＜Infinite Dendrogram＞

Episode Three, Match Two.

□ [Saint Knight] Ray Sterling

Game one of the tournaments ended and I had a hard time winning.

The decision-maker is the first wind hoof bomb in a long time.

Even if your opponent is too fast to aim, an explosion centered around you... if you attack simultaneously in all directions, you can hit it.

Besides, I also thought that if it were on the arena, it would fall within the scope of the effects of wind and hoof bombs.

... Well, I think it turned out to be too powerful because it was an air-leak-free enclosed space, but still good because both Lang's halley and junction could stand it. We settled before this one fell because of the blast that brought us back from the junction.

By the way, I was going to disarm them at that point if they re-stormed me in the middle of compressing the wind and hooves.

If the wind hoof is released in response to contact with the barrier, it is definitely hit. However, in that case, it would have been a bet to defeat Lang or if I would have died in the assault first.

Whatever it is, I can safely say it reads as it turns out.

I also talked to Lang a little after the game. Though we were surprised by each other's unexpected hands, I think we had a clean game.

"... a clean game of spiralling air and poison gas? I don't feel environmentally friendly."

"Kisher (Eco...... where?

Don't say that.

Now, if you look back at this game and say what the winning factor is, it would be a lot of bills.

Even if the usual means of attack, such as temper and counters, were disabled, they could win because there were still silver wind and hoof bombs left.

That's my strength, and I could feel the local power fighting Lang slightly above me.

Nemesis, three perks of weaponry, specializing in a variety of counter abilities, and silver.

Because of their alignment, you can choose a hand card that works well even if it is outweighed by local power and find a winning opportunity.

"All right! Three games left in the qualifying round, let's win!

"Uhm!"

Winning the first round also gave me confidence.

Even from World War II at this rate......

[Reiji, can we talk now?

"Hmm?"

My brother contacted Fuji [Telepathic Cuff].

[Oh. I'm fine. I just won World War I]

[Really? Actually......]

My brother somehow had a rushed or troubled vibe sometime.

You seem hesitant to tell me something.

[... No, fine. Talk after qualifying]

[Huh? Oh, yeah]

[Three games left, hard working bear]

That's how the correspondence from my brother went out.

After all, I don't even know what the business was.

"What was that?

"... come on?

Me and Nemesis looked at each other, tilting their necks at a call from our brother who didn't get the guidelines.

◇

Going down the aisle and back to the holding room, he caught the attention of the indoor again.

I know they said, "Did you win after all," etc., but it wasn't as easy a battle as they said, "After all," etc.

It's a losing match if it's damaged. Especially if you could have folded a little more at the beginning where the opponent's palm was unknown, or if the first flying assault had been a direct hit, you would have lost.

"Umm."

Nemesis is out on the crest, but there are people around him, so he responds to me by reading.

"I knew it, but in battle with each other, the first sight is horrible"

Yeah. I tasted the fear of being individually different, but therefore not knowing anything in my hand.

When I fought [Demon General] or [Beast King], I had some grasp of my hand because it was famous over there.

Now I know it's the other way around.

'I guess we'll need the means to avoid the first sight. [Brooch] cannot be used in a duel, and [Dead Soldier] 's skills cannot be activated. My Counter Absorption also threatens to fail to defend accurately

... Right.

I figured we should get ahead of ourselves and roll out Hell's Chi early in the game.

Lang was rendered powerless by duplicate M.O., but still, I'm pretty sure this is an effective tactic. If you decide, the opponent's movement is definitely dull.

If the opponent lacks the means to strike in the air, there are also hands to evacuate into the air in silver.

All you have to do is fill up the air and launch a long-range attack with flames, sometimes Shining Dispersal.

"... of, what do you mean, very, very... not a villain it?

............... Actually, I thought so too.

But I can't help but lose because I care how good it looks.

"It's convincing, says the lord who ate the undead and the devil a thousand times..."

"Well, yeah.... Soon."

You're a little tired in the first round, your eyes start glowing.

After all, he was mentally fatigued than he thought the game with Lang would be.

"We still have time until World War II. I'm watching, so you can just take a little sleep. '

"Oh...... it's a little sweet for you to say.... Oh, be careful not to let the little gal fool me."

"Kisher."

Tell Nemesis that, and I'll close my eyes a little.

Then my consciousness fell into my own sleep, not an abnormal state as a game.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Bird King. Do you know the word metagame?

In my dreams, I heard a familiar voice.

That's not what I saw in the morning, it's just a dream.

The sight in my memory. It's a sight from high school.

When I was in high school, I sat in front of the table, and opposite each other, the director of Electric Travel Research sat.

"No, I don't know..."

"Yes, it's mostly a term for card games, but I wonder if it means something like an environmental intelligence-gathering battle."

"Environment…"

The manager is spreading his trading card on the table. Arrange cards by level and type, overlap the same cards, bunch to use for matches...... I was just putting together a deck.

"The card game environment changes from moment to moment. Contents of the latest expansions, a list of prohibitions and restrictions to be updated. Popular deck. Combo being discovered. It is very important that we gather that information before we go to the Games on the deck. You know why?

"Card games are amateurs..."

"Yes. Don't worry. Because I'll tell you."

Electronic travel research is a computer game club activity, but hobby magazines and hobby comics also fit into the shelves of the club.

That's because the senior's hobby is analog games, especially card games.

Being a new joiner, I have been solicited to your path, and I got a starter deck, playmats, etc., so I think I have to do it.

"It's important to gather environmental information in order to increase your chances of winning many competitions. For example, if a deck containing many effects of searching for any card from the deck (in a bill) is popular, if you keep a card on your deck that forbids searching, you can use many of your opponent's cards as paper scraps. That's what I'm talking about."

"... some parts of me don't understand jargon, but I generally do."

"But on the contrary, if you fight a deck opponent who doesn't use search, a search ban card becomes a piece of paper. Pre-game deck fashion readings. Some things can be fixed with changes from the side, but I'm very concerned about building the deck, including that."

Even though he says he cares, the general manager will be very happy to put the deck together.

"Then why don't we just put all kinds of countermeasure cards on the deck so we can deal with all kinds of cards?

"That's not a mistake either, but stability really drops. And..."

The manager narrows his eyes and continues his words.

"Sometimes, there's a pointless deck of precautions."

"Huh?"

"Earlier, you said the combo being discovered, right? Some people find an unknown combo and bring it to the tournament. In this era of information society excellence, an unknown and vicious combo that has not spread. Many of them occur in a combination of old forgotten cards and the latest. Over time, things that were forgotten (...), things that were forgotten (...) strip their fangs"

…………

"Well, as an issue before that..."

The general manager cuts words there once and utters the following words with his eyes closed.

"Sometimes a game involving random elements creates an event bias (...) that outperforms pre-prep"

The manager opened his eyes and looked into both my eyes.

"Bird King. You'll see that in the game in about three years, so be careful. Play... it won't be this card game though"

"Hey, how do you know that...?

Suddenly I start to say what I predicted, and I ask the manager with nervousness.

In contrast, the General Manager......

"That's what my deck building fortune tells me."

"It's divination ⁉"

At the time, I was going, "I've never heard of it, ⁉"

"You're going to hit me with a straw. Even when I occupied the deputy director, it hit me enough to pull. Just the cards."

"... even if they say it on Doya's face"

"Well, that's why you be careful in three years"

In the words of such a general manager...... my dreams were broken.

◇ ◇ ◇

I woke up feeling shaken.

"Ray, it's time. They called me."

"Oh......"

Looking next door, Nemesis had his hand on my shoulder. You must have woken me up.

Looking at the time, it's only been half an hour or so.

Does acceleration make progress faster, and if it comes to two games, the number of games itself will be less?

…………

Think a little about your dreams.

Why did you dream about that time now?

The reward of the worm, but not the good.

Hi...... I'm having too many implicit dreams today.

"Three Years Later..."

From the spring of one year of high school, three years.

That's just... isn't this the time?

"Ray?"

"... no, I'm fine"

Switching my mind, I followed the guide to the stage again.

... I just couldn't let that thought that I should have switched away from my heart.

◇

On stage, I dive black as well as in World War I.

Now they say I'm in first, and I still don't see the other guy.

As in Game One, ride silver.

…………

Even as we move on to World War II, we're still nervous.

Still, you should be grasping what looks like a winner (...).

If someone isn't equipped with an oxygen mask like Lang, some of it should also work (...).

All you have to do is make time to figure out who you're dealing with with with a condition anomaly, an advantage in the air, and select a valid one from the bills you can hold (...).

So... you should be able to win (...).

"Ray."

"What's up, Nemesis"

"On the thought and the back, the expression is hard. And you seem to be telling yourself, too. '

…………

I get told, I do realize that my face is tense.

At the same time, my heart flutters.

"... I have a bad feeling"

Content of the previous dream, divination three years ago.

Is that a hint of something, or like a curse... a feeling that is strangling me.

I don't know if there's anything I can do about this... I have a feeling.

'Don't worry. Me and the Lord are strong now. No matter what kind of bucket comes out, you can't possibly resist it'

Nemesis told me that to encourage and arouse me.

Thanks to you, I feel a little lighter in my heart.

"... thank you"

When I thanked such a nemesis, I couldn't help but see the other person in the aisle beyond the junction.

"... Huh?

'What... you say?

Before the start of the game, the passage of time in the junction seems to be the same as outside, and the person walking in is visible as it is.

But yes, but because of that... I noticed.

The bad feeling I was feeling was the right thing to do.

That the department manager's fortune was... really big enough to pull off.

Stunning In front of me and Nemesis, the opponent dives into the juncture... and takes the stage.

I showed up - a Nordic-style beauty in a chinese dress (...) (...).

The person is......

"Wow. Long time no see."

- The fourth person in the kingdom, the "Sake Pond Flesh Forest” ray.

He was also named a member of the.

"... Long time no see. Um, Mr. Raleigh...... what about pre-registration?

Why, Mr. Raleigh is here.

I asked with a confusing head.

"Jump in. When I logged in because I was occasionally available for work, I was able to win the lottery and attend the event. What an exciting event you might be able to fight. I'm glad I can play with you."

Are you enjoying being able to attend the event or are you enjoying being able to fight me as a clan member? Mr. Raleigh responds to me as Nico.

... Sometimes I'm convinced to hear what Mr. Raleigh has to say.

There was indeed such a system. When the absentee leaves, it's the draw of the day.

Coincidentally, the absentee came out, coincidentally, Mr. Laylay's plans were vacant, and coincidentally, Mr. Laylay slipped into the vacant frame.

Just a coincidence, event bias (...).

…………

I was losing my mind (...).

Mr. Laylay doesn't see himself from time to time, and it's difficult to log in regularly.

It's hard to get in touch.

Even this time, my brother told me that I was busy at work.

That's why there was no zero chance of joining the “tournament” (...).

What was my brother's business earlier... first of all, no doubt, this is it.

I guess I stopped trying to talk about Mr. Laylay winning the frame.

Which way, if you go up to the main race, the tournament table will be released, and I guess you thought it was a bad idea to tell me first and make me nervous for nothing.

But this situation now. Me and Mr. Raleigh are batting from the qualifying round.

A random lottery result produced a match between the same clans in the tournament table.

Event bias that outweighs advance preparation.

But no way, more importantly, it's going to be me and Mr. Laylay.

"... Ray"

There is also a seep of agitation in the voice of Nemesis.

Confrontation between clan members. Depending on what you look at, one can say for sure that we will move on.

But when I saw it personally... perhaps the biggest wall of the tournament was this battle.

"... that's the third time"

"... um"

Fighting the kingdom's < super >, except my brother.

For the first time, Mr. Figaro had accidental contact.