“Now then, I have concluded my explanation regarding the annihilation of the Imaginary Savior and the resurrection of the Former Hero. That leaves only the killing of the Will of the World. It goes without saying that this, too, is inextricably linked to the other two.”
Gwen spoke, that ever-present smile of hers never wavering.
She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her role as the presenter. It had been quite some time since she had been above ground; perhaps she was simply caught up in the excitement.
Diera, having pilfered a drink from Henry, downed it before posing a question.
“Just how do you intend to kill it? No matter our strength, manipulating the very laws of reality is a feat beyond our reach.”
“I understand your concerns. However, I’ve had a stroke of genius for a countermeasure!”
Gwen clamored, kicking her legs about. She was working herself into a state of high energy, to the point where one might have wondered if she was intoxicated.
Logan and the others looked on in utter exasperation. It seemed his feelings had moved past contempt and into the realm of pity. Gwen likely noticed the shift in the room, but she continued regardless.
“To jump straight to the conclusion: we will incorporate the Will of the World into the Former Hero. In other words, we shall make it a part of her resurrected self.”
“Yet another preposterous undertaking...” Luciana muttered with a heavy sigh.
She possessed a significant degree of magical knowledge. Consequently, she understood exactly how incredibly difficult the feat Gwen had so casually proposed truly was. On that basis, she dismissed the plan as impossible. In short, she did not believe a word of it.
Standing atop the Round Table, Gwen skipped toward Luciana. Then, ignoring the other woman’s palpable disgust, she forced a handshake upon her for some reason.
“If it is a law without a form, then we simply need to give it one. The logic is quite simple, is it not?”
“I understand the concept. But is it actually feasible?” Logan asked, unable to watch the display any longer.
Pulling away from Luciana, Gwen replied while dancing with erratic, whimsical movements.
“Normally, it would be absolutely impossible. It exists on a level far beyond anything magic could hope to address. However! The Demon King’s Army happens to possess a truly peerless 'cheat character.' Yes, I am talking about Harvelt-san!”
Gwen pointed at me with an exaggerated flourish.
Not knowing how to react to such a display, I remained motionless in my chair.
In the midst of the awkward silence, Yuura raised her hand. When I nodded, she spoke.
“A question for Master—is individual name Gwen's claim the truth?”
“Yes, it is possible.”
If it is me, it can be done.
I have opposed the Will of the World many times before. When the Beasts of the Outside World invaded, it had even acted upon me specifically to grant me temporary powers. It was during that encounter that I first perceived the entity known as the Will of the World.
I had tested this a few times prior to the meeting, and even in my current state, I was able to grasp its outline. Depending on the methodology used, further interference seemed well within the realm of possibility.
The Will of the World, as explored through its outline, possessed a structure akin to the roots of a tree. The capillaries of those roots were connected to every individual, siphoning away their desires like nourishment. Naturally, neither I nor anyone else in this room was an exception. All living creatures fell under the influence of the Will of the World.
Tracing the roots, I allowed my consciousness to reach the main trunk of the tree. As a result, I became able to clearly perceive the concept that could be called the Main Body of the Will of the World. While direct destruction was not possible at this stage, this was a significant discovery.
I would utilize this sensation for the plan Gwen described. Using a specially developed Forbidden Magic, I would anchor the Main Body of the Will of the World to that woman. I would arrange it so that the power of humanity’s desires would be concentrated within her.
If successful, the inexplicable phenomena would cease. The Absolute Invincible Law would be subsumed into her as a Unique Ability. Since it would no longer be able to exert its influence as it had before, it would effectively mean the killing of the Will of the World.
Normally, this would be an absolutely impossible act. To begin with, the Will of the World was not something that could be perceived. Even if one could perceive it, the most one could do was recognize its existence. For an individual to actually manipulate it was normally out of the question.
Only I, as the Demon King, was capable of this.
By exercising my nearly inexhaustible Magic Power and my knowledge of arcane techniques, I would forcibly seize the desired result. Furthermore, I intended to use the Beast's Abnormality—a unique power not bound by the laws of this world. By layering these various exceptions upon one another, I could guide this plan to success.
“We shall resurrect the Former Hero and broadcast it extensively to the entire world. By doing so, we will fix her role as the placeholder for the Position of the Savior and as the vessel for the Will of the World. After that, we just have to leave it be, and the world situation will stabilize.”
As Gwen said, the dynamic of a Hero and a Demon King was how the world was meant to be. The world stabilized through the balance of good and evil. The very existence of a Hero also served as a beacon of hope for the people. If we could eliminate the uncertain factor that was the Will of the World, manipulating the global situation would become significantly easier.
With this, the connection between the three objectives had been explained. This was the plan that Gwen and I had devised.
We had already begun the preparations in stages. Once I obtained the consent and understanding of the executives, I intended to move immediately to the execution phase.
“May I ask one thing?”
A hand went up along with a quiet voice. The one who spoke was the Great Spirit.
Amidst the focused attention of the room, she addressed me with a question.
“Please tell me your policy regarding the treatment of the resurrected Hero. Do you intend to face her in combat as the Demon King?”