[This shouldn't be happening]
*BAM!*
A strike and pain like a sledgehammer slammed into the side of her face.
[This shouldn't be happening]
*DUAR!*
A bolt of lightning like a spear fiercely shattered the scales on the serpent's body.
[This shouldn't be happening]
*SWISH!*
A sharp blade of wind sliced and sheared off the serpent's hair.
[This shouldn't be happening]
Under attacks from all directions by Naoki, the Gorgon, who had just moments ago seemed so ferocious, now retracted all her serpent hair, folded her wings, and shielded her body.
This shouldn't be happening.
She was the Goddess of Magical Beasts, Tiamat, Mother of all living creatures wielding the Authority of the Primordial Womb of a Hundred Beasts!
How could she be unilaterally suppressed like this by a weak, origin-unknown creature?
Bites from her serpent hair, consecutive magic cannon blasts, or the petrification rays unleashed through her Mystic Eyes... all attacks failed to yield results. She hadn't even touched Naoki once, let alone landed a hit!
*BAM!*
A full-force strike from Naoki landed on the surface of the Gorgon's wings. The intense vibrations and impact forced her wings to slightly open, and her body was inevitably pushed back a considerable distance.
Seizing the gap as her wings parted, Naoki accelerated, broke through, and arrived right in front of the Gorgon—
"STAY... AWAY FROM ME—!"
Seeing Naoki so close, the Gorgon's eyes suddenly emitted a blinding light that swept across the entire surroundings.
*ZHINGGGG!*
In an instant, the area swept by the light froze, petrifying into stone at an astonishing speed!
Naoki, standing directly in front of the Gorgon, naturally began to petrify on his body surface under the light's influence. But the moment petrification appeared on his skin, he stepped into a Spatial Light Gate that materialized from nowhere. He reappeared behind the Gorgon, beyond the reach of her Mystic Eyes, and forcibly shattered the petrification curse with his own magical power!
And right after that—
*DHUAR!*
A lightning spear suddenly struck the Gorgon's back. The bolt incinerated most of her pale back in an instant!
In the last few minutes, this situation had repeated countless times.
Naoki unilaterally suppressed the Gorgon, while she seized tiny opportunities for counterattacks. Yet every counterattack failed, only to be met with painful strikes from Naoki.
If anyone else were here, Naoki would have beaten them to ashes. Incredibly, though, Naoki's attacks seemed ineffective. Despite her pitiful appearance, the Gorgon hadn't sustained much substantial damage.
No, the damage clearly struck her, but—
*BUZZ!*
A golden light appeared on the wounded areas. The damage Naoki had just inflicted was instantly healed by that light.
It was the light of the Holy Grail.
The reason the Gorgon hadn't been killed by Naoki yet was the Holy Grail given to her by Kingu.
The Gorgon already possessed immense immortality; with the Holy Grail, it was dramatically enhanced.
(She might even resurrect if killed.)
Her immortality was that potent. In fact, Naoki had slit her throat more than once before and inflicted numerous fatal wounds, but all were without exception healed by the Holy Grail's power.
To defeat the current Gorgon, the options were to first seize the Holy Grail from her body, or—
"I guess it's about time the effect kicks in, right? Turns out it's far harder to erode a goddess's soul."
As Naoki muttered to himself, the Gorgon's body suddenly stiffened like it was electrocuted. Indescribable pain erupted from within without warning, causing her to unconsciously clutch her chest tightly!
(This feeling... what... )
"Soul erosion."
Naoki approached the Gorgon and explained with a smile, "Do you think only you have Mystic Eyes? My Mystic Eyes have been working on you since our battle began. Lucky your body is this big."
After all, since meeting Kingu, Naoki no longer carried the Mystic Eyes Killer. Naturally, his own Mystic Eyes kept operating.
However, compared to Kingu's fragile, infant-like soul, the Gorgon's soul was extraordinarily strong. Only now had he achieved thirty percent erosion, making her feel real pain.
(After all, she is a goddess.)
Hearing Naoki's explanation, the Gorgon's face darkened as she clutched her chest. Her countless serpent hairs rampaged again, transforming into giant pythons lunging at Naoki!
*SHUA!*
Flames ignited from nowhere. Crimson fire reduced all the serpent hair to ash in an instant.
Naoki laughed, "Soul erosion is nearing forty percent. In about twelve minutes, your soul will be fully eroded by me and become mine."
While the Holy Grail's power granted her immortality, soul erosion couldn't be healed. As long as he dragged it out, the Gorgon was doomed to lose. Once her soul was eroded by Naoki, she'd become his puppet, just like Kingu.
"In your dreams!"
The Gorgon roared in fury.
"I, Tiamat, become yours? Wishful thinking!"
All her serpent hairs danced wildly in unison. Vast magical power gathered into countless magic cannons, firing from the serpents' mouths and sweeping every direction. Everything around shattered, crumbled, and exploded under the barrage, turning into scorched earth.
"I am the Goddess of Magical Beasts, Tiamat! The goddess who will utterly destroy Human History and humanity!"
"Along with this era and the future, become ashes!"
The Gorgon's roar shook heaven and earth.
Like a rampaging, out-of-control war machine, the entire petrified Cedar Forest turned into a sea of fire under the innumerable magic cannon bombardments.
Yet no matter how the Gorgon ravaged the land, destroyed her surroundings, or annihilated everything, Naoki persisted like an indelible stain, firmly occupying part of her vision, staring at her body with his sky-blue Mystic Eyes.
"AAAAA..... AAAAAAAAAAA—!!"
Her eyes filled with pure rage, the Gorgon unleashed a roar, and the most intense light ever flashed in her eyes.
She poured all her power into her Mystic Eyes, transforming the petrification light into a beam cannon and unleashing it point-blank right in front of Naoki's face!
And at the same moment—
"True Name, Release. Smite the wicked goddess! Excalibur!"
Unnoticed until then, Naoki gripped the Star Holy Sword with both hands, shouting and unleashing its True Name!
Even without releasing any seals, the brilliant starlight beam surged into a torrent in an instant, meeting the incoming Mystic Eyes light!
*BOOMMMMM—!*
A deafening roar echoed across heaven and earth once more. Gold and blood-red, two beams of light split the world in two!
Then, after a brief pause—
-BOOM!*
The Star Breath directly obliterated the Mystic Eyes light completely! The Gorgon, at such close range, was instantly swallowed by the Holy Sword's radiance!
(I... I... to think—)
Under the light's onslaught, the Gorgon's body—continuously annihilated by the starlight—didn't even finish her thought. Her consciousness rapidly sank, and her massive form exploded into countless specks of light!
Reaching out to catch the Holy Grail emerging from the Gorgon's body, Naoki sighed slightly, "Though I could have waited twelve minutes, sorry, I'm in a hurry. Dragging things out isn't my style."
"Perish, you pathetic goddess."
Gorgon.
Completely Annihilated!