Chapter 26: Battle in the Sky
"Wooooooahhhh!"
The solar disc flew across the sky, surrounded by the white flames of calamity spewing from the eyes in the sky. In this situation, Hikigaya let out a nearly cathartic scream.
This is way too terrifying!
Fortunately, he wasn't engulfed by the flames. Instead, they were absorbed by the disc, making it shine even more brilliantly, and the radiance of the halo expanded further.
The Eye of Horus on his chest burned hotter than ever. Massive streams of heat flowed into Hikigaya's body, making him feel like he was about to explode.
He felt an overwhelming surge of energy throughout his entire body, energy that needed to be released immediately.
"Roar—!"
The Beast of Set burst through the flames and charged into the disc's range.
This monstrous beast immediately pounced toward Hikigaya.
If it had been before, this single pounce would have reduced Hikigaya to an unrecognizable pile of remains.
But not anymore.
He clearly saw the beast's movements, and his body's reactions had become extraordinary—fully capable of keeping up with his vision. He swung the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi at the claw reaching for him.
Without any resistance, the blade sliced right in.
At the same time, the eyes in the sky fired several more bursts of flame, striking the beast mid-air and sending it tumbling. Its head landed right in front of Hikigaya.
The resolve forged in the darkness manifested now—without a moment's hesitation, Hikigaya cast aside his fear and used the Pencak Silat chokehold technique.
Crack!
Surprisingly fragile—the jackal head was twisted off cleanly with that one move!
Clearly, Horus's power was not only protecting him but also enhancing him in many other ways!
The fierce gleam in the beast's eyes quickly faded, and then its severed head and body were evaporated by the sun's radiance.
It worked!
Hikigaya looked on in astonishment. That move just now had been entirely instinctive, yet it had completed itself before he could even regret it.
Confidence surged in his chest, and even the last traces of fear were discarded.
Maybe... just maybe, he could do this!
Some form of ambition began to take root in his heart—more than anything, it was excitement.
Though it had only been six months, he was already a martial artist. And in this identity, was there anything more thrilling than battling a god? Absolutely not!
It had to be said—Demon God Fist had planted something in him that would be hard to ever erase in this lifetime.
With a whoosh, the flames were torn apart again, and another Beast of Set charged in.
This time, Hikigaya felt no fear at all. He ducked under the beast's attack, rolled forward, and appeared beneath its suspended belly. With a coiled stance, power surged from his back.
Bang!
Unable to adjust its posture, the beast was struck directly in the belly by Hikigaya's upward thrust, and its massive body was flipped over.
Before it could turn and get up, Hikigaya grabbed the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and stabbed it straight into the back of its head—the blade emerging from its mouth.
Second kill accomplished.
"Wahahaha! Bold move, little priest! Though I'm furious, since you've managed to kill my slaughter beasts, as the god of war and strength—I must admire you!"
As the second beast turned to ash, Set's laughter echoed from the sky.
A figure landed with a thud onto the disc.
It was Set himself!
In an instant, countless eyes emerged around the disc, each emitting beams of light, all shining on him.
These weren't the Eyes of Horus—these were of Osiris.
The ancient Egyptians used an eye and a scepter to symbolize their ruler and king, Osiris. In Egyptian, "Osi" had many meanings, and "ris" meant eye—together, they meant "one with many eyes." They would also depict a heart burning on a brazier to symbolize the eternal and unchanging sky.
The eyes on the solar disc, and those in the sky, all represented the power of Osiris.
"So damn annoying!"
Set twisted his body and swung his weapon, slashing and breaking free from the beams of light.
"This is now my stage—as the god of war and strength! Don't interfere!"
After saying this, he no longer cared about the binding light. He threw away his weapon and charged straight toward Hikigaya.
"Little priest, I now grant you equal status—come fight me!"
The disc stopped and began to expand, providing more space. The eyes in the sky multiplied, but none attacked Set anymore.
It seemed they intended to witness this battle, to behold this rare event in a thousand years—a fight where the god of war granted a mortal equal footing.
This was not just Set's declaration, but the pride of a god.
Hikigaya's chest was filled with intense excitement. At this moment, his mind held nothing else—only the majestic figure before him.
So this is a god? Incredible. Magnificent. With just a single sentence, all his hesitation and thoughts vanished—he only wanted to fight!
Defeat him. Prove himself.
With this pure thought, Hikigaya let out a roar and charged forward.
The Pencak Silat techniques taught by the Demon God Fist flowed from him without a hitch. He used them with such ease that it seemed like he'd trained for half a lifetime, not just six months.
He weaved around Set in fierce and intense attacks.
"Wahaha! Good! Very good! What fun techniques!"
Set laughed heartily.
He blocked Hikigaya's leaping tiger strike, spun to dodge his back attack, and parried the ground spin kick with his arms.
He was the god of strength, the god of war—the mightiest battle deity in ancient Egypt.
But Hikigaya showed no sign of discouragement and continued the entanglement.
Pencak Silat was originally a speed-based martial art. Its greatest strength was observation during combat—it struck only after identifying an enemy's weakness with a fierce and deadly assault.
"Come, little priest—let's go even faster."
Set chuckled and accelerated his movements.
The pressure on Hikigaya instantly increased, and before he realized it, Set had grabbed him and thrown him out.
But the disc beneath him also accelerated, catching him smoothly.
Not far away, a rugged, ancient-styled, scruffy-bearded old man quietly watched the entire scene.
Standing beside him was Seishuin Ena, eyes wide in shock.
Although she had harbored a tiny bit of hope earlier, now that it was really happening, she could hardly believe it.
That feeble little man was actually brawling with a god? And seemed to be holding his own?
"Wakaka! Pencak Silat really is the strongest! My disciple—go get 'em!" cried Silkwat Jenazad, who had woken up and was laughing wildly beside the old man. "Ahhh, what a shame I can't join in. Right now, I really want to jump in myself!"
"I swear, you really never learn your lesson." The old man gave him a sideways glance. "Want to pass out again?"
Silkwat Jenazad instantly went silent...
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