"Nefertari, there is something I wish you to see. Come, walk with me."
"Yes, Ramesses."
[The Refugee Camp]
"It remains unchanged," the King murmured, his gaze sweeping over the scene. "Unchanged from that time... from that very clamor."
"Ramesses, what is this place?"
"A battlefield of those who, even within the holy grounds of a ruined faith, possessed a brilliance that would not be extinguished."
Before them lay survival gear, chariots, tents, and a stage, all arranged with military precision.
"It was here... that I drank wine and partook of a dish known as 'sushi.' I became intoxicated. I exposed my own unsightly vulnerability."
"Oh, my!"
"Hmph. They were truly such pleasant company... It seems the place was not destroyed. Good. Good."
[—Sun King. The bell signaling the mandate of heaven has long since passed. Your head is no longer required.]
"...Nefertari, I shall prepare a feast for you myself. Curry, sushi, stew—name your desire."
"...Yes. Then, if I may..."
Chapter II: The Impossible Audience
[The End of an Impossible Battle by Impossible Heroes]
"You have come! You have come! I have waited! I have waited long for this! I waited, wondering 'Is it now? Is it yet?' to finally achieve this face-to-face meeting! You are late! Late beyond measure!"
After a half-day wait, the party was granted the honor of an audience with the Pharaoh. Receiving VIP treatment, they were guided to the throne room before they could even catch their breath.
Sunlight poured down from the canopy. The architectural technique was solid, untouched by decay. High above, the stairs led to the throne.
(Honestly, this guy loves his glitter and light. Should I have worn sunglasses?)
—The origin of sunglasses... do they exist here? I'll look for them, My King.
(Mine too~)
"Wah! It's the Pharaoh! So he really was here!"
Upon speaking, Ritsuka immediately prostrated herself.
"Pharaaaaoh!"
"Master. While showing respect is wonderful, we cannot hold a conversation like this... please, your face..."
"Indeed!! Raise your head, Daughter of the Dragon! I forgive all!!"
Seated upon his throne, Ozymandias raised his voice with genuine delight. It was obvious at a glance: the Sun King was in an exceptionally good mood.
"Who am I! What am I! I shall dare to let you speak it! Sing it! I grant you permission to speak for me!!"
"Yes! Pharaoh! —You have bowed, haven't you! Then let me tell you! Who this radiant personage is! I, Nitocris, with trembling awe, shall proclaim it!"
Cleopatra and Nitocris fanned the Pharaoh from both sides. Then, Nitocris sang out proudly:
"This personage is the greatest of all Pharaohs! The most heroic, the one who strives to be a god full of majesty—"
"Pharaoh Ozymandias!! As the sun shines! As the flowers bloom in glory!! He is the greatest and strongest, simply because he exists as Pharaoh!!"
Nitocris stumbled spectacularly. Ozymandias laughed raucously.
"Umu, forgive me, Nitocris! After all, one must proclaim one's own name! I forgive you! I forgive your need for forgiveness!"
"N-No, Pharaoh! There can be no objection to your behavior!"
"Is that so? Then go to the washbasin! Cleopatra! Clean that graffiti off her face!"
Nodding swiftly, Cleopatra guided Nitocris away.
"Graffiti? —Huuuh!?"
Seeing the words 'Admirable Grand Strategy' scrawled across her face in the mirror, Nitocris was aghast. Cleopatra, wearing a pained expression, ushered her out.
"I am sorry, I am sorry, Lady Nitocris. I was powerless to stop it..."
"Impudence! Such impudence! Please forgive me, Pharaoh—!!"
Though noisy, the two disappeared toward the washbasin.
Chapter III: The King's Decree
"...Now, what were we discussing?"
"Do not play the fool. This is an audience, a strategy meeting."
Gilgamesh spoke to Pharaoh Ozymandias on equal terms, without a hint of hesitation.
(Gil is super reliable at times like this!)
(Yes! That is truly the charisma of a King!)
—Fufun, the King is amazing!
(Right?)
Fou grew wings and transformed into an egg.
(Horus Cosplay!)
—Fou!?
"Ah, that is right! Fuhahahaha! I am currently engaging in dialogue with you all, and my mood is exceptional! Therefore! My words shall thunder in the heavens! Listen with your entire being!! I forgive! I forgive everything!!"
In high spirits, loudly. The Pharaoh sang his praises proudly. Perhaps this is what happens when one lacks calmness in their joy.
"That you are envoys from Chaldea! That you have repaired five Singularities thus far! And that finally, finally, you have appeared in this Sixth Wedge—the Holy Land of Sand! I know it all!!"
—The Pharaoh sees everything perfectly...?
(Hmph. He does not call himself a god in human form for show.)
"Because!! Yes! Because!"
Ozymandias laughed loudly and produced 'It.'
"Because the Holy Grail you seek! As you can see, is right here in my hand!!"
There it was. The shining Holy Grail. The omnipotent wish-granter. The proof of the root cause that created the Singularity.
"The Holy Grail—!?"
Mash raised her voice, but Ritsuka asked calmly.
"—Is that something you 'won'?"
"Exactly! You are perceptive, Daughter of the Dragon! This is something I confiscated from the Crusaders when I descended upon this land! Fitting for me, the True King, is it not!? And—"
—King Ozymandias!?
Ozymandias tossed the Holy Grail... casually. Simply, and easily.
"Hmph."
The one who caught it was the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.
"—What is the meaning of this, Pharaoh Ozymandias?"
The Knight King asked. He answered the question with a great laugh.
"Keep it! I have no need for it! For there is no need to use it, and the reason to use it has vanished! We are joining the 'Battle to Reclaim the Era' from this moment forth!"
"—Pharaoh Ozymandias!? Does that mean—!?"
At Mash's words, Ozymandias nodded deeply.
"From this moment, the Pharaoh Alliance, beginning with myself! We shall stand side-by-side with the Star-Seeing Observatory, the forces of Chaldea! We swear to destroy the abominable Holy City that reigns over this world! Along with the Lion King! I forgive it! Rejoice! Spare me your praise! I have heard enough of it!! Accept this honor that exceeds your station! Fuhah! Fuhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!"
—T-To accept an alliance so easily!? This is unexpected!?
"Hmph. You are in higher spirits than ever before. But tell me. What is the source of this motivation? It intrigues me."
To Gilgamesh's words, Ozymandias responded further.
"There are two reasons!! One is your journey itself!"
He pointed sharply at Mash and Ritsuka.
"Your journey to correct the Singularities! It has been a journey far removed from boredom and ennui! Pleasant! Thrilling! Refreshing, in a word! You shattered difficulties, trampled the unknown, and continued to weave endings that no one had ever witnessed! What a story full of hope it is! At first, it was but a way to kill time with slight interest, but—Hah! It was truly a white-knuckle spectacle!"
He declared it. That their journey until now was the answer.
He had seen it. Their steps, their struggle to reach this place.
"Especially—with the brilliance of the Golden One in the Fourth Singularity, I was convinced! —The King of Mages is no longer to be feared!! Your fangs will surely reach the King of Mages!!"
—The Fourth! The King's heart and soul—!
(Hmph. To think he was watching. Even I feel a bit bashful.)
Truly, a King knows a King—! Pharaoh Ozymandias is the King of Kings, comparable to the King of Heroes!
(If you weren't here, he definitely wouldn't have done this. Yeah, yeah, he gets it, Pharaoh... Pharaoh...)
Opening his wings, Fou vanished into light, then resurrected wearing a golden mask.
(Tutankhamun!)
—Fou!?
"That Holy Grail is like an admission fee! Take it! To be fixated on a mere cup would be a disgrace to the name of Pharaoh!!"
"—But, this Singularity isn't over yet. Right? Pharaoh."
"Indeed! You are increasingly wise! I shall always keep a seat open for a concubine! Daughter of the Dragon!"
"A concubine!? Mash!! Staying at a rich man's house! A rich man's house, yay!!"
The Knight King gently reprimanded Ritsuka, whose tension had hit the max.
"Calm down. The conversation is not over."
"Ah, yes."
('I see... certainly, that is a convincing reason. Our struggle is recognized by the King of Heroes! Yes, yes!')
('—Kh.')
Romani sang his own praises boastfully, while Olga Marie collapsed in tears, overcome with emotion.
"Fuhahahaha!! That is only natural! Wealth is but one of the treasures rolling around in my vault! You are wise, Sun King!"
"Of course!! And if there is a chance of victory, there is no need to indulge in idleness! I shall stand!! To color this 'Complete Flawless Happy End'! I shall stand to illuminate you all!!"
Ozymandias laughed from the bottom of his heart.
Mercy for the brave.
Respect for the will.
Protection and blessings for the masses who advance unwaveringly.
"And! Let us put it into words, not conjecture or impressions!! Daughter of the Dragon! Maiden who shoulders the Evils of Humanity, who slays them, yet harbors both the brilliance of Ra and the darkness of the Underworld! I must ask you!! Answer with all your heart! Depending on your reply, I shall decide whether or not to entrust my all to your future!!"
He crossed his arms, staring with golden eyes.
At the girl who makes the Evils of Humanity shine with love.
At the newest human trying to save the world with her own body.
"I dare to ask! The remaining two Singularities! And beyond that! Do you have the spirit and conviction to tell me, Pharaoh Ozymandias, that your future and journey will continue!!"
The King's gaze. Her companions' gazes.
—Master...
(Rikka-chan...)
Bathing in it all, she responded without yielding.
"Of course! Our future will continue! To overcome destruction, to run through the end!! As one living in the now, as one facing the world, absolutely!! I will—"
She clenched her fist tight.
"I will take back the future with everyone's bonds!! And—I will absolutely slam my anger into the one who stole everyone's future!!"
Straightforward, shaking the temple with a spirit and vigor that would repel even gods.
"—Hu, haha—Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!"
Struck by that determination, Ozymandias laughed loudly, from his very soul.
"—Very well!! I have witnessed your spirit!! Challenging a battle while knowing the ending and the future! Standing up despite knowing it is reckless and rash! That audacity! Truly, truly—it is the very essence of a 'Hero'!! 'They' were the same! There were those who challenged the Lion King, who was God herself! Who saved those living in that land without distinction of race or species! Disregarding their own safety, resisting even a god! Eventually, they were the ones who won this truce!! Their battle—has borne fruit here!!"
('Impossible Heroes... You mean the warriors from another world that Mr. Ozymandias mentioned?')
"Indeed!! It is the other factor that fills me with ambition!! —It is a good opportunity! I shall tell you! What happened in this land!!"
—The Pharaoh began to speak.
Of those who spun bonds with him.
Of the certain Something that existed in this land, and its memory—
Chapter IV: The Unlikely Heroes
The Lion King, having built the Pure White City, immediately entered into a decisive battle with me.
We found each other to be eyesores, and I responded in kind.
I protected the people; the Lion King invaded.
—The thought of defeat did not cross my mind for an instant, but the common people are different.
It was urgent, hasty. My preparations to accept my people were far from perfect, and I read that they would not survive the invasion. Even if I did not lose, the people, those who had lost their homes, would all die.
The Knights were strong, and the Lion King's blessing was unshakeable.
My people were on the verge of annihilation—or so I thought. In that moment, beings descended like a blessing from the heavens.
Yes, that was the arrival of the Impossible Heroes, the "Club Members."
An arrival from another world, another dimension, dressed in attire completely different from anything here.
A summoning following the Lion King that no one predicted.
—A three-way struggle? They overturned my expectations.
Those beings sided entirely with me, with the Pharaoh, with Egypt. They fought the Knights and protected the people under my care.
—The shock of that moment reminded me of heavenly thunder. Before I could even exert my authority, they took up swords to protect my people.
There was a battle.
The land shook with fierce combat.
Martial arts from another world and the strife of Knights clashed head-on!
Though they were not my subjects, their battle undeniably shielded my people.
Behind that fierce struggle, I protected every last one of my people within this temple and prepared my military forces.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 40 chapters of this story on Patreon.
If you're enjoying it and want to read ahead, feel free to check them out here:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thanks a lot for your support, it really helps me keep going.
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"