The Reaper and The Six Eyes || Gojou Satoru

Chapter 42 : Shirasagi

UNEDITED

"She can extinguish..cursed techniques?" Megumi repeated as silence fell over the group.

"Yes," Master Tengen confirmed, "the angel's cursed technique can open the 'back' of the prison realm."

"Do you know where she is now?" Both Megumi and Seina grew impatient.

"The colony in the east side of Tokyo. The game barrier rejects me, so I don't have any information."

"Oh."

"I will begin my explanation there. There are ten colonies around Japan. They are connected by barriers that form a line that sends humans in Japan to the other side."

"So this.. would end up like this." Yuuji visualised an inverted map of Japan.

"Is Hokkaido not included because of the Jujutsu society's barrier?" Yuki asked, a hand on her chin.

"Correct. It has already been established as a vast sacred area."

"Well that's ragged lands for you," Yuuji remarked, then jumped back when he saw Seina with her eyes sparkling.

"Of course it's sacred. Its the sacred land of sweets. Snaffle is there!"

"Snaffle?"

"The best pastry shop. Also the double layer cheesecake that just melts in your mouth, rainbow ice-cream, the baumkuchen made by goblins.." she beamed as she thought of the delicacies.

"Is that even a dessert?" Yuuji asked Megumi, who sighed.

"Conveyance to the other side may sound exaggerated, but a curse fell on every one in Japan as preparation for a merger," Master Tengen continued.

"How long will it take to complete the ritual?"

"That depends on the game, but two months should suffice."

"Right now it's 9am on November 9," Maki stated.

"The player sorcerers awakened at about midnight on October 31," Yuta added.

Megumi frowned, as a look of frustration overtook his features again. "So Tsumiki has roughly ten days and 15 hours to declare her participation. Master Tengen, you said that refusing to participate results in death."

"That is correct."

"I spoke to Shoko," Maki carried on, "so sorcerers like me who don't have a cursed technique aren't at risk."

"So..what about the civilians who are already inside the barrier?" Yuuji glanced at Master Tengen for an answer.

"They will be given at least one chance to exit."

"For real?"

"How generous."

"There is no rule about entering or exiting colonies," Master Tengen continued, "from the start, players receive the clear objective of exiting the barriers. I suppose this is for stimulating the game. In order to confine the players..the premise that they entered of their own free will is important."

"Talk about a sickening play," Seina noted with disgust.

"So that's the 'increase or decrease' of barrier effectiveness that Ino mentioned," Yuuji said absentmindedly.  Then he noticed Megumi frowning. "Fushigoro?"

"It's nothing. What about this 'game master'?"

"Each player will receive a shikigami called a kogane. But a kogane is less game master than interface. You may think of game master as culling game's program."