As the final pillar of the Three Goddess Alliance, the Goddess of Demonic Beasts, Gorgon, stood apart from Ereshkigal and Quetzalcoatl in one striking way—her massive size, far exceeding that of any human.
The other two goddesses could blend in among humans without raising suspicion if they chose to. But Gorgon, towering over ten meters tall, stunned soldiers both on the city walls and below into silence the moment she appeared on the battlefield beyond the Demonic Beast front.
She blotted out the sky.
That was the soldiers of Uruk's first impression of her—an ominous figure, part serpent and part human, radiating raw hatred. There was no doubt that she existed for one purpose only: to eradicate humanity.
"That's... Gorgon."
From the top of the wall, Sakura spotted the colossal figure. After a brief moment of shock, she immediately ordered the others to take cover.
If the information from the other two goddesses was accurate, then the true identity of the Goddess of Demonic Beasts was indeed Gorgon—once Medusa, the serpent-haired monster from Greek myth. She had lost her divinity but retained a portion of Medusa's original power.
Chief among those powers was the ultimate Mystic Eyes, capable of petrifying any living creature with a single glance.
Under no circumstances could ordinary human soldiers be exposed to her gaze.
But with the other two goddesses bound by alliance and unable to fight Gorgon directly, there was no one left with the power to stop her or the army of Demonic Beasts.
Think. Think… keep thinking!
In the shadow cast by the city walls, Sakura observed Gorgon's movements in battle.
Artoria and Scáthach were doing their best to hold Gorgon at bay. Scáthach was using the "Rune of Liberation," a Primordial Rune, to counter the occasional petrification of her own body.
As for Artoria... the former Lion King possessed Magic Resistance that exceeded even the Saber Class standard. The petrifying gaze of the Mystic Eyes only placed minor pressure on her movements.
Sakura knew her father and mother had returned to the front lines—but with the persistent threat of Kingu still looming, they couldn't afford to count on their support just yet.
Until Kingu was taken care of, they had to find a way to delay Gorgon and prepare for a counterattack.
"Sakura, let me go," Ana said, stepping up beside her.
"Miss Ana..." Sakura was momentarily stunned.
After spending days with Chaldea, Ana had finally come to trust the girls there and revealed her true identity.
She was Medusa—drawn to this Singularity with a single purpose: to kill Gorgon.
"I'll use my Mystic Eyes to counter hers and buy you time to strike," Ana said softly.
"But… compared to Gorgon in her current state, your power…" Sakura couldn't bring herself to accept Ana's request.
Ana forced a small smile. "I'm not alone. Everyone in Chaldea, everyone in Uruk is fighting. I can't hide in a safe place and just survive."
She wasn't walking into death—and she knew it.
"Then—" Sakura grabbed Ana's wrist and formed a pact. "Take my Mana. And… come back alive!"
The glow of a Command Spell flared as powerful Mana surged into Ana, nearly overwhelming her. She gave a helpless smile.
"I promise you… I promise all of you," Ana said.
On the other side, Ritsuka, hidden from Gorgon's sight, exchanged a nod with Sakura and then shouted, "Mash, cover Ana!"
"Understood, Master!" Mash replied loudly and charged forward.
Artoria had instructed her to hold position and wait for the right moment. Now that her Master had given the signal, the time had come.
"Doctor, notify the Director. Get ready to activate Astromancy Magecraft. I'm ordering the King of Knights and the Grand Master to fall back for now," Sakura relayed quickly to Chaldea. "Tell Caren to focus on recovering the wounded!"
"Understood! I'll deliver the message immediately!"
Sakura then extended her wand, aimed it at the gaps between the writhing Demon Pillars, and fired a signal magic bullet.
A brilliant purple light illuminated the sky.
Seeing the signal, Artoria activated the Holy Lance and unleashed "Invisible Air," launching an attack at the Gorgon's massive form that didn't even require aiming.
She severed the giant snakes formed from Gorgon's hair, and the force of the impact nearly knocked the massive goddess off balance.
"Hateful creature!"
Gorgon's Mystic Eyes flared wide, unleashing a petrifying beam at Artoria—but she quickly darted behind one of the Demon Pillars on the battlefield, letting it take the hit in her place.
Regaining her footing, Gorgon scanned the area but couldn't find any trace of Artoria or Scáthach. Furious, she shoved aside the Demon Pillars in disgust, irritated by the way these familiars of the King of Magecraft were getting in her way.
Then, the sky filled with a surge of ominous magical energy.
Countless meteorites came crashing down like a storm, bombarding the northern edge of the battlefield beyond the Demonic Beast front. Both the magical beasts and the Demon Pillars suffered heavy damage.
[Grand Order Designation / Celestial Sphere for the Preservation of Humanity].
Olga Marie's Astromancy Magecraft.
From the very first day she arrived in this distant Age of Gods, she had been secretly preparing this large-scale ritual.
With the experience from the Sixth Singularity's assault on the Holy City, and the benefit of an even more complete divine-era environment, Olga Marie had far more time and resources at her disposal this time.
In this age where most gods had already left Mesopotamia, she didn't even need to worry about provoking divine wrath.
After all, even the Sky Goddess Ishtar had fallen into slumber.
This colossal, meticulously-prepared spell had been waiting for one moment—the instant Gorgon revealed herself amidst her demonic army.
Even the Goddess of Demonic Beasts had no choice but to use her hair and tail as a shield, trying to ward off the relentless meteorite impacts and explosions.
Though the Astromancy Magecraft lasted only about ten seconds, its devastation was catastrophic.
Not even magical beasts were spared.
As the bombardment ceased, rage consumed Gorgon's mind. Her fury reached its peak.
But she was, after all, the Goddess of Demonic Beasts—her regeneration was extraordinary. Her scorched and torn flesh, her severed tail and hair, all began to heal at a pace visible to the naked eye.
Then, something even more terrifying than the meteor shower emerged.
Gorgon couldn't perceive Ana clearly—only a blurry, short silhouette that looked both familiar and strange.
"Who are you?! What is this chilling aura…? I'm losing my mind! Get this thing away from me! Kingu!"
Panic overtook her. The overpowering dominance she displayed upon entering the battlefield vanished.
"You really can't see me… Gorgon."
"That is you, and yet not you. Do what you believe is right, girl."
Artoria placed a hand on Ana's shoulder. She, more than anyone, understood what it meant to stand face to face with another version of oneself.
Even if her own experience hadn't been adversarial.
"I understand… I understand! So please, lend me your strength!"
Ana, casting aside hesitation, raised her weapon and stepped forward to confront Gorgon.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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