The statement that best explains the difference between the perspectives of the Aztec and the Inca on the arrival of the Spanish is: "Montezuma thought the arrival of the Spanish could mean the return of their god Quetzalcoatl; Atahuallpa thought the Spanish would honor the Incan chief."
This highlights how the Aztec leader Montezuma had a more hopeful or sacred interpretation regarding the arrival of the Spanish, while Atahuallpa of the Inca had a more pragmatic expectation about how the Spanish would regard their leadership and culture.