"You see, I possess a rather special ability," I say, searching for a dagger within the game interface.
"The explanation is quite long, so I'll summarize it."
"But first, put on these glasses," I say, handing him a pair of dark shades—different from the ones he was wearing while eating.
"These glasses will help you see things you normally wouldn't be able to," I say as Kayaba Akihiko takes the eyewear.
"Just a reminder: look only at me or at the ground; do not look around you," I instruct.
Kayaba Akihiko takes the glasses. "Why is one of the lenses missing?" he asks.
"That's so I don't have to explain it twice," I reply.
"The lens is what allows you to see things that would otherwise be invisible—not the glasses themselves," I remark.
Kayaba simply puts the glasses on.
Suddenly, the atmosphere surrounding Kayaba Akihiko shifted.
Abruptly, the environment took on a much more somber tone.
But before he could look around, a hand covered his eyes.
With one hand, I shielded his eyes and spoke to him.
"What did I tell you? Look at the ground, or look at me. If they realize you can see them, they'll kill you," I whispered to Kayaba.
"Don't ask questions; just look at me," I told him.
Kayaba isn't foolish; he followed my instructions.
Upon looking at me, Kayaba saw a sort of translucent, cyan-blue energy.
"My ability is special; it's quite complex and would take a long time to explain."
"But you only need to understand two essential things."
"My ability allows me to convert electronic data into real-world objects."
Suddenly—invisible to ordinary people—objects began to emerge from my cell phone, transforming into a perfectly ordinary military dagger.
"And conversely, I can convert real-world objects into data," I said; as I plucked a leaf from a nearby tree, it dissolved into data and flowed into the phone. I showed the screen to Kayaba Akihiko; on it, the blade itself had replaced the dagger.
Even the item description had changed, now displaying details about the blade.
It indicated which tree it came from, who had gathered it, and the reason why.
I handed the dagger to Kayaba Akihiko and spoke.
"Now do you understand why the questions I asked you truly have to do with fulfilling your dream" I say as Kayaba Akihiko takes the box.
Kayaba is astonished to see how data transforms into reality.
And, with his intellect, he finally grasps why Alaya had told him that this person—me—could make his dream come true.
To cease living in a world where one is bound by the rules and laws of the real world.
To create a new world.
Kayaba still had questions he wanted to ask Rin.
Removing his glasses, Kayaba asks Rin:
"How is this possible? Creating matter from nothing is unscientific."
"It doesn't follow the Law of Conservation of Matter," Kayaba says in his usual calm voice.
"That, too, is quite a long and tedious thing to explain."
"To help you understand it better, I'll let you feel it for yourself," I say, rising from the park bench.
"Don't move," I say, placing my hand upon his head.
[Transfiguration: Inactive]
With a pulse of Cursed Energy, I activate my technique.
After manipulating Kayaba Akihiko's soul and brain ever so slightly, I managed to transform the process into a Cursed Technique of immense potential.
"I'm finished. You may open your eyes now, but remember: act as if you cannot see them," I say, withdrawing my hand from Kayaba Akihiko's head.
Kayaba Akihiko opens his eyes and sees countless malevolent spirits all around him.
Truth be told, malevolent spirits are far more terrifying than Curses.
Curses come in all shapes and sizes—save for the human form.
But almost all malevolent spirits adopt a human form.
Deep within our genetic code, we humans possess an instinct that triggers an irrational fear—and a primal urge to kill—toward any creature that attempts to mimic us. Who knows if, in the remote past, there existed predators that posed as humans to hunt and kill us in ancient times?
Kayaba Akihiko followed my instructions—and ignored them. The truth is that Akihiko Kayaba is quite calm on the inside.
If Akihiko Kayaba possesses the determination to trap 10,000 players in a deadly game...
He had to possess a strong mindset and be prepared to die.
That is why he wasn't particularly surprised when he saw the evil spirits.
"What is this power?" Kayaba asked calmly, though with a hint of curiosity.
"It is called Cursed Energy."
"This energy stems from negative emotions."
"It is a form of spiritual power born from negative human emotions—such as anger, fear, or sadness."
I told him as I handed him a pair of what appeared to be Mystic Anti-Spirit Lenses.
"These lenses will block your ability to see evil spirits."
Kayaba took the lenses and asked me:
"How did you grant me this power?"
"It's quite simple," I replied.
"But first, tell me something: which do you think came first—the body or the soul?"
Kayaba thought for a few seconds before answering.
"I don't know. But logically, the body comes first, followed by the soul."
"You aren't entirely right, nor are you completely wrong," I said.
"The truth is that the body comes first, and then the soul."
"The form of the soul follows the form of the body, and subsequently, the body follows the form of the soul."
"Another one of my abilities is based on simple logic."
"The body follows the form of the soul."
"All I did was modify the shape of your soul so that it would produce Cursed Energy; then, I modified your brain to grant it the capacity to control that energy," I finished explaining.
"Didn't you say that negative emotions produce Cursed Energy?"
"Why did you have to modify my soul just so I could produce Cursed Energy?" asked Kayaba Akihiko.
I simply answered him with the truth.
"The humans of this world do not possess the capacity to produce Cursed Energy."
"Only a few humans possess the ability to utilize spiritual energy—and even then, only to an insignificant degree." "So, I had to modify the latent and dormant capacity within your soul to utilize spiritual power, enabling it to generate Cursed Energy through negative emotions," I said. The truth is that in this world, every human possesses an organ within their soul that grants them the ability to wield spiritual power; however, for 99.99999% of humanity, this organ remains blocked.
And only a select few are capable of utilizing it—and even then, only to a limited extent.
Time skip.
24 hours later.
After explaining to Akihiko Kayaba all the benefits and drawbacks of Cursed Energy, as well as how to control it, I returned home.
Though not before Akihiko Kayaba handed me a backup copy on a USB drive containing all the data for the floating castle: [Aincrad].
This data comprises solely the specifications of the castle, excluding any information regarding the monsters that inhabit it.
In essence, it amounts to nothing more than the structural data of a building.
With absolutely nothing else inside.
However, it seems I overlooked a crucial detail.
The power of the Herrscher of Reason cannot create life.
This means I am incapable of generating plants, trees, grass, or any other living organism.
The Herrscher of Reason is capable of creating only inanimate objects.
Not even my Cursed Technique—[Data Synchronization]—can give rise to life.
The only Herrscher ability capable of creating life belongs to the [Herrscher of Death].
The Herrscher of Death possesses the authority to govern both life and death, allowing them to decompose (destroy) and reconstruct (create/heal) both organic and inorganic matter. Their primary abilities include extreme regeneration, soul manipulation, and the creation of life—though they do not include the resurrection of the dead.
However, I have two potential solutions to this problem. First, I could construct the [Abyss Flower] using my own construction technique.
Alternatively, I could order Akihiko Kayaba to design a weapon with the same specifications as the [Abyss Flower], and then create it myself using my [Data Synchronization] technique.
The best option between these two is the first one.
The reason?
It is very simple.
The [Construction] technique is based on imagination.
If you imagine a sword that severs the soul, you will create a sword that severs the soul—without the need for any prior knowledge regarding souls.
However, to create the [Abyss Flower] as close to the original Divine Key as possible, I need to make some preparations.
First, utilizing the power of the [Herrscher of Reason], I must analyze the Herrscher Core to attempt to fabricate a replica.
Next, I need to recall every detail regarding the mechanics of the original [Abyss Flower].
And then, I will be able to attempt to create the [Abyss Flower].