Arknights' Lock of Heaven

339

“How pitiful,” Xia Yu said, floating in mid-air and looking down at the smug look on the feathered serpent god’s face.

"Pity? If I didn't manage to hit you, why don't you consider this," Quetzalcoatl's lips curled into a sinister smile, "what if the so-called target wasn't you at all?"

She watched the Marduk hand axe fly further and further away, placed her hand on her brow, and thought with a smile, "Gorgon must be very surprised right now."

"I never intended to hit it in the first place; this huge hand axe was just a pass."

In Mesopotamian mythology, Marduk is the guardian god of Babylon and the national god of Babylonia. Legend has it that he not only defeated the "eleven monsters" and Kingu, but also subdued Tiamat, who caused the chaos, and became the head of the gods. Therefore, he is a god-level being!

In mythology, He defeated Tiamat with His hand axe, which was undoubtedly the most powerful weapon in this era and on this land.

Destroying Gorgon's Blood Temple was hardly a big deal.

But the question is, who can use this hand axe?

If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. To use such a weapon, you must have something special to offer.

And Quetzalcoatl, who is also a major god, is naturally the best candidate.

Xia Yu's expression was subtle as she looked at the smug Feathered Serpent God.

“Is there any possibility, I mean, is there any possibility,” he said to Quetzalcoatl, stroking his chin, “that I don’t mean you missed or anything like that.

"Then I'm saying...you actually believe Merlin?"

"Ha, what's so unbelievable about this..." Before she could finish speaking, a bolt of lightning struck Quetzalcoatl squarely on the top of his head!

In the blink of an eye, the abundant divinity of the supreme god-level being vanished like water flowing out of a dam.

It only stopped slowly when only half of its original divinity remained.

“I knew it,” Xia Yu said to the leopard-man beside her, “that someone would actually believe Merlin…”

“Yes, yes,” the leopard-man nodded seriously, “How pitiful, Kukul.”

Then he was glared at fiercely by Quetzalcoatl and immediately fell silent.

“You actually believe Mei Liangxin?” Xia Yu shook her head, then turned and flew away. “I should go back and check on things.”

Hopefully, I can still make it.

-

The Blood Temple is ablaze with fierce battle.

"Gorgon!"

Anna brandished her scythe, ignoring the countless fangs and claws of snake hair as she charged toward Gorgon's head.

At the very last moment, Anna was pierced through the abdomen by a magic cannon shot, and then tightly bound by snake hair.

"How could I be struck by an attack of this magnitude!" Gorgon raised his head high. "I am Tiamat! The goddess of origin!"

“No,” Anna’s voice was faint, but incredibly clear, reaching Gorgon’s ears.

“Monster of the Invisible Island, Hero Killer, this is you, Gorgon,” Anna said, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes as she watched her still evade this identity.

"Your revenge will never take you beyond that island..."

It is not only a tragedy for Gorgon, but also a tragedy for oneself.

That tragic, terrible fate haunted him constantly.

From Medusa to Gorgon is a great sin.

A crime serious enough to corrupt her mind.

Gorgon was stunned after being so bluntly exposed.

This is the tragedy of being a monster; once your weakness is struck, even your soul seems to freeze.

An image flashed through my mind: that small, helpless goddess being devoured by herself...

Even the snake hair that was tightly wrapped around Anna couldn't help but loosen.

Ah, yes, that's how effective it is; it can make your opponent lose their composure even in a life-or-death struggle.

A hint of sadness flickered in Anna's eyes.

She is Medusa, the future Gorgon.

They are one, different facets of the same heroic spirit.

She was acutely aware of her own fatal weakness.

Despite the sorrow, there was no lack of resolve.

Anna gripped the sickle tightly in her hand.

Let our suffering end here.

I can't bear to watch you (me) sink into this state.

The weapon in his hand is the Harpe, a divine sword from Greek mythology, with a unique scythe-like shape and a blade on the inside. Although it is not particularly powerful on its own, wounds inflicted by the Harpe are absolutely irreparable.

It is said that this sword has the power to nullify immortality, and the hero Perseus used the blade to slay the undead and behead the sleeping Medusa.

This sword became Medusa's exclusive weapon.

At this moment, it is held in Medusa's hands; isn't that a cruel irony of fate?

With a single blow, Gorgon's chest was shattered, and the Beast Goddess collapsed backward as if she had lost her life.

“This sickle…” Her eyes were filled with disbelief.

“Goodbye, my other self,” Anna said, stepping on her chest, her eyes filled with sorrow. “Our tragic wish, even if we cannot abandon it, is absolutely impossible to fulfill.”

"So, disappear with me."

Anna straightened up, stroked Gorgon's face, and a glistening tear rolled down her cheek.

"This is the reason I was summoned to this land..."

The two of them fell silently toward the abyss in the center of the Blood Temple.

“Heroic spirits are really…” Xia Yu stood beside Fujimaru Ritsuka and chuckled softly, “They’re such useful tools.”

It's so good that I'm starting to doubt whether I made the right choice.

Was Gorgon wrong?

No, not at all. From her perspective, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her choosing to take revenge on the world and on humanity.

Her tragic end was inextricably linked to the so-called heroes of Greece.

Oh, and Athena too, haha, the culprit.

The three Gorgon sisters are Sthenno (daughter of strength), Euryale (daughter of flight), and Medusa (daughter of domination).

The two older sisters, Stheno and Euryale, are "complete goddesses" who do not grow and are immortal. Medusa, the younger sister, is tall and slender, and is therefore often bullied by her two older sisters (for example, by forcing her to do laundry and sucking her blood).

However, instead of immortality, she gained abilities such as the petrifying magic eye and exceptional mobility.

She was banished to the "Invisible Island" near the Golden Apple Island for offending Athena. Her two older sisters, missing her, volunteered to live with her on the island.

The three sisters were known as the "Gorgons," monsters feared even by the gods, and heroes constantly came to challenge them. Rider, in order to protect her two older sisters, kept killing the attacking heroes, turning into a killer, and eventually even went mad and killed the sisters she was originally meant to protect.

In the very end, she died at the hands of Perseus, who was guided by Athena.

This is what they call the gods.

And so, everyone watched in silence as the two people's spiritual foundations completely vanished.

"What about your choice?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka took a deep breath, suppressing the sadness of losing her companion, and turned to look at Natsumi.

“You did not lend a helping hand to Gorgon.”

“Yes,” Xia Yu nodded, “After all, it was your choice.”

"My choice?" Fujimaru Ritsuka was a little confused when she heard this.

"Isn't the Holy Grail with you? As long as you..."

"As long as I do what?" Xia Yu retorted, "Obviously hand over the Holy Grail, and then everything will be fine. You've cleared the last obstacle to the Grand Temple of Time, and the Absolute Demonic Beast Front has been completely conquered. Congratulations, congratulations, everything will be fine just like that, right?"

"..."

Hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka lowered her head. "Is there anything else I don't know?"

“Yes, the warm-up battle is over,” Xia Yu said, turning to leave. “The real war has just begun.”

Prepare for hell.

"What exactly does this mean?" Fujimaru Ritsuka gritted her teeth and grabbed Xia Yu's hand. "Can't you just explain it clearly?"

"Why don't you ask the magical Merlin about this?" Xia Yu turned around and chuckled. "If it weren't for someone's instructions, I wouldn't need to be so secretive."

"Merlin?!" Upon hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash, and Ishtar turned their gazes to a magician with a helpless expression.

"This... pfft!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was already bleeding profusely.