"I am called Athena, also known as Medusa. I am the mother goddess who nurtures all things, and the death maiden who brings demise. Great ancient serpent, heed my call, descend in your strongest form, and become my power!"
Under the watchful eyes of Sora and Liliana far in the sky, Athena chanted a strange sacred language she had never spoken before, unleashing all her divine power without reservation.
In an instant, it felt as if the entire world stopped. Though nothing appeared, a strange and eerie atmosphere spread rapidly. Sora's mischievous smile turned serious. Liliana, though confused, felt an overwhelming oppressive sensation, making her extremely uncomfortable.
The divine-winged White Stallion's fiery red eyes instinctively flashed fear and unease. Without hesitation, it flapped its pure white wings and swiftly fled with Liliana toward the distance.
"Roar!!!"
At that moment, a huge beast's roar, seemingly from ancient times, echoed. Its source was untraceable, and the massive sound waves reverberated throughout the sky.
The once calm sea stirred up huge waves, not sharp but heavy and thick. The deafening sound waves seemed ready to shatter the entire sky!
Sora was relatively fine, only frowning slightly and enduring it. But Liliana, riding the divine-winged White Stallion fleeing far away, covered her ears in pain.
It's hard to imagine what kind of existence this really is—just a single roar carries such terrifying power!
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
At that moment, the ground below trembled violently. Looking down, even Sora couldn't help but reveal a trace of shock on his face.
The entire land beneath kept collapsing, and then, a huge and ferocious head appeared!
Ssshhh!!!
Like lightning, that enormous head instantly charged toward Sora in the sky. The speed was so fast that even the air had no time to disperse, emitting a series of agonized cries as it was compressed and torn apart…
A dangerous feeling rose in his heart. His eyes flashed with sharp light. Without hesitation, Sora immediately activated the divine speed power of the [Phoenix], transforming into a fiery red streak to dodge away.
Seeing that towering giant pillar-like thing almost brushing past his cheek as it ascended, even Sora's forehead broke out in cold sweat.
"Roar!!!"
Another tremendous roar echoed. The gigantic creature summoned by Athena surged into the clouds, circling and entwining in the sky. Only then did Sora truly see the creature's face.
It had two horns on its forehead, four claws on its body, and a crocodile-like huge mouth with two flexible whiskers hundreds of meters long on each side. Its form was snake-like but not quite a snake, covered in hard scales that shimmered with a glossy black cold light.
This was, in fact, a legendary Divine Dragon!
Its colossal body stretched thousands of feet, coiling and twisting, blotting out the sky and moon. Facing such a majestic and enormous being, Sora's human form seemed utterly insignificant!
"King…"
Liliana, who had been carried away to the distant horizon by the Divine Winged Pegasus, wore a worried expression. Even from so far away, the girl couldn't help but show a look of shock. Liliana never expected Athena to summon such a terrifying creature!
This existence could no longer be described as a mere divine beast. Its overwhelming might made Liliana feel suffocated even at this distance…
"Heh… Athena, is this your final and strongest move?"
"I have to say, it really is something extraordinary!"
Watching Athena suddenly appear atop the Divine Dragon's head, Sora's eyes blazed with endless fiery light as he snapped out of his surprise. He licked his lips and looked at Athena with a mischievous yet admiring expression.
"This is my ancient serpent's ultimate form—the Ancient Dragon. Kusunagi Sora, are you ready to face me in a decisive battle?"
Her divine power almost completely exhausted, her noble and beautiful face slightly pale, Athena showed no sign of concern. Instead, she stared intently at Sora not far away.
Athena knew very well how powerful the Ancient Dragon was. She didn't want Sora to die—really, she didn't—but she would show no mercy.
Moreover, the Ancient Dragon had already been summoned. Even Athena could not stop it now!
"Ah… I've long been ready."
"Since you've said it like that, I'll give it my all in this fight, Athena!"
If Sora dared to be arrogant at this moment, it would be sheer recklessness. Even he felt the pressure from the Ancient Dragon summoned by Athena.
His smile vanished, hesitation gone. Sora pointed the King's Sword toward the sky and fully unleashed his divine power—
"Come forth, Demon Armor!"
Yes, Sora was about to use the power of another teigu absorbed by the King's Sword: [Demon Armor].
Unlike the last time when he fought Verethragna and only summoned part of the power of [Demon Armor], this time Sora released its full strength!
Since acquiring this ability, except for the first trial, Sora had rarely unleashed the full power of [Demon Armor] in battle.
"Roar…"
A roar no less powerful than the Ancient Dragon summoned by Athena erupted, and an enormous phantom thousands of meters tall appeared in the air.
Blood-red eyes, sharp fangs, a majestic and domineering body—this was the image of Tyrant, a super-dangerous species that could continuously evolve in any environment!
Both Athena and Liliana, even from afar, showed expressions of surprise and shock. It was the first time they had seen Sora use such a powerful technique.
The giant phantom hovered briefly, then compressed and condensed around Sora, finally forming a majestic and imposing armor covering his body.
The armor was entirely purple-gold, exactly the same color as the King's Sword, enveloping every part of Sora's body without a single gap. A silver-white cloak fluttered behind him, rustling in the wind, making him look like a mighty and awe-inspiring demon god!
With a thought, the silver-white cloak transformed into a pair of huge dragon-shaped wings. With a gentle flap, Sora's body floated up, standing face to face with Athena atop the Divine Dragon.
"Ancient Dragon, attack!"
Snapping back to reality with a complex yet expectant expression, Athena said no more. She swung her giant Reaper Scythe toward Sora and commanded the Ancient Dragon beneath her to attack.
"Roar…"
Without hesitation, the Ancient Dragon charged at Sora with overwhelming might. Despite its massive body, it moved with no clumsiness, even faster than lightning!
Beneath the armor, Sora's lips curled into a slight smile. He flapped his huge dragon-shaped wings and dodged aside.
So what if this was the legendary Ancient Dragon? Today, he would slay it!!!
With a thought, the King's Sword in his hand grew larger and larger, instantly reaching over a hundred feet in length. His eyes gleamed coldly as he fiercely slashed at the giant dragon's body that was just brushing past him!
Clang!!! Shhh shhh shhh!!!
Sparks flew, and a grinding, piercing sound filled the air. To Sora's shock, he did not break through the Ancient Dragon's scale armor!
Still, the blow caused the Ancient Dragon great pain. It roared angrily and swung its massive tail to sweep at Sora.
Boom!!!
The Ancient Dragon's power and speed were so overwhelming that even the air was shattered, producing a series of sonic booms. Sora, covered by the [Demon Armor], was hit and blasted like a purple-gold meteor shooting toward the sky.
If it were anyone else, they would have been shattered by such a terrifying attack. But under the supreme defense of [Demon Armor], Sora endured it!
Flapping the huge dragon wings behind him continuously, Sora only stabilized his form after nearly flying out of Earth's atmosphere. Without fear or hesitation, his eyes flashed with growing excitement. With a loud shout, he swung his giant sword and dove down…
…
Boom! Boom boom!! Boom boom boom!!!
One huge sound after another echoed through the air, spreading for thousands or even tens of thousands of miles. The air roared violently, as if the entire space was shaking.
To avoid being affected by the earth-shaking battle, Liliana had been carried further and further away by the Divine Winged White Stallion, until Sora and Athena's figures were no longer visible.
At this moment, what the girl saw was no longer a battle between gods and demon kings, but a fight between a constantly swinging purple-gold giant sword and an Ancient Divine Dragon!
One dragon, one sword, tearing, biting, slashing, and killing—fighting fiercely with great joy.
Words could no longer describe the overwhelming shock in her heart. She had never witnessed such a world-shaking scene in her life. Just being a witness to this battle was enough to fill her with endless pride.
Though filled with worry, Liliana's heart was mostly stirred with passionate excitement. As long as that purple-gold giant sword kept swinging, she knew her king was still fighting!
She had never been so expectant, never so proud. Her king was truly a brave warrior who dared to fight the Divine Dragon. Even Perseus, the dragon-slaying hero from the common legends, was completely insignificant in Liliana's eyes at this moment!
The battle between Sora and Athena had long since moved far away from Sardinia Island, with no signs of human habitation nearby. Originally, fighting here shouldn't have attracted any attention, and indeed, it hadn't—until Athena summoned the ancient Divine Dragon. From that moment, the battle escalated dramatically. The earth-shaking momentum spread tens of thousands of miles, even causing strange phenomena in the heavens and earth in many places, drawing countless people's attention.
For example, in a city where it was originally pouring rain, the sky suddenly cleared after a gust of energy swept through. In a calm sea area, a sonic wave suddenly stirred up waves hundreds of feet high. And so on…
Many satellites in space turned their cameras toward the scene, and numerous magical societies cast detection spells one after another.
On the Balkan Peninsula, Marquis Voban stared expressionlessly at a magical crystal ball, his wolf-like eyes flickering with eerie green cold light. In the Duke's mansion in London, Princess Alice smiled gently as she watched the large screen, elegantly sipping the black tea Miss Ericson had served her. In the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, Cult Leader Luo Hao stared intently at the circle drawn on the wall, his beautiful face twisted with excitement, his battle intent surging like a storm. Countless followers below trembled on the ground.
Inside the Witch's House on Sardinia Island, the women gathered, all focused on the screen of Erica's phone, feeling nervous, anxious, worried, excited, and hopeful…
Neither Sora nor Athena had expected that their battle was being witnessed by countless people. This was a battle between a demon king and a goddess, a grand feast between the Divine Dragon and the brave warrior…
The battle between Sora and Athena continued. The giant sword, hundreds of feet long, looked extremely out of place in Sora's human-sized body. Rather than Sora wielding the sword, it seemed more like the sword was tormenting him.
Sora had never learned the sword-riding techniques common in the immortal worlds, so he could only chop honestly. It had to be said, the ancient dragon's body was incredibly tough—far beyond what "diamond-hard bones" could describe. Sora even suspected its defense might rival his own "Demon Armor".
With immense strength, every swing of the long dragon tail produced a series of sonic booms in the air. Despite its huge size, the dragon moved with absolute speed, circling and entwining in the air like a black lightning bolt.
Apart from the six-winged archangel in the final battle of the Sekirei World, this Divine Dragon was the strongest opponent Sora had ever faced. Athena had once ascended to the throne of the gods and supreme queen with its help, making its power top-tier in this dimension!
The fight was extremely arduous and dangerous. Although the King's Sword made the dragon roar and scream in pain, Sora himself was also suffering. Being hit by the powerful tail like a meteor was common, and being slammed hundreds of meters into the earth by the sharp claws happened often.
Once, it was even more dangerous. Sora failed to dodge in time and was nearly swallowed whole by the dragon's terrifying jaws! If not for the sudden growth of dozens of long spikes on his "Demon Armor", causing the dragon pain and forcing it to spit him out, he would have been inside the dragon's belly by now!
Boom!
Another clash between the giant sword and the dragon's steel-like body erupted, a fiery blossom hundreds of meters wide blossomed in the air, lighting up the night like day. The scorching heatwave rolled toward the horizon, destroying everything in its path.
The dragon spread its wing-like fins and distanced itself from Sora. Both stared at each other silently, not attacking again immediately.
The once majestic and massive body of the Divine Dragon was now battered and pitiful. Its tough scales were cracked and falling off in large patches, with countless fierce sword scars crisscrossing its long body. In some places, the golden, dazzling dragon bones were visible.
Black gas seeped from the wounds, filled with the aura of destruction and death. But for the Divine Dragon, this was a supreme medicine. The wounds writhed and granulation tissue grew rapidly, healing visibly before the eyes.
Sora, clad in "Demon Armor," was also in a sorry state. His once majestic purple-gold armor was now dimmed, dented and battered all over. It was a miracle he hadn't been crushed into a pulp.
As divine power surged through Sora, the armor of "Demon Armor" shone brightly again, the dents quickly smoothing out, restoring its magnificent and cool appearance.
"Hah… hah… Athena, to have pushed me this far, I can't help but want to praise you!"
"Get ready. After I chop down this big black snake, I'm going to vent all my frustration on you to calm my restless heart!"
Holding the king's sword, now hundreds of feet long, floating in the air, gasping heavily, Sora looked fiercely at Athena above the dragon's head, speaking with endless malice.
Even now, if Sora wanted, he could easily defeat Athena. She had exhausted all her strength summoning the Divine Dragon and had no power to resist him. But Sora wouldn't do that. To conquer this goddess, he had to earn her recognition in her way. Without truly defeating the Divine Dragon by strength, everything would be meaningless.
"Hmph! Kusanagi Sora, the fact that you've lasted this long makes me look at you with new respect."
"If you really have the ability to defeat my Divine Dragon, I won't go back on my word. You can do whatever you want to me!"
Athena snorted coldly. Although she was embarrassed that this annoying guy still dared to tease her at such a time, she did not hesitate to express her admiration.
Sora's performance far exceeded Athena's expectations. She never thought this usually carefree, mischievous guy—who bullied her when she was sealed and powerless, and spent all day fooling around with his harem—could fight the Divine Dragon to this extent.
She couldn't help but feel a little hopeful. This guy might actually make it!
"Divine Dragon, don't let him rest. Keep attacking!"
Athena swung her Death Scythe again, pointing at Sora, commanding the Divine Dragon below.
This was her test for Sora, a test with everything at stake. Athena would show no mercy and give Sora no chance to breathe!
"Roar!!!"
The once battered body of the Divine Dragon regained its majestic and imposing form. Its overwhelming aura burst forth again as it raised its huge, fierce head and howled to the sky.
"This woman!"
Sora cursed inwardly. Athena was really determined to kill him! He swore repeatedly that he would torment her mercilessly afterward, no matter how much she begged.
Flapping his dragon-shaped wings, Sora retreated quickly. He dared not get too close to the big black snake. Although he had escaped once by turning into a spiky ball, he didn't want to experience that crushing feeling again.
"Hmm… what is that thing trying to do?"
Seeing the Divine Dragon not attack immediately, Sora frowned in confusion and muttered to himself.
But the next moment, his confusion turned to horror!
He saw a huge black energy ball compressing and condensing inside the dragon's mouth, radiating immense pressure even from afar.
Damn it! Was this big black snake about to unleash the "Roar of the Divine Dragon" on him?!
Boom!!!
Locking onto Sora's position without hesitation, the Divine Dragon shot the black energy ball from its mouth. It transformed into a huge black energy pillar, piercing space and appearing right in front of Sora in the blink of an eye.
Though the terrifying momentum was extreme, Sora's "Demon Armor" should have been able to withstand it. Yet the overwhelming sense of danger made him abandon the idea of a direct confrontation. He flapped his dragon wings with all his might and activated the "Phoenix" speed power, narrowly dodging the black energy pillar before it struck.
The black pillar finally landed on the distant sea surface, but there was no massive explosion as expected. Instead, it was eerily silent, even quieter than before.
Filled with endless doubt, Sora looked in that direction. The sea, once turbulent from their battle, was now completely petrified, turned into a dead sea of stone. Sora was stunned…