Chapter 33: Friend or Foe
The Pharaoh and his wife were in bed, scheming how to strengthen their relationship with Hachiman, but Hachiman in the temple was far from so relaxed.
Just as back in Kadesh, when the Hittite gods sensed the Hittite king encountering a force equal to theirs, they projected their power from mythology.
If they could do it, so could other ancient gods.
In fact, even before Hachiman acted, he had already sensed multiple forces breaking through the barrier between the two worlds.
But Hachiman didn't care. As the saying goes, without comparison, there's no harm. Horus, the other "illegal crossovers," had gone far beyond him—Hachiman had merely slightly intervened in a war, which was trivial to the Hittite gods, whereas Horus had smashed the entire stage.
Gods do not care about human faith. This statement holds true even three thousand years later, because mythologies have solidified and intercrossed; gods have countless avatars. Their existence as eternal spirits is absolutely secure. The only way to force them back into the realm of sprites is for all humans in the world to simultaneously despair and end their own lives.
But in ancient times, no ancient god had such confidence.
At this time, human civilization was just beginning. Tribes fought each other, and godly positions were scarce. Many deities were eager to use new myths to rise to power.
Humans didn't destroy entire peoples, but they destroyed faith.
Take the Mesopotamian "idol plundering" as an example: once an idol was taken, belief collapsed, and the disappearance of its mythology was only a matter of time.
That was already mild. Less merciful civilizations, such as the Shang, didn't discriminate; any deity weaker than their own, dwelling nearby, was beaten and replaced with the Eastern Yi pantheon, erasing the mythology even faster.
The worst part: even if the junior deities' temples still existed, if the mythology changed, the god would be replaced entirely.
In short, this was a precarious world: gods who had already ascended had to be careful, and those vying for power were always ready to seize the position using new myths.
Hence, any being that dared adversely affect their mythology faced infinite intolerance from the ancient gods.
Well, the above was Hachiman's conjecture, but he felt it made sense; otherwise, the Hittite gods wouldn't have acted the way they did. Even when outnumbered, they couldn't afford to take risks.
Hachiman didn't need to personally kill anyone. If a god misplayed and got humiliated, their avatars would be deleted.
Who could gamble on that? Who dared?
Therefore, Hachiman was completely calm. He quietly followed his original plan, nullifying Horus' power. And just as he completed this, that force finally arrived.
In an instant, over a dozen godly silhouettes rose in the temple. Their faces were indistinct, but behind them appeared the shadows of ancient divine realms—some brilliantly radiant, some deeply dark, some eerily terrifying, filled with the hymns and laments of living beings.
One of them had a divine realm of scorching sand and flames, with thunder, lightning, and the screams of storms.
This one spoke first.
"This power reminds me of you, Horus!"
Hachiman looked at him. Though the face was unseen, he knew exactly who it was.
At that moment, another voice sounded.
"Set, that joke isn't funny. How could I harm my own believers? That's something only you would do."
"I treat all believers equally, unlike you. You said you had not blessed these human leaders—but doesn't he carry your power?"
"I already said, that wasn't me. Do you want to fight me again? Perhaps then you will no longer be one of us."
The tension between these two ancient gods grew thicker. Hachiman watched with fascination, wishing he had brought a bottle of cola for the moment.
His attitude provoked dissatisfaction among the other eternal spirits present.
Then another silhouette spoke. A slender figure crowned with stars, with a human female voice:
"If you wish to be mocked by humans, that is your business. But if it drags us into it, we will unite to erase you."
"Come! Erase us!" Set obviously didn't fear the threat. "Where's your 'husband'? Why doesn't he dare come down?"
Hachiman interpreted Set's words: "Sister-in-law, come on! Let's create some trouble together!"
It seemed Set was consistent, unchanged from three thousand years ago.
"Let's resolve the matter first," said another silhouette, made entirely of light, with a solar divine realm behind him—undoubtedly a sun god.
After speaking, all godly silhouettes "looked" toward Hachiman.
"Welcome, honored ones. Do you seek guidance?" Hachiman sat cross-legged, smiling at the ancient gods, lingering his gaze on three of them. "I suppose you are not here for me."
"Yes, we are here for another," said the sun god whose form could not be clearly seen. "Even the Holy Spirit, tampering with time is dangerous. Time is far more perilous than you think."
"I am not the Holy Spirit; I am human," Hachiman replied ambiguously. "You already know who He is, right?"
"You mean the future 'me'?" Horus of ancient Egypt suddenly said. "But that isn't me. In your time, I am no longer like this."
"Hehe… that's not certain," Set's voice stirred a whirlwind in the hall. "If that person succeeds, you will soon no longer be a god. I think that's fine."
Horus merely gave a sinister laugh at the provocation.
"But in this human's time, you are still you. Why not let him take your place?"
"Hahaha, I have all the time! The future me will fight him again for sure!"
Hachiman wasn't particularly interested in the three-thousand-year-old relationship between Set and Horus, but he clearly heard Horus' words: the Horus of three thousand years ago was not the same as the Horus three thousand years later.
"Son of God?" he asked.
"That is not me either," Horus calmly denied Hachiman's guess, then stepped toward him.
Including Set, all silhouettes stepped forward.
In an instant, the ancient gods' powers pressed from all directions toward Hachiman. Yet he felt no hostility, not even malice.
"Holy Spirit, will you ally with us? In return, we can help nullify the rituals of your era."
Important Announcement! New Fanfifction
Cote: Daily Intelligence System
Shimizu Akira unexpectedly transmigrated into the world of "Classroom of the Elite," becoming an ordinary student in Class D.
Relying on the advantage of foresight thanks to his daily intelligence system, Shimizu Akira navigates between the various factions.
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