God Is Already Dead
Back when Ilyang was still in the lower dimension.
There was a battle—the most important one of his life. No, it wasn't just the most important battle of his life; it was a clash where the fate of all seven continents hung in the balance.
The battle between the Hero and the Demon King.
In that battle, Ilyang, who was then the Archmage, had to shoulder a critical responsibility.
"Isn't it strange? Why do I want to conquer the world?"
"How should I know? You're the one who wants to do it."
"True enough. I suppose it was a meaningless question to ask you."
"If you're trying to break my concentration with this nonsense, let me advise you: it won't work."
"I had no such intention. I was merely curious."
Ilyang.
Or rather, the Archmage Fabius Trevalier, during the battle between the Hero and the Demon King.
He had been tasked with keeping the Demon King, Shabranik, occupied.
To be precise, his job was to leave the Demon King's physical body intact while extracting and isolating his spiritual body.
As a result, Trevalier had ended up unexpectedly sharing a private conversation with the Demon King inside the mental realm he had constructed.
"From the moment of my birth, I understood the principles of all magic in existence."
"How very impressive of you."
The Demon King, Shabranik.
The absolute evil to the absolute good of the Hero, Ilexid Graim.
The most powerful and dangerous entity in the world.
"Yet even I have never encountered magic of this nature. To extract the spiritual body while leaving physical control intact... To be frank, I am quite astonished."
"It's my first time trying it too, so it's only natural you wouldn't know it."
"I pay homage to your creative sorcery, Archmage Trevalier. It is a truly genius concept."
"Heh. No matter how much you praise me, I'm not letting you go."
Outside, the battle between the Hero and the Demon King was raging.
Yet, the terrifying ultimate magic of the Demon King—the thing they had feared most—was never cast.
Even for the Demon King, high-tier magic demanded immense concentration.
With his spiritual body pulled away like this, it was impossible for his physical shell alone to unleash such high-level spells.
"A spell that strikes precisely where it hurts most. Might I ask the name of this magic?"
"Well, it doesn't really have a name right now. But if I had to coin one, I suppose it would be Spirit Extortion?"
"Spirit Extortion... I should have paid more attention to you instead of that mere paper doll of a Hero. A lapse in judgment on my part."
For some reason, Shabranik's spiritual body took the form of a young child.
With his characteristically expressionless face, he looked up at Trevalier in the empty mental realm and asked:
"Archmage, do you have kin?"
"Kin? You mean family?"
"In human terms, yes, that is what they would be called."
"None. I was an orphan to begin with, and I've never married."
"That is a great pity. For one possessing such overwhelming talent to leave no descendants."
"Well, you never know what the future holds."
Though the Demon King and Trevalier conversed casually in this mental realm,
they were both fiercely probing for the slightest opening.
If Trevalier let his guard down for even a fraction of a second,
Shabranik would instantly drive his sharp claws straight through his heart.
And if Shabranik's focus wavered?
Trevalier was fully prepared to inflict a fatal wound upon the Demon King's soul.
Thus, they spoke with smiles on their faces,
all while relentlessly searching for a vulnerability.
"I presume you have no intention of releasing me, regardless of what terms I offer?"
"Indeed. Not a chance. If I let you go even once, you'll never fall for this spell again."
"As expected, you are an exceptional individual."
For the first time, Shabranik gazed at Trevalier with a look of resignation.
And finally, he had no choice but to admit it.
He is solid.
The human before him was as unyielding as a fortress wall.
Despite all the subtle mental tricks Shabranik had been playing,
the mage showed no signs of letting his guard down.
Those eyes, brimming with self-belief and confidence,
met the Demon King's gaze head-on without a single tremor.
Until the Demon King's physical body outside was obliterated by the Hero's holy sword,
the Archmage's mind would likely remain perfectly sharp and unwavering.
"What a shame. If only I had a little more time, I might have come closer to the truth of this world."
"...The truth of this world?"
In that instant, Shabranik tilted his head in surprise.
It was the first time.
Since being imprisoned in this mental realm,
it was the first time he had truly felt a ripple in Trevalier's emotions.
The Archmage, who had been as impenetrable as an iron fortress, had allowed a glimpse of emotion to slip through at a mere handful of words.
Shabranik narrowed his eyes, studying the human mage.
"Fascinating. It seems you, too, harbored doubts about this world."
"..."
"To think there was another who shared such thoughts. I am glad our meeting today was not in vain."
Snap—
Trevalier grit his teeth as a sound like something snapping echoed in his mind.
He had nearly suffered a mental backlash and reversal of control just now.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he closed his eyes.
In the mental realm, they could not lie to each other.
This was a world devoid of falsehood.
A place where they had to contest each other through pure, unadulterated willpower alone.
"...Sigh. I didn't anticipate this kind of side effect."
The moment the very question he had agonized over for so long spilled from Shabranik's mouth,
Trevalier had failed to mask his emotional turbulence.
The microscopic crack in his composure had created a brief lapse,
and the Demon King had not missed that threadbare opening.
In an instant, half of the countless mental barriers Trevalier had erected were swept away.
Shabranik crossed his arms.
Looking at the pale-faced human, he asked:
"How much of this world have you figured out?"
The Demon King's question.
Though Trevalier knew full well it was a ploy to shake him,
he could not bring himself to ignore it.
For he might finally obtain the answer to his lifelong query.
And so, Trevalier opened his eyes.
He glared straight at the Demon King.
Then, he answered slowly.
"I've figured out that this world is nothing more than a toy box created by someone."
"Oh...?"
"And you are merely the doll that occupies the most resources inside that toy box."
A faint smile finally graced the Demon King's lips.
He sat down casually on the ground,
looking up at Trevalier, who floated in the air.
"You have deciphered the rules of this world in your own way. You truly are magnificent. You are but a single, tiny puzzle piece in this world, yet to think you could uncover so much... I cannot even begin to measure the depth of your talent. I offer my deepest praise for the concentration and sheer tenacity you must have maintained through your long years of contemplation."
"As I said before, you won't get anything out of praising me."
"No, this is not mere flattery, great Archmage. It is simply my regret and lingering attachment at finally meeting someone who shares my exact doubts, only at the very end."
Shabranik was genuinely sorrowful.
To think that only when one of them was destined to perish,
and in such a manner, would he finally encounter someone who truly understood his plight.
"Perhaps even this is part of the predetermined plan of the entity you call God. If so, this world is an even grander 'closed world' than I thought. In that case, I must revise all my plans."
"Plans? What plans?"
At the human mage's question, the Demon King rested his chin on his hand and replied casually.
"Knowing full well that you all were coming to kill me, did you truly think I would just sit idly by?"
"So you laid out a plan to kill us?"
"Similar, but not quite. I merely looked beyond this battle."
"What could possibly lie beyond this battle? You will be obliterated regardless."
"I planned for what comes after that obliteration."
Shabranik looked down at his small, delicate palm as he continued.
"From the moment of my birth, I have always questioned my own existence. Why was I able to comprehend every magic in this world without any instruction? Why can I not control this intense urge to conquer the seven continents? Isn't it strange? It had absolutely nothing to do with my free will. It was as if someone I could not defy was forcing me to do so. Everything has proceeded without a hitch up to this point."
"..."
Trevalier remained silent, looking down at the Demon King.
The profound sense of dissonance he had always felt whenever he spoke with the Hero, Ilexid Graim—
he felt it now from the Demon King as well.
The only difference is...
The Hero never found his identity or mission strange,
but the Demon King, for some reason, harbored deep doubts about his "role."
And that difference was truly monumental.
"Yet you've faithfully carried out your role until now, haven't you?"
"It was predetermined, so I had no choice. Even I cannot resist the binding force of such powerful causality."
"Ha! Fine. Then what is this plan for after the final battle?"
"Exactly what I said. What happens after my assigned role ends. When the designated stage finally draws its curtains. In that fleeting instant when I am completely severed from the shackles of causality, I will achieve perfect freedom."
Freedom?
Trevalier's eyes narrowed.
Come to think of it, the Demon King had just described this world as a "designated stage."
The moment those words left his mouth,
Trevalier felt a strange sensation, as if a corner of his mind was expanding vastly.
"After the stage ends... you mean the world after the ending? But you'll already be dead by then. What can you possibly do? What are you aiming for?"
Shabranik smiled warmly.
It wasn't the self-deprecating or artificial smile he had worn before.
It was the kind of genuine smile one might share with a friend when a delightful topic arose.
That sort of smile.
"My dear Archmage Trevalier. If I had intended to submit to fate and die so easily, I would not have allowed myself to be brought this far so quietly."
This was a space where lies could not exist.
He definitely had a plan.
Trevalier's heart skipped a beat.
A plan devised by none other than the Demon King.
Moreover, without even realizing it,
Trevalier was becoming deeply engrossed in the conversation.
He sensed this was a vital opportunity—perhaps a chance to peer even deeper into the secrets of this world.
But,
Shabranik did not grant him that chance.
"It seems all the lead actors of this play are ready on the stage outside. It is time for me to make my exit. It promises to be quite a spectacular death."
"Wait! What on earth do you plan to do next?! You're not seriously going to pique my curiosity like this and then just vanish, are you? Right?!"
Stopping mid-sentence?
Was there any torture more cruel to an intellectual?
But was it true?
Had he truly arranged something for after his death?
If so, how grand would it be?
"Haha. Our conversation was truly enlightening. My only regret is that we met like this at the very end. My dear, great Mage Trevalier, I cannot help but marvel at your brilliant talent."
Trevalier grimaced.
While they were forced to speak only the truth in this mental realm,
there was nothing stopping him from dragging out the time by using long, flowery language and empty praise.
To have figured out such a critical loophole in the mental realm in so short a time...
He was an infuriating bastard to the very end.
"Hey! Wait! Stop right there, you bastard!"
Shabranik's spiritual body began to fade.
Outside, into his mighty physical form,
the Hero's holy sword had finally been plunged.
"Since a variable like you has been introduced to this predetermined flow, I shall gladly place a wager on you. Perhaps you will turn out to be the final masterpiece I never anticipated."
"Sigh... So you're just going to spout whatever you want and leave."
"Let me offer a piece of advice to my dear friend."
"You have a lot to say for someone who's about to die."
The Demon King's spiritual body was rapidly dissolving.
Soon, he would face absolute death.
Annoyed, Trevalier crossed his arms and glared at him with a sour expression.
But the Demon King simply stared back with a serene gaze, his lips moving silently.
The message, delivered without a sound,
was etched directly onto Trevalier's retinas.
And its meaning was profoundly shocking.
With that final message, the Demon King's spiritual body vanished completely.
And then...
"We did it!"
"We finally defeated the Demon King!"
Returning to reality, the Archmage Fabius Trevalier looked at the Hero and his companions, who were covered in severe wounds but smiling brightly, and could not hide his sour grimace.