บท 90: Type-Moon: The Human Love Simulator [90]
The scattered fragments of Kaelar's past emotions seemed to ignite in invisible flames. "Yet even through a thousand clouds of smoke and shadows, boundless starlight can still be seen."
"Beast of Pity, Alien God, you are destined to fail."
"For you are sin, and you are evil!"
"Because the people of this world, men and women alike, will never abandon hope!"
These faint, fractured words were quiet, barely audible, yet they echoed through realms even the greatest Heroic Spirits could not reach.
"I am no evil," Goetia responded with a slight shake of his head. "Look upon humanity—see how tragic they are. History is but an endless tapestry of suffering."
"Look at these people of the earth. How pitiful. Day and night, their spirits are drained, their labor ceaselessly exploited. This is the fate of the majority."
"Through lies or power, they are deceived into toil, whether forced or willing, without a chance to heed the sorrow and cries within their hearts."
"To my mind, death is their true salvation…"
"To twist men into beasts of burden, to bleed and flay them day by day, compared to offering them final, complete release—"
"Do you really prefer the former, oh virtuous saint? Your ideals, your world… are so dreadfully tragic."
"Destruction and rebirth—that is my love for humanity, Kaelar. When I become the new guiding star, in time, you will understand…"
"You will come to realize this is but an insignificant cycle."
Then, with one final declaration, the Beast of Pity, the Demon King Goetia, proclaimed, "I shall reshape all creation!"
"Is this a mere parody of enlightenment, Goetia?" The fragments of Kaelar's true self could not suppress a derisive laugh. "The suffering you claim to witness, the enlightened too have seen—but no enlightened being would give rise to such arrogant delusions as yours!"
Even as but shattered remnants, Kaelar was still Kaelar, unyielding and resolute.
"No one is beyond redemption. An ideal kingdom of universal harmony is achievable through my teachings alone."
"To despair at the present, to abandon all hope for the future—how tragic that is. Like those who fear the night, they will never know the brilliance of the stars!"
Each Beast held its own creed, its own interpretation of love for humanity.
Kaelar never expected to sway Goetia with words—such a thing was impossible.
Yet his intent was unmistakable as it manifested before Goetia and the Alien God—not as his former human self, but something monstrous.
Though his form still vaguely resembled a human's, it bore expansive, dragon-like wings and great horns, a lion's body and mane, and an unsettling, infantile softness.
A deformed hump, camel-like, grew on his back.
Within his eyes—each iris splintered like a thousand fractured mirrors—burned a flame of raw, fierce emotion.
No longer human, far from human!
However much the Beasts professed love for humanity, each had shed its humanity, embracing a wholly alien mindset.
Both Goetia and the Alien God recognized what Kaelar, or rather, the newly emerged Beast, intended.
Without a doubt, Kaelar was attempting to impede them in his own way.
But Goetia and the Alien God watched in cold indifference.
For they knew Kaelar's actions could not hinder them—
Unless he could defeat their intentions before they fully took shape.
But such a feat was impossible, for Kaelar's few remaining fragments of his true self were already wielding a force that even Beasts would find awe-inspiring.
Such will, such fortitude—how could any external force possibly impede it?
And yet, Kaelar was only a shadow, the last ember burning on depleted fuel.
There was no need to confront him directly; left alone, he would extinguish himself.
Everything he did would be rendered meaningless.
To confront him directly would only present an opening for others—a risk no less than absurd.
"Very well, then. Show me whether I am arrogant," Goetia responded calmly.
"How laughable, Goetia." Kaelar remained expressionless. "Stubborn fool. It is you who are lost."
Closing his eyes, the Beast that was once Kaelar felt a surge of power between his brows, and then… opened a colossal, single eye.
In that instant, a beam of light descended upon Earth, homing in on the heart of Rome, where the Beast of the Apocalypse lay.
Kaelar had sensed it upon his re-emergence—the lingering nostalgia, the hope, the yearning held by countless humans for the Age of Arthur, for the era of the saint Kaelar and the glory of Britain.
Surprised, yet resolute, he acted without hesitation to harness this sentiment.
Perhaps in the annals of history, Britain had been idealized, transformed into a land of purest fantasy.
A utopia where the Wise King reigned in stillness, the saint spread his teachings across the land, virtue prevailed, and paradise blossomed!
What he would attempt next was built upon that dream.
He would recreate the ideal kingdom of universal harmony, the saint's world!
"Goetia, humanity may need salvation, but never by your means!"
"Neither you nor the Alien God—your misguided ambitions will end here!"
And then Goetia realized, abruptly, that his perception of the entire region encompassing Rome and Britain had been severed from all human history.
For Kaelar's will, with the resolute strength of his true self, had begun a miracle akin to creation itself!
A new 'world' was coming into being!
"All past glory belongs to yesterday, but I wish to hold this moment in eternal stasis—until the end of time!"
"Singularity…"
"Lostbelt…"
Both Goetia and the Alien God murmured, their tones tinged with amazement.
Yet they both knew that this world was fundamentally different from the Singularities or Lostbelts they knew.
"Arise, timeless Avalon—enduring Britain!"
It was both real and illusionary.
This was a work bordering on the creation of a universe.
Kaelar was shaping his dreams and wishes into a world nearly indistinguishable from reality.
It was born of Kaelar's will, yet its foundation lay in the collective hope of humanity for an ideal kingdom!
In essence, it was a world infinitely close to reality, yet ultimately a mere dream.
Were it to reach full form, countless parallel worlds would converge into this newly created land, reducing an infinite expanse of worlds and histories to one—the everlasting Britain, and nothing else.
Undoubtedly, it would be a catastrophe for human history.
But even at his peak, Kaelar's power was not a millionth of what such an undertaking would require, let alone now, when he was merely a few shattered fragments, the remnants of a memory.
And yet...
This world, teetering between illusion and reality, had embedded itself firmly within human history, like a nail driven deep into its fabric.
Like a pebble caught in the gears of a vast machine, it had jammed the entire system, forcing it to grind to a halt.
In other words, from this moment onward, human history would be forcibly suspended, never moving forward again.
The march of humanity's legacy had come to an end.
The civilization on this planet would stagnate, doomed to wander in place until eternity or oblivion.
For the collective history of humanity, this was nothing short of a monstrous crime. Humanity's journey must not stop—worlds without a future needed to be pruned. But what if all worlds were robbed of their future?
And yet, for enemies of human history like the Demon King Goetia and the Alien God, this was hardly a reason to celebrate either.
Goetia and the Alien God exchanged quiet, uneasy glances.
Clearly, they both regretted their failure to put a full stop to Kaelar's interference.
For even this incomplete "Eternal Avalon, the Perfected Britain" could still achieve something disastrous in their eyes.
With human history completely halted, both the incineration of humanity and the impending stasis of human order were indefinitely postponed!
Through sheer will, Kaelar had managed to stall the impending catastrophe. Only by overcoming his trial and ending his world could the looming crises of the Demon King and the Alien God be confronted directly.
"Kaelar, the wrathful saint, the incomplete Beast… so this is your answer?"
Goetia's voice resonated across the void, his gaze almost tangible in its weight. To an ordinary person, such a stare could crush both body and soul.
"Future? Stars? Hope? How laughable. What a ridiculous little fool you are. Has your mind grown foggy? You, who have personally severed humanity's progress, dare speak such lofty nonsense?"
"Even sadder still… is how utterly meaningless it all is. I will show you, Kaelar, how your ridiculous, makeshift hothouse will be disassembled and torn apart!"
Kaelar did not respond. Verbal sparring was pointless.
His gaze was already fixed upon that new world—"Eternal Avalon, the Perfected Britain."
---
1990
Fuyuki City, Japan.
He awoke.
"Lily… Morgan… Britain…"
Eyes still shut, Su Kai muttered to himself. When he finally came to, the sight of a modern room greeted him.
"Was it a dream? What a life it would have been…"
Why, then, did this so-called dream feel so real?
A saint called Kaelar who sought to enlighten the world, who loved humanity yet cherished himself, willing to sacrifice for the world's salvation…
So vivid, so noble…
If it was a dream, then why did everyone in that Britain feel so real?
[First simulation complete. Welcome back, savior of the world.]
[Act I: "Eternal Avalon, the Perfected Britain"]
[Claim your reward?]
"Alright… I'll take it. After grinding through a whole 'game' with my life on the line, I deserve some perks, don't I?"
Su Kai muttered distractedly.
Yet as he spoke of a "game," a faint bitterness flickered across his smile.
A game?
As if anyone would believe that!
Of course this so-called system would come with hidden traps—it was common knowledge that talking systems couldn't be trusted. But apparently, even silent ones had issues!
Who knows what hidden pitfalls lay behind the simulations he'd run?
But even so, he had no choice but to grit his teeth, continue simulating, and collect whatever rewards he could.
For whatever the future held, only the power firmly within his grasp was trustworthy, never to abandon him—his sole, steadfast ally.
When crisis comes, only the strong hold control over their fate.
Those too weak, who can't even pick their own position beneath the bed, have no say at all.
[Claiming reward… Claiming… Claiming…]
[Claim failed!]
[Unknown error. Error being investigated!]
What was going on?
Watching as his "cheat" fumbled, Su Kai felt his mouth twitch, unsure how to react.
It'd be typical of this so-called golden finger to fail at giving him rewards and just dump him in a pile of trouble.
A sense of foreboding filled his chest, and he began furiously brainstorming survival strategies for the dangers ahead.
More than anything, though, he hoped his golden finger would stop acting up.
[Error—unknown error—Simulation ongoing! Simulation continues!]
Su Kai raised a hand, pressing his fingers to his brow as discarded memories flooded his mind.
Decades of experience, including insights as a Beast confronting both the Demon King and the Alien God, left his mind reeling. Only now did his memories begin to sort themselves.
He realized why his system had nearly malfunctioned.
Kaelar was supposed to be dead—utterly dead, erased even from the Throne of Heroes.
After all, he had sacrificed his very being, his deeds, to forge an ultimate holy weapon surpassing even the Star's Sacred Sword.
And yet, at the instant he sensed humanity's future imperiled, he had thrown fragments of his true self across time, hoping to make one final difference.
Kaelar was dead.
But remnants of his being continued to move.
Thus, the simulation had persisted.
And now, across millennia, stretching from the past into the future, it continued.
Which meant that his rewards would likely have to wait until the simulation truly ended.
"Kaelar…" Su Kai murmured, pressing his brow. "Somehow, that name feels strangely… familiar."
Not because of the recent simulation, but on a deeper level, as if embedded in his soul—something profoundly resonant…
"Well, then. Act II. Prove your worth, champion of humanity."
"Demonstrate to me that your principles hold enough strength to carry you forward."
End of the Age of Gods.
Britain.
The heartbroken Artoria had secluded herself at Maple Ridge, refusing to return to Camelot or take command, no matter who came to entreat her.
As Artoria herself said, her entire world was dead.
Like Morgan, Artoria was "non-human," a being beyond. The Red Dragon Queen held little desire for power—in fact, few non-human races cared much for dominion.
Artoria had chosen to become king solely because, from her youth, she had grown up under Kaelar's guidance as a ruler.
Kaelar had taught Artoria the principles of kingship; naturally, she had resolved to rule, hoping to meet his expectations.
But now, the one who had taught her, who had accompanied her through everything, who even remembered her first bloom into womanhood… was gone. On the day she saved the world, Artoria had also lost her entire world.
No one else would ever be worthy of her devotion, her sacrifice, or her hope for reciprocation.
No one else would ever smile and stroke her head, whispering, "Lily, you did so well. My little lion has grown up."
"Why… Morgan, why did you agree?"
Despite the time that had passed, Artoria's heart still seethed with rage and sorrow, unable to forgive Morgan for heeding Kaelar's plea to forge that sword.
Morgan, too, lingered at Maple Ridge—close enough that a half-hour's walk would reunite the two. It was, in truth, practically next door.
She stayed in that tiny cabin where she had first met Kaelar, her first and last witch's workshop.
During those years after leaving Avalon, Kaelar had treated it as a second home, filling its shelves with his dreams and ideals.
Even now, traces of Kaelar's presence remained.
Picking up one of his notebooks, Morgan read Kaelar's earliest thoughts.
"This world is flawed. That is why I have come, to guide it toward what is right."
"I will enlighten them; all men desire goodness, not slaughter."
"With Artoria under my tutelage, she will become a wise and holy king. Then, my ideals will be realized."
"..."
"Kaelar… I believe you now. I believe in you…"
She remembered their first encounter, how she had scorned his principles, dismissing his will to elevate others as foolish and naive.
Kaelar hadn't argued. He'd simply shown her, through his actions, that whatever he willed, he could achieve.
And Kaelar was indeed right.
Like Artoria, Morgan was now consumed by memories and longing. Sometimes, she wept. Sometimes, she regretted. And sometimes, she felt pride.
She wept for her one true love…
She regretted teaching Kaelar how to carry the weight of his burden.
Yet she felt pride, too, for Kaelar was her only disciple—an exalted and noble figure, a man who had saved the world.
Kaelar had understood Morgan, and she understood him. That was why Kaelar had said, at the end, "Morgan, you'll help me, won't you?"
And yes, Morgan would help him.
She would always help him.
Though she could not hear Artoria's distant accusations, it was as if Morgan sensed them, and a new wave of anger surged within her.
Eyes blazing, teeth clenched, she snarled, "Artoria, how much longer will you continue this tantrum?!"
"I still haven't forgiven you for betraying me!"
"This foolish king, too weak to save Britain, you have no right to the throne of Britain!"
Yet for all her fierce words, Morgan showed no desire to claim the throne herself.
It was as if the crown she once saw as an inseparable part of her being, as her highest aspiration, had lost all significance.
Morgan's heart, her very essence, had departed with that lost boy.
The sacrifice who saved the world still shone within the annals of history.
But the ones who remained had to carry on, bearing endless pain, eternally recalling that person's sacrifice… and never forgetting his face.
The memory would never fade.
No longer able to contain her anger, Morgan seized the sword Kaelar had left her—a blunted blade for peace—and charged toward Maple Ridge, where Artoria waited.
And Artoria, too, rose to the challenge. She picked up the Sword of Humanity, advancing toward Morgan as if in perfect synchronicity.
Both blades had come from Kaelar—two sides of the same coin, like youth and maturity, a sword's twin edges. The sword of truth could never sever the sword of mercy, nor could mercy cut down truth.
Both sisters unleashed a force so immense it defied measurement—a meeting of two monarchs beyond the realm of gods, who clashed on Maple Ridge in a…
Uh…
In a mock battle of childish proportions, where not a single blade of grass was harmed.
For as soon as Artoria took one fierce stomp and swung her sword, Morgan's panicked shout halted her: "Be careful! That's Kaelar's path you're stepping on—don't break the stones!"
And when Morgan thrust her sword to pierce Artoria, now dodging under a tree, Artoria yelled back, "You too! That tree was Kaelar's favorite—don't you dare touch it…"
On and on, such restraints made fighting utterly impossible. By the end, Morgan and Artoria simply set their swords aside, glaring at one another like two petulant children, unmoving.
"Morgan, I hate you. I will hate you until the end of history itself. I will never forgive you."
"Artoria, I despise you, you impotent king. I'll let Kaelar know of your weakness and incompetence!"
Meanwhile, the Knights of the Round Table, as if possessed, worked tirelessly to record Kaelar's life and teachings in a tome they named Thus Spoke the Saint. They decreed that Britain, and indeed the entire world, must study this work.
The Round Table merged with the Gospel Knights, and henceforth they bore both scripture and sword, spreading the saint's teachings across the globe.
Did they understand that such militant evangelism was far from Kaelar's true doctrine?
Perhaps it no longer mattered. Kaelar's legacy could not be erased. He could not be allowed to fade from the world's memory.
Kaelar, of course, could not interfere—for he was dead, his remains left only as a benign reminder, a guide to hope.
The Chaldea Security Organization.
Chaldea's mission was to protect human order, repairing anomalies that might disrupt the flow of proper history.
In other words, to venture into Singularities and mend twisted histories.
As the highest-ranking member, Dr. Romani—a dessert-loving layabout—sighed. "Another Singularity in Britain?"
This one seemed… particularly peculiar.
"Ritsuka, I'm afraid we'll need you to handle this. But after completing six Singularities, this should be much easier, right?"
The orange-haired girl, Fujimaru Ritsuka, nodded. "Understood, Doctor. So what's the situation this time?"
"This time, your destination is 500 AD Britain, where the saint Kaelar saved the world, and then the King of Britain, Artoria, wielding the Sword of Humanity, destroyed the Roman Empire."
"No, not just destroyed—she negated it, denied it. She stripped Rome of its foundation within human history itself!"
"This is… highly irregular, which is why we need you to go."
"Kaelar?" Fujimaru Ritsuka's face brightened with excitement. "Is that Kaelar, the confirmed Philosopher-King, the Superhuman Saint who isn't just an ideal, but had a profound impact on nearly every nation?"
"Whether Western heroes embodying the Superhuman archetype or Eastern sages who dedicated their lives to enlightenment, traces of Kaelar can be found in each."
"Yes, that Kaelar—the one everyone's heard of in recent years."
Dr. Romani sighed. "And yet, Kaelar's story only spread within the last two decades. Even Heroic Spirits a century old hadn't heard his name."
"Strange, isn't it? Anyway, Kaelar is undoubtedly a saint, but a very unusual one."
"Ritsuka, be prepared."
Without the divine wisdom granted to King Solomon, Dr. Romani was just an ordinary man now, unable to fully understand Kaelar's oddities.
Yet as a former Grand Caster, he felt an instinctive unease.
But he could only say it was… strange. For some reason, Dr. Romani sensed that this Singularity posed no real threat to human history.
Were it not for the sudden emergence of this peculiar anomaly and the fact that "Eternal Avalon, the Perfected Britain" seemed to have a subtle pull on the greater human history…
Dr. Romani might have even suggested Chaldea leave this one alone.
After all, Chaldea's mission was to save humanity. If this world posed no threat, why waste resources?
But Romani knew that gut feelings held no weight here. So, he informed Chaldea, informing its last Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka, of the situation.
The bright-eyed girl nodded, resolute. "Understood, Doctor. I'll be careful!"
"Good morning, Senpai!"
A pink-haired girl carrying a… dining table—no, a shield!—approached, full of energy. "This time, I'll protect you again, Senpai!"
"Good morning, Mash!"
From Mash's shoulder, a small, adorable creature appeared, looking like a mix of kitten and fox, soft pink-and-white in color.
"Fou-fou!"
"Mash, this time we're heading to ancient Britain, where the saint Kaelar sacrificed himself to save the world…"
Ritsuka's face was full of admiration as she smiled. "Ever since coming to Chaldea and meeting these ancient Heroic Spirits, I've wanted to see Kaelar in person. Now, I finally have the chance!"
"Fou-fou!" At the mention of Kaelar's name, Fou's fur puffed up, and she flailed her tiny pink-padded paws in protest, squealing, "Fou, Fou! (Kaelar, bad!)"
She began ranting about Kaelar, calling him names like "heartless" and "food thief," even "destiny-grabber"…
In Fou's account, Kaelar sounded less like a saint and more like a tyrant.
Mash felt an inexplicable surge of reverence—no, a kind of filial respect that filled her chest. It was a feeling not her own, as if borrowed from another spirit within her.
Sir Galahad… could this be you?
Touching her chest, Mash whispered, "Saint Kaelar… I, too, would love to meet you."
"Kaelar? Is it really Kaelar this time?" As the three conversed, a refined, mature voice chimed in. "If this Singularity is that interesting, how could I, Leonardo da Vinci, miss it?"
The trio looked around, startled, and saw da Vinci emerging from a nearby cabinet door.
"Behold! The universal genius, Leonardo da Vinci, gracing you with her presence!"
"…"
They stared, speechless, while da Vinci laughed. "Ah, those expressions make my hiding out since yesterday totally worth it."
"Da Vinci-chan, why were you hiding?" Ritsuka asked, exasperated. "Just to eavesdrop? But how'd you know we'd be talking here?"
It was an ordinary room in Chaldea, no different from countless others.
"Because I'm a genius! Naturally, I calculated it." Da Vinci crossed her arms, beaming with pride. "A true genius always stands out!"
Dr. Romani cleared his throat, saying, "Da Vinci-chan, you arrived just in time. Chaldea will need your technical support."
"Hey, Dr. Romani, can't you solve this yourself?" Da Vinci shot back. "I'm a genius, sure, but leave the small stuff to someone else!"
---
T/N: HOLY SHIT CHALDEA TIME? HE DID MAKE A LOSTBELT, WHATT THIS STORY IS NUTS!
also Da Vinci is my wife! <3 Love this story
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]
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