The Great Spirit and I glided through the sky high above the Royal Capital.
At this altitude, we were likely invisible to the people below. However, anyone with even a passing knowledge of magic would have sensed her overwhelming presence. No doubt more than a few had collapsed from sheer terror.
The wind whipped past us. Had I still been flesh and blood, I would have shivered in the cold, but in this form, such physical discomforts were muted. Looking up, the moon hung in the night sky—a silver crescent casting its quiet light over the world. It was a beautiful sight, but I was in no position to enjoy it.
Flying ahead of me, the Great Spirit surveyed the cityscape below. "It is a fine city," she remarked. "I can see the ideology of its ruler reflected in its streets."
"Is that so?" I replied tersely, remaining on high alert.
There was no sign of aggression from her. It didn't seem like she intended to catch me off guard with a lethal strike. I knew she wasn't one for such underhanded tactics, but I felt a flicker of relief nonetheless.
The Great Spirit stopped in mid-air and turned to face me, her eyes locking onto mine.
"Demon King. Tell me, what is your goal?"
Her gaze was sharp and piercing. There was an intent to judge me behind the question, so I answered with absolute resolve.
"—To become the world's sole absolute enemy. To unite humanity against me and ensure world peace."
It was the same mission I had held since my days in the Valley of the Dead. I had pursued it relentlessly since then, and I had no intention of wavering now.
The Great Spirit studied me in silence for a moment before finally looking away. The aura surrounding her seemed to soften, if only slightly.
"I see. I have spoken with many who claimed the mantle of Demon King, but I have never heard such a purpose before."
"Do you mean to stand in my way?"
"Hardly. You are an enemy of mankind, but you do not threaten the existence of the world. Therefore, I cannot intervene."
She declared this as if it were a fundamental truth, but I caught a strange dissonance in her words. She hadn't said she "wouldn't" intervene, but that she "couldn't." It wasn't a slip of the tongue; the distinction was vital.
(What does she mean by that?)
As I pondered this, the Great Spirit suddenly drew closer. She made a small gesture, almost like placing a finger to her lips.
"From your reaction, I take it you are unaware of the Great Spirit's true purpose?"
"True purpose?"
I searched my memories from the Valley of the Dead. If that knowledge had once been there, it had long since eroded into shadows. There was nothing in my studies from my previous life that explained this, either.
"Forgive me. I lack that particular insight."
"It is understandable. Such things have been lost to the shifting tides of time." She shook her head, her tone detached rather than accusatory. She spoke with the air of one who had seen eons pass. "To begin with, this is not my true form. You realized that, yes?"
"Yes. You are an Avatar."
"Correct. I act through this fragment of myself because my true body cannot manifest in this world at this time."
"And the reason you cannot manifest relates to your purpose?"
"Indeed. I will explain."
The Great Spirit ascended, looking down at me with a regal air.
"The Great Spirits are Defense Mechanisms born from the Laws of the World. We exist solely to prevent the destruction of this planet."
"Existences to prevent the world's destruction..."
I repeated the words to myself. I had never seen a single record suggesting the Great Spirits served such a function.
"I am not the only one. Other Great Spirits and the Dragon Gods are similar examples. Though some have perished over the long centuries, new ones are born to take their place."
She revealed one revelation after another, all of them entirely new to me. Perhaps there was an age when men knew these things, but time had weathered the truth into dust.
"Existences like ours possess immense power, but we are bound by a specific constraint. We cannot manifest unless a threat arises that endangers the existence of the world itself. We are unable to interfere in anything of a lesser scale."
She shared her greatest limitation with startling ease. I had heard scholars propose such theories—that these beings were bound by some sort of celestial contract. It seemed they were right.
"So the legends of Great Spirits and Dragon Gods were all instances of the world facing true annihilation?"
"Fact and fiction are often blurred in your texts, but that is the general truth. Otherwise, we act through Avatars as I am now. So long as it is not our true self, we have a certain degree of freedom."
"A certain degree of freedom... enough to wipe out the Imperial Capital, then."
I pointed out the tragedy from a few days ago. Countless lives had been lost at her hands. She merely nodded, unfazed.
"Yes. I cannot destroy the world, but the Imperial Capital is inconsequential to its survival. If I wished, I could wipe out the human race entirely."
It was a chilling statement. She was a living disaster, a force of nature beyond human reckoning.
(...And I suppose I am much the same.)
In terms of the scale of damage, my own tally of destruction already eclipsed hers, and it would only grow. To the people, we were undoubtedly two sides of the same coin. I mocked myself internally before shifting the topic.
"I understand. But if you are a Defense Mechanism of the world, why do you not find my existence loathsome?"
"I answered you earlier," she replied immediately, her tone certain. "You are not one who will destroy the world. You fall outside the conditions for my manifestation. I knew this intuitively from the moment we first met, but I became certain after hearing your objective."
It was a question that required no thought for her. Indeed, she had only attacked me once—and even then, it felt more like she was taking her frustration out on me during a tantrum. Since then, she had shown no hostility. She truly had no intention of fighting me.
That was for the best. She was an opponent I would have to face with everything I had, and if we were to fight, I would not be able to protect the surroundings. I wanted to avoid a confrontation at all costs.
"Defense Mechanisms are not allies of humanity," she continued. "It is merely that we occasionally save them as a result of our duties."
"I see."
Her priority was the planet; humanity was merely an accessory to it. In the process of fulfilling her role, she might happen to save them. That was all. From her perspective, humans were not a species to be protected; they were closer to pests. She wouldn't go out of her way to exterminate them, but she found no value in their lives and wouldn't hesitate to crush them if they got in the way.
Still, one question remained.
"Why share this with me?"
"A whim, perhaps. But half of it is a warning. If you ever aim to destroy the world, the world’s Defense Mechanisms—myself included—will activate. Do not forget that."
"I understand," I said, nodding solemnly. "I will keep that in mind."
She wasn't joking. For now, I was not a target for elimination, but that could change depending on my actions. If it did, I would find myself in a death match against a Great Spirit.
I would be careful, though in truth, I had no reason to worry. I had no intention of destroying the world. I claimed the title of Demon King, but my true desire was peace—the literal opposite of destruction. I would likely never become an enemy of the world's defenses.
The Great Spirit descended to stand before me.
"That is all I have to say. I shall wait for you at our first meeting place."
With those final words, she turned and vanished into the night at incredible speed. In her wake, she had left a fresh hole in the city's Defense Barrier. I let out a mental sigh and patched it with my own magic.
Standing alone in the sky, I finally let myself relax.
(I wasn't sure how that would go, but it ended without incident...)
The mental strain was real. She was an opponent I couldn't afford to underestimate for a second. She wasn't an enemy, but she certainly wasn't an ally either. I needed to return the Secret Stone as quickly as possible and sever this connection. She was not the kind of being one should associate with frequently.
Still, the information was valuable. I had learned of the Defense Mechanisms. I would have to ensure I never tripped their alarms.
Once my mind had settled, I looked toward the distant Royal Castle. Since the raid was scheduled for tonight, the Demon King's Army would be finishing their preparations.
It was time for me to prepare for departure as well.