The firelight gradually kindled in the majestic capital city, and the night breeze carried sounds from afar. Everywhere were various boiling shouts, along with hoarse howling, as if the end of days had descended.
Chiwaco stopped in his tracks. He stood on the high stone stairs outside the palace, gazing at South City, which was bathed in the red glow of torches. A surge of dark green flooded in, seemingly endless and unstoppable, threatening to engulf everything in its path.
Puap turned at the sound and saw the tide branching out, advancing to the front of the palace and the temple district, revealing the Mexica Samurai clad in leather armor, fierce and grim. He exclaimed in surprise.
"Gods! So many! All samurai!"
Chiwaco nodded gravely.
"There are too many samurai in the south! The army has entered the city; they are like a pack of hungry wolves with red eyes, always ready to hunt. If a few of us go south, clad in the Kingdom’s leather armor, and run headfirst into samurai from who knows where... we might be torn to pieces by the wolf pack before we can pull out the jade talisman to explain... Head east! We must leave the city quickly to meet with the Mexica Prince!"
Hearing this, Puap looked down at his leather armor. In this moment, the Hummingbird’s family emblem was glaringly conspicuous. He gritted his teeth, shook his head, and asked in a deep voice.
"Throw away this leather armor?"
"No, tonight, an extra layer of leather armor means an extra chance at life... Foolish wood, bring the clothes I prepared, let everyone put on a robe over it."
Hearing his uncle’s command, Weizti took out a cloth bundle and opened it, revealing a dozen or so black robes of civilian style. Puap widened his eyes in surprise, looked at the well-prepared Chiwaco whose face was always smiling. Soon, everyone put on the black robes, blending into the shadows of the night, becoming even less conspicuous.
About ten people carrying bamboo baskets and war trophies hurriedly left. The splendid Palace of Wind was still lit up, but the fierce sounds of fighting gradually extinguished in the wind. Then, a furious shout suddenly exploded, echoing around the palace like the roar of a heroic spirit!
"Ah! Who stole my Black Wolf’s glory in battle!"
Chiwaco smiled, looking back. Hundreds of steps away in front of the palace, soaked in blood. Hundreds of samurai lay scattered, fallen on the cold stone steps, becoming just as cold corpses. The bright Hummingbird fell on the damaged leather armor, reflecting the all-night lights of the high buildings, like a stunning painting.
The old militiaman’s eyes gleamed, pausing for a moment. He turned his head, gave Puap a faint glance, then silently pulled out a pea and stealthily scattered it into the wind.
"The leading family’s samurai... they’re all here now... "
"Old Qi, what are you saying?"
"I’m saying, let’s hurry. The Mexica Samurai have gone to the Temple!"
Puap looked up to see the towering "House of Wind," Akatla, standing at the very center of the Capital City, with the blazing Sacred Fire lit at its grand summit! Priests of the three gods inhaled divine smoke, circling the perpetual Sacred Fire, dancing frantically and possessed, occasionally scattering yellow powder. The priests’ singing carried far, as mournful as a dying night owl. Before long, a desolate howling drifted into the wind, laced with the desperate, final prayers. And among those prayers was the Mexica people’s frenzied shouting!
"Kill the three gods! The Chief Divine is most high and mighty! Glory to the warriors of the divine battle!"
The pyramid’s shadow was vast and overwhelming. In its cast darkness, thousands of Mexica legion surrounded the "House of Wind." Shining war clubs were waved in combat, each layer surging towards the summit; whooshing arrows "whizzed" skyward, pinning the temple’s defenders to the ground.
The temple’s samurai, numbered only in the hundreds, had no powerful longbows. They futilely threw their javelins and stones, their numbers quickly dwindling in the fight. Soon, the Mexica legion had reached the summit!
"The three gods are calling us! The Stone of the Dead opens the gate of the Moon God! The blue fire is the path to the Divine Kingdom!"
The lead priest shouted out for the last time! Then, he violently threw the torch in his hand onto the temple’s ground. The dim blue flames instantly surged like a tide, toxic smoke spreading in all directions, engulfing the priests in an instant, also claiming the nearest Mexica Samurai. Thousands of pounds of the Stone of the Dead burst into flames at this moment, carrying everything in the temple into a world of ashes!
"Ah, this! The three gods… dead?... Chief Divine… most high..."
Seeing this, Puap shuddered deeply and hastened to turn and flee with Chiwaco. Faith and loyalty had completely crumbled that night, and his spirit had already collapsed into nothingness. The Huitu samurai half-closed his eyes, wandering in a daze for who knows how long, when the sounds of battle once again erupted by his side. He opened his eyes once more to find they had reached the nobility district.
Chiwaco led his brothers hiding in a garden, carefully observing the movements ahead. A large contingent of the Mexica legion, brandishing weapons, had firmly surrounded a magnificent estate. These devout samurai shouted slogans of the gods, their necks adorned with Hummingbird Sun amulets. They mercilessly swung their weapons, killing the resisting escorts, then chopped down the nobles in front of them. Many of these samurai were even dressed in Otomi attire!
The nobility initially resisted valiantly, cursing loudly, then laid down their weapons, kneeling to beg for mercy. The Otomi Warriors remained expressionless, mercilessly executing the commands of the Commander-in-Chief. Soon, the lavish estate was filled with the bodies of the nobility,