"Created an Emperor?"
Grotesque Doctor's words plunged the scene into dead silence. Even the many faces on that mountain of flesh fell silent.
It was as though vast amounts of information were passing between those faces. They seemed to be discussing, questioning, and confirming something. In the end, however, one face spoke—the kindest-looking one, an old man's face in a white robe. "That truly is a kind of madness we've never heard before—"
", hahaha—"
More faces began to laugh, opening their mouths and shouting in unison, "The Emperor is nothing but a lie—"
"Anyone who pursues the Emperor and tries to break free of the shackles must face this kind of despair."
"We understand your unwillingness to accept it, but this is nothing more than a dead end—"
"Heh heh, heh heh. You say you created an Emperor, so why don't you tell us exactly how you did it?"
,"
Faced with this question, Grotesque Doctor's face on the screen—formed from intricate static—showed a brief look of contemplation. After a long while, he answered with some regret, "Your doubts are understandable."
"Because it would indeed be inaccurate to say that I created an Emperor—"
"Haha, haha—"
The monsters' faces laughed at the same time. "Just as expected. We knew it would be like this—"
"We know you. We began watching you long ago. We took notice of you at the World Conference twenty years ago."
"You are one of the clever ones among ordinary people. You designed the World Ritual. Under the influence of that World Ritual, even we were almost unable to hide. Had it been before the Womb Era, you might have had the chance to grow into a lifeform like us."
"But you cannot."
"This world is too crowded. Now that we exist, there can be