory. Yes! As expected of Tilea-san. A single strike victory even with a demon as the opponent! It looks like she was lucky enough to chose the right element too.

“I-, Impossible!? Gesu of all people was defeated by that stupid-looking…?”

“Aye. And by a Critical Hit, no less!”

The demons were shocked and panicked.

“Then I am next! It appears that that idiot, Gesu, let his guard down. He is the shame of our Horus Unit!”

Another demon rose to the occasion. A more careful-looking man than Gesu, moved into the room.

“Listen up, girly! My brain power is three times that of Gesu’s. I am here to show you just how powerless you truly are!”

“C-, Come at me!”

“Well then, this time is my turn to attack. Quickly choose a helmet!”

“Eh-!? I thought I was…”

“Did you not only just attack Gesu? The next attack belongs to the demon team.”

“T-, That can’t be… Wait a moment!”

“Hurry up and choose! Or would you prefer to take my attack without a helmet?”

“O-, Okay. Just wait a moment. U-, Ummm, which should I… Okay, this one!”

“Ku ku, you dance in the palm of my hand. I’ll be taking a Critical Hit.”

“U-, UWAH! Whoa, my h-heart w-wasn’t rea-… Huh? It doesn’t hurt. Huhu, looks like it’s a No Damage.”

“I-, IMPOSSIBLE!? This is strange. My prediction was flawless. Show me your helmet!”

“Heh, what a sore loser. You simply made a mistake. Now then, hurry up and choose a helmet. Or would you prefer to take my strike without one?”

“R-, RIDICULOUS! Very well. A fluke never occurs twice. Now come. If you are going to strike me, then strike!”

“O-, Okay. Well then, TORYAHHH!”

“Fool. I have already seen through your fire――GUHAH-!”

“O-, Oohhh. If he’s down in one strike, I guess that makes it another Critical Hit, huh. Huhu, it looks like I’m actually a genius at this game. Truly the Akagin of the Fantasy World.”

Mn. The sounds coming from the room are almost like a comedy skit.

Considering Tilea-san’s words so far… T-, Tilea-san, are you actually getting Critical Hits?

Could it be that rather than elemental affinities, it’s just raw arm strength…?

Ahh, I’m supposed to be happy, I guess, but… Still, what an extraordinary person she is.

“I-, It can’t be. The elites of our Wisdom Unit are suffering consecutive defeats…?”

“What’s wrong? Who’s my next opponent? Hey, find me a guy who was three times smarter than the last guy.”

“Kuh-! Getting ahead of yourself… I-, I shall be next.”

“Fine by me. Come at me. Shall I, the second coming of Akagin, find a worthy opponent in you?”

Responding to Tilea-san’s provocations, another challenger entered the Field(Battleground).

“Next is my turn. TORYAAAA!”

“Fool, I already know you are using wood. My defence is――GUHAH-!”

…After that, a number of demons entered the room to challenge her, but all of them ended the same way as their predecessors.

“I-, Impossible. For the prided elites of our Wisdom Unit to… And of all things, consecutive losses…”

“Five Critical Hits in a row is unbelievable! T-, This must be trickery. YOU! I bet you’re cheating!”

The demons, finally losing their patience, began pressing Tilea-san for answers. And if my guess was correct, just as the demons were claiming, Tilea-san was as good as cheating.

“Now where is this coming from…? You know, in my world, we have a saying. Cheating isn’t cheating if nobody can prove it! If you’re going to accuse me of cheating, then show me your proof. But well, this time I’m really not cheating, though. It’s simply the difference in our ability.”

“I-, It can’t be. Kuh-! Is this true?”

“W-, What cunning words…”

Their faces were warped in disgrace.

“Huhu, your backs are dirty with soot!”

Aahh, geez. And now Tilea-san is getting as carried away as physically possible. She defeated five of these proud demons in a row, so she was incredibly merry now.

This is bad. This pattern again? My stomach is starting to hurt. And demons, please don’t let Tilea-san get so ahead of herself.

“O-, Oohhh. If he’s down in one strike, I guess that makes it another Critical Hit, huh. Huhu, it looks like I’m a genius at this game. Truly the Fantasy World’s Akagin.”
Obviously a reference to Akagi.

“Your backs are dirty with soot!” is a famous quote said by the protagonist of Naki no Ryuu, usually after winning in some ridiculous/incredible way.
As for what it means, even most Japanese have no idea, so don’t ask me, LOL.
The best guess would be that the opponent is so easily read (i.e. they’re so easy to see through that physical body transparent) that the protagonist can see the soot on their backs.
As for why it’s soot, that part remains a mystery.
But then allegedly the manga is filled with nonsensical phrases, so let’s not think about it too much, and focus instead on how ridiculous Tilea is.

<Previous Chapter | Imouto | Next Chapter>