Chapter 181 - Dead?

Medusa turned her head towards Ana who is already standing without her bindings and blindfold, "...W-why?" She asks with apparent confusion in her eyes.

"Really... What a monster... Even with your neck sliced and your heart pierced, your still alive. I even added a strong paralyzing agent in that knife and you can still talk... As expected of a former goddess I guess?" Ana walked towards her slowly and muttered.

Medusa heard everything she said but what caught her attention is her voice. Her memory is pretty good, and even if a few years has already passed, she can still remember Ana's voice clearly, but that isn't the same as the current 'Ana', "...W...who are... you?" Medusa couldn't move her body anymore and could only speak, albeit, with great difficulty.

"Oh?... You can still remember her voice?" 'Ana' started chuckling. Even though it's the same face, Medusa couldn't find the demeanor she remembers.

"Y-you... What did you do... to Ana?" Medusa tried standing up but failed. She knew that the chances of Ana still alive is nill so she blamed herself for her fate. Medusa then started circulating her forcefully halted Mana to activate her last card that will bring everyone in here to their deaths. She's really thankful that Kisuke already left or else she wouldn't have the confidence to exclude him from her magic's effects.

"Of course we were able to find her after you momentarily disappeared from our radar a few years ago." 'Ana' started explaining with a sneer on her face, "We tried to get information from her 'nicely' but who would have thought that she'll insist that she didn't know you until the end~. We even informed her your true form but she just brushed it off as nothing more than a parlor trick."

Hearing all of those, Medusa gritted her teeth and a wave of intense guilt washed over her. Adding to that is another wave of rage that she hasn't felt for a while. Resolving herself, she activated the final sequence of her magic.

Seemingly unaware of what she's planning, 'Ana' continued speaking, "...You aren't even going to say anything back? How boring~. Since it already serves its purpose, I should remove this disgusting skin."

After saying that, various black lines appeared all over her body and bloody skin started to peel off from her. This disgusting sight winced everyone who noticed it and only one person reacted differently after revealing the person behind the bloody skin, "Elder sister!? What are you doing!!? Why are you doing this!!!?" Elexa shouted from the audience stand while being covered by her escort, the armored knight and her cousin, Theodore.

Theodore was also shocked at the turn of events more so when 'Ana's' true face was revealed. She's the spitting image of Elexa, "You have a sister!?"

But Elexa ignored him and kept shouting at her sister, "Elder sister Teny!!! Why are you doing this!? Didn't you say that you wanted to stop this messed up tradition!? Why!!?"

From their side, the cloaked figure jumped down and went to Teny's side carrying a towel, "Mistress, please clean yourself."

"Thanks, Shadow~." Grabbing the towel, she wiped the blood off her face.

"Y-you!... What did you..." Medusa couldn't believe what she is seeing. Then a possibility went through her mind... No, it's almost confirmed.

Ignoring her sister's outburst, Teny faced Medusa again, "Ah... Did I forget to tell you? It became a habit to torture her and I only killed her a few days ago. I skinned her alive and used it for my disguise. After all, I have to be cautious of your eyes and I thought you'll be able to see through me instantly if I use illusion magic. It's a shame though, I really liked her scream of agony~."

"You bitch!!!" With her rage reaching new heights, Medusa activated her magic, "Blood Fort Andromeda (Outer-Seal, Blood Temple)!!!"

Simultaneously activating the magic circles she placed earlier, Medusa created a Bounded Field that cuts the space from the rest of the world. With the size of the isolated space, the field instantly covered it entirely dying the whole space blood red.

A black eyeball appeared at the center of the arena and everyone around started panicking and wailing, especially those who has low magic resistance as they can feel that their life force is being slowly drained from them and is going to the black eyeball.

The weakest of those alive lose consciousness after a few seconds of Medusa's magic activation and their body started to melt into a pool of blood slowly gathering towards Medusa replenishing her Mana and slightly healing her injuries, including the paralyzing poison that has been injected into her.

At this rate, only those in the higher hierarchy will survive Medusa's magic. And with the gathered Mana, she'll use everything she can to take down the rest as a chance like this wouldn't easily come to her.

That was the plan, however, just as most of the Perseus Clan gave up resisting, with a snap of a finger, Teny manifested a seed. She then threw that seed towards the black eyeball and it disappeared inside. A moment later, a plant sprouted from it and started covering the eyeball with vines and branches. The vines became tree trunk and stretched to the ground digging through the ground. A few more seconds and the eyeball was squeezed to nothingness and what's left is the olive tree that sprouted from it.

"...W-what?" Medusa muttered in disbelief and understood what just happened, 'Athena's olive tree...'

Medusa's magic was broken. Although she was able to heal for a bit, she'll only survive for a few more minutes against their assault before being killed in vain.

"Surprised? That's Athena's olive tree. Though if I must confess, I didn't expect that I would have to use it so early... I guess this girl's death is not enough to push you." Teny sighed in disappointment, "Athena should have enjoyed the show so I guess its time to end this." Teny stopped in front of Medusa and pulled out a sword from her own inventory and pointed it towards her neck, "I can only ask Athena to lend me the Kibisis."

Medusa can tell that she's actually the strongest of the bunch here and the cloaked guy next to her isn't far from her in terms of ability. She quietly lied down and closed her eyes in disappointment and guilt. The only thing she is thankful for is the fact that Kisuke escaped earlier. Medusa subconsciously held the pendant hanging on her neck.

From the distance, Elexa escaped from Theodore and her escort's cover and jumped down to the arena. She ran until she's only a few meters away from Teny. Theodore and the armored woman hurriedly followed after her, "Elder sister! Please stop this!!! This isn't what you promised me!"

Teny turned her head to face the wheezing Elexa, "Of course it is... If I were successful then I would have stopped this tradition. But sadly, I failed to pull it out from her."

"What are you talking about? Shouldn't we stop this to stop the tradition!?"

"No... You misunderstand me. Athena wanted a certain condition to be met and the mission of the Perseus Clan is to achieve this condition. But through the years, it became a contest who can kill this monster first, forgetting their initial goal."

Gritting her teeth in hate, Elexa asks, "And what is this condition?"

"It's useless even if I tell you. I already failed."

Theodore grabbed Elexa from behind and glared at Teny, "I didn't know Elexa has a twin sister... Is this the House of Shield's trump card? Now that explains why 'Elexa' sometimes seems like a different person."

"Oh my, Theodore. Your instinct is really outstanding. Adding your intelligence, you're a great asset~. Say, why don't you work for me?"

Theodore knew that refusing her in this situation is bad. His instincts are screaming at him that he shouldn't involve himself with this lunatic, "Let me think about it after I calmed down. And since things here are finished, Our house would like to take leave first."

Without waiting for her reply, he dragged the whining Elexa with him towards the magic circle where they entered and signaled his mother to leave this place. The alarm in his head still hasn't and wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Since I like you, I would suggest that you don't leave," Teny called out from behind. She already removed the sword from Medusa's neck and started twirling it playfully.

Theodore stopped walking and asked, "...Why?"

"You see, as one of Athena's condition, one of the rules of this space is that, as long as Medusa is still alive when she entered this space, nobody is allowed to leave."

This caught Medusa's attention and roused her from her lethargic pace.

"Didn't the guy that entered with her just left?" Theodore asked and it's also the question that Medusa wanted to an answer to. Although a bad feeling is already creeping up to her.

"Oh, that guy? This magic circle actually leads to the Dimensional Gap. And that guy who just jumped in without proper preparations and with just his human flesh, what do you think will happen?"

"...He'll be consumed by the 'nothingness' of the Dimensional Gap." Theodore answered.

"Bingo~! In other words, he's dead~." Teny happily replied.

"...What...did you say...?" They then heard Medusa's voice which is out of sort.