It had to be said—this tropical jungle was truly a harsh environment.
At least, for those entering a tropical rainforest for the first time, it was so.
Not only was the temperature extremely high and the air stiflingly humid, but there were also all kinds of ferocious beasts, not to mention various types of monsters.
Even Feathered Serpent Wyverns would occasionally soar over the canopy, stirring up turbulent air currents—an intimidating sight.
Because of this, Rozen's group couldn't simply fly over the jungle; otherwise, they would be swarmed by Feathered Serpent Wyverns. They had no choice but to trek through the jungle, heading deeper inside.
There, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl awaited.
"That's a sun temple. I once happened to fly over this rainforest and caught a glimpse of it, but I was immediately attacked by wyverns, so I couldn't see clearly."
Ishtar had told Rozen this, giving him some idea of what lay ahead.
"Looks like all the goddesses currently manifested in the world have built temples of their own."
Gorgon had her Temple of Blood, intended for breeding monsters and producing them in bulk, wielding powers that didn't even belong to her—those of Tiamat.
Ereshkigal had her own temple as well, located in the deepest reaches of the Underworld.
It had existed since the Underworld's creation and was where she forged thr spear prisons, managed the spirits of the dead, and ruled over the entire realm.
Ishtar likewise had her own temple, said to be built atop Mount Ebih, used for gathering mana and improving her fortune.
For deities, possessing a dedicated temple brought all sorts of benefits—ranging from the simple task of collecting mana to enhancing their own power.
After all, it had already been said: this was the twilight of the Age of Gods. Even though True Ether had not completely vanished, gods wishing to manifest freely on the surface world still faced certain limitations.
Thus, to minimize those limitations, building a temple to stabilize their presence was quite necessary.
If a temple was destroyed, any god—no matter who—would see their strength diminish.
That was why, when Rozen broke into Gorgon's temple, she had been so furious—not only because the humans she intended to transform into monsters were rescued, but also because her very stronghold had been invaded by an enemy.
"If we can't beat Quetzalcoatl, just have your 'Wrecking Queen' use her Noble Phantasm to destroy her temple. That way, our odds of winning will improve."
Ishtar had provided Rozen with this piece of intel.
"But Miss Ishtar, isn't it dangerous to just leave your own temple—and Miss Ereshkigal's—unguarded?"
Mash had voiced this concern.
However, Ishtar dismissed it without the slightest concern.
"That might've been the case before, but now I already have a Master. I can rely on our contract for mana supply and for maintaining my existence, so it's no problem. As for Ereshkigal, she's already your familiar through soul fusion—so it's even less of an issue for her."
Because of this, she simply didn't care about the safety of her temple anymore.
Of course, targeting a goddess's temple wasn't an easy task to begin with.
For example, Ereshkigal's temple was deep in the Underworld. Without her permission, even if one could pass through the Seven Gates to reach it, they would meet a miserable end—Ishtar's own past venture into the Underworld was proof enough.
For Ishtar, her temple atop Mount Ebih was said to be a sacred peak so feared that even the King of the Gods would hesitate before it. Other than Ishtar herself, almost no one could conquer this mountain—ordinary people certainly couldn't hope to reach its summit.
As for Gorgon, her Temple of Blood lay within a cedar forest overrun by monsters. And Quetzalcoatl's Sun Temple was similarly located deep within this rainforest, guarded by countless monsters and Feathered Serpent Wyverns—hardly an easy target.
Thus, each goddess's temple had layers upon layers of protection, making acts of destruction far from simple.
Ishtar had only brought this up to give Rozen another possible strategy.
"If things really don't work out, then retreat. With the abilities we have, escaping shouldn't be impossible."
She said this without the slightest sense of dignity, drawing wry smiles from everyone.
"I thought all gods had strong pride—like Ereshkigal—stubborn enough to push through no matter what the difficulty."
Ryougi Shiki gave this assessment.
"I'm not like that," Ishtar said bluntly. "Most gods value their lives and rights far more than you think. And I'm the goddess of life—there's no way I'd throw my life away so casually. If there's even a chance, whether it means struggling or begging for mercy—if it keeps me alive, I'll do it without hesitation."
This was the complete opposite of Ereshkigal, who would never deny death.
One could only say that gods were diverse, and their divine nature was not something human nature could easily comprehend.
When you think a god will surrender in the face of danger, they may instead fight to the end.
When you think a god will never compromise because of pride, they may suddenly kneel and beg for mercy.
Trying to predict divine action through human reasoning was, by its very nature, foolish.
"A god is a god. A human is a human. The two are completely different beings, different concepts, even different forms of life. So, never think you truly understand gods, and don't go guessing at divine will so casually, okay?"
Ishtar said this with a radiant smile, making the group once again smile bitterly.
However—
"Ishtar's right. No matter what, a god is still a god. Gods have things they want to do, and they're even more stubborn than humans. I hope you'll challenge big sister me with that in mind, okay?"
A sweet, friendly-sounding voice rang out from within the jungle.
At that, Rozen's group—who had been weaving their way through the rainforest—suddenly halted in their tracks.
"Magical reaction detected!"
"Spiritron values confirmed!"
"Quetzalcoatl…!"
From the communicator, Roman, Da Vinci, and Olga Marie all called out at once.
"Senpai!"
"Tch!"
Mash immediately raised her shield, stepping in front of Rozen, while Ryougi Shiki swiftly drew her dagger, her Mystic Eye of Death Perception activating.
As for Ishtar—
"Show yourself! Quetzalcoatl!"
She stretched her hand toward the jungle ahead.
But Rozen raised his own hand, stopping her.
He gazed directly into the depths of the forest.
"You've already noticed us coming—and even came here yourself—yet you don't plan to come out and meet us?"
At his words, a figure slowly emerged from the jungle.
"My, my… I thought you'd enjoy a surprise like this."
Speaking thus, a goddess dressed in holy priestly garb—but holding a massive serrated greatsword—revealed herself.