Link's consciousness fell into an unprecedented silence within this ocean of the universe's source code.
He "looked back" on his life.
From his first check-in at Arkham to his chaotic rise in Gotham; from taking control of Earth to conquering the sea of stars; from toying with mortals to standing alongside gods. He had pursued power and reveled in control, treating the entire universe as his playground.
He had thought he was the chess player, never imagining that he had always been a pawn entrusted with the highest mission.
Give up my "self"?
For Link, who valued his own will above everything else, that was an ending harder to accept than death.
But...
A smiling face surfaced in his consciousness. A face that was crazed, obsessed, innocent, and filled with boundless love.
Harley Quinn.
He remembered her resolute, radiant smile at the edge of the cliff on Vormir.
He remembered the last words she had left him as he held her in his arms, her body erased bit by bit by the power of the laws.
"Lil' Puddin', go take back our world, that fun, thrilling, messed-up world..."
If he refused, this world, along with all its "fun" and "messed-up" wonders, would be completely formatted. Her sacrifice would become meaningless.
This universe was his playground—and hers.
How could he let someone else format it on a whim?
A surge of will belonging to Link himself erupted from the deepest reaches of his soul.
It was neither the majesty of a God King nor the cold ruthlessness of an overlord, but pure, unreasonable possessiveness.
"No one gets to touch what's mine."
Link's consciousness issued the final—and most resolute—command of his life to the logic core of the [God-Level Check-In System].
"Execute... Ultimate Check-In!"
The command went out.
The entire universe's ocean