As the party left Hatshepsut behind, they pondered their route to Cairo.

"We need a transport we can use to get there", Tut said. "But what's with those vehicles? They roar louder than lions and move without being pulled."

"Those are cars", Kurou explained. "Sorry Tut, but we don't have time to go through combustion engine explanations".

"Combu what?", Tut asked.

"Forget about it", Kurou said, dismissively. "We just need to get into one of those and ask for a ride to where Hat is." He pointed at a taxi with a sign on top.

"You say that, but you have even less money than a bum", Tut chuckled.

"That's why we have you, Tut", Kurou grinned. "Can you find someone you can do that mind-control thing on?".

"It's not that simple. It must be an Egyptian descendant. People here don't even resemble Egyptians anymore. How long since my reign?" Tut inquired.

"I'm not sure about the dates...around 3000 years, I guess?", Kurou answered.

"3000 years!", Tut exclaimed. "I can't believe this much time has passed. How vast is Egypt now? Have we managed to make peace with the Mitanni? What about the Nubians? And my crazy parents? Have their grandchildren tried to reinstate Aton? And what happened to Ankhesenamun?", he asked, breathless.

"Calm down, buddy! I don't know, okay? Maybe we can visit a museum later, but first we need to stop Set from destroying everything", Kurou scolded, humorously.

"Yes, you're right. Okay, I see someone we can use in one of those 'cars'. Wave at him, Kurou!", Tut said, and they both waved awkwardly.

As the cab halted, Tut approached the driver and looked him in the eye, his eyes glowing silver again. That was Kurou’s cue that Tutankhamon was using powers a regular human being does not possess.

"Take us to the cap...", Tut hesitated, glancing at Kurou. "Is Thebes still the capital?", he asked.

"IT'S CAIRO!", Kurou yelled.

"Don't yell at me, you bum!", Tut retorted.

"Where do you wish to go, my King?", the cab driver insisted.

"Yes, yes...Cairo, take us to Cairo, my humble servant", Tut commanded.

They both entered the cab and set off towards the modern capital of Egypt.

Eight hours later, they arrived at the city of Cairo. "I feel strong energy coming from this place", Tut remarked.

"This is the capital of Egypt now, so I suppose it's an important location for a King like yourself", Kurou pondered.

"Servant, take us to where Sutekh is", Tut commanded the cab driver, his eyes glowing silver again as he stared at him. The man shivered and suddenly slammed the brakes.

"What are you doing, servant? I command you in Amon-Ra's name! Don't you dare disobey!", Tut demanded, gravely.

"I'm sorry, my King. Please forgive me", the driver stammered, in between tears, and fled the cab, running to the opposite lane.

"Unbelievable! Unconceivable! A servant of Amon-Ra, defying His orders!", Tut raged.

"Hey, calm down now", Kurou told Tut. "At least he brought us to the capital. This car is not much different from what I'm used to driving. Jump up to the passenger's seat! Pharaoh or not, I'm not your chauffeur!".

Kurou took the wheel, while Tut jumped onto the passenger's seat. The other drivers were already honking loudly behind them, and Kurou took the opportunity to swear and curse in his own language. Some people seemed to take offense and started coming out of their cars, prompting Kurou to floor it.

"Those guys are crazy, you know?", Kurou remarked. "They really take offense for nothing!".

Yes, and you like to offend people for no reason", Tut jibed. "Now where are we going? I have no idea where Sutekh's ritual is being conducted, and energy focal points abound in this area".

"If you don't know, then aren’t we screwed? Hatshepsut told me you knew what to do", Kurou grumbled.

"She just wanted you to do as you were told. That woman is really shrewd", Tut smirked.

"And you only tell me that now?", Kurou sighed, annoyed. "You Pharaohs are all the same".

"Don't get started or I'll smash your head in with my cane. Look, Riddle is not very happy with your bad manners", Tut said, while Riddle snarled at Kurou.

"All right, I have an idea”, Kurou said. “There's a museum somewhere here in Egypt where they have a mask with your name on it".

"A mask? What kind of mask?", Tut inquired, startled.

"I've never seen it in person, but people say it's made of gold", Kurou replied, uncertain.

"So it's a mortuary mask!", Tut exclaimed. "My mortuary mask!".

"If you say so. You know, there have been many myths and legends about your tomb and a curse that has befallen those who desecrated it", Kurou said. "Some of the excavators died after unsealing your tomb, so that gave birth to a popular belief that you didn't like having your sleep disturbed".

"I certainly would not! Who would be happy about having their own burial grounds upturned and scrambled?", Tut pondered.

"Well, that happens when you're the King of an important ancient civilization", Kurou said.

"Still not acceptable", Tut admonished. "We need to find that mortuary mask. Where's this place you call a 'museum'?".

"Let me see...crap, this GPS is in Arabian! I don't understand shit of what's written here", Kurou said, exasperated.

"That's just great", Tut said. "We need to find another way."

Tut looked at Riddle.

"Can you find the mask for us?", he asked the jackal. The animal intelligently left the car and dashed away.

"Wait for us, you dirty little mutt!", Kurou yelled.

Riddle dashed ahead, seeking refuge among a cluster of buildings. Kurou swiftly caught up, but Tut's progress was hindered due to his limitations.

"The mask is most certainly here. I can sense sacred energy flowing from that place", Tut declared, pointing at a peach-colored structure.

"We're in the middle of the day here. A party like this one can never enter the Egyptian Museum without catching everyone's attention", Kurou reasoned. "Not to mention we don't have enough money to pay for the tickets...and Riddle is a jackal - no offense. The two of you wait here, I'll go in and fetch the mask".

Kurou advanced towards the museum entrance but was intercepted by two men – one standing like a security guard and another one sitting down, anticipating for a ticket.

“I have neither the money nor the time for both of you”, Kurou muttered, sending his shadow image towards the guard, sucker punching him out cold. Simultaneously, he kicked the other man in the face, knocking him out.

As everyone turned to look at him, he bolted as fast as he could into the building.

"And he thought WE were going to draw everyone's attention", Kurou remarked to Riddle, eliciting a snort from the jackal.

The museum was beautiful and well-lit, making it difficult for Kurou to find a hiding spot. He didn’t know where Tut’s mask was, and he didn’t have the option of asking someone. Following his gut instinct, he ascended the staircase, where a sign read "Tutankhamon." That was all the guidance he needed.

Running through the corridors, Kurou saw many sculptures, sarcophagi and mortuary masks, but none of those were Tut’s. A guard was already giving chase, and Kurou was about to stop and fight when he saw a bright glow coming from one of the further rooms. “That’s it!”, he exclaimed, sprinting toward the source of light.

While Kurou was inside the museum trying to reach for Tut’s mask, the young Pharaoh was sitting beside a tree, playing with Riddle. The animal behaved much like a domestic animal around him, very different from the wild jackal he was when interacting with Kurou. A woman approached them, dressed in fine clothing, and spoke in a soft voice.

“Hello, child. I’ve been searching for you”, she greeted.

Startled, Tut lifted his gaze to meet the woman's. She looked young and beautiful, although her eyes showed maturity and dignity. Tut widened his eyes in surprise.

“YOU!”, Tut’s exclamation reverberated. The woman frowned. “Are you not happy to see me, child? Do you forget who I am, by any chance?”.

“I know very well who you are”, Tut growled, rising to his feet. “What are you doing here, heretic woman?”.

“That’s not how you should talk to your stepmother, insolent child”, Nefertiti chided, infuriated.

“Don’t try to act like a mother now, Nefertiti”, Tut said. “I won't allow you to plunge Egypt into chaos again. You and your heretic god are doomed to fall and your sins will never be forgiven”.

She came close to Tut’s young and frail body, towering over him. “You are the heretic one here, child. Your father was willing to forgive you for forsaking God, yet you insist on taking the wrong path. You leave me no choice”, she said menacingly, as she drew a khopesh sword from her waist.

At the same time, Kurou ran towards the golden mask of Tutankhamon, which glew like the sun as if calling for him. He touched the marvelous mask and time stopped for a second. Images passed through his mind like a movie. He saw a young man, dressed as royalty, standing on a throne, talking to a tall man. The tall man looked stern; his face hard as steel. Kurou had the feeling that he was a dangerous man. The images changed to a room, where several men were talking. He heard one of them speak: “He is too young and frail. We need a strong Pharaoh, Lord Ay. Someone who can crush Amen-Hotep IV and Nefertiti’s influence for good”.

The images shifted again, now to a corridor within a sandstone palace. The same young man was walking at a slow pace, lost in thought, ambled with a cane. Someone sneaked up behind him, hitting him with a large cudgel. The young man feel to the ground, inert. Blood spilled from the back of his skull.

Kurou was heavily shaken from the images, and couldn’t react as the guard tackled him, causing them and the mask to drop to the floor. The mask broke from the impact, pieces scattering across the floor. Tut felt a strong headache as it happened, and Nefertiti stopped in her tracks, shifting her gaze towards the museum.

“Somebody is wreaking havoc within your sacred grounds”, Nefertiti chuckled.

“Kurou!”, Tut yelled and ran towards the building as fast as he could. Riddle stayed behind, looking at Nefertiti.

“You don’t scare me, jackal”, she said. Riddle maintained a calm, yet serious expression. Nefertiti gave chase to Tut, her eyes filled with hatred.

Kurou had no time to complain or regret about the mask being broken, as he was pushed to the ground by the guard. They tumbled, causing quite a fuss, and the guard tried to immobilize Kurou with martial arts techniques. It was proven innocuous, as even with his arms restrained, Kurou’s shadow projection headbutted the guard with enough strength to knock him unconscious. He quickly tossed the guard’s body aside and ran for the mask’s pieces, bringing them with him towards the exit.

He met Tut halfway there, causing the young Pharaoh to stop in surprise as he saw the broken mask.

“My mortuary mask…is broken!”, Tut lamented.

“I’m sorry, Tut…”, Kurou said, visibly shaken.

“Give it to me”, Tut ordered, and Kurou handed him the mask’s shattered pieces.

Tut turned the mask around and examined it closely. “The spell is still here. Not everything is lost”, he said.

“Yes, it is, Tutankhaton”, a voice resonated in the distance. “For you two at least”.

Kurou watched as a woman walked towards them with a khopesh sword in hand. “Who are you?", he asked. "Put that sword down, I’m losing my patience”.

“Oh, that’s intimidating. You truly have no idea who I am, do you, Post-Mortal?”, Nefertiti sneered, with a cruel grin. “You should mind your manners when addressing royalty”.

“I don’t give a fuck about royalty, woman. Leave now or I’ll be forced to kill you”.

“HAHAHAHA, you think you can kill me?”, Nefertiti burst into mocking laughter. “Go on, freak! Show me what you've got!”.

Nefertiti lashed at Kurou with great power, severing Kurou’s arm with ease. Kurou ignored the pain and countered with a punch at her face. It didn’t feel like hitting a stone statue as it did with Hatshepsut, yet it still seemed to cause more damage to his hand than to her body. Nefertiti recovered quickly from the blow and gripped Kurou by the throat, lifting him from the ground with sheer strength. Although Kurou’s arm had already regenerated, his airway was on the verge of being crushed, pushing him to the brink of unconsciousness.

In a desperate move, Kurou delivered a double-footed kick to Nefertiti's stomach. She staggered back a couple of steps, her eyes ablaze with rage. "DAMN YOU, MONSTER!" she bellowed, charging towards him just as he drew his knife.

“Please don’t kill her!”, Tut’s anguished plea hung heavy in the air.

Kurou was momentarily paralyzed by Tut’s words, and Nefertiti took the chance to deliver a swift slash to Kurou’s neck, decapitating him. His body and head tumbled to the ground, lifeless. Tut averted his gaze from the gruesome sight.

Nefertiti let out an evil laugh. “HAHAHAHA, it looks like the Post-Mortal can die, after all! I knew it was all bullshit! Only Aton can decide who lives and who dies, my child”, she proclaimed, her gaze fixed on Tut.

“Now...”, she said, menacingly. “It’s your turn, boy”, and as she raised her sword towards Tut and was ready to deliver a killing blow, a knife pierced her back, causing her to cough blood.

“No, Kurou!”, Tut screamed.

“What? How? Why aren’t you dead?”, Nefertiti's voice wavered as she looked down at her pierced chest.

“I’m far too stubborn to die, ‘queen’”, Kurou said, his eyes glowing red. “But what about you, crazy woman? Ready to face Ammit?”.

“I am the Queen Nefertiti, you accursed Post-Mortal”, she said, enraged. “Even if you kill me now, no judgment of your false gods can thwart me. I shall return by the glory of Aton. The only true God shall crush you and all the heretics who dare to stand against Him”.

“Then I will crush your god and everyone who stand against ME, Nefertiti. Have a nice trip to hell!”, Kurou said, forcefully withdrawing the knife from her back. Nefertiti crumpled to the ground, unable to move anymore.

"Nefertiti... why?", Tut's voice quivered, his eyes glistening with emotion. "Why persist in this madness? Can't you see the error in your ways?".

“I regret nothing, child”, she whispered through ragged breaths, a momentary cough interrupting her words. “Only those ...who have seen the glory of Aton...can underst…”. Her voice faltered. As the last vestiges of life left Nefertiti's form, an air of desolation enveloped the scene.

“Kurou…this was a mistake”, Tut said, looking at him with his eyes wet. “That’s not how things were supposed to end”.

“She would have killed me if she could, Tutankhamon. And she was about to kill you as well”, Kurou said with an emotionless expression.

Tut's eyes moistened further.

“Yes, but she’s the closest I had to a mother, Kurou. And now…she is dead.”

“I’m tired of feeling guilty for doing what I think is right, Tut”, Kurou said. “If you don’t want me around, I understand. But it’s kill or be killed here. I’m tired of playing hero”.

“You are no hero, Kurou. You have never been”, Tut said, lowering his eyes.

Kurou casually walked out of the museum, surrounded by curious tourists and locals. Two guards tried to intercept him, but he sent two shadow projections towards them, piercing their throats with his knife. They dropped down, dead.

People started running and screaming, while some called for the police. Weary, Kurou walked away as if nothing had happened, ignoring the officers’ warning for him to freeze and stand down. Some of them shot at him, to no avail. Even a clean headshot wasn’t enough to bring him down.

“You can’t kill me”, Kurou declared. “Leave me alone before I lose my patience with you too”, he threatened.

A chill ran down everyone’s spine, and they felt a fear they had never felt before. Suddenly, the strange pale man with red eyes was far off in the distance, and suddenly no one had the intention of giving pursuit.

Tut stood alone at the entrance of the museum, with the shattered pieces of his mortuary mask. Piecing them together, he could finally read the spell from the Book of the Dead he sought after for so long.

“Stepmother…I promise I’ll save Egypt, and I’ll find a way to bring you back. When that time comes, you will feel the love and power of Amon-Ra, and you'll join me in my mission to turn this country into the prosper Egypt it deserves to be. Now rest…Beautiful One”.

He then focused on the spell, and chanted:

Thy right eye is the night bark, thy left eye is the day bark, thy eyebrows are the Ennead of the Gods, thy forehead is Anubis, the nape of thy neck is Horus, thy locks of hair are Ptah-Soker. In front of the Osiris, He sees thanks to thee, thou guidest him to the goodly ways, thou smitest for him the confederates of Sutekh so that he may overthrow thine enemies before the Ennead of the Gods in the great Castle of the Prince, which is in Heliopolis...the Osiris, the King of Upper Egypt Nebkheperure, deceased, given life by Ra.

Upon finishing the chant, a strong yellow light emerged from the mask, enveloping Tutankhamon.