I made my way to the archives within the castle.
I gathered the volumes I was looking for, stacking them one by one on a nearby desk. Every so often, I sat to pore over the pages, and when I needed a break, I returned to the shelves to browse for more.
I was repeating this solitary routine when Luciana appeared in the doorway. She moved with a graceful leap, soaring through the air before landing lightly beside me as I read. She leaned over my shoulder to peer at the book in my hands.
"Maou-sama, what are you plotting this time?"
"A method to kill the Will of the World."
Luciana stiffened at my reply. She pressed her fingers to the space between her eyes as if nursing a sudden headache before asking again.
"...Hm, maybe I misheard you. What did you just say?"
"You didn't mishear me. I intend to kill the Will of the World. I am currently exploring how to do so," I asserted once more.
Luciana leaned in closer, her expression shifting as she searched my face with a serious gaze.
"Are you actually serious about this?"
"Naturally. Our current plans remain unchanged, but I will conduct this research in parallel."
Luciana let out a long, weary sigh. A wry smile touched her lips as she hopped up to sit on the edge of my desk, muttering under her breath.
"That is one grand ambition. I mean, it would be the best-case scenario if you actually pulled it off."
"It will be difficult, but it is not impossible."
"When you're the one saying it, it’s scary because it feels like it might actually happen..."
Luciana murmured in exasperation and fell silent, remaining in that position for a while. Her gaze lingered on me as I continued to read. Eventually, she stood up to leave the archives. As she passed, she gave my shoulder a supportive pat.
"Well, if there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word. I’ll gladly lend you my strength."
"I'm counting on you."
Luciana smiled at my response and walked out of the archives, looking quite pleased. Come to think of it, I wasn't entirely sure why she had come by in the first place. Regardless, she seemed to leave in high spirits, which was good enough for me.
I picked up another book and lost myself in thought as I scanned the text.
(A method to kill the Will of the World, huh...)
The most direct approach would be to exterminate the human race. The Will of the World is a collective of human desires; if the source were to vanish, the phenomenon would naturally cease to exist. However, it went without saying that I could never commit such an atrocity. I have dedicated myself to the peace of the people. To resort to total destruction would be to lose sight of my ultimate goal.
I would have to find another way.
Broadly speaking, my objective was Law Destruction. On reflection, this was not a concept foreign to me. In fact, it was something I was quite familiar with. Magic is the act of interfering with the world through a magic formula. By using magic power as fuel, one can manifest specific phenomena—producing flames from one's palms or teleporting instantly to a distant location. Magic is, in essence, the destruction of established laws.
I suspected that applying this principle from a completely different angle would lead to a way to kill the Will of the World. Fortunately, I possessed a wide array of abilities and no shortage of resources. I could conduct experiments with almost no restrictions. I intended to test every possibility, no matter how small.
(Even if I resolve the Savior Matter, a new problem will eventually arise.)
That had been the pattern thus far. Even if one hero was defeated, another would eventually awaken. It would be an eternal cycle of repetition. If there was anything capable of truly destroying me as the Demon King, it was undoubtedly the Will of the World.
Until now, I had simply reacted to problems as they appeared, and I had intended to continue doing so. But if I could somehow deal with the Will of the World itself, the situation changed entirely. If I could erase its existence, my efforts to maintain peace would no longer be threatened.
(Perhaps I should consult the Great Spirit or Gwen soon.)
They were both well-versed in the nature of the Will of the World, and I expected they could provide valuable insight. I also wanted to enlist the Research Institute Director. Her flashes of inspiration and unconventional thinking were not to be underestimated. Furthermore, her ability to split herself meant she had the temporal leeway to assist me without neglecting her other duties.
I would continue my other work without delay while conducting this research in the margins of my time. The sooner it was achieved, the better, though I knew it was not a goal easily reached. I prepared myself for a long-term effort. If I could manage it even after the Savior Matter concluded, that would be acceptable; the ideal outcome would be to implement it in a way that prevented the next crisis entirely. If results could be produced in a hurry, I wouldn't have had to struggle this much from the start.
Having organized my thoughts, I gathered my books and teleported to the Audience Chamber. I wanted to outline specific experiments in the time remaining before my next task. It would be a slow process, but I had to start producing results.
At the time, I believed I still had time to spare. I assumed the target of the Will of the World was primarily the Demon King, and I was confident that I could physically intercept any major calamity. There were no problems that felt like they required an immediate, panicked solution.
However, the situation had already begun to shift in the shadows. The unreasonable, absurd phenomena of the world had moved on to a method I had not anticipated.
Three days later, every Savior across the entire world died at once.