Chapter 491

Chapter 491

Roooooooooar!

Onboard the Imperial flagship Alcatraz.

Gazing down at the looming sight of Crossroad, I clenched my teeth at the monster standing there.

"...The complete form of the Gorgon."

The final phase of the Gorgon Sisters.

The last of them, having devoured the fallen two, transforms into the complete Gorgon.

This entity, possessing the strength of Stheno, the flying ability of Euryale, and the magic of Medusa, becomes a monstrously powerful boss monster.

Had I been here from the start, I could have used a trick to dispose of it before it reached its complete form...

But that's a pointless assumption.

I had left for the imperial city, and during my absence, these monsters had invaded, gruesomely destroying the city in various places.

However... it's not all a tale of despair.

The walls have held.

It seemed Lucas had quickly given up on fighting along the walls and lured them into the city. Thanks to that, the walls were safe.

This meant that the fortress retained at least its minimum functionality, forming a basis for the defensive battles to come.

Above all, the casualties are few.

The fallen were mainly concentrated among the hero characters.

This was because Lucas had excluded not only the citizens but also the regular soldiers from the front lines.

It was a wise decision.

The petrifying evil eye of the Gorgon sisters was an area-of-effect attack, so ordinary soldiers caught in the range would inevitably fall in droves.

In the worst case, all the ordinary soldiers would have been sacrificed, and the southern front would have been breached.

But that was averted with minimal damage.

I bit my lip as I looked over my petrified comrades.

Hang on, guys. Ill save you all soon.

Of course, before saving the kids, I need to take down that damned monster first!

The complete Gorgon - Medusa seemed disconcerted by our arrival.

Dare to wreak havoc in my city... I'll make you pay!

Resolved, I shouted to the Emperor seated in the cockpit.

"We're almost at our destination, Father! Just a little more strength, please!"

"...Ash."

My father was driving the airship with a pale face.

Empty magic potions were rolling around on the table beside the cockpit, and he was drinking a new one with a straw.

He looked like an office worker struggling through days of overtime, sustaining himself on Americano doping.

My heart ached at the sight, and I couldn't help but tear up.

"The sight of Father, dedicating himself like this to protect the lives of the soldiers and citizens on the southern front, no! All lives on this front... It's truly a model of a ruler! I am deeply moved!"

"Damn it, stop it. This old man feels like dying..."

The Emperor hadn't rested for a moment since setting sail from the imperial city.

Actually, I was the one who didnt let him rest. When he suggested landing for a moment to get some sleep, I fervently massaged his shoulders to keep him awake.

I forcefully fed him magic potions, and when he still seemed tired, I whispered in his ear.

- If you stop now, I'll give up my right to the throne.

- What madness is this...?!

Im not sure what he finds so regrettable about my abandoning the throne, but anyway, after hearing that, he suddenly found the strength to focus on driving.

And so - Alcatraz, having made the fastest journey in history from the imperial city to Crossroad, is now drawing a gentle landing trajectory towards Crossroad.

With tired eyes, the Emperor struggled, and I prayed with folded hands.

"We're almost there, Father! Just land near Crossroad and were done-"

That's when it happened.

"Kyaaaaaak-!"

The monster's sharp scream rang out.

Immediately afterward, Medusa leaped into the air, blocking the airship's path. Simultaneously,

Kiiiiing!

The monster's eyes emitted a chilling yellow magic light.

Originally, the Alcatraz cockpit didnt directly look outside but used a state-of-the-art magical engineering system that projected images from magic panels installed outside onto internal screens.

Thus, the petrifying effect didnt reach the cockpit. But the exterior armor of the airship was not so lucky.

Kwadududuk!

Alcatraz vibrated violently.

As Medusa unleashed her petrifying evil eye at the airship, the protective armor attached to Alcatrazs exterior began to harden.

Then, sleep vanished from the Emperors face, replaced by deep anger.

"That son of a bitch has lost it."

The Emperor frantically manipulated the controls in the cockpit, yanking forward a device that looked unmistakably like a gear.

Toohak-!

Suddenly, the thrusters at the rear of the airship increased their output.

"...Father?"

***

Thump...!

Medusa, flying across the sky, landed in front of the airship.

My heroes and I, already outside through the airship hatch, were ready for battle.

Medusa, eying us, flicked her tongue.

"You're quite late for reinforcements, human."

"On the contrary, monster."

I smirked.

"Now is the fastest time. It's better to move even a little than to regret being late. I understand that very well."

"You're quite optimistic."

"A leader should bring hope, after all."

Shrugging my shoulders, I extended my hand forward.

"And also to present solutions... that's it!"

There are dozens of tactics to counter Medusa, but ultimately it boils down to one condition.

- How to seal the petrifying evil eye?

The petrifying evil eye is not a simple gimmick. It has two major effects:

1. It petrifies just by making eye contact,

2. Even without eye contact, if Gorgon concentrates magic in their line of sight, they can forcefully petrify the opponent.

Thus, mirror shields are usually a must in combat strategies.

However, having to look at the opponent through a mirror, and many heroes not being accustomed to using shields, often makes it challenging.

Using mirror shields is a kind of demerit in itself.

And I prepared a strategy to counter the petrifying evil eye without using mirror shields.

"Hannibal!"

"Yes!"

At my call, Hannibal and the party of five spirit mages rushed forward.

Even if these spirit mages don't engage in direct combat, they can temporarily imbue our allies with spirits to grant various beneficial effects.

In short, they can be utilized as dedicated buffers.

And the spirit enchant I asked them for was...

"Gnome!"

The spirit of earth and stone, Gnome!

Although there's a set duration, while enchanted, the spirit can absorb some of the petrifying effects.

Making eye contact becomes less of an issue.

Hannibal and the spirit mages imbued me and the heroes with the spirit.

This clears the first part of the gimmick. Our heroes can freely face Medusa.

Now the remaining issue is the second part, the direct petrification inflicted by Medusa...

"Just with such a lowly spirit, you think you can block my eyes-!"

Enraged, Medusa roared, her evil eyes flashing. The yellow magic light scattered, ready to shoot towards us.

"What's so great about your evil eye that you brag so much?"

Stepping forward, I planted a blank black flag into the ground and shouted.

"Here at the forefront... I'll block not just your eyes but everything!"

Hwaaak-!

Grey magic poured out, and immediately my ultimate skill [Foremost Flag] activated, forming a fortress.

Not on my side, but right in front of Medusa!

Kugugugung!

The magical barrier I formed right in front of the monster blocked Medusas line of sight.

Her evil eye, unable to extend in all directions, petrified the barrier and then ceased its effect.

Annoyed, Medusa opened her mouth wide and emitted a sonic wave.

"This little thing!"

Kugung! Kwagwagwang!

The barrier was instantly demolished.

But by that time, the next barrier had already risen around her.

"...?!"

Kugung! Kugugung!

Successive barriers piled up around Medusa.

My proficiency with my ultimate skill was considerable. I could create barriers at the point and in the shape I wanted.

"Let's see who wins, monster."

Standing in front of the dumbfounded monster, wielding the strongest power of a defense game, 'barrier creation'... I declared.

"Let's see what's faster: your glaring at us or me blocking your eyes!"

Taht-!

Simultaneously, the heroes around me charged forward.

With the barrier blocking the petrifying evil eye, now was the time to approach the monster...!