Under Jaguar Man's guidance, the trio swiftly traversed the dense forest filled with rare plants and arrived at an open area that could be called a plaza.
In the plaza stood stone pillars carved with mysterious symbols and inscriptions, arranged like two rows supporting a temple dome.
At the innermost part stood a stone pyramid-shaped building with a large circular disc at its peak, and beside it, for some reason, an enormous war axe was planted in the ground.
Tomoe's gaze immediately locked onto the weapon: "What's that?"
"The Hand Axe of Marduk. Legend says it's the axe used by the God Marduk to slay the Goddess Tiamat… It's about forty meters long. Truly massive."
According to the original storyline, this giant hand axe would later be key to defeating Gorgon, thrown by Quetzalcoatl to destroy Gorgon's Blood Temple in a single strike.
In the final days of the Age of the Gods, temples were essential for gods to wield their powers more effectively. For deities, their personal temples offered various benefits, from gathering Mana to amplifying strength.
Thus, after the Blood Temple was destroyed, Gorgon's weakened power finally gave a chance for her defeat.
However, they might not need it now. Even without the Hand Axe of Marduk, Naoki was confident he could completely crush Gorgon.
(Speaking of Gorgon… It seems I've never met Anna. Merlin didn't mention her either. Could she still be wandering in the Cedar Forest?)
Anna—young Medusa—appeared because Gorgon was summoned. She was a Servant born to defeat Gorgon and played a significant role in that process.
(I'll find time to check the Cedar Forest, but for now, let's focus—)
"Gaaak—!"
At that moment, a shrill cry suddenly echoed from the air. The three looked up to see a massive Pterosaurus swooping down toward them at high speed. Its sharp beak seemed poised to pierce their bodies!
*BAM!*
Naoki leaped in place, delivering a spinning kick that instantly sent the Pterosaurus hurtling back into the sky.
"The Wind God Pterosaurus… Quetzalcoatl's familiar."
The Wind God Pterosaurus, or Quetzalcoatlus, was the largest flying creature ever discovered, possibly the largest flying animal ever. Its wingspan could reach twelve meters, comparable to a small airplane.
It lived in the late Cretaceous Period, 60 million years ago. Its name came from the feathered Wind God.
In other words, their opponent was a species from 60 million years ago, clearly surpassing the level of a Phantasmal Species and possibly even a Divine Beast.
"Its appearance here means… She's finally ready to come out?"
"Maravilloso (Marvelous!)"
A loud cheer suddenly rang out from atop the temple.
In Naoki's perception, the figure that had been hiding behind the large circular disc at the temple's peak finally appeared before them with that exclamation.
It was a woman with foreign blonde hair. She wore attire resembling an ancient priestess or shaman, with an aura tied to the forest. In her hand, she held a heavy broadsword. She looked like a warm, approachable older sister from a foreign land, exuding a sense of familiarity.
Yet Naoki and Tomoe could feel a threatening aura radiating from her at all times.
Even Tomoe felt an unbearable urge to kneel just by meeting her gaze.
The pressure of a Main God-tier Divine Spirit wasn't something an ordinary Servant from a far-eastern island nation like her could withstand.
Realizing this, Naoki placed his hand on Tomoe's shoulder. The suffocating pressure instantly vanished without a trace. Tomoe took a deep breath, her legs suddenly going weak.
Quickly supporting Tomoe, Naoki handed her to Jaguar Man: "Please look after Tomoe for a bit, Jaguar Man—if you dare act up, I'll freeze you, then turn you into a filthy mop and toss you into the sewer."
"Why am I being threatened when I didn't say anything?! You're scarier than Kukulkan!"
Jaguar Man's tears nearly fell. If she had known, she wouldn't have fought these two earlier. Not only was she bullied by Kukulkan, but now she was being bullied by this ruthless man. How painful!
Even so, Jaguar Man quickly took Tomoe away from the temple area.
After ensuring the two were safe, Naoki walked alone to the base of the magnificent Sun Temple, looking up at the Goddess standing at its peak: "Giving such intense pressure right at the start is quite a unique greeting."
"But it didn't affect you at all! Not only that, you protected that half-breed over there. That's a very manly act!" Quetzalcoatl smiled brightly.
Naoki raised an eyebrow: "It's an honor to be praised like that by the South American Main Sun God, but to me, it's just what should be done."
"Hmm hmm, that kind of thinking is great too—So, Planet's Tendril, what's your purpose for coming to my temple?"
Quetzalcoatl saw through Naoki's true identity at a glance.
However, Naoki had no intention of hiding it. Being seen through by a Main God was only natural.
"You can't have been sent by the Planet itself to fight me, right?"
"No. If that were the case, it wouldn't be me here, but some other Justice Colleagues. My purity in that regard isn't enough—after all, I'm not a part-time Counter Force worker."
Naoki shrugged, then clasped his hands in front of his chest: "Quetzalcoatl, I came here for just one thing—Can I ask you to help Uruk fight the Magical Beast Goddess?"
"…"
The overly straightforward reason left Quetzalcoatl momentarily unsure how to respond. Rubbing her forehead in confusion, she said: "Hmm~~~ That reason is truly beyond my expectations. Let me ask, you know I'm a member of the Three Goddess Alliance, right?"
"Of course."
"Knowing that, you still hope that I, an 'enemy,' would become your 'ally,' an ally of Uruk?"
"Yes." Naoki smiled. "Also, there's one thing you got wrong, Quetzalcoatl. To me, you're not an 'enemy of humanity.'"
"After all—You're a compassionate and intelligent Goddess who deeply loves humans and guides them toward prosperity, aren't you?"