Whether I liked it or not, it had been revealed that I was the culprit.
However, maybe the situation wasn’t all that serious.
“Isn’t it fine? She said she just came to fix some idiotic tendencies.”
“Do you truly not realize that that is the biggest problem?”
“I mean… I really don’t get it.”
It’s not like she’s here to corrupt anyone or harm someone.
She just entered the Cradle to gain knowledge, to seek learning.
Then as long as we don’t mess with her, isn’t it none of our business?
It’s not like Tillis is going to stay until graduation anyway. At most, a week or two… maybe a month if stretched.
“In that case, let me ask you something.”
“Can’t you just get to the point? Why are you circling around it?”
“What is the Judge’s greatest strength?”
“You don’t listen to a word anyone says, huh? You’re no different from the others.”
Why is it that everyone in this world only ever says what they want to say?
Dealing with people like this was exhausting. There was no point in trying to push my perspective.
I might as well just answer the Oracle’s question honestly.
“I’m not really sure. Isn’t she just strong? Hmm… physical ability? Skill? Or maybe the power to weaken strength?”
In the game, Tillis had ridiculously high base stats.
Of course, compared to the final boss of this category, the Great Warrior, she was more manageable.
But she had the power to weaken her opponent’s attacks.
The power of demon Mastema.
An ability that nullifies all phenomena directed at her.
Of course, it wasn’t as omnipotent as it sounded. It completely blocks weaker attacks,
But against stronger forces, it merely reduces their power.
Of course, attacks from Emperor Abraham or the imperial family couldn’t even be reduced in the first place.
In fact, even if Tillis could reduce the Emperor’s power, it’d still be enough to split her in half.
“You’re mostly right. Raw strength and skill are impressive, but what’s truly frightening is that she uses demons power.”
“Hmm.”
“But did you know? The Judge can’t fully draw out the power of the demons she serves.”
“That’s…”
It was true that the demons of this world wielded powers capable of overturning the laws of nature, but Tillis’s power mostly remained within the bounds of common sense.
Even though it was called a demon’s power, aside from Mastema’s, the abilities felt more like natural powers like breathing fire or summoning typhoons.
“In fact, it’s only natural. She commands seventy-two demons. It’s impossible for a single individual to manage that many.”
“…So she’s the opposite of the Great Sage.”
“Exactly.”
The Great Sage was a genius capable of handling all the power he possessed with complete mastery.
However, since the limits of his strength were clear, it merely felt like he had more tools at his disposal.
That was probably why he had taken an interest in Alice’s magic, the one I was researching.
Tillis, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
She had access to a wide variety of powers, but she lacked the pure skill to control them all.
“It would certainly be easier to just leave everything to the demons, but the way the Judge commands the seventy-two demons is different.”
“….…”
“It’s more accurate to say that she uses the power of demon Mastema to subdue the others and forcibly steal their powers.”
“And it’s up to Tillis alone to control the powers she’s taken like that.”
“Yes. Then how many demons do you think Tillis can fully control with just her own ability?”
I searched my hazy memories and tried to recall Tillis’s combat patterns. One, two…
“Four?”
I didn’t even fold five fingers. And this was the final boss who would eventually command all seventy-two demons.
“Even that alone made her the greatest threat. Just with that, she has the potential to become a Demon King.”
The scenario in which Tillis became the final boss wasn’t much different from Kult’s.
Kult who became a true prophet after obtaining the sacred relic, and Tillis who reached the symbolic number of seventy-two demons.
One performed a ritual to bring down a god, while the other did so to become the Demon King herself.
The goal of the game was to stop them before the ritual could be completed.
That was the premise of the final boss, Judge Tillis.
“But what if Tillis expanded her knowledge?”
“…Don’t tell me…. does that mean the number of demon powers she can control increases?”
“That’s right.”
The story had been long, but in the end, it boiled down to a single point.
The more knowledge Tillis acquired, the stronger she became.
“Hmph.”
There were a total of five types of final bosses in Promotion Tale.
The first was the Prophet.
The Prophet appeared as the weakest and grew into the strongest. He was a growth-type boss.
This guy was a ridiculously overpowered character, to the point where clearing him was literally impossible without a character named Dietrich.
Well, since that one was already dead, it didn’t matter anymore.
The second was the Great Warrior.
The Great Warrior appeared as the strongest but gradually weakened over time.
He was the most straightforwardly powerful, but if left alone, he would die.
As long as you kept your distance and stalled for time, he would eventually die due to his own lifespan issues. That was the Great Warrior, Vidar.
The third was the Great Sage.
The Great Sage was a boss who showed no change from his first appearance to his final boss state.
That was exactly why I looked down on him the most.
No matter what variables came into play, there would be no difference in the outcome.
The fourth was the Scriptwriter.
The Scriptwriter Deus was the only boss whose face remained hidden from beginning to end.
In the early stages, his whereabouts weren’t even revealed, and in the latter half, he became completely fused with the machines he controlled and ceased to be human at all.
However, it was hard to gauge just how powerful he truly was.
He was a frustrating boss with annoying gimmicks and an irritating tendency to relentlessly exploit the player’s weaknesses.
And the fifth was the Judge.
She was simply strong. She was consistently strong from beginning to end.
An overpowering-type character, perhaps? Her growth curve wasn’t especially steep, but she constantly maintained a level that overwhelmed the main characters throughout the game.
But if, by any chance—
“If the Judge’s growth were to accelerate because of this…”
“I see… that would be troubling.”
Isn’t this basically giving wings to someone who was already strong and will only get stronger?
What made it even more significant was that the reason I sought her out in the first place was because of the power possessed by Maxwell’s Demon.
What if she ended up using the power of Maxwell’s Demon freely?
She already halved incoming damage. If she also came to control entropy…. just imagining it was enough to give me a headache.
“But that’s not really my concern…”
Honestly, it’s not like I’m going to fight Tillis myself, so why should I care?
More importantly, I wasn’t the one who made her stronger. She resolved to grow on her own, so blaming me for it feels a bit unfair.
“If the Judge becomes even stronger because of this, I’ll kill you myself.”
“……”
At that moment, it became my concern.
A situation where Tillis’s growth could clearly turn into a threat.
And it’s hard to ignore when the one saying this was the same person who, upon first meeting me, hurled a card powerful enough to smash a boulder straight at my head.
Being weak was miserable.
I wanted a power strong enough to defeat unreasonable people like this too!
“Then shout it aloud!”
“Shut up. You’ve been quiet lately, but now you won’t miss a single chance, huh?”
The moment I heard the voice, I smacked the demon book I was carrying in my arms.
I had brought it out when Tillis visited me as a tool to emphasize my innocence, but it just won’t behave.
Maybe I should just hide it somewhere out of sight?
“…Didn’t you hear something just now?”
“It’s probably just your imagination.”
It really seems the Oracle can’t perceive demons. I was holding the demon book right here in my arms, and she hadn’t noticed a thing. Guess she really can’t see it.
“Anyway, focus on interfering with Tillis.”
“Let me ask just one thing. Are you absolutely sure that studying is what makes Tillis end up like that?”
“……”
“Tillis is an airhead who doesn’t even know what the word ‘synthesis’ means. I don’t see how a person like that would change all that much just by cramming for a month.”
“Well, she’s not that much of an air— Ahem! S-Still, you never know.”
It was clear that this Oracle had no idea just how much of an airhead Tillis actually was.
“…Alright, fine. I’ll have Yuna keep an eye on her.”
Since Yuna was already assigned to guide Tillis, it shouldn’t be a problem.
No reason for me to get involved in something I don’t need to.
***
But the world no longer leaves me alone.
Of all the random misfortunes out there, one has decided to come say hello to me.
“Fufu! Fufufufu!”
“……”
“Did you know?”
Barely a day had passed since the Oracle and I agreed on our plan.
Tillis showed up in the morning, looking unusually confident.
Next to her stood Yuna. Her face was so pale she looked half-dead.
What unforgivable crime could Yuna possibly have committed to be punished by being dragged around by Tillis?
I don’t really know, but I’m sure our Yuna isn’t a bad person…
Well, even so, we’re still the only ones who’ve seen through Tillis’s act.
She was born with an appearance and abilities that make people warm up to her without her even trying.
“Yes? Did you know, Mr. Johan?”
“…You’ll have to be more specific than just saying ‘did you know’.”
“Fufufu!”
A facial expression I’ve never seen in my life.
The only expressions I’ve ever seen on her were either a gentle smile or something utterly creepy.
But watching her grin smugly like that now…
It just makes her look even dumber.
“I’ll tell you something special.”
“Ah, sure.”
“Water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom!”
“…Fascinating.”
Let’s play along a little.
“And hydrogen is C! And oxygen is O!”
“That’s not correct.”
Why the hell would hydrogen be C, you idiot… It’s H, you empty-headed fool.
“Eh?”
Tillis who had been looking down at me with a smug grin suddenly froze. Then, without a word, she slowly turned her head to look at Yuna standing next to her.
“What’s going on here?”
“…I definitely explained that hydrogen is H.”
“That can’t be true.”
Wow, Yuna’s really going through it.
Like I said before. When someone’s dumb and stubborn, there’s just no hope.
See, Oracle? You were wrong.
Tillis wasn’t even worth keeping in check. She’s just an airhead.
“Hmph! You just got lucky this time. But next time will be different—just wait!”
“What… even is that line supposed to be?”
So this is what turns a final boss candidate into a third-rate villain.
Let it be known: studying can be dangerous for your health.
“Well then… Ah! Right! That reminds me. I have something to say!”
“What, did you learn functions or equations or something?”
“Not yet.”
At least learn equations first.
Come on, even the basic four operations are a must.
“I heard an interesting rumor.”
“…What kind of rumor?”
“A rumor that you’re going to duel.”
“I’m not the only one. Yuna’s going to be fighting too.”
She was probably planning to crush that arrogant girl who dared to act all high and mighty with us.
If it was someone as ruthless as Yuna, I trust she’ll stomp her so thoroughly that she won’t dare act out again.
“So, I was thinking….how about I help you out a little?”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“There’s no need to feel pressured.”
“I do feel pressured. And to keep things fair, I’d prefer not to get help from others.”
“Hmm, if that’s your reason…”
When it came to persuading the stubborn and dense Tillis, nothing worked better than this.
Fairness. The ever-reliable scale.
That’s what drives her actions.
“Then I’ll come watch. I’ll see just how good you really are.”
“……”
“Let’s see how well you do.”
Was she sulking?
Could she still be upset about what I pointed out earlier?
With that in mind, her offer to help hit differently now.
Was she planning to take out her frustration on me under the guise of “training”?
“I’m looking forward to it.”
And if I lose the duel….what then?
If she was just trying to tease me, that’s fine. But if she used that as an excuse to force some intense training on me…
“I’ll do my best.”
Looks like I now have a real reason to win this.
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