Jason initiated the attack with a direct thrust, but the tip of his spear barely grazed the air. Medusa managed to dodge it more by instinct than by skill, her body staggering clumsily, far from the lethal agility she had shown before the anesthesia weakened her.
Without giving her a single moment to breathe, Jason launched another thrust, this time with more force, more urgency. Medusa raised her arm to shield herself, and the bronze scales clashed against the spear with a dry, metallic sound, barely stopping the blow. Even so, the impact made her step back, and then another, as Jason advanced without pause, chaining attack after attack in a constant pressure that didn't allow her to regain her balance.
The offensive did not stop. One thrust, another, and yet another, each one forcing the gorgon to give ground, to retreat further and further toward the warehouse wall. The rhythm was relentless, and although Medusa managed to deflect some attacks, her defense grew slower with every passing second.
Then, Jason changed the angle and directed a thrust straight at her face. Medusa reacted at the last instant, tilting her head just enough to avoid being pierced, but she did not come away unscathed. The tip grazed her cheek, opening a clean cut from which a thin thread of purple blood began to flow, slowly descending over her skin.
Jason did not hesitate. Before Medusa could recover, he closed the distance with a decisive step. In a golden flash, the spear vanished and transformed into a sturdy cestus that covered his left fist. Taking advantage of the proximity and her moment of weakness, he threw the full weight of his body into a single blow.
The impact was devastating. The punch connected squarely with the gorgon's face, and the force was such that her body was sent flying backward, cutting through the air before crashing violently against the wooden wall of the warehouse. The structure creaked instantly, the planks splintering and cracking under the impact, as if they were incapable of withstanding such violence.
Medusa barely had time to react. Her body was still vibrating from the blow when the cestus shone again, transforming once more into the golden spear in Jason's hand. The Argonaut stepped forward, firm, imposing, his breathing heavy but his gaze unbreakable.
"I am…" he began, his voice deep, filled with fierce determination.
He adopted a combat stance, gripping the spear with both hands, aligning his body as if every muscle knew exactly what it had to do. Then he lunged forward with overwhelming speed, closing the distance in an instant.
"…the legendary captain of the Argo…" he continued, his voice rising as the momentum carried him straight toward his target.
When he stood before her, he planted his foot firmly and channeled all the inertia of his advance into a single motion. The thrust was brutal, driven by his weight, his speed, and the desperate strength he had left. The spear pierced Medusa and pushed her against the wall, embedding her into the wood with a sharp, final удар.
"Jason the Argonaut!" he finally roared, his voice echoing throughout the warehouse.
Medusa's body remained suspended against the wall, held in place by the spear that pierced her abdomen. A moment later, her body convulsed and she ended up vomiting purple blood, which fell in thick drops onto the wooden floor.
Medusa raised her hands, or rather, those trembling claws they had become, and slowly brought them toward the spear embedded in her abdomen. Her fingers hesitated before touching the shaft, as if she could not fully comprehend what was happening, as if that pain were not entirely real.
Jason's response was immediate and brutal. Without a word, he pushed the spear further in, forcing the metal to drive through with a wet, unpleasant resistance. Medusa let out a muffled groan, her body tensing against the wall as the pain spread through every fiber of her being.
Along the shaft, her purple blood began to slide, thick and unnatural, releasing a putrid stench that mixed with a violet vapor rising slowly, as if that wound exhaled corruption.
Even with the cloth covering his nose, Jason could not avoid perceiving the smell. It was nauseating, penetrating, something that seemed to cling to the throat, as if it wanted to settle inside him. Even so, he did not step back. His hands gripped the spear more tightly, and he pushed a little further, hardening his gaze.
"Just die already… monster" he finally spat, closer to a growl filled with rage than a conscious threat.
Medusa groaned again, but this time there was something more in the sound. It was not only pain, but indignation. Her eyes, still bright despite the suffering, lifted to meet Jason's.
"'Monster!?'" she shot back, her voice broken but firm. "That's how you see me… but the real monsters are them…"
The rage in her gaze did not fade, but something different began to seep into Jason's eyes. A slight hesitation, a doubt that appeared without him being able to prevent it. Medusa noticed, and for a moment, she seemed to cling to it more than to her own life.
"The gods…" she continued, clenching her teeth as she spoke. "They are the true monsters!"
Jason frowned, not loosening the pressure of the spear, but clearly unsettled by those words.
"'What are you talking about?" he asked, his tone lower, less certain than he intended.
Medusa let out a weak, bitter smile that ended in a gasp of pain. Even so, she did not look away from him.
"Look at us…" she said with difficulty. "They used you to obtain that little golden toy… and then discarded you as if you were a broken tool."
With a slight movement of her claw, she pointed at the golden fleece covering Jason's left arm. Then, her expression changed, turning darker, more intimate.
"And me…" she added, her voice barely a whisper filled with bitterness "they turned me into this.
Jason shook his head immediately, clinging to what he believed he knew, to what he had always been told."
"No…" he corrected firmly. "You were born like this. A gorgon, just like your sisters."
For a moment, the pain on Medusa's face softened, replaced by a small smile filled with sadness. It was not mockery, but something closer to compassion, as if Jason's naivety seemed almost tragic to her.
"Didn't you hear the muse's introduction?" she asked in a thread of voice. "The gorgons adopted me as their sister… after they transformed me into this."
She paused, her breathing becoming irregular, but her eyes did not leave his.
"I…" she continued, barely holding the words together, "I was born human."