Burn, the Flaming Striker

Too easy! Some Grand Servants those turned out to be!

So those were the "ultimate" beings humanity had defending itself? What an absolute joke!

...I suppose they got a bit of damage in on my left horn, so I can't really say I came out unscathed.

But it was a perfect victory for me!

This battle has shown me that Earthlings don't deserve my reign!

Enough letting the last remnants of their forces roam free! I'm off to confiscate this Storm Border thing!

Hahaha! Hahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha!

Hahahahahuh!?

Huh? What the...? What was that? Where was I?

...Wait, I know. That was a dream!

？！

Good morning, Senpai. Everyone's up so early. You must all be excited for the ritual.

They say it's gonna start when the sun passes through the fifth stratum! There'll be four elimination matches in the first round, then two in the semi-finals, and it ends with the championship match!

That's seven matches total for the tournament. We're gonna have to play three matches in a single day! We'd better watch our energy!

That assumes one of our teams makes it to the finals. Ah, here's the tournament bracket.

So Marine and Tepeu's South American Nautilus is on the bottom-right corner. Guess that means we could be facing each other in the championship match.

Oh, I don't know if it will come to that.

We assembled our team as a matter of convenience, in case the rest of you couldn't join a team of your own.

So I can't promise we'll live up to your expectations.

There you go again. You're a great coach, right, Tepeu? So I'm sure your team's going to do just fi

There, you see!? I knew I was an enemy of humanity, Fujimaru!

？！

Which is why there's nothing I can't do!

I destroyed a bunch of Grand Servant things, all on my own! In a dream!

Oh, it was so fun! My body handled like a...well, dream! Not like now.

I-I see. That, um, does make sense, since you were, you know, dreaming.

Right? Trying new things really does pay off! This has been the best morning I've had in a while, and I owe it all to trying this sleeping thing out!

Wh-why you little...!

Yes, I'm sure! I really did defeat those Grand Servants! In my dream! I was the strongest being on Earth!

？！

Praise be to the sun! Praise be to the sun, our father and our mother!

Praise be to Chichén Itzá, the golden city, home of the sun! Praise be to our king, the envoy of the sun!

Praise be to the space tree that underpins our way of lifethe great pillar that holds our subterranean world together!

I promise you all that the ritual this sun cycle will be a wonderful one, or I'm not priest Vucub, keeper of Malla's blood vessels!

？！

I know, Senpai! I never thought we'd ever be standing on a professional soccer, xokta field together!

But since we're here, and we're competing, we need to give it our very best!

Master, you'll be our key defender. Habetrot and I will do our best as midfielders!

You said it, Big Sis Mash!

We are the Deinonychus Brothers 11!

And we want to win!

Aw yeah! (Landing sound)

？！

Damn straight! We've been going over all the new tactics you taught us, Fujimaru!

The Moving Football, the Side Attack, the Strategic Retreat...

With so many weapons in our arsenal, we can't lose!

Man, I can't wait to try them out in the ritual... Are they gonna work? They're gonna work, right?

Skreee! It's gonna be so awesome if they work, I don't even care if we win!

Whoa, whoa, easy there, bro. Winning's important, too. We've gotta play boldly, but carefully.

Remember all the intense training we went through with Fujimaru, Mash, and Habbycat.

Especially Mash's training. I'm still not sure why we had to practice dribbling with giant rocks on our backs, though.

Anyway, you three are our brother and sisters now! We all want to make your wish come true, whatever it takes!

Let's go, Deinonychus Brothers 11!

We're gonna make sure Fujimaru, Mash, and Habbycat get to see the King of Dinosaurs, just like they want!

Skreee! Whatever it takes, skreee!

Heh heh heh. Sounds like someone needs to give you weaklings a reality check.

It doesn't matter how enthusiastic your new players are. It's like a water drop to a parched cactus! Your team's foundation is weak.

It's you! The most destructive xokta player of all time, and captain of Team TA・I・GA...Great Deathclaw!

Solid introduction, Deino-twerp. Saves me the bother of introducing myself to your new friends.

I just came here to warn you: if you don't wanna die in this ritual, this is your last chance to back out!

It meant sacrificing a lot of my dribbling skill, but I've trained myself so my body slams hit even harder than ever!

So the last thing you twerps'll see on the field is my stripes barreling down on you like a runaway boulder!

And if my body slams don't get you, I'll finish the job with these claws! Baaahahahaha!

？！

Yeah. We think so, too.

Good ritual, TA・I・GA! Thanks to you, we won the first match AND the crowd's hearts!

Man, I've never had this much fun playing xokta before! Thanks again, Fujimaru and Mash!

Aww, you really think so? We were a little scared of Deathclaw's killer tackles at first...

...but could you tell we were just stringing him along once we got used to those tackles?

By the second half, all I could see when he charged us was another opportunity for a goal!

Hah, you got us there!

Thanks for the spot-on instructions and clean passes, pal! You were awesome out there!

？！

The rituals in this round are all finished. It looks like Marine and Tepeu's team won too!

I knew it. Marine seemed like he'd be good at xokta, and with Tepeu guiding the team, I figured they'd make it.

？！

I'm afraid you're soon to wake from that dream. You see, your next opponent...

...is me! U-Olga Marie, and my team of extra large deinos!

D-Director Olga Marie!? You actually formed your own team!?

Indeed she did. We formed Team Tooscary 11 by defeating one of the favored teams, then recruiting them.

Ours is an entirely new kind of soccer which combines Young Miss's incredible offense with my own clever tactics.

We swept our first game one-hundred to zero.

You can also write out the "11" in our name, if you like.

？！

Say whatever you like, Chaldea!

I'm the one who's going to meet with this so-called King of Dinosaurs and snatch up that passage permission!

So I suggest you remember just how great I really am and leave the field now before you get hurt!

Thank you for your concern! But we're members of Team Death Rolling now!

Even knowing that we're against the president of Earth, the match isn't over until the buzzer sounds!

Very well then! If it's a fair game you want, it's a fair game you'll get!

Get ready, Mash and Fujimaru! This is going to wind up being the true championship match of the day!

You won...! You defeated us...utterly!

What a shame. I suppose you haven't yet got the hang of Earth sports, Young Miss.

This is why I suggested you swallow your pride and ask to join Fujimaru's team...

What are you talking about? Making our own team was YOUR idea!

？！

...

...Yeah, okay. I'll transfer to your team.

That way, I can still take part in the final. Besides, I think our match left your team with some injured players.

That'd be a big help. Stamina ain't exactly our strong suit.

Plus, I'm worried we might not be able to play to our fullest in the final with our injuries.

？！

Aww, that's real considerate of you. Well, could you get us some ice bags and medicinal herbs from the main street?

We wanna make sure we're in good condition for the final.

If you're running out on an errand, Senpai, then I'll go with

？！

He's gone... Maybe I should go after him?

Why bother? Nothing dangerous is going to happen in this town. The deinos here don't attack unprovoked.

He'll be fine as long as he doesn't do anything strange, so there's nothing to worry about, right?

？！

Let me have that yellow cucumber. Never mind the taste. I just need it for hydration.

Do you have any mint incense for keeping bats away? You do? Oh yeah, this is good quality. I'll take two.

Gosh, you're picking up some weird stuff. I've never seen anyone take an anodized aluminum oxide membrane before.

I think we only have those 'cause of the last-last deinos who ran the store. What're you gonna use it for, anyway?

Space suit. It'll take some modification, though.

？！

？！

...

Oh, you're disguised. Solid work, if temporary.

I'd head back to your hideout before night if I were you. Mictlān days are long.

？！

Never mind me. Just getting ready for a trip. Chichén Itzá has the best stuff.

México City's main street is all right, but it's less than a year old.

Best place for quality goods is a store with some history. Oh, wait, I get it.

You there. Give me some styptic grass and two of these same yellow cucumbers.

Also honey orchards, strong vine rope, more bat ward mint incense, and all the anodized membrane you've got.

There. That ought to cover it. Take it.

？！

See you.

？！

We have nothing to talk about, nor do we have a reason to kill each other here.

Nor do I have time to answer your questions. I like to be efficient with every second I've got.

I'm not saying small talk is meaningless, but I'd rather you picked someone else for it.

？！

About our roles? Do you mean for the Foreign God, or for Chaldea?

？！

...Not much time right now, but I guess I'd better answer that one.

Kadoc's efforts are currently going as well as I expected. Ophelia died for nothing.

Akuta's death was expected. Peperoncino died like a dog and was buried with his past.

Beryl got what he wanted, and he's the only one. Kirschtaria's plan was always doomed.

Yeah, I always figured it'd come down to this.

I'm going to return Chaldea to nothingness on my own.

That's what I've got. Did it help? If we ever meet again, ask a different question.

Welcome back, Senpai. Thanks for getting everyone's medicine.

Huh? That's a lot more than I was expecting... Did something happen, Master?

？！

Hear me, my fellow deinos! At last, the final two teams of pilgrims have been chosen!

The glorious sun has climbed high over our heads and will soon be settling into its throne here at Chichén Itzá!

Once the winning xokta team has been crowned, Kukulcan, the Teachings of the Sun, shall be revealed!

Now, let's see which teams will be competing to reach the pinnacle of

Of... Huh? What do you mean? Why didn't anyone tell me about this!?

Why did that noisy deinos just shut up? Did something happen?

It looks like they're arguing about something. Is there a problem with the ritual?

Oh, that? Vucub must have just received word that we forfeited the match so Death Rolling would win.

He never did handle unexpected news well.

Huh?

？！

Why? Well, there's no point in playing, is there?

Your team made it to the finals, and so did ours.

We would get to meet with the King of Dinosaurs no matter which of us won, so there was no point in competing.

Isn't that right, Marine? We're lucky things worked out so well.

You

Yeah, you're right. There's no point in playing a match now. Good thing all this worked out.

Okay, I'm gonna go thank the rest of the team! See you guys lateeer☆

Hm? Why is Marine leaving? Our teammates are still inside.

You really can't figure that out, you cold-blooded lizardbrain!? He wants to be alone!

Why didn't you let him compete!? Didn't you see how excited he was for this!?

I-I just thought he was excited about reaching our greater goal. I didn't think individual emotions really matter

Do you WANT me to flood your brain with dark matter and devolve you back to an amniote?

Can the excuses! Just go apologize to Marine now, before I decide you need a plasma blast!

And don't forget to think about why Marine ran off on the way!

U-understood! I'll go do just that!

...Hmph. This is the whole problem with intelligent beings who rely entirely on pure logic.

I thought they'd be at least a little better than you, but I guess humans and deinos both have strengths and weaknesses.

...What? Why're you looking at me like that?

？！

Of course not. Tepeu's answer just rubbed my horns the wrong way.

Did you forget what I told you yesterday? You and I don't think at all alike.

(Why did Marine run off? Why would he want to take part in the ritual?)

(Is it just that he wanted to play xokta? No, he's too smart for that.)

(His emotional fluctuations may be intense, but his decisions are always sound. He's consistently helped to advance the group's most important interests.)

(So why was he so overcome with negative emotion that he had to leave the group, even though we've just accomplished our shared goal?)

(I don't know. I don't know, but I'm going after him anyway...)

(Sob)

...

(...I still don't understand his reasons, but I do understand that I made the wrong choice.)

Why'd you come after me? I just wanted to be alooone! I didn't want you to see my cryiiing!

Jerk! Birdbrain! Dummy! I hate you, I hate you, I hate yooou!

Marine, please. You're hurting me.

(He's pounding on my chest with both hands. The blows are so weak, they aren't harming me at all.)

(And yet, I feel each impact as though it were striking directly at my heart.)

...I'm so sorry, Marine. I should have discussed it with you instead of unilaterally deciding to forfeit the ritual.

I understand now that I made a mistake. But I still don't understand why I was wrong.

Please, tell me, Marine.

I know you've been doing your best to help the group.

But once Fujimaru, Mash, and our team all reached the finals, there was no longer any need for us to win.

I suppose that also means you no longer had a way to be useful to them.

Are you sad because your efforts ultimately did not help? Do you regret forming the team in the first place?

Not even clooose!

Of course I would've liked to help more if I could've, but this has nothing to do with that!

Don't you remember how hard we practiced, Tepeu!? I wanted to fight beside yooou!

I didn't want you to decide not to play just because the end result would've been the saaame! That's so saaad!

Sad? Why is it sad? Isn't not making mistakes a good thing?

Well yeah, but that's not what I'm talking about! It's just no fun at all this waaay!

I wanted to see you smiling in the real game just like you did during practiiice!

So what if the result would've been the same!? Having fun getting that result is obviously waaay better!

I thought that's why we were working so hard!

...

(So he isn't sad about his weakness. He's sad about my making decisions in such a detached, impartial manner.)

(So this is what people from Proper Human History are like.)

(Any civilization created by people this self-centered strikes me as potentially dangerous.)

(I still only know a tiny bit about it, but I can say this with absolute certainty:)

(As a civilization, Proper Human History is sure to make mistakes that defy logic and reason.)

My fellow deinos gathered here this cycle! Lend me your ears!

We have never before had a xokta team achieve victory because the opposing team forfeited the final ritual.

I believe this decision threatens all of Chichén Itzá, if not all of Mictlān itself.

However! In the time it takes the sun to move to the next stratum, the king and I have been deliberating...

...and we have agreed that the ritual is still meaningful even without a championship match!

Thus, the winning team shall now present the xokta offering! Team Death Rolling, step forward!

The King of Dinosaurs will now speak to you in person! Be on your best behavior!

？！

Death Rolling! Step forward, Death Rolling!

Hoo boy! Vucub's really ticked! I guess now's not the time to be laughing it up.

You two are our leaders. You go ahead, Fujimaru and Mash.

You wanna make a request of the King of Dinosaurs, right? We're satisfied with just having played two rituals.

？！

I grant you the honor of revealing your names to the king. Come to the altar and declare yourselves.

？！

Hmm, I can't say I've heard names like that before. Are you refugees from the fifth stratum?

That must have been quite the ordeal. Here, let me see your face

Hold on. YOU'RE Death Rolling's leaders? But, I know I've seen you somewhere befo

Enough prattle, Vucub. I keep telling you to stop wasting time.

This doesn't merit a consultation with Kukulcan.

I made the law that says I give the winning team something they desire.

It's a shame we didn't get to see a championship match, but your xokta style was new and interesting.

It wasn't good enough for the last xokta ritual ever, though. Not a great way to wrap things up.

But no matter. You're the special deinos who triumphed in this ritual. State your desire.

I respect putting your life on the line to win a battle, even if it's only part of a game.

So I will reward your bravery, no matter what you may request.

？！

Huh? You're a weird one, aren't you? What, did you forget something over in the fifth stratum or something?

You could die if you get too close to México City. That's why I gave the order toHm?

Dammit, this cloth was keeping me from seeing you properly. You're not deinos at all, are you?

That's Proper Human History magecraft, used to make a disguise. Sneaky bastards. Take that shit off. Then die.

Master!

Huh? Wha?

Hm? What's going on?

Ocelomeh! You're apes from México City! What's the meaning of this!?

Warriors! Wak Chan! We have an emergency! I permit you to use force within the shrine grounds!

Kill those ocelomeh right now! Don't let them near the King of Dinosaurs!

I trust you have no objections, my King?

Do what you want. In fact, I was just thinking we could stand to see some more blood.

This European-style match is okay, but there's no substitute for our brand of battle.

!

Master! A huge deinos is headed our way! What would you like me to do!?

？！

Khh! I'm still not seeing any change in the warrior deinos! Even after all that, he's barely hurt!

He must be a deinos hero! His bio-waves are a lot stronger than the other deinos'.

Of course they are! Warrior Wak Chan is the strongest deinos in all of Mictlān!

Your pitiful guns can't even scratch him! Now, open wide, Wak Chan! I grant you permission to consume their flesh!

Crush those ocelomeh's bodies in your mighty jaws and offer their severed heads to the King of Dinosaurs!

Are you an idiot?

Warrior Wak Chan?

？！

Why the hell would I EAT them? It's cruel, I can't even digest them, and it just sounds gross. Nobody wins.

Besides, I don't even wanna be a warrior anymore. All this stuff about the world and teachings of the sun is way over my head.

I just wanna find the most beautiful lady in Mictlān, make her my mate, settle down, and be sure she outlives me.

Ain't that the whole point of being strong?

What nonsense is this!? And in front of the King of Dinosaurs, no less!?

I don't care how strong you were born! Even if the king tolerates such drivel, I will not hear a word of it!

Unless you want to be stripped of your position as a warrior, do as I command and slaughter these ocelomeh right away!

Did you even hear a word I said!? I just told you I QUIT being a warrior! Besides, I just met the love of my life.

Huh? What do you want? Those flowers in your hands... Are they poisonous?

Nice to meet you, crackle lady! As soon as your sparks hit me, I knew you were the one!

I love your horns! They're so cool! Once we're done fighting here, would you marry me!?

Huh?

What do you mean, "huh?" I'm talking about marriage. You know, marriage? As in you? Me? Husband? Wife?

Oh, I see. So you're just space junk?

No, I'm Wak Chan! Sheesh. You're not as smart as I thought, but you're still really pretty!

What was that!?!?!?

What is this!? A deinos, proposing to an ocelotl!? Dammit, Wak Chan, has their guns' poison driven you mad!?

Bring the other warriors here! All of them! Have these interlopers rounded up and executed!

...Ha.

Haha! Hahahahahahahaha! It's been a long time since I saw anything so damn funny!

So even deinos fall in love! I guess this is what they mean by "cultural invasion"?

And falling for a foreign visitor? It's like Quetzalcoatl all over again!

This is too good! I'm coming out from my palanquin! I'm not old enough to miss the moment of the century!

Silence! Settle down! There's no need for more warriors! They're not ocelomeh!

These creatures are called "humans." They came here on the flying boulder!

Sure, they're kind of cunning, but that's it. They mean the deinos no harm!

Really? Is that true?

I think maybe it is.

Yeah, you're right. If our king says so, it must be true.

Th-that was fast. The whole crowd just calmed down almost instantly.

Thankfully, it looks like we don't have to worry about being mistaken for ocelomeh and attacked anymore.

I'm a little surprised that the King of Dinosaurs is apparently a human child. Except, we've already met him back in the jungle...

？！

Hm? Oh, you're the ones I ran into in the jungle yesterday.

I thought you were strange ocelomeh, but Chaldeans makes a lot more sense.

In that case, there can only be one reason you want to cross the plains. You want to go where the flying boulder landed don't you?

...Okay, fine. If that's all you want, I'll allow it.

Wanting to save your allies is a perfectly valid reason. I'm not so heartless as to blame you for that.

Besides, you put on a good show. That's enough to earn forgiveness for your disguises.

Y-Your Majesty, I'm concerned you may not be thinking this through!

Let us not forget that the flying boulder that polluted the sky during its descent is the very picture of foreboding and insolence!

Its allies are sure to be abominations!

With all due respect, letting them go would be unthinkable from a king sworn to protect Mictlān!

...Yeah, I hear you, Vucub.

Hell, we shouldn't forget that letting people from Proper Human History live is pretty much sealing Mictlān's fate.

Honestly, our lives would be a lot easier if we just killed them now and had done with it. But...

Hey, you. Fujimaru.

You've got one of those, right? Empty your pockets.

？！

I knew it. He's in the middle of a trial. Ugh, how like him to use his time like this. Goddamn pain in the ass.

Stay out of this, Vucub. This guy is my guest, xokta player or not. It's not your place to speak on the matter.

Or will you defy me? It's fine if you do. I did only recently become King of the Deinos.

If you want to resume priestly control of Chichén Itzá, you can take your shot at killing me whenever you like.

I... I would never dare. You are the one chosen by Kukulcan...

That's what I thought. Now sit down and shut up. If you're looking for something to do, go oversee cleanup from the festival.

Here, Fujimaru, let's change venues. We don't need so many listening in.

I'll hear you out not as King of the Deinos, but as the king of this Lostbelt.

Oh, right. I still haven't introduced myself. It's not fair that I know your names and you don't know mine.

All right, listen up, and be grateful. My name is Tezcatlipoca.

I'm the god of war who rules Mesoamerica in Proper Human History.

...And that's how we ended up having this private talk with the King of Dinosaurs, who claims to be Tezcatlipoca.

Oh my. It sounds like quite a lot happened while we were away.

Isn't Tezcatlipoca an evil god!? What's he doing in a Lostbelt as the deinos' king!?

Hmm. I expect we'll be hearing about that soon enough, but let me clear up one misunderstanding first.

As I've said before, Tezcatlipoca is not an evil god. He is merely a coldhearted god of war.

He is the avatar of the jaguar lurking in the jungle, a fearsome god who demands human hearts as sacrifice.

His actions may seem evil to outsiders...

...but for the Mesoamerican people, they were absolutely necessary.

The biggest reason Tezcatlipoca was viewed, quite mistakenly, as evil was his feud with Quetzalcoatl.

As a god, and at times, the ruler of human kingdoms...

...Quetzalcoatl was seen by all as a good god for the people of that time, as he helped Mesoamerica to flourish.

It's easy to misunderstand a god like Tezcatlipoca who was essentially Quetzalcoatl's rival...

...but Tezcatlipoca is just as good as Quetzalcoatl.

Admittedly, I can't speak to how equal they may or may not be as Divine Spirits.

Thanks for waiting. It took longer to shut Vucub and the other priests up than I thought.

So, now that it's just us, let's get right to the point.

What's your goal here? Why did you come to this Lostbelt?

？！

Um... (I'm not sure how forthcoming we should be with the director around...)

Fujimaru's goal is to cut down the Tree of Emptiness and find ORT so they can protect Proper Human History.

And I'm an alien who decided to help them out.

Right, Fujimaru? We don't need to hide anything here.

？！

So you're an alien? No wonder you were so strong. I guess our corner of the world really does attract outside visitors.

But why would you help Chaldea and Proper Human History? Do they have something on you or what?

Huh!? Don't be ridiculous! There is nothing anyone could use against me!

I came to this planet to rule it, but there's nothing to rule with the whole world bleached.

So I decided to help them with their goals. That's all.

Besides...there's no way this guy would ever resort to anything so predatory as blackmail.

I see, so you found yourself liking Chaldea's objectives rather than Chaldea itself.

That's fine then. I'm just glad you're not doing it out of pity or friendship or something sappy like that.

As for you, Tepeu the stargazer, this is our first time meeting, isn't it? Why did you come back here after retiring to the first stratum?

And with humans from Proper Human History at that. Did they tell you what their deal is?

Yes, they did. I'm still drawing my own conclusions, but I know all about Proper Human History, Lostbelts, Chaldea, and the Trees of Emptiness.

...

And you're still choosing to accompany them, huh? Then I have nothing more to say to you.

Go ahead then. Interpret them how you want. Be disappointed. Die in a ditch. If, after all that, you still call yourself deinos...

...then the sun will surely save you, along with your stupid little dream.

？！

Hmm... Umm...

Not exactly. Technically, I'm the substitute king.

About a year ago, I was told to rule Chichén Itzá in someone's place. If I had refused, I'd have been killed.

I didn't have anything better to do, so I accepted.

So all I care about's keeping Chichén Itzá safe.

And now, I know you have no business with this city.

So we're done. You can stop wasting my time and leave now.

？！

Unless there's something else you wanted to ask.

...I-I have a question! You said you're Tezcatlipoca, right?

So, is there any chance you'd be willing to help Proper Human History?

No. Couldn't care less about it. Why would I want to help a bunch of apes, anyway?

Dinosaurs are way cooler. I mean, they're the COOLEST!

I'm sorry, what was that?

...Shut up. What are you, a comedian? You don't have to react to every single word I say.

I already told you to do what you want.

You people can't possibly erase this Lostbelt, so there's not much point in me bothering to oppose you.

Whatever business you have here, get it done and get out. There's nothing here for you no matter how long you stick around.

？！

I'll send word to the warriors guarding the plains.

And since it'll probably take you a while to get there with your legs, I'll send a porter you can ride go along with you, too.

Oh? I thought you weren't going to help us.

Don't worry about it. It's the least I can do to reward the xokta winners.

Although...the Storm Border, that's what you call your boulder? I wouldn't get your hopes up about seeing your friends again. You're too late.

You people entered an outside nation in a battleship. That's an act of war, no matter your reasons.

And the ocelomeh don't take prisoners of war. They kill every enemy who invades their territory.

Your ship crashed five days ago.

If I were an ocelotl, I'd have killed everyone aboard it on day one.