Chapter 74: Battle of the Serpents
Athena was originally "one whose eyes shine with light," which can also be understood as one who possesses the eyes of an owl. The nocturnal owl was considered in ancient times to be the incarnation of the God of Death, traveling between the lightless, closed Underworld and the living world. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that the owl is a servant of Athena, who was once a chthonic deity of darkness.
"The moment I reclaimed my power, you lost all chances. Pay the price for your foolish desires, Campione!"
With this high-pitched cry, Athena swung her arm. From the darkness behind her, poisonous snakes began to crawl out one after another. These snakes swarmed together, slithering in a tangled mass toward Shirou. If an ordinary person saw this scene, they would likely collapse on the spot from sheer terror. Even mages would find themselves in a predicament facing these five-meter-long snakes with multi-colored scales and high magic resistance.
"If we're talking about venomous snakes, I happen to have some too..."
"What...?" Athena was momentarily stunned by these somewhat ambiguous words.
However, in the next instant, when she saw a massive serpentine head emerge from the black mist billowing behind the man, her eyes betrayed her astonishment.
"This is—!?"
Only a single, colossal serpent emerged from the black mist behind Shirou. No—could that truly be called a snake? Athena furrowed her brows slightly, feeling confused by the appearance of this venomous snake that possessed strange, stag-like antlers. Though it was a serpent, it had antlers like a deer; its entire massive body was covered in razor-sharp barbs, and it had even grown four thick limbs. This bizarre creature made Athena frown.
"It seems that as a goddess of Greek mythology, seeing a monster from Norse mythology has made you appear somewhat inexperienced," Shirou said leisurely.
"Hmph, it's merely large in appearance. If we truly compare them—"
Athena wanted to say something stubborn, but when she saw the massive serpent devour the dozens of snakes she had released in a single gulp, the expression on her face became strained.
"Damn it...!"
The goddess bit her lip, feeling a surge of anger at the incompetence of the snakes she had summoned. Subsequently, her gaze became piercing.
"In that case, I shall play with you. Although this place isn't like an ancient city made entirely of stone, preventing me from utilizing my Authority to its fullest, I can still manage this much. Watch closely, Orihara Shirou! I will crush this serpent you've summoned!"
As she made this loud declaration, the hard concrete road beneath Athena's feet began to bulge. Following her proclamation, the concrete surface of the seaside road buckled. The road, made of a solidified mixture of sand and stone, began to writhe like a living thing. A massive snake head emerged, followed by a body, eventually forming a stone-bodied giant python thirty meters long. It then began to slither toward Athena.
Athena leaped lightly and stood atop the massive concrete snake head, looking down from a height at Shirou below.
"Go! My fangs! Crush this 'Campione' who opposes me into a pulp!"
The road behind this concrete python was left in a wretched state; what was once a flat surface was now a long, deep trench. The massive concrete snake casually crushed the seaside railings into dust, charging toward the giant snake that Athena found so grotesque. The two pythons, similar in size, looked ready to entwine in combat.
Athena was full of confidence in the giant snake she had summoned, as a snake made of concrete was incredibly sturdy and completely immune to venom.
"If there were only one, it would indeed be at a disadvantage."
Suddenly, Athena heard Shirou's voice. Her eyes widened as she realized a possibility.
"Could it be... No, it's impossible!!"
It was possible that there wasn't just one of these giant serpents he could summon. The moment she realized this, Athena snapped to alertness, quickly commanding the concrete snake beneath her feet to trample toward Shirou!
"Go forth! Moin, Grabak, Grafvollud, Ofnir, and Svafnir! Show your power before Athena, the Goddess of the Earth!"
At Shirou's call, the black mist behind him surged violently, expanding its range and blanketing the battlefield.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!
Even the ground let out an unbearable tremor. Following that, one after another, massive serpents—each nearly identical in size to the first one—emerged from the black mist. they began to encircle the concrete snake Athena had summoned. It was like bullying a newborn hatchling; they trapped it in the middle.
The body of the concrete snake, which could trample trees and shatter steel and cities at will, was now tightly coiled by several serpents, rendering it immobile. Athena, standing on its head, was thrown off by the concrete snake's frantic struggling.
"The Words of Power of Death, the Words of Power to manipulate the Earth... Goddess of the Earth, God of Darkness of the Underworld, Goddess of Wisdom who knows the secrets of heaven..."
As Athena fell back to the ground, Shirou whispered these words.
"You... how do you know my origins...!?" Athena looked at Shirou, gritting her teeth.
"You are not a goddess of Greek origin, are you?" Shirou stared intently at the now fully-powered Athena, his gaze seemingly piercing through her.
"..."
Athena stared back at him, her eyes slightly wide. Although she didn't speak, her shocked expression told the whole story.
"You were born in North Africa, an Earth Goddess worshipped throughout the Mediterranean region. You possess many other names and forms: Metis, Medusa, Neith... they were originally avatars born from Athena, or perhaps sisters. You share the same ancestors as Isis of Egypt and Ishtar of Babylon; you are all descendants of the ancient Great Mother Goddess. You are not only the Goddess of the Earth, but also the Dark Ruler of the Underworld and the Queen of Wisdom who holds the secrets of heaven."
Every sentence transformed into golden Words of Power. In the air above Shirou, manifest golden swords appeared, pointing directly at Athena as she stood atop her stone serpent's head!
The inherent quality of these golden swords was not exceptionally strong, but when bolstered by the Words of Power, they were enough to rival EX-rank Noble Phantasms, capable of sealing a god's Authority and achieving victory.
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