[Authority: Solar Ark]
Athena's youthful face suddenly revealed a hint of allure, causing Akame to pause in surprise.
"Pet?"
That's how it is—
Enveloped in darkness, Akame was trapped, unable to move forward or backward, while Athena decisively and gently pressed her lips to Akame's...
Buzz!
A flood of information suddenly appeared in the girl's mind, and the Demon Blade Murasame in her hand instantly turned into a transparent, dark crystal.
A moment later, their lips parted.
"I bestow upon you... the protection of the Earth Mother Goddess."
"...well?!"
The black-haired, Red Eye girl blinked, seemingly still reeling from the shock.
"Athena, you... wait? Why? You're clearly a girl... wait?!"
"Hehe... Just consider it a hobby of mine."
After saying that, Athena licked her lips, her eyes looking into the far distance with a look that seemed to say, "What can you do with me?"
As someone's shadow, she was well aware that someone was watching this scene.
"Athena... you really aren't convinced..."
The man who had been watching the battle intently laughed in fury, a chilling smile curving his lips.
"You really want to provoke me?!"
Chapter 439 [Authority Sun Boat]
Athena has a rebellious streak in the back of her head.
This is not a description, but an objective fact.
Greek mythology hints at this: Zeus loved all his children, but he was particularly wary of his daughter, Athena. According to Greece tradition, Athena was born with the mission of overthrowing Zeus, making her a destined rebel.
According to the world view of "Campione!", Athena is also the most courageous of the Earth Mother Goddess. In order to fight against the Steel Hero, she did not hesitate to wander in the mortal world for thousands of years in order to find her "serpent" and restore her ancient Queen status.
Iori never intended for such a goddess to submit willingly. As long as she was willing to cooperate obediently, Iori would not ask Athena to use the etiquette of serving a master... However, what happened today really angered him!
It's certainly pleasing to the eye to see beautiful girls cuddling together, but this scene is full of Athena's malice, a provocation against Iori, because Akame's lips originally belonged to him, but have now been taken away by the Goddess of Wisdom.
This guy is probably trying to demonstrate his free will in this way, like "You can control my body but you can't control my mind"... or something like that?
Interesting! Absolutely interesting!
Since you've broken our working relationship, don't blame me for using methods that better reflect the superior-subordinate relationship to deal with you from now on, Athena!
Thinking this, Iori suddenly raised her head. At the same time, Athena in the distance also sensed something, but still focused her energy on dealing with the giant serpent.
"I didn't expect such a troublesome guy to come... Is it because of the relationship between Kakkavet and Apep?"
Iori frowned, setting aside how to punish Athena for the moment, and turned her attention to another place, Cairo Egypt capital, which was not far away.
"But Akame can't just leave like this... Alright!"
After saying that, Iori took a step outward, and a clone with the same appearance appeared on the spot. Then the clone disappeared without a trace.
"Is that sunrise? It's way too early."
Iori narrowed her eyes slightly. "It seems that something extraordinary has indeed come."
Athena must have seen this unusual celestial phenomenon at this moment, and perhaps she's even gloating that other troubles are coming for Iori.
Both she and Iori could vaguely guess what was below the Ping line. If it were an ordinary Campione!, the Unwilling God that was currently appearing would be a powerful opponent that would inspire despair.
The eastern sky grew brighter and brighter, half of it turning bluish-gray. The moon was reduced to a white arc, and the bright Morning Star gradually disappeared. All these phenomena indicated one fact—the sun was about to rise.
However, the timing was seriously wrong, occurring at least two to three hours earlier than normal celestial phenomena.
This incredible scene proves that what is about to leap from the edge of that field of vision is not the real sun, but something similar to it.
In Egyptian mythology, the supreme Sun God Ra would travel the world every day, with his final stop being the underworld, where he would fight Apep, the symbol of death. After defeating him, he would leave the underworld and descend to the east, where he would be born from the body of the sky goddess Nut, symbolizing sunrise and rebirth.
"Ra is not the oldest Sun God in the Egyptian divine system."
Iori muttered to herself, "Although he is the supreme being, he is not the leader of the Nine Pillar Gods. In fact, the supreme Sun God was not included in the original Nine Pillar Gods system."
The original creator was Atum, the Sun God born from the Primordial Water (Nun). He was the progenitor of the entire pantheon, and the Ennead mythology was built under him, much like the twelve Mount Olympus Twelve Olympians.
However, the power of the Sun God changed hands several times, and Atum's position was gradually replaced by Ra, which is how the Egyptian mythology we know today came about.
Iori glanced at her right hand and frowned slightly.
"So, this level of knowledge is indeed far from enough?"
To activate the Word Spirit Sword or the Prometheus Stone Tablet, one needs deeper knowledge and contact with the Unwilling God himself...
"Troublesome. It's definitely simpler to just kill them directly."
Even though it was just a clone, Iori remained unfazed. "I'm really lucky to have run into two people who refused to comply today!"
As the light in the eastern sky grew brighter, the hazy bluish-gray began to fade, replaced by a clear sky and a blazing white line.
Gradually, the stars and moon disappeared, and a rising sun slowly rose from the ground. At the moment it broke through the darkness, its dazzling crimson light bathed the World of the Living Bleach.
At first, it was a fiery red, like a furnace. As the Shemesh rose higher, the temperature of the atmosphere gradually increased, and the Shemesh itself changed. The red sun transformed into a golden disc and began its celestial journey across the sky.
After the "sun" rose to its highest point in the sky, it slowly set and headed towards Cairo City where Iori was located.
The people had gone mad, kneeling down to worship the gods their ancestors had venerated.
They may not know what happened, but the places illuminated by that light will naturally become the domain of the gods, and all living beings will submit to it.
Only when they got closer could Iori see the true face of this "sun".
That was not a real Shemesh, nor a god shrouded in light, but a Divine Great Ship vessel that shone with the purest golden luster and sailed the sky as if it were a vast ocean!
With a length of over a thousand meters, the multi-layered hull is not bulky at all; on the contrary, it exudes an overwhelming aura that surpasses all things.
If you look closely without fear of strong light, you will find that the hull is not made of pure gold, but of gold plates engraved with hieroglyphs and magical patterns. These plates are connected and stacked to form this behemoth.
The magical power, shimmering with an indigo glow, flowed through the patterns on the ship's surface. This giant ship had neither sails nor oars; it seemed to rely entirely on these True Magic arrays to counteract gravity and propel it forward.
Its size is immeasurable; the portion Iori could see was enough to contain a town. As it soared through the sky, it churned the atmosphere into layers of ripples. The exact number of its buildings and the vastness of its interior space were beyond Iori's comprehension.
"The Golden Ship... I think its name is Mandjet? It's one of the two Sun Boat that God Ra used when he was touring the world."
Iori narrowed her eyes slightly. "What an exaggerated entrance... This thing is much more gorgeous than the Golden Flash Vimana."
Come to think of it, Iori really doesn't have a suitable vehicle, which is quite a coincidence!
"Although it's rude to interrupt the boss's cutscenes, let's get started now, pull!"
Iori drew out a broad, silver-white blade, the World-Saving Divine Blade that had been transferred from her original body, and shot into the sky like a meteor streaking across the heavens.
Although the Golden Ark floated at an altitude of 10,000 meters, Iori was incredibly fast, and in just a few breaths, he passed through the clouds and saw the complete outline of the Golden Ark.
Just as he had expected, the colossal ship carrying the sun exuded an unimaginable sense of oppression, and was even larger than he had imagined. Because he was looking down, he couldn't see its entirety, only vaguely discernible mountain-like features on the upper half of the hull.
This ship is huge, it's like it's carrying an entire city!
When they were still more than a thousand meters away from the Golden Ark, the atmosphere suddenly became as hard as steel, and a powerful wave of magical energy came from above. A layer of light, golden light film with intricate patterns slowly spun down.
This peculiar True Magic circle, wherever it passed, forcibly compressed even the invisible atmosphere, distorting the entire sky.
Don't hide!
If it were allowed to fall, Cairo City would probably be wiped out in an instant.
"Unleash the Mandala Array!"
Buzz—!
The divine sword in her hand extended countless shimmering lines, forming a True Magic circle hundreds of meters in diameter that floated behind Iori. The outermost circle began to rotate like a Ferris wheel, and dazzling golden light flowed throughout the magic circle. From that sacred radiance, weapons of various shapes materialized, shooting towards the Golden Ship like arrows!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Like Thunder God's drum, the booming sound continued to ring out. The divine protection that guarded the Golden Ship began to twist under the attack of countless sharp blades, and finally shattered completely!
In that Flash Step, Iori sheathed the World-Saving Divine Blade, leaped forward, and like Vishnu in Indian mythology, instantly crossed the distance between heaven and earth, arriving above the Golden Ship.
Immediately afterwards, a huge landscape painting unfolded in the air, and the next moment, Iori and the Golden Ship vanished simultaneously. The sky darkened again, and the residents of Cairo awoke from their Astral Projection, looking around blankly...
On the Nile River, the battle between the two women and the Unwilling God continues.
Unlike God Ra, who made a divine entrance, and whose image is more like that of an evil god, Kakkavet is undoubtedly an extremely important righteous god in Egypt culture, and is by no means some mainland figure. The two fought each other with great difficulty.
Athena, you... also rule over darkness...
The giant snake emitted a resentful woman's voice that sent shivers down the spines of anyone who heard it.
But Athena was clearly no ordinary person; looking at Kakkavet, she had a deep, inescapable regret in her eyes.
But there was nothing she could do. Even if she the Unassailable, Iori would never let the giant serpent go. Moreover, as a goddess who had lost her freedom, Athena had little room to resist; provoking Iori like she had just done was her limit.
"Yes, I am the Queen of the Underworld and the Sky, and darkness is also one of my domains. If you can devour me, you will probably regain your goddess form."
Unfortunately, you no longer have a chance!
As Athena spoke, the battle between Akame and Orochi intensified.
Having received the blessing of the Earth Mother Goddess, Akame's abilities have reached the level of a weaker Unwilling God, and the incantation attached to her Zanpakuto can easily penetrate the scales of a giant serpent.
Coupled with her unpredictable speed, the scales of victory gradually tipped in Akame's favor.
Athena knew that this girl possessed the same special constitution as Iori. With unlimited magic power, even a slight advantage could turn into an overwhelming gap in strength over time!
"In Egyptian mythology, all things were born from the Primordial Water (Nun), and Ra and Apep (Apep) were his offspring."
Similar to Zoroastrian mythology, Ra and Apep stand at opposite ends of light and darkness, presenting a near-binary worldview.
Looking across the world, many mythologies share similar concepts: light and darkness, good and evil, sky and earth—these concepts are inherently contradictory, and their struggle and unification form the foundation of mythology.
The Golden Ark was cleaved in two and crashed onto the grassland. Iori stood on the prow, which rose like a mountain peak, and methodically wove words of power against the enemy.
However, he did not rush to summon the Golden Sword. After all, this kind of killing power should be used at a critical moment to achieve a decisive effect.
To try and attack head-on with Golden Sword is like trying to cut someone with the back of a knife – a waste of effort.
"Hahaha! This was so exhilarating! As expected of Campione!, they're really interesting; they can actually fight me to this extent!"
A radiant Shemesh descended from the sky, but instead of striking Iori, it quietly expanded, burning away the chaotic mist.
Immediately, a dignified middle-aged man stepped out. He was dressed in simple tropical clothing, but adorned with ornate gold ornaments on his neck, wrists, and ankles. Although not as handsome as Iori, he could still be described as good-looking.
He surveyed the area ahead with a majestic gaze, only to find Iori looking at him calmly. "It's about time to end the battle, Lord Sun God."
After overcoming numerous obstacles to board the Golden Ark and engaging in close combat with God Ra, both of them displayed formidable strength befitting their respective identities. Not only was their magical power far beyond that of ordinary people, but they also employed a variety of unique and skillful methods.
Currently, there is no sign of a clear winner – the clones must control their power while fighting to avoid destroying this small world and endangering Cairo City below.
If it weren't for this, even if it were just Iori's clone, they would have already defeated the Sun God!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Several more clashes of swords ensued.
At this moment, God Ra changed his appearance and became a handsome and noble young warrior in his early twenties. However, his fighting style was anything but elegant. Crimson flames burned in his golden eyes, and his face was stained with madness, revealing a ferocious smile.
As the famous riddle (the Sphinx) says:
What kind of thing has four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?
This uses the human stages of childhood, adulthood, and old age to correspond to the rising and setting of the sun.
God Ra has the ability to change his appearance, as well as adjust his attributes and fighting style. In his youth, he is more skilled in close-quarters combat, while in his old age, he manipulates the Shemesh to launch repeated attacks.
The two exchanged blows for only a few dozen rounds, but the entire small world was devastated by the aftershocks. Dozens of pillars inside the Golden Ship broke and fell, and the walls were covered with cracks, seemingly on the verge of collapse.
The golden longsword wielded by God Ra was wreathed in flames as intense and blinding as blood. Even Iori dared not get too close, as the scorching heat from the mere sight of the flames during their clashes was enough to make him feel intensely the Heat.
"This power... truly befits the Supreme Sun Wheel above all gods!"