"I see..."
Hearing the Great Spirit's affirmation, I fall silent.
Words fail me for a moment.
This isn't simple joy, though.
Of course I'm pleased, but it's a unique feeling.
"What's wrong? Did you relax a little too much upon finding relief?"
"Just a bit," I reply with a few short words.
Even though I was half-convinced, it feels good to know my understanding was correct. A worry that had nested in the corner of my mind has been resolved.
"The 'will of the world' is a concept formed by the collective unconscious of humanity. One might rephrase it as the endpoint of human karma."
"So human karma is what influences events."
The Great Spirit nods deeply.
She extends her hand toward the night sky.
Her fingertips move as if stroking something.
"The human desire for happiness—and by extension, the wish to avoid ruin—warps the world. The more people who wish, and the stronger that wish becomes, the greater the effect will be."
If wishes are unified, a commensurately greater miracle can occur. It must be that the wishes of the people create a hero. They become a hero precisely because they are wished for.
"The will of the world is the ultimate concept, but it is by no means omnipresent or omnipotent. It does not constantly act, nor does it consider whether its actions yield good or bad results. This is the point of imperfection you pointed out."
"Yes indeed."
A concept constructed by unconscious desire.
This was its greatest strength, and its fatal flaw.
If enough people willed it, even a hero could be executed and an inhumane weapon brought into being.
But what came after was never guaranteed.
The result of such a hasty execution had been the birth of a Demon King like myself.
A bitter irony for humanity, to say the least.
It was proof that not everything born of such wishes was beneficial.
"The will of the world protects humanity, but it can also become their greatest enemy."
"You mean it is a concept that could lead humanity to its own destruction."
"Precisely." The Great Spirit nodded.
It was an utterly ironic structure.
Humanity could bring about its own extinction through its own desires.
The very will to live could become a noose around their necks.
And they themselves were powerless to stop it.
"If you become the target of the world's will, resistance is generally futile. In theory, it can annihilate any being, no matter how high. The one exception, bound by none of those rules, is you."
"Me?" I felt a flicker of surprise, though several pieces already clicked into place.
Even so, I had questions for the Great Spirit.
"Why am I the exception? I want you to tell me."
"Because you possess a special authority."
"...The Valley of the Dead, huh."
I become conscious of the miasma within me.
The power constantly supplied to me is what makes me a Demon Lord.
By sacrificing beasts from the outer world, the mass of miasma had further increased.
"The Valley of the Dead is the karma of humanity itself. It symbolizes the exact opposite of the happiness and peace that people universally wish for—tragedy and destruction."
I intuitively understand the great spirit's words.
The Valley of the Dead is the evil that people detest and exclude from their sight.
Every stagnant sediment has settled there.
The world's will to save people was also a concept that invited ruin.
The Valley of the Dead was identical yet contradictory.
It was exactly as the great spirit had stated before.
"This is the truth regarding the world's will. Did you understand?"
"Ah, it was very helpful."
I thank the great spirit.
What was merely a hypothesis had now taken clear shape.
This difference is likely significant.
"I thought you understood that the world's will is a powerful concept, but what will you do now?"
"Nothing changes. I will only continue to resist."
I answer without hesitation.
Those who seek the truth would ultimately arrive at the same conclusion.
I know my existence is unwanted.
Yet, the world required a Demon King.
Therefore, I must survive.
No matter what hero might appear, defeat was not permitted for me.
For world peace, I can only press forward relentlessly.
"A fine answer. It is a difficult trial, but perhaps you alone might accomplish it."
The Great Spirit, speaking with satisfaction, rises without a sound.
Walking through the air, she turns to face me and declares.
"As soon as developments begin, we will send word."
"I am counting on it."
When I respond, the Great Spirit flies off into the distant night sky.
Silence envelops the surroundings.
Now alone, I return indoors.