Hero Simulator in Type-Moon, Chapter 21

Anu was overjoyed—Ereshkigal's power in the Underworld even surpassed his own. As long as they could enter it, even Gilgamesh wouldn't dare fight on hostile ground.

Once they had rested and recovered, they could reclaim everything that belonged to them.

"As long as we can reach that place... as long as we can get there..."

Not just Anu, but more and more gods pressed forward toward the Underworld, ignoring their injuries. The moment they entered, intending to turn back and mock Gilgamesh and Fujimaru Kyoya, they saw smiles.

Treacherous smiles, mocking smiles, contemptuous smiles... Smiles? Why were you smiling?

"Not good. Ereshkigal, you bastard."

Anu reacted in time, but even so, cages descended and trapped the vast majority of the gods. This sudden betrayal stunned the divine assembly.

Why would the goddess of the Underworld betray them?

"Anu, your mistakes go far beyond underestimating your enemy and greed. Entrusting the Underworld to the kind-hearted Ereshkigal—that was your greatest blunder."

Fujimaru Kyoya looked at Anu, whose hope had turned to despair, and laid the cold truth on the table.

Among the gods of Mesopotamia, Ereshkigal had always been the outcast. The reason was her refusal to fit in.

She was an exceedingly rare deity—one who empathized with humans, who loved them.

"I have heard countless accounts of the gods' deeds over these long years. But my power exists only within the Underworld; once I leave it, I lose that strength. So the Shadow gave me this opportunity. Father, please return authority to humanity."

Ereshkigal, who dwelled alone in the Underworld with only spirits for company, knew better than anyone what absurdities the gods had committed over the ages.

She wanted to change things, but she lacked the power to do so.

Now, an opportunity had arrived—to seal the gods within the Underworld, to return the earth to humanity, and to let humanity walk toward its own future under human guidance.

Whether that future was prosperity or ruin, it would be humanity's own choice.

"Anu, will you save yourself face, or shall this king do it for you?"

Gilgamesh raised Enuma Elish in his hand. If Anu dared to take a single step out of the Underworld, there would be no pleasant outcome for him.

"Father, sink into the Underworld."

An iron cage descended, trapping Anu within. Ereshkigal dragged him into the Underworld to join the gods in their struggle for revival. As for what happened after that revival...

By then, humanity would have its own future, and she would have preserved the integrity of her divine pantheon as best she could. Even if she was called a traitor, so what?

Within the Underworld, she was invincible.

The gates of the Underworld closed shut under Anu's resentful gaze, leaving only Gilgamesh and Fujimaru Kyoya behind.

It was time to settle the matter between the two of them.

An era could not accommodate two kings—what a tragedy that was.

Chapter 37: Was It Him? No, It Was Him!

Fujimaru Kyoya looked at Gilgamesh. At this moment, he was already at the end of his strength, while Gilgamesh had instead reached an unprecedented peak.

If they fought, he would surely lose—but he didn't care.

If Gilgamesh had earned the recognition of that arm, it meant the Wise King of the past had returned.

Now that the gods had entered the Underworld and the Wise King had returned to this world, it seemed that during Gilgamesh's reign, a golden age of prosperity would surely come.

"This king has never been one to entrust his life to another."

Gilgamesh touched his new arm. The power within it, the will within it—these were the reasons this battle had been won.

"Since when did the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, become such a hesitant man?"

"Hesitant? Hmph~ Little brat, soon this king will teach you a lesson: your elder brother will always be your elder brother."

[You attempt to provoke Gilgamesh, but Gilgamesh remains unmoved.]

Gilgamesh understood this was still a provocation. Fujimaru Kyoya wanted to anger him and then strike him down, so that the entire Mesopotamia would return to his rule.

A mighty kingdom, a wise sovereign—a kingdom that would surely be remembered by history.

But...

"Little brat, you are not qualified to manipulate this king's fate. My fate will be written by me. My promises will be fulfilled. My retribution... will also come."

Gilgamesh's expression turned solemn as he walked toward Fujimaru Kyoya. The final conclusion would be written by him.

The war ended. When Gilgamesh appeared with the corpse of the Sacred King of the Bright Moon, the war ended without a shred of doubt.

After this battle, Gilgamesh's power was unprecedented. He personally led his army, sweeping across the entire Mesopotamia in one go, subduing all who refused to submit. The great feat of unifying the realm was accomplished under his hand.

Just when everyone thought tyranny would continue, Gilgamesh halted his previous oppressive policies. He neither abolished them nor continued them—he simply stopped, shifting his focus to selecting a suitable successor.

At a young age, he began preparing for the continuation of the nation.

People feared, and they also hoped.

Had the former tyrant finally awakened? Was the one who returned the Wise King of old?

Then reality shattered their illusions.

A massive altar began construction—yet another grand project born of vanity and ambition. Gilgamesh still seemed to be the same tyrant. The people couldn't help but yearn for the one who had died.

If only he could return from the Underworld and once again raise the banner of rebellion among the people.

The coronation ceremony began. Gilgamesh was to crown himself upon the newly built altar, for he had completed the great undertaking of unifying all of Mesopotamia. He wished to flaunt his authority to the world.

Just as the coronation ceremony commenced, the very moment Gilgamesh ascended the altar, a figure walked over.

He had lost one arm, yet his face was remembered by all—it was the Sacred King of the Bright Moon, who had already "died."

Fujimaru Kyoya had arrived.

Why had a man who was already dead come back to life?

No one knew the reason, because before they could even think, the battle had already begun.

Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight...

Golden radiance filled the sky. Two Moons were held aloft in a single hand. This battle turned heaven and earth dark; this battle dimmed the sun and moon.

Every exchange between the two caused the sky to collapse and the earth to split. The terrifying aftershocks made it impossible for anyone to even approach. In this era where all gods had been sealed, no one could discern the outcome of this clash between the two.

Terror—that was the sentiment of the people now. How could a battle between two human-shaped natural disasters not be terrifying?

Hope—the people awaited a change. If the Sacred King of the Bright Moon could win, could he bring them a brand-new future?

"Dong~"

Just the aftershock of a single exchanged punch resounded throughout the universe, as if striking the hearts of all living beings.

Finally, on the third day of the great battle, just as the sun was about to rise, everything fell silent.

In that instant, everyone felt it—the outcome had been decided.

As the sun slowly rose, a man stood atop a mountain peak. Everyone looked at that person. Whose face was revealed beneath the sunlight?

Was it him? Gilgamesh!

No, it was him.

On the high mountain, a one-armed man held Gilgamesh's head in his hand. Even in death, Gilgamesh's expression had not changed at all—still so solemn and earnest, as if he had long since decided the result of this battle.

Dead. Gilgamesh was dead.

"The tyrant Gilgamesh has died by my hand today."

Fujimaru Kyoya raised Gilgamesh's head high and recounted his crimes one by one. His voice echoed between heaven and earth, letting as many people hear as possible.

"A tyrant like this deserves to be exterminated."

With that, Fujimaru Kyoya exerted force with his hand and instantly shattered Gilgamesh's skull. He was dead beyond any possibility of revival.

The old king was dead. Would a new king be crowned?

The people of Uruk were ashen with despair, and among the populace, thoughts were divided. In this situation, Fujimaru Kyoya's words came through.

"Now that Mesopotamia is unified, I do not wish to bring about more war and cause the people to suffer. Therefore, this time I only execute the chief culprit and will not raise the flames of war. Let the future kings of Uruk remember: if you impose tyranny upon the people, even if I am in the Underworld, I will resurrect and come to kill you."

After leaving these words, Fujimaru Kyoya vanished before everyone's eyes.

It was as if he had never come. If not for the fact that Gilgamesh's death could not be faked, everyone would have thought it was a dream.

Gilgamesh was dead. The king he had originally chosen ascended the throne, but he was not happy.

He frantically searched for news of the Sacred King of the Bright Moon. As long as such a person lived in this world, could his throne be secure?

The four words "Sacred King of the Bright Moon" lingered like a curse in this new king's mind. As long as such a person lived for even one day, this fear would never be dispelled.

As long as he dared to impose tyranny, the Sacred King of the Bright Moon would come to take his life.

Carrying this fear, the king of Uruk, for the sake of his own life, would live forever in terror until he confirmed the Sacred King of the Bright Moon was dead.

But could the Sacred King of the Bright Moon die?

A man who had been killed by Gilgamesh and then came back from the dead—could such a person truly die?

In the wilderness, beside a trickling stream, a luxurious bottle lay within the water. A water snake curiously examined the bottle.

It opened it, and then a pill that could grant immortality washed into its mouth. Immediately, it began to transform.

Its skin started to shed, replaced by a brand-new body.

Who had thrown such a divine medicine here?

No one knew. But perhaps in the legends of later generations, someone would force a far-fetched explanation.

Chapter 38: I Still Hate You the Most

[You were not killed by Gilgamesh. At the same time, upon learning of his plan, you were astonished. Is this really the kind of plan that Gilgamesh could come up with?]

"Hmph~ That ridiculous expression of yours is a first."

The great battle had already concluded. Gilgamesh laid out his entire plan, clearly surprising Fujimaru Kyoya. This was the first time since the two had known each other that he had shown such an expression.

"You could have ruled for a much longer time."

"True. But then what?"

Gilgamesh laughed freely.

"This king could have lived on, even continued living with the Elixir of Immortality I found before. But if I did that, wouldn't I just become another god?"

Gilgamesh had long since asked Enkidu this question, and he had already found his own answer.

"This King will grow old and die. When this King is old, perhaps I will lack the decisiveness I have now. Humanity also needs to take responsibility for itself. Letting go is a matter of time."

The two Heaven's Wedges simultaneously betrayed their mission. They intended to return the power to govern fate to humanity itself.

Even if later ages produced tyrants and foolish rulers, that would be humanity's own choice, not one forced upon them by the gods.

"Even at the cost of your own life?"

"It can only be at the cost of life."

Gilgamesh shed all his arrogance. At this moment, he looked at Fujimaru Kyoya with a serious expression. Since this younger brother could stake everything on him, the elder brother, then did he, as the elder brother, lack the courage to trust his younger brother?

"After this, this King will 'kill' you and establish a great achievement. And at the very peak of this undertaking, this King needs you to destroy it all."

Killing the invincible Gilgamesh—such a feat would be enough to intimidate the ages for centuries. More importantly, Gilgamesh had also sought out the Elixir of Immortality.

"Because of this arm, this King can feel what you carry on your shoulders at every moment. If it were you, obtaining eternal life might be a good thing."

This constant sense of being with the people could spur Fujimaru Kyoya to become a qualified blade, forever hanging over the heads of future tyrants.

"Not interested. Didn't you also say that choice should be left to humanity?"

Fujimaru Kyoya took the bottle of Elixir of Immortality, then tossed it into the river. Whoever was fated to find it could pick it up.

[You gave up the future of immortality, the dream countless emperors yearned for day and night, cast aside like a worn-out sandal. Because you understand that you are merely an ordinary person who cannot bear the sound of wailing and thus draws their sword.]

[If it were possible, you would not want to be an emperor, much less a god. You only wish to live a happy and joyful life.]

[You acknowledge Gilgamesh, and Gilgamesh acknowledges you.]

"So what do we do next?"