Chapter 182: The Divine Reckoning Has Come

At the same time.

In contrast to Quetzalcoatl's side, God's side showed not the slightest movement.

Believers were anxious—had God died?

The Seven Archangels and the Angelic Legions tightly enveloped God, hiding his condition completely; there was no sound, no movement.

"Has God died?" Director Takahashi hesitated slightly, whispering to those around him.

They had seen clearly how Quetzalcoatl bit into God—God's upper and lower body were severed clean at the waist; divine blood instantly drenched Heaven, a horrifying, unbearable sight.

Especially the moment God's upper body tumbled downward—everyone saw it clearly, unmistakably.

At that time, God was drenched in blood, even his holy white hair stained red; below the waist, nothing remained but blood.

For a moment, the world buzzed with speculation, all talking about whether God was dead.

Yet not everyone was focused on whether God had died; in Beimeizhou, the United States, Akawa and others had sweaty palms, tense beyond measure, watching the Maya gods.

Akawa and the others had heard Quetzalcoatl's words to the Maya gods—their hearts leapt.

"They're moving!!" Someone shouted—suddenly, countless Americans were filled with terror.

The Maya gods moved.

After Quetzalcoatl gave another order, the colossal Maya god gritted his teeth and growled to a nearby Maya god: "Go slaughter the United States."

The next instant.

One Maya god stepped forward, wielding a spear stained with angelic blood, striding toward the gates of Heaven, his gaze stretching across vast distances to land upon Beimeizhou.

With every step he took, it was as if the footsteps of Death pounded upon the hearts of countless Americans—each heartbeat threatened to shatter, faces as withered as dead leaves.

Clang!

As the Maya god headed for the United States, the Seven Archangels of Heaven reacted.

This divine war had ultimately been sparked by the United States—if the Maya gods acted, Heaven would lose all face; no matter what, they could not let the Maya gods move.

"Do you think we're not here?!"

At the same moment the Seven Archangels moved, the colossal Maya god roared, his eyes like primordial monstrous beasts, hungry for prey, bloodlust surging like a tidal wave.

Swords drawn, bows strung!

Both sides tensed, ready to unleash.

No one doubted that if the Seven Archangels and the Angelic Legions so much as stirred, the Maya gods would strike without hesitation—even if it meant abandoning Quetzalcoatl's safety—to stop them, for this was Quetzalcoatl's will.

Quetzalcoatl was the original hero revered by all gods on the battlefield, and the most awe-inspiring hero to the Maya gods.

The Maya gods would die to uphold and defend Quetzalcoatl's will!

The atmosphere turned instantly tense, suffocatingly oppressive.

The Seven Archangels of Heaven, leading the Angelic Legions, held their swords forward, their aura overwhelming like a mountain tide, shaking the sun and moon, shaking the stars, their gathered force aimed directly at the Maya god advancing toward Beimeizhou.

The Maya gods said nothing; each radiated power that seized heaven and earth, ready to erupt into battle at the slightest provocation—even visible were the glares of several strongest Maya gods, including the colossal one, fixed upon God, encircled and protected by the angels.

That gaze, that expression—clear as day.

You dare move to stop me, I dare kill your master without hesitation—we'll all perish together.

Oppression.

Absolute suppression.

Like a volcano that had built pressure for ten thousand years, suppressed again and again—no one could imagine how terrifying the release would be; one thing was certain: the volcano was about to erupt, needing only a spark to unleash ten millennia of fury.

That spark was the Maya god advancing toward Beimeizhou.

The world fell deathly silent, a pin drop audible; every eye followed the Maya god's movement, hearts pounding in sync with his steps, staring unblinkingly at him.

Closer, closer.

The Maya god was nearly at the gates of Heaven; the moment he stepped beyond them, the spark would ignite.

Heaven would never allow him to leave the gates of Heaven.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Director Takahashi froze—and with him froze Professor Zhongtian, Minister Saito, Akawa, and everyone else in the world watching.

"Who is that…?"

At some point, a figure had appeared before the gates of Heaven, blocking the Maya god's path.

The figure was tall, powerfully built, standing like a divine mountain, immovable and eternal; with his red hair, red beard, and eyes like burning flames, he resembled a furious divine volcano—his aura radiated, making the air around him rage violently.

This was unquestionably a god of violent temper.

The sudden arrival of this roadblock drew no attention to his violent aura or appearance—everyone's focus was on the weapon he held.

"A hammer??"

"A warhammer??"

The next instant, uproar erupted worldwide, shock after shock—someone had recognized the roadblocking god; at that moment, the Maya god spoke.

The Maya god frowned, his voice thunderous like a raging flood, booming and rolling.

"Thor, what do you mean?! Get out of my way!"

Thor?!

Thor, the Norse god of thunder!!

"It's him—Lei Shen Thor," Professor Beishan exclaimed. As a history professor, he had recently studied global mythologies in preparation for the gods' return; he knew Norse mythology well—the massive god before him matched the descriptions of Lei Shen Thor in Norse legends.

People were stunned; no one had expected Thor to appear here.

"Why is the Norse Lei Shen Thor here?" someone asked, bewildered: "And why is he blocking the Maya gods?"

Not just this person—once netizens identified Lei Shen Thor, everyone was confused.

Lei Shen Thor.

He was the son of Odin, king of the Norse gods, the strongest among the Norse deities, god of thunder and strength, also presiding over storms, war, and fertility.

Why would a deity representative of Norse mythology appear here?

Could Thor have a grudge against the Maya gods?

Thinking of this, Director Takahashi and many others were stunned, their hearts pounding violently.

"Retribution?!"

They had not forgotten Abe no Miko's words: the gods would return, and retribution would come; now that the Feathered Serpent had begun the retribution, the gods' reckoning had truly begun.

No one had time to ponder what grudge Thor might hold against the Maya gods.

Standing at the Gate of Heaven, Thor said: "I'm sorry. Though I deeply respect the Feathered Serpent, I cannot let you pass."

Upon hearing this, all were stunned, exchanging puzzled glances.

Thor's words—that he respected the Feathered Serpent—were understandable to them.

Norse mythology describes Thor as hot-tempered, the god of strength, and the strongest warrior of the Aesir, preferring one-on-one combat; thus he revered strength, exalted strength—in short, he was a Norse version of a righteous outlaw, drawn to the strong.

As the earliest hero-god honored on the battlefield by the gods, the Feathered Serpent naturally earned Thor's respect.

But why, if Thor respected the Feathered Serpent, did he block the Maya gods? Logically, given Thor's nature, he should have targeted the God of this side instead—after all, he revered strength and surely despised deceit and cowardice.

Moreover, Thor's tone revealed not the slightest trace of hostility toward the Maya gods.

With that, he fell silent.

Behind Thor, the heavens roared—a thunderclap split the sky.

…