"Same as before, it vanished too cleanly."
"If the Garden of Recollection hadn't muddied the waters, no one would have known Demiurge existed at all—that was the Scepter's original calculation target. It was impossible for there to be no records whatsoever."
"Or look at it from another angle. If you were Zandar, would you be so concerned about a concept that posed no threat, guarding against it at every turn?"
To this, Screwllum offered a reminder:
"There is another possibility. He may simply be innately cautious, unable to tolerate any variables."
Herta remained confident and shook her head.
"That does fit the impression he gives."
"But just now, Zandar personally ruled out that possibility."
"Choosing to cut off his tail to survive, yet still taking action—we know that feeling all too well..."
"[The Unknown] lies before us. Other than [the Answer], there is no second option."
Seeing this, Screwllum asked in an inquisitive tone:
"You sound so certain. I presume you already have a hypothesis in mind."
"Would you mind sharing it with me?"
Herta continued laying out her deduction, her gaze seeming to pierce through the enormous Lordly Placenta:
"Though there is no proof, I can be fairly certain..."
"Demiurge had been in everyone's sight from the very beginning..."
"That is the only thing that makes sense. Why was the room empty? Because whoever had been locked inside had already escaped."
"Ms. Yan Huan mentioned Mikhail and Misha, didn't she? In my view, Demiurge was the same."
"It was tiny, weak, utterly inconspicuous. Even Screwllum failed to notice it."
After considering it, Screwllum stated the worst possibility based on logic, his metallic voice exceptionally calm:
"That would also mean there is a high probability that its power is negligible, incapable of influencing the battle."
Herta remained optimistic, the corner