Tania was still talking with Chalchiuhtlicue in Tlálocan. The place had been shattered to pieces, but it was the Toltec goddess’s duty to rebuild everything again.
“So, when your friends obtain the other seven spheres like that one, a gateway will open to Yayauhcuauhco, the Heaven of Tezcatlipoca,” the Toltec goddess said to Tania, who was looking at the small sphere.
“No problem. I’m sure my friends will pass the trial,” Tania replied with a smile.
“I hope so,” Chalchiuhtlicue answered, “because they promised to come have a picnic with me when the trials were over.”
“Uh… sure,” Tania replied, embarrassed.
Then Chalchiuhtlicue brought her eyes close to Tania’s gaze.
“They will keep their promise, right?” she asked anxiously.
Tania felt uncomfortable with how shamelessly the goddess was invading her personal space.
“They… keep their promises, I assure you… Miss…” Tania said, not knowing the goddess’s name.
“Chalchiuhtlicue, their newest and greatest friend,” the Toltec goddess said anxiously, bringing her face so close to Tania’s that it almost looked as if she was going to kiss her.
At that moment, Tania’s sphere began to glow, and light covered the Punic goddess.
“Your friends did it!” Chalchiuhtlicue shouted when she saw Tania begin to disappear.
Then the goddess lowered her head sadly.
“Please do not forget me,” she said.
“We will keep our promise and return safe and sound,” Tania replied.
At that moment, she disappeared.
The eight gods appeared in a world that was very dark. Almost nothing could be seen, though pointed mountains with extravagant shapes could be made out in the distance.
Ana saw her friends and greeted them very cheerfully.
“You did it! I knew you could!”
“Of course we were gonna win, meow!” Freyja replied with a victorious gesture.
“Thanks to this, we have become stronger,” Susanoo replied.
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“And we have learned a little more about ourselves,” Menrva said while looking at her spear with a smile.
“There are no adversities we cannot overcome from now on,” Epona said with an expression of joy.
“Ch’úupalob, I got stronger too!” Tul shouted with great excitement, when she quickly felt Tania hugging her.
“I knew you would triumph, Tul,” the Punic goddess said with great emotion.
Tul rested her head against Tania’s lap and began to purr.
Then Ana grew thoughtful.
“Aren’t we missing someone?” she asked.
“Loki!” Freyja shouted in alarm.
Susanoo then turned to his right and saw the unconscious god lying on the ground.
“Loki-san is here, and he still liveth, though unconscious!” the eastern god shouted after sensing the Norse god’s vital signs.
Ana felt relieved and quickly ran over to Loki to try to revive him.
“They hurt him badly,” Ana said, quickly making chocolatl appear so the dark god could drink it.
“I will not say I approve of him yet, Ana,” Tania thought as she saw the passion her friend showed while staying beside a badly wounded Loki. “But I will respect the decision you make from now on.”
“It’s my fault,” Epona replied with a depressed look. “I left him alone against that monster woman.”
“Your fault? I was the one who wanted to stay and fight her,” Loki said, having already regained consciousness as he sat back up on the ground.
“Are you okay?” Ana asked the dark god timidly.
“Your presence alone was enough to heal my wounds, sweetheart,” Loki said smoothly.
“You’re such a dummy!” Ana replied nervously, blushing.
Everyone else seemed to feel a bit of secondhand embarrassment at how easily Ana fell for the god’s compliments.
“All right, enough chatter,” Menrva interrupted. “Where are we supposed to be? Does anyone know?”
“According to the little girl in Tlalop’s world, this is the world of the King of Tula,” Tania said.
“Even I know the name was Tláloc,” Ana interrupted.
Tania sighed and said a few words in Arabic, then in Punic, then in Galician, then in Lusitanian, then in Leonese, and continued until Ana interrupted her.
“Yes, Tania. I understand your point. You’re a great polyglot. But accept the criticism of your incompetence at speaking the languages of this continent with humor,” Ana said.
“Whatever,” Tania continued. “This will be our final battle.”
“Not to brag, but I don’t feel like I can lose anymore, meow,” Freyja replied with a smile.
“All right, then. Forward,” Ana said, and everyone nodded.
But just as they were about to leave, the world went completely dark, just as it had when the King of Tula attacked them for the first time. All of them were frozen in place.
Then the image of Tezcatlipoca, transformed into a jaguar man, approached them while walking. His gaze was empty, and drool dripped from his jaws.
But then Ana broke the jaguar god’s dark spell with great ease.
“Something like this, at my full capacity, is nothing,” the goddess replied.
Then Ana made her sword Excalibur appear. The goddess realized that the fusion she had achieved between that weapon and Gram in her previous battle had been lost.
Immediately afterward, she raised her sword, and its light dispelled Tezcatlipoca’s eternal darkness, freeing her friends from the dreadful spell.
“You saved us again, Ana?” Menrva asked, still surprised.
The others nodded as well.
“I already broke this technique before. This time, it was child’s play,” the Irish goddess replied, and smiled.
All the gods thanked the Irish goddess, while she said it was nothing.
“In truth, it was a great advancement of your beautiful power, sweetheart,” Loki said smoothly to the goddess, which only made her blush.
“Ana, I am sorry to interrupt,” Tania said, “but we have work to do.”
The Punic goddess then pointed at the terrible Tezcatlipoca, whose gaze was full of madness.
The god of Tula roared, and the battle between him and the eight gods began.