Swish swish swish!!
The sharp spikes sliced through space, their air-rending screeches echoing in Roy's ears.
A relentless sense of danger loomed over him. In moments like these, a single lapse in focus or a slightly delayed dodge would leave him riddled with holes from the biological spikes fired by the Lahmu.
After losing three more of their siblings among Tiamat's eleven children, the remaining Lahmu didn't scatter in fear. Instead, they entered a frenzied state, their attacks growing even more ferocious.
"…Endless."
Manipulating mana and flames, Roy's speed surged, driven by the stacked enhancements that pushed his physical state to its peak. His expression was complex.
The instantaneous kills from moments ago couldn't be replicated.
Such reckless exertion, even for a brief burst, had already strained his body. Though his willpower and the Third Magic, fully invested in endurance, allowed him to recover injuries rapidly, even that required some time.
With less than half an hour until Tiamat's dragon form arrived, the chaotic tide and the endless calamities it brought were already affecting Uruk.
In this situation, another reckless outburst like before, impacting the final battle, would spell trouble.
But these creatures didn't seem inclined to let him off easily…
And no wonder, after all, he'd just slain three of their siblings. It'd be strange if they didn't hate him.
So… bring it on. Even if it means going overboard again, if he could wipe them all out here, the cost would be worth it.
Everyone else could press forward; he'd bear the consequences.
Sensing Roy's resolve, Tiamat Lily, at his side, let out a spirited cheer.
"Aaa… aaaa."
"Alright, then let's fight together, Mother of Genesis."
On the other side of the battlefield,
Boom!!
"Don't squirm now~"
A terrifying punch, brimming with ferocious force, roared toward the Lahmu's position, blazing with solar flames that burned fiercely on Quetzalcoatl's fist.
The punch's devastating power made the air tremble. Even these Lahmu, with bodies rivaling gods, faced mortal danger if struck.
But no matter how fast Quetzalcoatl's punches were or how terrifying their force, the grotesque Lahmu always dodged with their unnatural bodies and agile tentacles, counterattacking in the gaps between her strikes.
These infuriating, elusive monsters gave Quetzalcoatl a headache. She now understood Roy's predicament and how nauseating it was to fight these divine-level elite Lahmu.
Clearly, her side was stronger.
But their coordination was seamless, alternating attacks without giving her a chance to eliminate even one. Their movements were absurdly agile, rendering her attacks ineffective. Such troublesome enemies were particularly unfriendly to a divine spirit like her, who favored brute force.
After several exchanges, not only did she fail to achieve significant results, but they also managed to wound her.
In other words, she, the supreme Aztec god, sun deity, and earth mother, faced these crude imitations of divinity and not only failed to defeat them but was injured.
Could she tolerate this?
Her newly restored body, could it endure this?
Having barely reclaimed her life for a comeback, only to be hurt by these disgusting bugs before even facing Tiamat in overtime? This was humiliating, especially with Tezcatlipoca nearby. If he saw her so helpless, could she still hold her head high?
Wasn't this a disgrace to the Aztec pantheon?
"Hehehehehe!!!"
Seeing their advantage and believing Quetzalcoatl helpless, the two encircling eleven children Lahmu let out mocking screeches.
"Oh, you fleas spawned from black mud, this Onee-san is really getting angry now!!"
Realizing she was being underestimated, Quetzalcoatl's expression shifted. Her usual warmth and composure vanished, replaced by a grim, fearsome look.
Unlike her test of Roy before, this time she was truly enraged and filled with killing intent.
"Let's see you face the true wrestling techniques of a South American main god!"
Quetzalcoatl crouched slightly, her leg muscles tensing, her body arching like a bow.
The jagged obsidian sword and primitive wooden shield, symbols of divine worship, had been discarded somewhere during the fight.
Compared to fighting with weapons, she preferred fists and physicality, conveying heart-to-heart through collisions.
Of course, these soulless, repulsive monsters had no hearts to feel the spirit and conviction she expressed through wrestling.
For such dull and troublesome foes, she had her own method, a hidden trump card.
A powerful technique she was reluctant to use.
"Hm? The wind's picking up… No, that stance? That mana fluctuation? She's not about to-"
Seeing Quetzalcoatl's tensed body and the familiar, ominous stance, Tezcatlipoca's eyes narrowed, a shiver running through him.
"This bird-brain is actually getting serious…"
Crimson flames suddenly enveloped Quetzalcoatl's feet and limbs, powerful mana surging, whipping up a hurricane around her.
She bent forward, her movements like a jaguar ready to hunt, her sharp gaze like bared fangs.
"This next move is too much for you lot! I am the serpent! I am the flame! I am the hurricane… tearing divinity asunder."
Her warm, cheerful demeanor transformed utterly, as if she'd become a ravenous beast of flame. She took a fierce step forward.
In an instant, a fleeting fiery afterimage, carrying unmatched terrifying pressure, appeared before the Lahmu.
And then…
Die!!!
In that fleeting moment, a sharp sense of danger gripped the Lahmu. The two mocking creatures froze in terror.
They tried to spread their wings and flee, but a ferocious wind suddenly roared beneath them.
"What is this?!!"
The Lahmu screeched in panic.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!
A piercing, violent wind rose from the ground, quickly forming a massive, terrifying tornado. Centered on Quetzalcoatl, it spiraled upward, engulfing the Lahmu's flight path in moments.
Sensing the anomaly, the Lahmu screamed in panic, trying to tear through the wind barrier with their robust bodies, but Quetzalcoatl gave them no such chance.
Gritting her teeth, she intensified her effort, commanding the endless hurricane, symbolizing the destruction of the Second Sun Era, to rage across the ground, trapping them firmly.
This wasn't ordinary wind but a revolutionary storm that had destroyed a world and ended an era.
In Aztec mythology, the Second Sun Era, called Nahui Ehecatl (Four Wind Era), was ruled by Quetzalcoatl. Its inhabitants, humans who ate pine nuts, were destroyed by a storm born from Quetzalcoatl's battle with the chaos god Tezcatlipoca, who turned them into monkeys. Feeling guilt, Quetzalcoatl relinquished her role as the Second Sun's ruler, passing it to Tlaloc, the Third Sun's rain god.
This event fueled Quetzalcoatl's hatred for Tezcatlipoca, making their relationship irreconcilable.
Per the Four Wind Era's records, when Quetzalcoatl was summoned as a Servant, this era-destroying feat was sublimated into an additional Noble Phantasm.
Due to her guilt over destroying an era, she rarely used this power.
But in this situation, hesitation was no longer an option.
Using a Noble Phantasm born from destroying an era to now save a world seemed a fitting choice.
It was her atonement for those lost lives.
The Noble Phantasm chant began: "Raise the dust, tear the skies, wind of revolution…"
The tornado spiraled and roared, like a giant claw dragging everything into its grasp.
The two targeted eleven children Lahmu, along with countless other Lahmu in the sky, were swept into the hurricane.
This formidable Noble Phantasm, born from an era's destruction, was inescapable. The terrifying wind pressure battered their bodies, trapping all Lahmu in the eye of the storm, unable to move.
What followed was a cataclysmic impact, as if struck by a meteor.
"Die, all of you!"
Fully charged, her muscles taut, Quetzalcoatl leaped with all her strength, using the hurricane's momentum to trap the Lahmu and crush them with relentless force.
Under this terrifying pressure, ordinary Lahmu couldn't last a moment.
In an instant, they turned to black ash, scattering in the wind. Only the two eleven children Lahmu, with their divine-level bodies, struggled desperately against the pressure, screaming piercingly.
"Aaahhh!!!"
"Hmph, divine bodies aren't so easily destroyed, huh? Damn it, if my injuries were fully healed…"
Seeing the two eleven children Lahmu still alive, attempting to tear through the wind barrier with their sharp tentacles, Quetzalcoatl was surprised but accepted it.
Her current state wasn't optimal. Though her physical injuries had mostly healed, her divinity was far from restored. Even with an EX-rank Goddess Core, she needed time to recover fully.
This move's power was thus far weaker than expected.
She couldn't even crush these filthy creatures?
How embarrassing.
The trapped eleven children Lahmu roared hoarsely, struggling to resist and disrupt Quetzalcoatl's Noble Phantasm.
The Lahmu surrounding Roy and Tezcatlipoca, sensing their kin's distress, turned their attention to Quetzalcoatl's direction in unison.
"Aaahhh!!!"
Their deafening screams and desperate cries signaled they could no longer bear their siblings' deaths.
Seeing their kin in mortal danger, the remaining eleven children Lahmu twisted their bodies, disengaged from the battlefield, and rushed toward Quetzalcoatl's tornado at full speed.
"Perfect chance!!"
This moment of distraction gave Roy and Tezcatlipoca an opening to counterattack.
Though the Lahmu's movements were highly coordinated and their retreat swift, ordinary Servants couldn't pursue. Fortunately, both Roy and Tezcatlipoca were speed-oriented and ideal for pursuit.
Especially Tezcatlipoca.
In Aztec mythology, as a god of hunting, seeing the Lahmu dare to turn their backs to him brought a cruel glint to his eyes.
A pair of ice-blue Mystic Eyes suddenly flared with oppressive, terrifying light.
Roy, wreathed in immense mana, stepped through black light and vanished instantly.
In a flash, he caught up to one fleeing eleven child Lahmu, slamming it to the ground with crushing force. Pinning its struggling body underfoot, he immobilized it, letting it scream helplessly before delivering the final blow, returning it to the Primordial Sea's embrace.
His fluid sequence left Tiamat Lily, poised to assist, momentarily stunned. Her star-patterned eyes blinked, her cute mascot-like face brimming with puzzled wonder.
Like ganging up, huh? Now he'd caught them.
Vengeance for vengeance, grudge for grudge, his Third Magic always settled scores.
The frustration he'd endured was now repaid.
On the other side, Tezcatlipoca, ever the opportunist, didn't disappoint.
When the Lahmu exposed their backs to this god of impermanence and hunting, their fate was sealed.
A bone spear effortlessly pierced two Lahmu, hurling them into Quetzalcoatl's massive tornado to reunite with their siblings.
After expending considerable effort, the trio finally eliminated the most troublesome eleven children Lahmu. Tezcatlipoca and Roy sighed in relief, while Quetzalcoatl flashed a rare smile.
"All dealt with. Tiamat's out of cards now, right?"
"Should be. We've pulled all her trump cards, King Hassan, the eleven beastly children, and the concept of the Mother of Genesis are gone."
Roy nodded, gazing at the encroaching Sea of Chaos and the roaring Tiamat dragon form. "All she has left is the power of the Beast of Regression itself."
"Goddess of Fate, does the dragon form have any other cards?"
To be certain, Roy turned to ask Tiamat Lily.
"Aa… aa… aa." (No, my other half has no other powers left.)
"Aaa… aaa… a…" (And I can feel her anger and pain. She's lost all her children again…)
As she spoke, Tiamat Lily's expression grew increasingly pained.
Though separated by the Grand Berserker, she still empathized with her other half's emotions.
Her other half's current anger, pain, and the sorrow echoing thousands of years ago…
"Aa… aa." (I'm sorry.)
"…"
Seeing Tiamat Lily's pained expression, none present offered comfort.
Twice losing her children, new humans clashing with old, forced to choose as a mother.
Last time, she chose the eleven beastly children and King Hassan against the Sumerian gods. This time, she sided with humanity against her Beast of Regression self.
Both choices brought her immense pain, a feeling outsiders couldn't fathom.
But knowing Tiamat's most formidable guards, the eleven beastly children, were defeated, Roy couldn't help but feel relieved.
Without Tiamat Lily's powerful support, his overloaded state catching them off guard, and Quetzalcoatl's stunning Noble Phantasm drawing their fire, allowing him and Tezcatlipoca to finish the job, these eleven divine-level Lahmu would have been a terrifying threat in the battle against Tiamat.
With the endless Sea of Black Mud now at their doorstep, Roy didn't hesitate. Carrying the grieving Tiamat Lily, he withdrew from the battlefield's edge.
He prepared to join Gilgamesh atop the divine tower, ushering in the prelude to the final battle.
"Hey, Roy! The Mother of Genesis's Sea of Chaos is here! It'll swallow Uruk soon!!"
With the terrifying eleven children Lahmu finally dead, Ishtar, who had been gathering mana in midair, descended on her Maanna, her face anxious. "If this continues, Uruk will be engulfed before the Mother of Genesis even arrives!"
"Don't worry, I've considered that."
Hearing Ishtar's concern, Roy patted her shoulder with a faint smile, looking toward the divine tower.
"Though I'm the stand-in King of Ur, don't forget who Uruk's true master is. The King of Heroes hasn't made his move yet."
While answering Ishtar, Roy glanced at Quetzalcoatl with a hint of complaint, teasing, "So, my goddess, did this borrowed king uphold your honor?"
"Hehe, of course~ Your performance left this Onee-san speechless. As a reward, marrying you wouldn't be out of the question~"
Roy: "Haha, I'll pass. My heart's already taken."
Ishtar: "What?! You're eyeing another one too?"
Tezcatlipoca: "Tch, didn't expect you, bird-brain, to want in on this too? I thought you only liked muscle-bound types who could wrestle with you."
"Go die, Tezcatlipoca!"
"Haha, if you can manage it."
___
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