7 Materialization Shiritori

『Game Evaluation In Progress』

『Please Standby』

『...』

『Evaluation Complete』

『All Conditions Have Been Met』

『Game Contract Scroll Generated』

"The game has been decided." Isamu voiced calmly as he raised his hand before snapping his fingers. Immediately, the three in front of him watched as two golden scrolls floated down before hovering in front of them, one in front of the three in front and another in front of him. "The game we'll play is called Materialization Shiritori."

"Materialization Shiritori...?"

Ningguang took the scroll into her hands before scanning over it with a critical gaze, the other two behind her did the same. Ningguang had been told of the contract scroll by Keqing prior to this, so she was aware of the power behind this simple object.

Zhongli, who hadn't been explained it, stared at the contract scroll with a curious look in his eyes. He was mainly focusing on the information written on it though, which gave some rather detailed information about their upcoming game.

.

『Game Contract Scroll』

● Game Name: Materialization Shiritori

● Host: Takazawa Isamu

Participants:

● Takazawa Isamu

● Ningguang

Winning Conditions:

● The other party says a word already said previously

● The other party does not answer in the next thirty seconds

● The opponent uses an illegal word

● The other party cannot continue

Losing Conditions:

● The player fails to meet any of the winning conditions

Reward Conditions:

● If the player wins, the host must give the player three Game Boxes

.

"From the looks of things, this game you chose is a word-based game?"

"Naturally." Isamu chuckled slightly as he stood up from his seat, one hand now in his pocket as he stared Ningguang dead in the eyes. "If you don't mind telling me, Lady Ningguang. How broad of a vocabulary would you say you have?"

Ningugang, hearing this rather strange question, blinked a few times before giving her answer. "I'd consider myself quite educated, though I cannot say that my knowledge exceeds Mr Zhongli. Why do you ask?"

"It'll be important for the game we'll be playing, it's a game of knowledge after all. If you want to win, you'll have to outsmart me." Isamu responded, earning looks from the three others present. "Another question, how do you think I separate a Hard game from an Easy and Medium game?"

"I would assume you have more and stricter variables in regard to Hard games."

"That is correct, but that isn't always the case. The main difference between a Hard game and the others is that..." Isamu paused for a moment before allowing a small grin to form on his face. "The game is entirely in my favor. Your chances of winning are slim to none."

"That's quite the confidence you have." Ningguang gave a light laugh as a challenging gleam seemed to glint in her eyes. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at Isamu. "Considering it's a game of knowledge, I guess you claim to be more intelligent than I?"

"Who knows? Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Isamu shrugged casually before turning his attention to the other two, who had been silently listening. "I assume that you both will want to observe our game's proceedings?"

Keqing nodded. "Of course."

"Seeing the current situation, it would be a shame to miss out on such an interesting development." Zhongli responded with his usual tone before giving a slight nod. "If you do not mind at all, I shall watch over this game."

"Go right ahead." Isamu nodded before turning back to Ningguang. "So, let's move ourselves to a suitable location, don't you agree?"

"Where do you suggest?"

Isamu didn't give a verbal response, instead smirking slightly as he once again snapped his fingers. Isamu could hear a number of notifications from the System, but he didn't pay attention to them as the area around them all went through a massive change.

Ningguang, Keqing, and even Zhongli were all stunned when the room around them shattered apart as if made of glass. The shattered remnants dispersed into particles of light before slowly condensing and materializing around them.

The number of particles multiplied as well, to which the added particles too began to join in with the others to form an entirely new world around them. Once it was all done, the three customers looked around to see that they were now standing in a blank world.

All that could be seen was the cloudless blue sky with the bright sun shining above them, along with the flat grassy field that acted as the ground. There wasn't a single tree, mountain, bush, or anything aside from grassland.

"Wh-What is this...?!" Keqing widened her eyes to the maximum as she tried to comprehend just what was happening. She was expecting a game like she had done before, but this completely threw that out the window. "Ningguang?"

"I... don't know." Ningguang shook her head as she too was dumbfounded by this new situation. Looking down, she saw Isamu staring at them with a smile as he stood calmly a few meters in front of them. "What did you do exactly?"

"Let me welcome you to the game board, the one we'll be using for this game of ours." Isamu responded simply before resting on hand on the left side of his waist. "You can think of this as another world if that makes it easier to understand."

"Another world..."

Ningguang and Keqing had some ideas that this was probably some illusion that Isamu had managed to create, but something in their minds really went against this idea. Their guts seemed to tell them that this truly was another world... Isamu's world. His... game board.

Zhongli hadn't said a word since they were transported, he too was staring at Isamu with a new look in his eyes. Before he even knew it, he had been dragged into this new world. He had no opportunity to resist, not even a hint of being able to escape.

Even Istaroth wasn't capable of dragging others into other worlds, let alone creating a material world like this. This both concerned yet intrigued him, just who was Isamu? How could he do this? And was he a threat to Liyue... no, a threat to Teyvat?

While Zhongli couldn't properly gauge how powerful Isamu truly was, the fact alone that he could just forcefully teleport them into another physical world without resistance was alone enough to speak of his power.

Zhongli didn't believe that Isamu was an enemy, but that didn't mean he'd let his guard down, he'd have to keep an eye on Isamu from here on until he could get a complete and proper evaluation of Isamu's intentions in Liyue.

Which begins with this game.

"If you three would so kindly turn your attention upwards." Isamu spoke, the three followed his instructions as they looked up to see floating blue crystal radiating a dense yet contained light. "That device is what makes our game possible, for the most part at least."

"What exactly is this game?" Zhongli decided to ask, the question was obviously shared by Keqing and Ningguang as they looked at Isamu curiously for the answer. "You said it was called Materialization Shiritori, would you mind explaining?"

"Of course, listen up. The participants take turns answering with a noun, and the person whose turn it currently is must answer within a thirty-second-time window, they lose if they fail to do this. There are special conditions for the words as well, first being that the word you say must start with the ending letter of your opponent's last word and that it must not be a word ending with the letter 'N'."

"An interesting concept." Zhongli muttered. "I assume that by the details agreed upon within the contract, even a single second beyond the thirty-second-time window is not allowed?"

"Absolutely, the rules are the rules."

"You also mentioned illegal words." Ningguang quickly spoke up. "What constitutes an illegal word?"

"Illegal words consist of words that directly affect the physical body and are not imaginary, also..." isamu paused for a second before chuckling as he soon finished it off. "The words stated can only be words that exist here in Teyvat."

Hearing this, a spark seemed to flash in the minds of the three others present. They had wondered what Isamu's origins were, and this sentence may have given them some small insight into a possibility... and that was that Isamu wasn't from Teyvat.

Historical records have told stories about people who have traveled from beyond the world, coming and going from Teyvat as they please. Keqing already had this possibility in her mind, and this sentence from Isamu seemed to solidify the possibility of it more.

"Wait...directly affect?" Keqing seemed to notice something as her head tilted slightly before asking. "What do you mean by directly affecting? Isn't this supposed to be a word game?"

"It is a word game, just not a normal one." Isamu raised an eyebrow as he responded. "The name of the game is Materialization Shiritori, it's called that for a reason. Whatever we speak appears, and if it already exists, it disappears."

"It appears when spoken, but disappears if it is present..." Zhongli muttered as he held his chin in thought. "This game is proving to be quite the challenge indeed. It certainly isn't an ordinary game of word exchange."

"It'd be better understood when played. How about it, Ningguang?"

"Very well, then let us begin."

"Did Keqing explain to you the initiation of starting a game?"

"She did." Ningguang smiled slightly as she crossed her arms across her abdomen. "I, Ningguang of the Liyue Qixing, agree to abide by the rules and conditions set within this game."

"Then I, Takazawa Isamu too agree to abide by the rules and conditions set for this game."

With that, both parties narrowed at one another before speaking at the same time.

"Aschente!"

Just like with Keqing, the contract in Ningguang's hands shattered into fragments of light before dispersing into nothingness. Both Ningguang and Isamu were then covered by a light golden aura that began to rise from their bodies.

"The contract is sealed, and the game begins!" Isamu spoke as Ningguang observed the aura that now surrounded her body. Smiling at this, Isamu turned his attention upwards and to the right. "You two will be protected by the proceedings of this game within that bubble, there's nothing to worry about. For the most part."

True to his words, Zhongli and Keqing had now found themselves standing inside a transparent bubble that hovered above near where Ningguang and Isamu stood. Zhongli curiously tapped his hand against the bubble, it felt as if he was touching glass.

"Wait, for the most part? What does that mean...?"

"Did that word hold a special meaning, Aschente was it?"

"Oh, it's a word to seal a deal of sorts." Keqing responded after hearing Zhongli's question. "Isamu explained it as a word meaning that you agree to abide by the rules of the game and have understood the circumstances."

"I see." Zhongli hummed a bit in interest as he looked down at the two participants that were now facing each other off. "In a way, it is a word to seal a contract."

"I hope you don't mind, but I'll be taking the first turn." Isamu smiled simply as he said this. His voice quickly got both Keqing and Zhongli to fully focus on the game, with Ningguang simply giving a wave of her hand to his words. "We'll start simple. It's a pain to always stand, so... bar."

As soon as that word was spoken, Ningguang blinked in surprise when a literal bar area suddenly appeared to their right, one already fitted with multiple stools and even a rack of drinks behind the counter.

Chuckling a bit, Isamu walked over before taking a seat down on one of the available stools. Isamu gestured towards the other stools as he placed both arms on top of the counter behind him. "Feel free to take a seat."

After a small moment of silence, Ningguang walked over before sitting herself down on a stool one space apart from where Isamu sat. "...Much obliged."

"Simple game, right? You can go ahead and take your turn whenever you wish, just remember you're on the clock."

"Very well, refreshment." Ningguang spoke as a fancy tea set soon appeared on the bar counter in front of her, only that, there were also various other drinks as well such as wine and juice. Ningguang narrowed her eyes before nodding her head slightly. "I see now, the item that appeared was based on what was in my mind..."

"Yep, that's how the game works. As long as the word you say and what you imagine align with one another, then the word will be valid." Isamu nodded before giving that simple confirmation. "So, do you have any questions? Treats."

"There is one thing." Ningguang responded as she poured tea into two of the cups using the teapot. A tray also appeared next to the tea set, with a number of desserts neatly arranged on top of it. "It's about one of the conditions of the contract. Serviette."

"Thank you. What is it?"

"What does it mean when it states the other party cannot continue?"

"Ah, that one. Envelopes." Isamu nodded as three simple white envelopes appeared in his hands. He then looked at Ningguang with a smile, though his eyes were shadowed, giving them a sinister look. "It can mean many things. Such as if they can't speak, or... if they die."

"..."

After hearing that, Ningguang immediately narrowed her eyes, along with Zhongli. On the other hand, Keqing widened her eyes after hearing that. "Did he say... die? If they really can die in this game, we need to stop them!"

"I'm afraid we cannot intervene." Zhongli shook his head with a bit of a complicated look on his face. "Not only have they both agreed to the contract, but we are also powerless as long as we are confined to this sphere. There is nothing we can do now I'm afraid."

"But...!"

"Don't worry, even if we die here in this world, we'd just return to Teyvat completely unharmed." Isamu assured after hearing the conversation between Keqing and Zhongli. "I'm sure that answers your question, Lady Ningguang?"

"It does, thank you very much." Ningguang nodded in response, although she looked a bit nervous after knowing that she could very well experience death at any moment in this game. "You also said that we can say words as long as they don't directly affect the other person's physical body. I'd like to try something then. I apologize in advance, Keqing!"

Ningguang raised her voice after looking upwards to address the girl in question, which promptly earned a confused look from Keqing. Both Isamu and Zhongli gave curious looks towards the rich woman, what did she have in mind?

With her mouth curling up a bit into a playful smile, Ningguang soon gave her answer. "Stocking."

"Eh?"

Silence took over for a moment as they all stared at Ningguang with looks of dumbfoundedness, even Isamu couldn't hold his usual calm expression as his eyes blinked a few times as his mouth dropped slightly.

"..." Keqing soon felt herself shiver a bit before looking down, and what she saw were her bare legs, void of the article of clothing that covered up her light creamy skin. "Wh-Wh...! This...! Ningguang, you...!"

[A/N: I know she technically wears leggings, but we move]

Keqing was incapable of properly forming a sentence at this time as all that came out were stutters, her face gradually reddening as she looked down at Ningguang with eyes full of resentment and shame.

"Like I said, Keqing. I already apologized beforehand." Ningguang responded with a calm tone, though you could see that she was obviously smiling the entire time, obviously amused by the situation. "You did assist me in confirming something though, for that you have my greatest thanks."

Keqing wasn't sure how to respond, though when she saw that both Isamu and Zhongli had unconsciously turned their gazes to her, her face immediately turned a neon red. Zhongli coughed awkwardly as he looked back down to the game, Isamu's mouth twitching a bit as he to looked back towards Ningguang.

"Ningguang! We're having a serious conversation after this, do you hear me?!"

"I believe I understand the finer details now." Ningguang ignored Keqing's shout as she soon addressed Isamu. "Correct if I'm wrong. When you mentioned the physical body, am I correct to say that any foreign objects are excluded?"

"Exactly. Unless they don't truly belong to your natural growing body, such as limbs, facial features, and more, they don't count." Isamu nodded as he responded to the question. "Now that you have fully understood this game. I think it's time for us to get serious, don't you agree?"

"Certainly, we both are busy people after all."

"Then it's my turn..."

Isamu hopped off of the bar's seat before walking a few feet away, Ningguang and the other two followed his movements with their eyes. Isamu soon stopped before turning back with a small smile, he then calmly outstretched his open hand.

"Gnoses!"