Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou Explanation Page

Ichiban Ushiro no Daimao focuses in its last volumes on a cosmology of first alternate dimensions and then various levels of existence in which the prior level appears as fiction to the former. We will begin by explaining the cosmology of the verse and based on that rank the characters.
==Cosmology==
===The Main Story===
The 'Main Story' is the term we will use to refer to the plane of existence most of the Volumes take place in. Basically the entirety of Volume 1 to Volume 12 happens in this, with only Volume 13 going beyond. Luckily we are given a brief summary of what is part of the main story in the beginning of Volume 13:
So we have a number of worlds in the main story. That is the main universe, here referred to as the real world, likely infinite alternate dimensions i.e. universes, a number of virtual alternate dimensions and the afterlife.
Now, the afterlife is actually not part of the Main Story as will be explained in the next section.
For now, let's explain the other worlds mentioned that are part of the Main Story. The simplest to explain are the virtual alternate dimensions.
====Virtual Alternate Dimensions====
As defined here a virtual alternate dimension is a 4th dimensional space, so likely a spacetime continuum, of infinite size that is adjacent to the main universe. The reason it is called 'virtual' is also already explained there: The virtual alternate dimensions can be easily changed and essentially programmed like a video game, which is in fact exactly what happens in the plot of Volume 7. That's why they are called virtual. That aren't actually video games or anything, though.
There is not necessarily just one virtual alternate dimension. The computer gods appear to be able to expand them if they wish to do so.
====Non-virtual Alternate Dimensions====
The non-virtual alternate dimensions are a lot harder to explain since no character in the story actually ever travels to them and they aren't something widely researched either. The only reason people even know they exist is because of the Formless Power, which is the power of the consciousness of a race from an alternate universe. When reading the following quotes keep in mind that, as Bouichirou explained in the quote at the beginning of the Main Story section, alternate dimensions and outside the universe refer to the same thing.
The Formless power, which are the minds of that race from another universe, came to the main universe ("real world") after its own power destroyed the world. The same was then about to repeat to that universe, upon which they either could shift to another of the likely infinite alternate dimensions, like the Formless Power did, or, as they ultimately ended up doing, shift to the world called the afterlife.
====The Main Story is Fiction====
Now it's time to get to the metafictional parts. There is one quote from the novel that summarizes it well. The short version is: Everything mentioned to that point is just a fictional story from some other perspective and the afterlife is outside that story.
The same is also mentioned again one volume later.
Note: For more arguments in favor of reality-fiction differences and replies to possible counter-arguments see this thread.
===The Afterlife===
The next level of reality we have to talk about is the afterlife. Now as the name suggests the afterlife is the world after death. This afterlife is a world that is strongly influenced by the thoughts of its inhabitants.
As already suggested here, Sai Akuto's thoughts have the strongest influence on the afterlife. In fact, he is considered basically omnipotent within it.
However, the most important thing we learn about the afterlife cosmologically is that it exists on a higher level of fiction than the main story. After the characters arrive there we learn the following:
Fiction has multiple layers, or systems, and when arriving in the afterlife Akuto already destroyed the first one and landed in the second. That second one being the afterlife.
===The Law of Identity's Story Hierarchy===
Infinite hierarchies of stories have been mentioned twice in prior quotes. Let me repost them.
and 
It is likely that the infinite retreat mentioned in the second quote is exactly the kind of infinite story hierarchy mentioned regarding The Law of Identity.
In any case, those two quotes are of course important to The Law of Identities', that is the true gods, ranking. However, it also has some other relevance. Those quotes proof that stories that contain infinite layers of stories are possible in the verse.
===All Possible Stories===
The reason the possible stories are so important is due to something Akuto does in the afterlife. Akuto is looking for a way to end his story and he eventually figures that the best way to do that is to simply create all possible stories and search for the one with the optimal ending.
Note how they give a pretty strict definition of a possible world here. This is the second reason why the infinite hierarchies mentioned in the prior section are relevant, because they are too possible worlds. The novel tells us they are possible as they exist. From a logical perspective the world Akuto exists in, as obviously a possible world.
So if Akuto succeeds in creating all possible worlds within the afterlife, then those have to be included.
So does he succeed? That's where things become controversial. At first it seems like he did, although it had undesirable consequences.
However, later on it sounds more like the story creation is a continuous process that Akuto stops at a certain point.
The opinions on how to interpret this differ.
One way is to say that Akuto created all stories in the beginning and him giving up making stories just means he gives up going through them to find the one he needs.
Another one is to say that him creating infinite possibilities as universes in him doesn't mean he finished creating all stories and that he was in fact stuck creating stories the whole time. 
Other views try to take both statements straight and reconcile them. For example by interpreting the fact that when Akuto in the first quote created stories a chaos was created in which no proper stories could take place and Akuto hence reset it and started creating stories one after another in a more controlled fashion.
It's in any case not as clear as anyone wants it to be.
===The Anti-Universe===
The last place we are left to cover is the anti-universe. It is the place were all stories end and can only be reached by the Law of Identity performing a ritual.
It should be noted that the anti-universe is out of reach of even the next person to become The Law of Identity, at least for a certain time, meaning it's truly above the story hierarchy.
==Character Placement==
With the cosmology clarified we can start looking at the placements of characters. 
===Sai Akuto===
Most of Akuto's stats either originate from the calc blogs or by scaling to other characters. Those should require no further explanation, so let's cover the two keys for which those doesn't apply. The Afterlife key and, to a lesser extent, the Void Body key.
Now the Afterlife key is the one that performed the feat of creating all possible stories and that exists in the afterlife.
Since the afterlife is one reality-fiction level above the main story he is at least "Low Complex Multiverse level" for controlling the entirety of it.
However, it debated before creating all possible stories would also include creating stories with infinite story hierarchies. However, as the explanation in the corresponding cosmology section explained there is controversy over whether he achieved that or not. However, there are some things in favor of it to be considered:
#Yoshie Kita, a supergenius that has demonstrated some understanding of the afterlife situation, was the one who came up with the entire idea of Akuto being able to create all possible stories. Considering her status as a super scientist her opinions on the matter can be considered reasonably reliable.
#The statement in which Akuto considered himself to be able to do anything he wishes within the afterlife is from after the creation of all possible stories. That indicates that Akuto at least never encountered any story that he couldn't create during the millennia he worked on it. If he can't create such stories he by pure chance must have never stumbled upon one of the story hierarchy ones during the process.
#From a story writing perspective, it would be strange to first write that he should be able to create all stories and then have him unable to, without actually retracting that assessment at any point.
For those reasons it is considered to be sufficiently likely that Akuto has the ability to create all possible stories, including those with infinite hierarchies which were explained to be possible, if not existent, in the verse. As those stories are stories for him, that qualifies Akuto for the rating of "likely Outerverse level".
Lastly there is the void body key. To quote that entire section of the novel:
Akuto was at least as powerful as before, but seemed to be upgraded by Keena's, that is The Law of Identity's, power, fuse with her and ultimately reached the anti-universe. Since the anti-universe is beyond all stories, even the theoretical infinite story hierarchies between Sai Akuto and The Law of Identity, a rating of "likely High Outerverse level", matching that of The Law of Identity, is justified.
===The Law of Identity===
As explained in the "The Law of Identity's Story Hierarchy"-section, she is by nature powerful enough to be infinite levels of reality-fiction above everyone else. She is furthermore capable of reaching the anti-universe beyond all stories.
That justifies the ranking "Outerverse level, likely High Outerverse level".
===Other Tier 1s===
All the other Tier 1 character's rankings can be simply summarized as scaling to either Akuto or The Law of Identity in corresponding keys. The precise reasons for them scaling can be found on their pages.
===Computer Gods, the Formless Power and those scaling to them===
The following section is taken from a blog post by Ionliosite:
With this we can say 2 things: mana is the source of all magic in the verse, and the Computer Gods control all mana there is. In essence, this would mean that the whole system of magic = the Computer Gods in terms of power, and thus anyone who scales to the former will scale to the latter. But with that out of the way, what feats do the Computer Gods have?
The Computer Gods can create universes, and these are said to be infinitely vast 4th dimensional spaces, which would put the Computer Gods, and thus the system of magic itself, as Universe level+. But then, if the Computer Gods are equal to the entire magic system itself, the source of power for the verse, that mean no one scales, right? Well…
So here we have the Formless Power. In contrast to mana, which is limited, the energy of the Formless Power is infinite, with those who release it gaining a power even greater than magic. Since the energy possessed by the Formless Power is greater than mana, the source of magic, which we established earlier was = to the Computer Gods, anyone who scales to the Formless Power equally scales to Universe level+.
This, of course, includes Awakened Demon Kings such as Akuto and Zero, so the Computer Gods, and by proxy, the whole Tier 2 segment of the verse.
Category:Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou
Category:Explanation Pages