Reincarnated In Vikings

Horus, Merlin, Isis, and Hathor came out of the portal to capital city. Looking around they saw fires raged uncontrollably, casting flickering orange and red glows against the crumbling ruins. The once-pristine city had become a battlefield of screams, shattering stone, and roiling smoke. The air was thick with the acrid tang of ash and fear.

Amidst the wreckage, a colossal shadow emerged, its form growing with every passing moment. Ammit stood in the center of the maelstrom, her immense form towering above all. Her crocodilian head, with its menacing snout and glinting teeth, glistened in the unnatural light, her piercing golden eyes glowing with a cold, predatory intelligence. The traditional Egyptian headdress she wore framed her fearsome visage, its metallic accents shimmering faintly as she moved.

Her humanoid torso was both muscular and serpentine, adorned with golden ornaments that caught the flickering light. Each movement of her clawed hands was deliberate, her talons gleaming like polished obsidian. Her elongated tail swished behind her, its segmented scales grinding against the broken earth, leaving deep furrows in her wake.

The tension escalated as Ammit's growl reverberated through the ruined streets, a sound that blended crocodilian ferocity with an ethereal resonance. It morphed into a haunting hum, an unholy symphony of whispers and echoes that filled the ears of all present.

Then, the horrifying spectacle began. The judged figures, scattered across the chaos, convulsed violently. Purple streams of energy burst from their chests, luminous and spectral, forming into shimmering mists. Their screams of agony merged with the hum as the purple lights twisted and writhed through the air, drawn toward Ammit's gaping maw.

The trails of glowing particles illuminate leaving ephemeral arcs of light as the souls disappeared into her cavernous throat. Each consumed soul left a faint ripple of energy that radiated outward, distorting the very fabric of the surrounding space. Ammit's form grew with every soul devoured—her muscles rippled, and her scaled skin shimmered with an unearthly golden-purple hue, as though imbued with divine energy.

The gods watched in grim silence.

Among the chaos Merlin spotted someone rushing toards them, it was Bast dashed into the fray, her sleek panther form a blur against the carnage. She skidded to a halt beside Merlin, her feline grace giving way to a flash of light as she shifted seamlessly into her human form. Her golden eyes burned with fury as she took in the devastation around her.

Above them, Nephthys descended from the sky, her wings unfurled in a radiant display of power. She landed softly beside Bast, her expression grave, her dark eyes fixed on the towering form of Ammit. "What have you done, Set?" she muttered, her voice heavy with sorrow and anger.

Bast, still seething, growled through gritted teeth. "That bastard is insane. Releasing Ammit—he's doomed us all."

Merlin raised his hand, his voice cutting through the tension. "Now is not the time for anger. Focus. We need to evacuate as many people as possible before this city becomes their grave."

Bast and Nephthys exchanged a nod and turned to act, but Horus's voice stopped them cold. "Set—he's there."

All eyes followed Horus's gaze. Atop a massive obelisk that loomed above the chaos stood Set, his figure silhouetted against the fiery sky. In his hands, he held Ra's spear, its golden blade gleaming with stolen power. With a cruel grin, Set unleashed streams of fiery crimson energy into the heavens. The flames streaked skyward, burning with unnatural intensity, a beacon that pierced the heavens like a wound.

"Grandfather's spear…" Horus whispered, his voice tight with disbelief. "How does he have it?"

Merlin, scanning the skies, his expression darkened. "He's using it to summon Apophis. He's luring it here—to the source of all life."

The realization sent a chill through the group. Above them, the sky began to churn violently, swirling into an abyss of black and red. From the storm, an immense, serpentine form emerged.

From an unnatural darkness swallowing the sky as Apophis descended. His massive form seemed to blot out the very essence of light, leaving the city bathed in shadow and fear.

The god-serpent's body was a terrifying amalgamation of smoke and fire, constantly shifting and writhing. Tendrils of inky blackness snaked out like searching claws, only to retract into his pulsating, semi-corporeal form. Ember-like fissures glowed along his undulating surface, molten red and orange streaks resembling veins of volcanic fire. These glowing cracks rippled with a sinister heartbeat, casting a hellish glow on the surrounding destruction.

As Apophis neared, the air vibrated with an ominous rumble. His movements displaced the wind, sending waves of heat and ash rippling outward. The volcanic crackling of his molten energy mingled with the distant roar of despair, amplifying the terror of his arrival.

The god-serpent's head took shape—an elongated shadow crowned with jagged, flame-like streaks of glowing orange that danced like living fire. His massive mouth opened into an abyss, a mile-long chasm lined with rows of jagged, translucent teeth. These grotesque fangs pulsed with the same molten glow, shifting as though they weren't entirely solid. The fiery light within his maw illuminated the swirling smoke, casting eerie, twisting shadows across the battlefield.

Isis gasped, her voice trembling with disbelief. "He's truly gone mad…"

Hathor's eyes widened in horror, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can't fight them all. Not at once."

Merlin, steady amidst the chaos, reached for the artifact around his neck. The Eye of Agamotto gleamed faintly, its intricate golden framework etched with ancient symbols. As he lifted it, the casing began to shift and click mechanically, its metallic slats rotating open to reveal the brilliant green glow of the Time Stone. The air around him shimmered as the mystical power of the artifact came to life.

"I have something," Merlin said, his voice firm.

With deliberate precision, Merlin brings both hands up to chest level and forms a diamond shape with his index fingers and thumbs. He then spreads his hands apart slowly, as if pulling open an invisible curtain.

In response, the casing of the Eye of Agamotto mechanically shifts and rotates, accompanied by faint clicking sounds, until the "lid" opens. A bright green glow radiates from the revealed Time Stone, pulsating softly.

Around the Eye, mystical sigils and components rotate like clockwork mechanisms, forming an upper and lower lid that seem to visually "guard" the glowing stone. These sigils lock into place as the Eye enters its "on" state, with the green glow persisting while the Time Stone is active.

Merlin places the heels of his palms together and spreads his fingers outward like a fan, forming a broad, stable base. He then rotates his hands clockwise, tracing an invisible circle in the air.

A vibrant green, glowing circle of mystical energy manifests in front of him, hovering mid-air. The circle is etched with intricate runes and magical symbols, all spinning faintly in synchrony with his hand movements.

Simultaneously, two softer green bands of energy appear, spinning around his forearm and elbow, as though channeling the Time Stone's power through his body.

To gain precise control of the mystical circle, Merlin thrusts his right hand forward into the center of the circle while withdrawing his left hand back to his chest. This motion transfers the circle's control to his right hand, where it remains suspended in front of his palm.

The mystical circle now behaves like a saucer mystically glued to his palm, rotating and tilting fluidly as he moves his wrist. The effect is both graceful and precise, with faint trails of green light following the movement.

With the mystical circle still "attached" to his right hand, Merlin points his palm towards Apophis.

Time itself seemed to resist, the green light flaring brighter as the massive serpent began to slow. The rumbling and crackling of volcanic energy dulled, the fiery glow dimming as the immense creature's descent reversed.

Apophis recoiled, his molten tendrils retracting as he was pulled into the sky, the unnatural darkness peeling away like a dissipating storm.

As he twisted his wrist, closing his fingers into a tight fist, the monstrous serpent began to ascend—its terrifying descent reversed frame by frame.

The volcanic cracks along Apophis's semi-corporeal form pulsed faintly as he was pulled upward, the fiery embers dimming with each second. Smoke curled and retreated into his massive, undulating body as the churning storm above closed around him. The darkness lifted slightly, revealing a fractured but momentarily calm cityscape.

Merlin wasted no time. Spinning the glowing circle in his palm, he directed its energy toward Horus, Hathor, Isis, and Nephthys. A series of green, shimmering bubbles enveloped each of them, phasing the gods into an isolated bubble outside of time's flow. Within this frozen realm, everything else slowed to stillness, the chaos of the battlefield replaced with an eerie, silent calm.

The gods stared in shock, their divine senses reeling. They had seen time manipulation before, but only through the most powerful god-kings of their kind. To witness Merlin—a mortal sorcerer—achieve this feat left them momentarily speechless.

Merlin exhaled heavily, glancing at the group. "We've got a second chance," he said firmly, breaking the silence. "But this is it. We need to take out both Ammit and Set before Apophis returns." His gaze landed on Horus. "You stop Set. We'll handle Ammit."

Horus, recovering from his astonishment, gave a sharp nod. Without hesitation, he called upon his divine essence, transforming into his god form. His humanoid body gleamed with the brilliance of gold and silver, his falcon head fierce and regal. His eyes, glowing plasma-blue, radiated power and resolve. Golden-silver wings unfurled from his back, glinting like celestial blades in the lingering light.

With a powerful beat of his wings, Horus launched into the sky, speeding toward the obelisk where Set awaited.

Merlin turned to the remaining goddesses. "I'll hold Ammit down, but it'll only buy you so much time. Start the sealing ritual as soon as possible."

Isis, Hathor, Bast, and Nephthys exchanged determined looks. "We understand," Isis said, her voice steady, though her eyes betrayed the weight of what was to come.

Hathor, not one to let the moment pass, smirked faintly and said, "You're going to explain everything after this."

Merlin gave her a playful wink. "If we survive, you have my word."

With that, he soared toward the towering figure of Ammit, who, freed from time's reversal, had resumed her horrific growth. Souls poured into her gaping maw, their luminous essence glowing briefly before vanishing into the depths of her being. Her scaly, crocodilian form pulsed with newfound power, her muscles swelling as she consumed life after life.