Kingu tried to warn her, but it was too late. Ana had already been completely engulfed by the attack.
Gorgon watched as Ana stood her ground without dodging, allowing the attack to strike her. A slight sense of relief washed over Gorgon.
Ana was indeed her weakness, but her actual threat level wasn't particularly high. More than anything, Ana seemed to be afraid of her own inner demons. If she could just kill Ana, Gorgon could return to her former glory as the Queen of the Demonic Beasts and continue her vengeance against humanity.
"Running away is cowardly, you know?"
Never one to miss out on a spectacle, Jiang You pulled a sofa and coffee table from his backpack and spread them with snacks, fruits, and vegetables. Seeing this, Merlin sidled over.
"Make some room for me too! Don't be so stingy; there's plenty of space left."
When Jiang You refused, Merlin resorted to using magic to conjure a small stool from vines and settled down at the coffee table to mooch off Jiang You's refreshments.
As the magical energy dissipated, Ana stood unscathed in the same spot.
Gorgon was shocked. This attack's intensity rivaled even Tiamat's for a brief exchange. No ordinary Servant could have survived such an assault. "What's going on?!"
"Don't take your suffering out on innocent people," Ana pleaded.
Ana had once wavered about whether to save humanity, for she too possessed memories coveted by humans. But her journey to Uruk had changed her perspective. Not all humans were vile; they also possessed a warm side. She couldn't vent her rage on these people; no one should bear the burden of another's sins. "Please stop?"
"Stop? You haven't experienced those things yet, have you!"
Gorgon let out a harrowing laugh. "Do you understand the feeling of slowly sinking into the Abyss, unable to turn back as you're drawn deeper and deeper? We hid ourselves away, and look what they've done! Humanity deserves to be eradicated here and now. This is my, and my Sisters', final act of vengeance!"
"If that's the case," Ana replied, knowing she couldn't reason with Gorgon alone, "then let my Sisters speak to you."
"Sisters? Do you even know what this body is?!" Gorgon's fury intensified. "You dare speak so lightly of forgiving humanity? You loathsome insect! I'll throw you to the Magical Beasts as fodder!"
"That's why I used this method."
Ana used Gorgon's Noble Phantasm attack to trigger Jiang You's np: "My sisters have something to say to you. Let's Duel! This is a Shadow Game—the loser must completely obey the winner's commands!"
The Duel Space instantly materialized, marking the start of the second Duel. Incidentally, Goldie and Kingu had already started their Duel, but no one cared about their situation.
Ana: 4000 LP
Gorgon: 4000 LP
Gorgon only now realized the true nature of Jiang You's Noble Phantasm effect: it could transform any attack into a Duel invitation. Had she known this earlier, she would never have attacked Ana, as their Decks were identical, giving her no advantage whatsoever. She glared at Jiang You: "What a troublesome Noble Phantasm."
"Troublesome? I don't think so. Are you afraid to face your sisters?"
Jiang You wasn't about to indulge her. "Afraid they'll hate you for devouring them, aren't you?"
"T-that's not it!"
If Gorgon were to see her sisters, she would undoubtedly want to flee. But facing an enemy, she couldn't admit her weakness.
"I'll go first!"
Ana decisively seized the initiative. Jiang You had discussed the strategy with her and her Sisters beforehand: this battle didn't require any fancy maneuvers, just summoning the Sisters. Their card effects might be useless against Gorgon, but they possessed unparalleled external support abilities.
"First, I activate the Field Spell Card, Invisible Island!"
Ana's Field Spell Card differed from Medusa's and Gorgon's. This was a remnant of her time as a goddess, a still-untainted sanctuary. "I activate Invisible Island's effect: once per turn, I can search my deck for a Gorgon servant and add it to my hand. The one I'm adding is Sister Stheno!"
Gorgon's tail began to twitch nervously, torn between anticipation and dread. If she could, she would flee this place immediately, but the rules of the Duel forced her to wait patiently for Ana's next move.
"I Normal Summon Stheno!"
The eternal maiden goddess slowly descended onto the battlefield in a shimmering, rose-gold light.
Stheno Attack Power: 800
"Little Ana, we meet again."
Although Stheno didn't say it outright, she clearly favored Ana over Medusa. She turned and patted Ana on the head. "Well done, well done, dear. Now, I (and Euryale) leave it to you."
"I'll summon Sister Euryale right away!"
Ana's cheeks flushed with pride from the praise. She was also the one who adored and obeyed her two elder sisters the most among the Gorgon sisters.
"I activate my sister's effect! When 'Stheno' is Special Summoned, I can search my Deck for a 'Gorgon' servant! I'll add 'Sister Euryale' to my hand!"
"This card can be Special Summoned from my hand when it's added there by a non-draw effect!"
The twin goddesses were effortlessly summoned to the field.
Euryale: Attack Power 1200
"Sister Euryale's effect activates! When Special Summoned, I can add a 'Gorgon' Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. I'll add 'White Flower Crown'!"
This card was the flower crown woven for Ana by the old woman at the flower shop—a cherished memory preserved in her Deck as a defensive Equip Spell Card.
"Too slow!"
Euryale, arms crossed, gently pinched Ana's cheek.
"You took so long to summon your sister, Little Ana. Are you slacking off? Or do you not like me anymore?"
"N-no... I'm sorry..."
Ana, completely missing Euryale's teasing tone, apologized repeatedly.
"Alright, I (and Euryale) won't bully little Ana anymore. After all, there's Medusa here too, isn't there? We shouldn't neglect her."
Stheno intervened, rescuing Ana from the verge of tears.
Euryale released Ana's face, gave her cheek a gentle pinch, and turned her attention to Gorgon.
Faced with the gazes of her two elder sisters, Gorgon couldn't help but avert her eyes. Her massive body betrayed her every small movement, revealing her thoughts completely. "I... I am the malevolent Magical Beast Gorgon..."
"Gorgon? What are you talking about? You look exactly like Medusa... Sigh. How dare you talk back to me, Medusa? Looking away won't help. Look at me. Medusa."
Euryale's lips curled into a smile. Even in this transformed state, Gorgon remained her incorrigible younger sister at heart.