ebonymovies Chapter 163 : Interference - 1
Chapter 163 : Interference - 1
“Let's tamper with the Hidden Rule.”At my words, every one of my companions tilted their heads in confusion.
Armelia spoke.
“Right. We should tamper with it. But which rule, and how?”
“No, Your Highness. I didn't mean we should make use of the Hidden Rule.”
“Hm? Then what?”
“Modify. Delete. Add.”
“......”
“I meant we should do one of those three. That's what I meant by 'tamper with it.'”
For a moment, the air froze.
Everyone's pupils shook violently.
Their expressions said they had never—not even once—imagined such a possibility.
They looked as though they couldn't even comprehend what they had just heard.
I couldn't exactly blame them.
How could anyone even imagine something like this?
The Hidden Rules that formed one of the fundamental pillars of this devilish Game.
The very idea that a mere participant could dare tamper with them.
Just then—
“Ahahahahaha!”
Magireta suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Clutching her stomach, she laughed so heartily that, had it been anyone other than Magireta, I might have found myself laughing along with her.
After laughing for quite some time, she wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes and said,
“You've finally realized it, little brother.”
A short while later.
Once Magireta had calmed down somewhat, she finally spoke.
“But what gives you the right to modify the Hidden Rules, little brother? I honestly have no idea.”
“You already said, 'You've finally realized it,' so pretending otherwise won't work.”
“I just want to confirm whether you've truly figured it out, or if you're merely making a lucky guess.”
“Fine. This was my line of reasoning.”
I raised a finger.
“Ever since Odline caused his first incident, you kept saying the same thing. You wanted someone to kill that bastard. You wanted someone to make it possible to kill him.”
“I did.”
“But Odline was different from Helena. No matter how you looked at it, he was a legitimate MVP.”
“That's right.”
“And that means there isn't a single way to kill Odline anywhere within the existing Hidden Rules.”
Magireta nodded with a smile.
Her expression urged me to continue.
“That's when I remembered something from the First Quest.”
“The First Quest?”
“Yes. Back then, you said this to me.”
—I've thought this from the very beginning, but you're a truly fascinating child. Perhaps you're one of the 'Possibilities' as well.
Possibility.
That had been the first and last time.
The only time Magireta had ever uttered that word.
However, I had encountered the word "Possibility" several times through the Future Diary.
I learned that all the Possibilities had to gather together before participating in the final Quest.
And in the most recent Future Diary, I learned that every one of those Possibilities had to be Awakened.
“What exactly a Possibility is... I still don't know.”
“......”
“But when I combined the word 'Possibility' that you mentioned, the reality that the 'current' Hidden Rules offer absolutely no way to kill an MVP no matter how they're interpreted...”
“......”
“And finally, the fact that you've repeatedly wished for me to realize something.”
“......”
“When I put those three things together, I arrived at a single conclusion.”
Perhaps.
Just perhaps.
—If all the Possibilities gather together, won't they be able to tamper with the Hidden Rules themselves?
Perhaps that was the true meaning of "Possibility."
To modify the Hidden Rules meant exerting tremendous influence over Magireta's Game itself.
Yes.
Possibilities were beings capable of interfering with the Game itself.
Magireta nodded.
“Good. Since you've figured out that much, I suppose I can officially reveal it now.”
“......”
“One of the Hidden Rules says this.”
If all the Possibilities gather together, they may request that Magireta modify a Hidden Rule.
Hidden Rules may only be modified if both Magireta and all of the Possibilities agree to the proposed change.
However, if the modification severely undermines the original purpose of the Rule, it cannot be changed.
Magireta spoke firmly.
“You can't delete or add Rules. At least, not yet.”
“Not yet?”
“Hehe. That's something I still can't tell you.”
That was fine.
I had already guessed.
‘The Future Diary mentioned it. By the final Quest, every Possibility had to be Awakened.’
If that was true...
Then if everyone—including me—became fully Awakened...
Would it become possible to add or even delete Hidden Rules?
“In any case, with your current selves, modification is the only thing possible. And even then, only if both you and I agree.”
“......”
“And don't forget—any change that seriously damages the original purpose of the Rule is impossible. Now then, which Rule shall we modify?”
As she spoke, her eyes sparkled.
She looked incredibly excited.
Berseum, surprisingly cynical for once, spoke.
“You seem awfully happy.”
“I really am. We've finally found a clue for killing that bastard Odline.”
“We'd rather kill Drod than Odline. Drod is the one threatening our lives right now.”
“No. I can't agree to that. Rule modifications require both your agreement and mine, so give up.”
As expected, Magireta seemed rather fond of Drod.
After thinking for a moment, I spoke.
“Let's first decide which Rule needs changing. Please recite all the Rules concerning MVPs that I already know about.”
“Since you already know them, that's easy enough.”
Without hesitation, she listed them.
Magireta selects one MVP from each intelligent species.
Magireta cannot harm an MVP.
Magireta cannot interfere in any way with anything an MVP wishes to do.
An MVP is chosen from among participants who monopolize at least 60 percent of the first-place rewards in their Cohort.
If multiple participants monopolize at least 60 percent of the first-place rewards, a special event is held in Hell to determine the sole MVP.
There was only one Rule worth changing.
“'Magireta cannot harm an MVP'... That's the one we should modify, right?”
“Most likely.”
“How should we rewrite it?”
“You tell me first, little brother.”
I didn't even have to think.
“We simply change it to, 'Magireta can harm an MVP.'”
“No, no.”
“Why not?”
“I already told you. You can't make changes that severely undermine the Rule's original purpose.”
“Then why does such a Rule exist? We want to change it precisely because the original purpose no longer serves its function, yet you're saying we can't undermine that purpose. Isn't that contradictory?”
Magireta tilted her head.
Somehow, I already knew what she was about to say.
I silently muttered it to myself first.
‘That isn't important...’
“That isn't important.”
“......”
“Regardless, the Rule's original purpose is this.”
“To prevent me from going out of control.”
For a moment, I couldn't understand what she meant.
Karin spoke.
“You're already completely out of control. Permanently. Constantly.”
“That's awfully harsh.”
“You created this damned Game and threw innocent people into that Hell. If that isn't being out of control, then what is?”
“I could go much further than this. Truly.”
Further than the Game?
Well, considering Magireta's Omnipotence, what would actually be impossible for her?
She continued in a chilling tone.
“The only reasons I've restrained myself this much are two things.”
“Two things?”
“The Game. And the existence of the MVPs.”
“......”
“The Game keeps me from running wild by relieving my boredom. The MVPs restrain me because they possess the ability to suppress me through force.”
Naturally, the difference in power between Magireta and an MVP was probably immeasurable.
But Magireta couldn't attack an MVP.
The opposite, however, was possible.
That overwhelming advantage—the fact that they alone could attack her—served as the restraint preventing Magireta from going out of control.
“That's why I can't casually kill or harm an MVP. The Rule's original purpose cannot be violated.”
“In other words, we can't modify it in a way that lets you kill an MVP for no reason.”
“Exactly. There has to be a condition.”
“A condition... Hmm.”
I pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Then let's change it to, 'Magireta may kill an MVP who attacks humans.'”
“Hehe. That's nowhere near enough. What value do you humans even have?”
That irritated me.
Apparently Armelia felt the same way, because she spoke in a noticeably sharper tone.
“Then what about this? 'Magireta may kill an MVP who attacks us.' We are these so-called Possibilities, after all.”
“Better... but still not enough.”
This time, Aina spoke.
“If humans don't count, what about Monsters? 'Magireta may kill an MVP who attacks Monsters.'”
“Monsters aren't particularly valuable either.”
“Then what exactly do you want?”
“Sorry, but this proposal came from all of you. You're the ones who have to find the answer.”
At that moment, Benjamin, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
“How about... 'Magireta may kill an MVP who attempts to ruin the Game.'”
Magireta immediately smiled.
“Now that's the correct answer.”
“......”
“If you think about it, isn't it obvious? I've been saying it over and over again. I absolutely cannot forgive anyone who tries to ruin the Game.”
That's right.
Modifying a Hidden Rule required the agreement of both the Possibilities and Magireta.
And for Magireta, no condition other than that one would ever justify agreeing.
However—
I shook my head.
“That won't work.”
“Hm?”
“In the future I saw, Drod kills us only after every Game has ended. He politely waits until the Games are over.”
“......”
“That means he'll never ruin the Game. Therefore, you still won't be able to kill Drod.”
Everyone nodded.
Magireta, meanwhile, looked rather indifferent.
She seemed somewhat deflated.
‘Now that she's taken off her hood, I can finally tell. She actually has a surprisingly expressive face.’
Soon, she asked,
“Then what are you going to do?”
“......”
“Just modify it the way Benjamin suggested. I told you already—I have no intention of dealing with Drod. He's a gentleman.”
“What about this, Sis?”
“I'm listening.”
I moistened my lips before speaking.
“Magireta may kill an MVP if two MVPs fight each other.”
“......?”
“You said the MVPs exist to restrain you from going out of control. If they start fighting and killing one another, then your safety mechanism begins disappearing.”
“......”
“Wouldn't that be an extremely serious offense? It doesn't violate the Rule's original purpose, yet it gives you more than enough justification to intervene.”
Magireta fell deep into thought.
Soon, she spoke.
“The reasoning itself makes sense. But something about it feels contradictory.”
“......”
“Killing an MVP to stop MVPs from fighting each other? That's like destroying your own safety mechanism in order to protect your safety mechanism.”
“There are still three MVPs remaining, aren't there? Even if two of them fight, and one—or even both—die, there would still be another MVP left.”
Magireta nodded.
Then she spoke.
“Let's do this, little brother.”
“......”
“I agree to changing it to 'Magireta may kill an MVP if two MVPs fight each other.' But I'd like to add a little insurance.”
Magireta snapped her fingers.
A Mini Bulletin Board appeared.
Original Rule
: Magireta cannot harm an MVP.
Revised Rule
: Magireta fundamentally cannot harm an MVP. However, if MVPs engage in combat against one another, Magireta may make an exception at her own discretion.
At her own discretion.
That clause had been added.
With that, Magireta would decide whether or not to kill an MVP.
She folded her arms.
“Let me make this clear beforehand. I have absolutely no intention of changing a single word of this.”
Sienne then spoke.
“Are you really in a position to be so overbearing? You want to kill Odline too, don't you?”
“......”
“Without the help of us Possibilities, you'll never be rid of that maggot. Wouldn't it be better to cooperate a little more?”
“You certainly know how to talk. Well... you're not wrong. But no means no. That's the absolute furthest I'm willing to compromise.”
Damn it.
‘If we revise it like this, Magireta will never kill Drod.’
Wait.
Hold on.
‘Drod's wife was imprisoned because she'd gone mad.’
If I made proper use of that...
Could it work?
No.
Would it really work?
......
It would.
It had to.
It could work.
I steeled my resolve.
“Then our negotiations have broken down.”