The Vessel of Eons, true name Solar Barge. It was the chariot of the deity Ra, and also the embodiment of the Sun in the eyes of the Egyptians.
Vast as a city, yet able to shrink to a speck of dust. Golden red hues intermingled on its hull, which was inscribed with intricate runes, resembling both metal and wood in material. Its elongated and curved body arched high at both ends, like half of a disc; and the flames that burned atop it occupied the other half, together with the hull forming a complete circle.
It had always been upon Ra, the sun disc that hung above the head of the deity. In times past, Ra would travel on the Solar Barge between Upper and Lower Egypt and the netherworld, battling at night with the avatar of world chaos, the demon god Apep, and returning to the sky with the dawn.
This bestowed upon the Divine Artifact the ability to travel with supernatural speed, linking the worlds. And as a Divine Artifact, although it was called a barge, it was clear that one did not necessarily have to be aboard to harness its effects.
His mind made up, Ra showed no outward change. He maintained his previous demeanor, exchanging a couple of blows with the foreign deity, leveraging the terrain to his advantage.
Then, at a certain moment, after another failed attempt to approach the orb of light behind the dark-clad deity, Ra suddenly surged with Divine Power.
Without retreating to the sun, the disc above his head shone brightly. Although this 'riding' method did not fully utilize the Divine Artifact's might, Ra still possessed unimaginable supernatural speed at this moment.
It was like the Eastern myth of the 'Golden Crow Transforms into a Rainbow'—and the eagle-headed Ra did bear some resemblance to it. In an instant, even Laine couldn't react in time as Ra swiftly approached the other orb of light, then lashed out with his arms, eagle-claw-like, viciously snatching towards it.
"The Vessel of Eons?"
Laine was slightly surprised, the changes before him somewhat beyond his expectations.
He had considered the possibility that Ra would retreat upon realizing he was outmatched, and that Ra might try to take something with him before leaving, but Laine didn't know what Ra's trump card could be.
After all, although the legend of the Solar Barge was widely circulated in later generations, Laine had always thought it similar to the Sun Chariot of the Chaos World, a Divine Artifact specifically meant for the movement of heavenly bodies. The sun disc above Ra's head, previously, looked more like an ornament for healing injuries rather than a wooden ship providing extreme speed.
Surprise was momentary, and Laine immediately took a step forward, space folding layer by layer before him, reducing the distance between him and Ra to a mere few inches.
He didn't particularly care about the fate of the other Chaos deities, but now the Hemenu World was, to some extent, also his adversary, and Ra was the biggest 'local snake.' To make things easier for himself later on, he naturally couldn't let Ra get what he wanted.
Blade and scepter clashed, emitting a crisp ring, yet this time, the sword edge was only briefly slowed before continuing forward.
It wasn't because Laine had been holding back all along, but rather Ra was using most of his strength to break the barrier protecting the other Chaos deities. However, just as the sword's edge was about to touch Ra's body, the sun disc above his head tilted slightly, warding off the sharp edge that could tear through his Divine Body.
With a sound of wood breaking, although in its own right it could serve as a Divine Artifact for defense, the Solar Barge was not particularly well-suited for this purpose. A crack appeared on its surface and what followed closely was a white palm thrusting out from the void.
The palm clashed with the sun disc, the rising flames marking the palm with a red trace. But the Solar Barge fared even worse, creaking as though about to disintegrate any second.
'Caught it...too bad, there's not enough time.'
What seemed like ages was but a moment. In such a short span, the Divine Artifact that had accompanied him for countless years was almost ruined, yet Ra's expression remained unchanged.
His hand had reached into the orb of light, as if seizing a fragment of the foreign deity. However, as the power of the orb was not yet fully erased, and Laine and Nyx were close at hand, Ra refrained from greed and instead yanked forcefully.
Something was immediately dragged down by Ra. Feeling a power that although foreign, somewhat resonated with his own, Ra did not hesitate and again spurred the Solar Barge to flee swiftly.
He could feel that due to his recent actions, the laws of the foreign realm, which were countering the will of the Hemenu World, erupted instantly. If he lingered any longer, he might not be able to escape.
A soft grunt; a black ribbon stretched out in front of Ra, and further away, a dark sword light rose from the void.
In a split-second decision, Ra chose not to conserve his strength to ward off the black sword which clearly had stronger lethality, but instead gathered his Divine Power to tear through the ribbon and then charged headlong towards the sword light.
The sharp edge penetrated his body, drawing strands of blood that vanished immediately under the forces of termination, yet Ra's speed was undiminished.
Just as he had surmised, this was a makeshift trap. Had he chosen to block the sword light, he would likely have been slowed by the black ribbon. A moment's delay could have had unforeseen consequences.
The golden light streaked through the void, speeding back towards the approaching sun. The great orb too burst forth in an explosion to welcome its master's return. Even standing on the celestial body, Ra still didn't feel safe. With a forceful downward push, he accompanied the sun as it plunged back towards the Boundless Darkness that enveloped the world of Hemenu.