Alexander could naturally see what was happening, and Voban wasn't blind to it either.
Though he was amused to see the British kid getting trounced, he could still read the grimness of the current situation.
"Didn't you set up anything in your labyrinth to limit her speed?" Voban asked.
"You think I didn't?" Alexander frowned.
"The problem is, it's impossible to restrict. That speed of hers is still climbing."
"Initially, it took her four seconds to break through a layer, but as time passes, she's already cut that time in half. And this is with me using the Weird Greed."
Hearing this, Voban stated directly, "Buy me time. I'll weaken her."
"How long?"
"One minute."
"!?"
Do you have any idea how precious a single minute is right now!?
But Voban, ignoring his predicament, immediately began the incantation of his Authority.
"All the living things in the world are the same: Saints and sinners, villains and heroes, innocent children and even their mothers are the source of my fire."
Endless flames converged in the sky, their terrifying force making it clear to Alexander that this Authority's destructive power was no joke.
He really wanted to curse Voban out for acting so selfishly, but he also understood that every second counted now.
An Authority requiring this long to prepare was bound to be cataclysmic, the kind that could decide the entire battle.
Thinking this, he didn't hesitate. He converted the entire next layer Melusine was heading for into an ocean floor, completely submerged in seawater.
Then, he teleported the Authority he'd intended to save for last—his strongest for direct combat—into that very layer.
On the fifty-third layer, a figure three meters tall appeared in the ocean.
Her upper body was that of a long red-haired woman with white bird's wings, her lower body a serpentine torso ending in a finned tail.
The 'Faceless Queen'. This was an Authority he'd usurped from the European legend of the two-tailed mermaid, the half-serpent goddess Melusine herself, summoning her as a familiar.
Her mobility and destructive power were impeccable.
She could enter any location, her speed second only to Alexander's own Godspeed, allowing her to handle combat on land, sea, or air.
She could also freely alter her size, reaching over ten meters at maximum, and possessed terrifying destructive power capable of shattering the very concept of 'Steel'.
As the goddess herself, her intelligence was high, making her useful for search, magic, divination, abduction, and more.
She could even slip into someone's shadow for covert protection. It was one of Alexander's most trusted Authorities.
Its only drawback, mirroring the legend, was the absolute rule that her "face must not be seen." Breaking this rule would cause her to depart immediately.
But Alexander had long considered this.
The mermaid goddess was already wearing 'Mordred's Helm,' obtained from Guinevere's Holy Grail.
With this Divine Artifact, it was difficult for anyone to see her face, even if they tried.
The Sea Queen herself had no objection to the helmet. Though it didn't quite match her aesthetic, it at least ensured her face remained unseen.
Despite the pull of countless Weird Greeds, Melusine's speed had already reached Mach 200.
Traversing a layer truly became a 'blink of an eye.'
She paid no heed to anything around her, as anything drawing near was instantly vaporized by the plasma fireball generated from the friction between her body and the air.
The mere shockwave of her flight was enough to demolish all reinforced concrete structures within half a kilometer.
That was until she burst into the fifty-third layer.
A massive volume of seawater fell from the sky, instantly vaporizing before it could even touch her.
Yet, the surrounding environment still caused her a physiological sense of discomfort.
Just as she burst through the water's surface, preparing to accelerate out of this layer, a water spear plunged down from above, aimed directly at the top of her head.
Empowered by magical energy and Authority, this water spear did not dissipate from the physical phenomena generated by Melusine's flight.
At the same time, a familiar sensation emanated from the spear, prompting her, for the first time, to use the blade-sheath on her arm and, following her curiosity, halt her flight.
The figure that came into view, even with the helmet, she recognized instantly.
"Melusine..."
"Melusine?!" Alexander exclaimed upon hearing the Sea Queen's voice, finding it utterly absurd.
Then he thought, well, maybe it makes sense... actually, no, it doesn't.
They're both Dragon-Serpents, sure, but how did Melusine get connected to a knight, let alone Lancelot?
No... if it's Guinevere's doing, it's plausible.
But the problem is... how is this Melusine completely unfazed by someone seeing her face?
"I never imagined encountering a situation like this. It's worse than the worst-case scenario."
Though the Sea Queen's face was hidden by the helmet, her tone of obvious disgust revealed her current agitation.
"Weak... and utterly devoid of beauty... What's with this unpleasant form?" Melusine retorted, her own disdain practically dripping from her voice.
"What did you say!?" For a goddess, 'beauty' was a crucial element—otherwise, the Apple of Discord incident would never have happened.
Even with her aversion to having her face seen, the Sea Queen was exceptionally confident in her own loveliness.
However, Melusine's 'beauty' wasn't solely about physical appearance.
"This is truly displeasing...!!"
To Amber, the Sea Queen's 'semi-bestial' form wasn't unattractive; in fact, this kind of unconventional, exotic beauty was rather appealing. She was a mermaid, after all.
Even Melusine wouldn't hold that against her. But... if the other party was also 'Melusine,' the situation changed entirely.
Her eyes brimming with barely contained terror and killing intent, and to hide her own face, twisted and hideous with emotion, Melusine had to detach the blue mask adhered to the armor on her chest.
Placing it before her face, it automatically reattached to the black horns on either side of her forehead.
The Sea Queen couldn't comprehend what this 'other self' was so afraid of, but she didn't really care.
She wouldn't get the chance to, anyway.
Pale white double blades sprang from her gauntlets. Blue magical energy ignited throughout her body from her magical core.
Not needing even a moment to accelerate, Melusine, drawing upon the ley line's magical energy for the first time, exceeded Mach 450 the instant she started moving.
Even the Sea Queen, with her speed second only to Godspeed, was cleaved in two before she could react.
With no pause, the streak of light that slew the goddess made an inertia-defying right-angle turn and shot upward, breaking through.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.