For humans to challenge a god—this was never a rational act.
No, calling it irrational was already putting it kindly.
To speak more harshly—it was, in truth, an utterly foolish act.
Granted, gods varied in strength.
Some were weak, even bound by their divine domains to the point of possessing almost no power at all.
But Quetzalcoatl clearly did not fall into that category.
Even without invoking her Authorities, Quetzalcoatl was a war goddess.
And as a war goddess, her combat power was self-evident. Even relying on nothing but her body, she was stronger than the vast majority of Servants.
On top of that, Quetzalcoatl's status parameters were by no means low.
Her Strength and Endurance were both ranked at B, her Agility at B+, her Luck even at A+, and her Mana, just like Ishtar's, was at the abnormal EX rank.
With parameters like these, she was already qualified to stand among the highest-tier Servants.
With such a Quetzalcoatl, her power—even compared to other abnormal Servants—would not lose out in the slightest.
Even against Servants of the caliber of Scathach or Karna, she would be able to fight on equal footing.
Of course, both Scathach and Karna possessed anti-divine Noble Phantasms. In terms of affinity, should they clash, victory would likely fall to Scathach or Karna.
But if one did not take their anti-god abilities into account, then Quetzalcoatl would not be inferior to them at all.
If she was already this strong without using her Authorities, then how could a human possibly defeat her?
And yet, Quetzalcoatl still accepted Rozen's challenge.
First, because she would never refuse a challenge issued head-on by a human. Such an act only filled her with delight, making her praise the opponent's courage.
Second, because Quetzalcoatl knew Rozen was no ordinary human. He had the qualification to challenge her.
Though Rozen seemed somewhat unwell, as though afflicted by some hidden ailment, he still had the protection of two divine beings by his side. Quetzalcoatl had no intention of underestimating him.
But then—who could have imagined—Rozen actually chose to abandon the protection of those two gods, intending to challenge her with nothing but his human self.
This truly made Quetzalcoatl reevaluate him, her heart filled with both surprise and joy.
She couldn't help it—she loved humanity far too much. For Rozen to show such courage and integrity, there was no way she wouldn't grow fond of him.
(If it's him… perhaps he really can save Human Order.)
Unbidden, such a thought stirred in Quetzalcoatl's heart.
By this time, Rozen had already walked up to stand before her.
Feeling the state of his own body, Rozen gave a faint nod in secret.
Without the protection of Kinu and Gyokuto, that was certainly a loss.
But Rozen could still receive the blessing of the Sun from Kinu and the blessing of the Moon from Gyokuto. His power in all aspects was still tripled.
That was the power of their blessing. It could not be dispelled unless Kinu and Gyokuto themselves disappeared completely. Otherwise, Rozen would always receive that passive protection.
It was the same as Gawain—his blessing too was a built-in trait. Once triggered, it would basically never vanish.
This level of blessing should not count as relying on the power of gods, right?
After all, human heroes often carried such traits. And even more so, demi-god heroes did. Thus, this degree of power still fell within the category of human strength.
In this way, Rozen would not fall to the point of facing a main deity-class existence with nothing but the body of an ordinary human.
Thinking this, Rozen raised his head, looked straight at Quetzalcoatl, and slowly lifted the Sun Holy Sword—Galatine—in his hand, pointing it forward.
"Heh…"
Quetzalcoatl couldn't help but laugh, but she too lifted the Macuahuitl in her hand, taking a battle stance.
The two stood on the jungle path of the tropics, facing each other, eyes locked tightly upon one another.
Within their gazes, fierce divine light flashed.
"Whoosh——!"
A gust of wind blew in from the distance, making the surrounding trees sway.
"Roar…"
From the sky, the cry of a pterosaur gradually grew clearer.
"————"
The chirping of birds and insects seemed to vanish completely in that instant.
"..."
Mash, Ryougi Shiki, Ishtar, and the Chaldeans all gazed at the human and the god locked in confrontation, holding their breaths.
And then, in the next second—
"Boom!"
With a simultaneous, explosive crack, the ground beneath their feet shattered as Rozen and Quetzalcoatl launched forward, kicking up dirt and stone.
In the blink of an eye, they collided.
"Clang!!!"
The clash of Galatine and Macuahuitl resounded like a great bell struck with all its might, sending a deafening peal up toward the heavens.
Sparks burst forth as the Sun's Holy Sword and the Emerald War Sword scraped violently against one another, illuminating the faces of Rozen and Quetzalcoatl.
The duel between man and god—thus began.
"Boom!"
A storm of mana surged, erupting into a fierce clash between the youth and the goddess.
"Bang!"
On the Sun's Holy Sword, flames blazed unceasingly, spraying forth to accelerate Galatine's swings. Countless fiery slashes burst out, raining down upon Quetzalcoatl.
"Boom!"
Upon the great sword, cold arcs of light flashed as the Macuahuitl swung like a massive hammer, shaking the very air with each blow.
"Clang—clang—clang—clang—clang—!"
In the violent rhythm of strikes, the Sun's Holy Sword and the emerald great sword clashed again and again without pause.
Rozen and Quetzalcoatl exchanged relentless, ferocious blows, testing each other to the utmost.
"Ahahahahahahahaha!"
Quetzalcoatl laughed in sheer exhilaration, swinging her Macuahuitl with abandon, each strike growing ever more violent.
"...!"
Rozen narrowed his eyes, expression neither joyful nor sorrowful. Calmly, he lifted Galatine, scattering each incoming strike amid blazing sparks.
With the power of Mind's Eye, Rozen saw through every trajectory of Quetzalcoatl's blows. For fleeting moments, he even glimpsed the future—seeing with certainty the actions Quetzalcoatl would take.
Thus, he deflected her ferocious attacks as if they were nothing.
Quetzalcoatl naturally noticed that her strikes were all being read. Yet far from being surprised, she was delighted.
"Yes! That's it! This is how it should be!"
She laughed in joy, ecstatic.
"Humans must be like this! No matter whether against gods or demons, they must charge ever forward and show their courage!"
Saying this, Quetzalcoatl spun her body as she swung, the Macuahuitl stirring the very atmosphere, before slamming it down ferociously toward Rozen.
Rozen did not hesitate. With a leap, he retreated swiftly.
"Thud!"
The Macuahuitl smashed into the ground, shattering it and sending sand and dust billowing high.
Even as he retreated, Rozen's eyes gleamed faintly, attempting to pierce through the sandstorm with Wise Eye.
But in that instant, Rozen's expression changed, and he jerked his head upward.
"Come! Show me more!"
At some point, Quetzalcoatl had leapt into the skies. From above, she descended like a meteor, bringing down her heavy blade.
"CLANG————!"
The loudest collision yet rang out.
The ground, in that moment, shattered completely.