No Game No Life (ノーゲーム・ノーライフ)

I don't believe this!

There's only four of them!

They beat 1,200 players all on their own?

Enough, this ends now!

You're mine.

No! You can't dodge that.

You can't dodge that!

Tell me if this story rings a bell.

It may just be an urban legend, but I assure you, it's a good one.

There exists a band of anonymous players,

gamers who obliterate anyone who comes to face them,

reaching scores never achieved before or since.

in every game they play, their win records are flawless.

Since their user names are always left empty,

they are simply known to people as "Blank".

And according to every player who has encountered them,

they're indeed unbeatable.

Cheaters?

You think that's how they keep winning?

Yeah. I'm sure of it.

It's got to be just a lousy group of hackers.

Come on, there's no way they could beat 1,200 people with just the four of them.

Auto‐aimers and wall hacks, hitbox manipulation.

They got to be cheating.

Oh, do they?

And here I thought cheating was our expertise.

Otherwise, I'd wouldn't be able to cast so many spells like that.

I don't know. This is different.

But Blank dodged them anyway.

They already knew I was cheating to cast consecutive spells before I even did it.

They're amazing.

They're like super geniuses or something!

You think maybe they'd go out with me?!

Oh, God.

And so the rumors spread with their infamy.

You know, urban legends are like a kind of wish.

Because...

in reality...

the least interesting answer

is usually the correct one.

We won... somehow.

Hey, listen, Little Sis,

could you do me a favor and please stop controlling the main account for Blank with your feet?

Kind of nasty.

Hungry, I'm still hungry.

Want some, Sora?

Sure, why not?

Really splurging on some fancy rations, huh, Shiro?

Nutrition's important.

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

White bread is best in terms of cost‐performance.

Yeah. Thanks for the lecture.

But I need other types of nutrients, too, or I won't get any bigger.

You're already a perfect, flawless beauty, you darling girl.

Mm.

Hey, what time is it?

Um... 8:00 A. M., the middle of the night.

What day?

Does that even matter to a NEET?

It does!

It tells me when MMORPGs are going to have new events!

And wha‐ wait!

I know you've been up for five days straight, but if you quit now, I won't have a healer!

I know you can do it.

You seriously think I can control four characters at one time?

Just believe.

Wait, no! Please don't fall asleep!

If you go to sleep, Shiro, everyone and by everyone, I mean me will die!

Okay, fine, fine, I'll do it!

I can take these suckers!

This world is chaotic, unfair, and unforgiving.

It has no meaning or value.

However, some people simply refuse to accept this,

even though they know they can't change anything.

They wish that the world could be just a little more interesting.

And that's how urban legends are formed, from wishes like that.

Okay, so let's get things started.

Let's offer a subtle stylistic catalyst for a chance at a new beginning.

Let's ask the question...

"Have you ever heard the latest rumor?"

Email.

Listen, your brother's been playing four characters on four separate screens.

I don't know what you want, but I'm seriously about to drop dead here.

It may be from a friend.

Whose friend?

Your friend?

That's weird.

I thought I heard my sister say something really mean and sarcastic to me.

Huh?

What is this?

And how does this guy know that the two of us are siblings?

What should we do?

Is he trying to cut a deal with us?

Well, it might be fun to see where this goes.

Huh? Chess?

Well, good night.

Huh, wait, wait! Don't fall asleep yet. I can't handle a high‐level chess simulation on my own!

Chess is a finite two‐player, zero‐sum, perfect information game.

Luck plays no part in it.

Theoretically, to each game, there is a perfect solution that will never fail.

Of course, that's only if you have a mind capable of calculating the 10'^120 possible states of the board.

Chess is no different

than simply playing tic‐tac‐toe.

That's right.

Shiro has beaten a program designed to defeat grandmasters 20 times in a row,

alternating between going first and second.

However...

It cut off its own piece's advance.

Hold on, Shiro.

What?

A program will always select the best strategy.

You can win 'cause they're predictable.

But this one's deliberately using a bad move to lure you in.

It's a human.

Hmm...

Don't worry, if it's a contest of skill, you've got this in the bag.

I'll tell you when they're up to something tricky.

The two of us, Sora and Shiro,

form two halves of a whole.

Now let's see if there's somebody

who's got the balls to beat us.

Checkmate! You are winner!

Yeah, we won!

I haven't worked this hard in a long time.

Was that guy really human?

Huh?

What the hell?

What do you mean, "is it fun?"

In this game there's no way to know the rules or how to win,

yet there are 7 billion players all making whatever moves they want.

If you lose too much, or win too much, there are penalties.

You can't pass your turn, and if you complain, people look down on you.

There's no parameters or freakin' genre or anything.

You know what you call that?

You call it...

A crappy game.

Uh, believe me, if there's a world like that,

then the two of us,

well, we were born in the wrong one, for sure.

Huh? What the...

Sora?

You know what? I think so, too!

In fact, it sounds like you two don't have any business living in this world at all!

So how does this sound?

How would you like a second chance

to be made anew in the world in which you should have been born in the first place?

Welcome to the world of my creation!

What's going on?!

This is the ideal world you've always dreamed of‐

the world of games!

It's Disboard!

Shit!

You see, everything in this world is decided by a simple game...

Government, politics, even the lives of its people.

Who are you?

Me? They call me Tet.

I live over here. I'm a god.

A god? You're so short.

Now's not the time! We're gonna die!

Try to stay focused, please. So everything here is decided by ten simple pledges.

One‐ Killing others, waging war, and stealing from people is strictly forbidden in this world.

Two‐ All conflicts, no matter how great or small,

must be resolved through games.

Three‐ Before the games begin, each player must bet something that they agree is of equal value.

Four‐ As long as it doesn't go against number three, what they bet and the rules of the game will not be questioned.

Five‐ The challenged party has the right to determine the rules of the game.

Six‐ All bets made in accordance with the pledges must be upheld.

Seven‐ Conflicts between groups will be overseen by appointed representatives with absolute authority.

Eight‐ Being caught cheating during a game results in an instant loss.

And nine‐ In the name of Almighty God,‐that's me‐ the previous rules may never be altered.

Okay, great, now would you shut up and save us?!

The ground! the ground, the ground, the ground!

Shiro!

Sora!

Number ten‐ Let's all have fun and play together!

Huh? Hey!

I look forward to seeing you two again.

I'm pretty sure it won't be long.

Sora?

Where are we?

You know what, sis?

Hmm?

I've always thought life was just a game for masochists and losers, and what happened?

The game just crashed!

Oh, what's going on?

This game is total crap!

Long ago, in the far distant past,

the gods, along with their families and creations,

waged a seemingly never‐ending war for the right to rule this world,