Chapter 18: Farewell, Ramses
After leaving the Hittite camp, Hikigaya's figure, bathed in a divine radiance, reverted to his original appearance, undoing the previously "simulated" form.
In this world, gods truly existed and were powerful, but their strength was often not straightforward—it leaned more toward the mysterious. Many gods required specific conditions to manifest their full abilities, and when a god slayer seized divine power, they inherited these peculiarities.
The power Hikigaya had taken from Kuafu had gradually evolved, now primarily manifesting as "simulation": the ability to imitate anything related to the sun, gain its properties, bear its meanings, and pay its corresponding price.
Throughout his history of seizing divine powers, Hikigaya had developed various abilities. But over time, he also moved closer to the essence of these powers, sometimes losing abilities he had originally "developed."
This wasn't by his will; it seemed an unseen mechanism existed that filtered, selected, and stabilized the powers he acquired from gods.
Whether this was good or bad was hard to judge, but it meant Hikigaya was closer to the divine than other god slayers—a possible reason why some gods tolerated him.
Returning to his original form, Hikigaya moved toward the great river, entering a vast plain.
On this plain marched an army of tens of thousands of Egyptian soldiers. Their banners identified them as the Amun Legion and the Ra Legion personally led by Ramses II. Chariots in front, infantry behind—the formation mirrored that of their enemy.
The difference lay in the Hittites and their allies, who fielded far more chariots.
Even conservatively, Hikigaya estimated Hittite chariots exceeded 3,000. Ramses' reckless advance meant his available chariots were likely less than half of the Hittites'.
This was awkward…
Thinking this, Hikigaya descended toward the Egyptian army below.
Unlike the previous fleet, the Egyptian troops had already noticed Hikigaya but didn't panic.
The chariots halted, and many light infantry (archers) quickly repositioned on both sides, drawing bows and assuming defensive stances. Even in the ancient era, the difference between frontline and auxiliary troops was significant.
Soon, messengers ran about to stop the soldiers' movements. When Hikigaya reached the army's forefront, he saw Ramses appear in a splendid chariot from the dispersed formation, leaping down joyfully and laughing as he approached Hikigaya.
"My friend! I knew you'd come!"
The young pharaoh, like an athlete, ran up and embraced Hikigaya.
Given that he hadn't applied oil or paid for lodging, Hikigaya tolerated the bear hug.
But when Ramses tried to go further, intending a kiss, Hikigaya could not tolerate it.
"Enough! I know you're happy, but shouldn't you get your army settled first?" Hikigaya quickly extricated himself and reminded him to attend to the proper matters.
Don't misunderstand—the "proper matters" here didn't mean fighting.
Hikigaya was already present; all Ramses had to do was pose and then head home to help him with Moses.
But… Hikigaya soon realized he didn't truly understand these ancient kings.
As for Ramses, though he regretted not completing the full display of friendship, as the Egypt-appointed general of Set I, his military abilities were still above passing, and he quickly returned to his position.
Under his command, the Egyptian army continued to advance.
Perhaps overjoyed by Hikigaya's arrival, Ramses drove the Amun Legion too fast. When they began crossing the river, the Ra Legion lagged far behind.
At this point, Hikigaya, unaware of Ramses' exact plans, didn't care.
After crossing, Ramses noticed half his troops were missing. Partly frustrated by the slow soldiers, he chose a high ground to station them. Exhausted Egyptian soldiers supported the move but still set up basic defensive barriers with fences and shields.
From this vantage point, Kadesh was directly visible.
Since reinforcements hadn't yet arrived, Ramses ordered thorough checks and maintenance of equipment, recovery of strength, and heightened vigilance.
Hikigaya doubted how effectively this would be implemented. After Ramses concluded the military meeting, Hikigaya offered his own advice:
"I can destroy Kadesh for you right now," he said. "Once the city falls, the Hittites and their allies will scatter."
It was true. Despite the Hittites' impressive appearance, they were, like the Egyptians, outsiders here, entirely reliant on their allies.
Those allies, either previously dominated by Egypt or punished by it, followed the Hittites simply because they were stronger. If Kadesh were destroyed by supernatural force, these allies would panic and immediately switch sides.
In reality, the Hittites did not rely on their allies' combat abilities; they were primarily for logistics.
Without these allies, the homeland couldn't cover the gap—it was impossible.
Hikigaya could have collapsed Kadesh immediately, but he didn't. Not out of mercy, but because the conflict between Egypt and the Hittites wasn't his concern; deliberately intervening offered no personal benefit.
Surprisingly, Ramses rejected the proposal.
"Thank you, my brother, but I hope you won't do this," Ramses said first.
Hikigaya decided not to worry about yet again being cast as "brother," since Ramses clearly wasn't done speaking.
"This war is what my family has awaited; we must defeat the Hittites honorably so I can dedicate the victory to the gods!"
Then he looked at Hikigaya with a "I've seen through everything" gaze, summarizing:
"If I don't, how can Egypt repay your affection for us?"
Hikigaya sighed. At this point, what could he say?
Assessment complete: this guy deserved to be beaten.
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting