Flame

I'm dead.

I died.

Dead, lol.

Only four players?

Impossible!

They're too strong!

Are they monsters?

Are they the legendary...?

Are we all gonna die?

One more left!

Who?

The strongest: Queen.

I can't believe it.

They're only four players.

But they've eliminated 1,200 players.

Still... This is your end!

Got you!

No way!

How could he dodge that?

Out of the many urban legends,

have you ever heard this one?

A group in the shadows with unparalleled scores,

who has never once lost, and dominates all types of games.

Their account name is always blank,

so they're called "Blank."

They're gamers said to be impossible to beat.

You say they're cheaters?

Yeah, no doubt.

Blank is a group of cheaters.

Otherwise, there's no way four people could beat 1,200.

They're playing dirty by using aimbots, dodge cheats, and hitbox manipulation.

You're wrong.

We're the ones using unfair methods.

Otherwise, I could never have cast such large spells back-to-back.

What?

But Blank dodged them.

They must have known I was gonna use a cheat to launch consecutively spells.

Blank...

I'm sure they're super smart!

Aw, what are they like?

I'm sure they're super smart! Aw, what are they like?

Thus the rumors spread even faster.

Urban legends.

They're a kind of wish.

Because...

In reality, the truth is usually boring and disappointing.

Phew, we won somehow...

Brother: Sora, Age 18, Virgin, Communication Disorder, NEET, Game Addict

Hey Little Sis, can you stop controlling the main account

Little Sister: Shiro, Age 11, Truant Socially Awkward, Shut-in, Game Addict

for Blank with your feet?

Well... I'm hungry.

Dietary Supplement

Brother, want a bite?

Thanks!

No Game, No Life

I never thought you'd buy such fancy provisions.

Nutrition is important.

Listen, the human brain can function as long as it has glucose.

BEGINNER

White bread is the most cost-effective.

Efficiency isn't everything.

I need other kinds of nutrients to become a grown woman.

You're already a perfect beauty, so you don't need to worry about it.

Anyway, what time is it?

Uh... it's 8:00 a.m.

What day?

Why should a NEET care?

I do!

I've got plans for gaming events and tournaments, and...

Hey wait!

I know you've stayed up for five days straight, but...

Proof of five all-nighters in a row

You can do it.

How can I manipulate four characters with my hands and feet?

Fight!

No, wait!

If you go to sleep, they'll...

I'll become an easy target!

Oh, great!

Bring it on!

The world is chaotic, unreasonable, and absurd.

It means nothing at all.

Desires come from those who realize that, or those who don't wish to accept it...

The desire for the world to be even a little interesting.

People call that...

an "urban legend."

Now let me give you a good example.

For the sake of stylistic beauty, here's what I will write:

"Have you ever heard a rumor like this?"

Brother... e-mail.

I'm playing four characters on four separate screens.

What more do you want from me?

Maybe it's from a friend.

-Whose? -Yours?

I must've heard you wrong.

Or did my beloved sister stab my heart with a wry joke?

What is this?

To Blank: Have you two siblings ever felt like you were born in the wrong world?

How did he know that Blank are siblings?

What do we do?

Does he mean to bargain with us?

It might be fun to see where this goes.

Welcome!

What... Chess?

Good... night.

No wait!

If it's an advanced program, I can't handle it alone.

Chess is a two-player, zero-sum, logical perfection information game.

This game has no space for luck to intervene,

although theoretically, there's a perfect strategy to win.

However, only if you understand

all 10 to the 120 powers of possible moves on a chess board.

Chess is a simple game of tic-tac-toe.

Right.

Shiro has won 20 straight games against a program which defeated the grand master,

by alternating first and second moves.

But...

It blocked its own escape routes.

-Wait, Shiro. -Brother.

A program always makes the best move.

That's why you can win.

But this is intentionally luring you with a bad move.

It's a human.

Calm down.

There's no way you'd lose in skill.

I'll tell you when he's trying to lure you in.

Sora and Shiro: Together, we form "Blank."

Let's see if there's someone who can beat us.

Checkmate!

Ahh...

Finally...

We won!

I haven't fought such a hard battle in a while.

Was it really a human?

Excellent work. If you're that good at games...

Are you satisfied with the world?

What?

What do you think about your world?

Is it fun?

Is it easy to live in?

What do we think?

Both the rules and the goal are unknown,

so you've got 7 billion players making whatever moves they want on the board.

Penalized when you win or lose too much.

You have no right to pass a turn.

If you talk too much, you'll be hated.

There are no parameters, and even genres are unknown.

This world is just... a crappy game.

If there was a world where games decided everything...

A world atop a board where the rules and goals were clear, what would you think?

Yeah, if there was a world like that,

we must have been born in the wrong world.

Wh-what's going on?

Brother...

I think so, too!

You were for sure born in the wrong world.

So I'll let you be reborn into the world

you were destined for!

Welcome to my world!

Ah! What is this?!

This is your dream utopia.

It's the world atop a game board: Disboard!

Everything in this world is decided by simple games.

People's lives, even national borders!

-Who are you? -Me?

I'm Tet.

I live in that tower.

I guess I'm a god.

A god?

There's no time for this!

What are we gonna do?

In this world, everything is decided by the Ten Pledges.

One: All murder, war, and robbery is prohibited in this world.

Two: All conflicts will be resolved through games.

Three: When gaming, players must bet something they agree is of equal value.

Four: So long as Pledge 3 is upheld,

it doesn't matter what the game's contents are nor what is bet.

Five: The challenged party has the right to decide the content of the game.

Six: All bets made in accordance with the Pledges must be upheld.

Seven: Conflicts between groups will be conducted

by an appointed representative with absolute authority.

Eight: Being caught cheating during a game will result in an instant loss.

Nine: In the name of God, the aforementioned rules

are absolute and irrevocable.

It's not the time to say all this!

Oh no, the ground! The ground!

-Brother! -Shiro!

And ten: Let's all have fun and play together!

Hey you!

I'm looking forward to seeing you...

Perhaps in the near future.

Brother...

Where are we?

Little Sis.

I often thought life was an impossible game...

Or one for masochists. But now...

It's finally gone all buggy!

What's going on?

What a crappy game!