Aegis Mineralization

**Aegis Mineralization**, also known as the **Order of Death from the Snake Queen**, is the Sacred Gear wielded by Peter Johnson of the Hero Faction.

## Summary

Aegis Mineralization is among the numerous Sacred Gears created by the Biblical God before his death under the hands of the original Four Great Satans. It is considered to be a rare Sacred Gear, with only a couple of known wielders appearing once every several centuries.

It is a common belief that the Sacred Gear was created based on the legendary Aegis from Greek mythology, a shield owned by either Zeus or Athena on which the head of the fearsome gorgon Medusa is attached. However, when asked about this theory, the Olympian gods neither confirm nor deny it, implying that the circumstances behind it are much more complicated.

Despite this, based on several historical records found in ancient shrines, temples, and libraries, such as the Parthenon or the Library of Alexandria, it might be the opposite and the Aegis might be created based on the Sacred Gear and not the opposite. However, due to how popular the previous theory is, many people still choose to believe it instead.

## Appearance

Aegis Mineralization takes the form of an ornate Ancient Greek shield decorated with three rings, each depicting a different scene - The outer ring depicts scenes of mythical beasts, the middle ring depicts scenes of war and combat, while the inner ring depicts scenes of lovemaking. Imprinted on the shield is the terrifying head of a gorgon, with squirming poisonous snakes for hair, lolling tongue between ivory tusks, and crazed onyx eyes filled with death and bloodlust.

## Abilities

Aegis Mineralization possesses the power to shoot out a beam of magical energy which will instantly petrify anything hit by it, regardless of whether it is living organisms or inanimate objects or even magical attacks. Depending on the user's own will, the range and effectiveness of the beam can be manipulated and changed, widening or shrinking or even turning the beam invisible to the human's eyes, with Azazel even noted that a former user was capable of petrifying the target's organs without affecting their body, thus turning them into stone statue in human skin.

The user can manipulate the petrified targets in many ways.

* If the petrified targets were once inanimate objects, the user can then telekinetically manipulate them from afar, turning them- or pieces of them, depending on their fighting style -into long-ranged weapons, which they can repair and even reinforce with magic if necessary.
* If the petrified targets were once living organisms, however, the user can then telepathically manipulate them, turning them into stone golems with an unwavering loyalty toward the user and the user alone, as they don't show any reaction toward anyone else but them, friends and foes alike.

If these petrified targets are shattered or broken during combat, the user can then use some of their life-force to repair them into their original state, though it's implied that they can only do this for a limited amount of times before it becomes impossible. They can also transform them back into their original state, but this can only be done to those who were once alive and within 72 hours since the petrification.

In addition to its petrification powers, the Aegis Mineralization can also be used as a regular shield, defending the user against opponents in close-combat. Despite its weight, it is surprisingly light and is made from enchanted *adamas*, which can absorb magical attacks before releasing it back into the world as powerful energy waves capable of knocking even the strongest of opponents down.

The squirming snakes featured on the gorgon's head have also shown to be a dangerous feature, as they are extremely poisonous and durable and would bite opponents who reach too close and inject their venom into their body, the cure of which can only be extracted from the gorgon's tusks. After some training, the user can also remove snakes from the head, which will grow back even more snakes to remove the ones lost, to use as scouts by sharing their visions with them, or to have them slither down underground before rising up and bite the opponents in the ankles as a surprise attack.

## Limitations

According to Azazel, despite popular belief, there isn't a maximum limit on how much can be petrified by the user, thus allowing them to petrify a virtually infinite number of targets without needing to stop, nor do the living targets need to look into the gorgon's eyes in order to be petrified, as the only requirement for petrification is being hit in any part of their body, even if that "part" is their hair or clothes.

There are only two limitations to Aegis Mineralization: The first being the amount of magical energy needed to continuous petrification, as well as manipulation of the petrified targets. The second is the mental strain it put the user under, as Peter is said to require treatment and medicine for headaches regularly after he awoken and began to practice using the Sacred Gear, though he does confirm that the headaches lessen as he becomes more skilled at using it and only reappear when he pushes himself to far during battle or training.

## Forms

### Caput-Medusae and Mineralization Knight

**Caput-Medusae and Mineralization Knight** (彷徨う蛇の王妃と蛇の騎士による死の舞踏カプトメヂューサ ・アンド・ ミネラリゼーション・ナイト, *Kaputo-Medyūsa ando Minerarizēshon Naito*), also known as the **Death Dance by the Prowling Snake Queen and Snake Knight**, is Aegis Mineralization's original Balance Breaker. When activated, the gorgon's head detaches from the shield, becomes gigantic and floats mid-air, and charges a beam from its eyes that turns anyone but the user within a kilometer-radius into stone, regardless if they are friends or foes.

### Perses Eurymedon

**Perses Eurymedon** (ヘビの王と聖なる蛇の宮廷ペルセース・ユーリメドン, *Perusēsu Yūrimedon*), also known as the **King of Snakes and Court of Holy Serpents**, is Peter Johnson's Abyss Side Balance Breaker. It creates a silver-white Scale Mail around Peter's body in the form of a giant feathered serpent with emerald scales and two large wings behind his back which are formed of Stygian Iron and Celestial Bronze. His hair becomes longer and transforms into giant snakes at the end, and his eyes become Medusa's Eyes, which allow him to petrify anything within his field of vision that he doesn't consider an ally.

The petrified people also become mutated when under this form, as they become animated versions of Peter's Scale Mail, though theirs are made of stone and they carry weapons made out of enchanted bronze, which can instantly transform anyone and/or anything injured by them into stone. Issei estimated that Peter's strength in this form is roughly God-class in terms of power while his petrified soldiers range from High-class to Ultimate-class in terms of power.

## Trivia

* In Greek mythology, **aegis** (αἰγίς), is the shield of Zeus and Athena. It is also the shield that Perseus used to behead thegorgon, Medusa. Her head was then embedded onto the shield, giving it the gorgon's ability
* "Caput-Medusae" means "Medusa' Head" in Latin.
* Peter's "Perses Eurymedon" is named after one of his ancestor Perseus' other names.
	+ "Perses" (Πέρσης) means "to ravage, to destroy" while "Eurymedon" (Εὐρυμέδοντα) means "ruling far and wide". When combined together, the name roughly means "The destroyer who rules far and wide".