"So you've come."
After passing rows of stone pillars, they finally saw the massive altar at the end, with thousands of steps leading up to a huge circular stone statue at its peak.
Quetzalcoatl stood before the statue, watching them approach. Her smile was warm, yet held a subtle undercurrent of danger.
"If you'd tried to destroy my temple while I was away, I might have actually killed you," she explained, her cheer undimmed.
"Facing a powerful enemy head-on without flinching—that's humanity's most endearing quality. The time I spent waiting here, believing in you, was worth it."
As she spoke, her expression turned terrifying.
"We came to talk!"
Ritsuka stated their purpose immediately.
"Talk, indeed. Whether it's that Phoenix Celestial or Ishtar, the Venus Goddess, you seem to have won them over with words." Quetzalcoatl chuckled.
"But I'm different. What I intend to do cannot be swayed by mere words."
If words alone couldn't sway her, that implied there was another way.
Noticing the goddess wasn't entirely unreasonable, Ritsuka's face lit up with hope before he quickly composed himself. "Then, what must we do to earn your alliance, Quetzalcoatl?"
"Haha, such straightforwardness—I don't dislike it." Her smile widened briefly, then faded. "But, unfortunately, that's something you [humans] must discover for yourselves. Consider it a goddess's whim [test]. Besides... I seem to spot a foolish little face in your group that shouldn't be here."
Her gaze shifted to Jaguar Man, who had joined Chaldea yesterday and was acting as their guide today.
Jaguar Man flinched, hiding behind Amber. "Oh no... If I get dragged into a fight, I'll be the first to die..."
"Of course, I wouldn't hesitate to tear you to pieces~" Quetzalcoatl beamed. "Since you've come here, it means you intend to destroy the temple, right? So, The Master, and you, Celestial, which will it be? Will I defeat you, or will you destroy the temple before I crush you?"
"Is this the test?" Ritsuka asked.
"Hmm~ Maybe, maybe not. I can't reveal the answer before the mystery is fully unraveled." Quetzalcoatl avoided a direct explanation, instead saying, "But before that, I have one request."
Seeing everyone tense up, Quetzalcoatl suddenly grinned. "Let's hold nothing back and enjoy this battle~"
"She's the type who revels in combat, who finds joy in fighting," Ishtar muttered, her lip twitching.
Though others saw her as a battle-crazed goddess who loved solving problems with force, she herself didn't derive pleasure from the act of fighting.
Combat was merely one means to an end for her.
"Sorry, I can't enjoy fighting," Ritsuka stated.
"I feel the same," Amber nodded.
Ana and Mash also agreed, while Merlin, the ever-amused observer, remained silent. From start to finish, the goddess hadn't paid him any mind.
"Ah... I'm stiff with sorrow. This feels like a complete rejection of everything I am."
Her one request flatly denied, Quetzalcoatl looked genuinely hurt, but quickly recovered. "Why do you say that? What is battle to you?"
"It's an obstacle we must overcome to achieve what comes after," Ritsuka made it clear: battle itself never brought joy—it was an ordeal.
Quetzalcoatl furrowed her brow, turning to Amber.
'Contradictory.'
Amber and Fu Hua had been observing the feathered serpent goddess's every move—not just today, but throughout the entire previous night, they had discussed her at length.
As the pinnacle of benevolence, Quetzalcoatl was undoubtedly a goddess of good.
Legends said she vehemently opposed human sacrifice, occasionally appearing as a king to guide humanity—all evidence of her virtue. Her goodness wasn't 'goodness for the gods' but 'goodness for humanity.'
Yet, despite opposing sacrifice, she demanded the people of Uruk offer one man to her daily. Though, through Jaguar Man, they later learned these men weren't killed as offerings.
As a king who understood humanity, how could she, who knew humans so well, claim that toying with them was her reason for living, and even keep them captive?
She acknowledged that 'some can fight, some cannot—this breadth of tolerance is a unique trait of human society,' yet now she insisted they 'find joy in battle.'
If she were a goddess like Ishtar, prioritizing her own whims over reason, these contradictions wouldn't be an issue. But as stated before, her virtue was 'human goodness.'
"I share Ritsuka's view," Amber said.
This feathered serpent goddess was speaking contradictions, hiding truths she wouldn't voice, weaving lies to conceal them.
"I see... So that's the kind of humans you are... A magnificent answer, so magnificent it makes me want to kill you."
Hearing their responses, Quetzalcoatl's previously somber expression broke into a genuine smile.
It wasn't a dangerous grin, but one of true, heartfelt joy—something Fu Hua confirmed through her Fenghuang Down.
"Enough talk, let's begin!" Quetzalcoatl wasted no more time, leaping down from the altar and landing heavily right in front of Amber. In her eyes, this battle was between the two of them; the others were mere spectators at best.
Ishtar was powerful, but that power was relative. To join their fray, one needed to be at least at the level of Sumer's chief god.
Compared to a chief god, Ishtar—who possessed only a fraction of such divinity—was, at best, the strongest deity below that rank. It meant nothing here, even with her home-field advantage.
Amber didn't hesitate either, dark flames igniting in her hands as she closed in with Quetzalcoatl.
The battle erupted instantly.
"Mashu! Ana! Ishtar! The fight is in your hands!" Ritsuka knew they couldn't overpower Quetzalcoatl head-on. According to the Celestial herself, their combat skills were nearly equal.
While Fu Hua's physical prowess was superior, in practice, Amber's inability to land decisive blows led to a stalemate, with Quetzalcoatl trading injuries freely.
With a body enhanced by Garuda factors, she shouldn't fear such exchanges, but... Amber, not Fu Hua, was the one in control.
Though her wounds healed instantly, the pain was real. Despite Fu Hua's harsh training, Amber lacked the unyielding mindset of a seasoned warrior, instinctively opting to defend whenever possible.
This kept their fight locked in a deadlock.
So, Ritsuka pinned his hopes on the others to tip the scales. Rather than getting in the way, he headed straight for the altar to destroy Quetzalcoatl's Noble Phantasm.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.