"No, no, that’s impossible. What are you doing...? How did you end up winning?"
Gwen stammered, her voice trembling as she retreated. A strained, twitching smile was frozen on her face. Her every movement was awkward; the composure she had displayed at the start was now utterly shattered. It seemed the defeat of John and Barulk had been an event entirely outside her calculations.
The reversal had been unexpectedly swift.
I walked straight toward her. "I was stronger than they were. That is all there is to it."
"No, that's not it! Why are you able to suppress my Mental Contamination? You were suffering so much from it back in the Real World, weren't you?" Gwen shouted, her voice laced with irritation.
Due to her schemes, I had indeed been under the influence of Mental Contamination. Specifically, I had been plagued by a physical malaise that should have been impossible for an undead. Ever since the symptoms first appeared, I had been forced to endure constant discomfort. I had used magic to mask it at times, but the strain was undeniable.
Yet now, I felt nothing of the sort. I was in remarkably good spirits; the sickness had vanished.
More than that, I could feel a surge of power rising from deep within my body. I couldn't remember exactly when this change had occurred. I had been so focused on the battle that I must have failed to notice it. Despite my own curiosity, I answered Gwen's question.
"...It seems to have cleared up on its own."
"That's impossible! My Mental Contamination was perfect. The more power you exerted, the more the Weakening was supposed to progress. And yet you're perfectly fine! That shouldn't be possible unless you've done something to counter it!" Gwen’s frustration boiled over as she exposed her plan.
She had laid a far more cunning trap than I had realized. If her words were true, it was a truly insidious technique. Had her plan worked, I likely wouldn't have been able to defeat John and Barulk. If using my power only served to weaken me further, I could never have fought at full strength. Conversely, they weren't enemies I could overcome by holding back.
However, I had won a near-flawless victory. I had never experienced any Weakening; instead, I had unleashed the full might of the Demon King. The reality was a complete deviation from Gwen's expectations.
(It seems her interference failed.)
While the specifics were a mystery, it was a stroke of luck for me. I could worry about the truth later. For now, the confrontation with Gwen took priority.
"Honestly, I was hoping to finish you off easily..." Gwen muttered, biting her nails in frustration.
Suddenly, half of her body lost its physical depth, transforming into Shadow-like Tentacles. They lunged toward me with blinding speed. Having read their trajectory, I parried them with my magic sword. The deflected tentacles snapped back like whips, swinging down at supersonic speeds. I swung my magic sword in a flash once more, this time severing their tips.
"See! Why are you acting like it's normal to counterattack? Physical Attacks aren't even supposed to work on these tentacles!"
"Your complaints are not my concern," I replied, unleashing a Black Thunderbolt.
Gwen used her tentacles to shield herself. Although the surfaces were scorched, they healed instantly. Even the severed tips were already beginning their Regeneration, the flesh swelling as it knitted back together.
"To completely ignore my abilities... this is absurd. Even for a Demon King, this is too much. I can't find a single relevant ability even after searching your memories. This is honestly exhausting."
Gwen braced herself, moving her tentacles as she dropped her playful facade. She watched my every move with a bitter, focused expression. After a moment, she let out a weary sigh.
"That look on your face... You really have no idea, do you? Fine. I'll take a closer look."
Her brow furrowed as she stared intently at me. Then, surprise washed over her face, followed by a cynical smirk. It seemed she had found the answer to her questions. Relaxing her stance, Gwen scratched her head with a look of disbelief.
"Um, Mr. Harvest."
"What is it?"
"You don't seem to realize it... but you're being granted power by the Will of the World."