I looked at Medusa, lying on the ground, half her torso destroyed. Being a Servant, it was impressive that she was still alive… for now. As I looked at her, a complicated expression formed on my face.
"Hey! What's with that look?" Blood trickled from her lips as she looked at me, trying to smile. "Come on, smile! You've defeated a monster."
I let out a sigh. I had enjoyed the battle, but it didn't feel so fun anymore. It was the first time I had taken someone's "life." Even though in my past life I had smashed a guy's face in with a chair, this was the first time I had come face to face with death. Besides, I didn't know exactly what to feel—especially because I had a certain affection for Medusa.
Things were really complicated, I thought, planting the Ruyi Jingu into the ground beside me. I approached her, completely lowering my guard, and crouched down beside her.
"Like I said, I don't think you're a monster. And besides, I didn't defeat you in a completely fair way. Before we even started, your arm had already been torn off." I knelt beside her, looking directly into her golden eyes.
She let out a hoarse, bitter laugh. "Hahaha! Kid, arm or no arm, I wouldn't have stood a chance against you. At no point in our fight were you in any real danger. In fact, you had to handicap yourself just so I could get close to your level." She let out a light chuckle, but it was followed by another bout of blood. "But if I'd been in my Rider version, that fight would've been fantastic. It's frustrating… in this form, all my stats are reduced… even my Noble Phantasm was sealed. It's a shame I couldn't entertain my partner properly." She gave me a small, sad smile and winked.
I stayed silent. I knew she was right. In this fight, I confirmed that her Alter version was much weaker than her Rider one. The proof was that I never felt in danger, not even once. That's why I was able to treat the fight like a luxury training session. It was a little sad that she had ended up in this form.
"You don't have to pity me, kid. At least I get to go after one last phenomenal dance. Still, as the victor, you've earned yourself a reward.." Gathering her strength, she tried to move toward a nearby wall.
Without hesitation, I helped her.
"Such a knight," she said, smiling as she leaned against the wall. "About your reward… first, a piece of information. Compared to the Servant who turned me into this, I'm just a grain of sand. In short, be careful with Saber. She's also in her Alter form, but unlike me, she's tremendously strong."
A shocked expression formed on my face at the mention of "Saber Alter."
There was only one Servant who fit that term.
I had already suspected that King Arthur might be in this Singularity, but I didn't expect it to be the Alter version.
"Judging by your face, that's not good news," she said, with a slightly sadistic smile.
Snapping out of my daze, I looked at her again and clenched my fist, a resolute expression forming on my face.
"No, but I'll defeat her," I replied, raising my head with a cocky smile. "Think of it as revenge for her corrupting you."
"I didn't know you had such a romantic side," she said, her tone softer and more serene. "But there's still one last reward. Boy, come closer."
A little confused, I leaned in.
Suddenly, her lips met mine.
I felt the soft touch of her lips, mixed with the taste of blood. The simple kiss deepened. Her tongue explored mine, intertwining with it. For about ten seconds, our lips remained locked until they finally parted, leaving a bridge of saliva between us.
Medusa's cheeks were slightly flushed. "That was a beautiful kiss," she said, licking her lips. "Until next time. I hope you properly summon me so we can have some fun." She winked at me as her body began to glow with golden light. The light enveloped her, and in the next instant, she dissolved into shining particles.
The only proof she had ever been there was my lips—still stained with her blood.
I sighed and stood up. At that moment, Ritsuka marched toward me, not calm in the slightest, accompanied by her Servant and Olga, who was still holding the Monkey King's cloak.
"You…" Ritsuka pointed at me, her face red. "You really kissed her." Her finger trembled slightly as she pointed it at me.
"I believe it was the other way around, Senpai," Mash, standing beside Ritsuka, corrected her master.
Not paying much attention to them, a bit dazed, I raised my hand and ran my fingers across my lips.
"My first kiss… tasted like blood," I murmured, looking at the spot where her body had vanished.
"Ironically, even when considering Sun Wukong's life, it would still be my first kiss. Sun Wukong had no interest in romance.
Lost in my thoughts, Ritsuka's voice pulled me out of them.
"Seriously?!" Ritsuka's eyes widened.
Before I could answer, my vision was blocked by a cascade of black hair and the scent of lilies.
Hanging upside down from her rifle was Nobunaga, one hand on her hat to keep it from falling. "So? How was it?" Her red eyes locked onto mine with a serious expression. Even without specifying the question, I instinctively knew what she meant.
"It was… good," I answered honestly.
She smiled. "Perfect." Holding her hat, she let go, landing on the ground as her rifle vanished. "So stop making that face. Treat it like a farewell gift, don't overthink something so simple." Nobunaga adjusted her hat and tilted her head, looking at me from the corner of her eye.
"You're right," I agreed, stretching as I raised my hand.
"Senpai, that was amazing," Mash stepped forward, speaking to me. "Even though I could see it, I couldn't fully understand what was happening." There was a sparkle of admiration in her eyes.
This girl had the power to calm any heart. She was practically a pink-haired angel.
"Thanks, Mash," I said, raising my hand to pat her head. "Before long, you'll be able to keep up." At my words, she gave me a heavenly smile.
Moved by her smile, I pulled back my hand and looked at Olga.
"How are you feeling?" I smiled, placing a hand on my chin as I looked at her.
"...I'm fine… thank you…" she murmured, still holding the Monkey King's cloak. "But here's your cloak…" She tried to give it back, but her hands trembled.
Seems like going through a near-death experience affected her more than I thought… or maybe there's more piling up inside her than I know.
"Hey, it's fine if you keep it for now," I said, shrugging.
Nobunaga, beside me, let out a sarcastic smile, clearly disapproving of my action.
I simply smiled at her, making her huff. "For someone who kisses enemies, you're awfully indulgent, you fool."
At her words, Olga's eyes gleamed strangely, staring at me intensely.
Noticing that look, Nobunaga's smile grew wider.
"This is your fault," I said, looking at the warmonger who loved chaos.
"Wow! The mood just dropped." Ritsuka hugged herself, looking around, confused. "But anyway, I feel kinda useless. I haven't been able to help at all." She scratched her neck awkwardly.
"Senpai…" Mash turned to the red-haired girl.
"You don't need to be so hard on yourself. You were thrown into all this headfirst, and besides, you're completely new to this." I crossed my arms and gave the girl who was too hard on herself a reassuring smile.
"Well, if our personal Superman says so, then it must be true," Ritsuka said, putting her hands behind her back with a smile, her skirt swaying lightly.
"Of course…"
Before I could finish, Nobunaga turned her head to the side, summoning a matchlock rifle.
Without a word, she fired.
"Hey! Hey! Mister… or Missy, watch where you're pointing that thing!"
A male voice echoed, and we saw a tall, muscular man dressed in blue furs and carrying a wooden staff, raising his hands in surrender. The bullet had hit the ground just in front of him.
"Who are you?" Nobunaga asked, three more rifles aimed at him, while I pulled the Ruyi Jingu from the ground.
"Are you on your period or something?" he said with a mischievous grin aimed at Nobunaga.
The rifles glowed, ready to fire again.
"Whoa, easy there, lady!" he said, completely unfazed. "I'm the Servant summoned for the Caster class in this Holy Grail War. Usually, I'm a Lancer, but this time…" He used his free hand to pull down his hood, revealing bright blue hair in a ponytail, crimson eyes, and a silver earring dangling from one ear. "I'm Cú Chulainn. Let's talk." He flashed a casual smile, showing all his teeth.
••• ••• •••
Don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me.