This Was Mercy

Iver suddenly understood what the Ring Angel had said before.

So that was why the Ring Angel had said those words at the time...

"—As long as I trigger the reincarnation ending, it doesn't matter. This is all fake anyway, and letting more people survive is the best choice... That's what you thought back then, right?"

The Ring Angel looked at Iver with a smile at the corners of his mouth. "You and I were originally the same person. Even if I cut away that weak human nature, with nothing but reason and intelligence, I could still deduce what you would think.

"Every move you make is within my expectations. After all, you're my finest work.

"And that is indeed what happened... Since this world has already been frozen, what difference would it make to let it start over? When you're playing a game and fighting a very difficult boss... if you already know you're certain to lose with this life, would you still use those precious consumable items? I don't think you would, right?

"For the sake of some future far beyond your knowledge... so that your 'future self' can clear the game. Sacrificing your current life to test more of the boss's mechanics and develop better control—those are all reasonable and correct choices."

"Necessary Evil and... Premature Death?"

Iver's brows drew tightly together as he realized what the Ring Angel was talking about. "My adoptive father... Mr. James. You were the one who tampered with things, after all?"

"He was merely a pawn. But there was nothing wrong with his principles in themselves."

The Ring Angel looked toward the distant void and said leisurely, "No matter how you took his theory to extremes or abstracted it until you saw the logical contradictions within it... that doesn't affect something