Standing atop the Sun Altar, Quetzalcoatl rested on her sword with a faint smile on her face as she gazed at Alaric below the altar. Despite meeting again after several days, Quetzalcoatl felt as if they had never been apart.
She had observed Alaric's strike from the previous day, and the visible growth in his strength was undeniable.
"Impressive~~! Big Sis is so happy~!"
Before her words fully landed, Quetzalcoatl, unable to contain herself, leaped from the top of the Sun Altar like a meteor, crashing down not far from Alaric. The ground beneath her cracked and shattered, sending up clouds of dust.
When the dust cleared and Quetzalcoatl, half-kneeling on the ground, raised her head—
Her face was alight with excitement, almost feral.
Faced with the current Alaric, Quetzalcoatl could no longer suppress her desire to fight (or wrestle) him.
True communication, after all, could only be achieved through the physical connection of wrestling—so she cheerfully thought.
Not far away, Alaric noticed the fervor in Quetzalcoatl's expression and the overwhelming energy radiating from her. He felt a sense of familiarity.
It was as if, faced with her rising battle intent, the only way to satisfy her was through battle (or wrestling)—there was no other option.
After a brief moment of thought, Alaric responded.
"To those who approach with joy, one must not show opposition."
The words of King Hassan echoed in his heart, but Alaric's movements did not falter. Black radiance surged around him, pure magical energy on par with divine might pouring into his body, fueling his strength.
His physical power surged, now comparable to Quetzalcoatl's!
Boom!
Both figures vanished simultaneously from their spots, a thunderous roar erupting as they clashed. The sound of their punches colliding alone was enough to make the surrounding air wail and stir visible shockwaves.
Having fought Quetzalcoatl before, Alaric, now stronger than ever, demonstrated the power to stand on equal footing with her once again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of explosions echoed continuously, like rolling thunder, reverberating through the forest. Even the distant city of Ur could hear the terrifying, thunderous noise!
Punches, kicks, and every technique Alaric could muster—it was all used to fight the Feathered Serpent God, who was passionate about Mexican wrestling!
Their violent clash was unimpeded, a calamity on par with a natural disaster. The two tore through the forest, felling towering trees one after another, leaving destruction in their wake.
In just a few minutes, their battle had taken them from the Sun Altar in Eridu to the depths of the forest. It was then that Alaric finally spoke his purpose:
"Goddess Quetzalcoatl, I ask for your assistance in fighting the Beast Goddess, Gorgon!"
Boom! Boom!
The two continued to exchange blows, circling each other in a relentless dance. Alaric suddenly delivered a shoulder tackle, slamming into Quetzalcoatl's chest.
Crash!
Quetzalcoatl was sent flying, her feet sinking deeply into the ground as she dispersed the force, stabilizing herself.
"You've met that Gorgon, haven't you~~" Quetzalcoatl said with an undiminished smile, playfully winking before charging at Alaric again.
Twisting mid-air, she delivered a flying kick with such speed that Alaric barely managed to block with his arms.
Alaric felt as though an entire mountain had collided with him—or perhaps a compressed meteorite. The devastating kick exploded before him, sending him hurtling deep into the forest, out of sight.
But before Quetzalcoatl could pursue, a streak of black energy surged back toward her, revealing itself as Alaric once more.
Alaric's voice rang out: "Of course I've met Gorgon. That's precisely why I've resolved to defeat her!"
Boom! Boom!
Their battle continued, even as their conversation concluded in fleeting moments.
"Hmm~~ So you've made up your mind to take revenge on that child~~! How admirable~!"
Quetzalcoatl laughed as she punched Alaric into the ground, embedding him deeply as if he could never rise again.
Sizzle!
The black radiance that surrounded Alaric melted the earth in an instant, allowing him to free himself. He swept Quetzalcoatl's legs with a kick, sending her tumbling sideways.
Boom! Boom!
"That's why I need your help, Quetzalcoatl. I will handle the divine pact binding you—"
Abruptly, both fighters froze. Their intense, close-quarters combat came to an end after what felt like an eternity.
Quetzalcoatl gazed into Alaric's jewel-like eyes with a faint smile and softly said, "Are you trying to glimpse my death?"
As the supreme god of Mesoamerica and the ultimate figure of death, the Feathered Serpent God Quetzalcoatl could see the nature of Alaric's eyes.
"Can you do it? Can you kill a god?"
Squinting slightly, Quetzalcoatl's eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked at Alaric, waiting for his answer.
Alaric, barely recovering from the aftereffects of staring into Quetzalcoatl's divinity, heard her question and smiled.
This was the moment he had prepared for.
During his battle with Gorgon, Alaric had used his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception for an extended period—not just to resist the combined onslaught of Kingu and Gorgon, but to observe Gorgon's divinity.
He sought to understand the divine pact that bound the gods, devoting the time he would have needed for Quetzalcoatl to study it on Gorgon instead.
With Merlin's guidance over the past three days, Alaric had gained a deeper understanding of this divine pact.
Having severed another's consciousness before—a connection to the Holy Grail—Alaric knew it was not impossible to comprehend such abstract concepts. And once he understood them, he could perceive them.
Time ticked by, second by second, until an hour later, Alaric finally saw the death within Quetzalcoatl's radiant, sun-like divinity!
It was not the grand death of a god, but a faint, insignificant death.
A death that existed within the divine pact binding her.
"Projection, begin."
As magical energy surged, a golden holy sword materialized in Alaric's hand.
Quetzalcoatl, seeing Alaric's actions, spread her arms wide with a fearless smile, her eyes brimming with anticipation.
The sword descended.