"You didn't hide it in the Mayan pyramid?"
"Given the size you just described, how would that even be possible...?"
"Then could it still be in the Temple of Ea in Eridu?"
"I've already taken control of that place—didn't see anything that massive..."
The more Samael asked, the darker his expression became. Still unwilling to give up, he began pacing around the Mayan pyramid, muttering to himself.
"That shouldn't be right..."
Just then, Quetzalcoatl cast a long glance at the Mayan temple, her tone layered with meaning.
"Anyway, I haven't seen it since I descended, but maybe it was there before."
Samael froze. It was as if a bolt of lightning exploded in his mind, clearing the fog in an instant.
By his feet, beneath the vines he'd kicked aside without thinking, a few faint scrape marks were hidden.
Merlin picked up some of the scattered stones nearby and handed them to Samael, his expression serious.
There were faint traces of cuneiform divine glyphs etched on the pieces. Though broken, their general outlines were still recognizable.
He had seen this kind of script in Uruk—it was a Divine Spirit suppression spell! Ishtar had once been caught off guard by it!
Samael's heart pounded violently. He immediately climbed back to the top of the Mayan temple, surveying it from different angles. His expression grew grim, even showing a hint of pallor.
Judging by these traces, Marduk's Axe had definitely been here!
And judging from the setup, to ensure its safety, several guardian colossi had even been stationed nearby to keep watch over the area.
But later, some unknown force had forcibly extracted and erased it entirely!
Based on the age of the marks, the surrounding plant growth, and Quetzalcoatl's remark, Marduk's Axe had been missing for at least half a year.
In other words, around the time the Rift in the Sky first appeared and the Three Goddesses Alliance had begun to take form, the very weapon meant to confront the Goddess of Demonic Beasts had already vanished!
"This doesn't make sense..."
Ishtar stepped forward, frowning slightly in confusion.
As the symbol of Eridu, Marduk's Axe had been left on earth by the King of Kings for the people to revere—this was common knowledge.
So how could it suddenly disappear? Who tampered with it?
"It really doesn't make sense. And big sister here doesn't exactly make a habit of losing divine artifacts."
Kukulkan chuckled lightly, a teasing smile on her face.
Suddenly, Samael's breath caught—he seemed to recall something. He grabbed the blonde woman's shoulder at once.
"In the center of Eridu—does the oldest cylinder seal that records destiny still exist?"
Quetzalcoatl nodded with a smile. At Samael's request, she led the group aboard the pterosaur and took them to see for themselves.
As soon as they arrived, the ancient serpent leapt down from the pterosaur and rushed toward the location of the cylinder seal to examine it.
The so-called cylinder seal was a symbolic landmark—an upright pillar covered in cuneiform runes.
The one in Eridu was the oldest of its kind, recording the myths and history of Mesopotamia from its very beginning.
From the creation of Tiamat, the saltwater, and Apsu, the freshwater, to the gods overthrowing their father and seizing power;
From the dawn of golden humanity to Enlil's great flood that nearly destroyed the world;
From the fall of the Wedge of Heaven to the coming of the Chains of Heaven;
...
Because of the passage of time and the disorder in the sequence, the inscriptions were hard to decipher. Merlin, showing good sense, waved his staff, rewrote the space, and copied the content onto a clay tablet.
From the myths and historical records, Samael could vaguely discern parallels to the later Mesopotamian epics—Enuma Elish and Gilgamesh.
But as the ancient serpent's gaze fell on the final section, he was struck by what he saw. The most crucial passage had been forcibly erased by some invisible force, leaving behind only a few scattered, meaningless words.
The cylinder seal didn't just record history—it also contained prophecies of the future.
Yet the part that had gone missing was the most vital of all.
"City… dragon…"
Ana leaned in close to the tablet, murmuring as she tried to decipher the fragmented symbols. Merlin's brow furrowed tightly.
"When the sky is veiled by a halo, the land of Mesopotamia shall return to its origin. A great dragon will rise from the black tide, shrouded in darkness, swallowing cities one by one...
This is the destroyer foretold in the Mandate of Heaven! A calamity beyond imagining!
The tolling of the evening bell has already begun—the world is on the cusp of renewal!
All things shall come to an end. Unstoppable. Inevitable..."
A low voice murmured from behind. Everyone turned in surprise, their gazes locking onto Samael, who held the clay tablet.
"Why are you all staring at me?"
Startled by the intense stares, the ancient serpent looked up in confusion.
"What did you just say…"
"Oh, that? I just made it up on the spot!"
Samael blinked innocently. Merlin froze, his breath caught in his throat—for the first time, he genuinely wanted to strangle someone.
The four goddesses nearby, who'd felt their hearts pounding for no clear reason, exhaled deeply in relief. Still, a faint unease lingered in the air.
"Alright, we've seen everything. Can we leave now?"
Prompted by the ancient serpent, the group followed without thinking, leapt onto the pterosaurs, and flew back to the clearing in front of the Mayan pyramid.
"Hey, Quetzalcoatl, do you have somewhere we can talk in private?"
Samael was the first to hop off the pterosaur. Smiling, he gestured politely.
"Of course! My temple."
"Already planning to confess to your cute big sister? You're making me blush."
Quetzalcoatl cupped her cheeks, tinged with red, then—without giving anyone a chance to respond—grabbed Samael's arm and pulled him into her pyramid-shaped temple.
"Hey, hey, hey! He's mine! How dare you snatch him away!"
"Even if you want to steal, shouldn't we at least talk about it first?!"
"Talk it out! You Latin woman—don't you know anything about sincerity?!"
Seeing the "fat sheep" she had so carefully groomed about to be stolen, Ishtar yelled and dashed after them.
Merlin and Ana exchanged a look, then followed into the Mayan pyramid. Naturally, the ever-curious Jaguar Warriors joined in to watch the drama unfold.
But the moment the last person stepped inside, the massive stone that served as the entrance slammed shut. Rings of divine symbols lit up in unison.
Then the side lamps flickered to life. Gone was the earlier coyness—Quetzalcoatl gazed calmly at Samael standing before the stone table and spoke in a gentle tone.
"It's safe here. Say whatever you want."
Bang!
The ancient serpent slammed both hands onto the stone table. His face was ashen, eyes cold. The words forced through his clenched teeth were laced with bitterness.
"We're in serious trouble now."
"Because of Marduk's Axe? Maybe it's just a coincidence."
"Don't worry. Even Kukulkan, the strongest of the Three Goddesses, is on Uruk's side. We can still come up with other ways to deal with the Goddess of Demonic Beasts."
Ishtar was thoughtful. The rapport they'd gradually built made her step forward to comfort the shepherd-priest she'd chosen.
"A coincidence? You think all of this is just coincidence?"
Samael slowly turned to face her, his expression dark. He spoke each word with grim finality.