Human history develops in an upward spiral, and human progress often marches under the banner of reviving ancient civilizations.
Just as Europe pulled Greek civilization from the annals of history to champion humanism during the Renaissance, and just as the East has seen its own movements debating classical versus modern literature, most societal advancements are promoted using pre-existing frameworks to ease their acceptance.
If this principle were applied to the Third Stellar Particle era and the birth of the leaders of the Pantheons, it would inevitably spur a revival of the ancient Pantheons.
To establish new social structures, the nascent Pantheons would almost unavoidably name themselves after cultural elements from history. In reality, this would manifest as the reawakening of each nation's ancient gods.
The Pantheons forged by the Third Stellar Particle would naturally favor their own.
And so, conflict would arise.
In a brand-new science fiction era, mythological wars from prehistoric times would be reenacted.
Even without conflicts over materials or resources, mere differences in ideology, lifestyle, and cosmology would be enough to escalate friction between Pantheons into all-out war.
To say nothing of the fact that many Pantheons, like the Abrahamic religions, have doctrines that make them mortal enemies by definition.
Ultimately, the idea that humanity would become peaceful without resource competition is a utopian fantasy untested by reality. This conclusion is merely a vessel for humanity's beautiful wishes; it is not scientific.
"But even so, a world without resource competition would be far better than the one we have now, wouldn't it?"
Saigou Homura understood Typhon's point and couldn't refute it, but he still argued his case.
"Even if there were conflicts then, they would only be due to excessive freedom, not disasters caused by the pursuit of profit!"
It was undeniable that humanity would not be completely at peace even without such conflicts, but it was still better than systemic oppression.
In response to this...
"Freedom?"
Typhon scoffed.
"Taking another's life is also a freedom. Willingly becoming a slave is also a freedom. Wanting to correct the ways of others you disapprove of is also a freedom... There is no end to the evils committed in the name of freedom. Compared to committing evil for survival, these acts of baseless evil are, in my view, far more depraved."
"And most importantly... even on the fertile ground of the Pantheons, the sin of human experimentation could never disappear."
"If, from the very beginning, the Pantheon civilization is built upon the bones of victims, then in the end, what destroys this so-called civilization will inevitably be the tower of corpses constructed by those very victims!"
As he spoke, his expression darkened, and his brow furrowed with even greater anger.
Clearly, he was thinking of his own Avatar.
Saigou Homura couldn't refute Typhon's first point, but as for the second—
"A Pantheon doesn't necessarily have to be built on the victims of human experimentation, right?"
Homura countered again.
"At least when it comes to Miss Asuka, I believe she would absolutely never do something so vile!"
Hearing this, the others all nodded in agreement, having complete faith in their companion.
"Of course!"
Kudou Asuka raised her head proudly.
"I swear on my life, I will never permit such filthy evils!"
She was confident that the Pantheon she established would never do something so disgusting.
"Then you will fail."
Typhon calmly delivered his verdict once more.
"What?"
Kudou Asuka was stunned for a moment, wanting to retort indignantly.
Before she could speak, Typhon repeated himself.
"Clinging to such a foolish idea, you will most certainly fail... When a rival Pantheon abandons its principles to research greater power, your refusal to do the same will cause you to fall behind. And falling behind means defeat."
History is the repeated victory of the ruthless over the foolish. Lose your bestial nature, and you lose everything.
The low-morality advantage would create an indelible crack in Kudou Asuka's rule, and that crack would be the reason for her defeat.
"By your logic, doesn't that mean the only Pantheon that can survive to the end must be the most evil one?"
Kudou Asuka's eyes widened as she demanded an answer.
"Are you trying to say that only the greatest evil can achieve victory?"
Faced with this question, Typhon shook his head.
"The end of the path of depravity is, inevitably, total destruction. If some 'greatest evil' truly existed, it would surely be destroyed by the wrath of its victims."
Then, he stared at Kudou Asuka and Saigou Homura before him and said something that left them both stunned.
"Besides, even if you possess such fighting spirit and can maintain it until the very end... do you truly believe that the power you wield now is not stained by the remains of victims? That it is not built upon sin?"
Typhon not only denied the future of the Pantheons but also their present.
Before they could object, he stated bluntly, "If my eyes do not deceive me, the powers you two command are both results of human experimentation, are they not?"
At his words, everyone turned to look at the two of them.
Saigou Homura looked up in shock. He, who should have been the first to object, found himself unable to.
Kudou Asuka opened her mouth to speak, dissatisfied. "Are you talking about the Bull of Heaven? That was a spoil of war I obtained by defeating an enemy, by defeating what was once a Final Trial for humanity. That counts too?"
She hadn't done anything wrong. On the contrary, she had punished the wicked. How could there be a problem with that?
"Of course, it counts."
Typhon nodded.
"As long as your power is built upon the sins of victims, you will eventually form a path dependence. When faced with a desperate situation, the Pantheon will inevitably resort to sinful means to acquire more power."
"Moreover, vanquishing evil to obtain the fruits of the wicked is, in a sense, no different from condoning human experimentation and ultimately reaping its results."
Even if Kudou Asuka could always stay true to her principles, the act of gaining strength by defeating villains was far too dangerous.
It also meant that the so-called history of myths would continue to be written with the blood and tears of victims.
So-called justice, so-called good, represents the power to judge and consume evil—which is to say, it is itself still founded upon evil.
According to this logic, the very birth of the Pantheons is burdened with original sin.
"...If what you say is true, isn't humanity doomed to destruction?"
Kudou Asuka demanded.
If accepting the Bull of Heaven meant accepting the legacy of its victims, a backlash would one day be inevitable.
But if they didn't accept the Bull of Heaven, they would have no way to deal with it, and the world would be destroyed by the whims of the powerful long before that.
A straight path had become a dead end in both directions. Wasn't that even worse?
"If humanity's evolutionary path is toward the Pantheons, then it will inevitably be destroyed," Typhon said calmly.
"But if we don't use the power of the Pantheons, won't we be crushed by the Pantheons established by the wicked?"
If the other side acts first, not acting means death.
It was like an arms race—a model that, once started, could never be stopped.
"That is humanity's own problem."
Typhon shook his head.
"My Avatar wishes only to demonstrate one truth... The blood and tears of victims will bring about a catastrophe more terrible than the whims of the powerful. If this point is ignored, humanity has no possibility of continuing."
"..."
Kudou Asuka fell silent, speechless.
The problem had come full circle.
Refuse human experimentation, and you will be defeated by those who use it, leading to the world-ending Bull of Heaven scenario.
Conduct human experimentation, or obtain its results by defeating the powerful, and you will summon Typhon's Avatar, leading to the world-ending Typhon scenario.
No matter what they did, it seemed to lead to ruin.
"Tch! So this is where the difficulty of this Trial lies! Lord Su Mo has really given us a massive problem!"
Even Izayoi, who usually wore a relaxed expression, couldn't help but rub his chin, finally feeling the challenge's difficulty.
So the two Trials weren't independent. They were linked, creating a deadlock.
Now this was a challenge.
"Lord Su Mo?"
Hearing Izayoi's words, Typhon was momentarily puzzled but didn't dwell on the unfamiliar name.
Having left the stage during the dawn of Little Garden, he naturally wouldn't know of Su Mo.
He must be one of the teachers of these savior candidates, he thought.
With that, he didn't ask but instead spoke to the pensive group.
"You should understand my position by now. As long as the victims of human experimentation do not disappear, my rage will never cease."
"If you wish to stop me from destroying this world, then before that happens, find a future that can endure without being built upon a tower of victims' corpses!"
Finally, he stated his thoughts and his bottom line.
If they could find such a path, he could join forces with the saviors. If not, they were enemies with no room for compromise.
"Damn it!"
Hearing Typhon's final summary, Izayoi had a sudden realization, looking at the divine Avatar before him with a mix of admiration and awe.
"Not only are your words sharp, but you've also been leading us by the nose this whole time. As expected of a god!"
Looking back on their entire conversation, Izayoi suddenly saw the issue.
They had clearly prepared their arguments beforehand, yet Typhon had masterfully steered the topic in a different direction.
He had already guessed their purpose, confirmed their stance through probing, and then deliberately used Kudou Asuka and Saigou Homura as a breakthrough point to fully display his own position.
By doing so, he had thrown the problem squarely onto their side.
The responsibility of finding a path that avoided both the Bull of Heaven and the Typhon endings was now theirs alone.
This god was not only terrifyingly powerful but also possessed a cunning that rivaled Canary's.
"Eloquence is a form of strength," Typhon said, unsurprised by Izayoi's assessment.
After nodding in acknowledgment, he looked at Saigou Homura.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he said, "Although we have yet to reach a consensus, we are not enemies... not until you stain your own hands with sin. Therefore, I have a request. I wonder if you would be willing to grant it?"