Higashino Makoto put down his quill and leaned back in his chair.
"The World Item that the Eight Greed Kings possessed was most likely the 'Five Elements Mutual Restraint' that altered the rules of magic; it had the power to change the magical rules of the world."
He paused.
"That is black, and the result of black and white mixing together is that dragons can no longer learn Wild Magic. After all, their souls are only meant to be suited to 'white,' and the rules of the world have changed."
"To give an analogy, let's assume the world is the destination of souls, a collection of soul energy. But this soul energy is enveloped in 'white,' and dragons happen to possess a talent that allows them to pierce through this white and extract souls from within 'gods.'"
"After the Eight Greed Kings descended, they changed the rules of the world, causing 'white' to become a mixture of black and white, while the 'black' part was beyond the reach of the dragons' talent specifically designed to pierce white."
Higashino Makoto paused for a moment, then came up with a rather apt analogy—
"It's like a mosquito. Its proboscis is naturally capable of piercing human skin and sucking blood. But after being contaminated by Tier Magic, it's like coating the skin with a protective film. Mosquitoes that have already pierced can still suck blood normally, but newly born mosquitoes can't, since their proboscis cannot pierce the skin covered by the protective film."
"Therefore, I speculate that this so-called pollution only applies to the dragon race. For the 'gods' of the entire world, it actually has no impact and may even be beneficial. After all, whether white or black, a 'god' is still a 'god.'"
"In fact, it would be a good thing for this world that all the True Dragon Lords are dead. Unfortunately, this world doesn't seem to have its own will."
Jibril remained silent.
She walked to the desk and looked down at the parchment.
White, black, and in between that blurry, indistinguishable gray.
And the mosquito that was frantically pacing around because its mouth couldn't pierce the skin.
"As expected of Master Higashino! He understands the essence of the world so easily."
"It's nothing, just good luck. Besides, it's just a guess."
Higashino Makoto's tone was flat.
"However, I seem to have always been very lucky, so this guess is very likely true."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out again.
"But what I'm concerned about isn't the gods of this world; what I'm concerned about is the method by which the Dragon Emperor uses 'gods' to materialize data. In a way, it seems like everything has come full circle."
Jibril's eyes widened slightly.
"Master, what do you want—"
I want to control it too.
Higashino Makoto turned around, his golden eyes devoid of any emotion.
"It's not about borrowing power, not about guiding faith, it's about becoming it. Or rather, becoming the brain of this unconscious giant."
The room fell silent.
Jibril looked at him, a complex light flickering in her purple eyes.
"Master, this is dangerous. Just like with the dragons, it could bring about annihilation."
Higashino Makoto was silent for a moment.
"Yes. So, I've decided to postpone this matter, but it still needs to be pushed forward."
"Why?"
"Because having something but being unable to use it is completely different from not having it at all. I need to monitor 'God,' and I don't want my life to be disrupted one day because of someone, like the Dragon Emperor."
He went back behind his desk and sat down.
"I finally won the lottery and got the life I've always dreamed of."
He paused.
"Whoever it is!"
Jibril stared at him for a long time.
Then, she chuckled softly.
"Master, you are very cautious."
Higashino Makoto glanced at her.
"It's not caution, it's being prepared for a rainy day."
He stood up and walked towards the door.
"Let's go, it's time to visit our old friend in Tartarus."
Jibril followed behind him, her enormous wings gently folding behind her.
"Master, are you going to see the Platinum Dragon Lord again?"
"Yes, it is the True Dragon Lords. Its soul is still connected to 'God.' It is the child of the Dragon Emperor, the instigator of everything. It is the existence in this world closest to the truth."
Higashino Makoto walked out of the study, his footsteps echoing in the corridor.
"So, I'm going to ask it some questions."
Tartarus, the deepest part of the Great Prison.
The Platinum Dragon Lord was bound to the ground by chains, his limbs and tail fixed by huge magical chains, and his mouth sealed with a gag.
Its body was covered with scars left by the Skinning Demons.
New wounds pile up on top of old wounds; just as the old wounds have healed, new wounds appear.
But it didn't die, because Higashino Makoto didn't want it to die.
The Skinning Demons stood aside, enchanted knives in hand, awaiting the next round of work.
When they saw Higashino Makoto walk in, they all lowered their heads.
"Grown ups."
"Let's go out first."
The Skinning Demons silently withdrew from the prison, the door closing behind them.
Higashino Makoto walked up to the Platinum Dragon Lord and stopped.
Those once dazzling, golden vertical pupils were now dull and lifeless, but his face was still reflected in them.
"Haven't seen you for a long time."
The Platinum Dragon Lord did not answer.
It couldn't answer; its mouth was sealed shut.
But its eyes were fixed on Higashino Makoto.
In those eyes, there was anger, humiliation, despair, and a faint glimmer of expectation that even the eyes themselves were unaware of.
Higashino Makoto raised his hand and waved it lightly.
The bit fell off the Platinum Dragon Lord's mouth with a dull metallic clang.
The Platinum Dragon Lord opened his mouth and gasped for breath.
It wasn't because it needed oxygen, but because this was the first time in six months that it could open its mouth.
"You're here again."
Its voice was hoarse and almost inaudible.
"Watch me, your defeated fugitive, being skinned alive?"
"No."
Higashino Makoto crouched down, meeting those vertical pupils in eye level.
I have a few questions for you.
The Platinum Dragon Lord stared at him for a long time.
What if I don't answer?
"Then I'll ask you another way."
Higashino Makoto's tone was flat.
"Until you answer."
The Platinum Dragon Lord remained silent for a moment.
"... ask."
"What exactly did the Dragon Emperor do to cause the filth of us so-called Dragon Emperor to descend upon us? Is it because the Eight Greed Kings changed the magic system that your newly born dragon race is unable to learn Wild Magic?"
The Platinum Dragon Lord's body trembled slightly.
"Let's address the second question first. That's right, ever since the Eight Greed Kings corrupted the world, newly born dragons have been unable to learn Wild Magic."
Higashino Makoto nodded.
"As expected, the reason you True Dragon Lords are so powerful is indeed because you are connected to the world's 'gods.' The so-called Wild Magic should be the direct use of the power accumulated by the world itself. But now, you newborns can no longer do that—obtain soul energy from the world."
The Platinum Dragon Lord's pupils contracted slightly.
You found out?
"Yes, I understand."