Outside Miyama Town, within the belly of Mount Enzou, at the center of the courtyard of Ryuudou Temple—now transformed by a massive outburst of magical energy into land resembling the Age of Gods—a stunningly beautiful woman with over-knee-length deep purple hair sat limply on the ground, awkwardly twisting her neck.
At this moment, the purple serpent-patterned eyepatch that had previously covered part of Rider's face had fallen off, revealing her sharp nose and the strange rectangular pupils of her eyes, which shimmered with a violet iridescent glow.
Undoubtedly, Rider was a great beauty. With an alluring atmosphere and a graceful figure, she exuded a cold, regal charm.
Yet now, her slightly parted crimson lips and dazed expression disrupted that icy aura, instead adding a hint of natural airheadedness—one that made her all the more endearing.
"Who are you?"
As Rider asked, the magic circle at the center of the courtyard pulsed with a strange light. An ancient aura from the distant Age of Gods began to surge.
The next moment, before Rider could speak again, a will appeared—one that seemed capable of freezing even spiritual particles. "Ugh..."
Her vision went dark. Before this overwhelming power, even her feared Mystic Eyes of Petrification were utterly helpless. As a wave of dizziness washed over her, Rider realized that when she next opened her eyes, she was already standing on ancient land.
"This place is..." Rider's voice trembled slightly.
The scene was so familiar. As far as the eye could see, only an endless ocean stretched out. Once, she and her two sisters often gazed out at the world from this very place.
Behind her stood a ruined, decaying Greek-style structure.
Once mighty palaces had collapsed. Amid the ruins of stone columns, sculptures of humanoid figures clad in Corinthian helmets with plume-like decorations and traditional Greek bell-shaped breastplates stood everywhere.
Some were intact, others damaged or broken. Their expressions varied—some glared fiercely, others faced death bravely, and a few showed fear. The expressions were vivid and diverse. But without exception, they all held weapons!
The only thing different from Rider's memory was the massive purple sun hanging in the sky.
"That's right. The place that connects the river Oceanus, which encircles the earth, to the land of night—the legendary dwelling of the Gorgon sisters: the Invisible Island."
That ethereal female voice that made Rider shudder sounded again.
The terrifying pressure crushed Rider to the ground.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Before Rider could understand what was happening, the once-calm sky suddenly darkened, radiating a purple-red glow.
A chilling sound of clashing weapons rang out. The world abruptly shifted, time and space turned. The Invisible Island manifested amid collapsing arc-light particles, instantly surrounding Rider, filling her entire vision.
"Nice to meet you, daughter of Phorcys—Father of All Monsters (born of Gaia and Pontus)—and Ceto, the youngest of the Gorgon sisters of the Invisible Island: Medusa."
What entered Rider's sight was a pair of crimson eyes—eyes with the same uniquely shaped pupils as her own Mystic Eyes of Petrification.
"You... who exactly are you, divine one...?"
As she stared up at the beautiful snake woman pinned to the ground, Selene, appearing as a partial projection, didn't answer.
"Medusa, let's make a deal."
"I shall not only spare your Master's life... I may even, in great mercy, save her—allow her to live an ordinary life as a normal person, until the day she dies."
"You understand what I mean, don't you? Your true Master isn't that ridiculous little clown."
"...." After a brief silence, Rider lowered her head and asked in an emotionless tone, "Why choose me?"
"Perhaps it was fate," Selene replied casually. "To descend during this Holy Grail War in which you are participating. Among the seven Servants, not many of the short ones stood out, so my options were limited."
"Again with this... fate, choice, divine fate."
Maybe it was Selene's nonchalant tone, or maybe it stirred other memories—either way, Rider Medusa's emotions suddenly flared. She became hysterical. "Again with this—I'd rather have none of it!"
"Annoying... reminded you of Athena, didn't it?"
Medusa's rage and breakdown didn't surprise Selene in the slightest. Medusa, much like Medea, had once lived a joyful, beautiful life—only to later suffer a life of tragedy.
Cursed by the gods, transformed from a goddess into a monstrous being; to protect her sisters, she became a literal monster—slaying countless would-be heroes who sought fame and glory by defeating her. Eventually, she lost control and devoured her two sisters, living on in pain and numbness, until at last, her head was severed.
Honestly, if Selene had gone through the same experiences, she'd probably leave a river of blood in her wake.
All things considered, Medusa's emotional outburst upon hearing or thinking of her hated enemy was quite mild. She was just venting.
Selene calmly asked, "Do you want to take revenge? Against this unjust world?"
As she spoke, Selene casually inserted a bit of information into Rider Medusa's consciousness—and threw in a burst of forced calm.
"To live once more with your sisters, Stheno and Euryale."
As she continued, Selene's expression turned a bit strange as she glanced a few times at the shapely figure revealed beneath Rider Medusa's purple-black bodysuit. "And even to permanently return your body to be like your sisters'—the one you hate so much...."
The more she said, the stranger Selene felt. This whole topic was... weird.
Rider Medusa was apparently distressed over her height. She had a complex about being tall, firmly believed she wasn't cute, and just wanted to be more adorable.
Uh... then what am I supposed to be? Selene wanted to ask. The Tokyo Skytree?
As for Rider Medusa's particular insecurities—Selene had never experienced anything like that.
Even if some colonies under her control during her conquest wars had such traditions, Selene could forcibly shape them to match her ideal.
And who would dare object? Let them try!
"Do I even have a choice?"
Not long after comprehending Selene's proposal in full, Rider Medusa fell silent, then gave a bitter smile and eventually dropped to one knee before her.
"Your divine majesty... I hope things turn out as you say."
After all, it was only this Servant spirit form. As long as her sisters could return, she was willing to pay any price. Even if it meant the destruction of her parents... or of the entire Greek pantheon.
It didn't matter.
The Greek gods were infamous for their depravity and chaos. Barring a rare few, they had virtually no sense of ethics or familial bonds.
"Then, the contract is sealed."
...
Outside Rider Medusa's inner mental space, once Rider fell into a deep slumber and the magical energy of the entire spiritual vein beneath Ryuudou Temple subtly began converging toward her—
Rita turned her head and spoke. "Caster."
Nodding slightly, Caster Medea, who had been assisting Lev in expanding the magic circle and connecting the underground leyline, stepped out from the shadows. Beneath her black robe, her chest rose and fell subtly, and a flicker of complexity passed through her blue eyes.
"Golden Fleece (Argon Coin)!"
Like fluttering butterflies, magical particles gathered in Caster Medea's right hand. A gentle golden glow radiated outward, seemingly dispelling the oppressive atmosphere caused by the massive concentration of mana, bathing everything in a warm breeze.
"The Golden Fleece..." Rita murmured, the soft glow reflected in her wine-red eyes.
Held in Caster Medea's right hand was a shimmering tuft of golden fur—the very same legendary Golden Fleece sought after by countless Greek heroes.
"Let's begin." Rita nodded and revealed the three Command Spells transplanted onto the back of her hand from Kuzuki Souichirou: "By Command Spell, I order you—Caster Medea, unseal the Golden Fleece!"
"By Command Spell, Caster Medea, release the Golden Fleece to its maximum limit!"
"By Command Spell, Caster Medea, release the Golden Fleece to its maximum limit!"
Rita used all three Command Spells at once. The precision of her commands ensured the greatest amplification effect.
With such overwhelming reinforcement, even Caster Medea's figure trembled. The magic within her surged violently, becoming a veritable tide of energy.
Buzz—!
In that instant, the feeling of nearly bursting with power made Caster Medea briefly entertain a rebellious thought.
Such power—so strong. The god hasn't descended yet. Should I just destroy the summoning circle and kill that human magus....
Should I take the risk?
No. No!
The wild idea was immediately squashed.
Souichirou-sama is still in their hands. If I act out of line, who knows what kind of inhuman torment he'll suffer. A fate worse than death—perhaps even death itself will be denied him.
In truth, not only outsiders like Rita who had only heard rumors, but even Medea herself didn't fully understand the Golden Fleece's effects.
Rita only knew it was something sought after by many kings, heroes, and even gods of Greece—most famously, the treasure pursued by the Argonauts led by Jason.
As the rightful owner of the Golden Fleece—yes, there's a legend that casting it on the ground would summon dragons—but Medea had no talent for summoning phantasmal beasts. She'd never succeeded.
To Medea, her use of the Fleece in life was limited to admiring its texture for recovery. It was so fluffy. Its spiritual healing even exceeded its physical restoration.
As for its other supposed powers—symbols of wealth, of adventure and unyielding will, of realizing wishes and attaining all things, of ideals and the pursuit of happiness....
No matter what others claimed, Medea never felt any of that.
In fact, she could say this noble artifact was the catalyst that disrupted her entire fate.
So—should she gamble? On something so vague and uncertain?
If she were alone, she would gamble without hesitation.
But... Durandal had already promised to spare Souichirou-sama. Stirring up trouble on a whim, with no guarantee of success, might only bring harm to him.
She didn't dare. As long as even a shred of uncertainty remained, she couldn't risk it.
According to Rita, the Golden Fleece was merely to serve as a fixed summoning medium. It possessed no significant offensive power or conceptual weaponization.
"...." Rita stared coldly at Caster Medea without a word, the icy scythe in her hand lifting slightly. "Please, Miss Medea."
"...Alright." Caster Medea silently approached the unconscious Rider and raised the dazzling golden treasure high.
"Proclaiming now—if you shall heed my call, then by this will and this principle, answer me here and now—"
In the next instant, the vast magical energy gathered beneath Rider surged upward like a pillar of light connecting the heavens and the earth, while also plunging deep into the land.
Immediately, the Greater Grail system's network linked to the land's leylines. The entire Mount Enzou began to shake violently with intense fluctuations.
Even the highest-grade barrier, constructed jointly by Lev, Caster Medea, and the magical energy-based Honkai crystals, began to waver under the extraordinary celestial phenomenon triggered by the EX-rank Noble Phantasm—Golden Fleece (Argon Coin).
"Oho! What an astounding sight!"
Holding his green top hat to his chest, Lev suddenly appeared beside Rita, having stepped away from coordinating the leylines within the massive underground cavern. He looked on in amazement as two violet-haired streams of light seemed to merge into Rider's body within the pillar.
At that moment—Buzz—!
Rider, having relinquished her consciousness and spirit, began to undergo rapid transformation. Her body enlarged, altered, and deified. Her immortality returned, and a surging energy burst forth—an energy far beyond what belonged to Medusa alone.
Crack—Huff! Huff huff!
The smooth, porcelain-like skin over her shoulder blades tore apart. Three massive pairs of wings suddenly unfurled like blades.
RUMBLE!
Her parted legs gradually fused into a heavy serpent's tail, and the motion of it rolling across the ground caused a deep, echoing roar.
"Medusa... the Gorgon sisters... I see."
"Using the Golden Fleece, the object of every desire in Greek mythology, as the medium; using Medusa, the youngest sister, as the summoning vessel; combining the power of the three sisters—she becomes the vengeful monster goddess, Gorgon...."
Watching the enormous goddess slowly rise from the sea of mana like a mountain, Caster Medea let out a bitter smile. "Just what kind of being must she be, that even a partial descent requires a divine vessel?"
"Did I make a mistake?"
At this moment, Rider had completely vanished. In her place now stood a colossal goddess with six wings, a humanoid upper body, and a serpentine lower half.
On her Titan-like face, her eyes opened—not serpent pupils, but crimson, diamond-shaped cross pupils.
"So difficult to descend... a new body, a snake tail... huh, this feels kinda... novel...."
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