Flying through the air, Wood let out a scream with the resolve to die.
Fearing the weight and the intense pain of the moment of impact, he simply closed his eyes.
(.. The worst-case scenario would be my body being smashed into a pile of flesh and blood that would require a shovel to collect for a burial. As long as I don't open my eyes, I will, I—huh?)
An unexpected sense of ease enveloped my entire body, the wind whistled past my ears from high above.
(What is happening? Is Mike's Soul flying toward Heaven?)
Wood carefully opened his eyes and saw the Boss's sculpture-perfect jawline and high, straight nose.
Then, he turned his head and found that he was actually—
High in the air, he was caught by the Boss, who held him in his arms!
“—Aaaaaah!”
Wood let out an incredulous scream.
Upon hearing that, Master looked down at him, his sea-blue eyes shimmering with an imperial majesty that was impossible to gaze upon directly.
In an instant, all the countless questions rising to his throat were swallowed back down, his mind went blank.
After catching his breath, Wood stole a glance at the Boss's back, only to see a near-transparent, pale golden holy light.
(What is the Boss's true identity.. If he were a Superman, he should be flying high in the sky parallel to the ground, but the Boss.. he is like an Angel, but his back doesn't have the feathered wings that all the Angels in religious paintings have.. Boss, Boss..)
Quiet, stop overthinking.
Master whispered, calming Wood's racing thoughts.
Wood nodded obediently, "Boss.. how come you're only now.. No, how were you able to catch me just in time?"
I arrived just in time when Set threw you out, I caught you.
Master's voice was very calm.
Then, then where are we.. where are we now?
Where do you want us to be?
I..
Wood stammered, quickly correcting himself: "Anubis and Set are still fighting! Boss, we must stop Set immediately! If Set, who is possessing Peterson, defeats the shadow of Anubis that the Goddess Isis temporarily lent to us, appears on the streets of New York wearing the Seal of Osiris, the vision Peterson saw in the gap between the Mortal Realm and death will become reality! When that happens, not only will Peterson die, but New York will also fall into a massive catastrophe! The Seal of Osiris contains Isis's magic, also, also.."
The Mortal Realm is not something that is necessary for me to protect.
But I like the Mortal Realm, I, I..
You like Peterson?
Master asked unexpectedly.
Wood was stunned. "Bo.. Boss, how could you have such a strange thought?"
I want to know your true thoughts.
—Alright, I admit I like Peterson, but I also like Jason at the same time, I like every normal and abnormal colleague in the Museum, every good person I've met since being rescued by the smuggling boat, especially you, Boss—
Wood shouted with his eyes closed, every landscape he had seen since arriving in this world flashing before his eyes.
I love this vibrant world! I hope it can exist in peace for a long time! Even if it is never beautiful or lovely!
—I understand.
The high-altitude winds suddenly ceased. Wood opened his eyes to find himself back in the district where the battle had taken place. As far as the eye could see, everything was damaged by the combat. Staff members who had not had time to retreat safely were leading civilians to hide behind the ruins of collapsed buildings, watching in terror as two beast-headed, human-bodied monsters—or rather, Ancient Egyptian Gods—fought each other frantically.
W-what do we do now!
"W-what do we do now!" Wood asked, trembling.
Master, standing amidst the ruins, did not answer Wood. He gently released Wood, who had been clutching his neck in extreme terror, his lips brushed against Wood's earlobe: "Go."
Go—what?!
Close your eyes and imagine yourself as a great and invincible Ancient Egyptian God, you will activate the power I left within you, becoming the hero who saves New York—just as you have always dreamed, becoming a great hero in the eyes of the entire world.
But—
(To become a hero using borrowed power.. that's just too..)
Stop hesitating!
Master grabbed Wood's arm and gave him a forceful push toward the two Gods who were fighting—
—Ah!
Wood screamed loudly in terror once again.
Amidst the screams, his body grew taller and larger, reaching the height of three stories in the blink of an eye, continuing to expand, grow, swell.
W-what is going on!
Wood cried out, his voice as grand and resonant as the tolling of a bell.
Now is not the time to wonder where your power comes from! Use your power to help Anubis subdue Set immediately, if you still want to save Peterson and New York!
Master's voice rang out in his mind.
Hearing this, Wood quickly dismissed his stray thoughts and lifted his left foot—
(Huh? This is clearly the first time I've controlled such a massive body, yet I don't feel dizzy or lightheaded at all, the sensation in my limbs is no different from usual! Could it be—I'm a natural?!)
Just as a thought of secret joy arose, Set had already thrown a punch—
Wood retreated in fright, but as he stepped back, a quick glance over his shoulder revealed several children cowering in the corner of a dilapidated house, weeping and praying—
(If I take this step backward, whether I step on them or not, they will—)
Thinking of this, Wood decisively changed his backward step into a front kick, thrusting it toward Set, who had been beating him.
I don't care if you are some God of the Desert, God of Storms, or God of War! In any case, I will not allow you to harm the innocent civilians here! The lives of these people.. the lives of these people are what I must protect!
Thud!
After a vicious kick, Wood grimaced in pain, but the strike caused Set to retreat temporarily, allowing the children hiding in the corner of the building to flee to a safer area with the assistance of the arriving Staff.
(Thank, thank goodness..)
Wood thought to himself with relief, but in the next second, Set grabbed him by the hair and slammed him down against the ground.
No!
Wood was shocked, because if his head were pressed against the ground and rubbed by Set, a head injury would be secondary; the human on the ground would certainly—
If you want to save humans like ants, then submit to me!
Set's voice thundered through his mind like rolling thunder.
No, it's impossible! I.. I..
Wood struggled to reach out with both hands to claw at Set's face, Anubis arrived at that moment to assist.
Do not be afraid, He is not invincible! I will defeat Him with you!
But its body is Peterson! What if..
Even if Peterson's consciousness still exists in some corner of his body, after such repeated collisions and distortions, there is hardly anything left.. It is almost impossible to survive.. Now, the only thing we need to do is defeat Him! Liberate Peterson's body and soul!
Anubis's voice was majestic and cold; at the same time, he raised the long blade in his hand and slashed toward Set, who was attacking Wood.
[—Ah!]
Set let out an angry roar, the house, which had already collapsed into a pile of ruins, shattered a second time from the sound waves—wood and glass all splintered and rose into the sky with His roar, creating a shocking spectacle comparable to the special effects of a Hollywood supernatural movie.
[There's no time to hesitate! He must be dealt with immediately!]
Anubis shouted.
[If we cannot stop Him here, He will break through the barrier, destroy the entire city of New York, even the whole of New York State, even.. at a time like this, we can no longer consider Peterson's life!]
.. I understand! I—
Wood's voice suddenly faltered as a mysterious wave of heat surged from within his body, flowing through his entire being.
(The Boss's power! The power the Boss left inside my body! I must master this power! Defeat Set! Save—)
As if in response to his The Scream, a surge of heat rushed through his entire body in an instant. His body rapidly gained immense strength amidst a colossal pain that felt as if every single cell was being torn apart; lightning flowed from his eyes, his voice turned cold, his power—
Set, you can no longer run wild!
With this declaration, Wood threw a punch, striking Set's vital point directly.
Anubis's scythe swung down at the same time, slicing through Set's left arm, the wound erupting in raging flames.
Tear off his arm, strip away the Ring of Osiris!
Anubis let out a loud cry.
"Wood" raised his hand—
Crack!
Set's right arm was torn off, pale cyan flames erupted from the severed stump.
Then, Wood lifted Set's arm and snapped the finger wearing the ring along with the ring itself.
Clang—Clang—
The Golden Seal Ring, possessing incredible power, slipped from the finger and plummeted toward the ground, rapidly shrinking as it fell—by the time the ring touched the ground, it had returned to being an ordinary ring with a diameter of less than three centimeters.
The ring rolled continuously across the uneven, rugged ground, only coming to a slow halt when it reached Master White's feet.
Master did not bend down to pick up the ring, because the Golden Goddess had already reached out her translucent hand first.
“—Thank you for helping me reclaim the Seal of Osiris.”
“Is a mere 'thank you' all I get?”
Master looked at the Goddess Isis with a half-smile.
The Goddess looked up, watching Peterson—who had rapidly returned to his original size following Set's departure—as the Seal of Osiris was forcibly ripped away by Wood. Set's consciousness immediately abandoned this useless human body, leaving the heavily injured Peterson lying on the ground, broken and on the verge of death.
Author's Note:
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Note: Three stories are approximately ten meters high. In Ancient Egyptian murals, gods are mostly depicted as tall and strong, far exceeding humans. As for Loki, he belongs to the Jotun race in Norse mythology.