Horus vs Gurzil

Moments before, when there were still four hours left and Tania was facing Sekhmet.

Horus found himself walking in a dark room, so dark that the god couldn't even see his own hands.

—How on earth did I end up here?— the Egyptian god wondered as he slowly made his way through the immense darkness.

Suddenly, the darkness started to dissipate, revealing several corpses scattered around Horus. He recognized them immediately as the bodies of his friends and family. The backdrop seemed familiar, it was the Land of Manu, but it was now engulfed in flames, with a red sky overhead. The once fertile land had turned dry and cracked. The enormous temples, obelisks, and pyramids lay in ruins.

In the distance, a figure of a tall man stood, his right hand strangling a woman. The man wore a square crown called the modius, and his body seemed to be wrapped by what looked like a snake, with two small wings protruding from his back. In his left hand, he held a staff with two pincers at the top.

—So, this is your power, huh?— Horus sarcastically remarked.

—What's the matter, Horus? Will you let me kill your mother?— the man asked. His figure was obscured by the distance and appeared more like a shadow.

—You're just a coward hiding behind illusions. Unfortunately, they don't work against me— Horus stated.

At that moment, the man in black tightened his grip around the woman's neck, severing her head, which fell at Horus' feet. The head had a look of horror in its open eyes. The woman had black hair tied with a scarf, tanned skin, golden eyes, and red-colored mascara.

—Is this all you can do? Show me the head of my mother and try to appeal to my guilt to keep me trapped here?— Horus questioned, annoyed.

The Egyptian god took his scepter and pointed it towards the shadowy figure in front of him.

—The life of that man is mine, but I will kill him in the real world, not in this amateurish illusion— he declared.

The man turned to face Horus and approached him with a sinister smile. However, just at that moment, Horus' staff began to glow, and he shouted: —Axew Da!—

Countless laser-like beams of light shot out randomly from the scepter, hitting everything in their path and destroying the surroundings. As the man was struck by these beams, he completely dissipated. As the world crumbled, it started to fade away.

The Land of Manu lit up like a sun and vanished like a mirage. Horus realized he was still on Mars, and right in front of him stood the god in the bloodstained bull tunic. Though Horus couldn't see his eyes due to the mantle, his frustrated expression was evident.

—You escaped the realm of nightmares on your own will? That's impossible!— Gurzil exclaimed furiously.

—Sorry, but illusions don't work so well on me. I think you've realized that I only use one eye— Horus replied.

—I guess I should never have underestimated the champion of the Land of Manu. Although I must admit, you have only prolonged your suffering, as now I will have to kill you with my own hands— Gurzil retorted.

—With such insignificant divine power?— Horus chuckled.

Gurzil gripped his rusted axe with both hands, and eight clones of himself appeared beside him. They all appeared like ghostly illusions. However, Horus noticed that Gurzil's divine power had vanished.

The eight illusions lunged at Horus, who tried to evade them, but one of them managed to strike him with its axe. Reacting swiftly, Horus attempted to retaliate, only to realize that Gurzil was once again an illusion.

Gurzil appeared right behind Horus and licked the blood that had spilled from the god's wound. The wound on Horus' body immediately healed.

—My illusions are impossible to evade. Although I may be weaker than you, all I need to do is keep pounding on you until your ichor runs dry— the Berber god stated.

—Sounds like a pathetic plan, befitting a loser and a coward— Horus responded, once again pointing his staff at Gurzil, which started to glow.

—Even if you're an illusion, these millions of rays will find you wherever you hide— he said.

—Axew Da— Horus shouted, and hundreds of beams of light shot out from the Egyptian god's scepter, forming a complex web. However, despite the multiple attacks, none of them hit the real Gurzil. He and his illusions constantly moved, completely evading Horus' assault.

Once again, using his illusions, the Berber god lunged at Horus and cut his chest. The wound healed almost immediately, but not without causing Horus to grimace in pain.

—Horus, my illusions are flawless. No matter how hard you try, you cannot defeat me— Gurzil taunted, once again tasting the god's blood.

Horus raised his staff towards the sky, and it began to glow. At that moment, the sky turned golden, and thousands of small rays of light descended vertically onto the Martian surface. The beams pierced through everything they touched, causing mountains to crumble completely, including their debris. After a few seconds, what used to be a valley surrounded by mountains now appeared as a plain.

The beams of light ceased, and the sky returned to its usual grayish hue with a reddish tinge as evening approached. At that moment, Gurzil's group of illusions attacked Horus once again, inflicting several cuts on his body. Although the god attempted to strike each of the illusions, it was impossible.

Horus closed his eye and took a deep breath, assuming a passive stance.

—Are you giving up?— Gurzil asked.

—I have found a way to defeat you— Horus replied.

—Very well, I accept the challenge— Gurzil responded to the challenge.

Gurzil's group lunged at Horus once again, but this time, he didn't attempt to avoid any attacks. One of the illusions' axes impaled his chest, causing a grimace of pain to cross Horus' face. Almost immediately, he tried to grab the axe that had pierced him.

To his surprise, although the axe remained lodged in his chest, Horus couldn't grasp it; it was intangible to his touch. Confidently, Gurzil lifted the axe from Horus' chest, slashing vertically until it reached his neck.

Horus fell to one knee, taking deep breaths, although his wound once again healed.

—I've told you, Horus, you don't stand a chance against me. My illusions are perfect— Gurzil declared, having landed alongside his illusions behind the Egyptian god.

Horus started to laugh.

—Have you lost your sanity, Horus?— Gurzil asked, bewildered.

—I was wondering why, despite using an advanced-level trick, you didn't seem concerned about depleting your manna. Also, the fact that you keep attacking me with simple strikes instead of using your secret techniques, combined with this last attack, allowed me to decipher your ability— Horus explained, rising to his feet.

—Really? I'm all ears—Gurzil replied with a malicious smile.

—Have you heard of ghosts, Gurzil?— Horus asked.

—Are you going to get philosophical now that you know you've lost?— the Berber god retorted, mocking.

—Ghosts— Horus continued, —are beings that inhabit parallel dimensions. They can interact both physically and visually with people in the other dimension, but those people cannot touch them— the Egyptian god explained.

Gurzil made a displeased face.

—All you did was place yourself in a parallel dimension and create illusions that move in sync with your alternate self in that dimension. That's why, even if I were to destroy this entire planet, I couldn't touch you. Furthermore, you don't consume manna to withstand a long fight, am I wrong?— Horus said with a triumphant smile.

—And even if that were the case, how would it change the outcome?— Gurzil asked.

—Well, to your misfortune— Horus replied, —I specialize in hunting ghosts and invisible vermin like you— the Egyptian god said, baring his white teeth at the Berber god.

At that moment, Horus removed his falcon mask; and then his eye patch, and behind it, an eye surrounded by a large scar appeared. The hidden eye was a different color, white, contrasting with the red eye of his right eye.

Horus forcefully opened his left eye and saw everything in a reddish hue. Behind the illusions stood Gurzil.

—I've got you now!— shouted Horus, and like an arrow, he lunged at the Berber god and grabbed him by the neck, causing the illusions to vanish.

—How is it possible for you to invade my personal dimension?— asked Gurzil, struggling as he was choked by the falcon god.

—My left eye, known as Wadjet, can see everything, even enemies hidden in alternate dimensions or light-years away from me— replied Horus.

Horus pulled the Berber god, causing him to exit his parallel dimension. As if there were a glass in the air, it shattered into pieces as Horus pulled Gurzil out and threw him to the ground.

—Damn it, you made me dirty my hands with your putrid cloak— Horus remarked with a disgusted expression.

Horus took a handkerchief from his armor and began to clean his hands while maintaining a look of disdain.

Gurzil rose furiously and raised his axe, enveloping it in flames.

—I won't allow you to humiliate me!— shouted the enraged Berber god, gripping his axe with both hands.

He swung his weapon and lunged at the Egyptian god with tremendous force, shouting, "Azeggway weccem!"

However, when the axe reached Horus, he simply stopped it using the handkerchief he had used to clean his hands. With a little pressure, the axe shattered into hundreds of pieces.

—This is impossible! That axe was the body of an ancient Libyan giant!— exclaimed the terrified Berber god as he looked at a magnanimous Horus.

The Egyptian god put away his handkerchief and approached Gurzil. At that moment, his staff began to glow intensely.

—Nubian gods, Berber gods, Ethiopian gods, gods of Punt, Sabaean gods, gods from the southern Great Desert... and gods of Lel— Horus commented. —I had great friends and rivals from all those realms, but I didn't remember there were weak and cowardly vermin like you, Gurzil—

Gurzil then stood up and began to increase his power.

—Do you think I'm a coward? I'll blow myself to pieces right now, erasing this stupid planet along with all of you!— shouted the Berber god furiously.

—That's precisely the definition of being a coward— commented Horus with a disappointed look.

At that moment, both gods felt the impact of the explosion between Sekhmet and Tania. It was so powerful that a tremor was felt throughout the area.

—Impossible! That girl shouldn't have been able to fight after falling into my illusion— said the frightened Berber god.

—I suspected it was you who was behind that uncontrollable power in that girl... but she's neither weak nor cowardly like you— added Horus.

Gurzil injected his fingers into his chest and began to emit a crimson glow. The temperature in the area started to rise considerably.

—One step further, and we will all disappear!— shouted Gurzil.

—Well, if you want to die, I'll show you a true explosion before that— calmly stated Horus.

A golden energy ball emerged from Horus' staff, and he flew towards the Berber god at such speed that Gurzil was unable to see his movement. As he raised his weapon to the sky, held the berber god from one of the horns, and then, the Egyptian god shouted: —Xesef Neter!—

With his staff, he struck Gurzil on the head, and upon impact, a tremendous golden explosion emanated from the attack. The massive golden explosion grew rapidly, illuminating the entire sky, while a powerful earthquake shook the area, and the dimensional wall trembled violently.

As the explosion dissipated, which emitted no smoke as it was pure light, Horus had struck Gurzil with his staff, causing him to vanish completely from the attack.

The Egyptian god stood up and spread his wings.

—Damn it, I should have asked him about the location of Areopagus— he muttered to himself.

There were a little less than three and a half hours left until the execution of Anpiel.