The ends of Gorgon's hair twisted together, forming massive, dark purple serpents.
Each snake opened its gaping, bloodstained maw and fired high-density mana beams. Though they couldn't bring down the city walls of the Magical Beast front in a single strike, the damage left behind was substantial.
Ana's appearance dealt a heavy mental blow to Gorgon, breaking her usual composure.
Her instincts screamed that this unidentifiable, tiny figure posed a grave threat. Yet Kingu, the one meant to protect her, still hadn't arrived.
"Back off."
Scáthach yanked Ana's cloak, pulling her out of the path of a mana beam fired by one of the giant serpents. The blast left a deep scar across the battlefield.
"This won't work… we can't get close to Gorgon like this," Ana said anxiously.
Even with Sakura's mana and the power of the Command Spell enhancing her beyond her previous limits, Ana still couldn't effectively approach Gorgon.
New magical beasts could lunge at any moment, and the Demon Pillars writhing across the field made for constant interference.
"Even if we do get close, it might not matter." Scáthach pointed her spear at Gorgon's exposed abdomen, where a golden glow shimmered faintly. "The Holy Grail's protection is still active. Even if you wanted to go out together with her, it won't be that simple."
Letting go of Ana, Scáthach darted across the battlefield, parrying the beasts that charged at her while searching for an opening to strike at Gorgon.
"But on Master's side… new Demon Pillars just showed up around Kingu," Artoria shouted, swinging her Holy Sword with all her strength. She sliced through the open maw of a giant serpent, dodging the filthy blood that threatened to splash on her. "We need to change priorities—the plan to defeat Gorgon after taking the Holy Grail has to be revised!"
Among the Uruk soldiers fighting on the front lines, many had already been critically wounded by Gorgon's attacks. Some had been lucky enough to be pulled back within the walls for treatment; others had been reduced to ash by the mana beams from those serpents formed of her hair.
At this point, Gorgon resembled a fully armed turret, attacking in all directions with almost no blind spots. The serpents fired indiscriminately, their beams spraying in every direction.
"In other words, we can't stall any longer," Scáthach muttered as she weaved across the battlefield.
Their opponent was the Goddess of Demonic Beasts—far from an easy foe. But fortunately, they had a Servant capable of countering her.
"Then, leave the offensive route to me!"
Tomoe Gozen dodged the magical beast's claws, spun around, grabbed it with force, and let out a thunderous roar.
Noble Phantasm, release.
"Noble Phantasm, 'Oṃ Ālolik Svāhā: Mantra - Āryāvalokiteśvara Bodhisattva'!"
The magical beast was hurled at Gorgon, who reacted instantly by commanding her serpent heads to unleash a blast of mana in response.
But the throw was merely a feint. Tomoe Gozen's true Noble Phantasm converted her deep emotions into sun-like mana, then fired it as an arrow to detonate the target.
The arrow struck, and the snake head that had been gathering mana but hadn't yet fired exploded as well. The close-range strike hit Gorgon directly, but Tomoe, unable to move after releasing her Noble Phantasm, was left vulnerable.
She was struck by Gorgon's mana blast, collapsing from her injuries, unable to fight any longer.
Mash quickly coordinated with Leonidas I, who activated his Noble Phantasm, "Thermopylae Enomotia," to rescue the gravely wounded Tomoe Gozen from the battlefield.
This hit-and-run tactic enraged Gorgon. Her attention diverted, she failed to notice Scáthach leaping at her from behind.
A chilling presence that clashed with everything above sent a shudder of dread through Gorgon.
Since Gorgon had first appeared, Scáthach had been waiting for the right moment to release her Noble Phantasm. With so many magical beasts crowding the field, she chose to wipe them all out at once—Gorgon included.
"Let me show you the true nature of the Land of Shadows, Gorgon!"
The sky abruptly shifted colors. In the warped air, a massive stone gate, equal in scale to Gorgon herself, materialized and began to open slowly toward the ground.
"Open! 'Gate of Skye!'"
Gorgon sensed the battlefield churning beneath her. Magical beasts were caught up in the rising winds, lifted from the earth, and swept into the vortex, sucked into the gateway to the realm of death.
But the Demonic Beast Goddess, Gorgon, would not be dragged off so easily.
She braced her massive frame against the pull, but the effort left her nearly immobile. Even her serpent heads could no longer lash out at nearby enemies.
And even resisting the gate's pull came at a cost—it drained her mana.
Despite the Holy Grail's blessing, Gorgon felt her magical reserves rapidly depleting.
She extended a massive hand toward Scáthach, trying to crush her before the Noble Phantasm could fully activate. But this split her focus and exposed her to attack.
"Let's end this, Gorgon!"
Only those Scáthach had deemed fit could still move freely now—her comrades, fighting alongside her.
Ana, for instance.
She raised her sickle and swung it down toward Gorgon's heart.
Though she had once died by the Noble Phantasm "Harpe" wielded by Perseus, Ana had manifested this time in a form reminiscent of her sisters—and with her came a Noble Phantasm just as lethal to her as that fateful blade.
Only it could pierce Gorgon's immortality.
"Aaaaaaahhh—!!!"
Gorgon roared in agony. Her power waned further as she suddenly pulled back her extended hand and seized Ana's small frame.
The sheer force crushed Ana's bones in an instant. Blood sprayed from her mouth.
Swoosh—
A flash of sacred light slashed across Gorgon's wrist. Though the wound began healing immediately, her grip weakened, and she could no longer hold onto Ana.
Artoria caught Ana's fragile body and soared skyward astride Dun Stallion. She handed Ana to Scáthach before urging her steed even higher—past the vanishing gate.
Gorgon hadn't miscalculated by appearing on the magical beast front. Originally, with Kingu at her side, she had the power to punch through the defensive line with the beasts and the Demon Pillars.
But now, Kingu was unable to aid her. The newly arrived Demon Pillars, following Kingu's orders, were holding back Shiomi and his group from returning to the front lines.
Left truly alone, Gorgon looked up in terror.
The gate to the Land of Shadows was already closing, fading away. Above it hung the unleashed Holy Lance.
Desperately mustering all her remaining mana, Gorgon wrapped her body in her serpentine hair and transformed into a complete monster. She unleashed her Noble Phantasm at Artoria.
"Dissolve—Pandemonium Cetus!'"
"Roar—Rhongomyniad!'"
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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