The Lords of Egypt

The sun rose, as it had every day for millenia. People worked, and ate, and laughed, and cried. Egypt seemed just as it had been, ever since transferring to the Spirit World, more than 4000 years ago. But that was an illusion. Egypt would never be the same again.


In the Pharaoh's court, his most trusted advisors were standing at attention, waiting for the Pharaoh to begin their weekly meeting. Directly in front of the royal throne stood High Priest Hakhan, dressed in his most formal robes. He was a powerful light mage, able to bend light to his will, though he rarely saw combat, usually staying within Egypt's massive temple. Further back was General Khes. Surprisingly laid back for a general, yet still brutally efficient in the battlefield, he was the only within the Pharaoh's advisors to have no magical abilities, beyond the ability to summon Duel Spirits. In one corner of the room, braced against his cane, was the necromancer Hanif. The darkness had long ago decimated his body, making him physically an old man, but he was actually rather young. Off to the side, trying to neither claim a superior position nor stay in the background, was Ahkan. This skilled diplomat had protected Egypt in a way even Khes couldn't: by securing lasting peace with the nearby Spirit Tribes, he ensured that Egypt would not be attacked nearly as often as it had been throughout New Egypt's history, though the Pharaoh insisted on keeping Egypt's standing army strong. Finally, somewhere in the room was the Assassin. This enigmatic figure, dressed like a mummy, but in a sickly green, was not technically one of the Pharaoh's advisors, but he was a useful servant all the same. His teleportation abilities were legendary, and was completely undetectable when hiding. No one knew anything about his past, but everyone assembled had worked with him long enough to know he was trustworthy.


After a few minutes, the Pharaoh emerged from his chamber within the palace, and all within the chamber bowed. The Pharaoh then addressed his court. "Rise, my friends. It is time for today's meeting. There is something I must discuss with all of you." Hakhan was the first to respond. "Yes, my lord, what is it?" "A decision that will affect all of Egypt. My contacts have given me word that the Six Samurai are under attack by Hanzo's forces. I wish to go rescue them." All of the Pharaoh's advisors were stunned, but it was Ahkan who was first to gain his composure. "But, my king, my entire policy was based around complete neutrality with the spirits. That is how we gained guarantees of safety with the tribes. And besides, you've never shown any interest in favoritism before. What's different now?" "Yes, Ahkan, I am aware of that. But still, I must go through with this. After all, Shien saved my life, many years ago." This clearly was news to everyone assembled. The Pharaoh gave them a few seconds to regain their composure, then began his story.


"It was... I think 14 years ago. Yes, 14 years ago, and I had only been Pharaoh for a short time. I didn't know much about the world outside of Egypt, so I decided to go on a journey across the Spirit World. All of my advisors were against it, of course, and looking back it's easy to see that they were right, as you shall see soon enough. Anyway, despite their warnings, I was Pharaoh, so there was nothing they could do to stop me, though they did at least insist that I have an escort, which I reluctantly agreed to. My journey took me through many exotic and dangerous locales: the Great Volcano, where I saw the great cannons of the Volcanics, the Sanctuary in the Sky, miles above the ground, the Gishki Fortress, deep beneath the waves. I made it through all of them with little trouble. I never would have suspected somewhere as relatively mundane as Zombie World to propose a threat. How wrong I was."


"Unlike the Volcanics, unlike the Archfiends, unlike even the demonic Infernities, the Zombies are completely aggressive, due to their mindlessness. The other factions, evil and brutal as some of them were, at least recognized that I meant them no harm, and allowed me to pass. But not the Zombies. It was a massacre. All of my men were slaughtered within an hour. I survived, due to my superior training, and thought it was over. I was wrong, for Genesis decided to come finish me off in person. In desperation, I challenged him to a duel, but my deck was weak at the time, and I lost, badly. It was then, just as my life was about to come to an abrupt close, that they appeared: the Six Samurai."


"Luckily for me, the Samurai were mounting an assault on Zombie World at that same time, due to recent Zombie raids on nearby farms and villages. It was a glorious sight. They had a significant ground force, of course, but the Six were in a league of their own. Kizan. Kageki. Enishi. Mizuho and Shinai were an especially powerful duo, their movements perfectly coordinated together. Their harmony was unbreakable; they never put a single foot out of place throughout the whole battle. And then, of course, there was Shien himself. He was glorious, and also terrifying. I knew he was on my side, or at least against the Zombies, but there was something about his ferocious battle aura. I was so shaken, I couldn't even move. He cut down hundreds in just a few minutes. The battle ended soon after, when he dueled Genesis. I still remember every sword slash and claw swipe of that battle, it was so engraved in my mind. After Shien won, he noticed me. He made sure I was uninjured, and provided me an escort to get back to Egypt. He saved my life, which is a debt I can never repay. This is the best I can hope to do. Do you now understand why this is so important to me?"


The voices of all in the room, even the servants who were at that time bringing a plate of refreshements, were as one at that moment: "Yes, Pharaoh!" "Let us rescue them!"