Chapter 45: Changes
Time waits for no one — this was what Hikigaya truly believed.
Because he knew that the resurrection of Osiris was likely to happen much sooner than what the Historical Compilation Committee had anticipated.
Hikigaya wasn't the marquis from the anime, and he had no desire to fight against gods — but that didn't mean he wasn't prepared. In fact, he had never let his guard down, especially after that night when Osiris and Horus appeared.
He used to really enjoy watching the anime Campione before he crossed over, and because of that, he spent a lot of time lurking in online forums.
Though he never read the original light novel that the anime was based on, there was still plenty of valuable information on the internet.
For example, there were various theories about the connection between mythology and gods.
One thing that could be confirmed was this: the myths that bound the gods were woven based on their original forms — at a time when they were not yet gods.
A Heretic God may still be a god, but they revert to their state before they were bound by myth.
In understanding their powers, the myth itself serves as the best reference — the older the myth, the more reliable it is.
It was certain that Osiris, as the god of fertility and the underworld, was deeply tied to the Nile River. In early Egypt, he was originally the river god of the Nile. The drying of the river symbolized his death, while flooding marked his resurrection.
Since floods were now happening everywhere, it meant his resurrection was imminent — he could appear at any moment.
Hikigaya had no idea how the original Campione marquis managed to kill Osiris, so that offered him no frame of reference. What the marquis could do and what he could do were two entirely different things.
Fortunately, he had long been studying everything related to Osiris. He generally understood that the main aspects of Osiris's divinity involved fertility, the underworld, and the protection of royal authority.
Originally, Osiris was a god of vegetation and of the Nile. He was also a god of resurrection, rainfall, and crops. In life, he was a wise and accomplished king of ancient Egypt. After being killed by Set and resurrected, he entered the underworld, becoming its ruler and judge. His authority over the living world was passed on to Horus.
Their father-son relationship became the model for the bond between Pharaohs and their successors — Horus protected the living Pharaoh, while Osiris protected the deceased one.
It was said Osiris was born of the secret union between Nut and Geb. Before his birth, Ra had cursed Nut so that she could not give birth during the day or night, nor at any time of the year. But Thoth, who loved Nut, used the power of thought to overcome all uncertainties and allowed her to give birth. Thus, Osiris and his siblings were born.
Osiris was the first to be born, followed by Arouer (Old Horus or Great Horus), Set, Isis, and Nephthys. Some Greeks later equated Arouer and Nephthys with Apollo and Aphrodite.
Hikigaya had truly done a lot to prepare. If he had more time, he could have prepared even more thoroughly.
He believed that even if the Historical Compilation Committee couldn't make it in time, the knowledge he had accumulated so far would still prove useful — though that might be all it was.
In the days that followed, Hikigaya found a passion for studying that he hadn't even shown during college entrance exams.
Funny how he gained power from a god of typhoons, sandstorms, and war — symbols of chaos and savagery — and then had to study to use it properly. The irony of becoming so civilized it almost brought tears to his eyes…
He studied so much that Komachi nearly thought he had a mental breakdown again.
At one point, some of the normie group he once went on a training camp with tried to hang out with him, but now was not the time to show off in daily life — he politely turned them all down.
The last thing he wanted was to end up as a stepping stone for Osiris to show off.
I mean, c'mon — even normal people study last minute for exams. And here he was about to fight a god. It didn't matter how prepared he was — he'd still cling to Buddha's feet if he had to.
There's usually no do-over when fighting a god.
Then something good happened — before Osiris showed up, Seishuin Ena arrived first.
She brought a USB stick.
Apparently, sorcerers were very modern now — fans of paperless documentation. Hikigaya gave them a mental thumbs-up.
"Is this enough?" she asked, handing over the USB.
"You should be asking, 'Is everything you guys have on there?'" Hikigaya smiled.
"It's all in there," she replied, looking slightly embarrassed. "I just don't know if it's enough."
"Then it probably is. This is just to help me resist a god's power a bit better, that's all." Hikigaya put the USB away and walked over to the fridge. "Want something to drink?"
"Water is fine, thank you."
"Alright, if that's all you like." Hikigaya shrugged, grabbed himself a bottle of soda, and poured her a glass of warm water in the kitchen.
Back in the living room, he handed her the water and sat down with his drink, took a sip, and asked, "Any recent developments?"
"Still the same — floods everywhere." Ena held the glass carefully and sat down elegantly. She took a light sip, then seemed to recall something. "In many places, the rice crops have matured early and are ready for harvest. We're wondering if that's connected too."
"Of course it is," Hikigaya said with a wry smile. "He's the god of vegetation and the master of the fields."
"Will there be more changes? I mean… could he have other bad effects on our country?"
"Honestly, even if there are changes, most of them should be positive," Hikigaya replied after some thought.
Osiris, after all, was a god of fertility — most of what he brought was beneficial.
Even the flooding of rivers was a good thing for the ancient Egyptians. It was the best time of the year — without the flooding of the Nile, Egypt would be a barren desert.
But such a phenomenon in Japan would naturally cause more harm than good.
Still, aside from the flooding, Osiris's fertility aspect could only bring good things to Japan. If there was one downside, it would probably be in the form of excessive rainfall.
That was the theory, at least.
"Yes, that's what we were thinking too," Ena said, visibly relieved.
But Hikigaya was a little speechless that she believed it so easily.
Seriously? Who's the rookie in this business again?
Heretic God are literal natural disasters. No matter what they were like in mythology, once they appear in the real world, they bring destruction wherever they go.
This term was coined by your own magician clique — don't tell me you don't know what it means…
Just as he was thinking this, a ringtone came from Ena's skirt pocket.
She quickly set her glass down and pulled out a flip phone.
"It's me… Got it."
She snapped the phone shut with a clack, and her expression had turned grave.
"Something's happened," she said. "It's Chiba Village..."
"What happened?"
Chiba Village — wasn't that the place where Osiris's big eyeball first showed up to make a scene?
Don't tell me another eyeball popped up?
"Last night, the forest near Chiba Village suddenly expanded and has already engulfed the area. Many people are now trapped inside."