Type-Moon: The Human Love Simulator [139] [DDD!]

December Double Drop!

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"Alas, Son of Man..."

Zeus shook his head, his voice heavy as he spoke. "The one and only fate cannot be defied. Even if you reach the very end, doing all you can, it will inevitably lead to the singular conclusion."

"Yet, as your 'father,' I shall choose to help you."

Even if the cost is...

Zeus lowered his gaze. Since his child wished to defy fate and dared to sing against it, Zeus would do everything in his power to support Suren.

Suren nodded and asked, "Zeus, if we were to turn the Gigantes into specimens, preserving them in the underworld for eternity—could that extend the age of the gods?"

"...I do not know." Zeus shook his head.

"There's something you don't know?" Suren was taken aback. As the wisest among the gods and their elder, Zeus had always embodied kindness and wisdom. Whenever Suren had a question, he would go to Zeus for answers.

And yet, now, Zeus admitted he did not know.

"It is precisely because I don't know how to prolong the age of the gods that I must accept this destined end."

Zeus spoke calmly, "You know about the White Titan, don't you? Back when we gods still possessed our bodies, I gathered the twelve Olympians to discuss merging into a singular entity."

"If the powers of the twelve gods could combine, perhaps the resulting omnipotent god might hold the answer."

"But as it stands, I am powerless."

"It seems, in the end, I will have to rely on myself."

Suren nodded, accepting the reality.

After all, Zeus, though the supreme god-king of Olympus, was not all-powerful. Even he had things beyond his ability and his foresight.

And, really, Zeus had no obligation to assist him. When it came down to it, all of this was just Suren's wishful thinking, wasn't it?

"But I refuse to back down!"

Suren clenched his teeth. Even if that's the case—even if that's the case...

Even if everyone believed that the age of gods was doomed to fade, that fate was set in stone, Suren refused to surrender and simply couldn't give up!

"I am the Golden King... the Greek Emperor who realized the golden age of peace and prosperity!"

In Suren's eyes, a fierce resolve burned bright. He had brought about the improbable Golden Age—why couldn't he ensure the gods' age endured as well?

---

The king of kings, ruler of the golden land, to whom all men and all gods alike belonged.

Standing atop the highest peak, gazing down at the kingdom he had created, the most terrifying ambition took root in his heart—he wished for this moment to last forever.

But, the king of kings was destined never to know that fate could not be defied...

His actions would bring about the most dreadful calamity for the Golden Kingdom.

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Greek Mythology: The Golden King Suren

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Over the following years, Suren gradually secluded himself. He realized he knew far too little. The deeper he delved into magic, the more he felt he understood nothing at all, and the more powerless he felt about achieving his goals.

The only ones capable of true fearlessness are the brave and the foolish.

And Suren happened to embody both.

Without Suren's influence, his guiding will faded, and the first Greek Empire began to fall into disarray. All the plans for campaigns against Persia and Egypt collapsed entirely.

Without the supreme king to rule, no one could unify the Greek city-states.

Even Heracles, though strong, lacked the necessary mindset, merely relying on brute force and bloodshed to suppress everything, lacking Suren's ideal of ruling through virtue supported by strength.

It was ironic—this demigod hero, Heracles, strongest of all, served best as a mere servant.

He was a man who needed commands, who needed to be driven by orders and the lash. Without a collar around his neck, without the whip overhead, without the voice of his master, Heracles found himself lost, with no idea of what he should do.

"My king, Greece needs you." Heracles knelt outside the Greek Library, pleading with the only scholar within. "Without your mediation, Greece is on the brink of collapse."

"Heracles, there's no need for this." A gentle, harmonious male voice replied from inside, "I have important matters to attend to; endure for now."

"The trifles of mortals, I leave entirely to you. If someone dares to defy you, it's no matter."

"Let the world rebel; I alone shall suppress it."

"..."

Heracles sighed bitterly. "As you will, mighty Greek Emperor, Golden King."

Rising to his feet, Heracles found it hard to believe that these words had come from the once-benevolent King Suren.

Did the king truly not understand what entrusting Heracles with full authority implied?

All Heracles knew was killing; he did not know how to govern. Granting him full authority essentially meant allowing him to quell unrest in the way he knew best—by killing.

The Suren of old would never have condoned such a crude method. But now, Suren no longer seemed to be the wise, powerful king he once was. He no longer seemed to care for the Greek people.

The king who once promised happiness and joy for all, who ensured that everyone could live and prosper—seemed to have vanished.

He would say he had pressing matters to attend to, but everyone knew he was no longer the bright figure standing before them, laughing and saying, Do as you will. This is the most prosperous Greece of the age of gods, and everyone can find happiness here!

"My king, whatever troubles you are facing, please, do not abandon your people..."

Heracles took up his bow. He would put down the unrest in his own way.

The Greek Library, the place where the supreme laws were amended.

After the founding of the first Greek Empire, Suren had ordered its construction, even personally overseeing it. This first wonder of Greece, the Greek Library.

Hermes, the god's messenger, had toiled without sleep for years, filling its shelves with what was said to be all the knowledge in the world.

Suren placed down another book, sighing. "It's no good. No matter how stable the anchor, it cannot withstand the ceaseless pressure of the Counter Force. The power of the planetary consciousness is inexhaustible; I cannot oppose all its force with just Greece alone."

"Materializing the soul... No, that's far too terrifying; it would destroy the world."

"An artificial age of gods may resemble the real thing, but it is worlds apart on the inside, and requires 'fuel' to maintain it. Yet, it's the best option available now..."

Suren murmured to himself, "The legendary five True Magics of the Moonlit World—first magic can create from the void, second can alter parallel worlds, third can materialize the soul, fourth remains unseen by all, and the fifth can bring everything to an end."

"If I could master all five True Magics, each a miracle in the Age of Gods, perhaps I could uphold everything I seek..."

"The first—a beginning to change all."

"The second—a continuation to encompass more."

"The third—a succession to show the future."

"The fourth—a sustenance that conceals."

"The fifth... the fifth that ends..."

A fevered glint filled Suren's gaze, the fierce passion of one convinced he had found the true path.

"Magic... Magic..."

---

Under Suren's neglect, the classical age of Greece seemed unchanged on the surface.

All he once did for the golden land seemed to fade away, and it appeared as though no one cared about Suren's will any longer.

The golden king on the throne looked like nothing more than a breathing clay idol, unmoved by anything happening in Greece, speaking not a word.

No one knew what Suren was up to or what he intended.

In recent years, only those close to him, like Heracles and Atalanta, still saw Suren. But now, it was as though he'd vanished, and not even they could find the Golden King.

Or perhaps...only the gods knew.

Athena stood before Suren, worry etched in her gaze. Finally, she couldn't take it any longer, sighing deeply. "Suren, please stop punishing yourself like this."

Suren still held his commanding beauty, yet his aura had grown closer to madness, lacking the warmth that once drew people to him.

He had grown stubborn, unwilling to listen to others, certain only he could bear this burden.

"Why didn't you come to me?" Athena gripped his arm. "Why insist on carrying this all alone?"

"Zeus said he couldn't help," Suren replied calmly, glancing at her. "I should have known, from the start, that everyone must walk their own path. And a path, after all, can only be walked alone."

"No, I could help you—I could even take your place."

Athena held his face gently, her voice soft. "My hero, my king, my Suren... pull yourself together. This isn't like you."

"I'll help you; you can trust me, just as you did before."

---

The scroll in Suren's hand finally fell, and Athena caught it, lifting her gaze to the shelves. Her eyes widened at the collection of theories and magic formulas filling the grand library—a tower reaching to the heavens, like Babel itself.

To preserve the age of gods, Suren poured over ideas endlessly, recording every thought and testing each to prove it false.

Only when it could withstand every contradiction did he pursue the line of thinking further.

"If even I could find flaws in it, then it isn't perfect," he'd say. "It will only lead to failure."

"Athena, thank you for helping me... At least I still have you."

Suren closed his eyes, exhaling. "Then, I leave it all in your hands."

Athena held his hand tightly. "Don't worry, I'll help you."

"Suren, how far are you willing to go to achieve this?"

"I can sacrifice everything."

---

Suren reappeared before the Greek people, summoning the leaders of all city-states and, in one day, subduing them all with swift, decisive means. Greece's growing unrest was quelled instantly.

Having entrusted all his concerns to Athena, Suren resolved to atone for his years of neglect, implementing wise policies and crafting strategies for expanding Greece's borders.

Once again, Greece regained its former glory, and a powerful unity surged among its people.

With Greece stabilized, Suren declared war on the Persian Empire. He dispatched Heracles to demand that the Persian king surrender his title and present water and earth as tribute to the king of kings, Suren.

Unsurprisingly, the Persian king was furious. Persia followed Zoroastrianism, a dualistic faith that revered Ahura Mazda, the god of good, and Angra Mainyu, the god of evil.

Outraged by Heracles' insolent demand, the Persian king tried to kill him. But Zeus' son, the future mighty hero, was too powerful, and even Persia's dual gods failed to harm him. Heracles ultimately escaped and returned to Greece.

Suren gave a nod, saying little before officially declaring war.

Persia was no match for Greece, especially with Suren's might, which crushed everything in its path.

But just then, dire news arrived from Greece.

"What did you say?" Suren looked at Atalanta, voice tense. "The Gigantes appeared in Athens... and they're devouring people?"

"Not only the Gigantes; strange transformations are happening to some of the people as well."

Atalanta sighed. "It might be a magical accident leaking from Athens."

"That's impossible… How could it be?"

He murmured to himself.

If anyone should know, it was him.

Athena was in Athens—no Gigantes, no magical accident should be a problem she couldn't handle.

Trusting Athena, Suren didn't rush back immediately. Instead, he went to the Persian Empire's main camp to negotiate a truce with the Persian king.

Persia was already on the verge of collapse from Suren's onslaught, and although the Persian king didn't understand why Suren wanted peace, he sensed an opportunity.

Seeking the aid of Persia's dual gods, the king set a trap to kill Suren.

It was a grand plan in theory, but Suren effortlessly defeated them all. Were it not for needing the king alive to sign the treaty, Suren might have killed him outright.

Still, he carved out nearly half of Persia's territory before returning to Greece.

"Persia is merely a minor issue. I'll deal with it when I get back," Suren thought to himself. "But as for Athens... why?"

He had no idea.

What exactly had gone wrong in Athens?

When Suren finally returned, Athens was a ghost town.

Or rather, it was void of the living.

Gigantes roamed freely, leaving Athens a desolate ruin. The few "people" remaining seemed more like wandering souls than living beings, resembling the shades Suren had seen in the Underworld.

Seeing Athens in such devastation, Suren understood everything at once...

Only Athena, the city's patron goddess, could have caused such destruction; only she could have transformed Athens into a living nightmare so effortlessly.

Atalanta emerged from the forest where Suren was born. She had hidden there, spared from Athena's magic that turned others into spirits.

"Suren, you're too late. Just yesterday, the goddess Athena unleashed a grand ritual, refining the entire city's people into the Philosopher's Stone to feed the Gigantes."

"I don't know why Athena did it, but I suspect it has something to do with you."

Exhausted, Atalanta leaned against a tree. "Suren, I don't know what you're trying to accomplish anymore. I'm just a stray cat; I can't stop you, nor can I understand this world you've built, a world I no longer recognize."

"I loved you, so I chased after you. Because of this, I nearly lost myself."

"Now I'm tired, Suren. If you truly intend to destroy Greece, please, let me be the first to die. Kill me without hesitation, as a favor to the bond we once shared."

"Let me keep the last fragment of who you once were in my heart…"

Suren closed his eyes briefly, his voice hoarse. "Atalanta… believe it or not, this is not what I wanted, nor is it what I set out to do."

"Is that so?" Atalanta laughed bitterly. "So unwilling, yet here you are, turning Athens into this mess. Suren... you really are a selfish bastard."

"…"

Suren offered no defense. He only wanted to confront Athena, to ask her for the truth.

Finding Athena was easy; she hadn't left the library.

Suren entered, interrupting a discussion between Athena, Hades, and Hestia.

"We'll inscribe a larger magic circle in Sparta," Athena instructed, "as the rural population there is large and may leave blind spots."

"As for the Gigantes, we'll place one at Sparta's heart, where population decline has been high."

"Athena, I've returned, and I need to speak with you."

Athena glanced at him and told Hades and Hestia, "Suren needs me; I'll speak with you later."

The two gods departed, though Hestia paused, gazing at Suren with a sigh. She touched his cheek gently. "You've lost weight."

"Come visit for a meal sometime. You know there's always a place for you with me."

"Why are you doing this, Athena?"

Suren asked quietly. "What are you trying to accomplish?"

"To help you achieve your dream," Athena's gaze held a strange depth. "Through my calculations, I've found an optimal solution."

"First, we unleash the Gigantes, then force their power to reach its peak, thus threatening Gaia's consciousness. If the age of the gods ends, none will survive to battle this monster. It will be our 'anchor.'"

"Then, by materializing souls, Suren, your genius truly shines through. Your magic is astonishing—the gods' people will not truly die but live on, even eternally."

Athena's eyes brightened. "Such genius, so I refined it."

"By anchoring the materialized souls to the age of the gods, should this era end, all of humanity would perish, something the Counter Force cannot allow."

"This isn't an age of gods," Suren said bitterly, shaking his head. "This isn't what I wanted."

"I know you wouldn't want humans with materialized souls," Athena replied gently. "That's why I preserved Crete for the people of all cities to live and grow. You'll have the humans you desire."

"No, I want to know why you did this," Suren said, bewildered. This was not the Athena he remembered. Why had she become so... ruthless?

"Because it's what you wanted."

Athena repeated, "Suren, you are unique. The gods favor you alone. Whatever you wish to accomplish, the gods will grant you leeway."

"Based on my calculations, this is the best solution."

The Athena standing before him had a cold, mechanical demeanor, stirring long-forgotten memories in Suren.

Yes, Athena was reborn as a mechanical god. Although she'd gained more emotions since, she could still act in cold, calculating ways—something even Jason had pointed out long ago.

But Suren had never seen it before. The gods had left their last remnants of humanity solely for him.

So, if Suren swore to preserve the age of gods, Athena would do everything to aid him, even if that meant resorting to such methods.

---

After a long silence, Suren leaned against a pillar. "Stop, Athena."

"Stop?" she echoed. "Suren, is this not your wish?"

"I was mistaken. I've been chasing an impossible dream, like a child begging for what cannot be given, blind to the cost."

Perhaps, for beings beyond humanity, their greatest kindness to humans is to keep their distance.

"I, too, have found an optimal solution. But first, I need to atone for my errors."

Suren hugged Athena one last time, his voice soft. "Wait for me, my goddess."

"I am grateful for all you've done, even though it was wrong."

Athena embodied his descent into madness.

Were it not for Athena's intervention, breaking his obsessive thoughts, and Atalanta's tearful plea, rekindling his sense of purpose, Suren might have ended up exactly like Athena—taking any steps to futilely preserve the age of gods.

The age of gods cannot be saved; it will inevitably end.

But this rule applied only to the Moonlit World.

Suren knew he wasn't without options.

The Simulator—the true wish-granting machine capable of achieving any miracle.

By ending the simulation, Suren could freeze this moment, leaving a solution for the future.

And to seal this moment, he needed only one thing: the end of his life.

Suren forced the unfinished Fifth Magic into action, reversing time in Athens, restoring the city to its former beauty and splendor. He killed every Gigantes and completed every event that fate had set in motion.

"I am the last of the people of the gods. After me, the age of gods ends."

"I am the true anchor of the gods. I shall return, and when I do, it will be to a golden Greece that endures forever!"

"Gods, believe me—I shall come back one day."

"And lastly, Heracles, I leave it all to you!"

And thus, Suren's myth came to an end. He disappeared, leaving behind a final declaration heard and remembered by all.

The gods said nothing, yet together they chose to believe.

"The favored child who wrought miracles… have you truly not given up?"

"Of course, someone like you wouldn't abandon hope so easily."

"We look forward to seeing you again…"

The gods are undying; even with the end of the age of gods, they simply left the earth to reside on the world's edge, still watching over humanity.

For Suren's vow, they too waited expectantly.

And as for the goddesses connected to Suren—Athena, Hestia, Artemis…

What became of them, well, that is another story entirely.

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Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!

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