Quetzalcoatl, meaning "feathered serpent" in ancient Nahuatl, is the supreme god symbolizing the sun in Latin America. Known as "Kukulkan" in Mayan mythology, Quetzalcoatl is revered as the pinnacle of goodness. Myths are unreliable to begin with, and Ophis was too indifferent to bother investigating why this so-called pinnacle of goodness would want to destroy humanity.
What concerned Ophis more was that in some ancient South American civilizations, Quetzalcoatl was also described as Ouroboros. Whether or not Quetzalcoatl is related to Ouroboros remained unclear.
"That's enough. Head to the southern forest and gather information about Quetzalcoatl," Ophis instructed calmly, addressing the Chaldean trio.
"That's... really an understatement..." Ritsuka muttered, his mouth twitching. The last time they faced Quetzalcoatl, they could barely defend themselves. Even though the goddess wasn't going all out, they had to use every ounce of strength just to survive...
"Wait a second. Just to clarify, is gathering intel all we're expected to do?" Merlin asked, stepping forward and looking at Ophis.
Ritsuka frowned in confusion. "What else could we possibly do besides that?"
Roman's voice crackled over the communicator. "Indeed... Quetzalcoatl is far too powerful."
Ophis considered for a moment before nodding. "Of course, if you can find a way to neutralize Quetzalcoatl as a threat, that would be ideal."
Ritsuka's eyes widened. "The difficulty just skyrocketed by a hundred times!"
Ignoring his outburst, Roman seemed lost in thought. "Merlin, is there any way to gauge the goddess's situation? Perhaps using Clairvoyance?"
Merlin sighed dramatically. "Romani Archaman, pretending to be clueless isn't cute. But fine, I'll answer your question. My magic is mostly tied up elsewhere, and if you think peeking at a goddess with Clairvoyance is wise, just remember—goddesses don't take kindly to being spied on. Right, Ishtar?"
Merlin turned his gaze to the temple entrance, where a confident voice responded.
"Of course, you deal with spies by killing them! Even if it's a hassle, you have to use every bit of power to obliterate them!" Ishtar, with her black twin tails and bright smile, strode into the temple.
Ritsuka and the others stared, stunned, before turning to face the goddess.
"Wait, why is Goddess Ishtar...?" Mashu asked cautiously. After their last encounter, they still weren't entirely sure if Ishtar was a friend or foe.
"What a ridiculous question! I am Inanna, the protector of Uruk. I'm here to defend Uruk in its time of need!" Ishtar puffed out her chest, smiling proudly.
Ophis, however, casually interrupted, "It would have been more convincing if Ishtar hadn't been busy counting the treasure I sent her instead of reacting to Quetzalcoatl's attack."
Ishtar's smile froze on her face.
Mashu sighed softly. "I can only imagine how that feels..."
Ritsuka nodded with a wry smile. There was something about Ishtar that just made it hard to take her seriously...
"Okay, so what? Is there anything wrong with getting proper compensation? Working for free is a problem, right? Besides, didn't you fail to react in time yourself, Ophis?" Ishtar pointed an accusatory finger at Ophis.
Ophis glanced up with a faint smile. "I was preparing to deal with the three goddesses and temporarily lifted the surveillance on Uruk because I trusted Ishtar."
Ishtar deflated instantly, muttering in frustration before finally conceding. "Alright, alright, I messed up. I didn't react to the snake's attack in time."
She then looked at Ophis with renewed determination. "So, count me in for the team heading to the southern jungle."
Ophis raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback by Ishtar's sudden change of heart. When did this unpredictable goddess become so straightforward?
Still, with Ishtar being the only fighter in Uruk capable of dealing with a goddess, Ophis had no objections. She nodded.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Merlin chimed in again. "Even so, finding a way to handle Quetzalcoatl will be challenging. Her divinity is absurdly strong."
"It seems Merlin has exhausted all possibilities. There's nothing more he can do," Roman sighed over the communicator.
Merlin chuckled. "Glad you caught on quickly. So, Romani Archaman, what's your suggestion?"
Merlin's gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, focusing directly on Roman.
Roman hesitated before responding. "Given the current circumstances, there's no way we can defeat Quetzalcoatl in a direct fight, but we can't ignore her either. If we follow Ophis's guidance and simply gather information, she'll still attack Uruk tomorrow. So, there's only one option..."
"Quetzalcoatl isn't a god of Uruk. Her overwhelming divinity must stem from a temple built to worship her. If we can locate that temple and destroy the key items symbolizing her power..."
"...Then her divinity will be significantly weakened," Anna, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Exactly. If we do that, with Ishtar's help, we might stand a chance against her," Roman concluded.
Ophis's eyes gleamed with interest. She had already deduced this plan but hadn't expected Roman to figure it out on his own. It seems she wouldn't need to relay the information herself after all.