Medusa's Eyes

**Medusa's Eyes** (石化の魔眼(メデューサ・アイ), *Mede~yūsa Ai*) are Mystic Eyes infamously known for its power to petrify everything and anything within the wielder's field of vision.

## Summary

Medusa's Eyes are, undoubtedly, most connected to the myth of Perseus, in which the eponymous hero decapitated the snake-haired monster Medusa who can petrify all men who looked at her in the eyes.

Due to the influence of Greco-Roman culture over the western world, the subject of Medusa and petrification as a whole became a popular aspect in the occult community, spawning many spells, rituals, and artifacts that draw inspiration from the Greek legend.

Despite being associated with the gorgon Medusa, however, its true origins didn't lay with her but with the Titan Goddess Metis. While the exact details behind its creation remain hidden, it's believed that Metis had accidentally created it during the Titanomachy and passed it down to her daughter when she died, though for reasons unknown, Zeus had sealed it away for the entire duration of Athena's early years as a young goddess.

Sometimes in 3000 BC, through the usage of an unknown Atlantean artifact, Medusa was able to steal the Mystic Eyes from Athena and implanted them onto herself. With it, she and her sisters, Stheno and Euryale, began to terrorize the Mediterranean Basin and built themselves a small kingdom in Aeolis. They reigned there for hundreds of years before Perseus infiltrated their palace with Athena's help and assassinated Medusa, stealing back the Mystic Eyes.

In 476, taking advantage of the gods' weakened state as they left Earth for new cosmos in the Divine World, Titania Pallasite - a goddess from the planet Centauri-Six - used magic to steal Athena's Mystic Eyes for herself before erasing the goddess' memories of the whole event. However, on her trip back to Centauri-Six, her space vessel malfunctioned and she became stranded on Saturn.

## Appearance

Despite their abnormality, Perseus believes that Medusa's Eyes are too beautiful for any human to possess, and could either be art the gods admired or a nature they cursed. The corneas do not take in light, and the pupils see the world through a square. The irises are solidified, not allowing the eyes to close, and the wielder's eyes turn into a bright shade of crimson upon activation.

## Abilities

Medusa's Eyes are Mystic Eyes of the highest order that cannot be replicated by magic, said to be a "curse of the gods sealed by the power of shrines". Although petrification is no strange concept for modern magic, even if its users are rare and few in numbers, Mystic Eyes capable of petrifying others are something that nobody, human or not, possesses in the present era.

It affects all targets within the wielder's field of vision, regardless of whether said targets are looking at the Eyes physically, or if they have their eyes closed but continue to view the wielder either with their mind's eye or with magical means, as it is a curse to look upon it in any way. The only way Perseus was able to avoid its deadly gaze was by utilizing the Aegis to find Medusa's location without looking upon her at all. In accordance to the myths, subjects caught in her vision will be unconditionally petrified if their current amount of life-force beneaths that of the wielder, whereas those who equal or surpass the wielder will be weakened and receive a "heavy pressure".

The entire body of the target will be affected, including clothing and weaponry, "killing them while alive" as they are turned to stone. The ability is viable in petrifying a group of enemies, but it would not be useful against an infinite number. The amount of energy it uses is estimated to be comparable to also fighting them off with God-Class attacks, so it would quickly drain the wielder faster than simply fighting them off in melee combat.

With the exception of Athena, and later Boutros' through training and seals applied by the True Longinus, the wielder is unable to control the Eyes in any manner on their own, requiring the usage of Mystic Eye Killers to prevent its petrification. Knowledge of the eyes render further attacks less potent, but it is not enough to allow the wielder to go without proper protection.

Repeating the initial surprise effect would be impossible, making it possible to act without going completely numb and causing the effect of the petrification to go at a slower rate. The effect will be magnified again should the person's guard be let down.

## Trivia

* Despite not being able to be replicated by magic, the True Longinus was able to grant Boutros replicas of Medusa's Eyes through its Enochian Magick, though Athena stated Sacred Gears don't count on the principle of having "bullshit powers".
* Due to Metis' affinity toward snakes, wielders of the Mystic Eyes always associated with snakes or snake-like beings in some form:
	+ One of Athena's divine attributes is a serpent.
	+ Medusa has hair made of a mass of coiling snakes.
	+ Titania has snake scales all over her body and the end of her end are giant snakes.
	+ Boutros' natural eyes become more snake-like after receiving a replica of the Eyes.