Book 10: Chapter 13: (2)

「That’s right. And while we’re at it, a mechanism in order to kill me was also prepared. Unfortunately, it seems to have misfired though……No, was that fine considering the current matter?」

「……You, just how far……!」

「Everything. I know everything. No, that’s wrong. I am able to know anything if I feel like wanting to know. But then again, that is annoying so I just close my eyes to it.」

As the Demon God smirked in front of Philia, Vermudol firmly pressed down on her head.

Letting out a weird voice that went *mugyu*, the Demon God looked up at Vermudol looking like she was having fun.

「Oi oi, Vermudol. Don’t get jealous just because I’m talking to someone else.」

「That sort of thing doesn’t matter. By trap meant to kill, do you mean the magical power that this airspace is filled with?」

「Oh, so you noticed. As expected of you, Vermudol.」

Hearing the Demon God and Vermudol’s words, those around them started to look around.

「Certainly, this is an airspace abnormally filled with magical power but……」

「Magical power of every attribute is mixed together. Although I thought that it was in bad taste, was this the mechanism?」

The Gods looked around at their surroundings and muttered that to each other, but Celis and the rest of mankind made faces that said that they didn’t understand what was going on.

However, only Luuty opened her mouth saying 「Come to think of it」.

「……In the past, when we came to this place chasing the Demon King, I remember that it was much more difficult to control magic than usual. I wondered why but……」

「It’s simple. This place is filled with magic right to its limits. If you tried to use a type of Large Magic, which takes in magical power from the surroundings, with your usual senses, its might would naturally increase and would be easier to go out of control. Well, putting it reverse, it’s just an effect of that degree though.」

Of that degree──In other words, when 「against the Demon God」, it was something as contrite as being considered “of that degree”.

Even the key to unravel the mystery of what would happen was something that Vermudol already possessed.

And it seemed that it was the same for the Gods.

「……I got it! This airspace is something for the sake of purposely collapsing the balance of magical power……!」

「No, wait. When the Demon God appears, the world tries to stabilize the balance by increasing the magical power. Something like a collapse is……」

Raidolg, who was about to say something, stopped his words there.

That’s right, when the Demon God appears, the magical power of the world increases all at once. Just like putting sediment up to a crumbling cliff to forcibly stabilize it.

That phenomenon of stabilizing the balance with heavy work that was like changing a cliff into a mountain, it was nothing more than an after-effect of the Demon God’s arrival.

In a manner of speaking, it was something like an 「extra」 that the Demon God was not intending for.

It could even be said to be a defensive reaction that the world was taking to receive the Demon God.

But……what would happen if the magical power was already filled to its limit?

If it wasn’t possible to fill out the balance that was collapsed with the advent of the Demon God by 「increasing」 the magical power──if that were to happen, it wouldn’t be possible to change from the collapsed state.

──In other words, there would be nothing but a 「collapsed」 end.

In a manner of speaking, it was a huge plan to have a single world collapse, and destroy the Demon God with the tremendous amount of rampaging magical power that would be created from that occasion. So it was a gigantic trap that was made on the assumption that the Demon God’s personality would make it carelessly stick its head in out of curiosity.

This Dimensional Gap, it was a unique airspace that seemed like it was connected to the world──to Remfilia, but wasn’t connected to it. Even if it were to collapse and vanish, it would have no effects on Remfilia.

「How is it in reality?」

「I think that the focus of your attention was fine, you know? Well, it’s meaningless since it was mistaken in the principle behind it though.」

Saying that, the Demon God laughed.

That’s right, it was meaningless. Even if Philia turned all of the magical power that was here at the Demon God and implemented a super-magic spell that made Ratil Rail seem like child’s play.

All of that was completely meaningless to the Demon God.

「The principle you say……Demon God, just what do you mean by that?」

「Don’t go immediately asking others about things that you don’t understand, Wyrm. Although I love that part of you that leave things to others, I hate it.」

After the Demon God confirmed that not only Wyrm but everyone had sunk into silence, she looked up at Vermudol.

「Now then, let’s hear it, Vermudol. If it’s you who has spent about ninety percent of your life in speculation, you should have guessed at my true identity, right?」

「Yeah.」

In response to the Demon God who prompted him, Vermudol readily answered like that, and everyone, even the Demon God herself, raised their voices in surprise.

It would be only natural if he were mistaken, and she intended on saying that he was right if he got even a little bit right, but there was no doubt in Vermudol’s eyes.

In other words, this was proof that Vermudol had acquired something close to confidence in his answer within himself.

Having anticipation in what he would say, the Demon God’s eyes sparkled, and while having that kind of Demon God sitting on his lap, Vermudol opened his mouth.

「You’re a God. There is no answer other than that.」

「I see? And then? Just what am I a God of? Am I the God of Mazoku?」

「That’s wrong. I had also thought of that possibility, but it would be impossible for you to be something like that.」

To begin with, if he were to be precise, there wasn’t a 「God」 for mankind either.

The Gods were, to very end, those that governed over Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Darkness, Light, and Life, and the races were those that received their divine protection.

「Then, just what am I?」

That question the Demon God made was what Vermudol had continued to think about the whole time.

The Demon God that he tried to bring out in order to oppose the things known as a 「God」.

However, that thought itself was mistaken.

If Vermudol’s thoughts were correct, the Demon God was──

「Magical power. You govern over magical power itself. That is why your advent crumbles the world’s balance, and adjusts it. Isn’t that right?」

The God of Magical Power. That was Vermudol’s answer.

To begin with, it would be strange if the Demon God’s existence itself were to be compared with the laws of the world. 

Magical power existed within everything, and neither people nor Gods could escape from that law.

God was the Creator, the Adjustor, and the owner of magical power that was stronger than anyone else’s.

Just like how it would be Raidolg if it were Light, and Dagulas if it were Darkness, it would be apt to overlook this since there were Gods that governed over 「attributes」……but everything had a major premise called 「magical power」.

Even the Life and souls that Philia governs over are composed with magical power, and it was due to that that Vermudol was able to tamper with it from the outside, and became support in the creation of Mazoku.

In other words, the attributes that should be the foundations of the world are composed due to 「magical power」.

Also, even the fact that Vermudol was able to perform Mazoku Creation and interfere with Life Seeds, he had no choice but to say that it was an extraordinarily strange story.

The Demon King, was an existence that possessed the possibility of becoming a God. In other words, the 「Demon King」 created by the 「Demon God」 was an egg for a God.

In that case, the Gods should be able to do everything that the Demon King is capable of doing……but in reality, 「Life」 was Philia’s jurisdiction, and it was unrelated to the other Gods.

If a specialist that specializes in every attribute was a God, then that would be extremely inconvenient.

However, the 「Demon King」 that Philia, who should govern over life, had created was defective.

There was a sample called Gramfia, and despite there being the prototype called Shuklous, Ykslaas, who was the next 「Philia-made Demon King」, was far from being the real thing.

When he thought about why it was like that, he had squeezed out two possibilities of 「a lack of information」 and 「a lack of ability」 as being the reason, but.

On the other hand, there was also the question of “why does the Demon God create a 「Demon King」?”

If one thought about the reason, it would be natural to reach the answer of 「It’s because the Demon King’s creation is the Demon God’s domain」.

「In other words, even the idea that the Demon King was the 『king of the Mazoku』 was incorrect.」

「I see. But, I had definitely prepared Da……the other one as a king of the Mazoku, you know?」

She probably avoided saying the name Dagulas in front of the members of mankind that were here.

The Demon God read the atmosphere in a strange place, however, Vermudol showed no sign of minding it.

After all, that sort of thing was probably a whim, and the next time she would talk about it, she might say 「Former Demon King Dagulas」 without hesitation.

There was no point whatsoever in reacting to the trivial parts of the Demon God’s speech and conduct.

「That certainly might be the case. But, at that time, you had already inserted the ability of being an egg for a God……No, it’s the opposite. You inserted the ability of being the king of the Mazoku into an egg for a God. As for why you did something like that is something I don’t know nor care about……but there is something that I can say is for sure.」

「Heeh, and what is that?」

In response to the Demon god who cheerfully asked that, Vermudol calmly announced it.

「You had most likely hypothesized a future where I replace Philia. And then, at the same time, even if I were to refuse that, you had made some sort of preparation to make me consider it. Isn’t that right?」

Hearing Vermudol’s words, everyone became astir.

The God of Life Vermudol. That birth would surely shake both the Gods and the world.

Unlike the situation when Dagulas replaced the God of Darkness of those times, the creation myth of Remfilia had already spread throughout the world.

What would happen if the story was told that Vermudol replaced Philia and became the God of Life?

The Demon King, who was the king of Mazoku, became the God of Life.

With that reality, there would be a few that would find that as an affirmation that the Mazoku had been blessed by a God and became members of mankind.

Rather, there should be overwhelmingly more people that would say that he had killed Philia who had watched over the life of the world and created mankind……and would fear that an age where the Mazoku would replace mankind was coming.

That would instigate mankind’s sense of impending crisis, and there was no mistake that would prompt the Hero that was already prepared in the world──Kain to appear at center stage.

If that were to happen and the fight between 「God of Life Vermudol」 and 「Hero Kain」 were to become reality, what would happen to the world?

Most likely, the Wentas (Warped Gods) would awaken, and it would surely turn into a large-scale fight that would shake the entire world.

As for who would be the ultimate victor in that place that dragged in both Gods and people──to begin with, there was no telling if there would even be a victor.

But, she thought that would be fine as well.