A star of destruction falls from the sky. An alien star symbolizing human arrogance brutally crushes the earth. A radial explosion. Dust clouds envelop the planet, turning this blue and green star into the same shape as other distant stars.
Even viewed from this distant sky, below is hell.
Darkness covers the planet. Fire and lava erupt from the earth. Suffocating, acrid smoke billows up. Mushroom clouds. Lava blooming like flowers. Overflowing seas. Rampaging tidal waves. It's as if someone is playing a twisted joke on the planet.
Even though this iteration's world was bound to fail, the world perishing in the most tragic form weighed heavily on her heart.
Looking at the 'Pride' that had fallen to the ground, Shei lost her words and stared at him. Receiving Shei's gaze, he answered with an ambiguous smile.
‘Well, yeah.’
He must have had regrets. He wouldn't have done it because he liked it. But he didn't have a single ounce of regret.
‘You had no choice but to drop it now, didn't you?’
Can I burn the world to survive? How cruel can I become to protect my life? He directly showed it through his actions.
It wasn't just this iteration that 'Pride' fell. Whenever even a part of 'Pride' fell, the continent suffered a massive blow. Sometimes it withstood it well, and sometimes it failed, but still, the world didn't end just from Pride alone.
However, a 'Pride' that fell with malice meant the end of it all.
‘Fleeing from the Military Nation, running away from the Allied Nations. Nevi is trying to resurrect the Human King using me as material, and the Empire is trying to taxidermy me to eliminate the Human King. Give me a break, the King of Beasts isn't built that way, and even if I were, there's no way I'd meekly accept it. If I'm going down, I'm flipping the board on my way out.’
Gravity acceleration targeting the meteorite. Wind magic nullifying atmospheric resistance. Reinforcement alchemy engraved on the meteorite's surface. An interception targeting an interception.
After the Floating Castle fell, the second Floating Castle launched by the remnants of the destroyed Magic Federation was full of sticky malice. Having found the existence and coordinates of 'Pride' from the grimoire left by the Demon King, they fired it towards this land.
Yes. This wasn't a fall, but a launch. The meteorite fired by human malice brought an end to the world just like that.
‘Honestly, you gave up once in the middle too, Shei. You just kept going with the thought of, "Let's see how much I can do," didn't you?’
-No. I...
Did it show? Shei trailed off.
This iteration. She tried to quickly contact the Empire and settle the score, but the Empire intervened even more aggressively. The Empire utilized the seven vassal states, the Patron Guild, and the Master of Iron Valley to hold a massive hunting tournament across this continent.
The target was the (self-proclaimed) Human King. Alive, without fail.
It was a more dangerous and fierce chase than ever before. Crossing from the southwest to the northeast of the continent, they crossed the line of death countless times. The number of people the two killed was in the thousands, and the number of people who sacrificed themselves to protect them was in the tens.
During the chase, he lost an arm, and Shei also suffered a deep slash on her back, making it difficult for her to even move her arm.
She would never approach the Empire first again. Making this vow inwardly, Shei apologized with a regretful heart.
-I'm sorry... For revealing your identity too early.
‘What do you mean? I agreed to it too. And that's not your fault, Shei. You didn't say it with that intention, did you? You did well, Shei. Betting for a better outcome is only natural.’
He genuinely defended Shei. A normal human would have had every reason to resent Shei, but he understood and sympathized with her position more than anyone else.
‘And that damn Empire, well. I do understand them. They probably thought hegemony and order would be maintained if only the Human King threatening the Emperor's authority didn't exist. They certainly are a hegemonic nation, so they're ruthless.’
Was he defending the Empire here? Did the Human King even understand the humans of that Empire?
No. It was simply a means to defend himself. Glancing down at the tragically destroyed earth, he said.
‘So I wish they would understand me too. Though it's probably impossible for them to know now.’
***
Everyone is going around in circles. Afraid of the meteorite? Don't want the world to be destroyed? Then just get rid of the meteorite.
There's a clear goal, so why? Why stop them from knowing more? Sabotage someone if they try to climb Babel? Without even knowing why?
Don't make me laugh. That only stacks up new conflicts. It's a result nobody wants.
The meteorite will fall anyway. Well, it might never fall if you forever find, stop, hide, and deceive the people trying to climb the tower to learn more.
Hmph. Like that'll happen. Trying to stop someone else's knowledge when you already know. Do you think it's as easy as it sounds? Keeping a secret is the hardest thing in the world.
“Demon King. Come on out.”
Shouting into thin air, the Demon King arrived with a sense of alienation. First, space stretched out, and then his form slid into place. The Demon King looked at me and those standing behind me, and asked.
“Do you have some business?”
“Take all the mages you can board right now and take off. You don't need the territory residents.”
“You need a few commoners to do the chores. I'll organize it with those who are as young and talented as possible. They might grow up to become mages.”
“We're not going there to do chores. There won't be any need for that either.”
The Demon King's expression changed subtly. He chewed on my words for a moment, then looked over me and my party behind me with an interested expression. His thoughts couldn't be read, but I could tell right away that he understood my meaning.
“Hoh. You're going to stop it? 'Pride'?”
“It seems I'll have to.”
The Demon King said as if it was unexpected.
“You suddenly tore the scroll, so I thought you'd reached a different conclusion. For example, a reason like boarding the ark before the competition to board it increases.”
“If push came to shove, I might have done that. But we all still have lingering attachments to the lower world.”
“Then why didn't you do it after finishing your preparations?”
“Become the second Demon King, and live carrying a secret forever like you? I'll pass.”
The Demon King had the ability to drop 'Pride'. Thinking simply, the Demon King was also refraining from dropping 'Pride'. The reason? It's nothing special. He probably didn't want to destroy the world.
“I saw it in Rene's belongings. In the end, the meteorite was supposed to fall as scheduled. But it hasn't fallen yet. I wonder who intervened? No one comes to mind other than you, Demon King.”
“Saint Rene showed you that? That shouldn't be such a proud memory. Did he have a change of heart despite being dead?”
A faint sneer appeared on his face. Come to think of it, even in Rene's memories, the Demon King didn't seem to like Saint Rene very much. Was it because he was the one who ultimately caused Principia's death?
“If you were going to drop it, you would have done so earlier. Or if you were going to save it to use as a weapon, you would have kept this secret to yourself. But on the contrary, you wanted to share the weapon's switch with everyone, didn't you? It's a move that doesn't make sense logically.”
The Demon King didn't answer. It's hard to judge since his thoughts can't be read.
What on earth is that? What is he cloaking himself in? The Demon King's intent can be guessed, but I don't know that final piece.
“You must have your own circumstances, Demon King. But whatever you do, 'Pride' is the problem in the end. So I'm going to deal with 'Pride'.”
“Do you have confidence?”
“Of course. If everyone here cooperates, it's fully possible. It would be good if you helped too, Demon King.”
No, honestly, without the Demon King, it doesn't work. Even adding all the others together might not equal a single Demon King.
“Do your best.”
“Huh? Don't you have any desire to contribute to world peace?”
“As you said, I've already done as much as I can. I twisted the descent trajectory of 'Pride' and made it miss the planet for over 100 years. I can't do any more, and I don't have the strength to.”
As expected, it's lukewarm. I don't know about the Demon King of the past, but it seems the current him has no will to actively stop 'Pride'. That's why he unrolled the whole scroll, though.
Still, the Demon King's power is needed. I quickly sent a wink to the Blue Tower Master.
“What are you doing? Try flirting a little. Isn't it better for your cute disciple to act spoiled than me anyway?”
The only one here with a personal connection to the Demon King is the Blue Tower Master. She probably knows the Demon King best. As long as I can't read the Demon King's thoughts. I hope she says something that could be a catalyst.
“Flirting? With my master? I'm not someone who suits acting spoiled.”
“Who does it because it suits them? I'm the person who least suits world peace, you know?”
Overwhelmed by my momentum, the Blue Tower Master let out a groan. Still, it was worth suppressing her spirit once, as the Blue Tower Master quickly changed her mind.
‘We need Master's help to stop the meteorite. According to Hughes' explanation, Master is the one who stopped the meteorite's fall alone until now... Even if he speaks like that, he'll definitely help us.’
The Blue Tower Master climbed the Floating Castle alone when she was very young. She was a more talented sorcerer than anyone else, and she quickly ran out of things to learn. The Demon King taught magic to her.
She learned magic fast enough to rise to the position of the Blue Tower Master. But at some point. When she imagined how dangerous it would be if gravity magic were used as a weapon, she soon felt a great shock.
That this world could break so easily and meaninglessly.
Elisha Celsius left her family. Not wanting to fight her older sister, she headed to the Floating Castle alone at such a young age.
But what she learned at the Floating Castle was a power that could destroy the world. The Blue Tower Master gave up learning more and devoted herself to her duties.
‘But Master couldn't have taught us to destroy the world. Master isn't that kind of person. If I believe Hughes' words.’
The logic connected with a flash inside the Blue Tower Master. She spat out the enlightenment that suddenly came to her.
“You were trying to destroy 'Pride', weren't you, Master?”
The Demon King didn't answer this time either. The Blue Tower Master continued.
“The defense magic towers of the Floating Castle always point upward. The magic power fired from the five towers destroys the meteorites falling onto the Floating Castle. This Floating Castle that Master went to the Golden Mirror to entrust was for that purpose from the start.”
“Hmm.”
“And the fact that Master taught us. That you raised numerous mages, including the other Tower Masters. That was also because you needed the military strength to destroy 'Pride', right?”
Until now, even when the sorcerers' fights got a bit rough, the Demon King encouraged them. He made them fight and argue to pursue higher knowledge.
The Blue Tower Master saw that and gave up learning, but now she realized. What the Demon King wanted.
Now everything was clear. The Blue Tower Master suppressed her bursting shame and said.
“I'm sorry, Master. I was cowardly and foolish, so I couldn't trust you. I doubted your true intentions and gave up learning. But now I finally realize. Master, I will inherit your will right now.”
Facing the deaths of Saint Rene and Principia, the Demon King inherited their will and stopped the meteorite's fall. After a long time, he finally met a disciple who understood him....
...Is that the story? Tch. I don't know. This scenario is highly plausible, but why doesn't it feel refreshing? It feels like I'm missing something.
Even excluding mind-reading, the Demon King's thoughts were still hard to read. He was neither moved nor did he smile. Looking intently at the Blue Tower Master while deep in thought, he opened his mouth.
“There are no absolutes in the world.”
“Pardon?”
“Do you know what that means?”
What? Suddenly. There are no absolutes in the world? Is it a catchphrase?
“It is my favorite saying, though. Because there's nothing impossible in the world. There's no obvious truth, no certain fact. If you scrub at it, there's always a gap.”
“There is no obvious truth, you mean? Not bad. But not good either. You're just smooth-talking and missed the core.”
Ugh. A sharp remark here.
The Demon King nodded as if satisfied anyway.
“Do as you please. It's my disciple's request, and the Human King's plan. I'll help you as much as I can.”
Huh? Really? This easily?
His words soon became reality.
The Floating Castle moved. It was a tremor felt even in the Floating Castle with artificial gravity. The Demon King was moving the Floating Castle with just his own power from this spot.
“It doesn't matter if you fail. The Floating Castle will be safe anyway. Show me everything you've prepared to your heart's content.”