The stalemate in the meeting room continued.
Carol had to admit to herself that none of Rimuru's concerns were unfounded.
The slow, gradual replacement of humans, the silent demise of civilization, and the passive extinction of humankind—these hidden dangers are all real.
But she still had one last hurdle in her mind, and she just couldn't figure it out.
She looked at Rimuru, who stood calmly opposite her, her brows furrowed, her tone filled with confusion and bewilderment.
"I admit that what you said about the existential conflict is real; if left unchecked, humanity will indeed face serious problems."
"But I still don't understand."
Why are you so certain that the Skrulls will retaliate against humanity and turn against the Earth in the future?
"It's even so radical as to say, 'Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.'"
Carol stared intently at her and voiced her deepest question.
"Is it simply because the Skrulls ' overall technological level far surpasses that of humans at this stage?"
In her view, humanity's biggest shortcomings are nothing more than technological backwardness and insufficient combat power.
As long as we take preventative measures, limit the spread of technology, and implement effective monitoring and isolation, we can completely suppress the risks. There is absolutely no need to go to the point of complete eradication.
Faced with Carol's question, Rimuru simply shook his head slightly, his face full of helplessness.
"Technology has never been the focus."
"The real problem is the Skrull race itself."
Without any unnecessary preamble, Rimuru straight to the point and slowly recounted the true origins of the Skrulls race.
The story unfolds in detail, revealing the incomplete bloodline of the Celestials' modification experiments, their innate Mimicry, their reliance on invading other civilizations to perpetuate themselves, and the parasitic survival instinct ingrained in their very being.
From the very beginning, they were not a race that relied on exploring planets and multiplying through their own efforts.
Their civilization is fundamentally based on plunder, substitution, and usurpation.
After hearing the complete origin story of their race, Carol remained silent for a long time.
She finally understood the source of Rimuru's deep-seated vigilance and realized that his prejudice was not unfounded.
But she still felt it was too resolute and couldn't help but argue back.
"That's all ancient history, from tens of thousands of years ago."
"Ancient racial instincts do not represent the present; the barbaric habits of yesteryear have long been worn away by time."
"They have been wandering for countless years, suffering the pain of extinction and the torment of being hunted down."
Why can't we give them a chance to change their ways and live a truly peaceful life?
It's clear from these words that Carol's heart remains soft, carrying the kindness cultivated over the years of protecting the weak, and a touch of naiveté.
Rimuru looked at her, sighed softly, and gave the final, cruelest, and most unsolvable answer.
Because humans can't afford to gamble.
" Carol, have you ever thought about a very simple principle?"
"If it weren't for your sudden appearance, your protection along the way, and your help in fighting the Kree, the Skrull race would have been completely wiped out in the universe long ago."
"It was your appearance that saved their lives."
Rimuru's gaze was clear, his words sharp and incisive, hitting the nail on the head.
"But what if one day in the future, the Earth is completely infiltrated by the Skrulls, who then turn against us and hunt us to the brink of extinction, leaving us homeless and displaced—who will save humanity?"
Who will shelter the remaining human survivors?
"Can you guarantee that another ' Captain Marvel ' will suddenly appear out of nowhere in the universe and save humanity from annihilation?"
Carol's lips parted slightly, but she was instantly speechless, unable to utter a single word.
Rimuru continued, his tone flat yet utterly cold.
"And don't forget the most crucial point."
"They are ruthless in their extermination of even their own kin, their mutated offspring, showing no mercy whatsoever."
"If they are so cold-blooded and selfish towards their own kind, what makes you think they would show mercy to humans of other races?"
"The peaceful coexistence that everyone is seeing now is a complete illusion."
Rimuru the people at the round table, slowly shattering the illusion of peace.
"The current peace is purely because 99 percent of humanity on Earth is completely unaware of the Skrulls ' existence."
Everyone was kept in the dark, living unknowingly among imposters of their own kind.
"What if one day, all of humanity fully learns the truth, that hundreds of thousands of alien races lurk among us, ready to replace us and devour our civilizations?"
"You can probably guess what the consequences will be."
Suspicion, panic, conflict, and war swept across the entire Earth in an instant.
"So the peaceful coexistence you mentioned never existed in the first place."
"That's just a false balance forcibly maintained under the guise of human ignorance and your personal military protection."
"The truth will out eventually; it will all come out eventually."
After hearing this entire statement, Carol froze completely in his seat.
Her long, golden hair cascaded down her shoulders, crushing the last shred of her resolve to argue.
Carol silently raised her eyes and glanced at each of the Avengers around the round table.
Tony, Steve, and the others all had similar expressions.
His eyes held a hint of reluctance, and he did not approve of this almost insane purge plan. Hundreds of thousands of lives were at stake; no one could accept that so easily.
But everyone knows the harsh reality and there is no better way; they can neither oppose it with righteous indignation nor fully agree with it with a clear conscience.
Everyone adopted a passive and acquiescing attitude, caught in a dilemma and silently compromising.
Then Carol's gaze fell on Nick Fury, who was standing to the side.
The moment their eyes met, Fury avoided direct eye contact, his eyes clearly filled with guilt and apology.
He was too ashamed to speak.
As one of the sources of the whole affair, the moment of mercy shown back then has sown the seeds of disaster, now creating an unsolvable dilemma that forces everyone to face a cruel choice, and even drags Carol into this difficult conflict.
Seeing the somber expressions on everyone's faces, and Fury's deep unease, Carol remained silent for a long time, lost in thought.
The huge virtual conference room was completely silent; everyone was waiting for her final decision.
After a long while, Carol slowly took a deep breath, her chest heaving, and the hesitation in her eyes gradually faded, as if she had finally made a decision.
"Since you say the current peace is fake, a false balance forcibly maintained by my military force."
"Then let's make a bet."
These words caused everyone in the room to tense up instantly, creating an extremely tense atmosphere.
Everyone understood—what was bound to happen had finally happened.
After going through all the arguments, debating all the rights and wrongs, and fighting over all the good and evil, in the end, this ultimate choice concerning the survival of the race cannot escape the most primitive rules.
The strong make the rules, the wise use the rules, and the weak follow the rules.
This is the most straightforward and cruel truth in the entire universe, and it has never changed.
Carol looked up at Rimuru, her previously hesitant gaze turning sharp and resolute, her body radiating immense energy, her aura fully unleashed.
"I believe you are capable of leading this matter and certainly possess the ability to make the necessary decisions."
"Let's have a match."
"If you win, I'll shut up completely and cooperate fully with you in carrying out this purge plan."
"If I win, you cease all operations and spare all the Skrulls. I will personally lead them off Earth, find them a safe new home, and ensure they never set foot on Earth again."
Rimuru remained seated, his expression calm and showing no sign of surprise.
She understood Carol's persona.
Captain Marvel, as portrayed in the movies, has always been like this.
Confident and independent, with a resilient character and an innate unwillingness to admit defeat. Holding the most powerful force in the universe, they never use it to fight for power and profit, but to protect the weak and fight against injustice.
Outwardly tough but inwardly gentle, possessing both the sharp resilience of a strong person and the warm compassion of a healer.
She was unwilling to accept this bloody purge, nor did she want to watch hundreds of thousands of innocent people perish. She understood the existential conflict between the two races and could not find a way to break the deadlock.
So in the end, she could only choose the most direct and brutal method.
In Carol's mind, this was the only way.
If they win, they can end this cruel plan and save their entire tribe.
Even if she loses, she will have no regrets.
She fought, struggled, and did her best for the weak, and did not stand idly by and numbly accept the tragedy.
That's enough for her.
The people around the round table held their breath, and no one dared to speak out.
Everyone knew that from this moment on, the ultimate outcome of the entire event, and the fate of the two races, all rested on this clash of the strong and the weak.