Chapter 8

So flying was a new experience for me. A terrifying one if I am to be honest. It was a couple weeks after I had met Yuki and my parents had returned home. My parents and Katashi Nakahara had hammered out a deal. So I was now on his rather large private jet heading for Cairo and trying not to let on how terrified I was.

Inari sat beside me holding my hand and caressing my arm trying to calm my nerves. I think she could tell how tense I was by how tightly I was squeezing her hand. Somehow despite how hard I was squeezing she didn't complain.

Yuki sat on Inari's lap as she was next to the window. Yuki was utterly fascinated to look out the window. She would happily call out to look at this landmark or that landmark as we flew over or just look how pretty the ocean was.

I'll admit it took the edge off my fear a bit to see her so happy. I guess that a flying machine was well beyond the things she could even have considered in her life.

The cabin was spacious and mostly empty except for us, Mitsuko was with us quietly sitting in her seat. Though she appeared calm somehow from knowing her I guessed she was in the same boat as me.

It wasn't long before Katashi and Hercules wandered into the cabin, apparently they had been up visiting with the pilot.

"Ah I am glad that you could come. I take it that this is your first time flying?" asked Katashi. I guess I really had a bad poker face.

"Uh… yeah" I managed.

"Hey Kid relax I got just what you need." said Hercules, He walked over to a private bar that was in the plane and took a bottle of what was apparently scotch from the label and a glass. Despite being a bit stuck up Katashi always keeps this place stocked the good stuff." said Hercules with a grin.

Katashi gave a slight chuckle and shook his head. "Someone has to be responsible around here."

"Yeah, Yeah anyways here kid." He said, pouring me a glass. "This will help to take the edge off."

I took it not wanting to show how anxious I was. I had never had drank in my previous life and was too young to drink in this life but I wasn't going to turn him down. I looked at the glass at the pale brown liquid in it, and gave it a sniff. It did not smell good. Gathering my courage I went ahead and downed it.

It tasted terrible and burned my throat as it went down. I wound up coughing and He just laughed.

"Don't worry it's always rough the first time but It should help you relax a bit." He added.

I could feel the warmth of the drink in my stomach. "Ah… thanks."

Sadly it didn't make me feel all that better and I had a terrible taste in my mouth now.

He patted me on the shoulders "Anyways there is nothing to worry about. As a campione you're a hell of a lot tougher than a normal human. I doubt even if the plane crashed you would be hurt.

That got my attention "Really. How do you know so much about them?"

"Well… I fought a few, the last one was the old bastard Voban. Let's see I think it was in Africa, likely some time before you were even born. We were just starting out in those days and well we stumbled across him because apparently he had heard the same rumors of a Heretic God we had.

We stumbled into each other. A straight up fight wasn't good enough for him though I had to fight against wolves and his undead warriors for days. He was trying to wear me out.

I finally caught up to the bastard and he tried to fry me with lightning. Me, a son of Zeus, and he tried to kill me with lightning. That didn't work so the bastard turned into a Giant wolf and tried to use me as a chew toy.

I'll admit he gave me a hell of a fight but I managed to knock him out of that form and before he could do anything else I grabbed him and snapped his neck. It was no easy feat considering how tough you guys are especially your bones.

I was about to walk away. I figured my job was done and then he got up and asked me if I was ready to go again. Anyways it was about to start all over again then that we were swarmed with spiders."

"Spiders? I asked, shuddering. I really hated spiders, they were creepy, evil creatures.

"Yeah apparently the god we were looking for found us, It was Anasazi, the African god of spiders. Not wanting to deal with two gods I guess the bastard decided to leave. Anasazi it turned out though was a cool guy, he was a little upset that we were causing a ruckus close to some nearby villages but once I explained things he settled down."

"My you two have been together that long?" interjected Inari, crooking her head curiously.

"What me and Katashi, Hell I think when I came across him, was probably about her age." He said pointing at me.

"I took him under my wing as best I could."

Katashi cleared his throat "I think you got me into more trouble than I would have gotten into myself." He replied with a smile.

Hercules laughed "Yeah but you also had a hell of a lot more fun than you would have otherwise." patting Katashi on the back hard enough to make him stumble.

Katashi, seeming used to such treatment merely got his footing and straightened his Jacket even giving a small chuckle.

Somehow watching everyone relaxed around me made me feel better.

"Umm Mr. Nakahara, why is it that you are trying to gather all of these heretic gods into your service?" I asked.

He sighed and chuckled "You know I expected this question a lot sooner. Well there are a few reasons I am gathering the powers of the heretic gods. One undeniably is if I can get them to work with me it's incredibly profitable as I am sure you have realized.

That wasn't my original goal but it has turned out to be a nice side benefit. Another reason is that I believe that with the help of these heretic gods we can elevate man to a new golden age, an age where poverty and hunger are virtually unknown.

Lastly I wish to create a world that is safe for these beings, one where they can use their powers without harming others and if they are willing to can live their lives not bothering anyone."

"Umm that sounds great and all but I seem to remember a lot of the gods being dicks. Are you sure that the gods are going to be willing to get on board with your idea to help humanity?" I responded.

Hercules nodded chuckling slightly at my description of the gods.

"Well I may not be able to work with every god but I am sure there are enough gods that love humanity that I can manage."

"Well I hope so." I agreed.

"Anyways since you asked me, what about you? Why did you take this job?"

I gave a nervous laugh. "Maybe it's a bit corny or childish but I just want to help people." I said.

"Well if that's all it is there are plenty of other ways you could use your talents than fighting gods, many safer ways too." Katashi pressed.

"Well honestly I am looking for a safe way to gain enough power to protect myself. It seems the life of a Campione is one of conflict. Everything I hear about them is either them fighting gods or each other. Well aside from the ruling through their insane power and gathering large harems. There are a few stories of those too.

Katashi nodded smiling, seeming to accept my answer.

"Understandable. It must have been very hard waking up to find the world was different than you had believed in. It's a lot less safe and more chaotic. Well I hope that we can help each other out."

"Speaking of other Campione, isn't there one that usually lives in Egypt? Aren't we going to be stepping on her toes or something?" I asked, I couldn't help but be concerned after what I had heard

"Ah Madame Aisha, Yes she lives in Egypt but frequently travels, my sources tell me this is one of those occasions where she will be out of the country. They also predict there is going to be a catastrophic clash between Heretic Gods so we are taking the initiative."

"I see, is there much else that you can tell me?"

"I am afraid the person I hired visions were vague, just lots of fire and destruction with a battle between two gods."

"Ah I see, is there anything else I should know before we reach Egypt?" I asked.

Katashi thought for a moment. "Well… magic used to be an essential part of everyday life in ancient Egypt. Modern times have forced those who use magic underground but it is still a place very rich with magic. However secrecy has divided the magic underworld and left it… well what's a good term for it." He thought.

"Clusterfuck. It's a giant clusterfuck." Hercules added.

Katashi nodded "not the term I would have used but not incorrect either. Since Madam Aisha has favored a laissez faire policy with the magical associations in her land. Things have gotten a bit messy."

"So we might have more than gods to worry about?" I asked.

"I have contacts there with the largest Association, the Order of the golden Ankh, that should help us navigate our way through this without too much of a problem. However I can't guarantee that there won't be other dangers."

"Great." I replied less than enthusiastic.

It was not long before we reached the ground. I was grateful for that. I never thought I would miss firm ground so much. But that left another hurdle ahead of us. Unfortunately we had to go through the airport. I really don't like crowds, Thankfully Since we were from a private jet we didn't have to go through many crowds. We went through a private section which was a relief until we hit the door to leave.

Immediately we saw a couple of people amidst the crowd of people waiting to pick people up. One was dressed as a driver and the other was wearing a fine suit. The driver was holding up a sign saying "Olympus Industries." That was the name of Katashi's company.

We followed along as Katashi greeted the man in the suit. Apparently thanks to my being a Campione and a few hours of study I was now fluent in Arabic and was able to understand their conversation. It was another neat little perk of being a Campione.

Katashi greeted the man as an old friend then turned to address us introducing him to us as Dr. Burham Karim, of the Sacred order of the golden Ankh.

Dr. Karim was a short stocky middle aged man with dark salt and pepper hair that was thinning on the top. His complexion was on the dark side and he had dark brown eyes. He wore a dark navy blue suit.

"A pleasure to meet you doctor." I replied in my fluent Arabic, surprised at how little of an accent as I offered him my hand.

"Ah the pleasure is all mine madam." He bowed and kissed it politely.

I smiled and nodded. He then repeated the process with Inari and Mitsuko who both graciously greeted him in Japanese which he seemed to understand.

Katashi and He exchanged a few more words and then we were led to the back of a stretch limo. I was just starting to get used to traveling in such lavish conditions. It's strange to say as before waking up in this world I would never have even imagined frequently traveling this way. I guess winning the lottery and having a goddesses blessing of wealth does change you.

The interior of the Limo was white leather. It was soft and smooth. The two rows of seats in back were turned to face each other. Inari, Yuki, Mitsuko and I all piled in on one side. Dr. Karim, Katashi and Hercules took the other. There was a minibar which Hercules quickly made use of.

He offered us drinks from there too but they were mostly alcoholic so we declined.

On the way to our Hotel Dr. Karim explained they had a matter that they need our help with which was why they had invited us. I guess this visit was killing two birds with one stone. He was hesitant to discuss the matter now but said he would discuss it further at dinner tonight. It was still early. Apparently we would be meeting with the rest of the heads of the sacred order of the golden ankh at dinner.

This was fine as the flight had been long and I didn't mind having the rest of the day to relax. Though I guess for Campione's jet lag just isn't a thing either.

We were driven to the finest hotel in Cairo. Apparently it was a place visiting dignitaries and stars stayed when they visited here.

We were escorted out of the Limo by security as bellhops handled our luggage. There was almost an immediate problem when they tried to take Mitsuko's sword. I had never seen her without it and the usually quiet Samurai girl protested quite loudly the moments one of the security guys laid their hand on it to take it from her.

Not wanting her to turn this into a fight I stepped and explained that among her various duties that she served she was also my bodyguard and surely they didn't make bodyguards of the guests disarm. This world being anime there were specific forms to be filled out to keep swords and archaic weaponry for the purpose of self-defense and Mitsuko was escorted off to fill them and pay a fee (which I paid for her).

After that as we were escorted up to our rooms Katashi informed me about something I had asked about a few days earlier.

"By the way, I was able to procure some lessons with one the best Alchemists in the world. You should be able to start in a couple weeks though I am kind of curious, why are you so interested in alchemy?" he asked.

"Ah well I had an idea… you see Alchemy is the alteration of physical matter, including living matter. What I intend to do is use my Authorities in combination with the skills I gain to create things that can be mass produced like breast enhancement cream, fat reduction cream and age reduction cream, all that actually works. I am intending to start a business."

Katashi blinked in surprise and Hercules laughed "How about that, Looks like you aren't the only one who figured out that you can use magic to make money Katashi." Hercules teased. Katashi smiled, "Well that is clever but from what I understand of that sort of alchemy a lot of the components are rather rare and expensive." He warned.

"True I suppose but remember there is also Alchemy I turn stuff in to what I need. Also for safety's sake there isn't going to be much actual formula in each container, I'll water it down so it doesn't have too drastic an effect."

"And of course it will take many treatments to get the desired results." He added.

"Well I can't deny that. Considering how much is spent on stuff that supposedly does what I am planning to do and considering my stuff will actually work, I think it's pretty fair of me to make a profit off of it." I stated.

Katashi chuckled and nodded "Well I can't deny that. Anyways glad to see you have some projects of your own going. Though I warn you there may be magical agencies that aren't so pleased you are selling magic to the public."

"Oh I have that covered you see… I have learned a lesson from Inari as she is a goddess of industry. If you throw enough money at the right people you can get away with pretty much anything you want." again that drew a chuckle from my companions.

"Well I can tell you; yes that is an aspect of business. It's good you have that lesson out of the way. Anyways if you need any help getting started feel free to ask. I always enjoy helping young entrepreneurs"

I smiled and nodded to him "Thanks. I think I should be alright but if I need anything I'll ask."

We were shown to our rooms. Inari, Yuki and I were sharing a room. Mitsuko insisted on being in the room next to us just in case I had need of her.

The rooms were huge. They came with every amenity that one could ask for even indoor Jacuzzis. By the time we were finished unpacking our things and relaxing from the trip it was time for lunch. While I was certain that we could have gotten just about anything we wanted from room service I felt like going out for lunch.

We brought along Mitsuko who was more than happy to tag along with us. We didn't know where we were going. Rather than getting a car or Limo we decided to walk about and get the flavor of the surrounding area.

The area was filled with high end shops and restaurants. Still being a finicky eater we were looking to see if they had an Italian restaurant.

Our selection of restaurants did draw some complaints from Inari about traveling all the way to a foreign land to get food that we could have gotten anywhere else.

The sidewalks were crowded with other groups walking around. Our attention was not on the crowds around us. Then someone yells out "Hey it's her, the new Campione girl from Japan." a half dozen men in their early twenties wearing black trench coats which struck me as odd as it was rather warm out.

They approached us. I could feel magic on them though not particularly strong. "Umm are you sure you want to be talking about this stuff… you know… in the middle of a busy street?" I asked them.

The lead one; a tall lean man with short black curly hair tan skin and deep brown eyes turned back to the others for a moment. "See I told you she doesn't know anything." He said then turned back around. "We have what's called a glamor. We can talk about anything we want and the normies can't tell shit."

Quietly to my side Mitsuko asked me "Shall I go ahead and dispose of them?" I shook my head.

I made a quick glamor myself "Uh yeah I know about glamors but yours seems kind of sloppy and you're shouting and drawing attention. I am not sure how secure it is. Also if there happen to be any other mages around they are going to be able to hear everything…"

"Hey don't knock my glamor I'll have you know it's a damn good glamor." said one of the men getting irritated.

"Ok fine. Anyways you seem interested in me, what can I do for you?" I asked, wanting to get to the point.

"Well you can start by getting the hell out of our country. We are the knights of the crescent moon in service to our lady Madame Aisha. We know for a fact that you are violating the rules of etiquette between Campoines because you didn't get her permission to be here."

"Uh huh right, look as I understand it she is out of the country and I have business here. If I ever run in to her I'll apologize and hell I'll even invite her to Japan if she ever wants to come."

"Look we know you are barely a Campione but that's not how this works." The man answered

"Yeah she is the weakest Campione like ever." One of his friends said from the side, the one with the glamor.

I just sighed and shook my head "Oh and how does this work?" I asked.

"Can I please get rid of them?" Mitsuko practically begged me at this point. She did not like how I was being disrespected.

"Either you leave or we will make you leave." The lead man declared.

"Riiight just you six… you're going to make me leave the country, right here in the middle of a crowded street with your mediocre glamor you're going to whip out your magic and weapons and chase me off." I think my eye was twitching at that point.

"Yes, Yes we are, you sorry excuse for a Campione. we can more than handle the likes of you."

I just sighed part of me wanted to demolish these guys but it's not right to pick on the stupid.

"Look… j-just turn around and walk away. I'll forget this business you can go back to whatever you're doing no one has to get hurt."

"You'd like that wouldn't you. What's the matter? getting scared because you're outnumbered?" One of the men shouted out. "We aren't leaving; you are," said the lead guy.

"Ok, well I tried. Let's at least find some vacant place to do this. I don't civilians accidently hurt because of this."

They agreed… so began the hunt for an acceptable battlefield. It took a few minutes to find an abandoned parking lot next to a place closed for renovations.

I had Inari and Mitsuko watch Yuki. Mitsuko wasn't happy because she believed they weren't worthy to face me.

It turns out Mitsuko was absolutely right of course. I was a campione and these were some very stupid mages.

I wish I could describe some glorious battle against them where I proved my cunning and battle prowess… However the truth is I was just immune to their magic. They hit me with fire, lightning, bolts of magic and one even pulled a gun on me when none of that worked.

I didn't bother with any authority since I didn't want to kill them. I actually barely laid my hands on them, a simple backhand from me was enough to send them flying.

I kind of started to feel bad when the one guy wet his pants and started crying calling me a monster.

I would love to say at least I relieved some stress but…. I felt like a bully and I wasn't even the one who started it. I finally told the ones that were still conscious to pick up their friends and run away. They did so gladly at this point. It also left me with a feeling of being… unfulfilled. This hadn't been a fight, it was just a waste of time.

One of them dropped a cool sword though. It was a replica master sword from the legend of Zelda. It even fired weak blasts of magic. It wasn't particularly well made but looked authentic. It just struck me as neat so I confiscated it. I figured if I didn't they would probably wind up hurting themselves or someone else by accident. I may have made a comment about the trash mobs around here coming with loot drops. I think I can be forgiven for that.

"Onee-chan is strong!" cried Yuki happily as she grabbed my hand. I mussed her hair and smiled. "Nah those guys were just weak. Anyways let's go eat." I responded with a smile.

"I must say you are far too kind with how you handled those fools." Inari stated flatly.

I just sighed "Look, They weren't a threat to me."

"A threat to you or not they challenged you, anyone of authority should not let such a brazen challenge pass so lightly. I do love your kind heart but I do not wish to see you taken advantage of. Moreover be careful who you show mercy to. In this case as you said they couldn't hurt you but just because an opponent seems weak doesn't mean you should feel free to turn your back on them."

"Look they were really stupid and I heard that one of Madam Aisha's Authority makes people friendly to her some to a fanatical degree… She tries to avoid that but I think we just saw proof that it doesn't always work."

"That does sound like a troublesome Authority." Inari added. "Well what's done is done."

After that I had worked up quite an appetite… unfortunately the Restaurant we found was very busy. We didn't have a reservation so an hour later we were seated. The food was wonderful but not worth the wait. All in all it probably would have been better just to order room service but hey I got a cool sword out of it.

After a rather late lunch we still had a good amount of time to wait until we were to meet with the heads of sacred order of the golden Ankh. We decided to window shop a bit. Is it weird no one batted an eye at either myself or Mitsuko for carrying a sword… well I did have to check my sword at one place because they apparently sold replica master swords too. Anyways I don't like crowds so I wasn't as into it as my companions. However it was rather interesting to see just how much everything cost. I effectively had the potential for limitless amounts of money but damn some of that stuff seemed like it was more expensive than a car payment. Still it was fun to hang out with my friends and Yuki got a new stuffed animal out of it so she was thrilled. After all you must spoil your Daughteru.

It did freak a few people out when I gave the doll to what appeared to them to be thin air and it floated and hopped along… Sometimes it's easy to forget just because we can see her not everyone can.

A quick glamor made the floating doll vanish and we left the store rather quickly after that. People will likely think it was a prank which is fine with me.

Eventually it got late enough for us to head back to the hotel. I am not one for meeting new people so I was not looking forward to the meeting. I had already resolved to let Katashi do the speaking except when necessary. I was after all working for him.

We met up with Katashi and Heracles and told them of our encounter with the so called knights of the crescent moon, to which he face palmed; Heracles got a good laugh out of it.

Katashi merely mentioned that the situation with the magic organizations here was complicated. Heracles just commented that fanboys ruin everything. I can't disagree with him on that.

Soon we were loaded up into a limo once again and headed for the headquarters of the order of the golden ankh. Katashi apologized in advance that this would probably be a bit of a boring dinner. They would likely fill him in on what was going on in Cairo and the rest of Egypt. He also asked Hercules to behave himself. Hercules grumbled a bit but agreed.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the Order's headquarters where the dinner would be held. The last magic organization I had worked with had their Headquarters at an ordinary looking library. SO maybe I shouldn't have been surprised when the limo pulled up at a museum.

The Museum was a massive sprawling building; It was a museum specializing in Egyptian antiquities according to the signs that hung prominently in the front of the building.

"Wait, they are based in a Museum? We are having dinner at a museum?" I asked.

"Actually no, their base is underneath the Museum. As a secret society practicing forbidden arts they cannot act in the open. Most of them have day jobs as members of the staff such as Dr. Karim who is one of the museum heads. Also it gives them the advantage that when they seek to procure ancient magical artifacts, no one bats an eye."

I nodded that seemed sensible. "So how are they explaining a group of people showing up in a limo?"

"Ah we are investors coming to tour the premises. That's not actually a lie. I have invested money with them in the past. They have been quite helpful." He replied.

"Yeah tossing money around is a great way to make friends or at least make people act like friends." Hercules added.

With that the driver got out and opened the door and we filed out of the limo.

As we exited I found the place unnervingly quiet. Even outside the area that should have been filled with lines of people waiting to get in was huge. Yet there was no one about as I looked around, the only indication the building was occupied at the moment was the lights were clearly on.

It was early evening, things were just starting to get dark, and the full moon was climbing in the sky. Something about all of this unnerved me a bit. There was a feeling of oncoming dread that I couldn't quite put words too.

I don't know what look was on my face but Inari reached out and squeezed my arm affectionately and smiled. I smiled back.

Yuki just looked up at me quizzically. It seemed she sensed that I was unnerved as well. I smiled down at her and ruffled her hair. "Come on let's go." I told her, forcing myself to walk forward.

At the door we were greeted by Dr. Karim, flanked by two other men dressed in fine suits that marked them as having important positions in the Museum and likely the order.

"Ah I am pleased you all could make it, please come in, feel free to have a look around. We are quite proud of our collection here." Dr. Karim motioned for us to enter.

It seemed everything about the place was huge; the entrance hall was vast with a high ceiling. Around us we saw ancient statues of pharaohs and murals of scenes of ancient Egypt. On any other day it would have been fascinating. We saw plaques near each piece that told what they were. It took me a second to realize they were in Arabic so likely I would be the only one who could tell what they said.

Dr. Karim pointed out a few choice pieces explaining what they were and where they had been found.

Still that lingering inexplicable feeling stayed with me, wrongness maybe, something told me to stay on my guard.

We were led through several exhibits until we reached a door marked closed to the public. We were taken past rooms which held several pieces that looked like they were set out to be further examined and attributed, in fact we saw a couple people seemingly doing so. A few waved to Dr. Karim as we passed.

Then we were taken to a small out of the way place out of sight from anyone else and Dr. Karim placed his palm upon the wall and said a few arcane words and suddenly the wall vanished. Behind the wall had been an elevator which we loaded in to. It seemed to have 3 floors, with this seeming to be the top floor.

One quick trip down a floor opened to what I would guess a private club would look like the walls were covered with wood paneling there was a rich red carpet and Old paintings hung on the walls.

"Welcome to the true headquarters of the order of the golden ankh." Dr. Karim proclaimed.

Immediately when I exited the elevator I could feel the magic in the air. It was pungent, old and powerful. There was strong magic here that was undeniable.

Dr. Karim led us down the hallway out through an open area. We could see dozens of people hanging out. Some in casual clothes, some in business attire and some finely dressed. Most were chatting amongst themselves but a few seeing Dr. Karim turned and waved, causing him to wave back.

"We are a very old organization and we find it helpful to have people from all walks of life as our members." He noted.

We walked past several doors to the sides until we reached a wooden set of double doors which were opened into a large room. The room was set up for a fancy dinner with a long table spread out. There were a half dozen men all formally dressed who stood up to welcome us.

They greeted us in varying quality of Japanese as we were greeted and introduced to them. Honestly I am ashamed to admit that I forgot their names the moment after they told me. Maybe it was the growing sense of unease but most likely it's the fact I am terrible with names.

I was relieved at first that my role was to be a minor one. Smile, look pretty, and let Katashi handle the talking…

However when I was introduced as the newest Campione… that plan sort of went to shit. Everyone was impressed and soon people were asking me questions like how did I become a campione, how long had I been a campione; what gods had I fought.

I answered as best I could. They were all very eager and I didn't have many great answers for them honestly. Finally it was Dr. Karim who stepped in to save me. He reminded his fellows that they had business to attend to, which quieted them down.

People who were working as waiters for this dinner came out and set out the horderves and drinks. Soon Dr. Karim began to speak. He welcomed us as honored guests and said how grateful he was that we were there. From the way he spoke I gathered that Dr. Karim was one who enjoyed speaking and hearing the sound of his own voice.

I steeled myself for what I was sure was going to be a long speech then I started to feel something.

Even over the throbbing hum of the ancient and powerful magic that permeated the building I felt a tremendous energy. It was strong, stronger than anything I had felt before and it was quickly approaching. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, I felt Inari tense up next to me as well. With a quick glance over I saw Mitsuko's hand already on the handle of her sword.

The talking died out as the feeling grew; we turned towards the presence now that everyone could feel.

A man or precisely a being burst into the room. He was tall, well-muscled, he was decked out in golden ancient Egyptian garb complete with a headdress and a double crown. He carried a Khopesh, an Egyptian style sickle sword in his right hand but by far what drew our attention was the fact he had the head of a falcon. Further with further observation I noticed that he had a nasty scar over his left eye that was closed.

The Falcon man turned directly to me and pointed right at me. "What is that doing here?" he demanded in a voice that nearly made the room shake with his voice.

I really have to learn to start trusting those feelings when they tell me things are going to go sideways.

I caught several gasps, and choice curses from our hosts as Dr. Karim stood up. "Please your royal highness let me explain." He begged.

The falcon man's eye narrowed and he crossed his arms. "Very well I shall hear your explanation, be aware though should it displease me you will face punishment for it."

Dr. Karim paled as he ran up to bow before the newcomer, his fellows quickly following.

"I am sorry your royal highness, we merely sought help in finding your uncle." He pleaded.

"Fool I told you I need no help to track down my uncle. The fact he fled shows he realizes any battle with me will lead to his defeat as it did long ago. I shall track him down in my own time. Now what you have done is a grave crime. You have brought a Campione, a god butcher, into my domain."

"Please your royal highness. I did not know that she would be with them until they were already in the air. I thought they could help us, they have worked with and helped several gods in the past."

With a move that was as fast as a snake striking the newcomer grabbed the front of Dr. Karim's shirt and dragged him up to face him.

"I have no time to waste with excuses Karim. You knowingly brought a threat to me and my rule in to my kingdom. You will be severely punished but that shall have to wait…"

"Let him go." said Hercules standing up clearly displeased. "I don't know who you are but I am not going to sit here and watch you push these people around. You may be a god but that doesn't entitle you to be a prick."

The tension in the room quickly grew as Hercules drew the newcomer's full attention. He let go of Dr. Karim.

"I will forgive your rudeness this once as you obviously have no idea to whom you speak. I am Horus, god of the Sky and the Pharaohs. This land and its people belong to me by divine right." Horus proclaimed. "Now just who are you to speak against me."

Hercules was markedly unimpressed. "The name's Hercules and I don't need your forgiveness. I am not one of your lackeys, dedicated to kissing your ass. We came here to help but I am not going to stand by and watch you bully the humans around here."

"Hercules… you are indeed as insolent as your legends suggest. God or not I shall not tolerate such disrespect." He said then pointed at us "Capture them, I shall handle Hercules. I will decide their fates after I have finished with him."

Dr. Karim and his colleagues turned as one and rose as their eyes glowed with a golden light. Hands began to motion as they gathered magical energies for what ancient magic they were about to throw at us. I could feel the power of Horus' Authority in the air controlling and strengthening them.

On little more than instinct I reached out with will of magic authority and copied the power just used "Stop!" I shouted and the men approaching did so. They froze like statues before I released the authority and they shook their heads like coming out of a trance and blinked.

I was so focused on what I was doing that I was surprised at the thunderous noise just ahead and a burst of force just ahead of us.

Apparently Hercules had managed to punch Horus so hard there was a considerable shockwave that sent Dr. Karim and the other heads of the order flying. Being super strong and tough I was able to stay standing.

When I looked I saw Horus had created a large hole in the ceiling that went clear and threw to the night sky.

I ran over to Hercules "Did you kill him?" I asked.

Hercules frowned and shook his head "Nah it was just a glancing blow." He said irritated before turning back to all of us "Alright we better get out of here. He'll be back and likely pissed off." He declared.

I understood why he wanted to leave. We were in a secret base filled with powerful magicians and likely powerful artifacts, fighting a guy who had the power to control their minds. It would be better to get away from people.

"Oh this is a terrible mess, you have my apologies but you must know before you leave. Horus is the god of vengeance. He will never let this slight past. You are in danger so long as you stay in Egypt and he still lives." Dr. Karim rushed up to inform us.

"What were you doing with him anyways?" asked Katashi.

Dr. Karim's shoulders slumped and he sighed. "We sought to bring back the golden age of Egyptian magic. We summoned Horus to aid us in this. Unfortunately his Uncle Set was summoned as well. He has taken over the order and is trying to use it to hunt down Set. When we heard you were coming we were hopeful you could help to calm his rage. This is a catastrophe."

"Alright enough chit chat, grab everyone, we are headed out of here." said Hercules starting to lose his patience.

I grabbed Yuki, Hercules grabbed Katashi and we leapt up through the hole to the main building and ran out.

The night air was cool and the silence that greeted us was ominous. I looked around with my amazingly sharp senses but didn't see any signs of danger. Something told me just because there wasn't something ready apparent didn't mean that it wasn't there. We had no idea the powers this god possessed… Then I felt it. At first it was the feeling of being watched mixed with that tingle in the back of my neck that told me I was in the presence of a god's Authority. Will of magic informed me that sure enough we were being watched. Horus could see everywhere the light of the moon touched. I noted Inari, Hercules and Mitsuko perked up at about the same time.

"I'll call for the limo to get us out of here." said Katashi, apparently unaware as he pulled out his phone.

"Don't bother… I can already feel we are being watched. Let's go find an open space. I don't think we are going to be able to shake this guy with an authority like this." I told him, he nodded and put his phone back in his jacket.

The streets of Cairo were oddly quiet with few people about. I don't know if that was due to some authority, an odd sort of luck or what but it made the journey unnerving.

Soon we found a truly massive park or maybe it's more appropriate to call it an urban Oasis. It was truly massive covering many city blocks as far as we could tell. Any other time I would think that its size and design would be quite impressive. However we were too busy picking out a field of battle. We found a large area surrounded by well-tended hedges, next to a red gazebo. As a role player I knew what a fearsome beast a gazebo could be. Better to have it on our side for the upcoming battle. Humor aside it was an open space with few things to get in the way.

The wait was unnerving. I don't know what I expected, maybe for Horus to appear in a pillar of flame as soon as we stopped but he didn't. While we had time to do so I asked Mitsuko to take Yuki and protect her. I could see in her eyes that she disagreed. I knew she wanted to be fighting by my side. She considered her duty to serve me though and took the little ghost's hand and said "I shall defend her with my life." which I believed. I didn't know what could happen to a ghost but this was a world of gods and magic. I didn't want to risk it. Honestly I didn't want to risk Mitsuko either which meant this protected her as well.

Inari was anxious as she stood beside me, her arms crossed as she waited beside me. I don't know how but I sensed she was worried and had been since Horus had shown up. I had no illusions about what I felt, He was strong and she knew it and she didn't know if what we had here was enough to stop him.

Hercules was out front of us calmly waiting. For him this had to be a situation that he was very familiar with. Katashi was back beside Mitsuko, not looking as confident. I take it things were not going as well as he had anticipated.

It took a few minutes before my attention was drawn up. I felt the tremendous force of Horus' magic before I saw the dot in the sky descending. I materialized hunter of Immortals as a bow and prepared to take aim but Hercules stopped me. "Wait, Let me handle this, you all stay back. I am the one he has a problem with." I started to protest but he gave me a look that told me not to. "Look, the next god that needs to be handled is all yours but I am taking this one." He added before walking up away from the group towards where he was descending..

It was only thanks to my enhanced senses I was able to see Horus descend so clearly. He fell at a lazy pace, his arms crossed. The look on his face was a stern one though more of agitation than outrage which troubled me.

Soon the others were able to see him as he lowered himself towards the ground, he landed about 100 feet away from Hercules as lightly as a leaf falling.

"I see you have chosen the field of battle. Very well I will accept." He told Hercules.

"Well I am glad it meets with your approval, can we get this started?" Hercules shot back.

"Not just yet." Horus shot back sharply.

"I have not decided what to do to deal with your companions, nor do I wish to have them interfere with our battle."

With a wave of his hand Dr. Karim and dozens of other presumably order of the golden ankh members appeared between us. Some were armed with swords and spears others had their hands glowing already with spells. All of them had that golden glow in their eyes. I noted a look of profound regret on Dr. Karim's face.

"I shall have my servants detain them for now." He said to us. He then shouted to Dr. Karim. "Karim this is your chance for redemption, do not fail me again. Take them all alive."

"You bastard." shouted Hercules before he looked back at me "Sorry kid, kick their asses while I handle this guy."

We were in front of Katashi and Yuki, I refused to let them be dragged in to this. So it was Mitsuko, Inari and myself against about 40 combatants all of whom felt stronger than any human had a right to be coursing with the power of Horus flowing through them.

They charged at us and we charged at them. Battle… Battle is chaotic. There were flashes of fire and lightning and even with my senses all I could hope was that my friends were doing alright.

Again I couldn't use my Authorities, these were normal humans that were likely being forced to act against their will.

Bolts of fire and lightning crashed around me as I zigged and zagged. I called upon a spell I had copied from Mitsuko's blade and let loose a powerful gust of wind blowing the people around me back. Other men approached holding glowing swords. There were a few summoned beasts by their side, again I was forced to dodge, thankfully due to my ill-gotten strength and speed I was able to neutralize their numbers advantage and the fact they were more skilled.

I regretted leaving my new sword at the hotel now as I was about to be swarmed. I called upon Hercules' authority of strength and prayed. If I used too much I would reduce everything around me to mush. I stole a move from the comics and this being anime it just worked. I slammed my hands together with extreme force creating a thunderclap of sound and sending those around me flying.

Finally Dr. Karim approached me with a glowing spear in his hands.

"I am sorry it has come to this, but I must end this." He declared raising the spear.

"The spear is from Scandinavia. It can generate a cold great enough to freeze even a god." He explained and white frigid energy flowed out of the tip like a firehouse.

I threw up the best barrier I could with my magic but soon the air froze around me and I found my limbs being encased in ice.

My heart pounded, something in me refused to be defeated like this but ice was covering me fast. I started pushing myself forward. It was slow, hard at first but one step at a time I advanced. Even through the torrent of ice.

There was a look of shock in Dr. Karim's Eyes. I reached out finally and with Icy fingers grabbed the tip of the spear and snapped it off like nothing.

I was cold… colder than I had ever been, I couldn't feel my limbs but I couldn't stop now. I reached back and with my frozen fist smashed it into his face sending him flying.

I fell to my knees rubbing my arms as my teeth chattered. Ice cracked and fell off my arms and legs as I rubbed them desperately.

I soon found warm arms holding me as Inari hugged me tightly "It's alright you're going to be ok." She told me.

"I'm fine." I told her, which at this point I mostly was. I looked around. Apparently several of the Order had been tied up in vines, the rest were unconscious.

I looked over to see How the fight with Hercules was coming.

I was not encouraged by what I saw. They stood amongst the blackened cratered ruins of what once a green field. They were fighting hand to hand and Hercules' fists were a blur. However each attack was blocked with precision by Horus who was using some form of martial art to compensate for the vast strength and speed difference. Something seemed off, indeed a lot did.

"So you decided to come down and face me in hand to hand combat instead of just flying around and dropping fireballs at me." stated Hercules who was clearly growing frustrated.

"You are indeed formidable on the ground but I am the god of the sky and there my rule is unquestioned. Still I have decided to end this on your terms so you will understand just how vast the difference in our powers truly is." retorted Horus.

As I watched I used will of magic to confirm my suspicions. My stomach sank a little when I saw Horus' Authority. It let him Adapt to his opponent protecting him against their strengths and providing fighting styles that would counter their own. Worse it gave him attacks that his opponent would be weak against.

Suddenly it was no wonder Hercules was having trouble.

Their battle was like a charging Rhino fighting a fly. Hercules crashed around throwing shots that I could feel the shockwaves of when they crashed against the ground. However Horus would nimbly dodge out of the way often counter attacking at Hercules joints. Right now it seemed to be having little effect on Hercules but I could see this wasn't good.

Then Hercules Swung wildly and Horus moved in to strike at his throat which he did… only for Hercules to plow through the attack grabbing him with both hands and slamming Horus into the ground so hard that the shockwave nearly took me off my feet. He lifted him up and slammed him down again and again until they were both in a rather large crater. I wanted to cheer but something inside me told me the battle was not over yet.

Hercules reached down and grabbed Horus by the throat and lifted him off the ground. At this point I was shocked to see Horus was still intact as I expected him to be mush by now. He looked battered even with his resistance to Hercules attacks but still seemed to have some fight in him.

"It's time to end this." began Hercules as he reared back to punch Horus in the face.

"I couldn't agree more." croaked Horus spitting out a spray of purple mist right into Hercules' face.

Immediately Hercules dropped him grabbing his face letting out a cry of surprise and pain. I found myself gasping in surprise as my heart felt like it stopped. I hoped somehow he would be ok.

Horus got up with some effort. Hercules stood blinking and shaking his head looking unsteady.

"You were formidable. I will acknowledge that but I know how your legend ends. That poison coursing through your veins is strong, more than enough to end you." Horus began.

"Yeah… well don't count me out yet. It's going to take more than a dirty trick to get rid of me."

said Hercules who landed a massive punch that surprised Horus and sent him flying.

Horus however managed to right stop and right himself in the air a few hundred feet away…

"Hercules!" yelled Katashi running up to us. "Go, you have to save him." He pleaded to Inari and me. There was a look of shock and fear on his face.

My face was probably a mirror of his. My limbs were numb, still horribly cold from my last encounter but I put what strength I could manage into them and began to run to Hercules and called Hunter of immortals into existence readying to cover Hercules and hopefully finish Horus.

Then I felt a new power, a new Authority hit the area. The area became dry and hot, a not unwelcome feeling in my current state.

The ground underneath Horus Exploded as A giant black bus sized scorpion emerged underneath him grabbing him with its pincer. Horus roared in rage and his right eye glowed with flames as he launched a ball of flame the size of a house at it incinerating it. However another rose nearby took its place and out from the ground slithered a Viper as thick around as a man and as long as an anaconda.

Horus began to incinerate the creatures that were popping up only to have more emerge from around him seeking to swarm him. As he fought he shouted. "Set, I can feel you, come out and fight you coward!"

As he was distracted we ran to Hercules, who looked to be barely standing "Well shit looks like this one is a draw."

"Come one we are getting out of here." I said as I moved to help him but he shooed me away. "I can stand on my own, come on It looks like someone else decided to pick a fight." He said, wincing.

We headed back as fast as we could while Horus was distracted. Hercules was breathing hard and wincing.

Katashi looked gravely concerned as he rushed up "Hercules are you alright?"

Hercules winced and shook his head trying to get his bearings. "Don't worry your not getting rid of me that easily Katashi. I just got a little sloppy today."

Katashi looked slightly relieved "Either way I am calling in Wong Tai Sin. He should be here within a couple hours. You'll be ok." Katashi replied.

Hercules nodded but still looked in pain. "Yeah alright, but right now we have something else to worry about." Hercules replied motioning behind us.

A ways behind us stood a group of a half dozen men. All of them looked hard looking and dangerous, some sporting scars or just rough appearances. They were all dressed in dark and expensive looking suits. The Lead one had his head shaved bald and wore dark glasses even though It was night. He wore a black coat over a black shirt with a black tie and wore a gold chain around his neck with what looked to be a symbol of the sun completely eclipsed by the moon on it.

The man stepped forward "If you wish to live, come with us."