Aztec Mythology

 

「There should be an entrance… and a guide as well.

Just as Kou had predicted, Unit 5 received a guidance signal. It was the same mechanism as the one placed in the sealed sector on Planet Asia.

「Told you, didn’t I?」

「You talk as if you already know what’s going to happen.」

「Not exactly. Everything’s trial and error. It’s fun.」

The terrain around Unit 5 shifted dramatically, revealing a passageway. It had been concealed by optical camouflage.

「I can’t help but feel like you already expected this.」

「Whoever’s behind this must have business with me specifically.」

「Someone’s behind this?」

「Most likely, they’ve been waiting for someone to arrive—just like Arthur and Morgan. I don’t know their intentions, though.」

The boy’s expression grew somber.

「No way… Because of me, you are being lured into a dangerous place…」

「It’s not your fault.」

Kou thought to himself: Arima certainly played the part well, his acting was impressive. Still, if his predictions were correct, this outcome was inevitable. It didn’t matter if the boy had lured him here or not.

「One of the reasons why I had to come to Planet Libya is likely beyond this point.」

He walked straight down the passageway. Unlike the ruins they had encountered before, these exuded an almost oppressive presence.

「This is definitely a sealed sector. Any further, and it’ll be dangerous.」

It was different from the sector where Asia had sealed herself, the underground Silhouette Base specifically built in secret, or even an ancient facility like Realm. This was a kind of forbidden ground—a place where humans were never meant to step foot.

「It feels familiar.」

「Familiar to what?」

Arima, intrigued, asked from behind.

「It’s most likely a sacred place.」

「I feel a sense of fear just being here.」

「That’s the nature of divinity, I suppose. Even I don’t fully understand it.」

As they talked, Unit 5 continued moving forward.

「The location… is unexpected. It’s close to Realm. Somewhere near the center of Etna.」

「The center of Etna…」

「Haha. Maybe Typhon is waiting there.」

Kou chuckled—a rare sight. He almost seemed as carefree as if he were heading into a test of courage.

「Kou, aren’t you afraid of Typhon?」

「Of course, I am. I know how powerful Astraea, Asia, and Prometheus are. And even those super AIs fear Typhon—the weapon specifically created to slaughter super AIs. It would be ridiculous not to be afraid.」

「Then why—!」

「If that AI-killer really considered me a threat, it would have killed me long before I ever arrived on Planet Libya. Just like how humans don’t consciously think about the bacteria living inside them, Typhon likely doesn’t even register humans as something worth noticing.」

「You’re strange, Kou. Comparing humans to bacteria…」

「Humans are still necessary to Typhon, though. Even if he doesn’t consciously acknowledge us, he still needs us to exist in some way. But…」

「But?」

「Asia once said that it was hard to endure two billion years of solitude. Typhon might want someone to talk to as well. Even if that someone is a puny human—an existence lesser than the bacteria inside his body.」

「Someone to talk to…」

Arima fell silent. Kou, unfazed, continued forward.

「Is that why you didn’t destroy Seth?」

「If Bastet hadn’t been there, I probably would have destroyed Seth. I have something to ask Typhon… well, it’s a long shot, though.」

「You have a request? For Typhon?!」

Arima couldn’t hide his shock. The very idea seemed almost blasphemous.

「What kind of wish could you possibly have? Typhon is not humanity’s ally.」

「I want to ask Typhon about Hermes.」

Kou stated it plainly.

「I want to defeat Hermes and wipe out the Stones. I’m not asking Typhon to help me—he’s sealed away, after all. But at the very least, I want to ask him to not interfere.」

「That… might be possible. What will happen after Hermes and the Stones are wiped out?」

「Who knows? Maybe humans will just end up fighting among themselves, killing each other over dominance.」

Kou glanced at Arima.

「What do you think? Would you rather live in a world where humans decide their own future, no matter how bleak, or be taken over by a bunch of stones that have foregone their humanity?」

「Of course, I’d choose a future shaped by human will… no matter what that future may hold.」

「Exactly. The Stones are nothing more than the lingering dead clinging to the world of the living. And Hermes—the one controlling them—needs to be removed from the Nemesis system as well.」

Kou carefully chose his next words.

「It’s dangerous to interpret things too conveniently, though. Take the Teras, for example. It’s possible they first started absorbing humans—especially demigods—to release the trapped bodies of the Development Engineers that serve as the Hemitheos’ vessels. That might have been their initial goal, their performance improvements might have been a simple perk at first. But somewhere along the way, that goal shifted. They stopped distinguishing between demigods and ordinary humans and just started consuming everyone indiscriminately. That’s one possible explanation」

「……」

「We took down multiple Teras. Two powerful Teras—Vritra, and Seth—were defeated as well. And yet, there’s been no contact from Typhon. Maybe he just doesn’t care, or maybe there is another reason. That’s what I want to know.」

「I see.」

Unit 5 came to a stop. Before them stood a massive door.

「Enough talking. Whatever lies ahead—we’re about to find out. Let’s go, Arima.」

「Right!」

The door began to open, slowly but steadily.

Beyond it was a structure reminiscent of the ruins where Hephaestus’ remains were located—almost temple-like. It was so vast that Kou briefly wondered how many massive space battleships could fit inside.

The space stretched endlessly, making it impossible to even speculate what once occupied it. Now, there was nothing. Only a faintly glowing ceiling and a metallic floor that extended all the way to the horizon.

「If we can’t see the horizon even with the optical sensors of Unit 5 that are located several meters above ground… this place must be over ten kilometers wide.」

「It looks completely empty…」

Arima responded to Kou’s murmuring.

Then, his eyes caught something.

「That is…」

In the distance, a lone shadow stood against the vast emptiness.

A silhouette wreckage, unnaturally placed. Its body was a sleek, obsidian black, gleaming like a statue carved from volcanic glass. There was no head. The right leg was damaged.

As if sensing Unit 5’s presence, it began to rise—like a ghost from the abyss. The wrecked right leg had a serpentine structure, coiling unnaturally. This grotesque form—it was likely a Mythology Weapon.

「……」

「What is it?」

Arima looked at Kou with a puzzled expression. Kou was smiling.

「It’s unnatural, isn’t it? It’s almost as if it knew I was coming. In this enormous space, why is there only a single wreckage?」

「That’s…」

The boy looked uneasy, but Kou spoke before he could dwell on it.

「Don’t worry about it. That thing probably isn’t just wreckage. That is probably a Teras that was born from the wreckage of an Another Level Silhouette. Asia. That form… is there any legend that resembles it?」

「Yes, there is.」

A sweet, girly voice echoed through the MCS.

「Asia?!」

Arima was visibly shocked.

「Surprised? The communications should be cut off, right? But the connection between Unit 5 and Asia is different.」

The reason why Kou had been exchanging written messages with Aimer was to search for the most reliable way to keep contact with Asia without being discovered.
Since Aimer was intimately connected with Asia, she could communicate with her purely through thought.

Unit 5 had effectively become the trigger for Asia’s rescue. Her main program had entered Unit 5 during the rescue and had been relayed to various locations through it. Among all Silhouettes, Unit 5 had the deepest connection with Asia.

Kou had anticipated that their communications might be cut. If his suspicions about their adversary were correct, it was only natural. Any AI with processing power exceeding that of Astraea and Morgan could potentially detect and interfere with their communications, but the super AI Asia was in a different league, there were less than a handful of AIs in the Nemesis system more powerful than her.

Asia’s voice rang out through the MCS.

「That’s right! Kou and I are connected by our strong bond! Nice to meet you, Arima-kun!」

Kou’s face twitched slightly, as if he had something to say. But he remained silent. That silence was, in itself, an affirmation.

「…Uh, y-yes. Nice to meet you too.」

Asia giggled mischievously at Arima’s awkward response.

Kou, unfazed, mused aloud.

「I wonder what legend is this one based on… A serpent and an axe? Is it based on the legend of a demonic being or something similar?」

「That form… It’s definitely based on a troublesome god. A headless figure wielding an axe—an Aztec deity. Yōnātl Tepatztl. Its name means ‘Night Metal’ and ‘Axe’. A headless demon and god. It’s an avatar—a manifestation—of Tezcatlipoca, one of the principal gods of Aztec mythology.」

「Sounds strong.」

「Especially that right leg, it resembles a serpent, right? That’s a defining trait of Tezcatlipoca himself. In other words, this being is carrying on the legacy of that divine incarnation.」

「A Mythology Weapon the size of a Silhouette that bears the name of a god?」

「That means it possesses an immense power.」

Yet, the entity did not move. There was no telling how—or when—it would attack.

Asia continued her explanation.

「Do you remember the crocodile-like Mythology Weapons that you defeated before? In Aztec mythology, before humanity was born, bipedal crocodiles ruled the world. Tezcatlipoca sacrificed his own leg as bait to subdue one of them. And with the help of Quetzalcoatl, the other great deity, he created the world.」

「So that pseudo-Telkhines had meaning, too.」

「That’s the nature of Mythology Weapons. The ones based on lesser beings are often under the command of a Teras based on a great being. This one likely ruled over the others. Don’t let your guard down.」

「Got it, Asia.」

Kou pulled a D-Rifle from his backpack, bracing himself. But Yōnātl Tepatztl did not move.