I left the research to the director and retreated from the laboratory.
As I departed, I heard Gwen's sorrowful voice, but unfortunately, there was little I could do.
I could only pray that somehow she would retain her sanity.
Most of it had to be left to the director's judgment.
Once back in the audience chamber of the royal castle, I focused on the crystal placed beside the throne.
Floating within it were the remains of that person.
The scene had not changed since the time it was sealed there.
No matter how much power I gained, I could never resurrect them.
The sword of remembrance was propped against the crystal.
I took the sword in silence.
It felt familiar in my hand.
This was the beloved blade of the former hero, now a wicked weapon for the Demon Lord.
This sword had broken through countless demons, and now it was a tool used to cut down heroes.
However, both uses had been for the sake of world peace.
At least, that much had not changed.
That person, and I myself, had taken up the sword for peace.
I can declare with certainty that I swear it is not a lie.
This time is no different.
Though the circumstances are somewhat different, I am fighting for the world.
My opponent has merely changed from a hero to a beast.
(Here I am, having launched my own war of aggression, now rising to slaughter invaders from beyond…)
I wanted to laugh bitterly at the current state of affairs.
It was a thoroughly ironic setup.
Sometimes I became unsure about my own identity, but no clear answer ever emerged.
One thing was certain: the action I needed to take.
The path to follow was already laid out.
All that remained was to run forward relentlessly.
Just recently, I made an unexpected discovery.
It concerned John Doe, who had self-destructed within the spiritual realm.
I absorbed his memories and peered into them.
There, a world unknown to me unfolded.
A world without monsters or demon-kind, where technology had advanced far beyond my own.
Moreover, it was blessed with abundant resources.
Some nations might have been poor, but that could be remedied with support from other countries.
Yet in that world, humans were engaged in ugly conflict with one another.
They fought endlessly, slaughtering each other over competing interests.
Advanced technology had been repurposed for weapons development, unleashing terrifying carnage.
Upon learning this fact, I was once again convinced.
To achieve true world peace, a formidable foe was indeed necessary.
A common enemy was the cornerstone upon which people could join hands.
The beasts of the outside world were only eyesores, stirring up unnecessary chaos.
They needed to disappear, immediately.
Evil was something I alone sufficed as.
Those beasts seemed to consider me the finest of prey.
I had to teach them which of us was the hunter.