In the Emiya household, Ritsuka sat cross-legged on the tatami with Jeanne in front of him. He carefully wrapped a bandage around her arm, even though the cuts were already beginning to knit closed on their own. Jeanne simply smiled, watching him fuss with quiet warmth.
From the side, Rin crossed her arms, tapping her foot. "You do know she's a Servant, right? She'll heal with prana on her own."
Ritsuka tied the last knot firmly, brushing dust off his hands. "Yeah, I know. But if I can speed it up—even just a little—I'll try."
Rin blinked at him, lips twitching, before sighing and turning away. "…Do whatever you want."
For a moment, there was silence, only the faint rustle of Jeanne adjusting her rain-soaked coat. Then Rin spoke again, more serious this time.
"Do you even understand who we're up against? Do you know the story of Medusa?"
Ritsuka nodded slowly. "Yeah. One of three sisters. Supposedly Poseidon's lover. They… uh…" His voice trailed with awkward hesitation. "They did it in Athena's temple. Athena cursed her. Turned anyone who looked at her to stone. Perseus killed her later with a mirror shield. That's the version I've always heard."
Rin's eyes narrowed. "…That's the common version."
Ritsuka tilted his head. "Common version?"
Rin leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. Her tone sharpened, almost like a lecture. "Yes. The real history is a lot darker—one only the Mage's Association and certain bloodlines still preserve."
She held his gaze, letting it sink in before continuing.
"Medusa was born alongside her sisters, Stheno and Euryale. But unlike them, she wasn't granted eternal youth. They stayed forever beautiful, forever adored. Medusa grew taller, older—'a failure' in the eyes of the gods. Her so-called gifts were dangerous: Mystic Eyes that could petrify, monstrous strength. Powers meant to protect her sisters, so they could bask in worship while she bore the curse of being a 'weapon.'"
Ritsuka's face tightened. "…So they treated her like a guard dog."
"Exactly." Rin's lips curled bitterly. "The idols humans praised as 'gentle goddesses' were actually cruel. Sadistic. They claimed to 'love humanity' while taking perverse pleasure in ruining lives. Meanwhile, Medusa—their supposed failure—was the one forced into isolation."
Ritsuka frowned. "…I thought the whole Poseidon thing was… either love or… you know."
Rin rolled her eyes. "Flame-fueled fangirls. They twisted the story to glorify her sisters. In truth, Poseidon's gift to Medusa was Pegasus. A divine steed she could summon if she drove a blade through her own throat."
Ritsuka stared blankly. "…That sounds metal as hell."
"…And tragic." Jeanne added softly.
"Anyway," Rin went on, ignoring him, "the constant worship of her sisters finally stirred Athena's wrath. So the goddess cursed Medusa—warping her body into the Gorgon, exiling her to a land beyond the Okeanos, the Shapeless Isle. Her sisters followed her, whether out of love or twisted ownership, no one knows."
Ritsuka leaned forward. "And then?"
Rin's eyes darkened. "Warriors came. Oracles sent them. Heroes with swords and arrows. None returned. All became stone. And all the while, Medusa tried to live humbly. Cleaning. Cooking. Even hanging laundry using her chains…"
Ritsuka winced. "…Yikes. Imagine being turned to stone and then used as a drying rack."
Rin shot him a glare. "She made do with what she had." She exhaled sharply. "But eventually, she gave in. She created a blood fort to drain intruders. Her sisters warned her not to taste the blood. But by then it was too late—Medusa transformed completely into the monster, devouring even the sisters who had abandoned her to begin with."
"…And that's when Perseus shows up," Ritsuka muttered.
"Yes," Rin confirmed, her voice quieter. "But the true records say he didn't kill her for glory. He did it as an act of mercy. To end her suffering."
Silence filled the room. Jeanne bowed her head in quiet prayer.
Finally, Ritsuka broke it, scratching his cheek. "…Okay, but one thing doesn't make sense. How do you magi even know all this?"
Rin smirked faintly, leaning back with folded arms. "Because the Mage's Association has Perseus's firsthand accounts. Diaries. Reports. We've had them for centuries."
Ritsuka blinked, jaw dropping. "…How old is your Association?"
Rin chuckled without humor. "Older than you can imagine."
Jeanne's fingers brushed the bandaged arm Ritsuka had just finished tending. Her eyes lowered, voice soft with grief.
"Cursed… because of her sisters' cruelty toward mankind. She bore the punishment for their sins."
Gilgamesh, half-manifested in the corner, clicked his tongue and looked away, red eyes narrowing. "Hmph. That is the nature of gods. Do not be surprised. Even if Athena's action was meant as 'protection for humanity,' the hand she chose to strike was not the guilty one. Such is the folly of divine whims."
Ritsuka looked between them, unsettled. "So… you're saying Medusa wasn't even the real target? She was just—convenient?"
Gil let out a dry laugh. "Exactly. The gods act not out of justice, but ego. They preserve their image, not the truth. And mortals—pathetic as ever—twist those tales into worship and fables." He leaned against the wall, his smirk thin and sharp. "That is why I detest them. Heroes, saints, gods… all bound by stories that hide the rot underneath."
Jeanne frowned, her hand curling into a fist around her banner. "And yet, even in falsehood, people cling to those stories for hope. To believe in something greater than themselves."
Gil's smile deepened, cruel amusement sparking in his eyes. "Hope? Or chains? You should know, Saint—faith can crush just as easily as it uplifts."
For a moment, Jeanne met his gaze, and the air between them seemed to tighten.
Ritsuka, caught in the middle, raised both hands. "Okay, okay, can we not turn this into a philosophical death match? We already had one fight today."
Gil chuckled under his breath, vanishing back into spirit form. Jeanne simply bowed her head, murmuring a prayer for the cursed woman who had once been human.
Rin froze mid-step, her hand tightening into a fist. "Wait—hold on. That reminds me. Why the hell didn't you help us back there, Caster!?."
A low laugh echoed through the room, rich and mocking. Gilgamesh's voice carried without his form appearing.
"Hmph. I had already glimpsed the outcome. If it had truly been a battle to the death, I would have cut it short myself. No point in wasting my time on a meaningless spectacle."
Ritsuka blinked, scratching his head as he tried to process it. "…Wait, you can see the future too? Goldy?"
A sudden flare of golden particles filled the room as Gilgamesh fully manifested, crimson eyes narrowing in sharp amusement.
"Did you just call me—Goldy?" His tone was both dangerous and curious, like a predator deciding whether to eat or indulge its prey.
Ritsuka straightened up, unflinching despite the pressure radiating from him. "Yeah. I mean, Rin just calls you 'Caster,' but I don't know your real name, so—Goldy it is."
For a tense second, silence hung in the air. Then, Gilgamesh threw his head back and laughed, the sound arrogant and thunderous.
"Oh, how amusing! To think a whelp like you would dare name me! But very well—this king shall permit it. Call me Goldy if you wish. It will serve as proof that you are not entirely spineless."
Rin slapped her forehead, groaning. "Oh great. Fantastic. Now you've gone and fed his ego even more."
Jeanne, still resting by the table, tilted her head, faintly smiling at the absurdity. "Goldy… it does have a certain charm to it."
Gil smirked at her, pride swelling. "Hah. Even the saint approves. Truly, my radiance is boundless."
Ritsuka just muttered under his breath, "Or just blindingly smug…"
Gilgamesh cleared her throat as he spoke. "But, did you notice, something"
Rin looked at him as she spoke. "Notice what Caster?"
Gilgamesh looked at her as he sat down. "When Ritsuka over here said Raider was Beautiful".
Ritsuka looked away at that. "Listen, that was the first thing that came to my mind, she is beautiful".
Rin was a bit ticked by that, and Jeanne sighed, but she felt a peng on her chest for some odd reason.
Gilgamesh cleared his throat as she spoke. "Both she and her master blushed, at once, not even second delayed, like they were connected by something else".
Rin blinked as she thought back to their interaction. "Wait you noticed that?".
Gilgamesh smirked as he spoke. "Of course, nothing is unseen by this king's eyes".
Rin frowned, crossing her arms. "So… you're saying those two—Illya and Rider—are more than just Master and Servant?"
Gilgamesh tilted his head, golden eyes gleaming. "Tch. More than that. They mirrored each other. Thought, movement, blush… as if they were one body split into two."
Jeanne lowered her gaze, remembering the wingbeats, the sudden coordination, the flawless retreat. "That would explain why they fought with such uncanny unity. They weren't merely allies… they were synchronized."
Ritsuka, scratching the back of his head, muttered. "So what are you saying, Goldy? Some kind of… bond magic?"
Gil gave a short laugh. "Bond magic? Hah! Child's terminology. No, this is the working of something far older. Perhaps even divine meddling. It is not the first time gods have chained mortals and phantoms alike in ways beyond mortal comprehension."
Rin's brows furrowed, irritation prickling her voice. "Tch… like we needed another headache. Great. As if Pegasus wasn't enough, now they've got this weird soul-bond thing going."
Jeanne, still clutching her sword, looked distant. "A dangerous connection… one that makes them stronger together. But also—" her eyes softened, almost pitying "—it binds their fates tighter than they know."
Gil smirked again, standing. "You grasp quicker than I expected, Saint. But enough speculation. The game has changed, and I—" he tapped his chest arrogantly "—have no intention of cleaning up their mess for free. Consider this a gift of my wisdom."
He turned, his form beginning to fade.
Ritsuka called out. "Oi, wait—Goldy! You're just gonna drop that on us and leave?"
Gil glanced back with a sly grin. "Hmph. I've already said too much. But remember this: the chains you cannot see are the ones that matter most."
With that, his golden aura flickered out, leaving the group in uneasy silence.
Meanwhile, in a different place, in the Einzbern Castle, were Illya and Medusa.
They both looked at the Crystal Orb, as they replayed their battle as Illya stopped
She saw the blurry image of Gilgamesh. "We gathered our information, we did what we came for, we found out who Archer Master was, who was My Brother's servant, but that Tosaka Heir Servants"
She paused as she looked at Gilgamesh. "He half manifested, didn't carry a weapon, maybe caster, do you recognise him?".
Medusa looked at the Orb as she shook her head. "No master, he is not from any Greek legend I remember".
Illya leaned back in her chair, finger tapping her lips, her crimson eyes narrowing. "Hmm… if he's a Caster, then he's hiding his treasures very well. No Noble Phantasm, no weapon, just that smug laugh."
Medusa's eyes lingered on the fading golden outline within the orb, her tone low and wary. "He gave off an aura of divinity… but unlike any Olympian. Ancient, yes. But his origin lies elsewhere. He feels… older."
Illya tilted her head, thoughtful. "Older than Olympus? That's… troublesome."
The orb flickered again, replaying the exact moment Gil's form shimmered—his half-manifestation, his piercing gaze fixed not on Jeanne, nor on Rin, but directly at them.
Illya's smile faltered for a moment. "…He saw us."
Medusa's eyes widened ever so slightly. "…Impossible. This is a playback. He should not be able to…"
But Illya quickly masked her unease with a mischievous grin, brushing it off with a childlike laugh. "Tehe~ well, that makes things fun, doesn't it? If he can see us, then we'll just make sure to give him something worth watching next time."
Medusa lowered her head slightly, hiding her own unease. "Master… you should not underestimate him. Whoever that man is, he is dangerous beyond measure."
Illya smirked and patted her Servant's arm, her voice light but her eyes sharp as a blade. "Of course he is. That's why we'll make sure he underestimates us first."
The orb dimmed, leaving the two of them in the shadowed room of the Einzbern castle, their plots wrapping tighter with each word.
Illya tapped her finger on the crystal orb as she saw the playback of the fight between Jeanne and Medusa. "She is gonna be difficult"
Medusa looked at her as she spoke. "Illya, do you think?"
Illya looked at her as she reversed the Fight, played back by the playback. "She has a skill, that either allows her to glimpse the future or see her enemy's moves, and we don't even know her Noble Phantasm".
Medusa's chains unraveled softly from her arms, coiling back into the void as she approached the bed. She brushed back Illya's silvery hair with a rare gentleness. "You should go to sleep now, Master. Tomorrow… will demand more of you."
Illya gave a little pout before covering it with a yawn. "Mmm… right. More planning tomorrow. Hehe…"
The faintest echo of her childish side slipped out as her eyes drooped.
Medusa sighed lightly — and yawned as well, an odd echo of Illya's motion. She lay down beside her Master, arms folding around her small frame, pulling her close as if the act was as natural as breathing.
Illya instinctively nestled against her warmth, murmuring in that broken, half-dreaming state:
"…This bond… annoying sometimes… yet… won't change…"
Medusa's lips curved into a small smile. "Neither would I wish it to."
The quiet of the castle wrapped around them, and soon, silence settled in — only the sound of their breathing, steady and in sync, remained through the peaceful night.
To be continued
Hope people like this Ch and give me power stones and enjoy