Medea sensed a unique aura from Medusa, one tied to the Age of Gods.
At her words, Medusa nodded, not concealing her identity. After all, Sakura had already started using her name openly.
"Medusa."
"It's really you?!" Medea's eyes widened in surprise, while Morpheus showed no shock, instead falling into thought.
Though he hadn't delved deeply into the game's lore, Morpheus had picked up bits from forums. In the Nasuverse, Medusa wasn't Poseidon's consort or the child of the sea god Pontus. She was a native goddess, stripped of worship and degraded... possibly even a high-tier Earth Mother Goddess!
The image of a native goddess being trounced by a bunch of mechanical, alien-tech robots amused Morpheus.
The myths of this world were delightfully bizarre.
Still, he didn't dwell on it. He was just a spectator, with no power or need to change the past.
"Oh, and there's another familiar face... for Medea, at least," Morpheus said, glancing at Illya. The girl, who looked like a child but was older than Shirou and college-aged, was staring at Medusa.
Not just Medusa... she also eyed Medea, her mind buzzing with one thought.
Incredible, three from ancient Greece in one go!
Morpheus spoke up. "Illya, call him out."
"Oh, Berserker," Illya replied, instantly understanding. She summoned her Servant, and a giant appeared, barely fitting under the ceiling without bumping his head.
Seeing the giant, Medusa grew wary, while Medea's face lit up with recognition.
"Heracles?!" she exclaimed, stepping forward, but then she frowned, sensing his overwhelming madness. "No, he's been maddened? Of course, the Berserker class…"
"He wouldn't have a great opinion of you even without the madness," Morpheus said. "This isn't the Heracles we knew. He's this worldline's Heracles."
"Still, losing his reasoning to madness is tragic," Medea said, shaking her head. She looked at Illya. "You've forsaken his greatest strength."
Illya shook her head, a mocking smile on her lips. "Some people don't trust those who think for themselves. If possible, they'd prefer a puppet like me, incapable of independent thought."
Medea froze at Illya's self-deprecating jab, aimed at certain forces. Activating her mystic eyes, she examined Illya closely with magical aid.
What she saw was a body riddled with intricate circuits, so altered it barely resembled anything human.
This girl hadn't been treated as human... not even as an animal. Hunters killed prey with minimal suffering, often with gratitude. But Illya was a tool, an experiment, with no care for her well-being. Her internal structure alone suggested unimaginable torment.
"Maybe I should be glad it's me here, not Atalanta," Medea murmured. "She'd probably storm off and destroy the Grail's foundation in a rage."
Given Atalanta's love for children, she'd absolutely do that. She wouldn't tolerate such suffering.
"Let's eat first. Should Heracles join us?" Shirou suggested, looking at the giant as if asking if he'd sit down.
"No need. Berserker can sustain himself with my mana," Illya said, shaking her head. The strain of his mana drain was uncomfortable, but she knew a maddened Heracles couldn't handle simple tasks like eating with others.
Morpheus, however, was prepared. He pulled out a wooden bowl. Medea blinked. "The one you made back then?"
"Yup, came with me," Morpheus nodded. He'd crafted it in ancient Greece for drinking water or soup in the wild. Now, it had a use.
He filled it with cooked meat and vegetables, no utensils needed, and handed it to Heracles.
Even if chopsticks were tricky for the giant's hands, a bowl was manageable.
Leaving someone out while everyone ate together felt too cruel.
Heracles took the bowl, sat alone, and ate slowly. Morpheus settled nearby. "Shirou's right... let's eat. I'll explain what's going on while we do."
Cú Chulainn appeared outside the Emiya residence, leaping into the courtyard.
It was quiet, but voices drifted from a lit room nearby, where people were chatting.
That's the place? he thought, moving closer. Unleashing his power to draw out the Servants inside would've been his preference, but orders were to scout.
So, he crept forward cautiously, eager to assess the situation.
Then he overheard the conversation.
"So, Sakura's a Master too?!" A young voice... Shirou's, from his visit to the church.
Sakura's a Master? So, besides Shirou, there are other Masters here? Cú Chulainn was surprised by the unexpected intel.
"Senpai, I am a Master, but I'm not interested in the Grail," Sakura's voice replied.
Cú Chulainn smirked. Another one with no stake in the Grail, so they're all getting along?
Shirou's voice came again. "Right now, Sakura's a Master, I'm a Master, Rin's a Master, Illya's a Master. That's four Masters…"
Four Masters?! They've allied? Kirei's hiding, but this group's already a powerhouse. Tough spot! Cú Chulainn thought, oddly thrilled.
"It's not just four Masters," a man's voice cut in... one Cú Chulainn recognized from their previous clash. It left a strong impression.
His words stunned Cú Chulainn. Not four?
"Medea's not just a Servant... she's a Master too, having summoned another Servant. She's unbound by a Master's restrictions, essentially her own Master. She counts as two. So, we've got six Masters and six Servants."
Cú Chulainn's mind reeled.
Wait, what?! The Grail War only summons seven Servants total, and they've got six here? I'm the only one left out?
Even with his love for battle and bravery, this revelation made his lips twitch.
Can I jump ship? Urgent... how does a Servant switch sides?!
As he pondered, the archer's voice inside chuckled. "I think we'll have seven Servants soon."
Cú Chulainn froze, about to dodge, when glowing lines appeared around him. In an instant, he was trapped within a strange pattern of triangles and circles!
***
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