Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Machine God Appears, Moon God Falls
"Haha, can't be helped. That old bastard looked down on my wife, so as her husband, I couldn't just sit by! In the end, didn't I win against Him once, stabbing Him right through the heart?"
[You showed a triumphant smile.]
[When you tried to move your body to reach out to your wife, you realized that your body was almost on the verge of collapse.]
[It was only being maintained by your extremely strong immortality.]
[It was like a piece of glass that would shatter with a single touch. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe your condition that way.]
[There was also something else that surprised you.]
[Stheno and Euryale had also come to your side.]
"Stheno… Euryale…"
"Don't talk, you're already so fragile, don't waste your energy talking~."
Stheno put her finger on Moran's lips.
The expression on her face was very gentle.
[The two women without combat abilities had always stayed in the temple.]
[But now, they had rushed to your side.]
[You had always protected your two older sisters, knowing the end that was about to come, but you still sighed.]
[You couldn't do anything about these two older sisters.]
[They vaguely remembered the last simulation, remembering the ending where they had always watched over their younger sister and brother.]
[This time, they wouldn't have any doubts either.]
"You were really, really amazing. When you came to the island, I had a feeling you would be extraordinary. But, I never thought you would become such a king, and I never knew life could be so happy."
Euryale gently stroked Moran's cheek.
This was their rare moment of warmth.
"If you and Medusa, who have been protecting us, are gone, then we, who have always been protected, should disappear too. As family, we will never be apart."
"Hehe, until the very end, family has to be together."
Stheno and Euryale said this.
She wasn't just talking about Medusa and Moran, family also included Atalanta and Medea.
These two cute younger sisters-in-law.
The older sisters really liked them.
"You two…"
Moran showed a helpless bitter smile.
In the end, he couldn't do anything about his two older sisters.
Rumble——!!
[Rolling thunder descended from the sky.]
[The gloomy and dark sky didn't clear up, as if it was telling of even more despair to come.]
[The people who had been reveling in the joy of the Great God's disappearance.]
[The enemy forces who were grieving over the Great God's disappearance.]
[At this moment, they couldn't help but raise their heads to the sky, witnessing the most incredible existence in the world.]
"—Great Main God, acknowledge."
"—Immediately release the true body's spatial camouflage."
"—Spatial expansion, set above the Formless Sea."
"—Godhood True Body Name, Zeus."
"—Expand, expand, expand."
"—Please have the surrounding lifeforms move away immediately."
[It was that cold and emotionless mechanical voice again.]
[Along with a violent thunderclap descending from the sky, it was as if everything in the world paled in comparison.]
[A huge black shadow was reflected in the sky.]
[A buzzing sound that didn't seem to exist on this planet was constantly entering everyone's ears.]
[The face of a god appeared in the sky——]
[It was the face of a god high in the sky.]
[Forged from god steel from beyond the realm, it was something that could never have been born on this planet.]
[That was Zeus's true form.]
[The King of the Gods seated in the Olympus Mountains, the flagship of the fleet that had traveled across the stars.]
[The true body that controlled lightning and the sky.]
[The name of the god was the Almighty God Zeus.]
[A large fortress that guided humanity with numerous authorities and functions.]
[Interstellar combat annihilation-type mobile fortress, Zeus.]
"Kneel."
"Worship."
"I am the Almighty God Zeus."
Zeus looked down on the insignificant beings in the sea.
The divine face made of steel and metal had no warmth, and the shining mechanical eyes were full of divinity.
The people in the sea were all shocked.
They had never seen such a majestic form of a god.
The Olympian people unconsciously forgot everything and instinctively offered their worship to this machine god.
[You and your beloved wives looked up at the sky.]
[Taking in the figure of this great god.]
"Hmph! Even though I was prepared, that damn old man is really showing off, even engraving his face on the machine body!"
Moran couldn't help but laugh and curse.
He had no respect for this great god.
[Zeus noticed you.]
[His gaze went in your direction.]
[He also knew that you had killed His simulated godhood.]
"I am the sky, I am the lightning."
"As the Almighty God who controls all things from the sky."
There was no emotional fluctuation in Zeus's eyes.
He didn't even have the anger of being killed earlier.
He was almost a completely different person from before.
"Ah, how insignificant, that such humans have the power to kill my simulated god body, you can be proud of this great achievement. This is the first defeat since I came to this planet. To show my respect for your great achievement, the Almighty God Zeus will now manifest the divine might of His true body!"
Zeus's words stirred the lightning.
Each word seemed to be able to crush people into pieces.
An extremely obvious killing intent rushed towards Moran, identifying him as an object that must be subjugated and annihilated.
"Great God Zeus! Are you going to bring down destruction! Aren't you afraid that the lightning will affect the people you want to protect!?"
Moran knew the terror of the machine body Zeus.
Each lightning bolt it outputted under normal conditions had the power to destroy a star.
If it got serious here.
Without a doubt, even the retreating Olympian people would die.
And the agricultural god wouldn't be able to revive them with her authority.
"You humans should be unburdened, unresisting, unthinking, and obedient reeds.
Let me do the thinking. Let me do the worrying.
You only need to maintain your existence, just smile and offer reverence to the gods, although the lightning will cause the Olympian people to fall into death, but——
My people, I am already helpless."
Zeus's words were deep and firm.
There was a layer of lamentation different from before.
[At that moment, you knew.]
[The underlying program of the Great God Zeus's machine core was running, and the command to rebuild the mother star had become the top priority.]
[This root command code.]
[Its weight was higher than Zeus's love for humanity.]
[Right now, Moran was being judged by the machine god system as a disaster, an inefficient loophole that had to be eliminated before rebuilding the mother star.]
[His love for humanity.]
[Even if He was trying to compete with the underlying program, longing to protect humanity, Zeus was already helpless against this destiny.]
[If He had realized it Himself.]
[Perhaps there would have been a chance to forcibly change the program, but now it was clear that there was no chance.]
"Zeus, as a machine god, how tragic you are.
Even as an Almighty Great God like you, you cannot escape the shackles from the source of Chaos."
Moran looked at Zeus in the sky.
He understood that the situation before him had gone beyond development.
Even if Zeus wanted to suppress the command.
He would probably have to wait until after this war to stop it, and that was still in a situation where the Chaos God hadn't awakened.
If He woke up, there would be no chance at all.
The difference between the Lostbelt Zeus and the Pan-Human History Zeus was simple, whether or not they were aware of the root command.
The Pan-Human History Zeus never had the idea of changing the command.
Therefore, it couldn't disobey its instincts.
[Zeus began to call upon the warship's authority.]
[Its main god function had been fully released to 35%, and the merging of multiple authorities was also completed in an instant.]
[The Final Judgement of Thunder is About to Descend]
[However, at the moment the countdown to the final judgement began, a radiance piercing the sky struck from beyond]
[Rushing straight towards Zeus]
[This heavy cannon filled with divine energy was like a falling star, a strike that no one had anticipated or expected]
[You were also shocked by the arrival of this cannon]
[Zeus, as a Machine God, did not anticipate this heavy cannon either; His machine body took the hit on its side]
[You turned your head to look in the direction of the cannon fire]
[It was—Artemis]
[She saw you kill a god]
[And likewise, heard the so-called destiny]
[Compared to these things]
[Artemis knew the consequences of your actions and also knew that she only had one choice left]
[Presumably, you will be destroyed by lightning, right?]
[Humans killing gods is an unforgivable crime, regarded as an unpardonable sin by their Machine Gods]
[Once they sense a so-called threat]
[The Machine Gods will use all their power to eliminate it]
[Not to mention, they heard that destiny, and the Machine Gods will execute the order to rebuild their home planet on Earth]
[But, for Artemis]
[Whether it's rebuilding the home planet or loving all of humanity, nothing is more important than one thing]
[That is, she wants you to live]
["I love you, so I don't want you to die."]
["If possible, I want to be happy with you, just like in the past, laughing and playing forever…"]
["My dear, I will never let go… I won't repeat my past regrets, even if… it goes against our destiny!"]
Artemis clenched her fist.
Thinking of the decades of experiences with you, precious data that she protected with the highest level of authority.
Using this highest authority as a window to change the destiny program.
Perhaps, she is truly foolish.
Doing the unthinkable simply because of this love.
Going against the creator's original intention, just to protect a man she deeply loves on a foreign planet.
[When this emotion was transmitted to the Machine God Central]
[Even she herself couldn't understand it]
[Looking at Medea and Atalanta and other women accompanying you, various complex emotions emerged in her heart, but these could all ultimately converge into one emotion—envy]
[This emotion is love, I have fallen in love with this man]
[And want to accompany him to the end]
[Ah, this is a fact that should even be despised, a god's fall]
[Is something that cannot happen]
[But, but—ah ah—ah ah—]
[I so desperately want you to be happy]
That fiery, passionate true feeling was transmitted to the information center.
Artemis offered her desire in this way.
[Before the underlying program to rebuild the home planet took effect, she modified and overwrote this instruction at a faster speed]
[Artemis changed it to]
[—Use any means necessary to allow the human intellectual individual named Moran to cross into tomorrow and obtain happiness]
[At the moment the instruction was overwritten to the thinking center]
[Artemis then understood]
[Why she was so fond of and loved you]
[Like facing all difficulties and still gritting your teeth and standing up, even fighting against the gods without yielding, this was the reason for her initial love at first sight, Artemis likes you like this]
[Artemis knew that if you knew, you would definitely get angry and scold her for being a stupid woman, and then, stop her from doing this at the first time]
[But she still had to make this choice]
[Your life is everything she loves, and she will never let this dazzling light end here]
[Knowing love, cherishing love]
[Since she has already fallen]
[Then, there is no choice]
In the sky shrouded in darkness.
A huge and magnificent ship floated there, it was like a god's bow that had already been drawn.
"Enemy reaction detected—acceptance request, affirmation made. Aether fluctuations from the ground confirmed, preparing to bombard the target location."
"Interstellar railgun fully charged."
"Firing in three seconds… three, two…"
The cold tone of the program came from the machine.
Seeming to have a hint of warmth that shouldn't be there.
Shoot down, penetrate, pry open.
She had done this countless times for thousands of years.
Shooting everything disloyal to the gods.
No pleasure, no joy.
As cold and calm as data.
But this time, she had an unprecedented surge of emotion.
Her eyes were fixed on that sea area.
She could already see the face of her beloved, and a warm current was constantly surging in her chest.
Protect, protect, protect—
Eliminate everyone who hinders his happiness.
Even if the great gods personally say it is a sin.
Even if they condemn you, saying you should not be blessed, you must be punished.
She firmly believed in the beauty she was pursuing.
Certainly not a circle of disappointment and defeat.
"My love will transform into an arrow that pierces the stars! Even my father, the great god Zeus, cannot stop it!"
The bottom of Artemis's machine gathered heat energy.
The entire machine was emitting light.
All the wishes for her lover converged at one point, and she aimed the arrow at the out-of-control great god Zeus.
"[You are, the gold that pierces the stars—]"
A concentrated beam of light shot from the sky.
It hit the side of Zeus's machine body with unparalleled straightness.
Not anticipating a threat that would harm himself.
Zeus, who had not deployed a defensive stance, was completely hit, and the aetheric power was released on Him.
A roar that echoed throughout Greece.
Like the scream of a dragon, everyone was stunned.
It could no longer be called an arrow.
It was a weapon that pierced planets and shot down objects soaring in the universe.
The ultimate anti-star weapon.
Destroying planets, shooting down objects from planets.
This bombardment, which should have been locked on a planet, was now aimed at the out-of-control great god Zeus.
There was only one reason for this change.
The cold Machine God had fallen in love with a human hero.