A sword fell, and all things were divided.
Let's not mention the world of Egypt after it met its demise, but under the Demon Sword of the apocalypse, the land of the Mortal World truly shattered into fragments, both big and small.
The land was cleaved, the rivers were severed. Some were scattered loosely, their cycles completely dissolved, and all life therein perished.
Only a few larger shards could still maintain a bit of an ecosystem, and if they could merge with Chaos before everything fell apart, there was still a sliver of life force remaining.
Among these shards, the largest one was undoubtedly what used to be the heart of Egypt, now known to later generations as the Nile Delta.
With the world's dissolution, compared to other regions' decay, this birthplace of Egypt seemed to have been reborn with some new greenery.
The blood hues in the Nile water gradually faded, and Egypt's mother river revived with a newfound vitality.
The ancient river was revived because its master had returned. The gods of Egypt were never just those few; the Nine Pillar Gods were only the ones with the highest status and stronger power.
When the disaster struck, they, along with the Nine Pillar Gods, were pulled into the Sea of Origin but did not manage to retain their conscious awareness, losing their last chance at salvation.
But when Hemenu was completely destroyed, some holders of godhood perished with him, while others, such as the Nile God, managed to escape with their lives.
After all, the Nile was still there, so as Hapi, who possessed certain traits of a territorial god, naturally survived as well.
The Nile God, who had merely escaped by chance, did not die but fell into the deepest slumber. Even if he could not reach a new world, he would never have the chance to awaken again.
In this situation, no matter how many sacrificial rites the surviving Egyptians held, no matter how many times they prayed for divine favor, they naturally received no response.
They could only see the river water returning to clarity, but the river god of the mother river never responded to their prayers.
Recalling the river water that had been dyed red with blood, various suspicions inevitably spread among the people. But the Egyptians of this moment had no other recourse, as human power was so insignificant compared to the forces of the world.
They could only continuously perform sacrifices on the banks of the Nile, praying for a divine response.
The bell rang, heralding the prelude to another grand sacrifice.
Donning the ornaments on his robe, Kasim grasped his staff tightly.
"Come, put it on me."
With hands spread open, the Egyptian high priest let his disciple place the last badge that marked his identity on his chest.
Compared to before, he looked much thinner, as though he could step towards the end of his life at any moment, yet his eyes still shone brightly.
"Father, the news has come."
"Pharaoh Ramses II was bathed in Heavenly Fire, his life and death unknown,"
"Even the land... seems to have reached its end as well."
Speaking in a low voice, Aibu's eyes were full of worry.
Not long ago, the formerly absent sun appeared briefly before disappearing once again, and the darkness on the land had continued for countless days and nights.
Wave after wave of messengers were sent to contact Memphis, but only yesterday did they receive a single response.
The Pharaoh personally went to the newly built Sun City, turned into a speck of light among the golden flames. The army stationed outside the city chased after the fleeing Hebrews, then disappeared without trace.
The leaderless city burst into chaos, and without supplies from outside the city, people fought desperately over food and water, resulting in countless casualties.
Moreover, most frightening of all, the land that was once connected seemed divided, and some had found the edge of the earth.
Beyond the edge was the empty Void, and no one knew what happened there.
"Father... this situation, it's simply, simply as if..."
"As if everything were already dead, right?"
Speaking faintly, Kasim interrupted Aibu's words.
It was the best adjective, yet Aibu braced himself for his father's reprimand.
He had told his father about similar visions more than once, but he had never received approval.
He thought this time would be the same, but to his surprise, Kasim said nothing.
He merely looked over his attire, then glanced at his student and son before him.
It seemed as if he smiled, then Kasim spoke:
&"At this time, we need faith to calm the hearts of the people."
"We turned from Fear to Awe"
"As your son, in the role of the lord"
"Teaches the lands of Egypt"
"Shine, shine! Nile, shine on!"
"With your herds, you nourish life"
"With your pastures, you feed the bulls"
"Shine on, Nile, in your glory!"
Another grand ceremony.
It should have taken place at noon, but now the Mortal Realm has no sun.
The water of the Nile should have carried away the sacrifices, but now it remained as calm as ever.
As the ceremony concluded, watching the unchanged sky and land, the crowd fell into a silent despondency.
Suddenly, as if he had hesitated for a long time, someone from the procession of priests stepped forward.
He glanced at Aibu in the distance, and in his eyes, he saw surprise and confusion.
The latter had never instructed him to do this, but today, he truly could no longer contain himself.
"High Priest, I have something to say."
Repeating it, his gaze shifted from hesitance to determination. And standing at the altar, Kasim turned to look at him.
Waving his hand to stop the guards who wanted to suppress him by force, the high priest remained calm. He nodded slightly, indicating for the man to continue.