There was a broad platform midway up the pyramid. Several stone altars stood upon it, their grayish-white surfaces gleaming coldly beneath the sun.
A bird-beaked monstrosity in yellow robes stood at the foremost altar. He held a scepter topped with a dark red gemstone that looked like a half-closed eye in the sunlight.
This yellow-robed bird-man was different from the others.
He was taller and more powerfully built, and the mutation of his head was more severe—or rather, more "complete." His beak was longer and more curved, sharp as an eagle's, while his eyes were set not in the front, but on either side like a bird's.
A pair of black wings sprouted from his shoulder blades. Though folded, their scale was still apparent: their wingspan was at least ten or twelve feet, with layers upon layers of feathers, like a heavy cloak.
This yellow-robed bird-man was closer to the very concept of a "bird-man" than ordinary bird-beaked monsters—his degree of evolution was clearly higher!
Lu Mingfei shifted his gaze away from the yellow-robed priest and toward the altar.
Three people were tied to the altar. Two men and a woman, all wearing standard Kassel College combat uniforms. Vines bound them to the stone altars, cutting deep red marks into their wrists and ankles. The ropes had ground white powder from the stone. They struggled and twisted, but could not break free.
"Damn, they're ours. Executive Department agents," Finn cursed under his breath.
Mai Sakatoku's face remained expressionless, but her hand had already settled on the hilt of the blade at her waist. Caesar drew his Desert Eagle as well, muzzle lowered—all of them were ready to fight.
The yellow-robed priest raised his scepter high, tipped back his head toward the sky, opened his birdlike beak, and let out a