According to Typhon, deification was not the final point of human evolution.
His words were easy to understand, and they also explained why he, an enemy of the gods, had not become a Final Trial of Humanity.
If the pantheons were destined to perish, then he indeed had no need to, nor would he, destroy the world.
But the question was, why were the pantheons destined to perish?
They had overcome the Bull of Heaven, the Dystopia Demon King, the Absolute Demon King, and Typhon. Even in Izayoi's eyes, the future symbolized by Kudou Asuka had already reached the limits of human imagination.
The key world-ending factors had all been eliminated. What else could possibly force the pantheons to recede?
"With both internal and external threats eliminated, under Ojou-sama's power, nearly every human can become a god. With the power of the Third Stellar Particle, humanity will live in a world with no need to worry about energy or war, and where the supreme ruler can not only maintain a clear mind but also rule for a long time with their extended lifespan. What possibility is there for such a future to be overthrown?"
Izayoi asked, puzzled.
The greatest weakness of a monarchy is that the monarch might be an imbecile or incompetent. But if a monarchy has a wise and brilliant leader, its potential and upper limits generally far exceed those of other systems.
With the longevity granted by the divinity model, Kudou Asuka could use her long life to circumvent the greatest weakness of a monarchy and maximize its greatest strengths.
Under these circumstances, Izayoi found it hard to imagine a scenario where it would collapse.
She had power, she had companions, and she wasn't willful.
Furthermore, there would be no fundamental conflicts arising from disputes over resources. It was a completely utopian future.
"Indeed, while such a peaceful reign might be a bit boring, it wouldn't lead to major turmoil, nor would a crisis of destruction arise from within."
Typhon nodded slightly, acknowledging Izayoi's assessment.
His earlier statement that the current Kudou Asuka was the final version of deification was not an empty boast.
Under the rule represented by Kudou Asuka, humanity would indeed not face any endogenous crises and would live a life like that in paradise.
"Such an age would continue... until the day the true crisis arrives."
"A true crisis?"
Everyone keenly grasped the key point.
"I see. So he's talking about that one..."
Azi Dahaka's eyes flickered as he immediately understood Typhon's meaning.
"You mean what we've experienced so far wasn't a true crisis?" Kudou Asuka asked, unable to comprehend.
"What kind of crisis could destroy the entire pantheon?"
They had defeated more than one Final Trial of Humanity so far. Even the Absolute Demon King was now their vanquished foe. What crisis could possibly be called a "true crisis," one that even a fully deified humanity could not overcome?
It wasn't just Kudou Asuka who couldn't understand; Kudou Ayato and Kasukabe Yō at her side couldn't either.
Even Izayoi frowned slightly, pondering for over ten seconds before cautiously shaking his head.
"Ojou-sama, and everyone else, to be precise, what we've experienced so far has indeed not been a true crisis. We've only defeated the phantoms of the Final Trials of Humanity in this world. These Final Trials were actually subjugated long ago. We've merely been repeating the great deeds of heroes!"
Hearing this, everyone was stunned for a moment, then fell silent.
It was true. They hadn't achieved any groundbreaking results so far. Even the Absolute Demon King was merely someone Su Mo had already defeated.
"If we're talking about a true crisis, it would have to be a genuine Final Trial of Humanity—one that has never been subjugated by anyone else before!"
Izayoi spoke with conviction, his gaze burning as he looked at Typhon, his eyes filled with excitement.
If everything they had done before was just rehashing others' achievements, like a training exercise, then the true crisis Typhon mentioned was a completely new challenge in human history.
This challenge was the true obstacle that the saviors needed to overcome.
"A truly new Final Trial of Humanity..."
Kasukabe Yō quickly understood Izayoi's words, but she still had a question.
"Even if the next crisis is really that, it shouldn't be enough to destroy the rule of the pantheon, right?"
As she spoke, she looked at the Ame-no-Murakumo in Kudou Asuka's hand.
"After all, with the power of Ame-no-Murakumo, no matter how powerful a Demon King is, they couldn't possibly be her opponent, could they?"
Kudou Asuka, empowered by Ame-no-Murakumo, had become a fighting force that surpassed the Bull of Heaven, the Dystopia Demon King, and the Absolute Demon King.
A weapon that could freely seal another's Spiritual Status was simply too absurd. Even if those three Final Trials of Humanity attacked together, they would have a hard time defeating the current Kudou Asuka.
Not to mention, following the precedent, the successfully subjugated Demon Kings would all become Kudou Asuka's retainers.
In other words, not only could Kudou Asuka strip her enemies of their Spiritual Status, but she could also command three Final Trials of Humanity to fight for her.
With a lineup of this scale, what kind of Final Trial of Humanity could possibly defeat her?
She couldn't imagine it, and neither could Izayoi.
".I'm also very curious."
Izayoi looked at Typhon.
"What Final Trial of Humanity could simultaneously face all the past Final Trials of Humanity, plus the strongest pantheon, combined?"
The Absolute Demon King alone was enough to fight almost any opponent to a standstill.
Who could guarantee a victory against him?
"Of course, there is."
Before Typhon could speak, Azi Dahaka spoke up first, his tone complex.
"Rather than calling that being a Final Trial of Humanity, it would be more accurate to say IT is the one who grants the Final Trials of Humanity the authority to end humanity's future. If we are the manifestations of eschatology, then IT is eschatology itself."
"In other words, regarding the authority to end the world, we are the ones who are granted it, while IT is the one who wields the world-ending authority."
As he spoke, Azi Dahaka raised his head, not bothering to be cryptic.
"IT is the true tyrant, and your greatest and final enemy—"
"ITS name is the End Emptiness!"