FATE: The Man with Divine Keys

"Quetzalcoatl!"

As soon as Quetzalcoatl shouted that name, a shadow suddenly covered the earth.

A massive pterosaur, several times larger than a regular one, descended from the clouds, its body covered in bright and colorful feathers, emitting a hiss that sounded like a serpent.

It was Quetzalcoatl's Noble Phantasm named 'Quetzalcoatl: Winged Serpent', a Cretaceous-era pterosaur named after herself, known as Quetzalcoatlus—a phantasmal species ranked from phantasmal to divine.

However, the function of this Noble Phantasm was not merely to summon support for Quetzalcoatl, but to finally allow her to demonstrate her divine powers.

Gradually, thick black clouds gathered above the city of Uruk, strong winds howled, and dense raindrops poured down like beans from the sky.

Quetzalcoatl was the god in the Mayan people's hearts who brought the rainy season and was associated with sowing, harvesting, and bountiful grain. Naturally, this Noble Phantasm granted her control over wind, rain, and lightning.

In the next moment, several thunderbolts as thick as an arm fell from the clouds, violently striking the Star of Eden.

*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*

A gravity barrier instantly unfolded, helping the Star of Eden withstand the lightning strikes. However, it also significantly reduced the gravity applied to Quetzalcoatl.

Freed from the heavy burden, Quetzalcoatl didn't hesitate for a moment and effortlessly pulled out the golden spears embedded in her body, took a step, and in an instant, ascended tens of meters into the air, landing steadily on the back of Quetzalcoatlus.

Seeing this, Arkhan frowned slightly.

He realized that her position had already exceeded the range that the Star of Eden could influence.

"Wow, I really can't let my guard down for even a second. Almost got taken down by you, Little Brother!" Quetzalcoatl exclaimed, her bright smile undiminished despite the blood still flowing from the wounds on her body. "This is the first time a human has pushed me to this extent."

"Since humans aren't born as strong as gods. we have to create infinite possibilities in order to survive." Arkhan responded calmly as he looked up with his tranquil pitch-black dragon eyes. "That's the strength of humanity."

"True. From you, I see humanity's resolve and courage—the kind of inner strength that even we gods admire." Quetzalcoatl nodded with a smile. "Alright, I have felt your conviction. Congratulations, human. You've passed the god trial."

"Passed? Is it really over?" Arkhan was slightly stunned.

"Otherwise? If we kept fighting, the entire Uruk might get destroyed, you know? Do you want that to happen?"

Quetzalcoatl jumped down from Quetzalcoatlus's back.

"As you said, I never intended to destroy humanity. What I wanted to witness was human resolve and courage."

"As expected of our king, recruiting another god so quickly!" Merlin sidled up, expressing his admiration without hesitation.

"I don't agree!" Jaguarman appeared from some corner, looking on the verge of tears. "I didn't even get to do anything! I was really looking forward to showing off my skills, you know!"

"How about I give you this so-called god trial too?" Arkhan suggested, tilting his head.

After hearing his suggestion and then thinking about the earlier fighting scene, Jaguarman shuddered.

"I... I guess we could, but you have to promise not to use any of your weird Noble Phantasms. Let's just have a one-on-one brawl, okay?"

"Heh, is this your trial or mine?" Arkhan couldn't help but laugh.

He couldn't help but feel that this jaguar fellow was really funny.

"How can it be a god trial otherwise?" Jaguarman said righteously.

"Jaguar..."

Quetzalcoatl placed her hand on Jaguarman's shoulder, a malicious grin spreading across her face again.

"You wouldn't want to end up as my cushion or shawl, would you?"

Upon hearing Quetzalcoatl's threat, Jaguarman's body shivered, immediately straightening up with a solemn expression.

"Hello everyone, you can call me Jaguarman or Jaguar Warrior! Please take care of me from now on!"

In the end, everything ended with a good outcome.

Although they experienced a few minor setbacks, when Quetzalcoatl and Jaguarman agreed to join Uruk, there was a hint of joy on everyone's faces.

Everyone understood how powerful Quetzalcoatl was. Even though it seemed like she was at a disadvantage in her battle against Arkhan, nobody really believed that was her full strength.

She was a genuine god.

In the absence of Tiamat, both in status and power, she was the mightiest god right now. Even with Ishtar wielding Gugalanna, it wasn't certain that she could defeat Quetzalcoatl.

After all, Quetzalcoatl stood at the apex of 'Goodness', it was impossible for anyone with 'Good' alignment to truly harm her unless they were beings of equal status.

If it weren't for Arkhan forcibly converting his alignment to 'Evil' by using the Black Dragon Body, he would have been defeated by her long ago.

No matter how powerful he was, facing an opponent who could completely ignore his attacks left him with no chance of winning.

Unfortunately, this authority of Quetzalcoatl couldn't be of any use against Tiamat.

Nevertheless, just Quetzalcoatl alone was already immensely powerful. For Uruk who was desperate for strength, this was a good thing.

"Guhahaha!"

Gilgamesh laughed once again from his throne, his laughter filled with a sinister tone.

"Truly, I am the chosen one! With the death of the Goddess of Demonic Beasts and Quetzalcoatl joining my side, the Three Goddesses Alliance is practically nonexistent. My clairvoyance has already glimpsed the dawn of victory!"

Gilgamesh then looked at Arkhan, his eyes filled with admiration.

"Although I've said this many times before, I must commend you once again. If you weren't from another world, I would have surely chosen you as the next king of Uruk!"

"Well, let's just forget about that. I've got a ton of stuff to deal with back home, not interested in taking on any more responsibilities." Arkhan waved his hand dismissively.

Gilgamesh chuckled, not overly concerned.

He said it in jest, knowing that after this battle, the existence of Uruk itself was uncertain. After all, the victory he spoke of wasn't just for Uruk, but for humanity.

Only by defeating the gods could humanity prove themselves worthy of being the masters of this world.

For this, he had long prepared to sacrifice himself and even his entire kingdom.

Naturally, his subjects were equally prepared for this realization.

Since history and fate had chosen them, they would willingly take on this responsibility to pave the way for humanity. Luckily, even in such challenging times, there were still people steadfastly standing by their side.

This feeling even made Gilgamesh reminisce about the days he spent with Enkidu.

===

In a secluded room, Kingu lay on a stone bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Normally, they should feel anger and hatred toward Quetzalcoatl for betraying the alliance, but for some reason, their emotions were now a tangled mess.

Pressing against their chest, as the ultimate weapon created by the gods, this body lacked a heart, and the magical energy reactor that served as its power source had long been destroyed.

It was that man who called himself the 'King of Magecraft' who infused vitality into this body with an item called the 'Holy Grail' and allowed them to be reborn.

"Why, even though you're already dead..."

Kingu muttered in a daze, their hand reaching toward the ceiling.