Rustle, rustle, rustle.
The wind whistled in her ears as Medusa swayed her waist, swiftly gliding through the olive groves outside Athens. Her serpentine lower body rubbed against the dry branches and fallen leaves on the ground, creating a peculiar sound.
If she didn't care about aesthetics and losing control, the physical capabilities of her current monster form were actually much stronger than when she was a goddess. It seemed Ares's frequent remarks about "going dark making you three times stronger, and turning good making you five parts weaker" were true.
However, this was not the time to worry about such issues. Medusa had to find a quiet, deserted place to hide. On one hand, it was to avoid the Argo Heroes who sought glory by killing powerful monsters. On the other hand, it was to prevent her uncontrolled self from accidentally harming other ordinary people.
Although Medusa still didn't know where to go, for now, she just needed to escape Athens.
Speak of the devil, just as Medusa was worrying whether the two Argo Heroes who helped her repel Poseidon today would come after her, she heard the sound of wind in her ears. Turning her head, Medusa saw Perseus rushing towards her, enveloped in lightning-like magic. In his hand, he held a moon-like staff, already charged with a spell and locked onto her.
Medusa quickly lowered her head. The next moment, Perseus's staff unleashed countless purple light ribbons. These ribbons transformed into powerful flashes, landing on the ground in front of Medusa, causing huge explosions and flames. If Medusa hadn't lowered her head just then, her scales would have been shattered.
Although Medusa reacted quickly, this was only Perseus's first wave of attack. As a demigod Hero capable of exchanging blows with Sea King Poseidon, Perseus's combat power was superior to Medusa's in her normal state. After realizing his flash attack had been dodged, Perseus immediately swung his staff. The purple spear-blade at the tip of the staff extended, and under his control, it traced several hazy moon-rings, spinning and slashing towards Medusa.
These were fragments of Artemis and Selene's authority, light rings imbued with the Moon Goddess's divine power, which even Medusa's scales couldn't withstand. But just as Medusa felt a surge of tension, her long purple hair suddenly moved on its own. Countless strands of purple hair coiled together, forming several snake heads. These snake heads opened their mouths and spat fireballs at the moon-rings behind them. The fireballs collided with the moon-rings, directly detonating Perseus's attacks.
After being rescued, Medusa continued to run while shouting at Perseus:
"Get away! I don't want to fight you, I just want to leave Athens, let me go!"
"Impossible, monster, you have already killed a patrol of soldiers in the Athens marketplace."
Perseus responded coldly:
"No matter who you are, you must pay the price for this. I will take your head and bring it back to glorify Athena, cleansing my sins of today."
It seemed negotiation was impossible. Medusa gritted her teeth, hardened her resolve, and actively opened her Mystic Eyes of Cybele, glaring at Perseus behind her.
A visible purple light curtain erupted from her eyes. Trees and grass leaves struck by this light instantly turned into stone. However, Perseus was clearly prepared. The moment Medusa looked at him, Perseus had already conjured a stone wall with magic, blocking the terrifying mystic light.
Having missed her attack, Medusa had no desire to prolong the fight and turned to flee. Unfortunately, Perseus continued his relentless pursuit. The blood of Zeus within him seemed to have specialized his speed, and combined with his swift movement and body-altering magic, Perseus was able to stay firmly on Medusa's heels, constantly bombarding her with magic.
Medusa first symbolically prayed to Athena, the chief deity she had served for a time, but received no response. So she gritted her teeth, hardened her resolve, and loudly prayed in her heart:
"Great Ares, please save me!"
In stark contrast to Athena, Medusa's prayer this time had an immediate effect. After she finished praying, she immediately felt connected to a great being in her heart. This great being said to her:
"Your prayer, I have received!"
The moment the words fell, just like the group attack on Poseidon during the day, a comet once again flashed in the sky. A flaming spear plunged into the earth, and the moment it landed, a wall of fire shot up into the sky. The earth cracked, forming a huge chasm several kilometers long, blocking Perseus's path forward.
Medusa looked back and saw Perseus fearlessly casting magic to protect his body, then crying out as he leaped high into the air, jumping towards her, attempting to cross the wall of fire directly and continue the pursuit. But just as he jumped into the wall of fire, a foot immediately extended from the flames, then kicked Perseus violently several miles away.
Perseus's body bounced back and forth on the ground like a ball, shattering countless patches of earth. Even with the resilient body of a demigod Hero, he was severely injured. He finally collapsed into a deep pit several miles away, clutching his chest and groaning in pain.
From within the flames, Ares's voice emerged, tinged with a hint of arrogance, as he shouted at Perseus:
"Go back and tell your goddess, this woman, I, Ares, will protect her!"
Medusa did not see the subsequent scene, as the flames had already surrounded her, forming a fireball that enveloped her and soared high into the sky.
Medusa didn't know how far she flew with the fireball. When she finally landed back on the ground, she found herself on an island.
The flames that enveloped her dissipated into sparks, forming the figure of Ares beside her. On the other side of the beach, two small and familiar figures were running towards her, shouting:
"Medusa! Medusa! Are you alright!"
Medusa's two sisters, Stheno and Euryale, upon receiving Ares's message, rushed out of the temple in the center of the island and came to the beach to greet their sister.
And upon seeing Medusa, now completely mutated, with snake hair, her body covered in pale yellow snake scales, and even her legs transformed into thick snake tails, these two outspoken goddesses couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh my god, Athena made you so ugly!"