"Victory or defeat was only a trifling matter."
"The most important thing was to have fun!"
"If the process wasn't interesting enough, then even if one ultimately won this wager, it would still be nothing more than a dull and flavorless affair!!"
"Besides, how could so-called chess pieces bring out their potential without going through a few hardships and obstacles?"
"So, when things were too calm, if there were no difficulties, we had to create difficulties for them. If there were difficulties, we had to add even more difficulties!"
Faced with the doubts of the other bettors.
Orsaga righteously voiced his twisted views.
Now, if the listeners had been normal people, they might have objected to such words.
But among those present.
Obviously.
There were not many normal ones.
Therefore, though he still seemed to only half-understand.
The being who had asked the question slowly nodded anyway.
"That actually seemed to make some sense..."
And.
After pondering for a while, he decided to follow Orsaga's lead and experience that so-called enjoyment.
"Then I'll give it a try too..."
As he spoke, his slender fingertips moved slightly through the air, as though plucking at something in empty space.
Then.
A great many translucent threads emerged from that seemingly empty spot.
Next.
Like strings being played.
Those translucent threads gave off faint, delicate notes.
They were the rhythms of fate.
Gentle yet lingering, they remained for a long time without fading, as though they would continue until the end of time.
Yet, under the influence of another force, those melodies ultimately began to slowly dissipate—or rather, merge into the void...
Within an unseen domain.
Tiny ripples bloomed amid the surging torrent of fate.
The sight resembled a river's surface stirred by a soft breeze...
But in that instant, the fates of who