The protagonist Tokuchi Toua is truly like no other. Protagonists should overcome some kind of personal weakness in order to grow, instead Tokuchi asks why don't they think to just overcome weakness by increasing their strengths? Protagonists should get the reader to engage with their goals, instead Tokuchi's goal is merely to complete a gamble with an outcome already decided. Protagonists should struggle to "win", instead Tokuchi's victory is stated in the subtitle "Nobody wins, but I!"
How could such a protagonist spearhead the greatest work of history? By ignoring the question of "why?" and instead delivering the most spectacular answer to the question of "how?" Every single decision is calculated, every event naturally flowing from all which comes before it. Tokuchi effectively sees the future from the present, using it to guide the story along as if concretely demonstrating the Aristotelian concept of final cause. The story folds in on itself so many different ways all the while sprinkling in seeds of wisdom that leave more impact in single pages than many entire works.
