Chapter 7: It's time to play.

Somehow it's been two months since the three of us came to this world. Sora and Shiro, became king and queen of the human country. Using their new power they proceeded to make me their foreign ambassador, rather I became their 'Talk to this guy cause we don't want to,' guy. But I wasn't all that upset, they actually used their knowledge to improve the human society here, crop rotations, new ways to handle currency, introduction of new technologies and even more effective irrigation methods. I was really proud of them. I often watched them working from a far the only time we'd spend together is when I'd bug them to go to bed and get sleep for the next day. Stephani even settled in to her role as their caretaker in my absence. Jibril however loved to tease Stephani and I, while she deeply respected Sora and Shiro for besting her, she treated us more as children who can't think for ourselves. Though her favorite target is definitely Sheph, she always would get so worked up from Jibril's taunting.

I kept up my communication with Fil as promised, seems the Elven nation to the East is weary having heard rumor that Sora has a Flugel at his beck and call. I'll leave it be for now as they are not trying to go on the offensive just yet.

"So what is King Sora's next target mister Tatsuya?"

Fil occasionally asked me this, though I think it's not that she's worried that he'll turn his sights on the Elves but that she's become curious what this other-worlder intended to do now.

At this stage I could only guess myself, Sora seemed to focus on building up Imanity as a whole before making his next move.

"You know I can't say 100 percent but I think he's not even sure himself."

That was the best answer I could give her at the time, as Sora had actually seemed to distance himself from me after the events with Jibril over a month ago. He stopped telling me about his grand designs. I had thought for a while that he may have found out about my secret meetings with Fil.

Yet again we finished our meeting with little information actually swapped and was more just our habit to meet with each other, chat for a bit, engage in small talk, occasionally joke around at our leaders' expenses, and we've even sat in awkward silence once or twice before.

"I'll be off first Miss Fil. Say 'Hello' to Miss Kurumi for me."

"Of course Mister Tatsuya." She saw me off same as usual.

I walked along the road back toward the city when I noticed something abnormal. The surrounding area became distorted and the colors inverted. I felt the presence of something, something familiar.

"What do I owe the honor of your visit? The one true god, Tet."

I turned around toward the presence and the child-sized god stood before me looking into my eyes.

He stared at me for a bit before speaking. "Why don't you ever play games?" He seemed annoyed.

I was surprised. Tet decided to come himself to ask me this. "You know, I'm not really that good at games, so I'm not really in the mood to ever engage in a game."

Tet began to rise into the air to be at eye level with me. "You're weird, why don't you play them to get good at them?" He laughed at my expense.

My pride would be hurt if I hadn't come to the conclusion that I can't get better.

"Come on, there must be some sort of game that you're good at." Tet pressed.

I placed my hand on my chin thinking. "Hmm, I think I liked military strategy games. They were never in-depth or anything, but I enjoyed them. I was never as good as Sora and Shiro." It was the only thing that I could give either of them a challenge in back in our world. Not that I would ever beat them, but the games would last longer than 10 minutes at least. Though mostly in part because it takes a little bit of time to built up our forces.

"Then how about a game between you and I? Let me see if you really are as bad as you say." He seemed like a child that thought he was being clever.

It was curious, he'd not shown himself in all the time since we'd arrived, well except for the time he apparently appeared before Sora and Shiro, Stephani told me that she saw the tail-end of it. "Why come to me with this all of a sudden?" It seemed a legitimate question to me.

He pouted since I didn't accept right away. "Because the only game you played was boring and had no stake in it."

"Game? when did I play a ga-"

Suddenly I had a toddler glaring at me. "With that former princess, Dola-chan."

"Oh, you mean that cooking contest?" I recalled the event that he was referring to. "That wasn't meant to have stakes. I don't want anything from Stephani." Something dawned on me when I mention Stephani to him so I decided to then ask him something that I probably shouldn't have. "What did you talk about with Sora and Shiro?"

He raised a brow. " Oh so they told you about that did they? Wasn't really anything important I just confirmed that they understood the purpose I brought them here to do."

"To unite the race- exceeds and challenge you to a final game." He actually flinched from my response.

"Yes, but I'm surprised you figured it out." I felt insulted from his words. I didn't show the feeling of insult though.

I pointed to my head. "I've learned a lot about this world from Stephani and Miss Fil these last two months, as well as having the perspective of an outsider." I lowered my hand and looked toward the castle. "You've been the one true god for over a millennia hoping someone would finally be able to play you in the ultimate game, but after a while you got tired of waiting. Then with the humans on the brink of falling to the elves and losing their race piece all together you decide to find someone who is so good at games that the only being that could ever beat them is a 'God' of games." Then I turned to face him. "So you challenged them to see if they were up to the task. When they beat you, you brought them here, and by happenstance me."

Now he was floating as if laying on a bed listening to me speak. "Speaking of that, how about we make that the stake of our game?"

"Make what?"

"Your being here, what else? For someone who sounds so smart you aren't to quick in the head are you?" That actually hit me right in my pride.

"What are you proposing?"

He started to float around me. "Well, if you lose then I send you back home."

I crossed my arms. "And why exactly would I accept that?"

"Because the only reason you want to stay is because you want to help Sora and Shiro, but face it already. They don't need you anymore and just the same you no longer have a reason to stay here." I hated to admit that he was right about that at least that they no longer needed me.

"And should I win, what could you give me that would be worth while?" I inquired further.

"What would be worth the same to you?"

I didn't have an answer at all. "I don't know, I can't think of anything that equal my existence in this world. Do we have to do this now? If I am to even consider this I'll need time."

His aura changed slightly. Maybe he was annoyed that I was making him wait or happy since I was actually considering his game. "All right, how much time will you need?"

I hesitated, how could I definitively say the amount of time need to come up with something. "How about a week? I don't know if I'll have an answer by then though. But, maybe if I just had a way to contact you if I come up with an answer before then."

"Oh is that all? Here." He used his power and created a device with a button. "Press this when you come up with something. I be there, quick as a flash." He winked. "Well then, I'll be off." Just as I grabbed the device he was gone and the discoloration was gone.

I took a moment to register what he offered. I have the chance to return to my home. My parents, my family and friends. I wonder what's become of them since we disappeared from that world. They must be worried sick, gone without a trace. Or maybe Tet used his powers to fake our deaths, but given his child-like demeanor and the fact that I wasn't supposed to be here it's likely that he didn't make a plan for me. So my parents are likely beside themselves with worry. Maybe I should find a way to send them a message. My head began hurting. "Argh, I'll think about it later. I'm going to go rest." I started running back to the castle. Wasn't really sure why I was running at the time.

-That night-

I had the kitchen staff bring the siblings their food as always. Having dinner with Stephani to give her a break from the two of them, and to get an update on them. It was this night that Stephani told me something shocking. "His highness Sora has been acting weird lately, I had thought it a coincidence but it has happened multiple times so far. He as well as Her highness Shiro have been making decisions on foreign policy without wanting your input."

That was a strange thing. They made me a foreign ambassador so why wouldn't they ask my opinion? Perhaps they realized that they would be able to do so with their knowledge of psychology and sociology. "Is that so? Well, that's their right as King and Queen, don't think too much on it. My duty is simply to do as they ask is it not?"

"Of- of course." I'm certain that she merely agreed so that things wouldn't get complicated.

I wanted go and check on the siblings, but I didn't know if I should. They're working so hard to get this country moving forward.

So, of course, I found myself outside their door. I gave a loud knock. "Sora. Shiro. I'm coming in."

Entering the room I found Shiro asleep on Sora's lap while he read a book. It was a little dark on the side I stood so I could only guess what he was reading. "Oh? What brings you here Tatsuya?" His tone sounded different from usual.

"Just checking in on you two, you've been rather distant lately is all." It was an honest response but not what I wanted to say. "How goes the politics of being the king?"

"It's so boring. How these people survived with their current level of tech is beyond me." He waved his hand back and forth, his eyes never left the book he was reading. "How goes your secret meetings with the Elf-girl?"

I shudder at his words, he knew. But for how long has he known? "I have no idea what you are referring to Sora. I've been doing my duties as an ambassador. I've met with several of the other exceeds, nothing I've done has been in sec-"

"Now now, no need to lie Mister Tatsuya." Jibril's voice echoed in the room, before she appeared behind a piece of furniture. "I watched from a far, my eyes are very good at seeing great distances after all."

I got a sweat, I didn't know she was already aware that I could feel magic, so she did actions that I couldn't sense. I didn't want them to find out as they might compromise the meetings, but I have no other choice than to come clean. Shrugging my shoulders I decide to lessen the blow. "I don't see the harm in a meeting between friends."

"Any reason you kept the meetings between the two of you from Shiro and I? Seems rather suspicious." Sora closed the book finally his eye surrounded by black circles.

"Sora you've been staying up all night again haven't you? Geez I'm gonna have to whip you back into shape." I disliked that he did that in the old world but he had no responsibilities then so I tended to let it slide.

Sora rubbed his face careful not to wake Shiro. "You realize what this looks like Tatsuya, don't you? The Elves conspired to have their own slave girl take the throne of the human kingdom and take control of the country. Now you, the ambassador of the new King and Queen goes and has secret rendezvous with the same elf-girl that nearly lead to the fall of the human kingdom."

He's right it would look bad to anyone. "Sora, you can't be serious. Are you accusing me of being a traitor?"

"I'd like nothing more than it to be mere idle chat between the two of you, I even let the first couple of times slide as it could have been just that. But as it stands you've met her a total of 25 times in the last 2 months since we've taken power. How could I not be suspicious that they could of even brainwashed you without you noticing?"

I scoffed. "Impossible! You know I can tell when magic is being used. There's no way that she could have done it without me noticing something before hand."

"Not entirely true. There are other ways to control someone that includes herbs, things that even someone like you would have a hard time noticing." Jibril revealed to me.

"Herbs? So I could have been drugged? There must be some way to prove that this is nothing more that conjecture. I wouldn't ever betray y-

Sora's tone was very serious. "I'm sorry Tatsuya, but as you are suspected of treason I will have to ask you to step down and leave the castle, until this is all blown over… If it ever does."

I was rendered silent, my face became downcast. "If- If that is your decision, then…" This hut so much I could hardly bare it. "Goodbye My friend." I bowed. "Tell Shiro I'm sorry, I won't be able to see her for a while." I backed out the room.

I wasn't sure but I thought, for just a moment, I saw Sora mouth something. I was so distraught that I said nothing more. How did things come to this? Sora wouldn't just jump to that on his own, was it Jibril? Tet? I couldn't even think straight. I had left the castle without so much as a word to Stephani. It would hurt too much if I saw her cry because of something like this.

-Hours later-

I wasn't quite sunrise yet but I found myself on the top of the hill that we originally landed on when we arrived here. Even though it had only been two months grass had already started to grow in the crater we created. I sat on the rim of the crater. "What do I do? What can I do to fix this?" I looked of in the distance at the huge King chess piece. "Tet-"

"Yes?" As if he was waiting for me to say his name he popped up, quite literally, behind me.

His sudden appearance startled me, I actually fell into the crater. "Geez, I need to put a bell on you. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

He just grinned. "Aww, you look upset. What happened Mister Tag Along?"

I was distraught I hadn't any clue what to do. I never once thought that Sora would turn on me for something like this. "How? How did things come to this? I've always been on their side and now a simple whim to learn about the other exceeds without the use of text books has lost me my best friend and the little Shiro. I need to fix this."

"Hey."

"I doubt I could even convince him on my own-"

"HEY!" Tet shouted. "I came all this way, and you ignore this one true God. How rude?"

"Why would God even come at a time like this?" In that moment I had an epiphany. "Wait, you are the God so that means you should know nearly everything that transpires in this world right?"

He puffs out his chest. "Well, even if I'm not there myself I can find out the details of everything that happens. It's how I can check on the accusations of cheating that take place." Such a proud child-like god.

"Then you could clear my name, correct? I mean something like this would be trivial right?" There was a glimmer of hope for in my mind.

Instead of a straight "Yes," or a "NO," he just glared at me. "What are you willing to offer for this favor?"

"Offer? You mean that I have to give you something for this? But I have nothing to give you? Nothing I could possibly give the God of this world." I shake my head in defeat. "What would it take?"

Without missing a beat he grinned and said, "Play a game with me. You win, I clear your name. I win, you get sent back to your world."

This was too quick for me to let slide. "You, you set this up didn't you?"

He merely winked.

I had a choice: Play the game against the god of games, where when I lose I leave the two siblings and Stephani too. That or I decline the game and nothing changes, I remain exiled and Sora never trusting me again. It's wasn't even a choice. "Tet."

"Yes Mister?" He was extremely cheeky I hated it.

"What game would we be playing?"

He grinned. "How about we play a military strategy game, the kind you said you fair the best at."

Figures. "All right Tet. I'll play your game, but I want two conditions to added to the win/loss conditions." I held up two fingers holding me ground to a god.

"Oh and what would that be?" His eyebrow raised eager to hear, just so we could start his blasted game.

"First, even when I win I want you to clear my name with Sora and Shiro." It may be dumb to have my name cleared after I get sent home, but I just wanted Sora to know I still was on his side.

"Easy enough." Tet kicked back his feet as if he was in a reclining chair. His smug attitude annoyed me to no end but I had little other option. "What's the second condition?"

"Second-" I hesitated. "-If I should somehow beat you, I also want you to somehow inform my family in the other world that I am alive and well. They deserve to know that I'm ok."

He grinned. "Is that all? Easily done. Are you ready?" He held out a hand to seal the deal.

I reached out. "In the name of the ten pledges, I vow to play fair."

"Of course." Tet grinned.

We grab hands.

"ASHENTE."

DUN DUN DUH. This wasn't always my intent but I thought that this was going to be boring if there was absolutely no conflict. But Tatsuya playing against Tet? With that kind of wall, can Tatsuya overcome him like the siblings managed to? Well I hope you'll all join me next time and see what happens. Don't worry, I'm not going to make him some perfect person. That'd be an incredibly boring character. What suddenly happened to Sora? Like I said previously the story is now deviating from the original Anime (The only part I've seen). Until next time guys.

As always please leave a comment, critique, rant, or whatever you wish to leave. I accept all criticism. Please, if you enjoy this story so far please follow.

In other news, a lot has happened that has delayed me. A marriage, a death, a transfer and the adjustment to all the changes that have occurred since last time. I thank you all for you patience in this matter.