"Look, it seems to have started!"
At the peak of the Blood Sacrifice in the Imperial City, Lake Texcoco marked the boundary.
On the east bank, Tesco City, and on the west bank, Tlacopan City, were all conducting similar Blood Sacrifice rituals.
Meanwhile, the Hightins expeditionary force, led by the Taya People, had breached the perilous rainforest, arriving three days early at Tlacopan City on the west bank.
Major General Newman, the Swarm, Captain of the Guard Geronimo, and the remaining six Pirate Generals all stood on high ground outside the city, looking towards the blood-soaked Tlacopan City.
The winding Blood River and shattered Divine Statues were no different from what Byron had seen with his own eyes.
The only difference was the absence of the "Golden Code" and the shadow of the Lord of Flaying here.
Upon witnessing such unexpected and horrifying sights, even the three Third Order Transcendents who knew about the unusual Blood Sacrifices couldn't help but change their expressions.
"The greater the risk a gambler takes, the greater the returns he expects. Did all the Aztec Gods, except for the Guardian deity, the 'Lord of Flaying,' just get killed in the 'God Killing Banquet'? After committing such an act, what on earth were those Aztecs planning to do?!"
They didn't have the convenience of Byron, the "Time Management Master."
To this point, the spies they had dispatched had not returned with any valuable intelligence.
However, whether it was the Harkins People or the Taya representative Geronimo, they knew deep down this boded ill.
Once the Blood Sacrifice ended and allowed the Aztecs to achieve their goal, the fate awaiting both the outsiders and the indigenous members of the Anti-Aztec Alliance looked grim.
Especially when, throughout the entire Aztec Empire, where All Things Have Spirit, the very grass and trees, the creeks and mountains, the lakes and seas, all echoed with the same declaration:
"Divine right to rule! The Emperor is the Divine Son, and I will make you rulers and Kings of every place in the world!"
In their ears, this sentence, seemingly spoken by a "God," sounded more like a declaration of war to the entire world.
"Attack, attack now! The People of Castilia, who are at the forefront, must be even more anxious than we are. Neither the Aztec Royal City nor their maritime Overlordship could afford to pay attention to Tlacopan here anymore. If we can interrupt the Blood Sacrifice here, we can certainly weaken their Power!"
Major General Newman couldn't wait any longer and quickly issued the order to attack.
And he was not the only one. Knowing to pick the softest targets, many smart people who had eyed Tlacopan as a fat prize during this time did the same.
"Attack! Attack!"
"Kill them all—!"
Shouts echoed through the lush jungle, one after another, and then many outsiders surged out from all around the native city. Kingdoms, Pirates, Privateers, colonial companies, opportunists fishing in troubled waters, and other indigenous city-state alliances belonging to the Anti-Aztec Alliance—the list was exhaustive.
Byron scanned the area and noticed the flags of the Rhein Alliance and the very familiar Remit People's Golden Palm Trading Company flanking them on both sides.
Unfortunately, the outsiders couldn't possibly carry tons-heavy cannons through the rough jungle terrain. Aside from a few Transcendents capable of flight, breaching the tall stone city walls in a short time was no easy task. Even after breaking into the city, they would face a brutal street fight, advancing street by street towards the Pyramid.
But Byron had made other preparations, waving at Little Hans the Artisan behind him.
"Bring it up."
He immediately directed the Marines from the Pirate crew to bring forward the numerous catapults they had hastily constructed from locally sourced materials. Once again, a product of the Orphan's Alliance. Then, box after box of cluster Bombs made from bundled Molotov Cocktails were also laid at their feet.
Notably, most of the elite Pirates from the former Hook privateering force had now fully pledged allegiance to Byron. Driven by the desire for merit, the Captaincy, and the profit-sharing of the 721 model, they worked with exceptional diligence to set up the catapults.
Moments later.
"Fire!"
Under the command of Artillery Expert Wayne Dote, a series of "exploding fireballs" flew over the battlefield and violently crashed onto the ramparts of Tlacopan. This effortlessly created a sea of fire, instantly wiping out the nearby Aztec guards.
The idea of catapults wasn't novel, but Byron's improved Molotov Cocktails brought Major General Newman immense joy. "Bill, Byron, well done. Regardless of the outcome, you'll be credited with the first achievement! Everyone else... charge!"
...
The ceremony in the Imperial City continued. As that sacred and majestic voice echoed repeatedly, brilliant columns of light shot into the Sky from the stairways of the various Temples throughout the city.
The layout of the Imperial City was orderly, with the "Avenue of Death" running centrally, extending three kilometers to the south before another major street branched off to the east and west. The intersecting crossroads divided the city into four parts, with the Flaying Temple located right at the city's center. At the northern end of the "Avenue of Death" stood the Pyramid of the Moon, and Temples, including the Pyramid of the Sun, the Temple of the Rain God, and the Temple of the War God, lined both sides of the avenue…
When the columns of light from the various Temples of the ancient city soared into the Sky, Byron noticed an astonishing fact.
"It looks like... the trajectories of the planets in the Sky!"
Upon closer observation, the distances between the Temples along the "Avenue of Death" seemed to precisely correspond to the orbital paths of the celestial planets. The distances from the Sun were precisely mapped: the third planet at 96 units, the second at 72, the first at 36, and the fourth at 144. That artificial Blood River lay 288 units from the Pyramid's central axis, perfectly corresponding to the distance of the asteroid belt between the fourth and fifth planets. Further on, the next Temple stood 520 units from the central axis, equivalent to the fifth planet's distance from the Sun. Another 945 units onward marked yet another Temple, representing the sixth planet's distance from the Sun. Proceeding another 1,845 "units" led to the center of the Pyramid of the Moon, precisely matching the seventh planet's orbital data. Extending the "Avenue of Death" in a straight line revealed the final two Temples, already situated outside the city. The distances were 2,880 and 3,780 "units," exactly the orbital distances of the eighth and ninth planets!
When all the Temple columns lit up, the stars in the Sky also shone bright during the day, enveloping the entire Imperial City. Moreover, from the perspective of the Imperial City, the nine main stars seemed to line up perfectly, forming a celestial spectacle of Nine Stars in a row.
"It's astounding! An ancient city from a millennium ago was actually built according to this layout. Today, the shaman has precisely calculated the planetary alignment that occurs once every 30 years. The Tenor People may not have even entered the Bronze Age, but their astronomy was ahead of the whole world, indeed worthy of merit."
Byron marveled at this.
The effect of this astronomical knowledge was also becoming apparent within the realm of Mysticism. The Aztec People merged their worldview with that of the Old Continent, forging a Trinity for their Emperor and a new form of royal Authority. He would possess three key aspects: the identity of a God's descendant; dominion over all people—Nobility, priests, commoners, and slaves; and the right to communicate with the deceased. These symbolized: rule over the Sky, the Mortal World, and the Underworld!
The previous Emperor, Huey Tzilopochtli, had already merged with the "Lord of Flaying." The reigning Emperor, Montezuma II, had gained recognition from the heavens and thus naturally became the sole Divine Son, a Demigod. He held unquestionable control over the "Golden Code"—in essence, the royal Authority of the Taiman!
The "Golden Code" blazed with light, connecting the "Lord of Flaying," High Priestess Beatrice, and the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II.
The voice of the new Emperor resounded throughout the city:
"The army is my Scepter! I will bestow upon the Nobility and priests the authority to manage the city, the army, and the Wilderness!"
"I am the spokesperson of the Gods, governing on their behalf the Mortal World and the Underworld, with the authority to communicate with, appease the deceased, and grant them rebirth!"
The will of the Gods legitimized royal Authority. Military strength served as the bedrock of this rule. Furthermore, the authority to communicate with ancestors and thus govern the dead ensured the populace remained tame. The three combined to form the foundation of Aztec royal Authority.
However, Montezuma II, wielding the most formidable Power, defined only the rights of Kings, making no mention of corresponding obligations or the rights of commoners. At this stage of civilization's development, such things seemed unnecessary.
Consequently, the "Lord of Flaying," now embodying all the merged Gods, was redefined by this absolute royal Authority. A brand-new God was formed—the Tyrannical God!
The Source Tides roiled tumultuously above the city-state, as voices everywhere cried out His name:
"Tyrannical God!"
Byron witnessed firsthand this pivotal moment in History, one that was about to reshape the entire Bantaan Archipelago.
[Hidden: The Enigma of the Aztec Empire's Blood Sacrifice, Historical Influence 27], the Decryption Rate had risen from the previous 72% after brainstorming with Violet to 95%.
It seemed only the last piece remained incomplete.
Just as Montezuma II was about to speak again.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion shook the Imperial City on the heart of the lake.
Guards bellowed, "Bad news, the city has fallen!"