With a slither, one of Gorgon's hair appeared over Cersei's head, opening its maw, its fangs dripping with purple Mana.
Black, shadowy bolts of lightning danced around the Shadow Queen as her Conqueror Haki went wild. Despite the sheer difference between her and Gorgon's divine presence, the snake paused as if petrified.
Cersei blurred and appeared over the snake's head and fired.
Bang!
The Severing and Binding bullet hit the back of the snake's head and it burst apart in strands of hair.
In the very next moment, the gaze fell upon her.
With a creak, Gorgon's mere glance petrified the Shadow Queen, another serpent slithering through her, breaking her in chunks of stone.
Stepping over those stones, the Bronze Titan boomed, hacking down the swords.
Dozens of meters tall bloody scars whirled across the space as they beheaded two more serpent heads before a purple pillar of pure Mana fell from above and washed him away to oblivion.
A hundred-feet-tall snake slithered among the purple ones, Orochimaru crouching on top of its head, a wild grin planted on his face.
This was it, he realized, as Cersei and Petyr reappeared next to him.
This was the true meaning of Immortality.
To fight. To learn. To keep improving.
Uncaring of death.
"Hahaha!" Orochimaru hissed, making several hand signs, activating the Cursed Seal on Cersei and Petyr. "Go wild!!!"
Booommmmmmmm!
"ROARRRRRRR!"
"WAAAAAA!"
The beasts roared, and a deformed baby cried.
All hell went loose over Gorgon, constantly and perversely attacking her from all sides.
Like a black, bloody wraith, Kai appeared behind Gorgon's head and hacked, slamming the swords on her head.
There was such power in Kai's blow that Gorgon's entire back bent, one of her hands landing on the blood ocean, waves rising in their surroundings.
From above, uncaring for Kai, the Jaegar slammed a monstrously huge hammer, thunder crackling around it.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
As Thor's Hammer filled the entire Reality Marble with storm and thunder before the entire sky turned black.
It was Dementor, carrying a sickle.
The hundreds of meters tall creature hacked, its blade landing on Gorgon's back.
A black-colored fire oozed first, and then the nuclear blast blackened all vision, cursed flames raging across the blood ocean.
"… I…"
It was one letter.
A letter that shouldn't even exist.
Not because she lacked a mouth, but because she lacked rationality.
Yet, when Gorgon's roar took the shape of that letter, the entire Reality Marble shook.
A hand appeared out of nowhere, like a snake's lunge, and grabbed Dementor's head and squeezed… ending it right then and there.
…
Time was running out.
Time that the Commander of the Vanguard was buying at the cost of his life.
"… Listen, my dear audience…" Betty Shaw directed. "Let me tell you a tale of three Maidens. The first one is named Jeanne d'Arc, the Holy Maiden. Have you heard of the sword she wields that she never swung once in her lifetime? The same sword that became a Conceptual Weapon — a Reality Marble — a Heroic Spirit, who is none but the Holy Maiden herself! And if you haven't… then wouldn't you like to see it — in its holiest glory?!"
A golden beam of light burst from Jeanne as Betty finished his paradoxical introduction.
Letting go of the lance she wielded, the white flag on it still flapping majestically, she kneeled, a tear trickling down her chin — screaming goodbye.
Rider stepped forward to Jeanne's right then, purple bolts of lightning crackling around her.
"… And have you heard of Medusa, dear audience?" Betty continued, his hands shaking thinking of Jeanne. "Petrifying eyes. Vengeful soul. Murderous fangs. No. I am not talking about those things. Have you heard of the beast she commanded in battles? The mythical Phantasmal Beast whose might couldn't be matched even in the Age of Gods. No? You haven't? Then… wouldn't you like to see the divine creature — in its mightiest glory?!"
Crack!
A dozens-of-feet-large, bloody spell circle formed itself in front of Rider, thick bolts of lightning blasting away the blood ocean.
With one step, Medusa thrust her hand into the spell circle and… pulled out a leash.
As if that was a sign, Saber stepped forward, putting herself between Jeanne and Medusa, the wind around her sword vanishing, revealing the divine blade underneath.
"… You must have heard of the restraints, though, right?" Betty Shaw directed, pulling away as he sensed the power in his surroundings. "The same restraints that the round table's knights had put on King Arthur's sword. The same restraints because of which… Excalibur couldn't unleash its full power. No? You haven't? Then… would you like to see what happens if those restraints are lifted, dear audience?"
As if those the Director's words broke some kinds of shackles, Saber's armor, eyes, and blade began glowing, releasing motes of pure light.
"Today the enemy is more powerful than us…" Saber said, lifting the restraints one by one. "The enemy is neither elemental nor good. I fight for no personal gain. Nor do I stand against humanity. Even if the battle seems inhumane, it isn't, because today I fight for truth. To live. Today… I raise my blade to save the world, to defend human order, shoulder-to-shoulder with my comrades! AND… I swear I will put my heart into it… for honor!"
Time stagnated.
Even Ayin, who had been slithering in Kai's shadow paused.
From Heroic Spirits to Masters, from Characters to Beasts, all and everything lifted their gazes off the battle to marvel at her words… and her blade.
The Holy Maidens were glowing.
The Holy Maidens were standing tall.
The King had lifted her sword high, its blade shining like a sun.
Golden, Purple, White, and Blue bolts of lightning snaked around them, spatial tears worshiping their existence.
Zelretch took a step back, taking in the full scene.
And Gorgon… her eyes shook, sensing doom.
Noble Phantasm —
A bloody spell circle, as large as the sky, manifested in front of Gorgon.
With its mere appearance, all beasts and Characters were petrified, their figures disintegrating in the next moment.
Even the blood ocean — that had never lost its liquidity — became solid, flaky ground.
From horizon to horizon — even the space began gaining a gray, stony appearance.
Then, opening her mouth, Gorgon screamed, firing a hundred-feet-large pillar of Mana, obliterating everything.
— Pandemonium Cetus!
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