As Chrysaor constricted him, Athos mustered up what strength he could in his right arm to cut at the green Gorgon's tail. It was hard enough to free that very same arm of the grip which had already begun snapping bones all throughout his body, but when he used the blade, it caused nothing more than a small gash which healed itself rather quickly. "Fool!" Chrysaor spoke while whipping the boy around with his tail. His own left arm drew back, and punched at the part of his tail which held Athos. The mere shock wave sent through this was enough to nearly knock the demigod unconscious, and blood spewed from his mouth nonetheless. Strangely, though... this attack tore all the muscles in Chrysaor's arm, and caused it to bleed profusely until its wounds healed as well. "How long must you try? There is hardly any life left in you already; even your regenerative abilities are nothing compared to mine. Look at what little damage you've done, and what damages you still have! Die! Watch, huntress. Watch what happens to his rule, and what happens to anyone who tries to impede mine! No one can stand before me!"

What came from Athos' mangled body next was the slightest upturn of the lips. "It's like a vacation from everything else," he said, though whether it was a response to Deianira's telepathic message, Chrysaor's threat of death, or something in his own mind... was something he would not explain. What Chrysaor couldn't realize due to the neurotoxin in his body, was that his punch - even mitigated through his own tail - should have shot a hole through the tail and Athos. The sword Hephaestus gave him was made with the power of the only thing a Gorgon of Chrysaor's status could fear: the Titanoboa. Its power was that of the original Basilisk, whose spell was a binding power the likes of which Chrysaor's ribbons only aimed to replicate. Chrysaor was rapidly becoming weak. All Athos had to do was survive long enough to capitalize on it.