"Roar!"
Rath's muscles bulged as he exploded forward with terrifying force, whipping up a fierce gust as he charged straight at Ah Puch.
"Roar! Don't think being bigger makes you impressive!" Rath planted his hands on his hips and glared up at the towering god of death. "Just because you're taller than Rath doesn't mean you won't hit the ground harder!"
Ah Puch was furious. Even if he couldn't understand Rath's words, the mocking tone was obvious.
With a savage snarl, Ah Puch shot out his crimson tongue like a living red serpent. It wrapped around Rath's arm in a flash.
Bang!
With a brutal yank, Ah Puch swung Rath backward and hurled him straight into a stone pillar, snapping it clean in half.
...
At the top of the pyramid platform—
The frozen Enoch suddenly glowed red at the chest. Intense heat spread outward, melting the thick ice encasing him.
"Damn it… I got careless. Good thing I brought anti-freeze gear."
He brushed the icy water off himself and glanced at the battle between Rath and Ah Puch, then shifted his gaze to Four Arms.
Four Arms was still locked in combat with the Forever Knights, while Grandpa Max and Gwen assisted from the side.
"Heh. Perfect timing."
Enoch stepped up to the stone platform.
The golden mask reflected the radiance of the Sword of Ek Chuaj, the two lights blending into a dazzling glow.
"The Sword of Ek Chuaj… will be mine!"
Laughing, Enoch reached out to grab it.
Whoosh!
A sharp blue Water Magic arrow shot in from the side, nearly piercing his palm.
Cold sweat beaded on Enoch's back. His eyes turned vicious as he spun around.
"So it's you two!"
Gwen raised her palm, blue magic gathering as she aimed toward the platform.
"Enoch! Don't even think about taking the sword! It belongs to no one!" Grandpa Max shouted as he charged up with her.
...
Boom!
A thunderous crash echoed through the hall.
Rath hoisted the broken stone pillar and roared. Spinning in place with explosive strength, he smashed it down at Ah Puch.
True to his name as the Mayan god of death, Ah Puch's brute strength was overwhelming. With just a few heavy blows, he shattered the pillar into flying rubble.
"Man, guess Rath's gotta use the big moves!"
Rath feinted forward, closing the distance in an instant. His massive tiger fist shot toward Ah Puch's chest.
Ah Puch raised a hand to block—
A crafty glint flashed in Rath's eyes.
"You fell for it!"
He twisted his body, using his core strength to slip behind Ah Puch in a blur.
"Mouse Steals Cheese!"
With a roar, Rath unleashed a ferocious punch into Ah Puch's back.
Bang!
Caught off guard, Ah Puch was blasted forward at high speed, slamming into the stone wall.
The next second, the fallen god of death erupted with terrifying energy, shaking debris off his body as he rose, eyes blazing.
Smack!
Rath dropped from above and slapped him so hard it left Ah Puch dazed for a split second.
Without giving him time to recover, Rath launched into a full combo.
"Lion Salutes the Sun!"
"Gazelle Leap!"
"Mouse Runs the Maze!"
"Oyster Shell!"
"Twin Dragons Play with Pearl!"
"Elephant Kick!"
"Crow Sits on Airplane!"
"Headbutt Cracks Walnut!"
"Shark Bites Bait!"
Rath's furious shouts echoed through the Divine Sword Hall like rolling thunder.
Before long, Ah Puch collapsed to the ground, eyes unfocused as they slowly closed.
"Heh. Now you know how tough Rath is, huh?" Rath panted, wiping sweat from his brow. "Try messing with Rath again and see what happens!"
Suddenly—
Ah Puch's eyes snapped open once more.
Those crimson eyes flared with killing intent so dense it seemed to slice through the air itself.
Even Rath felt a jolt of alarm.
This guy could really take a beating. He was no weaker than Vilgax!
"Roar!"
Ah Puch unleashed a deafening death howl. The shockwaves rolled outward, whipping up violent gusts.
Unlike the Feathered Serpent God or the Divine Monkey Ancestor, who had only been remnant souls, this was Ah Puch's true physical body.
Seeing Ah Puch charge again, Rath snorted and slapped the Omnitrix on his chest.
Thud!
In a flash of green light, Rath's massive frame shifted rapidly.
His bulging muscles softened, breaking apart into loose yellow sand. In seconds, he became a writhing mass of living grains.
Several green eyes of different sizes opened across his upper body.
At his core sat a green box bearing the Omnitrix symbol. That was his anti-gravity device, allowing him to resist gravity and reshape himself freely.
If an enemy ever seized that box and shut it down, he would collapse into an immobile pile of sand.
"Sandbox!"
The voice came from within the swirling sand, sharp and brimming with edge.
Ah Puch hesitated briefly, then roared and charged again.
The sand composing Sandbox came alive, shifting and reshaping in a blur.
Within moments, he transformed into a massive sand dragon.
Nearly twenty meters long, entirely formed of yellow sand, with twin horns and flowing whiskers. Its large eyes locked onto Ah Puch below.
Ah Puch grabbed a massive rock, spun it around, and hurled it upward.
Crash!
The rock smashed straight through the sand dragon's body, splitting it apart.
But the scattered grains instantly gathered again, reforming the dragon in a heartbeat.
"Roar!"
The sand dragon exhaled a thick cloud of dust that engulfed Ah Puch.
Countless grains surged from every direction like a raging tide, swallowing him whole.
Ah Puch roared, trying to break free, but the sand stung his eyes and clogged his vision. He couldn't even open them properly.
The sand dragon raised its enormous tail high—
Then brought it down hard.
Bang!
A violent shockwave exploded outward as sand and dust billowed through the hall, roaring like a hurricane.
When the dust settled, Ah Puch lay on the ground, eyes shut and motionless.
If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, Sandbox would have assumed he was dead.
[Successfully defeated Maya Death God Ah Puch]
[Obtained Random Scrapped Hero Chest]
Cold system prompts echoed in Sandbox's mind.
"Grandpa!"
Gwen's shout rang out from nearby.
The sand dragon turned sharply.
Enoch was holding Grandpa Max in one hand, lifting him off the ground. Grandpa struggled desperately.
Gwen lay on the steps, clutching her injured leg, staring upward in panic.
"Goodbye, Max!"
Enoch shoved him forward.
Grandpa Max lost his balance and tumbled down the towering steps like a weightless sheet of paper. If he hit the ground directly, the fall could be fatal.
"Grandpa!" Four Arms roared, launching himself upward like a cannonball, reaching out to grab him.
But Sandbox was faster.
A whirlwind of sand swept through the air. The sand dragon opened its jaws and caught Grandpa Max mid-fall, then descended gently and set him down on the ground.
"Whew… that was close…" Grandpa Max exhaled, still shaken.
"Cuz." Four Arms landed beside the dragon, carrying Gwen in his arms.
Seeing Grandpa saved had eased his mind. When he noticed Gwen was hurt, he had immediately scooped her up as well.
"No!" Grandpa Max's face changed as he looked up. "Enoch must not get the sword!"
At that moment, Enoch stood alone on the stone platform, looking down at them.
"Hahaha! Foolish Tennyson family! The Sword of Ek Chuaj is mine! You're about to witness history!"
Laughing wildly, Enoch gripped the hilt and began slowly pulling the Sword of Ek Chuaj free...