When Athena saw Erica arrive, she seemed to sense something and revealed a delightful, charming smile, saying:
"You've come at just the right time. I didn't expect the Ancient Snake to return to my side so quickly."
As Athena finished speaking, she reached out her youthful right hand. Something in Erica's embrace seemed to react, emitting a purple glow before flying toward Athena.
Hades halted his attack and saw the object that had flown out from Erica's person clearly.
It was a fist-sized medallion. The material seemed to be polished obsidian or something similar, with a crude portrait of a human face carved on the surface along with dozens of snakes. The depicted snakes looked like the hair of the face in the image. Many parts near the edges were blurred, and the stone itself was quite worn, appearing to be an extremely ancient item.
"The gorgon stone! Erica! Why do you have that on you?!" Familiar with the original story, Hades knew the name and use of that item; he was curious why it was with Erica at this point in time.
Erica was startled at first, then looked at Hades and said, "This was entrusted to me by the upper management of Italy's magic association. They express their submission to you and wish to ask you to resolve the issue of the gorgon stone."
"Honestly, they really know how to pick a time," Hades said with a frown after hearing this.
Kusanagi Godou, standing to the side, also asserted his presence. He jumped out with all his might and desperately grabbed the gorgon stone, trying to prevent it from reaching Athena.
"Godou! What are you doing?!" Erica shouted, her eyes widening as she saw Kusanagi Godou's actions.
"Let go quickly! You cannot resist Athena's divine power with your strength alone!!" Hades also hurriedly advised upon seeing this.
Hearing their voices, Kusanagi Godou revealed an incredibly confident smile and said, "I know, but I can't just do nothing while watching a great disaster about to descend."
"As expected of a human favored by Hades, you truly have impressive willpower. If this were the Age of Myth, I might have granted you my protection."
"However, your strength cannot block my divine power."
Athena spoke with an unchanging expression, then the divine power in her hand intensified, causing the gorgon stone to break free and fly into her grasp.
"I have finally found the Ancient Snake. Now I can return to my true form." Athena looked at the gorgon stone in her hand, her tone clearly more excited than before.
Then, Athena held it high and chanted the Kotodama:
"I chant, I chant the hymn of the Trinity Goddess. Connecting heaven, earth, and darkness, for the sake of reincarnation and wisdom. I chant, I chant the song of the goddess who suffered degradation. Once a queen but regarded as the forbidden snake, the queen's sigh. I chant, I chant the poem of the goddess whose body and soul were torn. Ravished by a sublime father, the humiliation of a loving mother. My name is Athena, daughter of Zeus, guardian deity of Athens, the eternal virgin. In the past, the Earth Mother who nurtured all things! In the past, the Lord of the Underworld who governed darkness! In the past, the Queen of Wisdom who knew the scattered intellect of the heavens! I swear, Athena shall return to the primordial Athena!"
A powerful aura erupted from Athena's body as divine power and authorities symbolizing darkness gushed forth. With a wave of his hand, Hades deployed a protective shield for Kusanagi Godou and Erica to prevent the divine power of Death from tainting their bodies.
Athena's form also changed during the chant, transforming into a mature girl with long silver hair, wearing a white chiton and a darker laurel wreath on her head, with several golden snake-shaped ornaments on her body.
"Heretic Athena..." Erica said, her mouth agape in surprise as she looked at Athena's new form outside the protective shield.
Next, the newly transformed Athena reached out again and activated another of her authorities:
"I command in the true name of Athena. Let the dark night manifest here, dispel the blessing of the sun, and extinguish the Fire of Prometheus. O starry sky and pitch-black winds, recreate the ancient night here!"
A pitch-black night arrived. No moonlight, starlight, or any light of the night appeared; everything was pure darkness, and all light and fire became ineffective.
Lights within this dark domain failed, even car engines stopped running, and appliances using gas, gasoline, or oil lamps could not be used. However, telephones, radios, and air conditioners could still function normally.
In the original story, this authority of Athena's swallowed about one-third to one-half of Edogawa, Koto, and Chuo Wards in darkness; now, even Minato Ward was beginning to be eroded. Affected by this, the trains in eastern Tokyo ground to a halt.
The Cosmos of darkness and Death also erupted from Hades's body. Beneath his calm appearance, anger flared as he said:
"Athena, have you gone too far?"
In an instant, a darkness more terrifying than Athena's erupted like a pillar of light. The entire universe trembled in fear of Hades's Cosmos, and a pitch-black solar eclipse swallowed the entire sun.
Hades transformed into his fully awakened state: long hair like the night, green eyes deep as the bottom of a lake, and skin as white as could be, wearing the lifeless six-winged gray underworld armor, with the Hades Sword in his right hand.
An incredibly excited expression appeared on Athena's face as she said:
"Yes! That's it! This is my uncle! Hades, the Lord of the Underworld who governs all life!!"
"All those with life, cease your beating! All shall kneel before me! What suits you all are cold stone tablets; this is the grace bestowed by the Goddess!"
Athena activated the authority named Medusa's Evil Eye. As the name suggested, just like the eyes of the legendary Medusa, it turned everything it saw into stone.
Instantly, the grass where Hades stood and the seawater behind him turned to stone, while the Roman Ruins behind him turned to lime in a flash.
Hades, however, did not turn to stone. He walked toward Athena with slow steps.
Seeing this, Athena's left hand manifested a longbow of the same color as her laurel wreath. She took a stance, pulling the bowstring taut to fire. An arrow automatically appeared on the bow; its fletching was made of owl feathers, and the arrowhead was carved from obsidian.
Boom!!
As the arrow was released, it flew toward Hades carrying the authorities of Disease and Death.
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