Chapter 166

Xocoyotzin was an excellent leader. As long as he stopped being misled by the Spaniards identity, the Central and South American World would have some resistance against the impending invasion of the Spanish Empire. Moreover, if it weren't for the arrival of the Spaniards, with his abilities, the Central and South America countries would have been unified under his rule.

Suddenly, Moctezuma II, watching Favia's retreating figure, said:

"Are you planning to abandon us?"

The man stood up, and with an air of pride, he made a gesture as if offering the hilt of a knife to Favia behind his back.

Like the offerings in the Living People Sacrifice of the past.

"Please tell me, are you going to abandon us? Are we, who have always relied on you so much, useless to you?"

Favia shook his head. Although the other person looked older than him, he had never had such a thought.

"So what exactly is it...?"

Seeing Favia shake his head without hesitation, Moctezuma II was once again filled with doubt.

"So, Xocoyotzin, I ask you, what kind of person do you want to become after I leave?"

"I..."

As the former ruler of the Aztec, his wish was to abolish Human Sacrifice and bring glory to the Aztec, and now that these have been accomplished, what remains is to fight the impending war against the people known as the Spaniards.

Therefore, I am Tlatoani, and I want to live like a king, but these words stuck in my throat for a moment.

What exactly is a king?

Fighting to the last breath is the glory of Warrior, but death is also Warrior Fate. In the end, they are left with nothing but a pile of pitiful and meaningless corpses. He never wanted these people to die, and he absolutely did not want to become someone who shirked battle and could only eke out a living under the pity of others.

He will fight all Outsider to the very end, no matter what.

"I will lead everyone to live well, just as you said before--"

The man continued,

"If there's a mountain ahead, I'll climb it; if there's a sea ahead, I'll cross it; whatever lies ahead, I'll go and solve that problem for the Crowd."

This is the meaning of "king" as recognized by Moctezuma II.

"Oh, that's wonderful!"

Favia stopped and sighed as if genuinely relieved.

Fighting to the very end on this battlefield where victory may never be achieved is a source of pride for those who live here.

Yes, even he thought so; even though he was destined to die someday, he still had to persevere.

The people of Central and South America would fight bravely against the colonization of Outsider for themselves and their descendants, and he, as the Fifth Sun, failed to provide timely assistance, which could be considered a dereliction of duty. However, facing the Star Eater, ORT, he could not guarantee that he would succeed. All he could do was to imprison him completely in Crystal Valley, regardless of the consequences.

Therefore, he could only silently watch over everything concerning the people here, just like the eternal and unchanging Sun in the sky.

"Even though it might be painful, I'm willing to accept this meaning. Whether it's life or death, I can accept it..."

"So, this is the kind of thinking that you want to do even if I'm not here, or Xocoyotzin, even if I've Future been here, right,?"

"Um."

Finally, Montezuma Xocoyotzin nodded slightly.

Favia squinted, as if he had been waiting for this answer.

"Then let's make a deal."

The man wearing a half- Jaguar Man Mask had hair that had turned golden, yet even beneath that seemingly ferocious mask, his face remained smiling. He should have been shaken by ORT's appearance, and he should have felt uneasy, but he still smiled at this man from the Future who was about to arrive.

Faced with such Favia, Moctezuma II felt he could not forgive her.

Sin, this is Sin! How could I have said that just now... He harbored such feelings.

So, while inwardly blaming himself, he earnestly adopted a listening posture.

"Montezuma Xocoyotzin, as King of the Aztec, fight in my place under the Sun's gaze, with my strength, with my name, and I will surely return, under the Sun's gaze."

He said this in front of the man.

Although the road ahead is dark and unclear, although we know nothing about what lies ahead, although this is not a blessing, but merely a powerless word.

But death or destruction, which seems so close by and so obvious, should never be abandoned.

"Yes, it is your will."

Clear laughter echoed throughout the room located within the palace, filled with intense joy that lingered for a long time.

As the Sun still hung high in the sky over the Water City of Tenochtitlan, Favia walked out of the Aztec palace step by step.

The wind was warm; it was a beautiful, sunny day.

The sky was as warm as spring, with a serene and profound clarity. At midday, the City was bustling with activity. Tenochtitlan was shrouded in prosperity, which was only natural, as many people lived there.

In Favia's view, the sun shines brightly on the Ancient City, illuminating everything, and the plants growing there sway gently, as if constantly whispering.

In fact, as he walked through Tenochtitlan, the people who lived there or had not yet left had already seen him. Everyone looked at Favia with respect, and he would respond with a smile.

This is only natural; in the Americas, everyone, regardless of who they are, would gaze upon this manifestation of the 'Sun' with reverence.

"... Are you alright?"

Tlaloc, who had been secretly following for a long time before deciding to ask a question, stood under the shade of a tree by the Moon Lake and asked calmly.

This is the area within the city closest to Moon Lake. Perhaps because of this, the girl, who has lost the Authority of the Rain God and the Huitzilopochtli, has become slightly stronger. In terms of combat power, she should now be considered a relatively strong elf, since the Leyline of Moon Lake are the same as those of the Inner Sea of Stars.

Upon hearing this, Favia lowered her head and met Tlaloc's gaze, noticing that her knees were trembling slightly.

"Tenochtitlan, I'm glad you're worried about me."

The first sentence said it all, leaving the Black-Haired Girl speechless, her delicate lips opening and closing as she inhaled the air.

"... You should just call me Tlaloc."

Tenochtitlan is the true name of the Moon Lake Incarnation. The names of the Rain God and the Huitzilopochtli are merely nominal names used when he borrows Authority. It seems natural for Favia to call out his true name now, but for the Black-Haired Girl, the sudden change of address is somewhat uncomfortable.

"It's because there are fewer words, making it easier to pronounce."

No, I just want you to call me by my name.

Tlaloc stared intently at the blond man who had failed to make his intended joke.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, please call me Tlaloc from now on."

"Since you like it, I'll say yes."

Favia sat down on a chair by the Moon Lake, while Tlaloc stood calmly beside him, watching him.

"In order to successfully change the rules of the world, you broke our agreement and intend to die to bear the burden of the concept of 'Cipactli'."

"... Yes."

"While I won't deny your choice, and it's largely my fault that things turned out this way, I still want to say you acted too recklessly. Even if you really hate me, you should have discussed it with me and made some preparations."

"Um."

Upon hearing this, Tlaloc nodded.

Why does it have to be like that? You didn't even tell Tezcatlipoca about this, did you?

"... I am Tenochtitlan."

She answered as if she were thinking about how to say it.

"It is my responsibility to protect the people who live here."

"I see. You did a really good job."

Tlaloc lowered his head slightly, as if he were feeling uncomfortable.

"Thank you for the compliment."

"Hmm, are you alright after losing the Authority the Rain God and the Huitzilopochtli? If there are still problems, I'll heal you, since they're both on my body."

The girl quietly shook her head.

"No problem, both Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli are great Deity, and their departure hasn't caused any issues..."

As he said this, Tlaloc suddenly paused, revealing an expression of resignation.

"... You are also a great Deity."

"Is that so? As you can probably tell, aside from Authority, I am just a human being."

After Favia's explanation, Tlaloc looked puzzled.

"But no matter what, you are recognized by us as... the Fifth Sun, and therefore naturally a great Deity... I have something I want to tell you now."

Then, Tlaloc began by saying this.

What is it?

I made a mistake.

She said.

"Because of my unauthorized breach of trust and misunderstanding of your actions, I treated you with malice and attempted to kill you."

Every word Tlaloc uttered revealed a sense of regret.

She would take the initiative to apologize to a man she used to hate so much; there's no doubt she genuinely wanted to do so.

It's not that because Favia is now the true Fifth Sun, that she, as the Moon Lake Incarnation, feels such a heavy burden of Evil. Rather, it's that her actions are something she herself cannot forgive herself for.

"I am deeply grateful for everything you have done, but at the same time I would like to apologize to you..."

Favia did not answer immediately, but listened quietly.

"I will make amends for this mistake in any way I can, I will endure any pain, even if it means offering up the entire treasury of the Temple, the Aztec dream traces known only to me..."

Upon hearing this, Favia's lips naturally curled into a smile.

"Wait, that's not right. Shouldn't the treasures have always belonged to me?"

"... Indeed, I kept it without permission, I'm truly sorry..."

"By the way, if you really kill me, what will you do with my body?"

"Really? Alright... I'll first peel off my skin and offer it to the Lord of the Flayed..." the girl answered earnestly, raising one finger after another, "Then I'll offer my heart to the First Sun, and keep all the remaining parts in the temple for thousands and thousands of years..."

"That's really scary. But if I told you I'm really angry right now, what would you do?"

Upon hearing this, Tlaloc, as if prepared for the worst, said:

"This is a mistake I made, therefore I am willing to accept any punishment."

"No, that's not right, you don't need to be punished anymore."

The girl looked slightly confused.

"I once said I would kill you, but now I take it back."

"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."

This is a dialogue between the two during their joint conquest of Central and South America countries.

"You don't intend to inflict further suffering on me after I've genuinely confessed my guilt...?"

Upon hearing Tlaloc's words, Favia straightened up slightly, gave a gentle smile, and looked at her with her azure eyes.

Do you think I'm some kind of Demon or evil person?

"No... it's the Fifth Sun..."

Seeing Tlaloc's reaction, Favia couldn't help but take a breath to avoid bursting out laughing.

"Those are all in the past, don't dwell on them. Rather than talking about that, do you remember the promise we made before the Ritual?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Although there were some things you didn't tell me and acted on your own, you've fulfilled your promise to me. The miracles of Tlaloc and Chalchiuhtlicue on the Sun Stone have both occurred, haven't they? That's enough."

After the blond man said that, Tlaloc's expression wasn't one of relief, but rather one of tension, as if he were feeling guilty.

"But that's clearly—"

"You are undoubtedly capable of fulfilling the duties of both Tlaloc and Chalchiuhtlicue, that's what they told me. Therefore, you are equal to these two gods. So you fulfilled your agreement with me, you came, and you displayed the third and Fourth Sun miracles on the Sun Stone. In this sense, it could also be said that you are equal to the three gods."