While the rest fell into a stunned silence, one goddess was overcome with extreme unease.
"The Father of All Gods? Zeus... or Ouranos... Don't you dare lay a hand on me! I serve the Mother Goddess!"
The snake-tailed goddess glared at her surroundings with ferocious eyes, her tail twitching restlessly. She was supposed to be in her stronghold, commanding Demonic Beasts to attack Uruk, but she had been transported to the royal palace by an abrupt force. It was a power that couldn't be refused, one she couldn't even perceive, and it put her on high alert.
What terrified her even more was that her Mystic Eyes of Petrification were, for some reason, completely suppressed. They were utterly useless. It was as if she had been conceptually disarmed in the presence of an absolute monarch, like being forbidden from carrying a weapon.
Even more concerning, she should have possessed a colossal body at least tens of meters tall—the form of the Demonic Beast known as Gorgon, capable of shattering city walls with a mere clap of her hands. Yet now, after being moved to the palace, her body had inexplicably shrunk to the height of an adult woman, as if she were being forbidden from overstepping her bounds.
The goddess's gaze swept over Ishtar and Gilgamesh, but she didn't believe either of them was capable of this. Manifesting with the divinity of a monster, her power was not to be underestimated even among chief deities. There was no way Ishtar or Gilgamesh could have dealt with her so easily.
It was only when Ereshkigal spoke Su Mo's name that she finally noticed the being above them.
The moment she saw Su Mo, her mature body began to tremble. Her very divine form was seized by extreme terror, and she fell to her knees on the spot, her eyes a maelstrom of panic and defiance.
"Stay away from me! Don't come any closer!"
This mature woman with tears welling in the corners of her eyes was less a goddess and more a terrified child. Unlike Ereshkigal's attitude of reverence and adoration towards the Father God, for this goddess, the term seemed to signify nothing good.
Seeing her panicked reaction, Rin Tohsaka thought for a moment.
"She mentioned Zeus, so she must be a goddess from Greek mythology. The iconic snake tail, and that fear of the 'Father God'... Could she be the Gorgon from Greek myth, Medusa?" she guessed the third goddess's identity.
"To be precise, she is Gorgon," Gilgamesh added. "When Medusa grows to her limit as a monster, she manifests as a Demonic Beast Goddess."
And just like that, the identities of the Three Goddess Alliance were all revealed. Aside from the unstable Gorgon, the other two had immediately pledged their allegiance to Su Mo as his "daughters."
Surveying the situation, Ishtar stroked her chin. After a moment of contemplation, she pointed at the last figure and spoke up.
"I get all that, but wasn't it supposed to be a Three Goddess Alliance? Why are there four people?"
Indeed, beside the fully-matured Gorgon stood a petite figure in a black cloak, silently standing in a corner. Having been completely still, the figure was easy to overlook. But Ishtar had clearly seen this small person appear along with the other goddesses. So what was going on? Why was there an extra person?
Hearing Ishtar's question, Gudako finally shifted her gaze to the last person. Then, she and Mash's eyes widened in unison. Without needing any intel, they recognized the girl's identity.
"Ana? Aren't you the Servant who was summoned with Merlin? What are you doing here?"
The petite, purple-haired loli was a Lancer summoned under the influence of the Holy Grail. Gudako had interacted with this Servant before, but she never expected to see her in this situation.
At the sound of her name, Ana's small body twitched slightly before she fell still again. A few seconds later, she threw back her hood, revealing the delicate features of a young goddess.
Seeing the loli's face, Gorgon, who had been trapped in fear, was momentarily stunned, then shot her a vicious glare.
"It's you!" she recognized the other.
"It's me," the purple-haired loli nodded, her expression impassive.
"Who is it?" Gudako was completely lost. She turned to Su Mo with a pleading look. In her eyes, Su Mo surely knew everything.
In response to Gudako's plea, Su Mo didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked towards the entrance of the palace.
At that moment, a voice that was very familiar to Gudako rang out, though its usual lazy tone was now serious and solemn.
"Ana and Gorgon are two sides of the same coin. They are both aspects of Medusa. Gorgon is the final outcome of Medusa becoming a Demonic Beast Goddess, while Ana is the goddess form of Medusa's youth."
"Ana despises her future self. The Holy Grail must have summoned Ana to counteract this Demonic Beast Goddess who manifested and upset the balance."
"But now, that's probably no longer necessary."
A white-haired young man in a sage's robe walked in solemnly from the entrance and knelt before Su Mo with the utmost respect.
"Caster Merlin, at your service, oh great King of Gods, Father of All Gods, Creator of All!"
"Merlin, what are you doing here?!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka wasn't too surprised by the half-incubus's reverent attitude. Merlin's status was a tier below even Gilgamesh's, let alone the King of All Gods. But this guy loved to sleep in and was never around; how did he get here so promptly?
"Little Ana suddenly disappeared. How could I not be worried?" Merlin said with a shrug, answering Ritsuka's question before looking up at Su Mo. "With the King of Gods present, I'm sure we need not worry about Gorgon. However... Your Majesty, one as insignificant as I wishes to make a request, and I hope that you, the King of All Gods, will deign to consider it."
Merlin prostrated himself on the floor, showing extreme deference.
"Speak," Su Mo said simply.
"I implore you, please do not take out your anger on little Ana for the words and actions of Gorgon alone. Though they share the same divinity, they are ultimately not the same person."
Merlin pleaded. "Given Medusa's experiences, it is indeed difficult for her to control her emotions."
Cursed into a monster for no reason, forced to devour her own sisters, and finally beheaded by a hero. Though a goddess, Medusa's fate was more tragic than that of most Demonic Beasts.
Hearing Merlin's request, several people in the room looked surprised.
"You can actually speak like a decent person?"
When did this guy grow a conscience? To think he'd actually ask Lord Su Mo for forgiveness on Ana's behalf.
Hearing their prejudiced remarks, Merlin's face soured. He felt like he was being treated like a cold-blooded animal—though he couldn't exactly deny it. This wasn't the time to fight back, so he swallowed his retort. Seeing that Su Mo wasn't angered by his words, he boldly continued.
"I also ask you to forgive Ana's fear and humanity. To her, the term 'King of Gods' has always represented an oppressor, so it's inevitable that she would feel afraid. Could I ask you to—"
Merlin, who had boldly offered his counsel, raised his head slightly, trying to read Su Mo's expression.
But halfway through his sentence, he suddenly froze. His gaze was fixed on the purple-haired loli who had, at some point, climbed onto Su Mo's lap. The Fou-aficionado's face turned pale with fright.
"Ana, what do you think you're doing to the King of All Gods?!" he cried out in horror.