The Sacred City of Ruin

 

 

Looking at her back appearance, Reche crosses her arms still continuing to look at her.

 

“Say Fei, don’t you think the Space Transition that just now occurred, maybe came from the floor below.”

 

“If that is so, then it’s really commendable. To jump past a floor, that too, the one below from here, that is a really good distance.”

 

“So, is that child also applying for FA?”

“That is really unusual though. A Teleport ability user is a very convenient ability, even in the ‘Play of Gods’ they often play a very useful role. Even before she would go to FA, it is quite normal for some other team to have called out to her though……”

 

Spatial Transition is an ability which falls under the typical type of Teleportation supernatural ability.

 

An ability to walk through in between the spaces of relativity. [TL note: Worn holes I guess]

 

For example, even against the game played against Titan, ‘God-Pretend’, if there would have been a teammate holding a similar or same power, one could definitely move from in-out the building freely and escape easily.

 

“Fei! That child is trying to call out to that counselor there.”

 

“You’re right. If she were trying to look for a team, the timing between us is just about right.”

 

I try to approach her.

 

That blonde though is yet to notice the existence of Fei and Reche. Taking out the tri-folded paper from the envelope, she was about to pass it on to the other side of the window panel.

 

 

Resignation

 

 

Or so was written in the application form.

 

“……. Peal Diamonds, As of today, I will be retiring.”

“WAIT FOR A MINUTE!?”

 

And then…

A fire fired from the very hands of Reche went up and swallowed up the resignation letter that the girl had held up in her hands.

 

*Bo~tsu;

[TL: GO GO FIRE; GO GO FIRE!]

 

In an instant a part of it got converted to black charcoal.

 

“Hmm. As Expected Of The Great Me, I Did A Good Job.”

 

“WA.AWA.WA.WA. WHAT GOOD JOB WAS THAT!? AND WHAT WAS WITH THAT FIRE JUST NOW, YOU WERE ABOUT TO BURN MY BANGS ALSO WITH IT!”

 

A Scream

From the blonde girl, who was perhaps known also as ‘Pearl’, 

 

“Ah… I need to check my….. letter ……… is …….. a, arree?”

The girl’s dot like eyes blinked in confusion.

 

A hole, wide enough to see the faces of both Reche and me together was now present in it.

 

“…… Somehow, the faces look really similar to that Ryuujin-sama and that last year’s most accomplished rookie apostle Fei.” 

[Tl note: Ryuujin=Dragon God, I thought I would just leave it at that; Sorry for the trouble.] 

 

“Rather than similar, we are the very persons though”

 

“Hyaa!?”

And jumped to make a distance.

 

“I AM SORRY! To say something this rude unknowingly to celebrities, I am really sorry!”

 

“…… Nope, not at all. that was not at all rude~.”

“I will apologize for it by resigning.”

 

“AS I am saying CAN YOU NOT TAKE SUCH RASH DECISIONS!? Wait… WAIT A BIT! PLEASE! I BEG YOU!”

 

Grabbing her shoulders which slumped as if it were the end of the world, Fei called unto her with the best of his ability.

 

“Calm down for a bit. We are actually on the side of ‘trying to stop your retirement’!”

 

Well, it is not a statement which I, who went on a sudden long leave, should be saying though—-.

 

 

NO APOSTLE CAN RETIRE VOLUNTARILY.

 

In the first place, the fact that an apostle can remain an apostle is only till the three losses in the ‘Play of Gods’. If we talk about the period (by which almost all accumulate three losses), it’s somewhere around 2-3 years.

 

…… Even if you are being treated as an Idol, if you are not able to win against the Gods, you will face immediate retirement (after 3 loses).

…… It is said to be a carrier which feels like a shining firework, but for only a limited amount of time.

 

That is the very reason why citizens desperately support and cheer for the Apostle and their victory.

 

“The treatment to the Apostle who have lost three games in active service is indeed ‘retirement’ but trying to ‘retire’ as written in the envelope. Does that mean that sempai is yet to lose three battles?”

[TL note: the first retirement{退役} refers to being retire from active service, while the second retire meaning voluntarily retire{引退}; the kanjis are different for both]

 

“…………”

 

“Even though you still have the right to challenge God to games left with you, why are you thinking of ending your career as an apostle altogether?”

 

“…… I can’t say the reason.”

And the blonde girl looked down to the ground.

 

But however, the team of Fei was trying to recruit, looking for team members to include in their teams. They are not just going to sit down and back off from this opportunity.

 

“To put it short and frankly, we are looking for apostles to include in our FA–.”

“It’s impossible.”

“At least just hear me out.”

“I am really sorry.”

 

“Guha~… the.. then, let’s see… I will treat you to a parfait at the café there! While completing eating it out, won’t you give some of your time to tell you my circumstances. Ugh I guess it will still remain a no…”

 

“It’s alright then.”

“IT’S ALRIGHT!?”

 

While having an expression telling as if it is the end of the world itself, the girl named Pearl surprisingly replied with an unexpected vigor. 

[TL: it’s the parfait…] 

 

 

 

3.3

 

 

 

Pearl Diamonds,

16 years old.

‘Play of Gods’ statistics:  1 win, 1 loss

Hobby: To make food balanced and rich in nutrients.

‘Arise’ blessing: Supernatural Type – Ability to Teleport

 

But the reason for that dull expression was, Pearl herself identifies the usage of this ability as for a ‘Whimsical Traveler’.

While the ability in itself, is Powerful.

 

All Rank-I Apostles, no matter how insignificant their divine power is in the real world, in them, the space-transition apostles have to do their utter best to even have their ability extend till a few meters afar. In that scenario, it’s actually faster to just walk to that place.

 

…… But that was not the case with Pearl.

…… Even though she was still just a Rank-I apostle, she teleported past a whole floor of the building and arrived here.

 

Even from the point of view of Fei himself, it was a power to reckon with.

And the reason for such a promising young apostle, deciding to retire prematurely was presumably—-

 

“I think I understand your situation now”

 

She was able to calm down a bit. Pearl slowly muttered away her story to Reche and Fei.

 

What Fei understood was thus:

“Because of her fault, the whole team was annihilated. And so, you got disgusted with yourself.”

 

“Y…es….. I am really… just no good.”

“I am just a bad fortune who just keeps on failing…… Aaah, this strawberry parfait… can I order another one?”

 

“…… Go on..”

Pearl gestures pointing out to the menu table.

As expected of someone having a hobby as cooking. No matter how depressed they are, whenever they would be eating something, they would automatically feel happy again.

 

“So, when I organize your story… During the ‘Play of Gods’ game battles, when you were almost trampled by that giant God, in that fear, you unconsciously activated your ability. Which was not just any teleport—“

 

“It’s a Phase Teleport.”

 

“Ohhh, That one heh. That which is supposed to have all kinds of various wide range applications, or so I heard.”

 

“It’s really useless I am Telling You!”

 

Pearl Diamonds’ ability to transfer are of two types:

A simple Teleportation,

Which as Fei also saw earlier, connects two faraway places together with a ring, and transfers objects and peoples from one place to that adjoined place.

While the second is:

Phase Teleport.

An ability which would swap the current location of Human A and Human B.

 

“And she activated that ‘Phase Transfer’ the moment she was about to get trampled by the God. Thus, she interchanged the positions of hers and the captain, and as a result, the captain got trampled by the God and got taken out, retired out of the game.”

 

“It is exactly as you said. The moment I thought I was about to get trampled, I… I got really scared…… and activated my powers without thinking about anything else……”

 

Pearl was able to survive.

But unfortunately, due to the battle rule of that game,

“’Protect your leader’ – thus the whole team was declared defeated.

 

And due to that, all those apostles whose total lost game became ‘3’ in total, got retired. 

 

Pearl was thus an ‘Ally killer’. Unable to withstand the guilt of that feeling, she retired from the team.

 

This was the Background.

 

 “I am a real scaredy-cat, and on top of that, clumsy. The only victory I was able to secure was also only because of the team. I had always created trouble for my teammates; it’s natural for me to have no place anywhere forever.”

 

“—forever heh.”

 

Leaning on top of the table with her cheeks supported, Reche stares at Pearl.

With an extremely sharp gaze, as if throwing knives at her.

 

“ArE YOu MakInG A foOL Of tHe ‘Play of Gods’?”

 

“Ha~A.. HAi~I!?”