True agency in the isekai genre is often confused with power, but the real metric is the source of a character's growth. Comparing a YPS-3 physical combatant to a YPS-2 narrative catalyst renders traditional power scaling irrelevant; the gap between city-level destruction and social manipulation is a categorical divide. Instead, the critical link is how both characters utilize high Growth scores to compensate for a lack of Ego. Eris and Iruma are not driven by internal ambition, but by the desperate need to meet the expectations of others. Eris transforms herself through years of brutal isolation, treating her own body as a weapon to bridge the perceived gap between her and Rudeus. Her growth is a reaction to inadequacy. Iruma, conversely, ascends the demonic hierarchy not through will, but through a compulsive need to survive and please. His leadership is a byproduct of his bonds and the narrative armor provided by the Ring of Gluttony. While Eris fights to become a peer, Iruma is thrust into a position of authority by the world around him. This reveals a recurring isekai pattern: growth is frequently a mechanism for survival or validation rather than a pursuit of self-actualization. One carves a path through blood and sweat, the other through kindness and accident, but both remain tethered to the gaze of others.
Archetype breakdowns and dispute court land in later phases.