Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“To begin with, why do you think the world is collapsing?”
“Because each kingdom refused to release the spirits. Because we ignored the prophecy, isn’t it?”
“That’s… half correct, I’d say. I wasn’t the one who created this world, so I don’t fully understand either. But if that were the only reason, then the collapse of this world wouldn’t be happening so soon.”

Even hearing that, all I knew was what I’d been told. If that was only half the truth… then what did the other half entail?

“While I was traveling the world as a Demigod, I had the chance to speak with people of royal blood. And it seemed they genuinely believed they were properly managing the world using the spirits.”
“But that wasn’t the case. The spirits were weakening—on the brink of vanishing. Isn’t that so?”
“Yes, but that’s still only half the story.”

What was missing? If the spirits were weakening, then wouldn’t that lead directly to the collapse of the world? Wasn’t the whole point that the refusal to release them caused their decline, and that in turn led to this?

“Most likely, the spirits weakening and the world collapsing aren’t directly linked. The disappearance of the spirits doesn’t equate to the world’s destruction. If that were the case, the world would already have collapsed by now.”
“You’re right.”

When the signs of collapse began, the spirit of Nigel should still have been in this world. And there was also the spirit that the Demon Lord had brought. Even now, after all the spirits had vanished, the world was still standing. Finis still had a spirit with her, yes, but the mission given to her was to collect the spirits because the world was going to collapse.

So if collecting spirits was the equivalent of making them disappear, and that wasn’t directly causing the collapse, then…

“So, if the world had truly been properly maintained, then even if the spirits weakened, it wouldn’t have collapsed.”
“So you’re saying that none of us were managing it correctly?”
“Exactly. It’s presumptuous to think mere humans could handle something like that properly.”

I wanted to argue, but I had no arguments to counter her. We were supposed to have been managing the world. But if something had been going on behind the scenes—something we humans couldn’t perceive—then at least in Fraus, we had certainly failed.

“Besides, the collapse of the world was determined long ago. Just after the final divine prophecy was delivered. Since then, the question has only been how much longer it can be delayed. The reason the world lasted as long as it did is probably thanks to the Nigel Kingdom. Originally, it should’ve lasted even longer. What seems like a long time to humans is but a blink to the world. Even a span of a thousand years means little to it. To be specific, if we’re talking about human ages, I think it should have lasted for a few more generations.”
“What are you trying to say?”

The world wasn’t supposed to end yet. But something had accelerated its demise.

Finis, instead of revealing it right away, stalled, perhaps savoring the conversation or simply passing the time.

“This world has seen the appearance of beings called Demon Lords from time to time, right? But what exactly is a Demon Lord?”
“A common enemy of mankind.”
“From a human perspective, that’s correct. Especially in this world, that’s exactly how they’ve always been seen.”
“Then… from a god’s perspective, it’s different?”
“Not just from a god’s perspective. From the world’s perspective, too. But yes, gods see them differently as well.”

The Demon Lord was humanity’s enemy. That’s what even children knew. It was a truth upheld throughout history. But Finis was about to shatter that common sense.

“Among the gods, the Demon Lord is referred to as Zygos. Their role is to eliminate anything that might threaten the world’s stability. And in this world, that threat happened to be humans. That’s all there is to it.”

If that were the case, then the reason would likely be connected to the humans trapping the spirits.

“So to be precise, the Demon Lord’s mission was to liberate the spirits. This time, though, it was already too late for that. What the Demon Lord did was more like lashing out in frustration on behalf of the world.”
“So you’re saying… that defeating the Demon Lord is what led to the collapse?”
“No. I’m not saying the act of defeating them itself was bad. The problem lies in how it was done.”
“You don’t mean…”

I wasn’t so dull as to miss the implication. But my mind refused to accept it. I didn’t want to understand. I didn’t want to hear it. Before I could even resist, Finis’ merciless voice reached me.

“The Hero Summoning. Do you think dragging beings from another world into this one wouldn’t put a strain on it? Summoning heroes accumulates damage to the world itself. And the spirits who could’ve mitigated that damage? They were already captured—by you and your kind. That’s how the signs of collapse began to creep closer. By the time of the final prophecy, it had already passed the point of no return. I’m not a God of Creation, so I don’t know every detail. But it’s possible that forcibly drawing power from the spirits and using it to sustain the world also contributed to the burden. Either way, summoning 25 people in its current condition… Well, I think you can imagine the result.”

It was clear she was saying I had accelerated the collapse of the world. But… I’d already realized that earlier. It had been my decision, my actions, that were now driving the people toward their deaths.

It wasn’t a small sacrifice to save the many. I had sacrificed everything. Everything.

The legacy of the people of Fraus, built up over generations—the very lives of those still living—all of it, driven to ruin because of me. Not in some distant future. Probably even soon.

I would live to see the consequences of my actions. No, I actually wouldn’t. I would likely die before then.

“The timeline sped up even more after the summoning in Caeruleus. But even without that, the world wouldn’t have lasted more than twenty years.”

Finis’ words passed through me but didn’t register. No matter how it happened, I had been involved in the end of this world. And because of that… my heart was now set.