Looking back, it's rare to have a nemesis as deeply grudged as Balk.
In life, I remember clashing with him many times.
His schemes were always cunning, and I was constantly being outmaneuvered.
Yet the fact that I could still defeat him was undoubtedly thanks to him.
When I reunited with him after becoming the Demon King, Balk burned with a desire for revenge against me.
After plotting to resurrect the previous Demon Lord Diera, he attacked with all his might.
In the end, I was victorious, but Balk's obsession did not die even then.
After death, with assistance from Gwen, he formed an alliance with John Doe in the spiritual world.
I find myself almost genuinely impressed by that relentless vengefulness.
For me, the man known as Balk was a sorcerer with whom I had been in conflict for a long time.
"Hmm..."
The soul of Balk, preserved within the container, was still undergoing reconstruction.
This was his defining trait.
Even if he met death, he could revive after a few years.
Even if his soul was destroyed by magic, he would return given enough time.
To prevent that, I had constantly damaged his soul to stop his revival.
Of course, now it was likely an unnecessary measure.
There is no consciousness of Balk residing within this soul.
That's because he was annihilated in my spiritual world.
Since then, no recovery of his self has been observed.
The former Four Heavenly King Balk supposedly died with his soul remaining intact.
It was an exceedingly rare state, but he had possessed a unique constitution from the start.
Such a thing could happen.
"It's a soul of exceptionally high purity. This state was only achieved because Gwen extracted the entire psyche intact. It's mesmerizing every time I see it!"
The director's cheeks flushed as she spoke with fervent enthusiasm.
I understood its rarity well enough, but her passion ran even deeper.
In her excitement, she began muttering to herself, lost in a series of soft exclamations.
It was a familiar scene, so there was no need to comment on it.
From here, we would bleach the soul to completely erase Balk's traces.
That would refine it into a pure soul possessing only the trait of restoration.
It was to be used in that person's resurrection.
As a ritual catalyst, it was nearly optimal.
Even scouring the entire world, it was doubtful one could find a soul superior to this.
For the resurrection, I intended to borrow Gwen's power.
I would have her falsify the bleached soul.
Gwen excelled at handling memories and the psyche.
Those elements were also intimately connected to the soul itself.
She herself had boasted that tampering with the soul was possible, so I harbored no worries.
Even had the director and I conducted joint research, we would have likely reached this point eventually, but we would have undoubtedly wasted decades in the process.
The reason I could proceed with the resurrection at this juncture was solely because of Gwen's presence.
I had to be grateful for her cooperation.
As a condition of the exchange, I was forced to promise her the right of exit and the return of a portion of the confiscated power.
Regarding the former, it was already being carried out.
Since the meeting, Gwen had been moving about freely.
However, her movements were constantly being monitored.
The spell I had cast on her remained intact, so if she made any strange move, I could kill her instantly.
Gwen understood this, which was why she took no suspicious actions.
She mainly strolled around the castle, seemingly enjoying conversations with the Demon Lord Army's soldiers and servants.
Returning the power was undesirable, but this was something I had to trust Gwen with.
If I did not consent, I could not resurrect that person.
Although Gwen could hardly be called virtuous, she was not considering revenge against the Demon Lord Army... I wanted to believe so.
If anything happened, I intended to handle it responsibly.
"..."
I gaze at the soul within the container.
The soul floats, ceaselessly changing shape.
This plan would undoubtedly succeed.
I intuitively knew it to be true.
The people now yearned for a hero.
Riding that wave, I would attempt to resurrect one of history's greatest heroes.
The will of the world would surely raise the success rate dramatically.
I know the unjust laws that destroy evil cause such effects.
(Finally, can I meet that person again?)
How does she feel, looking at this world now?
And what does she think of me, having become the Demon Lord?
Will she rage, calling it a foolish choice?
Will she grieve, saying it's a pitiful thing?
At the very least, she won't be happy.
A woman devoted to justice never desired this kind of solution.
I wish to convey my vision of world peace.
I don't know what kind of reaction that person will have upon hearing it.
If she accepts a world peace brought about by a Demon Lord, then that's fine.
I will feel relief and joy, and together with her, build an eternal Demon Lord's army.
That must surely be the ideal.
World peace enforced by absolute evil is guaranteed to be indestructible.
However, the possibility existed that my good-hearted soulmate would reject my thinking.
That person was a paragon who lived by justice.
It is precisely because she is like that that I admired her more than anyone.
My conclusion might be misunderstood, and we might end up crossing swords.
It's a development I've turned away from until now.
But I think it's about time I faced it directly.
Since the path to meeting that person again is already set,
Though there are conflicts and fears, I will press on regardless.
Once, that person and I failed.
Good must not triumph over evil.
That is why I sought the unity of humanity through domination and threat.
There is nothing left but that.
I am the Mediating Demon King.
I must meet the Hero who saved the world once more.