The concept of certain death, a unique power rooted in the Root, was now being countered and weakened by Morpheus's invocation of Raphael's power.
The black mist around Ramesses II's neck coalesced into a grotesque skull shape, only to be pierced by an olive branch from Raphael's manifested illusion.
As emerald healing ripples swept over the throne, the sun reliefs embedded in the walls peeled away, revealing vein-like structures beneath, pulsing with golden-red liquid... the temple itself was unleashing millennia of stored vitality.
Even as an illusion, it showed the temple's life force stirring under Raphael's influence.
"Fascinating…" Morpheus's left hand glowed with intricate magical sigils, while his right fingertips danced with the Egyptian ankh symbol. "The death concept is being degraded. It's not just lethal force but a fundamental deprivation and rewriting, limited by probability."
He bit his fingertip, drawing blood to trace a triple Solomon's Seal in the air. The struggling death runes were instantly compressed into a palm-sized black cube.
As the cube fell into a Horus Eye necklace, Ritsuka glimpsed a dark red pattern flash on Morpheus's right hand... strikingly similar to a Servant's Command Seal.
"Impossible!" Ramesses II stood, his throne crumbling to dust under divine power, only to reform through the temple's energy.
The King of Kings felt the death chains binding his Saint Graph being devoured by a higher existence. "Where did you gain the authority to rewrite the Root?"
The certain-death trait began to unravel, downgrading from a 100% probability to 99.9%.
Then, under Raphael's power, that 99.9% shifted, precisely locking onto a 0.01% ineffectiveness.
In that moment, Ramesses II's neck wound healed, his body... once shrouded in death... halted its march toward demise.
Like life budding in spring, his form revived. The temple's inherent life force aided him, but even without it, he'd recover swiftly as a Heroic Spirit, bolstered by Raphael's healing.
He never imagined a human could wield such potent magic.
Even with Morpheus's legendary feats, clashing with a Grand Assassin's death concept and erasing it entirely was inexplicable.
Only true gods typically achieved such feats, and only for themselves, not others.
No, this surpassed divinity... it was a direct tampering with the Root's power, like slapping the world and saying, "What are you? I'll rewrite you with a flick of my pen."
Yet, impossibly, Morpheus had done it.
"Certain death or immortality... neither truly escapes death's abyss," Morpheus said with a smile, offering a casual explanation. "I've studied this quite a bit."
Ramesses II and Nitocris clearly didn't grasp his words.
The knowledge was too esoteric; it was natural they wouldn't understand without prior study.
So, Morpheus added, "It's not exactly rewriting the Root... I'm not that powerful. I just interfered with the death concept, an extension of the Root, anchored in you. Think of it as a healing or immortality deity striking down the death concept's dimension."
His explanation wasn't much clearer, but Ramesses II and Nitocris felt they understood a bit: using an opposing divine authority to strip away the death concept.
This was easier to accept than rewriting the Root itself.
But it revealed something else.
"You're not a god, yet your power rivals a main god's. Truly surprising," Ramesses II said, smiling. "With you in Chaldea, humanity's future is less worrisome."
Morpheus chuckled. For him, and for the Egyptian Servants, this wasn't the focus. Other matters were.
"I'm glad, Morpheus, that you healed my wound. I know why Chaldea's here. I'll cooperate, aiding you against those obstructing the world's restoration when needed," Ramesses II said.
Though Morpheus's power rivaled gods, different gods had different domains. Morpheus excelled in healing, so in attack and destruction, Ramesses II, as the King of Kings, believed he could contribute significantly.
Morpheus bowed slightly. "Thank you. With the Pharaoh's power in the solar temple, our enemies will pay a heavy price!"
After further discussion, Ramesses II pointed eastward. "Leave here and head east about a hundred kilometers to exit Egyptian territory. Continue, and you'll reach your greatest foe... the Lion King's domain. It's not human or even Servant power. Seeing her, you'll understand this world's crisis."
"The Lion King? I heard the Knights of the Round Table are there. She must be Britain's King Arthur. If we can defeat her directly…" Morpheus said, eyeing Ramesses II. "Can you give us the Grail now?"
Ramesses II looked surprised. "You're that confident in beating the Lion King?"
Morpheus's face brimmed with confidence. Though phrased as a question, his tone screamed, "I'll crush the Lion King now... hand over the Grail."
Ramesses II said, "You've walked the Age of Gods, seen divine power. If I told you the Lion King is a reborn god, would you still plan this?"
"A reborn god?!" Ritsuka gasped. She hadn't expected this crisis to involve a true god, not a downgraded divine spirit.
Nitocris nodded. "Indeed, the Lion King wields divine power and foundation. Underestimate her, and you'll fail!"
Morpheus smiled. "Compared to Typhon?"
Ramesses II paused, then laughed, tossing a golden light from his hand... the Holy Grail... into Morpheus's.
As Morpheus pocketed it, Ramesses II said, "Seems you don't need my help. You came for the Grail, didn't you?"
Morpheus nodded honestly. "Exactly. So, King of Kings, if you're bored, come watch the show. It might be the last spectacle you see in this world."
Ramesses II roared with laughter, unbothered by Morpheus's arrogance. His strength justified it.
Typhon, a foe even Zeus needed tricks to defeat... Morpheus's attitude suggested he was the main force then. Against the Lion King, Ramesses saw no issue.
Still, he warned, "Beware her weapon... a holy lance that pins the world's laws, a divine relic. Even I'd need the solar temple's power to rival it."
"A lance pinning the world's laws?" Morpheus paused, recalling rumors from his past life.
If he remembered right, Nasuverse lore said the world's physical laws were anchored to Earth... or maybe the solar system... by a holy lance. Had King Arthur taken one, ascending to godhood because of it?
The Holy Selection… sacrificing the chosen to preserve them, like a gene bank, to ensure humanity's survival through calamity?
"I understand. Thanks for the intel, Pharaoh," Morpheus said, thanking Ramesses II before leaving with the group.
Watching them go, Nitocris asked Ramesses II, "You trust them?"
"Less trust in them, more trust in Morpheus. A man who achieved so much in the Age of Gods, confirmed to have defeated Typhon himself, with Artemis likely playing a minor role. He's redefined the divide between man and god," Ramesses II replied.
Nitocris nodded. "The gap between human and divine power has been narrowed infinitely. As the first human to truly step into divine territory, he remains human. In the future, more like him may emerge. The only constant between man and god might be faith."
Ramesses II sighed. "The Lion King acts on instinct. Preserving humanity ensures her divine existence. Her calculated protection seeks the optimal path."
Nitocris smiled, saying nothing, gazing into the distance long after they'd vanished. "I'd love to test myself against Medea."
"Against the Greek witch?" Ramesses II looked intrigued. "Maybe in the future."
"For now, I'm no match for her," Nitocris said, recalling Medea's power. "I'm just a fragment, but she feels like her true self."
"She is. A surprising discovery. Perhaps Morpheus found a way to summon Heroic Spirits' true forms," Ramesses II said, unsurprised. "He can counter certain-death concepts and challenge the Root. Summoning true forms isn't shocking."
He smiled at Nitocris, eager. "So, want to watch the show? See how Morpheus faces the Lion King?"
Nitocris's eyes lit up, nodding eagerly. "Absolutely!"
…
Traveling through the desert was troublesome, but for Morpheus's group, it wasn't too hard. Magical formulas altered the ground beneath, turning soft sand into solid footing with each step.
Still, covering such a distance, especially through occasional sandstorms, was tedious.
"I could summon Dragon Tooth Soldiers... the flying kind," Medea offered. "There are plenty of corpses nearby. Or, Morpheus, you could summon spirits?"
"Raphael's power could make this easier," Morpheus said, enveloping the group in Raphael's energy.
The guardian of travelers shielded them from the desert winds, easing their path and reducing fatigue.
While casting, Morpheus added, "For travel, this could be training. Enhance ourselves with formulas and run at sonic speeds... sounds fun, right?"
Ritsuka and the others sighed helplessly. As expected, Morpheus was always thinking of training!
Medea laughed. "Let them rest."
Morpheus nodded. "Fine, let's try this."
He pulled out paper, drawing on it, then folded it. Soon, the sheets floated, combining into a ship... a ten-meter-long vessel!
In the desert, it stood like an ark!
***
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