Quetzalcoatl watched as Fujimaru Ritsuka walked away, her smile growing ever wider. Noticing Merlin standing idly by, she shot him a look of pure disdain.
But that disdain was quickly interrupted by a fist flying toward her face.
Dodging the jab with a swift tilt of her head, she bent her knees and sprang like a coil, leaping over Amber's figure and sending the sneaky Jaguar Man flying with a single punch. Just as she prepared to press the attack, Amber's advancing fists forced her to halt her advance.
Though she possessed absurd levels of resistance, that didn't mean she could completely ignore Amber's blows.
She wouldn't be injured, true—but the momentum of the strikes still carried force.
"Looks like you're finally getting serious?" Quetzalcoatl grinned at Amber.
"My duty was only to hold you back. But harming my comrades changes things," Amber replied.
"But I'm the one who'd end up hurt here—well, not that I actually can be~"
Quetzalcoatl winked playfully.
"What are you hiding?" Their fists and feet clashed in a flurry—in the span of that brief exchange, they had already traded over a hundred blows.
Flickers of black and golden flame spilled from the impact of their strikes, making it impossible for anyone to draw near. Even the rocky ground beneath their feet had begun to melt from the intense heat.
Everyone present understood—now that those two were truly serious, only Ishtar stood a chance of intervening.
But Ishtar merely frowned, making no move to attack.
As much as she hated to admit it, this fight was beyond her influence now. Even if her long-range attacks landed, what good would it do? To Quetzalcoatl, it would be little more than a few grains of sand or dust brushing past her.
Even if she unleashed her full divinity—never mind the risk to Ritsuka—Quetzalcoatl would, at most, be forced back by the impact.
Back within the heart of the battle—
Hearing Amber's question, Quetzalcoatl's smile only grew more enigmatic. "Merlin should know this well, too. Pity that fellow never had any intention of telling you."
"Merlin?"
Both Amber and Fu Hua were well aware that Merlin kept secrets from them—even from Chaldea as a whole. Still, they'd always respected their companion's privacy and never pressed him.
But now, seeing that Quetzalcoatl seemed to know just as much… that changed things.
"Ah… and here she goes, dragging me into it again," Merlin sighed, resigned.
It wasn't that he'd meant to keep things hidden—it was just that, if his plan succeeded, there would have been no need to speak of it at all.
The truth was, none of the enemies they currently faced were the true threat of this Singularity.
The real danger was Tiamat, slumbering deep within, not yet awakened. The reason he seemed so useless now was largely because he was devoting ninety percent of his magical energy to constructing a dream for Tiamat.
Still, he hadn't expected Quetzalcoatl to be aware of this.
Merlin's expression turned thoughtful. If Quetzalcoatl knew… then much of her contradictory behavior suddenly made sense.
"Just what have you been hiding?" Amber's hands never slowed, but as she spoke, she signaled Fu Hua to deploy the Fenghuang Down.
This time, it wasn't like the casual uses from before—this was a full-power activation.
The moment the Fenghuang Down unfolded, everyone except Ritsuka froze in place. It lasted only 0.01 seconds, but that was enough for Amber to glimpse all of Quetzalcoatl's thoughts.
Why the contradictions? Why did she love humanity, yet refuse to act against Gorgon, who slaughtered humans?
At first, Amber had assumed it was due to the pact of the Three Goddess Alliance. But that wasn't it. The reason she wouldn't move against Gorgon was that Gorgon wasn't the true threat to humanity—humanity's real enemy was Tiamat, hiding who-knew-where.
Moreover, in Quetzalcoatl's eyes, Gorgon's existence was nothing but sorrow and pain. She pitied her.
Her reasons for not revealing this were simple, but different from Merlin's.
Merlin thought this Singularity might be "skipped." Quetzalcoatl simply felt that, until Tiamat emerged, saying anything was… unnecessary.
Not only did she not expose Gorgon—doing so would only make the monster's plight more pitiable—but while she knew the Celestial known as Phoenix, who had once incapacitated Gorgon in a single blow, was immensely powerful, and having fought her personally only reinforced that belief… that was just her own assessment.
She hadn't interacted much with the rest of Chaldea, especially that Master. She hadn't fully confirmed the nature of this Master.
Hence, the trial.
Would they survive under the protection of the gods? Or would they carve out a path for humanity?
Would they yield in the face of an undefeatable foe?
Did Chaldea truly have what it took to restore Human Order?
If they couldn't even pass her test, what hope did they have against Tiamat? Better to stop their reckless stubbornness and live safely under divine protection.
At least under her—the supreme god of South America—humanity could survive, so long as they didn't confront Tiamat head-on.
Realizing all this in a mere 0.01 seconds, Amber's movements unconsciously slowed.
Quetzalcoatl also sensed that something had just happened, but with no understanding of mental interference, she could only feel that Amber had done something, without knowing what.
Still, she could clearly perceive the sudden drop in Amber's fighting spirit.
"What's wrong? Getting sleepy again?" Unsure of what had occurred, Quetzalcoatl could only ask aloud.
"…I know everything now."
Amber had no patience for riddles. She stated directly, "I used the Fenghuang Down just now and saw your thoughts. I'm sorry."
She had to emphasize this again—peering into another's memories and thoughts was never a noble tactic. No matter how one dressed it up, it was an underhanded method. Amber didn't want to grow accustomed to it, so she had to apologize.
"A power… that lets you see others' thoughts?"
Quetzalcoatl narrowed her eyes, finally understanding why her opponent's assault had suddenly weakened. Clearly, Amber now felt guilty.
At that, she actually laughed. "Normally, violating a goddess's mind is a crime punishable by death. But for you… just this once, big sister can forgive you."
"I'm sorry…"
The fact that Quetzalcoatl was so kind made the act feel even filthier. Amber felt only shame.
Fu Hua understood this sentiment well—after all, she was the one who had used the Fenghuang Down the longest.
In the beginning, she too had questioned herself over invading others' thoughts. Later, whether she grew accustomed or numb to it, she simply stopped dwelling on it so much.
Even so, she still disliked the method, which is why she primarily used the Feather to create illusions, almost never tampering with memories directly.
Amber's mindset pleased her.
As the two combatants eased their onslaught, it created an opening for others to intervene. But now, more compelling than their battlefield was Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had finally reached the altar.
Amber and Quetzalcoatl simultaneously stilled, their attention shifting.
Watching the slightly winded Ritsuka standing before the vulnerable "Sun Stone," Quetzalcoatl's gaze turned serious, filled with unmistakable appraisal.
So then… Fujimaru Ritsuka, what choice will you make?
--+--
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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