Believing She Has Been Reincarnated into a Baseball Game, My Little Sister Is Aiming for the Koshien, While I Give It My All to Keep Her from Finding out That It’s Actually an Ntr Game - Chapter 56

If Riko refuses to talk, then there’s only one other person to confront.

After making sure Riko and Maika were asleep, I quietly slipped out of the futon and headed outside to make a call. Of course, I dialed the number of that devil who had influenced Riko—Nomo Makoto.

From what I gathered from Riko’s story, he was her accomplice. While Riko may have been the one to express her desire to die, it seemed Nomo was the one who figured out and suggested the means to achieve it.

If he’s really some “Koshien Demon,” then maybe he possesses some special power. Perhaps he’s capable of linking two unrelated things—“me going to Koshien” and “Riko dying.”

Damn it, what is this? What kind of demon are we talking about? More like a grim reaper, playing with people’s lives. I swear, I’ll kill him if I have to.

“…”

And he’s not even answering the phone! Are you kidding me?! Answer on the first ring when your boss calls, you damn subordinate!

“Damn it, if it’s come to this…”

“Hello? What’s wrong, Kyugo-kun, calling so late at night?”

As expected from Sakura Miyakotona. She picked up on the first ring, even at this hour. That’s why you get taken advantage of in NTR scenarios, man… but thanks for being the kind of guy who answers. Not that I’ll be stealing anything.

“Sorry, Sakura Miyakotona-san. It’s an emergency. I need to talk to Nomo right now about tomorrow’s game. He lives next door, right? Childhood friends who can hop between each other’s rooms via the balcony, right? Go wake him up.”

Man, childhood friends in eroge are just way too convenient.

＊

“What on earth… are you thinking… my boss… my captain…?”

About ten minutes later, we were in the park next to Nomo’s house. This was the same park where, as Sakura Miyakotona had just informed me over the phone, Nomo had once heroically defended her from boys who mocked her chest size when they were kids. He was two years younger than them, and apparently, this is where that chivalrous act took place. I almost lost my temper just hearing about it.

Well, not that it matters to him now, since he probably doesn’t remember any of that.

Under the streetlight and the faint glow of the moon, Nomo Makoto stood in his tracksuit, holding his forehead as if dealing with a headache.

I stood before him and said,

“I’ve got some questions for you, and that’s why I called you out here.”

“Do you even know what time it is!?”

“21:58.”

“It’s the middle of the night!”

“It’s not that late.”

Sure, I’d rather be asleep to get ready for tomorrow’s game, but nothing is more important than ensuring Riko’s safety. If I need to sacrifice sleep to keep Riko from dying, then so be it.

“Honestly, I can’t believe even you’re acting like this, Captain… I thought you, of all people, would understand that nothing is more important than Koshien… I was drawn not only to Riko-san but also to the fire in your eyes…”

Ah, I see. So you were watching me too, not just Riko, back at Koshien.

“Listen, Nomo. I heard everything from Riko. Turns out you’re the Koshien Demon. Were you watching me back then, when I was just a kid?”

At my words, Nomo’s eyes widened before a faint smile spread across his face. The same strange aura I saw when we faced each other on the field last month began to envelop his small frame.

As I suspected, he’s not just an ordinary human.

He’s an entity beyond human comprehension—one that has controlled the field, the stage, where Riko, Maika, I, and countless baseball boys and girls across Japan have all been captivated. And my parents somehow managed to trap this being in an NTR game… Who even started this whole NTR thing? Was it a Hanshin Tigers player into stealing teammates’ partners? Who?

“So, you found out. Well, if Riko-san is fine with you knowing, I don’t mind either. Didn’t I tell you before? Fourteen years ago, I was captivated by that angelic smile, as you stood there gazing at Koshien. I will grant Riko-san’s wish.”

As Nomo spoke, his face glowed with a dreamy, contented expression, like a devout follower entranced by the words of their cult leader.

“By the way, Nomo—or should I say, Demon—how old were you in the previous world?”

“My age? For beings like me, such a concept doesn’t exist… but I’ve been the second-generation demon since the 29th Koshien tournament in 1947.”

“You’re an old geezer, and a lolicon to boot…!”

“Lolicon? Is that another Major League term? I really don’t care for those pointless advanced stats or sabermetrics. If they want to use that stuff in professional baseball, fine, but bringing it into the sacred ground of Koshien is an insult to high school baseball.”

His views on baseball are as old as they come. Well, at least he’s not one of those guys who say weight training will make you slow. He’s probably serious about improving his own skills in baseball… but this isn’t the time to talk about that.

Learning that he’s the Koshien Demon was shocking, sure, but there’s something far more important right now.

I need to figure out how to protect Riko.

First, I need to understand why me going to Koshien would lead to her death. Alright, let’s go.

“You really are something, Demon. The fact that you managed to come up with a connection between me going to Koshien and Riko dying… I was stunned when Riko told me.”

“Heh, of course. I’ve been doing this demon thing for a long time. My powers allow me to see things humans wouldn’t even think of. It’s just one of the abilities I possess as a demon.”

“But I still can’t believe it. Is it really true? That if I go to Koshien, that… thing… will happen?”

“Yes, of course. After all, the condition to clear this world, ‘Live Broadcast! Powerful Koshien,’ is for you and the Netora Academy baseball team to reach Koshien.”

“I see… What a logical deduction! So that’s how it happens, and as a result, that thing…”

“Exactly. If you clear the game and reach the end of this world, this world will come to an end. Once the world ends, those of us who were reincarnated here—me, Riko-san, you, and Maika-senpai—will return to our original world.”

“Ah, of course! So that means! That thing! And as a result…!”

“Riko-san, who was already dead in the original world, will return to her dead state. She was relieved that she could finally be your number one again, as a lost and deceased presence.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. I totally understand now. I already knew all this from Riko, but hearing it again from the great Demon himself really drives it home!”

The demon was easy to crack. As expected of an old man—he loves to talk and share his glory stories. I just had to guide him, and he spilled everything on his own.

But now I get it. The idea is that by me clearing the game, the world reaches its ending, and all the reincarnated characters are sent back to their original world.

Yeah.

I have a lot to think about, but first things first, I can’t ignore the itching urge to point out something. I want to call out the smug demon, who’s so proudly explaining everything. I have to shout it out.

“Hey, do you seriously think this world is a baseball game!? This is an NTR game!!”

Ah, that felt good.

But why the hell would he make that kind of mistake? Oh, right. It’s my fault. I was pretending this world was a baseball game so that Riko, who believed she was in a baseball game, wouldn’t realize she’s in an NTR game. That’s why I’ve been aiming for Koshien.

Because I made Riko believe that, this guy—her ally and worshiper—also believed it. Of course, he would.

“NTR? What’s that? Hah… Another new Major League stat, I suppose. You know, the only stat that really matters is game-winning RBIs.”

What is he even talking about? And wow, this guy knows nothing about this side of things. I guess that makes sense since he’s the Koshien Demon.

But now I get it.

These guys were completely misunderstanding the situation. They spent four whole months operating under the assumption that this world was a baseball game, forming a plan based on that false premise.

That’s… kind of sad… I mean, it’s my fault. I’m the one who caused this misunderstanding.

“Wait, so, does that mean…?”

If I just leave things as they are, there’s no problem at all… right?

I mean, this isn’t really a baseball game, so even if I go to Koshien, the world won’t end. Which means Riko won’t die… right?

Thank goodness!

Seriously, thank goodness. I thought I was going to be stuck in some kind of final-act protagonist dilemma like, “I have to keep my promise to go to Koshien, but if I do, Riko will die.” I’m so glad that’s not the case—

—Wait, hold on!

“Wait a second, Nomo. Whether it’s a baseball game or an NTR game, will the world really end and we’ll return to the original world if we clear the story?”

That’s the real issue here. Sure, it sounds convincing, but there’s no proof. It’s just a hypothesis.

Yet, Nomo looks completely unfazed and replies,

“Of course. How else would we return to the original world?”

“Huh? Why is returning even a given in the first place?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We have to be able to return. Otherwise, it’d be a problem.”

“Excuse me?”

“If I don’t return, I can’t fulfill my role as the Koshien Demon. I need to inspire all the high school baseball players and fans with genuine emotions. It’d be a disaster for me and for Koshien.”

“…This guy…!”

He only believes what’s convenient for him!

This guy has probably had everything in his life go exactly the way he wanted, so now he’s completely ruled by wishful thinking! It’s not even optimism anymore—he’s like a king! Arrogant! An innocent dictator! Well, of course, he’s the Koshien Demon, after all!

I almost grab my head in frustration, but then I reconsider.

Wait, hold on. Can I really dismiss the idea that the world ends when the game is cleared?

Unlike this guy, I don’t want this world to end. Returning to the original world would cause all sorts of problems for me. So, am I rejecting the possibility out of sheer denial, without any proof? Am I the one engaging in wishful thinking?

…

Let’s assume for a moment that Nomo and Riko’s theory is correct—that the world will end when the game is cleared.

The first thing I can say for sure is that this world isn’t a baseball game—it’s an NTR game.

So, the idea that going to Koshien will send us back to the original world is wrong.

But if we do clear the NTR game, then maybe this world will end.

The condition to clear the NTR game—reaching the ending—is obviously for the protagonist to have the main heroine stolen.

In other words, Nomo Makoto has to lose Sakura Miyakotona—wait a second.

That might be the clear condition for ‘Live Broadcast! Powerful Koshien,’ but it’s not the condition for this world to end. Even if Nomo loses Sakura Miyakotona, that wouldn’t end the world. It wouldn’t be enough.

That’s because this game is part of a series. There’s a sequel that shares the same world, and in fact, we’ve already entered the timeline of that sequel.

We’re now living in the world of ‘Boku Kaeru!’.

The protagonist of this world is Yogi Souta. The main heroine is the student council president.

So, the clear condition is probably for Yogi Souta to have the student council president stolen from him, right?

Wait. Doesn’t that mean I’ve already prevented that from happening?

To make sure Riko didn’t realize this world was an NTR game, I created a situation where Yogi Souta could never get stolen. I kept him away from the student council, and I made sure the main heroine—the student council president—was already with Yogi’s older brother. I ensured that she became a married woman and a complete weirdo before Yogi even had a chance to meet her.

So, there’s no way Yogi Souta’s NTR or BSS (best-supporting spouse) scenarios can happen.

Which means the game can’t be cleared, and the world won’t end! So I don’t need to do anything, after all!

In the end, pretending to aim for Koshien to prevent Riko from realizing this is an NTR game was the best way to stop her from dying!

In other words, I win!

“I never thought the game’s power would push me to grant Riko-san’s wish like this. And to think I, too, would end up in this game world… It seems the Koshien Demon’s power is just too strong for me to fully control…!”

He’s basically turned into some middle-aged guy with a severe case of chūnibyō, hasn’t he? This old geezer has no idea that his power is just the result of my perverted parents’ self-insert creation… and maybe some miracle caused by a Hanshin Tigers player who’s into NTR. Who is it?

“Well, playing baseball as a high schooler again has been amazing! But I can’t stay in this world forever. I’ll make sure to fulfill Riko-san’s wish, and then—”

“Hold on, Riko!”

A frantic voice interrupted the demon’s speech. It came from behind me, and yeah, it was a voice I recognized all too well.

Maika… What is she doing here? I thought I had snuck out without anyone noticing.

But then again, she’s my wife. We’re practically in sync. She must’ve followed me out of worry, knowing exactly what I’d be up to.

Still, it’s late. Right now, shouldn’t she be watching over Riko instead of… Wait.

Did she just shout something about Riko?

Huh? No. Wait. What? No way.

“…”

Cold sweat ran down my back. My heart began to pound in my chest.

I silently prayed to any god out there—wait, does that mean the gods of this world are my messed-up parents? My “extra skin” dad and “hairy, big-nippled” stepmom? Yeah, whatever, I’ll take anyone. Just please, please, let it only be my inverted-nippled wife behind me when I turn around—

“Onii-san.”

—Of course my prayers weren’t answered. There’s no way my “extra skin” dad and “hairy, big-nippled” stepmom have that kind of power.

“Ri-Riko… You really shouldn’t be out this late…”

Her pale skin, squishy cheeks, thin lips, and those big eyes staring up at me. The eyes that were always filled with trust in me were now brimming with uncertainty and doubt. Even though there’s no supernatural power at work, somehow, in the darkness, her figure was the only thing I could see clearly.

And my squishy angel, looking at her frozen brother, slowly opened her trembling lips.

“What is… an NTR game?”

“…Ah.”

Yeah, it’s over.

She heard everything.

After four months of desperately trying to keep my sister, who believed we were in a baseball game, from realizing this was an NTR game—I was finally exposed.

Here I was, worrying about how the main protagonist’s game would end, only to have my spinoff hit a game over. Oops.