Chapter 150: Chapter 144 Thousand-Faced Serpent: Hydra (Time for the Big Shots to Make Their Move)
Just a dozen kilometers away from the Imperial City, in West Tlacopan City on the shores of Lake Texcoco, where Byron’s original body was located.
With the [Molotov Cocktail], highly praised by Major Newman and the Swarm, leading the way, the battle within the city progressed at a tremendous speed.
The ubiquitous stone buildings were highly flame retardant, ensuring not too much property was damaged. Moreover, even if the gold melted from the fire, it wouldn’t lose any of its value.
Colonizers from various countries, driven mad by poverty, along with the many natives who held deep grudges against the Aztec people, howled as they stormed into the city.
Avenge the grievances, settle the scores.
"The sinful Aztec have no right to exist in this world!"
Red-eyed with rage, Wayne Dote, beside Byron, gritted his teeth. "Her Royal Highness the Princess," he cried, "I will avenge you! Today we’ll exterminate Tlacopan first, and then Tenochtitlan; all you demons must die!"
The Remit People to the right wing of Hightins were equally fervent in their cries, "We thank the Creator for granting us a new land flowing with milk and honey, along with endless gold and slaves!"
"The Lord commands all non-Remit People to serve us. Every Remit will receive 2,800 non-Remit slaves, and this is just the beginning!"
"Riches! Riches!"
Although they weren’t pioneers of the great voyages, they had the whole process down pat.
God’s blessings won’t fall from the sky. But if I just plunder anything from the pagans, and pray for the Creator’s forgiveness for my sins and to bear my transgressions, I can be completely absolved. At worst, I’ll donate a church to the Church, and if that’s not enough, then I’ll donate another one. For the Gold Sequence, it’s all business.
"Hold them off! Hold them off!"
Tlacopan, as the weakest member of the Triple Alliance and lacking the strategic defensive advantages of the Imperial City, had no hope of withstanding the onslaught of the numerous allied armies. Defeat was decided in a short time.
Even the Pyramid used for ceremonies began to burn fiercely amidst a heap of Molotov Cocktails. The burning stench of blood and flesh was enough to make people sick.
The Aztecs, who had incurred widespread wrath, were done for; with their walls fallen, everyone turned against them.
The people of Hightins always remembered the mandate of the Bloodthirsty Cult. They needed to plunder enough sacrifices to offer to [Mother of Creation, Lilith], who held the [Crimson Holy Grail] for the final rite.
Transporting slaves through the rainforest was too troublesome. Luckily, the city was now full of corpses of elite soldiers and numerous Transcendents who had died in battle. After the gates were opened, they didn’t press forward. Instead, under the guidance of the Swarm, they each led a group of men to do the "Scavenger" work, using the [Holy Grail of Blood] to ferment the corpses of those who died less than an hour ago into Blood of Transformation, which was just as effective as living sacrifices (Chapter 132). Besides, there was no need to fight for their lives, so the six Pirate Generals were naturally happy with this arrangement and soon led their troops to disperse throughout the city.
Only Byron had Bruh remain with his team. Taking [Blood-Red Whiskey] Alfred, currently the top expert of the Pioneer Navigation Colonization Company, as a guard, he headed to the front lines to score kills. His trump card, the [Wild Hunt Knight], still needed to accumulate ten Second Order Spiritual Bodies to allow him to briefly burst into Third Order power and obtain a ticket to interfere in the final situation.
"Four! Five! Six!..."
Fully activating [Son of the Storm], he swept through the streets like a gust of wind. Apart from sniping Aztec warriors who had been beaten to a pulp and were on their last breath, he didn’t forget to look for the Skin Wearers who had taken Tayman Brak Island with [Falcon] and then spread within the allied forces as undercover agents. With the Sailing Logbook at hand, no matter what these fellows turned into, they could not escape Byron’s fatal sword strike from the heavens.
Soon, the transformed "ammunition" was fully charged and ready to be unleashed.
「At the top of the Great Golden Tower.」
CLANG!
The sound of metal clashing echoed.
[Tiger Warrior] Montezuma II’s demonized claws clashed with [Conqueror] Cortes’s Swift Sword, sending sparks flying.
Hmph, everything about the [First Overseas Development Order] is good, except that a declaration of war is somewhat superfluous, Cortes thought, though his expression remained unchanged. He had made his lover, Beatrice, the pillow companion of Emperor Aztec for several years, so he knew the ins and outs of this man like the back of his hand. Strength, speed, transcendent ability... even the limit of his stamina, Cortes knew it all too well, perhaps even better than Montezuma knew himself. Besides, who made the rule that after declaring war, it had to be a one-on-one duel?
He shook the Swift Sword in his hand, and the fierce blade suddenly thrust towards Montezuma II’s "Queen."
"Hand over the Law Code to me!"
Anyone who could bring a Swift Sword to the battlefield was no weakling. This Conqueror’s [Supreme Art] was much stronger than Catherine’s, even though she also excelled in this discipline. He was yet another swordsman who, like [Blood-Red Whiskey] Alfred, had reached the Flow State.
"Damn it, you shall not succeed!"
Seeing his beloved’s color drain from her face, the native emperor’s eyes immediately blazed with rage. There was no need for Byron, acting as a guard, to step forward and feign assistance; Montezuma immediately shielded Beatrice with his body, disregarding his own safety.
Fighting an opponent who completely understood him, and was even a notch stronger, was already enormously pressuring. Now, having to protect another person, he was instantly at his wits’ end, surrounded by danger. Soon, his body was adorned with several long gashes.
The native emperor was filled with regret. If only I hadn’t sent everyone away just now, if only I had noticed the ambition of these People of Castilia earlier...
Unfortunately, there’s no medicine for regret in the world. Even if someone had told him before today, he wouldn’t have believed it. The Aztecs’ attitude toward outsiders was just as dismissive as that of the Chichen Itza people. These populous and powerful natives never considered the outsiders as rivals. Though they possessed sharp weapons, their [Ladder of Glory] was far from as powerful as Black Sorcery at Low Sequence, and their numbers were too scant. All the Colonizers from foreign nations combined didn’t even compare to three city-states of the Aztecs. The boldest of them only thought the outsiders wanted to be merchants, trading their steel tools or other goods for gold and spices.
In theory, the strength of the outsiders didn’t support their ambition. It wasn’t until today that he finally realized what it meant for a fortress to be breached from within. These outsiders had somehow threaded together discontent native factions against the Empire, leveraging their forces to create this perilous situation.
Montezuma II had no more time for regret. Retreating step by step, he was nearly beside Beatrice, who was striving to maintain the ritual.
He said anxiously, "Queen, run! Forget the ritual! I know you’ve put so much effort into designing the ritual, collecting offerings, and presiding over the ceremony for me and our future. But as long as we are still alive, there will be another chance to perform the ritual. You are always my most beloved Queen!"
Unexpectedly, the voice that came from behind startled him.
"Your Majesty, that won’t do. The Master still needs this thing."
He hadn’t even had time to understand the meaning of "Master" when he felt a sharp pain in his lower back, and then all his strength poured out of the cold hole. He slumped to the feet of his beloved "Queen."
His disbelieving eyes widened as he saw Beatrice holding the [Golden Code] in one hand, while in the other, a demonized dagger dripped blood from its crimson blade.
In the blink of an eye, the situation had suddenly reversed.
This [Versatile Enchantress] didn’t glance back at the infatuated emperor; instead, she snorted through her nose at the [Tyrant God] beside her. "A mere ear of corn daring to usurp a divine name? Strike now!"
At her shrill command, on the four corners of the Pyramid, four shamans, who had been continuing their skinning sacrifices, suddenly raised their obsidian flaying knives and plunged them into the hearts of their offerings.
They uttered a strange syllable, "STA!"
In an instant, another sacrificial array hidden beneath the Pyramid was activated.
CLATTER...
Four thick chains surged from the surrounding Blood River, snaring the unconscious [Tyrant God] and hoisting it high into the air, locking it atop an illusory altar.
Beatrice herself, wielding a Ritual Knife glowing with bloody light, joined the four Skin Wearers disguised as priests, loudly chanting a name: "[The Serpent of a Thousand Faces: Hydra]!"
The sky abruptly darkened, followed by the hissing sounds of countless snakes.
The symbolism of the Master of Skinning did not originally come from human skin. It was like corn, sacrificing its husk to nourish humanity, or like a snake, capable of shedding its skin and rebirth. However, for The Skinners’ Church, it personified a perfect mystical alignment.
The small fish eat shrimp, while the big fish eat the small fish. Having feasted on the blood sacrifices of an entire Empire and devoured all gods, the [Tyrant God] was the perfect offering to [The Serpent of a Thousand Faces: Hydra]!
Hydra was also venerated by The Skinners’ Church—that pre-Era entity of exceptional scale, existing on the same level as beings like Lilith and Kraken.
"Queen, what on earth are you doing?"
Montezuma II, who had collapsed from the treacherous stab in the back, still couldn’t believe that his genuine feelings had been betrayed.
Beatrice’s face blossomed with a smile as she said nonchalantly, "Nothing much, just... the Master’s task, that’s all."
With a fierce swing of the Ritual Knife, blood glistened anew!