Chapter 217: Bellerophon

Carefully putting away the two Noble Phantasms, Shinji gently caught Lorelei's fainting body, pulled back the hood of his cloak, and spoke to the unconscious young lady with a sincere voice and his true face:

"I'm sorry, Miss Lorelei. I will unveil my greatest trump card to express my apology and respect to you."

"Descend now, divine beast from the Age of Gods, phantasmal species with the blood of the Sea God - now is the time for this ancient mystery to be revealed."

With this summons, white lines spread from Shinji's feet, tracing out a crest originating from ancient Greece. An overwhelming magical power beyond the comprehension of most magi gushed forth from the crest, and a soft magical glow filled the mercury sphere, firmly fixing Shinji's gaze.

In the center of the light was something white, purer than the hazy moon.

It was - a "mystery" never before heard of outside of myths, surpassing even legends, and this "mystery" now lay beneath Shinji and Lorelei.

The pure white being unfurled wings of the same pure white. Just this simple action was enough to instantly disperse the Moon Spirit Marrow, with countless mercury droplets slamming against the workshop walls, making sounds like heavy rain beating on banana leaves on a tropical afternoon.

Without the mercury membrane blocking the view, Gertler finally saw the source of the abnormal magical power.

It was a horse, purer than any other, a white horse without any tinge of color, and from its flanks sprouted a pair of wings that silently proclaimed its identity.

According to legend, when the great Greek hero Perseus severed the head of Medusa, the gorgon's fresh blood dyed the earth red. From this pool of blood were born a giant and a white horse with wings. This white-winged horse is the famous Pegasus, the origin of the constellation Pegasus in the northern sky.

This legend was elevated alongside Perseus, becoming one of Perseus' Noble Phantasms, and also Shinji's final trump card.

"A phantasmal species from the Age of the Gods?! No, impossible, how could such a thing appear?!" Gertler's hysterical roar echoed through the increasingly cramped workshop.

Phantasmal species. Just as the words suggest, they are things that only exist in fantasy - sub-humans like fairies or giants, and magical beasts like ghosts and dragons. They inherently represent "Mystery," and their existence can surpass that of magecraft.

Mystery disappears in the face of greater Mystery. Just as magecraft stores power through knowledge, phantasmal species store power through their long lifespans. The limits of the human body researching magecraft are barely 500 years. For phantasmal species that have existed since the distant primordial age, 500 years of Mystery is utterly incomparable.

However, the era of phantasmal species coexisting with humans in the same world has passed. The longer a phantasmal species lives, the further it drifts from this world. Nowadays, phantasmal species have vanished from human society, and even if some ancient hidden sanctuaries still harbor them, those are merely young phantasmal species of a few hundred years - the truly ancient phantasmal species have long since left the surface.

"This must be an illusion, you're trying to trick me into dispelling my magecraft, but I won't fall for it! You all must die, must die!!!"

"That's why I was reluctant to reveal this trump card." Shinji sighed as he stroked the mane of the Pegasus. "Weapon-like Noble Phantasms can still be passed off as ancient armaments, and a regular Pegasus could be explained away as a chance encounter. But you, the primordial Pegasus Bellerophon, are undeniable proof. Once discovered, I would undoubtedly be placed on the 'sealing designation' list."

Pegasus are not particularly powerful phantasmal species - even mature ones are only at the level of magical beasts. But the Bellerophon that Shinji rode was special. Perseus' era in Greek mythology was quite early, and Bellerophon is much older than heroes like Heracles, Theseus, Atalanta, Jason, Agamemnon, and Achilles.

"It has already transcended the limits of the Magical Beasts and reached the level of Phantasmal Beasts, similar to the highest class of "Dragon" among the Phantasmal Species, with certain attributes even capable of rivaling or even surpassing the Dragon kind."

"Originally, I was planning to have you make your debut when facing a Servant or one of the 'Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors', but I didn't expect your first appearance would be on such a shabby stage."

Bellerophon snorted in displeasure at his master's words. Domesticated equines, let alone Bellerophon, are no ordinary mounts.

"Alright, alright, don't be angry. It's just that I didn't bring my battle lance, which is the specialized Noble Phantasm for offensive purposes. The penetrative power of Indra's Thunder is insufficient, so I'll have to rely on you."

When Shinji and Bellerophon interacted, the remaining space in the workshop was reduced to less than half of its original size, with the nearest wall almost touching Bellerophon's nose.

"If you have any grievances, we can discuss them after we go out. Since you've made your appearance, let the sole audience witness your might - let's go, Bellerophon!!!"

"HĪĪĪ-!" The pure white Pegasus let out a long, piercing cry, and its equally pristine wings unfurled, releasing magical power that overshadowed the sum of the workshop's compression spells in an instant.

The wings of the Pegasus, though appearing delicate, possess strength and sharpness that rival the mightiest of weapons. The power released from the thick-as-a-fist wing roots is such that even the heroes of legend might not be able to surpass it, and the magical energy rushing out from between the feathers is enough to match that of hundreds of modern magi.

A simple flapping of its wings was enough to shatter the prison that held the strongest of the Clock Tower's young generation like crumbling tofu.

Immediately after, the Pegasus with its wings unfurled carried Shinji and Lorelei upwards.

It did not require direct physical contact, as the swirling magical energy currents surrounding it were enough to utterly destroy everything in its path.

Amid the piercing sounds of impact, Bellerophon broke through four floors of the ceiling and soared directly into the night sky, basking in the moonlight.

Then - the vortex of magical power seemed to increase its rotational speed endlessly, and the radiance accompanying the maelstrom resembled a second moon in the distance.

"Take this, Pegasus Comet--!"

Before Shinji could fully utter the classic name of the technique, he was interrupted by the displeased gaze of the Pegasus. Shinji could only reluctantly set aside his sentiments and seriously unleash the true name of the Noble Phantasm.

"Beller--"

The Pegasus flew higher into the distant sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye as if heading straight for the moon. In that moment of merging with the moonlight, the Pegasus turned and dove towards the ground.

A meteoric descent.

"--ophon (Bridle of Chivalry)!!!"

Amid Shinji's roar, the master and the Pegasus became a bolt of light.

Their target was singular -

To annihilate the enemy, along with their main base.

The comet's light illuminated the night sky, as bright as day.

PS: In fact, the ancient Phantasmal Beasts still exist. One known example is Lugh Beowulf, the highest-class Phantasmal Beast that was once contracted with Touko and later became attached to Soujuurou.

PS2: In Greek mythology, the Pegasus Bellerophon was the offspring of the sea god Poseidon and the gorgon Medusa, but in the Nasuverse, the Pegasus became a gift from Poseidon to Medusa. Poseidon had invited Medusa to a banquet, but she was prevented from attending by her two sisters, thus avoiding a tragic fate.

PS3: People live for the three R sisters - the big, medium, and small ones.

G: Beyblade

-Pegasus comet fist from saintseiya

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