kscans

Chapter 343 - The Goal of World Domination

Hayato, Ash, and Jolth were on their way to the contestants’ waiting room.

Their purpose was partly to encourage Cecil and Agres, but it was more of a warning. The man who had defeated Lutz was the leader of the Ten Holy Demonic Swords. It was unclear why he was here, but there was a chance he would try something.

Even if they advised caution, they didn't know what to be cautious of. Diite had said she took countermeasures, so Cecil likely wouldn't be mind controlled into joining the other side, but they still needed to be on guard.

Hayato and the others hurried down the long corridor.

But then, they stopped. At the end of the hallway stood Nanagi, the leader of the Ten Holy Demonic Swords.

The Nanagi that Hayato had seen before wore Japanese-style armor, and then Western-style clothes when escaping by ship, but his attire now was different. He wore a simple brown kimono with a black sash. His left arm was not through its sleeve but tucked inside his kimono as he stroked his chin, and the Hannya mask was gone. However, he held his sheathed sword in his right hand, resting it on his shoulder and tapping it periodically.

His hair was unkempt and seemed poorly cared for, yet it didn't look unclean. The stubble around his mouth and on his chin was also neatly trimmed enough not to look messy. To Hayato, he looked like a villainous samurai straight out of a movie.

Nanagi showed no particular hostility, simply looking at Hayato with a nihilistic smile.

"It's been a while. Have you been well?"

"...Thanks to you. How about yourself? Have you been doing all right?"

"Until recently, I was enjoying three meals a day and a nap in between. I'm practically bursting with energy."

That sounds like a jail cell, Hayato thought, but he kept the unnecessary comment to himself.

Nanagi didn't seem like he was about to attack, but with a weapon in hand, they had to be cautious. Both Ash and Jolth had their hands on their own weapons, on alert.

There was no need to anger him with a careless remark, but he did want some information. Thinking that provoking him might be one way to get it, he decided to make a light, sarcastic comment.

"Looks like you found a good job, huh?"

"Oh? Indeed. I've moved to a workplace far more rewarding than serving some naive princess."

"...Wasn't it your scheme that made her naive in the first place?"

"True. But it just shows she was the type to fall for such a scheme. The Princess's sword skills are magnificent, but everything else about her was a failure."

Hearing those words, Hayato felt a surge of anger. Benitsuru might have certainly lacked foresight in some areas. It's common for young people to trust someone like Nanagi, who affirmed her every move, over Simon, who was always nagging her about something. At her age, in her mid-teens, she was still just a child. Even if it hadn't been Benitsuru, anyone could have been deceived by a bad person.

And that very bad person was standing right in front of him.

Hayato found himself naturally glaring at Nanagi.

But Nanagi was completely unfazed.

"A glare from a production player like you isn't scary. But don't get so angry. Besides, you were the one who made the sarcastic comment first, weren't you?"

That was true, and Hayato tried his best to remain calm.

(What am I doing getting angry when I was the one trying to provoke him? I need to cool down.)

While he was thinking this, keeping a neutral expression, Nanagi spoke.

"I heard you're studying all sorts of things under Simon now. It's good to be young. The possibilities are endless."

Hayato narrowed his eyes at those words. He had only met Nanagi in the castle basement in the Eastern Country when he was forced to craft Meitou Yatagarasu, and on the pier when Nanagi fought Simon, but back then, he had seemed a bit more unhinged. The Nanagi standing before him now, however, seemed remarkably composed.

He couldn't have repented in jail. If he had, he wouldn't be serving under Amanda.

"You seem quite different from back then, don't you?"

"I haven't changed. I've merely returned to how I was."

"Returned...?"

"You understand what I mean if I say I've regained my memories, right?"

"Huh...?"

This surprised not only Hayato, but Ash and Jolth as well. Whether Amanda had taken measures to prevent memory loss, or if there was some trigger that made him remember, it was clear he recalled the real world. And he was helping her try to defeat Diite, take over the spaceship, and conquer the world.

They had thought the Ten Holy Demonic Swords were serving Amanda with their consciousness intact because of some in-game deal. If he had his memories back, that changed things.

"If you have your memories back, why are you serving Amanda?"

"I can only say that I empathize with Amanda's ideology."

"Do you even know what you're doing? Amanda is trying to conquer the real world."

Nanagi scoffed at Hayato's words. His expression said, ‘Of course I know that.’

"Of course I know. In fact, I'm tempted to say you know quite a bit yourself, Hayato. I see, information from Hypnos. I wonder what he's thinking."

Hayato knew he'd made a mistake, but it was too late to lie. He said nothing on the matter and continued the conversation.

"I can't imagine what you're thinking, aiding in world domination. Do you really think you can do it?"

"Who knows. But if Amanda can defeat that Diite person, there's a chance, wouldn't you say? In fact, if you think it's impossible, why don't you just lose the next event for us?"

"...Sorry, but I can't let Diite-chan be defeated. Why don't you give up instead?"

"You're too attached to an AI. That's your business, but it's no reason for us to give up on world domination."

"Then would you mind telling me why you want to conquer the world? It's not something as simple as wanting to live a life of leisure, is it?"

"And what will you do if I tell you? If the reason is convincing enough, will you lose the event for us?"

"My humble mind just can't wrap itself around this world domination thing. I might not be convinced, but I'd at least like to understand what you're thinking."

"Kukuku, understand, you say. Very well. It's not as if anything will change just because you know."

Hayato was a little surprised. He hadn't actually expected to be told. Moreover, he hadn't thought there was any real meaning behind the world domination plan. Hypnos had said Amanda was a child. In other words, he thought the goal had no real purpose, that she was just aiming for it. He figured it was for a reason like wanting to be important.

Forgetting he was in a virtual reality, Hayato focused his senses, determined not to miss a single word.

"Our goal is freedom and equality."

"..................Huh?"

Freedom and equality as the goal of world domination. The concepts seemed contradictory, and Hayato seriously wondered if freedom and equality could be achieved through conquest, but he couldn't come up with an answer.

Then he arrived at a conclusion.

"Are you messing with me? Was I not supposed to take you seriously?"

"I intended to answer you seriously."

"You answered seriously..."

Hayato felt like it didn't matter anymore. It meant there was no significant reason for the world domination. Just as he had initially thought, there was a good chance Nanagi was just spouting whatever to go along with Amanda's childish ideas. He said he answered seriously, but it was just a serious lie.

There was also the possibility that he was now manipulating Amanda for his own ends, but that didn't matter. He felt there was no point in talking any further. All that mattered was that they didn't lose the next event.

Hayato thought this and prepared to leave, but Nanagi was narrowing his eyes, staring intently at him.

"It seems my answer did not please you."

"That's right. I think I'm over it now."

"I don't need to explain every detail, but it's irritating to be thought of as just making things up. Indulge me a little longer. Let's see... I hear a hundred years have passed in the real world, is that right?"

"Ah, so you know about that too?"

"Do you really think you're free when you're being ruled by these so-called Foundations?"

"Well..."

"You can live without thinking. Is it easier to be ruled, perhaps?"

"That's not..."

"There's no such thing as complete freedom. But unlike a hundred years ago, reality now is quite distorted. Have you never even questioned it?"

With that, Nanagi shifted his gaze to Ash.

"You're a man from a hundred years ago, like me, aren't you? Do you think the world today is right?"

Ash, with his hand still on the hilt of his Dragon Eater, shook his head.

"I have my thoughts on it, but at the very least, there is freedom and peace. Besides, if you're planning world domination, it just means the rulers will change to you and Amanda, won't it?"

Nanagi smirked at Ash's response.

"That's true. But we don't intend to become rulers. World domination is merely a stepping stone. A means to achieve freedom and equality."

"Then could you stop being so abstract and explain it properly? What are you planning to do after you conquer the world? What exactly do you mean by freedom and equality? I understand the words, but I don't get your meaning."

Hayato wanted a more concrete explanation. If he wasn't lying or trying to be evasive, he should be able to answer.

"Concrete, you say. That's simple. Once we conquer the world, we'll connect every human to this virtual reality and have them live here, believing it to be reality."

Hayato, Ash, and Jolth's thoughts came to a halt.

"We'll need to add more servers and a massive number of cryosleep pods. Even with Infinity, connecting everyone to virtual reality will probably take fifty years. We'll need to automate food production and build robots to restore the Earth's health. It might not be fifty years, maybe closer to a hundred..."

"W, wait a minute. What are you talking about?"

Hayato, his thoughts starting to return, cut Nanagi off. He couldn't say his mind had fully recovered, but he finally understood what the man in front of him was saying. Though he had only heard the outline, what Nanagi was describing was applying the Another Frontier Project not to a select few, but to all of humanity. And to do that, they were planning to conquer the world.

To Hayato, it sounded like he'd been reading too much manga or watching too many movies.

Nanagi, having been cut off, looked displeased.

"You asked me to explain properly, and when I do, you ask me what I'm talking about. How rude."

"If you're trying to conquer the world for such a stupid reason, anyone would want to stop you, right?"

"A stupid reason, you say. How is that any different from quitting your job and betting on a game's prize money just to open a cafe?"

"You're well-informed. But it's completely different. I can get away with just being a fool, but what you people are doing is beyond foolish."

Nanagi's face showed a flicker of surprise, but he quickly suppressed a laugh. "Kukuku."

"Indeed, it might be a folly that goes beyond mere foolishness."

After laughing for a moment, he stroked his chin with his left hand, his expression turning serious.

"But it is a goal worth striving for. I want no part of a life lived so cleverly. What is the meaning of a life where you don't try to achieve something? In that respect, I thought I could gain some sympathy from you, Hayato."

From Hayato's perspective, Nanagi's eyes looked pitch-black. On closer inspection, they were normal eyes. But the emotion carried by his words created that illusion. He could see glimpses of the same fanatical emotion Nanagi had in the castle basement, when he was seeking power.

"May I say something?"

Jolth, who had been silent until now, interjected. Regardless of whether the other person was unhinged, Jolth faced Nanagi with his usual gentle expression.

"I understand your reason for world domination, but how does that lead to freedom and equality? Was that just something you said offhandedly?"

"It's free within virtual reality, isn't it?"

"By free, do you mean not being ruled by the Foundations?"

"That's part of it. But the freedom to do anything as long as you have a certain level of cognitive ability might be more important."

"So that's the main freedom you're talking about? But in that sense, I think there are many ways this place is less free than reality, don't you? Before, you couldn't even go out a window, and you couldn't ride double on a mount. Even now, there are small things you can do in reality that you can't do here, right? I think it's far from free."

Hayato nodded. It was a virtual reality so realistic it could be mistaken for the real world, but it was still a virtual world. It wasn't capable of realizing every aspect of reality. For one, the taste of coffee only had five levels.

While Hayato was thinking that, Nanagi scoffed.

"After a hundred years, did humans in reality learn to use magic?"

"What was that?"

"Can humans perform movements that defy the laws of physics? Can they run a hundred meters in three seconds? From the perspective of virtual reality, reality itself is restrictive, isn't it? You're bound by the vessel of your physical body and some set of laws for everything you do."

After saying that, Nanagi gripped the sword in his right hand tightly. The moment he did, a 'kin' sound rang out, and Jolth's HP decreased. It wasn't a fatal attack, just a tiny bit of damage.

"Did you see that attack? Did you feel any pain? An act that would kill you in reality causes no pain and no death here. And even if you're defeated, you just revive at your base. In every way, virtual reality is freer. There are things you can't do, but there are more things you can."

"Yes, but..."

As Jolth hesitated, Ash spoke up.

"Then what about equality? I understand the idea that virtual reality is freer than the real world, but is virtual reality equal?"

"It is equal, isn't it? Everyone's maximum stats are the same. Talents, in the form of skills, are quantifiable, and you can raise them through effort. In reality, has it become a place where everyone can be what they want to be?"

After saying all that, Nanagi exhaled.

"In reality, I was sickly."

"Sickly...?"

"You might not imagine it, but in my original body, I only had enough strength to hold a sword, not swing it around. I'm a historian in reality, but I admired the way of the samurai. But there was no way to live like that in the real world."

Nanagi closed his eyes, his face looking as though he was remembering that time. A few seconds later, he slowly opened them. To Hayato, his eyes looked clear.

"In this virtual reality, I can be what I want to be. The dreams that can't come true in reality can come true here."

"...Then you should just stay in virtual reality by yourself. There's no need to drag the entire world into it."

"The people in reality will eventually destroy the Earth. It may seem peaceful now, but they're bound to push it to an irreversible state. If that happens, this virtual reality will be greatly affected. We're just saying we'll put them in a virtual reality that can't be destroyed before that happens."

"That's just a possibility, isn't it?"

"I'm a historian. It's foolish to have expectations for humanity. Still, that's my ideology. It's different from yours. If you don't like it, then just beat us in the next event."

With that, Nanagi turned his back to them.

"It's about time. Sorry, but I have a match."

Saying only that, Nanagi walked back down the corridor.

Hayato, Ash, and Jolth didn't follow him, just stood there, rooted to the spot. They couldn't sympathize with what he said, but they understood what he was trying to say. If his way of thinking was completely wrong, they would have no worries, but they felt that a part of it was right.

"Should we head back for now?"

When Hayato said this weakly, Ash and Jolth nodded. The faces of all three were grim. While they thought they shouldn't care about the enemy's circumstances, they also felt he had a point. Having reasons doesn't justify doing whatever you want, but there was something that didn't sit right.

They returned to their private VIP room in that state, only to find Esha and Ren there for some reason. A large amount of sweets was laid out on the table, and the two were eating as if in a competition.

"Where were you? By the way, this is a room service type of thing, and it's free, so don't worry."

Seeing the usual Esha and Ren, who was stuffing her face with pudding, Hayato's mood lifted slightly.

"I wasn't worried about that. By the way, why are you two here?"

"Ren-sama said she wanted to see the underground arena."

"Huh? Esha-san, you said you'd show me a place with all-you-can-eat desserts, right?"

"This is the place. My acquaintance and I have a free pass. Well, Master's base is also all-you-can-eat desserts, though."

"No, it isn't."

If that were the case, it would be a disaster. Hayato did hand out desserts to everyone at the base, but he carefully calculated and decided on the amount to give.

"By the way, did something happen? The three of you look so gloomy."

"Ah, well..."

He told Esha and Ren about his conversation with Nanagi. While he was talking, Esha and Ren continued to munch on apple pie and cake, and just as Hayato finished his explanation, the desserts on the table disappeared.

"I understand the situation, but why the long faces?"

"Well, just because. It's not like I sympathize, but I don't think I can completely deny his way of thinking either."

"You're thinking too much about it. Who cares what the enemy thinks?"

"You say that, but..."

"Fighting is just about beating up someone you don't like. When you bring logic like justice and evil, right and wrong into it, you start overthinking things. Are you saying that if the other person is right, you'll just let them do whatever they want?"

"No, I don't think that way, but..."

"Then it's settled. Even if the other side makes a valid argument, humans have emotions, so being logically correct isn't enough. I mean, restricting chocolate parfaits just because they're fattening is unthinkable, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

Despite saying that, Hayato started to think that maybe he was worrying too much. The other side might have its reasons, but he had his own reason of not wanting Diite to be destroyed. For Hayato, that was a reason he absolutely had to protect.

"Besides..."

Esha looked at Hayato and started to say something, but stopped.

"Besides?"

When he prompted her, Esha frowned slightly before speaking.

"It would be a problem if I couldn't eat the chocolate parfaits you make in the real world. I'm quite fond of them. That's a much more respectable reason than world domination."

"Oh! I also love the pudding you make in the real world, Hayato-san! I like it even more than the five star pudding here!"

Ren chimed in, echoing Esha.

Hayato was happy to hear their words, but not wanting to show it, he made a slight grimace. But he was mostly smiling.

"You're supposed to say coffee there."

"I... I suppose I wouldn't want... to be unable to drink Hayato's coffee either..."

"Ash, you don't have to force yourself to say it. That's actually more hurtful."

"Well now, I'd certainly love to try it myself. Maybe I'll tag along with Ney-sama next time."

"Jolth, you're welcome too. It should be around a three-star taste recently, so it should be fine... I guess. But is it really okay for me to serve coffee I made to someone from the Foundation, even if he's a former member...?"

Before they knew it, smiles had returned to their faces. Hayato thought it was thanks to Esha and Ren-chan, and decided to watch the next match.