Chapter 153
"Because I am the messenger of Quetzalcoatl, the one who brings peace, yet I have arrived so late, leaving you to suffer in Evil for so long. This is my fault."
At this moment, Tlaloc, who was in the room at the very top of the Great Temple, looked down with disgust. Although there were no windows in the room, she, with the powers of the Rain God and the War God, could naturally see everything that was happening below.
In short, as Favia spoke, she said with some disgust:
"Tsk, what a load of nonsense, and what a con artist."
"... What did you say? Nonsense... deception..."
"Oh no, it's nothing. You can continue studying. I'm the one who disturbed you."
After casually dismissing Bavan Shi, Tlaloc continued reading.
The red-haired girl stood there, mouth agape, trying to understand the pronunciation of the people in this new continent.
The reason Bavan Shi is here is that she still doesn't understand the Aztec language, so Favia thought that Tlaloc was an elf and Bavan Shi was Fairy, so she asked Tlaloc to teach her.
As for Favia, he was quite busy lately and couldn't find the time. After all, he needed to unify the Aztec and Maya of Central and South America before the Spaniards arrived, so that they wouldn't be scattered like before. Only in this way could he spread the 'Fifth Sun' and shape national consciousness.
Therefore, after busying himself with discussing with Moctezuma II about launching a military campaign to attack nearby Tlaxcala, Teotitlan to the South, and the Purépecha Empire to the west, and unifying the Aztec World, the next step was to target the scattered Maya kingdoms further South.
The space in front of the Great Temple is quite large, lit by red bonfires that resemble constellations.
Under this fiery light, the Aztec heard Favia's next words.
"My friends, after I arrive, I will bring peace. But this does not mean that peace will come simply because I have arrived. What is needed is for you to join me, with blood and perseverance, to overcome all obstacles and bring Order and peace to this world mired in destruction, bloodlust, and war. This is my mission, and it is also the mission of you who welcome me."
The Obsidian Sacrificial Knife reflected a dim light under the moonlight of Tenochtitlan.
"Bring peace, bring Order."
Just like the legendary stories that the Aztec heard as children.
It's like a fantasy that everyone once held but quickly vanished from their hearts.
Yet, at this moment, it is so upright and clear that it is exciting.
"My friends, Quetzalcoatl wishes to punish you for the Human Sacrifice you made in the past. Please do not blame her, for her greatest regret and failure is that she was unable to Protection you and ensure your happiness. But please do not blame her, for your happiness is her greatest wish, and this is why I have come here and to eliminate the evil from this land. Therefore—"
The instant breathing stops.
An unimaginable moment.
Before the eyes of the Aztec, the silver-haired youth plunged his Obsidian Sacrificial Knife into his own chest. His face instantly turned pale, and blood slowly flowed from the sacrificial knife.
"It still hurts a little..."
With his blood boiling, the young man raised his eyes and looked at the Aztec.
"... What?! That guy... it wasn't an illusion..." Tlaloc's lips trembled slightly, his feelings becoming complicated. "This guy, this guy, he's clearly just an Outsider, someone who lies based on legends, how could this be..."
Nevertheless, Favia continued firmly and forcefully,
"In the past, bodies without hearts were pushed from the high Temple and rolled down the steep steps. The entire temple staircase was stained black and red with the blood of countless generations... But from now on, I have atoned for the sins you committed through Human Sacrifice, and the Second Sun will not Wrath with you for it."
Following such a youth—
The Pleiades shone brightly in the night sky above the Ancient City, and continued to move after reaching its highest point.
"Many people live on this land. Because they used to be cut up Living Sacrifice every day, they were always covered in blood. Many people died because of this, regardless of their status. This is a world where everyone has to pay the price."
This is the Aztec world, a world where everyone is destined to perish. Quetzalcoatl denied such a world, and I share that belief.
However, I do not deny the Aztec culture; it is your culture, and this is the outcome of living in the harsh jungle.
What I want to deny is this unreasonable world where "the world is at peace precisely because important things have been offered up," therefore—
O world, from this day forward, if my actions are sinful, let no one but myself suffer; if those who follow me are sinful, then let the sin be placed upon me.
A gentle breeze blew through the streets of Tenochtitlan, the surrounding forests, and the nearby lakes. Although the wind was strong, the Aztec made no sound. To them, the howling wind was like the cry of the Quetzalcoatl, and the blue sky that signified the approaching dawn was a blessing from the Rain God.
For today, the messenger of Quetzalcoatl has returned, bringing peace to this world mired in destruction, bloodlust, and war.
"I am the messenger of the Second Sun, Quetzal."
"I am the one who will bring an end to a world of destruction, bloodlust, and war."
"I know who I am."
"I will let you, living in the world of the Aztec and Maya, see--"
Who will I be?
235: Console-like speed (4k)
Recently, people throughout Central and South America have heard this news--
The most powerful nation, the Aztec, had abandoned Human Sacrifice, for Quetzalcoatl had returned, and her messengers had come back.
Three days after that night.
Looking out, the sky over Ras** was covered by the storm and tinged with a dazzling gold, making it incredibly bright.
In the original history, the Spaniards Cortés did not conquer the Aztec by himself. He had a large number of allies who provided reinforcements, supplies and manpower, among whom the Ras** were the most famous.
At this moment, in the city of the kingdom, which had been the enemy of the Aztec Empire for a century, three hundred thousand people had gathered.
Despite the large crowd, a heavy silence filled the scene; everyone remained silent, not uttering a word.
Because they knew that this strange sight was definitely caused by the leader of the army of only three thousand men who had just arrived outside the city, the man whom the Aztec called the messenger of the Quetzalcoatl.
It should be noted that only three thousand men are insignificant to the Ras**, who can muster an army of around fifty thousand, and unlike the Aztec Jaguar Warriors, they are more skilled with Bow and Arrow.
Although they practiced Living Sacrifice like the Aztec, the original god Ometeotl, whom the Ras** believed in, was the father and mother of Quetzalcoatl, the Tezcatlipoca, the Huitzilopochtli, and others. He was both father and mother because he was an individual of opposites and unity, both male and female, both heaven and earth, both light and darkness, both fire and water, both Order and chaos, and so on.
In other words, it was the original 'Maya'.
In fact, the people of Ras** no longer doubted whether he was truly the 'Quetzalcoatl'.
The three thousand people who accompanied that man were all Ras** who had been captured by the Aztec in recent months, and their faces showed no sadness at the failure of the Human Sacrifice; on the contrary, they were more excited than ever before.
"... What exactly do you want to do?"
Tlaloc stood beside Favia and asked, rather puzzled.
She could naturally see that the people of Ras** were already unsettled by the Magecraft Favia had cast. After all, 'storms' and the like were usually the abilities of Quetzalcoatl. Therefore, as long as Favia launched an attack, these three thousand people would easily defeat this century-old enemy of the Aztec.
But before that, the Black-Haired Girl saw him simply stand before the city, quietly opening his mouth to tell the people of Ras**—
The Quetzalcoatl Wrath at your Human Sacrifice and wants to punish you, but I too have made mistakes, having come so late. Therefore, I will atone for your sins. From now on, you shall join me in bringing peace and Order to this world of destruction, bloodlust, and war.
"Wait for their news."
"... Foolish, not even using their power directly."
--madness.
Is this really true?
True strength does not come from physical power alone.
Choosing not to fight is true strength; perhaps this is a truth.
But for Tlaloc, who was born on this land—
In this world, only power can explain everything.
"No matter what, they are also a part of this world, aren't they? After all, they still believe in the original God."
Upon hearing Favia's next reply, Tlaloc turned his gaze and looked him up from below.
"But unfortunately, that one is not the Sun God. For this world, the 'Sun' is the most important thing."
"Therefore, I want to become the Sun of the Fifth Sun Era, so that I can rightfully prohibit Living Sacrifice."
"... Even if you succeed in doing this, you are abolishing Living Sacrifice. When you completely deny the rules of this world, even the 'Sun' will lose its power, and everything on this land will fall into unpredictable darkness."
"There's nothing we can do about it; this world is just so inexplicable," Favia muttered under her breath, then looked up at the sky. "But since it's my fault, I'll just have to bear the consequences myself."
"What an unbelievable guy. The destruction of the world affects everyone. Don't think you can solve everything just by talking big."
Tlaloc's expression remained icy. To this day, she was still very displeased with this foreigner who was using the legend of Quetzalcoatl, but she was better than before; at least she no longer felt the urge to kill him upon seeing him.
She continued,
"At that time, people suffering from natural disasters will see you, who abolished Human Sacrifice, as the destroyer of the world. And then, your dream of the Fifth Sun will likely vanish..."
"That seems to be true. Now that I think about it, Tlaloc, you're the same way, aren't you? You'd be looking for an opportunity to kill me at any time, wouldn't you?"
"Of course, because you are Outsider to this world, and someone who intends to destroy it, I must keep a close watch on you and kill you when the opportunity arises."
"I hope you're prepared, because I can kill you too."
The moment the words were spoken, Favia's body underwent an obvious change.
The Od emanating from the surroundings gradually increased in brightness, perhaps due to his deliberate control, so only Tlaloc was standing nearby, could sense and witness it.
She could already imagine that if she fought him again, her Od would instantly vanish without a trace upon contact with his surroundings, leaving nothing behind, emitting a flash of light like lightning.
This guy's strength is truly beyond imagination...
Tlaloc was momentarily speechless.
Being able to draw upon the abilities of the Rain God and the Huitzilopochtli was something she had never witnessed before, that a person's power could reach such a level.
Favia is now making no attempt to hide his abilities, clearly telling Tlaloc: You are no match for me.
"It's incredibly foolish to let someone who wants to kill you stay by your side."
"I think people who directly say they'll betray you are even more foolish."
"Favia said."
That's because you haven't done anything to the Aztec yet, nor have you plunged the world into darkness.
"Don't you think about it? Will it be too late when that time comes?"
Upon hearing this, Tlaloc clenched his teeth and fell silent.
Favia, as if knowing her sore spot, continued:
"But I understand, since you can't beat me right now, Tlaloc, that's why you said that, right?"
"... If I had the chance, I would definitely kill you for the sake of this world."
"As for the continuation of the world, I shouldn't say too much about that," Favia smiled kindly for some reason. "But even if the Sun dims, it's still the Sun. As a great Sun, it's enough to illuminate even the tiniest speck of dust. It will always be there, no matter what."
While people can control their facial expressions or words, they cannot control the emotions revealed in their eyes.
Tlaloc read sincerity in Favia's eyes.
Who exactly is this person? Can he really do it? As a human? Just a mere human? Or is he from the present day, after the decline of the Age of Gods?
This puzzled the Black-Haired Girl once again. It was too vague; despite being so close, it seemed like an existence she couldn't comprehend at all.
The two stopped talking and waited quietly. As for Bavan Shi, who was struggling with the languages of Central and South America, she was still studying in the Great Temple.
Then, it was nearly Twilight.
At that moment, the Great Gate of Ras** opened, and four people walked out, followed by the eager, expectant gazes of tens of thousands of people.
The council of Ras** is controlled by the four most powerful city-states, and these four are its leaders.
The four men walked with steady, powerful steps, their faces filled with piety and reverence. They approached Favia, knelt down, and cried out in unison, "Ras**, from this day forward, we will follow your guidance and abolish the Ritual."
As a result, the only remaining Aztec states that practiced Human Sacrifice were the Purépecha Empire in the west and Teotitlan in the South.
Favia did not stop there. After dealing with Ras**, he led 10,000 men from Ras** to the Purépecha Empire, Aztec also provided 10,000 men to follow him.
The Purépecha Empire was the second largest country in Central America after the Aztec, and it was skilled in using metal to make tools, ornaments, and even weapons.
However, facing such a powerful nation, Favia did not give them time as it had done with Ras**, but instead launched an attack directly.
The Answer for this is quite simple: the Purépecha Empire's Faith were similar to Rome's 'polytheism,' meaning they did not have a fixed, single god to Faith.
A day later, the morning light, feigning ignorance, descended upon the land of Prepecha.
Beneath the storm of Quetzalcoatl's Wrath, on mountains ravaged by terrible Magecraft, on land reduced to rubble in mere seconds, the bright sunlight seemed utterly out of place.
That very night, the Purépecha Empire surrendered, pledging to 'from now on follow your guidance and abolish the Ritual.'
Furthermore, many small city-states to its north and west, who believed in the legend of the return of the Quetzalcoatl, such as Comala and Jalisco, also voluntarily came to Favia to express their willingness to do so. Although these small city-states were not powerful, they possessed extremely valuable resources, such as saltpeter mines.