15 minutes ago—— Ah! What a beautiful sea! What a beautiful sky! I'd love to keep basking forever in the Sun on this beach. Captain Shakespeare... I'm pretty sure we landed because you saw smoke in the distance. Yeah, I know. We need supplies and a guide. Specially a guide. We're not in Alexandria anymore, we probably won't find many people who can speak English. Let's start with that—— Can everyone tell me which languages you can speak? ...Heh, thought you were supposed to know every little detail about everyone since you're the Captain. Well, we'll be fine even if we can't communicate—— I felt like asking just in case. I only know English and Latin... I'm sure Valkyries like you two know a lot more. Hm. I can speak these four—— English, German, Russian and French. And Rita? ...It's not my intention to brag, but I can speak more than a dozen of major languages. However, I'm not sure how useful they will be here in the 「New World」. W-Wait a moment. 「A dozen major languages」... does that include Chinese? 「一曲新词酒一杯， 去年天气旧亭台。夕阳西下几时回？」

注：

A new song, a cup of wine;

Last year's weather at the old pond terrace.

The setting sun sinks in the west— when to return?

——Yan Shu

TL Note: this help box doesn't appear in CN since she's speaking Chinese here

 「无可奈何花落去， 似曾相识燕归来。小园香径独徘徊。」

注：

Do what one may, blossoms will fall,

As if we knew each other, the swallows come back.

In the little garden I pace a fragrant path alone.

——Yan Shu

TL Note: this help box doesn't appear in CN since she's speaking Chinese here

Poem info: https://baike.baidu.com/item/浣溪沙·一曲新词酒一杯

 What about... Japanese? Can you speak it too? 「古池や / 蛙飛びこむ / 水の音」

注：

an ancient pond / a frog jumps in / the splash of water

——Matsuo Bashō

 T-Then... Spanish? 「Cuando una puerta se cierra, otra se abre.」

注：

When one door closes, another opens.

——《Don Quixote》 Volume 1, Section 21

 ...You really can do anything. Hahaha, I wrote that last one! Yes, Cervantes-sama, that line is from your 《Don Quixote》. Old man, since you come from Spain, do you know any minor language from that region? Hmm... 「minor」 you say... I guess Arabic doesn't count... And the rest of the European languages are covered by everyone else... Sorry, can't think of any. What to do... Lalla and Schrodinger are staying behind on the ship... Ah, I know. Champollion, since you're an archaeologist, did you happen to learn any language of the New World in one of your adventures? ...Sorry, I only know the Coptic language of Egypt. Hahaha, makes sense, you were studying Egypt when we met you! Oh well! Everything will work out just fine, we can let our Spanish speakers take the lead—— They'll be able to talk to God for us! ...How did you even arrive to that conclusion? ...I think she's probably referring to 「I speak Spanish to God」. Yeah, that's what I was talking about. Come on, let's go—— To the most likely place with people living on it! (...Eh? Was that a saying or something? I'm the only one who doesn't get it?)

注：

“我用西班牙语和上帝对话，用意大利语同女人调情，用法语与绅士寒暄，而用德语调教马匹。”

——查理五世（西班牙国王、神圣罗马帝国皇帝）

 HELLOOOO! IS THERE ANYONE HERE? ...CAN SOMEONE HEAR ME? Weird... no response at all... ...Wait, I see someone running in the woods. Miss! Can you speak Spanish? ... You're... from the Federation!? But those clothes... ...Federation? What's that? Isn't this Mexico? ...Huh? Mister... you haven't heard of the Federation? But... you're speaking the 「standard language of the Federation」. ...Hm? We're obviously speaking Spanish. 「Standard language of the Federation」, you called it? Never heard of it. ...? ...Ah! I get it! You're a 「Wanderer」, right? You came from another world, like the 「High Priestess」 of the Federation! Umm... yes, I think so? ——I'm glad! Wanderers who speak God's tongue! The army of the Federation is about to attack my village. Please, lend me your help! ...What? I-I'm the 「Oracle」 of the village, and the 「human avatar」 of the local deity 「Ix Tab」. If you're willing to help us... We'll do anything to repay you! Present—— What did you say...? ...As expected, not being able to understand each other is an inconvenience. I suppose I should translate what Bianka-sama said literally. 「Go away and don't come back to this village ever again！」 ——She said. D-Damn you! How you dare to display such rudeness towards the holy army of the Federation! I request a duel to the death! ...Calm down, Chacujal-kun. Do not forget we are here to bring civilization to them. We cannot step down to their barbaric level. ..... I swear, there must have been over 50.000 people throughout history who have said those exact same words to justify their crimes. Rita, give me my gauntlets. Yes, Bianka-sama. Scumbags who pick on the weak... ...Burn in your eyes the power of a Valkyrie. And—— Wha——! Uwaaa—— ——Go back to the hole you crawled from! O God! You must be the avatar of 「Buluc Chabtan」, who heard our prayers and has come to our aid! ...? (She's saying you're the incarnation of the local god of war and that you've come to help them.) (...Quite the misunderstanding. Please keep translating for us, Rita.) ...Ahh, excuse my rudeness. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Tazumal, I'm the 「Izzat Venyc」, what you would call the Chief Elder of the village. Outsiders call this place 「El Rey」. And this is my granddaughter, Eikenal—— She's the 「human avatar」 of 「Ix Tab」, the guardian deity of this village. A pleasure to meet you. ...I-I am Bianka. This is Captain Shakespeare, and the maid is Rita. Hello. I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, Tazumal-sama, Eikenal-sama. P-Please, don't address me so formally. I'm just a priestess. Hehe, give up on that. That's just how Rita is. Ah—— I bet you must be starving after your long trip. How does freshly made tortillas sound? Ohh, is that the famous taco I've heard so much about? Oh my, do you know about it? Then the more reason to put extra effort to let you taste its genuine flavor. Hahaha, my empty stomach is about to growl after hearing that! Eikenal, will you keep them company? I'm going to the kitchen to prepare the food. Leave it to me, grandmother! I'd love to hear more about the world beyond the sea. ...I heard there is a city beyond the sea that is managed by machines. Is that true? Yes, they do as they're told and assist the people of the city in various ways. A close comparison would be the 「familiars」 that often show up in legends. ...Though that technology also has its downsides. Could it be... their presence angered the Egyptian Gods? For example, they could have made people stop relying on them. No, but even if that were the case—— Their existence is proof of humanity's efforts. There is no parent that wouldn't be proud of the accomplishments of their children, right? ...I see, it never occurred me to think about it that way. ...Hehe. Hey. What's so funny, Rita? Apologies. I couldn't help but smile at seeing Bianka-sama and Eikenal-sama getting along so well. ..... W-W-What are you saying! (Eikenal-sama. Isn't Bianka-sama's blushing face cute?) (...Hehe. You're like her big sister.) Hey! Don't laugh at me! (Rita, you are translating what I'm saying properly, right?) Eikenal, come here! The food is ready! Yes, I'm coming! Wow! They look delicious! Oh my. If I were to make a comparison, I'd say they're above the food 「Tireman Restaurant」 from Alexandria makes. Thanks for the food! Woah! So spicy! B-Bianka-sama? ...Are you alright? I-I'm fine! A Valkyrie will not lose to mere chili pepper! This tortilla is delicious! The amount of meat is just right and the tomatoes are perfectly baked! I-I just wasn't prepared and the spiciness caught me by surprise... This is not a problem at all! I wonder about that~ Judging from your tongue I'd say you're avoiding the peppers as much as you can~ S-Shut up, you dumb Captain! I'm not doing anything like that! ...Is that so? Then I'll tell Tazumal to make the next round extra spicy. W-Wa——Wait! Ahahaha! Ate so much I can't take another bite! ...I think you ate like 2 pounds worth of food, you bottomless stomach Captain. Starting tomorrow, a big festival will be held for 10 days. You'll have plenty of opportunities to eat delicious food. All 10 days? Yes. Today is 12.19.19.17.18—— The day after tomorrow will be 13.0.0.0.0, the beginning of a new 「Baktun」. 「Baktun」? ——I've heard about it. A 「Baktun」 is one of the Maya's 「long time measuring units」. In our calendar it's approximately 400 years. Basically, what we call 「new decade」... Or more accurately, our 「millennium year」. Eikenal, you said the festival lasts for 10 days—— Does each one of the 10 days have a particular religious meaning? No, there isn't one. Besides the 「oracle」 before the festival begins there are no other religious activities involved. Unlike the Federation, we don't indulge the idea 「each person should communicate with God」. ...Is it bad to talk to God by yourself? Like, during meditation. It's a bad thing to do if you want something from it. Gods are whimsical. If you selfishly ask for a favor you may be cursed with misfortune. ..... Honestly... I don't really get it. Faith is not supposed to be logical. You either 「believe」 or 「not believe」, rather than 「understand」 or 「not understand」. ..... Even if it looks strange to outsiders like us, the belief system of this place has its unique 「humanism」. ...? Huma...? Is that a technical term for something? Ah, this is a problem. It's a concept difficult to explain. Archaeologist, can you come up with an easy to understand explanation? Hmmm... let's see... In simpler terms, it's a stance that protects each person's freedom of thought, values and personality. For example, the beginning of the 『Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen』 says—— 「Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.」 「These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.」 ...? Well, it's like how your culture separated worshiping Gods from the festival—— 「Humanism」 is a society that lets people live as they please as much as possible. If there were a priest like Eikenal in that kind of society, they wouldn't force everyone else to have the same beliefs and values as them. I see. My God, 「Ix Tab」, is the guardian deity of this village. I've taken it upon me to accept all of her anger and joy so that they may not burden anyone else. Protect others from the whims of God—— That is my duty. ...Very interesting. You're trying to minimize the influence God has on people. Everyone grows up one day. They realize their father and mother aren't omnipotent, and learn they can only count on themselves. ——Gods are the same as the parents. Maybe their help stopped even before 「Genesis」. And that's not a sad thing. On the contrary, it's proof of how much people, humanity itself, has grown. ——It proves they can take responsibility for their own actions and be free. Freedom, you say? I think I'll use 「freedom」 as the subject of tonight's oracle. Huh? Today our village wouldn't have been able to remain independent if it wasn't for you all—— ——But I believe one day, both our village and the Federation, will be able to live freely without burdens. ..... ...I must begin the preparations for the ceremony in the afternoon. If everything goes well tomorrow, would it be okay if I join your crew? I want to see with my own eyes the world beyond this village, beyond this island! Hahaha, consider it done. ——If you want, we can even take you with us right now. Even if you're cursed by 「Ix Tab」? Yeah. Though I can't say if the rest of the village will think they have been 「cursed」 or not... (...Captain, you're going too far——) (It's fine, just translate what I said.) The Captain says she's not afraid of curses. There is no problem with taking you with us right now, the only issue is—— ——Whether you're capable of putting an end to the responsibilities you have towards your 「beliefs」 or not. ..... (Hey! How could you say that!? Now the mood is all tense!) ...It's okay, Bianka-sama. Eh? Do you understand English? I don't know what you just said, but I could tell you were concerned for me. Y-You're welcome... Captain Shakespeare is correct. I am the avatar of a God. Before I can begin to think about my own future, I need to fulfill my duty towards the village first. For their own futures... I need to bear any hardships. ..... ...Sorry, I made the mood even worse. Do you all remember that Federation Officer? Among everything he said, there was one thing that was absolutely right. Unlike his Gods, the ones that have protected us for so long are certainly cruel. ..... The God of the Sun 「Kinich Ahau」, and the God of Maize 「Hun Hunahpu」 required blood sacrifices. The God of Death 「Cizin」 only recognizes people with chronic skin diseases as his avatars. The God of Rain 「Chaahk」 selects weak children to restore its power. Even 「Ix Tab」, the guardian deity of this village who looks over mothers who died during childbirth and suicides, requires her avatars to pierce their tongues. U-Unbelievable! ...I know what you want to say, Bianka. That's why the Federation calls us barbaric and savage. No, I'm pretty sure that's just an excuse to expand their territory. ...But even so, that fact made the Federation warriors look down on us, or I'm wrong? In order to change—— I want our guardian deities to let us, the ordinary people, live more freely. Please wait—— Why can't you simply choose to 「change」 yourself? Isn't God in the end the sublimation of the human will and soul? ..... Yes, that's right. That's why tonight's ceremony is so important. This 「end of an era」 ritual can only be performed once every 400 years. It's the perfect opportunity to change the influence all Gods have on us rather than doing it individually. ..... I sincerely thank you all for coming to visit our village today. Not only you chased away the Federation's army—— ——But you also gave me the courage to ask the Gods for the change I yearned for. I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. ...That girl with the feather accessory went inside the cave. By the way, where are our two Valkyries? They didn't want to stick around for the preparations of the ceremony, but they didn't have any reason to stop it either so they went back to the ship. It's not our place to say anything, but I must confess the customs of this place worry me. ...I'm a bit worried as well. I wonder if that girl will do something stupid. ...Something stupid? The content of the ritual is a secret, but I'm sure it involves the use of hallucinogenic drugs. They can be used to null pain and see visions. ...Seeing her try so hard makes it difficult to see how things will turn out... She probably feels it's necessary to protect the 「mystery」 and 「Holiness」 of it. However, thinking logically, even a man of God like myself can see how awful this is. Hahaha! Now that's a 「Spaniard」! Hm? ...Let me tell you that's not all I have to say. Oh? I've always thought pagans and atheists always look at Spaniards with compassionate eyes. What's Jesus Christ? An avatar of God, and part of the 「Holy Trinity」. ——Leaving aside the matter of God actually existing or not, that girl is no different than Christ. So what did Christ do? He sacrificed himself to free us from the original sin. ——Regardless of God existing or not, people willingly hurt themselves and shed blood on His name. Naturally, those who don't believe in the one true God won't think Christ's divinity was genuine. Makes me wonder if those people saw Christ as a stubborn and naive person. ...Ho. Well, I wouldn't have been able to say all of this out loud in 「that」 Spain. In this place, the majority of the people from the 「Old World」 don't seem to be religious fanatics. Yeah. That 「wall」 has been there for 100 years already. A big chunk of them is bound to have been 「consumed」 by now. ...The same can't be said about remote areas, but it's not our place to speak for them. Anyway, let's get down to business before the young lady comes back. I heard—— ——The corn flour they have here is amazing. Let's buy tons! The Sun is setting, And the stars begin to appear. Bianka Ataegina spent the next 12 hours aboard the 「Caledonia」 feeling anxious. Be it cleaning her weapons, learning Spanish or playing with cards, she couldn't concentrate. She felt like she did during her first mission as a Valkyrie. She was part of a secondary unit who had to spend 15 long minutes in the helicopter before they were given the order to sortie. The Agra Fort in one side and the Taj Mahal in the other. It was a defense operation to protect many treasures of human civilization.

注：

阿格拉堡（印地语：आगरा क़िला，乌尔都语：آگرہ قلعہ‬‎‎）是印度莫卧儿王朝全盛时期的皇宫，使用者包括巴布尔、胡马雍、阿克巴、贾汗吉尔、沙贾汗、奥朗则布六代雄主。

著名的泰姬陵位于阿格拉堡东南2.5公里处，是沙贾汗为其妻子慕塔芝·玛哈修建的陵寝。沙贾汗晚年被儿子奥朗则布夺取皇位并囚禁于阿格拉堡，他在人生最后的八年中只能从这里去默默地眺望泰姬陵。

 The primary unit would lure the Honkai beasts away to the citadel's garden to minimize the damage. Bianka's unit would then cut off their path, make a stand at Yamuna River and proceed to easily eliminate the Houkai beasts from both sides with the help of the primary unit. ...Or so they were supposed to. Bianka-sama, Tazumal-sama of 「El Rey」 has come to see you. ——The sudden appearance of the maid interrupted the Valkyrie's recollection. She came to see... me? Yes. She specifically asked for you. O avatar of 「Buluc Chabtan」! I have to come request your aid. Please accompany 「Ix Tab」's soul in her journey during the ceremony. ...? She's asking for your help during the ritual. The village is still under the impression you're the incarnation of a local god. ..... This is the will of 「Ix Tab」—— Only an incarnation of a God such as yourself is allowed to help during the ceremony. Please, I beg you. ...U-Understood. Many candles were lit in this limestone cave, which was sacred ground for the people of the village. The Elder guided Bianka deep into the cave. Even someone in her position is not allowed to speak inside this place. ——That is a privilege unique to the 「Avatar of God」. The faint lights of the candles sways gently. Drops of water fall from above, hitting the stalagmite on the ground. The air made her feel as if blood was dripping from her fingertips, just like they did that day. ——The first mission Bianka took part in as a Valkyrie. ——Bianka was the sole survivor of that mission. That day, Bianka realized she was special. It wasn't due to luck or an easy to understand talent. The average person has, no matter the specialty, an invisible 「ceiling」—— A top they can't overcome no matter how much they try. But Bianka is different. When it comes to battle, she can keep growing as long as she puts effort. Bianka's intuition told her she is what people call a 「genius」. But her heart didn't want to admit that. She wanted to believe that every person, regardless of their background, is able to surpass their limits. She didn't want to admit that task was too much for the average person. The Elder stopped walking. Bianka must walk alone the path leading to the deepest part of the cave. Another 「Avatar of God」 told Bianka the secret ritual will have started by the time she gets there. Ten, twenty, thirty steps. Make a turn, go through a crack in the wall and turn again. Those were her instructions. The surroundings were serene. Neither music or the sound of wooden shoes hitting the ground could be heard anymore. Beyond the candle lights, Bianka arrived at a red curtain with a pattern of black totem-like symbols. ...Eikenal? Soy Bianka. Ya estoy aqui. (...Eikenal? It's Bianka. I'm coming in.) ——Those were some of the few words of Spanish she learned during the evening. However, no one answered her call. The Valkyrie moved the curtain aside—— ——And saw the scene she wanted to see the least.