The atmosphere in the room shifted palpably in that instant.
A tension settled, making casual speech impossible.
Even those with flippant expressions froze in place.
Amidst this, it was Logan who spoke first.
His face was grim as he murmured,
"The previous hero... could it be...?"
"Clea Baton. The hero who once defeated the former Demon Lord."
I stated it unequivocally.
The newest hero was a young man I had killed after becoming the Demon Lord.
He was the hero who awakened to the power of the Holy Sword.
Therefore, "previous" referred to that person.
"That name brings back memories."
Diera murmured softly, her gaze turning to the ceiling.
From my position, I couldn't see her expression.
I wondered what the former Demon Lord was thinking.
To pry would be inelegant, so I continued speaking.
"I wish to revive him. This has been a desire of mine ever since I became the Demon Lord."
I had wavered countless times over whether this wish should be granted.
Given my position as Demon Lord, perhaps it shouldn't be.
But that hesitation was already behind me.
I possess an unwavering resolve.
I have circumstances to back it up.
There was no reason to hesitate.
At the edge of my vision, Luciana rested her cheek on her fist.
She narrowed her eyes and posed her question to me.
"Solving three objectives at once — my, how greedy of you... Do you actually think it's feasible?"
"The general approach is already decided. If the pieces align properly, it should succeed without a hitch."
Verification and analysis are already underway.
The work will need to be broken into stages with experimentation and preparation at each step, but even accounting for all of that, it shouldn't take that long.
At that moment, Grom raised his hand.
"Your Majesty, if I may be permitted a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Why attempt to achieve all three objectives simultaneously? Considering the risks and the circumstances, would it not be wiser to plan them separately... I humbly wonder..."
Grom's question was likely one shared by most of those present.
Without explanation, the approach would seem irrational.
The resurrection of that man in particular had no apparent connection to the other two.
Given the state of world affairs, it could easily be postponed.
At the very least, it was not an urgent matter that demanded immediate resolution.
In truth, however, there was a deep connection between them.
To make that known, I turned my answer back to Grom.
"There is a rational reason for tackling all three simultaneously. By linking them together, the success rate of each one increases. Allow me to explain the details in full."
No one raised objections.
Everyone had settled into a posture of listening.
I began to relay what I had already prepared.
"First, regarding the Phantom Savior. After several rounds of investigation, I've identified one of its characteristics."
"Characteristics?"
Henry, having drained his glass, let a question mark hang on his face.
I nodded in response to his reaction.
"The Phantom Savior is not a being that brings reversal to humanity. It is, at its core, a phenomenon that destroys the Demon Lord's army."
The frequency and location of its appearances seemed irregular at first glance, but as I laid out the countless reports of sightings, I found a degree of common ground.
There was no question that the Phantom Savior was an enemy of the Demon Lord's army.
However, it was by no means actively trying to aid humanity.
It would simply appear without warning, inflict damage upon us, and then leave.
Beyond that, it displayed no other phenomena—merely repeating the cycle at different times and places.
Focusing on this pattern, I scrutinized the Phantom Savior's combat data.
The result was a peculiar condition.
There had been several instances where the Phantom Savior intervened during battles between the Demon Lord's army and the armies of other nations.
But these interventions were limited exclusively to situations where the battle was in a state of near-equilibrium.
In other words, it never appeared when one side held the advantage, and thus never guided humanity toward a reversal of fortune.
It seemed capable of intervening only when the outcome was truly in doubt.
This was one of the reasons Henry had been able to repel the Phantom Savior.
By swiftly routing the armies of other nations, he had denied it the conditions necessary for its appearance.
"The driving force behind the Phantom Savior is the hope and wishes of the people. If those present lose hope, it can no longer sustain its existence."
Defeat on the battlefield meant death, plain and simple.
In battles against the Demon Lord's forces, there was even the possibility of being transformed into grotesque undead.
Terrorized people have no room to entertain hope.
Relatively speaking, the Phantom Savior becomes unable to wield its power.
For convenience it is called a "savior," but in truth it is a phenomenon specialized for slaughter.
It does not try to help people who do not want to die.
At best, its emergence may incidentally save someone as a byproduct.
Those aspects may bear some resemblance to a defense mechanism.
At this point, Yura raised her hand.
The attention in the room shifted from me to her.
Yura did not falter and began to speak.
"A question for the Master—I understand the characteristics and the methods of repelling it, but that won't lead to its complete annihilation. What exactly are we to do?"
"I'll explain that as well. Come in."
I gave the signal.
A sound came from beyond the room's door.
There were several knocks, and the door slowly opened.
The figure who entered lightly offered an exaggerated bow of greeting.
"Hiiiii, hello there! It's everyone's idol, Gwen!"