Gilgamesh seemed to sense something. He suddenly twisted aside, evading Alcaeus's attack.
In truth, he had not needed to do so. Seven Rings of Heavenly Domination was a Noble Phantasm with enhanced defense against thrown weapons; for ordinary arrows to break through that defense would have been a joke.
But arrows coated in Hydra Poison were another matter. Gilgamesh's spur-of-the-moment move had saved his life.
The poisoned arrow tore through the Seven Rings of Heavenly Domination, which had already lost three layers in the previous explosion. It broke through the lightning-strike defense system Gilgamesh had never revealed and shattered his golden armguard.
"Drip, drip." Bright red blood fell drop by drop toward the ground. The King of Heroes, who had never been injured, was the first to draw blood in this battle. He stared coolly at his wounded arm. "Well done. As expected of a demigod."
Intense pain spread from the wound throughout his body. The most terrifying legend of Hydra Poison was not merely its dreadful toxicity, but the unbearable torment that came with being poisoned. It was a despair that even the Centaur Sage and the great hero Heracles could not endure. No one could remain sane before this poison.
"The rabble has been dealt with. You're next." Feeling the double torment of body and soul, Gilgamesh smiled especially viciously. "It's merely snake venom. I can still endure it. But can you?"
Compared with Gilgamesh, who was merely bleeding from his hand, Alcaeus was covered in wounds. Though the wounds were rapidly healing under the support of the Twelve Trials and mana, this had already exposed the limits of his defense.
"The Twelve Trials turned your body into resilient armor, nullifying attacks below Rank B. Furthermore, your body stores the equivalent of eleven additional lives, so you will