＜Infinite Dendrogram＞

□ [Destroyer King] Shu Sterling

I hear a little bird chirping from somewhere, and I open my eyelids.

With a blurred vision...... I realized I was asleep.

"... you were asleep"

He lost consciousness while he was thinking about what had happened once.

Because of that, I feel like I've been having terrible nostalgic dreams.

With him... it was my dream the last time I saw him.

"Heck..."

My body's senses returned as my sleeping consciousness awoke, and I learned a little chills.

It's a warm Gideon night, but not even wearing a guru was a failure.

"I guess I should have thought about it when I got back to my room..."

I have more than four digits of END (endurance), so I was outdoors overnight and not so mild that I got sick, but my body was still cold.

Wear your usual clothes in Instant Attachment.

While doing so, the sky also began to whiten, and the sun was about to rise.

'Hmm?'

When he dropped his gaze on the arena, Ling Er and Luke appeared from the entrance and exit to the stage.

It's fully armed, too.

They're going to use arena equipment early in the morning to make the last adjustments for today's “tournament".

I guess Luke is that sparring partner.

Even now, Luke has a first-line status and number of skills if he uses Union Jack.

It also allows you to choose from three types of fused opponents: Marilyn with high muscle strength and endurance, Audrey with flying ability, and Liz with physically disabled fast attack. Enough as a virtual enemy of the fierce fighting in the Tournament.

Within the boundaries of the arena, the two began mock warfare.

"... hum"

An early turning battle using the junction function, but I can see Luke the Dragon Demon well and Reiji against it.

Did Luke just pick that in the first place because he would do it in turn?

Or because I'm doing it with the intention of winning, so I stepped on Liz's steel demon as incompatible with Reiji, who uses fixed damage and flames?

The difference in status is clear, but it still eats up to criticality.

At first, he turns to take it while using the "reversal" of the state anomaly measures, and when he accumulates a damage counter, he narrows the target of "Tracker" to AGI and is out fighting back.

I'm up against Luke's spear with two swords, but in simple stats, I can't do damage to Luke, who became a Dragon Demon.

The means of attack is narrowed to [Armor] and "Revenge".

No, here Reiji "Instantly Equipped" that axe out of the item box.

"I'm not equipped. I was just saying. Try it in the junction."

Is it a good idea to try it here before using it in the tournament?

I still don't see any anomalies when equipped. He also uses instead of shields to prevent Luke's spear shooting, which he has penetrated.

But if my predictions are correct...

"Ah."

- Moments, the roar sounds.

At the same time that I could hear enough explosions to penetrate the junction, that axe was dancing the circle and the universe.

That guy's right arm that was supposed to have it was... shattered (...) blown away (...).

I guess he turned from defense and tried to use the axe to attack.

But I can't even shake it down, I just shake it up and my right arm is shattered and scattered.

"... that's what curse weapons are for."

Naturally, there is a risk associated with use.

That axe would be the worst guy I've ever seen.

If you say goodbye, my [Gloria γ] is also a curse gear, but I feel worse than that.

… at least not by the “tournament”.

…………

They both looked surprised by the rupture of their right arm... but still Luke pursued them and snapped their necks.

Relentless.... I'm the one who worked out though.

So the first set was finished and the junction was lifted.

Within the junction, if the HP reaches zero, the game is over. The Last Command of [Dead Soldier] is also not activated. I can't move my body if I snap my neck when it's activated.

... Based on that, did Luke also snap his neck?.

"... make-!

"Haha. It's like an accident."

Ling Er has also returned to her right arm to satisfy her five bodies.

... I thought that axe would not heal even the wounds in the junction, but will it heal there?

"... this is a seal for a while"

"Uhm. Until we go a little further with the curse, it's dangerous and I can't keep one of Ray's hands on this"

After Ling Er served that axe in a terrifying item box,

"... All right! One more time."

I got my mind back on it and started the second set lightly.

Even in mock warfare, it's usually something I might think about some more if my arm blows up.

... I guess you're used to it.

They've been working with Lord Figa and Ranker in mock warfare before.

Is it the result?

"........................ Different"

How much time has passed since Ling Er came over.

It's been over a month in real life, and he seems to have fallen out of the category of Rookie.

He encounters numerous powerful enemies, overcomes them, or loses them, but they don't break, and he keeps doing it.

Each time I did so, I gained experience and became stronger.

The level increased and the technology improved.

Still, my heart... I'm sure it hasn't changed for a long time.

For a long time, he had a strong heart.

He was the one with the weakness, hurt, and still strong.

Zex said I had 'strong correctness'.

But let me tell you... 'Strong Heart' belongs to him.

That's the same here.

In keeping with his heart, he also gained the power of.

"... Still, you haven't"

Still...... it's still early (...).

Not yet, not then.

"... this is how the Zex guy felt, too?

Did he think the same thing when I was smoking in a senior position?

…………

If his long-awaited battle was then, when will my hopes come true?

With that in mind, I kept watching the mock fight between the two of us.

◆ ◆ ◆

■ "Prison”

The “prison” was very quiet that morning.

[Plague King] Because almost all the < Master > died from bacteria sprayed in cities in “prison” by Candy Carnage.

And those who had survived exceptionally have also been terminated by Gabella.

Only those belonging to < IF > live in this city.

So now there is only Zex in the coffee shop, which is also their residence.

There are no other two figures, and Aprile, a brilliant ballman, is truly alone because he is also punished by an item box.

…………

Zex closes his eyes on the chair in the store... sleeping.

I was alone in the coffee shop last night.

I will no longer come back here than I decided to leave “prison”.

That's why I was cleaning up a store that had so many memories.

Both tables and chairs are covered in item boxes except for what Zex is using right now.

Dishes and furniture are also covered in item boxes to prevent standing birds from clouding their tracks.

The only exception is the clock that stays hung on the wall.

"… in the morning, is it"

The clock on the wall pointed to six o'clock, and Zex woke up as the light of dawn plunged in.

There is dawn and dusk in the “prison” and the weather changes.

It has an artificially controlled environment, as if it were an SF immigration ship.

I guess that's not just Redking, but also with the help of other management AIs.

However, the management AI other than Redking will not be involved in Zex's future attempts to do so.

Because if you try it on them, it's also free.

'If it's possible, you can do it.'

"... you had a nostalgic dream"

That was just before I fell into this “prison”.

I remember the last time I saw Shu... when I fought.

Zex smiles unknowingly at the remnants of that dream sensation.

In that fight, Zex thought he'd get 'himself'.

I thought if I bumped my soul into everything with a different shu... I would create a 'self' for myself who is no one.

But I didn't... Shu was told from his own mouth.

In fact, there is no such thing as the feeling of getting 'myself' in Zex.

Even if it did, I'm sure I don't know.

To him, he himself remains the same.

But I've only changed a little… I've changed things.

Ever since that battle, I looked beyond the policy I had set myself - 'evil'.

I started something that hadn't been done before, like Shu said.

The result is this coffee shop.

I learned how to brew coffee, got my hands on the glass worker, and opened the store.

He appeared to be an exemplary prisoner and also participated in Ledking's planned event. I've read books and written some thoughts.

Ironically, these days in “prison” would have been the most truly lived time for Zex.

Even if it's real.

Live your days, talk to acquaintances, spend time with your peers, and face the occasional side-by-side disturbances.

That could have been a way of life like...... shu.

And the 'self' thing could have been something you could do little by little in living like that.

Or...... if he had spent all this time here, sooner or later Zex might have gotten 'himself' without realizing it.

My days here... are over now.

"Well..."

Zex looks at the watch as it hangs on the wall.

Look a little past six o'clock.

"In less than six hours, you're also saying goodbye here"

Zex gets up from his chair and walks out of the store.

I jumped lightly after I went outside...... I grew wings on my back.

That's been stocked before I was incarcerated, Juliette's phraseverk wings.

One that I made several replacements in this “prison" and still kept leaving behind.

…………

Winged with black wings as it were, Zex ascends to the “prison” sky.

Clear skies that seem to fly everywhere.

But Zex knows. This sky has walls at an altitude of about 1000 meters.

I know that in the end it is a cage and it is only a cage (...).

A cage where no one can leave or has never exited until after finishing his sentence.

Once known as "the incarnation of a birdcage", the cage of the subspace created by Embrio.

Looking down at such a small world, Zex shrugs.

"You had everything, even small"

Specifications that can isolate a major offender, that's "prison."

It's a battle against the guilty, to cultivate the innocent.

And suppose not to be imprisoned in “prison," sinful (...) to raise < master (...) > (...).

Both of those struggles and mechanisms to encourage growth.

Therefore everything is also in place here, the land of defeat and isolation.

There is a city.

There is a dungeon.

Some items are rare.

Job crystals are also available in all countries.

Tian doesn't have to be here. Yes.

You'll be able to make company, too.

Or there would be a struggle between prisoners.

Therefore, there will also be growth.

Growth to drop in “jail”.

Growth to avoid falling into “prison”.

And growth after falling into “prison”.

This is also one of the systems for aligning 100 Super Emblios.

In fact, there are two Masters who went to Super in this “prison".

This is a “cage” for isolation, and a "bird cage” for growing (...) after isolation.

All of the prisoners are just chicks for Redking - less than.

I was convinced that I would never let you go.

…………

Oh, no, by the “birdcage” heaven.

Zex looks down quietly at the “prison” turned into a deserted city with no one...

"... today, it's goodbye"

That's what the man whined about leaving behind a prison term that was still hundreds of years short.

The day he gets out on a positive offense is far away.

Therefore, the means of his bidding farewell...... sin in the way.

"Redking"

Zex looks up at the sky with the ceiling…, looking up at the person who would be looking down at everything, including himself, ahead.

- You're getting out of jail today.

- I declared a jailbreak.

Why did he fly with his wings on his back?

That's to burn the appearance of your little world in the eyes one last time where you're never willing to go back.

And for a chick in a “bird cage” to tell her she's "leaving" in search of freedom.

Already, I've got wings.

“The bird cage” is unnecessary, the chick told him.

◆

The first day of the “tournament” in Gideon.

“Prison” began a challenge to the alleged impossibility of a major crime (escape).

To be continued