"The strategy for the Three Goddess Alliance is about to unfold completely before my eyes, yet the final pillar remains unclear."
Gilgamesh declared, "So, you have two tasks ahead."
He held up two fingers. "First, to learn the true identity of the Jungle Goddess currently occupying Eridu. We can ascertain that immediately. Second, to retrieve the Axe of Marduk located in Eridu."
"The Axe of Marduk?" Ritsuka looked towards Mashu.
"Marduk is the powerful deity from legend who defeated Tiamat and ascended as the King of Gods. The weapon he used to defeat Tiamat was that very Axe of Marduk." Mashu, ever the walking encyclopedia, knew this tale well, yet she too was puzzled.
"But, why do we need to retrieve this axe...?"
Everyone understood clearly that Amber, or rather the Phoenix Celestial, existed like an unstoppable blade. None of the enemies encountered so far had been a match for her, not even for a single exchange.
Besides, although that goddess claimed to be Tiamat, she wasn't the genuine article. How much use the Axe of Marduk would actually be was questionable.
Gilgamesh naturally understood this logic. However, the future glimpsed by his Clairvoyance insisted on the axe's importance.
Though the future remained shrouded in thick mist, he was convinced that every ounce of power Uruk could utilize needed to be gathered.
Seeing Gilgamesh's stance, the group naturally had no further questions.
Then, Gilgamesh turned to Ishtar. "So, the identity of the Jungle Goddess is?"
"Well then... I suppose I can tell you that much. Consider it a consolation for your wallet's suffering." Ishtar showed no intention of further antagonism.
"It's Quetzalcoatl. A Venus Goddess like me, also the Great Solar Bird, the South American wind—Quetzalcoatl."
Upon hearing this, everyone except Amber and Ritsuka broke out in a cold sweat.
Merlin's expression turned grave. "That Conqueror King of the Maya? The Sun God of the Toltecs?"
Roman couldn't believe it either. "That's a chief god-level existence!? Far surpassing Gorgon, a great deity on the same level as the true Tiamat!"
Ritsuka, realizing belatedly just how formidable this Quetzalcoatl was, then looked towards Amber, whose expression had never changed. "If it's the Celestial..."
Unlike the others, Amber had no real concept of how powerful a chief god they spoke of might be.
All she could sense was that Gorgon had been rather weak; after all, she had managed to disable her using only her Sword Heart, without even employing Sword Intent. If she had unleashed this body's full power, killing Gorgon on the spot might not have been impossible.
And if it were this body's full power, she could even say to a luckily undestroyed Gorgon, 'How would you handle a second one?'
For this body, at the peak of the Phoenix Celestial's power, unleashing the Sword God at maximum output was no different from throwing a punch or a kick.
She didn't use the internal Qi energy; she used the external kind, freely, without any concern for exhaustion.
Therefore, she couldn't readily say who would win between herself and this Quetzalcoatl.
Seeing Amber fall silent, Ritsuka also bowed his head quietly. After a moment, he said, "Perhaps we can try talking..."
"That might be quite difficult," Ishtar wasn't optimistic. "South America is different from other places. They aren't indigenous life born from this planet. They arrived on a meteoroid, what you might call aliens."
"This..." Is there something wrong with that?
Ritsuka was confused.
"Because they're aliens, they can still exist even in the Common Era. And perhaps because they're aliens, their values differ greatly from ours."
Seeing everyone listening attentively, Ishtar explained, "What we consider good, they might see as evil, and vice versa. So, to win her over, you'd first need to understand how her mind works."
"Her mind works..." Everyone frowned, pondering.
"Using Clairvoyance..." Ana looked at Merlin.
"Sadly, useless." Merlin smiled wryly, then glanced at Ishtar beside him. "Aren't there plenty of myths about mortals peeking at goddesses? In every legend, the fate of the peeker is never good."
Ishtar smiled as if it were obvious. "Naturally, if you spy on a goddess's privacy, you must bear her wrath. Isn't that natural?"
So, even with Clairvoyance, one couldn't casually observe a goddess. This applied to both Merlin and Gilgamesh.
The atmosphere grew cold again.
Boom!
A massive tremor sounded from the distance. Following the first, a second and third came in rapid succession.
"What's happening?" Gilgamesh frowned.
"My King! It's terrible! A woman calling herself Quetzalcoatl has shattered the southern gate's wall with her bare hands and breached Uruk! She's now heading straight for the ziggurat!" A soldier ran in, breathlessly reporting the situation.
"Quetzalcoatl!? But wasn't she...?" Mashu exclaimed in shock.
"Stop this rampaging goddess immediately! Drive her back to the jungle!" Gilgamesh ordered decisively.
"Yes, sir!" Ritsuka accepted the command and ran out of the temple with Mashu and Ana.
Amber naturally wouldn't stand by and watch the goddess wreak havoc either, and followed the group.
When they reached the southern gate, they saw only human bodies littering the ground and a brightly dressed, golden-haired goddess.
"Oh? Children wishing to join in?" The golden-haired goddess noticed the four arriving and raised an eyebrow, smiling.
"Though today's quota is full, if you have the courage to fight me, I might just let you cut in line."
"Mashu! Ana!" Ritsuka didn't dare hold back, activating his not-so-skilled reinforcement magecraft directly on Ana.
It wasn't that he distrusted Mashu's strength; on the contrary, precisely because he believed Mashu's defense was unbreachable, he without hesitation strengthened the attacker between the two.
"Cease your rampage, Goddess of South America!" Feeling the sudden surge of power, Ana wasted no words, charging directly at Quetzalcoatl, her scythe sweeping down fiercely.
Yet, facing Ana's attack, Quetzalcoatl effortlessly blocked it with one hand. "Haha, you don't seem the power type. Is it wise to charge in so openly?"
Her answer was the chains Ana controlled, snaking towards her feet.
"Hoho, better hide your intentions next time!" Quetzalcoatl, having naturally noticed, laughed as she leaped behind Ana, attempting a back throw, but her movement was blocked by Mashu's shield following closely behind.
Ana, seized, also twisted free from her grasp and retreated to the side.
"So strong..." Ana couldn't help but grit her teeth.
Unlike Ishtar, this goddess's power was fully manifested in close combat. They had clashed with Ishtar in melee before, and while they couldn't defeat her either, the pressure felt entirely different.
Now, she felt the goddess before her had no openings, leaving her unsure how to attack.
"Hmm, these movements are much more pleasing!" Quetzalcoatl showed no sense of crisis, even cheerfully critiquing Ana.
Seeing this, Mashu couldn't help but question, "You smile so kindly, I feel no killing intent or malice...! Why did you kill all those people?"
"Because those people aren't dead."
Before Quetzalcoatl could answer, Amber spoke.
"Celestial..." Hearing this, Mashu paused, then calmed down and observed the situation carefully. Indeed, while humans lay scattered on the ground, and there was an excessive amount of blood, upon closer look, their chests still rose and fell with breath.
"Oh my?"
Quetzalcoatl showed no embarrassment at being exposed, instead smiling at Amber who was walking towards her. "So, will you be big sister's opponent next?"
"What is your goal?" Amber didn't answer, instead posing a question. "If you wished to destroy Uruk, these people would already be dead."
Since arriving in this world, this was the first time she felt she was facing a 'powerful enemy'. This goddess before her was different from any opponent she had encountered before—someone who could make her serious.
"Hmm... If I had to say, for survival." Just as Amber could sense Quetzalcoatl's strength, Quetzalcoatl naturally sensed Amber wasn't someone to be trifled with.
But this didn't make her wary or fearful; instead, it made her happier. She explained cheerfully, "I love humans. I wish to coexist with them, because humans are the very value of our existence."
"If that's the case, why attack Uruk?" Amber frowned.
This time, however, Quetzalcoatl didn't answer directly. She blinked, then couldn't help but tilt her head slightly, finally raising a hand to block Amber's line of sight.
This confused everyone.
"I wanted to say earlier," Quetzalcoatl finally spoke. "I should have come to Uruk sooner. I never expected to find so many appealing subjects here."
"?" Everyone was even more bewildered.
But Quetzalcoatl's behavior seemed to confirm Ishtar's earlier statement—they truly couldn't understand this goddess's thought process.
No, come to think of it, even Ishtar, a native goddess of this planet, had been hard to understand at first.
"It's nothing!" Quetzalcoatl, her cheeks slightly flushed, quickly composed her expression and mood before explaining again.
"When I say value of existence, it's not some optional thing based on interest, but a directionality—a path we cannot survive without taking."
"This is my divine nature. I cannot survive without toying with humans. So, to ensure humans remain for me to toy with, humanity must continue." Quetzalcoatl said.
"Therefore, I will take these children back for training, train them until they can survive amidst hardship."
Her words reminded Amber of Ereshkigal.
"I see..." With Ereshkigal as a precedent, Amber found it easier to understand Quetzalcoatl, and she sighed. "You are protecting humanity through your own actions."
"Exactly."
Quetzalcoatl smiled.
Although the situation wasn't what she had anticipated, encountering a human who could understand her wasn't a bad feeling.
"Even so, I cannot let you take them," Amber continued.
"Of course, our positions differ." Unlike Ereshkigal, Quetzalcoatl wasn't surprised by Amber's words. "The Absolute Demonic Front fights for the world of humans. You, who oppose goddesses' interference, naturally have reason to oppose me."
Having said that, she assumed a fighting stance. "But, I have my own position too."
Amber also stopped wasting words. Even with mutual understanding and appreciation, differing positions destined them to clash.
Their figures collided rapidly. Though Amber wielded no weapon, she could easily manifest any sword form using the Sword Soul of her body.
Every punch and palm strike held profound subtleties, making even the battle-experienced, truly returned-to-simplicity Quetzalcoatl's eyes light up.
Unlike the level of power she used against Ana and Mashu, facing Amber who gave her a strong impression, Quetzalcoatl's every move carried force enough to casually shatter mountains.
Even though both controlled their power perfectly, minimizing its spillover, the surrounding paving stones and buildings still showed clear cracks and collapses.
We can't fight here for long! Amber realized this.
Inky black flames instantly ignited around her fists and feet. Quetzalcoatl, far from alarmed, was delighted, her own body bursting into golden flames.
The heat waves made it difficult for the others to stand their ground. Amber directly leaped, flying beyond the city walls.
Quetzalcoatl, thoroughly enjoying the fight, naturally followed.
The battle made Amber frown deeply. Not just Amber, but even Fu Hua, who had been watching all along, found it exceedingly strange.
Fu Hua had seen countless things; she knew the regenerative abilities of the Garuda form well.
Amber and Quetzalcoatl had exchanged over a hundred blows, each gaining the upper hand at times. But when Amber was hit, even if she recovered quickly, the damage was real.
Why did Amber's attacks seem to have no effect on the other party?
She had only seen such defense on Kevin. Even Kosma couldn't achieve this level.
Amber also realized this.
This defensive power was simply astounding, causing her to feel flustered for the first time. As their battle continued, her injuries accumulated. Though they healed instantly, her opponent showed no signs of exhaustion, forcing Amber to create distance first.
"The Divine, the ultimate of change, wondrous to all things yet indescribable in form."Soaring into the air, Amber without hesitation used the Sword God.
Different from last time, feeling somewhat cornered, she now fully mobilized the complete power of the Phoenix Celestial.
The visage of the Garuda unfolded behind her. A colossal crimson sword, reaching between heaven and earth, wreathed in flames capable of incinerating everything, closed in on Quetzalcoatl in an instant.
"Taixu Sword Qi, Divine Culmination!"
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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.